Stakeholder and Communications Specialist

Salary - £46,507 - £49,353
Hybrid working (50/50) 
Permanent
Option to work from any of the following sites: Wallingford, Bangor, Edinburgh, Lancaster
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we find the right candidate, so we encourage you to apply early. 

Are you a confident and highly organised professional with a talent for connecting people and ideas?

We are recruiting for a newly created role – Stakeholder & Communications Specialist – to join our Communications and Engagement team, supporting the £38m Floods and Drought Research Infrastructure (FDRI) programme. This ambitious, NERC-funded initiative is delivered in collaboration with leading institutions, including the University of Bristol, Imperial College London, and the British Geological Survey.

Working within this small but established and growing team, your role will act as a vital lynchpin between partners and stakeholders, working closely with our Communications and Engagement Executive to shape and manage stakeholder engagement across a complex, multi-partner initiative. You'll be joining a highly collaborative and supportive team, where you'll take the lead in mapping stakeholder interactions, establishing effective ways of working, and developing innovative approaches to engage diverse audiences – ensuring seamless collaboration across this complex consortium. For the first two years, your focus will be on the FDRI project, after which the role will transition to supporting broader UKCEH initiatives.

This is a rare opportunity to deepen your expertise on a large-scale project within a leading scientific research environment. You'll act as a central point of contact, building lasting relationships with high-profile partners and ensuring communication remains clear and effective throughout the consortium.

Your main responsibilities will include:  

• Create, deliver and evaluate stakeholder engagement plans ensuring these plans support the delivery of programme objectives.   

• Work with teams across the project to map stakeholders and coordinate stakeholder engagement in a way that is both pragmatic and effective.   

• Create content to engage diverse audiences, including researchers, government departments, public bodies and business sectors, and share this via a range of channels.   

• Identify suitable events at which to engage stakeholders with major science programmes, and work with the events coordinator and science teams to plan our presence at these events.   

• Work with internal communications to ensure that UKCEH staff are appropriately informed about and engaged with FDRI.   

• Work with the Senior Communications and Engagement Manager to report on communications and engagement to programme funders and evaluate activities, ensuring they support both programme and organisational objectives.  

• Work with UKCEH's Central Comms team to help raise the profile of FDRI.  

For this role, it’s essential that you are a confident and diplomatic communicator, capable of managing multiple stakeholders with diverse priorities and working styles. You'll be building strong relationships across a wide network of partners, from busy academics to technical experts, across organisations in England, Scotland, and Wales. With a natural ability to extract key information and establish effective ways of working, you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless collaboration and the smooth coordination of this complex, multi-partner project.

For the role of Stakeholder & Communications Specialist, we’re looking for somebody who has: 

• A relevant degree, professional qualification in communications, or demonstrable equivalent practical experience
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and delivering integrated communications strategies
• A strong understanding of the latest communications approaches, technologies, and best practices, with the ability to apply them effectively
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for different audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with a proactive, creative, and collaborative approach to problem-solving

Additionally, the following experience would be highly desirable:

• Familiarity with tracking engagement data, generating insights, or using CRM tools
• Public sector experience or a background in research environments
• Experience in planning and managing events

You’ll be joining a leading independent, not-for-profit research institute that’s committed to recruiting talented people like you, progressing your career and giving you the support you need to thrive at UKCEH. 

Our science makes a real difference, enabling people and the environment to prosper, and enriching society. We are the custodians of a wealth of environmental data, collected by UKCEH and its predecessors over the course of more than 60 years. 

Working for UKCEH is rewarding 

We appreciate the continuous dedication and contributions of our staff, which is why we provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes financial incentives and wellbeing-oriented perks, such as: 

• 27 days annual leave (rising to 29 days after 5 years’ service) plus 3 days for Christmas closure    

• 10% employer pension contribution   

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (role dependant)  

• Peer reward and recognition scheme  

• Dental insurance, gym/fitness discounts, retail discount portal 

• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave   

• 24-hour, 365-day support with physical, mental, social, health or financial issues and much more...  

Apply today! 

If this opportunity resonates with you and aligns with your personal career goals, the team would love to receive your application. Please apply by submitting your CV along with a covering letter that highlights any qualifications, skills or experience you believe are relevant to this role.  

At UKCEH, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone—regardless of background, identity, ability, or circumstance—has the opportunity to thrive. As a Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from neurodivergent candidates and those with disabilities. We are happy to provide any adjustments or support you may need throughout the application process—please don’t hesitate to reach out. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we’d love to hear from you anyway. You may be just the right fit for this role or another within our wider team. 

  

Please note:

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. However, this position may qualify for endorsement to support a Global Talent Visa application. Additionally, if you are considering pursuing self-sponsorship, please indicate this in your application so we can take it into account during the recruitment process.