The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
This is a home-based role, working Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Applications are welcome from candidates based outside Belfast, provided they are resident in Northern Ireland and able to commute to the Belfast office if required. The External Affairs Manager plays a pivotal role in empowering people with sight loss to live the life they choose. This position leads the development of policy and campaigns within the country, aligning with Guide Dogs strategic objectives. Working collaboratively with the central policy, public affairs, and campaigns team, as well as the country leadership team, the role builds strategic partnerships with government bodies, local authorities, societies, and other key organisations. This ensures Guide Dogs remains informed and influential on all policy initiatives affecting the organisation and its stakeholders. The post holder will be responsible for the day to day leadership, management and oversight of a team. The post-holder is responsible for shaping policy positions, drafting responses to consultations from councils, combined authorities, and devolved governments, and driving impactful campaigns at a regional level. A key focus is increasing the involvement of blind and partially sighted people in advocacy and campaigning. Additionally, the role leads the implementation of Guide Dogs regional marketing and communications strategy across the Devolved Nations. This includes raising brand awareness, engaging diverse audiences service users, families, volunteers, donors, and the public and delivering integrated communications plans that strengthen Guide Dogs presence and impact. Key Responsibilities Policy Development Lead the creation of country-specific policy and position papers, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy. Prepare responses to consultation papers from devolved administrations, local government, and regional bodies. Represent Guide Dogs on committees, working groups, and forums, staying informed on policy issues impacting the organisation and its service users. Public Affairs Build and influence relationships with key stakeholders, including elected representatives and senior officials. Represent Guide Dogs at Government Scrutiny Committees and cross-party groups. Act as the primary liaison with local government and statutory agencies. Campaigns & Influence Strategically lead and coordinate campaigns at a country level, ensuring alignment with devolved policy priorities. Develop and deliver campaigns addressing local needs of the visually impaired community. Foster partnerships within the Third Sector to build consensus and amplify Guide Dogs strategic aims. Leadership & People Management Provide strong leadership to local staff and volunteers, promoting best practice and knowledge-sharing. Oversee recruitment, performance management, and compliance with safeguarding policies. Ensure high levels of engagement through effective communication and leadership. Financial Accountability Support fundraising initiatives and monitor operational budgets to ensure efficiency and compliance. Diversity & Inclusion Champion Guide Dogs diversity agenda, ensuring services are inclusive and accessible. Work with external partners to create a more inclusive environment for people with sight loss. How to apply Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page. If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, or require any accessibility support to apply, our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help. As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions. Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site. If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time. Safeguarding Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment. At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly. Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service. For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.
This is a home-based role, working Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Applications are welcome from candidates based outside Belfast, provided they are resident in Northern Ireland and able to commute to the Belfast office if required. The External Affairs Manager plays a pivotal role in empowering people with sight loss to live the life they choose. This position leads the development of policy and campaigns within the country, aligning with Guide Dogs strategic objectives. Working collaboratively with the central policy, public affairs, and campaigns team, as well as the country leadership team, the role builds strategic partnerships with government bodies, local authorities, societies, and other key organisations. This ensures Guide Dogs remains informed and influential on all policy initiatives affecting the organisation and its stakeholders. The post holder will be responsible for the day to day leadership, management and oversight of a team. The post-holder is responsible for shaping policy positions, drafting responses to consultations from councils, combined authorities, and devolved governments, and driving impactful campaigns at a regional level. A key focus is increasing the involvement of blind and partially sighted people in advocacy and campaigning. Additionally, the role leads the implementation of Guide Dogs regional marketing and communications strategy across the Devolved Nations. This includes raising brand awareness, engaging diverse audiences service users, families, volunteers, donors, and the public and delivering integrated communications plans that strengthen Guide Dogs presence and impact. Key Responsibilities Policy Development Lead the creation of country-specific policy and position papers, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy. Prepare responses to consultation papers from devolved administrations, local government, and regional bodies. Represent Guide Dogs on committees, working groups, and forums, staying informed on policy issues impacting the organisation and its service users. Public Affairs Build and influence relationships with key stakeholders, including elected representatives and senior officials. Represent Guide Dogs at Government Scrutiny Committees and cross-party groups. Act as the primary liaison with local government and statutory agencies. Campaigns & Influence Strategically lead and coordinate campaigns at a country level, ensuring alignment