Deputy Director of Communications and Campaigns (Interim) at Teenage Cancer Trust

Job Title: Deputy Director of Communications and Campaigns 

Salary: £63,000 per annum 

Hours: 35 hours

Type of Employment: 6 month fixed-term contract  

Dept and Location: Marketing and Communications, Head Office, London W1T 

Line Manager:  Director of Marketing and Communications 

Direct Reports:  2 x PR & Communications Managers, Internal Communications Lead, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigning 

Main Purpose of the Job 

Teenage Cancer Trust is looking for a confident and determined leader to ensure the voices and experiences of young people with cancer are put firmly, clearly and loudly at the centre of our work and more visibly on the public and political agenda.  

This is your opportunity to make a difference to young people facing some of the toughest moments in their lives by leading creative and impactful campaigns to capture hearts and minds, secure attention-grabbing headlines and generate positive change. 

Before Teenage Cancer Trust kicked off in 1990, there was no specialist care and support for young people with cancer. 30 years later, that’s all changed. But, as we emerge from the pandemic, young people with cancer need us more than ever.  

That’s where you come in. As Deputy Director of Communications and Campaigns, you will be playing a crucial role in helping us to achieve our purpose - ensuring that every young person with cancer has the best treatment, care and support.  

You’ll do this by leading high performing teams working across PR, influencing and internal communications.  

You’ll ensure we seek out every opportunity to tell our story through the media. From punchy, health sector opinion pieces, to story-led consumer features, you’ll ensure our key audiences are reading, hearing and seeing our work brought to life in creative ways. 

You’ll also be leading our policy, public affairs and campaigns work to influence governments and the NHS to deliver change for - and with - young people with cancer. Understanding and drawing on the lived experiences of young people and harnessing the clinical expertise in our community, you’ll generate compelling cases for change that energise and mobilise our supporters. 

You’ll also help us build an engaged, informed and passionate workforce that is strongly affiliated to our work.  

We’re looking for an experienced senior professional who can fulfil the multiple demands of this key role while being a visible and inspiring leader in the Marketing and Communications function and across the wider organisation. 

In return, you’ll experience a motivating and energising role in a charity with a great culture and big ambitions to do all we can for young people with cancer.  

Applications to be received by:  Wednesday 08th December 

First interviews:                            Tuesday 14th December

Second Stage Interviews:            Friday 17th December 

*Candidates to be available to start in the new year. 

                                                                            Job Description

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB         

This role will lead and develop the Communications and Campaigns department, overseeing all communications and influencing activities. 

You will be accountable for the news, PR, internal communications, policy and influencing functions at Teenage Cancer Trust. You will provide professional advice, expertise and counsel to all parts of the organisation including senior leadership on effective profiling, engagement, influencing and reputation management. You will also spearhead the design of an integrated annual programme of cross channel campaigns. 

You will oversee and lead the design and implementation of effective media relations and internal communications programmes that target key audiences. You will oversee and ensure effective, UK-wide influencing activity, through strong public affairs and policy influencing.

You will provide engaging and motivating leadership, coaching, management and development of all direct reports, work closely with and support the Director to develop and deliver an overall directorate strategy. 

ROLE FOCUS

Strategic Planning & Delivery

• Be accountable for the development and delivery of the charity’s Communications and Campaigns plan.
• Provide leadership and advice on media relations & PR, internal and external stakeholder engagement and communications to the Senior Leadership Team and the wider Operational Leadership Team.
• Oversee an effective four-nations influencing approach for Teenage Cancer Trust, leading a team to establish Teenage Cancer Trust as a campaigning charity.
• Lead an effective, high-performing press office that generates impactful media coverage and offers a professional service to journalists and producers.
• Oversee the development of an organisation-wide internal communications plan, that engages both charity staff and staff funded to work within the NHS.

Reputation Management

• Be the guardian of the charity's reputation, overseeing and managing the development of crisis communications plans and advising on wider mitigation strategies. 
• Hold responsibility for the horizon scanning of internal and external issues that might cause reputational risk for the charity, developing bespoke plans for key activities.
• Ensure mitigations are in place to prevent issues, ensure issues are managed effectively and be a spokesperson when necessary.

