Salary: £45,272 per annum
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months)
Location: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell, Oxfordshire, with some opportunity for hybrid working

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy and associated guidance for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your line manager and the designated HR team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, based at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, is a world-leading research centre that generates beams of neutrons and muons to study the atomic-level properties of materials, from soap films to superconductors, engineering to earth science, advanced battery components to biomolecules. The collaboration with our scientific user community results in approximately 600 scientific papers published annually based on ISIS research.

To further its impact, ISIS actively engages with key partners from academia, industry and government to highlight the wide-ranging impacts of neutron and muon science. Additionally, the facility supports a well-established student programme, encouraging the next generation of researchers.

About the Role:

Are you a scientist wanting to move into science communication?
Or maybe you have experience in communications and wish to gain further skills at a world-class research facility?

Then this is the role for you! It’s an opportunity to use your communication skills to translate science stories into accessible communications that engage different audiences - all while building relationships with our staff and research community.

Maintaining a strong multi-disciplinary neutron and muon user community is vital to the success of ISIS. As part of the ISIS Communications and Impact team you will work with staff scientists and facility users to identify, source and write science highlights, case studies and news for the web. You will share these on ISIS’s social media channels, through the development of print publications, and by contributing to STFC- and UKRI-wide publications. You will also help to manage ISIS’s external website, www.isis.stfc.ac.uk, and support an ongoing project to redevelop the site by curating content and populating webpages.

The future of the neutron and muon communities depends on students, both visiting and working at the facility. You will oversee our active student engagement programme, coordinating visits, raising the profile of our student schemes and supporting a range of training opportunities in collaboration with colleagues across the Harwell Campus.

There may also be opportunities within the role to take on the project management of student events, ensuring these are well planned, managed and delivered in a consistent fashion.

List of Duties / Work Programme / Responsibilities

• Editorial control of the ISIS website and social media channels, publishing content that is current, accurate and appropriate for the target audience.
• Supporting the redevelopment of the ISIS website by developing and transferring content to a new Content Management System.
• Writing science highlights, people case studies and news pieces, and adapting these for various digital and print formats.
• Overseeing our undergraduate and postgraduate student programmes, including visits and liaising with other onsite partners to ensure a coordinated approach to training.
• Support other ISIS communications activities as required.

Contacts and Communication

Reporting to the Acting Communications and Impact Group Leader, this post will engage extensively with scientists and engineers within and outside ISIS, and with the STFC and UKRI corporate communications teams.

Personal Skills and Attributes

Excellent communications skills, demonstrated in a scientific environment, are key. You’ll have some experience of writing for the web, event organisation and social media in a professional context.

You will be able to demonstrate excellent writing, editing and proof-reading skills and be highly organised, enthusiastic and capable of taking projects from initial idea to finished product. You will be able to work independently and as part of a team and be comfortable with working on a diverse range of activities with competing time frames, managing your own time and delegating where necessary.

Some UK travel may be required

Person Specification

The criteria below will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I). Please address how you meet each of the following criteria in your covering letter:

• Educated to degree level in a scientific subject area and/or a qualification in science communication (S)
• Experience in using website content management systems, creating content for social media and writing for online audiences (S&I)
• Excellent writing and presentation skills and a high attention to detail (S&I)
• Excellent time management skills, highly organised and proactive to balance complex workloads (I)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team (I)
• Ability to build relationships quickly and confidently in all levels of the organisation (I)

Employee Benefits:
We are offering a whole host of benefits including:

30 days holiday FTE (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days)

• Flexible working hours
• An excellent defined average salary pension scheme
• Employee shopping/travel discounts
• Excellent learning and development opportunities

About The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

As one of Europe’s largest research organisations, we ask the biggest questions in the universe to find answers that change the world around us. We seek understanding. We’re proud of the impact we make. And we’re committed to helping build a globally competitive, knowledge-based UK economy. Being part of all this means contributing to work that pushes boundaries and creates possibilities. You’ll work with, and learn from, true experts. Whatever your role, you’ll be free to question, and encouraged to share ideas. And, in a positive and supportive culture, you’ll discover just what a difference you can make when you’re equipped and inspired to excel.

We’re a place where curious minds thrive. Not bound by profit, we explore ideas that others don’t, ask questions that others won’t, and discover answers that others are not equipped to find. And, alongside Mars landings and black holes, we also explore diverse, international projects in everything from science and engineering to computing and technology. Whether it’s at the cutting edge or behind the scenes, our work is intellectually challenging. It’s very often ground-breaking. And it’s endlessly, irresistibly fascinating.

For more information about STFC please visit https://stfc.ukri.org/

You can also visit our careers site https://www.stfccareers.co.uk/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

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.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

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. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

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. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. 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.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

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.