PSDI Communications and Engagement Officer (3892-24)

Start Date:

4^th November 2024 (to be confirmed)

End Date:

4^th February 2025

Location:

Highfield Campus

Hours:

35 Hours per week

Job Purpose:

Responsible for the development and implementation of a communications, marketing, and engagement strategy for the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI)

Responsible for building relationships with internal (University of Southampton, STFC, and PSDI Partners) and external PSDI Stakeholders and the broader physical sciences research community

Develop and facilitate public engagement activities through communications and events with stakeholders and the physical sciences community.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

Communications and Engagement

• Develop and facilitate an integrated Public Engagement/Relations and external communications and marketing plan for the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI).
• Deliver the agreed strategy via a mixture of facilitation and implementation using the most appropriate engagement channels, with consideration to social media trends, best practice and budgeting constraints.

Website and Media

• Develop and support the PSDI websites (and future services) including planning, creating, designing, and agreeing content, and updating as required. Disseminate updates, news blogs, newsletters, and milestones via suitable social media channels (e.g., LinkedIn, X). Develop a consistent PSDI brand and lead in the updating of PSDI web and digital content, ensuring consistent branding and messaging for all PSDI related material.

Identify media opportunities within PSDI: provide copy and other content as required in collaboration with copywriters and key stakeholders and at points liaise with both the University of Southampton and STFC Media Relations Offices to devise appropriate media coverage via these institutions, with the intention of strengthening PSDI brand presence and community awareness.

Events

• Develop, organise and support PSDI fully branded and co-branded events with support from the PSDI administration and management team member. This includes planning, stakeholder liaison, venue selection and facilitating all associated communications, and engagement material.
• Organise physical, hybrid and virtual events, for a range of different audiences, ranging from large scale conferences (including industrial and academic members), workshops, seminars, training, outreach endeavours, and joint venture events requiring close liaison and negotiation regarding sponsorship, branding and communications.

Support key community events, such as town hall meetings, training workshops, summer schools and other PSDI centric meetings and forums.

Relationship Management

• Cultivate effective working relationships with PSDI internal stakeholders from University of Southampton, STFC and PSDI Project Partners.
• Cultivate effective working relationships with PSDI external stakeholders, research councils (especially EPSRC) and relevant working groups to ensure positive representation of PSDI programmes in line with prescribed strategy.

Provide professional advice and support, sharing best practice with key internal and external stakeholders to maximise effectiveness of all activities and establish credibility as a professional expert.

Planning and Monitoring

• Establish effective performance monitoring systems for review of all activity against agreed objectives, informing stakeholders via relevant communication channels and using performance data to inform future planning.

Manage the PSDI’s external relations budget and conscientiously plan for best value and impact of all budgets under which products and services are procured. Manage stakeholder project contribution expenses against budget to ensure best return on their investment. Ensure that the procurement of goods and services meets University regulations.

Other

Undertake any additional responsibilities as required by the PSDI Coordinator or Principal Investigators.

Essential Skills:

• Demonstrable experience of developing integrated communication and engagement plans.
• Experience of developing and delivering a successful communication strategy
• Experience of leading communications and engagement campaign
• Experience of developing and working with brand guidelines.
• Experience of identifying media opportunities, managing external communications and building appropriate relationships to facilitate good publicity.
• Experience in dealing with all aspects of digital media – including the creation and maintenance of websites, and management of social media accounts.
• Experience of planning and delivering a successful communications and engagement strategy from planning to delivery
• Ability to successfully plan, organise and deliver internal and external events as requested (whether physical, hybrid or virtual)
• Able to complete objectives within agreed performance standards, budgets and timescales.
• Ability to monitor budgets, manage and report on ROI to management team.
• Strong project management skills and coordination of a number of stakeholders and concurrent projects in sometimes complex relationships and to multiple deadlines.
• Ability to analyse and understand often complex and long-standing challenges, applying professional knowledge to problem solve and propose actions for self and stakeholders with an awareness of implications creative and dynamic academic and industrial environments.
• Must be self-sufficient, capable of determining appropriate individual or team workflows.
• Capable and driven to initiate new projects that support larger PSDI strategic objectives.
• Able to analyse data, for example market research and identifying and analysing similar initiatives, and provide clear recommendations for action, identifying resource implications and impact of such proposals.
• Must be able to self-manage, capable of setting objectives, monitoring own and project performance, reviewing outcomes, actively seeking information from internal or external sources as required and reporting results against budget.
• Must be a team player able to work proactively with both internal and external stakeholders and where necessary take the lead in designated projects.
• Ability to delegate work effectively to suitable stakeholders and team members as required to progress operations.
• Ability to document and share knowledge and information that is relevant and timely in order to progress projects and contribute to a positive and progressive team culture.
• Be flexible and adaptable in approach to work routines and open to working with different teams/individuals as the business demands.
• Highly developed presentation and interpersonal skills with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels
• Highly developed oral and written communication skills with ability to present complex issues in a focused, succinct, professional and persuasive manner.
• Ability to provide clear specialist guidance to all levels of stakeholder and team members
• Resilience in dealing with a variety of groups of stakeholders and community members with different needs in a dynamic environment.
• Highly IT literate, including competent use of Microsoft Office, Word, Excel.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Flexibility to work unusual hours where required.
• There may be the need for occasional travel to stay away for short periods from Southampton.

Desirable Skills:

• Demonstrable Project Management experience in a large organisation.
• Video editing skills
• Digital asset editing and creation
• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills
• Knowledge of computerised finance systems.

Closing Date: 31 Oct 2024

Section: UniWorkforce Casual Opportunities

Salary: £19.66 per hour