About The Role

In conjunction with the Internal Communications Manager, the Communications Specialist - Service Users will help people with sight loss to live the life they choose by taking the lead on how we communicate with existing and potential service users. They will be the centre point for identifying and sharing stories and experiences with internal and external audiences and will ensure that these audiences are kept informed about services, developments and updates.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver the existing programme of service user communications, including the regular DM scheduled activities
• Evolve and improve the existing programme, measuring its performance and optimising its impact
• Establish and maintain a flow of service user stories and experiences for comms and wider use, proactively seeking these out by building relationships and collaborating with colleagues service users and volunteers
• Ensure operating standards and processes are in place for all service users to receive an excellent and standardised customer comms journey
• Support the wider comms team with volunteer, colleague and external communications relating to service users
• Design and deliver communications which are tailored to the different journeys and stages of customers on the waiting list, ensuring that they know about services beyond the dog, which give them ‘access to more’
• Write and edit news articles, features and thought leadership pieces for a variety of audiences and channels; internal and external
• Develop and implement multi-channel, integrated communications plans to target service users with measurable KPIs
• Proactively and creatively give service users a voice and ensure we are reflecting their requirements, interests and concerns in the communications we develop, working closely with Lived Experience, Customer Experience and Policy and Campaign colleagues
• Develop content which will inspire new service users or their families to engage with our brand
• Work closely with the digital team to plan and produce engaging content for our owned social channels increasing levels of interaction and relevant followers amongst existing and future service users
• Be an additional comms resource within the team for internal communications projects
• Share direct mailing expertise and service user knowledge with wider communications team
• Act as a key advisor on handling difficult issues with service users which could become reputational issues for the charity
• Be reactive and responsive to ad hoc communications requests. Prepare succinct briefings and responses in a timely manner for the wider organisation
• Ensure communications skills are kept up to date and have an understanding of other disciplines i.e. digital and research

This is a hybrid role, working Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, with two days per week based in the office. We are open to considering one of our offices located in the South region

About Us

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.

Every day is different at Guide Dogs. And no person with sight loss is the same. We work side by side, on our sites and in the community, in schools and on our streets, supporting people to live the life they choose.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

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.

Safeguarding

Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with.

For more information on how to apply, please visit our careers site.

How to apply

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. Call them on 0118 3540345 or drop an email to recruitment@guidedogs.org.uk.