Head of media and communications jobs in Cambridge
This is a home-based role, working Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Applications are welcome from candidates based outside Belfast, provided they are resident in Northern Ireland and able to commute to the Belfast office if required.
The External Affairs Manager plays a pivotal role in empowering people with sight loss to live the life they choose. This position leads the development of policy and campaigns within the country, aligning with Guide Dogs’ strategic objectives. Working collaboratively with the central policy, public affairs, and campaigns team, as well as the country leadership team, the role builds strategic partnerships with government bodies, local authorities, societies, and other key organisations. This ensures Guide Dogs remains informed and influential on all policy initiatives affecting the organisation and its stakeholders.
The post holder will be responsible for the day‑to‑day leadership, management and oversight of a team.
The post-holder is responsible for shaping policy positions, drafting responses to consultations from councils, combined authorities, and devolved governments, and driving impactful campaigns at a regional level. A key focus is increasing the involvement of blind and partially sighted people in advocacy and campaigning.
Additionally, the role leads the implementation of Guide Dogs’ regional marketing and communications strategy across the Devolved Nations. This includes raising brand awareness, engaging diverse audiences—service users, families, volunteers, donors, and the public—and delivering integrated communications plans that strengthen Guide Dogs’ presence and impact.
Key Responsibilities
Policy Development
- Lead the creation of country-specific policy and position papers, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy.
- Prepare responses to consultation papers from devolved administrations, local government, and regional bodies.
- Represent Guide Dogs on committees, working groups, and forums, staying informed on policy issues impacting the organisation and its service users.
Public Affairs
- Build and influence relationships with key stakeholders, including elected representatives and senior officials.
- Represent Guide Dogs at Government Scrutiny Committees and cross-party groups.
- Act as the primary liaison with local government and statutory agencies.
Campaigns & Influence
- Strategically lead and coordinate campaigns at a country level, ensuring alignment with devolved policy priorities.
- Develop and deliver campaigns addressing local needs of the visually impaired community.
- Foster partnerships within the Third Sector to build consensus and amplify Guide Dogs’ strategic aims.
Leadership & People Management
- Provide strong leadership to local staff and volunteers, promoting best practice and knowledge-sharing.
- Oversee recruitment, performance management, and compliance with safeguarding policies.
- Ensure high levels of engagement through effective communication and leadership.
Financial Accountability
- Support fundraising initiatives and monitor operational budgets to ensure efficiency and compliance.
Diversity & Inclusion
- Champion Guide Dogs’ diversity agenda, ensuring services are inclusive and accessible.
- Work with external partners to create a more inclusive environment for people with sight loss.
How to apply
Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page.
If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, or require any accessibility support to apply, our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help.
As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site.
If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time.
Safeguarding
Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment.
At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly.
Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service.
For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The Role
At Cruse, we have recently launched our new strategy, setting out our charity’s plans to grow our income and build on our expertise and unique position in the sector. We provide expert bereavement and grief information and support, and our charity has been supporting people for over 65 years. We support adults, children and young people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, through our national services, over 80 local branches and online information about grief and bereavement. You will lead and develop Cruse’s digital individual giving activity, creating engaging campaigns and supporter journeys that drive sustainable income and strengthen donor relationships.
How to apply
Your application must consist of a CV and covering letter, which outlines your suitability for the role with reference to the Job Description and Person Specification and should be no longer than two pages.
The closing date for applications is Friday 13 March 2026, with interviews taking place on the week commencing 23 March 2026.
Please be advised that if you do not hear from us by Monday 23 March, unfortunately on this occasion you have not been shortlisted.
Cruse welcomes and encourages applications from all protected groups as defined by the Equality Act 2010. Appointment will be made on merit.
Criminal Record Checks
All staff are required to complete a Criminal Record check. Staff working directly with clients will be required to complete an enhanced check. We comply with the relevant codes of practice and they can be viewed online:
- Applicants in England and Wales: DBS Code of Practice
- Applicants in Northern Ireland: AccessNI Code of Practice
Previous convictions will not prevent full consideration of your application to work with Cruse. Our Recruitment of Ex-offenders’ Policy & Handling Criminal Record Check Data Policy are available on request by email.
We comply with all relevant data protection legislation and process your data fairly.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Advantage Mentoring
We are specialists in partnering The NHS with the charitable arms of professional football clubs: known as Club Community Organisations (CCO).
We harness the power of professional football club’s community organisations to deliver mental health mentoring programmes which provide solutions to key community challenges.
Our vision is to create a transformative network where anchor institutions and CCOs collaborate seamlessly to deliver sustainable, impactful mental health and well-being support to local communities.
We aim to fill the gaps in existing healthcare and wellbeing services by harnessing the unique position that CCOs have in local communities and providing effective programmes that meet people at their point and place of need.
Our goals are to continue tackling and reducing health inequalities, increase equal access to mental health support and provide better experiences and outcomes for our participants.
