Senior Digital Publications Officer

Job summary

Ofqual, working closely with the Department for Education (DfE), is embarking on a major multi‑year programme of qualification reform across England’s qualifications system. This includes supporting the redevelopment of GCSEs and A levels and overseeing the introduction and accreditation of new qualifications, including V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates.

The role contributes to securing the long‑term quality, validity, and coherence of the nation’s qualifications.

Find out more

Curriculum and Assessment Review final report: Building a world-class curriculum for all

Post-16 education and skills white paper - GOV.UK

Job description

Are you passionate about clear, accessible communication? Do you take pride in transforming complex information into content that truly works for users?

The communications team at Ofqual plays a vital role in helping the organisation achieve its mission as the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. This is a chance to join our small but ambitious team, working across digital, strategic communications, media and internalcommunications to ensure Ofqual's work is understood and trusted by the people who matter most.

About the role

As Senior Digital Publications Officer, you'll be at the heart of Ofqual's digital output, focusing particularly on content related to upcoming reform of qualifications and assessment in England. Working closely with the Digital Editor, you'll prepare and publish content on GOV.UK that is clear, accurate and accessible to all. From consultations and regulatory guidance to news and updates, you'll help ensure everything we publish meets the highest standards.

This is a role for someone who loves the craft of good writing. You'll proofread, edit and advise colleagues across the organisation, championing plain English and accessibility. You'll work directly with content authors during drafting, helping shape publications before they go live, and you'll be a trusted expert on style, usability and digital best practice.

The content you’ll work on has a real impact, reaching teachers, students, parents and the wider public. You'll handle everything from dense technical reports to timely announcements, balancing competing priorities and using your judgement to get things right. Your attention to detail will help maintain trust in the qualifications system.

If you're ready to bring your editorial expertise to a role where quality really matters, we'd love to hear from you.

Likely to start April 2026, subject to organisational need.

Person specification

Please refer to the job description attached for a full list of essential criteria.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,211, Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) contributes £9,910 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

As a Civil Servant, you will benefit from a leading, modern employment offer which includes flexible working arrangements that support people at different stages in their lives, and pensions among the best available in the UK, as well as generous annual leave entitlements.

Other benefits you can enjoy include:

• Organisational performance related bonus
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Regular professional development
• Health and wellbeing initiatives such as mini-medicals, flu vaccinations
• Employee assistance programme and occupational health
• Free eye tests and contribution towards lenses/spectacles for VDU users, if appropriate
• Family friendly policies
• Interest free rail season ticket loan
• Access to exclusive discounts
• Free car parking

We are committed to promoting Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing throughout the organisation. We are proud of the action we are taking to support this. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds to support our ethos of creating a diverse culture that is reflective of both our employees and the learners we support.

Due to our continued commitment and focus in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, our inclusion and fair treatment score based on the Civil Service 2024 annual people survey ranks us joint 5th out of 104 participating departments.

Ofqual is a rewarding, dynamic place to work. We offer employees the opportunity to develop within their role and progress through the organisation via a number of Learning and Development opportunities and activities.

Ofqual has a highly engaged workforce. Our 2024 Civil Service People Survey score on engagement was 71%, against 64% for the whole Civil Service, and was the joint 12th highest of the 104 participating CS departments.

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.

You will be assessed on the Behaviours shown above at interview stage.

Ofqual has adopted anonymised recruitment. This means that your name, date of birth and other personal details will not be seen by the sift panel. You’ll be asked to remove all personal details from your CV when you apply.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the shortlisting panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a personal statement evidencing how you meet the essential criteria shown below:

• Strong proofreading, copy-editing and writing skills and experience handling and summarising lengthy or dense content such as consultations and academic reports.
• Experience of using content management systems, such as Whitehall Publisher.

• Experience of creating digital content that is accessible, accurate and user-friendly, ideally in a high-profile environment.

Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements as this will form a key part of your evidence when the panel is scoring your application, against the requirements of the role.

In the event of large number of applications, add details of lead criteria, which is strong proofreading, copy-editing and writing skills and experience handing and summarising lengthy or dense content such as consultants and academic reports.

During the interview process, this vacancy MAY include a presentation and/or task. More details will be provided to the shortlisted candidates.

We reserve the right to offer a second interview, if required.

Please submit your application by 25 March 2026 @ 23:55pm.

Interviews will be held on 16 and 21 April 2026 - subject to change.

Please note: there may be a delay in confirming outcomes across the campaigns due to current business-critical priorities, but we will be in touch as soon as we are able to provide an update. Thanks for your patience.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or at a lower grade than they applied for, we may extend an offer without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has comparable behaviours and essential criteria.

Ofqual works flexibly, with a hybrid office/home based working model. Employees will spend at least two to three days a week working from our office in Coventry. As Coventry will be your base location expenses for travel to the office will not be paid.

Final panel interviews will be held in person. Further details will be provided at invite to interview stage.

One of our resourcing colleagues will be on hand to answer any queries you may have throughout the process.

Please be aware that expenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed.

A reserve list may be held for up to 6 months. Ofqual may use this to fill future suitably similar vacancies for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.

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 require assistance or need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should tell us what changes or help you might need further in the recruitment process.

For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional. You should contact us at recruitment@ofqual.gov.uk to discuss your needs.

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

Security

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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Ofqual Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@ofqual.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofqual.gov.uk

Further information

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 Commission’s 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 first contact Ofqual by email: recruitment@ofqual.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can then contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Senior Publications Officer Feb 26 Opens in new window (docx, 65kB)