Address
Form of work
SalarySalary:£27-30K
Length of Contract: Permanent, Full time
Start date: August
Location: Remote, with occasional travel to events and face-to-face meetings
Reporting to: In2research Programme Manager
Direct reports: Programme Intern - at variable points in the year
About us:
In2scienceUK’s aim is to promote social mobility and diversity in science, technology, engineering and maths. We do this by leveraging the skills and passion of researchers and STEM professionals to support young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to achieve their potential and progress to careers in STEM.
We are in a pivotal moment of our development. With a new CEO joining in 2021, six new Trustees on our Board and a new five-year strategy launching in 2022, we are set to grow in size and profile. The team is dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic about empowering young people.
Designed in partnership with UCL, In2research is a year-long programme that aims to improve access to postgraduate research degrees and careers for people from low-socioeconomic and underrepresented backgrounds. Through workshops, mentoring, professional development days and an eight-week research placement, participants receive the development opportunities and insight they need to progress onto postgraduate research degrees and careers in STEM, Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities subjects.
What we are looking for:
We are looking for an In2research Programme Officer to help expand our high-quality programme by supporting all stages of the programme including: planning; delivery; recruitment; stakeholder management and evaluation.
With multiple internal and external stakeholders involved in the continual success of In2research, excellent communication and project delivery skills will be key in this role. You will be an organised and motivated self-starter who thrives in the face of change, enjoys creative problem solving, working in a team and can achieve deadlines on a tight timescale.
You will also have an understanding of the barriers facing people from low socio-economic backgrounds in accessing postgraduate research degrees and be passionate about diversity and the importance of representation in academia.
We want to hear from people who can passionately represent the interests of the diverse young people that we serve. We are not asking for particular qualifications. We care about your character, your skills and potential. If you can turn strategic aims into impactful programmes and can see yourself making an impact in our organisation, we want to hear from you.
This role is a career accelerator. At In2scienceUK we are champions of people and we are here to support you to achieve your career goals - however ambitious they may be.
Duties and responsibilities:
The purpose of the Programme Officer role is to support the successful delivery of the In2research Programme.
Your specific duties will include:
Programme Delivery
Manage participants and volunteers from application stage to successful completion of the programme, including recruitment, matching, onboarding, troubleshooting throughout the programme and evaluation.
Maintain excellent working relationships with funders and delivery partners and other external stakeholders to further the delivery of our work. This will include working and communicating with academic and professional services staff at universities, consultants, placement supervisors, mentors and workshop leads
Create and develop engaging communication materials about the programme including programme guides, presentations, posters/flyers, case studies and website text and images.
Work with delivery partners to design and deliver programme’s online and in-person activities, including recruiting and training speakers for: workshops; careers panels; mentoring sessions; placements and large scale away days and celebration events
Track project performance, manage risk assessments and ensure projects are delivered on time and to a high standard
Ensure the highest standard of record keeping, maintaining accurate, complete, and up to date records in accordance with data protection policy
Support the collection and creation of case studies, working closely with the fundraising team to ensure funder requirements are met.
Evaluate programme processes/systems to recommend and implement improvements to support the delivery of a high quality programme experience for participants and volunteers.
As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder. The postholder will carry out any other duties that are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager.
Person specification:
Essential:
Excellent organisational skills, able to multitask and manage a varied workload while paying attention to the tiny details
Experience delivering programmes and/or projects within the education, career development and/or employability sector
An understanding of the social and economic barriers that prevent some people from progressing into postgraduate research and an ability to recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion in postgraduate research
Experience working with one or more of the following groups: young people, people from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, volunteers, universities or STEM professionals/employers.
Experience developing and maintaining strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at various levels.
Experience designing and delivering large-scale events, both online and in-person, such as training sessions, away days and workshops
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong presentation skills and an ability to adapt to a range of audiences.
Flexible and adaptable, with an ability to pick up new tasks quickly, showing resilience when faced with challenges.
Knowledge, understanding or experience of programme or project evaluation.
Desirable:
Experience of working with universities and academic institutions, knowledge and understanding of the postgraduate application process
Experience of student or volunteer recruitment
Knowledge or an understanding of safeguarding practices.
Excellent IT skills including experience of Gmail, Google Workspace (or Word, Excel and Powerpoint)
Experience working with databases.
Benefits:
At In2scienceUK we practise what we preach by giving all staff opportunities to progress in their careers. You will have the opportunity to develop your career with your line manager to get you to the next level from day one.
Although we take our career development seriously we also value work-life balance. You will have the opportunity to work flexibly from home, balancing your caring responsibilities, volunteer commitments, hobbies and anything else that makes you happy.
In2scienceUK is a remote based organisation, that requires occasional travel across the UK for events and staff co-working days.
You will have 28 days of annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays.
Commitment to Safeguarding:
In2scienceUK is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children. We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment.
The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken as applicable:
References
DBS check and/or Overseas criminal records check where applicable
Self-Disclosure
Identity check
Right to work in the UK
Evidence of qualifications applicable to the role
Confirmation of registration with applicable registered body where applicable
Many of our roles involve working with children and we will therefore take up references prior to your appointment. You should provide details of referees including your current and previous employers, covering the last 5 years. Your current or previous employer will be asked about disciplinary offences relating to children, if the role involved working with children, including any in which the penalty is time expired. We will also ask if you have been the subject of any child protection concerns and if so, the outcome of any enquiry or disciplinary procedure.
Application procedure:
Please apply via Charity Job by uploading your CV (2 pages maximum) and a supporting statement (2 pages maximum). Please use your supporting statement to demonstrate and evidence how you meet each one of the competencies outlined in the person specification above.
For more information on the work we do please visit our website. For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Rebecca Jelbert, our In2research Programme Manager by email (you can find the email in the job description attached)
The deadline for applications is 11:30pm on 7 July
Interviews will take place the week commencing 15 July.
