Communications Coordinator

Purpose of the post

The Howard League for Penal Reform is the world’s oldest penal reform charity, with a proven record of delivering change.

Our successful campaigns have led to the abolition of capital punishment, an end to the ban on sending books to prisoners and a massive reduction in arrests of children. Our legal team provides expert advice and support to children and young people in prison.

This is an opportunity to join the Howard League at a pivotal moment, with pressure on the criminal justice system becoming headline news and rising to the top of the political agenda. Our current strategic priorities include addressing challenges in sentencing, preventing the overuse of remand, finding a resolution to the ongoing incarceration and recall of people on IPP sentences, confronting the injustices wrought by ‘secondary liability’ in joint enterprise murder cases, and making the case for prison reform.

We are advertising a role for two days a week (exact timings with flexible working to be agreed) to cover a staff colleague on maternity leave for 12 months from April 2025. The successful candidate will join a busy team and play a vital part in our communications in a fast-moving environment: planning and working at events, both online and in-person; updating our website; helping to produce content on our social media channels and liaising when required with an external graphic designer on any publications.

Duties and responsibilities

• Organise and promote a wide range of events, both in person and virtual, working with colleagues from across the organisation.
• Manage the running of the website and support colleagues to update content as appropriate.
• Produce engaging digital content on the charity’s social media channels.
• Liaise with an external graphic designer working on publications.
• Maintain professional knowledge and skills to keep pace in dynamic environments and share skills as appropriate with colleagues.

Person specification

• Strong project management skills, including experience of organising and managing events.
• Experience in communications and marketing.
• Understanding of how to apply digital technology to support and enhance both internal and external communications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write for different audiences and on different channels.
• Experience of using social media tools and design software, as well as experience of using a range of office software packages.
• A good team player, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships internally and externally.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to balance a varied workload.
• Ability to think creatively and conceive innovative solutions and ideas.
• A commitment to social justice, human rights and prison reform.

Conditions of Service

The post is part time (two days per week).

The terms and conditions are as laid out in the contract of employment and the office handbook and include 30 days’ (pro-rata) paid leave plus statutory days and 10% contribution to the Howard League workplace pension scheme. You may choose to work in the office each day, or to work some days from home on agreement with management.

The Howard League encourages applications from suitable candidates with personal experience of the criminal justice system.

As an inclusive employer, the Howard League also actively encourages applications from people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please fill in the application form. If for any reason you can’t use the application form, please provide an up-to-date CV and supporting statement, giving evidence and examples of how you meet the criteria, and what you feel you would bring to the role.

Please e-mail the completed application to [email protected].

The deadline for applications for this role is 5pm on Friday 21 March 2025.

First interviews will be held on Tuesday 1 April 2025.