Marianne Gallagher

I'm a content designer and editor with more than a decade's ownership of digital content across complex, regulated sectors. Skilled in translating policy and business requirements into clear, customer-focused content, I care about crafting experiences and sentences to help our users find what they need. From public to private sector, across business-to-business and direct-to-consumer, I've worked on everything from SEO landing pages and digital campaign assets to government clerical letters and in-depth pensions guidance.

Comfortable collaborating as part of a multi-disciplinary team, I'm well-versed in working in scrum with UX, experience and product design colleagues. Happy working as part of a marketing set-up, shaping effective and intuitive client journeys to function within a wider brand strategy.

Content Designer, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) scrum team - Social Security Scotland

(2025-05 - 2026-03)

Working as part of an agile, multi-disciplinary delivery project to produce client letters and webpages alongside complex internal guidance, supporting the launch of PAWHP 2025-26.

• Collaborated with user research, policy, legal and service design to deliver and refine communications for live digital services, ensuring all content was accurate, compliant and addressed real user needs
• Mapped content cadence to our service user's journey, working with service and product design
• Maintained content quality and governance standards within a fast-paced agile scrum environment, liaising with multiple stakeholders across design and delivery teams to produce work to deadline
• Pushed content through rigorous policy and legal sign-off, managing stakeholders in both teams
• Checked all content met accessibility (WCAG) and GDS standards prior to publish
• Documented and justified all design decisions via Confluence and eRDM documentation

Content Designer, Experience Design team - Hymans Robertson - Glasgow

(2024-01 - 2025-05)

Working across business-to-consumer and employer-facing digital content for Glasgow-based pensions firm.

• Managed digital content quality across various digital products, simplifying and humanising pensions information for consumer audiences without sacrificing regulatory accuracy
• Worked closely with UX and Experience Design teams to shape content lifecycle, from devising wireframes and page structures to finessing messaging hierarchy and calls-to-action
• Championed Plain English and accessibility standards, balancing business requirements with user needs in an FCA-regulated environment
• Led on the creation and delivery of an in-house Digital Accessibility course, raising awareness of the importance of accessibility and inclusivity considerations in shaping a fair digital experience for all
• Supported both D2C and partner-facing content, adapting tone and messaging for different audience types
• Designed and developed the content approach and style for the re-launch of the Hymans Robertson Personal Wealth brand

Content Designer, User-centred Design team - Social Security Scotland

(2022-03 - 2023-12)

Working across Adult and Child Disability Payment, Decision Making and Carer's Support Payment.

• Planned and developed accessible, user-focused across clerical letters, staff guidance and MyGov digital journeys
• Collaborated with multi-disciplinary teams including policy, product and service design to identify user need and plan content cadence and workflows
• Worked within structured publishing and governance frameworks, making sure all content updates were accurate, reviewed, approved and traceable through agreed workflows
• Tested content performance alongside user researchers, tweaking and improving
• Maintained high standards before publishing, with considerations to GDS style guides and brand consistency

Content Designer, Marketing team - GlobalScot

(2021-06 - 2022-03)

Developed and delivered the content strategy for GlobalScot, a Scottish Enterprise agency matching diaspora business leaders with emerging young businesses for mentoring purposes.

• Led content development and strategy alongside colleagues in marketing and business relationship managers
• Produced and wrote profile pieces on our 'GlobalScots' and company case study interviews
• Uploaded articles to CMS, as well as leading on UX improvements for the client portal
• Ran social media campaigns to promote both the mentor and mentee aspect of our offer
• Developed and upheld brand voice and style guide standards across our digital estate, working with Scottish Enterprise to keep consistency with our brand's tone of voice

SEO Content Writer, Marketing team - AXA Commercial Direct - Glasgow

(2019 - 2021)

In-house SEO content writer, working to produce tailored landing pages to encourage organic search traffic.

• Worked with specialists at Glasgow digital agency Equator to identify keywords, industries and areas of potential growth
• Wrote and optimised web content for search, co-writing with a member of our underwriting team to ensure factual accuracy from the first draft
• Structured page content including headings, metadata and internal linking to improve organic SEO traffic
• Conducted rigorous compliance checks in collaboration with compliance and legal teams, ensuring all content met regulatory standards

Content Designer, My World of Work digital team - Skills Development Scotland

(2017 - 2019)

Working as a content designer within a multi-disciplinary scrum team looking after the My World of Work site.

• Created and managed web content with Umbraco CMS
• Took part in user testing sessions and interviews, both in-person and remote
• Wrote articles and service web pages to encourage engagement with the My World of Work site
• Helped map content assets and calendar to align MYWOW production with S1 – S6 curriculum milestones

BA (Hons) - Journalism and English Literature - University of Strathclyde