Communications Manager (Contract, Temporary)

This role is predominantly home-based with regular travel to locations across the UK. Office facilities are available at our Newark office (Tuesdays to Thursdays) for those within easy travelling distance. There is a requirement to attend in-person the monthly team meeting at the Newark office.

The Wildlife Trusts are a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that we need nature and nature needs us. There are 46 individual Wildlife Trusts, each of which is a place-based independent charity with its own legal identity, formed by groups of people getting together and working with others to make a positive difference to wildlife and future generations, starting where they live and work.

Every Wildlife Trust is part of The Wildlife Trusts federation and a corporate member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912 and one of the founding members of IUCN – the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Taken together this federation of 47 charities is known as The Wildlife Trusts.

The next few years will be critical in determining what kind of world we all live in. We need to urgently reverse the loss of wildlife and put nature into recovery at scale if we are to prevent climate and ecological disaster. We recognise that this will require big, bold changes in the way The Wildlife Trusts work, not least in how we mobilise others and support them to organise within their own communities.

Can you use your expertise in shaping powerful media narratives to help drive nature’s recovery with one of the UK’s best-loved environmental charities? The Wildlife Trusts’ experienced Media team plays a vital role in shaping the public conversation about nature.

We create compelling, authoritative stories for broadcast, print and online national media outlets and generate billions of opportunities each year for people to see, hear and read about The Wildlife Trusts’ important work to restore wildlife and reconnect people with nature. We respond to and comment on Government policy, we champion bold solutions for nature’s recovery, and we spotlight the impact of our work across issues as varied as peatland restoration, nature for mental health, and whale and dolphin conservation.

Through interviews, opinion pieces, press releases, video content and expert commentary, we regularly appear on flagship programmes including BBC Countryfile, Springwatch, ITV News and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, as well as international media.

Our high-profile coverage ensures that The Wildlife Trusts remain at the heart of the national conversation about the urgent need to tackle the nature and climate crises. We are now seeking a strategic and operationally experienced Head of Media Relations to lead the next phase of our media work – who can continue to strengthen our national profile in the media, identifying new opportunities for The Wildlife Trusts, and ensuring our message continues to cut through to drive awareness and meaningful action.

You are an experienced and credible media professional with a track record of leading and supporting high-performing teams in a fast paced, high-profile environment. You will have demonstrable expert knowledge of the media landscape, with a wide network of trusted media relationships that you use thoughtfully and effectively to achieve impact. You are equally confident developing and placing softer news stories as you are managing complex or high-stakes situations, exercising sound judgement and acting decisively when it matters most.

An understanding of the issues affecting UK wildlife and nature recovery is highly desirable, alongside a commitment to using the power of media to inform, engage and drive positive change.