Communications & Marketing Manager

For over 30 years, we’ve supported people across Teesside with their mental health. As our work grows in reach, complexity and impact, how we communicate matters more than ever. The right message can help someone find support, understand the difference we make or decide to get involved.

We’re looking for someone who can see the bigger picture and bring it to life—combining strategic thinking with creativity and the practical skills to make things happen. This is your opportunity to build trust, make mental health information clear and free from stigma, and inspire people to support a local cause.

You’ll join a friendly, dedicated team working to improve life for local people experiencing mental health problems. If you want to use your communications and marketing expertise to make a difference close to home, we’d love to hear from you.

Overview

You will lead communications and marketing that bring Teesside Mind’s purpose, services and impact to life, helping people trust us, find support and get involved.

In this senior, hands-on role, you will set direction, advise colleagues and deliver compelling work, balancing ambition with the resources of a local charity.

You will develop, deliver and review a strategy shaped by our audiences, covering service promotion, brand, content, campaigns, digital channels, media relations, internal and fundraising communications. You will manage budgets and suppliers, keep communications accessible, ethical and secure, and use feedback and evidence to improve results and demonstrate value. Your work will help us:

• Reach more people who need our services or wider mental health support.
• Improve understanding of mental health problems and challenge stigma through accurate, inclusive communications shaped by people with lived experience.
• Show supporters, partners and commissioners the difference we make and how they can contribute.
• Position Teesside Mind as the trusted local voluntary sector voice on mental health.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will advise the Chief Executive and colleagues on organisational planning, change, reputation and communications risks, and support partnerships, bids and recruitment. You will ensure people with lived experience help shape our strategy, priorities, messages and campaigns through meaningful, supported involvement—not just by sharing personal stories.

You will line manage and develop the Communications Officer and Fundraising Manager. You will help the Fundraising Manager deliver the fundraising strategy and connect fundraising messages with our wider communications. You will develop the Communications Officer’s skills and confidence to deliver the communications and marketing plan and take on greater responsibility.

Key Outcomes for the Role include:

• Communications that make a difference: Targeted activity supports organisational priorities, with evidence that people better understand our work, engage with it and take action.
• Support that is easier to find: People can find and understand accurate information about our services, with communication barriers identified and reduced.
• A trusted local voice: Consistent messages, credible impact evidence and ethical storytelling strengthen Teesside Mind’s profile and reputation and help challenge mental health stigma.
• Lived experience shapes our work: People are supported to influence communications decisions and can see the difference their contributions make.
• Stronger engagement and support: Coordinated communications strengthen relationships with supporters, partners and commissioners, support recruitment and contribute to agreed fundraising goals.
• Greater confidence and capacity: Clear delegation, development and practical tools help the Communications Officer and colleagues deliver high-quality communications, with clear responsibilities and approval processes.
• An informed, connected organisation: Staff and volunteers understand priorities, can find the information they need and have meaningful opportunities to ask questions and give feedback.
• Safe, secure and well-managed communications: Channels and materials are secure, accessible and managed responsibly, with risks addressed promptly and resources used effectively.

Qualifications & Experience Required

Essential:

• A relevant marketing, communications or public relations qualification, professional membership or equivalent continuing professional development.
• Experience of developing and delivering communications and marketing strategies, turning organisational priorities into realistic plans and balancing competing demands within available resources.
• A track record of delivering coordinated campaigns shaped by audience insight, with evidence of engagement or action—not just reach.
• Experience of writing, editing and producing accurate, engaging content for different audiences and channels, making complex or sensitive information clear and accessible.
• Practical experience of managing website content, social media and email communications, using publishing tools and analytics to improve content and how people find information or take action.
• Experience of maintaining brand and editorial standards, coordinating content from others and managing external suppliers or creative briefs.
• Experience of media relations, including identifying stories, drafting press materials, responding to enquiries and preparing colleagues for media opportunities.
• Experience of line management, including setting priorities, providing supervision and development, and supporting colleagues to deliver agreed objectives.
• Experience of managing projects and budgets, monitoring progress and demonstrating value for money.

Desirable:

• Experience in a charity, health or social care setting, or another purpose-led organisation.
• Experience of fundraising appeals, building supporter relationships or coordinating communications with a fundraising team.
• Practical skills in design, photography, video or commissioning multimedia content, and familiarity with search engine optimisation or paid digital campaigns.

