Community investment manager jobs in holborn, greater london
To move social entrepreneurs from the margins to the mainstream will require us to amplify the voices, stories and impact of our social entrepreneurs, working with them in an equitable and inclusive way. It will require us to deepen our work around impact, be open to the learning opportunities failure creates and seek out opportunities to share insights in new and powerful ways to influence stakeholders to make the changes needed for social entrepreneurs to flourish.
As a Researcher at UnLtd, you will be responsible for a range of research and evaluation activities on key programmes and projects. You will work across the project lifecycle, developing new work, as well as collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to produce insights and reports that inform and influence internal and external stakeholders.
Alongside this, you will contribute to developing a culture of learning, ensuring that insights and evidence generated by our research and evaluation activity feed back into the organisation, allowing UnLtd to iterate our work and be an impact-driven, agile, learning organisation. This is an independent role within a dynamic delivery organisation, so we are looking for an implementation researcher to help elevate our research to the next level.
We find social entrepreneurs with bold solutions to today's challenges.
Are you an experienced content creator? Do you have excellent editing skills? Can you spot a good story and create engaging narratives for editorial? Are you familiar with publications processes?
We are seeking a Communications and Content Editor to support our communications output across multiple channels, including production of the SLA’s flagship publication, The School Librarian. This new role will be pivotal to elevating our publication, and supporting strong narratives across our communications.This is a hands on role, with an opportunity to help shape our communications and TSL as we approach the SLA’s ninetieth year in 2027.
You will be an experienced editor and content creator. Creative and with a strong eye for detail, you will be confident in overseeing the publications process, alongside copy-editing, proofing and commissioning content and associated administration. You will enjoy opportunities to apply your creative skills to creating interesting and engaging content to support our outputs. As we develop new ways of working, your insight and ideas will help support new activity. You will be comfortable working with a variety of stakeholders and happy to get stuck in as needed. Areas of work include managing production of The School Librarian journal which publishes three times per year, developing a strong understanding of the TSL audience, its circulation and readership figures to inform content development and identify opportunities to attract new subscribers. You will also contribute to digital communication and content strategy across the organisation, helping to determine the best platforms or channels for a variety of content types. While leading on TSL, you will also support content creation for our newsletters, website and social media, working with the Publicity and Partnerships Manager to determine the most appropriate format for different stories, features or news items.
The salary for this position is £24, 324.32 per anum (based on FTE £30,000) for 30 hours per week, and comes with a 6% employer pension contribution.
Find out more about the role including full job description and how to apply by downloading the job specification pack.
Application deadline: 12th January
Interviews will take place as follows:
First round interview (online): 26/28th January
Second round interview in person TBC: 3rd /4th February
Applications without a covering letter will not be considered. No agencies please.
Due to the volume of applications we cannot provide individual feedback. We really appreciate your interest. If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the deadline, it means we’ve moved forward with other candidates on this occasion. We encourage you to apply again in the future. Please note we may close recruitment early should the right candidate be identified.
No agencies. Applications without a covering letter will not be considered.
Helping schools develop vibrant reading and learning communities



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Purpose:
- To lead the development and delivery of WIP’s housing programme in South London and Manchester, ensuring high quality, trauma responsive services.
- Develop effective pathways with local housing teams and providers, including through co-design with women with lived experience, developing training and resources to improve the knowledge and understanding on women impacted by the CJS.
- Provide effective leadership to direct reports, fostering a positive, supportive and collaborative team culture.
- Work collaboratively with the external affairs team to provide programme insights to influence policy and systems change to prevent criminalisation of women due to homelessness and housing insecurity.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you passionate about school libraries? Do you believe in the power of school libraries to transform children and young people’s experiences in education? Can you communicate confidently to a wide audience and range of stakeholders?
The School Library Association (SLA) supports approximately 2000 members working in schools across the UK with advice, training and advocacy. The School Library Lead will be at the forefront of our member offer and outreach, to help us deliver on our mission to support all those working in school libraries, so that more children and young people reach their full potential through the school library.
