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

The 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 Duties

Responsibilities 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.

Essential 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 practitionersExperience working in a programme or project environment

• Company pension

• Paid volunteer time

• Sick pay

• Transport links

Informal enquiries to Lyndsey Hand, email: l.c.hand@bham.ac.uk