Writer and Researcher (climate action)

We are seeking a writer and researcher to collect case studies of impact for UAL’s Climate Action Plan update.

In 2022, after Citizens’ Assemblies on the climate emergency convened by staff and students, UAL committed to an ambitious Climate Action Plan designed to maximise the positive impact the University could make to help halt runaway climate change and regenerate our environment.

Since then, hundreds of climate action interventions have been developed by staff members and students – from transformative curriculum change initiatives to world-leading research projects. We want to collect stories of the impact of this work, what we’ve learnt, and what might come next.

As the Writer and Researcher, you will play an important role in gathering these case studies and communicating them in a succinct and compelling way. Your role will be to research the work that’s happened on climate action, bring together different sources of evidence, and create written outputs.

The person in this role will be a skilled communicator, with experience of writing or editing for public audiences. They will have an understanding of and experience in art and design education, particularly education and contemporary debates centred around sustainability and climate justice. They will also be able to demonstrate excellent organisational and stakeholder management skills. They may have a background in journalism, research, evaluation, or communications.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Desk research – Mapping work that has happened on climate and environmental action in UAL to create a longlist of work to feature.
• Qualitative research – Conducting informal, semi-structured interviews.
• Stakeholder engagement – Working with staff and students across UAL to gather evidence and describe the work that has happened. Proactively reaching out to stakeholders and managing their involvement in the project.
• Project coordination – Keeping track of timelines and managing stakeholder lists.
• Thematic analysis – Analysing evidence to see themes and patterns, and interpret cross-cutting findings across projects and programmes.  
•  Writing – Bringing together diverse forms of evidence to create compelling case studies, testimonials, and stories of impact.
• Editorial – Providing a consistent and coherent editorial voice to the Climate Action Plan update.
• Communication – Turning case studies into stand-alone communication outputs such as internal news articles and social media content.
• General duties – Undertake other duties consistent with the scope and grade of the role, contributing to effective governance, equality and inclusion, and UAL’s Social Purpose Strategy.

Experience, knowledge and qualifications

• Proven experience of writing and editing for external publication
• Experience in collecting data through desk research, interviews, surveys or focus group
• Project management and administration skills

• Communicates effectively orally and in writing adapting the message for a diverse audience in an inclusive and accessible way.
• Confident in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including staff, students and external partners.

• Plans, prioritises and organises work to achieve objectives on time.

• Works collaboratively in a team or with different professional groups, ensuring the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion are upheld.

• Uses initiative or creativity to resolve day-to-day problems.

• Experience or interest in journalism and storytelling.
• Experience of building relationships with stakeholders in a complex organisation.