Alumni giving volunteer manager jobs

At Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, we’re proud to house one of the largest and most successful fundraising and alumni engagement teams outside of the Central University. We’re seeking a driven and globally-minded Alumni Networks and Groups Manager to help shape and lead our international alumni engagement strategy. You’ll play a pivotal role in strengthening our alumni relations programme—building meaningful lifelong connections between Oxford Saïd and our 18,000+ alumni and elumni across the world.

As Alumni Networks and Groups Manager, you will be responsible for developing and delivering the strategy for our global alumni Chapters, Ambassadors and special interest groups. You’ll manage a diverse portfolio of international volunteer leaders, support the growth of key alumni communities and coordinate global engagement activities aligned with Oxford Saïd’s strategic priorities.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a global engagement strategy for alumni Chapters, Ambassadors and alumni groups.
• Cultivate, support and manage a portfolio of 20+ international alumni chapters and 70+ individual volunteers.
• Act as a key liaison for global alumni leaders, offering guidance, sharing best practices and ensuring alignment with School strategy.
• Coordinate and support global alumni events, often in partnership with faculty and senior leadership.
• Contribute to internal reporting, communications strategies and volunteer recognition programmes.

You will bring substantial experience in managing international volunteer networks with a strong strategic focus on alumni relations. You will possess excellent communication and relationship-building skills across global audiences, alongside proven expertise in project management, budgeting and ROI analysis. Strong organisational abilities, diplomatic acumen and cultural sensitivity are also essential.

You must have the Right to Work within the UK as this position may not amount to enough points under the points-based immigration system in the UK.

Further information on this role can be found in the job description.

At Saïd Business School we believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to bring their unique perspectives and experiences to our team. Join us to build a brighter, more equitable future, where we celebrate diversity, advance equity, and nurture inclusion across everything we do.

We offer very generous benefits, some of which are:

• Generous holiday allowance of 38 days including bank holidays
• Hybrid working
• Membership of the Oxford staff pension scheme
• Discounted bus travel
• Subsidised onsite catering
• Cycle loan scheme
• Plus, many other University benefits

All applications must include a CV, Supporting Statement/Cover Letter and Current Salary.

The closing date for applications is 16 July 2025 at 12.00 noon. Interviews will likely be held 22 July 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead our Alumni Engagement team who provide support to an alumni base of almost 40,000 contactable alumni of the Sutton Trust programmes. These are generally young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds who move into highly competitive universities, courses and careers. The alumni community has grown rapidly over the past 3 years and now expects around 6-7000 new alumni to join each September. Engagement covers supporting their transition to university and into the workplace through communications, events and programmes. It also spans alumni volunteering, our Alumni Leadership Board, and working with our Development team towards alumni giving.

The role is dynamic and diverse, requiring you to be able to think strategically whilst devising and delivering on operational delivery plans, and we are looking for a confident and experienced team leader during a period of maternity leave.

This role is part of the Programmes Leadership Team and will work closely with the Director of Programmes, Head of Employability Programmes and Head of University Access & Digital on shaping the strategic direction of the team and its programmatic work. The role will also connect closely to the work of the Development Team as we look to devise and implement a segmented alumni giving scheme, as well as the Communications and Policy team, and may evolve to take on new projects over time.

Main duties

• Strategic leadership to alumni engagement, including:
  • Embedding alumni relations and programming across the organisation, ensuring alumni are considered or involved in all areas of the Trust’s work
  • Managing budget and project timelines to ensure projects are delivered effectively
  • Working with the wider programmes team to ensure a smooth transition for Sutton Trust beneficiaries between programmes and the alumni community

• Alumni Engagement and Volunteering:
  • Refining and communicating the alumni strategy across the Trust and to donors and external stakeholders
  • Growing the Sutton Trust alumni network and developing a long-term strategy for alumni engagement, including communications and events, identifying key areas of focus and setting out benchmarks and KPIs
  • Overseeing a suite of volunteering opportunities for alumni to give back to, and represent the Trust in (for example on programmes, with our funder base, in our research and policy work, or to benefit the alumni community)
  • Managing the online alumni platform (STA) and its integration with other platforms .
  • Overseeing the recruitment to and engagement of the Alumni Leadership Board and new Changemaker/Ambassador programme to build on our advocacy work, and ensuring effective engagement with the work of the Trust and the wider alumni community
  • Ensuring that the above complements a long-term plan which would enable alumni to fundraise for the Trust or make donations in support of the Trust

