Head of policy and communications jobs

About the Role

As we scale, we are looking for a Head of Operations to provide operational leadership to ensure the charity operates effectively, compliantly and sustainably in line with its mission and ethos. Working closely with the CEO, you will support the translation of the vision into reality by building strong foundations, enabling effective delivery, and supporting the scaling of the organisational from a regional base to a nationally impactful charity.

This is a pivotal role shaping how BeSpace grows. You will lead on strengthening systems, people, governance and operational delivery embedding accountability, and continuous improvement.

In this role, you will:

Strengthen governance, risk and compliance

· Develop and maintain robust governance frameworks and ensure legal and regulatory compliance

· Embed effective risk management processes

· Oversee key compliance areas including safeguarding, GDPR and reporting

Build operational systems and infrastructure

· Develop and implement scalable systems, processes and internal controls

· Improve data management (including CRM) and strengthen reporting

· Contribute to ensuring operational readiness to support national growth

· Work with external providers on IT and financial system integration

Lead people, culture and organisational development

· Oversee recruitment, onboarding and retention of a high-performing team

· Strengthen performance management and accountability frameworks

· Support and foster a values-led, healthy team culture aligned with BeSpace’s mission

Enable delivery, impact and growth

· Strengthen operational support for programme delivery and expansion

· Support the translation of strategic ambitions into practical systems and ways of working

· Improve data insight to inform decision-making

· Support development of fundraising infrastructure.

Contribute to wider organisational life

· Work collaboratively across the team to support evolving priorities

· Act as an ambassador for BeSpace’s values and Christian ethos

About You

We are looking for someone who:

· Has experience in operations, programme or an organisational role with increasing responsibility or has had operational leadership, ideally within a growing or changing organisation

· Has good experience in developing systems, processes and organisational infrastructure

· Can work closely with a CEO to translate vision into operational delivery

· Has excellent organisational and project management skills

· Is proactive, collaborative and relational leader who builds strong teams and culture

 It would be a bonus if you:

 · Are an experienced operational leader motivated by impact, flexibility, and supporting the growth of a mission-led organisation

· Have significantly enabled the scaling of a regional organisation to national growth operationally.

· Have experience in fundraising systems or donor management

Title:  Head of Campaigns

Salary:        £60,000

Contract:      Temporary

Hours:  37.5 per week (Monday to Friday) 

Holiday:  25 days per year plus bank holidays 

Location:  Home based with regular across the UK

Probationary Period:  3 months

Reports to:  Chief Executive

Benefits:  An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year

Flexitime policy

5% pension contribution

Anticipated contract duration:  9th November 2026 - February 2028 

We are River Action

We are a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue the UK’s rivers from a toxic cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution and water shortages. We support community action, galvanise and mobilise public opinion, influence government policy, take legal actions and call out destructive industrial practices to incentivise changes that end river pollution and secure freshwater. 

We are a talented team of positive disrupters and stakeholder mobilisers delivering our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of communities, rivers and wildlife.

Our rivers are our life support system and they are dying. We need urgent action to bring them back to life.

Who we are looking for

We're looking for an exceptional campaigner to lead an ambitious environmental campaigning  programme for just over a year to cover maternity leave. This is an exciting opportunity for an inspiring leader who can develop bold, strategic campaigns that shift public debate, influence decision-makers and deliver tangible environmental outcomes.

You'll be an experienced campaign strategist who understands that lasting change rarely comes from a single tactic. You'll know how to bring together compelling communications, evidence and investigations, grassroots mobilisation, political engagement, legal interventions and partnerships into integrated campaigns capable of changing policy, behaviour and corporate practice.

We're looking for someone who combines strategic vision with practical delivery. Someone who is comfortable making decisions in a fast-moving environment, spotting opportunities as they emerge and adapting campaigns to maximise impact.

Experience in environmental campaigning would be highly valuable, but above all we're looking for someone with an outstanding track record of leading successful campaigns that have shifted opinion, influenced policy or held powerful institutions to account.

We’re looking for someone who brings energy, creativity and courageous leadership. Someone who is excited by building campaigns that challenge the status quo, comfortable navigating complexity and able to combine bold thinking with sound judgement. You'll know when to disrupt, when to collaborate and how to inspire others to believe that together we can restore the UK’s rivers. 

If you're motivated by creating change, thrive in a dynamic environment and want to lead campaigns that make a genuine difference to one of the UK's greatest environmental challenges, we'd love to hear from you. 

What you’ll be doing:

As Head of Campaigns, you will be developing and delivering bold, integrated campaigns that drive lasting change for the UK's rivers. You'll lead and inspire a talented team of campaigners, helping them to develop innovative, impactful campaigns while fostering a collaborative, ambitious and supportive culture. You'll work closely with colleagues across communications, policy, legal, fundraising and research, ensuring our work is strategically aligned and greater than the sum of its parts.

Leading River Action's Campaigns Team, you will shape the organisation's campaigning strategy, ensuring our work is innovative, evidence-led and designed to influence public opinion, hold polluters to account and secure meaningful political and systemic change. You'll create campaigns that connect compelling storytelling with community mobilisation, strategic communications, political advocacy, legal action and partnerships, ensuring every part of our work contributes towards our mission to rescue the UK’s rivers.

You'll provide strategic leadership across the full campaign lifecycle, overseeing campaign planning, delivery, budgeting, resourcing and evaluation. You'll ensure our campaigns are informed by robust evidence, guided by clear objectives and measured against meaningful outcomes, using insight and learning to continually strengthen our impact.

You will lead River Action's communications and public profile, ensuring our campaigns cut through the national conversation, inspire public action and strengthen our reputation as one of the UK's leading environmental campaigning organisations. You’ll oversee media, messaging and campaign communications that amplify our voice and build public support for change.

Internally, you'll work in close partnership with the Head of Public Affairs to ensure our public campaigns reinforce and accelerate our political influencing work, while ensuring community campaigns and grassroots action inform our national priorities. You'll also work alongside the Head of Legal to develop campaigns involving strategic litigation to achieve change within and outside of court and legal processes, using legal action as a catalyst for wider public awareness, policy change and industry accountability.

As a member of River Action's Senior Management Team, you'll help shape the strategic direction of the organisation and contribute to organisational leadership beyond your own department. You'll work alongside the CEO and fellow Heads of Department to deliver our organisational strategy, embedding collaboration, innovation and impact across all areas of our work.

You'll also play a key role in securing the resources needed to deliver our ambitions. Working with the Head of Development, you'll help develop compelling funding proposals, inspire funders with our vision and demonstrate the impact of our work through robust monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Working with the Finance and Operations Manager, you'll oversee campaign budgets, ensuring resources are managed effectively and strategically.

Main Duties 

• Provide strategic leadership as a member of the Senior Management Team, supporting the CEO to deliver River Action's organisational strategy, theory of change and long-term vision.

