Lead Content Designer

Summary

A lead content designer is an expert practitioner and leader who directs a team of content designers. They assure the content quality across whole teams and make sure content aligns to strategy and objectives while meeting the needs of users. At this role level, you will:

work closely with service managers, programme directors and senior stakeholders to resource teams, resolve problems and develop future projects

promote the content design discipline, engage with the cross-government community and keep up to date with industry changes

Work Activity Components

Title	Details
Risk management (Level 5) (Content publishing)	Ensures the implications of publishing content are understood by all parties and ensures potential risks are mitigated.
Moderation and standards (Level 5)	Advises on appropriate content formats and mediums, and oversees the review and approval of materials to enable requirements to be satisfied.
Formal appraisals (Level 4)	Conducts formal appraisals of the performance of team members. Facilitates a dialogue with team members about expectations, progress, performance and development needs.
Empowerment and role model (PEMT) (Level 4)	Facilitates effective working relationships between team members. Motivates team members to maintain a high level of performance. Engages with, and empowers team members. Acts as a role model for individuals and team members, setting a standard, acting professionally at all times and working to a professional code of conduct and ethics.

Behavioural Skills

Title	Details
Initiative	Being proactive, anticipating opportunities for systems, service or product improvement or development and taking appropriate action(s).
Creativity	Taking innovative approaches to problem solving and/or devising inventive and creative solutions.
Attention to Detail	Applying specific quality standards to all tasks undertaken to ensure that deliverables are accurate and complete.
Organisational Awareness	Understanding the hierarchy and culture of own, customer, supplier and partner organisations and being able to identify the decision makers and influencers.
Interacting with People	Establishing relationships, contributing to an open culture and maintaining contacts with people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Effective, approachable and sensitive communicator in different communities and cultures. Ability to adapt style and approach to meet the needs of different audiences.
Influence, Persuasion and Personal Impact	Conveying a level of confidence and professionalism when engaging with stakeholders, influencing positively and persuading others to take a specific course of action when not in a position of authority.
Teamwork	Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.
Providing Direction	Directing others to undertake specified tasks within a defined timescale.
Follow-up and Monitoring	Checking progress against targets, taking action to resolve exceptions/ issues and reporting and escalating where necessary.

Technical Skills

Title	Details	Depth
Application Development Tools	Software tools which automate or assist part of the development process.	Proficient in
Database Software	Software that enables the user to capture, create, populate and manipulate data structures and where appropriate unstructured data.	Proficient in
Programming Languages	A set of codes and syntax (supported by software tools) that enables the unambiguous translation of specified functionality into source code for the creation of computer programs.	Proficient in
Web Specifics	Knowledge of web specific file extensions, Web 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 and other latest standards/ practices. Use of multimedia and Active-X controls. Understanding of the nature of browsers and how to design cross-browser layouts. Effective knowledge of metadata (e.g. tags, XML) and related aspects of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).	Expert in
Information and Data Visualisation/Presentation	The ability to visualise and present information and data in an appropriate format that helps stakeholders understand the significance of the information and data.	Expert in

Other Skills

Title	Details	Depth
Appraisal Techniques	Methods and techniques for appraising an individual's performance and potential.	Familiar with
Project Planning and Control Techniques	Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of projects.	Familiar with
Resource Allocation	The effective and efficient routine deployment of resources, (but also including reassessment and reallocation in a dynamic multi-project environment), to achieve optimum results.	Familiar with
Performance Monitoring	Identifying, agreeing and monitoring (usually by face-to-face interviews) objectives and deliverables with individuals. Identifying under-performance issues against agreed quality standards and performance criteria. Identifying gaps in capability and causes, disciplinary or ability-related (needing assistance, training or other support).	Familiar with
Disciplinary Issues and Procedures	Managing episodes of unsatisfactory behaviour or performance in accordance with appropriate policies and legislative conformance. Includes changes to circumstances, such as sickness, disability and other personal issues.	Aware of

Training

Title	Details
Advanced Documentation Tools and Techniques	Specialist techniques and tools used in the production of technical publications.
Coaching	Concepts, methods and techniques for providing coaching in subject specialisms to individuals or groups (e.g. GROW model).
Security Awareness	Tools and techniques to help users and employees understand the role they play in helping to combat information security breaches and for IT and security professionals to prevent and mitigate risk.
Graphic Design and Web Development	Tools and techniques for graphic design, user interface design (UI design), content authoring using standardised code and proprietary software, user experience design (UX design), web development and search engine optimisation.

