Role Title: Policy and Communications Manager

Reporting To: CEO

Contract: Permanent

Probation: 9 months

Location: Tallaght, Co. Dublin / (Hybrid working)

Direct Reports: Communications & Information Officer

An Cosán is currently recruiting for the position of Policy and Communications Manager. We are seeking a highly skilled, experienced, and passionate senior-level professional to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key strategic senior leadership role, as a member of the Management Team and reporting directly to the CEO.

As a key member of our management team, you will be responsible for leading our research, policy development, and programme-level (corporate, core services and strategic) marketing and communications efforts. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of eight years of relevant experience in policy and communications, with a proven track record of success in driving engagement, building partnerships, and shaping public discourse around issues relevant to our strategic vision and goals.

This will be a busy, demanding, and diverse role where the Policy and Communication Manager will utilise their extensive experience in policy and communications, as well as providing programme management and oversight.

They will be able to balance strategic needs with the more hands-on operational priorities of the role.

We are seeking an ambitious, innovative, enthusiastic, and dynamic professional, with proven policy analysis skills. The post holder must be results driven and impactful, who thinks both strategically and creatively.

The successful candidate will have a strong knowledge of the underlying social conditions (economic, political, and cultural) which relate to the Irish adult and community education sector and the early years’ education and care sector. Experience in policy analysis, developing reports, and engaging in national consultations is required.

Experience in, and representing equality-focused issues at regional, national, or European level would be beneficial.

An Cosán

An Cosán (Irish for ‘The Path’) is Ireland’s largest community education organisation. The mission of An Cosán is to bring about social equality and an end to poverty through community-based adult education, the provision of early years’ education and care, wrap-around counselling services and empowering social enterprise development. Over the past three decades, An Cosán has provided pathways to empowerment by providing access to community education to thousands of people of all ages.

The organisation has expanded its reach to a national scale using technology to deliver virtual access to its range of adult learning programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Corporate Communications Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy aligned with our organisational goals and objectives. This includes overseeing messaging, branding, and communications channels, both internal and external, to enhance our visibility, reputation, engagement, building funding opportunities through corporate partnerships and networks as well as achievement of programme goals.
• Research and Analysis: Conduct ongoing research and analysis on relevant issues, trends, and stakeholders to inform communication strategies and advocacy initiatives. Leverage insights from our learners and staff to support more effective interventions and to inform policy advocacy. Stay up to date on industry developments and best practices to ensure our communications remain effective and impactful.
• Policy Development: Support the CEO in our advocacy efforts by developing and disseminating persuasive communications materials, such as policy briefs, white papers, reports, speeches, and articles. Collaborate with internal team members and external partners to advocate for policy changes that advance our mission and priorities.
• Programme-Level Marketing: Lead the development of and oversee direct marketing campaigns and, in conjunction with the Communications and Information Officer, ensure materials promoting our programmes, initiatives, and events drive engagement. Utilise a mix and variety of channels, including digital media, social media, and traditional outlets, to reach target audiences.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, partner organisations, funders, and the media. Represent our organisation at events, conferences, and meetings to build networks and promote our work.
• Content Creation and Storytelling: Lead the creation of compelling content, including op-eds, articles, blog posts, press releases, and multimedia assets, to communicate our
• audience, driving support for our mission and goals.
• Team Leadership and Collaboration: Provide guidance and mentorship where appropriate across An Cosán and to direct reports, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate internal and external communications efforts, with other organisational functions, covering both day-to-day operational activities, and programme level initiatives.
• Any other duties as assigned by the CEO.

Essential Skills and Core Competencies

• Proven experience in research, advocacy and policy development.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex issues into clear and compelling messages.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, with the ability to manage projects, teams, and budgets effectively.
• Proficiency in digital and social media platforms, as well as marketing tools and analytics software.
• Evidenced experience in programme-level communications and marketing across multiple campaigns or initiatives, within a broader strategy to achieve overarching goals or objectives.
• Experience of cross-functional collaboration across different departments within an organisation, and with partners, such as marketing, brand development, product development, and customer engagement to ensure that organisational efforts are aligned with overall our mission, strategic objectives, and service user needs.
• Passion for our mission, values, and commitment to making a positive impact in the world to ensure no one is left behind. And ideally, understanding of the adult community education and early years education and care sectors in Ireland or the proven capacity to quickly acquire same.
• Effective negotiating and influencing skills.
• Results driven and consistently strives to work to a high standard.
• Sound judgement and decision-making skills with the ability to assimilate relevant information and make the best decisions to achieve the organisation’s goals.
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively, as a positively engaged leader and team member.
• Skilled in building relationships and networks with colleagues and stakeholders, whilst seeking to build consensus and manage conflicts.
• Flexible, whilst being highly organised with good time management skills.
• Creative questioning and solution approach to challenges.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Minimum of eight years’ experience in policy and communications, ideally with a focus on organisations serving disadvantaged/marginalised groups.
• Qualified to Master’s degree level in a relevant field and/or professional experience in high level Communications/Public/Media Relations, Policy, Inclusion, Advocacy, or related field.
• Knowledge and understanding of underlying social conditions (economic, political, and cultural) which relate to Higher, Further and Access education and Early Years Education and Care.
• Understanding and commitment to the educational ethos of An Cosán.

Desirable

• Experience in community education.
  1. Affinity with and understanding of the importance of engaging learners and communities in realising their potential as equal members of a socially just society. Cover letter
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Completed Application Form

Salary commensurate with experience and the not for profit community education sector

Application Process:

Please email the following documents to jobs@ancosan.ie with subject line clearly marked:
Policy and Communications Manager role:

Link to Application Form here: https://www.ancosan.ie/work-with-us/

Closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 20 May 2024.