Communications Support Officer

Background: The UK Space Agency:

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision.

Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons.

We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country.

Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development. We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes.

We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency.

More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency

To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU

Our Inclusive Environment

We have an inclusive culture to make UKSA a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a top communications team at a fascinating time, to support digital, media and internal UK Space Agency communications and website content.

The varied role provides an excellent opportunity to develop a range of core communication skills and gain valuable experience working on high-profile space projects with public and political interest. Training and guidance will be provided to help you feel confident in your work.

The day-to-day in communications will range from developing digital content for social media, including filming and editing videos, to helping write press releases and blogs, working with journalists, and communicating vital information to UK Space Agency staff.

Part of the role will also be assisting on content for the UK Space Agency’s gov.uk website, gaining valuable skills in government web design with a focus on user need and accessibility.

Our website is the main source of news and updates for the UK Space Agency and space in government and is used by a large range of audiences, from space businesses and academics looking for funding, to teachers and parents seeking space educational and careers content. It will be part of your job to help develop brilliant content that appeals to and draws in those audiences.

This is an incredibly exciting time for the UK Space Agency, as we implement the National Space Strategy and develop satellite launch capability from the UK.

You will report to the Senior Digital Communications Officer, but also work closely with other members of the communications team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide support across the communications team, including digital content creation and social media outreach, media relations, events, strategic communications and internal communications.
• Assist with developing high-quality web content for the UK Space Agency website, with user need and accessible design in mind.
  
• Complete training and develop knowledge of modern communications and understanding of gov.uk and wider web content design, including ensuring approaches remain up-to-date and professional, and converting content to accessible HTML styles where necessary.
• Use analytics and research to better understand the diverse needs and requirements of the UK space sector and other partners to improve communications and web content.
  
• Produce evaluations of communications output and engagement, feeding into wider communications summaries to inform ongoing improvements.
• Work with teams and subject matter experts to make sure communications and web content is accurate and up to date.
• Support team administration including managing multimedia libraries, helping fulfil requests for marketing materials and supporting external Agency events.
• Remain aware of the evolving communications landscape, including how digital channels and trends develop.
• Contribute new ideas to ensure our communications activity continues to reach diverse audiences.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Demonstrable communications skills – both written and oral.
• Experience of communications in a professional environment, such as social media or web content management systems, or working in media relations.
• Confidence to work with people at different levels of the organisation, including senior leaders.
• Comfortable with basic IT.

Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• An interest in space.
• Experience of communicating space, science or technical subjects to the general public.
• Experience with photography/videography/motion graphics.
• Experience of creating content for websites, ideally including gov.uk.
• Relevant degree or professional qualification (or working towards one).

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Government Communications Service - Ideas
• Government Communications Service - Impact

UKSA offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.
• This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
• The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Job contact :

Name :
Tom Barratt
Email :
thomas.barratt@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

Recruitment team :

Email :
uksarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk