Specialist Policy Officer – Sustainability and Resilience

The University of Southampton is hiring a Specialist Policy Officer for Sustainability and Resilience. This role involves providing policy engagement support to researchers, enhancing the impact of their work on sustainability issues. The position requires collaboration with various policy actors and spans multiple disciplines. It is a full-time, fixed-term role based in Eastleigh, UK, with a focus on addressing challenges in decarbonisation, climate change, health, and nature-based solutions.
Overview

This role is an opportunity to join a diverse, creative and agile team at the heart of a research intensive, Russell Group university. Our mission is to enhance the 'local, sub-national, national and international public policy impact of research conducted at the University of Southampton'. In practice this means building connections and capacity for academics and policymakers to engage in mutually beneficial dialogue to address the challenges our communities face. Our work spans across all faculties and disciplines at the University of Southampton and includes engaging with policy actors ranging from local councillors through to the United Nations. This role has been designed to meet increased demand for policy engagement support from our globally renowned researchers in the interdisciplinary Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI). The successful candidate will be capable of moving between a broad range of subject areas to support colleagues across diverse disciplines.

SRI's vision is a sustainable and resilient world where synergies and trade-offs are well-managed between social, economic, environmental, and cultural needs across society. We are a focal point for collaboration through mobilising University of Southampton (UoS) expertise and partners to provide impactful answers to society's sustainability and resilience challenges. This role will contribute to the successful delivery of this vision by delivering specialised policy engagement support to researchers within the interdisciplinary Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI). The role will enable the Institute to identify and engage with relevant policy makers in the UK and overseas to enhance the impact of its strategic research themes which cover decarbonisation, climate change, health and wellbeing, and nature based solutions, across regional, national and international scales.

We strongly encourage applicants from groups traditionally under-represented in the UK higher education sector (you can find out more about our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action plan here). We actively encourage applicants seeking flexible working/job share employment to accommodate caring/volunteering/educational commitments. The role is offered as full time (35 hours a week) on a fixed term basis with pension auto-enrolment to the Universities Superannuation Scheme and generous holiday allocation of 30 days (pro rata) plus 14 University closure/public holidays. This role is initially offered as a 2 year fixed term basis with an ambition that, should funding be agreed, the position would be extended.
Responsibilities
• Deliver specialised policy engagement support to researchers within the Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI).
• Enable the Institute to identify and engage with relevant policy makers in the UK and overseas to enhance the impact of its strategic research themes (decarbonisation, climate change, health and wellbeing, nature-based solutions) across regional, national and international scales.
• Support researchers to move between a broad range of subject areas to assist colleagues across disciplines.
• Engage with policy actors ranging from local councillors to the United Nations.
What we offer and terms
• Full-time (35 hours per week) on a fixed-term basis for 24 months, with pension auto-enrolment to the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
• Generous holiday entitlement of 30 days (pro rata) plus 14 University closure/public holidays.
• The role is initially offered for 2 years with potential extension if funding is agreed.
• Any flexible working considerations or job-sharing arrangements will be considered to accommodate caring/volunteering/educational commitments.
Contact and application details

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How to apply: Apply online. For questions contact Recruitment on +44(0)2380 592750 or recruitment@soton.ac.uk quoting the job number.

Job details: Reference 3210025TW. Closing Date: Wednesday 15 October 2025. Interview Date: To be confirmed.

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Salary: GBP 36000 - 60000 per year