Senior Content Designer - Planning Inspectorate - SEO

Location

Bristol, South West England, BS1 6PN

About the job

Job summary

We are looking for a Senior Content Designer to join our Appeal a Planning Decision service team. This role is central to improving our content design capability as we transition from contractor-led work to an in-house team. You will play a key role in defining content strategy, improving service communication, and ensuring content consistency across planning appeal services.

As a Senior Content Designer, you will play a vital role in shaping how our service communicates with users. You will collaborate with researchers to understand user needs and translate them into clear, accessible content. You will work with designers to create services that meet the GOV.UK service standard, ensuring consistency across the department.

You will help implement design patterns across the service, working alongside project teams to build strong content standards. Additionally, you will support the delivery team in executing high-quality content work, ensuring that every aspect of the service is effectively communicated.

Beyond delivering excellent content, you will play a key role in mentoring junior team members, fostering a strong in-house capability. You will advocate content best practices, helping project stakeholders understand the value of clear, well-structured communication. Your leadership will help modernise services, improve user engagement, and drive digital transformation. 

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services. 

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Job description

We need a proactive and experienced content professional who thrives in a multidisciplinary environment. You will be:

• An efficient communicator comfortable working with researchers, designers, and business stakeholders.
• Experienced in GOV.UK style guidelines, transforming complex guidance into clear, accessible content.
• Able to manage multiple workstreams, prioritising tasks effectively and making quick, evidence-led decisions.

A champion of user-centred design, balancing business needs with user needs to create intuitive and effective services.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Working closely with researchers, designers, and stakeholders to shape content that meets user needs.
• Supporting the delivery team to implement content for live and developing areas of the service.
• Creating and implementing content standards that align with GOV.UK service guidelines and improve service consistency.
• Advocating content best practices, ensuring stakeholders understand and support evidence-driven content decisions.
• Mentoring junior content designers, fostering professional development within the team.
• Driving service improvements, ensuring planning appeal services communicate effectively with users.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

This role is being advertised at SEO grade.

Salary range for the SEO Grade role is £45,219 - £49,462. 

Working hours: 

Standard working week is 37 hours, flexible working hours policy available. 

Office Attendance 

This role is contractually based at Temple Quay House, Bristol which is currently out of use due to undergoing refurbishment work. In the interim, we have the use of alternative office space in very close proximity to Bristol Temple Meads railway station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview.

Person specification

We will assess your application against the Essential Criteria and Success Profile elements listed:

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable experience of user centred content design including planning, structuring and helping the team to build workable prototypes. 
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams to embed user-centred design practices and deliver continuous content design. 
• Experience of applying Agile principles in practice. 
• Experience of designing interactions professionally for the web and mobile in a range of design environments. 
• Experience of designing accessible services based on user research outcomes. 
• Experience of content design using plain English. 
• Knowledge of accessibility guidelines and experience of ensuring that digital services are accessible to all users, including users with low digital skills. 
• Experience with a range of content design software (e.g. Mural, MS Word). 

Desirable Criteria

• Experience designing GOV.UK services and the Government Service Standard. 

Experience

• See Essential Criteria

For guidance on how to structure your application please visit: About the application process , Civil Service Careers

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing