THE WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS

UK OFFICE
PROJECT MANAGER – UK CAMPAIGNS & COMMUNICATIONS

JOB DESCRIPTION

Background & Context

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) exists to tackle animal cruelty across the globe. We work directly with animals and with the people and organisations that can ensure animals are treated with respect and compassion.

WSPA UK is one of 17 country offices which raise funds, campaign and work tirelessly to combat the world’s most intense and large-scale animal welfare issues. WSPA UK is the largest of these in terms of its overall income contribution (£13.9m in 2011), supporter base and staff numbers. In the last two years, it has also developed a significant and influential UK campaigning and communications function, winning a CIPR Excellence award for its Not in my Cuppa campaign in 2011 and achieving great success through its groundbreaking partnership with the Metropolitan Police’s Wildlife Crime Unit during 2012.

In 2013, both of these campaigns will continue to be developed further. However, WSPA UK will also be looking to implement a number of additional campaigns in its programme next year including cross-regional activity as part of its contribution to the emerging WSPA European region.
In addition to the expansion in campaigning activity, the UK Director of Campaigns & Communications is also being seconded for 50% of his time to WSPA International to assist with the further development of WSPA’s global campaigning work.

Main purpose of the Role

In response to the above, more campaigning capacity is being added to the UK Campaigns & Communications team. However, there is an additional urgent need for specific project management support to provide oversight of the entire campaigns and communications work programme including work programming, budget monitoring and reporting.

The role of the Project Manager – UK Campaigns & Communications will report directly to the UK Director of Campaigns & Communications and will be pivotal in providing operational support at a management level across all of the UK’s campaigns and communications activities. Extremely efficient, proactive, organized and always one step ahead of deadlines, the postholder will be responsible for ensuring that WSPA UK Campaigns & Communications projects remain on strategy and on target, while allowing room for creativity and ambition.

THE WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS

UK OFFICE
JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Project Manager – UK Campaigns & Communications

Department: UK Campaigns & Communications

Reporting to: UK Director, Campaigns & Communications

Line Reports: None

Main Purpose of the Role

To support the UK Director of Campaigns & Communications in the overall implementation, monitoring and evaluation of WSPA UK's campaigns and comuunications activities. The post holder will provide day to day oversight of the UK campaigns and communications programme ensuring that all plans achieve impactful outcomes and are delivered to schedule and budget.

Key duties & responsibilities

Strategic project management

·  Develop and maintain appropriate tools for the programming of WSPA UK's campaign acivity

·  Co-ordinate the work-flow of UK campaign leads across all campaign and project plans, setting priorities and preparing work-plans

·  Be a key point of contact on all UK related campaigns and communications activity for staff within WSPA UK and WSPA International at all levels

·  Provide additional capacity within the UK Team to maintain a broad understanding of WSPA's UK and international campaigns and communications activity

·  Take a lead role in planning campaigns and communications projects with relevant team members, assisting with the development of project briefs

Campaign implementation & delivery support

·  Provide support, advice and guidance to members of the UK Campaigns and Communications team on the delivery of their campaign plans and associated projects

·  Ensure that regular campaigns and communications meetings are held which effectively monitor progress and allow corrective action to be taken where necessary

·  Ensure that campaign plans are in place and kept up to date

·  Ensure that supporting project plans are in place and adhered to for project-related activity within campaigns and that they are being managed effectively

·  Work flexibly and creatively so that campaign activity can respond effectively to shifting internal priorities and external events

·  Play a key role in integrating campaigns and communications activities with other UK activities e.g. fundraising, marketing etc

Reporting & evaluation

·  Monitor and evaluate campaigns, using organisationally agreed reporting tools, to ensure that approaches are amended where necessary, impact is assessed, and learnings are recorded and utilised

·  Ensure that systems are in place for monitoring and controlling expenditure across all campaigns /projects and that up to date knowledge about current expenditure is maintained and readily available

·  Manage monthly budget re-forecast across all campaigns, communications and project plans, interfacing between UK campaign/communications leads, WSPA International and UK Operations/Finance

·  Ensure that reports are regularly produced for each campaign measuring progress against Key Perfomance Indicators

·  Work with the UK Director of Campaigns & Communications to produce a detailed overview of UK communication and campaign events such as WSPA UK campaign launches, receptions, conferences, seminars etc

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience/Skills/Knowledge

·  Experience of working in or with a campaigns/communications discipline within a NGO/charity context (D)

·  Strong strategic planning skills including experience of developing and maintaining strategic planning and reporting tools (E)

·  Experience or knowledge of relevant animal welfare issues (D)

·  Strong project management skills with demonstrable experience of previously managing across a range of project activities (E)

·  Experience of setting up clear and efficient processes and protocols (E)

·  Strong budget management experience including managing across multiple budgets, budget re-forecasting and tracking expenditure (E)

·  Exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills (E)

·  Good negotiation skills, able to persuade effectively and deliver convincing arguments (E)

Competencies/Behaviors

·  Ability to forge and manage strong relationships with a wide variety of internal stakeholders and external campaign partners

·  Ability to empathise with and effectively communicate WSPA's animal welfare goals

·  Demonstrable ability to think creatively in order to achieve objectives and to develop meaningful, integrated campaign plans, characterised by innovation and informed risk-taking rather than solely well-worn formula and tactics

·  Effective diplomatic and networkng skills, with an ability to focus on solving problems, defusing tensions and eradicating negatvity

·  Confident ability to work under pressure and act responsively

Job Description created: September 2012