Communications and Events Officer

Grade 06S: £32,332 - £38,205 per annum

Applications for secondment from policymaking organisations are encouraged.

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, motivated, and approachable individual to join the University-wide Policy Engagement Team in the new role of Communications and Events Officer for the Oxford Policy Engagement Network (OPEN).

OPEN is a growing network of researchers, doctoral students and professional services staff across the University who share a vision of public policy powered by the world’s best available research evidence and expertise. Its mission is to equip members to share knowledge and expertise with the policymaking community so that, with them, they can contribute to better policies that protect what is valuable and change the world for the better.

The Policy Engagement Team connects OPEN members with each other, with policy professionals, and with opportunities aligned to their particular policy interests – for engagement, professional development and funding, and provides relevant guidance and support.

The role of Communications and Events Officer is new to the Policy Engagement Team, which is hosted in the Social Sciences Division. The postholder will play a key role in delivering a new communications strategy for the team, including through maintaining its online presence, identifying examples of engagement of interest to research and policymaking communities, developing case studies, and working with colleagues to develop and communicate these via the most appropriate channels. The postholder will also contribute to planning, promotion and delivery of professional development activities, and other events, and support the evaluation of the team’s communications activities to inform future strategy. The postholder will make similar contributions to the work of the wider Divisional Research, Impact and Engagement Team.

The successful candidate will have significant experience in a communication, media relations or journalism role, or excellent understanding of the communications function and demonstrably transferable skills. They will have proven experience of producing effective web content, excellent writing skills and attention to detail, and a demonstrable ability to communicate complex concepts to a non-specialist audience. They will have strong interpersonal skills, and be able to work independently in a complex environment, taking initiative when necessary and prioritising effectively to meet deadlines.

This is a full-time, fixed-term role until 31 July 2025, with possibility of an extension depending on the availability of external funding.

As part of your online application you will be required to upload a supporting statement, providing evidence as to how you meet each of the selection criteria.

Please note: we are also recruiting to a related role (Senior Communications Officer, OPEN). The panel will assess applicants against the selection criteria for the post to which they have applied, but may also consider them as part of a joint candidate pool for both roles if appropriate.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact elizabeth.crawford@socsci.ox.ac.uk.

Only applications received before 12:00 GMT on 22 July 2024 will be considered. Interviews are likely to be scheduled in early August 2024.

Advert information