Head of Communications and Engagement at the Medical Research Council Unit the Gambia (MRCG)

Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia - The MRC Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is one of two research units established in sub- Saharan Africa by the Medical Research Council UK and is the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM’s single largest investment in medical research in a low and middle income country. MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM represents a unique concentration of scientific expertise and high quality research platforms in the West African region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head of Communications and Engagement

Location: Gambia
Grade: 1 - 40 points

Introduction

• The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MRCG at LSHTM) has an international reputation for groundbreaking research into some of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the tropics.
• Achievements include a large trial showing the efficacy of Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine in The Gambia and the subsequent near elimination of the disease, pioneering work on the impact of insecticide-treated bed nets as a preventive measure against malaria leading up to their worldwide use, and studies demonstrating the impact of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines on pneumonia and child mortality.
• The Unit’s research portfolio has been organized under three themes: Nutrition,
• Disease Control & Elimination and Vaccines & Immunity. Research in these themes seeks to target the health needs of developing countries, to reinforce sub-regional and international collaborations and to address some of the major current priorities formulated in the WHO Sustainable Development Goals. 

Purpose of Job

• The Head of Communications & Engagement is a key role within the Medical Research Institute Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MRCG at LSHTM). The post holder is responsible for all strategic implementation of the Communications & Engagement Department’s activities and outputs and providing oversight and guidance of communications across the entire MRCG at LSHTM.
• As head of department, they will plan and drive the delivery of key strategic communications work, projects, and campaigns, ensure the provision of Unit-wide communications services, and provide guidance and leadership to all staff in the Communications & Engagement department in undertaking their work.
• They will lead on enhancing the MRCG’s reputation and profile within The Gambia, West Africa, and internationally. They are responsible for developing the Unit’s communications strategy and ensuring the MRCG is visible to internal and external stakeholders and that its vision, scientific strategy, values, platforms, academic and other outputs, impact on policy and research support capacity are clearly represented.
• They will ensure the MRCG’s many and diverse communication and engagement requirements are met and that the MRCG is well and accurately represented to external and internal stakeholders across researchers, media, funders, government, students, and more.
• The head is responsible for the leadership, management, and professional development of all communications and engagement specialists in the department, which will total six personnel with room to grow.
• They are expected to work with a minimum level of direct supervision and must be able to plan and prioritise their workload, working closely with the Department of Communications & Engagement at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine through informal dotted-line reporting, and with communications leads at MRC/UKRI as per agreed communications processes and policies.

Key Responsibilities
Corporate Communications

• Strengthen the MRCG’s and LSHTM’s reputation as a leader in public and global health research through clear, effective, and accessible communications and engagement.
• Implement the MRCG Communication Strategy in collaboration with leadership and stakeholders, providing ongoing development, implementation, and evaluation of all communications and channels.
• Provide input into and deliver on sections related to or involving communications and engagement in the current QQ strategic plan.
• Provide communications leadership to relevant advisory boards, project teams, and steering groups across MRCG.
• Lead communications and content strategy for key projects, partnerships, campaigns, and initiatives.
• Lead all corporate communications, including flagship publications and campaigns, crisis communications and reputation management communications, and emergency planning and protocols.
• Finalize the physical and digital implementation of UKRI/MRC branding and visual identity and maintain branding standards and QA across the MRCG going forward.
• Work closely with other senior colleagues to set overall standards of service for communications across MRCG, representing Communications & Engagement internally at all levels, and externally to journalists, editors, etc. and stakeholders including funders, government bodies, etc.
• Manage working relationships with other MRCG staff involved in communications, particularly research project communications, ensuring coordination with central communications, alignment with MRCG’s protocols, mission and strategic priorities.
• Promote available marketing and communications services to colleagues, partners and other key stakeholders, both proactively (i.e., producing information for intranet, analysis and evaluation reports, attending departmental meetings, lectures) and reactively (i.e. in emergency situations), ensuring marketing and communications are effective and in the strategic interests of MRCG.
• Work in close collaboration with counterparts in LSHTM, the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, as well as UKRI/MRC and attend regular meetings with LSHTM and MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, colleagues providing regular updates, reports and data as agreed.
• Update all outstanding communications policies and SOPs, including those across LSHTM and MRC/UKRI and internally.

Internal Communications:

• Develop, manage, assess, and maintain a new program of internal communication practices and protocols across all relevant channels (intranet, e-mail, mailing lists, etc.), driving and overseeing appropriate use and control of channels overseen by the department.
• Finalise and oversee the delivery of the MRCG internal staff newsletter.
• Work with LSHTM colleagues, MRCG IT staff, and consultants where necessitated to develop and deliver the new Sharepoint as a key project.
• Provide guidance to senior staff and leadership, and work with relevant department staff to deliver internal communications on a regular and ad hoc basis, creating and fostering a culture of transparency and informed practices.
• Ensure branding and logo use is implemented Unit-wide and used correctly by Unit staff, supporting them to obtain design iterations as required strategically.

