SEI Oxford is looking for an experienced Knowledge Manager for the weADAPT online knowledge platform to join our team. This is a key role that will ensure weADAPT retains its role as a leader in the climate change adaptation online knowledge platform space in the coming years and further increase its global reach and impact.
Location: Oxford, UK
Deadline: 8 January 2023
Type of contract: Full-time
Start date: ASAP
Join our international non-profit research organization and help create a sustainable and prosperous future for all! SEI Oxford conducts innovative research and develops new tools, networks and platforms to generate broader insights and steer policies and practices toward sustainability.
SEI Oxford manages one of the world’s leading and longest-running global climate adaptation knowledge platforms, weADAPT.org. weADAPT is a collaborative online open space for researchers, practitioners and policymakers to share and access credible high-quality information on climate change adaptation and related areas and connect with one another.
The role
SEI Oxford is looking for an experienced Knowledge Manager for the weADAPT online knowledge platform to join the team at SEI Oxford. This is a key role that will ensure weADAPT retains its role as a leader in the climate change adaptation online knowledge platform space in the coming years and further increase its global reach and impact. weADAPT is upgrading its current website to WordPress and this redesign period is a very exciting time to join the team to guide the future direction of the platform.
weADAPT is a global open-access collaborative platform on climate adaptation issues that promotes knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning across and between the climate change adaptation community and related fields, including synergies with mitigation. As such, it plays an important role in helping actors from different contexts learn about climate change adaptation from high-quality resources, share their own activities and connect with peers. In doing so, it supports users and communities to develop their own capacities, foster new collaborations and design, deliver and implement more effective climate change adaptation actions.
Our priorities for weADAPT include the launch of new high-quality user-driven content, the design and development of new features and functionality based on the needs of weADAPT’s users and in-depth analysis of our reach and impact through analytics, surveys and social media data trends to better understand what we are achieving and how we can improve. As a Knowledge Manager, you will be part of this exciting journey.
The platform receives over 100 000 unique users each year and has over 6000 registered users to date from more than 2500 organizations, typically INGOs, NGOs, think tanks, government ministries, national hydrometeorological services, universities and research institutes, civil society organizations, social enterprises, private sector businesses and grassroots charities. weADAPT is regularly used in university and other professional training courses.
Key duties and responsibilities
Content
- Create, manage, design, capture and/or curate and maintain engaging content and syntheses of reports, projects and events that highlight key learning and allow rapid appraisal whilst also being visually appealing and accessible. This includes articles, case studies, email newsletters and social media that informs and motivates weADAPT community members.
- Proactively plan, curate and create new content aligned with the weADAPT strategy.
- Vet, curate and review community-submitted content. This will include working with and supporting contributors to help them create and share their work according to weADAPT’s guidelines.
- Newsletter coordination and management.
- Management of multiple weADAPT microsites.
Enhance knowledge search and discovery
- Use tagging systems to classify content.
- Manage creation and development of taxonomies for specialist areas of climate change adaptation and related fields.
Team and community interaction
- Collaborate with weADAPT coordinator, other knowledge managers, editors and team members to deliver weADAPT’s strategic goals, content and functionality to meet user needs.
- Develop strategies to recruit new community members and editors.
- Design, develop and implement engagement activities to increase online community participation, raise platform awareness and support online community growth.
- Develop and implement communications plan and strategy that provokes activity, sparks discussion and responds to weADAPT community member needs.
Training
- Deliver training and guidance to develop capabilities of weADAPT contributors and editors.
- Host and facilitate quarterly meetings with editors.
Social media
- Contribute to content promotion through social media channels and newsletters, and in accordance with relevant events such as observance days and conferences.
- Support management of thematic and network-based communities of practice, microsites (Adaptation Without Borders) and weADAPT tools (Tandem online guidance).
- Support microsite management and increase visibility (Adaptation Without Borders).
- Support weADAPT tool maintenance and increase uptake (Tandem online guidance).
Analytics and reporting
- Perform regular MEL activities using MEL framework and log
- Administer user surveys and analysis of results.
- Monitor analytics for changing trends in weADAPT use and respond by providing recommendations for modifications or improvement based on trends.
- Develop structure for benchmarking, analysing and measuring online activity with regular reporting on digital performance analytics for platform, including using Google Analytics and social media data.
Who you are
You are personable, can work independently and enjoy engaging with others and being part of a team. You thrive on finding innovative solutions and have a natural ability for creative problem-solving. You believe in the potential of online learning and want to be part of taking the weADAPT community forward in the fast-moving and competitive field of online knowledge management.
You have an understanding of the complexity of challenges surrounding online knowledge management and engaging diverse audiences. You are interested in teaching others about digital capabilities and possess the patience that this may require. Ideally, you also have experience working with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Required qualifications and experience
Proven experience is required in the following areas and evidence of this must be provided in your cover letter, CV and additional information.
- At least five years of proven knowledge management experience
- Background in climate change adaptation
- Proficient in WordPress
- Building vibrant online communities and knowledge management
- Producing syntheses of reports, projects and events that promote learning
- Content tagging (metadata) and organising by theme or subject area
- Designing and promoting social media campaigns
- Monitoring analytics and trends in platform use and evaluation of impact
- Background in climate change adaptation or related issues of sustainable development
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and project management tools such as Asana
- Strong platform management skills
- Strong interpersonal and communications skills
- Strong analytical skills (qualitative and quantitative)
- High quality of writing
- Excellent proficiency in English.
Our ideal candidate is:
- An exceptional writer, communicator, and presenter
- Proficient in additional languages (Spanish and French would be particularly favourable)
- Interested in climate change adaptation and related issues of sustainable development
- Passionate about supporting learning and climate action through enhanced knowledge management
- Adept at curating video and imagery
- Knowledgeable about use and value of taxonomies or tagging systems for knowledge management
- Excellent networker and community builder
- Creative big thinker able to link multiple ideas and strands of work together
- Flexible and able to handle multiple concurrent tasks and meet deadlines
- Able to inspire and communicate with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.
Additional information
This is a full-time position based in Oxford, UK. Please note that this position is only available to applicants residing in the UK during the fulfillment of the position. International applicants may apply with this in mind.
How to apply
We are reviewing applications on an ongoing basis, so please submit your application as soon as possible, but no later than 8 January 2023, 23:59 GMT+1.
As we only accept applications through our recruitment system, please apply online using the button below and include:
- Cover letter highlighting relevant qualifications and experience
- Curriculum vitae
- Links (URLs) to samples of your written work. If you are not the sole author or creator, please describe your role and contribution.
- Links (URLs) to previous platforms you have worked on. If you are not the sole author or creator, please describe your role and contribution.
- The names and contact details of two professional references. We will alert you before contacting your references.
Your application will not be considered without the supporting evidence described above.
Questions?
Inquiries regarding the position can be directed to Sukaina Bharwani, Senior Research Fellow (sukaina.bharwani@sei.org).
About SEI
Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is an international non-profit research and policy organization that tackles environment and development challenges. We connect science and decision-making to develop solutions for a sustainable future for all. Across our eight centres in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, we engage with policy processes, development action and business practice throughout the world.