Bid support officer jobs

Nacro is seeking an experienced and dynamic Head of Policy & Public Affairs to lead our strategic policy development and influencing work with Government, officials, and other key decision-makers. This pivotal role will shape and deliver a high-impact policy and public affairs strategy that improves the lives of the people we support—those affected by the criminal justice system, housing insecurity, and barriers to education.

You will be Nacro’s senior voice in government spaces, the media, and across the public affairs landscape. You will ensure our policy positions are evidence-based, rooted in lived experience, and influential at the highest levels.

 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Policy & Public Affairs

• Lead Nacro’s strategic policy and public affairs activity with Government, parliamentarians, officials, and other stakeholders.
• Develop and implement a compelling public affairs strategy that drives meaningful change.
• Build and maintain strong, productive relationships with senior policymakers.
• Represent Nacro externally, including with senior stakeholders and in the media.
• Oversee the development of evidence-based policy positions and research projects that support Nacro’s strategic objectives.
• Ensure service user experience informs all policy and influencing work.
• Produce and oversee high-quality policy outputs including consultation responses, briefings, reports, blogs, and media commentary.
• Safeguard Nacro’s reputation as a trusted and authoritative source of insight and expertise.
• Provide strategic political intelligence and advice to the Director of Engagement & Impact and the Chief Executive.

People Leadership

• Lead, motivate, and support a high-performing team, setting clear direction and expectations.
• Model Nacro’s values and behaviours, enabling a positive, inclusive, and accountable culture.
• Manage communication channels effectively, ensuring key organisational messages are understood and cascaded.
• Set objectives, monitor performance, and hold regular one-to-one meetings.
• Support professional development and wellbeing across the team while driving innovation and high standards.
• Take responsibility for all aspects of people management, including recruitment, conduct, performance, and attendance.
• Recognise, reward, and encourage excellent performance.
   

Leadership Across the Organisation

• Play an active role in the Senior Leadership Team, helping to drive organisational strategy.
• Operate both strategically and operationally, identifying opportunities and risks for Nacro.
   

Professional Expertise

• Significant senior-level experience in policy and public affairs.
• Strong track record of leading policy campaigns that delivered real impact.
• Excellent political awareness, judgement, and communication skills—both written and verbal.
• Knowledge of criminal justice, education, young people’s policy, or housing policy (desirable).

Performance & Compliance

• Set and deliver directorate performance targets, ensuring effective management of budgets and resources.
• Oversee health & safety responsibilities in your area.
• Contribute to business development and bid work in partnership with relevant teams.
• Ensure accurate and timely record-keeping and reporting.
• Promote and uphold Nacro’s values, safeguarding, data protection, and equality and diversity policies.
• Represent Nacro positively, building strong internal and external relationships.

Why Join Nacro?

We believe that everyone deserves a good education, a safe and secure place to live, the right to be heard, and the chance to start again, with support from someone on their side.

That’s why our housing, education, justice, and health and wellbeing services work alongside people to give them the support and skills they need to succeed. And it’s why we fight for their voices to be heard and campaign together to create lasting change.

We see your future, whatever the past.

If you are a strategic thinker, an influential communicator, and passionate about social justice—we want to hear from you.

 Apply now to lead change where it matters most

Join a movement transforming how communities create lasting change. This isn't a typical charity role—it's a chance to shape the future of place-based working across the UK and help lead a growing organisation.

Place Matters is a small, entrepreneurial charity punching above its weight. We work at the intersection of communities, public services, funders, and policymakers to tackle the root causes of inequality and create changes that communities want to see. Our approach? Empower communities to lead change in their own places, learn from what works, and influence the systems that hold them back.

Why this role matters

This is a senior position on our Executive team, reporting directly to a co-CEO. You'll play a leadership role in developing our organisation—shaping strategy, building our team, and deepening partnerships. We're looking for someone colleagues and Trustees trust to make sound decisions on behalf of our mission.