External Communications:

• Oversee and guide the strategic delivery of the department and maintain and uphold communications and branding best practices across digital content, press and media, public engagement, and research communications staff and workstreams
• Make editorial decisions on a daily basis and support department staff in delivery, to ensure communications activities are appropriate, strategically important, accurate and relevant.
• Manage a review of all existing social media channels for audience segmentation and the development of a new social media strategy.
• Ensure the Unit is effectively and accurately represented across the website, social media, (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and traditional press, and that all external messaging and information are accessible, and presented in a format understandable to lay and expert audiences as required.
• Project manage and deliver a full update of the new Unit website, inclusive of a content and structure assessment, correction and removal of outdated content, necessary restructuring to better reflect the Unit’s comprehensive profile across industry, patients, public, and partners; create a content strategy and ensure regular maintenance and best practices going forward.
• Assess the resources and demand for the establishment of a new external newsletter and its delivery, if agreed.
• Monitor correct use of Unit name and logo in the media and other non-Unit channels.
• Support research teams to achieve their research communications and public engagement targets in line with project and funder expectations on a costrecovery basis where feasible.
• Liaise with LSHTM and MRC/UKRI press teams for any collaborative media outputs such as planning and issuing press releases.
• Support positive engagement and deepening of relationships with key partners across all levels. Leadership and Training
• Line manage and lead a department of communication and engagement professionals to achieve departmental and individual targets.
• Continuously develop and support department staff, manage performance and cultivate an inclusive, productive and positive working environment.
• Develop a programme for annual appraisals with staff and to identify and deliver or support relevant training and career development needs.
• Develop the Unit’s Communications & Engagement department strategically to effectively meet present and future communications needs.
• Support training of non-departmental staff on relevant MRCG and LSHTM policies and procedures, as well as providing guidance on best practices in communications.
• Project manage the delivery of protocols and processes for data storage for the department.

Operational

• Continuously work to develop and improve the effectiveness, quality and value for money of the Unit’s communication channels and activities.
• Where necessary or requested within reason, travel to the Unit’s field stations and sites as well as to communities the Unit works in, and occasional international travel to the UK and Uganda on a needed basis.
• Manage the Communications & Engagement budget, to ensure optimal impact and value for money.
• Assess the feasibility and practicalities of developing a core model of research-funded communications officers and deliver upon the model if agreed.
• Develop and lead implementation of activities that improve the environmental impact of the Communications & Engagement department.
• Participate in carbon emission reduction activities across the Unit and wider LSHTM and act as an advocate for the responsible and efficient use of resources.
• Undertake or manage relevant project management including planning, delivering and evaluating marketing and communications activity across a strategic projects and initiatives, providing expert communications advice to key stakeholders as necessary. Metrics and Analysis
• Undertake regular analysis of communications practices, personnel, and channels to understand trends and make adjustments and improvements where require.
• Define and implement Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the Communications & Engagement department, and report on KPI performance in regular meetings with Unit COO.
• Provide regular update reports to Unit COO and Leadership Board.
• Deliver other regular and ad-hoc summaries, data and other corporate communication outputs (fact sheets, brochures etc.) as required.
• Track compliance of MRCG with relevant UKRI/MRC requirements and respond to all reporting requests from UKRI/MRC and LSHTM where necessitated. LSHTM Integration
• Support activities that drive the further integration of the Unit’s communications function into LSHTM.
• Collaborate with colleagues across all 3 LSHTM sites (London, The Gambia, Uganda).
• Work closely with LSHTM colleagues to maintain and manage the Unit website.
• Drive harmonization of policies and procedures between Unit and LSHTM London.
• Ensure participation in weekly editorials hosted by LSHTM to represent and share MRCG’s upcoming content.

Relationships:

• The Unit Director is Professor Umberto D’Alessandro.
• The post holder will report to the Chief Operations Officer, Dr Davis Nwakanma.
• The post-holder is a full-time member of the MRCG at LSHTM staff.

Length of appointment:

• The appointment is up to 31 March 2027 in the first instance and is subject to a probationary period of 6 months.

Appraisals:

• Appraisals are held at least annually.

Other:

• To perform any other duties consistent within the remit of the post.

Personal Specification
Essential:

• Higher Education in a relevant field to Master’s Degree level and significant experience in media and communications.
• Proven experience of effectively leading communications and personnel in a complex organisation, ideally in a Higher Education or similar environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, and the ability to present information in clear, concise, and compelling ways.
• Strong leadership skills with ability to negotiate and influence senior stakeholders both internal and external, and provide mentorship and development to junior staff.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment together with the ability to communicate and negotiate at all levels.
• Experience of overseeing and writing, editing and managing production of a range of communications including corporate communications, reports, policy briefs, media features, websites and social media, and more.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to coordinate and prioritise a complex workload, meet multiple deadlines, manage projects, and delegate appropriately to deliver successful outcomes.
• Excellent IT skills including use of editing and web content management software, databases and email communications management tools.
• Proven ability to use initiative and judgement to anticipate potential issues and solve problems at a senior level.
• High level of personal motivation and flexibility; ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to act with diplomacy and tact and display high levels of emotional intelligence.

Desirable:

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Understanding and experience of factors affecting the research and/or higher education environment, and other factors which may impact on MRCG activity including, for example, political and policy developments/changes.
• Experience at a senior level in an international multicultural work environment.

Application Closing Date
31st March, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download and fill the Application Form below and send to: recruitment@mrc.gm

Click here to Download Application Form (MS Word)

Click here for more information

Note

• MRC is an Equal Opportunities Employer and operates a strict no smoking policy.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.