- Job Title: Communications Manager (Policy & Media)
- Location: Remote, some travel
- Reporting To: Head of Communications
- Salary: £50,309 - £53,809 per annum
- Contract: Contract
- Date Closes: Mon 6 Feb 2023
Job Title: Communications Manager (Maternity Leave Cover)
Location: London, Sheffield, Bristol offices or from home
Reporting To: Head of Communications
Contract: Full time, 12-month Fixed Term Contract
Salary: £50,309 (£53,809 Greater London)
Date Closes: Monday, 6th February at 9am
Role Purpose
Power to Change is the independent trust that strengthens communities through community business. We use our experience to bring partners together to fund, grow and back community business to make places thrive. We are curious and rigorous; we do, test and learn. And we are here to support community business, whatever the challenge.
The Communications Manager is responsible for leading on the day-to-day delivery of all aspects of PR, marketing and communications across our policy and local and regional engagement work. You will also support the Head of Comms to implement the communications and engagement strategy, and lead on the implementation of high profile, integrated campaigns. The role requires a strategic, creative, and collaborative approach to project management, PR and stakeholder engagement and a proactive approach to media relations and social media/content creation.
2023 is a crucial year for Power to Change to strengthen its external position and profile. You will play a pivotal role in building our reputation, influence, external campaigns and overall success in making the case for community business specifically amongst our political and government audiences.
You’ll lead on strategic and operational collaboration with our policy and places teams, making the case for community business amongst regional and local government and national political audiences. You’ll lead on our media strategy, implementation and manage our agency to make sure our policy asks are amplified across our target media. You’ll also lead on our Take Back the High Street campaign and work with our policy team to influence government audiences. If you’re seeking variety, autonomy and a job with purpose and influence, then read on.
You will be working closely with other like-minded passionate professionals in our organisation to amplify the efforts of community businesses and put them at the heart of a fair economy.
Our vision and mission
Our overall vision is ‘powerful communities, better places,’ which we will deliver by pursuing our mission to ‘strengthen the community business sector’.
Our strategic priorities
Community business at the heart of a fairer economy Community businesses are well placed to help tackle inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic, and create a more inclusive economy in which more people can participate and money is reinvested locally.
More resilient community businesses Like all businesses, community businesses have felt the financial impacts of Covid-19. But unlike many businesses, they’ve also been working with some of the most vulnerable in their communities throughout the crisis and the need for their services has increased. Encouragingly, very few expect to close their doors but many will need to continue to adapt to the emerging new normal. We will work with them so they can continue to play a crucial role in their neighbourhoods.
A more diverse and equitable sector By their nature, community businesses have broad community impact and lots of ways for local people to get involved. As customers, volunteers, shareholders, staff or trustees, they can have a say in how the business is run to address local needs. Our ambition is that all communities see the community business model as a tool that they can use to improve their neighbourhoods and the lives of local people. To do that, we will work to dismantle the barriers that minoritised communities of all kinds face in creating local social change and find ways to inspire new people to join the sector.
Our Values
Bold: We experiment, take risks and test new ideas. We move quickly to take advantage of opportunities.
Informed: We learn from research and from our delivery. We are responsive and adapt to what we have learned.
Open: We are transparent about our decision-making. We share knowledge and learning including what has not worked.
Collaborative: We work across sectors and respect others’ knowledge and experience. We encourage others who share our vision to bring about change.
Authentic: We integrate the priorities that we have for the community business sector into our own practice. We embody our values in all facets of our work.
Key Responsibilities
Role Responsibilities
- Work with the Head of Comms to develop and lead on the continuation of an integrated campaign to influence decision makers to put community power at the heart of high street regeneration.
- Day-to-day management of the media agency, media monitoring and evaluation.
- Maintain in-house media contacts and be the in-house media relations manager, supporting policy, senior leadership team and other projects with owned and earned content, op-eds, publications.
- Work with the Head of Comms to develop our media strategy and then lead on evaluation and implementation.
- Maintain and develop the website so that it supports our policy and local and regional work.
- Support the Head of Comms in implementing the stakeholder engagement strategy, tracking our influence and power over time.
- Embed and continually review diversity, equity, and inclusion in our communications practice.
Organisation Responsibilities
- Build external relationships with private, public and third sector organisations and individuals from relevant sectors.
- Where appropriate represent Power to Change, attending events, monitoring developments, and providing visibility through social media content, blogposts, and analysis.
- Be an active and engaged colleague, taking part in support, and learning activities.
- Ensure relevant data is maintained on Salesforce, (working with the Data team in Finance & Resources).
- Contribute to and support the Head of Comms with annual business planning
- Provide ad-hoc assistance to other team members as required.
Skills and Experience
- Excellent, agile communicator with proficient understanding of policy environment at either national, regional or local level.
- Proven record of delivering impactful integrated marketing campaigns that sell an idea or concept.
- Confident crafting and pitching reactive and proactive media stories, briefing spokespeople, and managing an external PR agency.
- Experience of successfully managing complex, multi-stakeholder communications projects with high level of autonomy.
- Competent and/or willing to learn IT systems such as Customer Relationship Management system e.g., Salesforce, Content Management System e.g., WordPress, design tools e.g. Canva and InDesign, project management tools e.g. Asana and Trello, MS Office, Sprout Social and media monitoring systems and Google Analytics.
