Head Of Development Jobs
Barnwood Trust is not your typical funder. We drive forward changes so that disabled people and people with mental health conditions have choice of opportunities, access their rights, and are included where they live. We bring people together for a different conversation and explore big ideas. Through learning and collaboration, we influence the change that’s needed. By partnering with local organisations, involving people with lived experience directly in our work, and looking for better ways to fund, Barnwood makes a difference in Gloucestershire.
As part of this work, our Engagement Team engages a wide range of people in the Trust’s vision for Gloucestershire, and our Marketing and Communications are integral to this.
We are looking for a Marketing & Communications Manager to develop and manage the marketing and communications function and team at Barnwood Trust. This includes Barnwood Trust’s websites, social media channels and print media, as well as responsibility for marketing and logistics planning for public-facing workshops and events.
Expertise in communications, including delivering high standards of accessibility, implementing organisation-wide communications and marketing strategies, and line management experience are welcomed for this role.
We want to diversify our team to better reflect the work and communities we support – this means we would particularly welcome applications from people who:
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are from Black, Asian and minoritised backgrounds.
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have lived experience of disability and/or mental health challenges.
Contract terms:
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This role is permanent, and we welcome applications from people looking for full time hours (37.5hrs per week).
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We offer a flexible start between 8am and 9.30am Monday to Friday.
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Salary £42,639 p/a FTE
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36 days holiday inc. bank holidays
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This position is based in our office in central Cheltenham with occasional opportunities for home working.
Summary of key duties:
Management of Barnwood’s external communications channels
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To engage with a wide range of external audiences, including Barnwood Circle members, potential project partners and participants in our convening and learning activities.
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To manage communications and marketing strategic plans, and their delivery for Barnwood Trust.
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To coordinate printed and digital products, in a range of accessible formats and in line with the Trust’s vision.
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To develop, lead and ensure the implementation of our social media strategy to positively reflect the Trust’s culture and values.
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To lead the delivery of the Trust’s external events.
Line management of x3 direct reports:
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Provide line management to the function team, managing resources and maximising the skills and capabilities of team members.
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Enact the Trust’s management processes and ensuring that access requirements are supported.
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Hold regular management reviews with direct reports, providing open and honest feedback on performance, setting personal development goals and plans.
Knowledge and experience:
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Line managing a small team.
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Creating dissemination plans and marketing materials for a wide range of audiences and channels, including print media, digital media and face to face engagement.
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Planning and delivering public events.
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Delivering communications to high standards of accessibility.
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Project planning tools and techniques.
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Independently managing complex projects with a diverse range of stakeholders.
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Supporting the implementation of organisation-wide communications and marketing strategies.
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Data management, adhering to legal information governance requirements and internal policies.
For full details please see our application pack.
Summary of skills
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Excellent communication and organisational skills, including high level written communication skills.
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Self-awareness, enabling excellent working relationships with a wide range of people using tact, diplomacy and sensitivity.
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Ability to apply appropriate communication channels and methods, including digital and print media.
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Strong IT skills (proficient in MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WhatsApp, Teams and Zoom, as minimum).
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CRM database management.
Benefits:
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36 days annual leave including bank holidays. (FTE)
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Work within an organisation that is committed to improving equality and diversity.
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Competitive salaries and fantastic pension contribution rates.
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Excellent personal development plan and extensive training which includes a commitment to training employees to be confident when working with people with a wide variety of impairments, disabilities, and mental health challenges.
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Friendly and collaborative working culture; everyone’s voice is heard.
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We have a range of supportive wellbeing policies and almost a third of our employees, are qualified mental health first aiders with Mental Health England.
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Our offices in central Cheltenham are wheelchair accessible, have free accessible parking on site and great facilities.
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Assistance dogs are welcome.
Guidance On Applications:
You need to apply for this role via our online application form.
You will also find a detailed application pack which gives a full and detailed job description and person specification as well as guidance on how to make an online application and what you should include within it.
Should you have any questions or require any of the information in a different format please email the recruitment team directly at recruitment@barnwoodtrust. org.
We want our application process to be right for you as an individual. If there’s anything we can do to make the process below more straightforward for you, please email recruitment@barnwoodtrust. org and we will contact you to discuss what support we may be able to provide.
Our careers page on our website has some examples of things we may be able to put in place.
Deadline for applications: 12.00 noon on Wednesday 24th April 2024
First interviews: Monday 29th April 2024
Second stage interviews: Tuesday 7th May 2024
We would like the successful candidate to start as soon as possible.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Every 6 minutes someone learns that they are losing their sight. Every five hours, a baby is born with sight problems. In these moments, two profound questions emerge:
• Can this be stopped?
• How do I (or my child) live this life?
The merger of Fight for Sight and Vision Foundation on 1st April 2023 will enable us to address both questions. By combining our strengths and expertise we’ll be the only significant national funder with the efficiency, capability, and capacity to increase investment in medical research and social improvement. Together we can mitigate both the prevalence and impact of sight loss.
We have a clear ambition, led by our CEO, Keith Valentine, who has valuable lived experience of sight loss. We’ve secured well-respected and highly engaged ambassadors and patrons, such as Sir John Major and Marsha De Cordova MP. We also benefit from world renowned researchers on our Research Grants Assessment Panel.
We are now looking for experienced, committed, and creative individuals to join our dynamic team as we devise and launch new five-year organisational and research strategies. You’ll have a chance to contribute to the delivery of these strategies and lead on plans for disseminating them.
