Community development executive jobs

We are looking for an experienced, proactive and creative Community Engagement Coordinator to strengthen and deepen our relationships in Lewisham. Help us to advance community stewardship, raise awareness about the benefits of street trees and increase tree canopy cover equitably. The Coordinator will manage our volunteer programmes, including recruitment, retention and bringing new ideas for engagement. Responsibilities include promoting and supporting our tree planting initiatives, as well as identifying new opportunities for community involvement. The role involves collaborating with team members and stakeholders to help achieve STfL’s mission of creating a greener and healthier urban environment.

£35,000 pro rata

0.8 FTE, 4 days per week

1 year minimum fixed term contract

Reporting to Executive Director

Responsibilities:

• Volunteer management including recruiting, developing and retaining volunteers

• Be the ‘go to’ person to provide support for our Area Reps and Street Reps and develop a peer-to-peer network to share best practice across volunteer

• Raise awareness around trees, particularly in areas of low tree canopy cover and where we are currently underrepresented

• Work closely with the tree care team to support volunteering and training opportunities including watering, formative tree care, auditing

• Building networks and developing meaningful relationships with community groups and individuals, working at a hyperlocal, neighbourhood level 

• Spend time listening to groups and gathering feedback to understand their emotional responses and perceptions to trees 

• Work with communities and partner charities to map formal and informal networks within local neighborhoods

• Use creative approaches to evaluation, collecting and analysing impact data including volunteer surveys, 121 conversations and case studies to measure outcomes, particularly related to health and wellbeing 

• Reaching new audiences: building relationships with diverse communities  and work in partnership with community groups to co-design tree planting schemes in public realm

• Community stakeholder engagement - engaging and cultivating relationships including community groups, Parks groups, local charities, tenants and residents’ associations

• Organising in-person community engagement activities and training sessions for local residents including tree walks, citizen science sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and the sharing of resources 

• Integrate equality, diversity and inclusion principles into all aspects of our work 

• Maximising our communications impact: promote our work, raise awareness and increase our reach. Communicate regularly with our guardians and volunteers

• Create content to contribute to our social media, newsletter and website, for example: develop inspiring case studies about our work and beneficiaries. Help gather content at in-person events to support storytelling

Experience:

• Experience in the charity sector in community engagement or development

• Practical experience in successfully planning, coordinating, and delivering community-based events, workshops and activities

• Experience engaging with communities in London

• Experience in recruiting, training, supervising, and motivating groups of volunteers

• Experience in building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders, such as resident groups, schools, local authorities and charities

• Experience using co-design principles to facilitate workshops with a diverse range of communities

• Knowledge of tree planting/environmental sector is desirable but not essential

Skills and qualities:

• Empathetic, with good listening skills

• Able to build and maintain strong and meaningful relationships

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills - ability to adapt to different audiences

• A strong commitment to environmental and social justice

• Passionate about our cause and able to inspire others

• Understanding of lived experience and community needs

• Excellent time management and organisational skills

• Creative problem solver

• Strong degree of flexibility is desirable - due to the nature of community work, some evening and weekend work will be required. You will be given plenty of notice

Please note, if you don’t have all the skills or experience, we still  encourage you to apply! 

Head of Donor Stewardship and Legacies

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation

Devizes / Hybrid • £42,000–£46,000 Depending on experience •Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

Are you passionate about building lasting relationships and seeing generosity make a real difference? Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation is looking for an experienced fundraiser to lead and grow our individual giving and legacy programmes.

This role is central to creating a vibrant culture of giving across the region while helping deliver our 2025–2030 strategy. You’ll develop meaningful, long-term relationships with supporters and strengthen our Friends of the Foundation offer, inspiring generosity through thoughtful stewardship and engaging communications.

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation is seeking an experienced and motivated Head of Donor Stewardship and Legacies to lead and grow our relationships with individual donors. This role will be central to developing a culture of philanthropy across Wiltshire and Swindon, contributing directly to the delivery of our 2025–2030 organisational strategy. The postholder will build strong, meaningful relationships with supporters, develop a compelling individual giving programme (including strengthening our Friends of the Foundation offer) and legacy programme This role requires a confident fundraiser with strong stewardship skills, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of the Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice.You will be familiar with developing mailed and emailed communications but also with building relationships both face to face and over the telephone with supporters, specifically with older supporters.

