Chief operating officer jobs in Oxford, oxfordshire

Location: Remote with regular travel to multiple locations (including Head Office in London)
Contract Type: Full-Time, Standard Contract
Reports to: Executive Headteacher
Responsible for: Curriculum Leads and Teaching Staff
Start Date: 4th January 2027 

Please note: Applicants who successfully pass the initial CV screening will be required to submit a full Equal Education Academy application form in line with KCSIE statutory guidance prior to formal shortlisting and interview.

Interview schedule: 

• Online interview (45mins) - Friday 28th August 2026.

• In-Person Assessment Day (London) - Friday 11th September 2026.

About Equal Education Academy (EEA)

Equal Education is excited to launch a new online academy for Key Stage 4 students, accredited under the DfE’s Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS). We deliver high-quality alternative education tailored for learners facing barriers to education or with complex needs. This includes young people with SEND, SEMH needs, interrupted schooling, Children Looked After, and those requiring specialist or alternative provision.

Guided by our values of Belong, Empower and Aspire, we provide a safe, inclusive, and aspirational environment. We align with DfE guidance and aim to meet OEAS standards, ensuring that safeguarding, particularly online, is the foundation of our culture.

Purpose of the Role

The Head of Centre will provide strategic and operational leadership for Equal Education Academy, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, inclusive, and trauma-informed online provision. Serving as the Academy’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), the postholder will embed safeguarding, inclusion, and wellbeing into all organisational decision-making.

Key responsibilities include leading SEND and safeguarding strategy (including overseeing the Single Central Record)  delivering high-impact staff training, and driving rigorous quality assurance by monitoring and reviewing teaching and learning practices. 

Working collaboratively across the Academy and the wider Equal Education Limited group, the Head of Centre will serve as a vital operational bridge, facilitating seamless collaboration and synergy between Equal Education Academy and Equal Education Limited. Operating at the intersection of both entities, the post-holder is uniquely positioned to identify and leverage cross-group resources, optimising them to drive the growth and development of the Academy. By championing alignment across the ecosystem, this pivotal role ensures that the Academy’s functions, team, and strategic objectives are seamlessly integrated within the wider organisation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Quality of Education

• Support the Executive Headteacher in setting the Academy’s strategic direction and ensuring compliance with OEAS/DfE standards.

• Monitor and review teaching and learning across the Academy, using lesson observations, work scrutiny, and data analysis to drive pedagogical improvement.

• Contribute to the Academy Improvement Plan and lead on inspection readiness and quality assurance activities.

• Lead on developing and implementing a program of CPD and training for new staff. Ensuring the team is aligned under the vision and values of the EE Academy.

• Facilitate operational synergy between Equal Education Academy and Equal Education Limited, leveraging group resources to optimise performance.

2. SEND Leadership (SENCO)

• Coordinate all SEND provision, ensuring the identification, assessment, and effective support of learners with complex needs.

• Oversee EHCP management, annual reviews, and the development of targeted Individual Learning Plans (ILPs).

• Oversee PEP management for Looked After Children

• Champion inclusive pedagogy, ensuring all staff adopt trauma-informed and adaptive teaching strategies.

• Manage multi-agency collaboration with families, local authorities, and external professionals to secure positive learner outcomes.

3. Safeguarding and Wellbeing (DSL)

• Serve as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), maintaining oversight of all safeguarding systems, referrals, and online safety protocols.

• Ensure policies remain compliant with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and best practice.

• Promote a culture of vigilance, ensuring learner wellbeing, attendance, and emotional safety are central to all Academy functions.

• Lead on multi-agency safeguarding processes and provide expert advice to the leadership team.

4. Leadership & Staff Development

• Design and deliver high-impact staff training programs, specifically focusing on safeguarding, online pedagogy, SEND frameworks, and inclusive, trauma-informed practice.

• Lead staff appraisal, coaching, and professional development to ensure high standards of accountability and growth.

• Foster a collaborative, reflective culture, supporting recruitment, induction, and retention.

• Support learner engagement, attendance and successful transition pathways

• Contribute to self-evaluation and school improvement activities

5. Partnership Working, Influence and Professional Representation

• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal stakeholders to drive seamless integration between Equal Education Academy and the wider Equal Education Limited group.Work closely with the Executive Headteacher, Group CEO and relevant members of operational teams to ensure effective collaboration across the group. 

