National Standardised Assessments Content Development Officer

This is an Expression of Interest (EOI) opportunity, available on a lateral move basis only. Applications are open to Core Scottish Government employees only.

Job Title – National Standardised Assessments Content Development Officer

Working Arrangement – Staff in roles compatible with hybrid working should aim to spend 40% of their contracted working time working in person at their contractual workplace. More information can be found within Hybrid Working Policy .

Grade – B3

Advert type – level transfer

Duration - Permanent

Eligibility - Expressions of interest are invited from substantive colleagues on level transfer from Core SG only.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship not being offered

Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.

Equality and Data for Improvement Unit - National Standardised Assessments Content Development Officer

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of the Education Directorate, in a varied and interesting post.

The Equality and Data for Improvement Unit is part of the Workforce, Quality and Wellbeing Division. This post sits in the team responsible for delivering the National Standardised Assessments for Scotland (NSA), which support teachers’ professional judgements on learners’ progress in literacy and numeracy.

The NSA Content Development Officer will work closely with the NSA Content Manager (C1) to deliver Phase 3 of NSA content development, which includes in-housing content creation for both English and Gaelic assessments. The role will contribute to maintaining and improving the quality, inclusivity, and accuracy of assessment items, ensuring alignment with the Curriculum for Excellence and parity of provision for Gaelic Medium Education.

The postholder will have no direct line management responsibilities but will play a key coordinating role, supporting contracted writers, collaborating with Education Scotland Quality Assurance panels, and working alongside the Principal Data Scientist to ensure data-driven content decisions. The role also involves managing the content bank, overseeing metadata, and supporting the integration of images and audio into assessment items.

If you are a Gaelic speaker or have a background in Scottish Education it would be beneficial for this role.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and update the NSA content bank, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the Curriculum for Excellence.

• Support the NSA Content Manager in planning and delivering the annual content development cycle for both SNSA and MCNG assessments.

• Manage metadata for all content items and ensure accurate tagging within the content management system.

• Oversee the integration of images and audio into assessment items, liaising with suppliers and checking outputs for quality.

• Proofread and edit assessment items and texts to ensure quality, inclusivity, and compliance with style and accessibility standards.

• Coordinate and provide guidance to contracted content writers, including assisting with training and reviewing drafts.

  • Contribute to bilingual document creation and support Gaelic translation tasks where required.

• Monitor and report on content development progress, identifying risks and supporting continuous improvement.

• Assist in the preparation and delivery of quality assurance processes, including collaboration with Education Scotland panels.

• Participate in content-related meetings, taking minutes and tracking actions to ensure timely delivery.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Experience:

• Experience in assessment/examination content and or comms/copyrighting

Behaviours:

1. Communicating and Influencing (level 3)
2. Working Together (level 3)
3. Delivering at pace (level 3)
4. Making effective decisions (level 3)

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.

Working Pattern

The post is a full-time role, but staff with different working patterns are invited to apply, and we will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for this post.

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and an Expression of Interest (maximum 500 words) outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team. Please align this to how you meet the behaviours and experience listed in the Success Profile above.

Vacancies close at 11:59pm on the date displayed in the table, unless otherwise stated on the job advert.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of a light touch interview.

Discussions are to be confirmed.

For any questions relating to your expression of interest please contact alison.macrae2@gov.scot.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.