Job Title: Chief Creative Officer
Department/Team: CEO Office
Reports To: CEO
Salary: £120,000-£140,000
Purpose of Job
Comic Relief is a charity that harnesses the power of entertainment, humour, and popular culture to drive change in the world. Through compelling content and experiences, we engage audiences to care about and contribute to a just world free from poverty.
As Chief Creative Officer (CCO), you will lead a production department that is responsible for content creation across broadcast TV, digital and social media, video production, design, and creative storytelling. You will play a key role in shaping and delivering our creative vision, ensuring our content is innovative, engaging, and mission-driven.
This is an executive-level role that requires visionary leadership, deep expertise in entertainment and content production, and a collaborative approach to creative production. Comic Relief has a long track record of using humour and popular culture to make being charitable fun – you will help us continue doing that in new ways, for a range of audiences, for the Comic Relief of today and tomorrow.
Key Responsibilities
The CCO is responsible for developing and delivering outstanding entertainment, content, and experiences that helps Comic Relief meet its strategic objectives. This includes working closely with internal teams, external creative agencies, entertainment partners, talent, and influencers to create content that drives awareness, engagement, and impact.
Creative Vision and Content Excellence (core priority)
- Work closely with the Strategy & Impact Department, and lead the Production Department to align and deliver creative work that meets the organisation’s social impact and income objectives. Work closely with the Director of Production and other directors across the organisation to implement the vision.
- Provide high-level decision-making and counsel on brand identity, messaging, and creative output to enable and empower teams to deliver.
- Lead the development of bold content and entertainment that amplify Comic Relief’s brand, mission, impact and fundraising efforts.
- Bring fame-building ambition to our content—developing ideas that are entertaining, popular, and culturally relevant.
- Continually assess the external landscape for trends in broadcast, digital, social media, gaming, podcasting, and live experiences to ensure Comic Relief is powerfully entertaining.
- Oversee the production of compelling content that inspires action, showcases impact, and drives audience engagement.
- Partner with our fundraising teams to develop ideas that get audiences and partners to care, take notice and want to get involved.
Leadership & Organisational Culture (core priority)
- As part of the Executive Leadership Team, work with the CEO to provide leadership in developing, communicating and delivering the strategic vision and direction of Comic Relief.
- Work closely with other members of the Executive Leadership Team to ensure effective cooperation and collaboration across the organisation in support of Comic Relief’s operative objectives.
- Champion creativity and ideation across Comic Relief, fostering a culture where bold, innovative, and ambitious ideas thrive.
- Inspire and empower teams across the organisation to think big, be creative, and embrace the power of storytelling and entertainment.
- Uphold and drive Comic Relief’s values, ensuring creativity is embedded in everything we do.
- Lead and mentor the Production Department, ensuring quality and consistency across content production, entertainment, talent, and design & copy functions.
- Lead the Production Department to develop and implement processes that encourage collaboration, cross-functional ideation, and creative excellence.
- Ensure that all creative output aligns with Comic Relief’s DEIB commitments and storytelling guidelines.
External Engagement & Partnerships
- Be a compelling and influential presence in the entertainment and media industries, representing Comic Relief at key forums and events.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with talent, talent agents, entertainment partners, creative agencies, media partners and the BBC.
- Support other teams in big pitches and strategic stewardship, including corporate partnerships and philanthropic donors.
Content Production & Execution
- Provide big-picture creative direction and oversight to entertainment content, broadcast TV, digital storytelling, and video production.
- Oversee the creation of engaging, brand-driven content that reflects Comic Relief’s unique voice and brand — whether humorous, compassionate, or popular.
- Guide the team in responding effectively to briefs from the Strategy & Impact Department, ensuring content meets strategic objectives and resonates with different audiences across platforms.
- Work with the Director of Production to build a strong and efficient production department with the necessary capabilities, expertise, systems and processes to deliver against the organisations strategic and operational plans.
Governance & Financial Oversight
- Represent Creative and Content Production at Board and Committee level, ensuring strategic alignment and governance priorities are met.
- Own and manage budgets for the Production Department, ensuring cost-effective, high-impact content production.
- Work closely with the Chief Strategy & Impact Officer, and the Chief Operating Officer to establish cohesive and streamlined ways of working across Departments.
- Know, follow, and help establish, the organisation’s governance, policies, benefits, and processes.
- Hold accountability for achieving the organisation’s strategy, objectives, and board-level KPIs.
People Management
- Proactively undertake business planning, prioritise activities and ensure clear and realistic objectives based on capacity, expertise and aspirations are set across the Production Department.
- Provide balanced, constructive feedback, undertake effective performance management to embed accountability and proactively support the professional development and growth of staff within Production.
- Maintain regular two-way communication and dialogue with direct reports, ensuring information is cascaded and escalated as needed.
- Model an enabling, inclusive and empowering leadership style that builds a values-based culture throughout the organisation.