Associate head jobs in Exeter, devon
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Role Overview
This is an exciting opportunity to shape Shine’s strategic direction while managing the operational delivery of our services for children, young people, and families aged 0–25. Building on the success of our Little Stars/Ser Bach programme for members aged 0–12 and the development and extension of the FIRE (Friendship, Independence, Resilience, Empowerment) programme for those aged 13–25, you will play a key role in shaping the future of our support for children, young people and their families.
Working across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, you will lead the delivery of an established, evidence-based programme that improves health, social, and emotional outcomes for those living with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and associated conditions.
You’ll lead a passionate team and work closely with Shine’s Adult Services Team (25+), Health Team, Wales and Northern Ireland Managers and wider colleagues across the organisation to ensure work is coordinated, complementary, and beneficial to members. At the same time, you’ll forge strong partnerships with NHS professionals, statutory services, and voluntary organisations—driving collaboration that will support our vision of providing consistent, high-quality support for children, young people and families nationwide.
Key Responsibilities:
- Leadership & Team Management
- Programme Development & Delivery
- Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting
- Member Support & Engagement
Please see the full Job Description & Person Specification below and on our website.
Benefits to working at Shine:
- Competitive salary: Review due April 2027
- Regular working hours, and no shift work (some very occasional weekends or evenings)
- 3% pension contribution
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with additional discretionary leave between Christmas and New Year
- Additional annual leave awarded for ‘long service’
- Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
- Broadband allowance for home-based roles
- Life insurance after 12 months’ employment
- Access to our Employee Support Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
- Support to learn and develop
How to apply
Shine is a Disability Confident employer and will offer guaranteed interviews if a disabled applicant meets the minimum criteria for the job.
If you would like to discuss the role with our Deputy CEO, Gill Valentine, please contact Shine to arrange a convenient time for a call.
To apply please submit your CV and supporting statement, which should outline your interest and explain how you meet the role criteria.
We understand that you may wish to use AI tools to help you with some aspects of your application but we do expect tailored applications which are personalised to your experiences and not generic applications which are completely AI generated. We encourage candidates to be transparent about AI usage in their applications.
*Please note applications without a supporting statement will not be accepted*
Closing date: Thursday 16th April 2026 at 11pm
Interviews: Monday 27th April 2026
Please note: we reserve the right to interview suitable candidates before the closing date, therefore we encourage applications as soon as possible.
Providing specialist advice and support for spina bifida and hydrocephalus



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are looking for a passionate and creative Head of Brand, Communications & Marketing to lead the next stage of our journey.
This is an exciting, strategic and hands‑on leadership role for someone who can confidently amplify our brand in the public sphere, drive meaningful engagement, and increase both supporter and beneficiary acquisition.
What You’ll Do
Reporting to the Director of Income Generation & Marketing and leading a small, high‑performing team, you will:
Brand, Communications & PR
- Lead and evolve Life’s brand strategy, ensuring clarity and consistency across all channels.
- Raise Life’s visibility with powerful campaigns that engage beneficiaries, supporters, volunteers and the public.
- Oversee media relations, PR activity, reputation management and crisis communications.
- Support and strengthen internal communications across the organisation.
Marketing Leadership
- Develop innovative marketing strategies that grow reach, impact and sustainability.
- Drive supporter and beneficiary acquisition through targeted, insight‑led campaigns.
- Use data, analytics and performance metrics to continuously improve marketing effectiveness.
- Provide inspiring leadership and development to the Marketing & Comms Team.
Digital Strategy
- Lead Life’s digital marketing approach, including SEO, paid social, PPC, email, content and inbound marketing.
- Create effective user journeys and optimise conversion rates through testing and analytics.
- Oversee engaging social media content and paid advertising campaigns.
- Ensure high‑quality digital design, content, and brand guardianship.
Website & Content
- Support the development of Life’s website, focusing on optimisation, content quality and user experience.
- Oversee high‑quality storytelling that reflects Life’s values and mission.
About You
You’ll be a confident, creative and strategic leader who brings:
- At least 5 years’ experience in digital marketing, communications or brand roles (charity sector experience desirable).
