Marketing and Communications Lead

Surrey County Council; Woking; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A local governmental organization in Woking seeks a Marketing and Communications Lead to drive impactful campaigns and strategies to improve community engagement. Ideal candidates will have strong marketing experience and excellent communication skills. This full-time, hybrid role offers a fixed-term contract with a competitive salary and numerous employee benefits such as leave options and a supportive environment.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, rising to 31 days after service

Generous local government salary related pension

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Proven marketing experience with social media and website content.
• Strong copywriting and communication skills.
• Experience managing projects from start to finish.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Marketing and Communications Team.
• Create and optimize compelling content strategies.
• Manage various marketing platforms and ensure brand consistency.

Skills

Strong marketing experience

Excellent communication

Team management

Strategic mindset

Experience with social media and CRM

Job description

• Location: Victoria Gate, Chobham Road, Woking, GU21 6JD

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce.This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This full-time role has a starting salary of £36,873 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.This is a fixed term contract/ secondment opportunity until 31st March 2027 with a potential for extension beyond this date. For internal candidates interested in a secondment position, please discuss with your Line Manager before submitting your application.

Are you a disruptor? Are you a change-agent? Are you passionate about making a real difference? If so, we'd LOVE to hear from you!

Active Surrey is looking for an ambitious, driven and inspiring Marketing and Communications Lead to join our fantastic Active Surrey team. This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between working from home and collaborating in the office two days per week.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents
• Friendly, passionate and supportive teammates, all of whom will make you feel right at home and welcome from day one

About the Team

We are Active Surrey. We are one of 43 national Active Partnerships, who are funded by Sport England, to tackle inactivity which is driven by inequalities. We believe in the power of physical activity and the benefits it can offer: a mood booster, a confidence lifter, a social enhancer and a life extender.

Only half Surrey's kids are doing enough physical activity every week, which falls to only 4 out of 10 children amongst lower-income families. 3 out of 10 Surrey adults aren't doing enough, decreasing to 4 out of 10 amongst those earning less.

That's why we need YOU to join our Movement for Change! Help us challenge and change the status quo to get more people moving. Help us create a fairer, better, and healthier future for everyone.

About the Role

As Marketing and Communications Lead, you will lead our Marketing and Communications Team, creating, implementing and optimising compelling content strategies and plans, to directly help tackle inactivity and inequality in Surrey.

Reporting into the Head of Strategy and Innovation, you will have line manager responsibility for the Marketing and Design Officer and be part of the Marketing, Impact, Insight, Innovation and Strategy Team. You will work very closely with the rest of the Active Surrey organisation, and with local and national partners including Sport England, Surrey County Council and the wider Active Partnerships network.

This is a really varied role where no two days are the same. As our Lead you will be involved in:

• Developing a monthly marketing plan one day, writing a press release and speaking to the BBC the next, and shooting and posting content the following day
• Creating and executing compelling and inspiring communication strategies and plans, to support the Active Surrey Vision, Strategy and Business Plan
• Managing and developing the Active Surrey Marketing and Design Officer
• Overseeing and delivering, in accordance with deadlines, a range of Marketing and Communication content and platforms including: Social media channels, PR, events, CRM, website admin and development, brochures and guides.

You will craft high quality copy for use across all communication channels, ensuring application and consistency of marketing guidelines and process across all marketing and communication touchpoints. You will also be measuring the effectiveness of the communications strategy and plans, including monthly monitoring and reporting of performance and learning, to optimise future impact.

You'll love this job if:

• You're passionate about making a difference, you're ambitious, dynamic, a change-agent, someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, using insight to drive real change
• You're brave and creative, a pro-active and inspiring self-starter, eager to learn, adept at bringing in new ideas and trying different things
• You're collaborative and inviting, a team player who enjoys mentoring, managing, developing talent and teams
• You're inspiring, you believe in the power of sport and physical activity to transform lives, and your drive and positivity brings people with you

Application Questions

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Strong marketing experience, including social media, website content creation and execution, with CRM integration
• A strategic mindset, with love of insight and data, and its power to drive attitudes and behaviours to get great results
• Excellent communication, copywriting, influencing and people skills with strong attention to detail
• Experience of managing multiple and conflicting projects from start to finish, hitting deadlines at every turn
• Experience and enthusiasm for managing a team and developing people
• Passion and ambition to make a positive difference

We are open to the background and experience that the right candidate can bring.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• Please tell us about a marketing campaign you've led. What was the strategy, how did you measure success, and what did you learn?
• Describe your experience managing digital channels — including websites, social media, and CRM systems. How have you used these to drive engagement and optimise performance?
• Please provide an example of how you've worked collaboratively with internal teams or external partners to deliver a marketing or communications initiative. What was your role and what was the outcome?
• Please share an example of how you've led or managed a team to deliver a marketing or communications project. How did you motivate the team, allocate responsibilities, and ensure high standards?

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact Mark Hamilton by e-mail or on MS Teams.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 23rd November 2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.