Associate head jobs in exeter, devon
About us
We are the national body for careers education in England, delivering support to schools and colleges to deliver modern, 21st century careers education.
The Careers & Enterprise Company is a great place to work. We operate within a fast-paced and collaborative environment. We are brought together by one thing: our passion to ensure young people get the best possible start in life and are supported to find their best next step.
Our organisation has a privileged opportunity to make a difference to the lives of millions of young people, helping to inspire and prepare them for the fast-changing world of work, and we want you to help us make it happen.
Do you want to be part of a mission-driven team focused on transforming young people’s lives? If so, we’d love to hear from you!
About the role
The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is looking for a Senior Manager - Network to support our mission to help every young person find their best next step. You will ensure consistent high-quality delivery and support for all Careers Hubs across the country.
You will play a key role in delivering CEC’s current and future ambitions through our network of Careers Hubs, including the government’s ambition for a new work experience guarantee to ensure that all pupils participate in 2 weeks’ worth of work experience by the time they leave year 11. Careers Hubs will be a key coordinating and delivery mechanism for this guarantee.
You will balance national intent with local priorities, ensuring national government agenda is delivered upon through the lens of place and devolution. You will work closely with senior stakeholders across Strategic and Local Authorities who we partner with in the delivery of careers education through Careers Hubs.
Reporting to the Associate Head of Network Development, with a team of 8 Area Managers, you will provide a central point of accountability, senior stakeholder management and operational support to Area Managers.
You will contribute as a member of the senior management team of Network and Employers and the wider organisation. Contributing towards the strategy and operational delivery and leading/co-leading on cross Network and Employer and cross-company projects.
This role suits someone who can lead the delivery of a large-scale national programme and is a natural relationship builder. You will thrive on delivering change management and be comfortable working through ambiguity to secure lasting impact. The role will require travel across the country.
To apply, please visit our website via the apply button, complete the application form and cover letter and upload an anonymised version of your CV.
Please describe the following in your cover letter:
- How do you meet the experience, skills and competency criteria detailed in the job profile?
- What do you consider the biggest risk and opportunities to careers education?
- Why would you like to work for Careers and Enterprise Company?
- Right to Work
Closing date: 7th November 2025 (Midnight)
It is our policy to review all applications within two weeks from the closing date. If you do not hear from us within three weeks following the closing date, then your application has unfortunately not been successful on this occasion. We are unable to provide feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted and attended an interview.
About the opportunity
As Head of Legal, Risk and Assurance, you'll lead three critical disciplines that form the backbone of trust, safety, and risk-informed decision-making at Alzheimer's Society. This is a people-focused leadership role within our Finance & Assurance directorate, overseeing professional teams delivering legal, risk management, and assurance services. You'll bring these areas together as one team, joining the dots to create real impact through compassionate, strategic leadership.
We're in the midst of an ambitious transformation programme, and you'll play a central role in ensuring this change is embedded effectively. Working in close partnership with management and trustees, you'll be a senior, credible, and visible voice. Influencing decisions, elevating standards, and building a culture where risk awareness and legal clarity empower rather than constrain our work.
This role brings together three disciplines, each led by experienced subject matter experts who will report into you. We're not expecting you to be an expert in all three areas. However, you should have significant professional experience in at least one, with strong knowledge and curiosity about the others. Above all, this is a people-focused position. Your ability to lead, develop, and inspire your teams, and those around you, will be just as important as your technical expertise.
If you're a strategic leader who thrives on building relationships, driving continuous improvement, and creating lasting impact in a cause-driven environment, we'd love to hear from you.
About you:
You're an accomplished leader with proven experience in legal, risk, or assurance. You'll bring both technical credibility and a track record of effective stakeholder management and people leadership. You're passionate about developing others, building high-performing teams, and creating an environment where professionals can thrive. You understand that when risk, legal, and audit is done best, it's done in collaboration. Keeping the end goal in mind, and enabling the best possible decisions that protect what matters most.
You'll have:
- Professional qualification in at least one discipline (qualified lawyer, risk professional, and/or chartered internal auditor) with demonstrable knowledge across legal, risk, and assurance areas.
- Significant line management experience, with a track record of leading, coaching, and developing teams through periods of change and growth.
- Proven ability to work in partnership with senior stakeholders, including trustees and executive leadership, providing clear, valuable, and risk-based guidance.
- Experience overseeing professional services that are visible, valued, and proactively consulted across an organisation.
- Strong communication and influencing skills, able to challenge constructively while building strong relationships, and translate complex technical matters into clear guidance for diverse audiences.
- A collaborative mindset and evidenced ability to drive continuous improvement, bringing best practice from across sectors to elevate standards and maturity.
What you'll focus on:
- Leading the legal, risk, and assurance teams, creating a culture of high performance, continuous learning, and professional excellence.
- Working in close partnership with executive management and trustees. Providing strategic advice and reporting on legal matters, risk landscape, and assurance findings to inform critical decisions.
- Driving forward our transformation programme, ensuring governance frameworks support rather than hinder change, and that legal, risk, and assurance considerations are embedded from the outset.
- Elevating the profile and maturity of all three disciplines. Making them visible partners across directorates and ensuring they're proactively consulted on key initiatives rather than brought in as an afterthought.
