Celebrity officer jobs

Living Paintings is the national charity on a mission to ensure every blind child in the UK has equal access to the visual world of pictures, books and learning. From adapting bestselling picture books into accessible, tactile-audio formats for blind children to developing resources designed to inspire, educate and entertain – our free postal library gives thousands of blind children and young people the world at their fingertips.

We are looking for a strategic, organised and creative Communications and Marketing Lead to join us at an exciting time for the charity. In the last two years, we have doubled the number of beneficiaries using our service thanks to innovative campaigning and strong storytelling. We are working to an ambitious 10 year strategy that will further raise awareness of Living Paintings and our work, increase income and maximise our impact.

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

In this role you will lead on maintaining, developing, and delivering all aspects of our charity’s communications strategy and its associated activities, working closely with the Communications Assistant as well as the CEO, Fundraising Lead, Library Manager and Publishing Manager. Primarily an outward facing role, the postholder will ensure that the charity has the broadest possible positive exposure to stakeholders – both current and future – and continue to build Living Paintings into a credible, recognisable and positive brand.

Hours: 28-35 hours per week

Salary: £45,000 - £48,500 FTE

Place of work: Hybrid between home and office in Kingsclere, Newbury (at least 2 days per week in the office preferred).

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Line Management: Communications Assistant

Working week: Office hours are 9-5 Monday to Friday with one hour for lunch. Flexible working available and we are positively reactive to employees life needs. Some weekend and evening work may be required from time to time for which time off in lieu will be given.

Travel: On rare occasions the successful candidate must be prepared to travel throughout the UK if required. All mileage and travel expenses for business purposes will be reimbursed.

Qualifications:  Educated to degree level of equivalent professional experience.  We would prefer that the successful candidate also have a Fundraising or Marketing qualification.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the organisations overarching Communications and Marketing Strategy to enable Living Paintings to reach its ambitions and targets.
• Lead on the development and management of all planned proactive and reactive PR and media activities.
• Lead on all aspects of brand development, management and communications to create a consistent, coherent, credible and recognisable brand.
• Develop, implement and manage processes to ensure campaigns from all departments are integrated, run effectively, efficiently and are impactful.
• Lead on the development of all the charity’s on and offline content.
• Lead on the charity’s social media presence and brand, growing following, engagement and conversions.
• Manage, develop and optimise the charity’s website, email communications and digital offering – championing innovation, implementing effective, conversion-focussed user-journeys.
• Lead on all on and offline marketing activities – including but not limited to SEO, digital/social advertising, print.
• Manage budgets for communications and campaigning activities.
• Maintain positive contact with stakeholders – beneficiaries, families, friends, Trustees.
• Continually develop and monitor KPIs, taking an agile approach to activities to ensure these can be met effectively.
• Regular reporting and presenting on all aspects of communications and marketing.
• Lead on fostering positive relationships with our VIP and Celebrity supporters.
• Work closely with the Library Team to proactively source quality stories from beneficiary groups to feed in to our marketing, communications, PR and fundraising activities.
• Act as a representative and ambassador for Living Paintings at media appearances and events.
• Manage the procurement of and the relationships with freelancers and suppliers employed to support Living Paintings in their campaigns, communications and marketing activities.
• Continually seek out new opportunities to promote the work of Living Paintings.
• Support other members of the Living Paintings team in their personal development and understanding of communications processes.

Experience

Required demonstrable experience  of:

· Developing and implementing a successful communications strategy.

· Communicating to and working with a wide variety of stakeholders and audiences.

· Financial management and budgeting.

· Managing and developing people.

· Working collaboratively and effectively with a wide variety of people both internally and externally, at all levels. 

· Reporting to agreed KPIs and analytics and setting improvements based on results.

· Project management and managing multiple projects

· Using a fundraising/CRM database.

Preferred Demonstrable Experience:

· Experience of working within a charitable, not for profit environment

· Experience of working with/for blind and partially sighted people

Skills

· Excellent written communication skills and ability to present complex concepts to stakeholders

· Wide range of IT skills, including use of presentation software.

· Ability to make full use of a wide variety of social media platforms.

· Project management skills.

· Analytical skills (both numerical and conceptual)

· Ability to combine strategic development and leadership with general day to day operational delivery.

· Strong communicator with the ability to inspire and enlist the support of others.

· Excellent team player, ambitious and results driven, a confident manager.

· Excellent numeracy and attention to detail.

· Wordpress

Knowledge

· Knowledge of proven, up to date communication techniques and channels.

· Managing people.

Personal attributes

· Self motivated and able to work effectively alone and with a team.

· Creative approach to communications management.

· Results focussed.

· Able to demonstrate empathy with our aims.

