Head of communications and public affairs jobs in manchester

Job TitleCommunications Manager

LocationHome based (Home working with regular meetings in London)

Salary£35,000 - £45,000

HoursFull Time, permanent 

Reports to                   Chief Policy Officer 

NOTE:

• Please include notice period and salary expectations in application letter.
• First round interviews will be held on Friday 7 November, final round interviews will be held on Friday 14 November

About Parentkind

As one of the largest federated charities in the UK, with arguably greater reach into the lives of families and educational settings than any other non-Government organisation, Parentkind is on a bold and urgent mission: to support, champion, and empower parents to be partners in their children’s education and wellbeing. 

Although best known for our support of almost 24,000 Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), Parent Councils, and Schools, helping them build strong school communities whilst they raise approaching £140 million each year to enhance children’s education, our work stretches far beyond the school gates. Parentkind is building a powerful movement that recognises parental engagement not as a nicety, but a necessity.

Supporting parents beyond the school gate

In recent years, families have faced a series of compounding challenges: the cost-of-living crisis, rising child poverty, and deepening educational inequality. These pressures have left many parents struggling to meet basic needs—let alone feel confident engaging in their child’s learning journey.  Parentkind has responded to this moment with compassion, agility and purpose, through a series of transformative campaigns, resources, and partnerships. 

Our No Cold Child initiative with FatFace stepped in to address a stark statistic: over 150,000 children in the UK do not own a winter coat due to poverty. Through our trusted relationships with schools we distributed 10,000 warm, high-quality coats worth £600,000 to the children who needed them most. Winning the Business Charity Awards ‘Fashion & Retail’ Award, and shortlisted for two further awards, the campaign has been praised not just for providing warmth, but for restoring dignity, inclusion, and school readiness to thousands of children.

The All Dressed Up campaign—developed with World Book Day and Rubies Masquerade—confronted the often-overlooked issue of financial exclusion on key celebration days. More than 100,000 free dressing up costumes worth £1.34 million were delivered to children from low-income families. By enabling participation in events like World Book Day, we helped spark imagination, joy, and belonging for children who might otherwise feel left out—boosting self-esteem and supporting a positive connection to learning.Furthermore, helping attract children into school on a day which often sees struggling parents keep their children at home.

Alongside these national campaigns, Parentkind supports families year-round through a growing suite of programmes designed to inform, prepare and empower parents. Our Be School Ready programme offers crucial guidance and confidence to parents preparing their children for the leap into primary education. With a mix of practical advice, developmental tips, and reassurance, through the distribution of 150,000 copies of Be School Ready and an online campaign, it supports families at one of the most formative moments in their child’s life.

We also deliver a wide-ranging series of live expert webinars and parent-friendly resources, covering topics such as managing anxiety, supporting special educational needs, navigating school transitions, and building home-school partnerships. These resources, developed in consultation with experts and rooted in lived parent experience, equip families to feel informed and empowered, no matter what challenges arise.

Our direct support of schools

Our collaboration with Asda on Cashpot for Schools is another example of unlocking support at scale. This innovative community-led funding model allowed shoppers to nominate and fund their local schools simply through everyday spending. This campaign has generated £5.78 million for schools during the past twelve months, supporting everything from basic classroom supplies to vital extracurricular programmes and pupil wellbeing initiatives. Also shortlisted for a Business Charity Award, it is already a model for community-driven philanthropy.

In April, we launched our Parent-Friendly Schools Accreditation Programme, designed to formally recognise schools that go above and beyond in fostering positive, inclusive relationships with parents. The accreditation celebrates schools that actively listen to parent voices, make engagement easy and accessible, and embed family partnership in their culture. It is a practical and inspiring tool to drive long-term change in the sector and offers a roadmap for schools wanting to strengthen their community.

Our focus on Policy & Research

Our work is grounded in evidence. Since 2023, we have conducted the UK’s largest annual parent survey: the National Parent Survey. With approaching 6,000 participants providing 130,000 bits of data to provide invaluable insights into the struggles, concerns, hopes and fears of parents. The findings are fed directly into government consultations and have already informed national debates on school funding, attendance, mental health support, SEND provision, and curriculum reform.

