Public Engagement Officer – Maternity Cover – Fixed Term Contract

IOP Publishing Ltd; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading organization in public engagement as a Public Engagement Officer, covering maternity leave for 15 months. Engage diverse audiences with physics, support IOP members, and evaluate impactful projects. This role offers a chance to contribute to exciting public engagement initiatives while enjoying a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Excellent pension scheme (up to 12% contribution)

Private medical insurance

Generous annual leave (25 days)

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience in engaging families and young people with STEM.
• Passion for inclusive public engagement.
• Strong analytical skills for grant assessment.

Responsibilities

• Engaging with diverse audiences around the UK and Ireland.
• Supporting IOP Members and volunteers as relatable physics role models.
• Evaluating public engagement activities to meet strategic goals.

Skills

Engaging families and young people with STEM

Presentation skills for young audiences

Analytical and data handling skills

Proficiency in MS Office

Education

Undergraduate degree in physical sciences

Postgraduate degree in science communication

Job description

Are you passionate about engaging families and young people with physics? The IOP is looking for an energetic, enthusiastic, and creative individual to join the busy Public Engagement team as a maternity leave cover for a period of 15 months (June 2025 - September 2026).

At the start of a new strategy, this is a very exciting time to join the team and a fantastic opportunity to gain experience in a wide range of public engagement projects working with under-represented audiences.

The IOP exists to help physics and the physics community deliver on their potential for our lives, our society, and our planet.

Together with our members and leaders from the world of physics and beyond, we have identified Skills, Science, and Society as our strategic priorities, shaping our work over the next five years in support of our mission.

We are very proud of our new innovative strategy 2024-2029. Please click here to find out more about our priorities and values.

What is it like working at the IOP?

The IOP is a friendly and ambitious organization, framed by our commitment to inclusion and diversity. We have a hybrid policy to make working at the IOP as flexible as possible, with competitive salaries, professional development, and generous benefits.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• An excellent pension scheme - (up to 12% company contribution)
• Private medical insurance, life assurance, dental insurance, health care cash plan (via salary sacrifice), eye care vouchers, annual flu vaccinations, long service awards, employee assistance programme
• Floating bank holidays (choose where to take your bank holidays throughout the year)
• Generous annual leave (25 days starting as a standard)
• Flexible working

The Public Engagement Officer position is a public-facing role, based in the IOP’s London building at 37 Caledonian Road. The role requires on-site presence in London when needed, especially during peak activity periods. We welcome applicants from across the UK, provided this in-person commitment can be met, with the role holder responsible for their commute costs.

The Role

What will I be doing? What is the purpose of this role?

• Ensuring that the IOP meets its strategic ambitions by engaging with diverse audiences around the UK and Ireland, with a focus on communities near the London building in Islington.
• Supporting IOP Members and volunteers to be relatable physics role models for young people.
• Evaluating the IOP’s public engagement activities to ensure they reach priority audiences, are of high quality, and achieve strategic goals related to Science, Skills, and Society.

Projects you will work on include:

• Supporting the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of our annual public engagement programme, especially exhibitions and events around the London building.
• Managing the IOP’s Public Engagement Scheme, including processing grants, reporting, and supporting the review panel, with data analysis.
• Engaging with primary schools in Islington and delivering events for young people, teachers, and families.
• Providing logistical support to the Public Engagement team and colleagues, including resource development for public activities.

Who will I work with?

• Public Engagement Managers (Line Managed by Toby Shannon-Smith)
• Head of Public Engagement & Dialogue, Louise Swan
• IOP Membership team
• IOP EDI team
• IOP Workplace team

Person specification:

Essential Criteria

• An undergraduate degree in physical sciences or equivalent knowledge and confidence in physics.
• Experience in engaging families and young people with STEM, with skills to tailor messages to different audiences.
• A passion for inclusive public engagement and working with underrepresented audiences in physics.
• Excellent presentation skills for young audiences.
• Strong analytical and data handling skills for grant assessment and project evaluation.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Knowledge of inclusive best practices in grant giving.

Desirable Criteria

• Postgraduate degree in science communication.
• Experience managing grants and assessment panels.
• Confidence using CRM systems.
• Experience training volunteers in youth engagement.
• Knowledge of marketing channels for public engagement.
• Creativity in developing innovative engagement methods.

How will I be working?

The role is based at the IOP’s building at 37 Caledonian Road, near King’s Cross, London. Regular attendance is required, especially during peak summer months (June-September). The role offers flexibility in work arrangements outside these periods.

Why should I want to work for the IOP?

The Institute of Physics (IOP) is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland. We aim to raise public awareness of physics and support a diverse, inclusive physics community. As a charity, we focus on physics’ potential to benefit society.

There’s never been a more exciting time to join the IOP. Watch our film to learn more about our work.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter explaining how you meet the person specification, with examples from your experience and voluntary roles.

Click the link below to apply. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Institute of Physics is an open and inclusive organization that welcomes and celebrates diversity.