Web Content Designer

Job summary

We're looking for an experienced Content Designer to design and publish GOV.UK content that connects us with a range of audiences. Schools, colleges, childminders, nurseries and children's homes all rely on the information we publish to help them care for and educate children and learners.

There's scope to work on content projects that improve user journeys for early years providers registering with Ofsted.

You'll join our Communications Team, working with a dedicated team to produce clear, accessible and engaging information that helps improve education and care services across England.

As a Content Designer, you'll be:

• understanding user needs to inform content decisions
• designing, writing and editing web content and other digital materials
• structuring content for readability
• reviewing and improving user journeys to better meet audience needs
• working with subject matter experts to simplify complex information
• monitoring the performance of content using metrics and user feedback to improve content
• ensuring all content meets accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Content designers focus on understanding what users need and making information clear, accessible and user-friendly. We're interested in people with significant experience and skills in:

• using GOV.UK Whitehall Publisher or other content management systems
• writing and editing user-centred web content that is clear and accessible
• applying WCAG
• mapping and improving user journeys to make it easier for people to find and use our content
• using analytics, metrics and user feedback to define and improve content
• contributing to content audits and strategy
• advising staff on digital and content best practice
• managing time and workload against challenging deadlines

This is a fantastic opportunity to further your experience in Ofsted’s well-established team. You will work with high-achieving professionals at all levels, surrounded by a friendly and supportive team. You will have access to amazing benefits, such as flexible working hours, the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and 32.5 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays. We offer a hybrid working model, so you may also choose to spend a proportion of time working from home.

Job description

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Person specification

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Experience working with subject matter experts to simplify complex information and advising colleagues on digital and content best practice.
• Experience using analytics and user feedback to evaluate and improve web content.
• Experience writing and publishing accessible web content using a CMS, ideally GOV.UK Whitehall Publisher, with knowledge of WCAG.
• Government communication services competencies: Insight
  Gather and analyse evidence to understand user needs and appetite for digital products.
• Government communication services competencies: Ideas
  Demonstrate a practical understanding of emerging digital services, tools and trends, including techniques for optimising digital content.
• Government communication services competencies: Impact
  Advise on, monitor, summarise and provide analysis of effectiveness indicators for digital communication.

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

• Experience working with subject matter experts to simplify complex information and advising colleagues on digital and content best practice.
• Experience using analytics and user feedback to evaluate and improve web content.
• Experience writing and publishing accessible web content using a CMS, ideally GOV.UK Whitehall Publisher, with knowledge of WCAG.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,524, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills contributes £10,870 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Full details of the benefits available can be found in our Ofsted Offer brochure.

Ofsted is devoted to equality, diversity and inclusion. Within our Ofsted Strategy 2023-2027 we have stated that we will improve the representation of under-represented groups across the organisation and publish our progress on this annually. We are always looking to expand on our diverse workforce by recruiting candidates from varied backgrounds and differing experiences. We are proud to be a Disability Confident – Leader, we continually engage with our 5 staff networks for protected characteristics, and highlight the work of our Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group. We ensure all candidates are treated with fair and open competition, with all appointments being made on merit and we use our Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) to provide assurance to all candidates of this.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application and shortlisting:

The selection panel will assess your application based on your evidence you have provided against the essential criteria as set out in the person specification.

You will also be asked to provide information within the “Employer/Activity History” section of the application form. This information is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV setting out your career history (this may be used in the sifting process).

Assessment and interview:

Candidates who pass the benchmark at the shortlisting stage will be invited to an online interview where they will be assessed against a mixture of the Civil Service behaviours and the experience/technical skills set out in section 3 of the job specification.

If we receive a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted based on the following lead criterion:

Experience writing and publishing accessible web content using a CMS, ideally GOV.UK Whitehall Publisher, with knowledge of WCAG.

Applicants who meet this initial eligibility criterion will be invited to progress to the next stage of the selection process. If required, a further full sift will be undertaken, where all applications that passed the initial sift will be assessed against the complete set of essential criteria outlined in the job description.

We will invite the most suitable candidates to attend an assessment and interview via Microsoft Teams on week commencing Monday 11 May 2026 or week commencing Monday 18 May 2026.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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 : People Services Delivery Team
• Email : jobs@ofsted.gov.uk
• Telephone : 0300 013 1487

Recruitment team

• Email : jobs@ofsted.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email Ofsted recruitment at jobs@ofsted.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recrutiment

Attachments

Job specification - Web Content Designer Opens in new window (pdf, 222kB)