Advancement Communications Manager

King's College London; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

King's College London invites applications for Senior Advancement Communications Manager to lead communications strengthening alumni engagement, fundraising and reputation. The role oversees mass philanthropy and alumni communications, ensuring content is refreshed and campaigns respond to the evolving landscape.

Working with Advancement Writing, Legacy Giving, Mid‑Level Giving, Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, the postholder will blend strategic planning with hands‑on delivery, provide

Qualifications

• Experience of managing integrated communications across multiple channels.
• Excellent editorial judgement and storytelling for fundraising campaigns.
• Experience of line management and coaching colleagues.
• Strong planning, organisational and project management skills.
• Ability to think strategically while delivering high‑quality outputs.
• Expert knowledge of external digital communications and audience engagement.
• Proven ability to lead high‑level projects independently.
• Collaborative and accountable in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day‑to‑day delivery of mass philanthropy and alumni communications.
• Lead audience‑focused content to support engagement and fundraising.
• Provide leadership, project management and line management support.
• Ensure communications are audience‑led, evidence‑driven and effective.
• Collaborate with Advancement Writing, Legacy Giving, Mid‑Level Giving, Philanthropy and Alumni Relations.

Skills

Integrated communications

Editorial judgement

Fundraising campaigns

Line management

Project management

Strategic thinking

External digital comms

Stakeholder management

Collaboration

Job description

The Senior Advancement Communications Manager will play a leading role in delivering communications that strengthen alumni engagement, support philanthropic giving and enhance the reputation of the University among its alumni, supporters and wider community. This vital new role will oversee the day‑to‑day delivery of our mass philanthropy and alumni communications programme. It will ensure that we are constantly reviewing our content and annual campaigns to improve understanding, drive engagement and respond to the changing communications landscape.

The postholder will work closely with colleagues across the department, including Advancement Writing, Legacy Giving, Mid‑Level Giving, Philanthropy and Alumni Relations colleagues to build a comprehensive understanding of King's fundraising priorities, academic strengths and strategic engagement ambitions. They will use this insight to help their team to create and deliver compelling, audience‑focused content that supports alumni engagement and advances the University's philanthropic goals.

The role combines strategic planning with hands‑on delivery, providing leadership, project management and line management support while ensuring that communications activity is audience‑focused, evidence‑led and contributes to engagement and fundraising objectives. This is a full‑time post and you will be offered an indefinite contract. P&A has a hybrid working approach, with a minimum of 40% of time in the office. Typically, this equates to two days per week, but we are very happy for colleagues to be in more frequently if they so wish.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension. We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination. When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance.

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements, including part‑time, compressed hours and/or job shares, as appropriate and in the context of the business needs associated with the role.

This role will have two interview stages, a standard skills‑based interview followed (for up to two appointable candidates) by a Core Values interview.

Interview schedule

• First stage interviews for internal redeployment candidates are due to be held on 23 October
• First stage interviews for external candidates (if required) are due to be held on 23 November with Core Values interviews on 26 November.

Essential criteria

• Experience of managing integrated communications across multiple external channels, including email, digital, social media and print within a complex organisation.
• Excellent editorial judgement and experience of supporting philanthropic fundraising campaigns and impact storytelling.
• Experience of line management, coaching or developing colleagues.
• Strong planning, organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to think strategically while maintaining attention to detail and delivering high‑quality outputs.
• Expert knowledge of external digital communications, audience engagement and channel optimisation, with the ability to apply insight to improve organisational performance.
• Proven ability to lead high level projects and initiative independently based on aims and outcomes.
• Ability and commitment to working in a truly collaborative and respectful way with colleagues, taking accountability for actions and supporting P&A's ambitions as a whole Directorate.

Desirable criteria

• Strong understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion best practice in communications
• Significant experience of shaping messaging from across functions/disciplines to create cohesive institutional storytelling.
• Experience of working with and influencing multiple senior stakeholders in complex organisations.

Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement (P&A)

Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement (P&A) raises philanthropic funds in support of King's College London and engages with the university's worldwide alumni community. We are proud to enable the work of colleagues across the university and its health partners, helping them serve society through world‑leading education, research and healthcare. Our activity includes a partnership with the Maudsley Charity in support of children's mental health and initiatives between the university's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and the South London & Maudsley NHS Trust.

We are entering an exciting period as a team. Our work is identified as a key enabler of the new King's Strategy 2030, with associated ambitions that include preparing for our next major philanthropic and engagement campaign. This will accelerate and energise our work in support of the University's mission to be 'in service to society through academic excellence' - be that through exceptional, impact‑led research; ensuring our students are supported to thrive during their time at King's and beyond; or by helping the university to invest over the long‑term into its people, ideas and infrastructure. We plan to deepen and scale engagement with our global alumni community, donors and other supporters, mobilising them behind these shared priorities. We are strongly values‑driven with a focus on sustaining a strong and supportive culture, which we see as key to creating a successful team that can realise these ambitions.

More on King's College London For almost 200 years, King's has been a place where ideas turn into action. From revealing the structure of DNA to reimagining nursing, from advances in medicine, law and the study of war and peace to shaping culture and public debate, our work has always been guided by a belief that knowledge should serve society. Over our history, King's has been home to 14 Nobel Prize winners, and to scholars whose ideas and leadership have shaped thinking, policy and practice around the world. King's has always been a place where knowledge is put to work for the benefit of others. King's College London is a world‑renowned university that delivers exceptional education and world‑leading research. We're committed to creating positive and sustainable change in our local and global communities through outstanding education, impactful research, and genuine service to society. King's Strategy 2030 sets out how we take that purpose forward, with four key priorities including student success in and beyond university, investment in research and education excellence that responds to the changing world, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and delivering sustainable finances for a secure future.

More information on King's, its purpose and strategy can be found here

At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.