Regional student volunteering officer jobs

Context

As the Community and Events Fundraising Officer, you will play a key part in ending youth homelessness in Scotland by inspiring people to support Rock Trust.

You will deliver exceptional supporter care and create meaningful experiences for everyone fundraising for us. Although a varied role, your work will follow strong themes – relationship building, spending time with supporters, and working with the Fundraising team; all to make a tangible difference for young people.

You’ll join an experienced and collaborative Fundraising and Communications team and be supported to identify opportunities to grow our community presence, take ownership of our community-led income, and inspire long term supporter loyalty to Rock Trust. In this varied and people-focused role you will meet and present to community groups such as schools, student societies, churches, and voluntary organisations. You may support groups to host their own events, take part in Youth and Philanthropy Initiative projects, or run collections, and you’ll play an important role in improving our supporter stewardship; helping create meaningful ways to connect with, and thank, our supporters. 

You will also look after our events portfolio; recruiting participants, ensuring they receive top-notch stewardship, and supporting them in their fundraising journey. From our annual Firewalk to third-party challenges such as marathons and abseils, you’ll ensure that every participant has a fantastic experience. You’ll also use your creativity to bring fresh ideas to the table, adding to, and enhancing, our existing events programme to keep supporters engaged and inspired.

In the office, you will collaborate with teams such as Communications and Finance. You will help bring supporter stories to life, create engaging content, process donations, maintain our CRM database, and ensure fundraising activities run smoothly. You’ll also play an important part in supporting volunteers and volunteer groups, helping to create an excellent supporter experience at every stage.

This is a fantastic opportunity to combine creativity, relationship building, and event management in a role where no two days are the same. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from experienced colleagues, while putting your own stamp on the work we do. Most importantly, your work will directly help end youth homelessness in Scotland, giving you the chance to see the real impact your efforts make on the lives of young people.

• Reporting to - Partnerships Lead
• Direct reports - Occasional students and volunteers
• Team size - Fundraising & Communications team of 6

Rock Trust promotes a family friendly culture. As such, we welcome discussions around flexible working and/or compressed hours, consider hybrid working, and run a flexi-time system. This Community and Events Fundraising Officer role could work up to 40% of the week remotely. While 60% of the role would be ‘office based’, in practise this could mean out in the community meeting groups, delivering presentations, or at events.

Os ydych yn drefnydd sy’n canolbwyntio ar bobl ac yn mwynhau meithrin cysylltiadau a chreu effaith, byddem wrth ein bodd yn clywed gennych.

Volunteers are at the heart of our work. Each year, they support over 70,000 young people to build confidence, develop skills and explore their futures through insight talks, workshops and events. 

We’re looking for a Volunteer Coordinator to grow and support our network across Wales. This is a new role, created as we invest in strengthening how we recruit, prepare and engage our volunteers, with the opportunity to shape how this work develops. 

In this role, you’ll build relationships with employers, public sector organisations and community groups to recruit volunteers from a wide range of industries. You’ll manage onboarding, support volunteers to feel confident and well-prepared to work with young people, and work closely with our Volunteer Manager and Programme Team to match volunteers to opportunities across Wales. 

You’ll play a key part in ensuring volunteers have a positive, high-quality experience – providing ongoing support, responding to feedback, and helping us continuously improve how we engage and retain our network. Alongside this, you’ll track activity, maintain accurate records, and contribute to understanding our reach and impact. 

We’re looking for someone who is highly organised, proactive and great with people, confident building relationships, managing multiple priorities and communicating clearly. You’ll bring experience of working with volunteers, or in a coordination or partnership-focused role, and have a genuine motivation to support young people to achieve their potential. And, we'd love someone who is confident communicating in the medium of Welsh.

This role would suit someone who enjoys working collaboratively, is comfortable working across a wide geography, and is motivated by creating opportunities and delivering impact. 

If you’re motivated by purpose, confident bringing people together, and want to play a key role in expanding our impact across Wales, we’d love to hear from you. 

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We carry out social media checks on shortlisted candidates as part of our recruitment process, using only publicly available information and in line with our data protection responsibilities.

While we don’t specify this in our person specification, we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who have experienced some of the challenges that young people across Wales face today.

Location: Field-based delivery across the Midlands, particularly Coventry, Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham

Reports to: National Programme Manager

Fees: A daily rate of £160-£200 per day depending on experience

Expected Start Date: Jan-Feb 2027

Contract: Freelance contractor

Application deadline: Wednesday 29 July at midday

Interview information: Interviews will be held on a rolling basis. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so early applications are encouraged.

About The Girls’ Network:

The Girls' Network is a national charity with a mission to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them with a network of professional women role models and volunteer mentors. We believe no girl should have her future limited by her gender, ethnicity, background, or parental income. Our vision is a future where all girls are supported to realise their ambitions, discover their self-worth, and shape their own futures.

We partner with secondary schools and colleges across multiple regions in England, including London, Merseyside, Portsmouth, Southampton, Sussex, Tees Valley, Tyne & Wear and Midlands. We match girls aged 14–19 with trained volunteer mentors for one-to-one support. In addition to this core mentoring, workshops, and access to an Ambassador Community that provides continued opportunities for development, career support, and connection.

Role Summary:

The Associate Facilitator plays a key role in delivering high-quality, engaging programmes across The Girls’ Network regions. This role focuses on facilitating impactful workshops and mentoring programmes for girls aged 14-19, supporting them to develop confidence, personal and social skills, and aspirations for their futures.

We are looking for an experienced and confident facilitator who can create inclusive, engaging learning environments and adapt delivery to meet the needs of diverse groups. The role requires someone who is comfortable working with volunteers and building positive, professional relationships with schools and other stakeholders.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is highly organised, reliable and passionate about working with and for young people. Delivery will take place across England, so a willingness to travel is essential (travel expenses will be reimbursed).

We are particularly interested in facilitators based in the Midlands.

Key Duties/Responsibilities:

• Deliver engaging in-person workshops and onboarding sessions to young people aged 14-19 in secondary schools and colleges, empowering them to develop personal and social skills. Prepare thoroughly by reviewing and adapting session plans to meet the diverse needs of different groups.

• Facilitate end-to-end mentor matching with young people (both in-person and virtually) and be present to support positive mentoring relationships.

• Build and maintain positive, working relationships with schools, colleges, volunteers and other stakeholders. This includes retaining key relationships and supporting volunteers to ensure they feel confident and clear on their role.

• Accurately collect and maintain records of programme participation, attendance, and outcomes. This includes logging pre-and post-programme data into Salesforce and gathering qualitative feedback from young people.

• Uphold safeguarding and GDPR policies and procedures at all times, promptly escalating any concerns or disclosures to the National Programmes Manager and/or Designated Safeguarding Officer(s).

• Facilitate the overall success of workshop delivery, volunteering, and mentoring cohorts in your region.

• Coordinate and deliver events and communications to meet regional and national KPIs, ensuring smooth operations.

• Utilise effective, high-quality workshop and training materials to deliver impactful programme activities.

• Engage in regular supervision with the National Programme Manager and attend additional training sessions and briefings as required.

• Manage travel arrangements in line with the Expenses policy, ensuring timely submissions of expenses.

Note: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and duties required.

Person Specification:

Essential

• Applicants must hold a full, clean driving licence and have the ability and willingness to travel regularly across the region.

• Experience of delivering high quality workshops and/or training sessions to groups of young people, aged 14-19.

• Proven ability to build and independently manage multiple relationships with key stakeholders, including young people, volunteers, education providers and local partner organisations.

• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and time-management skills, with a proven ability to meet deadlines in a target-driven environment.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.

• Project or programme coordination experience, with the ability to manage conflicting priorities effectively.

• Experience of working towards agreed objectives or performance measures and contributing to performance monitoring.

• Practical knowledge and experience of safeguarding and child protection working practices.

• Competence in using digital tools, such as Salesforce or other CRM platforms, with attention to detail and the ability to maintain high-quality records for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

• Understanding of equal opportunities and inclusion in youth work and how they apply in youth work in the charity and/or education sector.

• Understanding of the barriers experienced by girls and young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a commitment to helping address these through the organisation’s work.

• Commitment to The Girls’ Network mission and keeping young people at the centre of all work.

• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends, where required.

Desirable

• Qualified Teacher Status or other relevant teaching qualification

• Experience working in a charity, youth, or education setting.

• Experience of working with young people from diverse backgrounds.

• Experience of safer recruitment in volunteering.

• A mentoring, coaching qualification, or equivalent experience.

• Specific knowledge of mentoring programmes and/or youth/education services.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. If you believe you have relevant experience and the potential to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you do not meet every single criterion listed.

We welcome applications from outreach youth workers and/or teachers/teaching assistants or equivalent roles.

Typical delivery pattern

Programme delivery is scheduled around the needs of partner schools and colleges. As a guide, most programmes consist of a series of three workshops, delivered either:

• Once a week over 3 weeks; or

• Once a fortnight within a school half term.

Delivery schedules may vary depending on the needs of each education setting.

Work will be offered on an ad hoc basis according to programme demand and contractor availability. We cannot guarantee a minimum number of programme delivery assignments.

How to apply

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. As part of your application, you will be asked to submit your CV and answer a few application questions.

Appointees will be subject to a DBS check. You must have the right to work in the UK to apply for this role.

The deadline to submit your application is 29 July at midday. Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Training and induction

Successful contractors will receive an induction and training programme to support them in the role. This is expected to take approximately 3 days, although the duration may vary depending on your previous experience.

Training and induction time will be paid at the agreed day rate. Any reasonable travel and accommodation costs incurred while attending training or carrying out work for The Girls' Network will be reimbursed in line with our Expenses Policy.

Diversity at our core

The Girls' Network is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating discrimination. In line with the Equality Act 2010, if you require any reasonable adjustments to support you with any stage of this recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team.

Location: Field-based delivery across the South Coast of England, particularly Southampton, Brighton, Worthing and Shoreham.

Reports to: National Programme Manager

Fees: A daily rate of £160-£200 per day, depending on experience

Expected Start Date: Jan-Feb 2027

Contract: Freelance contractor

Application deadline: Friday 14 August at 9am

Interview information: Interviews will be held on a rolling basis. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so early applications are encouraged.

About The Girls’ Network:

The Girls' Network is a national charity with a mission to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them with a network of professional women role models and volunteer mentors. We believe no girl should have her future limited by her gender, ethnicity, background, or parental income. Our vision is a future where all girls are supported to realise their ambitions, discover their self-worth, and shape their own futures.

We partner with secondary schools and colleges across multiple regions in England, including London, Merseyside, Portsmouth, Southampton, Sussex, Tees Valley, Tyne & Wear and the Midlands. We match girls aged 14–19 with trained volunteer mentors for one-to-one support. In addition to this core mentoring, workshops, and access to an Ambassador Community that provides continued opportunities for development, career support, and connection.

Role Summary:

The Associate Facilitator plays a key role in delivering high-quality, engaging programmes across The Girls’ Network regions. This role focuses on facilitating impactful workshops and mentoring programmes for girls aged 14-19, supporting them to develop confidence, personal and social skills, and aspirations for their futures.

We are looking for an experienced and confident facilitator who can create inclusive, engaging learning environments and adapt delivery to meet the needs of diverse groups. The role requires someone who is comfortable working with volunteers and building positive, professional relationships with schools and other stakeholders.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is highly organised, reliable and passionate about working with and for young people. Delivery will take place across England, so a willingness to travel is essential (travel expenses will be reimbursed).

We are particularly interested in facilitators based in the South Coast of England, particularly Sussex and Hampshire.

Key Duties/Responsibilities:

• Deliver engaging in-person workshops and onboarding sessions to young people aged 14-19 in secondary schools and colleges, empowering them to develop personal and social skills. Prepare thoroughly by reviewing and adapting session plans to meet the diverse needs of different groups.

• Facilitate end-to-end mentor matching with young people (both in-person and virtually) and be present to support positive mentoring relationships.

• Build and maintain positive, working relationships with schools, colleges, volunteers and other stakeholders. This includes retaining key relationships and supporting volunteers to ensure they feel confident and clear on their role.

• Accurately collect and maintain records of programme participation, attendance, and outcomes. This includes logging pre-and post-programme data into Salesforce and gathering qualitative feedback from young people.

