Communications Officer in Newcastle

Description

At the Virgin Money Foundation, we're committed to supporting communities to thrive. As Communications Officer, you'll play a key role in helping colleagues, community partners, stakeholders and wider audiences understand the difference the Foundation makes through its programmes and partnerships.

Working across Nationwide and Virgin Money, you'll lead communications activity that brings the Foundation's purpose to life, sharing the stories, impact and achievements of the organisations and people we support. You'll work closely with colleagues across communications, public affairs and media teams to build engagement with the Foundation's work, strengthen its profile and help maximise its impact in communities across the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys combining creativity with strategic thinking and wants to use communications to make a meaningful difference.

We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best.

The working hours (per week) for this role can be between 20 and 35 hours.

This is a 12-month secondment opportunity.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this role, you'll be based at your nearest regional office or hub. We value time spent together to connect with colleagues for collaboration so there will be a regular requirement to attend our Gosforth site approximately once per month. If you are based at an office location, you'll be expected to meet our hybrid working requirement of at least two days a week, or 40% of your working time if part-time, in the office. If you’re based at our Glasgow office, this will apply from 1 April 2027 and ahead of that there will be a need to regularly connect with colleagues for collaboration events. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

Nationwide is committed to the redeployment of our employees impacted by change, as such applications for redeployment candidates will be prioritised in this recruitment process.

If you’re a colleague on long-term absence (for example, on parental leave) or a temporary worker, please use your personal email address to submit an application.

Responsibilities

What you’ll be doing

You'll lead the development and delivery of the Virgin Money Foundation's communications activity, creating campaigns and content that raise awareness of the Foundation's programmes, showcase the impact of its funding and encourage colleague engagement. You'll create compelling content across a range of channels, including articles, social media, website content, presentations and impact reports, while bringing to life the stories of funded organisations, beneficiaries, volunteers and community partners.

Working closely with internal communications, corporate communications, media relations and public affairs teams, you'll identify opportunities to promote the Foundation's work, support leadership communications and help coordinate media activity. You'll also contribute to strengthening the Foundation's external profile by supporting engagement with politicians, parliamentarians and policy makers.

You'll manage and develop the Foundation's digital presence, including its LinkedIn channel and website, creating engaging content and using insight and analytics to continually improve performance. You'll oversee photography and filming activity, building relationships with funded organisations to identify content opportunities and managing external creative partners where required.

Alongside communications responsibilities, you'll act as the Foundation's Salesforce co-ordinator, supporting system administration, data quality and ongoing development. You'll work with colleagues and external partners to ensure Salesforce supports grant management, stakeholder engagement, reporting and communications activity effectively.

About you

As a minimum you’ll have:

• A background in communications, public relations, stakeholder engagement or a similar discipline

• A proven track record of developing and delivering communication plans, campaigns or engagement activities

• Strong content creation skills across written, digital and social media channels

• Hands on experience managing social media platforms and digital communications campaigns

• The ability to build effective relationships with senior stakeholders and cross functional teams

• Experience briefing, commissioning and managing external suppliers or agencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor content for different audiences

• The ability to use data, insight and performance measures to evaluate and improve communications activity

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind

• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand

• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development

• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

Qualifications

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 25 days holiday, pro rata

• Private medical insurance

• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement

• Access to an annual performance-related bonus

• Training and development to help you progress your career

• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme

• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death

• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness

• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us.

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

The hiring manager for this role is Nancy Doyle-Hall, and the main recruitment contact is Ola Crown.

Please note that should you be successful in securing this role, the job title on our internal systems will be Grants Officer.