Applications are invited for a Communications and Events Officer to work on a new, exciting research project, ‘Free Clinics and a Psychoanalysis for the People: Progressive Histories, Collective Practices, Implications for our Times’ (FREEPSY), funded by a UKRI Frontier Research Grant (ERC Consolidator Grant guarantee), held by Prof Raluca Soreanu, PI. The project brings together a team of eight researchers across four strands. It aims to produce a new global figuration of psychoanalysis as a progressive discourse and practice, by tracing the little-known histories of free psychoanalytic clinics. This is an interdisciplinary project spanning from psychosocial studies to social theory, historical research, and arts methods. It investigates how collectives of clinicians invested in the social mission of psychoanalysis innovate in the clinical and institutional domain, and in mental health cultures, by reconfiguring the meaning of time, space, money, suffering and their interrelations. FREEPSY includes a multi-sited psychosocial ethnography of free clinics in London, Budapest, Berlin, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, New York and Philadelphia.
Duties of the Role
The post will be primarily held in the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex and the Communications and Events Officer will contribute to a range of duties such as: delivering excellent, timely and inspiring communications campaigns in line with the project objectives; working with the research team in enhancing and maintaining excellence in project communications, by creating content which engages academics, clinicians, artists, the media, stakeholders, project collaborators; contributing to developing the concept and implementation of research conferences, workshops, networking events, and events with a public engagement component.
A full list of duties and responsibilities can be found within the job pack.
Qualifications and Skills required
The successful candidate will have a strong record in working with interdisciplinary teams and with the cultural sector; a strong track record in communications and in events conception and management; significant experience of creating content for a variety of audiences using different approaches including print, blogs, video and podcasts; experience of managing multiple projects; experience of working with artists/curators/archivists.
The post is fixed-term, part-time until 30 October 2027 for 7.2 hours per week (0.2 FTE).
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our Global Forum, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: https://www.essex.ac.uk/life/student-facilities/religion-and-faith
Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification, which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please email the Resourcing Team (resourcing@essex.ac.uk).
*More information: Working at the University