Research Communications Portfolio Manager - External Relations - 108111 - Grade 7

Position Details

External Relations

• University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
• Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
• Grade: 7
• Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to January 2028
• Closing date: 21st October 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally.

They ensure the university's resources are used wisely, manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University's objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.

Department overview

External Relations is the division responsible for delivering our University to the world and prides itself in seizing opportunities that will enhance the profile and reputation of the University. We engage with many different audiences to build purposeful relationships internally, locally, nationally and internationally. We enable those who wish to apply to study on our courses to make informed choices. We recognise that we are strongest when we work together and take pride in upholding our core values of being ambitious, innovative, open, collaborative and responsible.

Role Summary

The Research Communications Portfolio Manager plays a pivotal role in amplifying the scale, visibility and impact of our research globally. Working within designated academic area of the University, the postholder is responsible for working with internal stakeholders to develop and deliver a research communications strategy that enhances the global reputation of their area's research, its academics and that of the University.

The postholder will have an excellent understanding of their designated area's national and international research environment and be able to identify and leverage opportunities to raise the Universities research profile within target audiences. The postholder will build and maintain effective relationships and collaborate with external and internal stakeholders, including relevant board members, researchers, senior colleagues across External Relations, research partners and funders including philanthropic sources.

Main Duties

Develop, coordinate and deliver the designated area's research communications Strategy to meet agreed KPIs, managing budgets and commissioning activity, where appropriate, in partnership with relevant teams and departments. This Strategy will be within the framework set by the wider communications Strategy and will align with priorities Set by the External Relations Business Partner and External Relations.

Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including External Relations Business partners, portfolio Managers, senior academic staff, the wider ER division, and Other Professional Services, representing the designated area's perspective in key meetings and forums, in order to help align designated area and University research communications priorities and plans.

Provide audience insight and adapt strategies to reflect profile -raising opportunities.

Review and analyse the success of research communication activities — monitoring volume, value and impact, analysing trends and adjusting tactics to optimise performance.

Create and/or commission communications materials and updates across a range of forms including online, publications, presentations, digital media (including film, vodcasts, etc.), briefings and internal reports.

Provide specialist research communications advice and support to academics, including traditional media, thought leadership, digital and social media.

Work with the Events teams to ensure maximum benefit from activities such as large -scale international conferences and public engagement activity and oversee the planning and delivery of research-focused internal and on campus events.

Highlight designated area's research excellence to support recruitment of prospective students, staff recruitment campaigns, public affairs, and alumni relations and development activity, working together with relevant colleagues.

Build strong relationships with other Research Communications Portfolio Managers, academic colleagues and the wider research community across disciplines to align efforts, ensure consistency and amplify the reach of inter-disciplinary research. Ensure colleagues are informed of communications activities.

Collaborate on the internal communications strategy within designated area, working with internal stakeholders across Professional Services to align communications.

Support in crisis communications as required.

Leadership

• Represent the designated area in strategic planning discussions, articulating research communications opportunities and priorities.
• Manage the communications budget for the designated area.
• Matrix management of resource that is deployed to support the delivery of the designated areas' research communications strategy.
• Deputise for the relevant Business Partner on research communications matters.
• Working with colleagues across areas and in Centres of Excellence promote a culture of collaboration, ensuring that teams are working effectively together to deliver the best outcome.

General Duties

• Promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Supports the University's sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade. Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus relevant practical experience - where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required.

Substantial experience in a Communications/Press/PR role as part of a complex organisation.

Demonstrable experience in devising and delivering mufti-channel strategic communications plans for a wide range of projects, with a creative approach for identifying new opportunities and avenues for Research Communications activities

Demonstrable project management skills with experience managing complex campaigns.

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information to diverse audiences.

Creative problem-solver with a proactive and resilient approach.

Experience with crisis communications is desirable.

Demonstrable track record of experience of working with the media and proactive successes e .g. selling stories.

Proven experience in managing relationships with the ability to lead, influence, and collaborate across teams, with senior stakeholders, and with external stakeholders.

Cultural awareness and understanding of the need for sensitivity in engagement with different audiences, and how this might be embedded.

High level of professionalism, discretion, and tact when handling and managing sensitive information/issues.

Ability to analyse and interpret complex data and market research, applying insights to communications strategies.

Highly organised with meticulous attention to detail and high standards of accuracy under tight deadlines.

Experience of managing budgets.

A team player who can also work independently, managing multiple priorities effectively.

Willingness to travel and work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Promote a supportive and inclusive team culture working with discretion, demonstrate diplomacy, maintain confidentiality and ensure compliance with GDPR and other regulations as required.

Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to communicate clearly, and to produce and analyse information and data.

Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Informal enquiries to Matthew McMahon, email: [email protected]

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations.

We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.