Job Title: Contract Content DesignerCompany: AND DigitalLocation: Manchester, England, United KingdomJob Type: Contract / TemporaryCategory: Content Design / Digital Transformation OperationsDate Posted: 2026-02-13Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)Remote Status: Hybrid (with minimum fortnightly travel to Manchester)
- This contract role focuses on designing and delivering clear, user-centered content for large-scale organizational change programs, often within government or public sector contexts.
- The position requires a strong understanding of service design principles and the ability to create reusable content components, patterns, and playbooks to ensure consistency and efficiency.
- A key aspect of the role involves translating complex information into accessible content across various formats, including digital, visual, video, and audio.
- The Content Designer will also be responsible for stakeholder management, aligning content with user journeys, and potentially providing coaching to build internal capabilities in change communications.
📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Contract Content Designer," the responsibilities and required experience suggest a role that bridges content strategy, user experience (UX) writing, and change management communications. This is a strategic operations‑adjacent role focused on ensuring effective communication and user adoption during significant organizational transformations. The emphasis on "reusable content components" and "playbooks" highlights a need for scalable content operations.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
- Develop and implement content strategies that align with user needs and organizational change objectives.
- Design, write, and edit clear, concise, and accessible content across multiple digital and non‑digital formats (e.g., web pages, user guides, video scripts, audio content).
- Create and maintain content patterns, templates, and playbooks to ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency in content delivery.
- Translate complex technical or policy information into easily understandable language for diverse user groups.
- Conduct user research and leverage insights to inform content design and structure, ensuring content meets user needs at various stages of their journey.
- Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including service designers, researchers, developers, and change managers, to integrate content seamlessly into user experiences.
- Support content governance processes, including review, sign‑off, and quality assurance for sensitive communications.
- Deliver hands‑on coaching and mentoring sessions to build internal teams' confidence and capability in planning, writing, and delivering effective change communications.
- Develop a comprehensive communications playbook that outlines best practices, tone of voice, and style guidelines for communicating organizational changes.
- Manage stakeholder relationships, ensuring agreement on messaging, tone, and content approach.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a proactive approach to content creation and governance, directly supporting the operational success of large‑scale change programs. The requirement for a "comms playbook" and "reusable content components" points towards building scalable content operations infrastructure.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education:
- While no specific degree is mandated, a background in Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, or a related field is highly beneficial.
- Formal training or certifications in UX Writing, Content Strategy, or Service Design are advantageous.
Experience:
- Proven experience (5-10 years) as a Content Designer, Content Strategist, UX Writer, or in a similar content‑focused role within digital or service transformation programs.
- Significant experience working on government, public sector, or large‑scale organizational change programs is essential.
- Demonstrable experience in creating and implementing content patterns, templates, and playbooks.
- Experience designing content across diverse formats: digital interfaces, visual assets, video, and audio.
- Practical experience in delivering coaching or mentoring on communication best practices.
- Proven ability to develop comprehensive communications playbooks for change initiatives.
- Experience managing content governance, review, and sign‑off processes.
Required Skills:
- Strong understanding of user‑centered design principles and translating user research into actionable content.
- Expertise in plain English and accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) for content creation.
- Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills with a keen eye for detail and clarity.
- Ability to translate complex, technical, or policy information into simple, accessible language.
- Proficiency in aligning content with service journeys and supporting users through change processes.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to negotiate and agree on language, tone, and messaging.
- Familiarity with service design, research methodologies, and change management practices.
- Experience in designing content for digital platforms and multi‑channel communication.
Preferred Skills:
- Background in Marketing, Public Relations, or Journalism.
- Experience with content management systems (CMS) and digital publishing workflows.
- Familiarity with agile development methodologies.
- Experience in creating content for specific user journeys or customer lifecycles.
- Knowledge of SEO best practices as they relate to content.
📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "plain English," "accessibility standards," and "user‑centered design" indicates a strong focus on operationalizing user experience through content. The preference for Marketing/PR/Journalism backgrounds, combined with actual Content Design experience, suggests a need for candidates who can balance creative communication with structured, user‑focused content operations.
- A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of content design projects, particularly those involving organizational change, public sector, or large‑scale digital transformation.
