Public Engagement Officer
Royal Astronomical Society
Salary
£40000 per year
About the Organisation
RAS is the leading UK membership organization dedicated to astronomy, space science, and geophysics. A learned society founded more than 200 years ago, we have more than 4,000 members (Fellows) in a total of 70 countries. We recently secured a 999-year lease on our premises in Burlington House, London, an agreement with the Government that stipulates an enhanced offer for wider society, based on maximizing the use of our historic building and its unique place in science.
About the role
Public Engagement Officer, you will be passionate about our work, and harness that inspiration to teach and facilitate a world-class program. This will encompass a wide range of audiences from schoolchildren to adults from underserved groups, and could include being a spokesperson for broadcast, print, and online media.
You will work with our Deputy Executive Director, and education and events colleagues, to deliver this ambition nationally, but with a focus on our building and our locality, collaborating with and building relationships with external partners, and drawing on and supporting the work of our Fellowship. You will be a collaborative self-starter, someone with ideas, able to work autonomously, but who harnesses the enthusiasm of others to make things happen. For the right person, this is a rare opportunity to join a talented team who are lucky enough to work in and engage the wider public in one of the most exciting areas of science.
Responsibilities
- Working with colleagues to develop a public engagement program for the RAS in astronomy, space science, and geophysics, in line with the goals set out in our new five-year strategy
- Organizing components of this program, for example bringing in external speakers, running workshops for families, teaching school students, and delivering CPD for teachers
- Developing this program with external partners including other learned societies, research councils, the UK Space Agency, and community organizations representing under-served groups
- Liaising with the Fellowship of the RAS to broaden our public engagement reach across the UK and further afield
- Ensuring that all our events are assessed through a suitable evaluation process and reporting on this to colleagues and our education and outreach committee
- Acting as the secretariat for Society committees and working groups as required, ensuring that relevant papers are provided promptly
Skills, Competencies & Experience
Essential:
- Significant experience teaching science below degree level
- Experience of public engagement in a science setting, for example, a university department, observatory, museum science center
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
- Self-starter happy to work autonomously and in ad hoc collaborations as required
- Experience in committee work, including preparing papers and agendas for meetings taking minutes, and writing formal reports
- Experience and knowledge of formal evaluation of activities and longer programs
- Comfortable with engaging different audiences, and possessing a good understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Happy to work with colleagues and collaborators at different levels of seniority, from students to senior academics and managers in the industry
- Good understanding of safeguarding policy, particularly covering children young people, and vulnerable adults
Desirable:
- Teach qualifications such as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, equivalent experience in the state education sector
- Understanding of education and public engagement policy, including curriculum change
- Experience in securing external grant funding for public engagement
- Understanding of learned societies and similar membership bodies
Required Qualifications
- Educated and Graduate level in a Physics, Astronomy, Earth Sciences Related Discipline
Conditions of employment
- You need to have the right to work in the UK
Working locations
- Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely
How to apply
- Send an email to Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director, RAS at [email protected] with a CV and a cover letter by 25th November 2024.
Interviews
- Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview