Head of Communications (Job Share)
Location: Remote
Salary: £19,160 - £21,424 per annum
Vacancy Type: Permanent
2–3 days per week (flexible, subject to agreement)
Please note that the salary has been calculated on a pro-rata basis, reflecting the role's two-day-per-week working pattern.
Join us - transform lives, change minds
We are a leading social justice charity supporting people to recover from addiction and leave behind crime - helping them move on in life with family, friends, jobs, homes, and a sense of belonging. Working in over 80 prison and community settings across England and Wales, we support more than 40,000 people each year to achieve lasting, transformational change.
Alongside frontline local delivery, we are driving change nationally - challenging stigma, influencing policy, and creating a society that believes in second chances and long-term recovery.
The opportunity
We are looking for an exceptional communications leader to join us in a job share Head of Communications role, working alongside an experienced colleague to shape and deliver a high-impact, organisation-wide communications strategy.
This is a unique opportunity to lead high-profile national campaigns, strengthen our voice across the media and digital landscape, and ensure our people - over 900 staff across the country, many with lived experience - remain connected, engaged, and inspired by our mission.
What you’ll lead
You will play a central role in amplifying our impact and growing our influence, including:
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- National campaigns and public engagement — including our flagship Taking Action on Addiction campaign and Addiction Awareness Week, supported by our Royal Patron, HRH Princess of Wales, reaching millions each year
- Media and profile-building — securing high-quality coverage, managing relationships with press, ambassadors, and influencers, including Lily Allen, Alasdair Campbell and many others
- Audience growth and supporter engagement — expanding our network of donors, partners, and advocates
- Digital and content strategy — driving a multi-platform approach that positions us as a thought leader in our field and also helps us reach the people who most need our support
- Internal communications and culture — ensuring our 900+ staff feel informed, connected, and part of a shared purpose
- Team leadership — jointly leading a skilled communications team and working closely with senior leaders, including our Chair, Tony Adams OBE, the CEO and Executive Team and Trustees.
Why this role matters
This role sits at the heart of how we influence change - shaping how we tell our story, how we reach people who need support, and how we mobilise public and political will.
You’ll help ensure our communications are not only compelling, but impactful - supporting service delivery, influencing systems, and ultimately helping more people rebuild their lives.
Who we’re looking for
We want a dynamic, values-driven communications professional who can operate both strategically and ‘hands-on’. You will:
- Bring a strong track record across PR, campaigns, digital, and internal communications
- Be confident leading complex, multi-channel communications activity
- Experience navigating complex organisational environments with diverse operational and service functions.
- Have experience translating organisational mission into clear, engaging messaging for diverse audiences
- Be a collaborative leader, comfortable working in a job share arrangement and across senior teams
- Combine creativity with delivery—able to move from strategy to execution at pace
- Bring a strategic and pragmatic approach to marketing, with strong attention to brand consistency and discipline.
- Be passionate about social justice and motivated by real-world impact
What we offer
- A high-profile, purpose-driven leadership role
- Flexibility through a supportive job share model
- The opportunity to shape national conversations and influence change
- A collaborative and ambitious organisation committed to growth and innovation
- A generous benefits package
If you’re ready to use your communications expertise to drive real social change, we’d love to hear from you.
About Us
We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.
To Apply
If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.
Registered Charity 
501 - 1000
Thank you!
The Pepper Foundation is a local charity funding children’s hospice care at home, specialised play and family days for children living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The Community Fundraiser will be joining Pepper at an exciting time as we launch our new three-year fundraising strategy. Backed by committed investment and with full Board approval, we are delighted to be growing the charity to deliver sustainable income that directly supports local children and families with hospice care in the comfort of their own homes.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced relationship-builder to lead and grow community fundraising and challenge events activity, helping to raise vital income for The Pepper Foundation.
You will take ownership of a varied portfolio of community fundraising activity, building and developing relationships with volunteers, schools, clubs, local businesses and community groups, while also nurturing existing supporters and creating an excellent experience for everyone who engages with us. You will lead the day-to-day delivery of our community fundraising and challenge events activity, proactively identifying new opportunities, developing a strong pipeline of support and managing your portfolio to grow income and deepen engagement with The Pepper Foundation.
Hours: 30 hours per week (37.5hrs FTE) working from home - applicants must live within Hertfordshire or Buckinghamshire (or surrounding counties)
Salary: £25,600 pro-rata (£32,000 FTE)
Key Responsibilities:
Financial
• Deliver or exceed agreed income targets across community and challenge event fundraising activities.
• Manage agreed budgets for community fundraising activities and challenge events, monitoring income and expenditure and ensuring activity is delivered in line with agreed targets and plans.
• Ensure activities are delivered as cost-effectively as possible, monitoring expenditure and helping to maximise return on investment.
• Develop and refine fundraising products, activities and supporter experiences that put supporters at the centre of what we do and encourage long-term engagement.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of community fundraising opportunities, identifying prospects, converting enquiries and building repeat support from individuals, groups and local organisations.
• Help convert one-off supporters and new enquiries into repeat fundraising relationships through strong stewardship, follow-up and tailored engagement.
Communication
• Build and develop strong long-term relationships with community groups, schools, clubs and individuals to increase awareness, support and donated income.
