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Purpose of the role

The Head of Fundraising and Communications is responsible for delivering our new 2026-2029 integrated fundraising and communications strategy that grows and diversifies DeafKidz International's income, raises our profile with key audiences, and ensures our storytelling authentically represents deaf children, young people and their communities.

This is a hands-on leadership role, combining strategic direction with direct delivery. You will lead a small team of 1-2 direct reports and a network of freelancers/agencies, and work closely with the CEO, Trustees and programme teams to build a high-performing fundraising and communications function to deliver our new three-year strategy.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will also contribute to organisation-wide strategy, planning and decision-making, and act as a champion for accessible and inclusive practice across the organisation.

Key responsibilities

1. Strategic leadership

• Develop and lead the implementation of a multi-year fundraising and communications strategy aligned to DeafKidz International's organisational strategy and growth ambitions.

• Set annual income targets and communications objectives, and report regularly on progress to the CEO, Trustees and Board sub-committees.

• As an SLT member, contribute to organisational planning, risk management, budgeting and culture, bringing an external, supporter-facing perspective to internal decisions.

• Identify and evaluate new income opportunities, communications channels and partnerships that support long-term sustainability.

• Support the CEO to drive proactive and strategic stakeholder engagement, coordinating and attending meetings and/or providing meetings briefs where required.

2. Income generation

• Build and develop a multi-channel fundraising programme with definitive responsibility for trust & foundations, corporate and high-net-worth fundraising; whilst supporting colleagues and partners to build and deliver individual giving, events and community fundraising activities. 

• Lead on cultivating and securing minimum five figure gifts from trusts, foundations, corporate partners and high-net-worth individuals.

• Oversee the development of compelling funding proposals, cases for support and impact reporting, working closely with programme teams to evidence outcomes.

• Ensure excellent donor stewardship and supporter journeys across all income streams, treating every supporter interaction as an opportunity to deepen engagement.

• Set, manage and report against the fundraising budget and income targets, ensuring robust forecasting and phasing.

• Ensure all fundraising activity complies with the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice, GDPR/data protection law and Charity Commission requirements.

3. Communications, brand and profile

• Build DeafKidz International’s profile in the countries where we work and with new and prospective supporters

• Lead the development and delivery of an integrated communications strategy covering digital, social media, PR, media relations and the organisation's website.

• Ensure DeafKidz International's brand, messaging and storytelling are consistent, compelling and authentically centre the voices and experiences of deaf children, young people and their families.

• Ensure communications activity is aligned with income generation and strategic priorities

• Embed accessibility and inclusive communication practice across all channels and materials, including signed languages, captioning, Easy Read formats and deaf-led storytelling.

• Oversee the planning and delivery of campaigns, appeals and content (including challenge events, awareness days and fundraising appeals) that build profile and drive income.

• Manage relationships with media, PR support, ambassadors, influencers and patrons to extend reach and credibility.

• Oversee internal communications, ensuring staff, volunteers and Trustees are well informed and engaged with fundraising and external messaging.

4. Team and resource management

• Recruit, manage and develop a small fundraising and communications team as budget allows, building capability and resilience as the organisation grows.

• Manage external suppliers, freelancers and agencies (e.g. design, video, web development, BSL interpretation/translation, PR) to extend the team's capacity cost-effectively.

• Foster a collaborative, ambitious and supportive team culture, modelling DeafKidz International's values and commitment to deaf-led practice.

5. Governance and reporting

• Prepare clear, accurate reports and presentations on fundraising and communications performance for the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees.

• Maintain oversight of donor and supporter data, ensuring CRM systems and data management practices are fit for purpose and compliant.

• Carry out other duties commensurate with the role as reasonably required by the CEO.

Person specification

Experience

• Significant senior-level fundraising experience within the charity sector, with a proven track record of securing five-figure and above gifts from trusts and foundations, corporate partners, and high-net-worth individuals.

• Experience leading and managing teams to deliver successful individual giving, community fundraising, and events programmes, achieving agreed financial targets.