Why join us?

You’ll be part of a small, supportive team who care deeply about what we do. We offer flexible working and a hybrid approach, with our office based in Devizes.

For more information about our current vacancies, and our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, please visit our website. 

Closing date: 12 noon, Friday 30 January 2026

Please note, the full job description and person specification can be found in the recruitment pack, on the recruitment page on our website, where you can also apply for this role.

If you have experience in individual giving and want to help transform local communities, we’d love to hear from you.

Community Fundraiser - London​

Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research? ​

Brain Tumour Research is seeking an experienced and motivated fundraiser to join our team. As a key part of our fundraising efforts in our high-performing East region, you will have the opportunity to drive income generation through a variety of initiatives, including challenge events, fundraising groups, and corporate partnerships such as charity of the year. You will also be responsible for driving initiatives to increase our profile and supporter base within London.​

Key Responsibilities: ​​​

• Generate income across a range of community fundraising initiatives and events, with the opportunity to lead on key projects 
• Steward supporters to help drive the charity’s fundraising activities and growth 
• ​Work with the fundraising team to develop and maintain strong relationships with fundraisers, donors, partners, and key stakeholders ​
• Contribute towards the growth and success of fundraising efforts, ensuring a sustainable income stream for the vital ongoing funding of brain tumour research ​​

Requirements: ​​

• At least one year of fundraising experience, with a proven track record in income generation 
• Strong experience in supporter stewardship  
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire supporters and partners alike ​
• Passion for Brain Tumour Research and its mission to fund research and ultimately find a cure 

​

If you are looking for a fulfilling and impactful role and have the level of experience and skill we are looking for, we welcome your application.​​

​For this role, the successful candidate must live in the London area.​​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.

​

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

Closing Date: 04th January 2026

​

We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

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Located in the historic town of St Andrews, St Leonards is one of Scotland’s leading independent schools, recently named Scottish Independent Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence 2026 by The Sunday Times. It is a vibrant, co-educational boarding and day community with a true international outlook.

Approaching its 150th Anniversary in 2027, the School is preparing to launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history. This is a career-defining opportunity for an exceptional professional to drive this initiative, instilling a culture of philanthropy that will secure the future of St Leonards for generations to come.

Reporting directly to the Head, this post will be targeted with generating £500k+ of revenue and will demand both exceptional relationship building skills and technical fundraising expertise. The successful candidate will have freedom to innovate and make a tangible difference and be able to engage prospective donors and the wider highly supportive Seniors (Alumni) community. You will protect the School’s reputation by conducting thorough due diligence on donors and ensuring full compliance with OSCR regulations.

You will be responsible for the School’s capital and strategic fundraising initiatives supported by the Alumni and Development Officer and will work with the supportive, mission-driven Executive Team and Board of Governors to develop and implement these.

To be successful you will be educated to degree level and have knowledge and experience in previous roles where you have developed a demonstrable track record of devising and implementing multi-year fundraising strategies which have allowed you to personally secure 5 and 6 figure gifts from individuals, trusts or foundations. You will possess the financial and legal expertise to structure complex gifts and bring them to completion.

More information on the responsibilities of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required of candidates can be found in the Candidate Pack.

St Leonards is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to a satisfactory PVG check.

Interviews are expected to commence in St Andrews week beginning 26th January 2026

Are you a commercially minded, senior leader with strong experience in operations, company management, partnership building and income generation?

VDT is seeking an experienced Head of Operations and Business Development to spearhead the implementation of our ambitious new Commercial Strategy, driving growth and expanding income streams.

This is a crucial, high-impact role for someone who thrives on operational excellence, has excellent management skills and a passion for strategy implementation. It is ideal for someone with strong experience in partnership building, negotiating contracts, lead generation and organisational development.

Working closely with the Chief Executive / Artistic Director, the role works collaboratively across the small staff team to deliver the company’s Business Plan, Funding Agreement, Mission and Values. You will identify opportunities, generate new leads and manage the company’s wide range of production, participation and continued professional development programmes. You will grow a new customer base for our online training and E-learning and develop income from within arts academic and social enterprise settings. You will track progress and ensure the company is run in line with best practice. 

