Internships and External Engagement Officer
Ref Number
B04-07164
Professional Expertise
Administration and Business Support
Department
UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Part time
Salary
£43,981-£52,586
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
09-Apr-2026
About Us
The Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MAPS) is comprised of eight departments that are highly rated for research excellence: Chemistry; Physics & Astronomy; Space & Climate Physics; Mathematics; Science & Technology Studies; Earth Sciences, Risk and Disaster Reduction and Statistical Science. In addition, the faculty has its own interdepartmental undergraduate degree programme: Natural Sciences.
The faculty provides a base for a number of research centres and institutes: these facilitate in-depth and interdisciplinary research through collaboration between experts within MAPS, and in related areas such as Engineering Sciences and Life Sciences. These include:
- The London Centre for Nanotechnology
- Centre for Planetary Science
- Institute for Materials Discovery
- The Thomas Young Centre
Individual researchers and research groups within UCL play key leadership roles within major international projects (such as the LHC, Dark Energy Survey, Solar Orbiter, Cassini, UK Catalysis Hub and many others). Faculty staff have been successful in attracting research income from the research councils, European FP7 and ERC, Royal Society, Leverhulme and other funding agencies. The faculty prides itself on providing a rich and culturally diverse environment for students and staff alike.
The UCL Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction (RDR) is an exciting cross-UCL department, which leads research, knowledge exchange and teaching in the fields of risk and disaster reduction and humanitarian action. The department is in the Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MAPS), but works across all UCL’s faculties, spanning natural and social sciences, mathematics and statistics, engineering and development planning, global health, anthropology, the humanities, ethics and laws, and contributes to UCL’s Grand Challenges. It has a leading role in the UCL Humanitarian Institute. It is strongly international with developing partnerships with universities in China, Japan, South Asia, the Middle East and South-east Asia.
Teaching
The RDR runs a PhD programme in risk and disaster reduction, masters programmes in risk, disaster and resilience and risk and disaster science, and an undergraduate programme in global humanitarian studies, all with a diverse and cross-disciplinary international intake. We have about 35 PhD students, 80 masters students and 70 students per year in the BSc Global Humanitarian Studies programme. The majority of the RDR’s students are international.
The BSc Global Humanitarian Studies educates and trains future generations of humanitarian leaders in the theory and practice of humanitarian action. A key offering of this programme is the commitment to use the department’s extensive networks to facilitate an optional internship, in the UK or internationally, to help students connect their academic learning with skills in the humanitarian workplace.
Our masters programmes meet the growing need for experts trained to analyse and provide solutions to complex issues. We enhance the partnerships our department has to embed student research projects in real world issues and offer valuable internships to enhance their training and career prospects.
About the Role
- The main focus of this role is running a specialist internships programme for RDR students (with opportunities for all 2nd year undergraduates, as well as opportunities for other students in the department) – this involves supporting students in their career development and building relationships with employers/hosts to create opportunities.
- Work as part of a team to connect the department to external partners.
- Support line manager in selected projects, including delivering engagement events.
- Build the RDR network for student careers opportunities, liaising with employers / hosts and UCL and RDR alumni. Build and maintain relationships with intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organisations, universities, the public sector, consultancies and the private sector, in the UK and internationally.
- Liaise with Departments within UCL who may be able to provide leads for internships such as Alumni Office, Innovation & Enterprise, academic departments and divisions of Professional Services.
- Assess prospective internship opportunities and ensure that they meet standard requirements and legislation, and are appropriate, liaising with recruiters to modify proposals as appropriate.
- Ensure relevant documentation is sent to employers / hosts and students, and that essential documents are returned within appropriate deadlines.
- Support projects facilitating external participation in departmental activities.
Internship Management
- Manage employer / host internships for RDR students.
- Manage contractual arrangements with partners including undertaking due diligence, ethical approval, data security and risk assessments, and liaise with the RDR Finance Officer over payments, scholarships etc.
- Liaise with relevant officers within UCL on logistical, legal and compliance issues, such as HR, Finance and UCL Legal Team as necessary.
Student Support
- Develop and promote an annual RDR Employability series for students, to include RDR support, events, internships - and signposting UCL and external opportunities and resources.
- Provide a high-quality advice service to students through group presentations and one-to-one meetings. Discuss internship applications (including CVs and cover letters) with students, helping them to make informed choices and take action, ensuring expectations are managed. Refer students to careers consultants for discussions linking internships to longer-term career aspirations.
- Support students to enable them to source and apply for internships by providing information on a wide range of employers / hosts and promote opportunities to RDR students on a regular basis through a variety of media.
- Be the point of contact connecting students, employers / hosts and academic staff, and an emergency point of contact to students on internships.
- Seek out and advise students on available funding opportunities and administer internal funding allocations.
- Monitor student take up of internships and gather feedback from employers / hosts and students, analyse this information, and suggest appropriate changes to services, in consultation with the RDR team and UCL Careers.
- Enable student participation in careers and development opportunities.
About You
The postholder will have strong relationship-building skills and be able to initiate and develop connections with external organisations and seek out opportunities for our students and the department. They will be experienced in managing projects and events and working to tight deadlines. The post holder will be committed to running a responsive and helpful service for students - offering support and advice to support their internship projects and career journey and helping with applications and CVs. They will be a confident communicator, able to present to groups of students and lead meetings with stakeholders. The post holder will also have strong IT and social media skills and be able to track and manage data accurately. We are seeking a creative and adaptable person able to work both independently and as part of a team, who can use their initiative to put the right systems in place and deliver results for our students and internships programme.
What We Offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days per annum) per annum
- Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance.
