Charity director jobs

The Community Fundraising team supported by an incredible team of volunteers, stewards some of our most dedicated supporters, who organise events and bring their networks together to raise up to six figure sums. We build long lasting relationships with individuals as well as community groups, schools and corporate organisations to raise millions for the Charity every year.

As Senior Community Fundraising Manager you will lead a team to grow income raised through community supporters, including individuals, local groups, schools and corporate organisations. and manage our volunteering programme.

You’ll be a highly skilled relationship manager and will play a key role in strengthening stewardship within the Community Fundraising team. You will also deliver first class stewardship to some of our most dedicated community fundraising supporters and engage with new supporters to raise five and six figure sums.

You will be a high performing fundraiser with experience of delivering income growth through effective relationship management. You will be driven and dynamic and relish the opportunity to help achieve our ambitious goals.

What we offer  

• Hybrid working between home and Sutton with occasional travel to Chelsea. 

• Flexible working around our core hours of 10am to 4pm 

• 27 days annual leave rising with length of service 

• Up to 6% employer contributions subject to matched contribution from you (increasing with length of service) 

• Training, support and development opportunities 

• Access to the blue light discount scheme and other discounts opportunities 

• Access to subsidised staff restaurants, on-site yoga and wellbeing classes, staff choir and much more 

• Range of wellbeing initiatives including access to an employee assistance programme designed to save money and improve your physical, financial and mental health and wellbeing, access to free online GP appointments and free eye tests and contribution towards any glasses required for work purposes 

Inclusion matters  

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and walks of life. 

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, we’d love to hear from you. 

Please apply with a CV and cover letter of no more than two pages, setting out how you meet the criteria in the person specification. 

Please note: To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately, once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications. 

Research is at the heart of our charitable objectives at Sarcoma UK. The charity provides funding for research to understand sarcoma better, improve treatments and ultimately, make a difference to the lives of people affected by sarcoma. Since 2009, we’ve funded more than 100 projects, representing an investment of more than £10 million.

The Research Officer role enjoys a varied workload and brings the opportunity to work with autonomy and develop new skills within a friendly and dynamic team. You will work on a broad range of projects, including being involved with our grant management processes, working closely with the Research Manager and Director of Research, Policy and Support. The post-holder will also work closely with other departments across the charity, including producing engaging research communications content for print, online and social media, and will also have the opportunity to interact with senior researchers, clinicians and people affected by sarcoma.

This is an ideal role for someone with a scientific background and an active interest in research management, and it offers the opportunity to make a real impact for people affected by sarcoma and their families.

At Sarcoma UK, we are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, communities and experiences. We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Benefits

• Flexible working options including hybrid working
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• 25 days holiday entitlement per annum plus bank holidays and the working days between Christmas and New Year
• Additional day off for your birthday
• Health and wellbeing:
  • Health Cash Plan
  • Therapy sessions
  • Wellbeing Group

Our Values

• Pioneering we are leading the way to a better future for the sarcoma community.
• Together we are creating a community to make a difference for all those affected by sarcoma.
• Expert we use our expertise in understanding sarcoma to deliver better outcomes.

Duties and Key Responsibilites 

Sarcoma UK’s research programme

• To support Sarcoma UK’s grant application processes under guidance from the Research Manager. This will include calls for proposals, identifying expert peer reviewers, administering a high-quality peer and lay review process, communication with applicants and potential applicants, administration of grant awards and supporting patient involvement.
• To provide support to the Grant Review Panel and Research Strategy Committee, including organising meetings and preparing minutes.
• To manage Sarcoma UK’s portfolio of active research grants, under guidance from the Research Manager. This will include use of grant management software for administration of newly awarded grants, monitoring progress of current grants, oversight of grant finances and reporting on final outputs.
• To support opportunities for patient involvement within the research programme, including managing a network of lay reviewers and facilitating new opportunities, with support from the Involvement and Volunteering Coordinator.
• To support new developments in Sarcoma UK’s research programme, including organising and attending events, collaborative funding calls and initiatives to support early career researchers.

