Location
Elgin Ave., London

Hours
Full Time, Permanent

Salary
£68,935 per annum

About the Role
Are you a senior press and public affairs professional, able to communicate sensitive issues to achieve understanding and impact? Do you know how to successfully engage with stakeholders, government and the media to ensure an organisation’s position is well understood? Are you motivated by communicating complex, sensitive and high profile issues about a vital area of national life? Can you lead a team to deliver joined up communications across media, political, stakeholders and events?

Reporting to the Director of Communications & Policy and as a member of the Directorate’s senior leadership team, you will occupy a key leadership role for the Charity Commission as we build our wider visibility as an expert regulator that is fair, balanced and independent, supporting the achievement of our strategic objectives. You will have diverse areas of responsibility - representing the organisation and influencing relationships across Parliament, key political stakeholders and the media, increasing the extent and quality of our engagement and proactively shaping and driving media coverage on often contentious and complex issues to grow our impact, reputation and extend our reach.

You will work directly with the Chair, CEO, Directors, Board and senior leaders across the organisation to project the Commission’s visibility and influence. You will develop and communicate our messages to ensure clarity and confidence about our role, taking the lead in managing the organisation’s reputation. This is crucial both to achieving impact from our policy and case work and to delivering our strategy. You will be one of the visible ‘faces’ of the Commission, influencing relationships with key stakeholders across England and Wales. In this role, you will have a significant impact on external awareness and understanding of the organisation and its work, thereby supporting public trust and charities’ ability to thrive.

To succeed, you will be an expert in your field, leading and shaping the External Affairs, Media and Events teams’ activities; overseeing and improving work across key areas including Parliament and the media. You will be politically astute, understanding the external environment and building close working relationships with the Chair and Executive to maximise impact and reputation.

Key Responsibilities
- Innovate how we use our expert voice confidently as an independent regulator, shaping outcomes through influencing behaviour and growing confidence in the Commission and the sector it regulates.
- Own the Commission’s narrative, ensuring it supports strategy, remains relevant and impactful, and is consistently delivered externally. Provide high quality speechwriting support for the Chair and Chief Executive, leading other experts and sometimes contributing personally.
- Build strong internal relationships at senior levels, engaging actively with regulatory and other colleagues to ensure collaborative approaches and reputational issues are fully considered, amplifying overall impact.
- Develop and coordinate engagement with key stakeholders, personally influencing at senior levels.
- Act as an influential and credible senior spokesperson with media (print and broadcast) and senior stakeholders including CEOs, MPs, MSs, senior government officials and Ministers.
- Oversee team expertise to develop external positions, target priority outlets and journalists, and proactively create, shape and place media stories supporting strategy and positioning the Commission as fair, balanced and independent.
- Ensure media activity supports campaigns, events, digital services and policy reports, with proactive planning for key events and cases.
- Lead strategic engagement with Parliament and the Senedd, advising Board, CEO, Executive and senior staff on Parliamentary affairs to maximise influence.
- Support Commission witnesses at Parliamentary Committees with strategic advice and timely, high quality submissions.
- Ensure active management of stakeholder relationships across England and Wales to build stronger connections and extend influence.
- Oversee visits and events to ensure they are well managed, effective and impactful, including the flagship Annual Public Meeting.
- Foster a collaborative and innovative approach, working closely with colleagues responsible for campaigns and digital channels to deliver greater impact.
- Ensure the team operates effectively with an ambitious, insight-led and targeted approach, strong planning, evaluation and professional development aligned with Government Communications Service best practice.

Experience
- Proven successful leadership and direct management of expert staff, building a high performing team with a culture of continuous improvement.
- Excellent influencing and negotiating skills with proven ability to build trust quickly, including effective relationships with Board, senior staff and key external stakeholders.
- Experience working with Parliament and the media, supported by a strong professional network.
- Experience using a range of communications techniques and vehicles to achieve positive, impactful outcomes.
- Experience acting as a press and broadcast media spokesperson and effectively supporting and briefing other spokespeople.

About You
- Ability to explain complex information clearly across various media, with excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrable ability to work flexibly and effectively under pressure, managing teams to meet multiple targets and deadlines.
- Politically astute with a strong understanding of the external operating environment.
- Collaborative, innovative and able to foster strong internal and external relationships.
- Committed to delivering high quality, impactful communications aligned with organisational strategy.

Qualifications
- Clear understanding of the Charity Commission’s role, strategy and current strategic and policy context.
- Strong knowledge of current practices and trends in print, online and broadcast journalism.
- Good understanding of Parliament and stakeholder engagement approaches.
- Knowledge of effective tools and techniques for planning, evaluating and innovating communications activities.
- Understanding of how to leverage in-person or online events, digital and social media to achieve wider organisational impact.