Strategic communications lead- Narrative and Brand in Swindon

Salary: £58,589 per annum. Band: UKRI Band F. Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months) (Parental leave cover). Hours: Full-time / Part-time (Minimum 0.8 FTE). Location: Polaris House, Swindon - Hybrid working available (Minimum 2 days per week in office). Closing Date: Monday 31st August 2026.

About the role

To build understanding of, engagement with, and trust in UK Research and Innovation and its activities and interests, both externally and with all employees, through brand and narrative development, positioning and implementation.

Your responsibilities

• Lead on UKRI brand strategy and governance across the organisation.
• Lead on development of UKRI narrative and messaging for implementation across the organisation.
• Support the development of UKRI campaigns, ensuring amplification of UKRI brand, narrative and messaging.

Corporate responsibilities

• Responsible for the overall image, growth and development of the UKRI brand, ensuring it remains relevant to and recognised by our audiences and maintaining consistency across all communications channels.
• Responsible for the development and management of UKRI narrative and additional tools for colleagues, including message house, rolling script and comment bank.
• Support the development and implementation of UKRI's external affairs and communications strategy.

Role responsibilities

• Develop and implement brand strategies, positioning and messaging that align with the organisation's vision and objectives.
• Manage internal and external partner relationships around brand, using evidence and best practice to negotiate, influence and defend decision making in support of building the UKRI brand and sub brands.
• Identify target audiences and tailor the brand strategy and messaging to reach the audience effectively.
• Support the creation and implementation of campaigns to ensure consistency in messaging and alignment with the brand voice, values and goals.
• Work with the communications lead, audience and insight to undertake audience insight and research to keep up to date with the latest trends to inform brand strategy.
• Collaborate with other internal teams to ensure brand messaging is consistent and is being communicated effectively across all channels.
• Work with communications lead, evaluation to measure and report on performance of campaigns to assess the effectiveness of overall brand performance and using insights from data to adjust strategies and optimise them for the future.
• Oversee brand and visual identity guidelines, ensuring these are up-to-date and accessible.
• Lead on development of UKRI narrative, rolling script and messaging to reinforce brand positioning.
• Lead on development and management of CEO messaging guide and UKRI comment bank.
• Ownership and governance of communications messaging for UKRI, including review of existing messaging.
• Work with Head of strategic communications and planning to develop and implement UKRI's external affairs and communications strategy.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience (S).
• Proven ability to write compelling narratives and coherent messaging across complex content and for multiple audiences (S&I).
• Strong experience and proven track record of brand development and management across a complex organisation (S&I).
• Strong experience of utilising multiple and integrated channels and an understanding of multichannel communication approaches in relation to brand (S&I).
• Excellent writing skills (S&I).
• Excellent project management skills (S&I).
• Demonstrated credibility with relevant communities, usually based on experience from government, industry, education or the third sector (I).
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams, councils and communities (S&I).
• Demonstrable emotional intelligence and tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty (S&I).
• Resilience, multi-tasking and ability to work to deadlines (S&I).
• Ability to absorb, evaluate and communicate complex information appropriate to the audience (I).
• Ability to influence, persuade and negotiate (S&I).
• Strategic thinking (I).
• Flexibility to adapt to change (I).

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.
• Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

About Us

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.

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.

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.

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.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. 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.

As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded.

UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.

If you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager.