About us
UCL's portfolio of the Vice-President External Engagement (VPEE) coordinates engagement with a myriad external and internal audiences. The portfolio ensures that UCL’s public prominence, reputation and influence reflects the university’s excellence in knowledge creation, education, and innovation, while promoting the public value of UCL’s research and partnerships to the future of Britain and globally.
UCL's communications team enables our internal community of staff and students to feel informed, connected and purposeful in order to drive UCL’s organisational purpose. Our team works in partnership and co-creation with our audiences and with many of the other Offices across the university to deliver this vision.
This role sits within the communications team and will act as a key interface between UCL’s central communications function and the rest of the university, particularly the work of Office of the Vice-President Operations and the functions within it, and UCL East – the university’s largest campus expansion in 200 years.
About the role
Reporting to the Head of Communications, the Deputy Head will help lead a skilled team of communications staff to engage and communicate with UCL’s audiences effectively, with a particular focus on engaging the internal audiences of academics, professional staff, leaders and students. You will deputise for the Head of Communications, and Director of Communications as appropriate and build trusted relationships as a senior point of contact for senior leadership, acting as counsel on impactful communications.
Your responsibilities will include the following (but are not limited to):
- Provide management, support and direction to the team of skilled communications staff, fostering a positive, pro-active and supportive culture
- Ensure a high profile for UCL’s successes including working with the team to deliver news stories, engagement campaigns and case-studies and coordinate the effective dissemination of key communications messages to target audiences
- Proactively contribute to the writing and editing of internal and external communications. This includes copy for web, emails and other digital and print materials, with consideration of style, tone and content
- Use a strategic approach to planning including developing an annual content calendar and triaging priorities from different areas to align with the main narrative about UCL’s work.
Please note, this is a fixed-term contract role, available until October 2026 on a hybrid-working basis with a minimum of 2-days per week in our London Kings Cross/St Pancras office.
Job Ref: B23-00146
Closing Date: 06-08-2025 – 23:59 (UK time)
About you
As a Communications expert, you have a background in internal and corporate communications, with hands-on experience engaging stakeholders in complex environments. You've successfully led teams, guiding colleagues to deliver real impact aligned with strategic goals. Writing, editing and proofreading are second nature to you, and you know how to tailor communications for different audiences with clarity and purpose.
Your judgement is sound, shaped by a solid understanding of how institutions like UCL operate and what drives their strategic direction. You're known for your interpersonal skills—diplomatic, discreet, and confident engaging with people at all levels, both internally and externally.
You bring creativity, initiative and enthusiasm to everything you do, and your time management is exceptional. Whether juggling multiple projects or working to tight deadlines, you stay organised, efficient and focused on delivery.
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-Site nursery
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.
These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/
