Lead,
Communications
Appointment brief
November 2025

Hannah Whittington
Director , Harris Hill Ltd
020 7820 7302
hannah.whittington@harrishill.co.uk
www.harrishill.co.uk

BACKGROUND

Consumers International is the world’s leading network of consumer organisations,
uniting over 200 Members in more than 100 countries. Together, we work to protect
and empower consumers everywhere, championing their rights and ensuring their
voices shape products, policy and practice.
We collaborate with our Members and partners to tackle critical, systemic issues that
affect people as consumers. As the only independent global advocate for consumers,
we represent their interests in international policy forums and the global marketplace
– helping to shape systems that are fair, safe and sustainable by design.
Joining Consumers International means contributing to bold, cross-border solutions
at the forefront of consumer rights. Explore a selection of our recent achievements
here.

OUR VALUES

The Consumers International team strives to live the following values:

Leadership

• Making tough trade-offs to ensure we deliver against strategy.
• Charting a path forward – listening to other perspectives, while being

independent of those perspectives.

• Self-starting, motivated to put ourselves in leadership positions and

drive forward pieces of work.

• Striving to bring others with us – colleagues understand the direction

we are taking and our reasoning. Viewpoints are sought at key
moments and delivery is orientated around the strategy.

Inclusivity

•

In delivering our strategy, creating the space to listen and understand
views, and diversity of participation and representation.

Caring

• Caring about the career development and success of our colleagues

and how our team collaborates together.

• Caring about the future of consumers and members and achieving

impact for them through our strategy and change agenda.

Innovation

• Pursuing new creative ideas that have the potential to change the

world.

Agility

• Adapting quickly in response to opportunity.

Efficiency

• Generating the greatest impact for the least effort. Keeping it simple

and systemising for efficiencies.

Excellence

• Delivering work to the highest standards with professionalism and

integrity. The quality of work is evident to all.

Passion

• Passion for a safe, fair, and sustainable marketplace for consumers
drives our impact and the achievement of our organisational goals.

• Engaging with energy and excitement.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: Lead, Communications

Location: Remote working,

Managed by: Head of Communications and Membership

Contract: 2 years fixed term with potential to change to a permanent role.

Salary: £38-43k per annum

Deadline: Interviews are being held on a rolling basis so we encourage applicants to apply
early. Firm deadline for applications is Monday 15th December 2025.

Purpose of the role

We are looking for enthusiastic colleague ready to work in a fast-paced organisation who can
easily grasp and communicate impact to our different audiences. The Lead,
Communications will be an exceptional writer across different platforms and a strategic
thinker, developing a solid understanding of our audiences and the best ways to share our
story with them. They will love the opportunities that come with working in an
entrepreneurial environment, with a drive to deliver excellence and aptly project manage
across our high-profile moments – events, product launches, campaigns.

The role is currently fixed term with potential to change to a permanent role.

Key responsibilities

Content generation

• Draft compelling content for our different audiences across a broad suite of

communications, including for our website, social media, materials and externally placed
opinion pieces.

Leadership

• Play a key role in implementing our Communications Strategy.

• Lead on the design, delivery and evaluation of several communications plans for core

global opportunities – such as the release of research, events and campaigns.

• Apply strategic oversight when designing and delivering plans – identifying audiences,

speakers, messages and partners to champion the opportunities.

• Take ownership for new initiatives which drive our communications – identifying the

opportunities, value proposition and leading on them.

• Aptly project manage to our core opportunities working with the team, external suppliers

and partners to do so.

• Be the core lead for our communications to partners.

Drive efficiency and continuous improvement

• Take ownership for developing efficient systems and processes to improve how we plan

communications opportunities and evaluate impact from across the team.

• Design core protocols to mitigate issues, e.g. how to communicate on sensitive issues.

• Be diligent in monitoring the results of our communications performance, to proactively

share outcomes with the team and help to improve outcomes.

Using relationships for change

• Build relationships with our Members, partners and donors to share their story, make

them feel valued and ensure they promote our initiatives.