• Programme management and Alumni Support:
  • Support delivery of access to the workplace and employability programming for alumni alongside the Head of Employability Programmes
  • Overseeing the delivery of bursary support programmes (including the Opportunity Bursary funded by JP Morgan) by the Alumni Programmes Manager from recruitment to evaluation and reporting
  • Overseeing the delivery of a series of employer-led events (working with employer-facing colleagues across the Trust) across a range of industry sectors that support student access to workplace opportunities, and the chance to build employability skills (such as networking / interview skills etc)
  • Overseeing the development of content and activities to support young alumni transitioning to HE
  • Overseeing the evaluation and scoping for potential growth for alumni-alumni mentoring with the Alumni Connect programme (piloted in Spring 2025)
  • Ensuring appropriate systems and processes are in place to manage programmes and events for alumni

• Alumni Giving and Relationship Management
  • Working closely with the Development team to provide support for key funding partnerships including those that directly fund/ work with the Alumni team.
  • Working with the Director of Development/ Head of Philanthropy to input into a new strategy to build funding from our alumni
  • Working with the Development team to implement an ongoing segmented fundraising communications plan to build awareness of our need for funding and directing alumni to appropriate giving schemes depending on their life/career stage
  • Identifying potential mid to high level alumni donors and working with the Development team to cultivate
  • Representing the Trust and facilitating introductions via senior alumni for new and potential employer or delivery partners

• Team Management:
  • Leading the alumni team to ensure effective engagement of our alumni community, including line management responsibility, team meetings, pastoral support and appraisals
  • Line managing, motivating and proactively supporting the Alumni Programmes Manager and Senior Alumni Officer in their professional development
  • Working with Director of Programmes and Heads of Programmes on team management, culture and long term planning
  • Working across the organisation on cross-team projects, such as with the employer working group, youth voice, Changemaker pilot, alumni giving, and STO/STA platforms strategy.
  • Member of extended-SLT

• Other duties as necessary from time to time

Person Specification

We welcome applications from individuals who have experience in:

• Professional experience of alumni relations, or managing other similar membership communities, ideally within the education or charity sector.
• Has experience working within or an understanding of the not for profit sector and/or the education sectors;
• Experience of developing strategies, frameworks and operational plans to support alumni relations, programmes and events for young people, or equivalent
• Strong understanding of databases, data processes and experience using a CRM (ideally Salesforce)
• Experience in project management, monitoring and evaluation, managing budgets, financial control and administration
• Building relationships with significant, diverse stakeholder groups
• Experience of managing volunteers and volunteer stewardship
• Excellent verbal and written communication and strong analytical skills
• First-class interpersonal skills - a natural ambassador able to represent the Sutton Trust in a range of settings
• Working collaboratively across teams and within a small team
• Line management and leadership of a small team
• Adapting to new opportunities and trialling new initiatives
• Personable, flexible and discreet; able to fit in to a small team

We are also looking for an individual who:

• Has experience of building philanthropic support through alumni
• Is sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage;
• Has excellent attention to detail;
• Is eligible to work in the UK (see here for information about right to work)

Terms of Appointment

• • Contract: 13-month Fixed-term Maternity cover contract starting November 2025. Our ideal dates are from 1 November 2025 – 30 November 2026, however we can be flexible if needed for the right candidate.
  • Salary: £60,000-£64,000 per annum
  • Working location: Minimum of 2 office days per week
  • Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Our home working policy gives staff the option to work from home for up to 60% of the time, with approval from their line manager.
  • Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and may also be required to attend events / meetings outside of their normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends
  • DBS check will be required

Interviews

Applications should reach us by midnight, Sunday 20th July, with first round interviews held over Zoom on Tuesday, 29th July, and second round interviews held at our London offices on Tuesday, 5th August.

Safeguarding statement

The Sutton Trust believes that a child, young person or vulnerable adult should never experience abuse of any kind. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Therefore all posts undergo a safer recruitment process, including but not limited to, disclosure of criminal records where necessary and eligibility to work in the UK. We have procedures in place to promote safeguarding and a safe culture at the Trust.

Contextual recruitment

The Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and that all applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including those underrepresented at present at the Trust, to apply for this role. As such we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work and know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the young people we support.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates throughout our recruitment process and during employment.

We also operate contextual recruitment at the Sutton Trust. Our application process gives you the option to include information about your background, such as whether you were eligible for free school meals, whether your parents went to university, or whether you attended a state school. For more examples and information on contextual recruitment, please see our website.

Pembroke College, Oxford, is seeking a motivated and highly organised individual to join its Development team as a Development Coordinator. This role offers an excellent opportunity to gain broad experience in fundraising, alumni relations, and stewardship within a busy, supportive team.