Sarah Kidner, Head of Communications and External Affairs
JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION
As Research Communications Lead, you will use your knowledge of the medical research field and science communication experience and expertise to create a suite of research impact communications and stories.
In addition, you will build the base for the charity to confidently talk and communicate the difference that our funded research makes to the lives of people affected by sight loss. These stories should substantiate our position as leaders in funding ground-breaking and world-class research and be used in any instance where we need to demonstrate our research impact, from fundraising materials to our brand marketing.
Working with teams across the organisation, you will act as an advisor, keeping teams up to date on the cutting-edge research we’re funding and what it could mean for people affected by sight loss conditions as well as building relationships with the research community and our partners.
Responsible to
Head of Communications and External Affairs with dotted line reporting to the Acting Head of Research. The role sits between the Marketing and Communications and Scientific Research teams and works closely with the Fundraising Directorate.
Direct reports
None
Working hours and contract
This is a 6 month fixed-term contract, 21 hours (3 days) a week.
Salary
£35,000 - £40,000 (pro-rated to £21,000 - £24,000) dependent on experience
Location
Aldgate E1 and hybrid working. Minimum two days in the office and external meetings and events as required
Start date: As soon as possible
Role Responsibilities:
Strategic Research Communications
· Support the Head of Communications and External Affairs and Research Grants team, to develop and deliver a Communications Strategy that amplifies our reach and demonstrates our impact
· Work with the communications and fundraising teams to plan, prioritise and schedule research content
· You will liaise with external research partners and colleagues, to ensure relevant information is available for use when communicating with prospects and donors.
· You will develop an in-depth understanding of the research portfolio, working with the Scientific Research Grants team, funded researchers and our funding partners.
· Communicate the vision and mission of the charity's new brand strategy to the research community with a focus on impact
Content creation
· Produce high quality content, including case studies, e-newsletters, web and other copy focused on the charity's funded research. This could include writing plain language summaries of the research we fund, describing recently published research and working with researchers to create video content to help our audience understand more about their work and to demonstrate the impact of our funding.
· Where appropriate respond to media stories that resonate with the charities vision, mission and values specifically relating to research
· Promote the impact of our funding on the career progression of academics, clinicians, and clinician scientists working in eye health
Cross-team and collaborative working
· Build a strong and collaborative relationship with the research team to support cross functional working including identifying stories that demonstrate the impact of our funding
· Build relationships with funded researchers and future funded researchers to engage them in communicating our impact
· Build relationships with the scientific communications community specifically trade and scientific press to inform them of our impact
· Promote grant funding opportunities to the scientific community encouraging quality applications from researchers across multiple disciplines
· Liaise with researchers as the key point of contact for fundraising and communications activities including PR and media opportunities, conferences and events (including webinars)
Representing the charity
· Provide authoritative and clear expert briefings to researchers and clinician researchers for media opportunities
· Support colleagues who are representing the charity at national and international conferences and events. Represent the charity at national and international events, including presenting the impact of our work.
· Be an effective ambassador for the charity at any activity you attend
· Leading the updating and development of content for the research pages of the website, ensuring that complex topics are communicated in an accessible and interesting format for people affected by eye conditions and other stakeholders.
· Develop and maintain a network of positive relationships with national, regional and academic/trade media contacts.
Person specification:
Skills, knowledge & experience
Essential
· A scientific or biomedical degree or equivalent in a science-based subject
· Demonstrable experience or passion for scientific research
· Excellent written and oral communication skills
· Ability to communication complex information simply and with passion and to flex tone of voice for the appropriate audience and tone of voice in keeping with our emerging brand identity and values and who can communicate how research contributes to vision and mission
· Excellent interpersonal and networking skills and stakeholder management
· The ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team (including grants, research, communications, fundraising and others)
· Evidence of a diplomatic and confident approach to handling stakeholders through negotiation, conflict resolution and presentation capabilities
· Good IT skills with proficiency in MS Office applications
· Demonstrable experience of working in communications, media communications or public affairs
· Meeting deadlines in a busy environment
· Producing high quality content for publications, website and social media
· A flair for finding a good angle, producing sharp headlines and for transforming information into a potential news story
· Proven ability to write tight, coherent well-argued and fluent editorial copy to an excellent standard
Desirable
· Experience of working in the charity sector or within a medical research charity
· Post graduate qualification in a relevant science discipline or equivalent qualification
· A degree or qualification with a science communication component and/or experience working in science journalism
· A clear understanding of a range of research methodologies, including basic biomedical research, clinical trials and qualitative research
Personal qualities:
· An understanding of and commitment to the sight loss community
· Good relationship management skills with the ability to build, grow and maintain rapport with internal and external stakeholders
· Strong design skills to create engaging, accessible content that helps to support engage and inspire a range of audiences across a range of mediums
· A self-starter, proactive with a constructive and collaborative approach
· The ability to make the complicated seem simple; you will enjoy sharing your skills, and developing others
· Highly motivated and able to juggle a varied workload
· Personable, with excellent listening skills and high emotional intelligence, with the ability to think creatively
· An intelligent and proactive approach to problem-solving
· Excellent accuracy and attention to detail
Flexibility
·The role description is a general outline of duties and responsibilities and may be amended as the newly merged charity develops and the role grows. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.
When writing job applications, we want to see if candidates are the right fit for our charity, so they should be written using your own words. Use of Artificial Intelligence, such as Chat GPT, is considered plagiarism, and applications drafted with the assistance of AI will be automatically rejected.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.