3 Development writer and research officer jobs

Founded in 1681 by King Charles II, the Royal Hospital Chelsea has stood for centuries as a national symbol of gratitude to the soldiers who have served our country, and is home to the iconic Chelsea Pensioners. Today, the Hospital’s role remains to ensure that those who have served are always supported.

We are now looking for a proactive and creative Internal Communications Officer to support the delivery of engaging and effective communications across the Royal Hospital Chelsea. This role is for maternity cover. Working closely with colleagues from across the organisation, you will help bring our stories, people and purpose to life, ensuring staff, Pensioners and volunteers feel informed, connected and inspired. 

If you’re an internal comms professional with strong communication skills, experience creating compelling content for internal audiences, and a passion for building staff engagement, this could be the role for you.

Where you fit in

Working closely with senior leaders across the organisation, including the Chief Executive Officer and HR Director, you'll play a key role in delivering effective internal communications that support organisational objectives, strengthen staff engagement and embed a culture aligned with the Royal Hospital’s values.

What you’ll be doing

You'll lead the planning and delivery of internal communications activity, ensuring colleagues across the Royal Hospital receive clear, timely and engaging communications that support our strategic priorities.

You will:

· Develop and deliver effective internal communications plans that support organisational objectives and priorities

· Work closely with senior leaders to deliver clear and consistent messaging across the organisation
 

· Support the delivery of a strong ‘fundraising-first’ narrative through internal communications activity
 

· Promote staff engagement initiatives, including pulse surveys, helping to support action planning and organisational improvement
 

· Drive awareness and adoption of key staff initiatives, including onboarding, appraisals, values and ways of working
 

· Manage and develop internal communications channels, including the staff intranet, ensuring content remains relevant, engaging and up to date
 

· Build strong relationships across teams, providing advice on communications planning, messaging, audiences and channels
 

· Support strategic planning communications to ensure colleagues understand organisational goals and priorities
 

· Lead on communications with Chelsea Pensioners, ensuring communications are two-way, inclusive and aligned with their needs and preferences
 

· Monitor and evaluate communications activity, providing insight and reporting to inform future activity and support decision-making

We’re looking for someone who is:

· Able to create clear, engaging content for a range of internal audiences

· Experienced in internal communications, employee engagement or organisational communications

· Skilled at building strong relationships and influencing stakeholders at all levels of an organisation

· Experienced in supporting organisational change, culture programmes or staff engagement initiatives

· Highly organised, with strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities

· Comfortable working independently and using initiative while contributing as part of a collaborative team

· Experienced in managing intranet content and developing engaging internal communications channels

· Analytical and results-focused, with experience evaluating communications activity and reporting on outcomes

· Calm under pressure and able to manage sensitive communications with professionalism and discretion

· IT literate, including Microsoft Office and digital communications platforms

This is a fantastic opportunity to help shape internal communications within a unique national institution, ensuring colleagues and Chelsea Pensioners remain connected to the Royal Hospital’s mission, values and future ambitions.

Early applications are encouraged as we will be reviewing applications and interviewing candidates throughout the recruitment process.

Help build the operational backbone of a multi-award winning charity that's ready to grow further, with a clear path to becoming our COO.

For seven years, one exceptional leader has held impact, organisational development and much of YUAF's operations, building the processes, funder relationships and team support that became part of the spine of how we grew. As they move on, we're not just replacing them. We're rethinking and widening the role.

This post exists to hold the organisation steady and take operational responsibility off the Chief Executive's plate, freeing her to focus on strategy, key donors and the funding pipeline.

What you'll hold

You'll report to the Chief Executive and sit on the Senior Management Team, owning income generation, impact and evidence, business planning, governance, performance management and the systems underneath them all. You'll line-manage four people: the Pathways Lead, Marketing Lead, Project Manager and Futures Lead.

Where the role is going

From month seven, this role is intended to move to full time with deeper ownership of income and strategy. As YUAF grows, and subject to income generation, we want this post to develop into our Chief Operating Officer role. We'd rather appoint someone who outgrows this description than someone who fits it exactly.

How you'll start

The first six months are a settling period at 30 hours per week. You'll learn how the organisation actually works, get embedded in the culture, and understand the programmes by spending real time with young people and the people who deliver them.

You'll build relationships across the team, with funders and with partners, and by month three, we want people to naturally come to you as a trusted point of contact.

We also want you to look at YUAF with fresh eyes. Where are the gaps? What's held together by one person's memory alone? Where does delivery quality drop, and why? What would make life easier for the staff doing the hardest work? Bring us both the diagnosis and the solutions.

The timing is on your side: November to February is our quietest season, when the Studio Bus is largely off the road. Delivery picks up again in March 2027, so the role builds in stages rather than coming to you all at once.

How to apply

In addition to providing your CV and cover letter, it is a requirement of the application process that you complete our Head of Operations Questionnaire. A link for this can be found on the attached job description. 

Note

We recognise that AI is a useful tool, however, we will be assessing applications, cover letters and running through AI to ensure that it was written by yourself as part of our shortlisting process. So please take the time to write your own application, this is a serious role that requires critical and independent thinking.