You might not have worked in the arts or creative industries before. If you have experience as a Business Manager, Operations Director, Executive Director or Senior Producer within or outside of the cultural / charity sector, then you’ll have the core skills we are looking for.

Closing date for applications: Midday Tuesday 6 January 2026

Interview Date: Thursday 15 January 2026 (possible second interview 23 January 2026).

This is a very special role with huge potential for the right candidate to deliver transformational impact in our communities in Somerset.

The Opportunity

There is significant potential for growth, particularly through gifts in Wills, working in partnership with professional advisers and growing high-value fundraising. We’re also broadening our appeal to a wider range of donors and partners having launched our Collective Giving Funds, which offer a compelling way for anyone to give strategically to the causes and places they care about in Somerset

As our Philanthropy and Marketing Director you will be at the forefront of this ambition. We’re looking for a strategic leader who can balance vision with execution to deliver great results. You’ll need to be a credible, emotionally intelligent and authentic relationship builder, adept at building trust, genuinely passionate about our mission and have strong alignment with our values.

This senior leadership role also holds strategic responsibility for marketing and brand positioning, enabling us to unlock the full potential of philanthropy in Somerset to drive change in our communities. We’ve recently invested in the growth of our Philanthropy and Marketing Team, and have welcomed a specialist marketing Trustee on to our Board.

We’re looking for an experienced and inclusive manager, confident at providing a balance of coaching and mentoring to help our talented team to develop and shine. And as an active and engaged member of our Senior Leadership Team, you’ll share our passion for continuous improvement, help to drive organisational growth and development, and provide expert advice and guidance to our Board of Trustees.

The impact we make as a charity is achieved largely through our funding programmes. You must have an appreciation of the role that community-led charities and groups play in creating positive change locally. And the role we, as a place-based funder, can play to support that work. You do not, however, need experience of working for a funder previously.

Download the recruitment pack to see the roles full responsibilities and required skills, knowledge and experience.

About Somerset Community Foundation

Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) (charity no.1094446) is a grant-making charity that helps build strong communities where everyone can thrive. We do this by funding local charities and facilitating local giving.

We provide simple, rewarding and impactful ways for donors to give locally, guided by research and our unrivalled local knowledge.

For small, local charities, community groups and social enterprises, we provide vital funding and support to help their organisations flourish. We raise and distribute between £4 million and £5 million of funding to local groups every year. We’re also building an endowment for long-term investment into our communities, which is currently valued at around £11 million.

By inspiring local giving and funding social action, we support local communities to drive change and realise their dreams.

SCF is part of a network of 47 Community Foundations operating throughout the UK. Together we are one of the largest funders of communities across the nation.

Actors’ Trust supports professional actors and stage managers in times of need, and our bold new Acting for Impact strategy seeks to increase the charity’s reach and impact within the performing arts community.

The Digital Marketing Executive will play a key role in growing the charity’s online presence, engaging many more beneficiaries and supporters, and generating income through creative, high quality digital content and supporter-focused campaigns. Working closely with the Head of Engagement & Development, the postholder will support the planning, management and optimisation of the charity’s digital marketing and communication activities.

This role is perfect for someone who enjoys combining creativity and innovation with advanced digital analytics. You’ll play a key role in supporting and delivering the charity’s marketing and communications strategy and enabling the charity to grow its reach. You will ensure that our social media channels, website, SEO and email activities are effective, on-brand, and accessible. Most importantly, you will create awareness activities that convert, engagement activities that retain and ensure each segment of our community receives the greatest online experience from their interaction with Actors’ Trust.

We are looking for a motivated self-starter keen to take on a new challenge within a fast-growing organisation, to join us and support our vision: an empowered and vibrant performing arts sector. You will have an appetite for detail, strong copywriting skills and a thorough understanding of measuring analytics to improve performance. Additionally, you will be a problem solver, team player, able to quickly adapt, (and to ask for help when you need it) and you’ll have the self-belief and capacity to hit the ground running.

How to Apply 

• Please apply with an up-to-date CV and a brief covering letter telling us why you’re a good fit for this role.

