Head Of Strategy Development Jobs in Edinburgh
The National Youth Agency is looking for an experienced Media & Campaigns Manager
Are you passionate about driving impactful media campaigns and shaping narratives that elevate youth work?
Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment, crafting compelling stories and engaging with the media to create change?
Contract: Permanent Contract
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week flexible working
Salary: £36,000 - £40,000 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Location: Remote working with some travel to meetings and events required.
What we do
Youth work is the best methodology to unlock young people’s potential by providing high quality support and opportunities. Skilled youth workers build relationships that support young people to explore their personal, social, and educational development. Youth work enables young people to develop their voice, influence, and place within society.
As the national body for youth work, NYA has a dual function. We are the professional, statutory, and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
About the Role
This is more than just a job.
As our Media & Campaigns Manager, you will play a key role in shaping NYA’s public profile. You will design and execute impactful media and campaign strategies that amplify the importance of youth work, ensuring it is recognised and valued by decision-makers, funders, and the wider public.
You will join our Policy, Insights, and External Affairs Directorate, working within the Communications Team. Reporting to the Head of Communications, you will be responsible for crafting powerful narratives, engaging with national media, and leading ambitious campaigns that elevate the NYA’s profile and the importance of youth work across England.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement creative media and campaign strategies to raise NYA’s profile and influence key stakeholders.
- Build and maintain relationships with national journalists, bloggers, and influencers to generate media coverage on youth work issues.
- Write compelling press releases, blogs, and opinion pieces that showcase NYA’s thought leadership and impact.
- Plan and execute national campaigns, ensuring messaging aligns with NYA’s mission and objectives.
- Monitor media coverage, track emerging trends, and respond swiftly to breaking news relevant to youth work.
- Support and prepare NYA spokespeople for media interviews, ensuring consistent and effective messaging.
- Collaborate with corporate partners and youth sector organisations to maximise media opportunities.
- Develop strategic relationships with high-profile supporters, including celebrities and influencers, to enhance NYA’s reach.
- Assist in media promotion for key events and conferences, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement.
We’re looking for someone who:
- Has proven experience in securing high-quality national press coverage and building strong relationships with journalists.
- Is skilled at crafting compelling narratives that bring youth work to life.
- Has the ability to design and deliver high-impact campaigns that achieve measurable results.
- Is confident in writing for diverse audiences, including policymakers and young people.
- Is experienced in leveraging social media to support media strategies.
- Is a collaborative team player with experience managing direct reports.
- Is passionate about using media and campaigns to promote youth work and its impact on young people’s lives.
To access and view the candidate pack, click on the 'Apply Via Website' button.
Why work for us?
Our team members rated NYA 9 out of 10 as an employer 90% would recommend working at NYA to their friends and family.
What our team say about working at NYA*:
‘A great environment to work, with colleagues who I care for & who care about me’
‘I feel INCREDIBLY supported & grateful to work for this fantastic organisation’
‘Always willing to listen, providing trust & freedom as an employer’
*Source: NYA staff survey October 2023
NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions including training and corporate mentorship opportunities.
NYA provides:
- 25 days leave plus 8 days
- Employee life assurance scheme
- Up to 5% employer pension contribution
- A comprehensive EAP with access to unlimited specialist support.
To apply now:
To access and view the candidate pack, click on the 'Apply Via Website' button.
Please use our online application process to submit the following by Thursday 20th March 2025:
A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the 'About You' section.
A covering letter (maximum 800 words) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the person specification. Please note that the covering letter is an important part of the selection process and we will not accept CV’s without one.
Diversity monitoring information (optional) This information is requested by our ATS for our EEDI monitoring purposes only. This data will be anonymised and processed in accordance with UK Data Protection Law.
We encourage you to apply without delay as we will close the recruitment process early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.
Interviews: to be scheduled within 2-weeks after the closing date
At the National Youth Agency, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We are deeply committed to embedding equity, equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EEDI) across everything we do.
We believe that a diverse workforce brings invaluable perspectives and strengthens our ability to support young people and the youth work sector effectively.
We are actively seeking applications from individuals of all backgrounds, especially those from minoritised and underrepresented communities, as we work to increase our diversity and representation. Your lived experiences and unique perspectives are crucial in shaping our work and ensuring it reflects the communities we serve.
If you share our passion for making a difference and fostering an inclusive workplace, we encourage you to apply and join us in creating positive social change.
Youth Work changes lives
Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.
We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.
REF-220032
About the opportunity:
The Tutor Communications Officer will work closely with the Communications and Media Manager to support all aspects of stakeholder communications and engagement at Action Tutoring. The role will require you to develop engaging and motivational content when communicating with our volunteer tutor network, schools and other stakeholders.
The Tutor Communications Officer will develop their data management and analytical skills, when evaluating the impact of communications and maintaining subscriber data. They will also develop detailed knowledge of our e-communications software (Campaign Monitor) to create precise and engaging email campaigns with accurate segmentation of recipients.
