Development writer and research officer jobs

Communications Manager

This is a hands-on communications role at an important time for GBSS. You will help us plan, write and deliver clear, compassionate communications that make a real difference for babies and families.

Later this year, the results of the GBS3 trial are expected, with a likely UK NSC review to follow. This represents a significant opportunity to influence policy, improve care, and help prevent group B Strep infection in babies.

We are looking for an excellent communicator who can bring people and plans together, write well, keep work moving, and turn complex information into communications people can understand and use.

You do not need to arrive as a group B Strep expert. You will work with colleagues who bring expertise in policy, clinical evidence, fundraising, support services and digital content.

Key Information

Job title: Communications Manager

Reports to: CEO

Direct reports: Digital Content Specialist

Location: Hybrid (Haywards Heath) or remote within the UK

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

Salary: £40,000–£45,000 depending on experience

Role Overview

The purpose of this role:

To help GBSS communicate clearly and confidently, through communications that are well planned, well written and delivered effectively.

· write and edit key communications

· hold communications plans for major campaigns and projects, working closely with the CEO and colleagues

· bring together communications across advocacy, fundraising, support services and digital

· line manage the Digital Content Specialist

· keep communications projects moving and delivered to a high standard

This role sits at the centre of a small team. It will suit someone who enjoys being hands-on and is happy to move between planning, writing, editing, coordinating and problem-solving as priorities change. The postholder will be expected to draft a significant proportion of GBSS's core communications content themselves.

Key Responsibilities

1. Communications planning and coordination

· Hold communications plans for major campaigns and projects, working closely with the CEO and colleagues to agree priorities, timings and outputs.

· Translate organisational priorities into clear communications actions and timelines, working with subject leads where needed.

· Manage communications workflows, deadlines and approvals.

· Use trustee and external advisers’ expertise as a helpful sounding board where appropriate.

2. Writing and content development

· Act as the lead writer and editor for key communications, including blogs, newsletters, supporter communications, campaign materials, website content, organisational updates, briefings and stakeholder communications.

· Edit and improve content produced by colleagues.

· Make sure communications are clear, plain English, compassionate, inclusive, accessible and accurate.

· Help translate complex clinical, policy and research information into communications that non-specialists can understand.

· Work from agreed policy positions and specialist input when drafting briefings, consultation-related materials or stakeholder communications.

3. Campaign delivery

· Coordinate communications for major campaigns and projects, including GBS Awareness Week.

· Work with colleagues to agree objectives, audiences, messages, outputs and timelines.

· Work with the Fundraising Manager on supporter communications, helping with copy, timing and consistency.

· Help paid activity fit well with wider campaign messaging.

· Keep campaign delivery on track and support evaluation and learning.

4. Messaging and consistency

· Help develop and maintain clear organisational messages.

· Help communications across channels fit together.

· Support colleagues to communicate sensitive or complex issues clearly.

5. Digital content leadership and line management

· Work closely with the Digital Content Specialist to agree priorities, plan content and support high-quality delivery across digital channels.

· Line manage the role, including regular feedback, support and development.

· Look at what is working across digital channels and use that insight to improve future content.

6. Media support

This role will support media activity through practical communications planning, drafting and follow-up.

This includes:

· drafting briefing materials, background notes, key messages and approved lines

· coordinating communications around media activity

· helping make sure follow-up content is delivered across relevant channels

7. Insight and continuous improvement

· Work with information and support colleagues to understand what families and professionals are asking and where communications could be clearer.

· Use audience insight, communications data and campaign results to improve future activity.

· Identify practical ways to improve communications processes.

Person Specification

Essential

· Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills, with strong attention to detail.

· Experience creating content across multiple communications channels.

· Experience planning and delivering communications projects or campaigns.

· Ability to explain complex, technical or evidence-based information clearly and accurately.

· Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage multiple competing priorities.

· Good judgement and sensitivity when communicating about emotionally complex, potentially distressing or sensitive issues.

· Experience supporting, guiding or managing others, whether colleagues, freelancers or suppliers.

· Ability to work collaboratively in a small organisation, including with senior colleagues and subject matter experts.

Desirable

· Experience in charity, health, policy, public affairs or another setting where complex or evidence-based information needs to be communicated clearly.

· Experience communicating about maternity, newborn care, patient safety, bereavement or similarly sensitive issues.

· Experience working with websites, email marketing systems and social media platforms.

· Understanding of accessibility, plain English and inclusive communications.

What you’ll help us achieve

You’ll help GBSS communicate more clearly, plan further ahead and deliver key campaigns well.

Interviews

interviews will be held between 17 and 20 August 2026.

• First-stage interview – conducted via Microsoft Teams.

• Second-stage interview – held in person.

Part-funded by a generous donation from Backstage Trust, this is a new and pivotal role designed to transform Theatre Centre's fundraising capacity by strengthening systems, increasing income diversity, and building long-term financial resilience. The postholder will play a key role in helping the organisation capitalise on its artistic impact and case for support, while building momentum towards its 75th anniversary in 2028.

This role will keep us focused on our development strategy and will have support from across the whole company: the Board, Executive and the core TC team. We have been steadily building our foundations and have some good funding relationships in place, committed individual givers, a strong, evidenced case for support, some incredible stats and feedback and above all an inspiring and exciting programme of work to offer for young people, artists and teachers across the country.

Our Development Manager will help us to bring in resources so that we can continue share our high-quality, specialist work as far as we can. We see development as a collaborative effort and we understand the need for the whole team to support development, that effective fundraising needs to be resourced with realistic timelines and expectations.

About the Role

Contract type: Fixed term to March 2028

Hours: 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE) - we're happy to discuss flexible working patterns that work best for you.

Salary: £24,000 per year (based on £30,000 per year pro rata)

Location: This role can be hybrid or predominantly home based, with some time spent working with colleagues in the office. Theatre Centre is based near Three Bridges station at Unit 4 Crawley Business Centre, Stevenson Way, Crawley, RH10 1TN.

Job Requirements

• A strong affinity with Theatre Centre's mission and a passion for creating opportunities for young people through the arts.
• A values-driven approach, with commitment to equity, inclusion, social justice and environmental responsibility.
• Collaborative, open and transparent working style.
• Comfortable working in a changing environment.
• Proven experience of fundraising within an arts organisation.
• Strong strategic thinking skills.
• Good written communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling cases for support and reports.
• Good understanding of the financial context of this work.
• Experience of building and managing relationships with funders, donors and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, including data management.
• Experience of monitoring and reporting to demonstrate impact.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work flexibly under pressure, and meet deadlines.

Job Responsibilities

The Development Manager will lead delivery of a phased fundraising strategy:

Phase 1 - Foundation: Build on our strong systems and processes and give us consistency in fundraising delivery, including building a robust pipeline of Trusts & Foundations and developing place-based income in Crawley and the Gatwick area.

Phase 2 - Private Phase: Expand individual giving by deepening relationships, developing major donors, and securing multi-year funding partnerships.

Phase 3 - Public Bring together all strategic and fundraising priorities in our 75th year, amplifying them into a public campaign that advocates for our change-making work.

If you'd like more information you're welcome to visit our website and download the job pack.

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive fundraiser who enjoys both bid writing and relationship building.

Working closely with the Fundraising Manager, you will play a key role in securing income from trusts and foundations, supporting donor stewardship, and helping to grow community fundraising activity. You will contribute directly to the financial sustainability of the charity while helping more children gain access to books of their own.

The role is ideally suited to someone who is highly organised, a strong writer, and confident managing multiple fundraising activities simultaneously.

ABOUT SAT-7 UK

SAT-7 UK is part of an international Christian media ministry. Through our partnership with SAT-7 International, we bring life changing joy to the people of the Middle East and North Africa through powerful, faith-filled television and digital media programmes, supported in the UK through prayer, giving and influencing to bring about change.

SAT-7 UK has grown a faithful supporter base across the UK. However, we recognise the need to better establish who we are and what we do in the hearts and minds of UK Christians. We want to raise our profile and deepen the support and active engagement we receive from existing and a new generation of supporters, to increase the impact of SAT-7’s ministry across the MENA region and in the UK.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled writer and communicator to tell the stories of SAT-7 and the people of the MENA in fresh and powerful ways. You’ll be working in a fast-paced, creative environment as part of the Communications & Marketing Team, delivering high quality content across a range of platforms. You’d be writing engaging podcast and video scripts, powerful viewer testimonies, inspiring articles for our website or print magazine and attention-grabbing email copy. You’ll be one of the main points of contact with our international office and Middle Eastern TV studios, gathering and repurposing impactful stories and resourcing the wider UK team.

