Aberystwyth University

The Role We are seeking to appoint an Engagement Officer to work as part of the Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership (Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales), funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales brings together researchers, policymakers and communities to tackle the major challenges facing the region. It aims to promote inclusive, sustainable, development towards a 'wellbeing economy' by filling evidence gaps, exploring innovative solutions and enhancing the use of research to support effective policies. The work programme engages a range of people in innovation labs to develop and test novel interventions, community-led research projects focused on local concerns, dialogues, new data collection through surveys and short studies, and the creation of a Rural Wales Data Hub. The post-holder will support public engagement, knowledge exchange, and communications activities for Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales, including organising events and workshops, managing website content and social media accounts, and assisting with the dissemination of research findings to diverse audiences through a range of media. The post will be based in Aberystwyth, working closely with the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales Policy and Engagement Manager and other members of the professional services team, but will involve work with colleagues in other organisations in Wales and travel for meetings and events. Hybrid working arrangements will be considered. To make an informal enquiry, please contact Professor Michael Woods at . What you'll do The post-holder will support public engagement, knowledge exchange, and communications for Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales, the Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership, working closely with the Policy and Engagement Manager. Funded by the ESRC, Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales is a partnership that brings together researchers from a range of disciplines at Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff University and the University of Gloucestershire, and experts in partners including Together for Change, the Centre for Alternative Technology, Antur Cymru, Datblygiadau Egni Gwledig, Represent Us Rural, Rural Health and Care Wales, and Sgema. The objective of Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales is to facilitate effective policies and interventions that promote inclusive, sustainable, growth in Rural Wales through the framework of the 'wellbeing economy', which prioritises an economy designed to deliver social justice for current and future generations on a healthy planet in which citizens are actively engaged in their communities. It aims to fill evidence gaps, explore innovative solutions, and enhance the use of research to support effective policies working toward this goal. Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales also has a strong emphasis on capacity building for inclusive participation in regional and community development, including supporting communities to undertake their own research, equalities mainstreaming, and actions to enable the involvement of often under-represented groups. The activity of Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales is structured around seven work streams: WS1: Innovation Labs WS2: Community-led Action Research WS3: Data Integration, Analysis and Mapping WS4: Surveys WS5: Responsive Research WS6: Public Engagement, Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building WS7: Evaluation and Learning The detailed work programme wis dynamic and responsive to emerging issues. Topics for investigation and analysis are proposed by members of four Thematic Groups, each comprised by academic experts, stakeholders, and community representatives. The Thematic Groups are aligned with the four priority themes for Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales, which are: 'Building a Regenerative Economy', 'Supporting the Net Zero Transition', 'Empowering Communities for Cultural Recovery', and 'Enhancing Wellbeing in Place'. The post-holder will primarily work in WS6: Public Engagement, Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building, which is focused on making the results of Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales research and analysis widely available to users in rural Wales and beyond. Activities will include annual showcases at the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod, as well as seminars, events, exhibitions and digital outreach through online resources and social media, and a series of 'dialogue events' bringing together stakeholders to discuss 'wicked issues' facing rural Wales and work towards consensus solutions, informed by Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales evidence. Additionally, workshops, training sessions and online resources aim to build capacity for effective evidence-based rural development and policy, ranging from training for participants in community research projects to professional development on interpreting and using evidence from research. The post-holder will support these activities, working with the Policy and Engagement Manager, with particular responsibility for event organisation (include booking venues for events and workshops; making arrangements for catering, translation, and technical facilities; and liaising with participants), managing the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales website and social media accounts, and internal comms. The post-holder will work as part of a professional services team, which in addition to the Policy and Engagement Manager, also includes a Programme Manager and a Finance and Administrative Assistant, and within the larger Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales staff team, which also includes six Post-Doctoral Research Associates, two Innovation Managers, a Community Facilitator, a Data and GIS Analyst, a Research Software Engineer, a Data Technician and a Research Data Manager The post will be line-managed by the Policy and Engagement Manager, Rhian Curtis, and will involve working closely with the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales Director, Professor Michael Woods, and the WS6 Leads, Meilyr Ceredig (Sgema) and Dr Wyn Morris (Aberystwyth Business School). The specific responsibilities of the post are: To organise events for stakeholder and public audiences, including events at the National Eisteddfod and Royal Welsh Show, and free-standing workshops, panels, dialogues etc This will include booking venues; making arrangements for catering, translation, and technical facilities as required; liaising with contributors and participants; and coordinating registration for participants/audience members. To support webinars and other online activities. To support the organisation of training and capacity building activities, in person and/or online. To publicise events and activities through appropriate online and other channels, including Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales mailing lists. To manage Cymru Wedig LPIP Rural Wales social media accounts and content for the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales website. To support internal comms to members of the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales team. To contribute to the preparation and dissemination of the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales Annual Report. To support promotion and dissemination of Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales research and innovation through reports, briefing papers, video, infographics, and other media, including making arrangements for design, editing, printing and/or distribution as appropriate. To maintain records of Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales public engagement and knowledge exchange activities for reporting to UKRI through ResearchFish. To work with other members of the admin team to maintain mailing and contact lists to support public engagement, policy impact and outreach. Undertake other duties as assigned by your line manager, commensurate with the role's grade. To be a flexible member of the team, supporting colleagues at peak times of workload and pressure including attendance at university events e.g. open days, graduation which may include weekend work. Promote equality of opportunity, and to support and uphold the University's commitment to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work. To support the university strategy and underlining plans, engage in continuous personal and professional development in line with the demands of the role, including undertaking relevant training and development activities to develop yourself and support the development of others. Fulfil health and safety responsibilities appropriate to the role, while actively promoting the personal health, safety, and wellbeing of staff and students as a member of the Aberystwyth community. Additionally, support the University's commitment to environmental sustainability through responsible practices and engagement. The above does not represent an exhaustive list of duties associated with this role. This job description is subject to review and amendment in the light of the changing needs of the University, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties. The responsibilities of this vacancy have been matched to the Clerical and Secretarial Role Profile 5. Details of the role profile can be found at: The post will be based at Aberystwyth University, but may involve some travel for meetings, events and visits to partners. Some activities may occasionally require work in evenings or at weekends, which will be compensated for by time off during normal working hours. Hybrid working arrangements will be considered. . click apply for full job details