The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose is to recognise, promote and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. The Society has played a part in some of the most fundamental, significant and life-changing discoveries in scientific history and Royal Society scientists continue to make outstanding contributions to science across the wide breadth of research areas.
Public engagement is one of the Royal Society’s strategic priorities. Our wish is to engage with all to make scientific knowledge and the scientific approach part of the fabric of society. This includes listening to the views of the public, involving the public in our work and inspiring the public to explore new discoveries, the rich history of science and the scientists that shape our world.
The Senior Public Engagement Officer – Events will work with the Public Engagement Manager and other members of the Public Engagement team to manage and develop the Society’s public engagement programme in line with the Public Engagement strategy, as defined and approved by the Public Engagement Committee.
The post holder will be responsible for the successful delivery of the Society’s flagship event within the public engagement programme, the Summer Science Exhibition. The Senior Public Engagement Officer – Events will lead the planning, delivery, and evaluation of this major annual event, ensuring its success both on-site and digitally. The role also includes developing additional events that complement the Exhibition and exploring new ways to broaden audience engagement. The post holder will also provide day-to-day budget management, as well as line management of two Public Engagement Officer roles which support programmes across the entire PE team.
The role will also oversee the Events strand, including the Summer Science Exhibits On Tour programme and other events, such as Prize Lectures, cultural events and Lates/History of Science.
The Senior Public Engagement Officer - Events will be supported by the Public Engagement Manager who will provide strategic guidance and a management overview.
Alongside the Summer Science Exhibition, the Senior Public Engagement Officer - Events will also be expected to contribute to other projects and events as required, to develop the Section’s activities as a whole. They will play a key role in the continued development of the public engagement programme and team by sharing best practice, ideas and learnings.
The post holder will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
Reports to: Public Engagement Manager
Line manages: Public Engagement Officer x 2
Pay band: D, £45,000 per annum
Location: Carlton House Terrace, London
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week (some travel, mainly within the UK, some evening and weekend work required)
Closing date for applications: Midnight 21 April 2025
Interviews will be held: 13 May 2025
The work of the Senior Public Engagement Officer - Events will include:
i) Lead the successful delivery of the annual Summer Science Exhibition and the additional programme, with support from the Public Engagement Manager and the Public Engagement Officers.
ii) Oversee the marketing and promotion of the Summer Science Exhibition, ensuring digital and design assets engage target audiences while developing strategies to broaden participation in line with the Royal Society’s aims and ambitions.
iii) Manage the Summer Science Exhibition budget, ensuring that the event is delivered efficiently and on budget, by monitoring and tracking project spend.
iv) Maintain an overview of the PE Team’s events programme, including Lates/History of Science and other evening and daytime events for public audiences, and ensure policies and processes are consistent across the event portfolio.
v) Maintaining positive working relationships with key internal Royal Society teams and external partner organisations to ensure effective delivery of the Society’s public engagement activities, providing clear and regular communications.
vi) Review exhibition processes (including call for applications) and policies in collaboration with the Head of Public Engagement and Public Engagement Manager, with input from the wider PE team and wider RS colleagues as appropriate.
vii) Provide secretariat for the Summer Science Exhibition Committee.
viii) Represent the Royal Society at external public engagement meetings, events and conferences as appropriate, especially where it relates to the Summer Science Exhibition.
ix) Acting as Duty Manager and/or Events Manager for public events organised by the public engagement team, held at Carlton House Terrace.
x) Supporting the Head of Public Engagement and Public Engagement Manager by undertaking or contributing to new projects and activities as necessary.
xi) Line management responsibility for two Public Engagement Officers, overseeing their work and personal development.
