Engagement & Communications Officer

Salary: £32,080 to £33,002 with progression to £34,610 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 19 July 2026

The Role

Are you passionate about Communications? Are you creative and highly motivated to deliver engaging content that supports reputation, stakeholder engagement and the communication of research and innovation activity? If so, this could be the role for you.

You will support the Centre’s communications and engagement activity aimed at strengthening NICRE’s profile and communicating research, innovation and stakeholder activity to a range of audiences including rural businesses, policymakers, partners and academic stakeholders. 

The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) is a national research and innovation centre working with a unique network of university, business, policy and rural community partners across the UK. NICRE brings together research, practical innovation and stakeholder engagement to support thriving rural economies and unlock the potential of rural enterprise. 

Working closely with NICRE colleagues, university partners and central Marketing and Communications teams, you will help deliver communications and engagement activity that supports NICRE’s strategic objectives and stakeholder relationships. You will remain up to date with the latest marketing and communications developments, including the use of new technologies and best practice elsewhere in the sector.  You will create, commission and adapt content that translates research and innovation activity into accessible and engaging communications for non-academic audiences.

Experience of supporting the development, delivery and evaluation of communications and engagement activity, preferably within a higher education, research or stakeholder-focused environment is essential for this role. Experience of creating content and communications materials for a range of audiences is also required.

We are committed to building and maintaining a fair and inclusive working environment and we would be happy to discuss arrangements for flexible and/or blended working. 

This post is full time, offered on a fixed term contract to 31 July 2027.

To apply:

Please complete an online application and upload a CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter is a supporting statement, and you should outline how you meet the essential criteria of the role and evidence this with examples. 

For informal enquires please contact: 

Sarah Best, NICRE Delivery Manager at [email protected] and Melanie Thompson-Glen, NICRE Head of Business and Innovation at [email protected].

Key Accountabilities

• Support the implementation of NICRE communications and engagement plans, contributing to stakeholder engagement and profile-raising activity across key audiences


• Assist in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of communications and engagement campaigns and events, working in partnership with central teams


• Monitor and evaluate the impact of communications activity and campaigns to inform future planning


• Create, commission, and adapt content for digital and print channels, ensuring it is audience-focused, accessible, and aligned with brand and compliance standards


• Coordinate the production of communications materials and communications for key stakeholder audiences, including email campaigns, reports, newsletters, printed brochures, and digital assets


• Contribute to the design and delivery of communication plans and engagement activity for key stakeholder audiences to support awareness, engagement and participation


• Conduct and support audience and stakeholder insight activities, including sector research, engagement analysis and secondary research to inform communications planning and activity


• Develop and implement communications to support NICRE’s reputation, stakeholder engagement and profile across rural enterprise, policy and research communities.


• Coordinate and manage content for a range of communication channels, including NICRE’s website and social media channels, newsletters, digital communications print and PR


• Support projects across NICRE to support key objectives


• Provide branding guidance and support to stakeholders across the NICRE network and offer advice on appropriate ways to support them with their initiatives


• Collaborate with colleagues across the University to share best practice and contribute to cross-institutional marketing initiatives


• Remain flexible and responsive to evolving priorities and undertake additional duties as required in response to changes in support of NICRE activities and objectives

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience in a communications, marketing or engagement role, ideally within a higher education, research or stakeholder-focused setting


• Proven ability to support the development and delivery of communications and engagement activities and events, and evaluate their effectiveness


• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with experience producing content for a range of audiences and platforms


• Ability to analyse and interpret data and engagement insights to inform communications activity and evaluation


• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines

Attributes and Behaviour

• Proactive and self-motivated with the ability to use initiative, anticipate challenges, and actively seek opportunities to improve processes and outcomes


• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders


• A proactive, flexible approach with a willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends to support NICRE events, as required

Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent qualification, or vocational experience demonstrating progression through increasingly demanding roles


• A professional marketing qualification (e.g. from the Chartered Institute of Marketing) is desirable

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29471

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