Charity Communications Executive

Job content

Company description

The Chester Bluecoat Charity helps to tackle the causes of poverty, disadvantage and inequality across the city. As the city’s oldest charity, we are proud to have been helping the people of Chester and surrounding areas for more than 800 years.

Based in the historic Bluecoat building, at the heart of the City of Chester, we work to change the lives of people in need. Our charity works in three distinct ways:

• Grant Giving - We award grants to organisations that use education and community development to improve peoples’ lives.

• Rentable office and meeting room space at our Bluecoat Building HQ - We offer third sector office space to local charities and voluntary organisations, as well as meeting rooms for hire to businesses throughout the city.

• Almshouses – We provide almshouse accommodation for people in need in the 16 almshouses that we own and maintain which are situated at rear of the Bluecoat Building.

Job description

To lead on the organisation’s campaigns, brand, external communications, marketing, social media and digital engagement. This includes the development and implementation of a communications and messaging strategy that ensures significant growth in the awareness of the charity, an increase in applications for grant giving, as well as office space and Almshouse occupation, as and when required.

We would also like to increase awareness in order to attract funding outside of our own means, encouraging potential partner organisations and individuals to support and invest in our initiatives.

Reporting directly to the trustees the individual will need to share our vision of modernising our organisation, which offers its staff the ability to work pro-actively, autonomously and with a forward-thinking spirit whilst offering a supportive, inclusive and flexible working environment.

Key areas of focus are:

• PR & communications; increasing profile across key press and wider platforms.
• Managing the charity’s social media platforms on a daily basis, as well as updating the website regularly with the most up to date and relevant content in the form of blogs, imagery and general news updates.
• Brand; maximising brand roll out and guarding The Chester Bluecoat Charity brand.
• Engaging with and promoting new partnerships and maximise coverage for all parties, as well as promoting the funding that is already available and the good work that the charity is doing. This will be done through a combination of media relations, website updates, social media management, cold-calling and networking events/activities.
• Support the Charity Manager in the planning, organisation and delivery of initiatives enabled by this role.

Main duties

• To develop, manage and deliver the marketing and communications strategy and calendar.
• To manage the agreed budget and evaluating effectiveness of all activity.
• To lead the external organisational communications and PR activity, creating timely and engaging content.
• To manage The Chester Bluecoat Charity brand, ensuring a strong internal and external roll out whilst acting as guardian to ensure correct usage and updated assets.
• To manage The Chester Bluecoat Charity digital strategy including the newly launched website and engaging social media strategy, ensuring content across all platforms is relevant and compelling to our key audiences.
• To liaise closely with the wider team on digital promotion, media relations, general marketing and events.
• To work with the team on partnership communications, ensuring partners maximise the benefits of partnership coverage.
• To play an active role in the planning and delivery of The Chester Bluecoat Charities strategic objectives and participate in any events and activities as required.
• To undertake any other reasonable duties as requested by your line manager.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience of being responsible for communications in a small or medium-sized organisation, preferably with an understanding of the third sectors and education in particular.
• Social media planning and management experience, including LinkedIn and Twitter specifically.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrable knowledge of marketing, communications and successful campaigns in both traditional and online/social media contexts.
• Excellent copywriting and editing skills for new releases, feature, web copy and presentations.
• You will be a self-starter and critical thinker with an ability to prioritise and deliver against set targets to agreed deadlines.
• Excellent presentation skills.

Desirable

• Experience of fundraising through corporate and high net worth individuals
• Experience of planning and organisation
• Basic photography and videography skills

Part-time hours: 16 - 24 per week

Application deadline: 04/02/2022

Job Type: Part-time

Salary: £8,000.00-£14,400.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Work from home

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

COVID-19 considerations:
Daily cleaning and sanitising of building. Masks worn in communal areas. Most staff currently working from home.

Work remotely:

• Yes