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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Digital
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About the job
Job summary
Our mission is to deliver exceptional public service communication that makes a difference.
People work in government communications because what we do matters. We explain the objectives and policies of the government of the day. We provide clarity and reassurance to the public at times of crisis. We support businesses to grow. We protect our environment. We help those in need to access support.
The Government Communication Service (GCS) is the professional body for all public service communicators working in government. Our GCS membership incorporates marketing, stakeholder engagement, internal communications, media, digital and social, and operational communications professionals. We collaborate across government with 25 ministerial departments, 21 non-ministerial departments and more than 300 agencies in addition to other public bodies.
It’s an exciting time to be a communications professional in government. The GCS Strategy 2022-2025 sets out our vision to become a leader in developing people and harnessing innovation and technology to improve our communications with the public. One of the main initiatives in this vision is the creation of a new learning offer for communicators, called GCS Advance.
GCS Advance is the first skills-based L&D programme for government communicators of all levels and experience. It includes a comprehensive curriculum of courses, based around our core communications disciplines: media, strategic communications, digital, external affairs, internal communications, data & insight and marketing. You will play a key role in developing and improving the content of these courses by creating engaging learning and assessment in a variety of different formats for the whole GCS profession.
The Team
The Civil Service operates a functional model, with strong leadership and continuous improvement of the cross-departmental corporate functions. The GCS Skills and Standards team is an exciting team at the very heart of delivering the functional agenda for communications and brings together: setting the standards for communications practise across Government and its arms length bodies; developing a world leading, learning and development offer for GCS; and creating and conducting ways of measuring functional capability at an organisational and individual level to drive up performance against the standards.
The team plays a critical role in driving continuous improvement, promoting effectiveness and reform of government communications through its L&D programmes that harness the best of government expertise and global innovation in areas like AI, digital comms and insight gathering.
Job description
As a Junior Content Designer, you will be responsible for creating innovative and exciting content for products in our expanding digital and hybrid learning portfolio, working in a matrix environment with a range of internal and external stakeholders and partners. You will work closely with members of the Product team to generate and iterate content so that our visual and written content work together to create a great learner experience.
Were looking for a personable, flexible individual who is an expert in written communications and who is able to think clearly about the learning content design challenge at hand, considering both the user and the wider organisational perspective. Ideally, youll have a broad range of skills, including working well with others outside of your team, having the ability to think both critically and creatively about new ideas and options and the tenacity to see things through. Youll also be adept at working with a range of internal and external colleagues and suppliers to ensure content design is aligned with learner needs.
Day to day work in the learning products team is fun, fast-paced and creative and an appreciation and enthusiasm for diverse audiences is essential.
Responsibilities & Duties
- Work with content and visual designers to create innovative content for products in our digital and hybrid learning portfolio, including courses, games, micro-learning, immersive scenarios and other digital content
- Use your written and learning content design skills to create content that works for our users around the world: easy to navigate; clear to understand, visually engaging and accessible.
- Build relationships across the team and the wider organisation to ensure that your work meets needs of key stakeholders and partners as well as learners themselves
- Ensure all content assets meet design, tone of voice and brand guidelines
- Ensure content is tested and improved based on user feedback, research and data
- Add, remove and edit content on our digital platforms
- Work closely with our suppliers (for example, creative agencies or video production suppliers)
- Keep abreast of new industry approaches to content design for learning and continuously work to improve content strategies
Person specification
Experience / Ability
Were interested in people with skills and experience in:
- Content design – you must have experience of creating, iterating and managing user-centred content
- Using insights and analytics – you should know how to use analytics, user feedback, user research or other sources of information to make decisions about content and how to improve it
- Stakeholder management – you should know how to work with stakeholders and clients to understand their issues while maintaining content quality
- Accessibility – you must have an understanding of accessibility principles and how to apply them to online content
Desirable skills and experience:
- Learning design – youve created learning products, designed or delivered training or have experience of working in online education
- Content publishing tools – you must have experience of using content publishing tools to publish content online
- Prioritisation – you must have the ability to work with a number of tasks simultaneously, adapt to changing priorities, and work to tight deadlines under pressure
- Design skills – experienced in using graphic design software (such as the Adobe Creative Suite)
- Videography skills – you have filmed and/or produced video content
Technical
- DDaT professional
- Learning design expertise
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Benefits
£8,812 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Selection process details
After submission of personal details, you will be invited to submit a full application. You will need to provide the following as part of your application:
- CV
- Employment History
- Behaviours 250 word statements
- Personal Statement (500 words) – Please base your personal statement aligned with how you meet the details required in the person specification section.
In the event of a large pool of applicants we may conduct a lead sift on the personal statement, Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying of examples/answers from internet sources and if any is detected the applications will be withdrawn from the process.
If you are successful at the sift stage, you will then be invited to attend an online live video interview.
At interview, candidates will be assessed on behaviours and experience.
Candidates will be assessed on the following behaviours at the interview stage;
It is important that you answer the questions as openly and honestly as you can, thinking about the kind of work that you enjoy doing and the role you are applying for. Please see Success Profiles for more information.
Expected Timeline
Sift outcome released – TBC
Interviews – TBC
Interview location: Online via Google Meet.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Interviews will take place over video conference. If successful at sift, you will be invited to select your preferred interview slot. You will then receive an invite to interview from the vacancy holder before your interview is scheduled to take place.
Reasonable adjustments
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 Government Recruitment Service at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the assistance required section in the personal information page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘contact point for applicants’ section.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to Cabinet Office 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.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
Security Information
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Victoria Stokes
- Email : victoria.stokes@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: info@csc.gov.uk.
For further information on the Recruitment Principles, and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.