with devolved policy priorities. Develop and deliver campaigns addressing local needs of the visually impaired community. Foster partnerships within the Third Sector to build consensus and amplify Guide Dogs strategic aims. Leadership & People Management Provide strong leadership to local staff and volunteers, promoting best practice and knowledge-sharing. Oversee recruitment, performance management, and compliance with safeguarding policies. Ensure high levels of engagement through effective communication and leadership. Financial Accountability Support fundraising initiatives and monitor operational budgets to ensure efficiency and compliance. Diversity & Inclusion Champion Guide Dogs diversity agenda, ensuring services are inclusive and accessible. Work with external partners to create a more inclusive environment for people with sight loss. How to apply Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page. If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, or require any accessibility support to apply, our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help. As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions. Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site. If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time. Safeguarding Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment. At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly. Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service. For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Job Profile Job Title: Communications Specialist South East Directorate: Marketing, Fundraising and Communications Reports To: Regional Communications Manager Matrix Reporting To: None Disclosure Check Level: None Date created/last reviewed: April 2024 Overall Role Purpose The Communications Specialist South East helps people with sight loss to live the life they choose by driving the awareness and saliency of the Guide Dogs brand nationally and in their region by leading the development and delivery of central, regional and local integrated communications activity. The role communicates the strategy and work of Guide Dogs, engaging key audiences both externally and internally (including service users, volunteers, staff, and supporters) to strengthen the brand and further awareness of the charity Key Responsibilities Brand Drive the awareness and saliency of the Guide Dogs brand nationally and in the region by bringing to life the brand positioning through all customer experience touchpoints. Champion the brand identity in the region, leading the implementation across all touchpoints. Lead the regional activation of all aspects of the brand campaign, working closely with the central brand, comms and digital teams. Communications & Digital Lead the development, delivery and review of central, regional and local integrated communications & digital activity in the region to include print and broadcast media, social media, publications, advertising, events, direct marketing and internal communications as appropriate, ensuring objectives are set and measured. Create and edit key regional publications, as and when required. Case studies Source and create local case studies, and work with Content Team to maintain the Chorus case study library with content to support local and national campaigns Media relations - Build strong and on-going relationships with national and regional journalists through proactive and reactive media relations, including dealing with issues and crises that are a risk to the organisation s reputation. Work with all areas of the charity to story spot and develop compelling service user case studies that will engage journalists and turn into national news stories Generate region-based stories and articles for corporate publications Manage creative agencies to help deliver national and regional campaigns Volunteer management - Develop and maintain a network of volunteer media champions across all regions. Spokesperson - Be a key spokesperson on behalf of Guide Dogs for regional media and where appropriate nationally. Advice and training - Provide both strategic and tactical advice on communications activities and issues for staff and volunteers within the region. Provide media training and develop communication skills to staff and volunteers nationally and within your area and ensure they are adequately briefed for media interviews. To take part in an out of hours duty rota and respond appropriately in the event of a crisis. Quality - Work across departments and functions both at Central Office and within your region, to ensure that Guide Dogs online and print communication channels are up-to-date and reflects regional content and context. Breadth/Scope of Accountability People Accountability Number of Direct Reports: None Number of Indirect Reports: None Number of Volunteers Supervised: Up to 10 Financial Accountability Annual Income Accountability: None Assets Managed: None Budget Accountability: Up to £10K Application of this Job Profile All employees are required to carry out other such duties as may reasonably be required to fulfil their role and support functional and organisational objectives. All employees must also: Comply with all organisational policies Promote the vision and values of the organisation Engage in continuous personal development This job profile is accurate as at the date shown above. It does not form part of contractual terms and may be varied to reflect or anticipate changes to the role. Working at Guide Dogs As well as other services to enhance the lives of people who are blind and partially sighted, we breed and train guide dogs. Staff and volunteers in all our locations support this work. Therefore, all employees must be comfortable working in environments where dogs may be present. Guide Dogs is a volunteer-involving organisation and as such all staff are required to support volunteers in their roles. This may or may not mean the direct supervision of volunteers but will require all staff to play a supporting role. From time to time you may be asked to support / volunteer your time at Guide Dogs events that take place outside of normal working hours. All employees will be expected to advocate for Guide Dogs at all times and be a fundraiser. Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees and volunteers to demonstrate this commitment. Guide Dogs will require proof of identity and the right to work in the UK. Person Specification Education/Qualifications Essential A degree or an equivalent level qualification or equivalent experience. Job-Related Experience Essential Proven experience of creation and implementation of communications and digital campaigns and projects to meet business objectives, with experience of targeting different audiences through media channels. Proven experience of generating positive media coverage for a brand Understanding of measurement and evaluation, and knowledge of the latest techniques to measure the success and impact of a campaign against our strategic objectives Desirable Experience of working in the third sector. Previous brand management experience. Knowledge Essential Up to date with best practice and innovation in brand marketing, communications and digital Awareness and understanding of the current media landscape and what journalists are looking for today Strong digital skills including a good knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word and PowerPoint. Skills and Competencies Essential Excellent written and communication skills, being able to adapt style to different channels or audiences. Excellent digital marketing skills. The ability to spot gaps and opportunities within a comms calendar and develop news out of nothing by mining content from the organisation independently Able to give authoritative verbal advice and information on marketing, media and communications. Excellent organisational skills, working under pressure and to deadlines. Behaviours Our behaviours capture the essence of what it is to be Guide Dogs people, whether staff or volunteer. They describe the experience we expect everyone the people we support, donors, partners, our volunteers and staff to have while working with us. Guide Dogs people are: • Person-centred - We are a group of people working to help each person affected by sight loss. We listen, and recognise that every individual is different in where they ve come from and where they re going. We are open, empathetic and inclusive. We place the person at the centre of every decision. • Expert - We are specialists in what we do. We are committed to excellence and will never stop innovating. We respect our history, but seek out ways to adapt and improve, and are always willing to learn. • Optimistic - We are relentless in our belief that people with vision impairment can lead the life they choose. We are passionate about helping each person, committed to challenging barriers, and proud of who we are and what we achieve. So, we: - • Partner - We only change lives when we collaborate. We build valued relationships with donors. We work together with our service users and colleagues, volunteers and partners and our dogs, of course to deliver great outcomes. We support and develop each other. • Lead-by-example - We can all be a guide. We take the lead and then hand it over, empowering people to make progress independently. We gain trust by having faith in others, and influence by example. We do what we say we will. • Engage - We cannot change lives if we look on from the side-lines. We get involved, take ownership, and feel responsible for all we do, think and say. We celebrate wins big and small, and we hold ourselves and each other to account. We use competency-based questioning within our recruitment processes to assess the extent to which candidates demonstrate these behaviours in ways appropriate to this role in how they are at work and generally as people. Safeguarding If the role does or may involve working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, or supervising those that do, we ll also be assessing safeguarding competencies as part of the process. These are: Appropriate motivation to work with vulnerable groups; Emotional awareness; Working within professional boundaries and self-awareness; and Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults and protect from harm. Mobility A flexible approach with a willingness to work outside of core hours and away from home when required.
Job Profile Job Title: Communications Specialist South East Directorate: Marketing, Fundraising and Communications Reports To: Regional Communications Manager Matrix Reporting To: None Disclosure Check Level: None Date created/last reviewed: April 2024 Overall Role Purpose The Communications Specialist South East helps people with sight loss to live the life they choose by driving the awareness and saliency of the Guide Dogs brand nationally and in their region by leading the development and delivery of central, regional and local integrated communications activity. The role communicates the strategy and work of Guide Dogs, engaging key audiences both externally and internally (including service users, volunteers, staff, and supporters) to strengthen the brand and further awareness of the charity Key Responsibilities Brand Drive the awareness and saliency of the Guide Dogs brand nationally and in the region by bringing to life the brand positioning through all customer experience touchpoints. Champion the brand identity in the region, leading the implementation across all touchpoints. Lead the regional activation of all aspects of the brand campaign, working closely with the central brand, comms and digital teams. Communications & Digital Lead the development, delivery and review of central, regional and local integrated communications & digital activity in the region to include print and broadcast media, social media, publications, advertising, events, direct marketing and internal communications as appropriate, ensuring objectives are set and measured. Create and edit key regional publications, as and when required. Case studies Source and create local case studies, and work with Content Team to maintain the Chorus case study library with content to support local and national campaigns Media relations - Build strong and on-going relationships with national and regional journalists through proactive and reactive media relations, including dealing with issues and crises that are a risk to the organisation s reputation. Work with all areas of the charity to story spot and develop compelling service user case studies that will engage journalists and turn into national news stories Generate region-based stories and articles for corporate publications Manage creative agencies to help deliver national and regional campaigns Volunteer management - Develop and maintain a network of volunteer media champions across all regions. Spokesperson - Be a key spokesperson