• Lead the development and delivery of River Action's integrated campaigning strategy, ensuring our public campaigns drive measurable environmental, political and societal change.

• Develop and oversee a portfolio of ambitious national campaigns, identifying opportunities to influence public opinion, policy, regulation and industry practice through innovative and impactful campaigning.

• Lead River Action's communications, media and public engagement strategy, ensuring compelling storytelling, strong brand visibility and effective use of traditional, digital and social media to grow our influence and supporter base.

• Lead the planning and delivery of River Action’s creative interventions and actions, from polling, petitions and shareholder actions to public protests and high-profile actions.

• Serve as a senior public representative and spokesperson for River Action, building the organisation's profile and influence through media engagement, public speaking, stakeholder engagement and high-profile external events.

• Oversee River Action's digital campaigning platforms, including the strategic development of our website and digital engagement tools.

• Work closely with the Head of Public Affairs  to ensure campaigns and political advocacy are fully integrated, maximising opportunities to influence government, regulators and decision-makers.

• Work closely with the Head of Public Affairs to ensure grassroots action informs national campaigns, and national campaigns empower and amplify community action.

• Work with the Head of Legal to identify, develop and deliver strategic legal interventions that strengthen campaigns, increase accountability and drive systemic change beyond the courtroom.

• Build and maintain influential relationships with campaign partners, coalitions, NGOs, academics, community organisations, funders and other key stakeholders to maximise collective impact.

• Lead campaign planning, governance and delivery, ensuring campaigns are effectively resourced, managed and evaluated against agreed objectives, budgets and monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER) frameworks.

• Lead, inspire and develop the Campaigns Team, fostering a collaborative, creative and high-performing culture that enables colleagues to thrive and deliver exceptional work.

• Work with the CEO, Head of Development and senior colleagues to secure funding for campaign activities, contributing to funding proposals, donor engagement and impact reporting.

• Work with the Finance and Operations Manager to develop, monitor and manage campaign budgets, ensuring resources are used effectively and strategically.

• Support organisational reporting by contributing to Board papers, quarterly and annual reports, organisational planning and performance monitoring.

Other Duties & Responsibilities 

• Adopt a positive approach to personal and professional development; engaging in one to one meetings and relevant training.

• Be aware of, and act on, relevant health and safety responsibilities as an employee of River Action and adhere to these wherever you are working.

• To maintain confidentiality in all areas of work at River Action.

• UK travel will be required. Training & operational activities may require overnight stays away from home, in which case standard River Action procedures apply.

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to creating an inclusive, equal and diverse workplace and a positive organisational culture.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across River Action to collectively deliver our ethos and mission.

What you’ll bring

The position will suit a strategic, well organised, energetic, passionate and dedicated person. The ideal person will be an excellent leader, a people person, and thrive within a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The person will have a passion to protect and restore our waterways and hold those responsible for environmental destruction to account.

• Ability to think strategically to deliver campaigns that are positively disruptive and meet River Action values.

• Line management experience of highly experienced professionals, bringing out the best in your team.

• Creative attitude and skills for solving problems and raising awareness of problems and solutions.

• A head for organisation and excellent time management, bringing others along with you in planning and delivering interventions and projects at short notice and under pressure.

• Experience in public and/or political campaigning either within or outside the environmental sector.

• Experience and contacts in communications and PR. 

• An understanding of the issues that are impacting our rivers, and their solutions.

• The ability to establish and maintain effective contacts and relationships with senior and influential external individuals and bodies.

• The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide range of people both verbally and in writing including the media, community groups, other NGO representatives, government, industry leaders, supporters and followers on social media.

• Exceptional IT literacy and a head for figures and budgeting.

• Ability to work independently and take initiative to solve problems.

• Ability to work flexible hours as necessary.

• A good team player with a willingness to muck in as and where required.

• Ability to think clearly even when working under pressure.

• A passion for River Action’s mission and vision.

Diversity and Inclusion

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single criteria. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. So if you like the look of this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we would still like to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this or other roles. 

How to apply

To apply, please submit to jobs at riveractionuk dot com with the subject ‘Head of Campaigns’’:

• your CV (2 pages max), 

• a cover letter (2 pages max) explaining why you want to work for River Action and how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role, and 

• a written submission (2 pages) as described below. 

Only applications including all three documents will be accepted. Please provide your documents in pdf format. 

Written submission

River Action is looking to develop a campaign around water security in the UK to launch in 2027. Please put together a campaign brief setting out the challenges faced, how we would develop and deliver this campaign including campaign asks; campaign outcomes; public, political and legal tactics; routes for funding and resource requirements.

Your campaign brief should be no longer than 2 sides of A4. 

Application process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 23:59 on 19th July.

Should your application be shortlisted, the next stage will involve an initial 30 minute interview on 28th July via video conference. You may then be invited to attend a second interview with a panel on 3rd August. 

Please indicate in your covering letter or in a covering email your availability for interviews on these dates.

If you have any questions about the role or your application, please contact us on jobs at riveractionuk dot com.

We have a rare opportunity for an experienced policy professional to join as team as Policy Analyst.

In this exciting role you will lead the policy workstream for Head On, a major Wellcome Trust funded campaign bringing together 20 sector leading organisations to build political momentum for mental health reform. You will be a skilled policy analyst and writer, able to coordinate influencing opportunities with MPs, Ministers and No. 10 on the NHS 10 Year Plan and the new Mental Health Strategy. Experience in policy and public affairs, and knowledge of health or mental health policy, are essential.

Centre for Mental Health is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work, to help create better mental health for all. We are taking active steps to become an antiracist organisation, and we value and support staff with lived experience of mental health challenges. We want the team shaping mental health policy to reflect the diversity of people whose lives that policy affects. We are happy to provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process for disabled applicants. We particularly encourage applications from people of colour and trans people, who are often underrepresented in policy roles.

We are also able to offer this role as a potential secondment opportunity. 

Title:  Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager

Salary:  From £45,000 - £55,000 per annum 

Contract:  Permanent

Hours:  37.5 per week (Monday to Friday) 

Holiday:     25 days per year plus bank holidays 

Location:  Home based with regular travel within / to London and across the UK

Probationary Period:  3 months

Reports to:  Head of Department 

Benefits:  An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year, Flexitime policy, 5% pension contribution

Title and salary to be commensurate with experience.

We are River Action

We are a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue UK rivers from a toxic cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution and water shortages. We support community action, galvanise and mobilise public opinion, influence government policy, take legal actions and call out destructive industrial practices to incentivise changes that end river pollution and secure freshwater. 

We are building a talented team of positive disrupters and stakeholder mobilisers to deliver our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of communities, rivers and wildlife.

Britain’s rivers are our life support system and they are dying. We need urgent action to bring them back to life.

