[Hiring] Publications and Digital Support @Public Sector Resourcing

Role Description

Natural England is looking for a Publications and Digital Support professional to join its Publications Team and provide short-term operational and technical support across publications, digital and administrative activities. The Publications Team is responsible for publishing Natural England-commissioned reports and journal publications. The role will have a particular focus on preparing, formatting and quality-assuring documents for publication, requiring strong Microsoft Word skills and exceptional attention to detail.

You will also support wider digital and information-management activities, including Microsoft 365 applications, publication records, Microsoft Lists and Forms, mailbox management and process improvements. This is a varied role where priorities may change, so the successful candidate will need to be adaptable, organised and comfortable supporting a range of activities.

As a Publications and Digital Support, your main responsibilities will be:

• Prepare and format complex documents for publication using advanced Microsoft Word skills.
• Apply and manage Word styles, structured formatting and multilevel heading numbering.
• Use section breaks, headers, footers, tables, captions and cross-references to produce professional documents.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex Microsoft Word formatting issues.
• Quality-assure documents before publication, checking accuracy, consistency, presentation and accessibility.
• Review documents to identify errors, inconsistencies and areas requiring correction.
• Support the preparation and publication of reports, journal publications and other digital content.
• Maintain accurate publication records and information, including applying appropriate categories and metadata.
• Support information and records management activities across relevant digital systems.
• Create and maintain Microsoft Lists and Microsoft Forms within the Microsoft 365 environment.
• Identify practical opportunities to improve and streamline administrative and digital processes.
• Manage and monitor the team mailbox, triaging enquiries and allocating actions where appropriate.
• Draft or coordinate clear and professional responses to enquiries and correspondence.
• Support wider communications, quality-assurance and administrative activities within the Publications Team.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues while managing competing priorities and responding flexibly to changing requirements.

Qualifications

• Strong publications experience, including preparing, formatting, reviewing or quality-assuring documents or content for publication.
• Advanced Microsoft Word skills, including styles, structured formatting, multilevel heading numbering, section breaks, headers and footers, tables, captions and cross-references.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex Microsoft Word formatting issues and produce consistently professional documents.
• Excellent Microsoft 365 skills and confidence working across digital systems and applications.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to identify errors, inconsistencies and quality issues.
• Experience of copywriting or drafting clear, accurate and professional written communications.
• Experience of mailbox management, including monitoring, triaging and responding to enquiries or allocating actions.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and provide support across publication, digital, administrative and quality-assurance activities.

Requirements

• Experience of quality-assuring publications, reports or digital content.
• Knowledge of publication or digital-content quality-assurance processes.
• Experience of records management, information governance, metadata or document categorisation.
• Experience creating or maintaining Microsoft Lists and Microsoft Forms.
• Experience working with shared or functional mailboxes.
• Experience contributing to digital, administrative or process-improvement initiatives.
• Previous experience within a publications, communications, information-management or digital-support environment.
• Experience supporting the publication of reports, research outputs, journal articles or similar technical content.

Benefits

• Disability Confident: Defra guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy.
• Armed Forces Covenant / Commitment: Defra guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy.