Senior advocate jobs in Birmingham

Head of Volunteering

Shape the future of volunteering at one of the UK's leading charities for disabled children. Lead an ambitious strategy to transform how thousands of volunteers contribute to changing lives across retail, fundraising, and community programmes.

About Newlife

As one of the UK's leading charities providing essential specialist equipment to children with disabilities, Newlife is dedicated to making life better - for the families we serve, and for the people who help us to make that happen.

Through grants and emergency equipment loans, we ensure children get the vital equipment they need, when they need it, while our free nurse helpline offers crucial support and information – as well as a listening ear. Our campaigns help to give children with disabilities and their families a voice, advocating for change to benefit the families we serve. And we support adults with additional needs with volunteering and employment opportunities, providing an introduction to the workplace and a means for career development.

Across the whole of Newlife, our teams are crucial to our success – it's not just a job; here you'll be helping us to change lives every day.

What you'll be doing

You'll lead the development and delivery of an ambitious volunteering strategy that increases Newlife's capacity, reach and impact. Working across retail, supply chain, warehouse, fundraising and community-based activities, you'll significantly grow volunteer involvement over the next three years.

Strategic Leadership

• Lead development and delivery of Newlife's Volunteering Strategy
• Implement annual volunteering plans supporting organisational growth
• Identify emerging trends and best practice in volunteering and charity retail
• Contribute to strategic leadership as a member of the Charity Leadership Team

Volunteer Growth and Engagement

• Significantly increase volunteer recruitment, retention and engagement
• Ensure volunteering opportunities are accessible, inclusive and rewarding
• Monitor volunteer satisfaction and impact using data and insight
• Champion volunteering as key to strengthening communities and improving outcomes

Innovation and Experience

• Explore technology-enabled and partnership-based approaches to volunteer engagement
• Develop contemporary volunteering models supporting operational growth
• Promote best practice in volunteer management, recognition and development
• Ensure volunteers are equipped and empowered to make meaningful contributions

Partnerships and Growth

• Develop relationships with corporate partners, educational institutions and community organisations
• Identify skilled volunteering and employer-supported volunteering opportunities
• Contribute to funding bids and partnership proposals
• Represent Newlife externally as an ambassador for the charity

What we're looking for

Experience

• Significant experience leading national volunteering programmes in charity, retail or not-for-profit sectors
• Developing and implementing strategic plans and improvement programmes
• Managing teams and delivering organisational growth through volunteering
• Partnership working with businesses and community organisations
• Budget management, performance monitoring and quality assurance

Skills

• Strong understanding of volunteering best practice and engagement
• Knowledge of contemporary charity retail and volunteer-led operating models
• Strategic leadership and people management abilities
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Passion for improving outcomes for disabled children and their families

Location: Hybrid (2 days per week in Cannock – visits to retail locations and other sites as required)

Reports to: Charity Director

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking may be necessary for this role.

Ready to transform volunteering?

Join us as Head of Volunteering and lead the strategic growth of volunteer engagement across one of the UK's most impactful charities. Help us build a movement that changes lives for disabled children and their families.

The National Flood Forum (NFF) is seeking a dynamic, motivated individual for the role Head of Flood Support – Hybrid with significant travel in the UK. This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about working with communities, especially those at risk of flooding. This role is to support our Flood Support Work, encompassing the delivery of a professional Helpline and Community based Flood Recovery activity.

Key Details:

• Location: Home-based / Hybrid with significant travel, overnight stays and occasional weekend work.
• Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
• Salary: £42,230.00travel expenses covered
• Contract: Permanent
• Benefits: 30 days annual leave including bank holidays, a day off for your birthday, auto-enrolment pension scheme, learning and development opportunities.
• Closing Date: 24th June 2026.  Early application is encouraged as the position may close earlier if sufficient applications are received.

About the National Flood Forum:

The National Flood Forum is a national charity founded by those affected by flooding, working to support and represent individuals and communities at risk. The organization focuses on empowering flood-affected communities to recover and improve flood resilience. The NFF encourages applications from individuals with lived experience of flooding, and from diverse backgrounds.

Role Overview:

This role is a member of the organisation’s management team and has responsibility for the delivery of our flood support work. The postholder will lead the delivery of a professional helpline service and oversee reactive and proactive flood support services to communities and business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Flood Support: Lead and manage high-quality proactive and reactive Flood Support Services for communities and businesses at risk of, and impacted by, flooding, including helpline & recovery services and management of the flood support vehicle. Ensure service quality through performance management, maintaining service consistency, maximising strategic impact, championing best practice, and delivering against objectives.
• Stakeholder relationships: Develop and maintain key partnerships with Risk Management authorities, (RMAs), and other stakeholders. Act as senior engagement lead, providing a clear escalation route and positioning National Flood Forum  as a trusted, informed critical friend for flooded communities.
• Research and Evidence: Oversee flood support research, collecting and evaluating evidence to strengthen advocacy. Provide insight to support policy and practice influence.
• Income: Identify, scope, and lead the development of high-quality engagement contracts, working with teams and management to prioritise and secure income.
• Political and Fundraising support: Provide data, case studies, and research to support political engagement and fundraising. Attend relevant meetings.

· People Management: Manage a matrix team, fostering collaboration, motivation, and development. Mentor team members and ensure skills and competence are maintained to achieve high performance

All activities are expected to be carried out in line with policies, procedures and relevant regulations and legislation, respecting the organisation’s values and behaviours. This profile is not an exhaustive list of duties and other activities may need to be carried out requiring similar skill levels.

