Business engagement manager jobs in caterham, surrey
UK Feminista is recruiting for a Director.
Hours: full-time, 35 hours per week
Salary: £53,130 per annum
Location: Flexible (home working, based in our coworking space in London or hybrid). Regular office attendance required (minimum once a week).
Role Overview
The Director of UK Feminista plays a pivotal role in driving forward the organisation’s mission to advance sex equality through strategic leadership, operational oversight, and external advocacy. They are responsible for shaping and delivering UK Feminista’s long term vision, ensuring that its work remains bold, effective, and rooted in feminist principles. Working closely with the Board of Directors, the Director leads the organisation’s strategic planning processes, oversees programme delivery, and ensures compliance with all legal and regulatory responsibilities.
The role requires strong financial stewardship and a proactive approach to income generation, including fundraising from trusts, foundations, and supporters. The Director also manages a small staff team, fostering an inclusive and empowering organisational culture. As a visible leader and public representative, the Director builds relationships with stakeholders across civil society, education, media, and politics to maximise the organisation’s influence and impact. This is a unique opportunity to lead a dynamic organisation that challenges systemic inequality across the UK.
2. Application process
Documents
Please apply via CharityJob, including your CV, covering letter, and Recruitment Monitoring Form.
The covering letter should include answers to the following:
- Tell us about your background and experience
- Why are you interested in the role and how do you meet the requirements?
- What is your approach to feminist campaigning?
The Recruitment Monitoring Form is available to download from the UK Feminista website. This will not be viewed in conjunction with the application.
A copy of UK Feminista’s HR Privacy Notice can be provided upon request.
We are committed to increasing diversity in our team and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants from underrepresented groups who meet the essential criteria for the role. If you wish to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in your application.
Deadline and key dates
The deadline for applications is 9am Saturday 10th May 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must be available to attend a face-to-face interview in London week commencing 19th May 2025. This will include a short task about which you will receive information when offered an interview.
Candidates shortlisted for interview will be notified by Tuesday 13th May 2025. If you have not heard from us by that time your application has been unsuccessful.
3. About UK Feminista
UK Feminista is a feminist campaigning organisation working for a society in which women and girls live free from sexism and violence. We campaign for systemic change so that women can enjoy their rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. We exist to tackle the root causes of sex inequality.
As part of our vision and in line with our partners, UK Feminista recognises prostitution, pornography and lap dancing as forms of commercial sexual exploitation. We further recognise a woman’s right to access a legal, free, safe abortion as fundamental to women’s reproductive rights.
Our values:
- Feminist We are a feminist organisation which recognises and actively works against discrimination.
- Collectivism – We are compassionate and acknowledge our mutual responsibility to support one another, stay connected, share knowledge and contribute to collective efforts.
- Adaptable – We work flexibly and dynamically, taking initiative and staying curious so we can learn from each other and respond to our changing environment.
- Professionalism – We are a passionate team of experts motivated to deliver high quality, evidence based campaigns with integrity. We are committed to collaborating with other experts and working to amplify the voices of survivors.
- Ambitious – We are bold and ambitious for change in society. We are also ambitious for our people, who we support to develop and thrive.
Our current strategic priorities:
1. Combating commercial sexual exploitation – our long term goal is that the government adopts laws to effectively combat commercial sexual exploitation and support victims survivors.
We work with survivors, policy makers and practitioners to combat commercial sexual exploitation. We provide the Secretariat for the UK Parliament’s AllParty Parliamentary Group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation. We also provide the Secretariat for A Model For Scotland and the CoSecretariat for Not For Sale.
2. Tackling sexism and sexual harassment in schools and colleges – our longterm goal is that all schools and colleges take effective action against sexism and sexual harassment.
We conduct research, provide training and resources to schools, and run a national award scheme which recognises schools that take outstanding action against sexism.
UK Feminista is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, established for charitable purposes. Our work is governed by a Board of Directors.
4. Job description
Key Responsibilities
1. Leadership & Strategy
- Develop and implement UK Feminista’s strategic vision and business plan.
- Ensure operational efficiency, compliance, and financial sustainability.
- Represent UK Feminista externally and engage with key stakeholders.
2. Fundraising & Financial Management
- Identify and secure funding from trusts, foundations, and other sources.
- Manage funder relationships, applications, and reporting.
- Manage financial processes, including budgeting, payroll approvals, and compliance.
3. Governance & Compliance
- Serve as the main liaison with the Board of Directors, preparing papers and reports.
- Ensure compliance with legal, financial, and safeguarding regulations.
- Act as the organisation’s Designated Safeguarding Lead and Data Protection Officer.
4. People & Operations Management
- Lead and support the staff team, ensuring effective recruitment, onboarding, and performance management.
- Maintain and implement HR policies and procedures.
- Ensure staff have the necessary resources and support.
5. Communications & Public Engagement
- Act as the organisation’s spokesperson, managing media relations and public representation.
- Oversee external communications, including the website, press releases, and advocacy efforts.
6. Programme & Campaign Oversight
- Provide strategic oversight and management of UK Feminista’s Programmes, ensuring effective delivery and advocacy.
- Lead policy and campaign work on commercial sexual exploitation
- Represent the organisation in advocacy networks and campaigns.
The postholder will manage a small team, and report to the Board of Directors.
Notes
This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within the post at various times and the postholder will be expected to carry out other duties from time to time which are broadly consistent with those in this document.
5. Person specification
Skills, knowledge and experience
Essential
- Proven senior leadership experience in the charity, advocacy, or public affairs sector.
- Strong fundraising and financial management skills.
- Experience in strategic planning and organisational development.
- Strong people management and HR experience.
- Knowledge of governance, compliance, and safeguarding.
- Excellent communication and media engagement skills.
- Commitment to feminist principles and gender equality.
Desirable
- Experience in political lobbying and public affairs.
- Knowledge of gender equality in education.
- Background in campaigning or policy development.
Personal qualities
- Commitment to the aims and values of UK Feminista
- Teamplayer:
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- Happy to regularly provide and receive constructive feedback in support of achieving organisational objectives
-
- Collaborative and able to work flexibly in a small team to deliver shared priorities
-
- Supportive and eager to help colleagues develop and grow
-
- Keen to proactively contribute ideas and knowledge in team meetings
- Proactive:
-
- Enthusiastic, self-motivated and happy to work independently
-
- Able to organise, plan and deliver work under pressure and ahead of time
-
- Able to take responsibility and ownership over own work, including through applying a high attention to detail to ensure accuracy and quality and asking for support when needed
-
- Willing to learn and develop
- Resourceful and adaptable:
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- Solutions-focused, a ‘can do’ attitude and able to demonstrate initiative when facing challenges
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- Creative and able to maximise outputs from a small budget and limited time
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- Happy to work responsively to a changing context and to the timelines of external stakeholders
Note: UK Feminista is committed to safe and fair recruitment, safeguarding and protecting those who come into contact with the organisation. We ensure all our staff are vetted to the appropriate standard for the role undertaken, and that staff are supported and trained to undertake safeguarding responsibilities to a high standard.
Due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check before an offer of employment is confirmed. UK Feminista is committed to equality of opportunity for all and welcomes applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with criminal records. UK Feminista undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. We would be very happy to discuss the nature of convictions if applicants have any concerns. To arrange a confidential phone call, please contact us.
Non Charity Employer
1 - 5
Working for a society in which women and girls live free from sexism and violence
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About the role:
If you’re passionate about helping people rebuild their lives through employment and want to be part of a service that truly changes futures, this role offers a unique and rewarding opportunity. Working within our Achieving Potential department, you’ll be at the heart of a transformative service that supports people with lived experience of the criminal justice system to secure and thrive in meaningful, paid employment. As part of our small, dedicated team delivering the Individual Placement Support (IPS) Employment project, your work will directly contribute to improved wellbeing, confidence, and long term recovery for every person you support.
This role is ideal for someone who brings both empathy and drive, and is confident providing one to one, personalised support across the whole employment journey, from job searches and applications to interviews and long term career progression. You’ll collaborate closely with probation services, mental health teams and employers, building strong networks that open real opportunities and create lasting impact. The work you do won’t just help people into jobs; it will open doors to independence, stability and a sense of purpose.
