Policy and public affairs officer jobs

Communications Manager

This is a hands-on communications role at an important time for GBSS. You will help us plan, write and deliver clear, compassionate communications that make a real difference for babies and families.

Later this year, the results of the GBS3 trial are expected, with a likely UK NSC review to follow. This represents a significant opportunity to influence policy, improve care, and help prevent group B Strep infection in babies.

We are looking for an excellent communicator who can bring people and plans together, write well, keep work moving, and turn complex information into communications people can understand and use.

You do not need to arrive as a group B Strep expert. You will work with colleagues who bring expertise in policy, clinical evidence, fundraising, support services and digital content.

Key Information

Job title: Communications Manager

Reports to: CEO

Direct reports: Digital Content Specialist

Location: Hybrid (Haywards Heath) or remote within the UK

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

Salary: £40,000–£45,000 depending on experience

Role Overview

The purpose of this role:

To help GBSS communicate clearly and confidently, through communications that are well planned, well written and delivered effectively.

· write and edit key communications

· hold communications plans for major campaigns and projects, working closely with the CEO and colleagues

· bring together communications across advocacy, fundraising, support services and digital

· line manage the Digital Content Specialist

· keep communications projects moving and delivered to a high standard

This role sits at the centre of a small team. It will suit someone who enjoys being hands-on and is happy to move between planning, writing, editing, coordinating and problem-solving as priorities change. The postholder will be expected to draft a significant proportion of GBSS's core communications content themselves.

Key Responsibilities

1. Communications planning and coordination

· Hold communications plans for major campaigns and projects, working closely with the CEO and colleagues to agree priorities, timings and outputs.

· Translate organisational priorities into clear communications actions and timelines, working with subject leads where needed.

· Manage communications workflows, deadlines and approvals.

· Use trustee and external advisers’ expertise as a helpful sounding board where appropriate.

2. Writing and content development

· Act as the lead writer and editor for key communications, including blogs, newsletters, supporter communications, campaign materials, website content, organisational updates, briefings and stakeholder communications.

· Edit and improve content produced by colleagues.

· Make sure communications are clear, plain English, compassionate, inclusive, accessible and accurate.

· Help translate complex clinical, policy and research information into communications that non-specialists can understand.

· Work from agreed policy positions and specialist input when drafting briefings, consultation-related materials or stakeholder communications.

3. Campaign delivery

· Coordinate communications for major campaigns and projects, including GBS Awareness Week.

· Work with colleagues to agree objectives, audiences, messages, outputs and timelines.

· Work with the Fundraising Manager on supporter communications, helping with copy, timing and consistency.

· Help paid activity fit well with wider campaign messaging.

· Keep campaign delivery on track and support evaluation and learning.

4. Messaging and consistency

· Help develop and maintain clear organisational messages.

· Help communications across channels fit together.

· Support colleagues to communicate sensitive or complex issues clearly.

5. Digital content leadership and line management

· Work closely with the Digital Content Specialist to agree priorities, plan content and support high-quality delivery across digital channels.

· Line manage the role, including regular feedback, support and development.

· Look at what is working across digital channels and use that insight to improve future content.

6. Media support

This role will support media activity through practical communications planning, drafting and follow-up.

This includes:

· drafting briefing materials, background notes, key messages and approved lines

· coordinating communications around media activity

· helping make sure follow-up content is delivered across relevant channels

7. Insight and continuous improvement

· Work with information and support colleagues to understand what families and professionals are asking and where communications could be clearer.

· Use audience insight, communications data and campaign results to improve future activity.

· Identify practical ways to improve communications processes.

Person Specification

Essential

· Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills, with strong attention to detail.

· Experience creating content across multiple communications channels.

· Experience planning and delivering communications projects or campaigns.

· Ability to explain complex, technical or evidence-based information clearly and accurately.

· Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage multiple competing priorities.

· Good judgement and sensitivity when communicating about emotionally complex, potentially distressing or sensitive issues.

· Experience supporting, guiding or managing others, whether colleagues, freelancers or suppliers.

· Ability to work collaboratively in a small organisation, including with senior colleagues and subject matter experts.

Desirable

· Experience in charity, health, policy, public affairs or another setting where complex or evidence-based information needs to be communicated clearly.

