Community engagement executive jobs

We are seeking a dynamic Carers in Employment Lead to drive a countywide initiative across West Sussex, engaging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to identify and support employees who have caring responsibilities. 

You’ll lead outreach to develop new partnerships, deliver training, and work closely with employers to embed carer-friendly policies and practices, helping to create inclusive, supportive workplaces.

If you excel in stakeholder engagement, have strong project management skills, and a commitment to improving the wellbeing of carers, we’d love to hear from you.

Interview Date 11 February 2026

Role Summary 

•  Project Delivery & Coordination: Implement the Carers in Employment Project plan, ensuring milestones and targets are met. 

•  Employer outreach and campaigns: Coordinate outreach campaigns to engage SMEs through letters, emails, LinkedIn, and networking events. Organise and deliver employer engagement activities, including targeted campaigns during Carers Week and Carers Rights Day.

•  Employer Engagement & Support: Promote carer-friendly policies and practices using resources such as the Carers UK ‘Employers for Carers’ toolkit. Provide advice and guidance to employers on flexible working, emergency leave, and statutory rights. Facilitate access to CSWS support services for carer-employees, including 1-to-1 advice clinics.

•  Training & Awareness: Develop and deliver carer-awareness training sessions for employers and HR teams. Develop and share best practice resources for workplace carer support.

•  Monitoring & Reporting: Track engagement metrics (e.g. number of SMEs reached, policies adopted). Prepare progress reports and contribute to impact evaluations.

•  Partnership Development: Build relationships with business networks, Chambers of Commerce, local employability programmes and local employers. Explore opportunities for fundraising and in-kind support from corporate partners

•  Work collaboratively with colleagues across Carers Support West Sussex to align the project offer with the wider support available in the localities.  

•  Promote the principles of Think Carer across all networks and proactively identify carers and opportunities through partnership working, outreach, community connections and networking. promoting carers as expert partners in care.
For a full list of responsibilities, please refer to the Job Description in the Recruitment Pack.

Employee Benefits 

Training and Development: Opportunities for professional development and training.
•  Flexible Working: Flexible working hours and remote working options.
•  Annual Leave: 33 days increasing to 35 days after completion of two years and 36 days after 5 years of service (Inclusive of Bank Holidays).
•  Healthcare and Employee Assistance Programme with perks and discounts.
•  Enhanced Maternity/ Paternity/ Adoption Pay.
•  Supportive Environment: Work in a supportive and collaborative environment with a focus on making a positive impact on the lives of carers.

Before you keep reading

Please do not see everything in this job advert as a "Must Have", but rather a guiding list of what we are looking for. We know no candidate will be the perfect match for all we have mentioned in this advert, so do not be afraid to apply if you feel you are close to the brief but not "Spot On". For example, some of our wonderful Carer Wellbeing Workers come from a non-social care background and they do amazingly well!

Our Culture and Diversity

At Carers Support, we are building an inclusive workplace where everyone can do their best work and be proud to belong.

Values we are looking for in candidate

We are focused, putting carers at the heart of everything we do.

We act together, working with and for carers, the communities they live in and the people that can make a difference to them.

We are leaders, working with each other to find potential and opportunities across all communities, enabling carers to be identified and involved.

We are committed to behaviours that support:

Quality – the highest practical level we can reach in outcomes, learning and behaviour
Inclusivity – respecting people, cultures, and organisations
Caring – improving quality of life and influencing behaviour change
Integrity – operating with honesty and reliability
Loyalty – long-term committed partnerships and co-operation
Innovation – driving our service development and our will to succeed

If you are still unsure if our organisation is a good fit, have a look at our Good Place to Work page and the results of our recent engagement survey. We can't wait to hear from you! 

Disclaimers
Please note we reserve the right to close this role prior to the stated end date, should we receive a sufficient number of applications. Please complete your application as soon as possible to be considered. 

Actors’ Trust supports professional actors and stage managers in times of need, and our bold new Acting for Impact strategy seeks to increase the charity’s reach and impact within the performing arts community.