• Uphold safeguarding and GDPR policies and procedures at all times, promptly escalating any concerns or disclosures to the National Programmes Manager and/or Designated Safeguarding Officer(s).

• Facilitate the overall success of workshop delivery, volunteering, and mentoring cohorts in your region.

• Coordinate and deliver events and communications to meet regional and national KPIs, ensuring smooth operations.

• Utilise effective, high-quality workshop and training materials to deliver impactful programme activities.

• Engage in regular supervision with the National Programme Manager and attend additional training sessions and briefings as required.

• Manage travel arrangements in line with the Expenses policy, ensuring timely submissions of expenses.

Note: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and duties required.

Person Specification:

Essential

• Applicants must hold a full, clean driving licence and have the ability and willingness to travel regularly across the region.

• Experience of delivering high quality workshops and/or training sessions to groups of young people, aged 14-19.

• Proven ability to build and independently manage multiple relationships with key stakeholders, including young people, volunteers, education providers and local partner organisations.

• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and time-management skills, with a proven ability to meet deadlines in a target-driven environment.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.

• Project or programme coordination experience, with the ability to manage conflicting priorities effectively.

• Experience of working towards agreed objectives or performance measures and contributing to performance monitoring.

• Practical knowledge and experience of safeguarding and child protection working practices.

• Competence in using digital tools, such as Salesforce or other CRM platforms, with attention to detail and the ability to maintain high-quality records for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

• Understanding of equal opportunities and inclusion in youth work and how they apply in youth work in the charity and/or education sector.

• Understanding of the barriers experienced by girls and young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a commitment to helping address these through the organisation’s work.

• Commitment to The Girls’ Network mission and keeping young people at the centre of all work.

• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends, where required.

Desirable

• Qualified Teacher Status or other relevant teaching qualification

• Experience working in a charity, youth, or education setting.

• Experience of working with young people from diverse backgrounds.

• Experience of safer recruitment in volunteering.

• A mentoring, coaching qualification, or equivalent experience.

• Specific knowledge of mentoring programmes and/or youth/education services.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. If you believe you have relevant experience and the potential to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you do not meet every single criterion listed.

We welcome applications from outreach youth workers and/or teachers/teaching assistants or equivalent roles.

Typical delivery pattern

Programme delivery is scheduled around the needs of partner schools and colleges. As a guide, most programmes consist of a series of three workshops, delivered either:

• Once a week over 3 weeks; or

• Once a fortnight within a school half term.

Delivery schedules may vary depending on the needs of each education setting.

Work will be offered on an ad hoc basis according to programme demand and contractor availability. We cannot guarantee a minimum number of programme delivery assignments.

How to apply

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible by submitting your application. As part of your application, you will be asked to submit your CV and answer a few application questions.

Appointees will be subject to a DBS check. You must have the right to work in the UK to apply for this role.

The deadline to submit your application is 29 July at midday. Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Training and induction

Successful contractors will receive an induction and training programme to support them in the role. This is expected to take approximately 3 days, although the duration may vary depending on your previous experience.

Training and induction time will be paid at the agreed day rate. Any reasonable travel and accommodation costs incurred while attending training or carrying out work for The Girls' Network will be reimbursed in line with our Expenses Policy.

Diversity at our core

The Girls' Network is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating discrimination. In line with the Equality Act 2010, if you require any reasonable adjustments to support you with any stage of this recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team.

Passionate about democracy, education and young people? 

Young Citizens is a national citizenship education charity with nearly 40 years' experience inspiring active citizenship among children and young people. 

As curriculum and policy change accelerates, including Votes for 16 reshaping how young people engage in civic life – we're focused on ensuring active citizenship sits at the heart of how the next generation is prepared to participate in and protect a thriving democracy. 

About the role 

We're looking for an ambitious, delivery-focused Network Delivery Manager to lead our national network of schools and drive the high-quality programmes that power our work. This is more than a delivery role — it's your opportunity to lead network growth and programme delivery for a growing national charity. You'll shape how we engage and retain schools, lead and develop a team of Programme Leaders, and broaden your expertise across network management, programme delivery, and organisational growth. 