Learning and practice development is at the heart of everything we do. You'll design and lead learning partnerships that build the capabilities of communities and organisations to work differently. You'll capture insights from the ground and turn them into accessible tools, frameworks, and resources that make place-based working more effective for everyone.

You need to be a team player, confident and with strong opinions, but low ego and collegiate

What you'll do

• Lead the development and delivery of Learning and Practice Development Partnerships
• Initiate, convene and participate in ‘field-building’ efforts that aim to influence the broader place-based change sector, bringing together community organisations, public sector organisations, policy makers, foundations and businesses to build broader support for community centred place-based change
• Develop Place Matters thought and practice leadership
• Draw together the themes and patterns from learning into regular blogs and publications to make the learning as widely accessible as possible and influence key policy makers and funders
• Initiate and convene field-building efforts to influence the broader place-based change sector
• Build a wide network of place-based practitioners from all sectors
• Play a key role in business development, securing new partnerships, fundraising, and improving organisational efficiency

See job description (JD) for full details

What makes this role special

• Executive leadership: Part of the leadership team shaping organisational direction
• Real autonomy: Lead your own projects, design new partnerships, represent Place Matters externally
• Learning culture: We practice what we preach—continuous learning and innovation are built in
• Flexible working: Hybrid arrangement, negotiable location, with UK travel (up to 50 days annually)
• Competitive salary: £65,000-£75,000 (negotiable based on experience)

Practical details

Ideally 37.5 hours per week (flexible) but we'll consider part-time. UK travel required, including occasional overnight stays and some evening/weekend work.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from disabled people and people from diverse backgrounds.

We'll conduct interviews on 19th and 21st January.

Contract: 1.0 FTE (37.5 hours per week), permanent with 6-month probation period

Salary: £56,650-70,000 per annum, depending on experience

Location: Remote working, with option to use co-working space

Start Date: As soon as possible

Reports to: Executive Director

Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK.

How to Apply

Closing Date: 4th January 2026 (23:59 GMT)

To apply, please submit the following: 

• Cover letter (maximum 2 pages)

• CV

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, your application has not been successful on this occasion.

About BASIC

BASIC is an independent, non-profit think tank working to safeguard humanity and Earth's ecosystem from nuclear risks and interconnected security threats, for generations to come. Our vision is for a global security consensus founded on multilateralism, the recognition of the indivisibility of security, adherence to Earth's planetary boundaries, and consideration of future generations.

For nearly 40 years, we have built a global reputation for groundbreaking dialogue and incisive thought leadership to strengthen international peace and security. We are an intellectually and culturally diverse team of 20 expert-practitioners with deep institutional experience, headquartered in London with additional presences in Berlin and Rome. We are independent, receive no core funding from any state, and our project work is funded transparently.

BASIC's approach to resolving contemporary nuclear dynamics is centred on dialogue as both a practice and a philosophy. We interpret dialogue broadly, recognising that meaningful engagement takes many forms: from facilitating direct strategic conversations between adversaries grounded in conflict resolution principles, to developing networks and diplomatic initiatives that build consensus around shared objectives, to shaping the intellectual foundations of policy discourse through rigorous research and thought leadership.

BASIC is a fast-paced and rewarding environment with an exceptionally positive and inclusive team culture. We have experienced rapid growth over the past decade and are well-suited to people who are motivated by our mission, able to work at a sustained pace, keen to develop professionally, and enjoy being part of a collaborative team working on consequential issues.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary with room for growth

• 30 days annual leave (pro rata), plus bank holidays and closure days over the December festive period

• Employer pension contributions of 5% (above the national minimum)

• Flexible working arrangements, with set days (Wednesdays required) but flexibility on hours

• Remote working with option to use co-working space

• 1-2 all-staff in-person team away day per year, as well as other in-person working opportunities

• Opportunities for professional growth and development

• Excellent team culture built on respect, openness, and inclusion

The Role

BASIC is seeking a hands-on Financial Controller to lead our finance function during a period of sustained growth. The Financial Controller will work across Programme teams ensuring strong financial management and reporting to funding partners, maintain strong financial controls, ensure compliance with charity finance regulations, and provide accurate financial reporting to our Directors and Board of Trustees.