The Digital Marketing Executive will play a key role in growing the charity’s online presence, engaging many more beneficiaries and supporters, and generating income through creative, high quality digital content and supporter-focused campaigns. Working closely with the Head of Engagement & Development, the postholder will support the planning, management and optimisation of the charity’s digital marketing and communication activities.

This role is perfect for someone who enjoys combining creativity and innovation with advanced digital analytics. You’ll play a key role in supporting and delivering the charity’s marketing and communications strategy and enabling the charity to grow its reach. You will ensure that our social media channels, website, SEO and email activities are effective, on-brand, and accessible. Most importantly, you will create awareness activities that convert, engagement activities that retain and ensure each segment of our community receives the greatest online experience from their interaction with Actors’ Trust.

We are looking for a motivated self-starter keen to take on a new challenge within a fast-growing organisation, to join us and support our vision: an empowered and vibrant performing arts sector. You will have an appetite for detail, strong copywriting skills and a thorough understanding of measuring analytics to improve performance. Additionally, you will be a problem solver, team player, able to quickly adapt, (and to ask for help when you need it) and you’ll have the self-belief and capacity to hit the ground running.

How to Apply 

• Please apply with an up-to-date CV and a brief covering letter telling us why you’re a good fit for this role.

• The closing date and time for applications is 9am, Monday 19th January 2026. 

Chief Executive Officer - FoodCycle
Location: Vauxhall, London (flexible working; regular travel to Projects and for meeting with key stakeholders required)
Salary: circa £75,000
Contract: Permanent, full-time (35–37.5 hours per week)

Are you ready to lead FoodCycle through a period of consolidation and sustainable growth, protecting its volunteer-led, guest-centred model while building reliable income streams and scaling proven pilots?

About FoodCycle
FoodCycle is a national charity running volunteer-powered community dining projects that combine rescued surplus food, spare kitchen space and local volunteers to deliver free, hot, sociable three-course meals. Our work sits at the intersection of food-waste reduction, food-poverty relief and loneliness prevention. Nationally scaled but locally delivered, FoodCycle has grown rapidly, enjoys strong volunteer goodwill and is developing promising trading and schools pilots to strengthen sustainability.

As our next CEO you will:

• Shape strategy & impact - co-create and implement a clear 3–5 year strategy and a focused 12-month operational plan with measurable milestones.

• Stabilise leadership & culture - provide visible, warm and practical leadership across Projects; develop the senior team and protect volunteer trust.

• Secure financial sustainability - own the income strategy, diversify revenue across trusts, individual giving, corporate partnerships and trading, and present credible cashflow plans to the board.

• Build commercial & trading capacity - drive Manor House and other trading pilots towards viable, repeatable income models.

• Safeguard quality & risk - ensure robust safeguarding, food-safety and operational thresholds for opening new Projects.

• Raise profile & partnerships - act as FoodCycle’s principal ambassador to corporates, funders, local authorities and policy audiences.

Who you are

• A senior leader with experience stabilising and growing people-facing, delivery-focused organisations.

• Proven at generating income from multiple streams, with commercial fluency to develop simple trading models and convert corporate engagement into lasting partnerships.

• Financially literate - comfortable owning budgets, forecasting and discussing risk with trustees.

• Excellent at people and change management - able to build and motivate small national teams and large volunteer cohorts.

• Data-driven, curious and pragmatic - tests pilots, embeds what works and sets clear go/no-go criteria for scale.

• Values-driven and visible - passionate about food justice, guest dignity and volunteer leadership.

• Right to work in the UK and satisfactory DBS checks required.

Why FoodCycle?

• Lead a nationally recognised, volunteer-led movement tackling food waste, food poverty and social isolation.

• Play a pivotal role growing promising trading and schools pilots to create sustainable income.

• Work with an engaged Chair and committed board, and a small, passionate national team.

• Be part of a friendly, non-hierarchical culture where leaders are visible in Projects.

For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill at via the apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 19th January 2026

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.

