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The Head of External Communications is a senior strategic leadership role responsible for shaping, delivering, and protecting IAPB’s global communications work. This role leads the organisation’s external communications function, overseeing global media strategy, press outreach, stakeholder visibility, thought leadership, and crisis and reputation management. The postholder ensures IAPB’s voice is influential across global health, policy, and development sectors supporting the organisation’s 2030 In Sight strategy and positioning IAPB as a leading authority on vision and eye health.

Role and Responsibilities

1. External Communications & Media Strategy

• Develop and deliver a bold, high impact‑ external communications strategy aligned to IAPB’s mission and the 2030 In Sight strategy.
• Lead strategic planning across all external comms channels, ensuring integrated messaging across media, digital, publications, and partnerships.
• Use insight, data, and evaluation tools to monitor performance, influence future communications activity, and drive continuous improvement.

2. Team Leadership, Management & Press Office Leadership

• Lead and inspire a high performing‑ external communications team across media, content, and digital functions.
• Set clear goals, KPIs, outputs, and outcomes for team members and external partners.
• Where needed manage recruitment, onboarding, development, and performance.
• Promote collaborative, cross organisational‑ ways of working and ensure seamless coordination across departments and time zones.
• Lead IAPB’s global press outreach, ensuring fast, coordinated, and proactive communication with international media.
• Oversee creation of media materials including press releases, statements, briefings, Q&As, and reactive press responses.
• Ensure consistent messaging and brand voice across all external statements and spokesperson engagements.
• Managing third party agencies who support with media and campaign elements for IAPB.

3. Media Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, broadcast producers, and influential commentators in global health, policy, and mainstream media.
• Secure high impact‑ coverage in global business, health, and policy publications (e.g., BBC, Financial Times, The Economist).
• Identify opportunities for proactive media moments, narrative shaping, and agenda setting‑.
• Serve as a senior spokesperson where required.

4. Thought leadership, Storytelling & Content Development

• Develop and deliver a global thought leadership‑ strategy, positioning IAPB leaders and experts as authoritative voices on eye health.
• Oversee publication of articles, op-eds, insights pieces, and leadership content across IAPB’s channels.
• Manage third party‑ engagement including panels, conferences, media partnerships, and editorial collaborations.
• Build and promote a pipeline of owned thought leadership platforms and sector‑ leading‑ commentary.
• Oversee global storytelling that humanises eye health and elevates lived experience from communities worldwide.
• Lead the Every Story Counts initiative and develop multimedia content that strengthens global understanding of eye health challenges.
• Provide tools, assets, and support for IAPB members to extend campaign reach within their local and regional markets.
• Ensure content reflects diverse voices and demonstrates the global Value of Vision.

5. Stakeholder Visibility

• Elevate IAPB’s profile among policymakers, global health institutions, donors, private sector partners, and high level‑ influencers.
• Work closely with advocacy, knowledge and membership teams to coordinate messaging and strengthen IAPB’s influence across global forums.
• Drive visibility for key initiatives including Love Your Eyes, Every Story Counts, and the Value of Vision platform.

6. Crisis Communications & Reputation Management

• Lead IAPB’s crisis communications planning, preparedness, and response.
• Advise senior leadership on reputational risks, ensuring robust processes for monitoring, escalation, and mitigation.
• Draft and manage crisis statements, holding lines, and rapid response‑ communications.
• Protect IAPB’s reputation and confident organisational voice during high pressure situations.

Education, Skills & Experience Required

Required

• Proven track record leading external communications, media relations, and press office functions across global or multi country environments.
• Significant experience delivering high profile media campaigns with measurable impact.
• Strong understanding of crisis communications, reputation management, and risk mitigation.
• Demonstrable experience influencing senior stakeholders and representing organisations at international events.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, compelling stories for varied audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and cross team‑ collaboration skills.
• Deep knowledge of global media landscapes, emerging platforms, and audience engagement strategies.