Management & Leadership 

• Oversee and/or ensure the management of positive relationships with the media and regional, nation and national agents of change.
• Be a role model for excellence in management, motivating, coaching, giving and receiving feedback to develop teams, and driving innovation and creativity.
• Identify areas for driving change and process improvement within Marketing and Communications to ensure effective management, best practice and accountability across the team.

Internal Relationship Management and Partnership Working

• Act as business partner to senior colleagues across the charity, ensuring we are maximising opportunities to raise awareness, influence and deepen engagement with our audiences to support a variety of objectives.
• Maintain close working relationships with the Senior Leadership Team, Deputy Directors and wider Operational Leadership Team, constructively overcoming any operational barriers or risks to delivery, supporting their ability to deliver strategies and plans.
• Work with the Chief Executive, Director of Services & Impact and the Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns team to plan and deliver public-facing influencing campaigns.

Budget & Resource Management and Evaluation

• Manage a dedicated budget of up to £100k with effective reporting and forecasting.
• Produce timely and regular management information for the Director of Marketing and Communications and other stakeholders that effectively explains performance against KPIs and the wider strategic plan. 
• Identify and contract external expertise and professional suppliers, ensuring productive engagements and value for money. 
• Monitor trends in marketing within the sector and identify gaps that Teenage Cancer Trust could exploit, and deliver initiatives to capitalise on these. 

Policy & Procedures 

Ensure that all Communications activity complies with Teenage Cancer Trust policies and procedures and also the legislative and compliance requirements of all relevant territories in the UK.

OTHER DUTIES

• Undertake any other duties that are commensurate with the post as requested by your Director.
• Take part in the media out of hours rota, ensuring a 24 hour service to the media.

DISCLOSURE AND BARING CHECKS

This role will have access to the CARE database which holds details of those we support. In addition, this role will have regular, direct contact with young people in order to obtain stories and content for marketing purposes; it is therefore subject to an enhanced disclosure with barred list check. 

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Senior Leadership Team, Deputy Directors in Fundraising and Services. Full range of news and features journalists and content providers, suppliers, agencies and consultancies. 

Person Specification

Essential Criteria 

Experience

• Substantial experience in a senior communications role, preferably in the third or public sectors including the NHS
• Strong experience of leading and developing a communications and campaigns function
• Substantial experience of developing strategies that support organisation priorities, and guiding teams to deliver integrated communications plans
• Substantial stakeholder management and communications experience, across external and internal audiences
• Proven ability to assess risk and substantial crisis communications experience
• Experienced in managing safeguarding risks and issues
• Experience of overseeing influencing activities across a range of channels that target local, nation and national levers
• Setting, managing and delivering against targets and budgets

Knowledge and know how

• A good sense of news, including maximising external developments
• Excellent knowledge of UK media (including social media)
• Knowledge of how to develop a successful communications function within an organisation that has a wide range of stakeholders
• Strong understanding of how communications can support, complement and amplify activity as part of a multi-channel approach
• Strong understanding of how stakeholder communications can support wider influencing, fundraising and service delivery goals

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communications
• Strategy development and project management
• Team development skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and relationship building
• Strong decision making and problem-solving skills
• Strong analytical skills in order to assess complex situations and ensure the organisation’s reputation is managed positively
• Budget setting and management ensuring the optimum ROI

Personal Qualities

• An interest in and commitment to addressing the issues affecting teenagers and young adults with cancer in the UK
• Accountable and resilient
• High levels of integrity and professionalism
• Strong initiative, able to take decisions independently on behalf of the communications function
• Personable, collaborative
• Creative
• Tenacious

Values 

Commitment to the philosophy and ethos of Teenage Cancer Trust 

Preferred Criteria

Evidence of continuous professional development

How to Apply  

Please apply by clicking the ‘apply ’button below. Don't forget to complete a supporting statement to accompany your CV which sets out how you meet the requirements of the role. 

Applications to be received by:  Wednesday 08th December 

First interviews:                            Tuesday 14th December

Second Stage Interviews:            Friday 17th December 

We are committed to working towards ensuring Teenage Cancer Trust is a diverse and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of race, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.  

At Teenage Cancer Trust we're committed to delivering a service to teenagers and young adults with cancer that is embedded in safeguarding and safe working practice guidance.  In line with our safeguarding approach this role is subject to a DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service).  

For information on how we collect, store and process personal data please refer to our privacy policy: https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us/privacy-policy