In each of the past two years the number of policymakers, educators, parents and researchers accessing the National Parent Survey exceeded seven thousand, and the survey featured in more than two hundred media outlets each year. In addition to the National Parent Survey, Parentkind undertakes representative polling of parents throughout the year on a variety of important topics, which increasingly find exposure in the media and policy discussion.

Parentkind provides the secretariat for the Westminster APPG for Parents and the Stormont APG for Parental Participation in Education. Two very successful parliamentary groups bringing together policymakers and a variety of stakeholders to consider the challenges faced by parents and act as a voice for them through a variety of policymakers.

Our Media Engagement

Since becoming recognised as the UK’s largest parent charity, with likely more groups and frontline volunteers than the Scouts or Girlguiding, Parentkind has gained increasing prominence in the media.Beyond the reach of the National Parent Survey and our regular polling, Parentkind receives frequent requests for quotes of reflection and input by media in relation to their journalism and from Government and non-Government entities in support of policy announcements.

Beyond this, the Parentkind community of volunteers and PTAs share local or regional media announcements of their own.Whether or not it celebrating the completion of large projects they have invested countless hours and thousands of pounds into realising, or the community event they have worked into the night to deliver for their school communities.

It will be your role to take this much further, gaining increasing exposure for the work of Parentkind, its community, and parents more broadly. 

If you believe, like we do, that when parents matter, children succeed, we’d love to hear from you.

What we are looking for…

• Someone with a “nose for news” and an understanding what makes a newsworthy opinion poll that will hit the headline and go big on social media. 
• We are a small, fast paced team, there are no line management responsibilities attached to the role. We’re looking for someone with a “roll up your sleeves up and get on with it” mentality.
• Being able to demonstrate you can sell our parent voice research and amazing existing data to media across broadcast, social media and print media 
• Being able to lead and deliver a plan to raise our profile on social media, broadcast and in print media
• A good understanding of the challenges faced by children and families, education debates and education policy, we are the voice of parents.
• We are a cross party charity and we work with all parties, we want someone who understands that approach and brings it to their work.
• Someone who can to respond to social media debates at pace and make sure are part of the debate.
• Experience of writing compelling written documents when 100 words would make a stronger case than 1,000. You can bring evidence to life and make an argument to convince.
• Someone with experience of appearing on broadcast media and willing to be a ‘talking head’ for Parentkind as required. This is not essential, but it would be great to have someone willing to do this.

Your mission is to massively increase our online, in print and social media presence with a specific focus on policy, research and impact, to make us the highest profile parent charity in the UK. We have a huge amount of data on what parents think and we need you to get it seen. This is a great job for someone who wants to grab hold of a “comms” function and make it their own.

Parentkind is a UK wide charity, you will be expected to support our work in other parts of the UK where necessary.  

The Press Officer will be a member of the External Affairs Team. This role is designed to support the development and implementation BABCP’s external affairs plan with a view to raising the profile and influence of BABCP amongst the general public and promoting the benefits of CBT.

Key Duties/Responsibilities:

As a member of the staff team:

• To work collaboratively with other members of the staff team to deliver our Member and External. Communications, as relevant.
• To contribute towards delivering our organisation strategy.
• To contribute towards the values of the Association.
• Promoting equity, equality, diversity and inclusion in every aspect of Member Engagement.

As the Press Officer:

• Work effectively and flexibly as part of the External Affairs team, elevating BABCP’s profile through media. coverage in ambitious and creative ways.
• Monitor media trends and generate a daily news summary to staff.
• Proactively identifying any potential reputational risks.
• Work with the Head of External Affairs to provide monthly reports on media coverage and analysis.
• Secure new stories, opinion pieces, features, reviews and other coverage in a wide variety of publications, broadcast and digital media both trade and national.
• Provide staff cover in the Out of Hours (OOH) rota.
• Work with the Head of External Affairs and the Policy and Public Affairs Officer to devise advocacy campaigns and evaluate them.
• Work with the Head of External Affairs to develop and implement impactful media strategies.
• Be the first point of contact for media requests, working with the Head of External Affairs.
• Work with the Head of External affairs and Communication Officers to generate content for our social media channels.
• Support the events, Accreditation and membership teams ensuring appropriate coverage of our annual events, Accreditation and registration courses and other events as needed.