• Develop and sustain effective partnerships with families, schools, local authorities, virtual schools, and external agencies.

• Support policy development, implementation, and review.

• Represent Equal Education at professional meetings, conferences, and external forums.

• Undertake any other duties reasonably directed by the Headteacher or Executive Headteacher.

• Contribute to strategic planning and organisational development, effectively pitching ideas and challenging the status quo.

• Ability to constructively and professionally challenge colleagues and stakeholders at all levels, including leadership as necessary, in the interest of managing risk and developing a quality service offering.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

• National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO). 

• Significant (3 years minimum) senior leadership experience in a school, AP, SEND, or online setting within the last year. 

• Proven experience in designing and delivering whole-school staff training.

• Extensive (1 year minimum) experience as a DSL (safeguarding) and SENCO (SEND provision).

• Deep understanding of KCSIE, the SEND Code of Practice, and OEAS/DfE requirements.

• Experience in reviewing teaching and learning to drive quality improvement.

• Significant experience supporting children and young people with barriers to learning and/or emerging or complex needs, including those with SEND, SEMH needs, interrupted education, Children Looked After, and learners requiring specialist or alternative provision.

• Significant experience supporting learners with EHCPs and complex needs, while coordinating multi-agency support and collaborating effectively with local authorities, schools, and external agencies.

• Experience contributing to quality assurance, school improvement or inspection readiness activities. 

Skills and Attributes

• Strong strategic, operational and project management skills

  • Ability to manage complex projects in an organised manner, develop project plans with effective tracking (e.g. Project Initiation documents, gantt charts,   reporting on key metrics, meeting key milestones and working to budgets). 

  • Ability to lead projects and processes in a collaborative way, identifying and engaging key stakeholders to ensure efficiency and avoid duplication of work across a group business structure. 

  • Demonstrates a commercial mindset, with the ability to articulate business cases, work effectively with budgets and interpret information effectively. 

• Excellent communication: capable of building high-trust relationships with staff, families, and local authorities.

• Resilient, reflective and adaptable. A champion of inclusion: deep commitment to supporting vulnerable learners and EEA’s values.

• Strong organisational skills, data-literate and improvement-focused with the abilities to support and develop colleagues. 

• Analytical mindset, able to challenge own assumptions and adapt based on learnings.

• Up to date educational landscape knowledge and a desire to remain informed of sector shifts and updates.

General

The post-holder will be provided with the technology required to complete their role. Equal Education works exclusively on Apple devices using Google software.

Equal Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All colleagues are expected to share this commitment. The post is subject to Enhanced DBS clearance, right to work in the UK, and two satisfactory professional references (one from the last employer). 

Every young person we support is unique and our team isn’t any different. Our differences are our strength when it comes to providing a tailored, human approach to education. We are proud of our people and provide an environment where everyone can bring their most authentic self to work. 

Our recruitment practices are carried out in line with equal opportunities and all candidates will be reviewed fairly regardless of age, gender reassignment, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.

Job Title:

Victim Support Casework Team Lead 

Salary:

Actual salary is £27,200 per year (FTE £34,000). 

Contract/Hours:

Permanent. 4 days per week / 0.8 FTE. The normal working week is 30 hours.

Annual Leave:

FTE annual leave entitlement is 23 days pro rata plus public and bank holidays. 

Location:

NUM delivers its services UK-wide through a combination of digital resources, remote services and in-person hubs. Staff work on a hybrid basis, with the balance of home and location-based working depending on business needs. This role is primarily remote, with occasional travel possible for meetings, events, and outreach. If you are based in one of our hubs, Glasgow, Manchester or London then this is desirable.

About NUM:

National Ugly Mugs (NUM) is a UK-wide charity which delivers a holistic safety, wellbeing and economic support model for sex workers, combining digital harm prevention, specialist casework, mental health support and pathways to economic stability. Activities are delivered UK-wide via a digital platform, remote services, and in-person hubs. We run a wellbeing drop-in service in Glasgow and other in-person services and events in Manchester and London. We have developed Vocational Support Services for those exploring careers both in and outside of sex industries and we run a Racial Justice project and Youth Justice project that makes visible the lived experiences of harm among racialised and young (18-25) sex workers towards systems change. 

