Specialist Policy Officer - Sustainability and Resilience

University of Southampton; Southampton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research university in the UK seeks a candidate to provide specialized policy engagement support to their interdisciplinary Sustainability and Resilience Institute. This role involves enhancing the impact of research themes such as decarbonisation and climate change, requiring strong communication and relationship-building skills with policymakers. The position is full-time with generous benefits, including 30 days of holiday.

Benefits

30 days of holiday

Pension auto-enrolment

Flexible working/job share options

Qualifications

• Experience in a research, academic, or policy environment.
• Ability to support colleagues across various disciplines.
• Strong communication skills with policymakers.

Responsibilities

• Provide policy engagement support to researchers.
• Identify and engage with relevant policymakers.
• Collaborate with colleagues across faculties.

Skills

Experience delivering policy engagement activities

Strong communication skills

Relationship-building skills

Job description

Overview

This role is an opportunity to join a diverse, creative and agile team at the heart of a research intensive, Russell Group university. Our mission is to enhance the local, sub-national, national and international public policy impact of research conducted at the University of Southampton. In practice this means building connections and capacity for academics and policymakers to engage in mutually beneficial dialogue to address the challenges our communities face. Our work spans across all faculties and disciplines at the University of Southampton and includes engaging with policy actors ranging from local councillors through to the United Nations.

This role has been designed to meet increased demand for policy engagement support from our globally renowned researchers in the interdisciplinary Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI). The successful candidate will be capable of moving between a broad range of subject areas to support colleagues across a diverse range of disciplines.

SRI’s vision is a sustainable and resilient world where synergies and trade-offs are well-managed between social, economic, environmental, and cultural needs across society. We are a focal point for collaboration through mobilising University of Southampton (UoS) expertise and partners to provide impactful answers to society’s sustainability and resilience challenges.

Role purpose and activities

This role will contribute to the successful delivery of this vision by delivering specialised policy engagement support to researchers within the interdisciplinary Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI). The role will enable the Institute to identify and engage with relevant policy makers in the UK and overseas to enhance the impact of its strategic research themes which cover decarbonisation, climate change, health and wellbeing, and nature based solutions, across regional, national and international scales.

Responsibilities

• Provide policy engagement support to researchers within the Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI).
• Assist in identifying and engaging with relevant policymakers in the UK and overseas to enhance impact of research themes (decarbonisation, climate change, health and wellbeing, nature-based solutions) across regional, national and international scales.
• Collaborate with colleagues across faculties to support interdisciplinary work and broaden the policy impact of research.

Qualifications and experience

• Experience delivering policy engagement activities or equivalent in a research, academic, or policy environment.
• Ability to move between a broad range of subject areas and support colleagues across disciplines.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with policymakers and researchers.

Benefits and inclusion

We strongly encourage applicants from groups traditionally under-represented in the UK higher education sector. Flexible working/job share options are available to accommodate caring/ volunteering/ educational commitments. The role is offered as full time (35 hours per week) on a fixed term basis with pension auto-enrolment to the Universities Superannuation Scheme and generous holiday allocation of 30 days (pro rata) plus 14 University closure/public holidays. The initial appointment is for 2 years with the possibility of extension if funding is agreed.

Contact and additional information

If you would like to know more, please contact the Sustainability & Resilience Institute Collaboration Manager, Jon Lawn, via [e-mail]. For questions about the public policy impact agenda, the PPS team or the role, contact Gareth Giles, Head of PPS, via [e-mail] to arrange a time to speak.

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