Director of Strategic Communications

We are seeking an experienced, passionate and creative Director of Strategic Communications. As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will help provide collective leadership, advice and challenge to UKCF, and take responsibility for leading the delivery of our internal and external communication functions. You will be setting our communication direction, guiding the implementation of activity, ensuring measurable outcomes are achieved and telling the community foundation story effectively.   

   

About UK Community Foundations 

  

UK Community Foundations (UKCF) is the membership body for 47 accredited community foundations which cover every postcode of the UK, and three international members in Ireland, Jersey and Bermuda.  

  

Community foundations are local champions, bringing local bodies together to understand inequalities and find solutions. They use these local insights to inspire place-based philanthropy, transforming private wealth into community resources for both now and the long term.  

  

Last year, the UKCF network collectively invested over £170 million into local groups and organisations that are tackling the biggest issues facing communities. 

  

At UKCF: 

  

• We put inclusivity at the forefront of all we do 

• Valuing diversity of thought and experience  

• Ensuring all voices are heard  

• Challenging and dismantling barriers wherever we find them  

• We put relationships first  

• Everything we achieve will be done with and through others  

• Demonstrating integrity, openness, honesty and care in all we do  

• Empowering networks that support places to thrive  

• We are ambitious for members and the communities they support  

• Valuing future generations  

• Focusing on underlying causes not symptoms  

• Constantly challenging our knowledge and practice 

  

About the role 

  

This is a new role that follows a decision to focus our new organisational strategy for 2024-2027 on growing our external influence and that of our network of 47 community foundations across the UK. 

  

You will demonstrate generous leadership qualities and the ability to forge strong relationships and external partnerships, as we can have a far greater impact working with and through others.  You will also encourage and facilitate collaborative and integrated work with colleagues within UKCF and across the community foundation network.  

  

Job specification  

  

External strategic communications 

  

Purpose: To enhance UKCF's communications, brand and external influence in order to engage and inspire key audiences, thereby supporting the effectiveness of our business development, grant programmes and strategic delivery. 

  

Key responsibilities: 

  

• Set out the strategic communications direction. You will play a crucial role in delivering our priorities of raising the profile of community foundations, promoting philanthropy and advocating on behalf of UK communities.   

• Understand the most effective ways to influence within the context we work and resources available – being flexible and responsive to a rapidly changing environment and understanding the changing needs of our partners.  

• Develop and oversee a cohesive and integrated strategic communications strategy and framework. 

• Elevate and enhance our brand, ensuring clear, consistent and impactful messaging that resonates with our diverse audiences and drives our organisational priorities. 

• Work closely with the interim Co-CEOs and Senior Management Team to develop and deliver the organisation’s external affairs strategy to extend our influence, public profile and achieve our policy and public affairs objectives. 

• Collaborate with colleagues to ensure the insights and learning from our members and our national grant programmes inform and drive our external communications outputs. 

• Work with our network to support and coordinate external messaging and communications that will amplify the broader network. 

• Work with MarComms leads across the UKCF member network to ensure the delivery of consistent, strategic coverage in earned media for community foundations and the impact of their work. 

  

Internal strategic communications 

  

Key responsibilities: 

  

• Line management of the Communications and Marketing Manager, as well as any other staff or contractors that are recruited on a temporary or permanent basis. 

• Manage UKCF’s communication and marketing budget, continuously seeking ways to improve efficiency and impact of investment. 

• Support a culture of continuous learning across UKCF, building confidence and skills in the team to effectively communicate our messages on external channels and to our members. 

• Contribute to the successful delivery of key events including biannual conferences, webinars and in-person policy and learning events, supporting the work of our Membership Team and Senior Management Team to engage our network and funders. 

• Ensure a high-quality delivery and consistency of communications and brand, reviewing and building out our brand resources for the UKCF team. 

• Communicate impact, learnings and outcomes of external relations and owned media activity to the Senior Management Team and Board as required. 

• Utilise strategic communications expertise to support UKCF’s public policy objectives and the work of our interim Co-CEOs to raise the network’s profile with local, regional and national governments.   

  

Member of the Senior Management Team 

  

Key responsibilities: 

  

• Work in a collegiate manner with Senior Management Team colleagues, providing expert advice, challenge and support.  

• Contribute to strategic reviews, planning and development of the organisation, and take the lead on identified projects as agreed with your line manager. 

• Work closely with the Senior Management Team and Trusts Manager to develop and deliver our business development plan to resource and grow our income. 

• Providing reports and advice to the Board and Committees, as requested by the interim Co-CEOs. 

• Provide highly effective line management, including regular supervision, annual appraisals and oversight of learning, development and wellbeing. 

• Work with the interim Co-CEOs and Finance Team to set annual budgets for the directorate and ensure they are managed effectively by the team to maximise income and control costs. 

• Provide excellent levels of service to members, press and partners.  

  

Person specification 

  

Skills and experience:

  

• You are a strategic thinker, able to balance a wide range of competing priorities whilst supporting and inspiring the UKCF team. 

• You are an inspiring impact leader with a track record of creating and executing effective marketing strategies that engage and resonate with external audiences. 

• You are a skilled communicator with advanced interpersonal and influencing skills, with the capability to quickly build credibility with a diverse group of senior stakeholders and present complex issues in a clear and effective manner. 

• You have a proven ability to manage risks, work under pressure, deliver effectively at pace and meet external media deadlines. 

• You have experience acting as an expert communications advisor to a variety of external stakeholders. 

• Ideally, you have experience of leading a communications or marketing function for third sector or social impact organisations, with expertise in crafting impact narratives and utilising data storytelling to bring credibility. 

• You have a keen understanding of the UK media and political landscape, with experience in landing coverage and targeted communications in a range of media. 

• You have experience in how social channels can be used strategically to build trust and profile of organisations and their work. 

  

What we provide 

 

At UKCF, we put inclusion at the forefront of our work and believe in equal opportunities for all. That is why our recruitment process is anonymous and our salaries are transparent.  

  

It is important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve, and we want everyone in our team to feel they belong. We ensure staff familiarise themselves with our company policies and procedures, uphold the Equal Opportunities and Anti-Harassment and Bullying policies, act at all times within the company rules and procedures and observe health and safety procedures to ensure personal safety when working remotely. We also have mental health first-aiders in place and a fantastic wellbeing service that provides bespoke support to all employees.  

  

UKCF is a fully remote-working organisation with staff based across the UK, embedded in the communities we serve, stretching around the nation. Each member can be fully home based, work from the office of their nearest community foundation or combine the two approaches according to their situation and preference. 

  

UKCF is made of a small, friendly and supportive team. We make time to catch up socially as well as to work. We meet in person three times a year over a few days, visiting a different community foundation and region each time. This helps us to build on our strategy and working relationships, and to learn more about the vital projects and programmes our network supports. 

  

Holidays and benefits 

  

• 30 days holiday each year plus 8 bank holidays (pro-rata) 

• Up to two days paid leave for volunteer days 

• Season ticket loans available 

• Enhanced pension scheme 

• Flexible working hours, 14-21 hours per week