Pop Up Projects CIC 

www.pop-up.org.uk  

www.pop-up-hub.com  

www.pathways-into.org 

 

Marketing & Comms Manager (FT) Job Description 

£35,000 p.a. pro rata 

National children’s literature development agency and Arts Council England National                   Portfolio Organisation seeks a dynamic Marketing & Comms Manager to join our                       team in our 10th anniversary year. This highly entrepreneurial, creative and                     rewarding role cuts across our exciting children’s literature programmes and                   publishing ventures. Working as part of an energetic team, they’ll play a lynchpin                         role in our life-changing work - enriching our content, raising our profile, securing                         sustainability and driving growth. The right candidate will be a highly skilled                       multitasker and excellent copywriter, bringing expertise and imagination from similar                   roles to infuse our public-facing content. Must love literature and believe in its power                           to change lives! 

Please call us on 07830801650 if you need the job description in an alternative format.  

 

   

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THE ORGANISATION 

We’re a non-profit community interest company, with a team of eight full-time and one                           part-time staff, governed by a Board of Non-Executive Directors who volunteer their time to                           offer strategic support and ensure accountability. We take a business-minded approach to                       achieving our charitable mission; this greatly informs our ethos, making us enterprising and                         ambitious. Since 2011 we’ve secured almost £5,000,000 from funders and sponsors such as: 

 

 

OUR WORK 

We deliver imaginative and ambitious programmes and projects which transform lives                     through literature - especially by working with people in deprived places and challenging                         circumstances. We achieve our mission through three strands of work: 

- Educational programmes in schools, facilitating rich learning opportunities through                 contemporary literature, interactions with diverse authors, and training for educators 

- Talent development, investing in and advocating for aspiring, emerging and                   established writers and illustrators, especially from under-represented backgrounds  

- Community projects, providing literature creation opportunities for and with children                   and young people experiencing marginalisation, isolation or who are at risk 

This is an exciting time to join us, as we mark our 10th anniversary, celebrate the impact                                 we’ve had on 125,000 people, and set out our vision for the next ten years. Covid-19 has                                 deeply challenged the way work, but the gap in children’s education and the untold impact                             on young people’s wellbeing has made that work more vital than ever. Disruption has also                             catalyzed rich innovation and we’ve successfully transformed our offers for schools,                     communities and artists into dynamic online experiences, sustaining engagement through                   successive lockdowns. We’ve also launched new commercial and community publishing                   ventures. These new areas of expertise will only increase revenue, enhance our offers and                           widen participation in the years to come. 

 

 

 

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Over the next three years our four main strands of work are: 

   

A national children's literature festival which connects             thousands of school children nationwide with quality             children’s books and authors 

 

 

 

A talent development programme       increasing minority representation     in children’s publishing, with       investment from 12 publisher and         9 university affiliates 

 

 

Our first commercial     publishing venture, a     collection of 10 new       books giving a platform       to untold stories and       

diverse new voices, with plans to launch a new collection                   annually from 2022 

 

The Rainbow Library  

A UK and Ireland-wide literature creation and publishing programme                 involving LGBTQ+ young people collaborating with LGBTQ+ writers               and illustrators 

 

The Marketing and Comms Manager will have a role to play in all four strands of work.  

In June 2021, Covid-permitting, we’ll be celebrating our 10th Birthday at an event in central                             London, where we’ll launch 10 Stories, publish our 10 Year Report, and showcase the                           diverse people we’ve worked with over the last 10 years in a photographic exhibition. The                             Marketing and Comms Manager will work closely with the whole Pop Up team to produce                             that event. 

Illustration credits, clockwise from top right: (Pathways) Ria Dastidar; (10 Stories) Here Be Monsters by Sahar Haghgoo and Jay Hulme, Forbidden by Anjali Tirauf and Danica De Silva, Mistaken for a Bear by Jamie Beard and Phillip Ardagh; (The Rainbow Library) David Roberts

 

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THE ROLE 

This is a key role that requires entrepreneurship, imagination and responsiveness, to: 

- Market our products and services; 

- Promote our work and its impact; 

- Generally raise the profile of our organisation.  

