Introduction to EY Foundation
The EY Foundation is a charity established in 2014 to help young people from a low-income background to develop the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. We were founded by EY, the professional services firm, who continue to be our primary funder.  
 

Our ambition is that all young people eligible for Free School Meals have an employment and earnings potential equitable to other young people in the UK. We do this through a deep understanding of both sides of the labour market, bringing together employers and young people. We work in collaboration with a wide range of organisations to deliver employability skills programmes, scalable digital interventions, and by leveraging our convening power to influence systemic change.
 

We work in regions across the country, with team members based in four hubs in London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Birmingham. We operate a hybrid working model, where staff work in the office at least one day per week, however, depending on the nature of your role or specific business needs, you may be required to attend the office or events more than once a week.
 

As an independent charity we raise income through corporate partners, traditional fundraising, and grants. 
 

EY Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will need to undertake an Enhanced DBS check via the Disclosure and Barring service, where appropriate. 
 

Roles
Within the Foundation we adopt flexible roles that reflect the dynamic nature of our charity and enable our people to learn, develop and grow their skills and open career opportunities. This is part of our investment in you.
 

This role profile provides an outline of what will be involved in your role rather than an exhaustive list of duties. Both you and this role will naturally evolve.
 

Our values
In your role you will be expected to demonstrate or develop leadership competences based on the Foundation’s four key values. They are:

Growth mindset – increase our impact on more young people through dedication, innovation and hard work  Empower people – everyone is given the opportunity to develop and to succeed Courage – use new learning and diversity of thought to challenge the status quo, embracing lessons learned even if a project misses its targets Collaboration – build relationships – internally and externally – to share ideas, embed an inclusive approach, and achieve bigger outcomes.

 

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
The scale of the challenge to tackle racial inequality is huge but we are passionate in our determination to secure change – both for our organisation and the young people we serve.  
 

With over 80% of the young people we work with from Black, Asian or ethnic minority communities, our team and Board need to reflect the young people we support.  
 

In 2019, we made diversity and inclusion a strategic priority, with a focus on race and in 2020 we published eleven race commitments. This included 50% of our team and leadership team coming from the Black, Asian or ethnic minority communities by 2025. Specifically, it is our objective that 30% of our team and leadership team will come from the Black community. You can find out more here. 

 

Your role in management
Whatever your specific responsibilities and specialisms, your role in management means you will be working strategically in your area of specialism and cognisant of the impact of your work on other teams. You will be leading your team and function, making decisions on delivery of outcomes, planning resource needs and negotiating. You will work under your own autonomy, require little supervision, and will be a proactive supporter in achieving the wider organisational objectives.
 

Your role as Communications Manager 
This is a critical position that sits at the heart of the EY Foundation’s work. The successful candidate will have a pivotal role in helping to steer the charity towards achieving its ten-year ambition through nationwide change in the way young people from a low-income background are supported to succeed in the workplace. 
 

Reporting to the Director of Communication and Influence, you will have responsibility for developing and delivering the Foundation’s internal and external communications plans. You will also have people management responsibilities, directly managing a team of two communication specialists. As a team of three, you will coordinate communication activity across multiple strands to present a compelling narrative and ‘call to action’ designed to achieve specific outcomes across a range of target audiences. 
 

The successful candidate will prioritise which communication activity is commissioned and oversee its impact. This will require continually evolving our approach in response to evaluation outcomes, the changing needs and behaviours of audiences and developments in communication technology. 
 

The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to social mobility, diversity, and inclusion
 

The role will include several key responsibilities, but are not limited to: 
Impact 

Develop and deliver the overall communications strategy and the individual plans needed to achieve it. All activity will have a clear outcome focus to demonstrate contribution towards the organisation’s long-term strategic aims.  Build the profile, credibility and influence of the EY Foundation with priority audiences. This ranges from broad public awareness to engaging specific senior decisionmakers in government and business.  Thread the voice of young people throughout our communication activity. This includes supporting young people to amplify the issues impacting their potential success in the workplace. 

 

Delivery

Management of external communication channels, including media, social media, website content and newsletters. Oversee the production of all communication content, including video, graphics and written content. Support our system change work through the development of thought leadership articles, CEO speeches and advising the leadership team on their communication activity.  EY is a key stakeholder and communication plans are required to engage different parts of their business at both an ‘all person’ and leadership level. Deliver one off communication moments, including report production and events. Ownership and development of the charity’s messaging framework.

 

Internal

Develop and implement internal communications for a team of fifty people.   Support individual Foundation teams to achieve their communication priorities, through strategy development and advice. Manage the communications budget to maximise return on investment through the production and promotion of content.  Manage relationships across the organisation to ensure clear understanding of the communication team’s role. To support this, implement processes to work together effectively and consistently deliver high impact. 

 

Your Skills, Knowledge & Experience
What you will bring to the Foundation is your demonstrable skills, experience and knowledge in the following areas:
 

Required: 
Skills

Communication – highly developed writing skills, with a passion for creating engaging written material.  Strong oral communication skills, with an ability to simplify complex topics to engage and persuade stakeholders.   Proven track record of creating and deploying employee communication channels, programmes and campaigns with a measurable positive impact on employee. engagement and business performance. Project management. Coaching and mentoring – peer to peer and developmental.

 

Knowledge

Significant knowledge of effective communications strategies and techniques from digital (including social media) to traditional communication channels. Understanding of the unique and complex nature of corporate foundations, including their specific challenges and opportunities. Ability to identify communication issues and solve problems using sound judgment and analysis. Ability to provide proactive communications guidance and support to the organisation.

 

Experience 

Development and delivery of strategic communication plans and individual campaigns with clear target outcomes. Challenge the status quo to increase impact, by bringing ambition, curiosity and creativity to the way issues are communicated.    Experience taking a data-led approach to developing evaluation plans to assess impact of communication activity. Experience of building engaged audiences on social media platforms.  Experience of commissioning the production of communication content such as video and managing third party relationships to ensure delivery of high-quality outputs.  Experience in senior stakeholder strategy development including mapping, relationship building and influence.   Experience in managing effective working relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including young people, business, the charity sector and government.  Proven experience in people management, including assigning and monitoring workloads, coaching and advice and providing pastoral support. Experience of working in a corporate environment.  Deep commitment to improving the working lives and prospects of young people from a low-income background.

 

Desirable experience

Production of original video and graphics using software like Canva.  Developing and overseeing delivery of paid for promotion campaigns, for example with LinkedIn.   Delivery of in person events, from roundtables to events with audiences of over a 100 people.  Working with journalists to secure coverage of EY Foundation announcements in mainstream, regional and sector media. 

 

Recruitment process
 

To apply, please submit your cover letter and CV by following the apply button below.

 

The recruitment process includes:

The first stage interview will be based on:

Competency-Based Interview Questions: We will assess your technical and professional competencies relevant to the role. Motivational Interview Questions: We aim to understand your drive, passion, and alignment with our organisation's values and mission. Scenario-Based Questions: You will be asked to respond to hypothetical situations to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and decision-making skills.

 

The second stage interview will be based on:

Presentation Development: Candidates will be required to develop and present a topic related to the role, showcasing their communication and presentation skills.  Understanding of Our Organisation: We value candidates who have a strong understanding of our organisation, including our mission, values, and the sector we operate in.

 

Our organisation is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment, selection, or onboarding process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.