NUM values those with lived experience in sex industries and work with them to shape services and responses, conduct research, develop education packages, and participate in policy advocacy to change the conditions that lead to survival sex work, gain rights and recognition, and improve the safety of UK-based sex workers. 

Background and Responsibilities:

The casework team is at the heart of NUM. We provide vital support from assistance through the criminal justice journey to essential emergency financial support. We are looking for a Casework Team Lead to lead our casework team. If you are driven, have a keen eye for detail, can effectively motivate others in a demanding and emotive area of work with the ability to support people in an empathetic and trauma informed way then this could be the role for you. 

This role will specifically focus on the day-to-day running of the casework team alongside carrying your own caseload. The work involves utilising and monitoring our digital platform and CMS maintaining and monitoring the documentation of cases and coordinating responses to ensure sex workers received the high standard of support they deserve, to prevent and recover from violence as well as seek justice and recourse. The Victim Support Casework Team Lead is responsible for maintaining high standards for all digital, individualised and in-person support provided by the casework team. All responsibilities can be grouped under five umbrella categories. The successful candidate will evidence suitability for the role based on the strength areas below:

1) Management: Manage the operations and administration associated with victim and vocational support casework. 

2) Leadership: Lead and motivate the team of national case workers towards service excellence. The best leaders can also be led. The successful candidate will value the lived and learned experiences on the casework team and ensure that everyone works to their strengths and strives for the best outcomes for sex workers. 

3) High Standards: Support good performance and quality outcomes for sex workers.

4) Creative and Innovative: Ability to strategise and problem-solve. Sex workers experience forms of violence before and after accessing support. At NUM, our principle of 'Sex Workers First' means that we work with them to achieve the outcomes that they desire. Sex workers are in control of their healing and recovery, and it will be the successful candidate's job to ensure that lives are improved as a result of contact with NUM. 

5) Well-being Focused: Provide care for the health, safety and welfare of the case work team and the sex workers we serve. 

Day-to-day tasks include but are not limited to the following.

• Managing your own caseload, providing individualised support to sex workers alongside your leadership role ensuring that sex workers are put at the forefront of all services offered. Maintaining our high standard of support.

• Continued monitoring and development of the NUM platform backend functions to find efficiencies and boost productivity. Develop and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on new policies and service priorities, new platforms/ procedures, and new innovations or services. 

• Problem-solving to ensure the smooth and efficient operations of the casework team eg, managing resource and rota’s including leave and absences, delegation of task where appropriate to the casework team.

• Audit overview and quarterly reporting to Operations Manager with responsibility for data management and the production of case studies. 

• External communications with practitioners to ensure best practice of utilising NUM service, promoting NUM membership where possible and attending external meetings as a NUM representative where required. 

• Host or contribute to the ongoing meetings of the National ISVA/SWISVA forum and continue to foster useful and productive spaces for SWISVAs (specialist sex work ISVA’s) throughout the UK to share experiences, insights towards delivering quality support services to sex workers with maintaining high service standards and prioritising self-care. 

• Deliver weekly operations meetings, keep them short and concise to discuss operational updates NUM wide/internal. Analyse statistics and case work trends and discuss any issues or take aways with the Operations Manager to inform Casework Team strategy.

• Communicate and collaborate with other work streams and projects at NUM. Contribute to organisational priorities and support initiatives that strengthen National Ugly Mugs’ overall impact. 

• Lead 1-2-1 check-ins and appraisals with staff, acknowledging individual and team success in appropriate ways, motivating the team and resolving conflict and managing team dynamics (with support where needed).

• Onboard and train new members of the casework team.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Skills and Experience

• Demonstrable casework skills, with experience in delivering advice, information, emotional and practical support and advocacy in partnership with health, wellbeing and criminal justice outcomes for individuals who may have experienced traumatic events.

• Experience managing a team, providing line management support, and managing rotas and team resources.

• An understanding of coordination responsibilities and the requirements of middle management in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.

• Qualified ISVA or relevant casework support experience.

• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work with multiple partners on complex cases.

• Excellent administrative and organisation skills, able to manage both your own and other people’s workloads effectively.

• An understanding of Equal Opportunities, the diversity of sex workers and the impact of criminalisation, stigma, and marginalisation on sex workers and a team comprising those with lived experience.

