Content Strategist
Government Digital Services -
What you'll do
We are looking for a content strategist with significant experience in content lifecycle management, structured content for reuse and personalised contexts, and information architecture.
You’ll develop strategies and workflows to evaluate and iterate content and content processes in order to help the government transform the way it provides information and services. You’ll work in and with multi-disciplinary teams to evaluate how content is meeting user needs and opportunities for improvement.
You’ll be able to see the bigger picture as well as the fine detail. You’ll be confident in explaining your work to government partners. And you’ll be comfortable discussing it with the people writing the content and the code that delivers it.
As a content strategist, you’ll:
- develop and implement strategies for creating workflows and changing publisher behaviour to enable presentation- and channel- agnostic, structured content delivery
- work with backend content strategists (content architects), data scientists, data architects, performance analysts and user researchers to develop and manage governance of user-centred taxonomies, ontologies and classification processes, with accompanying performance metrics and feedback loops
- grow our ability to evaluate content effectiveness, in whatever context it was consumed (any device, platform or channel)
- monitor the performance of the taxonomy and architecture through user behaviour and feedback (from both end users and publisher users)
- work with content designers, service designers, user researchers and performance analysts to support user journeys by making the best use of analytics and metadata
- understand how content tagging, design patterns and structure of GOV.UK influence navigation and site search, and make recommendations for improvement
- collaborate with cross-government colleagues, including workshops and events, to promote information architecture and strategic content thinking
- assess and document needs for internal content management tools, feeding them into product teams and roadmap planning
- help build knowledge within GOV.UK and GDS on content strategy
Who you are
We’re interested in people who have:
- significant experience of developing and implementing content strategies for large scale content operations, ideally including experience of structured content, channel agnostic and/or personalised content and leading large, complex information architecture and taxonomy projects
- demonstrable knowledge of how to develop strategies and processes around taxonomies and tagging, and production across entire content life cycles including translations
- proven experience of developing content strategy, information architecture and methodologies such as tree testing, card sorting and content auditing
- demonstrable experience of analysing data and user research to inform content strategy, including taxonomy, information architecture and workflow designs
- demonstrable experience advocating and educating teams about information architecture, evaluating content and workflows
- experience in working with content publishing systems and advocating for a user-centred approach and good content practices
- experience of leading small teams and responsible for the quality of the work of others and providing constructive feedback
The selection process as a standard for all of our roles consists of:
- An application screening process
- An interview
- A presentation during the interview
GDS is based in Bristol, London and Manchester, and this role is part of our focussed growth in Manchester during 2021/22. You will be part of a growing community in Manchester, working with colleagues across all three sites. GDS supports flexible working, including a balance between office and home-based working. Normally this will mean 2 days a week in the office, or more if that works better for you and the role.
If we receive a high number of applications, we may decide to include an additional round (this would typically be a short telephone interview or assessment/exercise depending on the type of role).
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview, however have demonstrated an acceptable standard will be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