All of this would support our 5-year strategic outcomes:

1. To see an increased and actively engaged support base giving regularly to sustain the work of SAT-7, so that SAT-7 UK is raising a sustainable £4M with over 3,500 donors.

2. Supporters and funders have a deepened understanding of the challenges faced by Christians and the people of the MENA region, and impact of SAT-7, to create opportunities to pray, engage and partner for change.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Write engaging content for a range of platforms, including print and digital, such as articles, scripts and email copy
• Prepare episode templates, invite and research guests for the ‘Around the Table’ podcast with captivating and informative topics through highlighting regional issues and Christian context
• Assist the Senior Editor in writing copy and copy editing for prayer resources, such as monthly 7 Ways to Pray and seasonal campaigns at Lent and Advent, that will encourage prayer engagement, raise awareness of SAT-7’s work and expand SAT-7’s support base
• Show how God is at work in the MENA, and mobilise increased prayer for the issues affecting different people groups and MENA Christians
• Inform supporters and the wider public about the context, news, challenges and opportunities for the MENA region and Church
• Assist the Senior Editor in the production of copy for Insight magazine, writing effective and inspiring copy to demonstrate the impact of SAT-7 and inspire supporters to take action
• Repurpose written content from SAT-7’s international office for use across a range of platforms, and adapt and upload articles to the SAT-7 UK website
• Gather news and contextual information to generate content for flagship supporter publications, and support other teams as required (e.g. for events, campaigns, appeals, church presentations, prayer updates and reports)

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure consistent messaging, branding and tone of voice and that content conforms to SAT-7 security, communication and style guides for a range of different audiences
• Communicate sensitively and positively about the MENA region and the work of SAT-7
• Assist the Communications & Marketing Manager and other colleagues as required
• Operate at all times within relevant statutory requirements and guidelines, following best practice recommendations wherever possible, and especially ensure compliance with the Fundraising Regulator Code and GDPR legislation

SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

• To set Christian standards in the working environment and to lead by example
• To attend appropriate staff meetings to hear updates and share and coordinate activities and spend time in prayer and worship together
• To lead or participate in sessions of prayer and biblical reflection within the Team
• To be committed to SAT-7 UK’s Missions, Values and Beliefs
• To maintain own spiritual development and relationship with God e.g. through individual prayer and reflection times
• Willingness to be an occasional staff speaker that represents SAT-7 at speaking engagements, meetings and conferences from small meetings to large events
• Committed and growing Christian, passionate about changing the world and being a part of God’s mission

ABOUT YOU
Essential Skills and Abilities Required

• Passionate about telling the stories of God at work in people’s lives
• A degree-level qualification in Communications, English, Politics or a similar field
• A talented writer with a portfolio of published written work
• Experience in developing podcast episode templates and writing/developing scripts for podcasts or video
•  Ability to copy edit and demonstrate exemplary grammar and spelling
• Experience of working in a communications role
• A fast worker, able to prioritise and multitask a number of ongoing projects to set deadlines
• Ability to work under pressure, manage time effectively, prioritise and work to deadlines

Desirable Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge and experience of the Middle East and North Africa
• Experience working for an international Christian ministry or development organisation

HOW TO APPLY

• Candidates must have the right to work in the UK and be based in the UK – no overseas applications will be considered
• If an informal conversation about the role would help, please contact us through the details on our website
• If you do not have experience in all ‘key responsibilities’, please tell us about the relevant skills and experience you do have, as you will still be considered
• If you are unavailable on the proposed interview dates, please specify this in your application and your nearest available date. It is important to note that this may not be possible to accommodate and interview dates may be subject to change
• There is an Occupational Requirement, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, for the position to be filled by a committed Christian

We’d love to hear from you! To apply, please visit our website before sending a covering letter, CV and full application form.

We're looking for an experienced and motivated fundraiser to build on our strong foundations, develop new opportunities, and help ensure that The Gatehouse can continue providing life-changing support to adults experiencing homelessness, poverty and exclusion. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until a successful appointment is made.