• The closing date and time for applications is 9am, Monday 19th January 2026. 

We’re looking for a talented and purpose-driven Finance Manager to join Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation and help us make an even bigger difference in local communities across our county.

This is a pivotal role at the heart of our organisation. You’ll bring financial expertise, clarity and confidence to our work—helping us operate efficiently, meet our charitable obligations, and maximise the impact we create for the people and places we serve.

In this role, you will:

· Lead on budgeting, quarterly management accounts and financial reporting

· Prepare our Annual Report & Financial Statements and manage the audit process

· Oversee our finance systems (Xero, ApprovalMax, Salesforce, Power BI)

· Manage cashflow, banking arrangements and fund reconciliations

· Support donor reporting and investment oversight

· Ensure we meet requirements for Companies House, the Charity Commission and HMRC

· Line-manage and support our Finance Assistant(s)

About you: You’re aligned with our mission and values, passionate about strengthening communities, and keen to contribute your skills in a meaningful way. You’ll be:

· Fully qualified ACMA/ACCA/ACA or qualified by experience

· Experienced in a similar level finance role

· An excellent communicator with strong attention to detail and confidence managing a varied workload

· Experienced with accounting software (Xero desirable) and Microsoft 365

· Charity finance knowledge is helpful but not essential—we’ll support your development.

Why join us? You’ll be part of a small, supportive team who care deeply about what we do. We offer flexible working (30–37.5 hours) and a hybrid approach, with our office based in Devizes.

Closing date: 12 noon, Wednesday 14 January 2026

Please note, the full job description and person specification can be found in the recruitment pack.

For more information on the role, and for details on how to apply for this position, please read the recruitment pack in full available on our website. 

If you want to use your financial expertise to help communities across Wiltshire and Swindon thrive, we’d love to hear from you.

Summary

• Diary and meeting planning and management
• Manage correspondence correspondence including triaging of emails and letters and drafting responses or responding appropriately on behalf of the Bishop.
• Oversight and support of clergy HR processes including
• Office Management
• Finance

• Flexibility to work at the Bishop's Office when required.
• Occasional hybrid working will be considered.
• 35 hours per week hours exclusive of an hour unpaid lunch break, to be taken at a time agreed with the Bishop, but some flexibility will be required from time to time.
• Based onsite at Flourish House, Cathedral Park, Wells, Somerset BA5 1FD

The closing date for applications is 11:59pm on Friday 8nd January 2026.

Interviews will take place on Friday 16th January 2025 at The Bishop's Office, The Bishop's Palace, Wells, BA5 2PD.

• A salary of £30,307 per annum, plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.

• 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days within 5 years) plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
• We welcome all flexible working arrangement requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario and if this fits within the department's needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
• We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption Leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave. Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships.
• Automatic enrolment and access to Medicash (one of the UK's leading health cash plan providers), providing you with many services including reimbursements of routine dental treatment, optical, specialist consultations, and therapy treatments. Unlimited access to virtual GP & Private prescription service and health & Stress related helplines.
• Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme 
• Access to the Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abbey with a plus-one guest.
• Apply for eligibility for an Eyecare voucher.
• Opportunity to join the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies.

• Strive for Excellence
• Show Compassion
• Respect others
• Collaborate
• Act with Integrity

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is the UK’s leading celebration of Arab arts and cultures. We are a small team that delivers huge impact - rooted in Liverpool’s communities yet connected to artists and audiences across the world. Our work is grounded in representation, collaboration, and exchange, bringing Arab creativity and perspectives to the heart of the UK’s cultural landscape.

As Chief Executive Officer, you will lead this unique organisation through a pivotal period of transition and renewal. Working closely with the Board, staff team, freelance workers, artists, communities and partners, you will provide strategic, financial, artistic and cultural leadership - ensuring that LAAF continues to thrive in an increasingly complex political, social, and financial climate. This is a deeply rewarding role that calls for someone who is rigorous, transparent, and community-minded; someone who understands both the practical challenges of running an arts organisation and a live festival, year-round events and engagement projects, and the responsibility of representing communities whose stories matter.

The ideal candidate will be ready to immerse themselves in the relationships and networks that keep LAAF alive, and to lead with creativity, care, and conviction.

