Artworker & Typesetter

Artworker & Typesetter

Contract type: 2-year fixed-term

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

Salary: London: c.£35,000, Newcastle: c.£30,000 (higher base salaries may be available for exceptional candidates) + civil service pension

About the role

The Artworker & Typesetters (A&T) report to the Publishing Lead and are responsible for the templated layout and production of National Audit Office (NAO) Parliamentary publications. Working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, they deliver a high-quality and professional service across a wide range of digital and print outputs.

The role involves typesetting and the creation and development of charts and graphics for standard publications, as well as providing occasional support to the Design team. We are seeking an experienced artworker and typesetter with some graphic design experience to support the artworking and typesetting of reports and other publications. A&T are responsible for managing and prioritising multiple projects concurrently, undertaking quality control through peer review, and making amendments and corrections to content and graphics as required.

The role also has responsibility for the quality assurance of publications laid in Parliament. A&T are jointly responsible for laying content in Parliament using established automated and semi-automated messaging systems, including Teams communication channels, and for processing financial audit accounts for government departments seeking to use Parliamentary privilege.

In addition, A&T undertake post-production activities, including the creation of accessible ePub files and Amazon-ready digital formats, managing uploads to Amazon, and working with the Digital team to ensure content is scheduled and published on the NAO website.

Responsibilities

Operational 80%:

• Typeset content using pre-existing InDesign templates, ensuring accurate text flow, pagination, and the correct placement of graphics and charts in context. Identify and escalate any issues to the Publishing Lead as appropriate.
• Create simple charts and diagrams from templated content. Use automation and design tools to generate, re-key, and improve where needed.
• Ensure all work adheres to provided templates and consistently meets house style and NAO brand guidelines.
• Lay NAO content in Parliament using the automated messaging systems.
• Lay Financial Audit accounts for government departments including occasional typesetting of these accounts.
• Implement corrections to report text, charts, and graphics following client reviews.
• Conduct quality checks on all laid publications, including artwork and text, as part of a peer-review process.
• Support the Design team by quality assuring non-laid publications and associated assets as required, checking for style and format. Make amendments using Adobe InDesign or Illustrator where appropriate or provide feedback to the Design team to implement necessary changes.
• Produce final and accessible ePub and PDF files for both print and digital publication. Manage uploads to Amazon and liaise with the Digital and Press teams to ensure content is published on the NAO website.
• Produce work to a high standard and quality, within agreed timescales and quality check own as well as others work to ensure accuracy.
• Communicate job progress at every stage of the process using the approved communication channels and tools to ensure the smooth running of work and schedules (KanBan production board and Teams chat/channels).
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in D&P and the wider Communications team, such as the Digital and Press teams as well as with internal clients.

Innovation (20%):

• Continuously develop publishing and production skills and proactively share knowledge and expertise with colleagues across the D&P and Comms. teams.
• Actively contribute to discussions on innovations in publishing and production, enhancing client services, and improving team operations and ways of working.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS REQUIRED

• Excellent knowledge of Adobe CC; specifically, Adobe InDesign; Illustrator; and Acrobat
• Experience in applying branding consistently across publications, with solid typographic knowledge.
• Experience in laying out publications across spreads, creating graphics, and paginating content in line with brand and editorial style guidelines.
• Experience in quality assurance work.
• Demonstrable spelling and grammar skills with the ability to maintain accuracy.
• Intermediate knowledge of pre-press preparation and production across both digital and print media.
• Intermediate knowledge and awareness of accessibility issues and creating accessible outputs.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

DESIRABLE SKILLS

• Studio workflow - knowledge of tools and systems such as SharePoint, Teams, Planner, Project, Power-automate
• Automation of design tasks
• Basic knowledge of Adobe Express
• Knowledge of WordPress, and/or html