Race and Ethnicity Lead

Join the Royal Society of Chemistry and help us shape a more inclusive future:  

We seek a proactive individual to take on the role of Race and Ethnicity Unit Lead on a two-year fixed-term basis. 

About the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC):

The RSC is a dynamic not-for-profit organization with a global presence, employing 700 dedicated professionals across six countries. With a thriving international community of over 50,000 members in 100+ countries, we are a respected publisher of high-quality chemical science knowledge. We are also the professional body for chemists in the UK, advocating for the chemical sciences and championing diversity, inclusion, and equality.

Our purpose is ‘to help the chemical sciences community make the world a better place’. We believe that people thrive in organisations where they feel they belong, and diversity of thought, perspective and experience are required for individuals and organisations to be successful. Through our long-term commitment to inclusion and diversity we have developed multiple interventions, demonstrating a thought-leadership position to drive change in the culture of chemistry. Our Inclusion and Diversity strategy will push us harder and further than ever before. We aim to increase the diversity of people choosing the chemical sciences and fulfilling their potential for a truly inclusive community. 

About the Race and Ethnicity Lead role:

Our Race and Ethnicity Unit represents our commitment in action to tackling racism and ethnic inequalities uncovered in the chemical sciences. The Unit was established in 2022 as a three-year pilot with an initial investment of £1.5M to serve as a basis to evaluate outcomes and impact, and future needs in the community and for our future work.

Leading a small team and collaborating with other colleagues in the Global Inclusion team and across the organisation, as our Race and Ethnicity Unit Lead you will oversee delivery of a range of programmes to tackle racism and ethnic inequalities in the chemical sciences. You will lead on the delivery and evaluation of the pilot, identify and work with key partners, and make recommendations about the future of this work, with responsibility for an annual budget of approximately £500K.

At the RSC we embrace flexibility and offer hybrid working, which means our teams come together when they need to collaborate. Although this role is contractually based at either our Cambridge or London office, you will also be able to work from home within the UK, with the expectation that you will attend our offices and travel as needed for your role. In this role you will attend our offices at least 1-2 days per week on a regular basis (initially more frequently to support your induction), with UK travel as well as some weekend and evening work. If you need flexible working arrangements, please outline this in your application.

Essential knowledge and skills:

• Proven experience overseeing efficient delivery of complex multi-stakeholder projects and programmes, with the ability to balance commitments and priorities across several programmes.
• Knowledge of, and a passion for inclusion and diversity in STEM subjects and in particular race and ethnicity equality in different sectors, as well as current initiatives impacting the science and technology ecosystem.
• Experience of managing a team, as well as the ability to work with colleagues in a wide variety of contexts, delivering results that take into account the widest needs of the organisation.
• Experience building relationships and networks, as well as developing projects and running committees involving professionals across career stages and communicating effectively with a variety of audiences and influencing people across levels and sectors.
• Ability to make decisions, building consensus and to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences, using a range of digital, written, and oral communication channels

Desirable knowledge and skills:

• Experience in a scientific organisation, company, university or in a government setting.
• Experience of running events and ability to facilitate workshops or discussion meetings.

Application details:

At the RSC, we recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds to apply. We particularly encourage applications from disabled and ethnic minority candidates. As a part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we endeavour, where possible, to offer an interview to candidates meeting the essential criteria of the role, who have a substantial physical/mental impairment which impacts their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

When applying, please provide an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement (no more than 500 words) indicating how your skills, knowledge and competencies match the requirements outlined in the job description here.

Visit our Work For Us website to learn more about us, our benefits, Equal Opportunities Statement and Inclusive Culture Pledge.

Accessibility:

We are committed to making our recruitment processes accessible to all and as part of this, we are flexible in the ways we give and receive information. If you would like to apply using a different format, please contact the Recruitment Team at jobs@rsc.org or on +44 (0)1223 432229 and we will do our best to put any reasonable adjustments in place.