· Experience communicating about maternity, newborn care, patient safety, bereavement or similarly sensitive issues.

· Experience working with websites, email marketing systems and social media platforms.

· Understanding of accessibility, plain English and inclusive communications.

What you’ll help us achieve

You’ll help GBSS communicate more clearly, plan further ahead and deliver key campaigns well.

Interviews

interviews will be held between 17 and 20 August 2026.

• First-stage interview – conducted via Microsoft Teams.

• Second-stage interview – held in person.

About us

Carers UK’s vision is to create a society that recognises, values and supports carers. As the leading national charity for unpaid carers, we exist to make life better for carers, however caring affects them. Our support, advice, information and campaigning work are now needed more than ever, as unpaid carers are providing more and more care, adversely impacting on their own health and wellbeing.

About the role

We recognise the value of social media in communicating with all our audiences; whether unpaid carers or their friends and families, employers, politicians, service providers, supporters and all those people who may become a carer for a partner, family member, friend or neighbour and will need information, support, and to know that there are people working to make their lives better.

This role works with colleagues across the organisation, including our senior management team - but also in partnership with external organisations and agencies - with targets set for engagement (and other indicators of the success of our campaigns). We're working on multiple campaigns simultaneously; whether that's Carers Week, campaigns to influence changes to the law to better support carers, encouraging unpaid carers to join us as members, updating on activities in the devolved nations or getting people to fundraise for Carers UK. And we use a mix of owned, earned and paid communications to drive engagement in a challenging and crowded environment in order to get our messages to cut through. It's a busy, but varied role, in a supportive and collaborative team.

About you

Working within the communications and marketing team, you'll be confident in managing our social media accounts (we have many), ensuring we're using platforms to get our messages out to both wide and targeted audiences with engaging and timely content.

You'll be happy using tools for social listening, interacting with our audiences and building our reach. You'll be familiar with key metrics for social engagement and will be reporting back to colleagues and other stakeholders - and using this data to constantly improve our communications.

You'll be skilled in writing longer form content for our members' magazine, Caring, proof reading articles, posting content on our websites, creating graphics and making sure our content is engaging, audience focused and dynamic. Oh, and you probably know your way around an emoji set and are not scared of a well timed pun. Plus you'll have a great eye for detail and be confident in your ability to prioritise (and sometimes reprioritise) your workload as needed.

We're a small but effective communications team and pride ourselves on getting stuck in and supporting each other when we need to deliver big on fast moving projects, so you'll need be able to juggle lots of demands while recognising the importance of always hitting deadlines.

Diversity and inclusion

Carers UK is committed to becoming a diverse and truly inclusive organisation; fostering an environment and working culture that celebrates and promotes diversity and inclusion.  We strive to create a workplace where our colleagues and volunteers can truly be themselves and feel like they belong and constantly seek to ensure all voices are heard.

To embrace this culture of diversity, our employee and volunteer recruitment should reflect our stakeholders and the society that we serve and support, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, disabilities or religious practices. We value individual diversity and are actively building diverse teams here at Carers UK and value our colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds.

As a membership charity for carers, we particularly seek employees and volunteers with a real understanding of the issues faced by carers. Reasonable adjustments can be made to the process and role, dependent on the needs of the applicant.

We are proud to be an Employers for Carers member. We have signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge and achieved the Disability Confident Employer accreditation. We aim to offer interviews to those who have a disability covered under the definition outlined in the Equality Act 2010 and who meet the minimum criteria for the role. The minimum criteria can be found under the Essential section of the Person Specification of the recruitment pack. Please let us know if your application is being made under the Disability Confident Scheme. You are not required to share the nature of your disability or long term health condition. You will need to state in your email application that you are making your application under the Disability Confident Scheme as you consider yourself to be disabled, or as having a disability. If you meet the minimum criteria then you will be offered an interview.

At Carers UK we want our application process to be as accessible as possible. If you need any adjustments to apply please contact us to discuss.  

The closing date for applications is 5pm, Tuesday 18 August.

Carers UK anonymises all applications prior to shortlisting.

Carers UK reserves the right to appoint at any stage, should an outstanding candidate emerge.

