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Battersea has recently approved a new 5-year organisational strategy to deliver an even greater impact for dogs and cats through our Prevent, Support and Care activity. This, alongside Battersea’s significant growth in recent years, means that we now require greater coordination and structure to support how we prioritise and manage key organisational activity and manage our resources effectively.

To support the delivery of the new strategy and its respective programme of works, we are now seeking a new role of Head of Project and Strategic Planning to play a central role in shaping how we deliver our priorities across the organisation, supporting the leadership team, directors and strategic project leads in the delivery of our objectives, and ensuring there is effective management and oversight of projects and programmes which facilitates sound decision making and governance principles.

To support a significant CRM implementation programme, the programme has incorporated some formal governance structures and processes to support effective change management and decision making. We are now looking to embed and expand on those and ensure we have fit for purpose mechanisms for overseeing all key activity across the charity.

This role will therefore be responsible for developing, embedding, and leading a fit for purpose and effective Project Management Office (PMO), shaping delivery practices, building project management capability, and improve organisational alignment and performance in a way that supports dynamic cross-organisational decision making and innovation. As this is a new position, and will result in changes to our ways of working, the Head of Project and Strategic Planning will also be required to play a leading role in supporting and enabling organisational change, ensuring there is a clear understanding of change impacts associated with projects and programmes, strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills are applied, and clear transparent communication of the roadmap, including risks and benefits, is shared to bring people on the journey and enable us to embed best practice methodology.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

• 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
• Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources
• Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution
• Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year
• Annual interest-free season ticket loans

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our hybrid working model:

We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best.

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Acceptable use of AI:

At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.

To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.

Closing date: 28th September 2025
Interview date(s): 9th/10th October 2025

For full details on the role, please download the recruitment pack. All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Senior Communications Officer
Salary: Banding Level 3 £31,000 - £35,000
Contract: Permanent / Working hours: Full time
Location: Taunton, Somerset - Opportunity for Hybrid working

As Senior Communications Officer, you will be working closely with the Head of Marketing Communications to help plan, create and deliver, with the help of specialists across teams, the Trust’s annual communication plan.

You’ll be responsible for leading communications projects, campaigns and day-to-day activities. You will be delivering creative content and marketing across a range of platforms - both digital and offline –that support the Trust’s Wilder 2030 strategy and showcases the Trust’s work. This will result in bringing nature’s story to life in order to expand the charity’s reach into new and wider audiences and bringing new supporters on board.

You will be able to think creatively, within a fast-paced environment where no day is the same, as well as be comfortable delivering key tasks and mucking in when all hands are needed on deck.

You will be comfortable with the relevant platform analytics to report on progress against agreed key performance indicators.

This senior role is for a highly creative, confident, robust and professional communications individual, who will be working closely with the Head of Marketing Communications and wider team to help plan, create and activate the Trust’s annual communication plan. 

You will:

• Deliver creative communications activities and branded digital content campaigns across the Trust’s key communications channels to increase the Trust’s reach, develop new audiences and convert initial awareness of SWT into measurable engagement/action for nature.
• Devise a plan with tactics to grow the Trust’s key communications channels and digital communities and increase engagement using engaging and dynamic content.
• Provide communications support and project management for a range of exciting projects and campaigns across the whole organisation, liaising with the internal Directorate teams to do so
• Liaise with the central Wildlife Trust (RSWT) team on national campaigns and communications.
• Track analytics and create regular reports detailing effectiveness of communications campaigns and our digital channels.
• Day to day guidance and project oversight for the wider communications team to support them to deliver a high-quality service to the wider organisation and inspire innovation and improvement in all that the team delivers.