We’re committed to developing our team, and you’ll receive full training in the IPS model, along with opportunities to grow within an innovative organisation that invests in your learning and progression. If you want to make a genuine difference and grow your career in a supportive, values led environment, we’d love to hear from you.
About you:
- Committed to inspiring and motivating people into work
- Thrives in bringing a creative approach to their working.
- Comfortable multi-tasking and managing working under pressure
- Has the ability to relate well to others, as well as encouraging and fostering change.
About us:
Single Homeless Project is a London-wide charity. Our vision is of a society where everyone has a place to call home and the chance to live a fulfilling life.
We help single Londoners by preventing homelessness, providing support and accommodation, promoting wellbeing, enhancing opportunity, and being a voice for change. From supporting people in crisis to helping people take the final steps towards independence and employment, we make a difference to 12,000 lives every year across all 32 boroughs.
We offer you more than a job; we offer you a chance to be part of a compassionate, driven team that's committed to making a real difference in people's lives. You'll have the opportunity to lead, co-create, and inspire change while enjoying a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.
Join us in creating a brighter, more hopeful future for individuals in need.
Important info:
Closing date: Sunday 27th April at midnight
Interview date: Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th May at SHP Head Office in Kings Cross
This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed (by SHP) for the successful applicant.
Registered Charity
501 - 1000
Preventing homelessness, transforming lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this.
Their vision is to find a cure for all types of brain tumours. To achieve their mission, they are looking for a Community Fundraiser who will proactively engage with supporters, community groups and volunteers across the West Midlands to join their team of 12 Community Fundraisers across the UK.
The Community Fundraiser (West Midlands) is responsible for providing support and guidance to fundraisers within their communities to achieve their ambitions and ultimately raise vital funds for Brain Tumour Research. This is achieved through a wide variety of activities such as helping supporters to make the most of their own fundraising, engaging participants with externally organised events such as the Great Birmingham Run, and encouraging communities to get involved in events organised by Brain Tumour Research such as Wear a Hat Day and Walk for Hope. The Community Fundraiser will be the face of Brain Tumour Research in the area, providing excellent stewardship to existing supporters, and building great relationships with new supporters.
This post has been vacant since Autumn, and as such needs a fundraiser with confidence and capability in fundraising to join the team, provide donor love to the loyal supporters in the area, and approach developing the areas potential with energy and enthusiasm. If you have fundraising experience and are keen to join a charity with ambition and an amazing supporter base, then this could be the role for you.
Please note the successful candidate will need to live within the region (Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Gloucestershire), have access to a car and be willing to travel around their region. If you are not currently based in this area, please clarify if you have plans to relocate.
Application notes
Please download the Candidate Info Pack provided for further information about the role, timelines and next steps.
To progress your application, please follow instructions in the pack to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot shortlist candidates who have not had a screening call.
As this role has been vacant for some time, we are running rolling interview to see suitable candidates as they apply. Interviews will be kept to one stage, and organised to suit the candidate, where possible. Don’t delay – apply today!
Thank you!
We're an award winning charity running local learning centres based in the heart of the communities we serve. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.
As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping 56,000 young people each year at its 44 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.
We are looking to appoint two Fundraising Officers to join our highly successful fundraising department, working within either our Corporate or University teams.
This is a fantastic opportunity to start your career in fundraising and the third sector, or to build on your existing experience. These roles will provide vital support across our Fundraising Team helping you develop the key skills needed to become a successful fundraising professional in the years ahead.
You will be joining an exceptional, talented and successful fundraising team, all with a genuine passion and enthusiasm for our mission to support young people achieve their ambitions.
The role at a glance
Contract:
Permenant
Start date:
As soon as possible, as agreed with candidate
Working Hours:
09.00 - 17.30
We are a delivery organisation providing frontline educational services for young people. We are an organisation with team members at different stages of their career, including many in their first roles: We are committed to nurturing talent and providing a developmental culture for all. Our team works in-person 4 days per week (or 3 days for a 0.8 FTE staff member) with 1 day working from home.
Location:
This role will be based at our Head Office in London.
Salary:
£30,000 (for candidates with no/ limited fundraising experience) up to £32,400 (for a more experienced candidate)
Annual Leave:
Full-time staff entitlement, pro-rated for part-time staff: 33 days (inc bank & public holidays) + 3 closure days (two in December and one in July) + additional length of service entitlement (one day per year of service, up to 5 days)
Staff Benefits
- Employer pension contributions of 6% (and up to 8% after two years)
- Year round ‘early finish’ Fridays at 4.30pm
- Summer working hours (finish at 1pm on Fridays for six weeks in the summer), pro-rated for staff joining after January in the same year
- Employee Assistance Programme including access to wellbeing and legal support
- Life Assurance scheme with Aviva including SmartHealth service with access to 24/7 online GP appointments
- Interest-free new starter loans of up to £1,000
- Cycle to Work Scheme and Travelcard Loan Scheme
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay and sick pay allowances
- Staff in FOCUS – rewards, competitions and prizes across the year
Application deadline - 9am Wednesday 7th May 2025
Interview Day (in-person) - Friday 16th May 2025. Please ensure that you are available on this date.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
IntoUniversity provides local learning centres where young people are inspired to achieve.
Thank you!
About Open Cages
Open Cages is a UK-registered charity fighting animal suffering. We are part of an international organisation, Anima International. To achieve our goal we use scientific evidence, careful reasoning, and draw upon decades of collective experience. Just in the last few years, we have successfully helped improve the lives of hundreds of millions of farmed animals in the UK.
We are impact-oriented and use a wide array of tools to make the world a better place. Our current toolkit includes:
- Investigations which reveal the reality hidden behind the walls of factory farms
- Negotiations with companies to encourage them to eliminate cruel practices from their policies
- Advocacy to secure legal milestones for animals
At Open Cages we won’t stop until we end animal suffering. We would like to invite you to join us and help us achieve this goal.
What do you gain by working at Open Cages?
- Meaningful work – you will help build a world free from animal suffering
- Time – you will be able to focus full-time on helping animals
- High degree of flexibility – the work is almost totally remote and you will organise your working hours and workflow yourself
- Trust – we expect you to make mistakes as a given and learn from them
- Autonomy – you will experience freedom and independence in your decision-making
- Transparency – you will have access to the work and decisions of others
- Honest work culture – you will know what your colleagues are doing and what they really think
- Knowledge – you will learn and receive support from people who have been fighting for animals for many years
- Opportunity to grow – you will learn every day and be encouraged to experiment beyond your skill set
- Ability to influence the organisation – we encourage our people to openly speak their mind and thus you will be able to impact what kind of organisation we are
- A laugh – animal advocacy can be dark at times, we think that having a fun atmosphere is key to balance this
- Transparently set compensation – Our salaries are not negotiable and are based on a transparent algorithm that is the same for each role
Following a 3-month probation period, you will transition to a fixed-term contract. Upon successful completion of this term, you will be offered a permanent employment contract. A minimum salary of £39,695.24 gross (our salary base for people resident in the UK) will apply from the beginning of the probationary period. The salary base may change due to your previous experience related to the position, or your experience in animal advocacy (+3% for each year). In addition, the salary increases with your seniority in Open Cages according to the following model:
+ 7% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the first 5 years of work
+ 5% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work
+ 3% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work
+ 2% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next years of work
About your role
We are a small and ambitious early-stage organisation with two full-time team members. Our current objective: to help the 1 billion chickens raised annually in the UK. By joining us as a campaigner who focuses on communications, you will work on the frontlines by shining a light on the hidden suffering of animals trapped on factory farms, and mobilising the public to take action. Your first task will be to help us convince the UK’s largest food businesses to improve their chicken welfare policies, primarily through crafting media stories and marketing campaigns that capture the hearts and minds of the public.
While this may sound challenging, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a historic change for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Someone has to pick up the fight, and we hope it will be You.
We can accommodate to you
Due to the broad scope of our work, there is no simple description of the perfect campaigner. There may also be certain areas where you are stronger than others, and we are open to fitting the role around you. We are looking for a generalist rather than a specialist. However, you do need to have some particular strengths such as resilience, persistence, creativity, and critical thinking. Ideally, some day, you will be able to lead a big team and transfer your knowledge to them.
No previous experience is required for this role. While experience will be valued (and reflected in the salary), we welcome applications from both seasoned professionals and passionate newcomers who align with our organisational culture.
What do we require from you?
- Strong belief in the mission of our organisation. Working for us should not be thought of as a ‘career step’. We want people who are motivated by our mission above all.
- Flexible availability. We think of ourselves as a small startup. The fate of the organisation rests on a handful of highly motivated advocates who want to do something ambitious with their lives. We want to maintain the intensity of our current operating culture, so you should expect to work the occasional weekends and late evenings.
- Not being an asshole. We expect you to treat others with respect, decency and compassion – even the occasional adversaries.
- A preference for hard work. Activism is our passion and one of the main motivations in life. To fit our culture, you have to be a person that is proactive and enjoys work.
- Growth mindset. Nobody knows how to fix the world, so we need you to keep learning. We constantly strive to be better at our activism, but also as people.
- Strong interest in a high-feedback culture. We have a culture of honest and direct communication. We talk openly about our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis because we want to be the best. You will know what your colleagues really think of you and be encouraged to speak your mind.
- Ability to reason and communicate your thinking, especially in written form. In order to thrive in our organisation you must be able to think carefully, try to back up your ideas with reasonable evidence, and above all be open to being proven wrong and changing your mind.
- Fluency in English. You will be working in a UK-based organisation which will require constant communication with English speakers.
- Ability to work in the UK. This offer is open to candidates who are either currently UK-based, or are willing to move to the UK for the job. We are happy to do whatever we can to help you in relocating, depending on your needs and our ability. If you have any questions about what we can help with, don’t hesitate to write to us!
You do not need to be vegan or vegetarian. While all of our events provide only plant-based meals, we are open to anyone who wants to fight for a world that is free from animal suffering. We won’t turn down any help.
What will you do?
- Build culture – you will help build and reinforce our culture, so we never lose what makes up the strength of Open Cages.
- Embrace reality – you will make it your mission to understand the world as it is rather than as you would like it to be.
- Manage activists – you will manage and work with teams of both employed and voluntary activists.
- Experience frustration – you will feel frustrated about things you could do better or things that are not working in the organisation or your team, and use this frustration as an opportunity to refine and elevate our organisation.
- Question ideas – you will question common knowledge, especially your own ideas, so that our results are always as good as they can be.
- Optimise your performance – you will continuously deepen your knowledge – both about particular areas of animal advocacy and about how the world works – and enjoy this process.
- Prioritise action – you will act even when there is not sufficient data.
- Abandon projects – you will change your objectives when it makes sense, no matter the time already invested.
- Respect and trust others – you will be there for others and trust their intentions. You will support them when they succeed and when they fail.
- Seek information independently – you will be responsible for acting very independently which will require you to obtain and verify data.
- Make mistakes – you will embrace your mistakes without being ashamed with the desire to learn from them.
- Strategise – it is not easy to change the world. As a campaigner you will ask yourself endless questions. You will be responsible for campaign strategy which requires careful planning and the ability to think ahead.
- Try again and again and again – the decision makers we want to convince often don’t want to improve animal welfare, others may simply not have time for you. You will need extreme persistence in order to gain traction with companies.
- Take risks – negotiating in a high stakes meeting, attending a farming conference, organising a protest, taking hundreds of videos of a retailer’s chicken products for a BBC story (yes, we did this!) – in this role you will need to be comfortable with stepping out of your comfort zone.
- Conduct research – you will spend many hours online gathering information, working with investigators and lawyers, or delivering chicken products to a lab in Germany (we did this too).
- Create marketing content – you will produce graphics and videos for social media, and utilise marketing tools to reach millions of people.
- Work with the media – you will engage with journalists, write press releases, pitch stories and be animals’ voice on the radio and TV.
- Mobilise advocates – you will write emails to our supporters and motivate them to take action with us. You will also organise and run street actions like protests and stunts.