- Proven experience developing and delivering brand, digital and communications strategies.
- Strong understanding of digital marketing trends, analytics and audience insight.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience managing budgets and leading a team.
- A warm, values‑driven approach aligned with Life’s mission of humanity, solidarity, community and compassion.
About Life:
Life is a national pregnancy support charity that helps over 60,000 people a year. Through our services, we help people – whoever they are – to meet pregnancy or pregnancy loss with courage and dignity so they can flourish.
Our services include:
- Supported housing and community support
- Counselling and skilled listening
- Free pregnancy tests and baby supplies
Our values :
All our work is underpinned by the following universal human values:
- Humanity – All people are special and equal
- Solidarity – We’re with you and for you
- Community – We’re better together
- Charity – Doing good for one another
- Common good – Building a better world
Information about the role:
For further information, please see the attached job description.
Salary: £40,000 – £44,000 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week (part time considered)
Location: Remote
Benefits:
At Life we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training, we offer our:
- Generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time hours)
- Birthday Leave (applicable after 1 years service)
- Additional annual leave for long term service
- Company Pension Scheme
- Signed member of the Menopause Workplace Pledge
Safeguarding and Equality:
Life is committed to protecting all staff, volunteers and service users from harm of any kind. Life expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct.
We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organisation by encouraging applications from all backgrounds.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. Life takes its obligation to protect the rights of children and vulnerable people very seriously; therefore, the successful candidate for this post will be also subject to extensive background checking, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) which is paid for by the Charity.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This role is essential in our continual drive for increased impact and quality across all of our work.You will lead on the quality assurance of all programme delivery across a defined area, working closely with the appropriate Delivery and Partnership Team’s Regional/Country Lead/s. You will use data and evidence to inform your practice and be an expert in what good looks like from a programme delivery perspective.
Regular travel throughout your geographical location will be required, with occasional travel to other areas of the UK. Please stipulate where you are based when applying.
In addition, occasional international travel may be required, for example to the annual conference in the United States.
You will report to the Head of Quality & Impact.
Key Responsibilities
- You will be accountable for the quality and Model Fidelity of sites within your geography with a focus on improving employment outcomes for the interns participating in our programmes, in partnership with the Regional /Country Lead in the Delivery & Partnerships team.
- Demonstrate, train in and uphold the values of a continuous improvement culture.
- You will be accountable for collecting, analysing and reporting on data to allow for clear evaluation and guiding best practice in your geography
- You will be accountable for supporting the delivery of quality trainings to partnerships to drive quality programmes and employment outcomes
- You will be accountable for supporting the ongoing development of resources in line with UK guidelines, US model fidelity and that successfully equip partnerships with what they need to support strong employment outcomes – in collaboration with the Resources and Curriculum Manager.
- You will be accountable for conducting programme reviews and audits as required by the Head of Quality and Impact
- You will lead on (role specific) induction and training across DFN Project SEARCH staff and associates.
Application Instructions
- We will conduct selection throughout Thursday April 30th and Friday May 1st – with a multi-stage process taking place across the 2 days
We will review applications as they come in and close when we have sufficient numbers
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
About the role
We are looking for an experienced communications professional to drive and deliver our global communications strategy and maintain momentum across our target regions during a period of parental leave. This is an exciting role for someone who is passionate about improving global health and climate outcomes, enjoys activating a diverse range of stakeholders to achieve communications objectives and can support and motivate colleagues to deliver impactful work across different time zones.
Selection criteria
Essential:
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Experience designing and implementing successful communications strategies that support the delivery of positive social, corporate or political change. We imagine the ideal candidate will have at least 8 years of experience, but we are open to consider candidates with less experience who possess the required skills.
