Content Designer

Manchester Digital; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A government digital service in Manchester is seeking a content designer to create, improve, and manage user-centered content. Responsibilities include collaborating with stakeholders, utilizing insights from user feedback, and contributing to the development of content principles. The role offers flexible working options, a Civil Service Pension, and opportunities for career progression.

Benefits

flexible hybrid working

Civil Service Pension

25 days annual leave

in-year bonus scheme

career progression and coaching

Qualifications

• Experience with content publishing systems and creating user-centred content.
• Ability to use analytics and user feedback for content decisions.
• Experience working with stakeholders to maintain content quality.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage user-centered content based on analytics and research.
• Collaborate with stakeholders for policy and legal checks.
• Contribute to content principles and templates used on GOV.UK.

Skills

content design

using insights and analytics

stakeholder management

prioritisation

improving ways of working

Job description

Overview

Job Description

As a content designer you will:

• create, improve and manage user-centered content using analytics, user feedback, user research and other sources of information
• contribute to and help develop content principles, improvements and templates used on GOV.UK
• identify the needs of users, write user stories, design content plans, create and publish content
• identify and collaborate effectively with stakeholders, making sure appropriate policy and legal checks happen within other departments of government
• develop and apply content and format strategies with support from a senior content designer
• contribute to the cross-government and GDS content community

Person specification

We’re interested in people with skills and experience in:

• content design - creating, improving and publishing user-centred content; experience with content publishing systems
• using insights and analytics - using analytics, user feedback, user research and other sources to inform content decisions
• stakeholder management - working with stakeholders or clients to understand issues while maintaining content quality
• prioritisation - project management experience, ability to manage and prioritise work and adapt to changing circumstances
• improving ways of working - identifying and communicating improvements to processes and ways of working

Benefits

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Note: Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

DSIT does not normally offer full home working, but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - CV and cover letter up to 750 words. Ensure your cover letter explains how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” above
• a task to be completed remotely within 1 week
• a video interview lasting up to 60 minutes about how your skills relate to the Civil Service Behaviours

Depending on the number of applications, there might be an extra stage before the video interview, such as a phone interview or a technical exercise.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application; all examples must be truthful and taken from your own experience. Plagiarism may lead to withdrawal of the application. See our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

In the event of high-volume applications, initial sift will be against the lead criteria: content design - creating, improving and publishing user-centred content with experience of content publishing systems.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate skills and behaviours relevant to this role. We’ll assess against the following Civil Service Behaviours: changing and improving, making effective decisions, communicating and influencing, delivering at pace.

Skills

We’ll assess experience and specialist technical skills against the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the content designer role:

• Agile working
• content concepts and prototypes
• stakeholder and relationship management
• strategic thinking
• user focus
• user-centred design

Recruitment timeline

Sift completion: 17 October 2025

Panel interviews: From 6 November

Candidates not passing the interview but meeting an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade. A reserve list will be held for 12 months for further appointments.

The Civil Service is committed to attracting, retaining and investing in talent. See the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy for more information.

Sponsorship

DSIT cannot offer visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a visa sponsorship licence, but this campaign does not qualify.

Location

Location is Bristol / Manchester. If you are a current Civil servant working in DSIT and based in London, you may apply and retain your London location and pay if successful.

Feedback will be provided only if you attend an interview or assessment.