Main responsibilities include: 

- Managing and enhancing our overarching marketing and comms strategy, in line with organisational goals as well as commitments to funders and stakeholders, including periodic review of and reporting on KPIs, targets and objectives;  

- Developing and leading execution of promotional and sales campaigns in support of products, services, programmes and projects - including the creation and distribution of key (print and digital) assets; 

- Writing and overseeing copy creation for assets as well as comms messaging - including press releases - for campaigns targeted to particular audiences; 

- Managing and developing websites (www.pop-up.org.uk, www.pathways-org.com, www.pop-up-hub.org.uk) supported by teams. This includes working with design agencies, commissioning content from others, and optimising user journeys.  

- Steering digital/social media strategy to drive growth, engagement and lead generation across platforms and channels, including line-managing a Social Media Coordinator (2dpw).  

- Enhancing marketing systems and processes through developing CRM pipelines and dashboards, and automating activities wherever possible; 

- Creating and managing briefs and contracts with agencies and freelancers from time to time, supervising delivery to milestones and managing risk; 

- Occasional event management responsibilities, including our 10th Birthday celebrations in 2021. 

Because we have many relationships and collaborations with (aspiring and professional)                     children’s writers and illustrators, as well as editorial teams and publishers generally, we                         regularly produce literary content including original writing and illustration, which the                     Marketing & Comms Manager will make use of to enrich our assets and tell the stories we                                 want to tell. 

   

 

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THE TEAM 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The organisation’s founder (Executive & Creative Director, Dylan Calder) leads on our talent                         and community work. He will line manage and work closely with the Marketing & Comms                             Manager, who will lead campaigns around Pathways into Children’s Publishing, and the 10                         Stories and The Rainbow Library publishing ventures. This will involve working with several                         team members (Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Social Media Coordinator). 

The second senior leader (Education & Development Director, Claire Boulton) heads our                       education team (Education Manager, SEND Relationship Manager, Education Coordinator).                 Some education marketing activities are delegated to the education team, so the Marketing                         & Comms Manager will take a more strategic and supervisory role, including managing                         relationships with (design, print, distribution, PR) agencies. 

Our Finance & Operations Manager is responsible for budgets and HR, and will have regular                             check-ins with the Marketing & Comms Manager. The post-holder will also have a direct                           relationship with one Board member, the Board steer on marketing and comms, who will                           provide guidance around various aspects of the work. 

   

 

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IS THIS YOU? 

The successful candidate will have a minimum of two years in a similar role, and ideally at                                 least five years working in the publishing, cultural or charitable sectors. However, we are                           open to candidates from other sectors. You’ll need to demonstrate experience in managing                         high quality and effective marketing and strategic campaigns across digital and print                       channels. As a children’s literature agency with strong educational impact, the content of                         our communications and assets needs to be of the highest quality, balancing sophistication                         with imagination and accessibility - a strong candidate will be a skilled communicator with                           proven copywriting skills. You’ll need to be an excellent multitasker, capable of balancing a                           portfolio of multiple projects at all points in the year. The ability to work both independently                               and collaboratively under pressure, and to adapt flexibly and responsively to changing                       circumstances, is essential.  Experience of the following would be ideal:  

- website content management systems (ideally wordpress) - understanding of SEO strategies, social media, direct marketing - PR campaigns and media relationships - using CRM systems to monitor and optimise lead generation 

 The following are general requirements: 

- Must be eligible to work in the UK, with supporting documentation - Must be able to work in London as well as remotely (home office) - Willingness to work flexibly in accordance with the demands of the work, which will                           

include occasional evenings and weekends   

Candidates with a BAME (Black, Asian or minority ethnic) background are encouraged to                         apply as they are currently under-represented at this level.  

APPLICATION PROCESS 

Please send the following to applications@pop-up.org.uk: 

1. A CV highlighting relevant skills and experience, no more than 3 pages long - we                             especially like succinct, well-designed CVs that speak to the role being applied for! 

2. In your email or covering letter EITHER send a link to an online marketing asset (e.g.                               website, film) you produced OR attach a marketing asset (e.g. digital, print item) in                           PDF or JPG - we’re looking for substantial examples that show you’re a fit for our brand! 

The deadline for applications is Monday 22nd March at 1pm and interviews will be the                             following week. If you have any questions email medhat@pop-up.org.uk.  

 

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