Full job descriptionMarketing & Student Recruitment
Paisley Campus (with travel to other UWS campuses as necessary)


Communications Officer
Salary: Grade 5 £34,610- £41,064 per annum
Full time: 35 hours per week
Fixed Term: 8 months




This role may be eligible for visa sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route. If requiring visa sponsorship, the successful applicant will also need to meet a range of individual criteria to satisfy Home Office requirements. If the role is offered on a part-time basis, this might also affect eligibility.
Applicants are encouraged to individually assess whether they may be eligible for visa sponsorship prior to applying. More information on eligibility can be found on the Government website.




THE POST – Communications Officer


The University of West of Scotland is recruiting for an experienced Communications Officer to join the Marketing and Student Recruitment team on a fixed term basis of 8 months.


This position plays a key role in delivering UWS’s communications priorities through the delivery of high-quality, integrated communications to reach our external and internal audiences. The successful candidate will act as a key interface for the communications function at UWS and will be required to liaise with colleagues, students and other stakeholders across the University on a wide variety of communication matters, in order to support delivery of the strategic priorities. They will provide professional communications expertise and knowledge to advise key stakeholders and colleagues on best practice, appropriate channel selection and then deliver these to a high standard.


The post holder will cover numerous communication areas including external communication, internal staff communication, student communication, public relations, media relations, campaigns, social media, publications, producing content for the web and providing support for UWS events, publications and public affairs activity.


The successful candidate should have the following:


*Educated to degree level or equivalent, preferably including a communications element, with recent work experience relevant to the role.
*In-depth experience in implementing best practice in corporate communications - to be able to make connections between the news agenda, institutional priorities, products and services, and see opportunities for leveraging best practice and new thinking.
*A working knowledge in corporate and consumer PR, including proven expertise in devising and implementing effective integrated communications campaigns.
*A proven track record in the delivery of integrated communications campaigns targeting multiple audiences - e.g. media, stakeholders, consumers and employees.
*Strong stakeholder engagement experience with proven experience of influencing at all levels of the organisation.
*Internal communications experience in a large and complex organisation.


ABOUT US
The University of the West of Scotland is one of Scotland’s largest and most dynamic modern universities. Our reach across the country, together with our London campus, means that UWS is a significant force in global knowledge creation, innovation, and a leading provider of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree education. Our degrees provide students with a transformational experience; equipping them with highly sought-after graduate skills that set them up for global success in world-leading sectors, industries and businesses.
With cutting-edge courses, modern pedagogy and practical knowledge, we enable our students and staff to experience the joy of learning, teaching, research and innovation, and apply their knowledge for the benefit of others.
UWS is officially ranked by Times Higher Education in the top 200 universities worldwide under 50 years old (2024 Young University Rankings)
Our professional services teams are the backbone of UWS, providing robust and innovative solutions to support the vast range of work across learning and teaching, and research and innovation. You will join a supportive and dedicated team, playing a key role in a range of work that will help drive forward our ambition to deliver world-leading research, and graduates who will design, shape and build a new future.


We offer our staff a caring and supportive environment, across five campuses, and a competitive benefits package which includes:


*24 days of annual leave, plus a further 12 days for public/university holidays
*An additional days leave on your birthday
*Defined benefit contribution pension scheme (including death in service benefits upon joining the scheme
*A flexible approach to working pattern and work-life balance
*Employee discount scheme across 3,500 retailers
*Fitness facilities across our campuses
*Access to a range of health and wellbeing resources, including occupational health, physiotherapy and access to our Employee Assistance Programme
*Professional, career and research development opportunities.


Closing Date: Wednesday 17th June
Interview Date: Friday 26th June




Please note that the appointment will be made on the first point of the salary scale (unless by exception, where evidence would need to be provided).


The University reserves the right to shorten/extend the closing date of any position where a high/low volume of suitable applications are received. Therefore, if you are interested in this role, an early application would be encouraged.


You can find out more about how the University uses your personal data as part of the recruitment process by looking at the UWS HR Applicant Privacy Notice
UWS are committed signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant.
UWS is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from underrepresented groups.
UWS is a "Disability Confident" employer.
University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity, no. SC002520