Communications Coordinator

Job title: Communications Coordinator 

Salary: £32000 p/a, pro rated to £19200 

Maternity cover- 10 months, with the possibility of extension 

Start date: 10th May 2024, likely end date: 6th March 2025 

Part time, temporary contract 

3 days per week 

Job description 

About the organisation 

CARAS is a registered charity working with people in south London and beyond who have an asylum or refugee background. Our values are: 

• Kindness. CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents and interests.   

• Justice. CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all of our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society.   

• Empowerment. CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes.   

• ‘With’ not ‘for’. CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do.   

CARAS strives to keep community members’ voice at heart of all the decision making, building opportunities for discussion and feedback at every level. We offer training and support for those who want to gain leadership skills and contribute to the running of CARAS. We are members of reward schemes including Jack Petchey, AQA Unit Award Scheme, and we also hold a Gold Quality Mark from London Youth, an Investors in Volunteers quality mark, and we hold membership with the Fundraising Regulator. CARAS is a lively organisation with a highly motivated, friendly and experienced staff team, bolstered by the generous support of equally skilled volunteers and trustees who come from many walks of life. 

Additional benefits 

CARAS offers 28 days’ annual leave per year (22.4 days pro rata). CARAS also pays into a workplace pension with employers’ contributions currently at 7%. We are a proud member of the Living Wage Foundation, ensuring that all employees at every level are remunerated fairly. 

Hours can be flexible and can include working from home. There are also benefits including discretionary leave available to study or volunteer, an enhance parental leave policy, and the opportunity to take a sabbatical. 

About the role 

This role is vital for CARAS’ presence in the sector. Our communications have grown in quality and reach over the last several years, and we now have a recognisable visual style and verbal tone. Our communications utilise several social media platforms, reaching a range of audiences via LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and instagram. We also have growing links with local press. In addition, this role also has responsibility for our newsletter to supporters, having a direct impact on our fundraising capabilities.  

The role includes collaboration with other staff members, working with programme staff to craft and share up to date stories of our work and its impact on the lives of our community members, and on the wider policy environment. 

We are extremely proud of our communications and are seeking someone who can maintain the high standards we have built. 

Specific tasks to cover are: 

Social Media Management: 

• Regularly update the social media library with relevant content. 

• Incorporate staff project updates into social media posts. 

• Select and share relevant news articles. 

• Curate updates from the IMIX news roundup. 

• Create engaging content using Canva templates. 

• Schedule social media content with Hootsuite. 

• Respond to queries and engage with followers on all platforms. 

• Update Linktree with relevant links. 

• Share posts as 'stories' on Instagram and retweet partner posts. 

Newsletter Preparation: 

• Prepare newsletter overviews with input from relevant stakeholders. 

• Identify topics for celebration and news sections. 

• Coordinate with Heads of Service and Project Coordinators to prepare staff opinion statements. 

• Design newsletters using Mailchimp, updating content as needed. 

Other Communications Responsibilities: 

• Facilitate monthly Communication Collaboration drop-in sessions for staff. 

Person Specification 

Essential Requirements: 

• Proficiency in Canva for content creation, including video and image design. 

• Experience using Mailchimp for newsletter creation and distribution. 

• Strong understanding of various social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.). 

• Ability to design compelling graphics and visuals for social media posts. 

• Excellent written communication skills with an eye for detail. 

• Familiarity with social media management tools such as Hootsuite. 

• Proven experience in managing social media accounts and engaging with audiences effectively. 

• Ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders to gather content and updates. 

• Commitment to working collaboratively with CARAS community members to ensure lived experience is at the heart of our social media 

• Strong organisational skills and ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 

Desirable Requirements: 

• Knowledge of the challenges and issues encountered by refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. 

• Knowledge of community languages, such as Farsi/Dari, Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Somali, and Spanish. 

To apply, please complete the application form and return it tas a Word document by the 10th of April. CVs, covering letter, and PDF documents will not be accepted.

Interview will take place in person on the 17th of April.