Digital Communications Manager in City of Westminster

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced digital communications professional to join the Living Wage Foundation team. The ideal candidate would have demonstrable digital communications skills and experience, on top of an enthusiasm for engaging supporters across our social networks, website and email communications. The candidate will be tech savvy and have experience managing social media, using a website CMS and other digital tools that will support engagement with the real Living Wage and other key areas such as Living Hours and a Living Pension across multiple stakeholders.

Main Responsibilities

• Social media: Lead the team in the use of social media to increase brand awareness and impact; generate innovative approaches. Oversee Communications Officers to monitor, manage, create and schedule content on our social media accounts, tailoring content to different channels and audiences. Establish systems for monitoring and evaluating key performance indicators and delivering to time and budget. Manage paid advertising strategy on social media, overseeing relationship with external agencies.
• Website: Work with developers to maintain and update website CMS alongside the Operations team, support the team in creating news and blog content and help upskill colleagues to create content for the website. Support the development of a members’ dashboard area to improve processes and enhance the accreditation experience. Use insights and analytics to monitor the success of the website e.g. Google Analytics.
• Materials development and dissemination: Ensure all work is completed within brand guidelines. Roll‑out a content strategy to support the digital communications and marketing strategy, taking responsibility for resourcing the workplan for the wider team and contractors. Manage our newsletter and mailing lists with Living Wage Employers; look for opportunities to improve content and impact. Provide basic design and video‑editing support of communications and marketing collateral. Support the wider team and employers with ad‑hoc marketing requests and digital materials to support their work plans.
• Situational awareness and research: Lead the team in conducting stakeholder analysis; identifying and segmenting audiences and their positions and interests. Be confident to test and learn from new digital and marketing approaches. Identify new ways to communicate effectively with our internal employer network by building an understanding of our key audiences and employer journey.
• Strategy development: Participate in the development of the communications strategy, contributing tactical and creative ideas around implementation, ensuring it is integrated with wider communications and campaign strategies. Shape digital engagement and marketing strategy, ensuring that plans deliver against influencing goals; evaluate effectiveness of the strategy and adjust as required. Work with wider teams to support the development of tailored digital communications strategies. Manage limited budgets for the digital growth strategy.
• Reputational and risk management: Appropriately manage and mitigate risk on our digital channels; develop processes and messaging when necessary. Demonstrate awareness of potential reputational risks and proactively develop appropriate protocol and messages, including expected professional fundraising standards. Effectively represent the organisation with senior stakeholders.
• External relationships: Collaborate with Living Wage Employers and supporters to create engaging content and further Living Wage visibility online. Manage external relationships with agencies, designers and other contractors to resource digital communications work, ensuring quality and brand consistency.
• Campaigns and events management: Develop creative digital marketing campaigns that promote our brand and further engagement objectives. Create a digital strategy for Living Wage Week, including creation of the employer digital pack, overseeing delivery by Communications Officers. Provide digital support and advice for organisational campaign and event priorities. Establish systems for monitoring and evaluating key performance indicators and delivering to time and budget.
• Internal communications and knowledge management: Identify gaps in our internal knowledge management in digital practices and strengthen these with clear processes and documents to drive best practice among the wider team. Provide digital support and advice to colleagues across numerous projects; this may include training on the use of digital platforms and trends to build internal capacity. Act as a brand ambassador for the whole organisation.
• Internal relationships: Line‑manage the Communications Officer. Provide leadership on our digital engagement, ensuring colleagues feel supported, developed and valued. Coordinate staff across the organisation. Ensure the work produced across the team is of high quality and reflects organisational values.
• Contribute to CUK mission and its strategic objectives: Demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to the function and core mission of CUK/ Living Wage Foundation. Reliably implement and participate in the development of cross‑organisational policies, procedures and values in the delivery of work across the communications department.
• Learning, expertise & DEI: Keep up to date with comms developments and good practice in the third sector. Train others with relevant and helpful advice and technical support. Proactively maintain own wellbeing and support direct reports in managing their wellbeing at work. Display self‑awareness of DEI issues and the impact on direct reports; act as a role model for DEI awareness and implementation. Be alert to and manage the impact of DEI issues for direct reports and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Background in communications with experience working with digital tools, including analytics tools.
• Experience working with multiple internal project teams.
• Experience managing a team and managing the work of others (preferably line management).
• Expertise managing social media platforms.
• Expertise at managing a website CMS and/or leading on website UX.
• Expertise managing email marketing.
• Experience of working on integrated communication campaigns.
• Proven experience of Paid Media platforms – e.g. Facebook Business Manager, Google Ads.
• Experience of video production and editing.

Key skills and knowledge

• Wide range of digital skills across marketing and CMS platforms such as Mailchimp, WordPress, Drupal etc.
• Proficient in Google Analytics.
• Proficient in content marketing and social media strategies across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and ability to tell stories.
• Ability to manage external agencies and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage and take responsibility for own workload, handle multiple priorities and work independently.
• Proficient in content marketing and social media strategies.
• Proficient in SEO.
• Strong understanding of brand and design principles.
• An understanding of Citizens UK’s national campaign areas.

Personal qualities & values

• An enthusiasm for digital communications, coupled with a strong commitment to the mission of the Living Wage Foundation.
• A commitment to the Citizens UK values: Solidarity, Kindness, Courage, Inclusion, Relational.
• A strong team player fostering a collaborative and inclusive working environment.
• Takes accountability.
• Creative and curious.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, with an understanding of how to communicate responsibly and ethically about lived experience.
• Be alert to and manage the impact of DEI issues for direct reports and stakeholders.