Creative artworker and typesetter

Location: London with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office in line with our hybrid working policy. 

Salary: £37,855

Are you ready to be part of a supportive, agile team and create work that supports Parliament and helps improve public services? If so, this could be the role for you. 

The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog.We support Parliament in holding government to account and we help improve public services through our high-quality audits.

Design with purpose. Deliver with precision. Shape what matters. 

Join our fast-paced Design & Publishing team and play a hands-on role in delivering high-impact publications that shape understanding across Government, Parliament and the public. We are evolving how we design, publish and share our work, and are looking for a Creative Artworker & Typesetter who is excited to be part of that journey. 

This role suits a highly detail-driven individual who thrives on pace, precision and variety. You will turn complex information into clear, accessible and engaging outputs – from polished reports and infographics to social and digital assets – helping us deliver up to three major publications every week. 

Working at the heart of our production pipeline, you will take ownership of layouts, graphics and typesetting, apply brand and accessibility standards and manage fast-paced amends through review cycles. You will combine technical expertise with collaboration and quality assurance to deliver consistently high-quality outputs. 

You will also be part of a team that takes real pride in what we produce, where attention to detail, collaboration and high standards are integral to everything we deliver. 

Main responsibilities  

• Deliver design across multiple channels including print, digital and social, supporting clear accessible reporting for Government and Parliament 
• Typeset and format publications using Adobe InDesign and InCopy 
• Create charts, infographics and visual assets using strong visual judgement to bring complex information to life 
• Apply brand, editorial and accessibility standards, ensuring accuracy and consistency through review and fast-paced amends 
• Prepare and deliver final files for web, print and EPub 
• Collaborate closely with colleagues across design, publishing and communications to deliver high-quality outputs 
• Contribute to team’s and department’s continuous improvement. 

Skills, experience, attributes and qualifications  

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:  

Essential criteria   

• Advanced Adobe CC skills (InDesign, InCopy, Illustrator, and Photoshop)
• Proven experience creating high-quality, branded publications across print and digital, including long-form layouts
• Attention to detail and ability to delivering accurate, high-quality work
• Proven ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Experience communicating with a range of stakeholders and working collaboratively within a team environment
• Working knowledge of brand, editorial and accessibility standards

To apply candidates should provide:  

Applications that do not include all the above will not be considered. 

• An up-to-date CV  
• Cover letter with answers to application questions provided below (maximum two pages – cover letter + application questions) 
• Portfolio or links of examples attached to cover letter (No WeTransfer or Dropbox links please) 

Application Questions: 

Please respond concisely and relate your answers to examples in your portfolio (max 150 words per question): 

1. Describe a time you worked across multiple publications or deliverables at once. How did you prioritise your work and ensure deadlines were met? 

2. What InDesign features or techniques do you find most valuable when working on complex publications, and why? 

3. Which tools or features across Adobe CC do you use most regularly in your work, and how do they support your workflow? 

4. Provide an example of how you improved the clarity or readability of a complex layout or document. 

5. Have a look at our products on Home - National Audit Office – can you show us three examples of your work that illustrate your experience relevant to what we produce?  Please include and highlight them in your portfolio

Guidance for applicants 
We are interested in clear, experience-based responses that show how you deliver accurate, high-quality work in a fast-paced environment. 

Selection process  

• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend 1st stage interview, either in person or online on 10-12th August. This will include a written exercise and panel interview. Candidates should allow up to 2 hours for this stage.
• Second-stage interviews will be held in person and will take place on 19th and 20th August. This will include a written exercise and panel interview. Candidates should allow up to 2 hours for this stage.

Nationality Requirements:  

• UK nationals  
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK  
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)  

Please note, we are not able to sponsor work visas. Please contact us at hrservicedesk@nao.org.uk should you have any questions on your nationality eligibility.  
  

Equal opportunities and diversity  

Disability and Reasonable Adjustments: Applicants with a disability who wish their application to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme should confirm this when submitting their application. Under this scheme we guarantee an interview to an applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for the role. You should also let our HR team know if you wish us to consider any Reasonable Adjustments at any stage of the process (HR Service Desk (HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk).  
  
 We are committed to fair and open recruitment. All applications will be assessed on merit against the requirements of the role. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010. 

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.