Reports to: Director of External Relations
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary: Band K (£56,959.05 - £59,180.45 FTE)
Contract: Fixed Term Cover 1 June 2026 to 30 May 2027
Location: Remote (with occasional travel across UK)
Benefits: A generous package including 25 days holiday per year plus public holidays, employee pension scheme with 4% employer contribution, Cycle2Work scheme, 365 days a year Employee Assistance Programme
About SafeLives
We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone, for good.
We work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. We want what you would want for your best friend. We listen to survivors, putting their voices at the heart of our thinking. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family to get the right help at the right time to make families everywhere safe and well. And we challenge perpetrators to change, asking why doesnt he stop? rather than why doesnt she leave? This applies whatever the gender of the victim or perpetrator and whatever the nature of their relationship.
Last year alone, we delivered more than 700 sessions to over 15,000 learners across the UK in policing, health, housing, justice, education and the specialist sector. And we have reached 90,000 adult and 100,000 child survivors through programmes designed and delivered with partners.
In the last 9 years, close to 7,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change through flagship interventions developed by our Drive Partnership and the programme continues to expand year on year.
Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone
Responsibilities
You will lead SafeLives communications and marketing function through a critical 12-month period, building brand credibility and communicating our new 3-year Whole Picture strategy, finding what works and helping it happen to end domestic abuse, for everyone, for good. You will shape and deliver strategic communications that influence decision-makers, strengthen public trust, and support our mission to drive real change in the UKs domestic abuse response.
You will be able bring to together robust data, the voice of survivors, and the view of practice experts to position SafeLives at the centre of the conversation with professionals, key decision makers and influencers as a credible and trusted voice.
You will connect reactive communications with long-term strategic priorities, ensuring every external intervention supports our strategic priorities, policy goals, and income generation ambitions. And
you will lead high-quality responses to breaking news and emerging issues, providing clear strategic advice to the Senior Leadership Team and acting as a trusted lead on reputational risk. You will ensure SafeLives is visible, authoritative and survivor-centred in fast-moving public conversations, with timely lines, statements, media briefings and interview support.
You will work with our training, practice, and fundraising teams to drive our business development and income generation, as well as helping us to understand our audiences and better meet their needs.
And as part of the Operational Management Team (OMT), youll work closely with colleagues to ensure an inclusive and supportive organisational culture.
Position Context and Responsibilities
This role is part of SafeLives Operational Management Team and you will work closely with all teams across the organisation. Key responsibilities and objectives include:
Brand : Maintain and communicate SafeLives core narrative, key messages and position statements. Build brand equity with our external stakeholders; and act as brand guardian internally, ensuring brand compliance, and developing our brand to reflect our approach to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion and in line with our values - human, rigorous, brave and inclusive. Provide strategic counsel to SLT on communications risk and opportunity, including horizon-scanning, issue framing and reputation management, recommending clear mitigation and response plans.
Communications: Lead, develop and manage a range of external communication channels and products to deliver communication objectives and key messages in support of our key organisational priorities. Lead our website and social media activity. Work with colleagues in HR to support internal communications channels and engagement mechanisms, helping to create a consciously inclusive working environment. Lead our media relations activity, overseeing proactive and reactive media engagement across national, regional and specialist outlets, including response to high-profile and fast-moving issues, ensuring timely, accurate and survivor-centred statements, lines to take and briefing materials.
Marketing: Lead, develop and implement marketing strategies and activities to promote uptake of our training and practice consultancy offers, fundraising and other income generation opportunities and support business development, growing understanding of our audiences and their needs, and implementing effective marketing techniques to optimise engagement and take-up.
Performance monitoring: Set clear and measurable key performance indicators to demonstrate impact and establish monitoring and evaluation systems to assure the quality of our channels and products, enabling continuous improvements. Report performance to the Senior Leadership Team regularly, ensuring compliance with legal requirements, including GDPR and data protection law, and maintaining an accurate and secure audit trail of all relevant communication.
Planning : In collaboration with the Operational Management Team, lead the development of a communications activity schedule and resource plan to facilitate delivery of SafeLives annual Operational Plan. Ensure the creation and implementation of communication and marketing plans to support organisational and functional objectives, managing activity in line with the schedule, securing additional external resource where required and growing awareness across SafeLives of the value of communications and marketing in achieving our goals.
