SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT MANAGER – ADR UK

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL – ADR UK STRATEGIC HUB

SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT MANAGER – ADR UK

Salary: £43,116 per annum (plus £5,129 London Allowance)

Hours: Full time

Contract Type: Fixed Term (6 months)

Location: Caxton House, London or Polaris House, Swindon

Grade: UKRI Band E

Closing Date: 15 December 2024

Proposed Interview Date: 8-9 January 2025

ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK)

ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) is a partnership transforming the way researchers access the UK’s wealth of public sector data to enable better informed policy decisions that improve people’s lives. The programme is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

By linking together data held by different parts of government, and by facilitating safe and secure access for accredited researchers to these newly joined-up data sets, ADR UK is creating a sustainable body of knowledge about how our society and economy function – tailored to give decision makers the answers they need to solve important policy questions.

ADR UK is made up of four national partnerships (ADR England, ADR NI, ADR Scotland, and ADR Wales) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which ensure data provided by UK government bodies is accessed by researchers in a safe and secure form with minimal risk to data holders or the public.

The partnership is coordinated by a UK-wide Strategic Hub which promotes the benefits of administrative data research to the public and the wider research community, engages with UK Government to secure access to data, and manages a dedicated research budget.

About the Role

This is an opportunity to join the ADR UK Strategic Hub, covering the current postholder’s six-month career break. The role reports to the Strategic Lead for Communications & Campaigns and is part of a four-person communications and engagement team that has strategic responsibility for coordinating the full range of ADR UK’s communications activities, including digital, social, publications, events and media relations, as well as stakeholder and public engagement. The team is also responsible for supporting all ADR England-funded grant holders with communications and public engagement.

About You

This is an opportunity for an experienced campaign, marketing and/or communications professional. You’ll play a key role helping ADR UK tell its story. You’ll use your expertise to inform and inspire our audiences.

You’ll have outstanding written communication skills and the ability to produce content for online and offline audiences. You’ll work with experts to check nuance and accuracy. You’ll have strong attention to detail. You’ll be organised and flexible.

You’ll be able to use communications tools to manage a busy publishing schedule. You’ll also have experience of using project management tools or approaches. You will be able to advise senior colleagues and manage relationships. You may be experienced in organising and delivering stakeholder events.

This is a fast-paced, supportive environment. We think it’s an exciting opportunity for someone looking to return to work, to develop their skills, or to broaden their experience in a secondment.

Hybrid Working

This post is based in our Caxton House office in London (or Swindon), but we operate a hybrid approach, and you can expect a mix of working from home, the office, and external locations. As we recognise the benefits of in-person working, the comms team tend to work from the London office once a week (on Mondays). Where there is a business need, you may be required to attend either office more than described here. This post also requires travel to attend external events and meetings.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic planning and implementation: You deliver proactive, effective, and innovative communications to enhance ADR UK’s reputation. Create strategies for achieving organisational objectives through marketing, campaigns, public affairs, media relations, events, and social media.

Communications and campaign management: You work closely with the Communications Manager to manage communications scheduling, prioritisation and delivery for the ADR UK partnership. Build monitoring, audience insights, risk management, and evaluation into campaigns.

Content producer: You write content for ADR UK channels and work with a range of authors to edit their work. Develop effective messaging, enhance publication quality and ensure accessibility.

Events management: You plan and coordinate ADR UK’s annual presence at external events. You manage and evaluate ADR UK-run events such as the ADR UK Research Symposiums.

Grant holder support: You work with ADR England and ADR UK grant holders to develop and deliver communications plans for their projects. Offer expert guidance and support communications and engagement activity.

Inclusive communications and collaboration: Champion inclusive and accessible communications, promoting good equalities practice and valuing diversity. Effectively manage a wide range of stakeholder relationships and work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation and partners, including UKRI. 

Engagement: Together with the Senior Public Engagement Manager, you actively champion public engagement. Collaborate with other colleagues to deliver policy and researcher engagement.

This is not a comprehensive list, and we may require you to undertake other duties as required to support the delivery of the ADR UK Communications and Engagement Strategy.

Shortlisting and Interview Criteria (Person Specification)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Strategy and delivery: Demonstrable experience of developing and delivering creative projects in a communications role.
• Management and organisational skills: Effective project management, planning, and organisational skills, using tools such as comms planners, Trello, or Hootsuite.
• Writing and editorial skills: Excellent written communication skills – particularly the ability to translate technical or academic language into clear, accessible plain English, and deliver concise and punchy copy that can engage non-specialists.
• Teamwork and independence: Experience working both independently, and collaboratively, to build relationships and networks. High levels of self-motivation.
• Interpersonal and communication skills: Well-developed interpersonal and oral communication skills. The ability to influence, negotiate effective communications outcomes, and build strong working relationships.
• Content development expertise: Strong interest and proven experience in developing content across multiple channels, possibly with a technical specialism or proficiency such as in video content creation. Experience working with or developing a brand. Confident using software such as Figma, Canva or Adobe Creative Suite.
• Analysis: Comfortable generating and analysing performance reports (e.g., Google Analytics, social media analytics tools) for optimising digital content. You can also think critically about projects and give your advice about how to improve them using data as well as experience.

Desirable:

• Political awareness and institutional understanding: Political awareness and understanding of the context in which ADR UK operates. Knowledge of the functioning of parliament, Whitehall, and devolved governments. Interest in social science.
• People: Experience in managing or supporting people and other content creators.
• Culture: Experience working with academics, scientists or subject specialists, and/or experience working in a complex partnership environment.
• Events: Experience of events management.

APPLICATIONS

Online applications only for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter to the attachments section (ignore free textbox for cover letter under ‘Experience’ section) which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘Experience’ section of the application process. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DEVELOPING TALENT:

We are committed to developing employees in their roles throughout their career. Learning and development plans enable employees to continue their professional development through training and development opportunities such as e-learning, classroom training and on-the-job experiences. We encourage our employees to share their learning across teams and organisations.

BENEFITS:

UKRI can offer the successful candidate:

• Flexible Working
• 30 days annual leave + Public Holidays
• Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme
• Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider

Visit our dedicated benefits webpage for more info: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

About the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) 

The ESRC is the UK’s largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK’s future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy-makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective. 

For more information about ESRC, please visit https://esrc.ukri.org/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI) 

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. 

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation. 

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). 

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce 

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’. 

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. 

How to apply 

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application. 

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us. 

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