Policy and Impact Officer
Job Description
Job title: Policy and Impact Officer
Company: The James Hutton Institute
Job description: The James Hutton Institute is recruiting a full-time Policy and Impact Officer. We are seeking an enthusiastic individual to facilitate effective engagement between scientists and policy makers. The successful candidate will have a key role in fast tracking research into policy at UK Government and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland devolved administrations. The opportunity includes funding for training, as part of the Technician’s Commitment, to support skill and career development of appointees.
This position is currently fixed term until 31 March 2025, with the option to extend to 2027.
Main Purpose of Job
To work within both the Land Use Net Zero (LUNZ) Hub and SEFARI Gateway on specific but complementary roles. These roles require undertaking research into effective science policy engagement mechanisms and knowledge exchange-impact analyses. For the LUNZ Hub the post will entail managing central activities of policy support, engaging with UK level and four nations policy teams, within the remit of the LUNZ Hub. For SEFARI Gateway the role will be to support the Gateway Manager in knowledge exchange projects and their analysis across a breadth of Scottish Government policy agendas for Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture (ENRA). ENRA is also the point of contact for the Scottish policy team(s) participating in the LUNZ Hub.
For both sets of activities, the post will entail drafting and/or reviewing policy briefs, case studies and attending workshops and engagements.
Main Duties of Postholder * For both the Land Use Net Zero (LUNZ) Hub and SEFARI Gateway, to …
- Organise policy support means to address policy interests (e.g. Fellowships, calldown activities, secondments)
- Monitor progress of policy engagement arrangements
- Produce, review and edit draft outputs for policy teams
- Participate in policy engagement events
- Project impact (benefit)-route planning with stakeholders and project team
- Identify and promote diversity and inclusivity of engagement with and participation and identifying gaps therein, working with relevant teams in each of LUNZ and Gateway
- For the LUNZ Hub to organise and lead collaborative experiments (living lab) to develop methods of bridging the science policy interface alongside the Agile Policy Centre
- For SEFARI Gateway, to …
- conduct impact monitoring and assessment; conducting analysis of Gateway projects at specified intervals using the Gateway impact to audience matrix
- identify areas of impact (or potential impact) arising from the work of strategic research programme and to commission Case Studies for the Scottish Government, the SEFARI web site and SEFARI Newsletter
- maintain data on key aspects of Gateway engagement such as on breadth of sector engagement, number of stakeholders participating, extent of research disciplinary engagement, extent of repeat engagements and identify stakeholder gaps in Gateway’s engagement strategy to support a widening of impact agenda
- map Gateway projects within the Gateway forward delivery plan (including monitoring forthcoming SG policy priorities in which to target activity
- assist with Quarterly and Annual Narrative project and impact reporting to the Scottish Government (including outward facing reports)
- write and prepare papers for Gateway Operational Group and Board.
Person Specification
Education/Experience/Skills
Essential
Attainments:
Education / qualifications
- Relevant post graduate experience in role relating to land use.
- Additionally social, natural or transdisciplinary research.
Experience:
- Working in science/policy interface
- Creating opportunities to maximise impact from a range of projects and wider activities
- Knowledge of contemporary thinking on metrics to gauge successful impact
- Proven track record of writing/editing complex material for non-specialist policy audiences (e.g. Policy briefs/blogs).
- Ability to demonstrate effective working on own and in a small team
- Experience of facilitating group interaction and/or collaborative experimentation
Skills:
- Good interpersonal skills
- Excellent IT skills including experience in the presentation/formatting of written material
- Ability to work to very tight timescales and manage competing demands
- Good organisational, planning and communication skills
Desirable
Attainments:
A PhD or MSc in topic aligned with land use, soil health or agricultural systems, or related disciplines (e.g. food, livestock)
Education / qualifications
- Relevant post graduate experience in role relating to land use or related sectors
Experience:
- Experience of developing visual and multi-media content
- Interest in, and experience of working on issues relating to land use or related themes
- Maintaining and monitoring records for policy support (e.g. call-downs, Fellowships, secondments)
- Experience of working with living labs or related structures
- Proven ability to liaise with scientists of different disciplines
Benefits Offered
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – A confidential service available to support employees and their families with work or personal problems. Providing access to professional counsellors, psychologists, and work-life consultants available to help and support individuals in tackling all types of problems.
Annual Leave – Generous entitlement up to 40.5 days a year, with carry over possible and guaranteed time-off for Christmas.
Pension – Employer Contribution of 15% in a Personal Pension Plan and employee contribution flexibility.
Self-managed hours and Flexible Working – option to manage and spread your working time in line with organisational needs to create a healthy work life balance.
We will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position.
The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Bronze Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer.
The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working.
Expected salary: £33595 per year
Location: Aberdeen
