Head of Programmes
United Way UK 
Home-based with frequent national and international travel and overnight stays around 2-3 times a month. The ideal candidate will be based close to good transport links and able to get to London easily, with access to a car and/or a full clean driving licence
Salary £42,000 - £45,000 based on experience 
12-month contract with potential for extension 
Full-time, with flexible working 
Excellent benefits including annual leave of 25 days per year plus bank holidays, increasing by a day annually for each year of service up to 30 days and 6% employer pension contribution
Charity People are delighted to be partnering with the United Way UK, a charity which believes that all individuals should be empowered through opportunity and resources to reach their true potential, to recruit a Head of Programmes.
United Way is a global organisation that supports local communities around the world in more than 40 different countries. Communities all over the world face similar challenges, but each one requires a unique approach to solving them. United Way UK was established in 2014 and harnessing experience and learnings from United Way Worldwide, UWUK uses local knowledge and global expertise to implement the very best programmes for communities across the UK and is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the times.
Driven by the local community, UWUK works with charity partners, businesses and individuals to provide everything a community needs to thrive (education, financial stability and health), providing support in the form of funds, time and expertise. UWUK funding is privately sourced so that the charity is driving new revenue to the voluntary sector.
The Head of Programmes leads UWUK's talented delivery team and works closely with the CEO on relationship development and strategic planning. As part of a small team (UWUK is currently five staff members), the Head of Programmes will be a strong team player and problem solver, with initiative, reliability and high emotional intelligence.
Key responsibilities
*    Programme design, delivery and growth: You ensure the successful delivery of programmes, monitor and report on impact, oversee the budget and ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection and charity regulations. You will support the growth of programmes by creating, developing and writing proposals, and travel throughout the UK to support project delivery.
*    Partnership development: You will scope, develop and secure partnerships across sectors, building and maintaining strong relationships with funders, partners, schools and charities across the UK and support the organisation of fundraising events, campaigns and other fundraising activities.
*    Line management: You will line manage the programmes team (x 2 posts), supporting professional development, conducting performance reviews, and promoting strong team moral and wellbeing.
*    Operations and strategy: You will support reporting to United Way UK Board of Trustees, United Way Worldwide and UK regulators, as well as work closely with the CEO on strategic planning and implementation.
What we're looking for
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following essential skills and experience:
*    Experience in programme management, stakeholder engagement and partnership building, with strong relationship skills combined and a natural ability to cultivate positive relationships with internal stakeholders, charity partners, prospects, funders, corporates, volunteers and internal partners
*    Strong project management skills with ability to manage diverse tasks and priorities with attention to detail and accuracy. 
*    Experience of monitoring and evaluation to collect feedback from stakeholders and continually improve and learn from programmes and report to funders.
*    Solid communication skills, in both written and oral English, with the ability to present to stakeholders and write compelling project proposals. 
*    Experience working in the charity sector or within corporate social responsibility. 
*    Experience managing staff, including supporting professional development, conducting performance reviews, and promoting strong team moral and wellbeing. 
*    Experience in volunteering, either working with, or leading volunteer programmes, or being a volunteer. 
*    Experience either leading or supporting proposal writing for programme delivery.
*    Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.
*    Full driving license. 
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following personal attributes:
*    Self-motivated and results-driven
*    Proactive and responsive
*    Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team  
*    Collaborative work style and positive team player.  
*    Commitment to the core mission, values and work of UWUK.
As UWUK is a small organisation, the ideal successful candidate may also have fundraising experience although this is not essential.
The UWUK team are passionate about their mission and delivering results and have a caring, trusting, collaborative and close-knit culture, based on shared values and respect. This role is home-based, but you will be able to travel regularly across the UK, at least 2-3 times a month and be willing and able to easily attend meetings in London on a regular basis. Travel is covered but you will need to be able to be based with easy access to a major transport hub.
How to apply
If you would like to apply, please upload your CV using the link below in the first instance. Jen D'Souza from Charity People will be in touch with the full details about the job and how to apply. The deadline is 9am Tuesday 11 November. The interviews will take place online w/c 24 November. The ideal candidate will be able to start in December and at the latest in mid-January. We will be hosting a webinar on Friday 7 November at 1pm for candidates interested in the role (this will be recorded and shared if you are unable to attend).
Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.
About the opportunity
As Procurement Officer within our Finance & Assurance directorate, you'll be part of an agile, flexible team that's transforming how we deliver financial partnership across the organisation. We're on an ambitious journey to become the Society's single point of financial truth - trusted partners and credible experts who enable the organisation to make faster, better-informed decisions. This is where your procurement expertise meets meaningful impact, where your ability to engage colleagues and drive understanding directly enables us to focus on what matters most: transforming lives affected by dementia.
In this role, you'll provide hands-on procurement support to colleagues across the Society, helping them navigate contracts, suppliers and purchasing decisions. You'll implement our procurement strategies at an operational level, ensuring contracts are delivered with quality and on time. Working collaboratively with Finance, Legal, Risk and Audit colleagues, you'll develop and manage contracts, maintain supplier relationships, and collect the financial data that helps us understand procurement performance. Crucially, you'll engage widely to build understanding of procurement policies, making compliance accessible rather than burdensome, and fostering a culture where best practice becomes the natural way of working.
You may also have the chance to line manage a Procurement Assistant, developing their capabilities while role-modelling the high-challenge, high-support culture that drives our team's success.
About you:
You're an experienced procurement professional who understands that operational excellence comes from making procurement easy for colleagues to get right. You know how to balance rigorous processes with practical support, and you're skilled at engaging people at all levels to improve how procurement works. You're as comfortable analysing spend data as you are explaining contract requirements or building rapport with suppliers.
You'll have:
- Experience driving efficiencies and cost savings through supporting the design and implementation of procurement plans in large organisations.
- A track record of improving understanding of and engagement with procurement across diverse audiences to boost compliance and effectiveness.
- Experience of contract development, management and negotiation, with knowledge of the procurement landscape and relevant legislation.
- Good relationship-building skills with experience working across multiple business areas and with colleagues at different levels, particularly those in financial roles.
- Excellent communication and influencing abilities, able to engage effectively with internal colleagues and external suppliers alike.
- Some experience working with finance systems and processes, or in a financial environment, with an interest in the dementia landscape and its procurement implications.
What you’ll focus on:
- Implementing our procurement strategies operationally, ensuring quality contract delivery while building understanding and compliance across the Society.
- Forming strong relationships with colleagues at all levels to provide expert procurement support that makes purchasing decisions clearer and easier.
- Collecting and translating financial and procurement data into reports that demonstrate impact and spotlight opportunities for better value.
- Managing supplier relationships and developing contracts that protect the Society's interests while collaborating across departments for appropriate oversight.
- Building effective relationships with colleagues to improve value for money and/or drive efficiencies, particularly with colleagues in financial roles.
- Taking personal ownership of monitoring your work's progress and impact, while supporting the team's efforts to track overall procurement performance.
Can you see yourself as the procurement partner who turns policy into practice through effective relationship building and clear guidance? Are you ready to combine operational rigour with authentic engagement to drive both compliance and efficiency? Can you bring technical procurement knowledge and people skills to ensure every pound is spent wisely in our mission to end the devastation of dementia?
Please note: there are two vacancies available for this position.
Important Dates
The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Wednesday 5th November 2025.
Interviews will take place across 12th, 17th, and 18th of November 2025 and will consist of two stages take place virtually.