Communications Lead

Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in the UK and accounts for half the difference in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in society. In 2025, the Government will bring in landmark new laws, making the UK the first country in the world to phase out the sale of tobacco to future generations. We are looking for a proactive communicator and storyteller to join our ambitious and supportive team at a critical time to influence the political direction and wider narrative on tobacco and vaping in Westminster, the NHS and local government.

ASH has recently agreed a new five-year strategy and effective and impactful communications is a critical part of achieving our influencing goals. The Communications Lead will be responsible for our digital and social channels, developing compelling content and copy, as well as managing our media presence and working with journalists to secure coverage of our messages, research and reports. There s no such thing as a typical day: you could be involved in everything from creating a social post to explain the implications of a new policy, advising the team on new content ideas for the website, liaising with a national newspaper to comment on breaking news or managing the design of a key report for policymakers.

About the candidate

We encourage individuals to apply even if they don't meet every single criteria listed below, as we value potential, proactivity, transferable skills, and a strong desire to learn and contribute to our mission.

1. Previous experience in a focused communications role managing digital, social and media relations. This could be in an agency, NGO, government department or in-house.

2. Experience of developing strategic communications and developing new ideas and approaches based on insights or evidence.

3. Experience of working with journalists and core understanding of how the media works and what makes a good story.

4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to express complicated messages simply and with authority.

5. Experience and understanding of web publishing tools (e.g. WordPress, Craft, Drupal) for content creation and editing

6. Proven ability and experience with building and maintain professional relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including journalists, partner organisations, contractors and health professionals.

7. A good level of software expertise, including MS Office packages and web-based platforms. Knowledge and experience of Adobe Creative Suite and Canva an advantage.

8. A flexible approach to working and a willingness to support colleagues across the organisation

9. Strong organisational skills including excellent record keeping, and an ability to independently manage workload and work to deadlines, while responding to current events.

10. Enthusiasm for, and commitment to, the aims and objectives of ASH and an interest in public health more broadly. Understanding of policy influencing and government relations would be an advantage, but not essential.

Interviews

Interviews will be held at our office in Vauxhall on 7th May. If cost is a barrier to attending a London-based interview, please let us know and we can help with booking your travel. Please let us know if you require any additional support or reasonable adjustments for the application or interview. We really want our process to feel accessible.

At ASH we are committed to ensuring our staff are representative of the diverse world around us and therefore we encourage candidates with a range of lived and professional experiences to apply. We particularly welcome applications from people of colour, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people. We will use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to appoint from these underrepresented groups if two candidates are equally qualified.

Application Details

Please submit your CV and a covering letter via Charity Jobs.