Full-time 35 hours per week. 2 year's fixed term

For the right candidate we are open to flexible working terms. Hybrid working is available, office based in Gloucester

Salary Band 5 (£30,961 – 33,682) per annum depending on experience

We are looking for a highly organised, experienced and exceptional administrator to work as a trusted partner to The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Church Development Agency (CDA). The CDA is a national organisation dedicated to supporting the Church in serving its communities through the delivery of affordable housing and community development projects, established in response to the Church of England’s “Coming Home” report.  

This key role within the CDA requires a thinker who can anticipate needs, manage priorities, and support The CEO in his leadership function and ensuring effective governance. The Executive Assistant (EA) will play a pivotal role in enabling the CEO to oversee a diverse portfolio of approximately 50 affordable housing projects. Most of the work is funded by the Oak Foundation, with a focus on achieving long-term sustainability.

The ideal candidate will have:

· Demonstrable experience of working as a high-level EA support to a CEO/Senior leader or equivalent

· Excellent time management and the ability to balance numerous priorities and deadlines

· A high degree of confidentiality and flexibility

Crucially, you will love to organise and drive forward actions while building meaningful relationships and enabling social impact.  If you are looking for a stimulating role where no day is the same, this could be the perfect job for you.

Closing date is 10 am on Monday 12th January 2026

Interviews in Gloucester on Thursday 22nd January 2026

Prospectus is working with our client to recruit an Assistant Head of Community and Membership Fundraising – Community and Events. The organisation has a trusted presence in communities across the country, offering practical and emotional support to some of the most vulnerable people in society. Their mission is to offer hope, dignity, and opportunity for all.
 
A newly created position, the Assistant Head of Community and Membership Fundraising – Community and Events is a critical hire that will ensure the organisation maintains and increases its impactful presence across the UK, driving the strategic development and delivery of a national community fundraising programme. This will include fundraising appeals that grow income from individuals and organisations and you will be responsible for expanding and innovating the community events portfolio, ensuring a diversified supporter base and deeper, long-term engagement with supporters. The Assistant Head will manage a team of three, will be responsible for an annual income target of £500k, and work as a senior fundraiser for the organisation externally and internally.

To succeed, you will bring proven experience in community and events fundraising, ideally within a large and complex organisation and will have an outstanding track record in community-based fundraising. You will enjoy and have experience of influencing at a senior level and will have experience in strategic planning, management and implementation of community fundraising and events.

We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, or pregnancy/maternity. If you have any disability and require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the process, then please contact Jessica Stoddart at Prospectus.

If you feel you meet some of the criteria but not all, we really hope you'll enquire and learn more. Prospectus can advise and support on each part of the role and hopefully your application, so we look forward to hearing from you.
     
At Prospectus, we’re committed to supporting you through every step of your application. To start, please send us your CV. If your experience is a good fit, we’ll share the full job description and arrange a call to brief you before you formally apply. We look forward to hearing from you.

Title: Volunteering Learning Engagement Executive

Location: Gilwell Park (Hybrid) or Home-based
Contract: Two-year fixed-term
Hours: 35 hours per week

Salary:
£37,800 per annum – Band F Level 3 (Home-based)
£39,560 per annum – Band F Level 3 (Gilwell-based, inclusive of Outer London Weighting)

Location and attendance expectations:
For a Gilwell-based contract, there is an expectation to attend the office one day per week, plus one additional day per month for collaboration with the wider team.

For a home-based contract, there is an expectation to attend the office approximately once per month.

About the role

Are you passionate about engaging volunteers and helping build a positive learning culture?
We’re looking for a Volunteering Learning Engagement Executive to join our Learning Team and work closely with the Senior Learning Designer and Volunteering Learning & Development Manager. You’ll play a key role in engaging volunteers across the Scouts Movement, ensuring learning feels relevant, supportive and motivating.

Some evening or weekend working may be required to connect with volunteers.

