About the job

Job summary

Part of the Forestry Commission family, Forest Research is a world leader in applied forest science, providing evidence and practical solutions to policy makers, forestry practitioners, land managers and anyone with green space, UK-wide. With climate and biodiversity in crisis, and an increasing number of pests and diseases, our research is more vital than ever before. We advise on how woodlands can help combat climate change. We’re identifying tree species that will thrive in the future and ways of safeguarding those species at risk. Our research supports UK timber production because fewer imports reduce carbon emissions. We provide data on forests in Scotland, Wales and England, and provide evidence of the societal benefits of woodland. We do all this working collaboratively with academia, partners and industry, nationally and internationally. 

The Communications team is the trusted voice of Forest Research. The team leads on understanding our audiences, creating influence and opportunity, delivering internal communications, developing our communication channels, managing FR’s publishing programme, acting as first point-of-contact for all media enquiries and providing media management support.

Job description

Corporate Communications supports the priorities of Forest Research by:

• Enhancing research impact by using marketing and communications insight, strategy, delivery and evaluation to influence audience behaviour
• Developing, maintaining and evaluating a communications network across partners, stakeholders and funders
• Providing marketing and communications consultancy and support across the organisation to increase impact and generate income
• Helping attract the very best employment candidates for the organisation through effective profile and reputation management
• Supporting Forest Research staff attending an agreed programme of events.

The Science Communications Manager role focuses on delivering forest science communication plans to key external audiences, including partners, policy makers and forestry practitioners.

Key Work Areas:

•    Delivery of multi-channel communications in support of forest science research programmes including Defra Nature for Climate Fund supported projects
•    Providing communications advice to research programme teams, identifying communications objectives, prioritising messages and recommending the most appropriate channels for dissemination
•    Creating communications plans and project managing their delivery through partnership working with science teams and external partners
•    Coordinating multiple communication projects simultaneously, scheduling content, managing workflows and resolving competing priorities
•    Working with communications team colleagues to create written and multimedia content for Forest Research channels including the FR website and social media
•    Providing writing and editorial support to science teams for planned magazine, journal and blog content
•    Project management and delivery of science communication events, online and in-person 
•    Gathering and presenting the evaluation of communications activity performance
•    Supporting the development of communication channels such as email newsletters and partner news round-ups.  

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Demonstrable knowledge, experience and expertise in science communication, ideally with previous experience of the environmental sector
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, written and verbal, with the ability to translate complex scientific information into content appropriate for different target audiences
• The ability to persuade and influence science colleagues and partners regarding communications best practice
• The ability to gather, analyse and summarise detailed information, including scientific evidence, and then provide recommendations on how to share this with a range of different audiences to achieve desired outcomes
• Technical ability including computer literacy in Microsoft Office, content editing and email newsletter management
• Analytical and evaluation skills, providing regular reporting on communication outputs and outcomes
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues within the Communications team and more widely within Forest Research, and with external partners and stakeholders
• Experience of static and video content creation
• Ability to prioritise workload and work at pace.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of Microsoft 365 applications
• OASIS project planning and an understanding of the Government Communications Service Evaluation Framework or similar

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,485, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £10,120 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Sift Date:  17th June 2024

Interviews will take place in the week commencing 24th June 2024.

If we receive a large volume of applications, then we will sift on Experience/Technical Expertise and the Lead Behaviour, Communicating and Influencing.  However, candidates will be expected to answer questions on all behaviours listed at the interview stage.

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Forest Research which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.