- Examples of reusable content components, style guides, and content patterns that demonstrate scalability and consistency.
- Case studies detailing the process of translating complex information into accessible user‑facing content.
- Demonstrations of content designed for various formats (digital, visual, video, audio) and their impact.
- Evidence of creating and implementing content governance frameworks or sign‑off processes.
Process Documentation:
- Examples of content strategy documentation, including user journeys, content audits, and information architecture.
- Demonstrations of how content was developed in alignment with service design principles and user research insights.
- Evidence of developing and utilizing content playbooks or best practice guides for communication.
- Documentation illustrating collaboration with stakeholders and the process for agreeing on tone and messaging.
📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, serving as tangible proof of the candidate's ability to operationalize content strategy and design for complex, large‑scale initiatives. It should highlight not just the final output but also the underlying processes, methodologies, and user‑centric approach taken.
Salary Range: £300 - £400 per day (dependent on experience)
- This is a contract role, typically offering a competitive daily rate.
- Potential for extension beyond the initial 6‑month term, subject to performance and business needs.
- Opportunity to work on high‑impact, large‑scale projects within the public sector or government.
- Exposure to diverse organizational change initiatives and cross‑functional teams.
- Flexible working arrangements available, balancing remote work with essential in‑office collaboration.
Working Hours:
- Approximately 40 hours per week.
- A hybrid working model is in place, requiring a minimum of fortnightly travel to the Manchester office for collaborative sessions and team engagement.
📝 Enhancement Note: The daily rate falls within a typical range for experienced contract Content Designers in the UK, particularly for public sector or complex transformation projects. The hybrid nature of the role requires candidates to be comfortable with occasional travel and on‑site collaboration, balancing the operational needs of the project with remote flexibility.
Industry: Technology Consulting / Digital Transformation ServicesCompany Size: AND Digital is a growing digital transformation consultancy, typically employing hundreds to thousands of professionals. This scale offers opportunities for diverse project exposure and learning.Founded: AND Digital was founded in 2019, indicating a relatively young but rapidly expanding company focused on modern digital solutions.
Team Structure:
- The Content Designer will likely be embedded within a client project team, working closely with AND Digital consultants and client‑side stakeholders.
- Teams are often multidisciplinary, comprising service designers, UX researchers, developers, project managers, and change managers.
- Collaboration is a core tenet, emphasizing cross‑functional teamwork to deliver integrated digital solutions.
Methodology:
- AND Digital likely employs agile methodologies and a user‑centered design approach across its projects.
- Emphasis on iterative development, continuous feedback, and data‑driven decision‑making.
- Focus on delivering tangible business outcomes and measurable impact for clients.
📝 Enhancement Note: AND Digital's focus on digital transformation suggests a dynamic, fast‑paced environment. The company's growth and consultancy model mean project‑based work, often involving significant change initiatives for clients, aligning well with the requirements of this contract role.
Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid‑to‑senior level, requiring demonstrable expertise and the ability to work autonomously and mentor others. It's a specialist contract role rather than a permanent progression track within AND Digital itself, but offers significant project experience.
Reporting Structure: The Content Designer will report to a Project Lead or Client‑Side Manager, depending on the project structure. Day‑to‑day guidance will come from the project team.
Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the success of organizational change programs by ensuring clear, effective communication and user adoption. Well‑designed content reduces confusion, minimizes support needs, and drives engagement with new systems or processes, contributing to the operational efficiency and success of the change initiative.
- Gain extensive experience on high‑profile government or public sector digital transformation projects.
- Develop expertise in creating scalable content operations frameworks like playbooks and reusable components.
- Enhance skills in stakeholder management and cross‑functional collaboration within complex project environments.
- Opportunity to build a strong portfolio of impactful change communication projects.
- Potential for future contract extensions or similar roles within AND Digital's client network.
📝 Enhancement Note: As a contract role, the "growth" is primarily experiential and portfolio‑building rather than a traditional internal career ladder. However, the exposure to significant change programs and the emphasis on creating operational content assets (playbooks, patterns) provide valuable, transferable skills for future operations‑focused roles.