Carers UK are actively interviewing as we receive applications.

Carers UK may carry out online and social media checks before a formal offer is made.

Astra Foundation is seeking a Foundation Director; a dynamic, seasoned and strategic leader with a background in philanthropy who is motivated by their mission to combat loneliness in young adults, empower youth to reach their full potential, and reduce plastic pollution, primarily in the UK and France. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a young foundation and support the next phase of its evolution, building on strong foundations to further steward support for their priority areas and civil society partners. The ideal candidate will be collaborative, with a willingness to handle all aspects of the Foundation’s work, from high-level strategy and external relations to day-to-day administration.

This strategically important role will provide global leadership for advocacy across the Open Doors ministry, helping local and regional teams to shape advocacy priorities, strengthen alignment across international teams, and ensure the experiences and voices of the most persecuted Christians continue to inform decisions at every level of our organisation.

The role also oversees Global Integrated Campaigns and plays a key role in strengthening Open Doors’ voice and influence amongst external partners, institutions, governments and decision-makers. As the global context continues to evolve, advocacy remains an essential part of our mission. We believe God is calling us to speak courageously, act wisely and work collaboratively on behalf of those whose voices are often unheard.

This is a role for a courageous and servant-hearted leader who can bring together diverse stakeholders, develop and execute strategic priorities, and strengthen advocacy’s contribution to the mission of Open Doors worldwide.

Purpose of the Position

The Global Advocacy Director is a strategic leadership role, reporting directly to the CEO and responsible for providing direction, alignment and influence for advocacy across the Open Doors organisation. Working closely with field regions, fundraising bases and international leaders, the Director ensures that advocacy priorities remain connected to the needs of persecuted Christians and contribute to the wider mission and strategy of Open Doors.

Personal Qualities

The successful candidate will be:

• A servant leader with humility, wisdom and integrity.

• A strategic thinker who can see both the wider picture and the practical steps needed to achieve it.

• A relationship builder who can unite people around a shared purpose.

• A courageous and resilient leader, comfortable operating in complex and sometimes challenging environments.

• An excellent communicator, able to inspire, influence and engage a wide range of audiences. 

Working for Open Doors

Open Doors International offers a unique opportunity to combine professional expertise with meaningful ministry impact. As a global Christian organisation serving persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries, we are committed to attracting and developing exceptional leaders who are passionate about our mission and values.

The Director of Global Advocacy will join a diverse international organisation working across cultures, regions and functions to strengthen the persecuted Church and advance the mission of Open Doors worldwide.

Location: The successful candidate must live in an African, European or Asian time zone. Applicants must be able to work effectively across international teams and time zones.

International Travel: The successful candidate should expect a significant amount of international travel to engage with colleagues, partners, advocacy networks and ministry stakeholders.

Salary and Benefits: A competitive salary package will be offered, commensurate with the seniority and international scope of the role.

Additional benefits and employment arrangements will be discussed with shortlisted candidates and will be tailored to the successful candidate’s location and circumstances.

Faith Requirement: As a Christian ministry, Open Doors requires the Global Advocacy Director to demonstrate a mature Christian faith and full alignment with the organisation’s Christian beliefs, values and statement of faith.

Location: Bristol office, hybrid (minimum two days a week in the office)

Salary: £38,456 per year (Band F)

Job Type: Full-time (37.5 hours a week), fixed term for 12 months with the possibility of extension

The role:

Every year CSE's advice service helps thousands of people to cut their energy bills, improve their homes and stay warm. Thousands more struggle with cold homes and unaffordable bills without ever knowing that free, expert advice is available. This role exists to change that.

As Marketing Manager, you will grow awareness of, and referrals to, CSE's energy advice services across both B2B and B2C audiences. You will build relationships with the professionals and community organisations best placed to refer people to us and develop campaigns that reach householders directly.

You will own a sustained marketing plan, produce high-quality materials and measure your impact. Reporting to the Head of Communications, you will work closely with colleagues across Communications and our Household Energy Services team. It is a creative, fast-moving environment where good ideas get acted on.