• Effective communication skills and the ability to deliver training, guidance, advice and support to a diverse range of stakeholders to promote best practice in relation to supporting sex workers when they’re victims of crime.

• Experience of using online communication tools, CMS (Oasis), google workspace, MS suite, slack and other digital platforms to maximise efficiency and productivity of your own casework and that of the casework team. 

• Experience of dealing with internal and external complaints and having difficult conversations.

• Strong empathic and active listening skills.

• Willingness to undertake continued professional development. 

Desirable:

• Experience of the sex work community.

• Experience completing detailed reports on workstream productivity, both statistically and in written form.

• The ability to understand local, regional and national policy and evidence-based research in relation to community safety, health and social inclusion.

• Ability in languages other than English is beneficial but not required. 

If you are passionate about NUM’s mission to ‘end all forms of violence against sex workers’ we would love for you to hear from you!

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications close on 13th August 2026 at 11:30pm BST. We encourage applicants to apply before the deadline as interviews may be held on a rolling basis. You can apply via Charity Jobs or by emailing admin[at]nationaluglymugs[dot]org with your name and ‘Victim Support Casework Team Lead’ in the subject line. 

Please include a CV (max 3 pages) and a cover letter (max 2 pages) describing your suitability for the role. The cover letter should address the points in the ‘Personal Specification’ section of this posting. 

NUM is a diverse team committed to inclusion and equal opportunities in the workplace, and we actively encourage applicants of all different ages, genders, social and economic backgrounds, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, and from people with disabilities. If you have any access requirements related to applying, please contact admin[at]nationaluglymugs[dot]org.

We understand that everyone’s experience is different and encourage applications from those who may not meet all of the person specifications. If you’re passionate about equality, economic empowerment, and ending violence against sex workers, we want to hear from you.

Interviews are planned to take place remotely on week starting August 17th. We will let you know by August 18th if you have been selected for an interview. Please note that due to the high number of applications expected for this role if you do not hear back from NUM by the August 18th unfortunately your application has not been successful. We are not able to provide feedback on your application at the application stage.

Help shape the future of Ocean Literacy. We're looking for a commercially minded Partnerships Manager to grow our portfolio of corporate supporters and trusts while developing new partnerships that generate sustainable income. If you're an experienced relationship-builder who thrives on creating meaningful partnerships and generating income for a cause you care about, we'd love to hear from you.

About Ocean Generation

Ocean Generation is a UNESCO-endorsed Ocean education charity turning Science into Storytelling. We make Ocean Literacy accessible through film, pop-culture, and education programmes that empower practical action. Most people grow up unaware that the Ocean is keeping us all alive: Ocean Generation exists to change that.

Established in 2009 by film producer Jo Ruxton MBE, our award-winning documentary ‘A Plastic Ocean’, was named by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the most important films of our time” and ignited mass public awareness about the impact of plastic pollution. Today, we address a full range of human-made threats impacting the Ocean, with a particular focus on programmes for young people across the world.

Our Ocean Intelligence approach, how we translate complex Ocean science into engaging content through Science and Storytelling, has been endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission of UNESCO as a project under the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Our vision is a world where society understands, values and acts for the Ocean.

Our mission is to improve Ocean Literacy by translating complex science into engaging content, programmes and practical actions.

As our Partnerships Manager, you'll help secure the funding that enables more people around the world to understand, value and act for the Ocean.

Role Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, ambitious charity where you'll have genuine ownership of a portfolio of corporate partners and trust funders while helping to shape Ocean Generation's fundraising strategy and long-term growth.

Account Management & Stewardship

• Manage and grow a portfolio of corporate partners and selected trusts and foundations, delivering excellent relationship management, stewardship and reporting.
• Prepare and deliver high-quality partnership reports, impact updates and funding reports that demonstrate the value of support and strengthen long-term relationships.
• Act as the Funding Relationship Lead for their portfolio, ensuring reporting commitments, stewardship activity and internal coordination are managed throughout the life of each partnership or grant.
• Identify opportunities to renew, grow and enhance existing partnerships, maximising income and engagement.
• Maintain accurate partnership activity, reporting deadlines and pipeline information within Salesforce, monitor partnership performance, manage the fundraising pipeline, and contribute to income forecasting and pipeline reporting.
• In addition to partnership management responsibilities, manage community fundraising activities and events when required, contributing to the wider fundraising programme.

