Lead Digital Content Advisor | Wellington

Ministry of Social Development; Wellington; On-site; NZD 122,000 - 152,000; Full time

Job summary

Ministry of Social Development is seeking a Lead Content Designer in Wellington to direct content strategy for our knowledge base and intranet as part of a major digital transformation. You will drive clear, accessible, plain-English content and align it with policy, training materials and external public information.

You will lead a team of content specialists, collaborate with IT and business units, and champion responsible AI tools to support content work across MSD and partner services.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience leading digital content design in a large organisation.
• Proven experience developing content strategies, frameworks and standards.
• Strong experience with knowledge bases, intranets and complex content systems.
• Ability to write clear, plain-English content.
• Experience aligning policy, operational guidance, training and public information.
• Confident mentoring and coaching content designers.
• Experience working with digital and IT teams, including AI-enabled tools.
• Commitment to accessibility, inclusion and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Responsibilities

• Lead content strategy and delivery for knowledge base and intranet platforms.
• Collaborate with business units, communications and IT partners.
• Mentor and coach content designers across MSD.
• Ensure content is clear, accessible and written in plain English.
• Align content with policy, operating standards and training material.
• Support introduction of AI tools in content workflows.

Skills

Content design leadership

Content strategy

Knowledge bases

Plain English writing

Policy alignment

Mentoring

IT collaboration

Accessibility & Te Tiriti

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

• 1 Six month Fixed Term or Secondment opportunity
• 1 Fixed Term or Secondment opportunity through to December 2027
• Based at National Office in Wellington

MSD is transforming how we deliver services, creating a welfare system that’s simpler, smarter and centred on people.

Join a talented team delivering one of New Zealand’s most significant transformation programmes and help create better experiences and outcomes for New Zealanders.

About the role | Mō te tūnga

You’ll join the Digital Content team within Service Delivery Communications, working alongside content, communications, engagement and technology specialists.

The team plays a critical role in ensuring MSD’s digital content is clear, consistent, accessible and aligned — supporting both staff and the public to understand information and complete tasks with confidence.

As the Lead Content Designer, you’ll be a senior member of the Digital Content team, dedicated to a significant programme of work focused on the knowledge base, intranet and external website platform shift.

You’ll lead content strategy and delivery across this workstream, applying user‑centred design principles, content frameworks and MSD style guides to ensure content is clear, accessible and written in plain English.

A key focus of the role is making it easier for MSD staff to find, understand and use the information they need to support New Zealanders. You’ll ensure strong alignment between the knowledge base, operational policy, operating standards, training material and external public information.

You’ll work closely with business units, communications teams and IT partners, including collaborating on the introduction of new, safe AI tools to support content work. You’ll also mentor and coach team members, lifting content capability and embedding best practice across MSD.

• Senior‑level experience leading digital content design in a large, complex organisation
• Proven experience developing and delivering content strategies, frameworks, patterns and standards
• Strong experience across knowledge bases, intranets and complex content systems
• Ability to simplify complex information and write high‑quality, plain‑English content
• Experience ensuring alignment across policy, operational guidance, training and public information
• Confidence mentoring and coaching content designers
• Experience working with digital and IT teams, including AI‑enabled tools
• Commitment to accessibility, inclusion and Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Unlock potential. Join MSD.

Salary | Utu-ā-tau: $122,381.00 - $152,296.00

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is a people-centred organisation. We’re in communities across the motu, working with partners to help New Zealanders be safe, strong and independent.

We provide social policy advice to government, and assistance including income, employment and housing support to people of all ages, families, whānau and communities.

As a Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner, we are committed to supporting and enabling Māori, whānau, hapū, Iwi and communities to realise their own potential and aspirations.

Our people are as diverse as the communities we serve. We care about the wellbeing and success of our people and provide a supportive and inclusive working environment where people can thrive and be who they are.

Joining MSD means being part of a whānau that celebrates the diversity each individual represents.

We show manaaki, we care about the wellbeing and success of people and want everyone to thrive and be who they are in a supportive and inclusive working environment. We work together to make a difference for communities while doing the right thing with integrity. You can find out more about our values here.

If you have any support or accessibility requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.