What you’ll do as our Volunteering Learning Engagement Executive

• Create practical resources that help Volunteering Development Teams foster a strong learning culture
• Work with volunteers and colleagues to shape new approaches to locally delivered learning, training and validation
• Support the development of learning frameworks, including a refreshed approach to the Wood Badge
• Co-design learning solutions with volunteers, ensuring their voices shape our work
• Help promote continuous learning and development across the Movement

Key responsibilities as our Volunteering Learning Engagement Executive

• Engage with volunteers to understand their learning needs and experiences
• Develop clear, engaging resources and guidance to support volunteer learning
• Support the rollout of learning frameworks that balance heritage with modern approaches
• Design and deliver communications that keep volunteers informed and involved
• Maintain up-to-date learning guidance on scouts.org.uk in collaboration with colleagues

If you’re motivated by working with volunteers and want to help shape learning experiences that make a real difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Benefits:

• We are an award-winning Charity of the Year (Charity Times Awards 2022) with over 400 employees across multiple locations across the country.
• 28 days holiday and going up to 32 days after 2 years’ service plus additional days at Christmas
• Flexible working hours
• Work in a way that suits you, your role and your department
• Double matching pension up to 10% of gross salary

For a full list of our benefits, click .

Closing date for applications: 23:59pm on Monday, 12th January 2026 

Interviews will be held the Week Commencing Monday, 26th January 2026.

Strictly no agencies. 

The Scouts is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. We offer flexible working arrangements to support diverse needs and lifestyles, ensuring that our teams can thrive both professionally and personally. We welcome and encourage applicants from all walks of life, believing that varied perspectives strengthen our innovation and community. Your unique experiences and ideas are essential to our success, and we look forward to hearing from all voices.

Barnet Mencap is a very well-established local charity which provides services and support for people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and their family carers, while also campaigning alongside them to improve their lives. The organisation aims to create a world where people with learning disabilities are valued equally, have their voices heard and are included in the community. 

We are looking to appoint a new CEO to lead the organisation and ensure it continues to provide its much-valued services.

The successful candidate will have: 

• Experience in a senior role in a relevant service i.e. Learning Disabilities, Children or Adult Services

• Experience of developing a strategy and monitoring framework in a similar environment 

• Experience of effective partnership working at a strategic and practical level 

• Proven track record of income generation and financial management 

• Knowledge of charity governance, regulation for a medium size charity, and working effectively with a board of trustees.

• Knowledge of the Health and Social Care environment, including key policies and legislation 

• Understanding of Health and Safety and Safeguarding in a service delivery environment 

• Understanding of the Social Model of Disability and how to apply it to deliver empowering person-centred projects and services 

Please read the full Job Description, Person Specification and Recruitment Pack for further information on the role. 

To apply, please send your CV alongside a covering letter explaining how you meet the criteria in the person specification. 

The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service application in line with Section 115 of The Police Act 1997.   

 Closing Date: 16th of January 2026 

Interview dates are planned for the 10th and 11th of February 2026.  

Cambridgeshire ACRE is looking to expand its network of Associates – experienced professionals who can help us deliver high-quality consultancy and support services to rural communities across Cambridgeshire.

This new role will enable us to respond to a growing number of consultancy opportunities and deliver services where our small core team does not have capacity. We are looking for people who care about rural life and want to use their skills to make a difference.

What we are offering:

• Flexible, project-based assignments aligned with your expertise
• Opportunities to deliver meaningful work that improves outcomes for rural residents
• A supportive working relationship with a respected local infrastructure organisation
• Clear expectations, fair pay and straightforward contracting
• Potential for repeat work and long-term collaboration

We are particularly interested in Associates with experience in:

• Community engagement and facilitation
• Climate resilience and sustainability
• Research and stakeholder consultation
• Fundraising and grant advice
• Supporting village halls and community buildings
• Governance, planning and strategy
• Health and wellbeing in rural communities

We want to hear from you if you are a confident, self-employed professional with relevant expertise and a commitment to community-based working. You do not need to have worked with Cambridgeshire ACRE before.