Person Specification:

• Proven experience in media, press or communications preferably within the healthcare, public, or membership sectors.
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective working relationships with journalists, internal and external contacts influencing change.
• High level of ICT literacy (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and document management systems).
• Strong understanding of UK and/or Irish trade and national media landscape, particularly health and mental health.
• Outstanding spoken and written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex information into simple accessible information at pace.
• Creative thinking with the ability to develop relevant content independently.
• Able to work effectively and collaboratively in fast-paced environments, and prioritising workload.
• Good attention to detail, drafting accurate copy ready for sign off.
• Understanding the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in the context of mental health inequalities.
• Commitment to demonstrate the values of BABCP.
• Willingness to work flexibility to provide for the needs of the Association and the External Affairs Department.

Please submit your CV and a cover letter of no more than 2 sides by the deadline of 12th November 2025, interviews are to be held in the last week of November.

Due to the high volume of applications, it may not always be possible to contact unsuccessful candidates. If you have any queries regarding your application, please contact us.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applicants from all communities.

We’re recruiting for a Senior Communications Officer.

Job title: Senior Communications Officer
Location: Home-based, with monthly in-person team meetings (generally somewhere in the London-Oxford-Bristol corridor), and regular travel to London.
Contract type: 4/5 days a week (30/37.5 hours per week), permanent.
Salary: £33-34K per annum plus benefits (FTE).

Would you like to make a positive impact for rural communities across England? Would you like to help tackle rural deprivation and ensure rural areas have fairer access to essential services? Would you like to help rural communities reach their full potential?

About Us

Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) is the only national charity speaking up for everyone in rural areas.  We champion thriving, sustainable and inclusive rural communities that have the services they need and the resources to secure equitable outcomes for everyone.  We work closely with our 38 member organisations who support local communities across England.  Together we campaign for change, enable local action, and improve support for people most in need. We work with government and other national partners to explore the issues affecting rural communities and identify solutions so that no one is disadvantaged by where they live.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and creative Senior Communications Officer to join our ambitious team. This is a new post that will play a key role in delivering our new five year strategy Rural Ambition: enabling communities to thrive.  This includes a commitment to speak up more boldly for rural communities and to build new alliances to widen our reach.  Reporting to the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you will be responsible for our external communications, including telling eye-catching stories, building relationships with journalists and overseeing our digital communications.  You will support our engagement with policy makers and other stakeholders, and advise and support other team members and our member organisations to promote their work and the impact they are making.

About You

You will be experienced in developing compelling stories and helping to deliver campaigns that raise awareness of low profile issues and drive change.  You will enjoy having a varied role that offers the opportunity to be creative, build new connections and work with colleagues in the team and our wider network.  You will be excited by our ambition to speak up more boldly for rural communities and to focus on the issues where we can make the most impact.  You will be a self-starter as well as a team player, enjoy working in partnership with other organisations, and be used to delivering several projects at one time.  You will have direct experience of living in a rural community or have a strong empathy with our cause.

This role is a great opportunity for a communications professional who is keen to take the next step in their career and give a voice to communities that are often forgotten.  You will be joining a small, focused and energetic organisation while being part of a unique national network. If you share our vision and ambition, please get in touch.

Working at ACRE

The ACRE team is home-based. We meet together at least once a month, generally somewhere in the London-Oxford-Bristol corridor.  Benefits include up to 30 days holiday, a contributory pension scheme, life cover and flexible working arrangements.

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to achieving the highest standards of diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, traditions and ways of life. Please note you will be asked to provide evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK prior to interview selection.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 19 November, at 23:59
Interviews will be held on Tuesday 25 November in Woodstock, Oxfordshire
NB: Please confirm when you make your final application that you are able to attend on this date.

Please assume that you have not been shortlisted if you have not heard from us by 24 November.

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.

No agencies please.

Be at the forefront of  student-led change in one of the UK’s most exciting and dynamic cities – join us as Associate Director Student Influence at Manchester Students’ Union.

Manchester Students’ Union is seeking a visionary Associate Director to spearhead our student influence work, empowering over 47,000 students to become powerful changemakers across the University, the city, and beyond.

