The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is an exciting place to work. You can make a difference by supporting sustained growth and higher skills across the economy.
Almost everything that BIS does – from investing in skills to making markets more dynamic, and from promoting trade to boosting innovation and helping people start and grow a business – helps drive growth.
Responsible to the Head of News/Head of Stakeholder Engagement for strategic leadership of science communications; the main responsibility of this new post is to develop and deliver a communications plan to maximise the impact of BIS's science and innovation initiatives with the general public using the media as key channel.
The role will include:
- Developing an overview of the science and innovation initiatives which BIS oversees and funds, and devise a strategy to promote the public benefits via the range of available communications channels.
- Working with communication colleagues across BIS and in other Government Departments including No 10, Cabinet Office, Treasury, Department of Health and partner bodies to mainstream science and innovation in wider policy announcements in ministerial speeches, press releases, features and via social media.
- Developing strong contacts and a regular flow of information between policy officials, research councils, Technology Strategy Board, universities and other partner organisations, in order to increase media coverage, exploit stakeholder and other corporate opportunities. Ensuring partners are aware of BIS' priority messages and can reflect these in their own press releases, features and blogs.
- Developing and delivering processes and projects which boost awareness, understanding and advocacy of the breadth and innovativeness of such science activity among BIS’s stakeholders and the media.
- Acting as an advocate for BIS with ability to influence at a senior level.
- Establishing a bank of well written and easily exploitable case studies and capturing intelligence to provide interesting and appealing material for speeches and features, ministerial visits, stakeholder engagement and wider PR efforts.
- Leading communications activity on special projects as required (e.g. science elements of budget, public engagement with science review, CSR).
- Playing a leadership role across BIS Communications Directorate.
The job is offered as a one year fixed-term contract with the possibility of an extension. It is open to job share applications.
Closing date: midnight, 21st January 2013.
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria, therefore please make this clear in your email.
BIS is an equal opportunities employer and aims to reflect the diversity of British society.
For further information, please see our recruitment brochure www.bis.gov.uk/recruitment-brochure and https://gcn.civilservice.gov.uk/welcome
To apply, please submit a current CV with a succinct covering letter (up to 2 pages of A4), demonstrating your suitability for this role and how your skills and experience meet the requirements, along with the diversity questionnaire from the recruitment brochure, to bis@peterlockyer.co.uk