Engagement Coordinator

Salary: £29,605 to £30,487 with progression to £32,982 per annum
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 06 March 2024

The Role

Here at NICA (National Innovation Centre for Ageing), we aim to create a world in which we all live better, for longer. If public engagement comes naturally to you and you like the sound of a job that allows you to help people and make a real difference, this could be the job for you!

As Voice® Coordinator, you will support the Voice Programme Manager and wider Voice team with all aspects of Voice day to day operations, in the UK and internationally.   But what is Voice®? Follow this link to find out more - https://uknica.co.uk/voice/

You’ll be based at our The Catalyst, on the Newcastle Helix site in Newcastle Upon Tyne, which has fantastic transport links and state of the art facilities. We are also offering a hybrid and flexible working model.

This is a full time, open ended position.

What you’ll be doing:

The role will be varied in terms of who you will be connecting with, but overall, you will play a vital role in bringing together and connecting the public with researchers and businesses in a range of innovative projects in the healthy longevity domain.

Your role will be to champion public engagement and knowledge exchange by seamlessly connecting our diverse community of Voice members with opportunities to be involved, utilising the Voice digital platform as the key engagement mechanism.

The role entails being the first point of contact for those seeking to engage the Voice community and providing high quality customer service in response to Voice member and other enquiries.

By staying at the forefront of public engagement best practices, you will be instrumental in shaping Voice's service approach and offerings for members experience and wider stakeholders.  You will also provide feedback and guidance to the wider team to help further refine the digital platform infrastructure to design and deliver the best user journey, experience and approach.

To apply for the position, we will need your CV and a covering letter outlining how you are suitable for the role, using examples from the essential criteria section below.

Informal queries can be directed to alex.mitchell2@newcastle.ac.uk 

About NICA

The UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) at Newcastle University has been funded by Government and the University to create a world in which we all live better, for longer. We team with innovation experts, industry, academics and the public, to identify, develop and bring to market data driven innovative business models, services and products enhancing life as we age and developing new economic opportunities for organizations while promoting positive impact on society at scale.

Our mission is to create a world in which we all live better, for longer. We work with innovation and commercialisation experts, industry, academics, research and technology organisations and citizens, to develop solutions that enhance life as we age, promoting a positive impact on society at scale. You will find us at the heart of the Newcastle Helix development, in the award winning Catalyst building. To learn more about us and what we do click here.

Key Accountabilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Voice members and stakeholders wanting to involve the Voice Community, providing advice and guidance relating to their approach
• Respond to Voice member queries with a focus on providing the best possible experience and user journey
• Support day-to-day Voice operations, working with the wider NICA team to identify needs and improvements relating to the ongoing development of the Voice digital platform, including the thorough testing of new features, co-ordinating the advertising of opportunities and ensuring digital platform content is accurate and up to date
• Champion effective public engagement, advising researchers on effective strategies for engaging Voice members in healthy longevity and ageing-related research and innovation – including coordinating the Voice Research Support Group as a key resource for researchers to involve the public
• Develop and deliver training sessions on how to use the Voice digital platform and  work with the Voice Programme Manager and wider Voice team to support the onboarding of new partners and Voice chapters
• Develop your expertise in public engagement by continuously expanding your knowledge of best practices, innovative methodologies, and key organisations
• Engage public, researchers and innovators through informative Voice sessions hosted online and/or at collaborating organisations and participation at events, conferences and webinars
• Produce reports and case studies suitable for external funders and audiences demonstrating strengths and highlighting successes
• Undertake routine administrative tasks appropriate to the grade and undertake other duties as specified commensurate with the effective operation of the organisation overall

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Significant experience of working in a relevant role or demonstrable experience and proven track record working in a comparable setting
• An understanding of public engagement and involvement within the context of research and innovation
• Excellent interpersonal skills to provide guidance, support and build relationships with researchers, and foster meaningful engagement
• Proficiency in using digital tools and platforms, particularly for community engagement and reporting
• Excellent attention to detail, oral and written communication skills, including experience report writing and presenting to external audiences
• Excellent attention to detail, oral and written communication skills, including experience report writing and presenting to external audiences
• presentations and producing engaging content
• A proactive and creative approach to problem-solving and a focus on achieving results
• Organisational skills to enable efficient coordination of Voice day to day operations. Ability to work independently, prioritise tasks, and adapt to changing circumstances

Desirable

• Experience of attracting, recruiting, retaining and inspiring members of the public to an organisation or project
• Knowledge of NICA and VOICE and understanding of external environment in which NICA operates
• Experience of citizen networks
• Experience of marketing and communications
• Experience of facilitating and delivering workshops and training
• A broad understanding of the healthy longevity and healthy ageing domains

Qualifications

Degree in a relevant discipline or significant appropriate work experience

Attributes and Behaviour

Influencing Others and Building Relationships

Builds and retains good working relationships and is service oriented. Persuasive in communication to build trust, commitment and support. Proven ability to network, build and deliver excellent citizen engagement

Communicating

Uses clear, concise and accurate communication for audiences, tailoring the approach accordingly and encouraging a two-way communication process

Delivering Service

Works continually towards achieving success through understanding and meeting or exceeding the expectations of the programme, colleagues and other stakeholders. Is enthusiastic in getting the job done on time and demonstrates high energy and commitment to the delivery of excellent service

Planning and Organising

Works in a planned and structured way, uses own and others’ time effectively. Sets own priorities in conjunction with team and area objectives. Quickly identifies what is important and prioritises accordingly whilst monitoring and controlling workflow of teams

Projecting confidence

Projects a positive attitude through personal confidence and enthusiasm in order to achieve organisational success. Inspires the trust and confidence of others

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26700