Head of Marketing, Communications & PR
Community Finance Ireland
About us
Community Finance Ireland (CFI) is Ireland’s dedicated social lender for community groups, charities, sports clubs and social enterprises. We believe that social impact should be felt, not just dreamt. Through fair, flexible, and mission-aligned lending, we help turn community ideas into reality - from sports facilities and community centres to social enterprise innovation.
Since inception, we have provided over €130 million worth of loans to projects across the Island of Ireland. Every £/€1 we invest, communities experience a social return of £/€4.85. That value is delivered through improved health and wellbeing, new employment opportunities, enhanced local spending, and stronger community networks.
In 2026, CFI will proudly celebrate 25 years in business with a special event recognising the incredible impact we have made in empowering communities and funding real change across the Island of Ireland.
Our values guide everything we do:
* Community Centric: we place communities at the heart of decision making, design and implementation
* Impact-Driven: we are committed to ensuring that every investment we support results in immediate and positive social impact
* Ethical Stewardship: we make decisions that prioritise the wellbeing of communities and ecosystems, ensuring that investments & operations align with ethical principles
* Curious & Courageous: everything we do is to the best of our ability. The group has a deep desire to understand local communities, help them become sustainable & thrive.
What sets us apart is our people. Staff at CFI bring both heart and rigour: they hold deep understanding of the voluntary/community sector, love collaborating across boundaries, and combine entrepreneurial spirit with social purpose. Many join because they want their work to matter, not just in theory, but in the lived experience of communities. We are a close-knit team of 18 employees where everyone wears many hats and supports one another to make a real difference in communities. Our client-facing team are spread across the Island of Ireland, while we also have offices in Belfast and in Ardee (Co Louth).
At CFI, we are looking for a Head of Marketing, Communications & PR to join our small team. Reporting to the CEO, you will work closely with the entire team and will manage the Social Media & Marketing Manager, and deliver a marketing strategy that aligns with the overall vision of the organisation, supporting growth in the short term.
Job Description - Head of Marketing, Communications & PR
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and managing the Social Media & Marketing Manager, the ideal candidate will be a strategic storyteller with a passion for purpose-driven impact. They thrive on leading from the front, driving marketing activities that make a difference, and enjoy working in partnership with others to create brand ambassadors across the organisation. You have the drive to enhance the visibility, reputation and impact of CFI, leading by example, ensuring its story resonates with stakeholders, funders, clients, community groups and the wider public. You will be a strategic leader who can translate ideas into effective action plans and balance creativity with commercial rigour; while leveraging your digital expertise and data-driven mindset. You will use your experience to drive growth for CFI.
The ideal candidate will bring experience, creativity and a collaborative spirit. You will be senior enough to lead with confidence, but grounded enough to roll up your sleeves, listen to others and thrive in a close-knit team.
The Role
Strategic Leadership
* Take the lead in shaping and delivering a bold three-year Marketing, Communications and PR strategy, setting clear goals and measurable impact.
* Lead growth through strategy, using your marketing expertise to drive awareness, engagement and new opportunities that expand CFI’s reach and impact.
* Harness digital insight by applying your digital marketing skills and data-driven mindset to grow audiences, measure performance and continually optimise results.
* Prioritise and sequence initiatives that align with our mission, ensuring resources drive the greatest results for the communities we serve.
* Build the case for meaningful investment in marketing and communications, demonstrating how your work delivers real value and return.
* Work closely with our leadership team to refine our positioning and give Community Finance Ireland a distinctive, authentic voice.
Brand, Communications and PR
* Champion and protect our brand, ensuring it consistently reflects who we are and what we stand for.
* Craft compelling stories that showcase our impact and bring to life the difference we make across the Island of Ireland.
* Be a visible Brand Ambassador, representing Community Finance Ireland with confidence and authenticity in the communities we serve, building meaningful connections with clients and prospective partners.
* Be the trusted lead on media engagement, reputation management and crisis communications, ensuring our story is heard and respected.
* Oversee engaging, high-quality content across all channels - digital, print and social - that connects with audiences appropriately and inspires action.
Internal Engagement
* Embed marketing, communications and PR into the culture of the organisation, making it everyone’s business.
* Inspire colleagues to act as proud brand ambassadors, ensuring a unified and consistent message inside and out.
* Build trusted, collaborative relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders who share our vision for change.
Operational Management
* Lead and mentor a talented Social Media & Marketing Manager, helping them to grow and thrive.
* Manage external agencies and suppliers, ensuring creative excellence and value for money.
* Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activity, refining strategies to maximise impact.
* Keep our CEO, Marketing Sub-committee and Board informed with clear insights, outcomes and recommendations that show the difference your work makes.
What we are looking for:
Essential Criteria
* Solid senior-level experience in marketing, communications and PR, ideally gained in the third sector, social enterprise or a values-driven environment.
* Strong understanding of the voluntary/community sector, with clear evidence of professional or personal engagement.
* Proven ability to design and deliver strategic plans with measurable outcomes over multiple years.
* Demonstrated success in leading campaigns or initiatives that achieved meaningful results and clear return on investment.
* Experience managing, coaching or motivating a small team.
* Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to secure buy-in from colleagues, partners and external stakeholders.
* Strong writing, editing and storytelling skills across a range of platforms and audiences.
* Analytical approach, comfortable using data and insights to measure impact, refine strategies and report effectively to senior colleagues.
* Sound budget management skills, including preparing business cases and tracking investment.
* A genuine alignment with the values, ethos and collaborative culture of Community Finance Ireland.
Desirable Criteria
* Experience of working across the Island of Ireland, ideally in cross-border contexts.
* Knowledge of social finance, community investment or ethical financial services.
* Familiarity with digital marketing transformation and emerging technologies in marketing.
* Strong networks within the third sector, media or policy environments
Why Join Us?
Working with the CFI team is different. Your work will directly shape how communities across Ireland access capital, tell their stories, and scale their social change. You will have the opportunity to define the future of marketing & communications at CFI. As CFI grows, so does your role, scope and influence.
You will be surrounded by colleagues who care about mission and purpose and who want to make a difference in the community. With a healthy work-life balance and a competitive salary & benefits within this sector, this role is ideal for a seasoned marketeer who wants to make a difference.
While our Head Office is in Belfast, we are looking for the ideal candidate who can travel to meet our clients throughout the Island of Ireland - remote working will be considered, with occasional travel to our Head Office.
How to Apply
If this role excites you, please send your CV to DeniseCollins@communityfinanceireland.com by 5th November 2025 or apply through LinkedIn.
Show us how your vision, leadership, and storytelling skills can elevate CFI’s voice, reputation, and impact.
Let’s build something meaningful together.
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