Here at the Royal British Legion, we are currently embarking on an exciting new phase with our Customer, Technology and Change directorate. Together this team, covering Technology, Data Protection and Change & Transformation, takes great pride in supporting across RBL with all things technology, security, digital, data, portfolio and project management, and change. It’s a great time to join as our organisation begins to drive our new 10-year strategy and ensures we are best able to continue to make a difference to our Armed Forces community now and for the future.
Based in our Change & Transformation team, the new Head of Portfolio Assurance and Reporting will be responsible for leading RBLs portfolio assurance and reporting function, ensuring the change portfolio is clearly defined, prioritised, monitored and governed in a way that supports strategic priorities, strengthens confidence and enables effective decision-making.
The role provides leadership for portfolio reporting, performance insight, assurance, governance support, benefits management and portfolio-level visibility of risks, dependencies, resources and financial position. Working as part of the Change and Transformation leadership team and reporting to our Director: Change and Transformation, the role strengthens confidence that RBL is doing the right change, in the right order, with appropriate control, insight and evidence. It will work closely with delivery, change and business stakeholders while maintaining sufficient independence to provide objective insight, constructive challenge and assurance.
Come and be part of the leading Armed Forces charity, making a difference to the lives of those who have served to keep us safe and protect our way of life.
You will be experienced in supporting Portfolio Boards or senior governance functions with decision quality reporting, insight and assurance, with a strong understanding of portfolio management in a complex change environment. Your strong leadership, coaching and stakeholder management skills will be well utilised and you will be able to create clarity, structure and portfolio confidence in ambiguous environments.
You will be expected to travel regularly in the course of your work including regularly to London, Haig House. You will be contracted to your home address, where you will be expected to work when not travelling.
Employee benefits include –
- 28 day’s paid holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with service, with optional annual leave purchase scheme of up to 5 working days
- Private Healthcare
- Enhanced paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Generous pension contributions, with Employer contributions ranging from 6% to 10%
- Range of flexible working options may be available, depending on your role
- Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential counselling, financial and legal advice
- Range of courses delivered by learning specialists to support your development goals and objectives
- Opportunities to volunteer
- Travel loans, Cycle to Work, and more!
For more detailed information about the role, please see the Job Description attached to our direct advert. Our teams take a personalised approach to shortlisting, which is carried out without the use of AI and is based on the evidence provided in your application against the essential and desirable criteria in the Person Specification.
RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics.
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer interview schemes for candidates who declare an Armed Forces connection and/or a disability. However, candidates are only eligible for this scheme if their application clearly demonstrates that they meet all of the essential criteria listed in the Person Specification for the role.
We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are looking for an experienced Communications and Marketing Manager with excellent organisational
skills to develop, implement and manage effective communication strategies for a charity based in the
healthcare sector, with a national and local reach across the UK and Ireland.
You’ll have demonstrable experience in planning and implementing different communications strategies
across a range of marketing channels to help us grow our organisational profile, uphold our vision
and values, while extending our reach across the sector to support growth and awareness among the
community we support.
As part of the daily management of the charity’s communications and marketing needs, you’ll work with colleagues and volunteers to raise awareness maximise awareness of our support model, support the organisation through attendance of national and local events and be part of a team representing the charity at key exhibitions during the year requiring you to be away overnight for up to 3 or 4 nights at a time (depending upon location) – approximately 3-4 times per year. Further information will be available to candidates taken forward for interview.
You will be integral to our communications and marketing approach, collaborating with colleagues who manage our social media and published communications (e.g. member magazine). Above all you are someone who fosters an organisation wide approach working with, mentoring and supporting colleagues to ensure a planned, structured and collaborative approach to our communications and marketing planning.
The ideal candidate must have a proven track record in managing communications, producing effective content and campaigns across a range of channels (print, digital, online) for at least TWO years, ideally bringing additional experience from within the charity sector.
The role is primarily remote and the successful applicant can work from a location of their choice (subject to representing the charity at key meetings, internal meetings and exhibitions throughout the year). The role holder will make optimum use of video conferencing and online collaboration tools to work as part of a wider communications team so the team feels connected and engaged in its approach.
Interviews will be two-stage for successful candidates. Initial interviews will be held via video conferencing (such as Zoom) with successful candidates going through to a second round. Second round interviews will be face-to-face interview (with advance notice). Successful candidates will, in advance of the second round, be given a short working brief and asked to present their campaign ideas at interview together with past examples of their work.