This role will lead on providing advice, inspiration and support for schools looking to develop their school library provision and all the benefits this brings. An expert in school libraries, you will be comfortable supporting members 1:1, delivering training to larger audiences, providing consultancy to schools and sector organisations, writing training and resources, or preparing book recommendations. An exciting opportunity for someone experienced in school libraries with knowledge of the curriculum, teaching and learning and children’s books, you will be the first port of call for library advice and expertise, contributing to the growth and sustainability of the membership network.
You will be experienced in developing relationships with a variety of stakeholders at all levels relish a busy role. This will include supporting our Branch network, collaborating on initiatives for development, delivery and new projects as they come online. As resident children’s book expert, you will support with programmes and projects such as the SLA Information Book Award and member book-related events. You will work with your SLA colleagues to develop and deliver high-quality member events and training as well as advocacy events to raise awareness of the importance of school libraries. Using your sector insight, you will identify opportunities for development of initiatives that will support the SLA vision and mission enabling us to reach more children and young people through our work. This is a busy and rewarding role and will suit someone with passion and resilience.
This is a full time role working remotely, throughout the year (37 hours per week). Find out more about the role including full job description and how to apply by downloading the job specification pack.
Application deadline: 19th December
Interviews: First round interview (online): 13th/14th January
Second round interview in person TBC: 20th/22nd January
Applications without a covering letter will not be considered. No agencies please.
Due to the volume of applications we cannot provide individual feedback. We really appreciate your interest. If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the deadline, it means we’ve moved forward with other candidates on this occasion. We encourage you to apply again in the future. Please note we may close recruitment early should the right candidate be identified.
Applications without a covering letter will not be considered. No agencies please.
Helping schools develop vibrant reading and learning communities



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Director of Operations
LEF
Reporting to Chief Executive
London/Hybrid 2 days per week in the office, ideally Tuesdays and Thursdays (off Tottenham Court Road, WC1E 7EB)
6-month FTC
Salary £70,000 - £95,000 depending on experience (pro rata for part time)
Full time, 35 hours per week (part time considered) with flexible working
Excellent benefits including 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time and for FTC) pension, private healthcare, employee assistance programme
Are you a strategic and values-led leader with significant senior experience leading core support functions, including HR, IT, organisational infrastructure, and contract and supplier management, and available for an interim contract starting in January?
Charity People are delighted to be supporting LEF, an independent foundation supporting communities across the UK to use the law to create a more just and equal society, to recruit an Interim Director of Operations.
LEF was established as the Legal Education Foundation in 2012. Over the years, the organisation has grown into providing broad support for organisations in relation to law and social justice, and, in 2025, they became LEF with a focus on the potential of the law to strengthen the power of communities to create a more just and equal society.
LEF is entering a bold new strategic phase, following a transformative rebrand and renewed focus on the power of communities to use and shape the law to achieve social justice. With financial assets exceeding £280 million, LEF is uniquely positioned to build bridges between the law and communities facing injustice, to tackle the root causes of inequality.
The Director of Operations is a member of the Senior Management Team. The overall purpose of the role is to work with colleagues across the organisation to develop and oversee effective and efficient administrative, IT, finance and operational policies, systems and services to support delivery of the foundation's strategy, while ensuring that these policies, systems and support services uphold the foundation's culture and values.
The Director of Operations also plays a key role in shaping and sustaining an inclusive, collaborative and values-driven organisational culture, ensuring that systems, processes and ways of working promote staff wellbeing, equity and learning across the organisation.
Key responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Provide organisational leadership across core operational functions and contribute to SMT and Board decision-making to ensure effective, compliant and future-focused operations.
- Human Resources: Oversee HR strategy, policies and processes to create an inclusive, supportive and high-performing workplace.
- Digital, IT, Facilities & Infrastructure: Ensure robust, secure and efficient digital, IT, facilities and infrastructure systems that enable staff to work effectively across all locations.
- Finance: Lead and support the finance function to maintain strong financial planning, control, compliance and investment oversight.
- Governance: Maintain effective governance structures, ensure regulatory compliance and provide clear, timely information to the Board and committees.
Who we're looking for:
We're seeking a strategic and values-led leader with
- Senior experience leading core support functions, including HR, IT, organisational infrastructure, and contract and supplier management.
- Strong strategic and operational leadership skills, with the ability to translate organisational strategy into effective systems, processes and delivery.
