Content Designer

Social Security Scotland; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Social Security Scotland is hiring a Content Designer to shape user-centred content across our services. You will work in agile teams to plan, write, design and iterate content that supports complex processes, with a focus on accessibility and consistency.

Based in Scotland, you will contribute to style guides, collaborate with stakeholders, and participate in the content design community of practice, while meeting statutory security requirements and maintaining high standards of user experience.

Qualifications

• Experience of creating accessible, user-centred content.
• Experience of turning complex information into clear, easy-to-understand content.
• Experience of adapting communication styles to engage different audiences and build relationships with stakeholders.
• Experience of using content management systems to create, manage and maintain digital content.

Responsibilities

• Work in agile teams and help them to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work, define scope and agree a minimum viable product (MVP).
• Create prototypes and content plans to demonstrate proposed approaches to content design. Explain how the pattern choice, publishing approach and metadata will shape how the content will be published and managed.
• Prioritise and build relationships with stakeholders. Communicating with them in various ways to build consensus on content design approaches that balance the needs of the business and user.
• Establish and iterate content patterns and standards. Contribute to the creation and development of content strategies and processes.
• Create and iterate content for end-to-end services that makes complex language and processes easy to understand. Record design decisions and design debt. Provide evidence and acceptance criteria for design decisions that show how the content meets user needs.
• Use data, research and evidence to plan, write, design and edit content across multiple channels that meets content styles and standards. Set review dates and monitor the effectiveness of content to make continuous improvements.
• Engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government content design community of practice.

Skills

User-centered content

Accessibility

Stakeholder engagement

CMS usage

Job description

Expected Timeline (subject to change)

Sift - week commencing 21st September 2026

The Content Design team is part of the User Centred Design team in Digital Delivery and Change Division. The Content Design team is responsible for the design and delivery of content for all our benefits. We work on continuous improvement projects and support business as usual activities. The team is multi-disciplinary and brings together a vast range of skills and expertise to ensure that clients are at the centre of the design and development of all our content design.

Content designers make things easier for people to understand and use. They make sure the appropriate content is shown to users in the right place and in the best format. This can involve creating, evaluating, updating and reviewing content at all stages of the end-to-end journey of a service (across digital and offline channels) to help users complete their goal and government deliver a policy intent.

At This Role Level, You Will

• be comfortable using evidence, data and research to make content decisions.
• build relationships across government to focus on the needs of the user and to influence stakeholders.
• contribute to and use the style guides and content patterns.
• engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government content design community of practice.

Responsibilities

• Work in agile teams and help them to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work, define scope and agree a minimum viable product (MVP). Adapt, reflect and be responsive to feedback.
• Create prototypes and content plans to demonstrate proposed approaches to content design. Explain how the pattern choice, publishing approach and metadata will shape how the content will be published and managed.
• Prioritise and build relationships with stakeholders. Communicating with them in various ways to build consensus on content design approaches that balance the needs of the business and user.
• Establish and iterate content patterns and standards. Contribute to the creation and development of content strategies and processes.
• Create and iterate content for end-to-end services that makes complex language and processes easy to understand. Record design decisions and design debt. Provide evidence and acceptance criteria for design decisions that show how the content meets user needs.
• Use data, research and evidence to plan, write, design and edit content across multiple channels that meets content styles and standards. Set review dates and monitor the effectiveness of content to make continuous improvements.
• Engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government content design community of practice.

Success Profiles

We use an assessment framework called 'Success Profiles' which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about the framework here.

For this post, the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:

Experience

• Experience of creating accessible, user-centred content.
• Experience of turning complex information and processes into clear, easy-to-understand content that provides users with the right information in the right format.
• Experience of adapting communication styles to engage different audiences and build positive relationships with stakeholders.
• Experience of using content management systems to create, manage and maintain digital content.

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing - Level 3
• Working Together - Level 3

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.

Technical / Professional Skills:

This role is aligned to Content Designer within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

Reserve List

In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.

About Us

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve. Find more about us here.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working Pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices.

There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre‑employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality Statement

Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail].

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Right to Work in the UK

Social Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Please note that UK immigration guidance, including skill and salary thresholds and eligible occupations, is reviewed regularly and subject to change. If you require visa sponsorship, you should check the latest criteria to confirm whether this role meets current requirements before applying. You can find further advice on Gov.UK - Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK

Further Information

Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition - Recruitment - Civil Service Commission.

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at [e-mail] in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via [e-mail].