Research Impact and Communications

• To monitor and gather outputs and long-term impact of research grants funded by Sarcoma UK and support in ensuring these are shared with internal and external audiences.
• To plan and produce engaging and reactive and proactive communications about sarcoma research, including website, social media, written and video content, working with the Research Manager and Communications Team to ensure our research activities and outcomes are shared with the sarcoma community and wider public.
• To proactively engage with grant holders to gather impactful insights and to support engaging communication about sarcoma research.
• To regularly review and update Sarcoma UK’s website with progress updates on research grants and promote funding opportunities.
• To support work undertaken by the Fundraising Team where required, such as lab tours and supplying information about funded grants for donor reports.

External relationships

• To be a point of contact for Sarcoma UK grant holders and their host institutions.
• To maintain positive relationships with Sarcoma UK’s research panels, potential grant applications, researchers and clinicians, and the wider sarcoma research community.
• To work directly with a range of people personally affected by sarcoma to place the voice of lived experience at the heart of our research programme.

General

• To support the integration of the research programme across Sarcoma UK.
• Attend Sarcoma UK events and contribute to the wider work of Sarcoma UK.
• Travel occasionally to meetings and events. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required (time off in lieu will be given).
• Work flexibly and collaboratively in a dynamic environment, undertaking other duties as required to support the wider operations of Sarcoma UK.

HCPT is seeking a visionary and results-driven Strategic Director of Fundraising and Communications to lead the organisation’s income growth from £650,000 to over £2 million by October 2028. This role is pivotal in shaping and delivering a multi-stream fundraising strategy and a compelling communications approach that amplifies HCPT’s mission and impact.

The Strategic Director of Fundraising and Communications will ensure that HCPT’s mission is visible, engaging for our existing and new pilgrims and supporters and is well funded to ensure we can deliver THE BEST pilgrimage experience we can offer as defined and measured by our beneficiaries and volunteers.

This is a senior role in volunteer-led organisation and as such the successful postholder will be required to exercise flexibility with evening and weekend work to meet the business needs of the charity, given the availability of our volunteer leaders who have professional commitments during the day.

Director of Fundraising and Development (Maternity cover)

Reporting to: CEO as part of the Senior Leadership team
Direct reports: Head of Business Development, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Head of Individual Giving and Engagement, Head of Major Giving, Department Coordinator Location of work: Remote/ Home based with travel to London and occasional UK travel.
Contract Length: 18 months Maternity Cover
Contract Type: Proposed full-time, 35 hours per week; 28 hours per week or 35 hours compressed may be considered. The role may require occasional evening and weekend work.

Salary: £80,000 - £85,000

BACKGROUND
Magic Breakfast’s mission is to end child morning hunger in the UK now and for good. The latest research suggests that the number of children and young people at risk of hunger has rocketed to 2.7 million, meaning that one in five children don’t have enough to eat. When a child is too hungry to learn, they struggle to concentrate, absorb information, and manage big emotions, causing them to fall behind in their studies.
Magic Breakfast provides a nutritious and filling breakfast to over 300,000 children and young people every school day. We work with schools in areas of high disadvantage, helping staff target the children most in need without barrier or stigma. We are now at an exciting point in our journey as we launch Nourishing Futures, our long-term strategy, which capitalises on market changes and government commitments to scale our work, while redefining breakfast spaces not just as places to eat, but as places to thrive.

JOB PURPOSE
The Director of Fundraising and Development (Maternity Cover) will provide strategic leadership and direction across all fundraising and income-generating activities, ensuring the charity continues to deliver against its financial objectives and accelerates long-term, sustainable growth across our philanthropic, public, and commercial income streams.
You will bring strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills to equip, support, and empower the team through a period of organisational change. You will help the team optimise and make the most of the new organisational strategy, embedding strategic focus, effective decision-making, and collaborative leadership practices across the fundraising leadership group.

You will use your commercial acumen and fundraising expertise to identify opportunities and support the team to recognise, shape, and pursue them confidently and effectively, enabling them to take ownership and drive progress across all income streams. A key part of the role will be ensuring that new commercial and public sector income streams are recognised, understood, and capitalised on across the organisation, working closely with the newly established Head of Business Development to embed this focus and enable them to succeed in driving this work forward.
Working closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will play a crucial role in maintaining momentum, ensuring continuity, and supporting the organisation to deliver the new strategy and business plan, helping to realise opportunities, navigate challenges, and ensure long-term sustainability during this maternity cover period.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Driving income growth: establishing high-performing income pipelines across all income streams, with a strong multi-year focus, supported by robust data, reporting, and pipeline management.
• Integrating and accelerating public sector and commercial income streams: Ensuring newly integrated income areas are understood, valued and operational across the organisation.
• Embedding and executing a unified, co-owned fundraising and development strategy: Partnering with the CEO, SLT and Board to embed strategic focus, ensure integration, and alignment with organisational goals.
• Strengthening leadership, culture and team performance: Providing coaching-based leadership, direction, support and empowerment, helping the team thrive and achieve ambitious income targets across philanthropic, public sector and commercial streams.
• Advance cross-organisational impact, insight and influence: ensuring fundraising and development is tightly integrated with organisational strategy, marketing/engagement, service delivery and external influencing.

For more information on the role or to apply please contact:

Katie Booth | peridot partners| email and phone number can be found on the website link 

Simon Callaghan | peridot partners | email and phone number can be found on the website link 

Timetable

Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 12th January 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: By 5 p.m. Tuesday 13th January 2026
First stage interviews: Friday 16th January 2026 (Online)
Second stage interviews: Tuesday 20th January 2026 (In person, London)

We are seeking an inspiring and strategic Director to lead Heart of the City through its next phase of development. You will work closely with the Board to set strategic priorities, oversee all operations, and ensure the charity continues to deliver impactful programmes for SMEs. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading Heart of the City as an independent charity, both within and outside the City of London Corporation.
• Developing and delivering annual and three-year business plans, reporting progress to the Board, Council of Members, and funders.
• Managing a budget, and driving business development - diversifying income streams, while maintaining the charity’s vision and objectives.
• Embedding robust impact measurement across all streams of work.
• Representing Heart of the City at senior levels across public, private, and third sectors, and building relationships with key stakeholders.

This exciting new project has emerged following consultation and engagement work in 2025 across central government, Local Authorities, regional London-wide partners, Young Camden, Young Brent and Young Westminster Foundations, and the local voluntary sectors.

The result is an innovative, co-funded project, seeking to work in new ways for the benefit of young people at risk of serious youth violence in this part of NW London. This role will coordinate all aspects of the management of this programme, driving high quality delivery and outcomes. 

The focus of this collaboration is to tackle Serious Youth Violence and promote youth safety across the stretch of NW London from Kilburn High Road (Brent & Camden), through Queen’s Park (Brent & Westminster) which covers three boroughs. This part of London has been a hotspot for serious youth violence for many years, for young people both based in these communities and passing through. Tackling the issues in this part of North West London has always been a challenge, as the area is split across Local Authority lines. The area also features high levels of serious violence involving young people, both committing offences and also being victims of them (often interlinked). This is coupled with high levels of poverty and inequality, and also features relatively fewer youth opportunities than elsewhere in these boroughs.

As part of the project, the Local Authorities of each area are contributing funds over the next three years to fund collaborative and cross-borough projects that will support the safety of children and young people in this community. The project is funded by John Lyon’s Charity.

The project recognises that many of the challenges in this part of London are structural, but is motivated by the hope that key partners working together in new and different ways can help to breakdown some of the barriers that interrupt effective intervention and prevention.

The project does not seek to reinvent the wheel, and instead seeks to leverage the existing connections, expertise, partnerships and projects already happening within local areas.

Please see summary details below: 

Job title: Programme Director, Youth Safety Programme (NW London)

Location: YCF office, with travel across central and North West London

Reporting to: CEO, Young Camden Foundation  

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week), with some out of hours work / visits occasionally required, at least 3-4 days pw required in person

Salary: £46,000-£46,000 p.a. (depending on experience)

Start date: ASAP, ideally January 2026

Contract type: Fixed term (three years)

Please download the application pack for full details of this role. 

