External Relations Officer
Working in the External Relations team of ELIXIR, the main purpose of the role is to support ELIXIR’s positioning with national and European funders and policy-makers, through the preparation and submission of consultation responses, position papers and documentation describing the impact of ELIXIR on science and the wider economy.
The role will support ELIXIR’s engagement in the Horizon 2020 ‘RI Impact Pathways’ project, due to start in 2018, which is focussed on the socio-economic impact assessment of research infrastructures. The role will also be responsible for tasks within the ELIXIR-EXCELERATE Horizon 2020 grant, including the implementation and review of ELIXIR’s International Strategy, ensuring that the effectiveness of this strategy is assessed against metrics and that ELIXIR progresses as a world-class infrastructure.
This is a demanding and exciting role where opportunities for leading new projects will emerge constantly. You will work closely with stakeholders including ELIXIR Nodes, funding agencies and external consultants to deliver this work.
Key responsibilities
- Consult partners to write and submit shared position papers and responses to national and EU-wide consultations on themes of relevance to ELIXIR including open data, research infrastructures, funding models for data infrastructures and aspects of FP9.
- Support ELIXIR’s engagement with relevant bodies such as the European Commission, ESFRI, the G20 and the OECD.
- Support the implementation and review of ELIXIR’s International Strategy (within the ELIXIR-EXCELERATE Horizon 2020 grant) and work to ensure ELIXIR’s visibility on the global stage remains world-class.
- Initiate and manage projects with ELIXIR partners and external contractors to help demonstrate the impact of bioinformatics services.
- Support the funding applications of local ELIXIR Nodes through the provision of text and examples of the impact of bioinformatics.
- As appropriate, contribute to the development of new proposals to funding agencies that supports ELIXIR’s activities in demonstrating the impact of bioinformatics services.
Qualifications and Experience
The ideal candidate will have:
- A degree in either life sciences or a subject that demonstrates the ability to analyse information and present arguments coherently.
- External relations and science policy experience within an international research environment and/or international organisations.
- Experience within or knowledge of research infrastructure environments and research funding bodies
- Direct experience of preparing and submitting consultation responses and working in funding agencies would be an advantage.
- Understanding of EU research programmes and science policy, including proven track-record of shaping policies.
- Knowledge of the operations, governance and business models of international organisations and science initiatives.
- Direct experience of working on impact-assessment projects would be highly valuable.
- A high level of literacy and excellent English is a pre-requisite, as is the ability to give presentations to diverse audiences.
- Demonstrated advanced knowledge of desktop computing software required in a modern office-based environment (e.g. MS Office, Google Apps)
As the post-holder you will be:
- A motivated self-starter with a proven ability to effectively collaborate and deliver within a high-paced professional and multinational team-environment.
- Strongly analytical, evaluative, and able to solve sometimes complex problems
This will be a busy role with frequently changing priorities so it is essential that you are able to:
- Set objectives and plan work independently based on agreed outcomes
- Meet deadlines and manage priorities to handle a heavy workload
- Work to a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
- When required, work outside normal office hours and travel to ELIXIR Nodes and stakeholder meetings
Benefits
As an inter-governmental organisation, ELIXIR offers an attractive financial package and a number of benefits for families and non-residents. Our special legal status means that ELIXIR Hub staff are not affected by Brexit (https://www.elixir-europe.org/news/status-elixir-following-uks-decision…), and we offer exemption from UK immigration restrictions to those applying from outside the EU.
We have an informal culture, international working environment and excellent professional development opportunities but one of the really amazing things about us is the concentration of technical and scientific expertise – something you probably won’t find anywhere else.
If you’ve ever visited the campus you’ll have experienced first-hand our friendly, collegial and supportive atmosphere, set in the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. Our staff also enjoy excellent sports facilities including a gym, a free shuttle bus, an on-site nursery, cafés and restaurant and a library.
Application Instructions
To apply please submit a covering letter and CV, with two referees, through our online system.
Additional Information
Applications are welcome from all nationalities - visa information will be discussed in more depth with applicants selected for interview.
ELIXIR is committed to achieving gender balance and strongly encourages applications from women, who are currently under-represented at all levels. Appointment will be based on merit alone.
This position is limited to the project duration specified.
Applications will close at 23:00 GMT on the date listed above.