The Role

As Associate Director Student Influence, you’ll lead the strategic development and operational delivery of our changemaking activity. You’ll ensure students are represented and supported to lead meaningful change, whether through policy, campaigning, or building grassroots movements. You’ll work closely with elected student leaders, university stakeholders, and civic partners to grow UMSU’s influence locally and nationally.

This is a senior leadership role, reporting to the Director of Student Engagement and accountable for a team including a Head of Policy, Head of Student Campaigns and Senior Officer Development Coordinator.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategies to grow UMSU’s influence across university, city, and nationally.

• Lead and mentor a high-performing team to deliver impactful change initiatives.

• Cultivate relationships with policy makers, civic organisations, and sector bodies.

• Champion student-led, evidence-informed approaches to advocacy and representation.

• Oversee democratic processes and political education initiatives.

• Drive performance through strategic planning, budgeting, and resource management.

Essential Criteria

We welcome applicants from all educational backgrounds. You’ll need to demonstrate:

• Proven experience in changemaking, whether from a campaigns, organising, advocacy, policy or public affairs background.

• Strategic leadership and team management in a values-led organisation.

• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.

• Ability to develop and deliver innovative strategies for change.

• Excellent communication and diplomacy, with a collaborative mindset.

• Commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and student empowerment.

Why Join Us?

• Competitive salary and generous benefits see full list here

• Hybrid working options

• Clear progression pathway through our graded role structure

• A supportive, inclusive, and values-driven workplace

ROLE SUMMARY

This post holder will be a key member of our delivery team working across a portfolio of our inspiring projects and programmes that support young people to develop their skills, empower their potential and influence change.

We are looking for a fun and enthusiastic individual with excellent communication and time management skills, and someone with an understanding of the issues facing young people and how these can be addressed through our programmes.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

• Delivering engaging sessions, workshops, and events for young people, both in-person and occasionally online.
• Travelling to programme venues across Greater Manchester (reasonable travel expenses reimbursed).
• Supporting young people to develop skills and confidence, and helping them create projects that make a difference in their communities.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with young people, promoting active participation.
• Working with the Youth Leads UK team to plan, prepare, and deliver activities.
• Bringing new ideas to strengthen our programmes and youth engagement work.
• Being part of the team that represents Youth Leads UK at conferences and events, including volunteer and career fairs.
• Keep up to date on new developments and trends within the youth sector

Essential Knowledge and Skills:

• Experience working with young people in group or individual settings — this could include volunteering, mentoring, or supporting peers through school, college, or community projects.
• Strong communication skills (oral, written, and presentational).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Excellent team player who works well collaboratively.
• Understanding of inclusion and the differing needs of young people from a range of backgrounds and experiences.

Desirable Knowledge and skills:

• Confident IT and social media user (e.g. Canva, Zoom, TikTok, Instagram).
• Understanding of community engagement, volunteering, or social action.
• Awareness of safeguarding and child protection (training provided).
• Awareness of issues affecting young people (e.g. education, wellbeing, employment).

DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND INCLUSION

Everyone at Youth Leads UK is passionate about diversity, equality and inclusion. Our Trustees, staff and the young people we support are diverse in many different ways, and we want to continue representing the community we serve.

We therefore welcome and encourage applications from people who identify as BAME or have any additional needs or disabilities. We also encourage individuals who have benefited from our programmes to apply.

We encourage applications from everyone - regardless of disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief or race.

Youth Leads UK recognises the unique perspective and relatability that comes with being closer in age to the individuals we serve. Therefore, in accordance with our youth-led mission, we exercise an exception from the Equality Act, enabling us to prioritise employing individuals under the age of 30, fostering a deeper connection and understanding within our organisation.

YOUTH-LED APPROACH

One of the factors which make Youth Leads UK’s approach different is our belief in the value of youth insights and input to guide our work. The post holder will be expected to understand youth involvement and be an advocate for youth involvement which will include a flexible approach to work, including a willingness to take on tasks outside the normal remit, to work irregular hours, often evenings and weekends.