Founded in 1624, Pembroke is an inclusive and dynamic College based on a central site in Oxford that joins award-winning new developments with historic quadrangles. Pembroke’s Fellowship is forward-looking and its Governing Body has ambitious plans for the future, including a significant fundraising programme to support its ongoing development.

The Development Coordinator is a key member of the Development team, providing essential administrative support across alumni relations, donor stewardship, fundraising operations, and office management. The post-holder will serve as the first point of contact for alumni and supporters, manage team communications, coordinate event administration, maintain accurate donor records, and support a variety of projects to enhance alumni engagement and fundraising outcomes.

The role is ideal for a candidate interested in a career in fundraising or higher education advancement. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator with strong organisational and administrative skills, good attention to detail, discretion, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a busy environment.

Benefits include membership of the University staff pension scheme, 30 days of annual leave, free lunches during working hours when the College kitchens are open, and training and professional development opportunities.

Role overview

The Development Coordinator will provide administrative support to the Development team.  The role is ideal for someone interested in pursuing a career in fundraising and alumni relations as the post-holder will be exposed to a wide range of experiences and training opportunities.

Key responsibilities

The main duties to be carried out by the post-holder include:

Alumni Relations

• Manage the Development team inbox and act as the main point of contact for Pembroke’s alumni and other supporters by email, phone, and in person.
• Deal with external communications to the office and forward queries to the appropriate colleague where required.
• Produce briefing notes for the Master, Fellows, and other key staff and volunteers prior to events for alumni relations, stewardship, and fundraising purposes.
• Ensure that the alumni pages of the College website are kept up-to-date and contribute to the generation of online content for social media.
• Process credit card payments for events and ensure accurate records are kept and card details handled securely.
• Provide administrative support to the Pembroke College Ambassador programme.

Operations and Office Management

• Work with the Database and Insights Officer on projects to clean and improve data held on the university-wide DARS database.
• Process updates to contact and other details submitted by alumni.
• Deal with payment and pledge-related queries from donors and potential donors.
• Ensure that the database is maintained with accurate and up-to-date details on Pembroke alumni and other constituents.
• Provide logistical support for overseas trips and other visits undertaken by Development staff.
• Take minutes for meetings of the Campaign Board, Development Committee, Alumni Advisory Board, and other groups.

Internal collaboration

• Work collaboratively with the wider team and colleagues across Pembroke, supporting work outside your functional area where necessary.
• Support fundraising colleagues with regular giving activities including telethons and mailings.
• Provide general support and assistance to the team, particularly for event administration and donor stewardship.
• Attend events as required and assist the Senior Alumni Relations Officer to ensure they are successfully delivered.
• Co-ordinate stationery and office supplies including fundraising and alumni relations materials.
• Collect and deliver post to the Porters’ Lodge.
• To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required by the Development Director, which may include travel and event attendance outside standard working hours.

“Without [Tramshed] youth theatre, I would never have won the Booker prize.” – Alumni and Ambassador Bernardine Evaristo

Tramshed Arts Ltd is a community arts charity in Southeast London. As Woolwich’s home of participation, we change perspectives and increase social cohesion, through offering creative spaces across generations of the local community. 

Job Purpose:

The Business Development Manager will play an integral role in growing our organisation and securing its future. You will develop authentic important relationships and partnerships to:

· Increase and diversify sustainable income streams, making the best use of our creative community space and talent.

· Foster connections with local businesses to attract corporate sponsorship and payroll giving.

· Research new opportunities for raising income such as events and training programmes.

You will be inspiring, ambitious, and unafraid to do things differently whilst embracing our core value of being a truly inclusive community space.

Benefits include  some hybrid working, friendly team, accessible working space, 6 complimentary tickets per season for you or your friends and family, Continued Professional Development plan.

For the full role specification please refer to the attached JD. 

Please note: This role can be based out of either location and please state in your answer to the screening question, which office you would prefer to be based out of. 

We are excited to announce a new position within our Philanthropy, Engagement and Partnerships (PEP) team. The role of the Fundraising Officer is to support the development of effective relationships with donors, contributing to ongoing revenue generation for the College.

The role is key front-line fundrasing role and will involve identifying, and delivering new donors, as well as furthering a portfolio of current and past donor relations to secure funding for UWC Atlantic College. You will manage a portfolio of prospects and donors across alumni, parents, and other individuals to cultivate, solicit, and steward financial contributions.

You will hold key relationships with Alumni, parents, external and internal stakeholders, colleagues, and students. The role will also involve collaborating with various colleagues to plan and execute a program of donor-related events.

