Engagement Manager (Maternity Cover) in City of Westminster

To manage the Royal Society's career development and engagement programme for award holders based in the UK. To contribute to the expansion and continuous development of the Society’s mentoring programme for award holders based in the UK. Working within specific timescales, budget and the required quality whilst maximising their success and supporting the needs of award holders.

Responsibilities

• To work closely with the Senior Engagement Manager and other relevant colleagues, and with support from the Engagement Officers, to support the delivery of existing engagement activities for current award holders and manage the delivery of the wraparound support package for Career Development Fellows which includes training courses, staff visits to Research Fellows, networking events and a bespoke mentoring programme.
• Leading on the delivery of the mentoring programme for all first-year Research Fellows including the matching process, annual workshops, check-ins and expanding the pool of mentors.
• To participate in setting of plans, objectives and time scales and identifying to the Senior Engagement Manager when these need to be updated/changed, including maintenance of the annual engagement plan/calendar.
• To identify effective strategies of engagement with researchers from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM academia and manage relationships with internal and external service providers (incl. training providers, event venues, design services, digital marketing) and a variety of Society contacts, including Fellows of the Society and active award holders, involved in the delivery of career development and engagement activities.
• To develop and maintain strong relationships with award holders to understand their needs, feeding back information to Senior Engagement Manager and other relevant colleagues to ensure appropriate support and development is offered to the researchers.
• To collaborate with Programme Managers, Grants Managers, and other colleagues in the Section and Society to enable their input and involvement in engagement activities (such as curating content, convening break-outs, speakers, etc).
• To liaise with other colleagues in the Society to facilitate the inclusion of award holders in wider Society work, such as policy consultations and public engagement, and enable oversight and join-up of training, secondment and supplementary funding activities managed by other sections of the Society which are exclusively or partially aimed at RS funded Research Fellows.
• To utilise appropriate evaluation methods for events and activities, ensuring accurate data is available and producing clear reports for key stakeholders to inform future developments and iterative changes, working closely with colleagues in the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team.
• To administer some selection processes, including commissioning and procurement activities and call for proposals for specific events or activities.
• To represent the programme and organisation at meetings, interest groups, and events, including giving presentations and providing briefings.
• To support activities within the Grants team aimed at increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion including encouraging participation from underrepresented groups and supporting the development and maintenance of policies and practices to foster greater inclusivity and to ensure that those who have followed a non-standard career path are encouraged to apply.
• To share experience and ideas with others in the Section and the Society and contribute broadly to the Royal Society’s mission and priorities.
• To develop and maintain content for the research fellows portal, coordinating material with individuals across the Section and Society, and active award holders, with the assistance of the Engagement Officers.
• To role model desired behaviours in line with the Grants Team Charter.
• As the programme expands, the role may include line managing responsibilities: Providing management and leadership to Engagement Officer(s) and creating an inclusive and supportive environment to help them in realising their potential and achieving the highest standards of efficiency, quality and customer care.

Key Knowledge and Skills Required

• EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE

• Educated to degree standard or equivalent. Essential
• A good understanding of academic and/or research activities in science and research funding. Essential
• Science degree. Desirable

• Skilled team leader. Desirable
• Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills across a range of audiences. Essential
• Excellent planning and organisational skills. Essential
• Good IT and presentation skills. Essential
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills. Desirable
• Strong attention to detail. Essential
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Essential

• Proven experience in a similar role. Desirable
• Experience of managing staff activity across teams. Desirable
• Demonstrable experience in developing and managing mentoring programmes and career development activities to engage with the scientific community. Desirable
• Experience of working across teams and departments. Essential
• Experience of managing meetings with internal and external participants. Essential
• Experience of establishing and maintaining a network of contacts. Essential
• Demonstrable experience of delivering accessible digital events and content for the public. Desirable

• Able to be flexible about working hours and travel across the UK. Essential

Competencies

• Self-management

• Works unsupervised and can motivate self
• Produces results under pressure
• Can manage in stressful situations
• Pushes for the best results for self and team
• Pursues and encourages feedback that may reveal an error in judgment or process and then makes appropriate adjustments
• Recognises own personal biases or limitations, and uses this understanding to improve decisions and plans for action
• Seeks out mentors and other development resources to gain additional self-awareness and personal development
• Reflects on negative situations with maturity and seeks to understand own contribution to the situation
• Holds things together and acts as a settling influence
• Willing to continue learning within chosen field, training and developing towards the next level in both formal and informal ways
• Works within the Royal Society Values at all times

• Contributes ideas and identifies opportunities to work with others both within the team and across the organisation
• Willing to provide and receive feedback to and from sectional colleagues when requested
• Produces succinct presentations and papers for senior colleagues
• Understands when to seek senior advice on potentially delicate negotiations
• Reaches a variety of audiences using an appropriate mix of communication methods and tailored messages to appeal to their unique needs
• Creates an environment of transparency while respecting confidentiality requirements
• Builds consensus for delivering team goals. Frequently interacts with peers, on cross-functional matters.

• Makes the best of internal/external resources and coordinates well with external partners to best meet the needs of the Society
• Builds contingency into projects taking into account potential risks and challenges.