Salary - £41,445 - £48,352
Hours - Full-time
Benefits - Excellent package including 27 days annual leave + bank holidays

We believe that people’s sight matters and wish to strengthen our committed and passionate team by appointing a grants officer to our grants and research team.

We are the main grant-making and fundraising charity for Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Moorfields) and its academic partner UCL (in particular the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology), two world-leading institutions. The majority of our support funds innovation and research into eye health, and we have an emphasis on building capacity and developing the careers of researchers and clinicians.

We have ambitious plans. We have put into action a five-year business plan that is supporting our growth from raising and funding around £6 million annually to becoming a £10 million a year charity.

This is an exciting opportunity for a grants officer to bring enthusiasm and experience to our dedicated team, following robust and effective processes to select and award the most impactful projects and programmes, and collaborating with a number of varied stakeholders.

About the role

You will be joining a friendly and supportive grants and research team who are committed to ensuring the charity has robust grant making mechanisms to determine best use of charitable funding together with monitoring and evaluating projects and programmes. 

You will be the primary point of contact for applicants and other stakeholders throughout the grant management process, ensuring they are supported and managed in a professional and timely manner. This would include communicating feedback to applicants on funding proposals following decision making. You will support development of content that advertises funding opportunities and showcases the impact of the charity's funding.

Our close proximity, and working relationships, with Moorfields and its academic partner UCL (in particular the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) are very important to this role. A successful candidate will enjoy working with academics, clinicians and other hospital staff, supporting their engagement with, and applications to, our funding programmes.

About you

You will have ambition to develop or expand your career in grants management within a growing grant-making charity. You will have a qualification in a biomedical sciences/health subject. 

• You will also have research experience in an academic or clinical setting and an understanding of research funding processes in a grant-making charity.
• You will be an excellent communicator, able to build confident working relationships at all levels. An ability to network and liaise with scientific, clinical and research communities will be key to your success in this role.

To apply

Your application should include your CV and your cover letter response (up to 500 words in total) to the following questions:

› What attracts you to this role and Moorfields Eye Charity?
› How your experience applies to this role?

If you think you could do the role, but don’t have all the desirable experience, we would still welcome an application from you.

The closing date for applications is Monday 19 January 2026.

Interviews are expected to be between 2 and 13 February 2026.

Director of Mission and Evangelism

The successful candidate will come to serve alongside me and our other leaders. They will bring significant knowledge and
understanding of the Anglican church, the challenges and opportunities it faces in evangelism to those on the margins, and a creative empowering approach to answering those challenges. As Church Army continues its journey of significant strategic reshaping, you would play a vital role in shaping the vision and strategy and then leading the work of Church Army for the next season of ministry. As Church Army reorientates itself towards a much stronger focus on training and equipping for evangelism on the margins, the new Director will be able to demonstrate both understanding and experience in this area. You will also be able to demonstrate an ability to engage in the wider work of the Anglican church, as we seek to work in closer partnership on numbers of projects.

Matt Barlow
CEO, Church Army.

Director of Operations

Lead with Purpose. Shape the Future of Christian Care.

Pilgrims’ Friend Society has been providing Christian care to older people for over 200 years. Today, as the UK faces an unprecedented ageing population, we are growing to meet the challenge and we need an exceptional leader to help us deliver our vision of fulfilled living for older people.

We operate 12 care homes and 9 housing schemes across England, with ambitious plans to expand to 15 homes and beyond. Our mission is clear: to provide outstanding care rooted in Christian values, and to partner with local churches so that older people experience dignity, community, and the love of Christ.

About the Role

As Director of Operations, you will:

• Lead and oversee our portfolio of established care homes and housing schemes.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, quality of care, and financial sustainability.
• Drive operational excellence, innovation, and efficiency through systems and processes.
• Work closely with our Executive Team to deliver our Growth and Renewal Programme, including new builds and acquisitions.
• Inspire and develop a talented team of managers and operational leaders.