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A high level of strategic thinking and an understanding of how to leverage different campaigning approaches to achieve objectives, including community organising and knowledge brokering
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The ability to translate complex information into clear, compelling and nuanced messaging
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A proven track record of crafting and landing compelling stories in high-impact media that advance campaign objectives
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Existing relationships with journalists in at least one relevant media area, such as news, health, sustainability or food
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Experience managing communications teams in a collaborative and effective way, and a willingness to support colleagues from other teams to develop relevant skills
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A general understanding of building decarbonisation and the energy transition
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Fluency in English
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The right to work in the country you live in (please note we are not able to offer sponsorship for a business visa or work permit at this time)
Desirable:
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Knowledge of Spanish and/or French
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A passion for food and cooking cultures
What we offer
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A role in which you can have a tangible impact on global health and climate outcomes
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The chance to join a supportive and inclusive team that combines their determination to improve health and climate outcomes with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work
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A flexible and supportive work environment
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A diverse network of influential stakeholders in multiple countries
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Competitive remuneration for the not-for-profit sector
Key responsibilities
Strategy
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Deliver the existing global communications strategy, adapting where necessary in line with organisational priorities during the cover period, and develop associated implementation plans
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Participate in broader campaign and organisational strategy development, contributing perspectives on the role of communications
Media
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Build and maintain relationships with key media contacts
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Select, brief and liaise with media spokespeople
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Develop key media messaging and oversee the development of pitch content
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Lead on media liaison for both reactive and proactive opportunities
Knowledge brokering
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Coordinate the development and promotion of knowledge products, including case studies, research reports and toolkits
Management
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Hire and manage contractors and agencies as necessary for the implementation of the communications strategy
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Manage the Digital Communications Manager, and lead on the recruitment and management of any other communications professionals required as the GCC grows
Coordination
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Coordinate with the wider team and coalition stakeholders to oversee the implementation of the communications strategy and to continuously refine it to reflect new opportunities and challenges
Reporting
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Oversee the global communications budget forecasting
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Contribute to internal and external reporting of the GCC’s communications activities
How to apply
Your cover letter should be no longer than two pages and it should outline why you are interested in this role and how you fit the selection criteria.
Please indicate ‘Head of Communications (parental leave cover)’ in the subject line.
Applications close Monday 30th March 2026.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our organisation. We strongly encourage candidates from historically disadvantaged or marginalised groups to apply.
Promoting universal access to safe and sustainable cooking.
About Us
We are Global Dialogue, an international philanthropy support organisation partnering with independent funders to advance rights, equity, and diversity. Independent in status and global in reach, we provide funder networks, collaboratives, and partners with the practical support and technical expertise they need to create lasting, systemic change.
The Role
We’re looking for a highly organised and proactive Operations & Systems Manager to play a central role in ensuring Global Dialogue’s operations run smoothly and effectively. This maternity cover role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving problems, improving systems, and supporting teams to be their very best.
You’ll collaborate closely with the Chief Operating Officer, core operational team, and the hosted and incubated programmes to provide a trusted, responsive operational service that enables programmes to focus on their mission. You will be the first point of call for any operational queries, providing clear guidance on our processes and supporting with practical tasks. Your areas of support will span digital and IT systems, data management, programme support, travel and events processes, and internal communications.
About You
The right candidate will possess excellent project management skills, a systems mindset, and confidence working with IT and digital tools. You will be comfortable engaging with stakeholders at all levels, including external suppliers, programme staff, and colleagues across the organisation, and thrive in building trusted relationships. With a passion for improving systems and processes for people, you will be someone who has a track record of providing empathetic and resourceful solutions. An awareness of GDPR considerations and risk management is essential. Experience working in a fast‑paced organisation and confidence with digital systems (particularly Microsoft 365 and SharePoint) would be advantageous.
How to Apply
We are partnering with Doing Good Recruitment for this campaign. Please click ‘Apply’ to find out more, see the full JD and learn how to submit.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to the employment and career development of people with disabilities. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates
may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require anything if you are invited to interview. If you need this information in another format or if there are additional options you’d like to request, please contact Tristan at Doing Good Recruitment.
We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To help us monitor how we’re doing and identify any barriers in our recruitment process, we invite all applicants to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring form found on Doing Good Recruitment's application page.
