Associate Content Designer

Purpose of post

Welsh Government

The Welsh Government delivers digital services to people and business across Wales. Led by our Chief Digital Officer, the Welsh Government is increasingly delivering more services online and has a vision (outlined in the Digital Strategy for Wales) of improving the lives of everyone through collaboration, innovation and better public services. 

To achieve this vision, the Welsh Government needs specialist digital, data and technology skills across all departments in the organisation to improve the services and policies we develop for Welsh citizens. 

For more information about the benefits of making a difference with us, please see the Employee Benefits Pack.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) profession in Welsh Government supports a range of digital services across the organisation. As a member of our DDaT profession, you will be an important part of the Statistics and Research Web Publishing Team and make a significant and direct contribution for the people of Wales

Team/Division Overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic associate content designer to join our Statistics and Research Web Publishing Team in Knowledge and Analytical services. The team manages the quality of our digital content on Statistics and research | GOV.WALES and other digital channels. You will support 2 content designers publishing statistics and research content. You will have a focus on clear digital communication and the user experience.

Job Role

This post maps to the DDaT Capability Framework role/level of Associate content designer. As a trainee in an entry-level position, working under supervision, you need aptitude, potential and an understanding of the role. You will perform basic standard checks and copy edits.

Content designers are responsible for reviewing content at all stages of the user journey. They create, evaluate, update and review content and are comfortable using evidence, data, and research to make content decisions. They build relationships across government to focus on user needs and influence stakeholders. They contribute to and use corporate style guides and content patterns and are active in content communities.

You will

• have excellent IT and organisation skills with attention to detail
• know how to write simply and clearly, with the user in mind
• be a good communicator who works well in a fast-paced environment

You will be a crucial part of our content design capacity as we seek to transform our products to better meet user needs.

No knowledge of statistical or research methods is required, and you do not need to be an expert with numbers. You will work with subject matter experts to design content to meet user needs and make complex language and processes easy to understand.

Key tasks

• Maintain publishing schedules across different systems and create announcements to deadlines.
• Use content management systems to publish content provided by statisticians and researchers, to strict deadlines.
• Review drafts of publications to check they follow the GOV.WALES style guide, contain no errors and meet current accessibility standards.
• Review and update different types of content across a range of platforms, including reports, StatsWales datasets, blog posts, PowerBI dashboards, social media posts and newsletters.
• Use tools such as Canva to create text posts for social media.
• Monitor and respond to queries in 3 shared mailboxes and on X.com.
• Understand government accessibility requirements and advise on designing content that works with common assistive technologies, making information accessible to all.
• Develop excellent working relationships across the department and with the wider Welsh Government Digital Team.
• Communicate and contribute to guidance on the publishing process.
• Contribute to the GOV.WALES content community, sharing experiences, supporting peers, and contributing to the development of standards.

Development opportunities

As a member of the Digital, Data and Technology profession in Welsh Government you will have access to a range of learning and development opportunities. 

You will have the opportunity to work on various projects and engage with colleagues at all levels from within the profession and business areas across the organisation. 

You will also be able to

• develop content design skills, including writing clear, user-focused digital content and simplifying complex information
• build expertise in accessibility standards, inclusive design and using data, analytics and user evidence to improve content quality
• strengthen collaboration, coaching and stakeholder engagement skills by working closely with statisticians, researchers, digital specialists and the cross-government content community

Other vacancy related information

A written assessment on content design will be required at Stage 2. The assessment will be administered online and invigilated through MS Teams. The assessment is designed to test your ability to improve written content and ensure that it complies with standards and style guides. It is a timed assessment and must be completed and submitted by the time specified. More information will be provided in the invitations to that stage. Only those who pass the assessment will progress to interview.  

Candidates’ technical assessment scores will contribute to their overall merit order with the following weighting: 25% assessment, 75% interview. 

A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Communicating and influencing – use plain and simple language, being careful to check written work for errors.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or Stage 2 assessment.

Hybrid working arrangements reflect the current Welsh Government expectation that postholders spend at least 40% of their working time in a physical office location. This requirement may change in line with future organisational needs.