Fostering Marketing and Recruitment Officer

Job Introduction

Job Title: Fostering Marketing and Recruitment Officer
Working Pattern: 37 hours per week

Salary: £36,581 - £40,444

Location: Lincoln
Closing Date: 2nd December 2026

Do you want your work to make a measurable difference to the lives of children?

Use your marketing expertise to help local children find local carers.

Lincolnshire County Council is looking for an experienced, creative and self-driven marketing professional to help us recruit and retain the foster carers our children need.

This is much more than a communications role. You will play a key role in the development and delivery of an evidence-based marketing strategy, using audience insight, compelling content and targeted campaigns to turn awareness of fostering into genuine enquiries and, ultimately, more approved foster carers.

Fostering is a national priority. The Government’s Renewing Fostering programme aims to create up to 10,000 additional foster-care places in England and to address the long-term decline in approved foster carers.

In Lincolnshire, our ambition is clear: wherever possible, local children should be cared for by local foster families, close to the people, places and relationships that matter to them. This is a genuine opportunity for an experienced marketing professional to contribute to that ambition and improve the lives of some of the country’s most vulnerable children.

About the Role

• Contribute to the development and delivery of a sustained, evidence-based marketing and recruitment strategy for Lincolnshire’s fostering service.
• Plan and deliver creative, targeted campaigns across digital, social, print, media and community channels.
• Understand the complete recruitment journey, from initial awareness and enquiry through to application and approval and use marketing insights to improve conversion at every stage.
• Produce high-quality, engaging content that reflects the realities and rewards of fostering and represents children, foster carers and the Council appropriately.
• Use market research, audience segmentation, campaign data and customer-journey analysis to identify barriers, test new approaches and focus resources where they will have the greatest impact.
• Tailor recruitment activity to the changing needs of Lincolnshire’s children, including targeted work to recruit carers for sibling groups, older children, children with disabilities and others for whom it can be more difficult to find the right home.
• Identify creative ways to address the practical and perceived barriers that can prevent people from considering fostering.
• Lead the planning and delivery of recruitment events, information sessions, roadshows and community engagement across Lincolnshire.
• Build strong relationships with local businesses, community organisations, media outlets and other partners.
• Expand Lincolnshire’s network of Fostering Friendly employers, encouraging local businesses to support employees who foster and promote fostering within their organisations.
• Work collaboratively with recruitment colleagues, foster carers, operational teams and the Council’s wider communications and corporate services.
• Support foster-carer retention through effective engagement, communication and community-building activity.
• Commission media and campaign activity effectively, securing value for money within an agreed budget.
• Monitor key performance indicators and produce clear reports showing campaign activity, outcomes, learning and return on investment.
• Provide direction, support and oversight to the Marketing and Recruitment Assistant.

The role includes some evening and weekend work to support community events and recruitment activity. Time off in lieu will be provided in line with Council arrangements.

About You

We are looking for someone who combines professional marketing expertise with a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for children.

• A degree in marketing, communications or a closely related discipline, together with a relevant professional qualification or equivalent professional expertise.
• Substantial experience in a marketing, communications or recruitment-marketing role.
• Experience of developing, delivering and evaluating successful multi-channel marketing campaigns.
• A clear understanding of how marketing supports recruitment, including audience segmentation, lead generation, customer journeys, conversion and retention.
• Strong digital marketing skills, including social media, email marketing, website content and video or multimedia production.
• The ability to interpret data, draw out meaningful insights and use these to improve campaign performance.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation and influencing skills.
• Strong project-management and organisational skills, with the ability to work independently, take ownership and deliver against agreed objectives.
• Creativity, curiosity and the confidence to bring forward new ideas, while working within the requirements of a large, accountable and politically led organisation.
• The ability to build credible and productive relationships with local businesses, community organisations, foster carers, colleagues and senior stakeholders.
• A collaborative approach and a willingness to contribute as part of a wider recruitment and fostering team.
• The flexibility to attend events across the county, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• A full driving licence and the ability to travel throughout Lincolnshire.

Experience of working within fostering, children’s services, local government or another complex public-service environment would be advantageous, but it is not essential. More important is your ability to understand the challenges involved in recruiting foster carers and to apply professional marketing expertise to overcoming them.

Knowledge of Lincolnshire as a large and predominantly rural county, together with an understanding of its diverse communities, would also be an advantage.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to apply your professional expertise to work with a clear and lasting social purpose.

You will have the scope to shape our marketing approach, develop new partnerships and influence how we reach potential foster carers across Lincolnshire. You will be joining a service that recognises that recruiting foster carers requires more than increasing awareness. It needs insight, creativity, strong relationships and a clear understanding of what helps people move from initial interest to making a life-changing decision.

By helping more people understand fostering and supporting them to take the next step, your work will help more Lincolnshire children grow up in safe, stable and loving homes within their own communities.

Our Offer

Along with a competitive salary of £36,581 - £40,444 we also offer;

• A generous contributory pension.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Generous annual leave, with the option to purchase additional leave.
• A comprehensive employee benefits package
• Training, professional development and career progression opportunities.
• The opportunity to undertake purposeful, high-profile work that makes a direct difference to children, families and communities across Lincolnshire.

At Lincolnshire County Council, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we offer a rewarding package designed to support your work–life balance, health and wellbeing, financial security, and career growth. Find out more about our offer to you in the attached brochure.

Closing Date: December 2nd 2026

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Emily McAllister on Emily.McAllister@lincolnshire.gov.uk or Michelle Sawmynaden on Michelle.Sawmynaden2@lincolnshire.gov.uk

If you are an experienced marketing professional looking for a role where your creativity, insight and drive can make a measurable difference, we would welcome your application.

Please be advised that this position may be subject to a criminal record check.

All candidates are advised to read the attached job information pack prior to making an application.

On occasion we receive significantly more applications than expected for some vacancies and under such circumstances we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the advertisement. We therefore strongly advise you to apply for the role promptly to avoid disappointment should the closing date be brought forward. 

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.

Lincolnshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

A Smarter Working Employer

We have embraced new ways of working and hybrid working will be a feature of this role. You will be given a nominated contractual work base and you will be required to commute to this work base when necessary.  Working arrangements regarding hybrid working will be discussed as part of the appointment process.

Our technology platform and equipment is very good enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We require that you have in place good connectivity, and we will discuss during the recruitment process if support with this is needed.

Fluency Duty 

In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Our values – collaborative, adaptable, eco-conscious, supportive, and responsible – guide everything we do. We’re looking for candidates who share these values and bring them to life in their work, helping us build strong teams and make a real difference in the communities we serve.