Working closely with the Senior Education Manager, the Education and Impact Manager and colleagues across the organisation, you'll grow participation across our school network, build strong and trusted relationships with schools, teachers and partners, ensure our flagship programmes run brilliantly, and create the engagement that enables more children and young people to become active citizens. 

If you have a track record of leading delivery, building senior stakeholder relationships, managing teams and turning ambition into sustained engagement and growth, we'd love to hear from you. 

This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a critical organisational function, broaden your leadership and delivery portfolio, and play a leading role in the growth of an ambitious national charity. 

We're looking for someone who brings: 

• Drive that delivers quality results 

• Comfort with intensive and high-volume delivery of network, programme and/or relationships 

• Enthusiasm for problem-solving, in a team and proactively in your role 

• An ability to learn fast and self-teach, from databases to how we communicate internally 

• A desire to develop your skills as a well-rounded member of a social impact organisation 

Why Join Us? 

This is a high-impact role with real scope to shape how Young Citizens grows, engages and retains its national network of schools, and how we deliver programmes that reach thousands of young people. You will work closely with senior leadership, take ownership of a key organisational function, lead and develop a team of Programme Leaders, and directly contribute to scaling our impact over the coming years. 

You will join a purpose-led, ambitious and collaborative team committed to strengthening democracy by equipping young people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to participate actively in society. 

We are a growing, agile organisation with a strong focus on learning and development. We invest in our people and provide real opportunities to build expertise, take ownership and grow alongside the organisation as we scale over the next three years. 

We combine a results-driven culture with flexibility in how we work. Our benefits include 28+ days of annual leave (plus 8 bank holidays), volunteering days, office closure over the Christmas period, full pension contributions on the first 8%, and enhanced leave packages. 

As a relatively small yet national team, you will have the opportunity to work across the organisation and closely with senior leadership, influencing how we improve our programmes, and see the direct impact of your work on our mission. 

If you're looking for a role where you can develop your career, take on real responsibility, and help strengthen democracy through education, we'd love to hear from you. 

Download the full recruitment pack for more information about the role, progression with Young Citizens and how to apply. 

A Few Useful Notes When Applying 

If you are excited by the opportunity to build a thriving network of schools that helps more young people become active citizens, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and a cover letter addressing the application questions in the full job pack, which also contains further details on the application process. 

Additional Information 

• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. 

• Offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and a DBS check. 

• We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. 

• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Passionate about democracy, education and young people? 

Young Citizens is a national citizenship education charity with nearly 40 years' experience inspiring active citizenship among children and young people. 

As curriculum and policy change accelerates, including Votes for 16 reshaping how young people engage in civic life – we're focused on ensuring active citizenship sits at the heart of how the next generation is prepared to participate in and protect a thriving democracy. 

About the role 

We're looking for a Programme Leader to join our Education Team as we embark on an ambitious new phase of growth. This is a unique opportunity to help deliver inspiring programmes to schools across the UK while developing the skills, experience and confidence to build a successful career in the social impact sector. 

Designed as a two-year development opportunity, this role is ideal for someone early in their career who is ready to take ownership, develop their leadership skills and make a tangible impact. You'll be trusted with responsibility from day one, encouraged to contribute ideas and supported to grow through hands-on experience. 

Over the two years, you will develop your skills and expertise: 

Within your first few months you'll be: 

• Leading delivery of one of our flagship programmes. 

• Running your own events and managing relationships with schools. 

• Confidently using Salesforce CRM to manage data and drive engagement. 

• Developing your project management skills through real responsibility. 

As you continue to grow you'll have opportunities to: 

• Manage your own budget. 

• Build strategic relationships with partners and schools. 

• Represent Young Citizens at external events. 

• Shadow our senior leadership team. 

• Contribute to organisational strategy and help shape how we grow our impact. 

• Develop specialist interests across areas such as communications, impact, partnerships or programme development. 

We're looking for someone who: 

• Is passionate about democracy, education and improving opportunities for young people. 

• Delivers high-quality work and enjoys taking ownership. 

• Can build strong relationships and manage multiple priorities. 

• Learns quickly and enjoys solving problems. 

• Wants to develop into a well-rounded professional in the social impact sector. 

If you're looking for a role where you can develop your career, take on real responsibility, and help strengthen democracy through education, we'd love to hear from you. 

