Head of Communications and Marketing

Living Paintings

Living Paintings is the national charity on a mission to ensure every blind child in the UK has equal access to the visual world of pictures, books and learning. From adapting bestselling picture books into accessible, tactile-audio formats for blind children to developing resources designed to inspire, educate and entertain our free postal library gives thousands of blind children and young people the world at their fingertips.

We are looking for a strategic, organised and creative Communications and Marketing Lead to join us at an exciting time for the charity. In the last two years, we have doubled the number of beneficiaries using our service thanks to innovative campaigning and strong storytelling. We are working to an ambitious 10 year strategy that will further raise awareness of Living Paintings and our work, increase income and maximise our impact.

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

In this role you will lead on maintaining, developing, and delivering all aspects of our charity s communications strategy and its associated activities, working closely with the Communications Assistant as well as the CEO, Fundraising Lead, Library Manager and Publishing Manager. Primarily an outward facing role, the postholder will ensure that the charity has the broadest possible positive exposure to stakeholders both current and future and continue to build Living Paintings into a credible, recognisable and positive brand.

Hours: 28-35 hours per week

Salary: £45,000 – £48,500 FTE

Place of work: Hybrid between home and office in Kingsclere, Newbury (at least 2 days per week in the office preferred).

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Line Management: Communications Assistant

Working week: Office hours are 9-5 Monday to Friday with one hour for lunch. Flexible working available and we are positively reactive to employees life needs. Some weekend and evening work may be required from time to time for which time off in lieu will be given.

Travel: On rare occasions the successful candidate must be prepared to travel throughout the UK if required. All mileage and travel expenses for business purposes will be reimbursed.

Qualifications: Educated to degree level of equivalent professional experience. We would prefer that the successful candidate also have a Fundraising or Marketing qualification.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the organisations overarching Communications and Marketing Strategy to enable Living Paintings to reach its ambitions and targets.
• Lead on the development and management of all planned proactive and reactive PR and media activities.
• Lead on all aspects of brand development, management and communications to create a consistent, coherent, credible and recognisable brand.
• Develop, implement and manage processes to ensure campaigns from all departments are integrated, run effectively, efficiently and are impactful.
• Lead on the development of all the charity s on and offline content.
• Lead on the charity s social media presence and brand, growing following, engagement and conversions.
• Manage, develop and optimise the charity s website, email communications and digital offering championing innovation, implementing effective, conversion-focussed user-journeys.
• Lead on all on and offline marketing activities including but not limited to SEO, digital/social advertising, print.
• Manage budgets for communications and campaigning activities.
• Maintain positive contact with stakeholders beneficiaries, families, friends, Trustees.
• Continually develop and monitor KPIs, taking an agile approach to activities to ensure these can be met effectively.
• Regular reporting and presenting on all aspects of communications and marketing.
• Lead on fostering positive relationships with our VIP and Celebrity supporters.
• Work closely with the Library Team to proactively source quality stories from beneficiary groups to feed in to our marketing, communications, PR and fundraising activities.
• Act as a representative and ambassador for Living Paintings at media appearances and events.
• Manage the procurement of and the relationships with freelancers and suppliers employed to support Living Paintings in their campaigns, communications and marketing activities.
• Continually seek out new opportunities to promote the work of Living Paintings.
• Support other members of the Living Paintings team in their personal development and understanding of communications processes.

Experience

Required demonstrable experience of:

Developing and implementing a successful communications strategy.

Communicating to and working with a wide variety of stakeholders and audiences.

Financial management and budgeting.

Managing and developing people.

Working collaboratively and effectively with a wide variety of people both internally and externally, at all levels.

Reporting to agreed KPIs and analytics and setting improvements based on results.

Project management and managing multiple projects

Using a fundraising/CRM database.

Preferred Demonstrable Experience:

Experience of working within a charitable, not for profit environment

Experience of working with/for blind and partially sighted people

Skills

Excellent written communication skills and ability to present complex concepts to stakeholders

Wide range of IT skills, including use of presentation software.

Ability to make full use of a wide variety of social media platforms.

Project management skills.

Analytical skills (both numerical and conceptual)

Ability to combine strategic development and leadership with general day to day operational delivery.

Strong communicator with the ability to inspire and enlist the support of others.

Excellent team player, ambitious and results driven, a confident manager.

Excellent numeracy and attention to detail.

Wordpress

Knowledge

Knowledge of proven, up to date communication techniques and channels.

Managing people.

Personal attributes

Self motivated and able to work effectively alone and with a team.

Creative approach to communications management.

Results focussed.

Able to demonstrate empathy with our aims.

Drive and ambition to meet KPIs based on audience reaction.

A positive and pragmatic approach, able to juggle and manage a breadth of projects and range of competing priorities.

Able to deal confidently with people at all levels, gets on well with colleagues and supporters.

Able to motivate people and generate enthusiasm, motivated to learn new things.

Able to work on own initiative, introducing new solutions and innovative ways of improving working procedures.

Safeguarding

Living Paintings is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment

Eligibility to work in UK

Proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK.

General

Able to travel for work within the UK occasionally

Able to work flexibly to include evenings and weekends to meet the demands of the job

Annual leave: We offer 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising by 1 day per annum up to 30 days when working on a full time basis.