Digital Communications Officer

***we offer free recruitment services to charities. This role is being supported ProBono***

Charity
c£30,000 plus benefits

This is an outstanding opportunity to join one of the country’s most exciting charities. Well-funded and with immense support, both financial and human, the charity is nationally renowned as being a leader in their field whilst genuinely changing lives.

The charity has seen transformative change & growth in recent years with increases in size and scope as well as substantial infrastructure growth that has seen their site benefit from tens of £millions of investment & construction, all for the benefit for those whom they serve and support, as well as seeing the engagement with the wider community reach new heights.

 
As the charity and its family continues to develop, and increasingly embrace the digital world, they have seen investment in their digital connectivity and promotion to great effect; it has however highlighted a skills gap in their marketing and communications team to truly optimise their digital communication – hence their desire to fill this newly created role.

The charity is all about people. Replicating that human-focus to the benefit of everyone within their family has always been a key focus. Accordingly they have created an upbeat, friendly, innovative, and supportive environment with, crucially, great opportunities for personal development and career advancement. 

This is an energised and innovative culture, which every person involved works diligently to foster and continually improve, whilst permanently remembering the individuals they exist to support.

Their culture has won them significant recognition and an enviable reputation. Almost 200 years of history, achievements and award wins sets this charity apart from their competitors; and with ever increasing demand for their services matched with a willingness for supporters to get involved, their future is as impressive as their history and even more exciting.

This new appointee will be given a unique opportunity to play a vital role in the work and future of the charity. 

The Digital Communications Officer will be a highly creative, resilient and forward thinking Communications specialist playing a key role in supporting the delivery of the ambitious marketing and communications strategy. It’s an exciting time as the charity delivers its highly ambitious Transformation Project – one of the largest of its kind in the UK – to develop a new site and overall campus. A recent brand refresh new website has seen a start to their digital transformation, but this newly created position will take their digital communications to a new level.

They will bring a good idea of industry best practice, and be excited to introduce and execute those ideas as they take ownership of the digital campaign planning whilst engaging everyone within the charity, and beyond.

The appointee with have a responsibility for developing and leading the digital communications strategy, including all website development and social media as well as providing input into the marketing function for the charity. 

You will be working across the charity and will be responsible for creating digital communication campaigns and plans, ensuring a common and consistent message and tone, promoting key activities, new initiatives and generally promoting the charity and its furthering its brand. 

The successful candidate will demonstrably be a team player with a positive can-do attitude and the ability to deliver effective communications strategies on deadline in an exceptionally positive, familial environment. 

You will have strong technical and analytical skills with creative flair. With an eye to the future, you’ll put forward and support new ideas to increase the charity’s presence on social platforms and help shape their digital communications through analytics, monitoring and exploring new technologies. Excellent planning skills and ability to quickly respond to changing priorities mean that you’re able to deliver in a fast-paced and deadline driven environment. With initiative and a flexible approach, you’ll be comfortable managing a varied proactive and reactive workload. Working as part of a small and supportive team, you’ll play a key, hands-on role in the delivery of positive, creative and effective communications.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leading on the delivery of strategic web and digital marketing priorities for the strategy
• Leading on the development and maintenance of engaging digital communication
• Leading on the delivery of engaging digital communications channels and input into content
• Supporting the management and delivery of internal communications

As with all appointments in this highly people-centric business, candidate profile and chemistry fit is critical, but never more so than for this for this pivotal communications role. Working within a fast-paced, innovative, hugely caring environment, attitude is as important as experience. The person is everything. 

The Digital Communications Officer will be instrumental in setting the digital tone and conveying the personality for this amazing, well known charity. The gravity of success is all about having the right attitude, underpinned with the awareness of the immense good and impact on so many peoples’ lives you will be having.

Suitable candidates will already have experience in digital communication. They will likely have held a similar role although the sector is unimportant. They will possess a strong ethos in delivery through engagement, planning, an innovative approach, informed insight, ideation and a positive ‘do’ not just ‘think’ mindset.

They will be people oriented, hands-on and possess the ability to create a sense of mission and attentiveness to current and future requirements and challenges.

Skills & Experience Required:

• Proven experience in a related area – website management, marketing, digital communications
• Knowledge and extensive experience of managing organisational websites, developing information architecture, improving user experience, search engine optimisation, website content management systems and email marketing tools
• Ability to acquire, engage and retain audiences through digital content, particularly delivered by email or on websites
• Ability to understand and negotiate a range of complex strategic, organisational and audience requirements in developing content plans and content architectures.
• Knowledge of different content formats – particularly digital formats – and their strengths and weaknesses.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of website and email activity – including use of Google Analytics
• Solid WordPress, HTML, CSS, JavaScript front end programming 
• Solid understanding of SEO
• Strong understanding of CMS, Adobe Creative Cloud and W3C web standards
• Ability to code using front end technologies
• Experience of working as part of a creative team; briefing and working collaboratively with professional colleagues to deliver a work programme across different areas of responsibility.
• Ability to advise colleagues on digital systems, tools and strategies.
• Ability to understand, work within and promote the charity’s vision and values and ensure websites and email content support these.

The successful candidate will have creative and innovative ability and desire, and be hugely excited by this highly engaging, positive environment, thick with USPs – their operational leadership strength will be underpinned by a real “Just Do It” attitude, and a sense of humour.

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