• Demonstrable success in leading communications, marketing, digital engagement, or public relations activity within a purpose-driven organisation.

• Experience operating at a strategic and senior leadership level, including budget management, target setting, organisational planning, and reporting to trustees or boards.

• Experience managing and working effectively with freelancers, consultants, agencies, and external contractors.

• Experience developing and growing fundraising and communications functions within a small or developing charity environment, demonstrating initiative, flexibility, and resourcefulness.

• Experience of international development and/or working collaboratively with overseas partners and programmes.

• Experience within the disability, deaf, or children's sectors, or a strong understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by deaf children and young people.

Skills and abilities

• Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate organisational ambitions into practical, measurable, and costed fundraising and communications plans.

• Exceptional relationship-building and networking skills, with the confidence and credibility to engage trustees, major donors, corporate partners, and other senior stakeholders.

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages and content for a wide range of audiences and channels.

• Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, income and expenditure monitoring, and performance reporting.

• Proficiency in the use of fundraising databases, CRM systems, and digital marketing tools.

• An inclusive and collaborative leadership style, with the ability to motivate, develop, and support a small team while fostering effective cross-organisational working.

• A sound understanding of fundraising regulation and compliance, including the Fundraising Regulator Code of Fundraising Practice, GDPR, and Charity Commission requirements.

Personal attributes

• Passionate about the mission of DeafKidz International and committed to deaf-led, child-centred, and safeguarding-first approaches. Applicants with lived experience of deafness are particularly encouraged to apply.

• Comfortable working within a small, ambitious, and fast-paced charity, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on delivery.

• Creative, resilient, adaptable, and highly motivated to achieve results.

• Committed to equality and accessibility in all aspects of their work.

• Accountable, target-driven, and committed to delivering sustainable fundraising growth.

Other requirements

• Willingness to travel throughout the UK and internationally when required.

• Willingness to learn and develop basic British Sign Language (BSL) skills.

• Appointment to this role is subject to a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check due to the organisation's work with children and young people.

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays.

• Workplace pension scheme with employer contributions.

• Remote working arrangements.

• Learning and professional development opportunities.

This role profile is intended to give a general indication of the scope of the role. It is not exhaustive and may be reviewed periodically in consultation with the postholder to reflect the changing needs of DeafKidz International.

About you

As an experienced, innovative and strategic Communications Lead, you will bring a proven track record of developing and delivering communications strategies that build understanding, engagement, influence and meaningful change. This is an opportunity to establish and lead communications for a new, nationally significant programme from the ground up, bringing ideas, energy and initiative to a role that will evolve alongside Bhip.

The role requires someone who can think strategically while also being comfortable getting into the detail and making things happen. You will be equally comfortable developing communications strategy and shaping Bhip.’s narrative as you are producing practical, accessible communications and resources needed by community engagement teams on the ground. You will be able to move confidently between strategic communications, system-facing messaging and hands-on community communications, ensuring each supports the wider aims of the programme. You will be someone who does not wait for a brief or has the imitative to create their own and who actively identifies opportunities, develops ideas and takes them forward. Creativity and innovation will be important in shaping how Bhip communicates its purpose, work, learning and impact, alongside the strategic judgement to understand what needs to be communicated, why, to whom and through which channels.

You will be confident developing and evolving a communications strategy, identifying audiences, shaping messages, narratives and tone of voice, and considering how complex and sensitive issues are communicated.

Strong cultural awareness and understanding will be important, including an appreciation of how culture, language, identity and lived experience can shape how different communities understand and respond to information. The ability to adapt language and communications approaches so that information is clear, accessible, culturally relevant and meaningful, without losing context or nuance, will be central to the role.

The role will span communities, programme teams, partners and creative specialists, from photographers and videographers to designers, digital specialists and other creative partners. You will be able to listen, build relationships, understand different perspectives and use community insight to shape communications that connect with people. You will bring people together around ideas, work confidently across different areas of the programme and use sound judgement to turn opportunities into action.