· Drive and ambition to meet KPIs based on audience reaction.

· A positive and pragmatic approach, able to juggle and manage a breadth of projects and range of competing priorities.

· Able to deal confidently with people at all levels, gets on well with colleagues and supporters.

· Able to motivate people and generate enthusiasm, motivated to learn new things.

· Able to work on own initiative, introducing new solutions and innovative ways of improving working procedures.

Safeguarding

· Living Paintings is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment

Eligibility to work in UK

· Proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK.

General

· Able to travel for work within the UK occasionally

· Able to work flexibly to include evenings and weekends to meet the demands of the job

Annual leave: We offer 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising by 1 day per annum up to 30 days when working on a full time basis. 

Seriously ill children and their families deserve the chance to live a full life, supported by care that enables them to thrive.​

But for many, it’s a lonely and isolating experience. That’s why we’re here. To make sure that no one has to face living through their child’s short life - and death - alone.

Together we support families through difficult times, offering lifeline practical, emotional and financial help.

Together we unite our sector. We help professionals and services to pool their knowledge and expertise, to deliver outstanding children’s palliative care. ​

Together we campaign to make sure that seriously ill children and their families get the care and support they need, when and where they need it. ​

Supporting, uniting, campaigning, together. We are Together for Short Lives.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a marketing and communications expert to help make sure we can raise the funds we need to deliver this vital work.

As our Marketing and Communications Manager (Maternity Cover), you will:

• work collaboratively with Fundraising colleagues, deliver results-driven marketing campaigns and communications support to grow both our audience of supporters and our income
• be part of a team that plans and delivers strategic campaigns that improve the system for seriously ill children and their families
• maximise our brand awareness and reputation among our audiences through our external communications
• stay abreast of print, broadcast and digital media to identify potential opportunities and threats to our ability to deliver our strategic plan
• lead on proactive and reactive media relations including writing press releases and statements, arranging interviews and responding to enquiries
• line-manage our Creative Content Lead.

You will have:

• outstanding storytelling skills which have helped to generate income for an organisation or for a cause, across a range of channels
• experience across a broad range of communications and marketing functions
• excellent interpersonal skills – and experience of engaging sensitively and effectively with a wide range of external stakeholders
• experience of building strong working relationships across different teams
• excellent leadership skills.

We offer a great reward package, which includes:

• generous annual leave entitlement
• pension scheme
• staff assistance programme
• days off for volunteering

We are open to flexible working patterns. Depending on the task and your personal work preferences, you can work remotely or at our Bristol office. We hold monthly team meetings and 1:1 meetings at the office.

We are always looking for talented people, and welcome people regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief and sexual orientation. We particularly encourage applications from those with disabilities or from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

If you feel you meet some of the criteria but not all, we really hope you will enquire and learn more. We can advise and support on each part of the role and hopefully your application, so we look forward to hearing from you. 

Applying for the role

Closing date for applications is at 9am, Wednesday 28 May 2024. If you are interested in applying for this post, please complete the application form and the summary details form found on our website. 

Position: Community Fundraiser - South/South West England
Type: Full-time (35 hours a week), permanent
Location: Home Working (based in South/ South West England and will be expected to travel widely within this area as part of the role)
Salary: £26,384* per annum plus excellent benefits  
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 1, Charity

*you’ll start at our entry point salary of £26,384* per annum, increasing to £28,033* after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £29,682* after a further 6 months.

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

Are you passionate about making a difference in local communities? Do you enjoy building relationships, inspiring supporters, and delivering successful fundraising initiatives?

If so, we’d love you to join our team as a Community Fundraiser in South/South - West England.  In this role, you will play a vital part in developing and supporting fundraising activities, working closely with supporters, volunteers, local trust and local businesses to maximise income through active community engagement.

You will be responsible for identifying new opportunities, supporting individuals, businesses and groups to reach their fundraising goals, and ensuring they receive excellent stewardship throughout. Collaborating with internal teams, you will contribute to regional fundraising strategies and innovative fundraising to grow support within your region to meet ambitious income targets.

We are looking for a confident and proactive fundraiser who enjoys working with people and is skilled at building strong, lasting relationships. You will have experience in fundraising or a similar income-generating role, along with the ability to identify opportunities, engage with supporters, and manage multiple fundraising pipelines effectively.

A passion for community fundraising and a drive to achieve ambitious targets will be key to your success. This is an exciting opportunity to join a supportive and ambitious team, with the flexibility to develop your role and make a meaningful impact. If you are ready to take on your next challenge and help drive community fundraising forward, we would love to hear from you.

Please note a Driving Licence is essential for this role.

Closing date for applications: 9:00 on 2nd June 2025

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.