Copywriter

Salary: £32,080 to £34,610 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 20 September 2026

The Role

Newcastle University is embarking on an exciting curriculum transformation project as part of its Education Strategy 2030+.

Our new Leading Edge Curriculum Framework will review the shape, design, content and delivery of all current degree programmes. Our redesigned programmes will provide our students with the knowledge, skills and experience they need to develop academically, professionally and personally. Our teaching and assessment will enable students to apply their learning in the real world, providing opportunities to engage with research, industry, practice and society throughout their studies.

To help us with this work, we are looking for three self-motivated, creative individuals to join our Marketing Team as Copywriters.

You’ll be an excellent writer and a proofreading pro; someone who can take complex topics and find ways to simplify them for diverse audiences. You’ll be used to working with SEO, tone of voice and style guides. And you’ll love conducting in-depth research into all sorts of subjects.

Your role will be primarily focused on this key strategic change project. Working in close collaboration with the project team, as well as the wider Content Team, you will write copy for a variety of platforms, with a core focus on optimised web copy.

You’ll be comfortable taking complex subject matter to create compelling stories and content across all our channels.

In addition, you’ll refine your skills in:

• Content marketing
• Web, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) best practice
• Interviewing and more

This is a great opportunity to work in a supportive, close-knit Marketing team at a cutting-edge university.

How to apply

There are 2 full-time fixed-term positions until 31 July 2028. There is 1 full-time fixed term position for 6 months. Interviews will be held on 05-06 October 2026. Start date will be agreed with the successful candidate.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact: Claire Burnham, Marketing Project Manager – claire.burnham@ncl.ac.uk

Please provide evidence of how you meet the essential criteria required for the role outlined in ‘The Person’ by uploading a letter of application along with your Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Please state in your application if you would like to be considered for the 6 months post or the posts that end on 31/07/2028

Key Accountabilities

• Write optimised web copy that reflects and promotes Newcastle's curriculum transformation
• Complete desk-based research to identify content gaps and opportunities
• Interview academic colleagues and students to enrich web content
• Attend training to keep up to date with industry best practice and make sure it's evident across our digital content
• Deliver web copy in line with SEO, AEO and GEO content requirements, monitoring performance of content and revisiting low performing content as required
• Work collaboratively with project colleagues across the University, including Faculties, Schools and Professional Services to develop superb content to support our course narrative development
• Keep up to date with digital marketing to ensure industry best practice is upheld across our digital content
• Other duties to support online and digital requirements as required by the Marketing Project Manager and Senior Copywriter. Support the wider Marketing team as required.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Excellent copywriting, proofreading and subediting skills
• Experience of writing for digital and print
• Able to take complex topics and re-word them for a range of audiences
• Knowledge and understanding of digital marketing and SEO principles
• Able to identify and manage internal and external stakeholders, building relationships whilst meeting user needs. You will understand how to work with stakeholders and contribute to building relationships, using evidence to explain decisions made
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with proven success in building relationships, internally and externally
• Knowledge of the Higher Education sector is desirable

Attributes and Behaviour

• Use clear, concise, and accurate communication, tailoring your approach accordingly and encouraging a two-way communication process
• Attention to detail.
• Able to understand the needs, frustrations and drivers of our audiences, and deliver marketing messages in a way that’s sensitive to their needs
• Open to feedback and happy to change direction if necessary
• Work collaboratively and play a positive role in the team
• Manage time and resources by prioritising and organising effectively

Qualifications

• Graduate or equivalent qualification/working experience

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 29712