To find out more and apply:

Download the Associate Recruitment Pack on our website to learn more about how the model works, what we’re looking for and how to express your interest.

Migrants Organise is seeking an experienced and values-driven Co-Director to join our leadership team and work closely with our CEO and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to strengthen Migrants Organise’s organisational infrastructure, support growth and sustainability.

This is a pivotal leadership role that combines strategic vision, grassroots solidarity movement building with hands-on management. The Co-Director will contribute to key aspects of organisational development, including strategic leadership, fundraising and financial management, staff management and development, governance, and capacity building of our grassroots membership to ensure that our mission and movement values are reflected in our internal systems, culture and external impact.

Lumos works to realise every child’s right to a safe and loving family by transforming care systems around the world. As we enter an exciting new phase of global growth and organisational transformation, we are seeking an exceptional Executive Assistant to the CEO to join our CEO’s Office.

This is a pivotal role providing high-quality executive, organisational and governance support to the Chief Executive Officer and the Head of CEO’s Office. You will help ensure the smooth running of the CEO’s Office, manage complexity with confidence, and enable senior leaders to focus on strategy, governance and delivery.

We’re looking for someone who is highly organised, calm under pressure, and comfortable working at pace with senior leaders, trustees and international teams. You’ll bring strong communication skills, excellent judgement, and experience providing senior-level executive support, ideally in a complex or international environment.

In return, we offer the opportunity to work at the heart of a values-driven global organisation, with flexible hybrid working, excellent benefits, and the chance to contribute directly to transformational change for children worldwide.

Applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK.

Closing date: Sunday 18 January

Lumos is committed to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from all backgrounds.

Role details are based on the attached job description.

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) is a pioneering, purpose-driven charity at the forefront of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). For over 35 years, we’ve delivered world-class, pre-hospital emergency care across Kent, Surrey and Sussex—responding to over 3,000 incidents last year alone and saving countless lives. Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, our highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team uses cutting-edge technology and medical innovation to reach patients in under 30 minutes, wherever they are in our region.

KSS is a complex and ambitious people centred, and values led charity with a unique culture across clinical, aviation, fundraising, marketing and communications, and corporate services. With a daily operating cost of £57K and 91% of our total income raised through public generosity, we are proud to be one team with one purpose – saving lives and ensuring the best possible patient outcomes. Our headquarters at Rochester Airport and aircraft base at Redhill Aerodrome enable the delivery of the highest standards of pre-hospital emergency care across our communities, helping us reach more patients and save more lives.

We are now seeking a strategic, values-driven Executive Director of Corporate Services to join Team KSS—a highly collaborative, expert team united by our vision of an end of preventable loss of life from medical emergency. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of one of the world’s leading air ambulance charities.

Executive Director of Corporate Services

Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS)

Across Rochester, Kent and Redhill, Surrey

Circa £110,000 full time equivalent

The role

It’s an exciting time for KSS as we refresh our strategy and take bold, collaborative action to reach more patients, improve more outcomes and save more lives. As Executive Director of Corporate Services, you’ll lead a broad portfolio of strategic and operational functions to support the delivery of the strategic plan and our lifesaving service. You’ll work closely with the Chief Executive and Board of Trustees, supported by a talented team and expert advisors, to ensure KSS remains a well-run, ethical, and innovative organisation. No matter the role at KSS, everyone is fearless and tireless in fighting to save even more lives.

About you

We are seeking a highly collaborative, financially competent leader, with:

·Commercial acumen with proven experience at a senior leadership level in treasury and finance management, budgeting and business planning

· A track record of working in innovative and ambitious environments, through a highly supportive and collaborative approach

· Experience of identifying, planning for and delivering new opportunities and efficiencies that maximise organisational-wide effectiveness.

Crucially you will be inspired by our critical work to save the lives of the thousands of people across our communities every year and our vision of an end to preventable loss of life from medical emergency.

