Communication Coordinator

Reports to: Marketing Manager

Department: Communications and Marketing

Salary Range: up to £34,000 based on skills and experience.

Location: London Office

Contract: Fixed Term, Maternity Cover for up to one year, with an expected six month minimum period

Right to work in the UK is required, as sponsorship is not available for this role.

About RUSI

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is the world s oldest, and the UK s leading, independent think tank engaged in cutting edge research in defence and security. Its mission is to inform, influence and enhance public debate on a safer and more stable world. RUSI is a research-led institute, producing independent, practical and innovative analysis to address today s complex challenges.

About the role

This is a key role within the Communications team at RUSI, focused on collaborating with colleagues within the team and across the Institute to ensure all research outputs are effectively promoted across various channels. You will be the main communications point of contact for our seven research groups, requiring you to develop a deep understanding of our research portfolio and devise and manage plans to significantly increase the impact of RUSI s research.

Key tasks

Providing cover for maternity leave, the role will include, but not be limited to:

• Serve as the primary point of coordination for the Communications team, streamlining communications and lines of effort between research and communications teams.
• Lead the management of the Communications team's forward planner. You'll coordinate with other supporting functions including Publications and Events to proactively capture upcoming content, and ensure this information is shared effectively.
• Lead the development and execution of communications plans for new research reports and activities, overseeing the entire project lifecycle.
• Manage the plans for upcoming publications by collaborating with the Head of Research Governance and Editorial Publications. Proactively schedule meetings with researchers at key points in the publication timeline.
• Oversee the logistical and administrative needs for research communication plans, including calendar management for key personnel, preparing post meeting materials, and overseeing project correspondence to ensure seamless communication.
• Coordinate with the publications team to set strategic release dates for publications, aligning with the institute's overall calendar and major events.
• Manage the publication of web content for various RUSI outputs, primarily podcasts by overseeing updates and maintenance to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and optimal performance.
• Support the Marketing Manager in the promotion of events across multiple channels, including drafting and scheduling email campaigns, reminders, and follow-ups, as well as contributing to wider promotional activity.
• Assist the Marketing Manager in coordinating with other teams to prepare newsletters and managing distribution to the appropriate mailing lists.

The above list of duties is not exhaustive; the post-holder will be required to undertake such duties that may reasonably be expected within the scope and grade of the role.

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience:

• Able to work independently and as part of a team, quickly forming effective relationships with colleagues and other teams. The role requires close coordination with our research, publications and events teams and within the communications function
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, track deadlines and coordinate activity across different teams.
• Ability to take complex topics and be creative in packaging them for different audiences, making them accessible to both experts and non-experts.
• Experience with CRM Systems: Familiarity with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools for managing contact databases and segmenting email audiences.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Direct experience working within a think tank, academic institution, or policy-focused NGO, ideally in a communications capacity, is a significant plus.
• Email Marketing Experience: Practical knowledge of using Email Service Providers (ESPs, e.g.: Mailchimp), for drafting, scheduling, and deploying email newsletters.
• Social media management and analytic tool experience: preferably Sprout.
• Basic Design Skills: Competence with design tools (e.g., Canva or Adobe Creative Suite) for creating basic visual assets like social media graphics, simple charts, or report covers.

Our expectations

We expect all staff to abide by and promote our RUSI s Vision and Values

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave (rising with service)

• Generous pension contributions at 6% employer contribution,

• Access to 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

• Access to free access to RUSI's world leading programme of events and conferences, research materials and library

• Discretionary closure days over Christmas

• Trained Mental Health First Aiders

• Enhanced sick pay

• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Depending on length of service

Application Process

To apply, please click on the apply button and follow the instructions to submit:

• Your CV.
• Cover Letter, no longer than 1 page, explaining your interest in the role and any significant relevant skills and/or experience.

The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 30th November 2025.

Please DO NOT submit multiple applications for this vacancy. We no longer accept applications to our recruitment mailbox, applications received in our mailbox will not be processed.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the closing date brought forward if needed. Early application is encouraged. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Equal Opportunity and Values

At RUSI you will be appreciated and valued. Our stakeholders, transactions, and projects are international and diverse, so we work hard to create inclusive teams that support our efforts and each other. We are committed in promoting equality and diversity in our workforce and make it as diverse as the communities we serve. Our recruitment data helps us monitor the effectiveness of our recruitment practices in order that we can continue to improve on creating a more diverse workforce.

We re aware that the questionnaire may not capture the rich complexities of our backgrounds and identities, so we apologise if these are not best described. Please note that this data will be kept confidential and separated from your job application. If you are uncomfortable sharing, choose "Prefer not to say" or skip the questions entirely.