Hillside Clubhouse is looking for an Executive Director to champion its vision for inclusive, co-produced mental health and employment support.

Applications close at 9 a.m. Wednesday 7th January.

Who we are

Hillside Clubhouse is a co-produced mental health charity supporting people with severe mental illness and more common mental health conditions across Islington. With over half of the staff team bringing lived experience, members play an integral role in shaping the organisation. Hillside provides a wide range of recovery, well-being and employment services, including its Clubhouse activities, commercial kitchen and social enterprises, alongside IPS, Employment Advisors in Talking Therapies and IAG support. They are committed to tackling stigma, promoting equity and creating a community where people’s skills, strengths and aspirations are always recognised and valued.

About the role

The Executive Director will be a values-driven leader, able to guide Hillside Clubhouse through its next phase of development and ensure that co-production, equity and lived experience remain fully embedded in their work. The new Executive Director will refresh Hillside’s strategy, identifying new opportunities for development whilst ensuring that member voices are at the heart of all major decisions. This role requires a balance of visionary leadership and an agile, diplomatic mindset that remains responsive to the evolving needs of members.

A central priority for the incoming Executive Director will be business development. They will have the ability to secure and diversify income streams, strengthening existing partnerships and identifying new opportunities. Hillside is looking for an innovative leader who can find areas for growth that align with their value-driven approach. A key focus area for the incoming Executive Director will be developing a fundraising strategy that ensures the long-term viability of the organisation.

The Executive Director will be responsible for amplifying Hillside’s presence externally, developing strong relationships in Islington and across London. As an outward-facing leader, the post-holder will have a deep understanding of the health and social care landscape, with the ability to develop Hillside’s relationships with key commissioners, funders and partners. Remaining receptive to

the experiences of members and frontline staff, the Executive Director will channel the voice of Hillside’s community, allowing them to shape the services that are delivered within Hillside and beyond.

Hillside is looking for a visible, approachable Executive Director with a strong presence in the Clubhouse environment, a relational leader who can forge connections with members and the wider team. The Director will also have a robust understanding of charity governance and the ability to build a strong relationship with the Board.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the job description and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Wednesday 7th January.

This essential role will oversee the coordination, governance, and planning of the Thames Catchment Community Eels Project (TCCEP) Development Phase. The Programme Manager will supervise the programme's daily operations, manage partner input into key workstreams (capital design, education, citizen science, inclusion), and ensure that timelines, budgets, and deliverables meet The Heritage Fund expectations. The role involves direct responsibility for preparing the Delivery Phase funding application and ensuring that the Development Phase creates a strong legacy platform for long term impact. This includes coordinating evaluation planning, risk registers, governance frameworks, and a sustainable funding strategy. The role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to facilitate collaboration among multiple partners across diverse catchments and disciplines.

TCCEP is a collaborative, catchment-scale initiative that supports the recovery of the critically endangered European eel by removing migration barriers, restoring river habitats, and reconnecting communities with their local water environments. The project builds on the successful pilot project of the same name.

You will be working closely with project partners including Rivers Trusts, a Wildlife Trust, Zoological Society of London and others.

The role is fixed term for one year, though we would look to extend the role, subject to alternative funding being available to cover the period between the end of the Development Phase and commencement of the Delivery Phase (3-5 months).Standard working week is 37.5 hours, with flexible working arrangements considered. The role will require working from home but will entail travel to meetings across the Thames Basin, and working outdoors in varying conditions.

The Programme Manager will be responsible for: Oversight of programme development, partner coordination, timeline management, and funding bid preparation

 FTE: 1.0 • Contract Type: Fixed term (12 months) • Start Date: February - March 2026 (subject to The National Lottery Heritage Fund Permission to Start) • Salary Range: £40,000 - £45,000, depending on experience • Location: Home-based with regular travel to London and Thames Basin partner locations • Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week, with occasional evening or weekend commitments • Annual Leave: 25 days per year plus public holidays • Probation Period: 3 months, during which annual leave is by agreement only • Pension: TRT operates a contributory pension scheme; details available on request.

