Senior Web Content Designer

College of Policing

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 2 weeks

Communications

Full time

£47,720 per year

Job summary

Applications for this role are restricted to existing employees of the College of Policing, the Civil Service and officers or staff of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

Our mission is: Leadership, Standards, Performance. This guides our work with individuals, forces, and policing partners towards our vision. We exist to support police officers, police staff and volunteers to deliver the best service to the public. Only through high quality leadership, consistent standards and continual performance improvement can everyone in policing reach their full potential. Our mission guides our work with individual, forces and partners towards our vision.

Although we are a relatively small organisation, our work has a big reach. We are uniquely placed to work both with national policing organisations and local forces to support frontline officers, staff and volunteers in their day-to-day roles.

We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive. Our extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies, employers’ network for equality and inclusion membership (ENEI silver award winners), and status as a disability confident leader means everyone can bring their whole self to work.

Additional information:

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service cannot be guaranteed on existing terms and conditions, and new starter/modernised terms may apply.

The College embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we comply with the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and apply the minimum selection criteria at sift stage of the recruitment process.

Our vetting

If you are successful at interview, you will be required to undertake pre-employment security checks. You will be sent a security questionnaire which must be accessed within 24 hours.

Please note, these checks can take up to 10 weeks. You will only be offered a start date after the checks have been completed. If the outcome of these checks is not satisfactory, your recommendation for employment will be withdrawn.

Job description

We're looking for an experienced content designer to help policing professionals access the knowledge they need.

As a senior content designer, you'll lead a small, dedicated team to create accessible, user-centred content across our website. Working closely with the Head of Content Strategy, you'll shape how we design and deliver content. You’ll make sure it's clear, consistent and genuinely useful to the people who rely on it.

You'll champion good content practice across the College. You'll build relationships with subject matter experts and stakeholders. You'll also grow a content design community that shares knowledge and raises standards.

Do you care about making complex information easy to understand? Do you enjoy working collaboratively and want your work to have a real impact on policing in England and Wales? If so, this could be the role for you.

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include:

Leading a team of content designers and a web content officer, supporting their development and wellbeing.

Designing and reviewing web content that meets user needs and supports clear end-to-end user journeys.

Managing relationships between the content team and subject matter experts across the College and partner organisations.

Championing content design and editorial standards, including accessibility.

Building and developing a content design community across the College and wider policing sector.

Managing team resourcing, balancing competing demands and identifying risks.

Working with the Digital, Data and Technology team and external suppliers to represent user needs in key decisions.

Using data, feedback and research to drive continuous improvement.

Building the profile of the communications function across the organisation.

Engaging stakeholders across policing, government and non-departmental bodies to build productive working partnerships.

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

Experience writing and editing web content using plain English and style guides.

Proficiency in a content management system (CMS), SEO tools and MS Office applications.

In-depth knowledge of WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards and how to apply them.

Familiarity with the GOV.UK style guide and public sector content design guidance.

Experience collaborating with teams in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to build effective working relationships with stakeholders at all levels.

Experience producing and analysing data to drive continuous improvement.

Ability to challenge and influence others, including more senior colleagues.

Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.

A level 6 qualification in content design, or equivalent experience in a content design role.

A commitment to continuing professional development.

Please see the attached job description which contains full details of the role.

Behaviours

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

Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture
Working Together

Technical skills

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

Building capability by raising content design standards across a team or organisation
Creating or improving user-centred content design and accessibility

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,720, College of Policing contributes £13,824 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%

Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)

Continued professional development and structured career paths

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave

Flexi-time (for certain grades)

Benenden Healthcare

National Dental Plan

Discounts for on-line shopping

Free employee support line

Interest free season ticket loans

Rewards and recognition scheme

Learning and development tailored to your role.

An environment with flexible working options.

A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

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 Technical skills.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing employees of the College of Policing, the Civil Service and officers or staff of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

Vacancy reference: 7083

Anticipated interview dates: w/c 15 June 2026

An initial sift on the lead behaviour, seeing the big picture, will be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Internal applicants who are at risk of redundancy or in need of redeployment and pass the recruitment process, will be given priority over other applicants.

How to apply and contact information:

For further information visit our ‘Work for us’ page.

What it's like working at the College of Policing

If you would like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact Tara O’Leary (tara.oleary@college.police.uk), Head of Content Strategy.

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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

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

Salary range

£47,720 per year

​Senior Web Content Designer