Communications Officer

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 276334**Salary**:

- £25,798 - £27,501- per annum (depending on experience)**Job grade**:

- Other- MRC 5**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- MRC - Communications**Type of role**:

- Administration / Corporate Support
- Communications / Marketing
- Press Relations
- Other**Working pattern**:

- Full-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Harwell Campus, OxfordshireAbout the job

**Job summary**:
The Medical Research Council (MRC), as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has invested £30m over 4 years through the Strategic Priorities Fund to establish a Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA) that will support state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research to solve critical issues in nucleic acid drug development, through focused NATA research challenges and a NATA infrastructure hub.

We are seeking a highly motivated and organised Communications Officer to ensure that the Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA) has strong public relations, enabling people to understand our activities through a variety of media, communication and events.

**Job description**:
As Communications Officer, you will write and edit materials based on scientific content, including projects at NATA for a variety of media, such as web content, flyers and reports, as well as oversee the planning, running and evaluation of our communications and engagement activities for a wide variety of audiences.

You will also be involved in the development and management of our website, to make the communication of our strategy and messages effective and attractive to our target audiences.

You will identify conferences for our scientists, and will be involved in the development and execution of strategies to maximize NATA involvement at conferences.

**Main duties / key responsibilities**:

- Oversee the execution of the NATA communications strategy
- Research, write and distribute information about our scientific discoveries
- Write and edit news articles and content for NATA’s website and contribute to its redesign
- Manage NATA’s social media channels and e-newsletter
- Produce promotional print materials such as flyers and brochures
- Ensure that all communications comply with our brand and editorial guidelines and those of the wider UKRI/MRC
- Work with MRC and UKRI communications and press teams

**Person specification**:
**Essential**:

- Honours degree in life sciences or chemistry
- Demonstrable experience in science communication conveying complex scientific topics to different target audiences
- Experience producing, commissioning, curating, editing and publishing content for websites, social media, e-newsletters, press releases and print
- Experience managing social media channels
- Experience using a content management system (CMS) to create, edit and publish web pages
- Strong writing and editorial skills, with great accuracy and attention to detail
- Strong organisational and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to work effectively as a member of a team

**Desirable**:

- Qualification in science communication or science media production
- Experience in working in a scientific environment
- Experience managing digital newsletters/mailings, including relevant knowledge of, and compliance with privacy and data protection regulations
- Experience of media relations and building effective relationships with journalists
- Experience working with creative agencies/teams e.g. graphic designers, videographers and web developers
- Experience in event planning and management

**Benefits**:

- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Things you need to know

**Selection process details**:
**Benefits**:
Choosing to come to work at the MRC (part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)) means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits, from a defined-benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement, to access to employee shopping/travel discounts and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. In addition, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of a world-class medical research organisation.

**How to Apply**:
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.**Security**:
- See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).- People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.**Nationality requirements**:
This job is broadly open to the following groups:

- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service