King's Policy Translation Intern

Job Description

King’s Policy Translation Intern



Reference: KPRI23



Department: King’s Careers & Employability/The Policy Institute 



Role Structure: Part-time (0.4 FTE) alongside your studies / Flexible hours / Fixed-term Contract 



Start Date: October 2023 for 9 months 



Role Location: Hybrid, working remotely and also on the Parliamentary Estate, Westminster 



Deadline: Midnight, 21 August 2023 



Contact Details: Miss Maria Sanz Taberner – Work-based Learning Senior Support Officer via internships@kcl.ac.uk    



 



Restriction: Open to current PhD students and Post-doctoral staff only. We encourage applicants to discuss their interest in the Programme with their Academic Supervisor to both support their application and determine whether such an application is achievable alongside the academic and research commitment of their studies. 



About the Internship



The King's Parliamentary Research Internships programme is a unique opportunity for King's PhD and post-doc researchers to engage directly with the inner workings of government and policy, alongside their academic studies.



Alongside our interns who are partnered with individual Peers, this distinct post of a Policy Translation Intern will have a broader role, helping to explore how the university and its academic community could maximise engagement with policy discussions and legislative debates, focused on the House of Lords.



It is an exceptional opportunity for candidates interested in broadening their awareness and understanding of the policymaking process - heightening their knowledge of the work of Parliament, developing new skills and gaining experience and networks to help build future career success.



The successful candidate will work up to 14 hours per week (0.4 FTE) for 9 months, alongside their academic studies or existing role, though there may be the opportunity to fulfil the role with a lower time commitment, at a minimum of 7 hours per week. You must liaise with your academic supervisor or line manager to confirm that you are able to undertake this role based on your research funding and other responsibilities.



About the Role



Academics across King’s College London regularly produce important research that could usefully inform topical questions, policy discussions and legislative debates. In order to achieve this type of impact, this research must be effectively ‘translated’, presented in an immediately accessible format and made available to (busy) policymakers in a timeframe appropriate to the business of the House. Identifying relevant research, synthesising and effecting this level of translation to create briefings that are both useful and timely for policy makers presents a challenge to universities; and neither is it immediately obvious how to ensure that these briefings reach the right people, at the right time.



This role is intended to help King’s explore how the university might meet this challenge in a cost-effective, light touch way, taking account of existing routes through which Parliamentarians can access academic research while adding something that is distinctive to King’s. This is the second year of this post. The previous post-holder developed a draft handbook for researchers, which provides guidance on identifying topics that are a priority for Parliament, communicating research findings for a policy audience and engaging with parliamentarians to drive impact. In the next phase of this role, we are aiming to




  • further refine this through a consultative process

  • identify and utilise communication routes to disseminate it among academics at King’s, with the aim of building stronger institutional awareness and capabilities for timely policy engagement

  • further explore institutional opportunities to systematise and maximise the impact of academic research among Parliamentarians.



This is an exciting opportunity for candidates looking to develop their knowledge, attributes and skills through new experiences which help bring academic research to life. It would be especially appropriate to a candidate with an existing interest in or knowledge of Parliament and the legislative process, enabling them to expand that interest through connections into the House of Lords.



We encourage applicants to discuss their interest in the Programme with their Academic Supervisor or line manager to both support their application and determine whether such an application is achievable alongside the academic and research commitment of their studies/work.



Core tasks will include:




  • Building on the work completed in the first year of this role, in which a draft handbook was developed, by refining and iterating through desk research and consultation.

  • Supporting dissemination of the handbook’s content within King’s, including identifying existing examples of effective engagement and ways to begin to embed more widely the principles it sets out

  • Working with the Policy Institute and agreed contacts in the Lords to explore additional institutional opportunities for systematic engagement between the university and Parliament, including reviewing approaches taken by groups within Parliament, such as POST and the Library as well as other HEIs; and recommending mechanisms through which King’s could seize these opportunities.

    • As appropriate, piloting new approaches, on a small scale or with a small cohort of Peers



  • Liaising as appropriate with the cohort of Peer-hosted interns in order to capture learning from their experiences and/or test ideas.



The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post



Qualifications

ALL APPLICANTS MUST BE A CURRENT (2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR) KING'S COLLEGE LONDON PhD STUDENT OR POST-DOC RESEARCHER. 



 



Applicants from other programmes or individuals who do not meet this criteria will be automatically rejected as ineligible. 



Desirable criteria only 




  • Current King’s College London PhD student or post-doc in a related discipline to the role specific tasks outlined above. 