• Support and manage key fundraising volunteers to help deliver income and activities.
• Work with the Head of Fundraising and marketing partners to ensure community and challenge fundraising activities are promoted effectively through suitable online and offline channels.
• Confidently communicate the work of The Pepper Foundation and inspire support through a variety of channels, including informal conversations, networking, presentations, written materials, newsletters and website copy.
• Deliver a high standard of donor and supporter care to maximise fundraising potential and encourage long-term support.
• Contribute ideas and content for promotional materials within agreed budgets and timelines.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to broaden participation in community fundraising and increase supporter engagement across the region.
• Proactively identify, develop and secure new community fundraising opportunities with local schools, groups, businesses and supporters to grow income and broaden engagement.
• Ensure relevant staff and volunteers are well briefed on community fundraising activities.
• Always represent The Pepper Foundation positively and professionally.
• Communicate confidently with a wide range of supporters and stakeholders, handling queries and resolving issues in a calm and professional way.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the fundraising team to ensure community fundraising activity is aligned with the wider fundraising strategy and income goals.
Management
• Recruit, train, support and motivate fundraising volunteers to help deliver community fundraising activities and events.
• Manage relationships with external suppliers and partners, such as venues and event providers, to support successful delivery.
Planning and Organisation
• Develop and deliver activity, stewardship and campaign plans for community and challenge event fundraising within agreed priorities, budgets and income targets.
• Deliver high-quality fundraising events that raise awareness of The Pepper Foundation across Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
• Use Donorfy, our fundraising CRM, to administer and manage fundraising activity accurately and effectively, working with the Database Volunteer as needed.
• Produce post-event evaluations and recommendations in line with agreed requirements.
• Use insight, pipeline information and performance data to review results, identify trends and recommend improvements to future activity.
• Manage the day-to-day planning and delivery of key events and campaigns, making decisions within agreed plans, budgets and fundraising procedures.
• Take responsibility for health and safety in community fundraising activities, ensuring appropriate risk assessments are completed and relevant fundraising and safety procedures are followed.
• Respond appropriately to unexpected incidents at community fundraising events, following agreed procedures and escalating where needed.
• Take an active role in setting up and clearing down events and community fundraising activities, including periods of standing and occasional unsocial hours.
• Arrange appropriate Pepper Foundation attendance at local community events when needed.
• Manage resources effectively, including volunteer support, to maximise reach, income and engagement.
Reporting
• Produce regular reports on pipeline, activity, outcomes, income performance and learning for the Head of Fundraising, highlighting opportunities, risks and recommendations.
How to apply: For further details about the role, please download our recruitment pack. Please send your CV with a cover letter explaining why you would make a great candidate for this role and how you meet the job description.
Closing date: Monday 13th July 2026 at 5pm
Interview dates: First-round interviews on 22nd and 23rd July with second-round interviews on 29th July 2026.
Interviews will take place at our office in Berkhamsted. Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements or need any adjustments for the interview.
If appointed, an enhanced DBS check will be required.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Shaftesbury is a national disability charity that supports more than 4,000 children, young people and adults with a disability every year to live a life that truly adds up for them. That is at the heart of everything they do.
Their vision ‘all together better for disability’, is about working alongside the people they support so they can participate, contribute and be valued for who they are.
Their work is spearheaded by 1,500+ dedicated staff and volunteers who deliver a wide range of disability care, special education and rehabilitation services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, around the clock.
To achieve their vision, they are looking for an Individual Giving Manager with a focus on acquisition to work alongside the Head of Individual Giving across regular gifts, appeals, lottery, raffle and other new products.
The Individual Giving Manager drives the recruitment of new supporters and supports the stewardship of warm audience, generating sustainable income for Shaftesbury. The proportion of acquisition focus v retention focus is likely around 70/30.
This role focuses on maximising long-term value through innovative and impactful multichannel campaigns including reactivating lapsed supporters, optimising supporter conversion and delivering engaging onboarding experiences. The Individual Giving Manager will work on growing regular giving, cash and gaming pipelines and manage exciting projects which could include digital, DRTV, face-to- face, telemarketing, direct mail and radio. The role will provide assistance to the Head of Individual Giving with all retention activity, including cash appeals and newsletters.
Shaftesbury is happy to consider fundraisers or officer level candidates looking to step up into their first manager level role. At present this role doesn’t line manage, so management experience is not necessary. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for fundraising, supporter journeys and creative thinking and may have experience within a UK based charity in either IG and legacies, community fundraising, corporate or philanthropy.
This role is hybrid, with 4 days per month on average at either the Gateshead office or London office. The one role is being advertised twice to ensure candidates from both geographic locations see the role within their search remit and feel able to apply.
Application notes
Please download the Candidate Info Pack provided for further information about the role, timelines and next steps.
To progress your application, please contact THINK Recruitment using the information in the Candidate Pack to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot progress candidates through to longlist without speaking with them, so please ensure you leave enough time to organise a screening call before the role closes.
If you need assistance with downloading the pack, please send an email to THINK and our team will support you.
Closing date for applications: Midnight Sunday 12th July
Stage 1 interviews are likely to be held on Tuesday 21st July and Stage 2 on Tuesday 28th or Friday 31st July.