Main Responsibilties

Strategy and planning: Develop, deliver and review a joined-up communications and marketing strategy with clear objectives and realistic work plans. Agree priorities with the Senior Leadership Team and balance competing demands within available resources.

Communications Officer management and development: Coach and develop the Communications Officer, agreeing clear objectives, manageable workloads and a content calendar. Delegate content, digital updates, campaigns and audience research with clear briefs and editorial oversight. Use feedback and progress reviews to build skills, confidence and responsibility.

Brand and editorial standards: Maintain Teesside Mind’s brand, tone of voice and key messages in line with Mind guidance, with clear editorial standards and proportionate approval processes.

Building colleagues’ communications skills: Work with the Communications Officer to train and coach colleagues, providing accessible templates and guidance to help them contribute content or create materials. Make clear what colleagues can do independently and what needs approval, maintaining quality and safeguards and overseeing sensitive or higher-risk work.

Audience insight and service marketing: Learn from service teams and people using our services to understand different audiences’ needs and barriers to support. Use this insight to create communications and marketing that help people find and access the right support.

Lived-experience involvement and support: Support people with varied lived experiences to shape communications priorities, messages, campaigns and evaluation, without any expectation of sharing personal stories publicly.

Impact and ethical storytelling: Bring our impact to life through credible evidence and personal stories, without sensationalising people’s difficulties. Explain how contributions will be used, support informed choices and maintain consent.

Campaigns and stakeholder engagement: Deliver coordinated campaigns that raise awareness, challenge stigma and inspire action. Work with communities, partners and the Mind network to reach more people. Equip Senior Leaders with clear messages and evidence to support engagement and influencing priorities.

Content and publications: Write, edit and commission engaging content for digital channels, print and events. Turn service information, research and impact evidence into clear materials tailored to each audience, checking facts and maintaining editorial standards.

Digital channels: Develop and manage our website, social media and email channels, with clear responsibility for content. Use testing and analytics to improve accessibility, search visibility and how people find support or get involved. Maintain clear arrangements for moderating content and escalating concerns.

Digital communications security: Work with IT, data protection colleagues and suppliers to keep channels, accounts and materials secure. Ensure accounts remain under organisational control, use approved password management and review access regularly.

Media relations: Build media relationships, identify news opportunities and respond promptly to enquiries. Prepare press materials and approved statements, supporting spokespeople and lived-experience contributors to participate safely and confidently.

Resources and suppliers: Manage budgets, procurement and suppliers, setting clear briefs, deadlines and quality standards.

Fundraising leadership and supporter communications: Supervise and develop the Fundraising Manager and support the team, agreeing fundraising strategy, coordinated plans, objectives and clear responsibilities. Support appeals, communications at each stage of the supporter relationship and impact updates that strengthen relationships and grow voluntary income. Ensure activities follow fundraising regulation.

Internal communications: Work with leadership and HR colleagues to improve how we communicate with staff and volunteers. Help people understand priorities and change, ask questions, share feedback and celebrate success.

Reputation and sensitive communications: Identify emerging risks and advise the Chief Executive on responses. Maintain crisis communications plans, clear approval processes and routes for escalating concerns.

Partnerships and organisational development: Show commissioners, funders and partners what we offer and the difference we make. Contribute to bids, service developments and recruitment campaigns.

Measurement and improvement: Agree with senior colleagues how to measure progress from our starting point. Track who we reach, what they understand and what they do next. Report results, learning and resources used, test improvements and explain how communications contribute to wider outcomes.

Safe and inclusive practice: Make accessibility, confidentiality, security, data protection, safeguarding, consent and copyright part of all communications work. Follow policies and professional guidance, seek specialist advice when needed and arrange appropriate review of mental health information.

Organisational leadership: Contribute to Senior Leadership Team decisions, reporting and improvement. Put our values into practice, keep professional knowledge up to date and undertake other duties appropriate to the role.

Working Hours

Full-time 36.5 hours per week, or part-time 30 hours per week.

Salary Range

£42,045, pro rata for part-time hours

Full Job Specification

View Full Job Specification PDF