on behalf of Guide Dogs for regional media and where appropriate nationally. Advice and training - Provide both strategic and tactical advice on communications activities and issues for staff and volunteers within the region. Provide media training and develop communication skills to staff and volunteers nationally and within your area and ensure they are adequately briefed for media interviews. To take part in an out of hours duty rota and respond appropriately in the event of a crisis. Quality - Work across departments and functions both at Central Office and within your region, to ensure that Guide Dogs online and print communication channels are up-to-date and reflects regional content and context. Breadth/Scope of Accountability People Accountability Number of Direct Reports: None Number of Indirect Reports: None Number of Volunteers Supervised: Up to 10 Financial Accountability Annual Income Accountability: None Assets Managed: None Budget Accountability: Up to £10K Application of this Job Profile All employees are required to carry out other such duties as may reasonably be required to fulfil their role and support functional and organisational objectives. All employees must also: Comply with all organisational policies Promote the vision and values of the organisation Engage in continuous personal development This job profile is accurate as at the date shown above. It does not form part of contractual terms and may be varied to reflect or anticipate changes to the role. Working at Guide Dogs As well as other services to enhance the lives of people who are blind and partially sighted, we breed and train guide dogs. Staff and volunteers in all our locations support this work. Therefore, all employees must be comfortable working in environments where dogs may be present. Guide Dogs is a volunteer-involving organisation and as such all staff are required to support volunteers in their roles. This may or may not mean the direct supervision of volunteers but will require all staff to play a supporting role. From time to time you may be asked to support / volunteer your time at Guide Dogs events that take place outside of normal working hours. All employees will be expected to advocate for Guide Dogs at all times and be a fundraiser. Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees and volunteers to demonstrate this commitment. Guide Dogs will require proof of identity and the right to work in the UK. Person Specification Education/Qualifications Essential A degree or an equivalent level qualification or equivalent experience. Job-Related Experience Essential Proven experience of creation and implementation of communications and digital campaigns and projects to meet business objectives, with experience of targeting different audiences through media channels. Proven experience of generating positive media coverage for a brand Understanding of measurement and evaluation, and knowledge of the latest techniques to measure the success and impact of a campaign against our strategic objectives Desirable Experience of working in the third sector. Previous brand management experience. Knowledge Essential Up to date with best practice and innovation in brand marketing, communications and digital Awareness and understanding of the current media landscape and what journalists are looking for today Strong digital skills including a good knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word and PowerPoint. Skills and Competencies Essential Excellent written and communication skills, being able to adapt style to different channels or audiences. Excellent digital marketing skills. The ability to spot gaps and opportunities within a comms calendar and develop news out of nothing by mining content from the organisation independently Able to give authoritative verbal advice and information on marketing, media and communications. Excellent organisational skills, working under pressure and to deadlines. Behaviours Our behaviours capture the essence of what it is to be Guide Dogs people, whether staff or volunteer. They describe the experience we expect everyone the people we support, donors, partners, our volunteers and staff to have while working with us. Guide Dogs people are: • Person-centred - We are a group of people working to help each person affected by sight loss. We listen, and recognise that every individual is different in where they ve come from and where they re going. We are open, empathetic and inclusive. We place the person at the centre of every decision. • Expert - We are specialists in what we do. We are committed to excellence and will never stop innovating. We respect our history, but seek out ways to adapt and improve, and are always willing to learn. • Optimistic - We are relentless in our belief that people with vision impairment can lead the life they choose. We are passionate about helping each person, committed to challenging barriers, and proud of who we are and what we achieve. So, we: - • Partner - We only change lives when we collaborate. We build valued relationships with donors. We work together with our service users and colleagues, volunteers and partners and our dogs, of course to deliver great outcomes. We support and develop each other. • Lead-by-example - We can all be a guide. We take the lead and then hand it over, empowering people to make progress independently. We gain trust by having faith in others, and influence by example. We do what we say we will. • Engage - We cannot change lives if we look on from the side-lines. We get involved, take ownership, and feel responsible for all we do, think and say. We celebrate wins big and small, and we hold ourselves and each other to account. We use competency-based questioning within our recruitment processes to assess the extent to which candidates demonstrate these behaviours in ways appropriate to this role in how they are at work and generally as people. Safeguarding If the role does or may involve working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, or supervising those that do, we ll also be assessing safeguarding competencies as part of the process. These are: Appropriate motivation to work with vulnerable groups; Emotional awareness; Working within professional boundaries and self-awareness; and Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults and protect from harm. Mobility A flexible approach with a willingness to work outside of core hours and away from home when required.
