Applications for this opportunity are now closed.

The British Educational Research Association (BERA) has a new opportunity available for a Publications and Digital Content Officer to join our team. The BERA Office operates on a flexible working arrangement with some core days in the office (currently based at UCL IOE in Bloomsbury) required of all staff but flexibility is a central part of our offer. In return you will receive a competitive salary of £27,000-£38,500 per annum.

Main purpose of the Publications and Digital Content Officer role:

This post plays a key role in fulfilling BERA’s strategic priorities by delivering a range of web and digital marketing, publications and communications.

The post holder is responsible for digital content creation and management, and for developing and maintaining BERA’s online presence. The post holder reports to BERA’s Publications Manager and also works closely with the Membership & Engagement Manager, in tandem with other members of staff both within the immediate office and across BERA’s professional networks and suppliers.

You will advance BERA’s strategic priorities, by:

Supporting our publishing portfolio, such as our members’ magazine Research Intelligence and our reports
Designing and producing creative digital content
Supporting our digital outputs including but not limited to the BERA Blog, podcast and online events
Maintaining our digital presence, including ensuring our website is up to date and user friendly
Supporting our social media activity

This role reports to BERA’s Publications Manager but works across the office team.

All roles are externally evaluated before being graded. BERA roles are rated against a competency framework which can be found alongside the details for this role. There are 4 primary grades within our structure with 4 being the most senior. This role is a Grade 2.

As our Publications and Digital Content Officer you will need the following skills and experience:

Active and in-depth knowledge of social and digital media and its applications
Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including the communication of complex information
Strong IT skills and computer literacy and familiarity with the Microsoft suite of software to intermediate level in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Email, Outlook, and the internet
Excellent design skills, creative flair and experience with Adobe Creative Cloud (Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
Experience of working in a marketing/communications or publishing environment
Experience of implementing online marketing tactics to drive web traffic, including search, media, optimisation, social networking and e-mail
Experience of working with and managing information across different Content Management Systems (CMS)
Experience of maintaining websites, and of using related technologies (we use WordPress)
Taking proactive steps where you see an opportunity to fulfil a need
Knowing your key stakeholders and keeping them informed
Highly organised in your approach to work, with the ability to prioritise your work under pressure to ensure it is completed accurately and to deadline, exercising initiative and working independently as appropriate
The desire to work as part of a team, with a commitment to be collaborative, flexible, inclusive and supportive of colleagues
Excellent record keeping skills, a high degree of accuracy in your work and proven ability to pay close attention to detail

The following skills and experience are also desirable:

Proficiency with video editing software (for example, Adobe Premiere)
An understanding of the higher education or research environment
Experience of copy writing and producing accessible digital content
Experience of working for a membership organisation

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Support our publications activities

Support the Publications Manager in delivering BERA’s academic publishing: across our magazine Research Intelligence, the BERA Blog and other online publications and reports
Assist with the day-to-day administration of the BERA Blog, including tracking submissions, liaising with the editorial team and contributors, and uploading blog posts to the BERA website
Compile regular Google Analytics reports to support the Publications Manager and BERA Blog editorial team in developing effective strategies for the blog and in editing blog posts to improve discoverability and SEO
Assist in the co-ordination of publishing projects through all stages, including maintaining publishing schedules, tracking content, and posting digital publications on the BERA website
Source appropriate images and/or photography for print and web use
Lay out text-based reports and publications in Adobe InDesign using existing design templates
Write, edit and proof-read material for online communications to an excellent standard, ensuring consistency and compliance with quality standards, branding, design, accessibility and textual style guidelines

Design and produce creative digital content

Support the Membership & Engagement Manager to maintain and implement BERA’s online and digital presence, including the BERA website and social media
Maintain and update BERA’s visual identity and brand standards and style and repurpose content for different audiences and channels
Design and produce creative digital content such as graphics for the website, newsletters and social media
Produce adverts, leaflets and project logos
Create, co-ordinate and deliver the creative content (words, images, video) and functionality of the website, including design and content, within the brand guidelines
Provide regular reports and analysis on web and digital media usage and trends using Google Analytics and online sources
Proactively suggest ways to improve navigation and user experience on the BERA website

Support digital outputs including but not limited to online events and the BERA podcast

Support the Events Manager to produce adverts, leaflets, event materials and event branding
Produce infographics and liaise with external companies to produce videos, photography, animations and other content
Keep up to date on best practices for digital communications and on the forefront of trends, technology, media and best practices in managing digital content and responsive design
Edit and post event videos, presentations and recorded livestreams
Schedule, post and promote the BERA podcast

Support our social media activity

Work with the Membership & Engagement Manager to manage daily monitoring of social media channels including scheduling, monitoring, and evaluating content
Maintain and create content for blogs, news, video and social channels such as Twitter, Linked-In, YouTube and Facebook (or equivalent)
Support the Membership & Engagement Manager with integrated social media planning for projects and campaigns and drive engagement and increase followers across social media channels
Keep up to date with emerging social media trends and the activity of other organisations, sharing learnings with colleagues and using this to inform decisions on tactics and content

The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. All members of staff are required to be professional, co-operative and flexible in line with the needs of the post. As duties and responsibilities change the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder.

The BERA Office and Benefits

BERA is the largest UK-wide educational research organisation. With almost 2,500 members, it is a member-led organisation dedicated to supporting educational researchers and promoting high-quality research in education. It seeks to enhance the field of study, the growth of public knowledge and critical understanding, and the application of findings for the improvement of educational policy and practice.

BERA has a small central office, designed to manage the day-to-day business of the Association. Its work is overseen by a Chief Executive appointed by Council, who is responsible for, and has oversight of, all BERA’s functions and activities. Our staffing structure can be seen alongside this specification.

We offer a generous set of terms and conditions, including 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays and additional office closure days. We also offer a 10% employers’ pension contribution and employee assistance programme, as well as training and development opportunities. We are in the process of enhancing all our terms and conditions and the post holder will be invited to transfer into these once finalised.

How to Apply

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter setting out how you meet the requirements within the person specification along with your personal details and our equal opportunities monitoring forms.

By applying for this role you are declaring that you have the right to work in the UK and proof of this will be required before a final offer can be made.

To apply for the role, or if you would like a conversation about the role, please email jobs@bera.ac.uk with “Publications and Digital” in the subject line.