Strategic Communications Lead- Narrative and Brand

Job summary

UKRI

Salary: £58,589 per annum.

Band: UKRI Band F.

Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months) (Parental leave cover).

Hours: Full-time / Part-time (Minimum 0.8 FTE).

Location: Polaris House, Swindon - Hybrid working available (Minimum 2 days per week in office).

Closing Date: Monday 31st August 2026.

Job description

About the role

To build understanding of, engagement with, and trust in UK Research and Innovation and its activities and interests, both externally and with all employees, through brand and narrative development, positioning and implementation.

Your responsibilities

• Key accountabilities • Lead on UKRI brand strategy and governance across the organisation.
• Lead on development of UKRI narrative and messaging for implementation across the organisation .
• Support the development of UKRI campaigns, ensuring amplification of UKRI brand, narrative and messaging.
• Corporate responsibilities • Responsible for the overall image, growth and development of the UKRI brand, ensuring it remains relevant to and recognised by our audiences and maintaining consistency across all communications channels.
• Responsible for the development and management of UKRI narrative and additional tools for colleagues, including message house, rolling script and comment bank.
• Support the development and implementation of UKRI’s external affairs and communications strategy.
• Role responsibilities • Develop and implement brand strategies, positioning and messaging that align with the organisation’s vision and objectives.
• Manage internal and external partner relationships around brand, using evidence and best practice to negotiate, influence and defend decision making in support of building the UKRI brand and sub brands.
• Identify target audiences and tailor the brand strategy and messaging to reach the audience effectively.
• Support the creation and implementation of campaigns to ensure consistency in messaging and alignment with the brand voice, values and goals
• Work with the communications lead, audience and insight to undertake audience insight and research to keep up to date with the latest trends to inform brand strategy.
• Collaborate with other internal teams to ensure brand messaging is consistent and is being communicated effectively across all channels.
• Work with communications lead, evaluation to measure and report on performance of campaigns to assess the effectiveness of overall brand performance and using insights from data to adjust strategies and optimise them for the future.
• Oversee brand and visual identity guidelines, ensuring these are up-to-date and accessible.
• Lead on development of UKRI narrative, rolling script and messaging to reinforce brand positioning.
• Lead on development and management of CEO messaging guide and UKRI comment bank.
• Ownership and governance of communications messaging for UKRI, including review of existing messaging.
• Work with Head of strategic communications and planning to develop and implement UKRI’s external affairs and communications strategy.

Person specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• Qualifications Degree or equivalent experience (S).
• Proven ability to write compelling narratives and coherent messaging across complex content and for multiple audiences (S&I).
• Strong experience and proven track record of brand development and management across a complex organisation (S&I).
• Strong experience of utilising multiple and integrated channels and an understanding of multichannel communication approaches in relation to brand (S&I).
• Excellent writing skills (S&I).
• Excellent project management skills (S&I).
• Demonstrated credibility with relevant communities, usually based on experience from government, industry, education or the third sector (I).
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams, councils and communities (S&I).
• Demonstrable emotional intelligence and tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty (S&I).
• Resilience, multi-tasking and ability to work to deadlines (S&I).
• Ability to absorb, evaluate and communicate complex information appropriate to the audience (I).
• Ability to influence, persuade and negotiate (S&I).
• Strategic thinking (I).
• Flexibility to adapt to change (I).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,589, UK Research and Innovation contributes

£16,973 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

• Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
• Things you need to know
• Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the

Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)

and the

Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.

You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : UKRI Recruitment Team
• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org

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