Head of Strategic Communications

ABOUT GLAN

The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) works with affected communities to pursue innovative legal actions across borders to challenge states and other powerful actors involved in human rights violations and systemic injustice. Our actions address the most pressing instances of human rights concern and they fall within the following themes: War and occupation; accountability and supply chains; environmental and economic justice; and migration and border violence.

 

Since our establishment in 2016, we have developed legal strategies directly addressing human rights impacts in over 23 countries and territories. Our cases include the successful legal challenge against imports of cotton produced with forced labour in Xinjiang (East Turkistan) into the UK on behalf of World Uyghur Congress and the climate case against 32 European States before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, brought on behalf of six Portuguese youth-applicants.

 

More recently, we have supported the preeminent Palestinian human rights organisation Al Haq, to rapidly challenge UK weapons exports to Israel due to the risk of these arms being used in violations of international law. 

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

As the Head of Strategic Communications at GLAN, you will spearhead the development and execution of a comprehensive communications strategy that amplifies GLAN's mission and impact on a global scale.

 

You will lead the strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of all communications efforts to enhance the organisation's brand, increase public awareness, and support advocacy and fundraising initiatives.

 

A key part of your role will be to establish GLAN's voice and brand, ensuring it resonates with diverse audiences. You will lead on improving our website and communications style, producing high quality content and ensuring consistent and compelling messaging across all platforms.

 

By fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the media, partners, and the affected communities we support you will play a crucial role in advancing GLAN's vision to challenge injustice through innovative legal strategies. 

 

Reporting directly to the CEO you will form part of the Senior Leadership Team to drive organisational growth & development; looking beyond your immediate communications responsibilities.

 

This is an exciting time to join GLAN. We are seeking a Head of Strategic Communications to build an ambitious communications strategy focused on some of the biggest human rights and climate change issues of our time. At this point in time, the team is small with some budget to work with external freelancers, consultants or agencies. We are looking for someone to grow with GLAN; joining us with a communications team of two and developing your team in the years to come. You should recognise that in the short to medium term, the role will involve some hands-on responsibilities until such time that we can expand the team.

 

KEY RESPONSIBITIES

Communications Strategy

• Align cross-media communication strategies with thematic goals to maximise success across all initiatives. Develop campaign & advocacy communications which will influence change.
• Collaborate with project delivery teams across GLAN to ensure a consistent calendar of communications, highlighting all key areas of work.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing communications and advocacy team, currently including a Campaigns Coordinator.
• Create and manage the departmental budget in alignment with the overall communications strategy.
• Utilise data and insights to map and analyse audience behaviour, informing and optimising communication activities.
• Monitor and evaluate the success of campaigns, tracking performance against strategic KPIs.

 

GLAN brand

• Oversee the review and redesign of the organisation's website to enhance user experience and engagement.
• Champion and promote the use of GLAN's brand among colleagues, fostering a unified brand identity.
• Develop a strong brand presence and establish comprehensive brand guidelines that reflect GLAN’s core values, emphasising the voices of affected communities in all communications. 

 

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

• Serve as a key member of the senior management team, contributing to strategic decision-making and organisational planning.
• Represent the organisation externally at events, conferences, and meetings.
• Prepare communications updates and reports to the Board and relevant committees Work with SLT to improve impact measurement across GLAN.
• External stakeholders Be a Face of GLAN; building & cultivating tactical relationships and networks
• Develop a robust relationship management system to enhance engagement with key press contacts, partner organisations, related networks, and other critical stakeholders.

 

GENERAL RESPONSBILITIES

• Undergo ongoing training to stay updated with changes and new developments in the legal field.
• Always conduct yourself in an ethical and professional manner. Adhere to all company policies and procedures.
• Undertake any other reasonable task or duty as may be assigned by the Director, Chief Operations Officer, Senior Lawyers or Board of Trustees.

 

POSITIVE ACTION STATEMENT

We regret that GLAN’s workforce is currently not representative of society. We seek excellence in our team, and we are aware that in not attracting diversity, we are missing exceptional candidates. We are looking to expand on the range of experiences and perspectives of our colleagues, as we believe this will better serve the people we represent. We especially invite applications from those with knowledge of the language, culture, and political environment of countries in the Global Majority, particularly those in which we currently work.

 

BENEFITS

You are likely to join the Global Action Network because you are passionate about our work. But here are some other great reasons to work with us:

• Salary £50,000 - £55,000
• Home working
• We’ll enrol you in a pension scheme, with 3% contribution from GLAN if you put in at least 5%.
• We have access to an Employee Assistance Programme.
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and three days gifted between Christmas and New Year
• Enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption pay
• Enhanced compassionate & bereavement leave
• Paid wellbeing leave
• Access to co-working spaces
• Homeworking allowance (as per HMRC guidelines)
• Potential for sabbatical leave to support staff who wish to take time away from work to pursue travel, study or other personal life changes 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

A degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant discipline.

 

EXPERIENCE

Essential

• At least 5 years’ experience in a senior communications position with overall responsibility for organisational strategy design and delivery
• Experience in developing and implementing campaign based communications strategies, advocating and influencing change Line management and team development including KPI setting in line with strategy
• Brand identity and development Experience of maximising campaign success and creating compelling media assets on a small budget
• Experience of monitoring and evaluating multichannel communications and presenting this data as a tool to optimise communications
• Experience working with external agencies

Desirable

• A progressive communications style empowering the communities we support.

 

SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate and tailor content effectively for different formats and audiences and with high levels of accuracy and attention to detail
• Proven ability to meet tight individual and group deadlines and to manage one’s own workload through effective prioritisation, time management and organisational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to spark collaboration with external and internal stakeholders
• Works well to deadlines

Desirable

• Experience of developing communications strategies for small NGOs
• Experience of, and interest in human rights and environmental issues

 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

GLAN is a homebased organisation. It is expected you will have an appropriate space, free from distraction, to carry out your duties. You will be required to attend semi-regular meetings & events.

 

GLAN VALUES

GLAN has a set of core values. As a Lawyer you would be required to uphold these values through some of the examples below:

Community Centred

• Ensure effective development & delivery of communication strategies & plans that contribute to our vision and mission, ensuring our communications feature the voices and issues faced by the communities we support.

Partnership Focused

• Building and maintaining key relationships internally and with press, partners, networks and communities.
• Experienced in coordinating communication campaigns with external networks.

Radical

• Committed to deep, systemic change rather than superficial fixes both in how we work and how we run our organisation.
• We strive to dismantling systems of oppression that perpetuate racial and class inequalities within our organisation and the communities we serve.

Creative

• Bold, innovative, and creative in the identification, development and communication of our work.

Tenacious

• Build long term case strategies to persist in awareness raising and maximising support for our cases.