About the job

Summary

The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has been at the front line of this effort since 1782. As such, we play a fundamental role in maintaining the security and economic prosperity of the UK.

The Home Office leads on immigration and passports, refugee protection, counter-terrorism, policing, fire services, and crime and drugs policy.

Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) enables the Home Office to keep the UK safe and secure. We design and build the services that help people apply for visas or passports; support policing and counter-terrorism operations; and protect the UK’s borders.

This is an exciting time to be at the Home Office. You’ll have a chance to shape the future and support our mission to deliver exceptional public services that work for everyone.

Our work is guided by these principles:

• we put user needs first

• we value delivery and outcomes over process

• we work in the open

Our flexible working policy ensures a healthy work-life balance. We also nurture talent and offer a broad range of learning and development opportunities that will help you flourish in your role.

We work hard to maintain a positive working culture and are committed to helping you fulfil your potential. We value diversity and provide an open, inclusive and supportive environment to help you do your best work.

You can keep up-to-date with our work on the Home Office DDaT blog.

It’s an exciting time in Home Office Digital Data and Technology; we have a number of great new initiatives coming together which are laying the basis for our future operating model –reshaping and truly redefining how we manage our delivery and services to citizens.

Job description

We are looking for a talented and experienced Senior Content and Media Manager to work in the Digital Channels team within the Home Office’s Digital, Data and Technology directorate.

The Digital Channels team creates and curates content for the Home Office’s intranet and other digital channels. We focus on user needs and consistent standards.

The Senior Content and Media Manager will lead on the content strategy for the Home Office digital signage system, the DDaT blog, and DDaT social media channels. They will also contribute to the content on the Home Office intranet, as required.

You will have strong editorial experience and web-writing skills (especially plain English), a good knowledge of content usability and accessibility, and excellent IT skills. Experience of managing an online blog, creating content for social media channels, and using content management systems are essential.

Due to the busy nature of this role, the successful candidate will be required to work full time hours (37 hours per week) and candidates should take this into consideration before submitting an application.

Responsibilities

Your main day-to-day responsibilities will be to:

• produce content for the DDaT blog and social media channels

• manage the content on the Home Office digital signage system. This includes editing photos and videos to meet the system’s style guide

• monitor the performance of content and use data to inform content strategies

• line-manage, support and motivate one Content and Media Manager, including setting goals and conducting performance reviews

• coach and support the whole digital channels team, ensuring that they stay up to date with digital developments and maintain standards for both content and customer service – this includes oversight of the busy content update service

• model best practice in terms of editorial standards for the intranet, ensuring all content adheres to style and format, is fully accessible and adequately balances the needs of staff and policy owners

• provide consultancy on user needs and standards to those who request content, advocating an evidence-based approach to content design

• plan, manage and oversee projects to understand user needs and apply them to create or overhaul content

• work collaboratively with colleagues in Internal Communications Unit to help customers find the best mix of channels for communicating their information

• liaise with suppliers and service-management colleagues to understand developments to the content management system and identify the impact on editors and end users

Other day-to-day activities

You will also be expected to:

• explain to internal teams what content design is, why it’s important and how to work with the content team to meet user needs

• keep up-to-date with GOV.UK and content design developments

Essential Criteria

You will have a demonstrable passion for user-centred content design, with the following skills or some experience in:

• sound knowledge of usability and accessibility standards for digital content, the reasons for them and how to apply them in practice

• experience of using the principles of plain English to edit complex information into digital content that is concise, accurate, relevant, and suitable for a non-specialist audience

• experience of using a style guide to produce consistent content

• experience of using research and analytics to understand user needs and measure the effectiveness of content

• experience running and creating content for an online blog

• experience creating content for social media channels

• good relationship management, negotiating and influencing skills

• confidence with IT, including photo editing

Desirable Criteria

Ideally, you will also have the following skills or some experience in:

• working in a large communications team that deals with high profile and complex content

• experience of leading a team, either through line management or project delivery

• good political awareness and news sense

• using analytics to evaluate work

• understanding how the Government Digital Service (GDS) works to manage and develop GOV.UK content

• working collaboratively in an agile environment with people from other work areas and professions

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace