View Vacancy - CPK - Senior Communications Manager (UKRI), C4(L) (Internal Vacancy)

UK Research and Innovation, launching in April 2018, will be the new funding organisation for research and innovation in the UK. It will have a budget of more than £6billion a year and intends to be an outstanding organisation that ensures the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. We aim to help UK researchers and businesses to engage with the brightest minds wherever they are placed in the world. Our China Office has a successful history of building partnerships with Chinese research funders to negotiate joint projects for UK and Chinese collaboration. We provide high quality advice to the UK on how to engage with China and we use our networks to help projects we fund to reach policymakers and businesses while communicating the value of international collaboration in science and innovation.

Over the past ten years the team’s responsibilities have steadily expanded. With the launch of UK Research and Innovation the importance of communications activities in particular requires a higher level of activity, strategic planning and a broader expertise in branding than had previously been required. We therefore seek to re-grade this position to recognise the heightened expectations and delivery required of this role. This position substantively replaces the previous Communications Officer and will be for an initial appointment of 2 years.

The position will be responsible for:

• Leading on development and implementation of the UKRI China communications strategy and coordinating with communications teams across UKRI to achieve our objectives
• Delivering high profile events attached to the launch of UKRI China including a major exhibition of UKRI investments and success stories
• Building the UKRI China brand with stakeholders and the public using a targeted series of activities and a range of channels
• Improving and maintaining our knowledge of work funded by UKRI in China, including development of case studies, liaising with key stakeholders and funded projects and cataloguing impacts
• Working with other team members to implement a programme of activities to network existing investments and promote impact and knowledge exchange with business and policy makers
• Proactively building relationships with media contacts and working to ensure UKRI China increases its rate of coverage in Chinese media
• Designing and creating a suite of core communications materials for UKRI China team members to use;
• Leading on writing content for a range of communications channels including social media;
• Leading on communications evaluation and reporting
• The role will be expected to work as part of the UKRI international communications network and play a role in the development of a single UKRI communications function

• Proven excellent communication skills in both English and Chinese
• 5+ years of previous communications or media work including experience of managing multiple communication channels including web, social, print etc. and delivery of communications for multiple audiences;
• Demonstrated ability to manage stakeholders and facilitate partnerships;
• Experience working in a multicultural environment;
• IT skills, especially MS Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.