Desirable

• Experience in public health, international development, eye health, or adjacent sectors.
• Experience working with federated or membership based global organisations.

General

• Demonstrate IAPB organisational behaviours—Ambitious, Collaborative, Inclusive, and Strategic.
• Respect the diverse cultures, experiences, and working patterns of colleagues and partners.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role.
• This role profile outlines key responsibilities but is not exhaustive; duties may evolve as required by the organisation.

About us

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is the overarching alliance for the global eye health sector dedicated to eliminating the global vision crisis. A global network spread across 100+ countries, of the most brilliant and committed non-profits, philanthropists, public and private organisations.

There are 1.1 billion people living with sight loss because they don't have access to eye care services. We are making the case loudly and repeatedly that access to eye health services are vital to everything, for everyone.

IAPB, on behalf of its network, holds trusted relationships with the United Nations and the World Health Organization. No one else is operating under this same model with the same reach. We are a growing and successful international organisation registered as a charity in the UK with a dedicated staff team located around the world.

We are seeking someone to be a part of our journey and help us achieve our goals. We are a small charity with a supportive can-do attitude. We are informal but professional and work flexibly. This role offers a real opportunity for someone to contribute our development and progress towards our goals.

Other Information

• Benefits include 30 days annual leave (plus statutory bank holidays)
• Pension scheme – 10% Employer contribution, no minimum employee contribution
• Group life assurance
• Hybrid working - minimum 2 days per week in the London office
• Flexible working
• Employee Assistance Provider
• Various family friendly policies
• We are only accepting applicants with a right to work in the UK; we are unable to sponsor people requiring a work visa.

 Closing date Friday 10th April 2026. IAPB reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date.

1st stage interviews will be held via Teams w/c 20 and 27 April 2026. 

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to respond to everyone. If you have not heard from us within 28 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.  We request no contact from agencies.

Title: Policy and Social Change Manager
Contract: Full time, 12 months FTC, possibility to extend subject to mutual agreement
Location: Hybrid, with regular travel to our London offices
Reporting to: Partnerships & Impact Director
Direct report/s: None
Salary: £47,000-£50,000 per annum
Deadline: Midday, Tuesday 7th April 2026

About In Kind Direct

For 30 years, In Kind Direct has been at the forefront of product distribution in the UK, ensuring that no one misses out on life’s essentials. Think toiletries, period products, clothes, toys, and technology, donated by leading brands and retailers. Founded by HM The King, we are a practical response to the widening gap in society, alleviating immediate need and pushing for systemic change through new research and advocacy. We work with a UK network of over 9,000 local charities and community groups. Together, we reach 930,000 people with essentials every week and unlock almost £30m in savings for the charitable sector each year. 

Our mission and values

We know long before people go without food or heating, they forfeit feeling clean. This has a huge impact on confidence, wellbeing, and engaging with learning or work. By 2030, we are on a mission to double our impact, to meet the growing need in communities. Increasing our voice and influence is a key pillar in our new strategy. In all things, we live our values of kindness, togetherness and integrity, driving innovation.

The role

We are looking for a passionate change-maker to be our Policy & Social Change Manager, building the roadmap for strategic programmes that raise awareness, reduce stigma, and generate systemic change. The role will involve movement building and close collaboration, working with our charitable network to raise our collective voice at a national level. You will represent us in the policy and advocacy environment, holding relationships with government departments, civil servants and cross-sector alliances.

Your efforts will particularly focus on our End Hygiene Poverty campaign, working in partnership with The Hygiene Bank, and our coordinating role for the Period Equity Alliance. We believe no one should have to face the choice to heat, eat or feel clean. These two programmes tackle different parts of the systems that keep too many people going without or feeling ashamed. The scale of poverty in the UK is simply too big for any one organisation to solve. You will develop a coordinated advocacy approach to build alliances for change.

