Head of Marketing & Communications (Email & SMS Focus)

£40,000+ | Fully Remote (UK only) | 35 hours per week

Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP) is an animal protection organisation that investigates organised animal cruelty.

As AWIP scales rapidly across the United Kingdom and United States, email and SMS are our primary growth engines. We are now seeking a senior Head of Marketing & Communications to own and scale these channels, driving income, engagement, and advocacy participation at volume.

Read this first: This role is not for everyone

This is not a traditional communications, PR, or “brand awareness” role. We are looking for someone who is exceptional at email and SMS marketing. You must be comfortable with high-frequency sending, urgent appeals, petitions, testing, optimisation, and performance accountability.

If your strength is running occasional newsletters, managing press relationships, or posting on social media, this role will not be a good fit.

If your strength is conversion, revenue per send, audience growth, and scaling digital programmes, read on.

The Role

You will lead AWIP’s email and SMS fundraising and engagement strategy across UK and US supporter markets, while overseeing the wider marketing and communications function to ensure brand alignment and operational coherence. You will work closely with the CEO to design strategies that unite investigations, advocacy, fundraising, and messaging and you will be trusted to run this function with ownership and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Email & SMS Fundraising (Primary Focus)

• Own and lead AWIP’s email and SMS programmes across UK and US audiences
• Plan and deliver high-volume, high-frequency campaigns, including emergency appeals, petitions, instant actions, and supporter journeys
• Optimise performance across conversion, revenue per send, engagement, and supporter lifetime value
• Design and refine advocacy-to-donation and one-off-to-recurring journeys
• Lead testing across subject lines, hooks, timing, creative, and segmentation

Strategy & Growth

• Develop and lead a 2026–2030 Email, SMS & Digital Growth Strategy
• Translate organisational priorities into measurable growth plans
• Support the MarrComm Team in shaping integrated campaigns that drive income and impact

Team Leadership

You will lead a multi-disciplinary team and set direction, priorities, and standards:

Direct reports: Digital Marketing Manager, Gifts in Wills Officer, Supporter Care Officer, Community Fundraising Officer, Investigations Liaison Officer

Indirect: Digital Marketing Assistant

Brand, Content & Communications

• Protect and strengthen AWIP’s brand, tone, and messaging
• Establish and maintain brand and content guidelines
• Oversee campaign copy, email content, landing pages, and supporter materials
• Ensure messaging is emotionally compelling, ethical, and conversion-focused

Digital Ecosystem & Website

• Oversee the digital ecosystem: website, email platforms, SMS tools, CRM integrations
• Lead website optimisation, including UX, analytics, SEO, and conversion improvements
• Ensure all digital journeys are accessible, compliant, and user-centred

Data & Performance

• Own dashboards and reporting for email and SMS performance
• Use data and insights to drive continuous improvement and decision-making
• Track engagement, income, participation, and supporter behaviour trends

Media & Reputation

• Support reactive communications, statements, and reputational management alongside the CEO
• Draft press releases, key messages, and Q&As when required

Essential Experience:

You must have:

• Significant experience running email and/or SMS marketing at scale
• A proven track record of driving revenue or conversions through digital campaigns
• Experience in at least one of the following:
• High-volume non-profit or political fundraising (email/SMS)
• B2C ecommerce or consumer sales marketing
• Advocacy or petition-led digital growth
• Strong understanding of email platforms, SMS tools, CRM systems, segmentation, testing, and analytics
• Excellent written communication skills with a performance mindset

Personal Attributes

• Data-driven, commercially aware, and mission-first
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-output environment
• Confident taking ownership and being accountable for results
• Collaborative, proactive, and solutions-focused
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality

Values and Alignment

• UK resident only (we cannot accept applicants based outside the UK)
• Vegan or vegetarian lifestyle preferred (values alignment)
• Strong understanding of ethical fundraising, GDPR, accessibility, and safeguarding
• Fully committed to animal protection and AWIP’s mission

What We Offer

• Starting salary of £40,000, with progression as the organisation grows to align with income growth
• 35 hour working week
• 100% remote working
• Opportunity to build and scale a high-impact digital growth engine
• Direct influence on income, investigations, rescues, and prosecutions

How to Apply and Hiring Process

Please submit your CV for consideration via LinkedIn.

Closing date: 31 January 2026

Interview timeline:

• First interviews: week commencing 16 February 2026
• Second interviews: week commencing 2 March 2026

Conditional offer expected: 9 March 2026

Anticipated start date: late March or early April 2026

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.