Communications Manager

Are you passionate about communications, want a more equitable future, and able to take initiative and motivate others?

Purpose of the role

This role will be our first dedicated communications professional. Our main stakeholders are the Young Pirates we work with, their families, school partners, volunteers, and supporters. Over the next three years, we are on a steep growth trajectory, and this role will be critical to achieving our ambition.

We currently work with:	By 2024 we want to:
Young Pirates 400	be working with 850 children
Schools 30	recruit and retain 80 schools
Volunteers 350	recruit and train 1,500 annually
Supporters raising £850,000	be raising £1,500,000 annually

Who we are looking for

We are looking for someone who has enough experience to get themselves around a communications plan and is hungry to develop their skills as a manager and grow with us as we more than double in size. You don’t have to know everything now, just demonstrate you can learn, take initiative and have excellent people skills.

We understand not everyone has a straightforward CV, many talented people don’t have a university degree. That’s fine by us. Our application process will give you the chance to demonstrate your skills and passion, over your education and career path.

Key objectives of the role are  

• To develop and implement the Literacy Pirate’s communication strategy and ensure the cost-effective production, branding, distribution, and maintenance of external communications. By end of 12 months to have grown our following by 30%.
• Increase awareness, understanding and support of our programme and the impact that we create in the lives of children who need us. By the end of 12 months to have streamlined our communications and implemented innovative and effective changes.  

Key Responsibilities

Communications planning & delivery

• Develop and implement communications and marketing plan for social media, e-communications, and media to current and potential school partners, supporters and volunteers. This means understanding LP deeply and creating the right messages for each audience and channel, including a transparent approach to impact reporting.
• Meet and work closely with the Director of learning, Volunteer Manager, Schools Partnership Manager and Head of Fundraisingeach, to understand their communications priorities and plan key messages and events in advance.
• Create, and oversee others in the team creating, content for each channel. This will include campaigns, marketting mateirals, photos, quotes, case studies, blogs, impact stats and press releases.
• Manage our website.
• Work with the Corporate Partnerships Manager to secure pro bono partnership where possible to pay for production of content.·   
• Work with the Chief Executive to publish a hard copy annual Impact Report and annual impact film or films.  
• Set ambitious targets with the CEO and provide monthly reports on progress to targets.
• Work closely with the Chair of the Communications Committee and the members of the Committee to oversee and contribute to communications work.

Community management & team working

• Work within the Literacy Pirates’ values, principles, policies, and procedures.
• Positively represent the Young Pirates and their families in all of our communications, reflecting our aim to amplify their voices and share their work.
• Generate contacts and channels for releasing content on social and media.
• Support the CEO and Director of Learning to find places to write and talk in order to advocate for our work
• Work across the LP team to develop the teams’ skills, understanding and generate communications content.
• Undertake other duties as may be reasonably required in the pursuit of the aims and objectives of the Literacy Pirates

Desired approach to work

• Be ambitious for the organisation and children we work with.
• Support the Literacy Pirates’ approach to a broad, visible diversity and equality agenda and to ensure that we take account of the needs of the whole community.
• Work collaboratively and demonstrate great people skills.
• Deliver work to a very high standard, without too much support.
• Be creative with flair, looking for innovative ways to do the same thing.
• Self-reflective and always looking for ways to learn and improve the way things are done.
• Be an empathetic team-mate.
• Proactively look to develop your own skills and experience.

Type of experience we are looking for

• Experience in a communications role – either agency or in-house.
• Ability to evaluate and improve marketing plans and materials.
• Experience must cover online & mobile marketing content development, social and e-commerce.
• Experience working on a campaign from start to finish.
• Experience executing a communications and marketing strategy.
• A degree is not obligatory.

Salary: £30,000-34,000 depending on experience (includes London Weighting)
Contract type: Full time (35hrs) or potentially four days a week
Hours: Mon to Fri 11am to 7pm (we run an after-school programme so most staff work these hours and flexible working requests are considered)
Venue: Hackney, Haringey or remotely

The recruitment for this role is being handled exclusively by Charity People. Please contact Alice Wood alice@charitypeople.co.uk and 07563 030587 for a confidential chat and to apply.
No other recruiters will be considered.

Benefits include:

• Lots of responsibility and opportunity to grow and progress with the organisation
• Professional mentor for the first 12 months
• 23 annual leave days, plus between Christmas and New Years, and increased allowance with service
• Pension contributions
• Flexible working provision
• Supportive parenting arrangements
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced maternity pay
• Get to work in a Pirate Ship!

The deadline for applications is Mon 3rd Oct at 9am.

Interviews will be held on Mon 10th and Tue 11th Oct. The interviews are held at our Hackney office and take most of a day. If you need to take annual leave we are happy to compensate you for your time.

Successful candidates will be called for a final interview with Young Pirates.

Like all roles at The Literacy Pirates, the successful candidate will complete DBS and a three-month probationary period before the confirmation of the appointment.

Charity People are handling the recruitment for this role exclusively. Please contact Alice Wood if you are interested alice@charitypeople.co.uk

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