Accountable to: Head of Schools, Impact & Partnerships
Location: 21 Albemarle Street, London with some travel and opportunity for remote working
Contract type: approx 12-month maternity cover from January 2025 to December 2025
Full time, 35 hours per week; Flexible working patterns considered
Salary: c. £30,000 to £33,000 per annum
About the role and you
The Royal Institution (Ri) is a charity which has been encouraging people to think more deeply about science and its impact on our lives for more than 200 years. We have always believed that access to science should be for everyone.
The aim of the Masterclass programme is to introduce children and young people to the excitement and beauty of mathematics and computer science, challenging them to creatively explore these subjects and their applications beyond the classroom experience. As a series of hands-on workshops, the Masterclasses offer an opportunity for extended engagement allowing young people to gain an insight into a variety of STEM topics.
The Ri has been running Masterclasses for over 40 years, having started in 1981 following the success of Professor Sir Christopher Zeeman’s 1978 CHRISTMAS LECTURES entitled “Mathematics into Pictures”. Our Masterclass programme now reaches students in all corners of the UK at both primary and secondary level, with over 5000 students from Aberdeen to Truro taking part in Masterclasses this year.
Are you excited about bringing STEM to life for young people? If so, this is an exciting opportunity to use and develop your STEM communication and programme coordination skills. You will support the effective running of the UK-wide Masterclass programme, by liaising with regional Masterclass contributors across the UK , and helping to recruit and train new ones. You will answer queries and support delivery of masterclasses , both at the Ri and across the UK as required.
Most Masterclass series are organised and run by local contributors and led by expert volunteer speakers, supported by the Ri’s Masterclass team. Contributors include academics, teachers and STEM professionals and you will need excellent communication, customer service and relationship management skills to support their involvement in the programme.
Your attention to detail and ability to balance a varied workload will be vital when working with this busy and dedicated group of stakeholders.
You will ideally have some or all of the following experience:
- Experience of teaching mathematics/computer science, or delivering or developing STEM enrichment activities for young people
- An understanding of the UK schools system
- Experience of working in the charity, UK education or STEM Engagement sectors
- Experience in delivering training activities
- Experience in working with database systems, ideally Salesforce CRM, and record management
Full training and support will be provided by the Ri Masterclass team’s STEM communication and subject specialists.
Additional Information
Some Saturday working during term-time is essential, as you will attend Masterclasses both in the Ri building and across the UK as required. This may involve some travel and overnight stays, with time off in lieu for weekend work.
As the position involves working with young people, the post holder will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS clearance and related checks as mandated by UK laws and regulations.
To apply, please download the Job Description and Person Specification below and submit your CV and a supporting statement of no more than 500 words explaining why you are applying for this job and how your skills and experience meet the criteria set out in the person specification to recruitment@ri.ac.uk.
Closing Date: 9.00am on Tuesday 3 December 2024
Interviews planned for 11 and 13 December
About the Royal Institution
The purpose of the Royal Institution is to connect as many people as possible with science. We've been doing it for well over 200 years and have an international reach, working with world-leading scientists, from Hannah Fry to Carlo Rovelli.
The Ri has a clear vision that ‘Science is for Everyone’ and it is our belief that everyone should have equitable access to science. Through our packed event programme available in person or online, our UK schools outreach and social impact initiatives, and our global digital reach including over 1.5m YouTube subscribers we achieve our mission by connecting people with scientists to explore science together.
In our historic Grade I listed Mayfair building, discoveries were made that literally changed the world. Today it acts as base for the Ri team and tenants as well as a busy and vibrant event space for private and corporate events.