Inclusion

KSS is committed to creating an equal, diverse and truly inclusive culture where everyone feels welcome and able to be their authentic selves. We believe that everyone has the right to live without fear or prejudice, and be treated fairly, and with respect and dignity regardless of sex, race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, background or religion or belief and we welcome applications from those with protected characteristics.

How to Apply

For further information, to access the appointment brief and to apply to this role, please visit the Prospectus website.

If you have any queries or wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Anna Gardet or Erica Ritchie. 

Recruitment Timetable 

Deadline for applications:  Monday 19th January 2026

Interviews with Prospectus: 26th – 30th January 2026

Engagement meetings with KSS: 4th February 2026

Interviews with KSS: w/c 9th February 2026

Head of Donor Stewardship and Legacies

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation

Devizes / Hybrid • £42,000–£46,000 Depending on experience •Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

Are you passionate about building lasting relationships and seeing generosity make a real difference? Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation is looking for an experienced fundraiser to lead and grow our individual giving and legacy programmes.

This role is central to creating a vibrant culture of giving across the region while helping deliver our 2025–2030 strategy. You’ll develop meaningful, long-term relationships with supporters and strengthen our Friends of the Foundation offer, inspiring generosity through thoughtful stewardship and engaging communications.

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation is seeking an experienced and motivated Head of Donor Stewardship and Legacies to lead and grow our relationships with individual donors. This role will be central to developing a culture of philanthropy across Wiltshire and Swindon, contributing directly to the delivery of our 2025–2030 organisational strategy. The postholder will build strong, meaningful relationships with supporters, develop a compelling individual giving programme (including strengthening our Friends of the Foundation offer) and legacy programme This role requires a confident fundraiser with strong stewardship skills, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of the Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice.You will be familiar with developing mailed and emailed communications but also with building relationships both face to face and over the telephone with supporters, specifically with older supporters.

Why join us?

You’ll be part of a small, supportive team who care deeply about what we do. We offer flexible working and a hybrid approach, with our office based in Devizes.

For more information about our current vacancies, and our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, please visit our website. 

Closing date: 12 noon, Friday 30 January 2026

Please note, the full job description and person specification can be found in the recruitment pack, on the recruitment page on our website, where you can also apply for this role.

If you have experience in individual giving and want to help transform local communities, we’d love to hear from you.

Role description:

We are excited to be seeking a talented and motivated individual to join Southampton Hospitals Charity as our legacy and in-memory manager to help shape our legacy development programme and in-memory strategy.

The role will involve leading on the operational delivery of both legacy and in-memory marketing and legacy case management. The postholder will implement donor-centric approaches to legacy and in-memory campaigns and events, case management, and supporter stewardship.

We are looking for an individual who is as passionate about fundraising as the work we do as a Charity to join our team. This role will be key, as we launch our ambitious new strategy to grow our income, reach and impact.

Main responsibilities

Legacies

• Develop and implement a comprehensive legacy strategy, identifying new opportunities, products, and campaigns to increase engagement, consideration, and pledger numbers.
• Work across the Charity to ensure legacies are integrated across relevant channels to reach key audiences.
• Build a portfolio of case studies to showcase how legacy giving has had a transformative impact across our hospitals.
• Build and nurture relationships with legacy pledgers and prospects, organising legacy information and engagement events to position the Charity prominently in legator consideration.
• Responsible for legacy case management and be the main contact for our legacy consultancy partner, ensuring all processes are compliant, efficient, and deliver for the Charity and for its supporters.
• Communicate with empathy and professionalism with executors, solicitors, and beneficiaries’ families, including handling enquiries and confirming receipt of legacy notifications.
• Work with the director of operations & resources on disputes and contested legacies, to ensure these are handled appropriately and sensitively.
• Work with the director of finance to ensure all information is recorded appropriately to ensure correct accounting and accrual of legacy income.
• Support the director of finance on legacy matters relating to the Charity’s annual external audit.

