Marketing and Communications Manager

Location: Hybrid: Primarily based at Cosmic HQ near St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, with opportunities for home working.

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Salary: £36,000 per annum pro rata, £21,600 actual for 0.6FTE

Hours: 3 days per week/0.6FTE

Job Type: Permanent

Annual Leave: 27 days plus bank holidays, plus office shuts between Christmas & New Year, pro rata for 0.6FTE

About Cosmic Charity: Cosmic is a small but mighty children's charity, dedicated to supporting the incredible work of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, and Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Hammersmith. We provide vital funding for life-saving equipment, specialist staff training, pioneering research, and family support services - helping to make a real difference for children and families when they need it most.

We're looking for a passionate and creative Marketing and Communications Manager to help us tell Cosmic's story, engage our incredible supporters, and grow our reach and impact. If you love storytelling, enjoy building strong relationships, and want to be part of a small, supportive team that's making a real difference, this could be the perfect role for you. You'll play a key part in raising Cosmic's profile, supporting fundraising campaigns, and keeping our community connected through engaging and impactful communications.

Key Responsibilities

• External Communications
  • Collaborate with the team to develop a communications plan to support Cosmic's calendar of events, income generation and volunteering, taking ownership of its implementation.
  • Manage supporter communications through platforms like Mailchimp, including scheduling updates and mail merges.
  • Produce and manage the production and distribution of the charity's supporter newsletter, corporate newsletter, and other direct marketing materials.
  • Develop a GDPR compliant method to gather data from families who benefit from Cosmic Service Delivery, to support conversion to fundraising via a Cosmic communication plan and supporter journey.
  • Create and execute engaging campaigns for Cosmic, based on our service delivery, to generate income.
  • Liaise with celebrity partners to coordinate media campaigns.
  • Develop and maintain a bank of photographs and ensure media consent forms are obtained and recorded appropriately.
  • Assist fundraising teams in sourcing free advertising opportunities for events, such as community group emails and online platforms.
  • Work with internal and external stakeholders to deliver and maximise media opportunities and campaigns that help raise awareness of the Cosmic's services.
  • Write press releases for local, regional and national press covering Cosmic service delivery, events and fundraising campaigns.
  • Plan and execute events designed for stewardship and engagement alongside the Cosmic Events Team.
  • Support in the development and delivery of the Cosmic ambassador strategy.
• Internal Communications
  • Work closely with supporters, NHS staff, and the NHS Imperial Trust to gather compelling patient, family, unit, and staff stories for promotional purposes.
  • Be a visible presence on the wards, building relationships to develop case studies, improve communication, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
  • Keep charity notice boards updated with promotional material.
  • Contribute to the quarterly Trustee report.
  • Ensure that all communication is clearly logged on the Cosmic CRM solution, Donorfy.
• Digital
  • Manage Cosmic's social media channels, developing and implementing a consistent and engaging social media plan to promote the charity's work, events, and fundraising initiatives effectively.
  • Digital transformation of the Cosmic website and other digital channels with a consistent and clear brand, ensuring optimal user experience.
  • Create engaging and consistent digital designs for all marketing materials on Canva.
• Branding and Merchandising
  • Design and create a new range of fundraising merchandise and marketing materials to promote the Cosmic brand.
  • Support the fundraising team by developing high-quality materials for proposals, events, and activities, and assist in promoting these initiatives.
  • Develop and formalise a clear Cosmic Tone of Voice and charity branding, establishing guidelines for how Cosmic presents itself both internally and externally to ensure consistency and alignment with its mission and values.
  • Build a Cosmic library of "curated content" with aligned descriptions of who we are and what we do, tailored for different audiences.
  • Ensure all internal templates (letterheads, email signatures etc) use the correct colour palette, format and logo.
• Administration
  • Build a process to balance and prioritise the requirements and request for digital, marketing and communication support from the Cosmic Team.
  • Respond effectively to incoming telephone calls and emails, ensuring all inquiries are handled professionally.
  • Maintain and update the charity's database of contacts and supporters, taking the lead in implementing changes to improve data recording and analysis.
  • Provide support to charity volunteers during activities.
  • Develop engaging and relevant supporter journeys using Cosmic audience personas.
  • Regular development and gathering of Cosmic case study materials.
  • Evaluate the success of campaigns, setting and tracking key metrics, feeding learnings back into future work in a cycle of continuous improvement.
  • Prepare and deliver regular, meaningful reporting on communications, to assist and drive strategic communications and marketing decision making.
• General
  • Build relationships across Cosmic, NHS units, and key stakeholders to identify opportunities for collaboration.
  • Stay informed about fundraising sector trends and identify ways to apply them to Cosmic's work.
  • Undertake any other tasks commensurate with the role, adhering to the charity's time-in-lieu policy.
  • Support PICU/NICU with day-to-day needs, including celebrating milestones, organising activities, or assisting families with specific requirements.

Who We're Looking For

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Previous experience in a marketing or communications role, ideally working within the charity sector.
• Proven success designing and delivering communications plans and campaigns.
• Experience of successfully pitching stories or collaborations to media, journalists and influencers.
• Understanding of how to create engaging content – both written and visual.
• Understanding of how to develop opportunities for coverage and know how to make them happen, and of media and communication trends, with the ability to stay ahead of the curve.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft engaging content for diverse audiences.
• Strong digital storytelling skills.
• Experience in creating marketing materials in Canva and managing communications campaigns.
• Experience of managing social media channels, creating content that drive results.
• Experience of using WordPress, Mailchimp and CRM solutions.
• Confidence in liaising with stakeholders, including NHS staff, supporters, and celebrity partners.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Creative thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Knowledge of GDPR and data protection best practices.
• A genuine passion for Cosmic's mission and values.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Experience in developing case studies.
• Previous experience in a charity or fundraising environment.

Why You'll Love Working with Us

At Cosmic, we're a small team with a big heart. Every day, we get to make a real impact on the lives of children and families facing the toughest times. You'll have the chance to use your creativity, develop new ideas, and see the difference your work makes - whether it's helping to fund vital equipment, supporting a fundraising event, or simply putting a smile on a child's face.

• 27 days holiday plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time roles)
• £200 professional development budget annually
• Hybrid working opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm