Central operations coordinator jobs

About the role

We’re looking for an experienced, highly organised Operations & Office Coordinator to play a central role in keeping our London office running smoothly and supporting our wider organisation.

This is a varied and hands-on role, with responsibility across office operations, governance coordination, and senior leadership support. You’ll be a key point of contact for colleagues and trustees, helping ensure everything runs efficiently behind the scenes.

Flexible working that works for you

This role is designed to be genuinely flexible.

• 21 hours per week, with flexibility over how these are worked
• We’re open to a range of working patterns (e.g. school hours, shorter days across the week, or compressed hours)
• Hybrid working, with two days per week in our London office

We aim to agree a working pattern that provides consistency and predictability, while fitting around your other commitments.

We particularly welcome applications from experienced candidates returning to work after a career break, including parents and carers.

What you’ll be doing

This is a broad and rewarding role with real ownership. You will:

• Support governance processes, including Board and Committee meetings and documentation
• Provide administrative and coordination support to the CEO and senior leadership team
• Maintain and improve systems and processes, with the opportunity to shape how things are done
• Coordinate IT support, equipment and asset management
• Coordinate logistics for meetings, events and travel
• Take ownership of the day-to-day running of the London office, ensuring it is organised, efficient and welcoming
• Act as the main point of contact for facilities, suppliers and office-related queries

About you

We’re looking for someone who brings strong prior experience and enjoys working in a role with variety and responsibility.

You will likely have:

• Experience managing or coordinating a busy office or operational environment
• Confidence working independently and taking ownership of tasks and processes
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work with senior stakeholders
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft 365
• A proactive approach and the ability to juggle competing priorities

Why join us?

• A genuinely flexible, part-time role designed to support work-life balance
• A supportive and collaborative working environment
• The opportunity to take ownership of a varied and important role
• The chance to contribute to an organisation delivering meaningful impact

About Farm Africa

Farm Africa is a leading charity working with smallholder farmers and small businesses in eastern Africa to improve incomes while protecting the environment.

We combine expert knowledge with practical solutions to create lasting change for farmers, their families, and the ecosystems they depend on.

How to apply

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome those returning to work after a career break.

More information about the role can be found on the jobs page of our website. 

Action for Refugees in Lewisham is a thriving, dynamic community charity supporting asylum seekers, refugees and migrants across South East London. This is an exciting new role to the organisation forming a senior management team alongside the Executive Director, Casework Manager and Education and Finance Manager. This key senior position combines line management of central staff, high level fundraising, grants monitoring and compliance, development of enhanced member co-production, oversight of operational systems and management of pilot projects emerging from AFRIL’s 2027-30 strategy.

Job Purpose:

• To manage and coordinate the operations of the organisation, overseeing high level day to day operations including IT and systems, GDPR, Health and Safety, volunteer management, operational policies and procedures.

• To provide leadership and line management to the Monitoring and Operations Officer, Experts by Experience Coordinator and Community Activities Coordinator. With possible additional line of other project staff as organisational capacity requires.

• Lead the enhancement of processes and systems which support AFRIL’s frontline systems to work effectively and holistically together, providing capacity and support to project managers and leads.

• Lead the development and delivery of AFRIL’s co-production work, supporting the Experts by Experience Coordinator to amplify members' voices at all levels of the organisation.

• Supporting the Director in delivering the organisation's fundraising strategy. Writing a range of funding applications, holding key funder relationships and developing new funding relationships, including the establishment of enhanced individual, community and corporate fundraising relationships.

• Leading on the management and oversight of the grants compliance and reporting cycles, producing monitoring reports for funders with the support of the Operations and Monitoring Officer. Overseeing and developing evaluations and impact measurement systems alongside the Director.

• Assist the Director with the implementation of AFRIL’s strategy, taking a leading role in the delivery of new projects and areas of work to advance the mission and vision of the organisation.

• Supporting the Director with the development and implementation of a communications strategy, enhancing awareness of the organisation's work and impact.

• To represent AFRIL at a range of stakeholder meetings, and develop and manage partnerships to benefit AFRIL’s service users.

• To work collaboratively and dynamically in a small team, following AFRIL policies and reflecting AFRIL’s values.

The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences – is seeking an ECR Network Regional Coordinator to join the Early Career Researcher (ECR) Network team within the Research Directorate. This is an exciting moment to help deliver the activities of the ECR Network, which has recently expanded nationwide, with membership currently at over 9,500.

The role

The ECRN Regional Coordinator is the main point of contact for three out of the nine regional clusters, which are London, Southeast and East of England. The role holder will oversee the day-to-day operational management and delivery of their regional areas. This will include managing the operational relationships with the regional delivery partners; organising and coordinating regional and network-wide events; managing network-wide funding opportunities; and supporting related initiatives such as the Leadership and Advancement programme.

In post, you will be the key liaison between the Academy and the delivery partners of each region. You will coordinate and be responsible for maintaining and improving operational practices and policies, working closely with early career researchers (ECRs), regional partners, Fellows and staff of the British Academy, and any other stakeholders.

This role plays a key role in supporting the successful operation of the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network. You will be an effective communicator, a team player who is able to collaborate with both external and internal stakeholders, be self-directed, and be happy to take initiative. Keen attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving, in terms of planning, prioritisation and demonstrating resilience when faced with adversity, is essential.

The role will require travel between your allocated clusters. This will be to attend events and meetings with delivery partners where appropriate, with an expectation to be in the London Office at least once a month.

For further information about the Early Career Researcher Network, see our website.

About the Academy

The British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, established by Royal Charter in 1902. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. Today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, culture, and societies. With a Fellowship of around 1,700 leading national and international academics, the Academy invests in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas; engages the public with fresh thinking and debates; and brings together scholars, government, business, and civil society to influence policy. The Academy currently has five directorates: Communications & Marketing; Development; Policy; Research; and Resources, plus a small Governance & Fellowship Team.

Working at the Academy

Our senior management team have worked with staff to foster a culture of collaboration, respect, and empathy, in which all contributions are recognised as we work towards our common goals. Our people strategy and working practices focus on building strengths and sharing insights, with learning & development, wellbeing, and equality, diversity & inclusion at the centre of how we operate as an organisation. Investing in our staff and encouraging a healthy work/life balance is central to our success, as we move forward and continue to grow.

Terms and conditions

The British Academy is based at 10-11, Carlton House Terrace, London SW1, a Grade 1 listed building. We offer a competitive benefits package including a 35-hour working week, with hours and location worked flexibly under our hybrid-working policy; 34 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays; a subsidised canteen and an excellent occupational pension.

How to apply

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, in line with our commitment to create a diverse and inclusive working environment, promote equal opportunity, and address under-representation. We will make reasonable adjustments to support disabled job applicants and offer an interview to those meeting the minimum selection criteria.

To apply, and to see the full job description and our workplace values, please follow the apply link to visit our recruitment platform. 

Closing date: Midday on 13 July 2026.

Interviews for this role are currently scheduled for 29 July 2026, but this may be subject to change.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. The role is full-time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with requirement to work 5 days on campus.

The Facilities Co-ordinator is responsible for setting up and overseeing general facilities and health & safety activities, risk assessments, fire safety, incident management, planning building and facilities repairs for the Students’ Union. The Facilities Co-ordinator carries out a range of reactive and planned maintenance activities including electrical, mechanical, plumbing and joinery work at a skilled level, working independently. This role forms a key part of our Operations team, led by the Director of Operations. Comprising of both front-facing and behind the scenes departments including Health & Safety, Cafes and Bars, Bloomsbury Fitness gym, Human Resources, Facilities and Systems, the team delivers core functions and central services for the Union, as well as providing a diverse range of quality facilities accessible to our 50,000 + members. The Operations team, and this role, are central to the successful delivery of our Strategic plan that will set out the path to becoming one of the best Students’ Unions in the UK, and more importantly a better students’ union for our staff and students.
 

About the Role

We are looking for a dynamic and highly organised Volunteer & Training Coordinator to join our team on a 6-month interim basis. This is a pivotal role at the heart of our foodbank operations, supporting the recruitment, development, and coordination of our dedicated volunteer community.

You will play a key role in ensuring our services run smoothly across multiple locations, delivering high-quality training and building strong relationships with volunteers, partners, and the wider community.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Is passionate about supporting people to improve their lives and tackling poverty

• Is an excellent communicator, able to engage and motivate people from diverse backgrounds

• Has strong organisational skills and can manage multiple activities effectively

• Is confident using IT systems, including creating documents and spreadsheets

• Has experience (or a strong interest) in training, supporting, or supervising others

You will work closely with the management team to coordinate Leicester South Foodbank activities, while providing day-to-day support to volunteers and staff.