Who we are looking for

We are expanding our political influence by introducing this new position, which will work closely with our existing Policy and Advocacy Manager to bolster our strategic reach particularly in the areas of water scarcity, security and justice, sewage and chemical pollution, and water sector reform.

We are seeking a dynamic and self-motivated individual who shares our passion for protecting rivers and securing our nation’s water, food, health, jobs and economy to join our team to drive forward our policy and advocacy work. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong policy insights capable of blending analytical problem-solving with intelligent advocacy to drive meaningful change. This role requires someone to have excellent writing skills and the ability to draft complex policy documents as well as top line arguments for wider communication. 

The ideal person will bring a combination of expertise, energy and ideas to amplify our impact, holding decision-makers and polluters accountable with a professional and diplomatic approach. They will engage with influential people across the sector, government, industry and media. 

If you thrive in fast-paced environments and want to be at the forefront of environmental policy and advocacy across multiple campaigns, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing

As a Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager, you  will lead the development and drafting of River Action’s overall policy strategy as well as leading on specific policy areas. You will play a leading role in shaping and advancing River Action’s political and policy influence, working closely with the Senior Management Team, Chief Executive and wider organisation to develop and execute an impactful policy and advocacy strategy.

River Action is the Co-Secretariat for the APPG on Water Pollution, offering our Policy and Advocacy Manager a unique opportunity to shape the policy direction for River Action and also to influence policy development across Parliament. 

You will also work closely with our public affairs agency who manage our daily Westminster activities. 

You will:

• Lead River Action’s development and delivery of our policy and advocacy strategy on sewage, industrial water pollution, and water scarcity 

• Collaborate with River Action’s team and external partners to ensure our collective work is underpinned by robust and forward-thinking policy analysis and evidence.

• Develop policy analysis to support campaign, communications and policy strategies, based on a strong evidence base and a sound understanding of the relevant legal and policy frameworks.

• Translate complex policy and evidence into concise documents with clear messages and compelling campaigns to engage political and policy stakeholders.

• Monitor and analyse political and policy developments, interpreting their implications and opportunities for River Action and its supporters.

• Generate analysis to enable participation in public consultation processes, including drafting high-quality and persuasive consultation responses and briefings for Westminster and Whitehall audiences.

• Increase our political influence with exciting policy interventions, ensuring River Action’s voice is heard at the highest levels of decision-making.

• Build and maintain relationships with key policymakers, civil servants, industry experts and partner organisations.

• Support grassroots community groups and third-sector partners in engaging with their local representatives for effective advocacy.

• Organise and attend key political meetings and events, including the Water Pollution APPG, stakeholder roundtables and parliamentary events.

• Manage strategic policy partnerships, including our relationship with Wildlife and Countryside Link and other third-sector organisations.

• Ensure River Action’s policy and advocacy efforts align with our creative campaigns, by making sure colleagues and spokespeople are well-briefed and communications content is well-informed to maximise reach and impact.

You will also:

• Actively engage in professional development and training.

• Adhere to health and safety policies while working in different locations.

• Maintain confidentiality in all areas of work at River Action.

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to an inclusive, equal and diverse workplace.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across River Action to collectively deliver our mission while being true to our values. 

UK travel will be required and regular trips to London. Training and operational activities may require overnight stays away from home, in which case costs will be covered and standard River Action procedures will apply.

What you’ll bring

The position will suit a self-motivated, strategic and determined person. You will be an excellent communicator, with exceptional writing skills and comfortable representing River Action and engaging with diverse stakeholders in positions of responsibility. You will have a passion to protect and restore our waterways and to hold decision-makers and polluters to account.

Essential knowledge, skills and experience:

• Experience in a senior policy and advocacy role, ideally within the environmental sector and including experience of water policy. 

• Policy and/or legislative experience, with a good understanding of the workings of the UK government and Parliamentary procedure.

• A good understanding of the UK water industry, the key UK water-related policies and the issues that are impacting our rivers, land and wildlife.

• Knowledge of the challenge of water scarcity.

• Excellent communication and writing skills with close attention to detail and the ability to produce concise and persuasive briefings, reports and consultation responses.

• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to working creatively and at a fast pace with colleagues, stakeholders and partners. 

• Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to proactively plan and prioritise work and to report your progress and impact.

• Ability to work flexible hours and travel as necessary.

• A good and supportive team player with a willingness to muck in as and when required.

Why join us?

• Be part of a mission-driven organisation working to restore and protect the UK’s rivers.

• Work at the heart of political and environmental change, influencing decision-makers at the highest levels.

• Work in an agile, supportive and happy work environment where your ideas and expertise will have real impact.

• Opportunities for professional development and growth within the organisation.

Diversity and inclusion

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single criteria. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. So if you like the look of this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we’d still love to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this role.

How to apply

To apply, please submit to jobs at riveractionuk dot com with the subject Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager’:

• your CV (2 pages), 

• a cover letter (2 pages) explaining why you want to work for River Action and how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role, and 

• a written submission (2 pages) as described below. 

Only applications including all three documents will be accepted. Please provide your documents in pdf format. 

Written submission

Please prepare a 2 page policy briefing for Parliamentarians on the issue of water scarcity and water justice and how it affects UK rivers and our security.  Your briefing should be written in a clear, persuasive style suitable for a Parliamentary and government audience and:

• Identify causes of water scarcity and injustice.

• Provide a concise analysis of the impact on rivers, biodiversity and our economy.

• Summarise and assess gaps in relevant UK Government policies, legislation and plans.

• Propose two or three practical policy recommendations for decision-makers.

Application process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 5pm on Wednesday 15th July.

Should your application be selected during sift, the next stage will involve an initial 15-minute interview. You may then be invited to attend a second interview with a panel. 

Interviews will be held in the weeks commencing 19th July and 26th July via video conference. 

Please indicate in your covering letter or in a covering email your availability for interviews.

If you have any questions about the role or your application, please contact us on jobs at riveractionuk dot com.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of Communications has responsibility for Ubele’s internal and external communications and digital activities in support of our strategic aims as well as oversight of communications across special projects. Central to the Head of Communications’ role is responsibility for: 

• Leading on delivery of Ubele’s Communications Strategy, public and internal communications with key audiences and stakeholders via various channels, especially Ubele’s website, email communications, social media and printed materials.  With support where needed, leading the delivery of a small number of annual and special events, working alongside colleagues and partners. 
• A crucial part of the role is working successfully with external partners, special projects comms teams, contractors and consultants to deliver on our communications objectives. 
• Reporting  to the COO and working closely with other senior leaders across departments to fulfil Ubele’s strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

General Responsibilities/duties: 

• Oversight of all external communications activity relating to the work of the organisation, including websites, email newsletters and social media.   
• Oversight and management of the Creative Coordinator to effectively boost engagement and grow the organisation's social media channels.
• Guide and support the strategy that manages the creative outputs of the organisation across all projects and interests.
• Managing the organisation’s websites, ensuring content is correct and up to date, developing new webpages, functionalities and layouts as required, with support from an external website developer as needed. 
• Working closely with the Hub leads and programme managers to publicise training opportunities, events, funding programmes, and wider Ubele activities across the organisation’s communication channels. 
• Leading on cross-organisation conversations and convening cross-organisational groups to develop and coordinate a pipeline of content for blogs and case studies.
• Working with Hub Leads and our external PR support team (where relevant) to produce press releases including drafting quotes on behalf of the Leadership Team and coordinating the sign-off processes.
• Dealing with inbound press enquiries and crisis management comms with relevant support.
• Working with Hub Leads and our external PR support team (where relevant) to produce press releases including drafting quotes on behalf of the Leadership Team and coordinating the sign-off processes.
• Dealing with inbound press enquiries and crisis management comms with relevant support.

