Julia Anderson Communication and Events Trainee (Climate Change and Mental Health)

Imperial College London is seeking a Julia Anderson Communication and Events Trainee focused on Climate Change and Mental Health. This role, based in the UK, offers hands-on experience in communications for the Institute of Global Health Innovation. Responsibilities include contributing to reports, conducting research, and engaging with various stakeholders. The position is open to school leavers without a degree, and the salary is £28,627 per annum.
Job number: MED05114

Salary or Salary range: £28,627 per annum

Posting End Date: 30 Mar 2025

About the role

The Julia Anderson trainee programme provides individuals who are at the early stage of their career with hands-on experience working on projects or activities conducted by the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI).

Being a Julia Anderson Trainee with the Communications Team at IGHI will provide you with exciting opportunities and benefits. Prior work experience in communications is not required, and we will support the trainee to get as much out of this training as possible.

We would welcome a school leaver (someone without a university or college degree) to apply.

On Tuesday 18 March at 6pm a webinar will be held to provide you with more information on the programme, the training positions on offer and useful advice for your application. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions. We highly recommend you join this webinar. To register please sign up here:

https://imperial-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DOf0zkJ7T4ysNJprnCFktw

The Communications Trainee will support communications and activities at the Institute of Global Health Innovation’s (IGHI) Climate Cares Centre, the first globally connected research unit dedicated to climate change and mental health. The centre has been at the forefront of the growing climate change and mental health field, with some key projects funded by Wellcome.

The Climate Cares Centre aims to protect mental health and strengthen psychosocial resilience in a changing climate, as well as enable climate action that benefits mental health and wellbeing. The Trainee will work on various communications projects, collaborating with colleagues both at the Grantham Institute and IGHI, researchers, policymakers, and renowned professionals in the field.

What you would be doing

You will contribute to the communications and activities of the Climate Cares Centre by getting involved in the following elements of project delivery.

Key responsibilities will include:
• Climate Cares Impact Report launch: contribute to the write-up of a report highlighting the Centre’s achievements over a 6-12 month period (with the trainee’s name listed as one of the authors); review the previous report’s impact and social statistics to develop insights that inform future strategies and decision-making; assist in designing and formatting the report to ensure it is visually engaging and accessible to a diverse audience; and support its dissemination through social media, newsletters, and other communication channels
• Communications outputs exploring the links between climate-caused weather events and their negative effects on mental health: conduct desk research on this topic, particularly during the summer (i.e. heatwaves) including studies and news pieces, engage with or interview experts in the field and write a blog post; create and analyse performance of social posts on our channels
• Climate education and mental health research programme: contribute to the creation of engaging ways of sharing research insights from a project on climate change education in schools and universities. Work with the researchers and the project’s youth advisory group to creatively share messages with youth audiences and policy makers (e.g. blogs, social media)
• Digital Communications and Events support: oversee social media channels by drafting, editing, and publishing posts using social media marketing and management tools; assist with regular website updates by editing and/or writing engaging copy for web pages, creating and/or editing visual content such as news pieces, promoting education programmes on climate change and mental health at Imperial for people working in policy and civil servants (i.e. Apolitical course); support various events at Climate Cares and IGHI with planning, AV, photography, etc.

You will be responsible for completing any tasks assigned to you, and for asking for support and help as required. On a daily basis, you will be responsible for checking in with the Comms team, obtaining and providing updates and ensuring their tasks within each workstream are delivered on time. You will be supported and mentored throughout your placement, ensuring your workload is enjoyable and manageable.

What we are looking for
• Experience working in a team and with other people
• Experience with writing – academic writing (dissertation, essays, etc.), personal blogs, articles, school newspaper, etc. And the ability to effectively synthesise complex information
• Experience of managing or monitoring professional or personal social media (Instagram, X, LinkedIn, etc.)
• An understanding of or interest in climate change and mental health / healthcare education / health research
• Excellent creative skills, willingness to think outside of the box
• Highly organised, strong attention to detail and able to work to deadlines
• Good communication skills, able to tailor messages to a wide range of audiences, and an interest in drafting impactful communications
• Interest in learning or developing data analysis skills
• Ability to work with software including MS Office (MS Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel etc.) and other platforms such as Canva and social media

What we can offer you
• Develop writing and communication skills in a variety of formats and for various audiences, generating considerable outputs by the end of your training g. social media posts, reports, blogs, news stories, website, graphics, newsletters, interviews
• Gain insights into the the field of climate change and mental health
• Develop data analysis and statistical skills when putting together performance reports
• Develop organisational and time management skills when supporting events
• Become familiar with online communications platforms (e.g. Content Management Systems, social media, newsletter )
• Work with multidisciplinary teams and centres of excellence, including high-profile researchers, policy fellows, communications and operations professionals
• Get involved with a wide range of opportunities at the Institute of Global Health Innovation and be involved in a broad range of activities during your placement, and network across the Institute
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

This post is offered on a full time and fixed-term basis for 12 weeks with a target start date of the 7th July 2025 and based at the St Mary’s Campus (Paddington).

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Waheeda Zafar w.aadam@imperial.ac.uk

We are running a name- and university-anonymous application for this recruitment. This is as part of the University’s commitment to equal opportunities and to reduce potential bias in the shortlisting process.

Applicants will be assigned an application reference number and applicants’ names will not be visible to recruiting managers until the interview stage.