Knowledge and qualifications | |
Educated to degree standard or equivalent experience | Essential |
Knowledge of office systems and procedures | Essential |
Knowledge and experience of large-scale events and project management | Essential |
Knowledge of communication and marketing practices | Essential |
Understanding of the role of public engagement in science and research, and its importance in connecting science with society | Essential |
Knowledge of how to evaluate public engagement activities | Desirable |
Understanding of current trends in science communication | Desirable |
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Experience | |
Experience of event management, including the delivery of large-scale events | Essential |
Experience of project management | Essential |
Experience of line-management | Essential |
Experience in developing and managing partnerships, including coordinating stakeholder relationships to achieve shared goals. | Essential |
Proven ability to establish and nurture relationships with researchers and other partners (individuals and organisations) to foster collaboration and meaningful engagement across disciplines and sectors. | Essential |
Experience of working successfully in a collaborative team environment | Essential |
Experience of implementing communication and marketing strategies | Essential |
Experience of tailoring content for different audiences | Essential |
Experience of managing and reporting on budgets | Essential |
Experience of calls for participation, for example for grants or awards | Essential |
Experience supporting researchers to embed public engagement in their work | Highly Desirable |
Experience of committee management/secretariat activities | Desirable |
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Circumstances | |
Ability to work flexibly, including some evening and weekend work (especially during the Summer Science Exhibition) | Essential |
The successful candidate would be expected to work from the Royal Society offices on Carlton House Terrace a minimum of 2 to 3 days per week. | |
Self-management | · Works unsupervised and can motivate self · Produces results under pressure · Can manage in stressful situations · Pushes for the best results · Pursues and encourages feedback that may reveal an error in judgment and then makes appropriate adjustments · Recognises own personal biases or limitations, and uses this understanding to improve decisions and plans for action · Seeks out mentors and other development resources to gain additional self-awareness and personal development · Reflects on negative situations with maturity and seeks to understand own contribution to the situation · Holds things together and acts as a settling influence
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Working with others | · Contributes ideas and identifies opportunities to work with others both within the team and across the organisation · Willing to provide feedback to sectional colleagues when requested · Produces succinct presentations and papers for senior colleagues · Understands when to seek senior advice on potentially delicate negotiations · Reaches a variety of audiences using an appropriate mix of communication methods and tailored messages to appeal to their unique needs · Speaks from the heart to compel action and creates an emotional appeal for organisational priorities · Creates an environment of transparency while respecting confidentiality requirements · Builds consensus for delivering team goals. Frequently interacts with peers, on cross-functional matters. |
Resource management | · Makes the best of internal/external resources and coordinates well with external partners to best meet the needs of the Society · Builds contingency into projects taking into account possible outside factors · Sets and monitors performance against quality and results orientated targets. · Focuses on both short and long-term goals · Creates novel solutions to problems · Creates a detailed design or plan to implement a new solution or approach · Evaluates new technology as potential solutions to existing issues. · Adjusts course as new information comes to light · Executes quickly and decisively in a time-sensitive situation · Takes accountability to persist until opportunity is realised or problem solved
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Critical thinking | · Determines and clarifies the exact requirements of any situation · Checks information for accuracy and raises concerns if information is inaccurate · Extracts the key points succinctly, clearly and accurately · Puts forward suggestions for improvement concerning current processes or systems · Tries different ways of doing things to get the best results · Compares and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of options · Formulates an opinion by considering opposing views and suggestions · Runs trials and models or applies statistical analysis and stress testing to confirm or disconfirm proposal
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Adaptability | · Overcomes obstacles and is not deterred by setbacks; checks assumptions and first principles and works out alternative approaches · Reacts proactively to new challenges and works in a flexible manner to produce solutions · Provides feedback and participates in discussions surrounding new ideas approaches or projects · Maintains focus and continues to deliver when things are ‘up in the air’ · Adjusts to act differently depending on the situation · Takes steps to understand basic risk management and importance of identifying and maintaining controls · Helps others to understand and cope with ambiguous situations
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Managing people and relationships | · Delegates effectively, setting clear expectations and authority · Monitors results and feedbacks to team on a regular basis · Recognises others’ contributions and acknowledges their limits · Helps others to identify ways to improve their performance · Prioritises supervisory responsibilities and carries them out in a timely fashion · Understands and can identify client/stakeholder/staff needs and looks for opportunities to improve their experiences · Demonstrates trust in others’ ability to accomplish tasks at acceptable levels of performance · Provides current, direct, complete and actionable positive and constructive feedback · Has a mind-set of sharing own and others’ expertise · Creates an environment of transparency while respecting confidentiality requirements · Focuses on surfacing underlying customer issues/concerns and identifying root causes · Increases exposure to and personal relationships with customers · Expresses positive views of the customer |
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