• Actively build the capacity of the team in communications (e.g. providing feedback and

training sessions).

Visual identity

• •

Support the evolution of our visual identity to reflect new work and our mission and

vision.

Other

• Navigate communications crises and issues.

• Be willing to work on opportunities not part of the regular job description.

This is a description of the job as it is presently constituted. It is the practice of
Consumers International to review job descriptions from time to time and to update them
to ensure they relate to the job as then being performed, or to incorporate whatever
changes are being proposed.  This will be conducted in consultation with you. It is the
organisation’s aim to reach agreement on changes, but if agreement is not possible,
Consumers International reserves the right to insist on changes to your job description,
after consultation with you.

PERSON
SPECIFICATION

Criteria

Essential
Requirements

Experience &
Understanding

Skills And
Abilities

Other Essential
Requirements

• Over 5 years’ experience in communications or another relevant field.
• Strong track record of creating compelling communications, particularly
for digital (website, social media) and externally placed pieces (opinion
pieces).

• Evidence of crafting a range of communications that have resonated with
funders and/or partners, including across industry and policy-makers.

• A keen interest and experience in delivering high-profile moments for

organisations (including for events and campaigns).

• Demonstrable experience in designing and implementing strategic

communications plans which have significantly raised an organisation’s
profile.

• Strong audience mapping, message development and evaluation

experience.

• Excellent visual eye and brand awareness.
• Excellent project management and organisation skills, being able to lead

well across teams and managing external stakeholders to time and
budget.

• Experience managing communications issues calmly.
• Experience introducing new systems, processes and tools to help drive

efficiency and impact in communications.

• Comfortable working in a start-up and fast-paced environment, turning

barriers into opportunities.

• Has a mindset of continuous improvement, takes a proactive approach

and brings solutions to issues.

• Advanced relationship skills, with the ability to influence, inspire and

assert within the organisation and with core partners.
• Comfortable making tough decisions and trade offs.
• Takes a big picture focus, to help drive long-term change.

• Strong IT skills with excellent use of MS Office, a good grasp of virtual
meeting software (e.g. Zoom or Teams), and ability to use project
management and CRM management tools well (e.g. Smartsheets,
Salesforce).

• Excellent spoken and written communication.
• Commitment to the aims, objectives and values of Consumers

International.

Desirable
Requirements

• An understanding of the consumer rights movement.
• Good grasp of sustainability issues, including the energy transition and

other areas.

• Second language would be an asset (French, Spanish or Arabic).
• Line management experience.
• Budget management experience.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

Job title:

Located:

Lead, Communications

Remote

Managed by:

Head of Communications and Membership

Contract:

Full-time, fixed term (two years)

Salary:

Benefits

£38-43k per annum

• Consumers International employee benefits

offered will be in line with the statutory
requirements in effect for the regional location
that the applicant resides in.

• We offer co-working spaces (up to 2 days at Regus
offices) and an allowance for the pension scheme
if the individual is hired through Globalization
Partners, our International recruitment partner.

• Holiday entitlement will be specific to each

location and will be dependent on the public
holidays available in the location.

HOW TO APPLY

If you would like to apply, please send the following:
• An up-to-date CV

• A Supporting Statement (no more than 2 x A4 pages) outlining  how your skills and
experience relate to the criteria detailed in the person specification of the job
description.

Please submit your completed application to hannah.whittington@harrishill.co.uk ASAP as the
applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and no later than 9am, Monday 15th December
2025.

Interview information

Interviews will be held on a rolling basis from Wednesday 03 December.
 Should you be invited to interview, please let us know if you require any reasonable
adjustments so we can support you through the process.

SPECIALISMS

chief executives & directors • data management • fundraising • finance

human resources • marketing, pr & digital • operations, admin & support

policy, advocacy & campaigns • projects & programmes • temporary & interim

020 7820 7300

info@harrishill.co.uk

www.harrishill.co.uk