- Overseeing the facilitation of robust risk management systems, leading comprehensive assurance programmes, and ensuring legal services are professional, credible, and responsive to organisational needs.
- Managing departmental budgets, resource allocation, and capacity planning to ensure your teams can deliver first-class services that enable the Society's strategic objectives.
- Building and maintaining impactful external networks, using horizon scanning and sector best practice to keep the Society ahead of emerging risks and regulatory changes.
- Deputising for the Associate Director Risk and Assurance as required, representing Finance & Assurance at senior forums.
Can you see yourself as a trusted partner who helps Alzheimer's Society navigate complexity with confidence? Are you ready to lead teams where legal, risk, and assurance considerations are increasingly incorporated into decision-making? Can you join the dots between these disciplines to ensure the joint outcomes protect and enhance our ability to transform lives affected by dementia?
To be successful in this position, you may have existing experience in the following roles; Head of Internal Audit, Head of Risk Management, Head of Internal Audit and Risk, Head of Legal and Risk or other similar roles. We also welcome applicants with transferable skills.
Important Dates
The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 2nd November 2025.
Interviews will begin week commencing Monday 10th November 2025 and will be a 3 stage interview process which will include a presentation task at 2nd Stage.
About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.
At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.
Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.
Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.
Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.
We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society.
Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.
Our hiring process
During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply. Please also contact Alzheimer’s Society Talent Acquisition Team for application support or any adjustments you might need.
To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.
We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.
We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a DBS check at the relevant level.
Giving back to you
Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society.
You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it’s like to be an employee at the Society.
Urban Saints (formally known as Crusaders) equips youth leaders to disciple young people in today's changing world. Our vision is to see every young person given the opportunity to explore faith, wherever they are.
About the role
As our Support Care Coordinator, you will be the friendly and professional first point of contact for our valued Crusaders Associates, those who have been on the journey with Urban Saints since we were known as Crusaders. You’ll play a key role in delivering exceptional supporter experiences. Your work will help continue and build lasting relationships that inspire ongoing support for our mission from those who have journeyed with us over many years.
You'll be responsible for:
- Responding to associate enquiries via phone, email, and post in a timely, warm, and professional manner, with empathy and attention to detail throughout.
- Listening and responding to the needs of each supporter, understanding their motivations and experiences to foster long-term relationships.
- Developing a programme to regularly thank donors for their support.
- Ensuring supporters feel valued and appreciated.
- Maintaining accurate supporter records on our CRM system, ensuring compliance with GDPR.
- Working closely with the Head of Development to ensure consistent messaging and supporter journeys.
Location
The role is home-based with regular travel required to visit supporters and to supporter events across the UK.
Please note, it's a requirement of the role that you have a UK driving licence and access to a car.
Working Hours
We're happy to receive applications for those looking for part-time and full time hours. We'd want a minimum of 22.5 hours and up to a maximum of 37.5 hours a week. Candidates invited to interview will be asked about the specifics of what they would want their working pattern to be.
About You
We’re looking for a compassionate and highly organised individual who excels in building meaningful relationships and delivering exceptional supporter care. You will have experience of working with supporters, or in a donor relations role, and be an excellent communicator.
This post is subject to an Occupational Requirement that the post holder is a committed Christian under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.
How to Apply
Please fill out our application form which you can find on our website. The closing date for applications is Friday the 24th of October at Midday.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Organisation
This is a well-established national charity with an income in excess of £100 million, playing a vital role in supporting people affected by a major health condition. The organisation is values-driven, impact-focused, and undergoing continuous improvement in its financial operations. The Finance & Assurance directorate is a trusted partner across the charity, enabling better decision-making through high-quality financial insight and compliance.
The Job
As Financial Accountant, you'll lead a small team and report to the Head of Financial Accounting. You'll be responsible for producing accurate financial statements, managing audit deliverables, ensuring compliance with charity and company law, and driving improvements in financial processes and reporting. This is a hands-on technical role with leadership responsibilities, requiring collaboration across finance, systems, and planning teams to deliver a seamless finance function.
Key responsibilities include:
- Preparing statutory accounts and technical accounting adjustments
- Leading year-end processes and audit engagement
- Ensuring compliance with VAT, Corporation Tax, and Gift Aid
- Driving system and process improvements
- Supporting and developing Associate Accountants
The Person
You'll be a qualified (or part-qualified with suitable experience) accountant with strong technical expertise in SORP/FRS102 and experience in a large, complex organisation. You'll bring a track record of producing high-quality financial reports, managing audits, and improving performance through data and collaboration.We're looking for someone who:
- Communicates confidently with senior stakeholders
- Builds high-performing, accountable teams
- Is resilient, adaptable, and committed to continuous improvement
- Works collaboratively across departments and disciplines
- Champions inclusion and values-driven leadership
What's in it for You?
- A meaningful role in a purpose-led organisation making a real difference - Remote working with occasional office attendance
- Competitive salary in the region of £50,000-£55,000
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with service
- Up to 8% employer pension contribution
- Life assurance and income protection
- Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
- Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme
- Opportunities for professional development and career progression
- A collaborative, high-support environment focused on learning and impact
What to Do Now
If you're a technically strong accountant who thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven environment, I'd love to hear from you. Apply now or get in touch for a confidential conversation.
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