Communications Accessibility Lead

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a small government department with a big mission: to keep food safe, ensure that it is what it says it is, and that it is increasingly healthy and more sustainable. Communications play a big role in the delivery of this mission. We want to make sure that everyone has access to the information they need to make informed decisions and eat well.
We are looking for an Accessibility Lead who can join our Communications team and help us ensure our messaging is serving the diverse range of audiences that we serve.
The Communications team plays a vital role in the FSA’s output, allowing members of the public, colleagues across the Civil Service and stakeholders across the food industry and beyond to connect with the work we do. It’s important that our messaging speaks to everyone who sees it, and you’ll empower us to deliver inclusive communications that ensure we can reach the widest possible audience.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy., You will be a key figure in establishing best practice in improving the reach of our communications (in particular, in how we reach more diverse audiences) and ensuring that our digital content meets the current legal standards required within the Civil Service. Whether you are ensuring the team has the training they need to deliver accessible messaging, or working to develop insights that will inform how we can better reach audiences, you will work towards improving the effectiveness of our communications.
You’ll be a talented leader who can effectively implement change within an organisation, and you’ll always be on the lookout for opportunities to improve our approach to accessibility and inclusivity within our work. From collaborating with other government departments to leading a team of internal ‘champions’, you will be focused on finding the best way forward as an organisation looking to reach diverse audiences.
If you are excited to use your skills to support both the FSA and the wide range of consumers who rely on its work, apply today to join our Communications team as our Accessibility Lead.

Person specification
Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Changing and Improving
+ Leadership, Details of the assessment exercise to be undertaken will be included in the invitation to interview. This will require preparation prior to the interview.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 2 June 2024
Sift: Expected to take place during week commencing 3 June 2024
Final panel interview: Expected to take place during week commencing 17 June 2024
Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to the Food Standards Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.
Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
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.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

+ Lead criteria: Experience of identifying and applying audience insight to both content development and wider communications projects to reach diverse audiences.
+ Experience in user-centred content design.
+ Good knowledge of communications evaluation, including a track record of effective evaluation, and of applying insights from evaluation to their work.
+ Able to demonstrate a strong understanding of content accessibility and design, with experience of working to the latest guidelines on accessible content within a communications role.
Lead Criteria An initial sift may take place on just the identified Lead Criteria indicated.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.
Interview
If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours Level 3.
Behaviours
+ Changing and Improving
+ Leadership
Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.
Experience
+ Experience of identifying and applying audience insight to both content development and wider communications projects to reach diverse audiences.
+ Able to demonstrate a strong understanding of content accessibility and design, with experience of working to the latest guidelines on accessible content within a communications role.
+ Experience in user-centred content design (assessed via assessment exercise)
Assessment exercise

We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff or York. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas. Travel across the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.

£39,611
SEO: £39,611 (National) £42,792 (London) Salary will be pro rata for part time working or as part of a job share partnership. If applying on a job-share basis, the expectation is that you are already in an established job-share partnership. Due to the nature of the role, we are unable to consider requests for part time working of less than 30 hours per week.
A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
GBP, Alongside your salary of £39,611, Food Standards Agency contributes £11,475 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.