Director of Communications and Brand Appointment Brief August 2022
SOS Children’s Villages is a global charity working to protect children who have lost parental care, or who are at risk of losing it, helping them to access the care they need, while supporting young people with skills and employability training, enabling them to lead independent fulfilled lives. As the UK member of the SOS Children’s Villages Federation, we protect and improve the lives of children in 136 countries and territories, working with communities to support vulnerable families with a wide range of services to reduce the risk and impact of family breakdown.
• Authentic: We are open, honest and transparent in everything we do
Every child has the right to fulfil their potential through the love, care, and support of a family, and we ensure that no child, no family anywhere is left behind.
For more information, please visit our website and the SOS Children’s Villages International website.
2 SOS Children’s Villages | Chair
As a global authority on alternative care and proponent of the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care, SOS Children’s Villages (SOS) works in partnership with a wide range of actors, advocating for the rights of all children and contributing towards the development of key child protection policies.
Our programmes are locally planned and run by in-country SOS child-welfare experts. They understand the community because they are a part of it. They are cognizant of local customs, practices and belief-systems because they share them, or live amongst them; and they can help effectively because they have long-established relationships with local and national government bodies, suppliers and community leaders.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do;
• Collaborative: We work together to sustainably improve the lives of children and families
• Ambitious: We want to achieve lasting change for children and families.
A world where every child has a family, a community, and a chance to grow up feeling cared for and loved.
Who we are
• Learning: We respect diversity, are openminded, and listen and learn from others
Our Vision
Our Mission
6. To build a high performing organisation and culture to deliver SOS’s mission.
2. To identify and develop programmes for funding that best deliver our mission in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages International and have the greatest appeal to donors and potential donors,
1. To expand the reach and impact of our support for children without parental care or at risk of losing parental care and their communities. In particular, to support our target groups in Zambia and The Gambia through family like care and family strengthening programmes; in Africa and South-east Asia through support for young peoples’ training and employability to improve livelihoods and in emergency and crisis situations worldwide to protect the most vulnerable children,
5. To improve SOS’s brand profile and legitimacy, positioning the organisation as a thought leader and expert in alternative childcare and attracting donors to our mission,
3. To Increase and diversify SOS’s income from the UK, building sustainable and more predictable income channels while spreading the risk of fluctuations in income and building unrestricted income,
4. To improve our accountability to all of SOS’s stakeholders, including donors, supporters, our regulators and the UK public and to ensure that our beneficiaries remain the centre of everything we do,
We currently have six strategic goals in our Strategic Plan 2018 - 2021.
53% 5% 8% 10% 17% 6% TOTAL INCOME 2019 £4.56M CHILD AND VILLAGE SPONSORSHIPS INDIVIDUALSGIFTLEGACIESAID AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS CORPORATE OTHERINSTITUTIONALPARTNERSHIPSDONORSINCOME <1%<1%10%17%53%8%6%5% SOS Children’s Villages | Chair
At SOS Children’s Villages our money comes from a wide range of sources. Whilst the biggest source of income comes from child and village sponsorships from our generous donors, we also receive funds from legacies, gift aid, trusts and foundations, corporate partners and more.
Financial Structure
Income
In 2020, despite anticipating a loss of income due to the global pandemic, we were able to maintain effective and robust fundraising avenues. This meant we were able to meet our commitments to our international programmes.
In 2019 we raised £4.56 million in charitable income, 78% of our funding came from the UK public. Their generous contributions enable us to remain financially resilient as we invest in the future stability of our organisation and increase our impact.
Our expenditure is split between a variety of different programme areas. The money that we raise funds children and their village communities, family strengthening programmes, emergency responses, education, and youth employability, as well as covering our fundraising and support
our expenditure was £5.05 million. The largest proportion of this went towards supporting the children’s village communities. However, in line with the Federation’s Strategy 2030, we are planning to increase our expenditure on family strengthening programmes and youth employability. This aims to move our focus toward the prevention of family breakdown and the provision of long-term, sustainable solutions to the drivers of family separation.
Expenditure
Incosts.2019
38% 2% 12% 16% 17% 11% TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2019 £5.05M 2% 2% SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND VILLAGE COMMUNITIES SUPPORT COSTS (incl. admin & comms staff, premises and IT) FUNDRAISING COSTS (incl. exceptional investment) EDUCATION AND YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY FAMILY RAISINGEMERGENCYGOVERNANCESTRENGTHENINGRESPONSEAWARENESSWITH POLICY MAKERS 11%12%16%17%38%2%2%2% Appointment Brief | April 2021 Our recently published accounts for 2021 can be found on our website here.
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The Director of Communications and Brand ensures that the highest possible standards of integrity and transparency are reflected in the organisation’s communications especially where the protection of the children and young people on whose behalf the organisation works is concerned.
Role Description
7Appointment Brief | April 2021
The Director of Communications and Brand’s role is to lead a communications strategy that will help drive the transformation of SOS in the UK, clearly communicate its renewed mission and vision, support vital fundraising targeting and messaging, position the organisation at the forefront of the sector and support ambitious change within the SOS Federation.
Key to this, is the consistent implementation of a compelling brand proposition that reflects and represents the impact we help to make and is appealing to the audiences SOS seeks to mobilise in the UK, particularly in support of our ambitious fundraising goals.
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
• To build on the brand development currently underway, to further strengthen and implement a compelling and consistent brand proposition that reflects the values and aims of SOS, and to monitor its performance so it remains relevant to SOS’s target audiences, particularly in support of fundraising.
• To lead the development and implementation of a communications strategy to support SOS’s organisational goals; identifying and describing SOS’s priority audiences and how to reach them, leading the development of key messages to support programme and fundraising positioning, monitoring, evaluating and adjusting the strategy as necessary with the aim of building SOS’s profile, legitimacy and affinity with its audiences.
• To develop networks with the media and high-level champions, trustees, ambassadors and other advocates in support of the communications strategy and to ensure that our key messages are effectively delivered to target audiences.
• To scan the external communications horizon for potential opportunities and challenges, staying abreast of charity sector and regulatory developments generally and child rights and development specifically and communicate implications and recommendations, particularly with regards to messaging and targeting that will support the communications strategy.
• As leader of the Communications and Brand Team, ensure organisational strategies are implemented in team and individual work plans, team members are supported to deliver high quality, collaborative output working across teams for a joined-up approach to delivery and performance is managed in line with SOS’s organisational values and processes.
Location: Hybrid working, with some attendance in the Cambridge office
• To lead reputation risk management policies and procedures, including crisis communications protocols, to ensure that SOS’s governance and staff teams are supported to appropriately manage communications risk.
• To ensure there is internal capacity to fulfil the communications and brand strategy, that teams across the organisation have the tools and techniques in place for consistent brand messaging for the audiences they work with, thereby strengthening our ability to speak with one voice, be seen and heard.
• To participate in the development of the SOS Children’s Village Federation’s communications strategy so as to encourage the Federation to set ambitious goals for change, contributing the perspective of the UK sector, particularly as it relates to an anti-racist and de-colonised approach to international development.
• To devise strategies to engage and support SOS programme participants to tell their own stories and encourage collaboration with SOS colleagues across the Federation with humility and sensitivity.
Key Responsibilities
Contract: Permanent Hours: 35 hours per week
• As a member of the Senior Management Team of SOS, play an active role in the overall leadership of the organisation, contributing to the successful implementation of organisational priorities, taking joint responsibility for Team outcomes and modelling the Team’s agreed leadership behaviours.
8 SOS Children’s Villages | Chair
Director of Communications and Brand
Essential Experience
• Experience of working in a consultative and collaborative manner to develop crossorganisational strategies and plans, adopting a creative and problem-solving approach to challenges or barriers to execution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across a wide range of internal and external audience, able to influence and display diplomacy in the pursuit of shared goals.
• Strong organisational skills, being able to demonstrate evidence of previous project planning, delivery and management using limited resources.
• Willingness to work outside normal office hours when required and undertake some international travel.
• Experience of brand change management, including retaining existing audiences while attracting new ones.
• Experience of reporting and presenting at Board level and engaging Board members in support of strategic communications outcomes.
Personal Attributes
• High personal standards of integrity.
Person Specification
• Demonstrable understanding of innovative use of digital communications in the not for profit sector.
• Experience of building internal capacity in brand and strategic communications ensuring teams have the tools and techniques to support delivery of communications objectives.
Desirable Experience, Knowledge and Skills
strategy, ensuring the necessary processes and resources are in place.
• An analytic mindset that looks for evidence to drive goal setting and that can adapt plans in the face of new evidence and take advantage of opportunities, while keeping the bigger picture in mind.
• Highly motivated to contribute to change at the organisational and sector levels, particularly in how the people on whose behalf we work are included and represented in our work.
• Future and outcome focused with the ability to stay on track despite setbacks.
• Experience in international development and child rights/development.
• Experience of acting at a senior level, either a senior management team or as head of a large team where functional leadership had to be balanced with collective responsibility.
Essential Skills and Knowledge
9Appointment Brief | April 2021
• Passionate about working for vulnerable children to improve their opportunities, their families’ capacity to care for them and their communities’ ability to recognise and respect their needs.
• Demonstrable knowledge of UK charity sector opportunities and threats, particularly as they relate to the international development sector, government policy and public opinion.
• Experience of developing strategic communications and/or brand roll-out strategies, preferably gained in the UK international development or other charity sectors, with experience in developing communications strategies in support of a broad range of public fundraising activities, and particularly across digital channels.
• Substantial experience of planning and implementing strategic communications activities across a range of media measuring and evaluating outcomes and making recommendations for future activity.
• Ability to include reputation management within the context of a communications
• Thorough understanding of fundraising development and communications in the UK market, for example best practice, giving trends, the regulatory environment, and opportunities and threats.
• Evidence of leading, developing and motivating a team to achieve strategic outcomes.
11Appointment Brief | April 2021
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DeadlineTimetablefor Applications: 21st September Initial interviews with Prospectus: 26th – 29th September 1st interviews with SOS: 10th-11th October 2nd interviews with SOS: 17th-18th October
For any queries, please contact our retained advisors Fiona Wansborough and Jamila Abubakar, via email at: jamila.abubakar@prospect-us.co.ukfiona.wansborough@prospect-us.co.uk
To apply, please upload a copy of your CV together with a supporting statement (maximum 500 words) via our recruitment partner Prospectus.
Please ensure that your application fully addresses the requirements for the role. So that we can ensure everyone can participate fairly in the recruitment process, please let us know if you will require any special provision should you be called for interview.
Applications should be made via the Prospectus website: Queriesjobs.prospect-us.co.uk/jobs/details/hq00181886
How to Apply
If you will require any special provision as a result of any disability should you be called for interview, please do let us know.
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