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Starting Salary: £31,872 - £33,472 depending on experience (Inclusive of London Weighting allowance).

Contract: Permanent/Full time

Hours of work: 35 hours per week

Location: London (Hybrid working with minimum 40% of time in the London office. Other flexible working arrangements are available).

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer great benefits, some of which are below;

• 34 days holiday (20 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 10 days annual leave purchase scheme
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Enhanced Maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Pensions Scheme

Job Profile

Are you a talented writer? Are you passionate about telling stories that will bring about change in the world? We are looking for a budding copywriter who can tell compelling, emotive stories and turn them into persuasive communications on multiple channels. You will support the content writers to tell stories of our new aspirational proposition that no one should be beyond reach of the love and care they need to thrive. You will be part of the creative content team, a small group of writers, designers, photographers, film-makers and planners committed to telling compelling stories that will inspire our new target audience and embolden our existing supporters. And you will work closely with colleagues in the communications group including media, PR and digital as well as international teams, fundraising, campaigns and education. Working alongside photographers, filmmakers, content writers and the content manager, you will gather content in the UK and possibly overseas that inspires Catholics in England and Wales to support us. Working with designers, you will help create compelling concepts and propositions for fundraising appeals and advocacy campaigns, and write and edit copy for parishes, the Catholic media, digital channels and some direct mail. You will be a talented writer, itching to gain experience in improving your craft and have an excellent eye for detail. You will be organised and good at prioritising your own work, with the support of your manager. And you will be a people person – great at building relationships, making people feel at ease and able to encourage people to tell you their story.

Job Purpose

We are looking for an assistant content writer, who will work closely with content writers and other members of the communications group to write and edit copy on multiple channels including content for digital channels; the website, the blog and CAFOD’s social media accounts as well as regular giving products, articles for the Catholic media and thank you letters.

The post holder will help deliver CAFOD’s organisational goals in line with our communications strategy through writing and editing persuasive and engaging copy for multiple fundraising and advocacy campaigns. You will also help create written content to feedback to supporters about the impact of our work, using a range of outputs and channels working alongside photo, film, design, media and digital colleagues as well as stakeholders in fundraising, campaigns, education, theology and international programmes.

Job Scope

The post holder will work within the Communications Group as part of Creative Content Team.

Accountability

The post holder will be line managed by the Senior Content Writer.

Key responsibilities

Copy writing, creativity and brand adherence

• Supporting the content writers to draft, edit and proof-read a range of fundraising materials, translating complex issues into clear, concise, persuasive copy, both on and offline, including community and individual appeals
• Working with the film and photography unit to produce multi-media content (digital copy, film clips and photo galleries) in support of fundraising objectives
• Working with the communications planner to ensure that all materials they produce are on schedule, to brief and to budget, working within CAFOD’s brand, audience priorities and overall communications strategy.
• Helping the team to develop concepts and messaging for some smaller fundraising appeals, including schools

Resource gathering, research and creativity:

• Working with the Content Manager to research case studies for CAFOD’s supporter communications and keeping our case study library up to date
• Gathering stories and other media within the UK (working alone or collaboratively with photographers and film-makers) to support or promote UK fundraising events or schemes via CAFOD’s website, magazine or through social media.
• Assist the content writers and film/photo officers to plan overseas trips, and possibly travel overseas to gather stories and other media from overseas communities (working collaboratively with writers, photographers and film-makers) to support some of our smaller fundraising appeals for specific audiences. Eg. Regular giving schemes

Assisting with the delivery of supporter communication and brand promotion strategies:

• Helping to promote CAFOD’s brand guidelines and proposition, ensuring adherence across all channels and outputs, and assisting with training of individual members of staff or sections in the importance of CAFOD’s brand.
• Providing extra capacity or ‘surge support’ for other communications teams at key moments in the calendar or during times of pressure.

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect. CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse. CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount. Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. This post will have contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults and applicants will be subject to specific checks related to safeguarding issues. If based in the UK the post holder is required to present or obtain a Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service). If the post is based outside the UK the post holder will be subject to a different checking process.

Person Specification

Core competencies

Understanding our context

• Understanding Catholic identity: Understanding of and ability to work with the Catholic community to further CAFOD’s mission.

• Understanding CAFOD: Understanding of what is distinctive about CAFOD as a Catholic development agency

• Understanding International Development: Able to demonstrate an understanding of solidarity and human dignity in the way people are portrayed

Working together

• Managing ourselves: A self starter; willingly taking responsibility for getting the work done. Ability to make suggestions about how to address problems.

• Working with others: Ability to build collaborative relationships across CAFOD

• Communicating: Present complex issues simply and clearly and ensure others understand what has been agreed.

Making change happen

• Achieving results: Use judgement to make sound decisions and communicate and implement them.

Essential competencies

• Ability to spot good fundraising and media stories that will provoke an emotional reaction and raise income based on audience research and data evaluations

• Some experience of writing, persuasive copywriting and editing

• Experience in optimizing stories/content for different channels

• Experience of interviewing people in vulnerable situations to gather their personal story

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of using content management systems

• Experience of working on projects with multiple stakeholders

• Experience of gathering visual content including photos and film

• Knowledge of writing techniques for search engine optimization

• Willingness to travel overseas for up to 4 weeks a year and ability to work in diverse and challenging conditions

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults

CAFOD is committed to promoting and driving diversity and inclusion. We acknowledge the lack of diversity within our communications team, and we particularly welcome applications from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.