About the role and its purpose
· You will be responsible for Advantage’s income and business development activity
· You will lead a broad range of income generating activities and manage relationships with stakeholders
· You will be responsible for growing income from a variety of sources, income streams and relationships
· You will have a clear priority focus on converting pilot and seed-funded contracts to longer-term sustainable contracts and developing donations and project funding
Key tasks & responsibilities
Income generation
· Use your skills, creativity and experience to develop our income generation strategy
· Develop ideas for creative sponsorship and funding opportunities, putting together and submitting proposal and tender documents; identifying suitable partners; presenting proposals and closing deals
· Converting pilot and seed-funded contracts to longer-term sustainable contracts e.g. current Postcode Lottery agreement in the North-East converting to a long-term contract with North-East and North Cumbria ICB (more information to this can be given at interview stage)
· Support drawing up and negotiating contracts and ensuring delivery
· Work with stakeholders and our internal team to scope and develop exciting new opportunities
· Develop and steward fundraising and donor relationships in order to increase income
· Deliver on agreed income targets
Partnerships and Networks
· Build and maintain a network of strategic key external contacts that can support Advantage Mentoring’s work. Stakeholders will be from private, public and third sector groups. Take an active role in representing Advantage Mentoring to appropriate Trusts and Foundations
· Develop a work plan for private sector and philanthropic engagement to achieve a joined up and coherent approach to engaging with commercial organisations across multiple outcomes (financial, brand awareness, influencing policy and support-in-kind)
Communication, marketing and external relations
· Work with Communications colleagues to create materials that will attract new strategic partners, for example highly targeted work aimed at specific sectors being clear about the value of partnering with Advantage Mentoring
· Represent Advantage Mentoring with external audiences (in the media, at events, in meetings with senior stakeholders)
Strategic Leadership
· Develop and implement Advantage’s income generation strategy and policies, as a part of the Leadership Team
· Ensure that partner organisations understand and commit to our values
Management
· Oversee the business development pipeline and ensure that enough proposals are being submitted to make the achievement of income targets probable
· Provide income generation information to the Managing Director and participate in Executive Team meetings and Board meetings
· Report to the Board on income generation as required.
· Maintain a thorough understanding of financial targets and progress
· Work alongside the Head of Operations & Projects to make sure projects are properly initiated and well managed to ensure all contractual obligations are achieved
· Work closely with the PR/Comms Manager to support the awareness of the organisation’s work on a national and local level
Reporting
· Utilise the project bids pipeline spreadsheet and capacity spreadsheet to inform planning and resourcing
· Maintain an effective database of Grants, Trust and Foundation contacts
· Monitor digital income streams to ensure they are effective and opportunities are secured
· Work in collaboration with the communications team to build brand awareness, and promote income generation and impact developing content for key messaging, PR, and branding materials to support effective marketing of the organisation
· Design and develop key income generation materials to enhance our external visibility including extending our profile via submissions for awards and recognition programmes
· Plan and support events for awareness raising and dissemination of our work
· Ensure systems and processes for managing data comply with the organisation’s data protection obligations, charity law and GDPR
· Develop robust systems for the effective stewardship and reporting to supporters of our work
Essential Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Personal Qualities
Experience
· Substantial experience of income generation and development activity, including
• Handling key clients
• Preparing, costing, pitching and closing proposals
• Completing tender documents for submission
• Ensuring delivery of initiatives on time and within budget to the satisfaction of all parties
· Experience of working with corporate partners, establishing and delivering impactful, strategic partnerships with the commercial sector
· Experience in developing and stewarding fundraising and donor relationships
· Experience of building and sustaining relationships and partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders
· Understanding of impact measurement frameworks
Knowledge & Skills
· Skilled in working with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders
· Excellent communication and influencing skills
· Good knowledge of the public, private and third sector
· Excellent organisational and planning skills
· Ability to set and meet deadlines
· Excellent written communications skills, including ability to write persuasive and engaging content
· IT skills (able to use Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and databases)
· Ability to work in a pressured environment and work to deadlines.
Personal Qualities
· Gets things done, delivers to highest of standards and takes responsibility
· Entrepreneurial, innovative, personable, collaborative and good at working both in a team and under your own initiative
· Able to represent Advantage Mentoring, reflecting its values and priorities
· Able to encourage contributions and involvement from a broad and diverse range of staff by being visible and accessible
· Flexible and dynamic, with an ability to adapt and respond quickly to a fast-changing environment
· Ability to negotiate and influence others in a positive manner and confidence to deal with different priorities and differing views.
· Ability to manage expectations.
· Diplomacy and ability to deal with difficult situations.
· Strong delivery focus, with the ability to drive progress forward and a concern for results and achieving goals.
· Confident communicator
· Ability to quickly build credibility internally and externally
· Ability to work in partnership and with flexibility
· Excellent attention to detail
· Proactive, thinks ahead, generates innovative ideas
Other
· Ability to undertake travel around England if/as needed with possible overnight stays
Values & Behaviours
Collaborative
Advantage collaborates with anchor institutions and CCOs to deliver preventative, engaging, and accessible healthcare to those in the community who need it. Our programmes are co-designed and tailored to local needs whilst building sustainable local and national networks.
