About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.  

Do you have proven experience of using Adobe Creative Suite to develop creative content for social media channels?

Are you someone that thrives in a busy working environment and enjoys delivering against tight deadlines?

Are you passionate about creating innovative, engaging social media content on a variety of interesting topics?

If so, we would love to hear from you! 

Job description

The Department for Transport (DfT) has a wide and varied agenda ranging from large infrastructure projects through to shaping future transport innovations such as drones and driverless cars.

We’re looking for a creative, enthusiastic digital specialist to join our team as a Creative Content Designer for the DfT digital team, driving innovation and creating and develop engaging digital content for a range of audiences and stakeholders. You will work with people at a range of levels of authority, including ministers and heads of state.

We need you and your expertise to bring policy areas to life and help us to tell engaging stories in powerful ways on new and existing social media channels. These include Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, Next Door and Instagram. You will have opportunities to identify new platform functionalities and pitch your ideas to senior leaders.

This is a fantastic chance for you to push yourself and explore communicating to audiences in ways you may not have had previous exposure to. You will work in a mutually supportive team where everyone is encouraged to thrive. We will support your learning and development by providing networking opportunities, and access to fully funded courses that will enhance and expand your capabilities and potential.

Responsibilities

You will:

• Develop innovative, high-quality visual content for different distribution channels including graphics, animations and videos.
• Accompany Senior Officials on visits, and proactively recommend filming opportunities, which you will develop at pace, into high quality content - working independently at times and collaboratively with the wider digital team at others.
• Ensure content complies with our publishing guidelines, tone of voice and best practice standards.
• Draw on knowledge of emerging trends in digital and social media and apply this knowledge to content ideas, being alert to emerging issues which might impact or benefit this work.
• Use insight gained to assess the effectiveness of content used on social/digital media channels and to recognise patterns and trends, drawing key conclusions to help improve the impact of our digital communication.
• Build effective relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and influencers to optimise digital engagement.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile  

Person specification

About you

You will be someone with proven experience of using Adobe Creative Suite, Premiere Pro, After Effects and Illustrator to develop and creative content such as animations and designed graphics for digital channels. You can confidently use a range of camera equipment to film and edit videos, adding B-roll subtitles and optimising the content for a range of different social media channels and audiences.

We are seeking someone who can build strong working relationships with others, using your superb interpersonal skills to influence and communicate clear messages to others. You will work with people at all levels including ministers and heads of state.

You adapt well to changing priorities, enjoy working to tight timelines and can deliver high quality work even when under pressure.

You will be proficient in monitoring, analysing, and evaluating the success of digital content, drawing conclusions and using your findings to inform and improve digital communication and the user experience.

You possess excellent written skills and can write scripts for pieces to camera.

Additional Information 

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.  

Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required. 

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance. 

Find out what it's like working for the Department for Transport.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role. Please tailor your CV to match the role and its responsibilities and within your Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Proven experience of using Adobe Creative Suite in particular Premiere Pro, After Effects and Illustrator to develop creative content for social media channels.
• Working in a fast-paced environment, working to tight timelines, and be able to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances.
• Building effective relationships with external and internal stakeholders and influencers to optimise and deliver on digital engagement and content strategies, and boost performance.
• Using videography, being able to story boarding, filming, and editing video, adding B-roll, subtitling and formatting for social media usage.

As part of your personal statement, you will also be asked to submit a link to video show reel (relating to the following experience point):

• Experience of using Adobe Creative Suite in particular Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition to develop creative content for digital channels.

Please provide a web link (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive) within your personal statement to your showreel (does not need to be transport specific) including examples of your work that you feel best demonstrate your creativity and experience (see above point). The show reel should not exceed 2 minutes in length. DfT run ‘name blind’ recruitment, where your personal details are not seen by those assessing your application. As such, you must not include your name or any personal details in the video, when naming the video or any usernames associated with where the video is hosted.

Please note that that we cannot accept links that are submitted separately but if you have any issues attaching the link to your application then please email either sophia.cawthorn@dft.gov.uk or matthew.edwards@dft.gov.uk.

Your personal statement should be a maximum of 1000 words. 

Sift and Interview Dates

The sift is due to take place on 9th January 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 19th January 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include: 

• an interview

This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.  

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile and Government Communications Service Framework, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. 

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. 

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website. 

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.