Download the full recruitment pack for more information about the role, progression with Young Citizens and how to apply. 

A Few Useful Notes When Applying 

If you are excited by the opportunity to build a thriving network of schools that helps more young people become active citizens, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and a cover letter addressing the application questions in the full job pack, which also contains further details on the application process. 

Additional Information 

• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. 

• Offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and a DBS check. 

• We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. 

• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Citizens UK

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.

Living Wage Foundation

The Living Wage movement began in 2001, after Citizens UK brought together communities in East London to discuss poverty and low pay. The campaign grew in momentum and soon required a mechanism to recognise employers who wanted to join the movement, which saw the establishment of the Living Wage Foundation in 2011.

Still part of Citizens UK today, the Living Wage Foundation continues to work with community organisations to make sure the voices of both workers and businesses are part of the Living Wage movement. We now work with over 16,000 employers, benefitting half a million people and winning over £3bn of better wages for people who need it most. 

Citizens UK works with a broad base of institutions across the political spectrum. At the Living Wage Foundation, we take the same deliberately broad-based approach and accredit all organisations who pay the real Living Wage to their directly and indirectly employed staff and are committed to tackling in work poverty.  As a team we work across a range of industries and sectors to achieve this mission. We seek pragmatic coalitions to progress specific campaigns, and partnership around a particular issue such as Living Wage, does not imply an endorsement of broader purpose and policies. We are a non-partisan organisation and work with partners across the political spectrum to advance our mission.

Purpose

The Living Wage Foundation is seeking an experienced and driven Senior Media and Communications Manager to join our team for a 12-month contract. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly organised and proactive communications professional with a strong background in media relations, public messaging, and team leadership. The ideal candidate will be experienced and confident in working to tight deadlines, responding to last-minute changes, and prioritising competing demands in a high-profile environment. They will be motivated to amplify the Living Wage Foundation’s mission of tackling low pay and insecure work.

The postholder will lead all media, messaging, and external affairs work, developing and implementing a proactive media strategy that supports our mission and key campaigns, such as Living Wage Week and the annual Rates announcement. As a skilled media professional, you will oversee all communications outputs, ensuring consistency and strategic alignment, while delivering media training and refining key messaging to maximise reach and impact. 

In this role, you will be instrumental in advancing our political engagement efforts, building cross-party support and working with political leaders, mayoral teams, and other key stakeholders to promote our initiatives. You’ll manage two direct reports (Events Manager and Media Manager) who each hold line management responsibilities, and you will play a critical role within our Senior Management Team, collaborating closely with the Head of Communications to shape the overall direction of our communications work. This role will work closely with Citizens UK colleagues, including the Citizens UK communications team on cross-organisational priorities.  You will report to the Head of Communications.

As a senior leader, you will be responsible for managing and allocating part of the communications team budget, expanding team capacity, and driving the team’s effectiveness. In collaboration with other senior managers, you will help foster a culture that values creativity, innovation, and strategic impact.

Main Responsibilities

Contribute to CUK mission and its strategic objectives:

• Provide strategic oversight of the organisation’s media strategy, ensuring it aligns with broader organisational, communications, and campaign goals, and establish clear processes for evaluating its success.

• Work alongside other Senior Managers across Citizens UK on cross-organisational activity including through the Senior Management Group

• Support the Living Wage Foundation’s Political Engagement Strategy by building and sustaining cross-party support for the organisation’s mission and objectives.

Situational awareness and research:

• Lead regular updates on key audiences, tracking positions on issues of interest and ensuring the team is fully informed.

• Guide the team in proactive media monitoring, enabling timely responses to significant developments.

• Collaborate with the Senior Research Manager to conduct and commission impactful research, driving media campaigns that effectively reach and engage target audiences.

Strategy development:

• Work alongside other Senior Managers in the Communications Team to shape and guide the overall communications strategy.

Lead on all media and messaging outputs, including developing high-quality materials, coordinating media events, and delivering media training.

Reputational & risk management:

• Develop and manage the organisation’s risk register, offering strategic oversight and serving as a primary contact for crisis communications.

• Manage and respond to reactive media enquiries promptly, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s values and objectives.