Global Dialogue is an international philanthropy support organisation partnering with funders to advance rights, equity and diversity.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you have a strong background in property management, including good landlord & tenant experience and an excellent understanding and knowledge of property law? Then join Shelter as an Estates Surveyor and you could soon be playing a vital role at the heart of our Property and Facilities team.
About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.
At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.
We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
About the team
Our Property and Facilities team is responsible for ensuring Shelter’s estate is fit for purpose and fully compliant for its staff, volunteers and clients. We provide a full range of professional services, including acquisitions, disposals, rent and lease negotiations, rating, estates management, building surveying, strategic planning, budgeting, compliance, health & safety and facilities management. We also support all office and shop relocations, refurbishments and planned maintenance projects, while our portfolio comprises one freehold head office property in London, 24 leasehold offices and around 90 leasehold shops across England and Scotland.
About the role
You will be responsible for all property related matters across Scotland and England for our diverse portfolio. That will involve making regular site visits, with occasional overnight stays. As well as ensuring all lease events are managed and actioned and properties are safe, maintained and fully compliant, we’ll also rely on you to assist with the development and implementation of robust policies, processes and systems to help manage the estate in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In short, it’s an incredibly varied role that will see you make a real difference in how Shelter’s commercial estate is managed.
We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.
Role Specifics
You’ll need a degree level qualification in a surveying/property related discipline and full RICS membership. You’ll also need a good understanding of the planning process and building regulations approval system. The confidence to lead and manage multiple projects effectively and ensure they’re delivered on time and on budget, from inception to completion, is important too. Self-motivated, capable of working both unsupervised and as part of a team, and with a positive ‘can do’ attitude, providing solutions, giving sound property advice and negotiating effectively with a variety of key stakeholders comes naturally to you. What’s more, you have good computer literacy skills and are comfortable working with spreadsheets and data.
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.
To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.
Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are currently seeking a dynamic and experienced Director of Housing to lead our supported housing services nationally and help shape the next stage of our growth.
As Director of Housing, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across all of Life’s supported housing services. This is a key role within the Senior Leadership Team, responsible for ensuring our housing provision is high‑quality, compliant, safe and truly centred around the needs of our clients.
You will lead our national Housing Strategy, drive service improvement, ensure regulatory compliance, support organisational growth, and champion a culture of compassion, accountability and high performance.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Growth
- Develop and deliver a national Housing Strategy aligned to Life’s vision and mission.
- Identify housing development and expansion opportunities, including partnerships with local authorities and commissioners.
- Support organisational business planning and future growth.
Regulatory Compliance & Governance
- Ensure full compliance with housing legislation and regulatory requirements including the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, HHSRS, safeguarding and Health & Safety.
- Lead regulatory audits, inspections and risk management.
- Provide assurance on compliance and viability to the CEO and Trustees.
Service Quality & Client Experience
- Embed a client-centred, compassionate approach aligned with Housing Ombudsman principles.
- Oversee effective complaints management, learning reviews and client feedback systems.
- Ensure properties and services meet high standards of safety, warmth and comfort.
Operational Leadership
- Lead housing management, income recovery, voids, repairs and maintenance, compliance and tenancy sustainment.
- Ensure effective escalation of tenancy breaches and safeguarding practices.
- Work closely with Life’s Helpline services around referral and allocations.
Financial & Asset Management
- Oversee rental income, arrears, void control and financial performance.
- Manage contracts, grants and local authority funding.
- Ensure major works, planned maintenance and statutory compliance are delivered effectively.
Leadership & People Management
- Lead and support Housing Managers, support teams and frontline workers.
- Foster a positive culture of accountability, inclusion and high standards.
- Support staff development and performance.
Partnership Management
- Build strong relationships with local authorities, property professionals, contractors, funders and other key partners.
- Represent Life at external forums and sector networks.
