Interim Mission Communications Lead

We are recruiting for an Interim Mission Communications Lead, A Fairer Start

About Nesta

We are Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet.

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation.

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. Find out more atnesta.org.uk

Summary

The purpose of this role is to use communications to contribute to the success of Nesta’s fairer start mission. The post holder will lead, with the Head of Mission Communications, on strategic communications for the fairer start team, seeking and securing opportunities for Nesta to advance its agenda, build its public profile and achieve its mission goals.

This includes proposing and planning communications; partnership development; having the overview of stakeholder relationships across the mission; and owning the mission narrative and messaging, ensuring salience and consistency of key messages and communications outputs.

The role:

• Leading on strategic communications: translating and applying communications skills to an early years context, planning and delivering high-impact advocacy, communications and stakeholder activity for work that is focused on achieving our mission goals.
• Drafting and editing a variety of communications content relating to mission projects and activity, driving through from conception to delivery and evaluation.
• Acting as lead on fairer start mission stakeholder relationships: identifying target stakeholders, having an overview of engagement with them across the mission, and supporting the mission team to planning and delivering engagement activities.
• Developing and owning communications partnerships with people from other sector or partner organisations.
• Using excellent project and people management skills to coordinate the smooth, efficient delivery and evaluation of high-impact communications campaigns, working across the communications and mission teams.
• Leading on discrete communications projects for the mission – this could be anything from commissioning creative content, conducting audience research or doing narrative development and testing.

While this role is focused on fairer start, the postholder may be required to flex across all of Nesta’s three missions when and if required. This role sits as part of both the communications team (made up of specialists across media, marketing, events and content production), and fairer start team (including experts across policy, research, behavioural science, data science and design).

The person

You should have the following skills and/or experience:

• Professional communications experience (essential) : You will have proven experience of working in a communications or public affairs role. A creative thinker and experienced writer and editor, you will have experience of working on a variety of communications outputs designed to inform and influence different audiences and stakeholders, such as blogs, briefings and pitch decks.
• Managing integrated communications campaigns (essential): You will have proven experience of driving and delivering successful communications campaigns to achieve policy impact and influence.
• Project delivery skills (essential): You will have proven experience of delivering high-impact communications campaigns from conception to delivery and evaluation. You can proactively plan and deliver work, and identify and act on risks and find solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills (essential): You will have experience of applying these effectively to collaborate well with colleagues, build stakeholder relationships and develop partnerships.
• Knowledge of the UK early years sector (desirable) : You will ideally have knowledge of how the UK early years sector works from experience gained in an early years-related communications role, either in local or national government or the third sector. If you don’t have relevant professional professional experience, you will have a proven interest.
• Knowledge of political systems and government in the UK (desirable) : You will have knowledge and understanding of how policy is made and developed, and of the wider political system, including central government and Parliament, ideally gained in a professional context.

As with all members of the Nesta Group communications team, the postholder will also be at their best working in a collaborative, fast-paced environment, have a flexible approach and an appetite for taking on new tasks and challenges. They will also have excellent written and verbal communication skills and a proven ability to write for a range of different audiences.

What we offer:

Salary: circa £57,000 plus array of benefits, including private medical insurance, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location : This role is based in London, Blackfriars, hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of two days in the office

Term : Maternity cover, 9-12 months FTC.

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

Making an application

To apply for this role, please submit your application before8:00am on the 28th of July 2025.

Interviews will take placew/c the 4th of August 2025.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

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