Thames Rivers Trust (TRT) is a catchment-based environmental charity focused on enhancing river health and resilience throughout the Thames Basin. As a convening organisation, TRT collaborates with local delivery partners, statutory agencies, and funders to implement nature based solutions, support environmental data infrastructure, and improve community access to blue spaces. TRT coordinates the Thames Catchment Community Eels Project (TCCEP), building on a tradition of multi-partner catchment initiatives to achieve significant environmental and social benefits. The Thames Catchment Community Eels Project (TCCEP) is a £3 million flagship programme delivered by Thames Rivers Trust in partnership with seven NGOs and catchment groups. The Development Phase, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, runs from January 2026 to April 2027 and lays the groundwork for a three-year Delivery Phase (2028–2030) across six sub-catchments. This builds on the successful Phase 1 pilot funded through The Green Recovery Challenge Fund (2020–2022).

Project Summary: The Thames Catchment Community Eels Project (TCCEP) is a collaborative, catchment-scale initiative that supports the recovery of the critically endangered European eel by removing migration barriers, restoring river habitats, and reconnecting communities with their local water environments. The project builds on the success of a pilot phase funded through the Green Recovery Challenge Fund (2020–2022), which trained over 200 volunteers, surveyed more than 450 barriers, and helped catalyse collaborative action across the Thames Basin. During this Development Phase (2026), partners will work together to finalise the programme design for a three-year Delivery Phase (2027–2030). This includes site-level feasibility studies, co-designed community engagement, capital project planning, evaluation framework development, and a final funding application for the Delivery Phase. Alongside habitat restoration, the programme also emphasises education, equity, climate resilience, and long-term legacy, using the iconic eel as a flagship species to inspire action and foster connection. 

Key Responsibilities • Programme Management and Delivery • Lead day-to-day coordination of all Development Phase activities across partner organisations. You will be supported by a team including a Learning & Engagement Officer, Finance & Admin Officer and four external consultants (activity, conservation, interpretation, evaluation), alongside the TRT CEO and key staff from the delivery partners • Manage and update the programme timeline, risk register, and delivery plan • Oversee preparation and submission of the Delivery Phase application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund • Track milestones and ensure high-quality deliverables across capital planning, education, evaluation, and engagement workstreams • Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination • Convene and chair monthly partner meetings and quarterly Programme Board meetings • Act as the central contact for The Heritage Fund, Environment Agency, and strategic stakeholders • Facilitate input from delivery partners, ensuring alignment with shared priorities and timelines • Communications and Reporting • Support production of communication materials including briefings, reports, and evaluation summaries • Collate and submit regular updates to The Heritage Fund • Ensure clear and effective internal communications among partners • Legacy and Strategy • Lead development of the project legacy strategy and post-2030 sustainability plans Coordinate funding strategy work with TRT’s Fundraising Officer • Embed climate resilience, equity, and inclusion principles across project planning Person Specification Essential • Proven track record of managing complex, multi-partner programmes • Strong organisational, planning, and project management skills • Excellent written and verbal communication skills • Experience with funder reporting and application development (preferably The Heritage Fund or equivalent) • Ability to manage timelines, budgets, and risk registers with minimal supervision • Strategic thinker with a collaborative working style Desirable • Knowledge of river restoration, catchment management, or eel ecology • Experience with The National Lottery Heritage Fund or similar funders is desirable • Familiarity with Thames catchment geography and delivery networks • Experience using collaborative tools and evaluation frameworks in multi-stakeholder programmes • Understanding of equity and inclusion in environmental programme design Additional Requirements • Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for site visits and meetings • Ability to work occasional evenings or weekends • Willingness to travel throughout the Thames Basin and London region.

Application Process To apply, please send a CV (no more than 2 pages)  and a one-page covering letter detailing your interest and suitability for the role.

Deadline: 11.59pm Friday 16th January 2026 Interviews: 27th – 30th January 2026. 

Employer: Community Rail Network 

Salary: £43k-£51.5k pa, full time 

Location: Home based / flexible or Huddersfield 

We are seeking a dynamic director of policy and communications, to lead and develop our increasingly impactful external affairs activity. You’ll be sharing community insights and evidence with policy and decision-makers at national and devolved level, supporting a shift towards more inclusive and sustainable transport and mobility, while overseeing high-quality, inspiring member communications and thought-leadership, drawing on grassroots experiences.  
  