This is a senior leadership role with significant influence on the future of our organisation and the lives of hundreds of older people.

About You

• We are looking for a strategic, values-driven leader who brings:
• Significant experience in adult social care operations or a closely related sector.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory, Health & Safety, and compliance frameworks.
• Proven ability to deliver quality and financial targets at scale.
• A collaborative leadership style, with a commitment to developing people and culture.

A personal Christian faith and alignment with our basis of faith(a genuine occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010).

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a growing organisation with a clear vision and calling.
• Influence how society values older people and supports churches in ministry.
• Work in a culture that prioritises prayer, faith, and excellence.
• Competitive salary, generous holiday, pension scheme, and life assurance.

Commercial Sales Manager

Full time – 37.5 hours per week

Annual Salary £43,931 plus car allowance/travel expenses £3,400 p.a plus excellent benefits

Location – Remote (Post holder will be expected to be based within the Midlands /Southern Region)

Are you an experienced sales professional looking to use your skills to work within a meaningful and rewarding environment?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing charity as we have ambitious plans to grow our income so that we can develop and deliver our services to help our fire families. To do this, we are seeking a Commercial Sales Manager to join our Commercial Sales team to be at the forefront of our commercial strategy, driving revenue and profitability across our range of commercial activities.  

Playing a key part in managing and developing client relationships, this role is ideal for someone who thrives on building relationships. It’s a pivotal role with a focus on diversifying and increasing our income, identifying new business opportunities whilst ensuring the sales strategy is aligned with charity goals.

This is a visible, field-based role with a requirement to travel across the UK, working closely across the charity with other team members and externally with our partners, ensuring efforts are aligned, providing feedback to influence our product and service offerings.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• a proven track record of meeting and exceeding sales targets 
• strong commercial acumen
• the ability to analyse markets trends and competitor activity, proactively identifying new and exciting opportunities for us to explore
• excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build new and strengthen existing relationships
• competent market research, report writing and financial analysis skills and will use these to support your activities and contribute to the overall business reporting environment.

This role will work across the UK and therefore a flexible approach is required to support our commercial activities and there will be some occasional evening and weekend working as required within the scope of the role.

The post is subject to a disclosure check with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community. When recruiting our new team members, regardless of the role, we are looking for people who share our values.

How to apply

Please apply through our recruitment portal, providing both a CV and a covering letter which clearly outlines why you are interested in joining our team and how your skills and experience fulfil our criteria for this role.

More information about us and the role can be found on our website. If you would like to arrange an informal call to discuss the role please contact Rebecca Webster, Organisational Development & People Partner. 

The closing date for applications to be received is 9am on 16 January 2026.

First stage interviews will take place via MS Teams w/c 27 January 2026, with second in-person interviews to take place on 3 February 2026 (Please note this will be held at one of our centre locations) where a presentation will be required.

We reserve the right to close this role early should we receive a sufficient number of applications. Due to the number of applications we receive, regrettably we are unable to contact applicants who are not shortlisted for interview. If you do not hear from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application was not successful this time.

Director of Transformation (DDaT)

A leading national charity is seeking an Interim Director of Transformation (DDaT) to guide the organisation through a crucial 18 month period of modernisation. This is a senior mandate suited to someone with broad technology leadership experience in fundraising charities of around 100–250 employees, and the capability to drive major transformation programmes to completion, including a significant CRM migration and the development of a modern data platform.

In this role, you’ll take responsibility for ensuring the charity’s technology architecture is coherent, scalable and secure, overseeing key platforms such as Salesforce, Microsoft 365/Azure, and the charity’s evolving data lakehouse. You’ll bring structure to delivery and operations, managing internal teams and external partners, strengthening SLAs, and championing agile ways of working to ensure the organisation receives a high-quality, modern, and responsive technology service.

You’ll also lead the organisation through a substantial period of change, working closely with fundraising, digital, and operational teams to ensure technology aligns with strategic goals, particularly the ambition to scale income and deepen supporter engagement. Strong stakeholder management will be essential, as you will advise senior leaders and the Board on technology, risk, cybersecurity, and organisational readiness, while helping staff navigate a major shift in the charity’s digital and data capability.

