Science Education Team Lead

About the team/job

We are Europe’s flagship research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with approx. 2 000 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome. Our mission at the Science Education and Public Engagement Office (SEPE) is to bring science to schools and to support EMBL’s external engagement programme featuring scientific research taking place at EMBL. SEPE is part of EMBL's International Centre for Advanced Training (EICAT). Delivering the office’s activities in the area of science education, the Science Education Team facilitates exchange between EMBL´s cutting-edge life sciences research and European school teachers and young learners. To this end, the team shares the scientific explorations of EMBL’s researchers through a diverse portfolio of education programmes for teachers and young learners of different backgrounds in Europe. 

Your role

As Science Education Team Lead, you will be responsible for the Science Education Team as part of SEPE. You will lead the strategic development, implementation and evaluation of the science education portfolio at EMBL. Core elements of the portfolio include a professional development programme for European school teachers, formal and informal education programmes engaging young learners between the age of 10 and 19 with scientific research, and the content development of educational materials based on EMBL research. You will support the development of EMBL´s public engagement programme. SEPE operates from EMBL’s Headquarter in Heidelberg, Germany and collaborates closely with the other EMBL sites. The post holder will report to the Head of SEPE. The role involves substantial autonomy and requires extensive interactions with others at and beyond EMBL. The role involves international travel, mainly in Europe.

Your role:

• Supporting the Head of SEPE in the strategic development of the science education, public engagement and outreach programme at EMBL
• Working closely with SEPE team members and EMBL staff to facilitate and deliver outreach & public engagement activities across the organisation
• Overseeing, developing and managing EMBL’s science education digital and face-to-face portfolio, and contributing to the delivery of education activities and training as appropriate
• Management of the science education team
• Strategic management of the internal and external communication activities and events marketing of the science education portfolio
• Monitoring the team budget
• Overseeing and contributing to applications for external funding
• Overseeing, leading and contributing to the writing of reports and other publications
• Building and managing strong partnerships with internal and external collaborators to develop the science education portfolio of EMBL
• Representing EMBL and its science education portfolio to internal and external stakeholders and networks 

You have

• A PhD in the field of life sciences and a qualification relevant to informal education
• Ideally, minimum 6 years of experience in producing scientific education content and developing and delivering international programmes in science education, training and engagement
• Previous line management experience
• A good understanding of the formal and informal science education and engagement landscape in Europe
• Experience of managing projects and programmes in the context of research, education and training, including audience research, strategic planning and programme evaluation
• Experience of having applied successfully for public grants and private donations and of managing externally-funded projects in a European context
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and experience of applying these to working effectively with others spanning different cultures, sectors and career stages
• Fluency in English and German 

You might also have

• Previous experience in e-learning and digital media is desirable
• A track record of science communication activities, including production of high-quality written content
• Relevant work experience as part of a multi-national team
• Additional language skills 

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation.

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work. 

What else you need to know

The initial contract is for a period of three years with the possibility of a fixed-term extension.

EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here.

You can view EMBL‘ science education activities here: https://www.embl.org/ells/

To apply, click the 'Apply' button.