Brand and marketing 

• Ensuring consistent use of Ubele’s brand across internal and external print and digital channels. 
• Managing the design, print and distribution (as appropriate) of branded print and digital media, such as stationery, templates, invitations, leaflets and publications. 
• Leading on brand guidelines, ensuring that they are adopted correctly across the organisation. Providing training and guidance to staff, teams and external partners on the correct use of the brand.
• Working with Hub leads and Creative Coordinator to manage sub-brands of Ubele projects and programmes and ensure that these are reflected in the organisation’s brand guidelines. 

Planning & Delivery

• Deliver the communications strategy which will be set ahead of each financial year in line with the organisation’s wider strategic objectives by the organisation’s Management Board and Hub leads. 
• Lead and advise on the key narratives, the best modes of communication and how to best reach our target audiences.
• Provide advice and guidance on communications to the Leadership Team, including on crisis communications and reputational risk management with support of PR freelancers. 
• Setting and managing a communications calendar, supporting external-facing activities across Ubele’s work.
• Advise Ubele’s senior leaders on how activities including leadership training, provision of funding, social investment programmes, and various events might be publicised and communicated.
• Participate in internal strategy meetings, including reporting on Communications at the monthly staff team and leadership team meetings and, where required, at the Management Board meeting. 
• Maintain strong working relationships with key sector contacts, especially Communications Leads at partner organisations.

Events 

• Attend and/or coordinate Ubele’s presence at external events (sometimes out of normal office hours) relating to ongoing relationships (e.g. GLA or sector events) 
• Organise and/or support the delivery of special events as required
• Support Programme Managers as required to deliver events (both in-person and digital) leveraging our pool of freelance events support where necessary. 
• Support teams with media enquiries, ensuring that relevant team members are supported in public speaking events. 

Line management 

• Will be line managed by new Chief Operating Officer
• Oversee and manage the work of the Creative Coordinator
• Collaborate with the Lead Designer, our PR agency and our pool of freelance professionals.

General 

• Other tasks, commensurate with the post, that senior leadership may deem appropriate (including occasional support for work that cuts across other areas of Ubele’s work). 
• To attend and participate in internal and external meetings including staff meetings and meetings with key stakeholders.
• To attend relevant training to fulfil the requirements of the job.
• To undertake other duties which may from time to time be required and which are appropriate to the responsibilities of the post.
• Ensure that the Ubele Initiative’s internal policies and procedures are followed through in all areas of work. The postholder will treat as confidential any information that could be deemed personal, private or sensitive and will comply with the organisation's GDPR and safeguarding requirements.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience

• Demonstrable experience in senior communications roles with responsibility for developing and delivering communications strategies.
• Managing internal and external communications across multiple channels, including websites, email marketing, social media, media relations and print publications.
• Creating and delivering high-quality communications campaigns that increase engagement with a range of audiences.
• Managing organisational websites using content management systems (CMS).
• Developing engaging written content for a variety of audiences, including press releases, newsletters, reports, web content and social media.
• Experience of managing organisational branding and ensuring consistent application of brand guidelines.
• Planning and promoting events through integrated communications activity.
• Working collaboratively with senior leaders to provide strategic communications advice.
• Experience of working within the voluntary, community, charity or social enterprise sector.
• Experience of communications within an organisation focused on racial equity, community development or social inclusion.
• Experience of working with diverse community stakeholders and underrepresented groups

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of communications planning, stakeholder engagement and audience development.
• Knowledge of digital communications, social media platforms, email marketing and website management.
• Understanding of media relations and reputation management.
• Knowledge of the policy and funding landscape affecting Black and minoritised communities in the UK.
• Knowledge of current communications trends and best practice across the voluntary, community or social enterprise sector.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles and how these influence communications practice.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to produce accurate, engaging copy.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to build relationships at all levels.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to think strategically while delivering operational communications activity.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to evaluate communications performance and use insight to improve outcomes.
• High level of IT literacy, including Microsoft 365 and communications platforms such as Mailchimp, Canva, WordPress (or similar CMS) and social media management tools.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative and exercise sound judgement.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information appropriately.

Personal Qualities

• Passion for community development, social justice and reducing inequalities.
• Collaborative, inclusive and relationship-focused approach.
• Creative, proactive and solutions-focused.
• Flexible and adaptable
• Strong commitment to Ubele Initiative's values and mission.

Purpose of the role

Are you passionate about how digital communications can be leveraged to help even more people understand the role and importance of churches and to encourage and support those who are caring for these historic buildings? We are looking for a part-time Communications Officer to join our small Communications Team at the National Churches Trust. You will help plan, write, build and send our regular newsletters, manage our photo library and permissions, and support us in making sure our website is up-to-date, accurate and accessible.

If you are a good communicator and writer, you understand the importance of UX design and supporter journeys, and you want to use your skills to help keep churches open and in use, then this could be the role for you.

Hours of Work: Part-time, 21 hours per week split over three days, working Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Introduction to the National Churches Trust

We want to keep the UK’s wonderful collection of church buildings well maintained, valued and in use. Working on the ground in all four nations, we support churches of all denominations. Our vision is to see open churches thriving at the heart of their communities.

Our mission:

• We Speak Up: churches are valued and supported

• We Build Up: churches are well maintained, adaptable and in good repair

• We Open Up: churches are sustainable, open and welcoming

Our values:

• Being straightforward in responding to others’ needs

• Providing support that makes a difference

• Joining forces to achieve greater impact

• Driving change that brings our vision closer​

Please note, we are not looking for any freelancers to fulfil this role.

For more information, download the job description supporting document. To apply, visit our careers page via the Apply button.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday, 12 July 2026.

Interviews: Thursday 23 or Friday 24 July 2026 in Westminster, London.

Thank you for your interest in the National Churches Trust and our mission to see open churches thriving at the heart of their communities. We look forward to hearing from you.

In the four years since Martingale launched, we have now supported over 200 Scholars to undertake postgraduate degrees across our thirteen partner universities.