Skills

Experience / Skills Essential criteria



Knowledge




  • Knowledge and/or awareness of the UK policy landscape

  • Demonstratable interest and understanding of the Parliamentary and legislative processes



 



Skills and Attributes




  • Familiarity with a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods

  • Excellent and concise writing skills, including reports and message-led briefings

  • Ability to review documentation, policy and reports and clearly articulate salient points to different audiences

  • Ability to confidently present findings to a range of audiences

  • Confidence and ability to work flexibly, coping with multiple tasks, projects and reports and competing demands in an agile fashion

  • A collaborative working approach

  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely to people from a range of backgrounds

  • Ability to work independently and pro-actively where needed



 



Experience




  • Experience working in a policy-related research field

  • Experience synthesising large amounts of complex evidence for a non-academic audience



 



Application & Assessment 



Your application should consist of a CV and cover letter, clearly setting out how you meet the essential criteria as this is how we shortlist applications. 



Find tips on writing your application and supporting statement on our website: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=41567



Successful candidates will be shortlisted by King’s Careers & Employability and invited to interview with a King’s panel. Interviews will take place 12 and 13 September 2023. 

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We are looking for a Digital Communications Assistant to work closely with the School Communications Officer and enhance the school's activities on social media. There will be a focus on Twitter and Linkedin, targeting an academic audience, as well as the possibility to work on Instagram with the Student Engagement Officer.



Responsibilities will include:




  • Producing digital content for the ECS Twitter account, including writing engaging copy about our events, news and blogs, and designing relevant visuals. You will also ensure all content is accurate and conforming to King’s style and brand guidelines.

  • Scaling up our use of Linkedin.

  • Developing a social media plan. 

  • Producing a monthly analytics report, monitoring and evaluating the performance of: 

    • ECS website.

    • ECS Twitter.

    • CRESTEM Twitter.

    • ECS Instagram.

    • ECS Linkedin.

    • Newsletter to students.

    • Newsletter to external audiences.





Qualifications

Higher education degree.



Skills

We are looking for someone with already some amount of relevant experience, as that will ensure they can work independently early on in the role, and take initiatives (suggesting new types of posts and being willing to think outside the box and trying new things would be an asset). 




  • Experience of using Twitter and Linkedin for professional purposes.

  • Demonstrable experience of tracking and analysing data in support of effective marketing and communications activities.

  • Understanding of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and SEO.

  • Excellent writing, proofreading and copy-editing skills.

  • Excellent attention to detail.

QMUL is looking for Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) Administrator.



The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD) is a significant constituent of the University, which is organised into six separate Institutes.  The Wolfson Institute of Population Health harnesses expertise across a wide range of population based research and education activities and aims to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence in population health and preventive medicine. 



The Institute is organised into five separate research centres which, though complementary and following the Institute strategic plan, also have Centre-specific objectives and requirements.



The Preventive Neurology Unit (PNU) was set up with the aim of developing trials to prevent neurological disease. It is part of the Centre for Prevention, Detection and Diagnosis, which has a focus on academic discipline, research, the translation of research into public health strategies and their practical implementation – all dedicated to the reduction of disease and disabilities.



The post holder will be joining the Preventive Neurology Unit (PNU), at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London to work on the large-scale international Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2), a 36 million dollar project funded by the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative (www.gp2.org). The aims of the GP2 project are to:



 




  • Expand current understanding of the genetic architecture of PD;

  • Accelerate discovery and validation of novel disease-causing genetic mutations;

  • Provide training and resources to a broad, diverse base of scientists and clinicians.



 



Specifically, the post holder will join the Training Networking and Communication (TNC) working group (WG) led by the Professor in Neurology and Neuroepidemiology and coordinated by the project manager. The aim of the TNC-WG is to establish a virtual centre-of-excellence to promote training, networking and communication throughout the GP2 project. These three aspects will be delivered as follows:



 




  • Training - To develop and provide training opportunities for individuals and groups with a focus on PD genetics, and with a focus on promoting training in ‘under-represented’ regions of the world.

  • Networking - To create a network of trainees and collaborators, which will enable us to streamline opportunities, expertise, and data across the GP2 group.

  • Communication - To listen and respond to the needs of the GP2 community. To support the development of communication tools (website and social media).



 



The post holder will contribute and support all aspects of the TNC group’s work delivering project milestones for GP2, in collaboration with other working groups and with linked projects.