This role may also involve driving our vans to collect and deliver donations and emergency food, so a full UK driving licence and willingness to drive is required.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to make a real difference in your community—supporting people in crisis and helping ensure vital services reach those who need them most.

If you are motivated to support your community and want to be part of a committed and compassionate team, we would love to hear from you.

Ref: PCR-261

Are you a proactive and community-focused individual with a passion for supporting people facing financial hardship? Do you have experience working in customer-facing environments and the ability to motivate volunteers while building strong local partnerships?

If so, St Giles Trust is looking for a Pantri Coordinator to lead the day-to-day running of our Colwyn Bay Pantri and help support local individuals and families experiencing food poverty.

About St Giles Trust 
An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes and the right support they need. Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others.

About the service
Pantri Cymru provides a positive and practical response to food poverty by supporting individuals and families on low incomes to access affordable, nutritious food through a membership scheme.

More than a food provision service, the Pantri acts as a community hub where people can access wider support, improve wellbeing and build connections within their local community. Working closely with local partners, businesses and volunteers, the service helps tackle food poverty, reduce health inequalities and connect people to opportunities that can improve their lives.

About this key role
You will coordinate the day-to-day operation of the Colwyn Bay Pantri, ensuring the service runs smoothly, safely and effectively while creating a welcoming and supportive environment for members, volunteers and partners.

You will play a key role in developing local partnerships, supporting volunteers and helping individuals access practical and emotional support that improves wellbeing and resilience.

You will:

• Manage the daily operation of the Pantri, including stock management, income recording and membership administration
• Recruit, support and motivate volunteers to help deliver a high-quality service
• Build and maintain positive relationships with local businesses, community organisations and referral partners
• Promote the Pantri within the local community and coordinate engagement and promotional activities
• Support individuals and families with practical issues and signpost them to appropriate services and support
• Work closely with local partners to develop the Pantri as a community hub for wider support
• Ensure compliance with health and safety, safeguarding and food safety requirements
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to project monitoring and reporting
• Work collaboratively with partner organisation Adferiad to maximise outcomes for local people
• Support the promotion of the service in line with St Giles Trust's Welsh Language Policy

What we are looking for

• Experience working in a customer-facing, retail, community or support-based environment
• Ability to lead, motivate, train and support volunteers
• Ability to build positive relationships with people from diverse backgrounds
• Knowledge and awareness of the barriers faced by people experiencing poverty and disadvantage
• Strong organisational and administrative skills
• Ability to work independently and use initiative
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Commitment to safeguarding and maintaining professional boundaries
• Strong IT skills, including experience using Microsoft Office applications

Please note a basic DBS check is required for this role.

In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, clinical therapist sessions, life insurance (4 x annual salary), duvet days, season ticket loan, employee perks programme, eye care voucher and much more.

We are an equity and inclusion confident employer. We welcome all applications and we particularly encourage applications from people of the global majority (black, brown, multi- heritage) and those who identify as disabled, neuroexpansive, neurodiverse, with any protected characteristics and/or social barriers or challenges. We value the empowering and informative impact that all lived experiences and diversity of thought can offer the organisation.

St Giles will guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria set out in the Job Description for the vacancy.

Closing date: 06 July 2026 at 9AM

We’re looking for a highly organised and proactive Programme Coordinator to lead the day-to-day delivery of our GCSE resits support programme across a portfolio of partner colleges in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role where you’ll act as the main point of contact for students, tutors and college staff, helping to ensure programmes run smoothly, students stay engaged, and delivery meets a high standard.

What you’ll be doing

• Coordinating the delivery of programmes across partner colleges
• Building strong relationships with college staff, tutors and students
• Monitoring student enrolment, attendance and engagement
• Supporting tutors to deliver high-quality sessions
• Overseeing logistics such as timetabling, reporting and day-to-day problem solving
• Maintaining a regular on-site presence in colleges and ensuring effective communication with stakeholders
• Contributing to continuous improvement and helping to drive strong outcomes for learners

About you

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised, responsive and able to manage multiple priorities
• A confident communicator who can build strong relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of delivery
• Calm and solutions-focused when challenges arise
• Motivated by improving outcomes for young people
• Detail-oriented, with strong administrative and IT skills

Experience in programme coordination, education, youth support or partnership working would be valuable. An understanding of the further education or charity sector would be helpful, but is not essential.