Comprehensive induction and training will be provided. Action Tutoring is committed to providing development opportunities for its staff and, as a growing charity, there are plenty of opportunities to take on new areas of responsibility.
Key responsibilities of the role:
- Work with Communications and Engagement teams to create impactful communications that recruit new tutors, re-engage lapsed volunteers, and convert former tutors into long-term charity supporters.
- Maintain and analyse data across our e-communications platforms (ValueText, Campaign Monitor) and our volunteer database (Salesforce) to optimize audience targeting and engagement, while ensuring GDPR compliance and data cleanliness.
- Respond to tutors’ enquiries and feedback complaints as part of managing the communications’ team inbox, whilst supporting the wider team to do the same.
- Work with the Communications and Media Manager and other communications officer to produce interesting and relevant pupil and tutor case studies throughout the year. Collaborate with our Programme Team and your MarComms colleagues to source appropriate case studies from our partner schools and volunteer network.
Key information:
Reports to: Communications and Media Manager
Salary: £25,235 per annum plus London Weighting of £2,271 per annum (if applicable)
Contract and hours: Permanent, full-time. We offer flexible hours with 9.30-4 as core hours. A
full working week is 37.5 hours.
Closing date: Sunday 23rd March 2025
Interviews: Tuesday 1st April 2025
Start date: As soon as possible
Place of work: This role is remote, with occasional travel to London. The candidate can be based anywhere in the UK. Our London office address is: x+why Fivefields, 8-10 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH
Application process:
Please submit a completed application form via our website.
In the form you will be asked to reflect on the statements below:
1. Please provide examples of when you have shown evidence of being a creative and effective communicator, able to adapt to different audiences and platforms to achieve an outcome.
2. Please provide examples of when you have shown the ability to 'spin different plates' simultaneously while working to high standards.
3. What experience do you have with data management and analysis? Please provide specific examples of how you've used data to improve communication strategies
Applications that fail to meet these criteria will automatically be discounted. We want you to have every opportunity to shine and to show us your talents—please let us know if there is anything we can do to make sure the assessment process works for you.
Please note, we do not accept CVs and cover letters. We only accept applications with the application form.
Award-winning national education charity working towards a world in which no child’s life chances are limited by their socio-economic background.

Unifrog’s mission
We’re on a mission to level the playing field when it comes to young people finding and applying for their next step after school. We're achieving this by bringing all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. We also empower teachers and counsellors to manage the progression process effectively.
Our outlook is global - we work with schools and universities all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and from Italy to Hong Kong. We want to make it so that young people can compare every opportunity taught in English, wherever it is in the world, and have all the support they need to make successful applications.
We have a clear social purpose, and we’re hugely ambitious. We already work with over half of UK secondary schools, and hundreds of international schools. We are growing rapidly in terms of the number of our customers, in terms of how much they use our platform, and in terms of the breadth of products we offer (check out this video to hear more about the Unifrog platform).
Our team is at the heart of our business and is integral to our success. We work hard to foster a culture of openness, happiness and innovation, and we commit to helping every individual learn and grow so that they can reach their full potential. We want to hire talented people, whatever their background. If you are excited by our mission and are ready to work hard, please don’t hesitate to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
We believe in the power of diversity. If you are from an ethnic minority background, we would like to strongly encourage you to apply.
The role and your key responsibilities
As an Account Manager, your role is to make sure that all partners in your area make the most out of the Unifrog platform. You’ll build and maintain excellent working relationships with your partner schools and colleges, and provide expert guidance on how to embed the platform across all year groups.
You will cover your own area of the country with occasional travel to your partner schools and colleges (on average 1-2 days per week).
Your key responsibilities will include:
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Work with schools and colleges to provide resources and strategies which maximise staff and student engagement with Unifrog, identifying and promoting best practice across partner schools.
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Deliver targeted training sessions to staff within our partner schools and colleges via workshops and presentations, delivered remotely or in person.
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Work with your partner Area Manager to improve Unifrog engagement and achieve a sky high resubscription rate.
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Monitor and analyse usage across partner schools and colleges; identifying partners that need additional support to use the platform effectively.
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Listen to teachers and students about how we can improve our customer service and the Unifrog platform.
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Attend conferences and run CPD events on behalf of Unifrog.
What we’re looking for
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Strong communication skills – written, over the phone and on video calls.
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Track record of excellent relationship management.
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Extremely well organised.
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Keen attention to detail.
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Active listening and objection handling skills.
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A background and interest in education would be an advantage.
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Proactive attitude and willingness to get stuck in.
You will be joining a team of highly motivated people who are passionate about our mission of helping students to find the best next step for them after school. If this excites you and you’re an energetic person who is willing to learn, then we’d love to hear from you.
Working together
You’ll work closely alongside an Area Manager in your region, and with our Partner Success team to provide the best service to your schools and colleges. You will be part of a fantastic team of Account Managers, and line-managed by a Senior Account Manager.
Benefits
Head to our jobs page for a full list of the excellent benefits we offer our team.
