Head of Digital and Creative

Reports to:

• Director of Communications and Public Engagement.

Contact term:

• This is a full-time, permanent position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Summary

The Francis Crick Institute is a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the Wellcome Trust, University College London (UCL), Imperial College London and King’s College London.  It is a registered charity whose purpose is to conduct biomedical research into all aspects of human health and disease. 

The institute is a leading centre of biomedical research and innovation. It promotes connections between researchers and disciplines and between academic institutions, healthcare organisations and businesses.  Dedicated to research excellence, the institute has the scale, vision and expertise to tackle the most challenging scientific questions underpinning health and disease.  It has a strong national role — training scientists and developing ideas for public good.

The Communications and Public Engagement team includes around 30 staff working across a wide range of projects and activities encompassing education outreach in the local community, exhibitions, public engagement in science, media and public affairs, and digital and internal communications. This is a busy and responsive team that supports the operational effectiveness of the Institute as well as delivering its promise to “engage and inspire” the public in scientific research and its outputs.

Led by the Director of Communications and Public Engagement, this team seeks to develop the profile and reputation of the Crick as an institute that is grounded in its local community while producing science that matters to the world. It is a creative team that is dedicated to science story-telling and connects with a wide and complex array of external partners in the university, commercial, philanthropic, media, educational, public engagement and museum sectors.

Role summary

The Head of Digital and Creative leads the development of the Institute’s digital strategy and brand and will work closely across the communications and public engagement team, as well as the wider Crick, to fulfil this responsibility.

The post-holder will develop and lead the digital communications strategy across multiple channels including websites and social media platforms. They will devise a digital strategy that targets specific online audiences, creating channels and content that will reach and inspire them. The Head of Digital and creative will measure the effectiveness of the Institute’s digital communications against a range of strategic targets and make adjustments where necessary.

This position is also responsible for developing the Institute’s visual identity and will lead its ongoing development and adjustment in response to the Crick’s evolving strategy. The post-holder will monitor the corporate identity policy at the Institute ensuring that a consistently recognisable identity is presented across its channels.

The Head of Digital and Creative is responsible for the development of marketing communications that supports a range of priorities including to support a developing strategy for marketing communications to support the Crick’s relationship with philanthropic and commercial organisations that seek to partner with us.  

Key responsibilities

These include but are not limited to:

• Develop and implement a successful digital communications strategy for the Crick, working closely with the head of public engagement in science to integrate digital approaches to scaling our public engagement activities.
• Develop and lead the Crick’s visual and brand identity evolving this to create impact in digital environments, commercial partnerships and fundraising communications.
• Develop and lead approaches to marketing communications developing and delivering content and materials as required.
• Develop and lead a strategy for evaluating the impact of the work of the corporate communications and digital teams sharing key insights with the executive management committee and board of directors.
• Oversee the Crick’s strategy for social media management and content creation to ensure that target audiences are able to access the Crick’s content in the right place at the right time.
• Lead the management of the Crick’s public and internal websites including making progress with their technical development, accessibility standards and navigation.
• Lead the development of new opportunities and experimentation in digital communication at the Crick including the creation of new formats including podcasts, animations and documentaries.
• Lead a process across the communications and public engagement team for quality control and standardisation across digital content and formats for the Crick to ensure consistency in brand expression.
• Lead the creative design and production approach for key content for Crick stakeholders.
• Oversee the research illustration and graphic design team to ensure consistently high services for Crick scientists and other staff.

Key experience and competencies

The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values:

Bold; Open; Collegial in addition to the following:

Essential

• Experience in the development of digital strategies for complex high-profile organisations encompassing multiple channels and matrix stakeholders.
• Technical knowledge and understanding of CMS software, hosting, UX design, IA and accessibility and how these come together to build successful websites.
• Awareness of current trends in the digital marketing and communications landscape with an eye for future opportunities that could be exploited to the benefit of the Institute.
• Experience of developing corporate identity strategies and visual brands, working with design agencies and in-house design to source the highest standard of creative vision.
• Proven track-record of delivering innovative approaches to content creation and channel; development in digital communications
• Thorough understanding of content marketing strategies as they relate to a non-profit organisation.
• Ability to lead, develop and inspire a happy and successful team of content producers, web designers, illustrators a marketing experts.
• An outstanding communicator with the ability to influence at the most senior level of an organisation.
• A highly strategic analyst with deep insight into the translation of organisational identity and objectives into authentic and effective communications that cuts through to multiple audiences.
• Ability to work independently and also a highly effective collaborator.
• Inspired by discovery science and its benefits for society.

Desirable

• Experience in science communications or science journalism in a relevant organisation in academia or the commercial sector.
• Experience in public engagement in science delivered through digital platforms and channels.
• Marketing experience in the charitable sector.