Senior Content Designer (Video), GOV.UK

Job description

As a senior content designer (video) for GOV.UK, you will be working closely with the GOV.UK Content team and collaborating with teams across government. You will lead experimentation with video content formats for GOV.UK that complement new or existing text-based content, and will develop best practice guidelines for video content design. You’ll work closely with the GOV.UK Content Development team to create briefs and supervise scripting, creative development, production, delivery and testing of video content.  

As a senior content designer (video) you will:

• identify and build strong relationships with stakeholders, influencing and collaborating with them to develop scripts and briefs for quality video content 
• work with a commissioning producer, and supervise a supplier/producer to create and iterate user-centred content efficiently and to a high standard
• use analytics data, user feedback and user research to identify the needs of users, map user journeys and inform content strategy
• review and provide direction on the work of other content designers and experts from other disciplines to support your work and the development of video content on GOV.UK
• provide feedback to and mentor others to help them deliver quality work
• manage relationships between your team and other teams in GDS to ensure consistency and share good practice
• manage relationships between your team and a third-party supplier or in-house producer to ensure quality, accuracy and adherence to existing guidelines
• contribute to guidance for government, including content principles and patterns
• contribute to the cross government and GDS content design community
• help colleagues and stakeholders from other disciplines understand what content design is, particularly in the context of video, why it’s important and how to work with content designers

Person specification

We’re interested in people who have skills and experience of the following:

• video content design - developing ideas for high-quality factual video formats; working with subject matter experts to ensure accuracy; supervising a supplier/producer to deliver video content
• content design - creating, iterating, publishing and managing high-quality content that demonstrably meets user needs; making complex language and processes easy to understand
• data and insights - using analytics, user feedback, and user research to evaluate and improve content and explain how you’re doing it
• stakeholder management - building relationships with stakeholders or clients to understand their goals and working with them to improve user journeys and content quality
• prioritisation - managing multiple projects and adapting to changing priorities and deadlines
• improving ways of working - identifying and implementing improvements to processes and ways of working

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,403, Government Digital Service contributes £16,050 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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

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 (i.e. working at home); 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 - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• please include any links to a portfolio or examples of your previous work in your CV or cover letter
• a task to be completed remotely within 1 week
• a 60 minute video interview 

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

While we value the use of AI technology to enhance our daily work, we also value the personal touch and urge applicants to write cover letters without the use of AI to emphasise their own unique experiences.

In the event we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct the initial sift against the lead criteria which is:

Video content design - developing ideas for high-quality factual video formats; working with subject matter experts to ensure accuracy; supervising a supplier/producer to deliver video content

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours: 

• changing and improving
• making effective decisions
• communicating and influencing
• delivering at pace

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the Senior Content Designer role:

• 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

Recruitment Timeline

Sift completion: 25th July 2025

Panel interviews: W/C 11th August 2025

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Whilst this role's location is Bristol/ Manchester, if you are a current Civil servant working in DSIT and based in London, you are also able to apply for this role. If you are successful, you will retain your London location and pay.

Sponsorship

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.