Communications manager jobs in Birmingham, west midlands

Team: Research & Engagement (Philanthropy & Partnerships)

Location: Homebased with ad-hoc travel throughout the year 

Work pattern: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Salary: Up to £45,999.12 per annum 

Contract: Permanent

We are the UK’s largest cat welfare charity. All over the country, our enthusiastic employees, volunteers, and supporters are using their kindness and expertise to make life better for millions of cats and the people who care for them.

Will you join us and make life better for cats?

Responsibilities of our Stewardship & Communications Manager: 

• The Philanthropy & Partnerships Communications and Stewardship Manager plays a key role in building strong, lasting relationships between Cats Protection and its most valued supporters.

• Sitting within the Philanthropy and Partnership’s Research and Engagement team, you will lead a small team of specialist roles and shape how we communicate, steward and inspire corporate partners, major donors, and trusts and foundations, helping them feel genuinely connected to the difference their support makes for cats.

About the Research and Engagement team:

• We sit within the Marketing & Income Generation directorate.

• The Research and Engagement team sits within Philanthropy and Partnerships and brings together prospect research, communications and events to ensure a coordinated, insight-led and supporter-centred approach supporting fundraisers to grow pipelines, build meaningful relationships, and maximise long-term income for Cats Protection. 

What we are looking for in our Stewardship & Communications Manager: 

• Significant experience in high-value fundraising communications and/or stewardship, including working with corporate partners, major donors, trusts and foundations.

• Experience of leading or managing specialist communications or stewardship activity, with direct line-management responsibility and/or clear functional leadership.

• Proven experience of overseeing the development of high-quality donor communications, propositions or cases for support.

• Experience of working collaboratively with fundraisers and senior stakeholders in a complex, multi-disciplinary organisation.

• Experience of balancing strategic oversight with hands-on support, quality assurance and delivery under pressure.

What we can offer you:

• range of health benefits

• 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service.

• Salary Finance, which empowers you to take control of your financial wellbeing.

• and much more, which you can learn about

Interested? Here’s how to apply:

Application closing date: 19th July 2026 

Virtual interview date: 29th & 30th July 2026 

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. Please note, applications received after the closing date may not be responded to.

If successful, your recruitment journey will include:

1. Anonymised application form

2. Virtual interview via Microsoft Teams (will include a task) 

3. Final stage interview 

Please note, the process may change slightly dependent on application numbers. We will inform you of any relevant changes.

Join Barnardo's as our Media and Communications Manager in a job-share opportunity - working alongside an experienced partner to help protect and enhance the charity's reputation. We are looking for someone to work two days a week - on Thursdays and Fridays.

You'll help lead on communications risk management, providing expert advice on sensitive issues and potential reputational challenges. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you'll develop strategic responses, support crisis communications and ensure risks are identified and managed effectively.

This role is ideal for an experienced communications professional with excellent news judgement, strong media handling skills and the confidence to advise senior stakeholders. You'll be collaborative, organised and comfortable working seamlessly within a job-share arrangement to deliver high-quality support.

If you're looking for a rewarding, flexible role where your expertise will help champion children and young people, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date.  We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our basis and values

At Barnardo's, every story has the power to help change children's lives. We're looking for a Media and Communications Manager to help lead our communications that inspire people to support our fundraising, retail, corporate partnerships and philanthropy.

As a manager within the Media and Communications team, you'll be leading our media work around income generation - helping to deliver high-impact campaigns, identify compelling stories, manage reactive enquiries and provide strategic communications advice to colleagues across our income generation teams. You'll know how to create media opportunities that raise Barnardo's profile, build trust and encourage people to get involved.

We're looking for an experienced communications professional with strong media instincts, excellent writing skills and the confidence to advise senior stakeholders. You'll also have experience managing people, creating a positive, collaborative team culture where colleagues can thrive and deliver their best work.

You'll be creative, calm under pressure and excited by finding fresh ways to tell stories that connect with audiences. Whether you're launching a fundraising appeal, supporting a high-profile partnership or responding to breaking news, you'll understand how communications can drive real impact.

If you're an experienced manager who brings energy, positivity and great judgement - and you want to use your skills to help change children's lives - we'd love to hear from you.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.