About us 

Community Rail Network is a national not-for-profit organisation supporting a growing ‘community rail’ movement, which helps communities get the most from their railways, promotes sustainable and inclusive travel, coordinates volunteering and place-making, and brings people together.

Community rail is made up of 76 community-based partnership organisations, and c.1,300 station friends volunteer groups and other community-led initiatives around Britain. Their activities range from creative projects for young people, to advising train operators on service improvements, to building travel confidence among marginalised groups, to biodiversity projects at stations, to promoting greener tourism by rail.

Our enthusiastic team of 24 works from home in different locations, but we come together regularly in person and online. We work collaboratively to support our members, provide training, events and resources, run campaigns, and champion community rail and its insights. We believe in developing our team and helping everyone reach their potential while having a good work-life balance.

About this role 

This role is crucial for us, our members and their communities, especially at the current time, with our need to seize on the opportunities of rail reform and devolution, promote wider use of sustainable transport, and bring communities together. You will spearhead our external affairs strategy and plans, building political relationships, influencing decision-making and raising awareness of community rail and its insights, while ensuring effective communications with our members and helping them to have a voice locally and regionally. You’ll be striving to put community rail at the forefront of a shift towards more inclusive and sustainable mobility.

As a member of our senior leadership team, reporting to and working closely with our chief executive, you will manage a passionate team of four, ensuring collaboration with our other teams, partners and funders, and drawing on members’ insights.

 
Main responsibilities 

• Lead the review, development and delivery of our communications, policy and insights strategy, working to position the community rail movement effectively, use its insights to influence policy change, and ensure our members are well-informed and have a voice; 

• Further strengthen our advisory and influencing work with national, devolved and regional government, transport bodies, parliamentarians and other decision-makers, especially around rail reform, transport devolution and integrated, inclusive, sustainable transport; 

• Ensure we’re engaging effectively with policy developments and opportunities, taking forward a programme of relationship-building, and identifying and engaging in relevant consultations, events and speaking opportunities, enabling community rail’s insights and experiences to be shared; 

• Collaborate with partners in rail, government and the third sector to feed in our expertise on community engagement with rail, amplify our campaigns, and build opportunities for joined-up communications and policy work;

• Continually develop and disseminate our evidence base and insights on the social, environmental and economic value community rail delivers, and opportunities to create greater benefits for communities from rail and transport; 

• Oversee high-quality, coherent and inspiring communications with our members and partners, promoting our work, and sharing news, opportunities, and good practice across the movement; 

• Manage production of high-quality resources, case studies and reports that our members can use to enhance their impact and which showcase community rail’s impact; 

• Lead and develop our media relations and awareness-raising PR, championing community rail and its messages on sustainable, inclusive travel and communities at national and regional level, while supporting members on local PR; 

• Develop our online presence and reach, making full use of our website, social media, our Scenic Rail Britain campaign, and partners’ channels to celebrate and position community rail and grow its reach and impact; 

• Oversee a calendar of creative and impactful campaigns that involve and empower our members, creating PR and engagement opportunities, including Community Rail Week;

• Play a key role in collective leadership, strategic focus and organisational development as a member of our senior leadership team, including through internal communications and cross-team working, annual planning, funder liaison and reporting, upholding our strategies and policies, and pursuing opportunities for continuous improvement. 

 
Skills and competencies 

1. Strong leadership and management skills, including experience managing, developing and drawing on a multi-faceted team delivering complex campaigns or projects, and budget management; 
2. Excellent communication and external leadership skills; articulate, assertive, and with the ability to work diplomatically and persuasively with stakeholders at all levels; 
3. An understanding of public affairs, ideally in relation to community development, sustainability and/or transport, and a demonstrable ability to identify influencing opportunities, deliver thought-leadership, and engage with policy-makers, including sharing community insights; 
4. Politically astute, with awareness of and commitment to social inclusion, social justice and sustainability, and a good grasp of the importance of public transport sustainable travel, and community-led action, to these agendas; 
5. Understanding of political processes and experience of engaging with policy and decision-making, ideally at national, devolved and local levels; 
6. Sound knowledge of communication and marketing methods and channels, and ability to oversee messaging and targeting of public and professional audiences, and to align content across multiple channels; 
7. A demonstrable ability to think analytically and draw on statistical and qualitative research to construct robust, evidence-based arguments; 
8. Experience of working with the media and achieving coverage at national, regional and local level; 
9. Experience working collaboratively with partners and ideally funders to deliver communications and policy activity and forming professional networks; 
10. Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while dealing with competing priorities, and to support team members to do so; 
11. IT literate with a good working knowledge of Office, the internet and social media; 
12. Appropriate qualifications and professional development demonstrating knowledge and skills in line with the above, and a commitment to ongoing learning and development.