• Draft key messages and FAQs for media interviews and public responses, and advise senior leadership on sensitive media or reputational issues.

• Represent the Living Wage Foundation effectively in senior stakeholder interactions and participate in out-of-hours press duties when needed.

Materials development and dissemination:

• Oversee the Media Team in producing engaging press releases, blogs, opinion pieces, and media briefings to elevate the Living Wage Foundation’s profile and the voices of workers and employers within the Living Wage movement.

• Ensure media outputs and communications reflect the organisation’s values and uphold a consistent voice.

• Create and refine key messaging for public communications, including FAQs and response guides.

Social media and website

• Ensure consistency in messaging and alignment across all media and digital platforms in collaboration with the wider communications team.

External relationships (including media and press)

• Lead employer case study development, identifying and preparing Living Wage employers to speak to media and champion a real Living Wage.

• Drive stakeholder engagement efforts, cultivating valuable relationships with Living Wage employers, campaign partners, and media contacts.

• Build and maintain relationships with journalists across print, digital, and broadcast media to secure quality coverage.

• Collaborate with the Public Engagement Team to draft emails, speeches, speaker notes, briefings, and press notices for political engagements.

• Strengthen and maintain broad cross-party support for the Living Wage agenda.

Campaign & events management

• Provide a link between Events team and Senior Leadership Team to ensure efficient decision-making around key events.

• Lead on media and messaging elements of agreed comms-led campaigns.

Internal comms & knowledge management

• Oversee the development and maintenance of a comprehensive press database, mapping key media contacts and publications in line with the Living Wage Foundation’s objectives.

Internal relationships

• Work closely with the Senior Digital and Communications Manager to guide and oversee team initiatives.

• Provide line management and development support to the Media Manager and Events Manager.

Learning, expertise & DEI

• Lead media training sessions for LWF staff and Living Wage employers, enhancing their confidence and effectiveness in media engagements.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the LWF and Citizens UK, including communications and DEI teams, to develop and implement ethical storytelling practices, ensuring lived experience is represented responsibly, inclusively, and in line with organisational guidance.

• Contribute to a positive and inclusive team culture.

• Ensure accessibility is embedded across communications and events, working with relevant teams to implement best practice and organisational guidance.

Person Specification

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential

Experience

· Proven experience and a strong understanding of the UK media landscape, with experience building relationships with journalists and securing high-quality media coverage. (E)

· Experience in line managing and leading a team. (E)

· Demonstrated experience in managing sensitive reputational issues, including risk assessment and crisis communications. (E)

· Skilled in leveraging real-life stories and case studies to drive engagement, including experience in leading media training for spokespeople. (E)

· Strong track record in designing and executing high-impact communications strategies that achieve measurable results. (E)

· Experience of working collaboratively across teams and influencing senior stakeholders to achieve shared objectives. (E)

· Experience of working with a range of voices and perspectives, including community, worker or lived experience storytelling. (D)

Key skills and knowledge

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce and edit clear, engaging content suitable for media, digital and public audiences. (E)

• Competence in using social media platforms to engage audiences effectively, understanding their role in broader media strategies. (D)

• Proficiency in evaluating campaigns and media outputs, with the ability to derive insights that inform future strategies. (E)

• Strong interpersonal skills for building effective relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders, including political audiences. (E)

• Solid understanding of the political landscape and public affairs, with experience engaging cross-party stakeholders (E).

Personal qualities & values

• An enthusiasm for media and communications, coupled with a strong commitment to the mission of the Living Wage Foundation. (E)

• Ability to lead, support and develop high-performing teams, fostering a collaborative and inclusive working environment. (E)

• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, with an understanding of how to communicate responsibly and ethically about lived experience. (E)

About the application process

We work within diverse communities bringing people together. In line with our Inclusion value, we would love to see applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith, all to better represent the communities we work in. We want our employees to have the working conditions that allows them to fully participate, be able to be their best authentic selves and thrive doing so, and we have employee networks to support staff. Even if you don’t quite meet all the required criteria still consider applying, as we invest in our employees and support them to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their role.

For questions and reasonable adjustments regarding your application including information in a different format, or our recruitment process, please email us.

Interviews will be held 17th and 18th August.