Research Communications and Programme Officer (MHRG)

This post has been funded by a large NIHR grant. You will report to the Research Manager and will be part of the groups Professional Services Team. You will work closely with other members of the research team across all partner sites; as well as with the Principal Investigator, Co-Leads and Co-Applicants, and other colleagues at a national level as required, supporting management of stakeholder and internal communications across the NIHR, partner organisations and University.

About the role

Under the direction of the Research Manager and as a member of the team, you will be responsible for leading on the delivery and continuous development of a high-achieving, customer-focused, cost-effective and efficient marketing and communications for grant.

Help us make mental health research matter. We’re looking for a creative, confident and highly organised Research Communications and Programme Officer to join the University of Plymouth’s new five-year, NIHR-funded Mental Health Research Group (MHRG).

The MHRG brings together researchers, people with lived experience, communities and health and care partners across the South-West to strengthen mental health research and help turn evidence into better outcomes. This is an exciting opportunity to join the programme at the start of its journey and help shape how our research is communicated, shared and understood.

This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a fixed-term basis from October 2026 to 31 March 2031.

You will:

• Lead communications across the MHRG, creating engaging and accessible content, telling research stories, managing digital channels and helping different audiences understand why our work matters
• Work closely with researchers and partners across a varied portfolio of mental health research, while also supporting programme activity including events, meetings, stakeholder coordination and reporting.

For more information on Peninsula Medical School please visit our dedicated webpage at:

https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools

For this role, you will need to be on site 2 days a week. Although we can accommodate working from home for this role, flexibility to be on-site will be expected due to business needs.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Laura Gill by email at: laura.gill@plymouth.ac.uk

We’re looking for someone with:

• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Creative ideas and the ability to turn complex information into clear, engaging content. Confidence in managing multiple priorities, working across teams and taking ideas from conception through to delivery

Experience in research, health or higher education is desirable, as is knowledge of research knowledge mobilisation and experience communicating about mental health or underserved communities. If you want to use your communications skills to help make important mental health research more visible, accessible and useful, we’d love to hear from you.

For more information about the job and the person specification, please refer to the job description.

Closing date:  12 midnight, Sunday 13 September 2026

Application Process

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, skills and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.

A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.

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