Communications Manager (To Executive)

Yorkshire Cancer Research; Harrogate; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced contributory pension scheme

25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Private medical insurance

Career progression opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

A leading charitable organization in Harrogate seeks a Communications Manager to oversee communication efforts for Directors. The role involves developing communication strategies, ensuring messaging consistency, and advising on PR opportunities. Candidates should hold a degree, a professional qualification, and have proven experience in PR management within a not-for-profit setting. Strong collaboration, communication skills, and the ability to manage complex projects are essential. Hybrid working is offered with a range of benefits including flexible working arrangements and an enhanced pension scheme.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Achieved a recognised professional qualification showing commitment to development.
• Demonstrable experience in effective PR management in a not-for-profit.
• Experience advising senior leaders.
• Proven ability in managing multiple high-impact projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage communication plans for Directors.
• Optimise communication channels for audience reach.
• Advise Directors on PR opportunities.
• Ensure strategic alignment with messaging.

Skills

Effective PR management

Collaboration skills

Communication skills

Budget management

Organisational change experience

Networking skills

Education

Degree level education or equivalent

Recognised professional qualification

Job description

Harrogate, North Yorkshire – with some travel across the Yorkshire region

We offer hybrid working.

Benefits

We offer all employees a wide range of benefits including an enhanced contributory pension scheme, 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service), flexible working arrangements, private medical insurance, enhanced maternity leave, career progression, learning and development, wellbeing initiatives, offices within walking distance of Hornbeam Park train station, and a whole lot more.

Role

The Communications Manager (to Executive) is responsible for what, where and how the Chief Executive, Directors (collective referred to as ‘Directors’ from this point forward) and members of the Board of Trustees communicate about the charity to employees, volunteers and supporters.

You will enable charity leaders to convey and reinforce consistent messages to build reputation and trust in both the charity and the leadership of the charity.

As Communications Manager (to Executive), you will be responsible for Directors’ communication about the charity and its:

• purpose
• brand
• public affairs
• reputation (including crisis management and responses to complaints)

The role holder will help to identify communication gaps and opportunity, working with Directors to address these through a communication plan.

You will plan, agree, draft and support Directors to deliver proactive thought‑leadership.

Specifically, you will:

• Develop and agree a bespoke internal/external communication plan for Directors, reflecting both their shared, collective role in leading the charity.
• Optimise existing, and develop new, communication channels to enable Directors to reach new audiences and reinforce messages to existing audiences.
• Identify corporate developments, projects and initiatives that will benefit from Director communication and work with project/initiative leader(s) to ensure a planned, aligned and integrated approach to key messages and their delivery.

Brand

• Ensure the charity’s brand, strategy and purpose is accurately and proactively reflected in all messaging and content which quotes or is on behalf of Directors.
• Reflect the charity’s tone‑of‑voice, taking a plain‑English approach to communication by avoiding technical terms, jargon and acronyms.

Process and Governance

• Ensure Directors are advised about potential PR and communication opportunities and can consider and input before they are committed to.
• For proactive communication, diarise approval time in Directors’ diaries and provide Executive briefings and content well in advance (giving weeks’ rather than days’ notice) so that there is plenty of time for Directors to review, adapt and approval before the deadline or event.
• Where reactive opportunities (e.g. tv and radio interviews) are available, ensure the relevant Director has adequate notice and time to prepare, negotiating longer timeframes on their behalf where this is possible and necessary.

About You

To be considered for this role, you will need:

• To be educated to degree level or equivalent.
• To have achieved a recognised professional qualification which demonstrates an ongoing commitment to learning and development.
• To have demonstrable experience of effective PR management, preferably with a not‑for‑profit organisation.
• To be experienced and confident working with and advising an organisation’s most senior leaders.
• To have clear experience of having embraced organisational change and transformation, and of helping colleagues and team members to do likewise.
• To have extensive experience of successfully prioritising projects, activities and work so that those activities that will have greatest strategic impact are delivered first and foremost.
• To have proven communications acumen with the ability to manage a budget.
• To have excellent collaboration, prioritisation and communication skills.
• To have Integrity and discretion when handling privileged information.
• To have the ability to plan own workload and manage that of others, on time.
• To have excellent written and verbal communication and influencing skills, with a strong background presenting complex information, simply and effectively to a range of audiences.
• To have excellent networking, influencing and relationship management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate others, as well as the confidence and personal authority to work with external organisations.
• To be a dedicated and respected team player creating effective working relationships with others.
• To be highly comfortable working with challenging and changing environments.

We positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. If we can make any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact us.