As Martingale grows, we are building our policy and advocacy function to shape the future of postgraduate access, affordability and outcomes. We are seeking a rigorous, proactive and collaborative Policy Manager to drive the monitoring, insight and evaluation that underpin our influence, and to support the development and implementation of our policy positions and stakeholder engagement.

Reporting to the Head of Communications and External Engagement, you will lead Martingale’s policy tracking, political intelligence, evidence generation, and evaluation and learning. You will turn a fast-moving external landscape into clear, actionable insight, and produce the evidence, analysis and draft materials that enable the Head and CEO to position Martingale credibly with funders, universities, the sector and government.

This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role with significant autonomy. You will own workstreams end-to-end, build systems and processes where they do not yet exist, and influence more senior colleagues and stakeholders. You will sit at the centre of a landmark research and policy programme and help deliver a campaign to implement the recommendations from Martingale’s major HESA-based research partnership, making the case that talent, not background, should determine who progresses to and thrives in postgraduate study.

We welcome applicants from a range of career paths who are excited to be part of a growing, fast-paced charity delivering meaningful impact.

Location: The role is national, managing teams in Northern Ireland, Wales and across England. You will need to be able to work at one of our BookTrust offices in London, Leeds, Belfast or Cardiff for an average of 8 days per month whilst some of these collaboration days may be worked in partner locations, at events or stakeholder meetings in any part of the country. The position will require regular travel to BookTrust office bases and to visit and engage as needed.

BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. We know that children who read are happier, healthier, more empathetic, and more creative. They also do better at school.

Working with every local authority and across every region in the country, and supported by Arts Council funding, we reach over 3 million families a year via partners in schools, children’s centres, health visitors and libraries. This incredible network helps us to get children reading across the country.

This is a new role within the organisation and the postholder will be responsible for defining aspects of the role, building relationships and processes that will enhance our ways of working as part of wider organisational processes. 

You will be an excellent communicator who manages up effectively and who is comfortable working across a matrixed managed team. You will work closely with the Director of Partnerships in building relationships, systems and processes that support our delivery across regions and countries as well as working closely with key role holders such as but not confined to the Head of Partnerships Development, and Head of Programme for Vulnerable Children.

The Head of Partnerships Delivery will lead and coordinate our early years scaled programme delivery as well as ensuring activities to support delivery and development of our vulnerable children’s work are catered or within team processes and relationship building with strategic and local stakeholders.

This work spans the organisation – and will have a close working relationships with key stakeholders in operations on aspects of the work as well as to research and impact, design and innovation, growth planning, communications, profile-raising and income generation – and requires strong collaborative working to draw on skills and capacity in all these areas. 

To apply, please complete the application along with a copy of your CV.

Want to join us? To find out more about who we are please go to our website. 

We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and welcome candidates from all backgrounds and communities. 

Please note that this advert may close early should we receive a high volume of suitable applications. 

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity

We aim to provide an inclusive recruitment process and actively welcome applications from diverse talent pools: minority ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities and long-term conditions and candidates from underrepresented communities.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and want to ensure we have an accessible application process for all candidates. If you need any reasonable adjustments or would like us to do anything differently during the application process, please contact our HR team (contact details can be found on our website). 

BookTrust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The recruitment and selection process reflect our commitment to safeguarding therefore, the suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment, and pre-employment checks.

Job Description 

Job Title:  Strategic Communications and Marketing Planning Manager

Directorate:Communications 

Team/Department (if specific):Marketing and Planning

Date Written/ Amended:August2025

Context and Background

Every childhood is worth fighting for. This is our belief. It drives us. And it inspires our Communications and Marketingteam to find ever-more creative ways to promote our work and share how people can get involved in making a difference to children’s lives. 

The award-winning NSPCC Communications directorate is known for its talent, expertise and creativity in inspiring and challenging people to act on child abuse. We work collaboratively, both organisationally and across integrated communications disciplines, to deliver shared outcomes and measurable results through all available communications channels. 

The Strategic Communications and Marketing Planning Managerforms part of our Brand and Marketing Planning team. The role is central to developing a strategic framework to support prioritisation of our annual communications and marketing plans, ensuring we’re optimising our activity to drive impact. 

The Communications Planning Manager will lead on the communications and marketing planning process for all teams. Working with teams across the organisation, they will lead on the communications planning process. As part of this responsibility, they will work closely with senior stakeholders within Marketing and Communications and the Fundraising and Engagement directorate to maximise brand awareness and income driven by our communications and marketing activity. 

Job purpose

1.Lead the development and implementation of the strategic framework for annual communications and marketing planning, ensuring it is clear, comprehensive, and aligned with organisational priorities and budget allocation to drive the maximum impact for children and young people.

2.Coordinate and oversee the planning process across all communications teams, facilitating workshops and meetings to engage stakeholders, and ensuring plans are efficiently resourced and delivered.

3.Maintain effective planning systems and processes, ensuring timely communication of plans and priorities internally and externally, and supporting the identification and delivery of strategic communications objectives.

4.Build strong cross-organisational relationships, particularly between Communications and other directorates, to ensure alignment, coordination, and shared ownership of strategic goals.

Key relationships - Internal

·Reports to the Associate Head of Brand and Marketing Planning

·Works closely with the Director of Communications and Marketing on the overall strategy for communications and Marketing and delivery of directorate objectives

·Works closely with cross organisational campaign managers and key stakeholders, including our Senior Leadership Team to inform planning and strategic alignment. 

·Works closely with teams to inform, support and manage communications activity.

·Pro-actively works with managers and staff in other NSPCC Directorates , such as Fundraising and Engagement, Strategy and Knowledge, People, Finance and Services as necessary to further communications relationships.

Key relationships - External

·Creative, media and research agencies.

·Peers within the UK charity sector.

·Industry opinion formers, media and other stakeholders. 

·Professionals/trade bodies/organisations in charitable sector.

Main duties and responsibilities

1.Work with the Associate Head of Brand and Marketing Planning to implement the strategic framework for the annual planning process, ensuring our marketing investment is aligned to strategic priorities, led by market research and media insight, and drives impact. 

2.Facilitate workshops and meetings with relevant comms and marketing teams across the organisation to ensure all stakeholders are aligned and engaged in the annual comms and marketing planning process.

3.Support in the delivery and implementation of the communications strategy, ensuring our annual Communications and Marketing directorate business plans support our audiences to get closer to our cause.

4.Support the Associate Head of Brand and Marketing Planning in the analysis of marketing and communications impact data and insight, to share complex information in a clear and compelling way with the Communications and Marketing Leadership Team, the Director of Marketing Communications, Director of Fundraising and Engagement, Executive Leadership Team and Trustees.

5.     Ensure that there are appropriate processes in place to monitor communications and marketing performance, and delivery against business plans and the strategy.

6.     Maximise income and add value to departmental activities by sharing knowledge, specialist expertise and best practice with others as appropriate.

