Senior stories executive jobs in Bristol

This role offers a unique opportunity to make this role your own and take the charity to the next level, with the full support of a dedicated, experienced team.

The successful candidate will ensure that the charity remains resilient and able to deliver on its commitment to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the people we serve.

The role is a mix of operational activity, day to day management and strategic thinking; with the continuous building and nurturing of external relationships with our NHS, public sector and not-for-profit stakeholders.

Working alongside a committed trustee board, skilled staff and volunteers, you will bring drive, experience and passion to the team. You’ll get terrific support from the outgoing postholder as needed, with the space to act and bring your own ideas to the forefront.

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 expertise and impact and increase our influence.

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 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.

Hope for the Future is a dynamic UK-based charity working to drive democratic climate action. We are looking for a Fundraising Manager with the confidence to step into an established, successful system and keep our momentum going.

You will be a brilliant relationship builder, an organised manager of data and pipelines, and an excellent communicator who can write compelling narratives. Above all, you will be someone who collaborates naturally across a small, passionate team to champion a healthy culture of impact storytelling and income generation.

About Hope for the Future:

We support constituents, local groups, and national campaigns to secure ambitious action from local and national government by equipping them to have highly effective, relationship-building conversations with their politicians.

Over the past decade, we have supported more than 10,000 people to engage with politics, over half of whom had never taken action beyond voting. Through training, strategic advice, and tools, we don't just change conversations; we tangibly influence policy.

You will have:

• A track record in Trust & Grant success: pulling together compelling data and case studies to write winning bids for large-scale grants.

• Exceptional written skills for drafting persuasive proposals and impact reports.

• A love of data to oversee our fundraising pipeline using our CRM (Beacon),  working with organised spreadsheets, and clear, achievable timelines.

• The ability to support others to succeed and feel confident managing a direct report or mentoring colleagues on how to spot fundraising opportunities.

• The ability to balance the day-to-day writing tasks with big-picture financial targets .

• The ability to balance competing priorities in a fast-paced, small charity environment.

• A willingness to travel nationally and work occasional evenings or weekends as required for key events and funder engagement (claimable as TOIL).

• A genuine commitment to climate action and democratic engagement with grassroots communities.

It would be great if you also have:

• Experience supporting corporate partnerships or earned/consultancy income streams.

• Familiarity with Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks.

• An understanding of UK climate policy, nature campaigning, or the UK political system.

The Role

Your core focus will balance bid writing with strategy and comms management:

• Securing Income: Crafting and submitting high-quality, persuasive trust and grant applications (targeting five- and six-figure funding) and managing timely reports back to our current partners.

• Managing the Pipeline: Working closely with the CEO to track our fundraising goals, manage cash flow awareness, and keep our CRM system (Beacon) up to date.

• Supporting Earned Income: Helping to streamline the internal processes behind our paid consultancy and campaign training services, collaborating with our Policy & Engagement team to track leads.

• Leading People: Providing supportive, empowering line management to our part-time Digital Communications and Campaigns Coordinator.

• Looking Forward: As the contract nears its end, you will collaborate with the CEO to help us lay the groundwork for our next strategic fundraising cycle.

How to Apply

Please visit our website jobs page to submit your anonymised CV and cover letter.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We warmly welcome applications from everyone and celebrate diversity across all backgrounds. If you don’t meet every single requirement listed, please don't let that deter you, we would still love to hear from you.

• Salary: £48,350 per annum (£29,010 pro-rata)

• Hours: Part-time (21 hours per week)

• Contract Type: 12-month fixed term (Maternity Cover)

• Location:  Remote anywhere in the UK (or Sheffield Head Office/Hybrid working)

• Benefits: 30 days annual leave (pro-rata) + bank holidays, pension, wellbeing support.

• Closing Date: 13 July 2026 | Interviews: w/c 20 July 2026

Important Contract Notice: Please note that this is a temporary, fixed-term contract for 12 months to provide essential maternity cover. This is a non-permanent position.

(Please note this role is primarily remote, however there is the option for hybrid working at our head office in Sheffield. Some travel may be required for this role)

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.