SOC ACE Senior Research Communications Officer – School of Government – 105098 – Grade 6

Job title:

SOC ACE Senior Research Communications Officer – School of Government – 105098 – Grade 6

Company

University of Birmingham

Job description

Job Description:Position DetailsSchool of GovernmentLocation: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UKAs this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 6, salary £34,866Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2027Closing date: 13th January 2025Our offer to youPeople are at the heart of what we are and do.The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.Find out more about theBackgroundSerious Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOC ACE) is a multi-year research programme led by Professor Heather Marquette in the International Development Department and funded by the HMG’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Starting in June 2021 and running through to September 2027, SOC ACE funds grants for public-good research on serious organised crime, illicit finance, corruption and transnational threats, that respond to real-world problems, take politics seriously and take a nose-to-tail to engagement with policymakers and practitioners to deliver real-world change. So far SOC ACE has funded 43 research projects and produced 93 publications. Now, at its mid-point, SOC ACE is consolidating and building on findings so far to generate further insights on the organised crime and corruption ecosystem and nurture further research impact.The School of Government is intellectually vibrant with an excellent record in both research and teaching. It provides a supportive environment, enabling colleagues to engage internationally, build networks and deliver excellent teaching and research. Resources are available to facilitate research, grant capture, and impact and engagement activities. Staff are encouraged and supported to be innovative in their teaching, enabling students to thrive and build firm foundations in the discipline.The School of Government comprises the Department of Political Science and International Studies, the Department of Public Administration and Policy (formerly Institute of Local Government Studies), and the International Development Department. We are one of the largest Schools of Government in the United Kingdom – home to more than 90 full-time academic staff, more than 1,500 undergraduate and taught postgraduate students, and more than 70 doctoral researchers.For further information on the SOC ACE, please click .Role SummaryThe Senior Research Communications Officer (S-RCO) is integral to the SOC ACE programme team. They will work closely with the Director, Deputy Director/Programme Manager, and SOC ACE researchers to ensure SOC ACE related communications support and nurture pathways to impact. The S-RCO will work in a bottom-up and horizontal manner to ensure SOC ACE researchers are front-and-centre of outreach and engagement efforts, building on these research-level communications to identify and/or respond to programme-level communication opportunities. As such the S-RCO will create content, develop, deliver and administer communications products and publicise the work of SOC ACE researchers in a consultative manner, working with researchers and coordinating communications strategically to build momentum for research uptake. Under the Direction of the SOC ACE Director, the S-RCO will lead delivery of SOC ACE events including in-person, online and hybrid formats and be the focal point for SOC ACE communications contributions to partner-led events. With the Programme Manager, the S-RCO will contribute to information management, results tracking and donor reporting requirements, to support accountable, efficient and effective programme delivery.Main DutiesResponsibilities include but may not be limited to…Support to strategic communications and engagement

• Horizon scan to identify opportunities and entry points for SOC ACE policy and practitioner engagement, including tracking of when key events and opportunities are taking place.
• Where needed and requested, support researchers to develop communication plans for their research projects that support their scoped-out pathways to impact.
• Informed by your understanding of research communication plans, publication pipeline, horizon scanning and events schedule, develop, deliver and regularly review an annual SOC ACE costed communications plan.
• Liaise with SOC ACE’s sister programme communications counterparts on producing joint communications products, events and promotional activities.
• If required, contribute to the development of a SOC ACE Communications and Engagement Strategy.

Communications Activities

• Maintain, develop content for and ensure timely update of SOC ACE’s website fulfilling its purpose as a one-stop-shop for research outputs and relevant publications related to SOC ACE’s research.
• Produce and oversee administering of the SOC ACE monthly newsletter ensuring accurate and engaging content.
• Manage and administer SOC ACE social media (LinkedIn, X) and internal communications (Slack) channels, supporting execution of the annual communications plans, ad-hoc opportunities and impact.
• Coordinate, administer and publicise webinars, hybrid and in-person events.
• Produce and publicise talking head and interview videos of SOC ACE researchers.
• Produce, or commission, engaging materials tailored to the needs of stakeholders and strategic objectives and disseminate.
• Liaise with and monitor the SOC ACE Communications Expert’s media and press engagement support to SOC ACE researchers, potentially taking on some areas of this work if capacity allows.
• Identify opportunities for promoting SOC ACE’s work within the University of Birmingham (UOB) and pitch the SOC ACE Director.

Support to programme and management

• Maintain SOC ACE’s suite of publication templates and designs ensuring they remain accurate and up to date and are used as per the publication standard operating procedures.
• Ensure all SOC ACE publications are quality assured/checked for typos before they’re published.
• Manage the relationship with the SOC ACE retained designers and UOB communications functions.
• Monitor for and capture in SOC ACE’s management information system any publications relating to SOC ACE’s research or evidence of impact.
• Contribute to and help to maintain SOC ACE’s internal collaborative working platform (SharePoint).
• Develop proposed activity-based budget for the annual communications plan, taking account of value for money and return on investment considerations.
• Raise purchase orders, review invoices and monitor communications spend against agreed budgets.
• Contribute to donor quarterly and annual reporting requirements, drawing information from project progress reports, SOC ACE MIS, Slack, emails, calendars and SOC ACE Impact email.
• Identify areas in need of improvement and contribute to continuous improvement.

Person SpecificationEssential Skills

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in social sciences or equivalent relevant professional experience
• Research communications experience
• Excellent written English
• Proven experience in producing content for professional audiences and different mediums
• Experience in designing communication products

Essential Competencies

• Excellent relationship management and interpersonal skills
• Excellent listening skills with an openness to learn and take direction
• Adaptive and flexible working style
• Collaborative and consultative
• Uses initiative
• An ability and willingness to work independently
• Excellent attention to detail

Desired

• Previous experience in using InDesign and Canva software
• Previous experience in producing high-quality short-form videos
• Previous experience in writing for policymakers and practitioners
• Experience working in a programme or project environment

Informal enquiries to Lyndsey Hand, email:View our staff values and behavioursWe believe there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone .

Expected salary

Location

United Kingdom

Job date

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 05:38:35 GMT

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