Senior Marketing Manager (Fostering & Adoption)
Barnardo's exists to change childhoods and change lives. Too many children and young people are growing up with disadvantage or at risk of harm - missing out on a safer, happier childhood and the opportunities they deserve in adulthood.
Fostering and adoption are central to that mission. Across Barnardo's, we work to recruit, support and retain foster carers and adoptive parents who can provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children and young people.
The Senior Marketing Manager (Fostering & Adoption) plays a pivotal role in leading this work - shaping the strategy, driving integrated campaigns and ensuring our marketing and recruitment activity delivers sustained recruitment growth and impact across the UK.
This role leads the marketing and recruitment approach for fostering and adoption across the UK, bringing together national and regional activity to deliver consistent, high-quality campaigns and support local recruitment needs. A key focus is the journey to enquiry - ensuring we engage and support prospective carers and adopters from first awareness through to enquiry.
The role draws on insight from across the full journey, including approvals and placements, using this to strengthen how we reach, target and engage audiences at earlier stages. It works in close partnership with Children's Services, as well as colleagues across Fundraising and Marketing and Strategy & External Affairs, to plan and deliver joined-up activity that reflects service priorities, audience needs and the wider organisational strategy.
The role leads a national and regional marketing team, setting clear direction, building capability and creating a collaborative, supportive and high-performing culture where people feel valued and able to do their best work. It also oversees significant campaign and media investment, ensuring budgets are well managed and activity delivers strong return through a focus on performance, continuous improvement and learning.
A strong focus of the role is on outcomes. This includes driving enquiry growth through integrated, multi-channel campaigns and developing effective stewardship approaches that support people from initial engagement through to taking the first step. It requires a clear understanding of audience needs and motivations, and the ability to use insight, testing and data to continually refine activity and improve effectiveness.
The role also plays an important part in shaping how Barnardo's presents its fostering and adoption offer - developing clear, compelling propositions and ensuring messaging is consistent, competitive and aligned to the needs of the audiences we are seeking to reach.
What this role brings
- Significant experience leading integrated marketing strategies and campaigns that deliver measurable growth
- Strong leadership experience, with the ability to develop and motivate teams and build inclusive, high-performing ways of working
- Experience working across complex organisations, building partnerships and influencing senior stakeholders
- Experience using insight, audience understanding and performance data to shape and improve marketing
- Experience managing multi-channel campaigns and budgets, with a focus on effectiveness and return on investment
- The ability to balance strategic thinking with delivery, working across national and regional priorities
This is a critical leadership role at the heart of how Barnardo's recruits foster carers and adoptive parents - shaping strategy, leading teams and delivering activity that enables more children and young people to grow up in safe, stable and supportive homes.
The role works closely across teams and involves regular in-person collaboration, including time in central London and across the UK as needed to support planning, partnership working and delivery.
Above all, this role plays a vital part in delivering Barnardo's mission of changing childhoods and changing lives.
values
People & Culture
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
- The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
- Service related sick pay from day 1
- Cycle2work scheme
- Interest free season ticket loans
- 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
- Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
- Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
- Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's apply based on contract
- Reference number:23142
- Job Title:Senior Marketing Manager (Fostering & Adoption)
- Location:Central London
- Contract type:Permanent
- Hours:36.25
- Salary:£44,530.39 - £57,253.36 FTE
- Closing Date:16 June 2026
- Interview Date:w/c 22nd June