Other information

As you will be home-based, we are flexible about your location. However, you will be expected to travel to in-person full team meetings quarterly (usually in West Yorkshire), and you will need to bring your team together (currently all West Yorkshire based) with similar regularity in between. Attendance at in-person events and meetings is also important. We therefore welcome applications from those with decent public transport links, not too far from a railway station, to enable journeys to be made sustainably.   

This is a full-time position, 37 hours per week. We use a flexi-time system with core hours 10am-3pm, and are committed to being a flexible, supportive and understanding employer. This is a permanent position with a probationary period of six months.   

Community Rail Network is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and Black, Asian and other minoritised groups, who meet with the skills and competencies for this role. We will provide reasonable adjustments for interviews as required.  

Financial Controller (a charity committed to community transformation) 

Permanent, full-time post, 40 hours per week (1 FTE), inclusive of breaks 

Salary:  £51,960 (National) or £55,184 per annum (including London Weighting)

Hybrid: Some travel around the UK will also be required.

Financial Controller – Oasis Group

Oasis exists to transform communities, so they are healthy, inclusive, and thriving. Through our network of global Hubs, we work holistically to tackle inequality and build strong local ecosystems that serve everyone. To support this vital mission, we are now seeking a Financial Controller to join our national leadership team. Based in our London Waterloo office, the Financial Controller will oversee the finance function for our UK operations, ensuring excellence in financial planning, reporting, compliance, and controls.

Why might you consider Oasis?

We are proud of why we exist and what we bring to the communities in which we operate. Our story is told through a multi-faceted organisation that extends across support for homelessness and housing (Oasis Community Housing), secure education for young people (Oasis Restore), community hubs (Oasis Community Partnerships) and disrupting human trafficking (STOP THE TRAFFIK) and of course our network of 55 Oasis Academies (Oasis Community Learning). We are proud that we don’t just talk a good game – we actively engage and change lives for the better.

What will you do?

This newly formed leadership role will manage the financial operations across specific subsidiaries of Oasis. It will ensure financial accuracy, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and the delivery of timely financial information to support decision-making across the group.

To be successful in this role, applicants will require:

· A recognised professional accounting qualification or part-qualification, together with a thorough practical understanding of financial and management accounting principles and techniques.

· Advanced working knowledge/experience of Excel and computerised accounting systems (preferably PS Financials) with the ability to interpret and extract relevant financial information.

· Ability to communicate complex financial information to a wide audience with varying financial backgrounds, both internally and externally

· Excellent inter-personal and people management experience

What will you get in return?

· A network of peers and partners all sharing the same vision and an environment set up to ensure everyone is supported and included.

· A package of reward that includes a 7% employer contribution pension scheme, annual leave allowance starting at 25 days (plus Bank Holidays) increasing over time, eligibility to join the Green Commute cycle to work scheme and cash benefit health plan.

· Be part of an international network of Oasis charities offering opportunities to develop your career in new directions and locations.

· A competitive salary and workplace flexibility.

As this is a newly created role, expect an evolving position that requires your insightful input, leadership and at the same time, provides incredible opportunities for the right person.

To apply, please send your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than two A4 pages).

Please expand on your CV to tell us about relevant skills, experience and qualifications you have that relate to the job description and person specification.

We will review applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the advert if we identify suitable candidates. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application as soon as possible.

If successful you will be invited to formal and practical interviews We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers during the recruitment process, please let us know. 

Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks. 

The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK.  Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.

Oasis supports Equal Opportunities.  Registered Charity No. 1026487