About the job

Job summary

Do you have experience of using Adobe software to design and develop innovative and engaging content?

Would you relish an opportunity to take ownership to shape the Department for Transport’s branding across all content?

If so, we are looking for a Creative Content Lead to join our fast-paced digital content team, and we would love to hear from you.

Job description

As Creative Content Lead, you will be a senior manager within our team, providing direction and leadership for a small team of designers to innovate and drive creative content forward.  

In this hands-on role, you will still play an active part in designing and developing content to support the department’s work. You will be the digital brand owner, ensuring it is consistent, engaging and fit for purpose.

This role provides the opportunity to collaborate with specialist advisors, communications and policy colleagues to ensure we are communicating messages in the right way. You will also work closely with Ministers and have the confidence to help shape and direct content that will help us reach our target audiences.

To be successful in this role, you will need experience of using insight to assess the effectiveness of content and channels used, drawing conclusions to improve digital communication and the user experience.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and owning the departments brand guidelines, ensuring it meets accessibility guidance.
• Line management responsibilities for one Senior Creative Content Designer and leading a small team of Creative Content Designers.
• Working closely with senior partners to deliver innovative and consistent content.
• Collaborating with the Video and Strategy Leads to ensure we are developing content with channels/audiences in mind.
• Developing clear workflows for the design team, ensuring they meet deadlines and resource is allocated where appropriate.
• Working with videographers to ensure a clear style and approach is developed for videos that is flexible depending on priorities.
• Ensuring the team keeps up with trends, proactively looking for opportunities to test new approaches to content, and being alert to emerging issues which might impact or benefit this work.
• Using insight gained to assess the effectiveness of content used on social/digital media channels, recognising patterns and trends, and drawing key conclusions to help improve the impact of our digital communications.
• Providing design and production support to the wider department where resource permits.
• Continually looking for ways that the design team could add value across the wider department.

Person specification

About you

You will have experience of using Adobe Creative Suite, an eye for detail and a passion for creating innovative and engaging content.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills and will be confident to present your branding ideas to senior leaders and Ministers.

You will be proactive and adaptable, with a can-do attitude and will be comfortable to lead and support your team to produce quality content and identify new approaches.

You will thrive in a fast-paced environment and have the ability to co-ordinate conflicting demands and deliver results through others.

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. 

Government Communication Service Framework

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 more about what it's like working at 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 your experience, please tailor your CV and personal statement (maximum word count 750) to provide evidence of the following:

• Experience of project managing and developing high-quality, innovative content to tight deadlines.
• Experience of working at pace, responding quickly, flexibly and imaginatively to events, and juggling both immediate and long-term projects and conflicting demands.
• Experience and understanding of monitoring, analysing, and evaluating digital content success, and using insight to inform future content development and distribution.

As part of your application, you are also required to submit a portfolio of work to demonstrate the following experience:

• Strong design skills with Adobe Creative Suite experience, in particular Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and After Effects.
• Examples of work tailored for multiple social media platforms and a variety of formats (vertical, wide, square etc.)

Please provide a web link (e.g. Google Drive) within your personal statement of your portfolio of work to best demonstrate your creativity. 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 within your portfolio.

The sift is due to take place from 24/01/2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held week commencing 12/02/2024.

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.

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.

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

Security

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.