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Join one of ‘the best organisations to escape to’ and help transform careers and destinations in schools. We’re also a certified Great Place to Work.
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Become part of a committed, dynamic and growing team. We want to build the team at Unifrog for the long term – if you do well, we will do our best to make you want to stay at the company for a long time.
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Professional development is important at Unifrog. You will define your own 6-month objectives and will be supported by your line manager and the rest of the team to achieve them. You will have an annual training allowance to spend on what you need to grow and progress.
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Influence the company’s direction: we love to promote great ideas, wherever they come from.
Key details
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£37,306 per annum pro rata (Grade B), plus commission, car allowance, and a share in a company-wide performance bonus.
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OTE £40,000 (pro rata).
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Maternity Cover - fixed term up to 12 months.
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28 days paid holiday per year (plus bank holidays) (pro rata).
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Working hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 4:30pm on Friday.
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Full UK driving licence and access to a car is essential.
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All travel expenses covered.
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Candidate must be based in the London region.
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Home based with some travel to schools and colleges in London.
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Start date: w/c 28th July 2025 (although we can be flexible depending on notice periods).
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To discuss any details about the role before applying, please contact Mhairi (details on our website).
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We can only consider candidates who have the right to work in the UK.
Application process
Deadline: 10:00AM (GMT) Monday 17th March 2025.
Stage 1: Application form (~1 hour) ✍️
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Visit our website to upload your CV and complete the questions and tasks below. Please note that we do not review CVs at this stage of the application process so please be as specific as possible about your experience.
- i. With reference to the job description and your experience, what makes you an excellent candidate for this role? (250 words)
- ii. Tell us about a time when you have had to build a relationship with someone when it was particularly challenging. What was your approach? (250 words)
- iii. You notice that one of your partner schools is not engaging with Unifrog across the whole school. How would you approach the situation to maximise staff and student engagement with the platform and resources? (250 words)
Stage 2: Phone task (15 minutes)
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A short role play task over the phone. We will schedule these tasks throughout the application window.
Stage 3: Video call interview (1 hour)
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Short demonstration of a Unifrog tool (resources will be provided) (20 mins)
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Standard Q&A from a panel of three, including questions about your experiences and how these relate to the role, and scenario questions based on common situations you might face (plus time for your questions) (40 mins).
Video call interviews will be held on w/c 24th March 2025.
Your answers are an opportunity to let us know more about your motivations and experience. While we understand that candidates might want to use AI to improve parts of their application, we strongly encourage you to write your answers independently.
Please note, we compare all answers to an AI generated answer. Where we suspect AI has been used to write the majority of the answer, this will be taken into consideration when scoring
Inclusion and diversity at Unifrog
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Within the company we try to foster a culture of innovation, and a happy working environment, both because this is the right thing to do, and because we think this results in the most effective team. To this end we believe in open communication, celebrating successes, supporting each other, not being afraid to be wrong or to fail, and promoting good ideas wherever they come from.
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As a platform that supports teachers and students from a huge variety of backgrounds it’s important that our team and leadership reflects this diversity. This is something we are actively working towards and prioritising. We want to embed diversity, equity and inclusion across everything we do, continually evaluating policies and practices to make sure they are inclusive and equitable.
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To make sure everyone’s voice is heard and people have the opportunities to learn to be better allies in the workplace, we encourage the team to share what they’re celebrating, facilitate training and group discussions, and seek regular feedback about what more the company could do to help people feel included.
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To ensure that our recruitment process is consistent and fair, we anonymise your application and therefore do not see your name, personal, educational or professional background. We also randomise the order of responses so that it’s less likely that a candidate is advantaged or disadvantaged by where their answers appear compared to other candidates.
We are looking for a collaborative, driven and problem-solving candidate to design and lead our core support projects and improve the way we make life better for people affected by aplastic anaemia.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high performing team within the AAT. Our team is small, but mighty. Our current S&O team is made up of three part-time support and outreach workers some of whom have lived experience of aplastic anaemia. Lived experience is hugely important to us but is not an essential criterion for this role.
As part of the Senior Management Team, you will bring the process, structure and programme-oriented approach to our successful range of support services. You will be helping to give people living with aplastic anaemia access to better information, better networks and better ways to advocate for themselves.
This opportunity is for a permanent contract, starting immediately. You will work 35 hours a week, and we encourage flexible working. However, the team does generally operate during core office hours (between 9am to 5pm) and there are regular team meetings on Thursdays.
How to apply
To apply for this role please submit your CV and a supporting statement of no more than a page explaining, with clear examples, how your skills and experience match the job description and person specification.
Applicants who do not submit a relevant supporting statement will not be shortlisted.
Recruitment process timeline
30th March - Deadline for applications
31st March / 1st April - Applicants will be longlisted
3rd / 4th April - Informal interviews will take place via teams
9th / 10th April - Formal interviews will take place via teams
11th April - Candidate selected
All applicants will receive an email on 1st April 2025 whether successfully longlisted or not. Please check your spam folder.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.