The Financial Controller will oversee the small finance team, including line management of a Finance Assistant and management of an external bookkeeper consultant. This team will be responsible for the majority of financial accounting, processing payroll, and accurate bookkeeping, for which the Financial Controller will be ultimately accountable.

The role includes managing restricted and unrestricted funds in accordance with funder requirements and programme needs, preparing statutory accounts for external audit, and overseeing payroll processing. This role reports directly to the Executive Director to prepare annual budgets and financial strategy, and works closely with the Board's Financial Development Committee to present its implementation.

The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with strong technical accounting skills, experience in charity finance, and a proven track record of effective financial management of a growing organisation. You should be comfortable both managing a small team and working hands-on when needed, building collaborative relationships across the organisation. You will need to be a multitasker with the ability to work at pace, and be willing to develop the finance function and best practices to enable the organisation to grow further.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting and Reporting

• Oversee the maintenance of accurate financial records and bookkeeping in accordance with charity accounting standards (SORP)

• Prepare monthly management accounts including variance reporting and rolling forecasts

• Prepare annual statutory accounts and manage the annual independent audit process in its entirety

• Manage restricted and unrestricted funds in accordance with funder requirements

• Provide accurate and timely financial reporting to the Board of Trustees, Executive Director, and funding partners

Financial Operations

• Oversee day-to-day finance operations including payment processing, staff expenses, and cost allocation (including staff costs)

• Oversee monthly payroll using QuickBooks (led by Finance Assistant)

• Manage treasury functions including bank and cash management

• Oversee procurement of key assets such as IT equipment

• Cashflow management

Grant and Budget Management

• Support budget development for funding bids and proposals

• Monitor spend against grants and projects, working towards full cost recovery

• Prepare financial reports for donors and funding partners

• Lead annual budget-setting and forecasting processes in collaboration with the Board and Executive Director

Financial Systems and Controls

• Develop and maintain robust financial systems, processes, and controls

• Continuously improve finance processes and identify efficiencies

• Advise on financial governance and best practice

• Manage financial risks and opportunities (e.g., insurance, foreign exchange)

Team Management and Stakeholder Relations

• Line manage the Finance Assistant and oversee external bookkeeper consultant

• Build collaborative relationships across the organisation

• Manage relationships with key external stakeholders including banks, international transfer services, and audit partners

• Work closely with the Board's Financial Development Committee and BASIC's Treasurer

Please note: This list is not exhaustive. Other tasks may be required as they arise.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• Qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) or part-qualified with significant relevant experience
• Proven experience in a mid-level to senior finance role, with responsibility for financial accounting and reporting
• Experience managing restricted and unrestricted funds
• Experience preparing statutory accounts and managing audit processes
• Experience in a growing organisation, implementing and improving financial systems and controls
• Strong technical accounting skills and understanding of financial controls
• Excellent numeracy and attention to detail
• Proficiency with accounting software (experience with QuickBooks highly desirable)
• Strong Excel/spreadsheet skills
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain financial information to non-finance colleagues
• Highly organised with ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines
• Proactive and solutions-oriented, with ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Comfortable working hands-on when needed while also providing strategic oversight
• Ability to work at pace in a fast-growing organisation
• Commitment to BASIC's mission and values

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in charity finance and understanding of charity accounting standards (SORP)
• Experience line managing finance staff
• Experience in an international organisation or with international funding
• Understanding of charity governance and regulatory requirements

Data, Insight and Impact Manager

Salary: £41,097 - £45,423 per annum (salary depending on experience)

Location: Leeds, with regular travel to Centres across Yorkshire and Humberside

Hours: 37 hours per week, full-time

Closing date: Monday 5th January 2026, 9AM

Interview date: W/c 12th January 2026

Please note: this role is only open to women, in accordance with the sex-based exemptions of the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1.

