Media And External Affairs Manager Jobs in Reading, West Berkshire
At Independent Age, we believe that no older person should face financial hardship. That’s why, by 2027, our goal is to have improved the lives of one million older people. Our impact across policy, campaigning, information and advice, grant-making and partnerships improves lives by increasing the financial well-being of older people in financial hardship, enabling greater choice and independence in wider areas of life. We want to find talented individuals from diverse backgrounds to join us on this journey.
Responsibilities and Person Specification:
This role will form an integral part of our three person Policy and Public Affairs team based in Scotland, working as part of a UK-wide Policy and Influencing team. The role will drive forward our policy projects to reduce poverty in later life, conducting expert research and policy analysis and turning this into persuasive evidence to catch the attention of decision makers and persuaders. The postholder will create opportunities to amplify the voices of older people in poverty and work to secure support for our policy recommendations in Holyrood.
You will have strong research skills with experience of turning quantitative and qualitative data into high quality, persuasive policy outputs. You will have experience developing credible, evidence-based policy solutions, informed by the perspectives and insights of people with lived experience.
You will be a skilled verbal and written communicator with the ability to engage different audiences. You will build strategic relationships with a variety of stakeholders to advance the solutions needed to address poverty in later life, using your knowledge of the political landscape in Scotland and passion for our cause.
For full details on the role and requirements, please review the job description and person specification. If your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all of the criteria in the person specification but you do meet most of them and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply anyway.
This is a full-time role, 35 hours per week, which you can choose to work over five days or a 9-day fortnight.
Location: Homebased in Scotland (with occasional travel required)
What it’s like to work at Independent Age:
We celebrate diversity at Independent Age and champion the differences that make each of us unique. We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We aim to attract and retain a wide range of talent and create an environment where everyone can feel safe, protected, welcome and included.
We offer great benefits including 28 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme with life assurance, and fantastic learning and development opportunities. We also offer a number of enhanced leave provisions and benefits.
We know that a good work life balance helps us perform at our best and supports wellbeing. Flexible working hours and hybrid working is standard for all (those contracted to work in the office usually attend 1 day per week). But if you need a different form of flexibility, we are always happy to talk flexible working.
You can find out more about what it’s like to work at Independent Age by visiting our website.
Application Process:
To apply, please visit our website to submit a CV and a Supporting Statement, detailing how your skills and experience meet the criteria within the Job Description and Person Specification, by clicking the Apply Online button below (please do not hesitate to contact us if you have specific requirements and need support to apply in an alternative format).
To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion our hiring managers use anonymous shortlisting. Therefore, please do not include your name, photo, or information to indicate your gender or age in your CV and supporting statement. Please do not omit dates of employment. Please ensure the title of any uploads does not contain your name.
Independent Age is committed to safeguarding and follows Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding those we work with. We therefore ask that you supply your full work history with explanations for any gaps in the application documents you submit and, if offered the post, we will require two employment references including your current or most recent employer. A Basic Disclosure Scotland Certificate will be required for this role.
Closing Date: Sunday 14th April
Interview Dates: Wednesday 24th April & Thursday 25th April
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We have an opportunity for a Customer Communications Specialist to join the Corporate Affairs Team on a 12 month fixed term basis, working 30 hours a week.
You'll be based from our Basingstoke office, although with offices in Bristol, Christchurch, Exeter and Newbury, we can be flexible on your base location.
The role will combine both home and office working to ensure a positive work/life balance.
The Role
You'll support the business in achieving its priorities through effective customer communications, advising on the right channels and messages to keep SNG's customers informed and engaged.
As a Customer Communications Specialist you'll create, develop, execute and project manage strategic and tactical communication plans. This will involve producing and delivering creative, engaging content and campaigns for our customers through multiple channels, including web, social media, email and SMS, direct mail and more.
It's an exciting time at SNG as we integrate our communications for former Sovereign and former Network Homes customers and establish a Community Foundation. You'll be part of supporting the transformation and change programme as we move forward together.
Other key responsibilities include:
- Working closely with key stakeholders, listening to and understanding their communication requirements and providing them with expert support.
- Working to align customer communications with external and internal communications, and with our strategy and values.
