Research officer jobs in London, greater london

The Communications and Research Officer is a new post designed to help bridge the gap between the research and campaigning work of Drone Wars UK and our supporters and the general public. The role is split 50/50 between communications and research. The communications element combines social media activity, website content creation and email communications, helping to ensure our messages are communicated clearly, consistently and creatively across a range of channels.  The research element consists of undertaking a number of short-term specific research projects alongside participation in on-going longer-term research work.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys creating engaging content as well as undertaking in-depth investigations that contribute to positive social change. In addition, the person appointed will take an active role in the forthcoming strategic review shaping the organisation’s work over the next few years.

Job Description

Communications

• To be responsible for Drone Wars UK’s website, managing regular content updates and improving the content, layout and structure.
• To schedule social media content and manage social media accounts to increase engagement and reach.
• To use appropriate design tools in the creation of content for website and all digital and public facing channels.
• To undertake email campaigns in conjunction with the staff team to promote our work and increase participation in events.
• To participate in engagement with legacy and new media alongside other members of the staff team in order to promote the work and campaign aims of Drone Wars UK.
• To undertake appropriate speaking engagements on behalf of DWUK.

Research

• To undertake specific pieces of research into the use of armed drones, autonomous weapons and the militarisation of space as agreed with the Director.
• To write and produce accessible reports, articles and briefings based on the research undertaken.
• To write appropriate copy for the website.
• To contribute to on-going research work by keeping abreast of new and emerging military technologies.
• To contribute to maintaining the Drone Wars UK internal information database 

General

•  To work collaboratively with the staff team to set priorities and to develop existing and future research projects and campaigns.
• To network with other communicators, researchers and campaigners working on these issues in relevant organisations. 
• To undertake tasks as directed by the Director to ensure the smooth running of the organisation.
• To participate in campaign activity to limit the harms caused by armed drones, autonomous weapons and the militarisation of space.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• A degree, preferably to Master’s level, or equivalent experience in a subject area relevant to the post (Essential).
• Three years experience of engaging in research work, preferably in the peace and security/human rights sector or similar field (Essential).
• Commitment to the aims and objectives of Drone Wars UK (Essential) 
• Demonstrable ability to write and express thoughts and positions clearly, succinctly and accurately in English in a variety of formats, including major reports (Essential).
• Hands-on experience of managing websites (WordPress) and utilising social media, email marketing platforms, and varied digital tools to drive engagement (Essential). 

Skills and Attributes

• Understanding of the on-going legal and ethical debate around the use of armed drones, autonomous weapons and/or militarisation of space (Essential).
• Ability to manage workloads and professional duties without day-to-day managerial oversight (Essential) 
• The right to work in the UK (Essential)
• Understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities (Essential). 
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team (Essential).
• Experience in engaging with legacy and new media to promote campaign objectives (Desirable). 
• Familiarity with national and international security issues and institutions (Desirable).
• Willingness to learn new skills and work co-operatively with others to build strong campaigns (Desirable). 

Are you passionate about bringing science to life and making complex research accessible and inspiring to a wide range of audiences?  

At the British Heart Foundation (BHF), our research is at the heart of everything we do. With an active research portfolio of more than £400m, we fund world-class cardiovascular research that helps save and improve lives.

We’re looking for a Research Engagement Officer to help turn complex science into compelling stories, engaging experiences and accessible content that inspires people to understand, support and champion our work.

About the role

In this varied and impactful role, you’ll help connect BHF’s life saving research with the people who can share, support and champion it.

Through engaging internal activity, you’ll build knowledge and confidence across our teams, enabling colleagues and volunteers to talk about our research with clarity and impact. At the same time, you’ll source and shape compelling, accurate research stories for use across fundraising, marketing and communications.

Alongside this, you’ll support events and public engagement activity, working closely with researchers and colleagues across BHF to bring our research to life for a wide range of audiences.