Key skills & experience

• Senior, broad technology leadership within fundraising charities or similarly complex NFP environments (approx. 100–250 staff).
• Strong transformation experience across digital, CRM, data platforms, governance, and cloud architecture.
• Proven track record steering major CRM programmes (ideally Salesforce) and evolving modern Microsoft 365/Azure environments.
• Excellent stakeholder and change management capability, with the ability to influence at executive and Board level.

Salary: £100,000 – £120,000

Contract: Interim (18 months + potential to go perm)

Location: London (flexible hybrid working)

Chief Executive Officer - The Brain Charity
Location: Liverpool-based - occasional travel across Merseyside and the UK
Salary: £75,000 per annum + 10% company pension
Contract: permanent, full-time

Are you ready to lead a values-driven charity that supports people affected by neurological conditions and their families across Merseyside and nationally?

The Brain Charity is a Liverpool-based national charity supporting adults, children and their families affected by any of more than 600 neurological and related conditions. Founded in 1993 by neurologists at The Walton Centre, we have grown a centre-based offer, hospital liaison roles and a national information, training and support service - from practical welfare and legal advice, counselling and rehabilitation (Neuro Gym) to peer connection via The Brain Food Café and employer/school training. We put lived experience, co-production and neuro-inclusive practice at the heart of everything we do: more than half of our staff and many of our volunteers have lived experience of neurological conditions.

As our next Chief Executive, you will:

• Strategic leadership: Develop and deliver a 3–5 year strategy and an operational plan with clear priorities that secures the charity’s long-term impact and sustainable growth.
• Values leadership: Model and embed the charity’s person-centred, inclusive and co-productive values across services and culture.
• Growth & income diversification: Lead development of diverse income streams — fundraising, legacies and commercial activity — to strengthen financial resilience.
• Partnerships & advocacy: Strengthen senior relationships with NHS partners, local authorities, commissioners and wider stakeholders; amplify the charity’s voice in neuro-health and community settings.
• Service quality & impact: Embed rigorous outcome measurement, quality assurance and contract compliance so our impact drives commissioning and service development.
• People leadership: Stabilise staff morale, lead and develop a high-performing Senior Leadership Team, and promote wellbeing and inclusive working practices.
• Governance & financial stewardship: Provide timely, high-quality reporting to the Board; oversee budgeting, forecasting and risk management to safeguard financial sustainability.

Who you are:
 

• An experienced Chief Executive or senior director with a minimum of three years’ experience at CEO or equivalent level.
• Proven track record of winning and managing commissioned contracts and delivering against local authority or health contracts.
• Skilled at building strategic partnerships and commanding credibility with senior stakeholders across health, local government and the voluntary sector.
• Confident at leading turnaround and financial sustainability work - experienced in budgeting, forecasting and making difficult decisions when needed.
• A values-led, collaborative leader with high emotional intelligence, resilience and a commitment to co-production and inclusion.

Why The Brain Charity?

• Lead a respected, person-centred organisation with a unique, wide-ranging offer across advice, emotional support, rehabilitation, social connection and national training.
• A high-impact role where you can stabilise the organisation, professionalise fundraising and scale services strategically.
• Liverpool-based centre with hybrid working and national reach — a chance to influence neuro-health practice and commissioning across the UK.

For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via the apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 19th January 2026

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to join Belong’s Senior Leadership Team as Director of Programmes, a pivotal role at the heart of our mission. You will lead the design, delivery, and impact of Belong’s programmes across England and Wales, ensuring they are strategic, inclusive, and evidence-based. Working closely with the CEO and senior colleagues, you will shape programme strategy, oversee complex portfolios, and drive systemic change that strengthens social cohesion nationwide.

