Head of Membership Marketing

We're RCOT, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. We've championed the profession and the people behind it for over 90 years; and today, we are thriving with over 36,000 members. Then and now, we're here to help achieve life-changing breakthroughs for our members, for the people they support and for society as a whole.

We have a vision, that people everywhere value the life-changing power of occupational therapy. To achieve this we have a new organisational structure which positions us so that we can grasp the opportunities for occupational therapy and for us as a membership body.

What we do and how we do it

We live and breathe our values. They describe what matters to us. They show how everyone here at RCOT acts and makes decisions as individuals and as one team. And they drive us in our approach to achieving our vision and purpose.

Our values

We Impact

We make meaningful differences with all our work.

We prioritise work that achieves our shared purpose and strategy. We go above and beyond for the people who need us.

We Challenge

We find new and better ways to make things happen. We are brave and bold in our ideas and actions. We challenge ourselves, each other and the status quo.

We Elevate

We lift up and support others to be and do their best. We are accessible and collaborative.

We are united and move forward together, even if we sometimes disagree.

We Respect

We value each other and celebrate our differences. We are approachable, genuine and trustworthy.

We listen to others and believe everyone's views should be heard.

Brand and Marketing directorate

It's an exciting time to join RCOT and the Brand and Marketing team. We're working to transform awareness of occupational therapy across the UK, making sure it's understood, respected and valued and that the vital contributions our members make to a healthier society are recognised and celebrated. Our team plays a central role in building a thriving, engaged membership community. We're focused on growing our membership and empowering members to be strong advocates for the profession and for the people who use health and social care services. Through strategic brand development, compelling storytelling and high-impact campaigns, we aim to elevate the voice of occupational therapy and support our members in driving positive change.

The purpose of your role

As the Head of Membership Marketing, you will play a key role in delivering RCOT's vision for a thriving, engaged and growing membership community. You will be responsible for developing and overseeing integrated marketing and engagement strategies that drive both acquisition and retention, ensuring we meet our ambitious membership growth and income targets. Working closely with the Director of Brand and Marketing, you will lead on the development and evolution of RCOT's member value proposition, ensuring it reflects the needs, aspirations and expectations of occupational therapy professionals. You will also oversee key projects that support the development and delivery of our membership offer, ensuring RCOT remains relevant, responsive and valued by the profession.

You will lead the strategic analysis of membership trends, behaviours and feedback to inform decision-making, shape campaigns and identify opportunities for innovation and growth. Your ability to translate insight into action will be critical in ensuring our strategies are evidence-based and member-focused. Leading a small, high-performing team, you will foster a culture of strategic thinking, creativity and accountability, ensuring that all marketing and engagement activity contributes to a strong, sustainable membership base.

Your main responsibilities

Strategic leadership and operational delivery

• Lead the development and delivery of the membership growth and marketing strategy, with a dual focus on acquiring new members and retaining existing ones.
• Drive strategic planning to enhance valued member benefits, ensuring they positively impact retention and deepen member engagement.
• Develop and implement innovative member value propositions, identifying opportunities to expand reach and grow membership through compelling offers.
• Work closely with the Finance team to align membership growth with income targets, ensuring financial sustainability and strategic impact.
• Use data-driven insights to capture, analyse, and share meaningful member data for governance reporting and to inform cross-organisational decision-making.
• Manage relationships and contracts with external partners, including providers of membership services, to optimise member benefits and service delivery.
• Collaborate across teams and directorates, to ensure integrated and aligned membership initiatives.
• Lead and inspire a small, high-performing team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators, including acquisition, retention, engagement, satisfaction and income contribution.
• Represent the voice of the member within the organisation, advocating for their needs and preferences in strategic planning and service development.
• Stay informed of market trends and competitor activity, ensuring the organisation remains competitive and relevant in its membership offer.

What you bring to the role

• Leadership and strategic planning ability.
• Extensive experience in the field of growth and data-led marketing.
• Degree level education or equivalent level of work experience.
• Marketing or communications qualification desirable.
• Exposure to the not-for profit/charity environment.
• Extensive experience in budget setting and management.
• Experienced in use of CRM systems.
• Demonstrated management experience in similar environments.
• A solutions-driven and practical ability to create or adapt commercial strategies to suit the situation.
• The ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders from start to finish.
• The ability to translate strategic initiatives into operational plans.
• Confident and proficient in using digital technologies to work collaboratively and productively in a hybrid working model, championing and promoting new ways of working.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills including presentation and report-writing skills.
• Ability to respond to changing circumstances and opportunities.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to collaborate effectively to provide matrix leadership and thought leadership.
• Highly developed and confident interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence colleagues at all levels and provide advice and guidance to senior leaders.
• High levels of self-motivation, enthusiasm and passion for the professional field you represent.
• A demonstrable passion for embedding environmental sustainability principles across all areas of work.
• An enthusiasm to live and model RCOT values across all areas of work.
• A demonstrable passion for including equity, diversity and belonging principles across all areas of work.

Values, culture and leadership

• Live our values in all that you do; celebrate it when colleagues live our values and raise it, respectfully, when they don't.
• Lead and empower your team to deliver impact for our members and colleagues.
• Have regular conversations about objectives, wellbeing and performance (data, impact and outcomes).
• Coach colleagues to take ownership of their career development, offering support and guidance as needed.

A bit more about the role

• You'll report to the Director of Brand and Marketing
• Your contract will be: 12 months
• You'll work: 35 hours a week
• You'll be based at: London Bridge headquarters (hybrid working)
• You'll be paid: Circa £69k per annum

Your main relationships will be with:

• Director of Brand and Marketing
• Membership Marketing team
• Interim Associate Director of Finance
• Director of Strategy, Technology and Transformation
• Head of Profile and Campaigns
• Head of Digital Channels
• Head of Data and Insight
• Extended Leadership Team

What we will offer you

• 26 days paid holiday during your contract
• Christmas closure – we're closed over the Christmas period. Additional time will be given to all employees to cover any working days during this period.
• Pension scheme – we operate a contributory pension scheme, you are eligible to join this scheme from your start date. Contributions are made on a salary exchange basis and are 6% of gross salary from the employee and 9% from the employer.
• Life cover – four times your annual salary.
• Free eyesight testing.
• Free Employee Assistance Programme.
• Flexibility through a hybrid working model which offers a blend of home and office-based working.
• Supportive networks and inclusive team - we have several colleague networks to support colleagues and provide a space for discussion and reflection, as well as promote allyship.

Equity, Diversity & Belonging

As a membership organisation, a professional body and an employer, RCOT is committed to leading innovative change to promote equity and social justice and build a sense of belonging for all our staff, members and the populations we serve. Our ambition is to have a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. We don't only embrace diversity, we celebrate it, nurture it and support our staff in realising their true potential. We are passionate about creating an environment free from discrimination and harassment where people can be their authentic self and recognise that each of us is unique. Therefore, our definition of diversity goes beyond those defined in equality legislation and we will afford the same standards and principles to those with lived experiences.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are keen to see applications from people with lived experience of disability or long-term health conditions, from minoritised ethnic and LGBTQIA+ communities.