- Connect with diverse audiences – you will need to talk about the suffering of animals to very different groups of people that compose our society. To do that effectively, you will need to understand their perspective and be a good, empathetic communicator.
- Ask for support – you will help us fundraise to increase our impact.
Do you think this role is too challenging and you're not fit for it?
You may be thinking that this role would be interesting for you, but you won’t make the cut.
We encourage you not to worry and fill out the application nonetheless, especially if you meet our requirements (even on a basic level) and you think this position could bring you a lot of joy. Leave the judgment about your competence to us. You may even learn something useful along the way.
We prepared support materials to help you through the application process. We'll also be hosting informational webinars about this role and our recruitment process – click ‘Redirect to recruiter’ to see the website for more details.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Open Cages
Open Cages is a UK-registered charity fighting animal suffering. We are part of an international organisation, Anima International. To achieve our goal we use scientific evidence, careful reasoning, and draw upon decades of collective experience. Just in the last few years, we have successfully helped improve the lives of hundreds of millions of farmed animals in the UK.
We are impact-oriented and use a wide array of tools to make the world a better place. Our current toolkit includes:
- Investigations which reveal the reality hidden behind the walls of factory farms
- Negotiations with companies to encourage them to eliminate cruel practices from their policies
- Advocacy to secure legal milestones for animals
At Open Cages we won’t stop until we end animal suffering. We would like to invite you to join us and help us achieve this goal.
What do you gain by working at Open Cages?
- Meaningful work – you will help build a world free from animal suffering.
- Time – you will be able to focus full-time on helping animals.
- High degree of flexibility – the work is almost totally remote and you will organise your working hours and workflow yourself.
- Trust – we expect you to make mistakes as a given and learn from them.
- Autonomy – you will experience freedom and independence in your decision-making.
- Transparency – you will have access to the work and decisions of others.
- Honest work culture – you will know what your colleagues are doing and what they really think.
- Knowledge – you will learn and receive support from people who have been fighting for animals for many years.
- Opportunity to grow – you will learn every day and be encouraged to experiment beyond your skill set.
- Ability to influence the organisation – we encourage our people to openly speak their mind and thus you will be able to impact what kind of organisation we are.
- A laugh – animal advocacy can be dark at times, we think that having a fun atmosphere is key to balance this.
- Transparently set compensation – Our salaries are not negotiable and are based on a transparent algorithm that is the same for each role.
Following a 3-month probation period, you will transition to a fixed-term contract. Upon successful completion of this term, you will be offered a permanent employment contract. A minimum salary of £39,695.24 gross (our salary base for people resident in the UK) will apply from the beginning of the probationary period. The salary base may change due to your previous experience related to the position, or your experience in animal advocacy (+3% for each year). In addition, the salary increases with your seniority in Open Cages according to the following model:
+ 7% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the first 5 years of work
+ 5% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work
+ 3% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work
+ 2% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next years of work
About your role
We are a small and ambitious early-stage organisation with two full-time team members. Our current objective: to help the 1 billion chickens raised annually in the UK. By joining us as a campaigner you will be both strategising and spending time on the frontlines, by talking to the biggest companies, producing investigative reports and giving media interviews. Your first task will be to help us convince the UK’s largest food businesses to improve their chicken welfare policies through public and behind-the-scenes advocacy. While this may sound challenging, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a historic change for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Someone has to pick up the fight, and we hope it will be You.
We can accommodate to you
Due to the broad scope of our work, there is no simple description of the perfect campaigner. There may also be certain areas where you are stronger than others, and we are open to fitting the role around you. We are looking for a generalist rather than a specialist. However, you do need to have some particular strengths such as resilience, persistence, creativity, and critical thinking. Ideally, some day, you will be able to lead a big team and transfer your knowledge to them.
No previous experience is required for this role. While experience will be valued (and reflected in the salary), we welcome applications from both seasoned professionals and passionate newcomers who align with our organisational culture.
What do we require from you?
- Strong belief in the mission of our organisation. Working for us should not be thought of as a ‘career step’. We want people who are motivated by our mission above all.
