National Communications Lead

RNLI; England; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

RNLI is seeking a National Communications Lead to drive the delivery of communications across channels, support key projects, and protect the charity's reputation. You will join the National Communications Team and lead on strategic storytelling.

You will build strong relationships with national media, the third sector, and internal stakeholders, oversee campaigns, measure impact, and work with senior leaders. Occasional travel across the UK and Ireland and out-of-hours on-call duties apply.

Qualifications

• Experience in busy media environments and media relations.
• Ability to plan, deliver and evaluate integrated communications.
• Proven ability to measure and analyse communications impact.
• Excellent writing, storytelling and news sense.

Responsibilities

• Lead on the delivery of integrated communications across channels to support RNLI priorities.
• Protect the charity's reputation and support fundraising and safety campaigns.
• Build and maintain relationships with national media, third sector and internal stakeholders.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate communications activities and campaigns; measure impact against objectives.
• Occasional UK/Ireland travel and be available for out-of-hours on-call duties.

Skills

Media relations

News writing

Integrated communications

Stakeholder management

Campaign planning

Job description

National Communications Lead

Salary: £42,479 - £49,976 (dependent on experience)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

Location Description: Hybrid between home and Poole (2 days a week)

Interview Date: 16 November

Closing Date: 01-11-2026

Reference: 22090

About us

The RNLI's lifeboat crew and lifeguards are busier than ever, and demand on our lifesaving service is going up. It's quite a story and yours to tell. We're looking for a National Communications Lead to join our National Communications team to make sure we're the charity that everyone is talking about and wants to support.

Your role

As National Communications Lead, you'll work as part of the National Communications Team, where you will lead on the delivery of communications activity to support key RNLI projects and initiatives, taking responsibility to ensure integrated communications are delivered across channels that support RNLI priorities. You'll also play an important role in protecting the charity's reputation. You'll support our fundraising and safety campaigns and have a broad range of contacts across the national media, as well as the third and consumer sectors. Using your strong news sense, excellent writing skills and creative flair, you'll generate interest by telling powerful stories across different channels. You'll influence senior leaders and build relationships with key stakeholders, taking ownership of major projects and campaigns and keeping track of progress by measuring and analysing the impact of communications activity against key objectives. There will be occasional requirements to travel across the UK or Ireland to facilitate communications activity or attend key meetings. The RNLI is a 24/7 search and rescue organisation, and you should be ready to work on an out-of-hours on-call rota. Your reward will be seeing the RNLI's reputation go from strength to strength as you help save lives at sea, raise awareness of our lifesaving work and inspire people to support us.

About you

As National Communications Lead, you're likely to be someone who enjoys the challenges of working in a busy media environment and to tight deadlines. You'll need to work independently to plan, deliver and evaluate integrated communications activity, build strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and be comfortable supporting, advising and influencing senior leaders. You'll need to keep abreast of emerging trends and professional standards across traditional and digital media.

To be considered as the National Communications Lead, you will need experience of:

• Working in a busy media environment and communications best practice - media relations, pitching, social media, content creation/adaption.
• Delivering joined-up, integrated communications activity across channels and tailoring content to target audiences.
• Effective media relations.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships.
• Measuring and analysing the impact of communications activity against key objectives.

Other organisations may call this role Media Manager, National Media Lead, or Area Media Manager.

Safeguarding

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person's health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out, dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable) and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.