Senior press and pr officer jobs in Cambridge, cambridgeshire
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External Communications Manager
Salary: £40,000–£42,000 FTE
Hours: 30 hours per week
Location: Remote, with regular travel to FitzRoy services, team and stakeholder meetings as agreed. The role requires attendance in London once per month and applicants must be able to commute to services in Norfolk, Nottingham and Hampshire.
Reports to: Head of Communications
Directorate: Business Development and Partnerships
FitzRoy is a national charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs to live lives rooted in choice, meaning and happiness.
We are strengthening our external voice and looking for a confident, perceptive and warm communicator to help more people understand FitzRoy’s work, expertise and impact.
This is a moment of change for social care. We want to play a more active role in shaping its future, ensuring the people at the heart of it are seen, heard and involved in the decisions that matter.
About the role
As External Communications Manager, you will help build FitzRoy’s profile and reputation by identifying the stories, insight and opportunities that show what good support looks like in real life.
You will work closely with the Head of Communications, fundraising, business development and operational colleagues to turn external communications priorities into practical plans, content and opportunities.
This is a delivery role with real influence. You will not be expected to set FitzRoy’s external strategy alone, but you will be expected to bring ideas, advise colleagues, shape practical plans and turn opportunities into action.
What you will do
You will:
- develop proactive external communications activity that raises awareness of FitzRoy’s work, expertise and impact
- spot opportunities for FitzRoy to contribute constructively to sector conversations
- identify realistic opportunities for media, sector press, partner or local coverage
- gather stories, photos, video and quotes that help people understand what good support looks like in real life
- use social media, website content, audience insight and analytics to strengthen FitzRoy’s external profile
About you
You may come from charity communications, PR, journalism, public affairs, stakeholder communications or another external communications background.
You do not need to have worked in social care before, but you will need to be interested in people, willing to learn quickly and able to handle stories about people’s lives with care, respect and good judgement.
We are looking for someone who is:
- an excellent writer and editor
- confident developing clear, accessible content for different audiences
- warm, curious and able to build rapport quickly
- able to spot strong stories, ideas and opportunities
- confident creating social media and website content shaped by audience insight
- comfortable working independently and managing competing priorities
- able to think strategically about audiences and influence, while being practical about what can be delivered in a small team
- confident gathering content including photos, videos and quotes
- willing and able to travel to FitzRoy services and meetings as needed
A full clean driving licence and access to a car for work travel are required, as some services are not easily accessible by public transport.
Working at FitzRoy
You will join a small, friendly communications team with big ambitions. This role will suit someone who enjoys a mix of planning, writing, relationship-building, story-gathering and hands-on delivery.
You will help us show the difference good support makes – and help ensure the voices, experiences and achievements of people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs are seen and heard.
How to apply
To apply, please submit your application and a covering letter.
We do not expect your covering letter to address every point in the person specification. We would like you to tell us:
- what interests you about this role and FitzRoy
- three things you would bring to the role
- a piece of communications work you are proud of and why
- how you approach using social media, website content and audience insight to build external profile
- how you would approach telling stories about people’s lives with care, respect and good judgement
If you are using AI tools to write your application, please use them with caution. We are looking for your own voice and writing style.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
Our vision, mission and values guide us each step of the way, and are as important now as when the charity first began. Our vision A society where p
Thank you!
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:
-
- 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.
