Job title Communications and Impact Manager
Reports to Chief Executive
Salary £38,110 pro rata
Contract Permanent
Hours 30 hours, 4 days a week (Monday to Thursday)
Holiday 20 days plus Bank Holidays
Location Home working, with some travel
Closing date for applications: 4 August 2025
Who we're looking for
Brilliant storyteller with confidence in their digital marketing, copywriting and PR skills.
Changemaker who is excited about embedding and championing our new brand.
Motivated communicator who will improve engagement with our stakeholders.
Creative leader who enjoys a proactive and responsive environment.
Impact and evidence champion to influence target audiences, raise awareness and garner support.
Values-led collaborator who will build strong relationships with our team, members and strategic partners.
About our Charity
Our focus is on creating libraries of tomorrow with children and young people today.
We want all children and young people to feel at home at the library, to be understood, empowered and inspired. Our collaborative network is made up of member, partners and supporters. We believe in the need for safe spaces and real-life connections to support the demands of modern life. Together, we’re creating change, and you can be a part of it.
Our charity is going through a rebirth, with a new name, strategy and brand identity launching this autumn. This is a pivotal time for a passionate, skilled communicator to join our team. We’re looking for someone to bring the energy and expertise to take us into this new chapter and to new heights, maximising impact and reach.
We are an Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation. Our members are leaders in children and young people’s public libraries and schools library services (SLS).
We’re looking for someone who lives our values - progressive, collaborative, kind, aspirational and inclusive.
What’s important to us needs to be important to you too. We want to focus on impact, to work openly, to collaborate with and learn from others, to take the time to care for ourselves and each other, and to have fun together. We want to build an environmentally sustainable charity, and we want to be celebrated as an inclusion changemaker in the sector.
Experience as a communications professional is essential and you’ll be energised by the opportunity to:
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Raise our profile higher within the sector.
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Raise awareness of the range of activities and impacts libraries deliver for children and young people through research, evidence and compelling communication.
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Develop, manage and deliver targeted advocacy for public libraries and schools library services.
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Maintain and cultivate proactive relationships with advocacy and influencing partners to ensure children and young people are always represented in national policy discussions.
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Embed and champion a strong brand, which supports our members and resonates with new stakeholders to ensure we are the ‘go to partner’ for children and young people’s libraries.
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Maximise our use of existing and new research and data to evidence the impact of library services for children and young people’s and schools library services.
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Promote the sector-leading work of our charity, grow our membership and develop new and innovative ways to increase our reach and engagement.
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Develop a strong case for support to attract new funders and supporters.
If you see the impact and research aspect of the role as an area of development for you, we’ll be happy to provide training and connect you with other organisations to learn from. As a small and growing charity, we’re all learning every day, and we’re keen to find someone who is curious and collaborative. We know we won’t get it right every time and understand these are moments to reflect and learn together.
This is a great opportunity to help shape the culture of our new charity, to amplify the voices of children and young people on issues that matter for them in libraries policy, and to champion our network though advocacy and evidence.
Our application process is open to everyone and anyone with the experience we’re looking for. We have a diverse board of trustees, but we know our staff team is not as diverse as we need for the future, as we grow. We particularly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, gender identities, stages of life and those with hidden or visible disabilities.
About the work
We have been working closely with freelance communications expertise. The Communication and Impact Manager is a new role for the charity. You will join a small and growing team, who are passionate about our mission and vision. You will also work closely with our members (senior children’s library and schools library service leaders) and sector partners.
We are in the final stages of creating our strategy for the future. You’ll be supporting us across all four pillars, with a particular focus on our Champion goals
Activate - Amplifying young voices with libraries locally, regionally and nationally.
Develop - Enabling library services with knowledge, expertise and inclusive practice.
Energise - Connecting our member network to harness opportunities and overcome challenges.
Champion - Raising awareness and making the case of children and young people’s public library services and schools library services.
Benefits
You will benefit from:
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Home working, with quarterly in person team days and opportunities to visit our partners across the country with paid travel, accommodation and expenses.
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4 weeks (20 days pro rata) holiday, plus bank holidays.
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5% employer pension contribution.
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Employee assist programme – including 24/7 counselling, health support and legal helpline.
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A range of discounts on retail, entertainment, travel and wellbeing discounts.
Next steps/ How to apply
Full details of the job role can be downloaded here
If you are interested in this role, please send a CV with this short application form to [email protected] by 9am on Monday 4th August.
To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, we ask that you consider completing our anonymous equal opportunities monitoring form.
If you have any questions about the role, or want to chat about it before applying, please get in touch with [email protected].
If you are not certain that you meet all the criteria, or want to explore a different working pattern, please consider applying anyway; there is flexibility in the way this role could work. We are open to job shares and other flexible working arrangements (currently all of us work 4 days a week, as we strive to create work life balance).
We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. If you would like to discuss specific requirements, please get in touch with Tabitha Witherick at [email protected].
All applicants must have an existing Right to Work in the UK. Please also note that appointment will be made subject to collection of two references and a satisfactory DBS check or evidence of a current DBS certificate.
Interviews will be held online on Thursday 7th August.