Communication and Engagement Lead (Fixed Term)

We wish to appoint a communications and community engagement lead at the Autism Research Centre (ARC) who will be responsible for communications and community engagement across all projects at the Autism Research Centre (ARC). The post holder will be expected to take the lead on communications of the priority research project(s) in the ARC, in discussion with the Director. This will involve developing, implementing and evaluating a consistent strategy for communications and community engagement that can be applied across the ARC. This will ensure that the autism communities are included as meaningfully as possible in research. The role holder will be responsible for making sure that these strategies are in line with the key communications objectives and values of the ARC. This will be achieved with the support of a small team, including a community engagement coordinator and science communicator, line managed by the role holder. They will ensure communication and dissemination activities are appropriate with expectations and needs of the different organisations and communities. They will manage and oversee the structure and content for the ARC website, project-specific websites and social media. They will take the lead on organising open days, workshops, exhibitions and conferences as appropriate in collaboration with the ARC team. They will develop researchers across the ARC in community engagement from the start of the research process through to dissemination, ensuring any sensitivities have been considered and addressed. The appointee will be expected to liaise closely with the Director (Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen), the charity the Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE) at Cambridge, and a large team of autism researchers who all have a variety of needs for community engagement and communication within their projects.

Candidate should have a good first degree in a relevant subject and have experience in a relevant environment (for example research, charity, clinical, social work, social science, care, or working with community groups). They must have experience of communicating scientific information to a range of audiences, and they must have extensive knowledge/experience in the field of autism including working directly with autistic people. They must demonstrate the ability to work positively and professionally with people from a range of backgrounds, including where there are communication challenges. They must have the ability to work with feedback, and deal with situations with diplomacy. Candidates should have excellent communication, planning and organisation skills, including the ability to explain complex issues to different audiences. The candidate will be required to act as a mediator at times, balancing the differing views of multiple stakeholders. The candidate must have the ability to work independently and also cooperatively as part of a team.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 years in the first instance, with a potential to be extended for a further 12 months.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check and a security check. 

The closing date for applications is: 12th February 2023

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