Programme Officer in Cambridge

Salary: 38,000.00 GBP Annual (Salary Plan)

We have an exciting opportunity for a Programme Officer to become a key part of our Science Communities team on a permanent basis. You’ll help shape and deliver impactful programmes that connect and support our Science Communities and the Heads of Chemistry UK.

In This Role You Will

• Work with programme specialists to provide secretariat to our Science Community Councils and the Heads of Chemistry UK.
• Manage projects that support the Science Communities programme, including activities such as governance meetings, scientific workshops and symposia.
• Serve as a point of contact to provide general support and advice to RSC Science Communities.
• Develop and support cross‑team collaboration by linking Science Communities with our conferences, prizes & grants, member networks, communications and policy initiatives.
• Support and continuously improve operational aspects of the team’s work, encompassing member communications, web pages and internal processes.
• Contribute to strategic projects to enable interdisciplinary collaboration and to address emerging priorities in the chemical sciences.
• Manage financial processes and payments as required.
• Undertake ad‑hoc tasks, including minute‑taking, research, analysis and reporting on the progress of our Science Community programmes.

What We Are Looking For

• Relevant background in science or engineering and/or science programme administration, with an interest in science and technology.
• Strong organisational, project and time‑management skills with the ability to balance and prioritise across multiple projects, tasks and deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to develop effective relationships with a diverse range of people, with strong written and oral communication skills.
• Initiative and the ability to work in teams and independently.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to use and learn Microsoft packages and bespoke in‑house IT systems.
• Awareness of the research and innovation environment (e.g. research funding, higher education, science and the economy) would be beneficial.

In this role you will be expected to attend the office two days per week, with additional in‑person events and meetings as required. Some UK travel will be involved. If you need flexible working arrangements, please outline this in your application.

If you are interested in this role, please apply by the closing date 25/11/25. When applying you will need to provide an up‑to‑date CV and a cover letter (maximum 500 words) telling us about your relevant knowledge, skills, competencies and why you are applying.

About The RSC

The Royal Society of Chemistry is a not‑for‑profit organisation with a thriving international community of around 60,000 members in over 100 countries. We are the professional body for chemists in the UK, an internationally renowned publisher of high‑quality chemical science knowledge, and a champion for the chemical sciences. Our purpose is to help the chemical sciences community make the world a better place. We are committed to creating inclusive, diverse and supportive workplaces and actively encourage applications from disabled and ethnic minority candidates.

Equal Opportunities and Accessibility

We recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds to apply. As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we endeavour to offer an interview to candidates meeting the essential criteria of the role who have a substantial physical or mental impairment. We are committed to making our recruitment processes accessible to all. If you would like to apply using a different format, please contact the Recruitment Team at jobs@rsc.org or call +44 (0) 1223 432229, and we will do our best to put any reasonable adjustments in place.

We particularly encourage applications from disabled and ethnic minority candidates.

Visit our Work For Us website to learn more about us, our benefits, equal opportunities statement and inclusive culture pledge.