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
Sectors
Locations
Sectors
Locations
Ref Number
B04-07164
Professional Expertise
Administration and Business Support
Department
UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Part time
Salary
£43,981-£52,586
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
09-Apr-2026
About Us
The Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MAPS) is comprised of eight departments that are highly rated for research excellence: Chemistry; Physics & Astronomy; Space & Climate Physics; Mathematics; Science & Technology Studies; Earth Sciences, Risk and Disaster Reduction and Statistical Science. In addition, the faculty has its own interdepartmental undergraduate degree programme: Natural Sciences.
The faculty provides a base for a number of research centres and institutes: these facilitate in-depth and interdisciplinary research through collaboration between experts within MAPS, and in related areas such as Engineering Sciences and Life Sciences. These include:
- The London Centre for Nanotechnology
- Centre for Planetary Science
- Institute for Materials Discovery
- The Thomas Young Centre
Individual researchers and research groups within UCL play key leadership roles within major international projects (such as the LHC, Dark Energy Survey, Solar Orbiter, Cassini, UK Catalysis Hub and many others). Faculty staff have been successful in attracting research income from the research councils, European FP7 and ERC, Royal Society, Leverhulme and other funding agencies. The faculty prides itself on providing a rich and culturally diverse environment for students and staff alike.
The UCL Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction (RDR) is an exciting cross-UCL department, which leads research, knowledge exchange and teaching in the fields of risk and disaster reduction and humanitarian action. The department is in the Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MAPS), but works across all UCL’s faculties, spanning natural and social sciences, mathematics and statistics, engineering and development planning, global health, anthropology, the humanities, ethics and laws, and contributes to UCL’s Grand Challenges. It has a leading role in the UCL Humanitarian Institute. It is strongly international with developing partnerships with universities in China, Japan, South Asia, the Middle East and South-east Asia.
Teaching
The RDR runs a PhD programme in risk and disaster reduction, masters programmes in risk, disaster and resilience and risk and disaster science, and an undergraduate programme in global humanitarian studies, all with a diverse and cross-disciplinary international intake. We have about 35 PhD students, 80 masters students and 70 students per year in the BSc Global Humanitarian Studies programme. The majority of the RDR’s students are international.
The BSc Global Humanitarian Studies educates and trains future generations of humanitarian leaders in the theory and practice of humanitarian action. A key offering of this programme is the commitment to use the department’s extensive networks to facilitate an optional internship, in the UK or internationally, to help students connect their academic learning with skills in the humanitarian workplace.
Our masters programmes meet the growing need for experts trained to analyse and provide solutions to complex issues. We enhance the partnerships our department has to embed student research projects in real world issues and offer valuable internships to enhance their training and career prospects.
About the Role
- The main focus of this role is running a specialist internships programme for RDR students (with opportunities for all 2nd year undergraduates, as well as opportunities for other students in the department) – this involves supporting students in their career development and building relationships with employers/hosts to create opportunities.
- Work as part of a team to connect the department to external partners.
- Support line manager in selected projects, including delivering engagement events.
- Build the RDR network for student careers opportunities, liaising with employers / hosts and UCL and RDR alumni. Build and maintain relationships with intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organisations, universities, the public sector, consultancies and the private sector, in the UK and internationally.
- Liaise with Departments within UCL who may be able to provide leads for internships such as Alumni Office, Innovation & Enterprise, academic departments and divisions of Professional Services.
- Assess prospective internship opportunities and ensure that they meet standard requirements and legislation, and are appropriate, liaising with recruiters to modify proposals as appropriate.
- Ensure relevant documentation is sent to employers / hosts and students, and that essential documents are returned within appropriate deadlines.
- Support projects facilitating external participation in departmental activities.
Internship Management
- Manage employer / host internships for RDR students.
- Manage contractual arrangements with partners including undertaking due diligence, ethical approval, data security and risk assessments, and liaise with the RDR Finance Officer over payments, scholarships etc.
- Liaise with relevant officers within UCL on logistical, legal and compliance issues, such as HR, Finance and UCL Legal Team as necessary.
Student Support
- Develop and promote an annual RDR Employability series for students, to include RDR support, events, internships - and signposting UCL and external opportunities and resources.
- Provide a high-quality advice service to students through group presentations and one-to-one meetings. Discuss internship applications (including CVs and cover letters) with students, helping them to make informed choices and take action, ensuring expectations are managed. Refer students to careers consultants for discussions linking internships to longer-term career aspirations.
- Support students to enable them to source and apply for internships by providing information on a wide range of employers / hosts and promote opportunities to RDR students on a regular basis through a variety of media.
- Be the point of contact connecting students, employers / hosts and academic staff, and an emergency point of contact to students on internships.
- Seek out and advise students on available funding opportunities and administer internal funding allocations.
- Monitor student take up of internships and gather feedback from employers / hosts and students, analyse this information, and suggest appropriate changes to services, in consultation with the RDR team and UCL Careers.
- Enable student participation in careers and development opportunities.
About You
The postholder will have strong relationship-building skills and be able to initiate and develop connections with external organisations and seek out opportunities for our students and the department. They will be experienced in managing projects and events and working to tight deadlines. The post holder will be committed to running a responsive and helpful service for students - offering support and advice to support their internship projects and career journey and helping with applications and CVs. They will be a confident communicator, able to present to groups of students and lead meetings with stakeholders. The post holder will also have strong IT and social media skills and be able to track and manage data accurately. We are seeking a creative and adaptable person able to work both independently and as part of a team, who can use their initiative to put the right systems in place and deliver results for our students and internships programme.
What We Offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days per annum) per annum
- Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance.
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
