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Head of Stakeholder Engagement
National Oceanography Centre
Administration
Southampton, UK
GBP 67,063-73,773 / year
Posted on Apr 1, 2026
Head of Stakeholder Engagement
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
Permanent
Full time (37 hours per week)
£67, 063 - £73, 773
Who are we?
We are the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) - the UK’s leading institution for integrated coastal and deep ocean research. Through our ground-breaking research, collaboration, and game-changing innovation we work to gain a deeper understanding of our ocean, helping every living thing on our planet flourish.
We are made up of a dynamic and vibrant community focused on solving challenging long-term marine science problems, underpinning international and UK public policy, business and societal outcomes.
The ocean has the potential to provide the solutions to so many of the social, economic and environmental challenges we face worldwide. To truly harness the value of the ocean, we put ocean research, science and discovery at the heart of our culture.
Join us in shaping the future of oceanographic research and contribute your unique perspective to our organisation.
About the role
The Head of Stakeholder Engagement is a vital position within our Engagement Function, which will play a key role in delivering the NOC 2025-2035 Strategy, and ensuring we engage with target stakeholders through collaborative activities.
You will be responsible for leading the stakeholder engagement team of 12, which includes public engagement, events, public affairs and marine policy. You will work with colleagues across all of NOC to support, collate and co-ordinate our efforts.
Developing strategies for targeted stakeholder engagement will be a critical element of this role, along with co-ordinating activities across NOC and managing our Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
The post-holder will contribute to NOC wide stakeholder engagement initiatives at regional, national and global levels.
About you
We are looking for someone with experience of leading, mentoring and developing a team along with a strong background in relationship management and community engagement.
Experience of managing an organisational-wide CRM will be vital for this position.
You will ideally have a passion for marine/ocean science, engineering, and technology, with the ability to work with colleagues to translate complex subjects into a range of accessible content for target stakeholders.
The ability to relate NOC’s strategy to other organisational strategies and stakeholder engagement will be extremely important in this position.
Why NOC?
We offer a generous set of benefits, including:
- 30 days contractual annual leave, plus 3.5 extra closure days and bank holidays
- a 10% employer contribution pension scheme (with a 15% NI saving on employee contributions made above 5%, if in the salary sacrifice scheme)
- Death in Service (3 times annual salary) provided by Aviva from day one of employment, plus access to a range of other Aviva wellbeing services
- financial support for relocation
- a salary sacrifice scheme for electric / hybrid vehicles (qualifying period applies)
- access to our Employee Assistance Programme, offering free and confidential support on mental, physical, emotional, health and financial issues
- access to a flexible benefits portal offering online discounts, cashback and eGift cards
- a Cycle2Work scheme allowing employees to acquire bikes and accessories
- a great working environment with a number of social events, including summer and Christmas celebrations
- we are proud to be a Living Wage Employer
Location
This position will be based in Southampton. The centre is well connected by public transport and has ample cycle parking in addition to free onsite car-parking with over 40 EV charging points.
We have a hybrid working approach where for most positions staff can work from home up to 2 days per week. If you are interested in this position, but require a more flexible working arrangement, please contact the recruitment team using the contact details below.
Submitting an application
Please click ‘Apply for this job’ and submit an up-to-date CV and cover letter outlining why you are interested in this position. Applications submitted without a cover letter may not be considered. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the NOC recruitment team at careers@noc.ac.uk / 07955 851648.
Please note that as part of your application you will be asked the following:
'In no more than 500 words please advise who you think our target stakeholder communities should be and summarise how we would ensure we engage with them.'
Before submitting your application please ensure you have reviewed the attached job description and person specification.
We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position, as we strive to create a supportive and equitable environment where all voices are valued and heard.
Those seeking employment at NOC are considered solely on their qualifications, skills and experience, without regard to gender, gender identity, age, race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, relationship status, family status (including pregnancy / maternity leave) or any other protected characteristic.
There is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the position and declare a disability.
Date advert posted: 1 April 2026.
Closing date: 29 April 2026. This vacancy may close earlier depending on the number of applicants.
Please note we are not accepting applications via recruitment agencies for this position.