Experience and Qualifications required:

• Empathetic: Understand the challenges faced by those at risk of flooding and help to work with communities and agencies to provide practical solutions.
• Organized and Flexible: Proven experience working to deadlines and prioritising workloads. Able to self-motivate and work in isolation or as part of a small team.
• Projects: Comprehensive experience of managing projects including able to analyse, diagnose problems  through to implementing effective solutions.
• Communication: Able to stay calm and constructive in challenging situations.
• Knowledge – Working knowledge of relevant regulations, legislation and current practice.
• Staff management: Have previously directly managed staff.
• Qualifications - BTEC or NVQ4 or relevant experience in one or more relevant subjects e.g. environmental science, development, engagement.
• Full driving licence

Be a resident of the UK

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with Animal Free Research UK to recruit the organisation's first full time Media and PR Manager.

About Animal Free Research UK
Animal Free Research UK is a UK charity working to replace the use of animals in medical research. It funds and supports pioneering, human-relevant science such as advanced lab models, data science and other non-animal research methods that aim to deliver better treatments for diseases faster.
Alongside its grant-making work, the organisation actively champions and accelerates the transition to animal-free research by collaborating with scientists, building centres of excellence, and promoting innovation across the life sciences sector.
It also undertakes advocacy, campaigning and policy work; influencing government and public debate to drive legislative and systemic change towards ending animal testing in the UK.
An amazing organisation doing so much incredible work, Animal Free Research UK combines research funding, sector leadership and public affairs activity to create a future where medical research is both effective for humans and free from animal use.

Media and PR Manager
Contract: Permanent, full time position
Salary: £40,000 to £45,000 per annum
Location: Animal Free Research UK is a fully remote organisation, and this is therefore a predominantly home based role. The postholder will be required to travel within the UK around 10 to 12 times per year for team get togethers or events and meetings. Travel will be paid by the organisation when required
Closing date for applications: 9am on Friday 26th June
Interviews: first round interviews will be held on the 7th and 8th July, with second round planned for 14th July

About the role
This is a truly exciting opportunity for a talented media and PR professional to really be creative in a brand new role for an organisation which has made some fantastic inroads into the influencer and media spaces over the past 18 months.
Building on a solid foundation you will be responsible for elevating the organisation's public profile and driving engagement with core media and influencer audiences at a pivotal moment for the organisation.
Delivering influencer and media work that supports across celebrity engagement and fundraising, public affairs advocacy, as well as the organisation's new Centre for Human Specific Research, yours will be a core role within the team.

Key responsibilities within the role will be as follows:

• Develop and implement integrated PR campaigns that support the charity's public affairs work, the Centre for Human Specific Research, and wider initiatives
• Create persuasive PR materials, including press releases, op-eds, spokespeople briefings, comment pieces, and digital content
• Identify newsworthy stories related to campaign milestones, scientific breakthroughs, policy announcements, and funded research
• Maintain and grow relationships with journalists, broadcasters, sector media, influencers, and celebrity supporters to secure sustained, high-quality coverage
• Draft, place, and pitch press releases, letters to editors, feature articles, and broadcast opportunities aligned with brand guidelines and with appropriate organisational sign-off.
• Act as first point of contact for media enquiries, managing proactive and reactive press activity
• Track media coverage, sentiment, and reach, using analytics to refine strategy and maximise impact.
• Build on the charity's success with celebrity supporters and social media campaigns to increase visibility, engagement, and fundraising impact
• Develop and launch a Celebrity Ambassador Scheme, identifying, onboarding, and supporting high-profile advocates
• Plan and deliver PR events, photo opportunities, digital campaigns, and celebrity-led activations that amplify awareness, engagement, and fundraising outcomes
• Collaborate closely with the digital team to align PR campaigns with social media strategy, amplifying reach through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms
• Track and report on the impact of social media and celebrity-led initiatives, using insights to optimise campaigns and inform future strategy
• Support crisis and risk communications planning, ensuring consistent, credible responses on sensitive or complex issues.
• Monitor, evaluate and regularly report on the effectiveness of PR output for senior colleagues, identifying recommendations for continual improvement
• Contribute to ongoing reviews and evaluation of whether Animal Free Research UK is reaching the right audiences and is achieving its communications goals Measure

We'd love to hear from individuals with the following core skills and experience:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent through experience
• PR and/or media trained with a professional qualification or equivalent through experience
• Demonstrable success in securing high-impact media coverage in national, broadcast, and digital media
• Proven experience building and maintaining relationships with journalists, influencers, and high-profile supporters
• Strong copywriting and editing skills tailored to diverse audiences
• Experience managing a media desk, including proactive and reactive work
• Ability to interpret complex scientific or policy content and communicate it clearly and compellingly
• Influential communicator with strong interpersonal skills, confidence in public engagement and stakeholder management
• Familiarity with media monitoring and CRM tools
• Deep commitment to animal protection, scientific integrity, and the strategic goals of Animal Free Research UK
• Strategic thinker who can act tactically, manage multiple priorities, and work under tight deadlines
• Flexible and resilient approach to work, with willingness to travel and work out-of-hours as needed

If you're interested in hearing more about this opportunity, please send your CV to Alice at Charity People in the first instance. Alice can be reached by 'Apply Now' button. 

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

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:

1. Your CV (up to 3 pages)
2. 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.