- Managing and measuring the effectiveness of our communications, including external benchmarking and best practice.
- Understanding the pressures and issues facing the social housing sector and keeping up to date with best practice in Communications and PR, particularly changes to communications innovation, legislation and codes of practice and sharing this insight with colleagues.
What we're looking for
This position would suit candidates who have previous Customer Communication experience, possibly in a housing association, local authority or similar non-profit organisation.
- Excellent written communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to adapt your tone and write copy/create campaigns designed to generate a response or change in behaviour.
- Demonstrable experience of producing engaging customer content and campaigns.
- Experience of briefing and working with designers and creatives.
- A good understanding of MS Office packages, including Word, Excel and Publisher.
- Use of email marketing and social media management platforms and tools.
- Experience of working to deadlines and achieving targets through own work and the work of partners.
- Work well within a small team and on your own initiative.
- Be highly organised with a methodical approach.
You may need to travel between our offices and attend external events on occasion, so you'll need access to transport and be happy to travel.
What we can offer you
As a member of the Corporate Affairs Team, you will be part of a friendly, innovative and dynamic working environment.
We invest in our people, and you will be able to develop your skills and be part of something that makes a real difference to people's lives. This role can give you the opportunity for a career within a successful and diverse organisation.
Some of our benefits include:
- £450 yearly flexible benefit pot to use against benefits of your choice
- Flexible working
- 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days)
- A chance to buy or sell holiday as part of our flexible benefits package
- A generous pension scheme matching up to 12%
- Life cover as soon as you join us
- You will be a part of our Recognition scheme where you can be gifted retail vouchers
- A range of wellbeing discounts including Gym Memberships
- A wide selection of other benefits available
About us
It's an exciting time to be a part of the team as Sovereign have joined forces with Network Homes to form SNG (Sovereign Network Group). Together we provide over 84,000 homes and invest in communities across London and the South of England. Our purpose is to provide good affordable homes in thriving communities that people love for generations.
We invest for the long term - in individual homes, our customers and work with partners, to make a lasting difference to our neighbourhoods. Sovereign Network Group's financial strength will enable us to meet housing needs, regenerate places and build on the existing strengths in our communities.
We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at SNG. Take a look at our careers site to learn more about us and our values.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good.
Last year alone, 14,000 professionals received our training. Over 80,000 adults at risk of serious harm or murder and more than 100,000 children received support through dedicated multi-agency support designed by us and delivered with partners. In the last six years, over 4,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change by interventions we created with partners, and that’s just the start.
Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone.
The Community Fundraiser plays a vital role in fostering and expanding our network of individual givers and community fundraisers. The position is responsible for:
- Developing and managing relationships with our supporters.
- Signing SafeLives up to a programme of fundraising events.
- Maintaining and growing our supporter base.
- Responding to fundraising opportunities from individuals and corporates.
We will occasionally require you to support with organising events for our high-net-worth individuals. The role is managed by our Trusts and Grants Manager. It was a new role in 2022 and the successful candidate will build on the foundations that have been set over the last year and a half.
The ideal candidate will bring creativity and proactivity to the role – thinking outside the box and finding new ways to grow our supporter base and market our opportunities. You will be the perfect balance of engaging and motivational and a rigorous planning coordinator with exceptional attention to detail. You will help us reach new supporters, through events and fundraising, and communicate our key messages in a way that encourages people to support our work.
Benefits include a generous package, such as:
- 34 days’ holiday per year, including public holidays
- Flexible Working (compressed hours)
- Cycle-to-work Scheme
- Eye Care Vouchers
- Pension Scheme with 4% employer contribution
- Childcare Vouchers
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Clinical Supervision
- Holiday Purchase Scheme (buy up to an additional 5 days)
- Enhanced Family Leave Policies
- Enhanced Sick Pay
- Professional Development Fund
- Individual Learning Budget
- Restorative Practice Training
- Time Off In Lieu.
If this challenge sounds as exciting to you as it does to us and you believe you have the qualities we have described, please take a look over the job description and submit a 500-word cover letter and CV.
Closing date: Thursday 18th April 2024.
SafeLives is a committed provider of equal opportunities for all, please see our job description for full details.
No agencies please.