Director of Marketing and Communications

The Vegetarian Society is a UK based charity at the forefront of ongoing work to inspire people to stop eating meat and adopt vegetarian and vegan diets for the benefit of animals, people and the planet.

Formed in 1847, we are the oldest Vegetarian Society in the world, with a rich history of activism over the past 175 years. However, our work is now more urgent than ever because of the unfolding global climate and biodiversity crisis.

As a result, we are now looking to recruit a Director of Marketing and Communications, a position which will play a crucial role in developing and amplifying our brand, increasing engagement with our public campaigns and marketing our products and services to new audiences, helping drive sales.

Working closely with our CEO and a new, aspirational leadership team, you will help the Society to meet the challenges of the next decade and beyond, building our profile, income and impact. It will come as no surprise that we are looking for an exceptional individual, a strategic thinker but one who is prepared to roll their sleeves up and drive delivery, embracing flexible and agile ways of working to deliver high quality results on time and on budget.

You will have a deep understanding of current and emerging marketing strategies and how these can be best deployed to drive B2B and B2C sales. You will also understand how the very best brands have cemented their place in the public’s mind and will be capable of applying this learning to the Society and the development of our own brand. You will understand the principles of effective communication and how digital media can be deployed to amplify our core messages and build our profile.

Critically we are also looking for a leader, a friendly face who seeks to coach, develop and inspire the people around them to deliver to their highest potential at all times.

You will relish the challenge of:

• Developing and delivering a new strategic marketing and communication plan for the Society.
• Leading on the development of the Vegetarian Society’s brand, voice and tone, ensuring it continues to be relevant and engaging, for key targeted audiences.
• Overseeing the delivery of public awareness campaigns and programmes working with a range of partners, aimed at garnering public support and growth in our supporter base.
• Ensuring that our communications activity engages members and supports both growth and retention.
• Overseeing our external affairs function, ensuring that we engage with policy makers, parliamentarians and key businesses in the delivery of advocacy-based campaigns.
• Overseeing the design, delivery and management of a first-class digital experience for our members and supporters, through our websites and digital media channels.
• Leading on the development of key senior strategic partnerships in support of our communications & engagement work with business, NGOs and the public sector.

If you feel ready to take on the challenge, meet the criteria set out in the person specification and are confident in undertaking the role; we’d love to hear from you, and look forward to reading your application.