Office Type: Hybrid model, requiring minimal in‑office presence.Office Location(s): Manchester, England, United Kingdom. This is the primary hub for any required on‑site work.
Workspace Context:
- The role is designed for remote work, offering flexibility in daily setup.
- The minimum fortnightly travel to Manchester facilitates in‑person collaboration, team building, and strategic alignment with project teams and stakeholders.
- Access to AND Digital's collaborative spaces and resources will be available during office visits.
Work Schedule:
- Standard professional working hours (approx. 40 hours/week), with flexibility for remote work.
- The hybrid nature requires proactive scheduling to ensure essential face‑to‑face interactions occur during office visits.
📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature is typical for modern consultancy roles, balancing the need for focused remote work with the benefits of in‑person collaboration for complex problem‑solving and relationship‑building. Candidates should be comfortable managing their time and communication across both environments.
Interview Process:
- Initial Screening: A review of CV and portfolio to assess suitability against core requirements, particularly experience in change programs and content design.
- First Interview: Likely with a hiring manager or senior consultant from AND Digital, focusing on experience, skills, and understanding of content design principles and change management.
- Portfolio Review/Case Study: A practical assessment where candidates may be asked to walk through their portfolio, discuss specific projects, or complete a short content design challenge related to a hypothetical change scenario. This is crucial for evaluating user‑centered design thinking and practical application.
- Final Interview: Potentially with a client‑side stakeholder or senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and ability to manage stakeholder relationships.
- Structure: Organize your portfolio by project, clearly outlining the challenge, your role, the process, the solutions (content examples), and the outcomes/impact.
- Relevance: Prioritize projects that demonstrate experience in organizational change, public sector work, or large‑scale digital transformation. Highlight examples of content patterns, playbooks, and user‑centered content.
- Process Focus: Showcase your methodology – how you approached user research, translated complex information, collaborated with stakeholders, and ensured accessibility.
- Metrics: Where possible, include quantifiable results or qualitative feedback that demonstrate the impact of your content on user adoption, understanding, or efficiency.
- Clarity: Ensure all content examples are easy to understand and presented professionally, reflecting your own content design skills.
- Be prepared to discuss how you would approach creating content for a specific change scenario.
- Think about how you would involve users and stakeholders in the content design process.
- Consider how you would translate technical jargon or policy details into accessible language.
- Practice articulating your content strategy and decision‑making rationale clearly and concisely.
- Be prepared to discuss your portfolio and experiences in the interview.
- Be prepared to talk about how you make decisions, gather feedback, and demonstrate continuous improvement.
- Be prepared to answer behavioral questions and demonstrate your communication skills.
- Be prepared to walk through your portfolio and highlight relevant experience specific to government and public sector.
- Be prepared to discuss how your approach addresses user needs.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily weigh a candidate's portfolio as evidence of their practical skills and experience in operationalizing content for change. Candidates should be ready to articulate process, not just present their work.
Primary Tools:
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Familiarity with common CMS platforms (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, Contentful) is beneficial for digital content execution.
- Collaboration Tools: Proficiency with platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence for team communication and project management.
- Design & Prototyping Tools: Experience with tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD for visualizing content within interfaces or creating visual content.
- Document Creation & Editing: Advanced skills in Microsoft Word, Google Docs for writing, editing, and formatting.
Analytics & Reporting:
- Understanding of web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to inform content decisions and measure impact.
- Ability to interpret user feedback and data to refine content strategies.
CRM & Automation:
- While not a primary CRM role, understanding how content integrates with customer journeys and communication flows is advantageous.
📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role implies a need for strong digital literacy and adaptability. The focus is on the application of content design principles, with tools serving as enablers for creating and delivering that content effectively within digital transformation projects.
Operations Values:
- User‑Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs through clear and accessible content.
- Clarity & Simplicity: A drive to make complex information understandable and actionable for all users.
- Collaboration: A belief in the power of cross‑functional teamwork to achieve shared goals and deliver integrated solutions.
- Efficiency & Scalability: An approach that values creating reusable content components and processes (like playbooks) to ensure consistency and speed.
- Impact‑Driven: A focus on delivering tangible outcomes that support organizational change and improve user experience.