Business Development & Income Generation

• Develop and secure new corporate partnerships by identifying, cultivating and converting prospective supporters into long-term partners.
• Prepare compelling funding proposals, partnership pitches and applications tailored to corporate and trust funding opportunities.
• Develop attractive ESG partnership opportunities and other funding propositions that align with Ocean Generation's mission and strategic priorities.
• Work closely with the Co-Executive Director (Partnerships) and Philanthropy Lead to identify, develop and secure strategic fundraising opportunities.

Partnership Activation & Organisational Collaboration

• Collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to develop engaging partnership opportunities and ensure the successful delivery of partner benefits.
• Work with the Communications team to create partnership resources, campaigns, newsletters and impact content/case studies that strengthen engagement and increase visibility.
• Ensure fundraising activity complies with charity regulations, fundraising best practice, and Ocean Generation's values and ethical standards.
• Contribute as a proactive member of a small, agile team, supporting colleagues and identifying opportunities to maximise the impact and profile of fundraising activity.

Skills & Experience Required

Essential

• Experience in corporate fundraising, partnerships, business development/sales or account management.
• Proven ability to secure, manage and grow fundraising partnerships to achieve income targets.
• Excellent relationship management, communication and proposal writing skills.
• Strong organisational skills, with experience using a CRM and managing multiple priorities.
• Commercially minded, proactive and able to work independently within a small team.
• Confident interpreting budgets and fundraising performance data.

Desirable

• Some experience working with trusts and foundations and/or major donors.
• Knowledge of ESG, CSR or corporate fundraising partnerships.
• Experience using a fundraising CRM such as Salesforce, Beacon or Raiser's Edge.
• An interest in environmental or conservation issues and a commitment to Ocean Generation's mission.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent professional experience.

What We Offer

• Salary of £30,000–£35,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• A permanent role, full-time (37.5 hours per week), with consideration given to candidates seeking a part-time equivalent over four days.
• A flexible, remote-first working environment, with the freedom to work from anywhere in the UK.
• Core collaboration hours of 10am–4pm, Monday to Thursday, with flexibility over when you work your remaining hours.
• 25 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time employees).
• A workplace pension scheme with automatic enrolment for eligible employees.
• A collaborative, ambitious and purpose-driven team committed to improving Ocean Literacy through science, storytelling and education.
• Opportunities for occasional UK travel to meet colleagues, partners and supporters.

Application Deadline

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Thursday 6 August 2026.

We will review applications as they are received and reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

Ocean Generation is committed to being an inclusive and equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to make the application or interview process more accessible, please let us know.

Location: Remote (Based in England, Scotland & Wales with some travel required).

Salary: £35,000 - £40,000 pro rata (£21,000 - £24,000 3 days or £28,000 - £32,000 4 days)

Hours of work: Full time OR part-time 3 or 4 days a week (21 or 28 hours)

Contract type: Permanent

Why work for Kids Matter?

• Generous annual leave – 25 days (plus bank holidays) per year pro rata, with time off between Christmas and New Year's additional to this allowance.
• Remote working contribution – receive £26/month pro rata towards the costs of working from home and/or using a co-working space.
• Access to coaching sessions, training opportunities and our Employee Assistance Programme (a confidential support service for staff).
• Flexible working across weekdays to suit your schedule.

About us

Kids Matter is one of the UK’s fastest growing children’s charities.

Our vision is to see every child in need raised in a strong family. Our mission is to reduce the impact of poverty on children through community-based parenting programmes.

Research shows that group-based early intervention parenting groups are the most effective way to support children in need. We train peer facilitators in local churches - the largest voluntary body in the country - to run our affordable, accessible and highly effective parenting programmes, written by Clinical Psychologists. They come alongside parents and carers, building long-lasting community in addition to encouraging confidence and learning positive parenting skills.

We value difference and diversity, and we want our workplace to be built on shared values of equality and mutual trust, with team members representing the wide range of backgrounds and experiences that exist within the UK. We therefore actively encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds and varied experiences, particularly those who are African, Afro-Caribbean, Asian or part of other minority ethnic communities, who have lived experience of the impact of low-income/low-support circumstances, and who are living with a disability or identify as being neurodivergent.

About the role

The Grant Manager role involves:

• Writing clear and compelling grant applications that communicate Kids Matter’s vision and impact
• Building and nurturing strong, professional relationships with grant funders through regular updates, meetings, and invitations to engage with our work.
• Working with the Head of Fundraising & Communications to forecast income and contribute to long term fundraising planning
• Working closely with programme, finance, and research and impact teams to gather accurate data, budgets, and stories

About you

Are you experienced in Grant Writing? Do you have strong relational skills? Are you a Christian with an active faith in Jesus? Do you have a passion for Kids Matter’s vision of seeing every child in need raised in a strong family?

Then we would love to hear from you!

How to apply

You can apply for the Grant Manager position by clicking ‘Apply via Website’ and completing a copy of our online application form.

The deadline for applications is 24th August 2026. All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

We also ask for all applicants to submit an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, which will be sent to you to complete following the submission of your application. This form will be used for anonymous analysis to ensure our overall recruitment procedures are fair and transparent. It will never be viewed or used as part of the selection process. It is optional to submit this form.

If you would like any application/interview support or you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the application process, or if you would like an informal phone call to ask questions or discuss the role, please contact Katie Washington (HR & Systems Manager).

Please see the job pack for more details on the role and application process.

We're looking for an experienced and motivated fundraiser to build on our strong foundations, develop new opportunities, and help ensure that The Gatehouse can continue providing life-changing support to adults experiencing homelessness, poverty and exclusion. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until a successful appointment is made.

We are seeking a warm, creative leader for our vibrant creative wellbeing hub in Templars Square. In this hands-on, community-facing role, you will co-design inclusive arts activities that boost mental health, support our wonderful volunteers, and foster deep community connection. No two days are the same! Experience in community arts coordination and safeguarding essential. We warmly welcome applications from underrepresented communities. 

ABOUT GLOBAL CANOPY

Global Canopy is a data-driven not for profit delivering real transparency and accountability for market impacts on nature and people. Our special focus is on ending deforestation – an essential step in achieving urgent global goals on climate, nature and human rights.

Our platforms, data and insights are relied upon by Fortune 500 companies, major financial institutions, national and regional governments, and some of the most effective campaigning organisations worldwide.

We work globally, with a focus on both forested regions (particularly across Latin America and South East Asia), and major consumer and financial markets (with a focus on Europe, the US, Singapore and China).

ABOUT THE NATURE POSITIVE PROGRAMME

Shifting financial flows from enabling nature destruction towards activities that credibly support nature protection and restoration is crucial.

Global Canopy is working to enable the mobilisation of investment at scale into activities that deliver positive outcomes for nature and people, and to reverse the current imbalance, where financial flows to nature-destroying activities sit at USD7 trillion while financial flows towards Nature-based Solutions remain at USD230 billion. Turning this tide requires both reducing financial flows to nature-negative activities and significantly scaling up finance for activities that deliver for nature and people.

Many investors lack clarity on how to make this shift. Building on the success of The Little Book of Nature Business, Global Canopy is developing a Nature-Positive Transitions programme that will deliver the evidence, analysis, innovation and energy to mobilise investors, especially asset owners, to support this financial shift.

We are a new, exciting and extremely ambitious programme within Global Canopy and we work closely with likeminded partners, including Oxford University, UNEP Finance Initiative, and UNEP’s State of Finance for Nature initiative.

We also work closely with other teams across Global Canopy, bringing the organisation’s longstanding expertise and market-leading data for finance and corporate supply chains, and nature, deforestation and human rights impacts.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our very first project under the Nature-Positive Programme, in partnership with the Nature Positive Hub at the University of Oxford, focuses on building the data infrastructure to enable credibility and comparability in assessing nature-related opportunities. To ensure we deliver the data infrastructure that enables credibility and comparability across emerging nature investing opportunities for the financial sector, we are establishing a data infrastructure workstream to define the criteria to assess the potential nature contributions from these opportunities, their risk-adjusted returns, their investability potential and how they can match the mandates of diverse asset owners.

