Unity Programme - Senior Content Designer - Glasgow
About the job
Job summary
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you\\\'re seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it\\\'s really like to work at HMRC.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and be part of the major cross-government Unity Programme, which will bring together Shared Services for HMRC, Department for Transport (DFT) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The programme aims to deliver the tools in human resources (HR), finance, payroll, and procurement to enable the user to complete administration tasks, quickly and with minimal effort by modernising our IT platforms, bringing together our shared services teams, standardising our data and cutting through processes that cost our departments time and money.
Job description
This role is ideal for a seasoned content professional ready to lead, mentor, and influence, while remaining hands-on in designing content that supports both user needs and policy intent. You will be comfortable working with delegated authority as well as collaboratively as part of a team.
Our Senior Content Designer (Grade 7) will be a key member of the Unity Programme user-centred design team responsible for developing user-centred processes that are delivered by Our Shared Service Centre (Unity Business Services). UBS will provide services on behalf of our cluster departments, utilising the latest cloud technology to lead service evolution for 80,000+ civil servants.
You\\\'ll work across this large, complex project helping shape how users receive and interact with content of all types.
You\\\'ll lead drafting of our cluster\\\'s content and knowledge strategy for end-to-end user journeys, ensuring high content standards, and providing design leadership within multidisciplinary teams.
You will lead your workstream and manage other design professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary design team reporting to the Head of Process Design & User Experience within the programme.
Person specification
As a Senior Content Designer, you will:
* Lead content design across complex services, setting direction and contributing to strategic planning.
* Develop content strategies and solutions for large-scale problems, ensuring alignment with user needs and government goals.
* Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (including researchers, designers, developers, and policy experts) to create seamless, user-focused journeys.
* Mentor and line manage junior content designers, supporting their growth through feedback and coaching.
* Facilitate workshops and collaborative design sessions to explore and improve content experiences.
* Write, review, and improve content to ensure quality, clarity, accessibility, and consistency.
* Participate in user research and use insights to inform and iterate content solutions.
* Review and assure content created by others, providing constructive feedback and supporting continual improvement.
* Shape, Picture.
* Community and Professional Development.
You will also:
* Actively contribute to the HMRC content design community and wider cross-government content forums-digitally and in person.
* Stay current with best practices and emerging trends in content design and proactively seek opportunities for professional development.
Essential Criteria:
To be successful in this role, you will have significant experience of:
* Coaching and mentoring content designers, providing feedback, guidance, and support for professional growth.
* Using research and data to understand users and inform content decisions.
* Creating and applying content strategies across end-to-end journeys.
* Designing content that is accessible, inclusive, and meets usability standards, within established style and design systems.
* Conducting needs analysis and journey mapping to identify content gaps, overlaps, and improvement areas.
* Leading workshops and discussions that bring together different disciplines to co-design content.
* Influencing and persuading stakeholders-at all levels-of the value of a user-centred, evidence-based content approach.
Technical skills
We\\\'ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
* Technical Skill Question - Strategic Thinking (Content Design) - Section 4 & 5.
* Technical Skill Question - User-Centred (Content Design) - Section 4 & 5.
* Technical Skill Question - User Focus (Content Design) - Section 4 & 5.
* Technical Skill Question - Stakeholder Relationship Management (Content Design) - Section 4 & 5.
* Technical Presentation
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £56,344, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,322 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
* Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues\\\' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
* Family friendly policies.
* Personal support.
* Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it\\\'s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.
How to Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:
* A name-blind CV including your job history and previous experiences.
* A 1000-word personal statement to demonstrate Essential Criteria and Person Specification.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.
Sift
In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on your CV.
At full sift your CV and your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, your technical skills will be explored in more detail at interview with technical skill questions. Please refer to Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.
We\\\'ll assess you against these technical skills from the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework - please refer to Sections 4 (Senior Content Designer - G7) & 5 (Lead Content Designer - G7) during the selection process:
* Strategic Thinking (Content Design)
* User-Centred (Content Design)
* User Focus (Content Design)
* Stakeholder Relationship Management (Content Design)
You will also be sent an exercise to create a presentation to be given at the interview - further information will be supplied to applicants who reach this stage of the recruitment process.
Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - \\\'Please re-open my application - 409792 & vacancy closing date 27/6/2025\\\'.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we\\\'ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Criminal Record Check
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
* Contact the UBS Recruitment team via as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the \\\"Assistance required\\\" section in the \\\"Additional requirements\\\" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you\\\'re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the \\\'location preferences\\\' section that you can travel to.
Additional Information
We are looking into ways to enhance the applicant experience.
As part of our legitimate interests, we are testing the use of new technologies such as automation and/or Artificial Intelligence in the assessment for CV, personal statement and behaviour statement.
Please note that for this specific vacancy, this testing may run in parallel with our standard assessment process and will not influence or determine the
outcome of your application in any way. You can read the Civil Service Jobs and HMRC Privacy Notices for more information about our lawful basis for processing your personal data and HMRC\\\'s use of AI.
If you don\\\'t want your data to be used as part of the trial, please send your Application ID and the Vacancy Reference to
Terms and Conditions
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant\\\'s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.
Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the \\\'Contact point for applicants\\\' section.
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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).