About you:
Essential
- CIH Level 5 (or equivalent) qualification
- Senior leadership experience in supported housing, social housing, or homelessness services
- Strong knowledge of housing law, tenancy management and regulatory compliance
- Understanding of Housing Ombudsman standards and consumer regulations
- Experience in strategic planning, service development and organisational growth
- Budget management and financial performance experience
- Experience with property maintenance, asset management and compliance
- Strong safeguarding knowledge
- Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills
- UK driving licence and access to a car
Desirable
- Experience supporting vulnerable women or family services
- Charity/third sector leadership experience
- Experience securing funding or development partnerships
About Life:
Life is a national pregnancy support charity that helps over 60,000 people a year. Through our services, we help people – whoever they are – to meet pregnancy or pregnancy loss with courage and dignity so they can flourish.
Our services include:
- Supported housing and community support
- Counselling and skilled listening
- Free pregnancy tests and baby supplies
Our values :
All our work is underpinned by the following universal human values:
- Humanity – All people are special and equal
- Solidarity – We’re with you and for you
- Community – We’re better together
- Charity – Doing good for one another
- Common good – Building a better world
Information about the role:
For further information, please see the attached job description.
Salary: £45,750 per annum
Hours: 32 hours per week
Location: Home based with extensive travel across the South of England
Benefits:
At Life we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training, we offer our:
- Generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time hours)
- Birthday Leave (applicable after 1 years service)
- Additional annual leave for long term service
- Company Pension Scheme
- Signed member of the Menopause Workplace Pledge
Safeguarding and Equality:
Life is committed to protecting all staff, volunteers and service users from harm of any kind. Life expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct.
We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organisation by encouraging applications from all backgrounds.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. Life takes its obligation to protect the rights of children and vulnerable people very seriously; therefore, the successful candidate for this post will be also subject to extensive background checking, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) which is paid for by the Charity.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you a highly organised project leader with a track record of developing rigorous and impactful processes? Do you want to lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation transforming mental health in higher education? This could be the role for you.
We’re looking for a methodical and strategic Programme Manager (Award) to manage the end-to-end delivery of University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) Award and act as key spokesperson for the programme.
You’ll play a vital role in ensuring that the Award upholds its standards and values, and continues to develop and scale, supporting positive change for staff and students at universities across the UK.
About the role
- Lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation for mental health in higher education: the University Mental Health Charter Award.
- The UMHC Award recognises universities that promote the mental health and wellbeing of their university communities and supports them to continually improve.
- You will own the end-to-end management of a complex, high-profile and impactful programme, balancing administrative excellence and strategic development.
Key responsibilities
- Drive the Award lifecycle, from onboarding universities, coordinating our network of assessors and managing the Award panel.
- Scale and continually improve the Award process, ensuring it remains rigorous, impactful and values-led.
- Act as key spokesperson and point of contact for universities and other stakeholders.
- Responsible for budget, risk and line management.
What we’re looking for
- Proven track record of managing complex projects.
- Experience developing, maintaining and improving robust systems and processes.
- A rigorous approach to accuracy and quality control.
- Comfortable holding difficult conversations with stakeholders at all levels.
- A commitment to co-production, equality, anti-racism and an interest in mental health.
Find out more about the essential criteria for this role by downloading our Recruitment Pack from the documents section.
What you will gain
- The chance to contribute to a high-impact national programme supporting better mental health for university communities across the UK.
- Experience in a varied role with opportunities to learn and develop.
- A supportive and collaborative workplace culture that values wellbeing.
- Flexibility in how and where you work.
How to apply
If this sounds like a good fit, we’d love to hear from you!
- Click “Redirect to recruiter”, then scroll to the 'Vacancies and volunteering' section of our 'Join our team' page to access the job listing.
- Download the recruitment pack in the document section at the bottom of this page, where you’ll find more information about the role including responsibilities and person specifications.
- Download and complete our application form - instead of collecting CVs, we use an application form to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all.
- Please refrain from including any identifying details in your application answers.
- Upload your completed application form as a word document.
- Please note that once you start your application on our portal, you will have 24 hours to upload your completed form. Before clicking 'Apply' and beginning the application process, make sure your form is fully completed and ready to upload.
- Complete the Equality Monitoring Form.
Student Minds is committed to building an inclusive team and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and walks of life.