- Flexible availability. We think of ourselves as a small startup. The fate of the organisation rests on a handful of highly motivated advocates who want to do something ambitious with their lives. We want to maintain the intensity of our current operating culture, so you should expect to work the occasional weekends and late evenings.
- Not being an asshole. We expect you to treat others with respect, decency and compassion – even the occasional adversaries.
- A preference for hard work. Activism is our passion and one of the main motivations in life. To fit our culture, you have to be a person that is proactive and enjoys work.
- Growth mindset. Nobody knows how to fix the world, so we need you to keep learning. We constantly strive to be better at our activism, but also as people.
- Strong interest in a high-feedback culture. We have a culture of honest and direct communication. We talk openly about our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis because we want to be the best. You will know what your colleagues really think of you and be encouraged to speak your mind.
- Ability to reason and communicate your thinking, especially in written form. In order to thrive in our organisation you must be able to think carefully, try to back up your ideas with reasonable evidence, and above all be open to being proven wrong and changing your mind.
- Fluency in English. You will be working in a UK-based organisation which will require constant communication with English speakers.
- Ability to work in the UK. This offer is open to candidates who are either currently UK-based, or are willing to move to the UK for the job. We are happy to do whatever we can to help you in relocating, depending on your needs and our ability. If you have any questions about what we can help with, don’t hesitate to write to us!
You do not need to be vegan or vegetarian. While all of our events provide only plant-based meals, we are open to anyone who wants to fight for a world that is free from animal suffering. We won’t turn down any help.
What will you do?
- Build culture – you will help build and reinforce our culture, so we never lose what makes up the strength of Open Cages.
- Embrace reality – you will make it your mission to understand the world as it is rather than as you would like it to be.
- Manage activists – you will manage and work with teams of both employed and voluntary activists.
- Experience frustration – you will feel frustrated about things you could do better or things that are not working in the organisation or your team, and use this frustration as an opportunity to refine and elevate our organisation.
- Question ideas – you will question common knowledge, especially your own ideas, so that our results are always as good as they can be.
- Optimise your performance – you will continuously deepen your knowledge – both about particular areas of animal advocacy and about how the world works – and enjoy this process.
- Prioritise action – you will act even when there is not sufficient data.
- Abandon projects – you will change your objectives when it makes sense, no matter the time already invested.
- Respect and trust others – you will be there for others and trust their intentions. You will support them when they succeed and when they fail.
- Seek information independently – you will be responsible for acting very independently which will require you to obtain and verify data.
- Make mistakes – you will embrace your mistakes without being ashamed with the desire to learn from them.
- Try again and again and again – the decision makers we want to reach often don’t want to improve animal welfare, others may simply not have time for you. In this role you will need extreme persistence in order to gain traction with companies.
- Build relationships – you will need social competence as you try to build trust and work with company executives to make progress for animals.
- Strategise – it is not easy to change the world. As a campaigner you will ask yourself endless questions. You will be responsible for campaign strategy which requires careful planning and the ability to think ahead.
- Take risks – negotiating in a high stakes meeting, attending a farming conference, organising a protest, taking 500 videos of a retailer’s chicken products for a BBC story (yes, we did this!) – in this role you will need to be comfortable with stepping out of your comfort zone.
- Conduct research – you will spend many hours online gathering information, working with investigators and lawyers, or delivering 50 chicken products to a lab in Germany (we did this too).
- Create engaging content – you will produce emotive graphics and videos for social media, factual reports and data-driven briefings for journalists and politicians.
- Work with the media – you will engage with journalists, write press releases, and give the odd interview.
- Mobilise advocates – you will write emails to our supporters and motivate them to take action with us. You will also organise and run street actions like protests and stunts.
Do you think this role is too challenging and you're not fit for it?
You may be thinking that this role would be interesting for you, but you won’t make the cut.
We encourage you not to worry and fill out the application nonetheless, especially if you meet our requirements (even on a basic level) and you think this position could bring you a lot of joy. Leave the judgment about your competence to us. You may even learn something useful along the way.
We prepared support materials to help you through the application process. We'll also be hosting informational webinars about this role and our recruitment process – click ‘Redirect to recruiter’ to see the website for more details.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.