An understanding of Bhip’s anti-discrimination purpose and community-led approach, alongside a genuine commitment to addressing health inequities caused by structural racism and discrimination, will be essential. You will be comfortable navigating ambiguity, responding to emerging opportunities and bringing curiosity, collaboration and a willingness to try new approaches to the role.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to establish and shape the communications function for Bhip from the ground up, playing a central role in how a new, nationally significant programme is understood, positioned and experienced. The Communications Lead will set the strategic communications direction for Bhip, shaping its narrative, language, messaging and voice, and ensuring communications support the programme’s wider ambitions to address health inequities, challenge structural racism and discrimination, strengthen community voice and influence meaningful system change.

With significant scope to shape the direction of communications, the role will span strategy, positioning, messaging, identity, campaigns, digital communications, creative content, media, storytelling and engagement. It will consider not only what Bhip communicates, but how it communicates it, ensuring language, stories and narratives are accessible, thoughtful, culturally relevant and reflective of the programme’s anti-racist and community-led approach

As Bhip develops through co-design, learning and evaluation, the communications strategy will evolve with it, creating opportunities to test new approaches, respond to emerging issues, share learning and strengthen the programme’s influence. The role will work across the programme and partnership to ensure communications are connected to the wider work of Bhip and contribute to its strategic ambitions.

With the freedom and responsibility to shape the communications direction of a five-year programme, you will help establish how Bhip communicates locally, regionally and nationally. The work will contribute not only to Bhip’s profile and impact across Bradford District, but to wider learning, influence and national conversations around health inequities, structural racism and discrimination through the National Lottery Community Fund’s National Collective.

About You

You will be an experienced insight, evaluation or research practitioner with strong analytical skills and a practical, community-focused approach to generating, analysing and using evidence.

You will be confident working directly with Global Majority communities and colleagues across REN and HHU, developing accessible methods, tools and resources to gather and make sense of qualitative, quantitative and lived-experience evidence. You will understand the importance of building evaluation and learning into community engagement and co-design from the outset.

You will bring professional curiosity, methodological integrity and sound judgement, able to identify patterns, question assumptions and communicate clearly what the evidence does and does not tell us, where evidence is limited and where further investigation is needed.

You will work closely with the Anti-Racism Strategic Lead and Bhip Programme Lead, providing robust analytical and evidence support while retaining professional objectivity and methodological responsibility for the underlying evidence. You will be confident reporting findings accurately, including where evidence is limited, contradictory or uncomfortable for REN, HHU or system partners, and will work collaboratively across the wider Bhip team to ensure evidence and learning are useful, accessible and acted upon.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to help build and shape the insight, evaluation and learning approach for an ambitious five-year programme, working across communities, organisations and systems to understand what is changing, what works, for whom, how and under what circumstances.

Bhip has a working Theory of Change and an emerging evaluation framework, logic model, and Global outcomes and data system, which will continue to evolve through learning. You will help operationalise these across the programme, developing and refining the practical methodologies, tools, measures and resources needed to generate and capture community insight, lived experience, programme activity and quantitative data consistently, ethically and meaningfully.

Working alongside the Anti-Racism Strategic Lead and with the Co-design Lead, Community Engagement team and Global Majority communities, you will develop and test culturally grounded, accessible and innovative ways of gathering evidence and understanding change. You will explore creative and participatory approaches that work for different communities, while ensuring the evidence remains robust and useful for analysis and Bhip’s wider evaluation requirements.

As Bhip develops, you will bring different forms of evidence together to identify patterns, test assumptions and evaluate emerging approaches and system-practice tests against Bhip’s Theory of Change, logic model and programme and organisational outcomes. You will provide analytical and evidence support to the Anti-Racism Strategic Lead, while working across the wider REN and HHU Bhip team to ensure evidence informs learning, accountability, programme development and system change.

You will help turn what we learn into accessible evidence, resources and learning for communities, Bhip colleagues, partners and decision-makers, ensuring communities can see how their insight was used, what action followed, what changed, what did not change and why and contributing to learning across Bradford and the National Collective.