Job Description – Key Responsibilities and Tasks

Responsibility 1: Leading Digital Channels 

• Designing and implementation of SWT’s digital and social media content plan (for both paid and organic content) with the support of the Content & Communications Officer, ensuring it complements the Trust’s overall Wilder Somerset 2030 strategic goals and objectives, marketing plans, key campaigns, engagement and fundraising activity. Driving the high performance and growth of SWT’s social channels – ensuring increasing engagement and reach.
• Working with and supporting the Content & Communications Officer to create a calendar of high-quality engaging, range of content for sharing across internal and external marketing communications channels in support of the strategic vision, ensuring consistency in terms of tone of voice, branding, messaging and frequency of communications across all key channels. The Senior Communications Officer’s social media content plan will aim to grow all SWT’s social media and digital communities and increase organic engagement.
• Expanding reach to bring new supporters on board with the Trust’s mission, to get involved with SWT’s work across the county, take action for nature, and to grow membership and income.
• Working closely with the Website & Email Lead to understand and optimise user journeys and conversions between social channels and the website, and providing support and counsel to the Website & Email Lead with regards to the delivery of impactful email campaigns to support key integrated projects, campaigns and core strategy programmes. Also providing support and guidance on ensuring the website is as effective a channel as it should be as a central destination hub for social and digital journeys.
• Liaising with the Wildlife Trust (RSWT) central office to ensure central content and advocacy campaigns are delivered as agreed on local social channels with local messaging and that the Somerset message is clear, with the use of local case studies and stories.
• With the Content & Communications Officer, and liaising with external providers where necessary, providing brand design support for communications collateral, reports, newsletters, brochures, flyers, posters and presentations. Using appropriate software (e.g., Canva, Adobe, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) for a range of audiences, creating templates where appropriate for internal staff to utilise to deliver small-scale projects independently.

Responsibility 2: Marketing & PR

• Marketing opportunities including a range of channels from print, media, events to paid online adverts.
• Developing strong relationships with local and national journalists and be the lead day-to-day SWT media contact for press enquiries, with the Content & Communications Officer taking on administrative press office tasks and handling some incoming queries.
• Recommending and developing feature ideas for key publications working up ideas with colleagues across the Trust, selling in stories, and coordinating the provision of spokespeople, background information and logistics.
• Working with, and providing guidance to the Content & Communications Officer, creating and distributing targeted press releases or media alerts where appropriate, following up with key media contacts to maximise coverage and amplify SWT’s successes and impact.
• Be alert and responsive to the news agenda, keeping abreast of issues affecting the Trust and identifying PR opportunities and trends on social media that SWT can engage with, whilst also horizon planning for key contentious issues so as to provide PR support during crisis and major issues.

Responsibility 3: Project Management & Reporting

• With excellent project management and coordination skills you will work with internal stakeholders to design, coordinate and deliver bespoke plans to support a range of key projects across the year such as appeals, big events, campaigns and nature recovery projects.
• Working with the team to deliver any relevant communications training or resources to make available to staff.
• Supervising the monitoring and measurement of campaigns and their success, and reporting key KPIs to internal stakeholders on a monthly basis.
• Internal communications - updating the staff portal on Sharepoint with regards to communication assets, training and resources.
• Representing the Communications Team along with others across the Trust as part of the Trust’s project management working group, feeding back on best practice and new innovations that result in a consistent approach to project management. 

We offer fantastic benefits of working for the Somerset Wildlife Trust including:

• 7% employer pension contribution
• Life insurance
• Flexible and agile working
• Wellbeing support – Employee Assistance Program
• Diversity networks through RSWT/TWT
• Paid volunteer days
• Continuous Professional Development opportunities
• 33 days of holiday (25 + bank holidays)
• Staff social calendar and events

The opportunity to make a real and positive difference to nature, communities, and the climate

Closing date: Sunday 21 September 2025

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Somerset Wildlife Trust have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan and are committed to continuing to improve the equality, diversity and inclusion of every aspect of our work; we know we need to engage with everyone to live our values and achieve our goals. We welcome applications from everyone and are happy to discuss any accommodations or arrangements that would make the recruitment process better for you, and the working environment should you be employed.

No agencies please.