About us

Together Women is an award-winning charity that supports women and girls across Yorkshire and Humberside, with particular focus on women who are involved in or at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Our vision is for women and girls to feel safe, valued and in control of their own life choices.

From our women centres, we provide tailored support across a range of different pathways, including housing, domestic abuse, debt, and unemployment. As a charity led by women, for women, we provide trauma informed, holistic support to help break cycles of trauma, abuse, and re-offending, and evoke systems change.

Role Summary

This is an exciting role for someone with a passion for leading data-driven, insight-led service design and delivery, and for a person who loves to champion best practice in data management and governance. In this role you will contribute to improving the experiences and outcomes of the women who access our Women’s Centres and Services, and by listening to and learning from women, you will utilise insight to drive organisational and systemic change.

You will lead on the strategic use of data and insights, embedding best practice in data collection methods and gender-specific assessment tools, with a focus on the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) and the Gendered Wellbeing Assessment (GWA). You will deliver robust and meaningful operational and strategic reporting; regular and accessible management information to support effective service delivery; regular performance monitoring and reporting to commissioners and funders; and further develop the ways we demonstrate our impact and share stories of change.

You will lead operational delivery of our data systems, to ensure robust data governance, compliance and ongoing technical implementation and optimisation. This role is critical to embedding a culture of data-driven decision making, using insight to support high quality service delivery, and to drive long term systemic change through key research projects. You will work closely with our WRNA Project Manager and the wider Management team to embed learnings from the Effective Women’s Centres Partnership and support our ongoing contribution to University of Birmingham long term research into women’s experience of the criminal justice system, helping to shape the development of evidence-based policy and best practice across the Women’s sector in the UK.

You will work closely and line manage the Data and Impact Analyst to ensure robust training programmes are in place, to support our staff teams to effectively and efficiently utilise our data tools and systems, and to embed data management best practice. You will also work together to embed our involvement and lived experience strategy, ensuring women’s voices and insight are at the heart of our service delivery models.

The role will also provide leadership on data protection and organisational Data Protection Officer (DPO) responsibilities, and will work closely with our Information Governance Lead.

Key accountabilities

Data Systems Oversight and Leadership:

• Work with EWC partners, The JABBS Foundation and University of Birmingham to support the final design phases of a specialist, bespoke case management system (CMS), to ensure it meets the needs of Together Women, and our sister organisations within the Effective Women’s Centres Partnership.
• Roll out the implementation and adoption of the new CMS, to include data migration, staff training programmes, and new reporting suites and dashboards.
• Provide strategic CMS oversight to ensure the system continues to meet organisational needs and lead planning for CMS development projects including upgrades, integrations and enhancements.
• Monitor and assess future CMS system needs, scoping and identifying development areas.
• Contribute to budget planning, including CMS ongoing costs and development projects, and ensuring activities are delivered within agreed resources.
• Work closely with Senior Management and wider Management team on future projects relating to updates or changes to the CMS system.

Data Leadership and Governance:

• Develop a Data and Impact Strategy to align with organisational priorities.
• Lead on data governance and UK GDPR compliance, including data governance policies, DPIAs, information sharing agreements, SARs, and ongoing breach and information security risk management.
• Support the implementation and ongoing review of data policies, ROPA documentation, data security protocols, and internal staff training.
• Provide assurance to the Senior Management team on data compliance, reporting risks and mitigating actions.
• Ensure staff understand their data responsibilities, build data capability and a strong data protection culture through training, guidance and fostering data confidence and accountability.

