Sarah Bradford

Director of Communications, Brand and Advocacy at SOS Children's Villages UK

Canterbury, England, United Kingdom

About

• Senior communications, fundraising and marketing professional with over 20 years’ hands-on experience of overseeing fundraising and communications activities and leading cross-organisational projects. • Strategic thinker with extensive experience developing and implementing strategies to engage multiple audiences, and contributing to wider organisational decision-making and strategy. • Outstanding people manager with significant experience of developing and leading cross-functional teams to achieve results, and the ability to influence senior colleagues and the board. • Creative individual with excellent writing and editing skills, practical multi-channel communications knowledge and varied experience of embedding systems and processes. • Strong facilitator with highly-developed interpersonal skills and the ability to train and enhance the skills of colleagues. • Native English, conversational German.

Experience

  • SOS Children's Villages UK (3 yrs 6 mos)
    • Director of Communications, Brand and Advocacy
      Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 7 mos

    • Director of Communications and Brand
      Feb 2023 - Jan 2025 · 2 yrs

  • Conciliation Resources ()
    • Director of Fundraising and Communications
      Feb 2019 - Feb 2023 · 4 yrs 1 mo

      - Lead Fundraising and Communications for an international conflict resolution charity: creating, implementing and monitoring plans, annual budget and five-year strategy. - Oversaw merger of two teams, establishment and growth of new Fundraising and Communications team. - Contribute to organisational strategy, problem-solving and decision-making as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

    • Head of Communications
      Feb 2015 - Feb 2019 · 4 yrs 1 mo

      • Led content strategy, planning and creation, working with agencies, freelancers and communications team members to create impactful communications and campaigns. • Built and manage a small but high-functioning Communications team to deliver on goals –recruiting, developing and overseeing staff. • Developed, implemented and monitored communications strategies, plans and budgets. • Won Bond’s ‘Positive collaboration’ award with short film Trading for peace. • Advised on the creation of new global brand for +Peace, a coalition of peacebuilding organisations, as Chair of the Branding and Communications Working Group. • Managed a cross-functional team as organisational lead for GDPR compliance, creating and implementing new policies and procedures to ensure readiness for GDPR deadline.

    • Communications Manager
      Jun 2010 - Feb 2015 · 4 yrs 9 mos

      • Managed all communications, including coordinating content planning and campaign creation. • Developed a strong organisational communications function, establishing core channels and providing training in the UK and overseas to colleagues. • Launched a new organisational website, resulting in a 30% increase in website users. • Led an organisational rebrand leading to significant increase in brand engagement.

  • Communications Manager at REDR UK
    Sep 2007 - Jun 2010 · 2 yrs 10 mos

    Managed a small team to oversee all communications for humanitarian training and recruitment charity. • Worked closely with fundraising colleagues, creating campaigns, materials and events to support corporate and individual giving. Included a successful integrated communications campaign following the Haiti Earthquake, resulting in 200% increase in donations. • Project-managed the relaunch of RedR’s website, resulting in a 35% increase in website traffic and 300% increase in on-line supporter engagement. • Redeveloped RedR’s brand leading to improved internal clarity and supporter engagement, and implemented media strategy resulting in 300% increase in coverage over two years. • Led the organisation of a high-level conference for the aid community with keynote speeches from Sir John Holmes (UN Emergency Relief Coordinator) and HRH The Princess Royal.

  • Projects Abroad (3 yrs 11 mos)
    • Marketing Manager
      Jul 2006 - Sep 2007 · 1 yr 3 mos

      • Led a German marketing team of four – developed and implemented a marketing strategy, restructured the team and improved systems, increasing German applicants by 30%. • Successfully project-managed the renaming and rebranding of Projects Abroad globally across seven marketing offices and twenty programme offices. • Contributed to organisational decision-making and the development of a new global marketing and communications strategy, as part of the Global Management Committee.

    • Marketing Officer
      Nov 2003 - Jul 2006 · 2 yrs 9 mos

      • Contributed to UK marketing team exceeding monthly targets consistently over three years, through promotional activities, creating content and producing marketing materials. • Contributed to the successful promotion of Projects Abroad projects through spending time working in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru and Sri Lanka.

  • Freelance journalist at Shanghai Star
    Jan 2003 - Jul 2003 · 7 mos