UK travel within the role is expected with the charity reimbursing reasonable travel costs where agreed up front and on behalf of the charity.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Plan, execute and monitor a value-driven, measurable communications and marketing strategy across our print, digital and internal channels in accordance with the direction of the Board
- Demonstrable experience developing, collaborating and managing multi-channel campaigns as part of the overall strategy measuring their effectiveness, adapting to change, where necessary, as part of the wider communications approach (digital, print)
- Develop engaging, accessible and audience-focused content to build trust and a relationship with our target audience
- Excellent organisational skills to manage small projects, ensuring timely delivery and execution supporting risk identification and mitigation
- Upholding brand and culture in everything you do
- Collaborate with colleagues to support organisation and management of charity events
- Oversee the communications and marketing direction of the charity to ensure consistency in approach across all channels
- Build and maintain relationship with journalists and oversee other PR opportunities
- Develop and nurture strategic partnerships with key individuals, stakeholders, and community voices, building strong working relationships that support authentic storytelling and enhance the charity’s impact
- Ensure all content in accessible, inclusive and aligns to our brand and identity
- Budget management with strong planning to meet upcoming deliverables and identifying areas where financial savings can be made to maximise charity resources
- Produce meaningful management information at key times
- Monthly senior management reporting
- Quarterly Board reporting
- Annual reports (authoring and collaborating from external sources)
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential Experience
- At least two years experience in a Communications/Marketing Management role
- Experience in developing and implementing communications and marketing strategies, ideally within the not-for-profit sector, across a wide range of marketing channels
- PR experience and media liaison
- Communications planning and forward thinking
- Brand management
- Team player/Mentor
- Campaign management to raise the organisational profile and advocate for people
- Working with third party stakeholders to manage exhibition attendance, organise events and more generally any services provided to/purchased by the charity
- Working with and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships including our trustees, staff, volunteers and external medical professionals
- Demonstrable experience of online and digital marketing platforms to promote the charity, raise awareness and support our target audience
- A strong working knowledge of social media platforms, although we have a dedicated social media manager undertaking the role that you will collaborate with
- Familiarity with UK data protection regulation
Desirable Experience
- Knowledge and experience of SEO
- Budgetary management
- Experience in social media moderation
- Experience in creative tools (Canva, Adobe products) and digital marketing platforms
- Podcasts or similar digital content
- Experience of working on sensitive content
- Experience across the not-for-profit sector
- Ambassador management
SKILLS AND QUALITIES
- Creative, proactive and confident in your approach achieving outcomes in a timely manner and within budget
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to build strong working relationships
- Adaptable, flexible and committed to our charitable aims and values
- Strong time management skills
APPLICATION SUBMISSION
To apply, please submit:
- Your CV (up to 3 pages)
- A covering letter outlining your suitability to the role (max 500 words)
Interviews will be two-stage for successful candidates. Initial interviews will be held via video conferencing (such as Zoom) discussing previous experience and role fit with successful candidates going through to a second round. This includes alignment to IA’s values. Please allow up to 1 hour for this stage.
Second round interviews are expected to be in in-person in a central location - advance notice will be given and the charity will reimburse reasonable travel expenses, approved in advance. Successful candidates will, in advance of the second round, be given a short brief and asked to present their campaign ideas from a charity working example at the interview. This should be available to us at least 48 hours prior to interview to allow us time to review.
Additionally second stage applicants will be asked to provide examples of their own work, at least 48hrs prior to the interview. You should be comfortable sharing past content that you have created previously which will be treated with the strictest confidence. Please allow up to 1.5 hours for this second stage.
Applications should be submitted via the advertising platform including your CV and covering letter. See attached role profile for recruitment timetable and further details about us/the role, including contact details for an informal chat, if required, before applying. Applicants are encouraged to ensure availability in line with the recruitment timetable in the attached job specification.
While IA recognises the value of AI technology in the current climate, IA reserves the right to ignore applications where we have reason to believe that they have been wholly produced using generative AI tools.
Please let us know if you require any additional support to attend or undertake an interview or if there is anything we should consider as part of the interview process.
Apply as above. Additionally, please refer to the recruitment timetable in the attached job specification.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.