Research Engagement Officer

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.

Responsibilities

• Deliver engaging internal talks, events and activities for colleagues and volunteers.
• Turn complex science into clear, compelling and accurate content in collaboration with 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 maximize engagement and fundraising opportunities.

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.

Qualifications

• 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 manager 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.

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. By hearing 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. For more detail you can download the Benefits document at the bottom of this page or check out Benefits and Development pages. If you need help balancing your work and home life, talk to us about the flexibility available at the application or interview stage.