In this role, you’ll:

• Deliver engaging internal talks, events and activities for colleagues and volunteers.
• Turn complex science into clear, compelling and accurate content in collaboration wider research engagement and medical team. 
• Develop and improve our internal research engagement hub, keeping content relevant and easy to navigate.
• Act as a trusted point of contact for teams looking to include research stories or researchers in their activity.
• Support public engagement and events, while building strong relationships with our researcher community to maximise engagement and fundraising opportunities. 

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This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of science, storytelling and supporter engagement, helping more people understand the impact of BHF-funded research and why it matters. 

About you 

You’ll be a confident communicator who can make complex research clear, engaging and meaningful for different audiences. You’ll also enjoy working collaboratively, building relationships and spotting opportunities to bring ideas to life. 

You’ll bring: 

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• Experience delivering science communication or research engagement activity, events or content
• Ability to translate complex research into clear, engaging messaging for different audiences 
• Experience creating high-quality content for non-specialist audiences (e.g. web, blogs, engagement materials)
• Strong stakeholder manger and relationship-building skills, with confidence working with colleagues, researchers and senior stakeholders.
• A proactive, organised approach with strong project or event management skills 
• A degree, PhD or equivalent experience in biological or medical sciences; experience in cardiovascular research and science communication qualification would be beneficial but is not essential. 

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What matters most is your ability to communicate complex research clearly, accurately and in a way that inspires people to care. 

Belonging at BHF  

We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. Embracing different perspectives and backgrounds strengthens our organisation and empowers us to make a real difference together.   

To hear from our people, check out Belonging at BHF.   

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. By funding research across six decades, we’ve helped keep millions of hearts beating and millions of families together. We’re investing in ground-breaking research that will get us closer than ever to a world where everyone has a healthier heart for longer.  

Working arrangements  

This is a fixed term contract until 30 July 2027 covering a secondment.

This is a hybrid role, where your work will be split between your home and at least one day per week, on average, in our London Office. This may vary from time to time, so you will need to work in a flexible way to unlock your best work for our cause.   

Benefits and development  

At BHF, we offer a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support our colleagues’ wellbeing and professional growth.    

To find out more about our benefits you can download the Benefits document at the bottom of this page or check out our Benefits and Development pages.    

Need more help balancing your work and home life? Talk to us about what flexibility is available at the application or interview stage.  

Interview process  

The interview process will consist of two stages. First stage interviews will be held over MS Teams 06/08. For those successful, there will be second stage interviews in-person at our London Office w/c 17/08.

Location (UK): Office Hybrid* - London / Sheffield
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Benefits: Read more about the excellent benefits we offer on our profile page
Travel: Some travel may be required with in the UK

Join us and use your skills, knowledge, passion and energy to help us achieve a future free from arthritis.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with research experience to work within a team of experts in research strategy development, research delivery and research policy, to communicate the outputs of our research funding to diverse stakeholders across the charity.  

About the role

You will work within a dynamic and friendly team to help support our Research Programme Managers to develop and manage the Arthritis UK research portfolio. This will include collating and monitoring data from diverse sources to help provide oversight of our funded research. You will also work closely with other colleagues to translate our research outputs into a format that is clear and impactful to help teams across the charity achieve their strategic objectives. 

You will work across a diverse range of projects and will liaise with a wide range of teams from across the charity to help us to tell the story of our research investment. 

About you

If your knowledge, skills and experience include the following then we’d love to hear from you:

• A scientific degree or equivalent level of experience in medical research via the charity, commercial, health, higher education or publishing sectors. 
• High-quality verbal and written communication skills including being able to communicate complex information and requirements to a wide range of audiences and stakeholders. 
• A flexible and collaborative approach: able to work closely and adaptively with immediate team and collaboratively across the organisation. 
• Good information technology skills, including effective database/PubMed/internet search techniques and significant experience of using Microsoft Office Packages. 
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines independently, including rapid turnaround requests. 
• Experience in a medical research environment. 
• Knowledge or experience of the research application, award and monitoring process 

*As a hybrid worker the expectation is that you will spend around 40% of your working time in our office spaces or working in community settings. As an inclusive employer we will consider home-based working for anyone where office-based hybrid working would be a barrier to being able to work for us, for example for someone living with a long-term health condition or disability.