Content Designer

Content Designer - Bradford About the job
Job summary
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.
Do you have a passion for making complex information simple and accessible?
Are you experienced in writing user-focused content and looking for your next challenge?
HMRC wants you to come and be part of a multi-disciplinary team and transform the way we communicate with millions of taxpayers across the UK.
We are looking for someone who can bring clarity and simplicity to the ever-changing world of tax
HMRC is one of the largest organisations in the UK and the biggest digital operation in Government. Our digital business runs the IT behind tax and benefits services for 45 million individual and 5 million business customers.
We're making HMRC services and information simpler, clearer and faster for individuals and businesses. To do that, we need content designers who will help us design end-to-end services based on user needs.
See what it's like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Job description
Content designers work on content that helps to form the end-to-end journey of a service, helping users complete their goal and government to deliver a policy intent. Their work may involve the creation of, or change to, a transaction, product or single piece of content which could be from across digital and offline channels and be provided by different parts of government.
Content Designer at SO level is a role for a graduate with a degree in a relevant subject or an individual with proven experience in designing content to meet user needs.
At this level you will work collaboratively with other user-centred design professionals and business stakeholders to define what will be developed to meet users' needs. You will produce clear and meaningful content based on user needs, and feed into content strategies.
You will engage with and contribute to our active and supportive content design community in HMRC and across government.
You will be expected to:

• line manage, support and mentor Junior Content Designers.
• map user journeys and processes.
• use best practice, data and research to design and iterate usable and accessible content.
• feed into content strategies for portfolios of work to inform end-to-end journeys.
• build collaborative relationships with stakeholders, including through workshops and pair-writing sessions.
• actively participate in the HMRC and cross-government design communities, both digitally and face-to-face.
• proactively seek new learning opportunities and look to continually improve by gaining feedback from your peers and the business.

In addition to your content design expertise this role will also involve developing complex interactions and calculations such as:

• large scale interactive guidance and calculators.
• develop a strategy to streamline and standardise interactive guidance and calculator build processes.
• manage change requests and collaborate with developers.
• test strategies.
• accessibility audits.

Person specification
Essential Criteria
Our Content Designer must have:

• experience developing and designing complex interactive guidance and calculators, using Ocelot or similar content management systems.
• experience of coaching and mentoring other content designers, growing skills, and providing constructive feedback on work.
• demonstrable skill in developing accessible content for online guidance or transactions and working to style and standard guidelines.
• experience of journey mapping and needs analysis - being able to take existing content and identify gaps and overlaps.
• an ability to use metrics and user feedback to inform content design.
• experience of talking about your design decisions and approach to stakeholders of various levels and convincing them that user needs and a user-centred approach are the right way to design content.

Desirable Criteria
It would be useful if you can also demonstrate experience of:

• experience designing complex guidance and calculators using the Ocelot platform.
• working to the government service standard and/or GOV.UK standards and working practices.
• working in agile teams.
• experience of leading workshops and discussions to facilitate the design of content through collaboration with other professions.

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Government Digital and Data Capability Framework - User-Centred Content Design
• Government Digital and Data Capability Framework - User focus (Content Design)
• Government Digital and Data Capability Framework - Stakeholder relationship management (Content Design)
• Presentation exercise

Benefits
Alongside your salary of £44,110, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £12,778 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.
How to Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A name-blind CV with your job history and most recent and relevant experience.
• A 1000 word Personal Statement, which should demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for this role, ensuring you give examples.

You will also be asked to provide a statement addressing the desirable criteria, which will not be sifted on, but may be used in the event of a tie-break.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
If there is a high volume of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on your CV only.
At full sift your CV and your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the applicants with the best skills and experience being invited to interview.
Interview
During the panel interview, you will be required to provide evidence as to how you meet the above essential criteria and requirements.
Your technical skills will be explored in more detail at interview. Please refer to Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. For further details please see link:
We'll assess you against these technical skills from the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework during the selection process:

• User-Centred Content Design
• User focus (Content Design)
• Stakeholder relationship management (Content Design)

You will also be sent an exercise to create a presentation to be given at the interview - further information will be supplied to applicants who reach this stage of the recruitment process.
The interview will be conducted virtually, using Microsoft Teams.
Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.
We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - (insert vacancy ref) & vacancy closing date (insert date)'
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Criminal Record Check
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment Team via as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the 'location preferences' section that you can travel to.
Terms and Conditions
Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a Civil Servant on or beyond the start date for the post. If their contract ends (for example due to the end of Fixed Term Appointment contract or resignation) at any point during the application process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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