Job Description and Person Specification
Please note this statement is for information only and does not form part of a contract. This
list is not exhaustive and you will be expected to undertake such duties as may be assigned
to you by ActionAid from time to time. Employees are expected to be flexible in their work in
order to deliver the objectives of the organisation.
Job title
Contract type
Grade/starting salary
Reporting to
Team and Department
Direct reports
Date JD reviewed
Education Campaign Manager
12 month Fixed Term Contract. Part time – 3 days Per Week
5
Head of Education and Youth
Education and Youth. Communications Department
1
May 2014
Context
Are you passionate about making a real difference?
As part of the global ActionAid family, we are helping to build a fair and just world where
everyone can claim their rights. To achieve this we work with local people in more than 45
countries to fight hunger and disease, seek justice and education for women, hold
companies and governments to account and help communities cope with emergencies.
In the UK our role is to raise funds to reduce poverty in the communities and countries where
we work, to take action for long term change and to act in solidarity with people fighting
poverty and injustice in poor countries. We aim to make a stronger global difference by
working closely with ActionAid International and our country programmes around the world.
We want to achieve a way of communicating that creates a powerful emotional, intellectual
and practical connection between people here and in developing countries so as to motivate
and engage our supporters. We believe success will be driven by connecting people,
demonstrating our impact, seizing opportunities and key moments, working with others,
focussing on ethical and sustainable approaches and harnessing technology and digital. We
are a value driven, forward thinking organisation, focused on achieving long-term and
sustainable change in the lives of the poorest people in our world.
The Global Campaign for Education (www.campaignforeducation.org) is a civil society
movement that aims to end the global education crisis. The GCE UK coalition undertakes a
range of activities designed to increase community awareness of the state of education
internationally and generate the political will necessary to ensure the UK plays an active and
effective part in efforts to secure education for all. It does this through mass public
campaigning and media work, policy work, and through lobbying the UK Government’s
Department for International Development (DFID) and MPs. A major focus in the UK is the
‘Send My Friend To School’ campaign (www.sendmyfriend.org), which is a campaign that
has brought together hundreds of thousands of students and teachers in the UK who want
world leaders to keep their promise and make sure that every child can go to school, no
matter where they live.
Purpose of the Role
The Education Campaign Manager is responsible for managing the public engagement
elements of the Send My Friend to School campaign. They will:
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Have lead responsibility for driving the campaign forward to achieve its external
change objectives and AAUK’s internal objectives
Project manage effectively both the planning and delivery of the campaign working
with a number of delivery partners, creative agencies and coalition members
Monitor and evaluate the success of the campaign.
From 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2015 the potholder will spend 66% of their time
(14 hours per week) as UK Programme Coordinator for the action: ‘Send My Friend to
School: learning about the right to education and how to contribute to change within
a democracy’. This is a grant contract of the European Union (DC1-NSAED/2012280228). The post holder will lead on the implementation and evaluation of the UK
project outputs and outcomes; will represent ActionAid as the UK Coordinator on the
Coordination Group; will lead on financial and narrative reporting for ActionAid UK.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Management and accountability
 Line manage the GCE Assistant including recruitment, holding regular one to
ones, supporting and developing staff and pro-actively managing any
sickness absence or performance management issues
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Manage the GCE Assistant to ensure that the coalition’s policy, parliamentary,
campaigns and media activities are all coordinated and complementary
Commission and manage creative agencies and freelance writers ensuring work is of
high quality and delivered on time, within budget
Commission and manage website developers and designers ensuring work is of high
quality and delivered on time, within budget
Ensure campaign outputs and outcomes are monitored and evaluated regularly and
involve both quantitative and qualitative methods and tools including quarterly
reporting to the coalition and to donors
Delivery of schools campaigning
 Manage the delivery of the Send My Friend to School campaign in line with
organisational objectives, ensuring project plans are written and signed off, suppliers
and freelancers are contracted and managed, deadlines and budgets are met and
monitoring and evaluation are in place.
 Oversee the development and promotion of a creative schools action which is
appropriate for a schools audience and highly innovative
 Oversee the development and promotion of the Send My Friend to School website,
digital learning materials and e-communications.
Policy and research
 Represent ActionAid on the UK GCE Policy Group as and when required
 Collate research on behalf of the coalition members including current statistics on the
numbers of children not in schools globally and within countries
 Develop key campaign messages, ensuring sign off by the GCE steering group
Financial management
 Manage the restricted GCE budget
 Authorise expenditure from the restricted budget in line with decisions taken by the
Steering Group and Head of team
 Report to the Head of team on a monthly basis on expenditure and forecasting
Report to the GCE steering group on a quarterly basis on expenditure and forecasting
Fundraising and influencing
 Proactively seek funds from members of the GCE coalition, by building relationships
and negotiating agreements
 Manage the production of an Annual Review showing the impact and progress of the
campaign and use to help secure funding
 Ensure widespread ownership of the campaign among colleagues across the
coalition
 Represent ActionAid UK externally and negotiate and influence effectively, as well as
working alongside colleagues in other organisations in coalition working groups to
advance campaign objectives, as appropriate
 Successfully communicate progress and performance to members of the coalition
Coordination of ActionAid’s involvement and contribution to SMF
 Ensure the involvement of ActionAid’s international education campaigns in the
development of GCE campaigns
 Work with the Schools Project Officer: Content to ensure SMF is promoted
prominently on the ActionAid website
 Involve the ActionAid schools team in deciding and developing AA’s contribution to
GCE campaigning and learning materials
Other responsibilities
 Undertake any other duties, appropriate to the post, as delegated by the Head of
Team
 Work out-of-hours and at weekends as necessary to provide effective support when
needed, for example during a conference.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
Demonstrated skill and effectiveness in building
partnerships or coalitions
Proven experience of developing and delivering
public communications campaigns
Complex project management involving multiple
stakeholders
Management of budgets and financial reporting
Desirable
Knowledge of global education
challenges and debates.
An understanding of the rights-based
approach to development
Strategic knowledge of advocacy and
influencing.
Understanding of the international
‘Education for All’ campaign
Experience of measuring impact, tracking
response and implementing improvements
A good understanding of the UK schools market
Knowledge and experience of advocacy
and campaigning work.
Experience of using website content
management systems, email marketing
providers and social media.
Skills and Abilities
A strong commitment to ActionAid’s vision and
mission
Ability to work to deadlines, under pressure,
using own initiative.
Excellent written and verbal communication
skills
Excellent interpersonal skills and behaviours,
including relationship building and effective
negotiation
Excellent task manager – holding people
accountable for things they have promised to
deliver
Strong cross-team collaborator
Ability to think creatively and involve others in
the process of campaign development