Army - Content Creator

Job summary

Join the Army's Digital and Content Team, part of the Army Communications Team

Army Communications sits within the Directorate of Engagement and Communications and plays a vital role in telling the Army's story to the public. We work to raise awareness, build understanding, and shape public opinion in favour of the Army through strategic communications that make a real difference to how Defence is perceived across the UK and beyond.

Our team operates using digital platforms effectively and strategically - it follows the Government Communication Service's modern approach to communications planning and delivery. We're at the forefront of digital innovation in government, creating engaging content and building meaningful connections with diverse audiences.

The British Army is evolving to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. To remain a trusted, respected and attractive institution we must strengthen our brand and build meaningful partnerships that reinforce our reputation with the public, partners, and stakeholders.
Being a Content Creator for the British Army requires you to be passionate and skilled in photography, videography, animation and design, with the ability to tailor content to specific target audiences that sit across a variety of different output channels and stakeholders in order to promote the Army and ensure that the Army is at the forefront of content creation in the digital landscape.

The Government Communication Service (GCS) is the professional body for more than 7,000 public service communicators working in government departments, agencies and arm’s length bodies.

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.

As a GCS member, you will have access to: a network of skilled communicators sharing best practice; a tailor made development curriculum, unique to government and public sector communicators; network events and more.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Be part of a transformative moment in government communications. The Army Communications team is spearheading a revolution in how Defence connects with the British public, using creative and effective strategies to build trust, understanding and engagement across diverse communities. We're looking for creative people who are genuinely passionate about making videos, taking photos, creating all kind of content and staying ahead of what's trending. If you spend your free time editing reels, experimenting with new formats, or pouring over analytics – this could be perfect for you

You will be joining a dynamic Digital and Content Team with an exciting strategic direction, operating at the intersection of strategy, creativity and technology. As a Content Creator, you'll plan and produce engaging digital content for the Army's social channels and website. Think short form videos, photography, animations and graphics. You'll need to jump on trends quickly while keeping everything on brand and professional.

Working as a core part of the Content Team within the Digital and Content Team, you'll swiftly develop and deliver high quality brand creative content ideas, particularly fun, humorous and short form trending formats for reaching and inspiring the Army's target audiences. You'll work closely with the team managing our channels, understanding algorithms, planning content calendars, monitoring what's working, and finding new ways to grow our audience.

Travel to military units and events across the country will be a regular feature, with scope for international travel, offering the opportunity to create authentic engagement and provide guidance on digital communications best practices. Everything we publish needs to meet government accessibility standards as well as adherence to security and data protection policy, and in line with our legal requirements set out in the Data Protection Act of 2018, so the content you create will need to fall in line with this to ensure it is cleared and ready to go. The position will also include some out-of-hours responsibilities as part of a duty roster, reflecting the 24/7 nature of digital communications and the need to respond quickly to emerging opportunities or challenges. This operational requirement underscores the critical nature of this team’s role in maintaining the Army's digital presence and reputation, and the ability for the Army to produce and share content in a timely manner.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Content Creation

• Plan, shoot and edit content for the Army’s social channels and website
• Develop high quality, brand creative concepts, with a particular focus on short-form and trend-led formats that resonate with target audiences
• Respond quickly to social media trends, tailoring content to adapt them effectively for the Army brand
• Work collaboratively with campaign leads, media colleagues, and data experts to refine and deliver content
• Support influencer and partnership activity
• Apply behavioural science principles, including the COM-B model, to create content that effectively engages and influences audiences
• Receive training on how to ensure compliance with Army standards and legal requirements.

Additional responsibilities

• Work closely with Channel Managers in the Digital Platforms Team to aid them in planning, managing content across multiple channels and keeping up with the latest emerging trends and algorithmic changes.
• Work closely with the Content Desk, occasionally aiding the distribution and archiving of content.
• Provide occasional out-of-hours support when required (by agreement with your line manager)
• Travel across the UK and overseas, as needed, to capture content.
• Build relationships with colleagues across Defence, sharing best practice
• Support the wider Army communications community through advice and training

Person specification

Essential skills required:

• A passion for all forms of content creation
• Knowledge of social media channels and the audiences that use them
• Understanding of accessibility requirements for digital content

Desirable skills:

• Knowledge of archiving systems, metadata management and legal requirements for content sharing
• Experience in working within government departments
• Ability to evaluate content effectiveness using outcome-focused metric
• A portfolio that must demonstrate examples of accessible content creation, inclusive representation, and evidence of content performance measurement beyond basic engagement metrics.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,740, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,905 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Highly competitive pension scheme
• Personal and professional development of skills
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave
• 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
• Learning and Development

We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role.

A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career.

Please Note:

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

• The post does not offer relocation expenses.
• External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
• Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
• Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
• Any move to MOD 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/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

Experience:

• Your CV - clearly outline your employment history, key responsibilities, and relevant qualifications
• Personal Statement - (up to 750 words) should clearly demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the essential

Behaviour:

• Working Together

Where a large number of applications are received, an initial sift will be conducted based on the evidence you provide in support of Working Together. Your Personal Statement and CV will only be reviewed if you are successful at this initial sift.

At interview stage you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Changing & Improving
• Communicating & Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Ability:

Candidates invited to attend interview will be required to submit a photographic portfolio and video showreel that must demonstrate examples of accessible content creation, inclusive representation, and evidence of content performance measurement beyond basic engagement metrics. This must be submitted in advance to the Contact point for applications.

Further information:

Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed and will be held in person. We endeavour to keep to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

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 security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 recruitment principles (opens in a new window).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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Paul Morrison
• Email : Paul.Morrison109@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)Defence Civil Servant Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Army candidate information pack Opens in new window (pdf, 3851kB)