Digital communications officer

Closing date for applications: 17th August 2025

Salary: £32,000 - £35,000 per annum (based on profile and experience) 

Location: Remote within the United Kingdom 

Duration: Initial 18-month contract, with a view to becoming permanent

Bring your digital and social media skills to a mission driven team, shaping global climate conversations and supporting researchers across the Global South.

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of developing countries to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM), a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that developing countries should be empowered to conduct their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. This is a unique opportunity to shape global conversations on climate science by empowering researchers in developing countries to publish and communicate their work, collaborating with some of the world’s leading SRM experts.

We are looking for a candidate with strong digital skills and social media experience. The ideal candidate will have experience creating content for social and web, managing website content and systems, and working with digital media (photos and video). The digital communications officer will report to the communications manager and collaborate with teams across the organisation (policy engagement, programmes, fundraising) and with our researcher teams across the Global South.


Responsibilities

Social media

• Manage day-to-day social media posting across current channels (LinkedIn, X, Bluesky), posting content that aligns with our tone of voice and brand guidelines 
• Monitor social media and traditional media for mentions of Degrees and the wider topic of SRM, identifying trends and opportunities
• Evaluate social media performance and recommend potential new strategies and platforms, driven by data as well as awareness of Degrees’ position

Content creation

• Edit short videos of our researchers for social media and the website
• Design graphics for social media, reports, presentations and events, using tools such as Canva or InDesign
• Write news, profiles, and announcements for the website

Website

• Act as primary website administrator, keeping the website up to date by editing and adding new pages as required
• Maintain content consistency across the website, especially as we redevelop our site and move to a new platform (WordPress, with Gutenberg editor)
• Assist with website content migration using a good understanding of website database management systems (e.g. Jet Engine, ACF)
• Use analytics to monitor website performance and suggest SEO improvements (Google Analytics)

Team support

• Create and maintain templates for documents, presentations, etc., to ensure consistency across visual products
• Compile and deliver the quarterly newsletter (using MailChimp)
• Organise and maintain media asset folders (photos, videos, recordings) with clear tagging
• Support other teams (policy engagement, programmes, fundraising) with communications products as required

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential

• Proven experience in digital communications, including social media management and content creation
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to responsible communications that are message-led rather than trend-led
• Proficiency in digital communications tools, such as Canva and Adobe Suite
• Experience using content management systems to edit website content and maintain digital assets, such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.
• Experience applying branding and visual identity across a range of products
• A cooperative mindset; ability to work effectively within a small, multidisciplinary team
• Comfortable working in a remote team
• Ability to juggle several projects at once, sometimes with short deadlines
• Ability to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad

Desirable

• A degree in a relevant field, such as communications, journalism, international development, or a climate-related field
• Experience in the non-governmental organisation/charity space and/or in dedicated science and climate communications
• Familiarity with climate change research and debates, and solar geoengineering or solar radiation modification specifically
• Experience communicating complex and controversial topics that require thoughtful handling
• Demonstrated experience in collaborating with scientists or in communicating scientific topics
• Experience managing and organising digital assets, including photos, videos and website content
• Experience working in a remote team
• Proficiency in an additional language that is widely spoken in the Global South (e.g., Spanish, French, Portuguese)

We welcome applications from members of communities who are historically under-represented in the climate, science and development sectors.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.