Community Fundraiser - London​

Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research? ​

Brain Tumour Research is seeking an experienced and motivated fundraiser to join our team. As a key part of our fundraising efforts in our high-performing East region, you will have the opportunity to drive income generation through a variety of initiatives, including challenge events, fundraising groups, and corporate partnerships such as charity of the year. You will also be responsible for driving initiatives to increase our profile and supporter base within London.​

Key Responsibilities: ​​​

• Generate income across a range of community fundraising initiatives and events, with the opportunity to lead on key projects 
• Steward supporters to help drive the charity’s fundraising activities and growth 
• ​Work with the fundraising team to develop and maintain strong relationships with fundraisers, donors, partners, and key stakeholders ​
• Contribute towards the growth and success of fundraising efforts, ensuring a sustainable income stream for the vital ongoing funding of brain tumour research ​​

Requirements: ​​

• At least one year of fundraising experience, with a proven track record in income generation 
• Strong experience in supporter stewardship  
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire supporters and partners alike ​
• Passion for Brain Tumour Research and its mission to fund research and ultimately find a cure 

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If you are looking for a fulfilling and impactful role and have the level of experience and skill we are looking for, we welcome your application.​​

​For this role, the successful candidate must live in the London area.​​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.

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We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

Closing Date: 28th November 2025

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We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

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Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: £61,430 - £70,007 p.a. (NJC Spine Points 49 – 55). Salary to be at entry-level except for exceptional circumstances. 

Contract:  Fixed term to 31 March 2027, with potential extension subject to confirmation of funding.

Greater Manchester Moving is the Greater Manchester charity committed to changing lives by inspiring a healthier future in Greater Manchester through moving more, sport and physical activity. We play a strategic leadership role in support of the Greater Manchester wide movement, for movement.

We are seeking to recruit an individual with purpose, passion and integrity to lead, support and connect the Greater Manchester system in creating the conditions to enable Active Lives for All.

It’s an exciting time to join the team as we develop our vision to build and foster relationships with and between people, communities and system partners, to enable a whole system approach to supporting the development of community networks, activities and opportunities to move more and tackle inequality.

We are looking for someone who loves working with people, who can unite people from diverse backgrounds around a vision, who understands the power of collaboration and who can work with others to help people connect, support and lead across sectors, organisations and alongside communities to help us achieve the ambitions set out in the ten-year strategy, GM Moving in Action.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high performing Active Partnership team working with a network committed to making positive change through movement, physical activity and sport.

This is a full-time role (37 hours per week), but job shares, secondments and reduced hours will be considered as part of our commitment to flexible working. Working days will predominantly be Monday to Friday. Our team works a minimum of two days a week in person, and our core office day is Tuesday. Occasional evening/weekend work may be required.

We have permanent office space at House of Sport in Manchester, and office space with GMCA and NHS GM at Tootal Buildings, Oxford Road, Manchester. We have regular team and co-working days, blended with homeworking. We trust you to work in a way that suits you and that enables you to be productive and thrive.

Greater Manchester Moving is committed to providing equal opportunities and promoting diversity, irrespective of ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexuality, disability, religion, pregnancy or personal circumstance. We aspire to being a diverse, inclusive and responsible organisation. Our aim is to have a workforce that reflects and understands the communities we work alongside.

Community Fundraiser - Home Counties

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Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research? ​

Brain Tumour Research is seeking an experienced and motivated fundraiser to join our team. As a key part of our fundraising efforts in our high-performing East region, you will have the opportunity to drive income generation through a variety of initiatives, including challenge events, fundraising groups, and corporate partnerships such as charity of the year. You will also be responsible for driving initiatives to increase our profile and supporter base within Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Essex. 

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Key Responsibilities: ​

• ​Generate income across a range of community fundraising initiatives and events, with the opportunity to lead on key projects 
• Steward supporters to help drive the charity’s fundraising activities and growth 
• ​Work with the fundraising team to develop and maintain strong relationships with fundraisers, donors, partners, and key stakeholders ​
• Contribute towards the growth and success of fundraising efforts, ensuring a sustainable income stream for the vital ongoing funding of brain tumour research ​

​

Requirements: ​​

• At least one year of fundraising experience, with a proven track record in income generation 
• Strong experience in supporter stewardship  
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire supporters and partners alike ​
• Passion for Brain Tumour Research and its mission to fund research and ultimately find a cure 

​

If you are looking for a fulfilling and impactful role and have the level of experience and skill we are looking for, we welcome your application.

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​We will give preference to those candidates living in the Bucks, Beds and Northants areas of this region.​​​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.​

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

Closing Date: 06th November 2025

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We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

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