Communications and PR Manager

National Federation of Womens Institutes

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

With a 110-year history, we are proud to say that the WI continues to be the largest and most influential UK-based women’s organisation, with over 170,000 members. Our campaigns push for change on the issues that matter to women and their communities, from equal pay to climate change, mental health, and violence against women. The WI has brought about real change, and this record of action shows that we are as relevant today as we were in 1915. The National Federation of Women’s Institutes (the NFWI) is responsible for running the organisation and provides support and advice to members at both regional and local levels.

About the role

Leading our PR, Communications and Marketing function, you will shape our external voice, reputation and visibility. You can expect to make a real impact on everything we do as you develop key messaging, secure media opportunities and strengthen relationships with journalists and supporters. Equally importantly, you will create an effective marketing strategy that drives engagement and reach, both across our membership and with external audiences. Above all, you will ensure consistency across all our communications, ensuring that we tell compelling, impactful and engaging stories that champion the issues that matter to women and their communities.

An experienced PR or communications professional, you will be skilled in securing high-profile national press coverage, directing crisis communications and carefully managing risk and reputation. At the same time, you should be well-versed in marketing across the full media mix, including social channels, and capable of managing multiple projects against strict deadlines. Your line management skills and experience will also ensure that you empower and support your team to work to the best of their ability. A background in the charity or non-profit sector would be beneficial, as would exposure to membership organisations, but we will value your creativity, drive and determination to maximise our profile above all.

The Communications and PR Manager leads the NFWI’s PR, Communications and Marketing function, shaping the organisation’s external voice, reputation and visibility. The role oversees the press office, managing both proactive and reactive media relations, and delivering integrated communications that support organisational priorities. Responsible for developing key messaging, securing media opportunities, and strengthening relationships with journalists, stakeholders and supporters, the role ensures communications are consistent, timely and impactful, positioning NFWI as a leading voice within the women’s sector.

Responsibilities

Press office and media relations:

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the press office, ensuring responses to media enquiries are timely, accurate and well-judged.
• Manage the press inbox and phone, prioritising and responding to enquiries in line with agreed frameworks and escalation principles.
• Generate media coverage by proactively identifying opportunities and responding to press enquiries, acting as a key point of contact for journalists.
• Build, develop and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, content creators and sector commentators by developing a network that supports both reactive and proactive communications.
• Identify and prioritise key media and creator relationships, investing time in developing deeper engagement and long-term partnerships.
• Proactively brief media where appropriate, supporting the visibility and positioning of NFWI within the women’s sector.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of media engagement, coverage and relationships.

Reactive media handling and issue response:

• Take proactive ownership of responding to reactive media enquiries, using sound judgement to assess risk, sensitivity and appropriate response.
• Draft statements, lines and responses to media enquiries, ensuring clarity, accuracy and alignment with NFWI’s messaging.
• Identify when issues require escalation and take responsibility for escalating where necessary, making recommendations to senior colleagues.
• Work at pace to ensure NFWI responds in a timely and coordinated way to external events, supporting the charity’s influence and reputation.
• Develop, implement and participate in shared team responsibilities for reactive communications, including covering the press phone/inbox and occasional out-of-hours working. 

Marketing:

• Develop an effective marketing and communications strategy that enables increased external engagement with the NFWI to ultimately raise the profile of the organisation, drive member recruitment and contribute to income generation.
• Lead the NFWI’s marketing function, maintaining overall responsibility for the development, management and success of all marketing activity across the NFWI.
• Line manage the Marketing Officer, ensuring that their work aligns with and contributes to both the marketing and organisational strategies.
• Maintain an awareness of marketing trends and best practices to identify innovative growth opportunities.

Proactive communications and media opportunities:

• Identify and propose proactive media opportunities aligned to organisational priorities, messaging, campaigns and relevant external moments.
• Develop and maintain an annual PR and communications plan, in collaboration with the senior team, ensuring it remains responsive to identified emerging opportunities and priorities.
• Review and refine the NFWI’s core messaging, working closely with the Director of Campaigns and Innovation.
• Support the development and delivery of media plans for campaigns and key organisational moments, ensuring activity supports and contributes to the delivery of the organisational strategy
• Pitch stories, case studies and spokespeople to media, working together with the Director of Campaigns and Innovation.
• Work closely with the senior team to develop opportunities to extend NFWI’s reach and engagement with priority audiences across relevant channels.

External Communications:

• Lead the delivery of external communications outputs, including press releases, statements and key messaging documents
• Ensure all communications are aligned to NFWI’s messaging framework and tone of voice, maintaining consistency across all channels.
• Draft press releases, media statements, responses, letters and briefing documents for the NFWI, and develop template materials to support use at local/federation level.
• Work closely with the Digital and IT team to ensure communications are effectively delivered and adapted across relevant channels, including the NFWI’s website and social media.
• Manage the production and dissemination of the organisation’s Annual Review, engaging and overseeing freelancers as required.

Supporter development and stewardship:

• Lead the development and delivery of the charity’s high-profile supporter programme, working in collaboration with the Innovation team to secure support for key organisational priorities, and seeking to develop and strengthen relationships.
• Together with the Innovation team, identify and engage high-profile supporters, aligning their interests with the charity’s goals and strategy to maximise impact and engagement.

