Strategic Engagement Director One in Four is seeking a Strategic Engagement Director to lead our communications, advocacy and fundraising functions.
About One in Four One in Four was established in **** with a mission to end the trauma of child sexual abuse and a vision for an Irish society where children are safe from the threat of sexual harm.
To achieve this, the charity provides specialist psychotherapy and advocacy support to both those who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood, and their families.
We currently work with approximately 850 clients per annum.
The charity also has a prevention programme which focuses on working with individuals who have sexually offended as a core child protection intervention.
One in Four plays a key role in influencing national policy through dialogue with policymakers at every level, ensuring that legislation and processes affecting those we support are sensitive to their needs.
Over the last two decades, the organisation has established a high profile and excellent reputation in public discourse regarding the prevalence and effects of child sexual abuse.
The Role One in Four is seeking a Strategic Engagement Director to lead our communications, advocacy and fundraising functions.
The successful candidate will develop and implement nuanced strategies to engage key stakeholders, manage reputational risks, secure sustainable funding, and position One in Four as a trusted and influential voice in the field of child sexual abuse and prevention.
The role requires a candidate with experience across the following areas: Strategic communication: Ability to develop and implement nuanced communication strategies on sensitive topics related to childhood sexual abuse and prevention.
Stakeholder engagement: Skills in building and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders including funders, philanthropic partners, policymakers, media and the wider community.
Fundraising and partnership development: Experience in securing significant corporate partnerships and income generation, as well as developing compelling funding proposals.
Project management: Ability to oversee multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously.
Leadership and team management: Skills in guiding a team and influencing organisational strategy.
Policy: Understanding of the policy landscape, particularly as it relates to child sexual abuse and prevention.
Advocacy: Proven track record in communications or public affairs, with experience navigating sensitive issues and influencing policy or public discourse.
If you are a strategic, experienced leader who is energised by complex, meaningful work and ready to make a real difference, this could be the role for you.
Core Objectives This Strategic Engagement Director position will enhance One in Four's ability to navigate the complexities of communicating about childhood sexual abuse, mitigate reputational risks, secure sustainable funding, and contribute to systemic change.
The role will enable One in Four to build trust with stakeholders, challenge public misconceptions, contribute to informed discourse on prevention, empower survivors, and ultimately create a society where children are safe from sexual harm.
The role's core objectives span three areas:
1. Communications Develop a strategic communications plan that sensitively balances the needs of survivors, accountability of those who offend, and organisational credibility.
Develop and manage high-quality content that accurately and sensitively communicates the organisation's work and impact for victim/survivors.
Develop content (in conjunction with our copywriter) that educates the public about the role of people who offend in overall prevention efforts, contributing to informed discourse on this sensitive topic.
Implement crisis communication strategies to manage potential reputational risks associated with this aspect of One in Four's work.
Develop and embed our recently updated brand guidelines.
2. Fundraising Oversee One in Four's fundraising and income generation, working alongside the Community Fundraising Manager to develop new campaigns and drive high-level strategic partnerships — with a dual focus on significantly increasing unrestricted funds.
Build One in Four's corporate fundraising capacity, prioritising values-aligned partners who understand the sensitivity of what we do and are genuinely committed to standing behind it.
Develop compelling funding proposals and partnership opportunities that demonstrate mutual value, shared impact, and the need for long-term support.
Collaborate with partners on initiatives that expand One in Four's reach, impact, and financial resilience.
3. Collaborating and Influencing In conjunction with the CEO, build and leverage relationships with policymakers, government agencies, and advocacy groups to influence policy and practice.
Key Relationships This role reports directly to the CEO and is part of the senior management team.
Key internal relationships include the Advocacy Director, Clinical Director, Head of Operations and Head of Business Services.
The role currently has two direct reports: Community Fundraising Manager and Training Manager.
Externally, relationship development with a diverse range of stakeholders will be central to the role including funders, philanthropic partners, policymakers, media, and the wider community.
Key Responsibilities Development of a stakeholder engagement strategy that builds and manages relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders.
Creation and curation of strategic communications content, developing nuanced communication plans for highly sensitive topics.
Evolution and management of One in Four's brand refresh.
Proactively identifying, cultivating and managing partnerships with funders, philanthropists and other key stakeholders, including development of compelling funding proposals.
Building One in Four's corporate fundraising capacity through values-aligned partnerships.
Delivering advocacy initiatives to influence policymakers and drive systemic change.
Building relationships with political stakeholders through a politically savvy approach.
Contributing to organisational stability and effectiveness.
Experience Required At least 5 years of senior leadership experience, spanning nonprofit and/or corporate sectors.
Strategic communication: Ability to develop and implement nuanced communication strategies on sensitive topics.
Stakeholder engagement: Skills in building and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders including funders, philanthropic partners, policymakers, and the wider community.
Fundraising and partnership development: Proven track record in securing significant partnerships, major donors, legacy and corporate funding, as well as developing compelling funding proposals.
Leadership and team management: Demonstrated ability to guide and develop a team.
Policy: Understanding of the policy landscape relevant to child sexual abuse and prevention.
Project management: Ability to oversee multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously.
Experience using a CRM database.
Person Specification Resilience: Comfortable operating in a complex, emotionally demanding environment, able to hold steady under scrutiny, setbacks, and the weight of the issues this work addresses.
Collaborative by nature: A confident leader who brings people with them rather than seeking the spotlight, someone who understands that in this field, the work is always bigger than the individual.
Crisis management: Ability to navigate public scrutiny and manage reputational risks in a sensitive field.
Ethical judgment: Strong sense of ethics and ability to maintain organisational integrity while addressing complex issues.
Interpersonal skills: Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities, with a focus on building trust and credibility.
Strategic thinking: Capacity to align communications and advocacy efforts with One in Four's mission and values.
Adaptability: Flexibility to work in a dynamic environment and handle sensitive topics with care.
Passion for the cause: A genuine commitment to One in Four's mission of supporting survivors and preventing childhood sexual abuse.
Experience in digital fundraising and communications is highly valued.