Head of Communications and Influencing (maternity cover)

Head of Communications & Influencing (Maternity Cover)

Salary: circa £60,000

London / Birmingham - hybrid  (primarily homebased with some travel to London, Birmingham and external meetings)

12month fixed term contract

Closing date: 3rd April 2026

We’re looking for a dynamic Head of Communications & Influencing to lead our high impact PR, media and influencing work during a period of maternity cover.

As our Head of Communications & Influencing, you’ll drive national media coverage for National Debtline and Business Debtline, act as a senior spokesperson, and lead campaigns that shape policy and support people in financial difficulty.

You’ll oversee our communications, public affairs and policy activity line managing a talented team and contributing to organisational strategy.

About us

We’re a national charity working to prevent financial difficulty and remove problem debt from people’s lives. Through our frontline debt advice services, National Debtline and Business Debtline, plus our campaigns, research and policy work, we support hundreds of thousands of people each year.

What you’ll do

This is a wide ranging and influential leadership role where you will:

Lead our external communications strategy

· Shape impactful PR and media campaigns that boost awareness of our services

· Act as a senior media spokesperson, including on TV and radio

· Drive high impact consumer facing media coverage

· Oversee a proactive press office and strengthen relationships with key journalists

Drive our influencing and policy agenda

· Lead our influencing strategy and high profile campaigns

· Oversee policy development and public affairs engagement

· Represent the Trust at senior external meetings, including with politicians, regulators and partners

· Ensure the voices of people in debt sit at the heart of our campaigns

Lead and inspire

· Manage and develop a talented team of communications and policy professionals

· Contribute to our wider organisational strategy as part of the Leadership Group

· Foster a creative, collaborative and forward-thinking department

About you

You’ll bring:

· Significant experience in communications, PR and/or influencing

· An ability to think strategically to develop and deliver effective communications, stakeholder engagement and influencing activity

· A track record of leading impactful campaigns and securing high profile media coverage

· Strong public affairs and policy skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders

· Excellent leadership abilities and a passion for developing people

· Confidence acting as a media spokesperson

· A passion for making a difference to people facing debt and financial difficulty

Why this role matters

Financial difficulty can affect anyone. The work you lead will raise awareness of vital national services, influence policy change, and help create a more supportive system for people in, or at risk of, problem debt.

We believe in taking care of our people, and we offer a great range of benefits, including:

· 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays

· A contributory pension scheme

· Flexible hybrid working arrangement

· Generous Life Insurance

· Wellbeing days to support your mental health

· A healthcare cashback scheme

· Access to an Employee Assistance Programme

· Enhanced maternity pay

· Working outside the UK (up to 30 days per 12-month period)

Ready to make a difference?

We’d love to hear from you. Apply now and help us drive real change for people facing financial challenges across the UK.

*Please note that the contract may end earlier (with suitable notice provided) if the substantive post‑holder returns sooner than expected

We are looking for talented individuals and therefore, we value authentic applications and prefer to see your own words and experiences reflected in your application. Please refrain from using AI-generated content, as we want to understand your genuine interest in this role and your own unique perspective.

If you need any adjustments to help you perform at your best during the recruitment process, please feel free to contact us, and we will be happy to discuss them with you.

We reserve the right to close the role early should we receive high numbers of applications. To avoid disappointment, please apply as soon as possible.   

We will only use the data you supply to us in CVs or application forms for recruitment purposes. This data will be held for twelve months. For further information please refer to our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants, available on the vacancies page of our website. 

We take diversity seriously and are committed to making diversity and inclusion a part of everything we do. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve. Our vision, underpinned by our values, be balanced, be supportive, be innovative, is to be a place where everyone feels welcome and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work and to make us an employer of choice. 

We are committed to working in an equitable, diverse and inclusive environment and welcome applications from all backgrounds. We use a blind recruitment system which hides your personal details such as name, address, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, educational institution to ensure all candidates are on a level playing field. Personal details will only be revealed once the application has been shortlisted.