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Salary: £43,116 per annum
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Closing Date: 9th June 2024
Proposed Interview Date: TBC
About the team
AHRC’s Strategy, Impact and Engagement team works closely with colleagues across UKRI to define organisational strategy and provide strategic oversight of activities; to evaluate our work, capturing and sharing evidence of impacts and achievements; and to engage key internal and external stakeholders with arts and humanities research, ensuring that our work as a funder is well-understood, well-informed and well-supported.
We work with colleagues across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to align our strategy and planning; to share intelligence, evidence and successes across the wider organisation; and to contribute fully and effectively to the UKRI vision for an outstanding R&I system in the UK.
Job Purpose
Reporting to the Head of Strategy, Impact and Engagement, the person taking on this role will manage a dynamic, strategically focussed programme of HEI, research sector and community-facing stakeholder engagement that will enable the organisation to build relationships with key actors, support consultation, mutual intelligence sharing and horizon scanning, and raise the profile, reach and impact of arts and humanities research. This active-listening role is designed to enable intelligence and insight gathering from across AHRC’s diverse research communities and the UK’s complex network of research organisations.
The role will be suitable for individuals with extensive experience of stakeholder engagement, deep knowledge and understanding of arts and humanities research sectors (including challenges), and the drive and enthusiasm to grow and strengthen this part of AHRC’s stakeholder engagement function. Strong communication and interpersonal skills alongside the confidence and ability to deliver engaging and persuasive impact materials, to tight deadlines, are essential for this role.
Duties and responsibilities
Stakeholder Engagement – Research Communities
- To lead the delivery of AHRC’s programme of engagement with key stakeholder constituencies in the UK’s HEI sector, supporting our Exec Chair and senior leaders, while also developing strategically valuable independent relationships
- To work closely with AHRC’s Senior Management Team and Head of SIE, to develop a suite of impactful products and messaging to support and improve AHRC’s advocacy
- To work collaboratively with the Senior Stakeholder Engagement Manager: Public and Civic Affairs to build and maintain a joined-up overview of wider engagement across the organisation and support colleagues to share intelligence effectively
- To ensure that insights from relevant engagements and meetings are collated and shared within AHRC, and across UKRI as appropriate
- To work closely with colleagues, including Research England and REF2029 teams, to coordinate and deliver activities that consolidate and grow AHRC’s network
- To regularly review and evaluate our approach to sector engagement to ensure that it is effectively supporting organisational objectives
- To work in partnership with our UKRI Communications colleagues, to develop and update the AHRC messaging suite
Collaborative working values
- To support cohesion and a sense of shared identity in the Strategy, Impact and Engagement team, modelling behaviours and values aligned to AHRC’s priorities
- To build strong supportive working relationships with colleagues at all levels, encouraging a culture of openness and proactive intelligence sharing across the organisation
- To work closely with colleagues within SIE to ensure alignment and coordination between all stakeholder engagement activity and the delivery of organisational strategy
- To represent AHRC on cross-UKRI groups relating to stakeholder engagement, sharing intelligence and advocating for the organisation as appropriate
Shortlisting and Interview criteria
Essential:
- Extensive experience in a stakeholder relations/engagement role, managing stakeholders at all levels across a range of organisations and sectors (S&I)
- Deep knowledge and understanding of the arts and humanities research landscape, including emerging challenges, intersections with government policy priorities and changes on the horizon (S)
- Demonstrable familiarity with UKRI strategic context and AHRC’s place within the UK’s R&I landscape (I)
- Exceptionally strong communication skills with the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate presentations and to explain complex ideas to a range of audiences (S&I)
- Demonstrable experience of developing and implementing integrated engagement campaigns for a range of stakeholders (S&I)
- Excellent planning, organisational and time management skills, including the ability to design, initiate and manage successful projects and to manage competing priorities. Able to work independently and manage own workload, and to co-ordinate the work of others (S&I)
- A commitment to working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels, within and across teams; and an ability to initiate and sustain productive working relationships with external contacts (I)
- An enthusiastic, pro-active and flexible approach, and a willingness to take on new challenges (S&I)
Desirable:
- Experience realising positive and inclusive change, and supporting others to do the same (S&I)
- A proactive approach to managing risk, with experience treating and controlling for impacts (S&I)
- Visual design skills, including producing infographics and knowledge of data visualisation tools (I)
- Willingness to travel (primarily within the UK) for assurance and stakeholder engagement (I)
(S) Shortlisting / (S&I) Shortlisting and Interview
Additional information
Developing talent:
We are committed to developing employees in their roles throughout their career. Learning and development plans enable employees to continue their professional development through training and development opportunities such as e-learning, classroom training and on-the-job experiences. We encourage our employees to share their learning across teams and organisations.
Benefits:
UKRI can offer the successful candidate:
- Flexible Working
- 30 days annual leave + Public Holidays
- Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme
- Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider
