JOBS

Communications manager

Epsom, Surrey (hybrid)  |  £34,000 to £38,000 per annum |  37.5 hours per week

We are recruiting a Communications Manager within a small team that is always busy and punches above its weight. You will report to the Head of Advocacy and Communications and work closely with all others in the team, including one direct report.

About the team and the role

The Advocacy and Communications Team works to support all areas of our work, including: our Stop It Now helpline and programmes; our Shore website and support for young people; our paid services including training, assessments, intervention and consultancy; as well as our advocacy, fundraising, research and teams in Scotland and Wales.

Our three strategic pillars are reach, research and advocacy and you will deliver these across all your work.

You will be responsible for project managing communications for our different services, teams and brands. You will develop, manage and deliver communication plans for these areas, working with operational colleagues to make the most of their expertise.

You will lead proactive and reactive national, regional and trade press engagements across the charity. This includes a high-profile national campaign and several other projects vital to our success, identifying and developing newsworthy angles. You will maintain existing relationships with journalists and build new ones, to raise awareness of our work and advocate for the importance of preventing child sexual abuse. You will support and develop the skills of our spokespeople and work with case studies to make sure their stories are told in a sensitive and engaging way.

You will also be responsible for our blog posts and growing that audience, proactively finding opportunities to shine a light on all areas of our work.

Find out more about the role and if you have what it takes to be our next Communications Manager. 

What you will get from us

Our ideal candidate will be a communications all-rounder. You might be an experienced senior officer, manager or a freelancer.

You’ll be a great project manager, able to plan out and stick to timelines, understanding how to bring in and get the most out of everyone involved.

You’ll be at home working with journalists, spokespeople and case studies. You will be energetic and proactive to find, shape and sell stories.

You’ll be a great writer and editor, able to turn your hand to press releases, blog posts and social media copy.

And you’ll be on board with our mission to prevent child sexual abuse through working with people who have committed it or are at risk of doing so, plus the families and professionals around them.

Here’s some of what we’re looking for, but don’t be put off if you don’t tick all the boxes – we’re happy to support an excellent candidate learn on the job.

Personality

• Proactive in working out what needs to be done and positive in delivering it
• Creative in thinking of and trying out new ideas
• Analytical to understand the impact of communications outputs
• Collaborative in building relationships with LFF colleagues and external stakeholders including civil servants, agencies and journalists

Experience

• Developing and managing communication plans and analysing impact
• Identifying, shaping and selling newsworthy stories and angles
• Line management and committing to your own continual development and that of your direct reports
• Able to work independently and as part of a small team

What you will get from us

It’s a busy year for us as we start to develop our new 5-year strategy, overhaul our websites, embed our new brand and identity that was launched last year, and deliver a high-performing national multi-channel campaign that makes a difference to society and individuals, and protects children.

Your skills will rapidly develop as you work on and link up several areas of communications, working out how best to speak to our varied audiences about the importance of a topic that might not be obvious to them.

We have a strong media presence that we want to expand with a renewed focus on less well-known areas of our work. Supported by an experienced team and expert spokespeople, you’ll be the leader who makes that happen.

We offer hybrid working, with a minimum of 2 days working from the office. We offer a NEST pension, 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days (plus statutory bank holidays) after 5 years’ service (in line with our leave year January to December), up to 5 days learning and development per year to make sure you stay on top of your game, an employee assistance programme and the option of Benenden medical cover.

How to apply

We really welcome informal conversations with prospective candidates about the role and the charity in advance of the deadline. Please feel free to contact Head of Advocacy and Communications, Michael Walsh, on mwalsh@lucyfaithfull.org.uk.

Please submit a CV to recruitment@lucyfaithfull.org.uk by 4pm Wednesday 9^th October. Interviews will take place on Friday 18^th October.

If you have not been contacted within 2 weeks of the closing date you have been unsuccessful with your application.

Please note the successful candidate will be required to complete our internal application form and undergo a DBS check for this position.

We believe in creating a positive environment where our differences are respected and each of us feels valued for our contribution. Treating people fairly is part of our values and at the core of our culture. As an inclusive employer, all qualified candidates will be considered regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or belief, age, socioeconomic background, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and caring responsibilities, marital status, nationality and disability including invisible disabilities and neurodiversity.