You will provide strategic contribution which supports UWC Atlantic’s strategies to acheive fundraising goals.

The opportunity is available to be based at UWC Atlantic, St Donats or Hybrid working from the UWC International Officer, 55 New Oxford Street and from home.

For a recording of the information session for this role, please contact us so that we can send details accross.

Completed application forms should be emailed to our recruitment email address.

Please note that potential candidates will be asked to fill out our application form as we are a college and this is a requirment to be selected.

UWC Atlantic is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Come and join a small team of doers, who have banned red tape, silos, politics and “computer says no” scenarios to work for a really uplifting cause.  

At SportsAid we exist to encourage, enable and empower the next generation of athletes to achieve their ambitions in sport and life. For decades, we have been side by side with Britain’s greatest emerging sporting talent, from Mo Farah to Jessica Ennis-Hill to Ade Adepitan, Paula Radcliffe and so many others to give them vital support before they became Olympic and Paralympic stars.

We are looking to appoint a new Digital Communications Officer to play a key role in helping SportsAid build vibrant and engaged online communities, delivering content and fostering meaningful interactions across our digital platforms.

Our new digital community engagement platform will be a cornerstone of SportsAid’s digital strategy, providing an essential space for athletes and their parents to access tailored resources and training, connect with peers, and feel part of a supportive community.

Your focus will be on:

· Planning and producing content for the online community platform, ensuring regular updates, discussions, and engagement opportunities

· Day-to-day management of SportsAid’s social media channels, amplifying stories, celebrating achievements, and engaging with a wider audience

• Creating a mix of written, visual, and video content to drive engagement and audience growth.

Does this sound like you?

· Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

· Experience managing social media platforms, particularly Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and TikTok

· A passion for sport and strong understanding of the sports industry and the unique experiences of athletes

· Basic graphic design and video editing skills (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite).

The salary is £31,250 p.a (pro rata), working across four days a week, and opportunities for flexible working are available. Actual salary c.£25,000.3 years fixed term contract

SportsAid Head Office in London (near London Bridge) with hybrid working. We are normally all in the office on Mondays and one other day of our choice. We are flexible about start times to help with the cost of commuting and we are genuinely flexible all round.

If you have any questions about flexibility, do tell us and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

A full job description is available.

 Want to find out more?

Jack Carnell, our Digital Communications and Content Manager would be more than happy to have an informal chat to help you decide if this is for you. Feel free to email him to arrange a good time to do it.

SportsAid recognises that certain sections of the community have been affected by structural inequities and may be denied the opportunity to participate equally and fully in sport at all levels. SportsAid as an organisation believes our role is to remove the barriers that our most under-served, at risk and minoritised groups of young people experience when trying to access sport and physical activities.

SportsAid therefore positively welcomes, and seeks to achieve, diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants, volunteers and employees receive equal and fair treatment.  We positively encourage applications from all candidates regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, disability, marriage and civil partnership status, gender identity, background, religion, faith, sexual orientation, maternity status, pregnancy, belief or nationality.

Please apply with your CV and one page how you meet the essential criteria by 22nd July 2025.

On receipt of your application, you will be sent a confidential equal opportunities form which all applicants will be asked to complete.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited by 25th July to have a preliminary online conversation with the current Digital Communications and Content Manager between 28th July to 1st August.

Interviews will be held in person 11th and 12th August 2025

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a highly organised administrator to support our Fundraising team.

In this role, you will play a key part in supporting the Harris Federation’s impactful fundraising efforts through vital administrative assistance. Working closely with the Head of Fundraising and Partnerships and other team members, you will help celebrate and acknowledge our donors by crafting thoughtful reports and heartfelt communications. Your contributions will ensure donors feel valued through timely updates, expressions of gratitude and meaningful engagement.

You will also establish and maintain an efficient system to manage our donation records, ensuring that every contribution is acknowledged and appreciated.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing administrative support to the Fundraising, Partnerships and Alumni department of the Harris Federation
• Supporting the Head of Fundraising and Partnerships and colleagues with donor reporting, including managing invoices, preparing thank-you communications, providing timely updates and sending reports to funders
• Maintaining an accurate database and systems to manage donation records, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality
• Coordinating and tracking fundraising activities, deadlines and events to support the smooth operation of campaigns
• Assisting with scheduling meetings, managing calendars and organising internal and external communications
• Supporting the preparation of fundraising proposals, presentations and other documentation as required
• Handling incoming enquiries related to fundraising and partnership activity professionally and promptly
• Contributing to the evaluation and continuous improvement of fundraising administration processes

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Qualifications to degree or equivalent
• Intermediate knowledge of MS Office (specifically Outlook, Excel and Word)
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• The ability to maintain accuracy to a high standard
• Excellent prioritisation skills and time management

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. 