In-Memory

• Support with the development and management of stewardship programmes for in-memory donors, ensuring journeys are sensitive, supportive, and effective.
• Have responsibility for the efficient use of all in-memory payment platforms, ensuring that they are utilised correctly, report accurately, and are employed as part of a strong stewardship programme.
• Work closely with the hospital engagement team for the promotion of in-memory giving opportunities
• Working with the marketing & campaigns manager, develop and implement relevant campaigns, including within our hospitals, to increase awareness of in-memory giving
• Support the events & community fundraising officer with events organised by families and friends in memory of loved ones, ensuring appropriate stewardship processes are put into place.
• Look for new opportunities for developing in-memory products, developing cases for support and implementation plans to ensure the Charity’s in-memory programme is at the forefront of new practice.
• Work closely with the grants manager to ensure restricted and tribute funds are able to have an impact in the areas donors wish to see.
• Develop and cultivate strong relationships with supporters by offering suitable opportunities to remember someone special.
• Working with the marketing and communications team, source and develop case stories for use across the in-memory programme and charity.

Knowledge and experience

• Proven experience in legacy administration within the charity sector
• Certificate in Charity Legacy Administration (ILM) is desirable
• Proven experience in developing and delivering legacy, in-memory, and/or individual giving strategies and campaigns across multiple channels.
• Extensive experience in donor stewardship, fine-tuning supporter journeys, and delivering excellence in supporter care.

Personal qualities

• Curiosity, with an ability and willingness to explore issues and opportunities to their fullest potential
• Commitment to learning and developing knowledge and understanding of the Charity and how it operates
• Desire to improve things– dissatisfaction with inefficiency
• Self-motivated, pro-active and solutions focused, with ability to work on own initiative and to provide recommendations.
• Personable with excellent manner and ability to engage stakeholders.
• Flexible approach to working hours to meet the needs of the role.

Skills

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams and externally with agencies and solicitors.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple campaigns and priorities, and deliver to deadlines.
• Ability to analyse campaign data and insights, applying learning to improve activity and outcomes.
• Working knowledge and experience of budget management, forecasting, and reporting.
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft word, Excel, as well as bespoke systems

Employer: Community Rail Network 

Salary: £43k-£51.5k pa, full time 

Location: Home based / flexible or Huddersfield 

We are seeking a dynamic director of policy and communications, to lead and develop our increasingly impactful external affairs activity. You’ll be sharing community insights and evidence with policy and decision-makers at national and devolved level, supporting a shift towards more inclusive and sustainable transport and mobility, while overseeing high-quality, inspiring member communications and thought-leadership, drawing on grassroots experiences.  
  

About us 

Community Rail Network is a national not-for-profit organisation supporting a growing ‘community rail’ movement, which helps communities get the most from their railways, promotes sustainable and inclusive travel, coordinates volunteering and place-making, and brings people together.

Community rail is made up of 76 community-based partnership organisations, and c.1,300 station friends volunteer groups and other community-led initiatives around Britain. Their activities range from creative projects for young people, to advising train operators on service improvements, to building travel confidence among marginalised groups, to biodiversity projects at stations, to promoting greener tourism by rail.

Our enthusiastic team of 24 works from home in different locations, but we come together regularly in person and online. We work collaboratively to support our members, provide training, events and resources, run campaigns, and champion community rail and its insights. We believe in developing our team and helping everyone reach their potential while having a good work-life balance.

About this role 

This role is crucial for us, our members and their communities, especially at the current time, with our need to seize on the opportunities of rail reform and devolution, promote wider use of sustainable transport, and bring communities together. You will spearhead our external affairs strategy and plans, building political relationships, influencing decision-making and raising awareness of community rail and its insights, while ensuring effective communications with our members and helping them to have a voice locally and regionally. You’ll be striving to put community rail at the forefront of a shift towards more inclusive and sustainable mobility.

As a member of our senior leadership team, reporting to and working closely with our chief executive, you will manage a passionate team of four, ensuring collaboration with our other teams, partners and funders, and drawing on members’ insights.

