Senior Communications and Engagement Officer

About the role

• Reporting to: Senior Communications and Engagement Officer 
• Contract: Full-time 
• Hours per week: 35 hours, usually between 9:30 – 5:30. One hour for lunch. 
• Annual leave: 25 days holiday, plus statutory bank holidays 

We’re looking to recruit a Senior Communications and Engagement Officer to join the friendly CharityComms team to help us plan, organise and deliver communications and engagement outputs that support the needs of members, and drive organisational development.  

A core part of the job will be overseeing the CharityComms’ social media work, by managing our channels, creating content, and delivering on our social media strategy to engage people and increase our brand profile.    

Other key tasks include content creation and commissioning projects for our website, and having a supporting role in other general communications, engagement and marketing activity and administration as needed. This is a great opportunity for a strategic thinker with a passion for creative, impactful communications, who is ready to demonstrate their initiative.  

Location 

Remote, with the option of occasional working in our central London office, and as needed for in-person events (full travel costs will be covered for any in-person events). 

About CharityComms 

CharityComms is a thriving membership network of communications professionals working in UK charities. Our amazing community is made up of more than 750 charities, adding up to almost 12,000 people. 

We work with our members and the wider communications community to raise the standard of charity communications, to enable them to deliver their world-changing missions more effectively. From our range of services and events to our best practice guides, reports, support for professional development and web and social media content, we represent, support, inspire, connect and inform our members and the wider charity communications community. 

We are a small, friendly team of 13, working closely together to achieve big things for our members and the sector. In 2021 we won Team of the Year and have recently been shortlisted for Best Professional Body or Learned Society at the Memcom awards. 

Purpose of the role 

You will be working with the Communications and Engagement team to promote CharityComms and what we offer, through the creation and development of effective and engaging content, and community and stakeholder engagement. 

Communications and content are at the heart of this role, and we’re looking for someone with demonstratable experience in strategic, content-based projects, including commissioning and editing content from external stakeholders, social media management and content creation, and community management. 

Social media management and community engagement 

You will own the social media management of our channels, maximising their performance and supporting stakeholder engagement with our work. You will:  

• Deliver and adapt a creative and engaging social content strategy with the Communications and Engagement Manager that meets our wider business aims and objectives. 
• Craft key organisational messaging into engaging social media content and posts to generate conversations. 
• Be responsible for creating, scheduling and managing social content using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and our management tool, Sprout Social. 
• Responsible for maintaining upkeep of social analytics reporting, as directed by the Communications and Engagement Manager, to ensure activity supports wider marketing, communications and engagement strategies. 
• Continuously improve our social media presence and brand profile, including recommending and piloting new approaches to content and channel development to increase community engagement and meet targets. 
• Manage and monitor forum and social media groups and act as facilitator of conversations where needed, working closely with relevant colleagues and stakeholders. 
• Grow and deliver ways to increase engagement with new and existing audiences, including regular engagement activity on member’s posts (sharing, liking) and ensuring our member network is up to date within these channels. 

Content commissioning and creation 

Working proactively and collaboratively with the Communications and Engagement Manger to deliver our content plans. You will:  

• Deliver and adapt our communications and engagement strategy to meet our objectives.  
• Play an active role in content creation and marketing activity – including designing, producing and editing creative content i.e. graphics, photography, videos. 
• Develop, coordinate and update long-form pieces for our website, i.e. best practice guides and templates. 
• Have remit to commission content projects – using own initiative to develop initial pitches relevant to charity communicators and oversee the commissioning process. 
• Work with external providers where necessary to develop resources and creative materials where required. 
• Stay up to date with current communications, marketing and content trends, to advise the wider CharityComms team on best practice regarding content and campaigns, including accessibility. 

Website and email comms 

Working collaboratively with teams where needed or taking key roles to:  

• Edit, upload, and publish content on the CharityComms website as directed. 
• Work with the Communications and Engagement Manager to continuously deliver on website strategy activities.   
• Work alongside the Communications and Engagement Manager to deliver eNews campaigns. This could include commissioning, writing, research, proof-reading, scheduling, maintaining lists and reporting on performance as needed. 
• Actively provide feedback to the Communications and Engagement Manager and Head of Membership and Insight on planned activities and make recommendations for improvements. 

Other activities 

• Ability and confidence to deputise for the Communications and Engagement Manager where necessary.  
• Analyse data for reporting and make recommendations.  
• Work across the organisation to support communications and marketing activity to ensure consistent messaging, tone and content. 
• Provide communications support across key organisational projects, and on any other activity, as reasonably requested, that will generate social and/or financial return on investment for CharityComms. 
• Support the admin of the comms inbox, responding appropriately to requests or flagging for colleagues.  
• Keep up to date with sector news, events and activities. 
• Attend CharityComms and sector events, where appropriate, either in-person or online. 

Person specification 

Experience 

• Experience of working in a professional membership organisation - desirable.
• Experience of digital content management; especially working with a CMS - desirable.
• Experience of running social media accounts and engaging communities through them - essential. 
• A good knowledge of current communications and engagement techniques and practice - essential. 
• Experience of both writing and editing for the web - essential. 
• Experience of video and photo editing - essential. 
• Experience of commissioning content - essential. 
• Experience of social analytics reporting - essential. 

Personal attributes 

• Highly motivated and goal orientated - essential. 
• Empathy with the goals and vision of CharityComms - essential. 
• Excellent communications and interpersonal skills and ability to represent CharityComms externally - essential. 
• Strategically minded with a practical hands-on approach - essential. 
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills - essential. 
• Ability to work alone and with others and work under pressure - essential.  
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and creativity - essential. 
• A good level of IT literacy, including the use of data bases (preferably Salesforce) and AV systems - essential.  
• Commitment to self-directed learning and networking across sectors and share new ways of working with colleagues - essential.  
• Maintain an externally facing focus - essential. 
• Support CharityComms proactive, results orientated and collaborative culture - essential. 

Interviews 

Interviews will be held online via Zoom. Our friendly interview panel will be made up of staff members from the Comms and Engagement team. 

These are some of the types of questions we will be asking during the interview: 

• What interests you about working at CharityComms? 
• Tell us about a time when you had to prioritise multiple tasks or deadlines. 
• What is your previous experience of working remotely – particularly with communicating and making sure you are working most effectively with your teammates? 

Shortlisted candidates will be sent the list of interview questions in advance of the interview.  

Diversity and Inclusion 

At CharityComms, we’re committed to creating an inclusive culture, internally and in the wider charity sector, where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We value lived and learned experiences of social issues, justice and change.  

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures and we will do our best to support you to upskill because we want to recruit, retain and develop the best talent available. 

Additional info 

All staff are currently working remotely from home, but there is the option to go into the office (located near London Bridge), to work and meet other members of the team as necessary. 

Benefits include: 

• Yearly personal development budget. 
• Generous pension contributions. 
• Opportunity to attend CharityComms events. 
• Reciprocal membership and training opportunities with many other sector organisations. 
• Flexible working is offered where possible.