You will work closely with our marketing team to develop our voice, and our impact team to maximise our strong evidence base. Ideally you would have experience of narrative change, political advocacy and systemic thinking, but if you’re passionate about ending poverty and have led successful collaborations, delivered social change or run brilliant campaigns then we would love to hear from you. You will work closely with the Partnerships & Impact Director and CEO, with the autonomy to help shape our direction. 
The role is based out of our London Bridge office. We operate a hybrid working practice and expect the individual to be in the office for two days each week, and working remotely, usually from home for up to three days a week. This role is subject to DBS checking.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage the development and implementation of a fully integrated advocacy strategy, aligning key objectives of more influence, more products and more impact. 
• End Hygiene Poverty campaign - utilise and support delivery of new research to develop our activity roadmap, build a cross-sector coalition for change, and unlock new funding.
• Period Equity Alliance – provide coordination including drafting letters, chairing meetings and efforts to grow the wider membership. Lead delivery of funded events that embed lived experience in developing resources and policy positioning.
• Keep a watching brief on relevant areas such as child poverty, women’s health, devolution, and the VCSE sector. Create and share regular internal and external briefings, and lead on submissions to government calls for evidence.
• Develop our position on relevant advocacy issues, understanding where In Kind Direct is best placed to lead, and where we can ally and amplify the work of others.
• Proactively develop relationships with key stakeholders, representing us in the policy environment and potentially with media, to grow our voice and visibility. 
• Work with colleagues to shape organisational messaging and inform funding proposals. 
• Maximise the value of our existing evidence base and commissioned research.

To succeed in this role, you will be able to demonstrate: 

• Experience of developing effective influencing strategies that deliver real change.
• Experience leading complex projects or campaigns across multiple teams and partners, able to balance priorities, manage stakeholders and make decisions.
• Strong facilitation and convening skills, adaptable to diverse backgrounds, expertise and seniority. Comfortable speaking and presenting to different audiences. 
• Experience of successful collaborations; engaging, influencing and mobilising senior external stakeholders, ideally including corporate partners.
• A natural curiosity, able to connect information and identify gaps and trends. 
• An alignment with IKD values of kindness, togetherness, integrity, and innovation. 
• An interest in the charity sector, corporate responsibility, and In Kind Direct’s area of work 
• An understanding or experience of systems change practices is desirable, for example systems mapping and storytelling.

In Kind Direct is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in our sector. We want this to be reflected in the diversity of the people who join us and are interested in applications from people from all backgrounds.

Working at In Kind Direct

As well as having the chance to work in a charity that helps thousands of people each year, our team benefits include volunteering days, 28 days holiday each year (including 3 days between Christmas and New Year, excluding public holidays), an interest-free travel loan, and a generous pension scheme entitlement. We are an equal opportunity employer and support our team to succeed in their roles through training, adaptations, flexibility in working, access to our Employee Assistance Platform, and a range of policies to support people in their personal, family and care responsibilities. 

We are an accredited Great Place to Work – and have additionally been recognised as a Great Place to Work amongst small Charities and a Great Place to work for Women. 

We seek to challenge discrimination and are committed to our values of kindness, togetherness, integrity, and innovation. We are on an organisational journey to achieving our EDI vision and welcome any questions about our progress and aspirations. 

We especially welcome applications from anyone with lived experience of being on a low income or working with smaller charitable organisations. 

We will meet all reasonable expenses that will support anyone invited to interview to be able to participate. If there's anything such as a disability or other circumstance that might affect your ability to take part in any stage of the application or interview process, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. We’ll do our best to provide any support or adjustments you may need to take part fully and comfortably. Sharing this information will not affect your application in any way.

How to apply
The deadline for application is midday, Tuesday 7th April. We ask all applicants to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring form, available on our website.

To apply, please send your CV and a brief supporting statement (max. 600 words), through our online applications portal. Applications submitted without a supporting statement may not be considered. 

Interview dates: first interviews Tuesday 14th April, second interviews Tuesday 21st April.

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