Role details

• Location: Cardiff/ hybrid remote, with regular travel to partner colleges (minimum three days on site per week)
• Hours: Full-time, with flexibility available
• Salary: £28,000
• Contract: Permanent

This role would suit someone who enjoys combining relationship management, coordination and operational delivery in a role with clear social impact.

We’re looking for a highly organised and proactive Programme Coordinator to lead the day-to-day delivery of our GCSE resits support programme across a portfolio of partner colleges in Birmingham.

This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role where you’ll act as the main point of contact for students, tutors and college staff, helping to ensure programmes run smoothly, students stay engaged, and delivery meets a high standard.

What you’ll be doing

• Coordinating the delivery of programmes across partner colleges
• Building strong relationships with college staff, tutors and students
• Monitoring student enrolment, attendance and engagement
• Supporting tutors to deliver high-quality sessions
• Overseeing logistics such as timetabling, reporting and day-to-day problem solving
• Maintaining a regular on-site presence in colleges and ensuring effective communication with stakeholders
• Contributing to continuous improvement and helping to drive strong outcomes for learners

About you

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised, responsive and able to manage multiple priorities
• A confident communicator who can build strong relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of delivery
• Calm and solutions-focused when challenges arise
• Motivated by improving outcomes for young people
• Detail-oriented, with strong administrative and IT skills

Experience in programme coordination, education, youth support or partnership working would be valuable. An understanding of the further education or charity sector would be helpful, but is not essential.

Role details

• Location: Birmingham / hybrid remote, with regular travel to partner colleges (minimum three days on site per week)
• Hours: Full-time, with flexibility available
• Salary: £28,000
• Contract: Permanent

This role would suit someone who enjoys combining relationship management, coordination and operational delivery in a role with clear social impact.

This exciting role links our 350+ community organisations that receive food from us — known as our Community Food Members (CFMs) — with our thriving and fast-paced food operation. As the Food & Membership Operations Coordinator, you will work across the charity with the Food, Membership and Warehouse Teams, as well as our large and diverse volunteer community, to ensure CFM organisations receive a smooth, reliable and high-quality service each week.

The purpose of this role is to strengthen the connection between food supply, warehouse capacity and member demand. Acting as a key cross-functional coordinator, you will help ensure that surplus food flows efficiently into the organisation and out to the communities who need it. You will support both food-sourcing and membership functions, helping resolve issues quickly, improving communication, maintaining accurate data, and ensuring operational plans are aligned across teams.

Reporting to the Food Manager, with a dotted line to the Membership Manager, this role is central to improving collaboration across the organisation and ensuring FareShare South West delivers a safe, efficient and impactful service to frontline community organisations across the region.

1) Cross-Functional Coordination

• Support daily and weekly communication between Food, Membership and Operations regarding supply and membership demand 
• Maintain awareness of the food pipeline, providing timely updates on incoming supply, changes, restraints, gluts or shortages.
• Assist the Food Manager and Membership Managers with aligning food allocation planning to member needs, operational realities and transport schedules.
• Help coordinate solutions to operational challenges (e.g., quality issues, storage constraints, cancellations, short-dated stock).

2) Food Sourcing Support

• Support the Food Manager with local food sourcing activity, particularly in administration, supplier updates and basic relationship maintenance.
• Be a point of contact for day-to-day supplier communication, ensuring timely responses and accurate information flow
• Help maintain accurate sourcing records and documentation, including volumes, quality notes and engagement history.
• Support awareness-raising activities about FSSW’s surplus redistribution capability (e.g., events, promotional updates).
• Assist with capturing local supply opportunities and best practice shared through the FareShare Network and escalating them to the Food Manager.
• Help coordinate truck logistics schedules in partnership with Operations ensuring incoming food is aligned with capacity.
• Assist with food safety and compliance tasks related to local sourcing (e.g., documentation updates, supplier follow-up, recall administration) under direction from the Food Manager.

3) Member Support & Service Delivery

• Support member onboarding, offboarding, account updates, queries, complaints and general membership administration.
• Lead on resolving daily member-facing issues, including food quality concerns and product recalls, escalating where appropriate.
• Support food allocation writing, ensuring allocations reflect supply, need and warehouse capacity.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date member information, including delivery instructions, profiles and seasonal variations.
• Support membership-related campaigns, events and targeted projects (e.g., HAF, bolt-on models, piloted services).
• Communicate supply changes, special offers and gluts/shortages clearly to members in coordination with relevant teams.

