Senior communications strategist jobs

The National Lottery Community Fund is seeking a Strategic Communication Lead, Northern Ireland to drive forward our ambitious communications transformation. This newly created role sits at the heart of our restructured communications function, designed to deliver our strategy "It Starts with Community" and shift our focus to demonstrating the powerful impact communities have across the UK.

As we build a new, integrated approach to communications across the UK, this position offers an exceptional opportunity to shape how we tell our story. Playing a strategic leadership role, you will be the vital bridge between our grant makers and communicators, working in a matrix manner with the senior leadership team in your country and our wider communications team to solve problems and generate successful communications and engagement campaigns.

You will provide strategic leadership on communications and external affairs, working across two areas of responsibility: a specific country within the UK and one of our four missions. Your ability to create powerful alignment between these areas will be essential to success.

Your deep understanding of the devolved context and stakeholder landscape will help build the Fund's influence with regional decision-makers and opinion formers while advancing UK-wide objectives. You will also be an ambassador for the Fund's work, maintaining a strong network in your country.

We are looking for an experienced communications strategist with extensive knowledge of the local political, media and stakeholder landscape. You should bring a sophisticated understanding of how communications can drive organizational objectives and a proven track record of leading integrated campaigns. Your background might include senior communications roles in government, the VCSE sector, or complex organizations operating across devolved administrations, where you've demonstrated ability to navigate diverse stakeholder environments and translate strategic goals into impactful communications activity.

Key responsibilities

• Lead strategic communications for one Funding portfolio and one mission area, ensuring integration with business planning
• Build and lead matrix teams to deliver integrated communications campaigns
• Develop and implement communications plans that drive engagement with key stakeholders
• Provide senior counsel on reputation management and crisis response
• Act as senior regional point of contact for communications and external affairs
• Ensure consistent messaging across all customer journey touchpoints
• Represent the Fund with key external stakeholders and opinion formers

Location: You will be expected to be based in the country you will be supporting. We have a hybrid approach to working with work pattern and exact location agreed with the successful candidate. Our offices are in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Newtown.

Interview date: Friday 18th July and Monday 21st July (Morning only on both dates)

On application, please align your supporting statement to the criteria below

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience in developing and delivering strategic communications and engagement in support of organisational priorities, including planning and executing media, marketing and external affairs
• Strong influencing skills with both internal colleagues and external partners
• Significant experience in building and leading high-performing teams in a matrix-management setting
• Demonstrable understanding of public affairs in devolved governments
• Experience providing strategic communications counsel to senior leaders including at times of reputational risk
• Experience in leading crisis communications
• Excellent project management skills in a complex organisation with competing deadlines
• Demonstrable experience in using data and insight to inform and deliver communications campaigns.

Desirable criteria

• Experience working across multiple regions or countries
• Track record of developing innovative communications approaches
• Experience in one or more of our mission areas

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.) 

The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading race equality think tank. We generate research to challenge racial inequality in Britain.

For more than 50 years, we have worked tirelessly to build a Britain in which we all belong. Proudly independent, we speak truth to power on race and racism without fear or favour. We are not swayed by political agenda, profit or popular opinion. We are authentic, led by an ethnically diverse team we draw from our lived experience and that of our wide and inclusive community and partnership networks.

About Power to Prosper: 

Power to Prosper is building a movement for economic justice, racial equity, and community power. We work across regions and communities to shift power and policy through organising, storytelling, and systems change.

As we expand, strong digital strategy and impactful storytelling are vital to growing our visibility, deepening engagement, and inspiring action. We are looking for a senior leader to guide this work at the highest level, embedding digital movement-building and narrative change into the heart of our strategy.

About the role:

We are looking for a visionary and strategic Digital Movement Building Strategist to lead our digital organising, narrative change, and storytelling work at Power to Prosper. Reporting to the Programme Director, this role is central to shaping how our growing movement shows up publicly, connects across communities, and drives forward our mission for economic and racial justice.

You will be responsible for developing and delivering a digital strategy that builds visibility, deepens engagement, and inspires collective action across regions. You will oversee the integration of community-led storytelling, digital engagement tools, and organising infrastructure to strengthen our distributed movement model. Working closely with a small creative team and grassroots partners, you will ensure that Power to Prosper's digital presence is bold, values-driven, and rooted in the lived experience of the communities we work with.

How to apply:

To apply please click the apply button below.

This will take you to our online recruitment platform, BeApplied, which is a platform that aims to facilitate an unbiased and inclusive hiring process.

On BeApplied you will be asked to upload your CV and answer some skill-based application questions instead of a traditional covering letter.

Runnymede Trust is committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are  under-represented in research and policy making and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; people with disabilities; people who identify as being LGTBQIA; people who have a mental health condition; and people who identify as working class now or in the past.

We are also aware that many highly capable prospective candidates nonetheless rule themselves out of work in think tanks because they underestimate their own ability to do the role. With this in mind, we strongly encourage applications from anyone who is prepared to learn and grow on the job and would like to stress that past experience of working in think tanks is not required.

Interview Schedule:

Candidates will hear back about their application status on 30th of July, and interviews for shortlisted candidates will be conducted on 5th and 6th of August.

About Justice & Care 
Justice & Care is an award-winning anti-slavery charity working with governments and police forces across three strategic locations - the UK, Romania and Bangladesh. Through frontline programmes, policy advocacy and strategic partnerships, we work on the frontline to support survivors of modern slavery and bring perpetrators to justice, and in the corridors of power to create change at scale.

The role
Are you a relationship-builder, strategist and storyteller with a passion for justice? Join us as our new Philanthropy Lead and help take our major donor programme to the next level. 

This is a pivotal role in a growing team. You’ll lead our high-value philanthropy strategy, manage your own portfolio of major donors and prospects, and line-manage a talented Philanthropy Specialist - supporting their development as you grow the programme together. 

Working closely with our CEO, senior volunteers and programme leads across the UK, Romania and Bangladesh, you’ll shape how we grow income, insight and impact in the years ahead. Your focus will be on securing high five- and six-figure gifts from individuals and foundations who want to be part of the fight against modern slavery. 

What we’re looking for: 
✔️ A proven track record in securing significant gifts from high-net-worth individuals or foundations 
✔️ Strategic thinking and confident relationship management 
✔️ Strong communication skills - written and verbal 
✔️ Experience managing or mentoring colleagues 
✔️ Drive, humility and a deep belief in our mission 

We offer an excellent benefits package to support your wellbeing and development. Just a few of the highlights include: Enhanced Annual Leave, Birthday Leave, Enhanced Enhanced Employer Pension Contribution, Private Medical Insurance, Life Assurance and Learning and Development.

Read our Total Reward offer to view the full list of benefits.

This role is subject to a DBS Check. You must have the right to work in the UK.

Justice & Care is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds 

Ready to make a real difference?
Please read the full job description before applying. Click Apply to upload both your CV and a covering letter of no more than 1,500 words, outlining your suitability for and interest in the position. Your covering letter should explicitly address the candidate requirements outlined in the job description.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Interviews will be held from the week commencing 21st July.
Due to the high volume of applications, if you have not heard back from us by the end of August, you are unlikely to have been successful.