Description
Salary: £56,745
Hours: Full Time / Part Time (Minimum of 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon
Closing Date: Sunday 22nd June 2025
Job Overview:
To build understanding of, engagement with, and trust in UK Research and Innovation and its activities and interests, both externally and with all employees, through brand and narrative development, positioning and implementation.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead on UKRI brand strategy and governance across the organisation
- Lead on development of UKRI narrative and messaging for implementation across the organisation
- Support the development of UKRI campaigns, ensuring amplification of UKRI brand, narrative and messaging
- Responsible for the overall image, growth and development of the UKRI brand, ensuring it remains relevant to and recognised by our audiences and maintaining consistency across all communications channels
- Responsible for the development and management of UKRI narrative and additional tools for colleagues, including message house, rolling script and comment bank
- Support the development and implementation of UKRI’s external affairs and communications strategy
- Develop and implement brand strategies, positioning and messaging that align with the organisation’s vision and objectives
- Manage internal and external stakeholder relationships around brand, using evidence and best practice to negotiate, influence and defend decision making in support of building the UKRI brand and sub brands
- Identify target audiences and tailor the brand strategy and messaging to reach the audience effectively
- Support the creation and implementation of campaigns to ensure consistency in messaging and alignment with the brand voice, values and goals
- Work with the Strategic communications lead, audience and insight to undertake audience insight and research to keep up to date with latest trends to inform brand strategy
- Collaborate with other internal teams to ensure brand messaging is consistent and is being communicated effectively across all channels
- Work with Strategic communications lead, evaluation to measure and report on performance of campaigns to assess the effectiveness of overall brand performance and using insights from data to adjust strategies and optimise them for the future
- Oversee brand and visual identity guidelines, ensuring these are up-to-date and accessible
- Lead on development of UKRI narrative, rolling script and messaging to reinforce brand positioning
- Lead on development and management of CEO messaging guide and UKRI comment bank
- Ownership and governance of communications messaging for UKRI, including review of existing messaging
- Work with Head of strategic communications and planning to develop and implement UKRI’s external affairs and communications strategy
- Line manage Strategic communications senior manager
Person Specification:
(S) – Shortlisting Criteria (I) – Interview Criteria (S & I) - Shortlisting Criteria & Interview Criteria
Essential
- Degree or equivalent experience (S)
- Proven ability to write compelling narratives and coherent messaging across complex content and for multiple audiences (S & I)
- Strong experience and proven track record of brand development and management across a complex organisation (S & I)
- Strong experience of utilising multiple and integrated channels and an understanding of multichannel communication approaches in relation to brand (S & I)
- Excellent writing skills (S & I)
- Excellent project management skills (S & I)
- Demonstrated credibility with relevant communities, usually based on experience from government, industry, education or the third sector (I)
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams, councils and communities (S & I)
- Demonstrable emotional intelligence and tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty (I)
- Resilience, multi-tasking and ability to work to deadlines (S & I)
- Ability to absorb, evaluate and communicate complex information appropriate to the audience (I)
- Ability to influence, persuade and negotiate (S & I)
- Strategic thinking (I)
- Flexibility to adapt to change (I)
Application Guidance:
How to evidence the criteria:
You are encouraged to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in the cover letter to evidence your ability to meet the ‘person specification’ criteria in the job description. Cover letters should be no more than two sides of A4 (minimum font size 11). For examples of the STAR method, please visit: The STAR method | National Careers Service’
Qualifications
About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and 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.