As Director of Programmes, you will:

• Lead strategic development and delivery of Belong’s place-based programmes, ensuring alignment with our mission and values.
• Oversee programme design, implementation, evaluation, and learning to guarantee quality and measurable impact.
• Line manage a talented team of Programme Leads and Coordinators, fostering a culture of collaboration and empowerment.
• Apply systems thinking to understand the interconnected nature of community, policy, and service ecosystems.
• Build and maintain high-level partnerships with funders, commissioners, local authorities, and community organisations.
• Represent Belong at national forums, events, and networks, championing our work and influence.
• Identify and pursue new opportunities for programme development and funding, supporting organisational growth.

This is a senior leadership position that combines strategic vision with hands-on delivery. You will play a key role in shaping Belong’s future and ensuring our programmes make a lasting difference to communities across the UK.

About You
We are seeking a visionary and experienced leader with:

• Proven experience in leading complex programme portfolios and delivering impactful initiatives.
• Strong strategic thinking and planning abilities, with a track record of shaping programme strategy.
• Excellent leadership and line management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop teams.
• Experience managing diverse stakeholders, from senior decision-makers to community partners.
• Familiarity with systems change and participatory approaches.
• Understanding of social cohesion, integration, and related social policy issues.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, able to translate complex ideas into accessible messages.
• Highly organised, diplomatic, and politically astute, with experience in income generation and bid development.

Desirable: Experience in areas such as Prevent, PCVE, community tensions, hate crime, or tackling misinformation.

Personal qualities matter too: we’re looking for someone passionate about improving cohesion and integration in the UK, collaborative and inclusive in their leadership style, and committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Why Join Us?
At Belong, you’ll be part of a dynamic, values-driven team united by a shared commitment to creating a more inclusive and connected society. We offer:

• 30 days’ annual leave
• Hybrid working (typically 3 days in the office)
• Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly policies
• Opportunities for professional development and growth

Salary: £65,000–£70,000
Location: UK-wide (regular travel across England and Wales)
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Closing Date: 12 January 2026

About Belong
Belong – The Cohesion and Integration Network is the UK’s leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to building a more united and less divided society. We work with communities, local authorities, and national partners to strengthen trust, belonging, and resilience. Through innovative place-based programmes, research, policy influence, and thought leadership, we help create stronger, kinder, and more connected communities. Our growing membership spans local authorities, charities, civil society, and businesses, and we are proud to champion collaboration, diversity, and evidence-led approaches.

*Our office is based in Manchester and we offer hybrid working for those able to travel there. However, this role is open UK-wide and can be worked remotely, with regular travel across England and Wales required.*

We are seeking a Community Development Officer to lead a major in-progress project improving recognition, support, and care for people with smell and taste disorders at a local level across England. 

This three-year, volunteer-led programme, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund has achieved significant success in its first eighteen months. We are now recruiting a new postholder to take this strong foundation forward through the next phase of delivery. 

Over the past eighteen months, we have recruited and established a thriving network of volunteers and local groups across England. This momentum is expected to continue. The Community Development Officer will work closely with existing volunteers and groups, primarily remotely, while also attending in-person events and meetings in different parts of England as needed. 

The postholder will lead the ongoing recruitment, training, and support of volunteer groups, working with them to identify opportunities for local outreach and engagement. Together, you will ensure that more people affected by smell and taste disorders access the information, support, and recognition they need, while continuing to raise awareness of these often-unrecognised sensory impairments. 

Our volunteer groups bring together people with lived experience alongside experts from the food, beverage and fragrance sectors, and other relevant fields. 

We are looking for a motivated, forward-thinking individual with experience in leading and inspiring others. You will bring energy, creativity, and excellent communication skills to drive the project forward and help build an innovative, sustainable programme of volunteer-led activity, supporting our volunteers to influence change within their communities. 

You will empower volunteers to play an active role in transforming public understanding of how essential smell and taste are to our lives, whether they are running peer support groups, organising local events, delivering talks in community settings, or representing the charity at information days. 

You will join a small, friendly and ambitious team committed to your professional development as the charity continues to grow. 

If you are passionate about making a difference, enjoy working with people, and want to contribute to a pioneering and collaborative organisation that values and empowers its community, we would love to hear from you. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.