Professional Development Activity (PDA)

Title	Details	PDA Group
Deputising	Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence.	Broadening Activities
Job Shadowing and Special Assignments	Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures.	Broadening Activities
Mentoring	Acting as a mentor, advising those for whom there is no direct responsibility, on matters to do with their job role, career and professional development.	Broadening Activities
Gaining Knowledge of Broader IT Issues	Increasing and maintaining currency of knowledge of broader IT issues through reading, attending and participating in seminars or conferences, special studies, temporary assignments etc.	Increasing Knowledge
Gaining Strategic Knowledge of Employing Organisation	Developing a comprehensive understanding of the business environment in which the employing organisation operates and its position, policies and direction in relation to health and care, country and global issues.	Increasing Knowledge
Participation in Professional Body Affairs	Taking an active part in professional body affairs at branch, specialist group, committee or board level.	Participation in Professional Activities
Negotiating and Influencing	Undertaking learning and practice of negotiating with and influencing others.	Developing Professional Skills
Management Development	Undertaking learning and best practice of the skills appropriate to managing all or part of an organisation, including business and financial management, benefits management, people management, management of change and strategic planning. This will require both on and off the job learning and may include participation in an appropriate development programme such as MBA or DMS (Diploma in Management Studies).	Developing Professional Skills

Organisational Skill Name and Description

Framework	Skill	Level
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Agile working (content design) Agile delivery involves encouraging teams to build incrementally, test and iterate their work based on regular feedback and other useful data.	Expert Agile working (content design) You can: coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach for the team or the project evaluate and review the approach through the life of a project and can iterate and pivot accordingly think of new and innovative ways of working to achieve the right outcomes act as a recognised expert and advocate the approaches proposed, continuously reflecting on the work of the team and constructively challenging them to improve processes and delivery regularly assess and review capability within teams and ensure individuals have the skills needed to deliver
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Content concepts and prototyping Consultancy involves providing specialist advice to address stakeholder and business needs.	Working Content concepts and prototyping You can: understand different prototyping techniques, from paper sketches to coded prototypes, and can use them to visualise content in context choose the best option to make content understandable to different audiences and to demonstrate a proposed approach to content changes or improvements show the value of prototyping to the team
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Stakeholder relationship management (content design) Stakeholder relationship management involves managing stakeholder requirements and communications throughout a project, while remaining focused on the user needs.	Expert Stakeholder relationship management (content design) You can: manage long-term strategic relationships with stakeholders, identifying where new connections need to be made and existing ones nurtured direct the strategic approach for stakeholder relationships, establishing stakeholder objectives and ensuring these are clearly represented act as a point of escalation if stakeholder relationships break down or become challenging for more junior members of the team influence important senior stakeholders and arbitrate when blockers are escalated facilitate discussions across high risk and complex areas or projects under constrained timelines
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	Strategic thinking (content design) Strategy involves creating a plan to achieve a team or organisation's objectives.	Expert Strategic thinking (content design) You can: help lead the design and implementation of strategies, evaluating their impact and progress to ensure business objectives and the needs of users are being met lead and direct strategic content improvement projects, focusing effort in the areas of greatest priority and ensuring goals and objectives are met
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	User focus (content design) User focus involves understanding the user needs to develop a detailed understanding of the problems that need to be solved.	Expert User focus (content design) You can: give direction on which tools or methods are best for teams to use demonstrate extensive experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels understand complex user journeys and can direct solutions to meet different needs within these journeys bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure these are still relevant and being met apply strategic thinking in how to provide the best service for the user while also considering business needs and the wider cross-government context
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework	User-centred content design	Expert User-centred content design You can: direct the approach to content life cycle management to ensure content is regularly reviewed and evaluated by teams oversee teams’ work to ensure the right content is being produced to meet the needs of users demonstrate extensive experience in creating, iterating, managing and overseeing content across multiple channels encourage teams to review and evaluate the effectiveness of processes and systems, and support them to iterate for improvements be accountable for the production of high quality, user-focused content identify gaps in content design skills and capability, and can help teams to grow and develop

Framework

Skill

Level