4) Data, CRM & Reporting

• Maintain accurate member records in Salesforce and ensure data integrity across systems.
• Support reporting for funders, SLT and internal operational updates, including supply, allocations, member engagement and service metrics.
• Track and summarise recurring issues (e.g., cancellations, quality problems, demand spikes) to support decision-making.
• Contribute to KPI monitoring across both Membership and Food functions.

5) Compliance, Food Safety & Member Standards

• Operate in accordance with the FareShare Food Safety Manual and maintain required training.
• Support documentation for community food member (CFM) compliance, including kitchen checks, food safety standards and follow-up actions.
• Conduct in-person compliance visits with member organisations as required.
• Provide administrative support for product recalls, safety notices and compliance related communication.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience or knowledge working in an operational, coordination or customer/member support role
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Confidence working with data and digital systems
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, able to coordinate across teams and externally

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in food sourcing, logistics, warehousing or surplus food redistribution, or an understanding of how food supply chains operate.
• Knowledge of food safety, warehouse processes or compliance requirements, or a willingness to develop this expertise.
• Experience using Salesforce, or similar CRM systems, with confidence managing data integrity and reporting.
• Experience working in a charity, community food environment or membership-based service
• Ability to build strong working relationships across internal teams and with external partners, suppliers or community groups.
• Comfortable representing the organisation externally
• Experience supporting projects or campaigns, including administration, coordination and communication tasks.
• Attention to detail in compliance-related work

Position

This is an exciting opportunity for a driven and experienced face-to-face fundraising Manager with Festivals and Events experience who thrives in fast-paced environments and is passionate about both performance and purpose. You’ll lead, coach and inspire teams on the ground at some of the UK’s most vibrant festivals and events, while also playing a key role in shaping the future of our F2F programme—contributing ideas, improving ways of working, and driving innovation across delivery, training and operations. Ideal candidates will combine strong operational and people management skills with resilience, adaptability and a commitment to high standards of safeguarding and supporter engagement. In return, you’ll join a globally respected humanitarian organisation, directly connect the public with MSF’s life-saving work, and have the opportunity to influence and grow a programme that is central to our income and impact.

Hours: Full-Time (37.5 hours per week) This role is not limited to Monday–Friday and will require regular weekend work. Variable days over festival season including overnights and weekends

Duration: Fixed term - 12 months

Location: London - hybrid, and on-site at festivals across the UK

Salary: £41,902.62 - £51,214.32 per annum | Salary is offered in line with our pay framework and typically starts at the entry point of the band. Salary increases are considered annually and are subject to our appraisal and performance review process.

Job Purpose:

Manage the on-site delivery of MSF UK’s Face-to-Face (F2F) fundraising activity across Festivals and Events, ensuring high-performing, safe and professional fundraising operations that maximise income and public engagement.

Provide day-to-day management and development of Team Leaders, Fundraisers and Coordinator-level roles, driving performance through coaching, monitoring and clear accountability against targets.

Coordinate and deliver on-site operational and logistics activity across up to 60 festivals and events annually, working in close partnership with the Logistics Manager, who is responsible for logistics planning and infrastructure.

Act as the most senior on-site representative for MSF, ensuring all festival and event activity runs smoothly, maintaining strong relationships with event organisers, suppliers and stakeholders, and ensuring a high-quality, self-sufficient operational presence.

Work closely with the F2F Programme Lead and wider F2F management team to deliver the Festivals and Events plan, contribute to programme development and support the ongoing growth of the events portfolio.

Support the recruitment, onboarding and effective deployment of F2F agency workers and MSF UK staff, ensuring teams are equipped to deliver high-quality fundraising and meet performance expectations.

Take responsibility for on-site operational planning, including rota management and oversight of timesheet accuracy, ensuring effective resource allocation across activity.

Ensure all team activity adheres to MSF’s standards for behaviour, safeguarding, safety and compliance, creating a positive and professional working environment.

Outside of festival periods, take responsibility for the delivery of Private Sites activity, maintaining the same standards of leadership, performance and target achievement. The role is accountable for delivering annual Festivals and Events income targets and contributes to the overall success of the Face-to-Face programme.

Main purpose of job:To work in the Navigator team supporting individuals who have or are experiencing sexual violence and or sexual abuse. As a first contact worker, you will act as a gateway to both specialist counselling and advocacy services and additional specialist support services in Essex. You will use your considerable experience to provide a high-quality telephone information and support service.

