Senior Stakeholder Engagement Manager: Public & Civic Affairs

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Salary: £43,116 per annum
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Closing Date: 9th June 2024
Proposed Interview Date: TBC

About the team

AHRC's Strategy, Impact and Engagement team works closely with colleagues across UKRI to define organisational strategy and provide strategic oversight of activities; to evaluate our work, capturing and sharing evidence of impacts and achievements; and to engage key internal and external stakeholders with arts and humanities research, ensuring that our work as a funder is well-understood, well-informed and well-supported.

We work with colleagues across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to align our strategy and planning; to share intelligence, evidence and successes across the wider organisation; and to contribute fully and effectively to the UKRI vision for an outstanding R&I system in the UK.

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Head of Strategy, Impact and Engagement, the person taking on this role will manage a dynamic, strategically focussed programme of government and civic-sector facing stakeholder engagement that will enable the organisation to build relationships with key actors, support consultation, mutual intelligence sharing and horizon scanning, and raise the profile, reach and impact of arts and humanities research among important decision-making constituencies.

The role will be suitable for individuals with extensive experience of stakeholder engagement, deep knowledge and understanding of arts and humanities research sectors (including challenges), and the drive and enthusiasm to grow and strengthen this part of AHRC's stakeholder engagement function. Strong communication and interpersonal skills alongside the confidence and ability to deliver accurate briefing and persuasive impact materials, to tight deadlines, are essential for this role.

Duties and responsibilities

Stakeholder Engagement - Public and Civic Affairs

• To lead the delivery of AHRC's programme of engagement with key stakeholder constituencies, across national, regional and devolved governments, supporting senior leaders and developing strategically valuable independent relationships
• To work closely with AHRC's Senior Management Team and Head of SIE, to develop a suite of briefing materials, impactful products and messaging to support and improve AHRC's advocacy
• To work collaboratively with the Senior Stakeholder Engagement Manager: Research Communities to build and maintain an overview of wider engagement across the organisation and support colleagues to share intelligence effectively
• To ensure that insights from relevant engagements and meetings are collated and shared within AHRC, and across UKRI as appropriate
• To work closely with colleagues and to coordinate and deliver civic-facing activities that consolidate and grow AHRC's network
• To regularly review and evaluate our approach to government and civic engagement to ensure that it is effectively supporting organisational objectives
• To work in partnership with our UKRI Communications colleagues, to develop and update the AHRC messaging suite

Collaborative working values

• To support cohesion and a sense of shared identity in the Strategy, Impact and Engagement team, modelling behaviours and values aligned to AHRC's priorities
• To build strong supportive working relationships with colleagues at all levels, encouraging a culture of openness and proactive intelligence sharing across the organisation
• To work closely with colleagues within SIE to ensure alignment and coordination between all stakeholder engagement activity and the delivery of organisational strategy
• To represent AHRC on cross-UKRI groups relating to stakeholder engagement, sharing intelligence and advocating for the organisation as appropriate

Shortlisting and Interview criteria

Essential:

• Extensive experience in a stakeholder relations/engagement role, managing stakeholders at all levels across a range of organisations and sectors (S&I)
• Deep knowledge and understanding of the arts and humanities research landscape, including emerging challenges, intersections with government policy priorities and changes on the horizon (S)
• Demonstrable familiarity with UKRI strategic context and AHRC's place within the UK's R&I landscape (I)
• Exceptionally strong communication skills with the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate briefings and presentations and to explain complex ideas to a range of audiences (S&I)
• Demonstrable experience of developing and implementing integrated engagement campaigns for a range of stakeholders (S&I)
• Excellent planning, organisational and time management skills, including the ability to design, initiate and manage successful projects and to manage competing priorities. Able to work independently and manage own workload, and to co-ordinate the work of others (S&I)
• A commitment to working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels, within and across teams; and an ability to initiate and sustain productive working relationships with external contacts (I)
• An enthusiastic, pro-active and flexible approach, and a willingness to take on new challenges (S&I)

Desirable:

• Experience realising positive and inclusive change, and supporting others to do the same (S&I)
• A proactive approach to managing risk, with experience treating and controlling for impacts (S&I)
• Visual design skills, including producing infographics and knowledge of data visualisation tools (I)
• Willingness to travel (primarily within the UK) for assurance and stakeholder engagement (I)

(S) Shortlisting / (S&I) Shortlisting and Interview

Additional information

Developing talent:

We are committed to developing employees in their roles throughout their career. Learning and development plans enable employees to continue their professional development through training and development opportunities such as e-learning, classroom training and on-the-job experiences. We encourage our employees to share their learning across teams and organisations.

Benefits:

UKRI can offer the successful candidate:

- Flexible Working

- 30 days annual leave + Public Holidays

- Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme

- Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider

About The Arts and Humanities Research Council

The AHRC supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.

Further details can be found via the following links: https://ahrc.ukri.org/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.