Media monitoring and proactive opportunities:

• Monitor media coverage, social channels and the wider external environment to identify emerging issues, trends and opportunities.
• Provide insight and recommendations based on media activity, audience conversations and external developments.
• Identify potential risks at an early stage and propose appropriate responses or positioning.
• Proactively identify and capitalise on opportunities to increase NFWI visibility in key conversations, reinforcing our role as the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK.

Monitoring and evaluation:

• Develop and maintain clear communications frameworks, including reactive messaging, holding statements and guidance to support consistent and confident responses.
• Ensure communications activity is well-organised, documented and easily accessible, reducing reliance on ad hoc or reactive decision-making.
• Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation process of communications activity, including media coverage, response effectiveness and contribution to organisational objectives.
• Monitor media coverage and compile press cuttings, sharing relevant coverage with the staff team in internal communications as appropriate.

Budget and resource management:

• Manage the Communications, PR and Marketing budget, ensuring value for money and effective management of suppliers to maximise impact.

Line management and development of the Marketing Officer:

• Be a positive role model by promoting a constructive, inclusive and respectful team culture.
• Build effective working relationships across the organisation, and with key stakeholders.
• Support and oversee team performance, including appraisals, objective setting, training and development.
• Provide opportunities for professional growth and development within the role and across the organisation.
• Manage people matters appropriately, including attendance, performance and conduct issues.
• Ensure team activity and project work support the NFWI’s strategic objectives.

Contribute to the organisational priorities of cultural diversity, equal opportunities and environmental responsibility:

• Uphold a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring these values are reflected in workplace culture and relationships with external stakeholders.
• Promote a respectful and inclusive environment where all individuals are valued and supported.
• Champion environmental responsibility by adopting sustainable working practices and encouraging responsible behaviours in interactions with external organisations.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience:

• Experience in PR and a relevant communications role.
• Experience of proactively managing an organisation’s media profile, with the proven ability to generate opportunities to promote the organisation.
• A proven track record of devising, implementing and managing effective media strategies and communication plans.
• Experience of securing high-profile press coverage and developing media stories from scratch across a range of titles and audiences.
• Experience of developing and maintaining messaging
• frameworks or communications guidelines.
• Experience of crisis communications and reputation or risk management.
• Demonstrable experience of building and maintaining relationships with journalists.
• Experience in marketing, including contributing to and supporting the delivery of marketing activities.
• Experience of developing collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of line management, including supporting and developing staff.
• Significant experience of team working, delegation, empowerment and using resources effectively. 

Knowledge:

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the media
• landscape including digital-first publications and social media.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of marketing trends and practices, with the ability to oversee the organisation’s marketing function.
• An understanding of how to engage and build relationships with external media bodies.
• Knowledge and understanding of media monitoring and how to manage stakeholder relations.
• An awareness of issues that may be of importance to the WI and its stakeholders.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.

Skills & Abilities:

• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to understand and communicate complex information in an understandable and accessible way.
• Confident relationship builder, able to build and maintain effective relationships with other staff and external stakeholders.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environment, comfortable working across a diverse range of issues, stories and campaigns simultaneously.
• Ability to present information clearly and effectively to a range of audiences
• Strong influencing, problem-solving and negotiating skills.
• Strong initiative and creativity, with the ability to generate both proactive and reactive media coverage.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to remain calm, demonstrating patience and resilience under pressure.

Desirable:

• Experience working in the charity or non-profit sector.
• Experience of working in a membership organisation.
• Experience of working within a federated or distributed organisational structure.
• Experience of developing and managing a marketing and communications strategy.
• An understanding of key policy issues relevant to our work, such as women’s health, social justice or environmental policy.
• An understanding of the WI.
• Ability to monitor income and expenditure and to administer budget lines.

Required Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent experience.
• Qualification in PR, Communications or Marketing.

Compensation & Benefits

• 28 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 days on completion of 5 years’ service with the flexibility to take your annual leave in hours.
• Membership of our healthcare scheme
• Enhanced family-friendly policies and a commitment to employee wellbeing.

Conditions of employment

• You must have evidence of right to work in the UK.

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely
• Some attendance at meetings or conferences may occasionally require overnight stays unless they are digital.

How to apply

• For further information about this Digital and Technology Manager role, please download the recruitment pack which includes the job description and person specification:
  • Communications and PR Manager recruitment pack
  • Equal Opportunities Form
  • NFWI Recruitment Privacy Notice
• To apply, please submit your current CV with a covering letter clearly explaining why you would be suitable for the role to the HR department at [email protected].
• Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need any adjustments or support with the application process, please contact us as we may be able to help.
• The selection process starts with a written application to explain your suitability for the role based on the job description and person specification, and any ideas you have to enhance your application. The interview process will be in person, but don't hesitate to get in touch with us if this is difficult for you.
• Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback on applications if not shortlisted for interview; therefore, if you have not heard from us by 31st August 2026, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Interviews

• First and second round interviews will take place w/c 17th August 2026.
• The first round will be held virtually, and the second will be in-person at our London office

Policies

The WI is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and values diversity. Reg. Charity No. 803793.

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