Main duties and responsibilities




  • Responsible for maintaining an up-to-date list (listserv) of GP2 members and trainees (e.g. weekly) and provide regular email communication to keep all members up-to-date.

  • Autonomously provide administrative support and guidance to a multitude of international stakeholders in a fast paced and complex matrix organisation.

  • Provide project support to the WG lead and project manager, including being responsible for keeping track of the project management of the WG, and dealing swiftly and independently with requests from international stakeholders.

  • Take the lead in providing administrative support to GP2 members requiring assistance in accessing common project materials for team working via the GP2 website.

  • Organise and support the project manager and leads to hold regular meetings between TNC WG members, including drafting an agenda and following-up action points.

  • Liaise with the GP2 website designers and developers to support the delivery and regular updates of website and social media content.

  • Support the TNC coordinator and leads in the administration of PhD, MSc, sabbaticals and other training opportunities funded through GP2. This will involve advertising the opportunities, handling submissions, setting up peer review, and providing feedback to candidates.

  • Liase with the GP2 steering committee to plan annual GP2 meetings, either virtual or in-person, in international locations for an global scientific audience.

  • Support regular blog posts from GP2 members and students benefiting from funding.

  • Liaise with other working groups within the GP2 study and attend other working group meetings periodically.

  • Maintain mentor and peer reviewer lists across the GP2 study.

  • Support the collection of materials from GP2 members and investigators for a monthly videocast, working with the Digital Learning Administrator to implement on the GP2 website.

  • Support regular communication of updates, research and training opportunities within the GP2 network.



 



 



The above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and the jobholder may be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of the role, as reasonably requested by their line manager.



This job description accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities of the role at the time the job description was written. These duties and responsibilities may change over time without significantly impacting on the character of the role, the overall level of responsibility, or its grade.



Depending on strategic or operational needs, the jobholder may in the future be required to work for another existing or new organisational unit and/or at a different site within Queen Mary. This may be on a temporary or indefinite basis and may involve a change in line management and / or regularly working at more than one site.



 



 



Qualifications

Educated to A level, with GCSE grade C/4 or above or equivalent qualifications in Maths and English



 



Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience



Skills

Experience in independently arranging meetings and dealing with a large volume of stakeholders



Experience to operate independently in a fast paced role, providing administrative support to a multitude of international stakeholders with minimum supervision



Experience of having provided project support to a project coordinator / manager in a similar role



Experience in maintain spreadsheets of members of an organisation and using these for communication purposes



Experience working in research settings



Experience of working with web and digital agencies



Experience working within and providing administrative support to multi-disciplinary professional teams



Understanding of data management and the UK regulatory environment



Skills/Abilities



Excellent communication in written and verbal English



Able to operate efficiently in a complex, fast-paced environment and under time pressure



Demonstrable excellent IT skills, including e-mail, word processing and databases (Microsoft Office packages, other database programmes)



Critical attention to detail and high standards of accuracy



Note: This role is not suitable for students as its full time.

Employer Engagement Administrator  Met Temp to support the Work Based Learning Team at London Met 



Main Duties and Responsibilities:




  • Research and contact organisations to source vacancies - particularly in the area of computing.


  • Build and maintain beneficial relationships with local organisations and within University departments to obtain suitable work experience placements




  • Build and maintain relationships with students and inform them about relevant placement vacancies




  • Meet targets to source the required number of opportunities within required job sector, particularly in computing




  • Create suitable advertisements to promote vacancies




  • Update databases and software platform with accurate information




  • Liaise with relevant academic module teams to target students on specific modules and encourage them to apply for the available work opportunities




  • Go into lectures to deliver information on the placement recruitment processes




  • Provide initial recruitment support via online Careers materials to assist students through job recruitment processes and identify when to signpost applicants to advice and guidance from University Careers Consultants




  • Assist in matching students to suitable placement opportunities




  • Assist in undertaking risk assessments for work placement health and safety




  • Support apprenticeship data entry for our Planning Team and School admin teams





 



Qualifications

London Met student or graduate. 



Skills

 




  • Experience of confidently communicating with clients/customers


  • Office administration experience




  • Excellent research skills via internet / social media




  • Excellent communications skills, verbal and written 




  • Accurate data entry / IT skills and attention to detail 




  • Proven ability to meet targets within deadlines




  • Demonstration of initiative and self-motivation to work alone and within a team




  • Awareness of data confidentiality





TO APPLY: Please ensure your CV is uploaded onto your Met Temps profile under "My Documents" and submit a short cover letter outlining why you are suitable for the role.

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