Head of Marketing & Communications

The Head of Marketing will lead Empire’s marketing and communications. Combining strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, the role will drive visibility, credibility and influence, locally and nationally, to help the charity achieve its income targets and ambitious national growth plans.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Develop and execute marketing and communications strategies aligned with Empire’s priorities and values.
  • Own and evolve the charity’s brand and messaging and ensure consistency and authenticity across all channels.
  • Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure, report on and continuously improve marketing effectiveness.
  • Champion the authentic amplification of young people’s voice in Empire’s marketing and communications.
• Channel and Content Leadership
  • Lead Empire’s digital strategy, including website optimisation, SEO and social media growth.
  • Oversee the content strategy and calendar, producing and commissioning high-quality case studies, impact reports, newsletters, blogs, videos and photography.
  • Embed young people’s voice across all content to create authenticity and compelling asks.
  • Unlock the potential of the charity’s national movement of boxing clubs to amplify Empire’s key messages for the benefit of the ‘boxing for good’ sector.
• Media, PR and External Relations
  • Lead proactive and reactive media relations to raise Empire’s profile locally and nationally and communicate key messages effectively.
  • Build and maintain relationships with local and national media and act as the charity’s point of contact for journalists and press teams.
  • Produce press releases, media packs and reactive statements.
  • Develop Empire’s Ambassadors into an active, influential network to promote the charity.
• Driving Income and Supporter Growth
  • Maximise marketing and communications to achieve Empire’s income targets and build its supporter and customer bases.
  • Collaborate with the Fundraising Team to use marketing and communications to drive regular donations, grants, major gifts, corporate partnerships, and event income.
  • Lead Empire’s marketing efforts to recruit, convert and retain customers for the charity’s training products and services.
• Advocacy, Campaigns and Influencing
  • Position Empire as the national thought leader in boxing‑led social interventions for young people.
  • Design and deliver campaigns and activities to influence decision makers, raise awareness and drive systemic change, locally and nationally.
  • Collaborate with colleagues and the Youth Advisory Board to shape Empire’s influencing objectives, key messages, political asks and positions, ensuring these are grounded in young people’s priorities.
  • Monitor the political, media and research landscapes to spot opportunities, risks and timely responses.
  • Produce and commission compelling content (policy reports, blogs, speeches, thought pieces and briefings) and coordinate campaigns, events and projects.
• Internal Communications
  • Encourage marketing and comms to be lived and breathed across the organisation.
  • Oversee the design and execution of an internal communications strategy to inform, align and engage staff.
  • Ensure all staff members are confident to tell Empire’s story.
• Team and Operational Management
  • Line manage the Marketing and Communications Officer.
  • Commission and oversee specialist freelance consultants, including designers, photographers and journalists.
  • Manage the marketing and communications budget effectively.
  • Ensure full compliance with relevant internal, legal and regulatory frameworks, including Empire’s safeguarding policy and GDPR.

Person Specification

Essential Experience

• Senior level experience in a marketing position, with a track record of leading multi‑channel strategies and campaigns.
• Proven expertise in managing digital channels and producing high-quality content.
• Experience using data, analytics and insights to inform decisions, optimise performance and demonstrate impact.

Essential Skills And Knowledge

• Strategic thinker capable of translating organisational goals into marketing and communications plans.
• Digital marketing expertise, with proficiency in website management and social media channels.
• Exceptional writing, storytelling and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain a consistent brand identity.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Creative skills, with the ability to generate fresh ideas with limited resources.
• Well‑organised individual able to manage multiple projects.

Desirable

• Experience of working in the voluntary sector.
• Experience of advocacy/influencing.
• Familiarity with issues affecting young people experiencing inequality.

Personal Qualities

• A thinker and a doer, both comfortable designing strategy and rolling their sleeves up to implement it.
• Confident, resilient and self‑motivated.
• Commitment to amplifying the voices of young people.
• Collaborative, approachable and personable.
• Conscientious and dedicated to producing high-quality work.
• Passion for and commitment to the mission of Empire Fighting Chance.