We are seeking two Research Associates with demonstrably strong research and analytical skills and experience in the fields of nature or biodiversity finance who will directly contribute to this data infrastructure workstream.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Research and database development (70%)

• Work with partners and colleagues to define methodologies, relevant frameworks, and criteria for assessing the contribution to nature and the risk-adjusted returns of nature-investing opportunities, with a focus on scaling these opportunities.
• Work with colleagues and partners to design and develop a data repository of nature-related investment opportunities, defining the models, schemas and conventions that enable multiple researchers to record opportunities consistently and comparably.
• Identify and map nature-related investment opportunities across sectors against the defined criteria.
• Conduct interviews with potential investees and investors (including asset owners) for selected nature-related investment opportunities.
• Manage delivery of research in line with project timetable, ensuring alignment with the overall project ambition and strategic direction.

Content and engagement (20%)

• Draft case studies and reports, synthesising the analysis and lessons from the project with the Nature Finance Content Lead and project partners.
• Maintain ongoing technical engagement with partners at the University of Oxford and other key technical contributors
• Coordinate external consultations on the project’s technical aspects, in collaboration with partners and the project’s engagement associate.
• Support in the organisation of events that raise awareness and amplify project results.

Strategy and Fundraising (10%)

• Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and learning, including donor reporting.
• Contribute to fundraising efforts and the ongoing development of the nature-positive strategy

REQUIREMENTS

To be successful in the role, these are the things that will matter most:

• Applied environmental research skills and experience, particularly with nature impact and assessments
• Deep understanding of financial analytics
• Data collection and data modelling experience with a view to inform decision-making
• Programmatic data analysis skills (strong preference for Python using pandas) to clean, structure and analyse complex datasets, compute derived metrics, and produce clear summaries and visualisations for reports and case studies
• Experience delivering collaborative projects with technical components and with external partners
• Demonstrable project management experience, with capacity to independently manage work according to agreed project timelines and to a high standard

Essential behavioural competencies:

• Demonstrable motivation and alignment with the project’s vision and mission, as well as Global Canopy’s strategy
• Proactive and self-motivated
• A team player who takes ownership of their own work, listens to feedback and supports their colleagues’ contributions
• Honesty, curiosity and resilience

Desirable

• Experience building strong data models within spreadsheets or low/no code tools, and/or relational database experience, ideally with PostgreSQL.eans.
• Coding skills (ideally Python) to support and streamline the data work
• Experience with social impact analysis
• Familiarity with the nexus between human rights and nature-related issues.

BENEFITS

Salary: £50,000 full time equivalent. This role sits within Band D on Global Canopy’s remuneration framework.

Nature of contract: x2 full-time, permanent contracts. Our office is in Oxford, with flexible home-working arrangements in place. Attendance at the office will be expected on a monthly basis. We are willing to support UK visa sponsorship for the successful candidates.

Holidays: 36 days (including bank/public holidays) for discretionary use across the annual leave year. Option to purchase up to an additional 5 days or equivalent of one week’s leave.

Pension: Employer pension contribution of 8%.

Healthcare cashback plan: Covering dental fees, eye-care, wellbeing, physiotherapy, chiropody and much more – for you and any children.

Employee Assistance Programme: Which provides free, confidential advice on personal and legal matters.

Other: Huge range of discounts and cashback deals at gyms, restaurants, holidays, and much more.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for the position, please follow the links and submit an up-to date CV and answers to the following questions (please no more than 150 words each):

• Describe a time when you used code to clean, reshape, combine or otherwise modify datasets to prepare them for analysis. What was messy or difficult about the raw data, what did your code do, and how did you verify the result was correct?
• Describe a time when you assessed the environmental benefits and/or the financial performance of an investment that presented itself as potentially beneficial to nature. What was your thought/analysis process, what data did you use, and what difficulties did you encounter in conducting the analysis? How did you address them?
• Why is this role at Global Canopy an attractive opportunity at this point in your career?

All candidates are asked to complete an anonymous diversity monitoring form when they apply.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 10 August 2026 at 9am BST. Early application encouraged. We may close applications early if enough suitable candidates are identified.

First round interview calls are provisionally planned for 21 and 24 August and will be conducted remotely via a video call.

Those successful in the first round will then be invited to complete an assessed exercise which will determine who we invite for a final interview.

Final interviews will be held via video call and are tentatively scheduled for w/c 7 September.