7.     Support the marketing and operations planning meeting by influencing and negotiating to deliver the comms planning process with internal audiences. 

8.     Work closely with finance, our media agencies and internal stakeholders to understand the investment plans and budgets for marketing across the organisation. 

9.     Support the Associate Head of Brand and Marketing Planning in the development of the brand and media investment strategies. 

Responsibilities for all Staff within the Communications

·A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

·Actively participate in regular department and team meetings, contributing to strategy, discussions and decisions which will be beneficial to the Directorate and wider NSPCC activities.

·Adhere to all the NSPCC’s service standards, policies and procedures. 

·Evidence an understanding of and commitment to the demonstration of the NSPCC’s values.

·Maintain an awareness of and comply with NSPCC data protection regulations. 

·Be responsible for personal learning and development, to support the learning and development of others and the whole organisation. 

·Work in a manner that supports equality, diversity and inclusion 

·Be pro-active in identifying ways to improve personal and team performance

·Maintain an awareness of own and others’ Health and Safety and comply with the NSPCC’s Health and Safety policy and procedures.

·Maintain awareness of NSPCCs safeguarding duties and comply with Safeguarding Code of Conduct.

·Take personal responsibility for keeping up to date with NSPCC work to end cruelty to children, including securing updates on project and service developments and general NSPCC news

A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people

Person specification

1.Excellent written communication skills to analyse, interpret and present proposals, reports and strategic plans in a clear and persuasive way for a wide range of audiences. 

2.Excellent ability to verbally present information, to a range of audiences in a clear, inspiring, and confident way to achieve desired outcomes.

3.Excellent ability to align, prioritise and plan marketing and communications activity against strategic organisational priorities.

4.Excellent ability to establish, develop and maintain relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including senior level individuals and external media agencies and partners to achieve desired outcomes.

5.Well-developed ability to develop, control and manage a communications and marketing plan, keeping within financial limits, monitoring and forecasting income and marketing performance, identifying possible shortfalls or overspends and taking timely and appropriate action.

6.Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage projects, organise and plan own work and the work of others to deliver objectives on time.

7.Experience in marketing and communications planning and strategically scheduling marketing activities on behalf of a large national brand. 

8.Project Management skills

9.Significant experience in leading integrated multi-channel campaign planning for a large organisation. 

10.A personal commitment to ending cruelty to children.

Safer Recruitment

As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk. 

Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.

The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance. 

Our principles: 

·Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation. 

·Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.

·We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.

·Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.

·As an organisation committed to safeguarding, we will ensure all under 18’s joining the organisation will have ongoing risk assessments to ensure their role and activities are safe and appropriate.

·All documentation relating to candidates will be treated confidentially in accordance with the GDPR legislation.

Job Title: Head of Communications, Atlantic Institute

Location: Rhodes House in central Oxford, Hybrid Working 2 days per week

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-time

Salary: £70,000 - £75,000 per annum

Reports to: Executive Director

We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Communications to join the Atlantic Institute based at the Rhodes Trust, Oxford. This role will ensure that the work and profile of Fellows and Programs are seen and heard, and that it helps define agendas, inform policy and contribute to systemic change.

The role is a member of the Atlantic Institute's leadership team, contributing to organisational culture and the successful delivery of the Institute's strategic priorities. Strong leadership and people management skills are essential, with the ability to lead, develop and motivate teams, build collaborative relationships and support colleagues through change.

We are looking for the successful candidate to start with us in as soon as possible.

The role

This role will bring cohesion to all Institute communications, providing a clear narrative of impact and influence, and positioning the Atlantic Fellows community as a global space for thought leadership and values-based convening.

Role responsibilities;

• Detail and deliver a cohesive narrative of the Atlantic Fellows community.

• Provide strategic direction for institutional narratives, thought leadership priorities and audience engagement frameworks across the Atlantic Fellows community.

• Provide senior oversight of editorial standards, co-designing with Fellows and Programs a mechanism to determine how work is amplified in line with the strategic direction of the Institute. Ensure that all public-facing and internal content is aligned with the values of the Atlantic Institute, and serves a clear purpose to support the strategic direction.

• Contribute as an active member of the leadership team, shaping organisational strategy, priorities, and decision-making beyond the communications remit.

• Collaborate with the Director of Lifelong Fellowship to support delivery of program priorities for the global Atlantic Fellows community.

• Ensure regular communications to Fellows, Programs staff and Institute staff as well as Atlantic Institute Governing Board, Global Fellows Advisory Group and others are clear, timely and in line with the Institute’s communications protocol. 

• Develop, deliver, evaluate and refresh communications approaches for the Institute in consultation with the Executive Director.

• Lead the development of long-term institutional communications, reputation and stakeholder engagement strategies aligned with the Institute’s strategic priority

• Provide visible, values-led leadership, role modelling collaboration, accountability, and inclusive ways of working across the Institute.

Please see the job description for more responsibilities

Essential skills, experience and qualifications:

• Significant experience leading communications across a diverse audience, including developing, delivering and evaluating communication strategy.

• Experience of building a brand profile and raising visibility of networks in the NGO sector.

• Media relations experience alongside knowledge of effective digital comms strategies and platforms.

• Attention to detail and high standards of communications content

• Experience managing a team, with effective strategies for delegation, motivation and staff development.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Well networked within NGO or charity organisations, with an understanding of the challenges being faced by those advocating for systemic change for equity globally.

• Understanding of the sensitivities of operating as a UK charity in the equity space.

About us

The Atlantic Institute is a partnership programme of the Rhodes Trust and was established in 2016 with the support of The Atlantic Philanthropies. The Atlantic Institute is part of an ecosystem of Atlantic Fellows Programs which was established with a shared mission: to empower catalytic communities of emerging leaders to advance fairer, healthier, more equitable societies.We do this by providing Atlantic Fellows and Atlantic Fellows Program staff with the networks, architecture and resources to connect, learn and act to address the underlying systemic causes of inequity – locally and globally.

Benefits of working with us

• 30 days annual leave (pro rata) plus 8 bank holidays

• Competitive pension scheme

• Generous family leave schemes

• Private health insurance

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Personal development opportunities

• Additional benefits, such as free access to the University's gardens, parks, libraries and museums, and University staff discounts in shops across Oxford.

• Cycle to work scheme

• Electric car scheme

If you would like to find out more, please click ‘apply’ to view the full job description and to find the link to apply. Please send us your CV and a covering letter. Please note, this advert will close on 26 July 2026. Interviews are likely to take place w/c 3 August 2026.

If you have any issues with submitting your application, please email the Recruitment team.

The Rhodes Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We warmly welcome applications from talented people of diverse backgrounds and appoint without regard to age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, parental status, marital or civil partner status, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, religion or belief.

Head of Communications & Public Affairs

The Head of Communications & Public Affairs is a pivotal role at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) promoting our world-leading work in science, conservation, horticulture, and education.

