Head of Strategic Marketing - 12 Month Maternity Cover

Job Introduction

The Head of Strategic Marketing is responsible for driving integrated and coherent public-facing marketing and engagement campaigns and strategies that support every area of our work at Diabetes UK, from ensuring critical health information reaches the people who need it most, to campaigning for change, deepening understanding of the cause with the wider public, and supporting the fundraising that’s essential to delivering our vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm.

Our current Head of Strategic Marketing will be going on maternity leave in April, so we’re looking for someone brilliant to lead this fantastic team for the next 12 months. With an ambitious plan in place for the year, and work underway to develop a new communications strategy, there’s never been a better time to join the team.

We have a friendly and inclusive working environment here at Diabetes UK and are proud of our hybrid approach which allows great flexibility in the way that we work. This means that you can balance your working time between home and the office, subject to the needs of your role.

Interview Dates

Stage 1: 1 March 2024 (MS Teams)

Stage 2: 8 March 2024 (face-to-face in London)

Please note that all job offers are subject to you providing acceptable evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK. You might find the following resources useful:

• To view a full list of accepted documents and the checks employers are required
  to make click here
• To view guidance on proving your right to work to an employer click here

If you have any questions, please contact recruitment@diabetes.org.uk

Role Responsibility

Ensuring the needs of our beneficiaries and supporters are at the heart of our work, the Head of Strategic Marketing is responsible for leading a team of specialist communications professionals to reach and engage our customers at scale, build targeted and personalised engagement strategies and ensure we can be by people’s side, wherever they are on their diabetes journey.

The role oversees the development, delivery and evaluation of best-in-class campaigns across paid, owned and earned channels, including through our sector-leading partnerships. It’s also responsible for our communications planning function, ensuring we take a joined-up approach to engagement across the charity to deliver maximum impact.

The Ideal Candidate

We’re looking for a highly experienced marketing professional who is skilled in delivering complex campaigns across multiple channels, and who knows the importance of an audience-led approach that’s based on insight and the voices of people we’re here to serve.

Our successful candidate will draw together technical competence and experience, along with an inspirational, inclusive approach, to ensure we can work collaboratively across our communications to drive impact for people living with and affected by diabetes. The successful candidate will be an experienced and supportive people-manager, with the ability to cut through complexity and lead with clarity, energy and ambition.

The successful candidate must be available to start in April 2024.

Package Description

What we can offer you: 

• Generous annual leave starting at 25 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time)
• A Cash Healthcare Plan (giving you up to £1,600 towards a range of out of pocket health expenses like new glasses, dentist, chiropractor or osteopath appointments) 
• Early finish Friday and flexible working as part of our approach to activity based working (not applicable to roles with fixed shift patterns)
• 2 Days TOIL in recognition of fixed shift patterns (pro-rata for part-time)
• Discounts on gym membership
• Employee assistance programme to give you support on any issues that come up in life  
• Annual season ticket loan* (on completion of your probation period and if contract is permanent or longer than 12 months)
• Very active social scene including sport teams, gardening and other activities 
• Generous pension provision, life assurance and income protection insurance
• Cycle to work scheme* (eligible for scheme if contract is permanent or longer than 12 months)

*Some benefits aren't available until you've passed your probation period and are dependent on the length of contract.

About the Company

For nearly 5 million people with diabetes in the UK, there’s no day off. At Diabetes UK, we fight day in, day out for better care, treatment and support. We won’t stop until diabetes can do no harm.

With more people than ever living with diabetes and millions more at risk of developing type 2, our work has never been more needed. We make sure they get the care and support needed to live well with diabetes and avoid devastating complications.

We fund critical research, which has led to life-changing discoveries – like the first insulin pen and programmes to put type 2 diabetes into remission. Now, we want to do this for everyone and find a cure.

We can’t do any of this without you. Our staff are passionate and determined about helping everyone affected by diabetes. For over 85 years, they’ve been behind vital policy changes, as well as new treatments and technologies to make living with diabetes easier every day.

But there’s more to do. And you can be part of it.

We’re a really diverse bunch and we recognise and respect your value as an individual. As well as helping people with diabetes, you’ll be part of one of the top 30 Best UK Charities to Work For, and one of the top 75 Best Large Companies in London.

We’re committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and we need our staff and volunteers to support this.

Our vision is a world where diabetes can do no harm. Join us today, and together, we can make that a reality.

To find out more about what we do, check out our website.

Diabetes UK