Leadership: Act as a reflective and supportive member of our Operational Management Team to create a 'one SafeLives' approach to our work. Role model our values and be visible and active in building our organisational culture. Collaborate with teams throughout the organisation to ensure the delivery of co-ordinated and effective communication activity.
Authentic Voice: Ensure the authentic voice of those with lived experience of abuse is at the heart of everything that we do, acting as a trusted and supportive colleague to anyone who wants to use their experience in our work. Engage in a constructive and effective way with all survivors of abuse, through calls to the office, Pioneer interaction, colleagues and any other interaction we have in our day-to-day work.
Line management: Empower and support each Communications team member (x4 ft and pt team members) to grow and take ownership of their own work, celebrating them and uniting them in our common goal to end domestic abuse.
Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required.
Person Specification
Experience (E = essential, D = desirable):
Strategic communications, including influencing, brand/profile-raising, media relations and reputation management in complex, high-profile environments (E)
Strong media relations, including securing national and broadcast high-quality coverage and proven rapid-response capability to breaking news, including drafting statements, coordinating approvals and supporting live interviews (E)
Developing and delivering effective communications and marketing campaigns, including support for fundraising and business development (E)
Digital communications across owned, earned and paid media (E)
Leadership and people development (E)
Using data and evidence to inform communications (E)
Influencing professional audiences through clear, impactful communications, information and guidance (E)
Working with people affected by domestic abuse to support storytelling and influence change (D)
Skills (E = essential, D = desirable):
Confident in providing strategic communications advice aligned with organisational strategy and policy priorities (E)
Exceptional written, oral and influencing skills, including excellent writing and editing ability (E)
Strong political and media awareness
Excellent judgement under pressure, making sound, values-led decisions at pace (E)
Ability to turn complex and fast-moving information into clear messaging for different audiences (E)
Strong issue and risk management in sensitive public contexts (E)
Excellent digital and social media skills (E)
Strong analytical skills to design and deliver campaigns (E)
Numerate, with experience preparing and managing budgets (E)
Strong planning, prioritisation and ability to meet multiple deadlines (E)
Able to identify problems early and propose solutions (E)
Commitment to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion (E)
Commitment to ending domestic abuse (E)
Competencies
Leadership, organisational and strategic awareness
Inspires trust and confidence in others
Commitment to SafeLives values Human, Rigorous, Inclusive and Brave - underpins all actions and decisions
Remains calm, decisive and collaborative in fast-moving situations, while maintaining message clarity, survivor focus and organisational credibility
Demonstrates an understanding of how your own role contributes to achieving SafeLives goals
Is responsive to change which helps achieve goals
Pursues tasks/goals with energy, drive and need for completion
Teamwork & collaboration
Fosters an inclusive working environment so that others can contribute effectively
Supports colleagues in demanding situations, recognises the importance of well-being in self and others, accepts help and support from other team members
Listens to the views of others and shows flexibility in working with collective decisions
People management and decision making
Ability to lead and manage effective teams and create an inventive, responsible and generous team culture
Strong focus on quality, performance and impact
Coaches staff to reach their full potential
Makes effective decisions on a timely basis
Judgement and problem solving is based on identifying outcomes and victim focus
Communications and relationship management
Communicate with energy and direction
Ability to build strong and effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
Promote and contribute to cross team working
Speaks and writes clearly and effectively and in a timely manner, tailoring communication to suit the audience
Maintains confidentiality
Delivering quality
Self-starter with the ability to use initiative and judgement to identify problems and propose solutions
Excellent organisational skills including the ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines
Takes responsibility for own workload, acts on own initiative, seeks feedback from others, evaluates own performance?and then acts upon it
Tries out new ideas and ways of working and identifies and shares learning
Influence
Inspires confidence and trust demonstrating high standards of integrity, honesty and fairness
Actively engages the knowledge, ideas and contributions of others
Uses appropriate techniques to influence others
Job Types: Full-time, Temporary
Contract length: 12 months
Benefits:
Bereavement leave
Company pension
Cycle to work scheme
Flexitime
Work from home
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