Head of public affair jobs in liverpool, merseyside

Reports to: Director of Strategy

Staff responsibilities: Line manage four staff; Senior Social Media Officer, Communications Officer, Communications Assistant, Media Officer 

Hours of work: 37.5 hours, full time. The role is contracted until 31 March 2026, due to government funding.

Please note, candidates must be based in the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the promotion of Bikeability, the Government’s national cycle training programme, as a key member of the management team.

The Head of Marketing and Communications is responsible for the creation, development and delivery of marketing and communications activity with both internal and external audiences, including the Bikeability industry, schools, parents, the general public, media, and key stakeholders.

You will head up a team of talented communication experts, as part of the Strategy team, ensuring the delivery of all communications activity, including marketing campaigns, social media, press relations, industry engagement, and communications support to our public affairs strategy.

You will have excellent experience of delivering outstanding marketing and communications campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive service demand. You will have a collaborative approach and enjoy working as part of a team.  You will report to the Director of Strategy and be actively engaged in advising the executive team and trustees. 

Responsibilities:  

Lead the Promotions and Communications team to: 

• Develop and deliver The Bikeability Trust’s marketing, communications and media activities, including campaigns and project communications

• Manage relevant contracts with external agencies, including website management and graphic design

• Deliver the Bikeability social media programme to key audiences including parents, schools, internal Bikeability industry, and general public for wider awareness 

• Deliver communications support for Bikeability industry through a programme of regular communications 

• Work collaboratively with teams across the organisation to deliver effective project communication deliverables 

• Effectively manage team budget 

• Use media monitoring and brand tracking to evaluate impact and manage brand reputation

• Ensure evaluation and impact of communications work is collated and learning shared.

Enhance and improve strategic stakeholders’ engagement, including joint campaigns, cross-promotion and/or specific project activity to: 

• Ensure the Department for Transport and Active Travel England are fully engaged in any communications activity, working with them to amplify messaging 

• Work with cycling and active travel organisations on joint campaigns and promotions 

• Suport our Fundraising team to generate engagement and income from individual donors and corporate partners 

• Work with our agency partner to provide communications support to public affairs strategy 

• Ensure equality, diversity and inclusion are considered, and the Bikeability industry voice is at the centre, in all research projects and programmes. 

Provide communications leadership across The Bikeability Trust: 

• Champion and advocate the brand, supporting and motivating teams across the organisation to adopt our tone of voice and messaging 

• Track communications performance management and make recommendations for improvement 

• Deputise for the Director of Strategy in reporting to Board and attending Board meetings. 

Essential Skills and Experience 

• Minimum of 2 years leadership experience in communications, PR or marketing, including management of a small team.

• Experience of communications and marketing, including promotional campaigns 

• Experience of website management 

• Strong leadership and collaborative working style 

• Self-motivated with positive mindset 

• Excellent communication and analytical skills 

Desirable Skills and Experience: 

• Experience working in charity or non-profit sector 

• Experience working in cycling industry 

• Experience working with local and national government 

About The Bikeability Trust 

The Bikeability Trust’s purpose is to ensure that all cycle training is delivered to a gold standard, inspiring everyone to cycle with competence and confidence.   

We are:  

• Expert: The Trust has successfully administered the Bikeability programme on behalf of government since 2018, delivering high-quality delivery guides and instructor training, and our workforce has thousands of years combined experience teaching people to cycle.  

• Inspiring: Every rider completes our training feeling able, confident and motivated to cycle safely on the roads for short journeys. Transforming the traditional image of cycling to an everyday, everyone activity.    

• Quality focussed: Our instructors deliver high-quality, consistent and standardised cycle training. We aim to ensure that every rider achieves the same outcomes to the same standard, taking into account their individual capabilities, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  

• Inclusive: We take action to reduce barriers to participation, support underrepresented groups and ensure that anyone who wishes to access Bikeability cycle training is able to do so, and cycling is seen as an activity for all.   

• Efficient: Our delivery programme offers value for money and is delivered in an economic, proportional and efficient way.  

• Influential: We share our evidence of the impact of cycle training across a variety of sectors (transport, education, environment, health, leisure, etc) and work collaboratively with stakeholders, partners and commercial organisations to achieve our vision and influence behaviour change.

To develop and deliver the charity’s policy and campaigning strategy and the charity’s programme of health projects to ensure the charity achieves its key objectives.  To build engagement with the NHS, Department of Health, Parliamentarians, policy makers, think tanks, charity and patient groups to develop and deliver our campaigning strategy.  Build engagement with HCP networks and related organisations to inform and support delivery of our health information work.

To be the owner and primary point of contact for FBC’s health policy and campaigning activities, working closely with the CEO to represent the interests of the charity with decision-making bodies such as UK government and Parliament, NHS, devolved health and social care bodies and other stakeholders.  The postholder will Influence key decision makers, collaborate in initiatives and comment on policy decisions to press for higher levels of research funding, organisational changes to drive earlier diagnosis and improvements in patient experience.

The post holder will have the ability to meld impactful campaigning, political astuteness and evidence-based policymaking to drive change with demonstrable sensitivity to health inequalities and other issues that affect bladder cancer patients and their families.

They will be organised and will be able to manage several tasks at once, meeting strict deadlines.