Junior Content Designer – Department for International Development – Darlington

Job summary

This recruitment is continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be located in the new Department for Business and Trade. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.

Our Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) team at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) develop digital services and tools that enable the UK government to provide world-leading support to businesses in the UK and overseas.

We’re looking for a Junior Content Designer who wants to make a lasting impact on how DBT delivers our user-centred products and services.

You will work in an agile, multi-disciplinary team and collaborate on projects across our major platforms including GOV.UK, great.gov.uk and intranet. You will design content that helps our users achieve their goals, ensuring content is accessible, easy to understand and adheres to government standards.

Our User-Centred Design Community is a supportive hub that will help you develop your skills in content design and agile working. We host regular sessions to share best practice so you can learn from others and get regular feedback on your work. You can read more about our on GOV.UK. 

This role is available in three UK locations, including central London, Cardiff, and Darlington’s new economic hub. This role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Most DBT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Changes to these working arrangements are available in certain circumstances but must be agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

Job description

As a Junior Content Designer, you’ll be part of our user-centred design team and work on our digital services and websites. Your main day-to-day responsibilities will include:

creating and updating content across the end-to-end user journeys for GOV.UK, great.gov.uk and other DBT digital tools

designing content to meet user needs and making sure complex language and processes are easy to understand

writing and publishing content ensuring it adheres to the government style guide, patterns and standards

understanding who our stakeholders are and working with them and other teams to build relationships and understand user needs

determining user needs based on evidence to support content decisions

translating user stories and proposing design approaches to meet user needs

You will also be expected to carry out the following day-to-day activities:

contributing to the Content Design and User-Centred Design communities, by attending events, sharing ideas and best practice

encouraging constructive criticism of your work and constructively review the work of others, for example during peer reviews

Person specification

Essential Skills and Experience

You will need to have demonstrable skills and experience of:

Agile working (content design) You can demonstrate experience of working in Agile teams and advise colleagues on how and why Agile methods are used. You can adapt and reflect and be responsive to feedback.

Content concepts and prototyping You can show an awareness of the different types of prototypes, from paper sketches to coded versions and understand when to use them.

Stakeholder relationship management (content design) You can understand who your stakeholders are and work to understand their needs. You can understand the importance of managing relationships with your stakeholders.

Strategic thinking (content design) You can support the creation and development of strategies and policies. You can contribute to iterating and improving processes and guidelines.

User focus (content design) You can show an awareness of user experience analytics and principles. You can understand the purpose of user stories and focus on user-centred design more widely.

User-centred content design You can demonstrate some experience in writing and editing digital content and use content management systems to publish content. You understand the importance of content standards and style guidelines and can apply these to your work. You can understand the importance of using data and evidence to make content decisions.

Desirable Skills and Experience

This is not necessary but would be ideal:

Experience of working with a content management system

Personal Attributes and Skills

We’re looking for an enthusiastic individual who wants to develop a career in Content Design. You will be passionate about delivering quality services for our customers and should be open to taking direction and guidance from others. You will be supported along the way by a team of Content Design professionals who can help you develop your skills.

To join our team, you’ll need to be:

an excellent team player with a positive attitude who can work collaboratively and flexibly within a dynamic team and across our services

able to use sound judgement, evidence, and knowledge to arrive at accurate, professional decisions

innovative and seek out opportunities to learn and create effective change

able to take responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes and show pride and passion for public service

comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

open to contributing to our design community and champion best practice

Benefits

Learning and development tailored to your role

An environment with flexible working options

A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

A with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

How to Apply

This vacancy is using , and will assess your Technical Skills and Behaviours

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

Sift will take place week commencing: 3rd April 2023

Interviews will take place week commencing: 10th April 2023

Please notes these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

As part of the you will be asked to upload a CV and complete a personal statement outlining your experience, skills and fit for the role.

At the sift stage for this role, we will assess your CV and personal statement against the essential skills and experience listed above. There is no limit on the personal statement, but we recommend writing around 500 words. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer. As well as evidencing the criteria you should also touch upon why you’re interested in DBT and in this role.

If we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct a ‘short sift’ and read one element of your application. For this campaign a short sift would be conducted based on:Personal Statement.

How you’ll be assessed

At the for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant technical skills and behavioursfrom the framework. A role-specific list of these can be found below.

Salary is determined by performance at interview, within the range advertised. Candidates moving from another government department have the option to retain their current salary.

Technical skills

There will be a technical element within the interview where you will be asked questions about your specific professional skills and knowledge relating directly to the job role.

We will assess you against the following technical skills:

Agile working (content design)

Content concepts and prototyping

Stakeholder relationship management (content design)

Strategic thinking (content design)

User focus (content design)

User-centred content design

Detailed explanations of each technical skill can be found on the

Behaviours

We will assess you against the following behaviours:

​​Changing and Improving​

​​Developing Self and Others​

​​Working Together​

Appointments may be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences. Candidates who pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring will be held on a 12-month reserve list for future appointments. Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

The Department for International Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation.

Harmonised terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

Any move to the Department for International Trade 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

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the DDaT Recruitment team before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DIT by email: [email protected]

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission:

Click to visit Civil Service Commission.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

For further information and to apply please click the link to direct you to the advertisers website.

Security Clearance Details

This role requires you to undergo Security Clearance. The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. You will be asked to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.

Checks will be made against:

Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

Security Services record

Location details

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is .

.People working with government assets must complete checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals

nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

nationals of the Republic of Ireland

nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the

relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service

relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service

certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Working for the Civil Service

The 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 .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.

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