Nottingham Civic Exchange Policy Engagement Fellow – UPEN Programmes

Nottingham Trent University; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 38,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible working patterns

28–30 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Professional development opportunities

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Job summary

Nottingham Trent University is seeking a Policy Engagement Fellow to drive NTU’s UPEN Programme work, connecting place-based policy engagement with academic expertise.

You will collaborate with UPEN Programmes Place Team, develop case studies, monitor policy developments, and build partnerships with civic organisations and policy actors.

This fixed-term, part-time role offers flexible working and a commitment to impact through knowledge brokerage and funding proposals.

Qualifications

• Experience in policy analysis, civic engagement, or knowledge brokerage.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex ideas for diverse audiences.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with external stakeholders.
• Understanding of research impact and evaluation methods.
• Proactive approach to developing projects and securing funding.
• Desire to develop and test connections between research and policy needs.
• Interest in understanding and recording what works.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver place-based case study for UPEN Programmes.
• Monitor and analyse policy developments relevant to place-based engagement.
• Act as a knowledge broker, connecting NTU expertise with policy and civic partners.
• Support research, evaluation, and the creation of outputs for non-academic audiences.
• Develop and sustain partnerships with policy actors and civic organisations.
• Contribute to funding proposals and strategic income generation.
• Evaluate and report on the impact of engagement activities.

Skills

Policy analysis

Civic engagement

Knowledge brokerage

Strong communication

Partnership development

Research impact

Funding acquisition

Job description

Job reference: 552072

Location: City Campus

Employment type: Fixed Term Contract

Team: Academic Admin - School SOC

Closing date: 09/10/2026

School / Directorate: School of Social Sciences

Salary / Grade: Grade G (£33,739 - £38,825 p.a. pro rata)

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Policy Engagement Fellow - UPEN Programmes

Grade G (£33,045 - £38,026 p.a. pro rata)

Part time 18.5 hours /Fixed term - 2 years

About The Role

As Policy Engagement Fellow, you will play a key role in developing and delivering NTU’s work on place-based academic policy engagement. This role will work across NTU's Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) work, connecting with the wider Place team in Birmingham, Leeds and Teesside, alongside our local partnerships City as Lab at the University of Nottingham and with key local policy stakeholders in the region and beyond. Working closely with NCE and the UPEN Programmes Place Team, you will:

• Successfully develop and deliver our place-based case study for UPEN Programmes


• Monitor and analyse policy developments relevant to place-based engagement.


• Act as a knowledge broker, connecting NTU expertise with policy and civic partners.


• Support research, evaluation, and the creation of outputs for non-academic audiences.


• Develop and sustain partnerships with policy actors and civic organisations.


• Contribute to funding proposals and strategic income generation.


• Evaluate and report on the impact of engagement activities.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the interface of academia, policy, and civic life- helping NTU maximise its influence and impact whilst testing innovative approaches to knowledge brokerage. This role will shape our understanding of place-based academic policy engagement and help us test and share new and existing approaches we use locally in Nottingham, across EMCCA and further afield through the UPEN network.

Join NTU and help shape policy engagement that makes a real difference to places and communities.

At Nottingham Trent University, we’re proud to be a university that transforms lives and shapes futures. Through Nottingham Civic Exchange (NCE), we connect academic expertise with civic and policy partners to tackle real-world challenges. We are now seeking a Policy Engagement Fellow to support NTU’s contribution to the University Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) Programmes project, within our Place-based Case Study.

About You

We’re seeking someone with a passion for policy engagement and knowledge exchange. You will have:

• Experience in policy analysis, civic engagement, or knowledge brokerage.


• Have a keen interest in understanding and recording what works.


• A desire to develop and test the connections between research expertise and policy needs.


• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas for diverse audiences.


• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with external stakeholders.


• An understanding of research impact and evaluation methods.


• A proactive approach to developing projects and securing funding.

For more details, please take a look at the role profile. We'll still consider applications even if you don't meet every single one of the requirements, so don't be put off if you don't match them perfectly. To ensure the diverse needs of our team are met, we actively encourage secondments and offer flexible part-time working patterns - we’re focused on finding the right person for the role.

Interviews; w/c 2nd November

About UPEN And NCE

UPEN is a national network of UK universities working together to improve the way academic research informs public policy. Through collaborative programmes, UPEN strengthens connections between universities and policymakers, ensuring evidence-based decision-making that benefits society.

UPEN Programmes aims to improve the systems and structures that enable academic-policy engagement across the UK. It is funded by Research England from 2025-2028. We are building a coordinated interface to connect the academic and public policy communities. Our goal is to provide dedicated and proactive knowledge mobilisation resource to respond to policy need and build collaboration in academic-policy activities to strengthen coordination across the UK at all levels of policy making.

Nottingham Civic Exchange (NCE)

Helping to tackle complex challenges together

Nottingham Trent University's policy engagement unit.

We connect academic expertise with societal challenges, working with organisations across the public, private, and third sectors to understand and tackle complex, interconnected issues facing society today. Our goal is to bridge the gap between research and policy: to bring theory into applied practice, through innovative projects that deliver impactful solutions.

This role sits at the heart of these efforts, helping NTU amplify its voice in policy debates and deliver impact through place-based engagement.

NCE is situated within the School of Social Sciences but operates across the entire university.

For any informal queries about the role, please contact Rich Pickford (Head of Nottingham Civic Exchange) at [e-mail].

Join Us

• Hybrid working - We support flexible ways of working through a combination of campus-based and home working where applicable. For full-time roles, this includes a minimum of 60% on-campus commitment. We trust colleagues to work with their teams to shape working patterns that enable them to deliver the best possible outcomes for their stakeholders.


• Flexibility - We welcome and support a range of working patterns and approaches, helping colleagues balance their work and personal commitments while meeting the needs of the role.


• 28 - 30 days annual leave, plus statutory bank holidays and 5 university closure days pro rata.


• Salary Sacrifice Retirement Savings Plan with life assurance and income protection. Available to colleagues who choose to opt out of the contractual pension scheme. Minimum colleague contributions of 0% matched with minimum NTU contributions of 8%.


• Range of health and wellbeing services, including a Health Cash Plan, voluntary benefits, discounts, and savings for all colleagues.


• Access to a wealth of formal and informal professional development opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career.


• We are committed to advancing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion across all areas of our work. We actively promote a culture of respect and belonging and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.


• And a whole lot more...Find out more about the range of benefits we offer.

Safe & Inclusive

At NTU, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our students and colleagues. By championing positive wellbeing, we promote an environment where all can thrive and reach their full potential. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring and we encourage people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds to apply to join our team.

Please note that, unfortunately, this role has been assessed as ineligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration points‑based immigration system; however, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. For more information, visit the Government Skilled Worker visa support page. However, applications are welcome from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK, but who would be eligible to obtain a valid visa via another route. Please consult the Home Office website for further information.

Please note that this role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) and successful applicants will be asked to declare any unspent criminal convictions.

Take a look around the company https://www.ntu.ac.uk/