Strategy, Planning and Communications Officer

Strategy, Planning and Communications Officer

Salary: £37,841 per annum UKRI Band D Closing date: Monday 4th May 2026

Hours: Full time/Part-time (minimum 22.5 hours per week)

(We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants)

Contract Type: Fixed-term contract (12 months)

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire or Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire. (Other locations may be considered, such as Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington or the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh)

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support teams explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it's sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society.

Come and discover how much you can achieve when you're surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity.

Our Strategy, Planning and Communications (SPC) Directorate brings together the essential functions that are needed to help shape, communicate and monitor progress against STFC's strategic plans. Our role is to enable the organisation to determine its strategic direction and translate this into a coherent set of plans, communicating these across the organisation.

In SPC, open communication and mutual support are encouraged. We are always looking to build positive change in our Directorate: our teams cultivate a safe environment and are ambitious in our actions to challenge inequities when we find them.

About the role

We have two roles available, each of which will be based in one of three teams within Strategy, Planning and Communications: Strategy, International, and Partnerships and Insight. Each role will, however, work across multiple areas of responsibility within SPC which may include strategy and planning; strategic stakeholder engagement (national and international); monitoring and evaluation; or communications.

Each role will be unique and may include a combination of some of the following:

• Provide coordination and administrative support across SPC activities, ensuring smooth delivery of programmes, meetings, and directorate workflows.
• Support governance processes, including organising meetings, preparing papers, taking minutes, and tracking actions.
• Assist with developing and maintaining information and document management systems (e.g., SharePoint, internal hubs, resource tools).
• Contribute to the preparation of briefings, presentations, and communications for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate directorate events, visits, and engagements, managing logistics and supporting materials.
• Support recruitment, training, and other internal processes as required.
• Gather, organise, and share information across teams, helping maintain consistent and accurate records.
• Provide operational support to thematic or programme areas, helping with planning, documentation, and stakeholder coordination.
• Assist in the delivery of directorate-wide initiatives, improvement projects, and transformation activities.
• Work flexibly to respond to emerging priorities and provide general support across SPC.

Person Specification

The criteria below will be assessed at shortlisting (S), interview (I) or both (S&I).

• Clear and articulate written and oral communication skills for a range of documents or media to convey information effectively to a range of audiences, engage stakeholders and facilitate productive discussions. (S&I)
• Understand how activities sit within the wider strategic context, and in turn the ability to prioritise and deliver activities in this context. (I)
• Proactively identifies issues and proposes clear, practical solutions that keep work aligned with SPC's priorities. Uses sound judgement to resolve problems with adaptive thinking and communicates appropriately. (S&I)
• Strong planning and organisational skills with attention to detail, accuracy and execution; thoroughness and precision in all aspects of work; able to prioritise conflicting tasks at short notice to meet organisational priorities. (S&I)
• Effective team player who demonstrates a strong commitment to working with others; able to develop relationships and networks with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels. (S&I)

Additional Information

To apply for this position, please submit a CV, and a covering letter in which you describe your motivations for applying and how you meet the criteria in the person specification. You are advised to write no more than 3 pages, and applications without a covering letter will be excluded from shortlisting. CVs should be no more than 3 pages long.

We encourage this role to operate using a hybrid working model. The post holder will be encouraged to work across all STFC's sites, and will focus significant time working at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Harwell, Oxfordshire) and Polaris House (Swindon, Wiltshire). Depending on location, there may be occasional travel with the costs covered by STFC.

Please contact , FAO the recruiting manager if you have any questions, including working patterns and travel requirements.

Join us and discover what's possible!

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK. For more information, please visit or contact .