The Communications Lead will own GFO’s communications across both the organisation and OxFarmToFork, with a clear brief: to grow our reach, amplify the work of our network, and help translate what we do into income and impact. That means building and delivering a coherent annual comms plan, maintaining a consistent presence across our channels, and actively spotting the connections between GFO projects and OxFarmToFork that make for the strongest stories.
You’ll shape how GFO presents itself externally and make sure our communications work hard for the organisation.
The role is 0.4–0.5 FTE and can be worked flexibly across the week. We encourage interested candidates to discuss arrangements that suit their needs. The successful candidate will ideally be based within Oxfordshire and able to work from our Oxford office on Wednesdays, our team day.
What You’ll Be Doing
Communications Strategy and Planning
* Develop and own GFO’s annual communications plan, covering both GFO and OxFarmToFork, with clear goals, audiences, channels, and success measures.
* Advise the CEO and project leads on communications priorities and timing throughout the year.
* Track and report on communications performance, using data to inform decisions about content, channels, and audience engagement.
* Ensure comms plans meet funding requirements/deliverables for projects.
Content and Channel Management
* Write and publish content across GFO’s digital channels: social media (primarily Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook), the website, email newsletters, and blogs.
* Manage the social media presence for both GFO and OxFarmToFork: planning content calendars, writing copy, scheduling posts, and responding to engagement.
* Monitor and actively work to grow engagement metrics across key platforms, using platform analytics to understand what’s working and adjust accordingly.
* Maintain and update GFO’s website, including campaign pages, news, and project updates. Basic CMS work; more significant design or development can be contracted out.
* Write and distribute press releases and support media relations when opportunities arise.
Project and Campaign Communications
* Provide communications support for GFO campaigns across their full lifecycle, from initial promotion through to impact reporting – including the Great Big Green Lunch, the Pumpkin Festival, and the WISH initiative.
* Develop audience-appropriate messaging for OxFarmToFork, aimed at potential producers, institutional buyers, and the wider public.
* Support the production of funder reports and stakeholder updates by providing communications evidence and impact content.
* Brief and manage external contractors for specialist design work as needed.
Network and Stakeholder Communications
* Support GFO’s member network communications, keeping network members informed, engaged, and connected to GFO’s work.
* Help develop and maintain a CRM approach to stakeholder communications, ensuring key audiences receive timely and relevant updates.
* Contribute to event communications, including invitations, programmes, and follow-up content for events such as the Food Summit and Annual Celebration.
What You’ll Bring
* Demonstrable experience in a communications role, with responsibility for content creation and channel management.
* Strong writing skills across different formats and audiences: social media copy, newsletters, web content, and longer-form pieces.
* A solid understanding of social media platforms and how to grow and sustain audience engagement, including use of platform analytics.
* The ability to develop and deliver a communications plan, not just execute individual tasks.
* Confidence with basic website maintenance using a standard CMS (e.g. WordPress or similar).
* An organised, self-directed working style – comfortable managing a varied workload with limited day-to-day oversight.
* Genuine interest in food sustainability, community development, or the social/environmental sector.
Design skills aren’t essential – we can bring in contractors for specialist work. Experience with email marketing platforms, CRM systems, or SEO would be a bonus, as would a background in the charity or non-profit sector.
We’re a small team and we value warmth, curiosity, and a collaborative approach. If you don’t tick every box but feel the role is a good fit, we’d still love to hear from you – particularly from candidates with a range of lived experiences.