Working as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team, this role will lead the organisation’s approach to strategic communications, seeking opportunities to engage external audiences, disseminate key messages, and raise RBGE’s profile on a national and international stage through press and media engagement.

With oversight of the communications and publishing functions, this role will also provide key support to the Regius Keeper and the Executive Team in shaping engagement and communication strategies with political stakeholders across the Scottish and UK governments.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact in the next phase of RBGE’s corporate strategy, strengthening key policy relationships and promoting RBGE’s expertise to deliver real impact in the fight against the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Closing date:                            09:00am (BST) on Monday 20 July 2026        
First interview date:               30 July 2026
Second interview date: 5 August 2026

Recruitment information: 

Further details on the job description, person specification, and how to apply can be found in the candidate pack for the role on our website here: Head of Communications and Public Affairs Candidate Pack

The Data, Evaluation and Learning team enables Impact on Urban Health to embed learning at the heart of its work, ensuring evidence is used to drive impact in Lambeth and Southwark and to advance our understanding of urban health. 

The Head of Learning leads Impact on Urban Health’s approach to turning evidence into organisational insight, learning and influence. The role is responsible for building the systems, practices and products that help us synthesise what we are learning from programmes, innovation, place-based work, evaluation, research, lived experience and external evidence, and use that learning to shape strategy, funding, delivery and external influence. Working closely with the Head of Data and Evaluation, the role ensures evidence is not only generated to a high standard, but actively interpreted, shared and applied. In doing so, the role contributes to Impact on Urban Health’s reputation as a credible and trusted voice on urban health and health equity. 

This role will provide senior leadership for how IoUH learns from its work, makes sense of evidence, and turns insight into action. The postholder will be expected to bring structure, judgement and momentum to a developing function, helping the organisation move from generating evidence to using it consistently and well. 

The postholder will also provide expert input to other parts of the Foundation where relevant.

Job Responsibilities 

Impact on Urban Health     

• Lead Impact on Urban Health’s approach to insight synthesis and sense-making, establishing clear processes for bringing together evaluation findings, programme learning, research, data, lived experience and external evidence to identify what we are learning, what it means, and how it should inform future decisions. 
• Lead the knowledge mobilisation approach for DEL (process of sharing and embedding evidence and learning creating true learning and change), working with teams across IoUH to turn priority evidence and learning into accessible, useful and influential products for internal and external audiences, including external evidence resources on what works to improve urban health. 
• Work with the Head of Data and Evaluation and wider DEL colleagues to maintain a joined-up evidence system, ensuring data, research and evaluation outputs are synthesised, interpreted and translated into learning that informs strategy, funding, delivery and influence. 
• Lead the learning approach for Innovation and cross-cutting work, ensuring test-and-learn activity generates useful insight, supports adaptation, and feeds into wider organisational learning, in partnership with the Director of Innovation. 
• Lead the development and improvement of IoUH’s internal learning and knowledge management systems. 
• Ensure learning from cross-programme, innovation and influencing activity is captured and used in ways that meet strategic objectives, build on what is already known, and support equitable and inclusive practice. 
• Set and uphold standards for how learning is captured, synthesised, shared and used, ensuring insight is clear, accessible, intellectually honest and connected to organisational priorities. 
• Implement the Data, Evidence and Learning strategy alongside other Heads in the team, championing a culture of reflection, learning and evidence-informed decision-making. 
• Maintain and develop personal expertise in urban health evidence, learning practice and knowledge mobilisation. 
• Line manage and develop the Evaluation and Learning Manager within the Learning function, ensuring their work supports cross-organisational learning, synthesis, knowledge mobilisation and practical use of evidence. 
• Provide thought leadership in urban health learning, evidence use and knowledge mobilisation, including blogs, briefings and speaking at events.
• Provide expert support to other parts of the Foundation where appropriate.   
• Deputise for the Director of Data, Evaluation and Learning where required.   
• Undertake other responsibilities appropriate to the role.   

Role responsibilities are not exhaustive, and you would be reasonably expected to take on wider tasks that are commensurate with the level of your role. 

Person Specification

Skills, abilities, and attributes: 

• Strong facilitation and sense-making skills, with the ability to help teams interpret evidence and agree practical implications.
• Confidence working with ambiguity, complexity and incomplete evidence.
• Ability to influence senior colleagues and support constructive challenge in decision-making. 
• Ability to translate strategic priorities into practical steps. 
• Structured approach to task implementation and managing priorities. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Collaborative team-player. 

Knowledge, experience, and qualifications: 

Essential 

• Significant experience leading organisational learning, evidence synthesis, knowledge mobilisation or evidence-use functions in a social sector, public health, research, policy or charity context.
• Experience turning complex evidence from multiple sources into clear, useful insight for strategy, funding, delivery or influence.
• Experience designing and embedding learning processes that help teams reflect, adapt and make better decisions.
• Strong understanding of evaluation, research and evidence methods, with enough technical confidence to assess quality, limitations and implications.
• Experience developing learning products, insight outputs, evidence briefings or knowledge resources for different audiences.
• Ability to assess and adapt evidence approaches to different contexts, intervention types and organisational needs. 
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders through evidence, facilitation and clear strategic sense-making.
• Experience managing complex cross-organisational work, including prioritising across multiple demands.
• Experience of line management, supporting performance, development, and delivery.   

Desirable 

• Knowledge of urban health, health inequalities, or the social determinants of health.   
• Understanding of systems change and/or place-based approaches to health 
• Extensive experience leading social research and evaluation in a social sector context.   
• Experience of commissioning and managing external research, evaluation, or evidence and insight delivery partners.   
• Expertise in developing inclusive evaluation designs in a test and learn and innovative context. 
• Experience of influencing policy and practice through evidence, and evaluation of influencing work.   
• Evidence of thought leadership in learning, evidence use, knowledge mobilisation, research or evaluation, such as publications, presentations or sector engagement. 
• Experience of successful partnership working with a range of external organisations, whether in an advisory capacity, in a funding relationship, and/or with joint delivery responsibilities. 
• Experience of working in a community, charity or social enterprise context with an understanding of the barriers that are commonly experienced in implementing learning practices and how to overcome them 

Benefits: 

• Contributory pension
• Annual personal development budget
• Annual health and wellbeing personal allowance
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and parental leave pay accessible without length of service requirements.
• Health and wellbeing programme that offers optional free yearly health check-ups.
• Support for healthy eating via fruit bowls and onsite lunch facilities. 
• Agile working, flexible hours, and supportive IT kit. 
• Shower facilities and bike lock area. 
• Generous annual leave (27 days + bank holidays)
• Subsidies for glasses
• Employee Assistance Programme

Head of Communications (Job Share)

Location: Remote

Salary: £19,160 - £21,424 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

2–3 days per week (flexible, subject to agreement)

Please note that the salary has been calculated on a pro-rata basis, reflecting the role's two-day-per-week working pattern.

