Communications Officer
£29,000 – £33,000 per annum depending on experience, plus pension contribution, a flexible benefits scheme, and 28 days annual leave.
Location: Farringdon, London, with the option for flexible working (WFH up to 3 days a week)
We are looking for a full-time (35 hours per week) Communications Officer, with a strong understanding and passion for science communications to join our small team at Understanding Animal Research (UAR).
The Communications Officer is an integral part of the team and is responsible for driving the reach and influence of UAR’s work to a range of audiences (scientific, lay public, media, and policy makers), through stakeholder engagement and delivery of engaging social media content.
The Communications Officer will be primarily responsible for UAR’s social media channels and related duties, including creating content for use online, copywriting, scheduling, responding to comments, community management, statistical analysis and reporting, and any other social media related tasks. The Communications Officer will develop and execute UAR’s social media strategy, including current and future campaigns, with oversight from the Digital Communications Manager. The Communications Officer will be highly creative and possess the drive and enthusiasm to create engaging and educational content around the nuanced subject of animal research.
The Communications Officer will also be involved with stakeholder engagement, including being responsible for the day to day running of the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research with supervision from the Head of Engagement and Communications. They will develop strong working relationships with key individuals at stakeholder organisations and offer support on behalf of UAR.
The successful applicant will report to the Digital Communications Manager, as well as working closely with the Head of Engagement and Communications and Video Producer. This role has no line management responsibilities.
Job Description
Social media and digital communications (55%)
Taking ownership of UAR's social media channels, with support from the Digital Communications Dept.
- Day-to-day management of UAR’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Sourcing, creating, and publishing well researched content for social media in the form of images, infographics, and videos, etc.
- Developing and executing UAR’s digital communications strategy
- Developing and executing social media campaigns
- Developing and executing collaborative opportunities for UAR members and Concordat signatories
- Responding to social media comments and direct messages, and enforcing UAR’s social media policy when required
- Working with UAR’s videographer to create video content for social media
- Recording and analysing social media statistics
- Reporting UAR’s social media progress to senior management
- Staying up to date with trends and the latest social media developments
- Occasional digital communications responsibilities
- Assisting with UAR training workshops on how to talk about animal research online and via social media
- Covering UAR events on social media
Stakeholder engagement (45%)
Supporting the Head of Engagement and Communications by administering the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK and offering support to UAR members and stakeholders.
- Day-to-day running of the Concordat on Openness
- Keeping the CRM updated
- Providing support to new and existing Concordat signatories
- Helping colleagues to write and develop reports, guidance, and updates for Concordat signatories
- Overseeing and administering Concordat signatories’ annual returns
- Maintaining and updating the Concordat website
- Stakeholder engagement responsibilities
- Supporting UAR members with their communication activities
- Writing and sourcing content for a regular newsletter
- Organising and publicising UAR’s training workshops
- Assisting with the organisation and management of UAR events
Other duties
Supporting the organisation with any other tasks as needed.
Skills and experience
Essential
- At least one year of professional social media and communications experience
- Experience in understanding and communicating complex scientific theory and research to a wide range of audiences including lay and academic individuals
- Experience operating Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn channels for a brand or company
- Proven experience creating visually appealing and engaging content for use online
- Experience using software such as Canva and Photoshop (or similar) to create social media content
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, both written and oral
- Excellent organisational skills, time management, and the ability to prioritise workload across multiple projects
- Ability to communicate with different audiences including the scientific sector and lay audiences
- Ability to liaise with stakeholders and act as a representative of UAR
- A strong interest in scientific communications and social media marketing
- Good numerical and IT skills with knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Proactive, self-organising team player
- Attention to detail
- Acceptance of the use of animals in research
Desired
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Qualification in scientific communications, social media marketing, or a relevant subject
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Ability to engage in challenging and conflict-driven conversations online
Additional information
The successful applicant will be subject to a three-month probationary period.
At UAR we observe core working hours of 9am – 5pm (Monday to Friday). However, we do allow flexible working hours if required. Remote working is allowed but the successful applicant must be present in our Farringdon office for a minimum of two days a week.
On occasion, evening and weekend work and travel may be required and will be recompensed accordingly.
Candidates must be eligable to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
How to apply
Please send a CV, a separate cover letter, and examples of your previous work to Mary Harvie, mharvie@uar.org.uk.
Deadline: 23:59 on Monday, 30 October 2023
Interviews will be held in the UAR office the week commencing 6 November 2023.
If you have any questions about the role, please get in touch with Mary Harvie for an informal chat.