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

OUR VISION & VALUES

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.

We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

A little bit about the role 

Please note this advert is expected to close on Monday 25 July at 9am. 

As our communications officer, you will join our communications and marketing team. Part of our external relations division, the team play an essential role, crafting engaging communications that help achieve our mission and supporting colleagues across the charity to do the same.

This role is perfect for a creative comms professional with a passion for writing and storytelling. Through compelling and strategic communications, you’ll help raise awareness of Frontline’s mission, attract supporters, influence public perception, demonstrate our impact and promote our vital work. 

From fundraising to programme recruitment, from influencing policy to promoting our commercial offer, our work would not be possible without the impactful storytelling you will create in this role.

If you’d like to use your storytelling skills in a fast-paced role to make life better for children at risk of harm, we’d love to receive your application.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Working with colleagues across external relations, you will identify what storytelling is needed to achieve our charity objectives and make life better for children at risk of harm.
• Manage Frontline’s social media channels, create our social media plan and engage with our followers as needed.
• You will collaborate with our Fellowship team to keep our fellows – our programme alumni – engaged with our work and young people on our advisory board to amplify their voices and incorporate their perspective.

Please review the job pack for full list of responsibilities.

A little bit about you 

The ideal applicant would be an excellent writer and editor who excels in creating content for a broad range of multimedia and digital content channels. We’re looking for someone with a creative mind who enjoys actively seeking out stories to tell and deciding how and where to tell these stories so they have the most impact.

We have a fast-moving culture within the team and organisation, so we’re looking for someone who is who is well organised, details-focused and can use their initiative to do what works. You will have excellent communication skills, be able to build relationships with people and be willing to learn. There are lots of opportunities for growth and development in this role – and for the right candidate to make the role their own. 

If you feel you have the skills to make a real impact and contribute to creating lasting social change for children and families, we would love to hear from you. 

Important information

We have increased the diversity of Frontline’s workforce in the last 12 months, but we need to do more to have greater racialised minority representation in our senior roles. We know the value racialised minority voices bring and therefore, we are strongly encouraging applicants from these backgrounds to apply. We are also a disability confident employer and welcome applicants with disabilities.

We recognise that artificial intelligence (AI) such as ‘ChatGPT’ etc can be useful for applicants e.g. to shorten an initial draft, so we do not attempt to have an absolute ban on AI in applications. However we would caution applicants not to rely too much on AI in drafting answers to application questions. We want to hear your authentic voice arising out of your experience, and we will be looking for answers that use examples and experiences that are specific to you. You are more likely to be able to produce that kind of content yourself than an AI will.

We reserve the right to close this role ahead of the deadline once we reach a suitable number of applications, so please apply as soon as you can!

This role is ineligible for sponsorship and so all applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We’re looking for a passionate and driven HR professional to play a pivotal role in delivering our ambitious HR strategy and supporting the growth of our Federation.

In this high-impact, operational role, you’ll work closely with senior leaders to drive forward key business and HR initiatives.

From resourcing and employee relations to learning and development, you’ll provide expert guidance and hands-on support that empowers our management teams to thrive. You’ll be at the heart of our people strategy, leading on complex casework, championing best practices and ensuring our academies are supported with regular on-site visits.

If you're a proactive, solutions-focused HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about education, we’d love to hear from you.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing professional and customer-focussed HR leadership, advice and support to academies to enable leaders to improve and support staff engagement, tackle workforce priorities, maximise workforce efficiency and achieve academy people objectives
• Influencing and supporting the strategic direction of academies by providing and analysing workforce information and developing HR initiatives to respond to needs or example, developing effective retention plans, improving sickness absence and reducing agency expenditure
• Coaching, supporting and mentoring senior leaders on people management practices, issues and priorities, through development of close working relationships and understanding of business challenges and opportunities
• Providing expert advice to managers in highly complex employee relations cases on the interpretation and implementation of the Federation employment procedures within the context of the legal framework
• Retaining oversight of casework, and line managing an HR advisor in the management of specific ER cases

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Experience in a HR Business Partner or senior HR advisor role within a large complex organisation
• Experience of developing and delivery of strategic HR plans and initiatives
• Previous experience of managing complex Employee relations issues, change management, and restructuring
• Experience of supervising staff
• Educated to masters level in HR Management or equivalent level of experience of working in an HR role
• A CIPD qualification to Associate level or above

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. 

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

OUR VISION & VALUES

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.

We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.