 
Main responsibilities 

• Lead the review, development and delivery of our communications, policy and insights strategy, working to position the community rail movement effectively, use its insights to influence policy change, and ensure our members are well-informed and have a voice; 

• Further strengthen our advisory and influencing work with national, devolved and regional government, transport bodies, parliamentarians and other decision-makers, especially around rail reform, transport devolution and integrated, inclusive, sustainable transport; 

• Ensure we’re engaging effectively with policy developments and opportunities, taking forward a programme of relationship-building, and identifying and engaging in relevant consultations, events and speaking opportunities, enabling community rail’s insights and experiences to be shared; 

• Collaborate with partners in rail, government and the third sector to feed in our expertise on community engagement with rail, amplify our campaigns, and build opportunities for joined-up communications and policy work;

• Continually develop and disseminate our evidence base and insights on the social, environmental and economic value community rail delivers, and opportunities to create greater benefits for communities from rail and transport; 

• Oversee high-quality, coherent and inspiring communications with our members and partners, promoting our work, and sharing news, opportunities, and good practice across the movement; 

• Manage production of high-quality resources, case studies and reports that our members can use to enhance their impact and which showcase community rail’s impact; 

• Lead and develop our media relations and awareness-raising PR, championing community rail and its messages on sustainable, inclusive travel and communities at national and regional level, while supporting members on local PR; 

• Develop our online presence and reach, making full use of our website, social media, our Scenic Rail Britain campaign, and partners’ channels to celebrate and position community rail and grow its reach and impact; 

• Oversee a calendar of creative and impactful campaigns that involve and empower our members, creating PR and engagement opportunities, including Community Rail Week;

• Play a key role in collective leadership, strategic focus and organisational development as a member of our senior leadership team, including through internal communications and cross-team working, annual planning, funder liaison and reporting, upholding our strategies and policies, and pursuing opportunities for continuous improvement. 

 
Skills and competencies 

1. Strong leadership and management skills, including experience managing, developing and drawing on a multi-faceted team delivering complex campaigns or projects, and budget management; 
2. Excellent communication and external leadership skills; articulate, assertive, and with the ability to work diplomatically and persuasively with stakeholders at all levels; 
3. An understanding of public affairs, ideally in relation to community development, sustainability and/or transport, and a demonstrable ability to identify influencing opportunities, deliver thought-leadership, and engage with policy-makers, including sharing community insights; 
4. Politically astute, with awareness of and commitment to social inclusion, social justice and sustainability, and a good grasp of the importance of public transport sustainable travel, and community-led action, to these agendas; 
5. Understanding of political processes and experience of engaging with policy and decision-making, ideally at national, devolved and local levels; 
6. Sound knowledge of communication and marketing methods and channels, and ability to oversee messaging and targeting of public and professional audiences, and to align content across multiple channels; 
7. A demonstrable ability to think analytically and draw on statistical and qualitative research to construct robust, evidence-based arguments; 
8. Experience of working with the media and achieving coverage at national, regional and local level; 
9. Experience working collaboratively with partners and ideally funders to deliver communications and policy activity and forming professional networks; 
10. Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while dealing with competing priorities, and to support team members to do so; 
11. IT literate with a good working knowledge of Office, the internet and social media; 
12. Appropriate qualifications and professional development demonstrating knowledge and skills in line with the above, and a commitment to ongoing learning and development.

Other information

As you will be home-based, we are flexible about your location. However, you will be expected to travel to in-person full team meetings quarterly (usually in West Yorkshire), and you will need to bring your team together (currently all West Yorkshire based) with similar regularity in between. Attendance at in-person events and meetings is also important. We therefore welcome applications from those with decent public transport links, not too far from a railway station, to enable journeys to be made sustainably.   

This is a full-time position, 37 hours per week. We use a flexi-time system with core hours 10am-3pm, and are committed to being a flexible, supportive and understanding employer. This is a permanent position with a probationary period of six months.   

Community Rail Network is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and Black, Asian and other minoritised groups, who meet with the skills and competencies for this role. We will provide reasonable adjustments for interviews as required.