Senior direct marketing manager jobs in Milton keynes

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Senior In Memory & Legacy Marketing Executive to join our team on a fixed term contract until February 2027.

You will manage In Memory and Legacy campaigns across a variety of channels, including direct mail, digital and paid social. The role focuses primarily on the management of the In Memory programme, with opportunities to support in the legacy programme delivery. You'll be delivering activity to recruit new supporters, alongside stewardship journeys to ensure appropriate and sensitive onward communication with valued supporters. The role presents a fantastic opportunity to help shape the programmes and adapt processes, particularly for In Memory.

You will support the Legacy Marketing Manager and Senior Legacy Executive in the on-going development of the Legacy and In Memory strategy by providing comprehensive evaluation of campaigns, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations for future activity.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Development, implementation and management of the In Memory programme, including excellent supporter stewardship and encouraging long-term support. 
• To manage the day to day running of Legacy and In Memory campaigns; including campaign planning, overseeing creative development, liaising with key stakeholders, co-ordinating print and production, ensuring fundraising is compliant with the IoF Code of Conduct and GDPR, monitoring and analysing results and feeding back to agencies.
• Managing strategic projects with the appropriate level of support. 
• Supporting the Legacy Marketing Management team with the development of annual campaign plans and their implementation.

The ideal candidate would have:

• In Memory and/or Legacy marketing knowledge and experience, ideally gained in a large organisation
• Experience project managing Fundraising campaigns across different media from start to finish. Campaigns might include direct mail, telemarketing, TV, digital marketing or other commonly used fundraising channels.
• Understanding of and an ability to manage and monitor budgets.
• Experience of evaluating the effectiveness of Fundraising campaigns.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date.  We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible

Role Purpose

This role is at the heart of Child Bereavement UK’s identity, leading the strategy and delivery of our brand across the organisation to ensure we are recognised as the UK’s leading bereavement charity for children, young people and parents. You will champion our brand, supporting teams across all departments to apply it consistently, creatively and confidently, strengthening trust, recognition, and impact.

As the guardian of our brand, you will develop, protect, and embed our identity, ensuring all organisational output is clear, inclusive, and aligned with our values. You will also identify high-impact brand collaboration opportunities to enhance our reputation and drive recognition, building strong relationships both internally and externally to maximise our brand influence.

In this role, you will combine strategic vision with hands-on guidance, enabling teams to live our brand with confidence while positioning Child Bereavement UK as a bold, trusted, and inspiring voice in the sector.

Main Responsibilities

 Brand strategy and positioning

· Lead the development and ongoing evolution of the Child Bereavement UK brand strategy, ensuring it is audience driven and reflects our purpose, values and strategic priorities.

· Collaborate with audiences to ensure brand components and their application are stakeholder evidenced and driven.

· Define and maintain clear brand positioning, messaging and tone of voice for key audiences.

· Conduct regular brand research and use insight and research to ensure the brand remains relevant, credible and distinctive.

Brand governance and quality

· Own, maintain and embed brand guidelines, ensuring consistent application across campaigns, communications, fundraising and digital activity.

· Organise, manage and proactively update the Child Bereavement UK brand asset and photo libraries by sourcing and organising new commissions.

· Provide advice, guidance and sign-off on high-profile or high-risk brand outputs.

· Support teams to use the brand well, balancing consistency with flexibility and creativity.

· Work closely with marketing, communications and fundraising colleagues to help shape campaign narratives, key messages and offer creative direction that align with brand principles.

· Ensure messaging and visual identity are aligned and coherent across channels.

· Contribute to creative briefs and support the development of compelling, audience-focused storytelling.

· Support the content and marketing teams with the development of branded content as required including but not limited to graphic design, filming, editing and copywriting.

Brand collaboration

· Identify, develop and nurture brand collaborations that strengthen awareness, credibility and reach, and align with the organisation’s purpose and values.

· Act as a brand advisor in discussions, ensuring opportunities are strategically aligned and reputationally sound.

· Work with colleagues to ensure brand collaborations are coherent, well-governed and mutually beneficial, with clear messaging and visual alignment.

· Support the development of collaboration narratives, co-branded materials and storytelling that reflect shared values and objectives.

Internal brand leadership

· Act as an internal champion for the brand, helping staff and volunteers understand and apply it in their day-to-day work.

· Deliver brand training, resources and guidance as needed.

· Create and deliver communications to ensure the brand is reflected consistently in how the organisation presents itself internally.

Design

· Own the creation and evolution of core evergreen brand assets, ensuring the Child Bereavement purpose, values, and visual identity are consistently and clearly expressed.

· Be the senior authority for design standards and frameworks.

· Support marketing colleagues to confidently create short-form, campaign, and project materials providing guidance, tools and access to approved freelance designers where needed.

· Focus brand design resource on high-value, long-term assets, avoiding unnecessary centralisation of short-term or one-off materials in order to reduce bottlenecks and keep work moving at pace.

· Manage and maintain relationships with approved design freelancers and agencies.

Insight, performance and reputation

· Monitor brand health, awareness and perception, using insight to inform decisions and improvements.

· Work closely with marketing and communications colleagues on reputation management and sensitive issues.

· Stay informed about sector trends, public expectations and best practice in brand management.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

· Work closely with the Directors of Marketing & Communications, Services & Service Transformation, and Income Generation to deliver strategic brand strategies.

· Foster strong cross-charity relationships to ensure coherent and consistent branded output and shared learning.

Person Specification

Essential

Experience & Knowledge

· A proven track record of success in leading and/or managing an organisation’s brand activity and maintaining a high-quality brand portfolio.

· Experience of communicating and implementing a brand across an organisation.

· Proven experience and confidence of brand guardianship and developing and implementing brand guidelines.

· The ability to lead, enthuse and inspire colleagues at all levels to be brand guardians and support brand and marketing activities.

· Strong understanding of how brand shows up across the full customer journey.

· Strong understanding of audience insight, segmentation and customer needs.

· The ability to provide clear, professional and well-reasoned brand feedback on a wide range of creative and content.

· Experience of collaborating with audiences to develop brand plans and assets.

· Experience of using insight, analytics, testing and research to develop and inform decision-making.

Skills

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

· Strong graphic design and video editing skills (e.g. Canva, Adobe, CapCut).

· Meticulous attention to detail.

· Ability to translate business goals into clear brand positioning and direction.

· Strong analytical thinking, using insight and data to inform decisions.

· Excellent creative judgement across visual identity, tone of voice and storytelling.

· Ability to brief, evaluate and elevate creative work.

· Strong project management skills and the ability to prioritise workload.

· Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.

· Ability to balance long-term brand building with short term performance needs.

· Ability to work collaboratively and bring colleagues on board a brand journey.

· Ability to demonstrate initiative and to work proactively and independently.

· Ability to work well under pressure.

Attributes & Values

· Compassion, emotional intelligence and ability to work respectfully with bereaved children, young people and families.

· Collaborative, approachable, and able to build trust across teams.

· Creative, innovative and proactive, with a solutions-focused, self-starter mindset.

· Customer-centric mindset, grounded in audience insight.

· Highly organised, resilient and able to work independently in a remote environment.

· Strong commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and ethical storytelling, including amplifying lived experience safely and respectfully.

· Willingness to undertake relevant training and development opportunities.

· Willingness to work flexibly to meet organisational need.

· Ability to undertake periodic UK travel and represent the charity at meetings and events.

Desirable

· Previous experience in a Brand Lead or similar role.

· Experience working within the charity/third sector, particularly in bereavement, mental health or social care.

· Understanding of bereavement and the needs of bereaved children, young people and parents.

· Experience contributing to or leading the development of brand strategy including positioning, purpose and key messaging frameworks

· Experience leading a rebrand or major brand evolution including repositioning, visual identity refreshes or large-scale brand rollouts.

· Exposing adapted brand strategy across multi audiences.

· Knowledge of brand tracking, perception research and audience insight tools.

· Strong understanding of digital-first branding including expressing brands across digital products, platforms and social channels.

· Familiarity with CRM systems such as Salesforce.

Benefits

· 28 days’ holiday plus bank holidays (pro rata if applicable) with increase for long service.

· TOIL for our hours work.

· Contributory pension scheme.

· Company sick pay.

· Employee Assistance Programme.

· Life assurance.

· Training loans.

· Enhanced family friendly policies.

Recruitment Timetable

Application deadline: 6th July 2026 at midnight

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications for the role before the closing date.

Interviews

If you are progressed to an interview, you will be invited to attend a 1-hour competency-based interview on MS Teams with the Hiring Managers for the role. You may also be asked to complete an interview task, which will also be shared with you in advance.

Proposed interview dates: 20th and 21st July 2026.

The Talent Set are delighted to partner with Barnardo’s on a Senior In Memory and Legacy Marketing Executive role. This fixed-term position focuses on In Memory fundraising, legacy marketing and the Free Wills programme, owning supporter journeys and delivering multi-channel campaigns end to end to help grow income.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the In Memory fundraising programme, supporting supporter acquisition and stewardship activity
• Develop supporter journeys that improve engagement, care and retention across relevant channels
• Plan and deliver end-to-end campaigns (briefing, data selections, creative development, production management and evaluation)
• Manage campaign logistics across print and digital, collaborating with agencies and suppliers
• Use campaign performance data and insight to refine future planning and audience targeting
• Lead and develop the Free Wills programme with participating legal firms, supporting marketing activity through direct mail, telemarketing and digital channels
• Contribute to shaping a legacy events programme, supporting ongoing development and rollout

Person Specification

• Proven experience in legacy and/or In Memory fundraising or closely related supporter fundraising activity
• Strong direct marketing experience, including managing campaigns from planning through to evaluation
• Confidence delivering campaigns across multiple channels (e.g., mail, digital, telephony)
• Strong data and insight capability, using results to improve performance and future plans
• Skilled stakeholder manager with the ability to work effectively with internal and external partners
• Understanding of supporter stewardship and supporter care, with a respectful and compassionate approach
• Experience coordinating print/digital production and working with agencies and suppliers

What’s on Offer
Contract: Fixed Term Contract until February 2027

Salary: £29,000 - £37,000 pro rata

Working Pattern: Flexible working- Hybrid or Remote

How to Apply
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the 'apply now' button (please do not apply via email). We aim to get back to all successful candidates within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity
The Talent Set are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, or age. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.

If this role matches your experience and ambitions, apply today with a CV that clearly shows relevant campaign delivery and results.

Salary: £29,530 - £37,969
Contract: 7-month Fixed Term Contract (Feb 2027)
Location: Remote – Home based
Closing date: 28^th June
Interviews: 1^st & 2^nd July
Benefits: 26 days annual leave (rising with service) & option to buy more, generous pension contributions (matched 4% or 6%), HolidayPlus scheme, enhanced family leave, employee discounts, health cash plan, and more

We’re delighted to be looking for a Senior In-Memory & Legacy Marketing Executive to join a national children’s charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable young people and families across the UK. This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of impactful campaigns that inspire long-term support and meaningful giving.

As part of this exciting role, you will lead on the delivery of multi-channel in-memory and legacy marketing campaigns, managing everything from data selection and creative development through to campaign execution and performance analysis. You will play a key role in developing and enhancing supporter journeys, ensuring sensitive and effective stewardship from initial enquiry through to long-term engagement.

To be successful as the Senior In-Memory & Legacy Marketing Executive you will need:

 

• Strong experience delivering direct marketing campaigns across multiple channels, including digital and offline
• Experience using data and insight to inform campaign performance and future planning
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience working across teams and with external suppliers
   

If you would like to discuss this role with us please email your CV to [email protected] or contact us and quote the reference 3009JP.

Ashby Jenkins Recruitment are a specialist charity recruitment agency, we use our extensive sector knowledge and experience to match candidates to the most suitable charity jobs. We are passionate about improving equality across the sector, you can read more about our commitment to diversity here.

We take a relationship-led approach to recruitment in the charity sector and partner with you as the leading charity recruitment agency.

If enough applications are received the charity reserve the right to end the application period sooner.
 

For over 60 years the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has been building a better childhood for all.

Research and Development Officer
Contract: Permanent
Work Pattern: Part Time, 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
Salary: £27, 526 per annum, with annual salary increments for the first three years
Location: Homebased – however NCB and RiP has offices in Sheffield, Newton Abbot, London and Belfast that staff can work from should they choose.

The Vacancy

We are looking for a talented Research and Development Officer to join our children and families team at Research in Practice. In this role you will develop and deliver accessible content and learning activities that promote evidence-informed practice and policy across child and family social care, youth and family justice as part of our annual delivery programme for our partners. You will also be involved in the delivery of commissioned project work.

The successful candidate will have experience designing and delivering resources, workshops, webinars, and events for a range of audiences, including senior leaders.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong written and editorial skills, excellent facilitation skills and who is confident distilling complex information into accessible learning materials. While the position requires engagement with and understanding of research, it is not a primary research role.

Key responsibilities are:

• Producing evidence-informed practice and policy resources in a range of formats (e.g. publications, videos, podcasts, animations). This includes evidence scoping, content development, commissioning, project management, editing, writing and quality assuring resources from inception to publication.
• Leading the development and delivery of concise, accessible content and learning activities to enable the development of evidence-informed practice and policy in the sector.
• Developing and facilitating learning sessions and events with a range of participants, including senior leaders across the sector.
• Working on a range of commissioned project work, from development/design through to analysis; presenting findings on completion and representing Research in Practice in project teams with academic and practice partners.
• Building strong relationships with sector experts and effectively managing relationships with authors, facilitators, people with lived experience and those working in research, policy and practice.

Research in Practice

Research in Practice is part of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) family. For over 60 years, the NCB has been building a better childhood for all.

Research in Practice works with organisations across the adults and children’s social care, health and criminal justice sectors, supporting them to develop an evidence-informed approach to their work. Our focus is on using evidence from research, practice and lived experience, to provide resources that improve policy and services, in order to achieve positive outcomes for people of all ages.

About NCB

For more than 60 years, the National Children’s Bureau has championed the rights and amplified the voice of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence, blending in lived and learnt experience to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families.

Bringing people and organisations together is fundamental to how we improve the systems that babies, children, young people and their families rely on to thrive. We push boundaries, even looking beyond childhood itself to consider transitions into adulthood and the impact of childhood issues on an entire lifespan. We are united for better childhoods and brighter futures.

The Benefits

• 30 Days Annual Leave
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible Working
• Winter Holiday Closure & Break
• Employee Assistance Programme

Closing date: 8am, Wednesday 8th July 2026
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are actively seeking to broaden the diversity of our staff group and warmly welcome applications from candidates underrepresented in the charity sector, including those from Black and Global Majority communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with lived experience of the issues NCB works on.

No agencies please.