Specific responsibilities

An applicant appointed to the role will be expected to:

• Develop and maintain a sustained, practical marketing plan for CSE's advice services, covering referrer engagement (B2B) and direct-to-public activity (B2C).
• Work with Household Energy Services project managers to set clear objectives and targets, and report on performance.
• Research and map the professional referrer landscape, identifying the right intermediaries for each project area.
• Build and maintain a segmented referrer database and lead a proactive outreach programme, re-engaging lapsed partners.
• Develop messaging and materials that help referrers understand our advice services and promote them confidently to their clients.
• Deliver public-facing campaigns across print, community and digital channels, including activity reaching people who are digitally excluded.
• Work with the Digital Communications Manager on project-specific digital activity, including Google Ads, website content and email campaigns.
• Produce print-ready materials independently in Canva or Adobe Creative Suite, in line with CSE's brand and co-branding guidelines.
• Own marketing measurement for the advice services, using data to inform decisions and make the case for investment.

To see a more detailed list of responsibilities please see the supporting documents attached. These documents are also available to download from our website.

About you:

Essential attributes for this role include:

• Three to five years' experience in a marketing role, with responsibility for planning and delivering campaigns or marketing programmes.
• Experience of marketing to two distinct audiences: professional intermediaries (B2B) and members of the public (B2C).
• Experience of building and managing relationships with external organisations or referral networks.
• Experience of producing print-ready materials independently in Canva and/or Adobe Creative Suite, working to brand and style guidelines.
• A strong communicator, able to turn complex information into clear, accessible content for non-specialist audiences.
• Analytical – able to interpret data, identify what is working and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Organised and self-directed, able to manage a varied workload across projects with minimal supervision.
• Able to manage a marketing budget, track spend and demonstrate value for money.
• Proactive and self-motivated, with genuine empathy for CSE's mission and the communities we support.

Please note, the above is an overview of the skills required for this role. To see the full list of essential and desirable skills please see the attached job description.

Benefits:

CSE offer a range of other benefits including:

• You will be entitled to 25 days' paid holiday (plus statutory holidays)
• Company pension scheme with 8% employer and 6% employee contributions
• Subsidised bike purchase and Tech Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Health Cash plan
• Retail discounts
• Discounted breakdown cover and many more.
• We will pay fees and expenses on relevant training courses.
• We are flexible with working hours and will discuss this openly if you are invited to interview.

How to apply

To apply, please download and complete the application form available from our website and send it to our Jobs email address (found in candidate pack). Your application should demonstrate your suitability against the criteria in the person specification and job description. CVs and supporting letters will not be considered.

Community Fundraising Assistant – East

Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research?

Brain Tumour Research is an exciting, innovative, and ambitious charity. We are passionate about finding a cure for brain tumours through the establishment of dedicated Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence around the UK.

After a successful 2025, we’re building on our momentum and looking ahead with ambition. As our work continues to expand, so does our impact. We are now looking for passionate people to join us on the next stage of our journey!

It is a fantastic time to be joining us and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals. We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraising Assistant - East, to join our Income Generation and Development team.

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• Are you able to provide friendly and professional support to fundraisers and supporters?   
• Do you have experience in supporting events or community activities?
• Do you live in our East Region (which includes Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex)?

Have you answered Yes to these questions?

Does this sound like the opportunity to really take the next step in your career?

Excited to learn more about this position? Then please take a read through our recruitment pack below. 

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we are excited to receive your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.

Closing Date: 30th August 2026 

We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

Community Fundraiser – East Midlands

Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research?

Brain Tumour Research is an exciting, innovative, and ambitious charity. We are passionate about finding a cure for brain tumours through the establishment of dedicated Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence around the UK.

After a successful 2025, we’re building on our momentum and looking ahead with ambition. As our work continues to expand, so does our impact. We are now looking for passionate people to join us on the next stage of our journey!

It is a fantastic time to be joining us and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals. We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser – East Midlands, to join our Income Generation and Development team.

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• Are you able to provide friendly and professional support to fundraisers and supporters?   
• Do you have experience in supporting events or community activities?
• Do you live in our East Midlands region (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire or Rutland)?

Have you answered Yes to these questions?

Does this sound like the opportunity to really take the next step in your career?

Excited to learn more about this position? Then please take a read through our recruitment pack attached below. 

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we are excited to receive your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.

Closing Date: 06th September 2026

We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.