Inclusive
Advantage aims to give people the opportunity to access our programmes regardless of their race, gender, or socioeconomic class. We believe in creating equal opportunities and breaking down barriers to ensure everyone can benefit from our services.
Supportive
Our mental health programmes increase equal access to care, delivering better experiences and outcomes through evidence-based practices and continuous improvement. Advantage widens access to services closer to home, reduces unnecessary delays, and unburdens other anchor institutions by building capacity to support people.
Impactful
We specialise in creating sustainable partnerships between CCOs and anchor institutions harnessing each entity’s strengths to form a unified support network. Our tailored project and performance management packages ensure ongoing quality assurance, improvement, and responsive adaptations to meet the evolving needs of our partners and their communities.
Advantage Mentoring CIC positively encourages applications from suitable qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.
The role is remote but there is an expectation you will be able to travel around the country and in to our Head Office in London Bridge when needed.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Do you share our dream of a UK where poverty is a thing of the past?
Founded in 2019, the Poverty Truth Network believes this can only happen when those most impacted by poverty are at the heart of the movement to end it. Our specific contribution brings together people experiencing poverty with those with responsibilities for alleviating it.
We are now recruiting for an Administrative Coordinator to join our team.
This is a key enabling role within a small, relational and values-led organisation. The Administrative Coordinator will provide coordinating and administrative support across the Network, helping ensure smooth systems, high-quality financial administrative and shared working practices across a dispersed team.
You will be a highly organised and dependable administrator, with experience supporting finance and digital systems, and a clear commitment to social justice and relational ways of working.
Key tasks include:
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Coordinating meetings, events and trustee processes
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Providing hands-on finance administration, including bookkeeping using Xero
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Supporting digital systems, CRM and data stewardship
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Maintaining accurate records and shared documentation
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Contributing to consistent, relational and accountable ways of working across the Network
This role involves working from home with some travel.
We welcome applications from people with the necessary skills and experience from all walks of life, particularly those from communities underrepresented in the charity sector.
How to apply
To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter (maximum 2 sides of A4) explaining how your skills and experience match this role. Please include the names and contact details of two referees (at least one of whom knows you in a professional capacity).
The application deadline is 23:30 on Wednesday 25th March.
Interviews will be held online on 1st and 2nd April.
Applications will only be considered from applicants who already have the right to work within the United Kingdom.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About the Role
As a passionate professional in the identification, development and management of a wide range of relationships in support of our programme partnership, you will ensure the Career Ready programme in Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire continues to thrive, which includes securing charitable donations from supporting partners. You will work closely with our Programme & Partnerships Manager for Glasgow, in support of our work growing there.
This role requires experience of partnership and account management and the scale and ambition of our social mobility work means you will need to be well organised, confident and able to positively influence a wide range of people including headteachers, teachers, CEOs and HRDs.
You will identify and approach opportunities that are well researched and pursue with unswerving perseverance. It’s also a great chance to develop personally.
Programme & Partnership Managers lead the delivery of our programme locally. In this role, you’ll grow, develop, and maintain the employer and education partnerships that make the Career Ready programme work — including our Local Advisory Boards, Local Authorities, school coordinators, the Developing the Young Workforce Regional Group, and the employers and volunteers who provide mentoring with the accompanying paid internship, deliver engaging masterclasses, and support events.
Once you’re confident in what, why, when, and how of our work, you will:
1. Lead, grow, and strengthen the Career Ready partnerships in Renfrewshire & West
Dunbartonshire.
You’ll ensure an excellent programme experience for all stakeholders and secure employer engagement for approximately 60+ students each year (with growth expected) who take part in our 18-month programme. This includes ensuring
sufficient mentors with the accompanying paid internship, high-quality masterclasses and purposeful events.
2. Support programme delivery, stakeholder engagement and the generation of new programme and funding partnerships across Renfrewshire & West Dunbartonshire.
You’ll work closely with the Career Ready Glasgow & West Areas Local Advisory Board, the Programme & Partnerships Manager for Glasgow, the Head of Programme & Operations, the Scotland Partnerships Manager, Partnerships Lead, and your fellow Programme & Partnerships Managers — all committed to delivering quality, impact, and sustainability. You’ll also collaborate with the Scotland Operations Team to
ensure accurate data, strong processes, and effective management information for the area.
Find out more
You can find out more about the role, and working at Career Ready, in our candidate pack.
- £36,000 - £39,870 DOE (pro rata for part time)
- A working from home allowance of £300 pa is provided (pro rata for part time)
- Annual leave: 27 days holiday plus bank/public holidays. In addition, Career Ready is closed between Christmas and New Year. Career Ready also allows flexible use of some Bank & Public Holidays
- 6% of salary contribution to a private pension subject to an employee contribution of 3%
- Access to both our Reward Gateway Portal and an Employee Assistance Programme
- Business expenses including mileage allowance for car usage
How to apply
Please visit our website for full details of how to apply.
Timetable
- Closing date: 5 pm, Monday 16 March 2026 (early applications are encouraged)
- Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial screening conversation prior to interview
- Interviews will take place from w/c 30 March 2026
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.