Insights, Analysis and Performance:

• Lead the provision of insights, analysis, and performance reporting, and embed a culture of insight-led decision making across the charity.
• Support the ongoing development of our involvement and lived experience insight workstream, and further establish our ability to co-design and co-produce our service offer.
• Evidence our impact and performance within contractual monitoring reports, and contribute to future funding bids and tenders to secure commissioning arrangements.
• Produce clear, interpretable reports for internal and external stakeholders, as required.
• Produce clear management information and performance reports on both outputs and outcomes, and enable Managers to articulate stories of change, drive continuous improvement and demonstrate the quality of our work.
• Develop a performance framework to monitor progress of the implementation of Together Women’s strategy, and prepare reports to inform Trustees of progress made.
• Support senior leaders with data-driven planning, presenting insights in accessible ways.
• Conduct ongoing data analysis to identify improvement opportunities, risks and issues.

Team Leadership and Collaborative working:

• Line manage the Data and Impact Analyst, providing support, direction, coaching, workload prioritisation and professional development opportunities.
• Take a hands-on role in data processing to support the day-to-day delivery of the data function, ensuring operational resilience. Contribute to the immediate data management requirements as well as leading on the longer-term data strategy.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Together Women to align data activities with organisational objectives and mission.
• Work closely with key external stakeholders and maintain excellent relationships with key partners through collaborative, mutually beneficial working practice.
• Attend regular meetings and networking opportunities relating to the Effective Women’s Centres Project, and associated networks and events.

Quality Assurance and Contribution to research:

• Ensure data collection, management and storage processes are standardised and consistent across all our services.
• Embed the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment and Gendered Wellbeing Assessment as Together Women’s default assessment tools.
• Support Master Trainers to embed WRNA and GWA certifications across all frontline staff teams.
• Work closely with colleagues to develop a new Quality Assurance (QA) audit process and embed this into Together Women’s work.
• Identify and resolve problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines, and escalate where necessary.
• Uphold the principles of ethical research, particularly with regard to consent and confidentiality.
• Carry out administrative tasks related directly to the delivery of the research.

General duties:

• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Support and uphold the mission, values and behaviours of Together Women.
• Actively promote equity, diversity and inclusion, and work in line with our Ethical Framework. 
• Adhere to all organisational policies, code of conduct, and practices. 
• Complete all mandatory organisation training.
• Treat personal or sensitive information and data about organisations, clients, staff and projects in line with UK GDPR and Data Protection principles. 
• Carry out other associated duties as needed, in line with the broad remit of the role. 

Please note these accountabilities do not form part of the Data and Impact Manager’s contract of employment, and may be subject to amendment as the organisation's needs evolve. 

Person specification

Essential:

• Practical experience of conducting research, collecting and analysing data and presenting findings to a range of audiences.
• Experience of leading or coordinating organisation-wide data, evaluation, or reporting projects.
• Ability to translate data into actionable insights that inform service improvement or strategic planning
• Experience of preparing data reports for external funders.
• Experience of analysing and communicating complex information clearly.
• Good working knowledge of software packages and excellent organisational skills.
• Experience of presenting to external or internal audiences.
• Experience of developing others and providing training to staff.
• Experience of outcomes/impact monitoring and reporting.

Desirable:

• Experience of working or volunteering in a trauma-informed, gender responsive environment and/or Women’s Centre.
• Experience of presenting to academic or policy-making audiences.
• Experience of working in partnership with academic or research institutions

Personal Attributes:

• Excellent communication skills and self-motivation.
• Ability to build trust and influence at all levels, including senior leadership and external partners
• Ability to problem solve and work collaboratively. 
• A commitment to the principles and practice of safeguarding adults and children at risk of harm.
• Ability to travel independently to meet the needs of the role, including work at the Women’s Centre, with occasional meetings at the University of Birmingham and/or other Women’s Centres.
• Commitment to undertake learning opportunities and continuing professional development.

Other Requirements: 

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office 365 
• Willingness to travel across the region
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings as required. 
• Commitment to anti-racism, feminism, social justice, and abolitionist values. 
• Commitment to safeguarding data integrity, confidentiality, and ethical use of information.
• Lived experience of the criminal justice system is welcomed and will not necessarily preclude appointment.