Join us - transform lives, change minds

We are a leading social justice charity supporting people to recover from addiction and leave behind crime - helping them move on in life with family, friends, jobs, homes, and a sense of belonging. Working in over 80 prison and community settings across England and Wales, we support more than 40,000 people each year to achieve lasting, transformational change.

Alongside frontline local delivery, we are driving change nationally - challenging stigma, influencing policy, and creating a society that believes in second chances and long-term recovery.

The opportunity

We are looking for an exceptional communications leader to join us in a job share Head of Communications role, working alongside an experienced colleague to shape and deliver a high-impact, organisation-wide communications strategy.

This is a unique opportunity to lead high-profile national campaigns, strengthen our voice across the media and digital landscape, and ensure our people - over 900 staff across the country, many with lived experience - remain connected, engaged, and inspired by our mission.

What you’ll lead

You will play a central role in amplifying our impact and growing our influence, including:

• • National campaigns and public engagement — including our flagship Taking Action on Addiction campaign and Addiction Awareness Week, supported by our Royal Patron, HRH Princess of Wales, reaching millions each year
  • Media and profile-building — securing high-quality coverage, managing relationships with press, ambassadors, and influencers, including Lily Allen, Alasdair Campbell and many others
  • Audience growth and supporter engagement — expanding our network of donors, partners, and advocates
  • Digital and content strategy — driving a multi-platform approach that positions us as a thought leader in our field and also helps us reach the people who most need our support
  • Internal communications and culture — ensuring our 900+ staff feel informed, connected, and part of a shared purpose
  • Team leadership — jointly leading a skilled communications team and working closely with senior leaders, including our Chair, Tony Adams OBE, the CEO and Executive Team and Trustees.

Why this role matters

This role sits at the heart of how we influence change - shaping how we tell our story, how we reach people who need support, and how we mobilise public and political will.

You’ll help ensure our communications are not only compelling, but impactful - supporting service delivery, influencing systems, and ultimately helping more people rebuild their lives.

Who we’re looking for

We want a dynamic, values-driven communications professional who can operate both strategically and ‘hands-on’. You will:

• Bring a strong track record across PR, campaigns, digital, and internal communications
• Be confident leading complex, multi-channel communications activity
• Experience navigating complex organisational environments with diverse operational and service functions.
• Have experience translating organisational mission into clear, engaging messaging for diverse audiences
• Be a collaborative leader, comfortable working in a job share arrangement and across senior teams
• Combine creativity with delivery—able to move from strategy to execution at pace
• Bring a strategic and pragmatic approach to marketing, with strong attention to brand consistency and discipline.
• Be passionate about social justice and motivated by real-world impact

What we offer

• A high-profile, purpose-driven leadership role
• Flexibility through a supportive job share model
• The opportunity to shape national conversations and influence change
• A collaborative and ambitious organisation committed to growth and innovation
• A generous benefits package

If you’re ready to use your communications expertise to drive real social change, we’d love to hear from you.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.

About the Role

We are looking for a creative, organised and strategic Social Media and Communications person to lead and deliver engaging communications across digital and traditional channels. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing compelling content, managing social media platforms, increasing audience engagement, and ensuring consistent m essaging across all communications.

This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about storytelling, understands how to grow online communities, and can confidently manage communications campaigns that support organisational objectives

We are looking for a warm and proactive members of staff to help us deepen and expand relationships with our members and supporters. This role is central to building a sustainable income base that allows EDS UK to continue providing vital support, information and advocacy for people living with EDS and HSD.

As part of a small team, you’ll enjoy a varied role that blends hands strategic thinking. You’ll lead on our communications , grow on delivery with followers , and ensure every supporter feels valued, understood and connected to our mission. You’ll bring empathy, clarity and creativity to supporter communications, recognising the diverse needs of our community.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who wants to make a tangible difference every day and help shape the future of EDS UK’s member experience.

Key responsibilities

Social Media Management

• Develop and implement a social media strategy aligned with organisational goals.

• Manage day to day activity across all social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube

• Create engaging, accessible and audience , but not limited focused content including graphics, videos, reels, stories and written posts.

• Schedule and publish content using social media management tools.

• Monitor engagement, respond to comments and messages, and build positive online communities.

• Track trends, emerging platforms and digital opportunities.

• Monitor analytics and prepare monthly performance reports with recommendations.

Communications

• Develop and deliver internal and external communications campaigns by writing and editing high quality content.

• Ensure all communications reflect the organisation’s tone of voice and brand identity.

• Support awareness campaigns, fundraising initiatives, events and service promotion.

• Manage media enquiries and assist with public relations opportunities.

• Coordinate communication plans for campaigns, launches and events.

Website and Digital Content

• Maintain , map and update website content on our CMS to ensure information is accurate and engaging.

• Support SEO and AI  and digital marketing activity to improve reach and visibility.

• Work with designers, external suppliers or internal teams to create multimedia content.

• Keeping the database s clean and up to date including Mailchimp and CMS

Brand and Audience Engagement

• Maintain brand consistency across all communications.

• Build relationships with stakeholders, supporters, partners and influencers.

• Identify opportunities to grow audiences and increase engagement.

• Promote inclusive and accessible communication practices.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Analyse campaign and social media performance using analytics tools.

• Produce reports demonstrating impact, engagement and growth.

• Use insights and data to improve future communications activity.

Collaboration and Representation

• Represent the charity at occasional events, meetings or online sessions.

• Contribute to a positive, collaborative culture within a small team.

• Undertake any other reasonable request from the requirements of the role. Head of Services to fulfil the requirements of the role.

Person Specification

Experience and Knowledge

▪ Proven experience managing social media platforms for an organisation or brand.

• Strong copywriting, editing and storytelling skills.

• Experience creating digital content including graphics and short form video.

• Excellent understanding of social media trends, analytics and best practice.

• Experience using scheduling and analytics platforms.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

• Good understanding of brand management and audience engagement.

• Experience working within the charity, healthcare or non profit sector.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards and inclusive communications.

• Experience with Canva, Adobe Creative Suite or video editing tools.

• Experience managing paid social campaigns.

• Understanding of AI, SEO and email marketing platforms.

• Experience of using wordpress or other CMS

Skills and Attributes

▪ Strong organisational and strategic skills, with attention to detail.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire through content.

• Creative and proactive.

• Empathetic and audience focused

• Highly organised and detail oriented.

• Adaptable and solutions--focused.

• Passionate about meaningful communications and community engagement.

• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a small, fast paced team.

• Ability to work independently and take ownership of projects.

• Comfortable working remotely with occasional travel to London.

• Flexibility in working hours – some evenings and weekends may be required.

• A commitment to the policies and aims of EDS UK.

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to undergo a fully enhanced DBS check, prior to commencing employment with EDS UK.

Application process

Please send your CV, together with a covering letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role .

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.