Job Description

Job Scope:

The postholder will be expected to:

To deliver aspects of the Royal Society's career development and engagement programme for award holders based in the UK.

To support the extension of SUSTAIN, a year-long leadership programme for women researchers and contribute to the development of new engagement activities in collaboration with partner organisations.

Working within specific timescales, budget and the required quality whilst maximising their success and supporting the needs of award holders.

Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Reports to: Senior Engagement Manager
Line manages: N/A
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Location: Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG plus hybrid remote working
Pay Band: C
Salary: 37,105
Contract type: permanant

Application closing date is 7 January 2026.

Interviews will be held on 14 January 2026.

Responsibilities:
To work closely with the Senior Engagement Manager and other relevant colleagues to support the development and delivery of key activities for the delivery of the SUSTAIN programme. These include: to manage the selection process, support the mentoring activities and the implementation of a new 'leadership shadowing scheme' and assist with the organisation of workshops and networking events. To manage the delivery of training activities for current award holders with support from the Engagement Officers, including liaising with Procurement, Conferencing and other internal teams as well as external suppliers To assist the Senior Engagement Manager in strengthening engagement with the Society's research community and supporting the development of an alumni engagement programme. To assist with the setting of plans, objectives and time scales and provide recommendations to the Senior Engagement Manager when these need to be updated/changed, including maintenance of the annual engagement plan/calendar. To contribute to identify and develop effective strategies of engagement with early and mid-career researchers in STEM academia and manage relationships with internal and external service providers (incl. training providers, event venues, design services, digital marketing) and a variety of Society contacts, including Fellows of the Society and active award holders, involved in the delivery of career development and engagement activities. To develop and maintain strong relationships with award holders to understand their needs, feeding back information to Senior Engagement Manager and other relevant colleagues to ensure appropriate support and development is offered to the researchers. To utilise appropriate evaluation methods for events and activities, ensuring accurate data is available and producing clear reports for key stakeholders to inform future developments and iterative changes To support the administration of selection processes, including commissioning and procurement activities and call for proposals for specific training, events or activities. To represent the programme and organisation at meetings, interest groups, and events, including giving presentations and providing briefings. To support activities within the Grants team aimed at increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion including encouraging participation from underrepresented groups and supporting the development and maintenance of policies and practices to foster greater inclusivity and to ensure that those who have followed a non-standard career path are encouraged to apply. To share experience and ideas with others in the Section and the Society and contribute broadly to the Royal Society's mission and priorities. To role model desired behaviours in line with the Grants Team Charter.

Key Knowledge and Skills Required:

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE

Educated to degree standard or equivalent.

Essential

A good understanding of academic and/or research activities in science and research funding.

Essential

Science degree

Desirable

SKILLS

Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills across a range of audiences

Essential

Excellent planning and organisational skills

Essential

Good IT and presentation skills

Essential

Good stakeholder management,

Essential

Strong attention to detail

Essential

Good analytical and problem-solving skills

Essential

EXPERIENCE

Proven experience in a similar role

Desirable

Demonstrable experience in developing and managing mentoring or training programmes and career development activities

Desirable

Experience of working across teams and departments

Essential

Experience of managing meetings with internal and external participants

Essential

Experience of establishing and maintaining a network of contacts

Essential

CIRCUMSTANCES

Able to be flexible about working hours and travel across the UK

Essential


Competencies:

Self-management

Works unsupervised and can motivate self Produces results under pressure Can manage in stressful situations Pushes for the best results Can be innovative and offer solutions and suggestions when not initially obvious Keen to be involved in organisational and corporate working groups informally or formally Can represent section on some duties Works within the Royal Society Values at all times

Working with others

Contributes ideas and identifies opportunities to work with others both within the team and across the organisation Willing to provide and accept feedback to and from sectional colleagues when requested Produces succinct presentations and papers for senior colleagues, is a capable presenter and can explain topics and projects to a range of audiences Understands when to seek senior advice on a wide range of matters and act upon it.

Resource management

Makes the best of internal/external resources and coordinates well with external partners to best meet the needs of the Society Builds contingency into projects taking into account possible outside factors Sets and monitors performance against quality and results orientated targets. Focuses on both short and long-term goals

Critical thinking

Determines and clarifies the exact requirements of any situation Checks information for accuracy and raises concerns if information is inaccurate Extracts the key points succinctly, clearly and accurately Puts forward suggestions for improvement concerning current processes or systems Tries different ways of doing things to get the best results

Adaptability

Overcomes obstacles and is not deterred by setbacks; checks assumptions and first principles and works out alternative approaches Reacts proactively to new challenges and works in a flexible manner to produce solutions Provides feedback and participates in discussions surrounding new ideas approaches or projects

Managing people and relationships

Can delegates effectively if needed setting clear expectations and authority May line manage or supervise others Monitors results and feedback to own team on a regular basis constructively Recognises others' contributions and acknowledges their strengths and limitations Helps others to identify ways to improve their performance and encourages learning from others in the team Prioritises supervisory responsibilities and carries them out in line with organisational policies * Understands and can identify client/stakeholder/staff needs and looks for opportunities to improve their experiences