The support you deliver will help individuals on their pathway to wellbeing, recovery, and social inclusion through building trusting and collaborative relationships. You will guide users to make informed decisions about their own wellbeing, maximising their independence and engaging in appropriate community or clinical resources/interventions.

You will work within a team of first contact navigators under the supervision of a service lead. You will be highly motivated and dedicated, have strong communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to work under minimal supervision.

Start date: As soon as possible (subject to Enhanced DBS Check and satisfactory references).

Salary:£26,496 - £28,845 (NJC Scales 12-17) per annum, pro-rata.

Contract: This will be a permanent contract.

Hours: 35 hours per week.  

Place of work: CARA premises in Colchester and some remote home working if a suitable environment is available.  Some travel to other locations in Essex may be required, particularly during the induction period.

Holiday: 25 days per year, pro-rata, plus additional closure days between Christmas and New Year.

To apply: Please complete the application form, which can be downloaded from our website, explaining how your skills and experience relate to the person specification.

Applications must specifically address each essential and desirable criteria, giving evidence from previous experience or qualifications. 

Application deadline:  10am Friday 24th July 2026 

Interviews:  Week beginning 3rd August 2026

Start date: Immediate, subject to receipt of satisfactory references and enhanced DBS check.

Mandatory Training Dates: To be confirmed.

This post is restricted to women applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1

Job Description

The First Contact Navigator posts will play a central role in the CARA team, ensuring that our service users and other agencies receive a high-quality service from the moment of first contact. You will work as part of a wider team of First Contact Navigators across Essex, based at our Synergy Essex Partner centres. The post liaises with clients, the CARA team and external agencies, providing advice, support and information.

The First Contact Navigator will engage with individuals who are experiencing, or who have experienced, sexual violence and or sexual abuse who require information, signposting and short-term support.  You will be the first contact and conduct first meetings, managing your own caseload and co-ordinating personalised support for individuals on their pathway to wellbeing. You will have strong communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to work under minimal supervision. You will support people who use CARA services to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, maximising their independence and engaging in appropriate community or clinical resources. You will work collaboratively with service users, the CARA team and other professional agencies to navigate and coordinate services.  

At the outset, the main responsibilities of the post will be:

• To act as a first point of contact for new referrals and enquiries, providing information, emotional support, advice and signposting.
• To complete first contact calls and assessments with clients over the telephone, assessing client needs and suitabilty for services.
• To ensure information about new referrals/enquiries is accurately recorded on CARA’s database in real time.
• To work collaboratively and build trust with service users, agencies, personal and professional support networks to collate relevant information to effect individualised support requirements.
• To assess and engage service users not currently engaged in appropriate specialist sexual violence services.
• To seek and respond to referrals from a variety of internal and external sources.
• To assist survivors and relatives/supporters of survivors in understanding the range of resources and services available to them.
• To support service users to engage effectively with appropriate services to meet their individual needs and aspirations.
• To identify and respond to any safeguarding concerns
• To work as a link between clients, CARA staff and external agencies, ensuring appropriate information is passed on.
• To work closely with the Essex-wide team of First Contact Navigators and Information and Referral Coordinators to ensure effective referral processes across Essex.
• To act as a point of contact for external agencies making referrals to CARA, answering queries about our referral process.
• To cover the enquiry line and the office phone and deal with enquiries as required.
• To pro-actively promote CARA’s services to external agencies, ensuring they are aware of our referral procedures.
• To contribute to development of promotional information, to ensure information about the referral process is clear and accessible.
• To attend regular team meetings and to work with colleagues to further the objectives of CARA.
• To adhere in full to all CARA’s organisational policies and procedures, including safeguarding procedures.
• To report to the Service Engagement Manager, Head of Operations, CEO and Trustees as required, including the production of regular written reports.
• To be administratively self-servicing.
• To undertake any other related activities as required by the Head of Operations, CEO or the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

About CARA

CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs. 

CARA is a registered charity working with adults of all genders, young people and children from across mid and north Essex.  We have a head office in Colchester and outreach premises in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow and Harwich.  We also provide remote services.

CARA seeks to be an inclusive organisation that actively encourages, supports and values diversity amongst both our service-users and our workers.  We wish to create a culture in which discrimination, in all its forms, is recognised and addressed.

You can read more about CARA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion here. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.

About Synergy Essex

CARA is part of Synergy Essex – the Essex Rape and Sexual Abuse Partnership. We work closely with SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis) to deliver the contract for the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex for services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse across Essex.