Senior Content Designer
Job summary
UK Research and InnovationSalary: £46,743.
Band: UKRI Band E.
Contract Type: Fixed Term until 31 March 2028.
Hours: Full-time (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available).
Location: Swindon - Hybrid working available including minimum of 2 days a week in office.
Closing Date: Sunday 9 August 2026.
Job description
About the role
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body that invests in research and innovation. Our mission is to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth.
The UKRI website is UKRI's primary owned external channel. It connects researchers, innovators, businesses and the public with authoritative, compelling content that demonstrates how publicly funded research and innovation improves lives, drives economic growth and supports national priorities. It is where our funding community finds what it needs and where our wider audiences see why UKRI matters.
The Web team provides strategic oversight of ukri.org, partnering with colleagues across UKRI to deliver the Lives and Livelihoods communications plan and support EAC's wider objectives. We help UKRI speak with one voice - through a website that is accurate, accessible and inspires confidence in all our audiences.
The Senior Web Content Designer reports to the Content Design Lead in the Web team, part of External Affairs, Communications and Public Engagement.
The team is passionate about delivering a consistent, high-quality customer experience, building brand trust and harnessing digital innovation.
As a Senior Web Content Designer, your role is to lead on the design, creation, review and development of web page content on ukri.org in collaboration with subject experts from across the organisation.
Your responsibilities:
You'll be an expert practitioner who develops content strategies and solutions as part of the multidisciplinary Web team. This role can involve working on a single piece of web copy or on an entire end-to-end journey through the site and to other services, helping users complete their goals while delivering UKRI objectives.
You will:
- Lead strategic content improvement projects, focusing effort on the highest priority areas, ensuring objectives are met and influencing senior partners to secure the right resources to support their strategic vision.
- Create, evaluate, update and review content strategies and solutions for ukri.org, using professional expertise, user understanding and evidence to drive continuous improvement.
- Ensure all web content meets high quality standards and accessibility requirements, and review other content designers' work to maintain consistency and quality across the site.
- Champion and participate in user research, playing an active role in journey mapping to better understand user needs and how the website and its content fits into the wider experience.
- Deliver workshops and training to colleagues across the organisation, acting as an advocate for content design, the website and Government Digital Standards.
- Build and maintain a network of internal and external stakeholders, fostering proactive collaborative working and establishing productive relationships with subject matter experts.
- Help colleagues and stakeholders understand what web content design is, why it's valuable and how to work effectively with content designers.
- Actively stay abreast of UKRI objectives and priorities, and proactively keep up to date with the latest content design best practice and thinking.
Person specification
The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).
Essential
- Significant experience in a web content design role, making strategic decisions about content creation on a large, complex, information-rich website, ideally within a public sector or similarly regulated environment. (S&I)
- Robust experience writing, editing and publishing accessible digital content, applying Government Digital Standards, and working with content management systems, data analytics tools and workflow management systems. (S&I)
- Up-to-date knowledge of accessibility, including the needs of different users and assistive technologies, combined with exemplary editorial skills in writing plain, accessible language. (S&I)
- A deep understanding of end-to-end user journeys, including content structure and user experience, and experience applying user-centred design principles and clearly articulating decisions to stakeholders. (S&I)
- Experience using data, research and evidence to evaluate web content and drive improvements, including familiarity with prototyping tools and agile multidisciplinary team working. (S&I)
- Proven ability to negotiate with stakeholders, handle challenging situations and remove blockers, balancing business objectives with user needs — including putting forward the case for content design at a senior level. (S&I)
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain content decisions to non-experts, handle constructive criticism of your own work and provide constructive feedback on others. (S&I)
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £46,743, UK Research and Innovation contributes £13,541 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!
A list of benefits below:
- An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
- 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
- Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
- Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
- Flexible working options.
Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!
For further information on our benefits please see:
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
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
Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org
Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.
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
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
Job contact :
- Name : UKRI Recruitment Team
- Email : Recruitment@ukri.org
Recruitment team
- Email : Recruitment@ukri.org
Salary range
- £46,743 per year