- Experience overseeing organisational risk, compliance, data protection and safeguarding frameworks, or the ability to develop these confidently.
- Proven ability to engage constructively and authoritatively with the Board of Trustees and its committees, providing clear information, insight and challenge.
- Excellent organisational, planning and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.
- Experience leading and developing staff teams, demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and a collaborative, empowering leadership style.
- Deep understanding and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, with experience building diverse teams and fostering inclusive, trust-based cultures.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with sound financial literacy and the ability to interpret and communicate data and organisational information.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write and speak clearly, persuasively and with authority.
- Eligible to work in the UK.
- Commitment to the Foundation's vision, mission and values, and to working in ways that advance social justice.
Senior experience in the foundation or wider voluntary sector, ideally with insight into the needs of social justice organisations and voluntary sector infrastructure is desirable.
LEF is based near Goodge Street tube station (WC1E 7EB). You will need to be willing to attend the office at least twice a week, as well as be able to attend meetings and events across London. This is an interim role for 6 months. LEF will be recruiting for the permanent position early next year and the successful candidate will be open to apply. Candidates will need full right to work in the UK, and the role is subject to satisfactory references. The ideal start date for the candidate will be mid/late-January so you will need to be immediately available or able to start in January.
How to apply
The application process is CV and answers to three questions to form your Supporting Statement. For more information and for the full Job Pack, please share your CV via the link below. The closing date is 9am on Thursday 18 December. Interviews will take place on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 January.
Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.
Purpose of the job
In UK Youth’s Impact department, we find, create and use evidence to respond to the needs and preferences of young people and the professionals who support them. We conduct research and evaluations to prove and improve the impact of youth work, and we co-design high-quality programmes and support offers that can be scaled. This new role will work across these areas, supporting research and evaluation projects with real implications for policy and practice.
Reporting to the Evaluation & Learning Manager, you will be responsible for supporting the delivery of a portfolio of research and evaluation projects. This will involve conducting research in-house and coordinating with external partners and the organisations we fund to build and share high-quality evidence. There will be opportunities to lead on fieldwork, data analysis, reporting and insight sharing with strategic guidance and hands-on support from other members of the team.
You will be organised, keen to develop your research skills and have a passion for working with data. You will support high profile research and evaluation projects, including the evaluation of the Adventures Away From Home Fund – a major, Government-funded outdoor learning programme. You can expect to support other projects, gathering and sharing insights from our network and young people and helping the team to work efficiently and effectively.
Why work at UK Youth?
We want all young people to be equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. Youth work can be life changing (and even life saving). Our strategy positions UK Youth to unlock youth work so that every young person in the UK can benefit. We work with a network that shares this ambition to build cross-sector understanding of youth work’s transformational potential, secure sufficient investment for sustainable provision, and help to embed effective solutions that will increase the quality as well as accessibility of youth work. Come and be part of this change.
Responsibilities
-
Evaluation and Learning
-
Knowledge and Data Management
-
Research and Horizon Scanning
Experience we're after
-
Experience of managing datasets on digital platforms/software (quantitative and/or qualitative)
-
Experience of leading or supporting quantitative and/or qualitative research and data analysis in any setting
-
Experience of conducting literature reviews to analyse existing evidence on specific topics
-
Experiencing of working across multiple projects and competing priorities and managing your time and tasks proactively
What we can offer you
We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:
-
Flexible/Agile Working
-
27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)
-
Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity
-
Other training available in support of your personal and professional development
-
Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)
-
Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary
-
Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally
-
20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.
-
IT equipment provided for the duration of contract
-
CycleScheme and TechScheme
How to apply
If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.
Closing date: Tuesday 6th January 2026 at 09:00am
Provisional Interview Dates: 14th and 15th January 2026
As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.
UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
IRC UK
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in the UK.
In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.
The Purpose of the Role
IRC’s External Relations (ER) department brings together Fundraising, Communications and Policy & Advocacy functions. With the aim to raise money, awareness and influence for crisis-affected populations worldwide, the department combines knowledge and expertise across multiple national markets.
The IRC fundraising teams are comprised of colleagues and teams working in the USA, UK, Germany, Sweden and Korea as well as emerging markets delivering direct marketing, content, account management, philanthropy, board liaison, corporate as well as trust and foundation partnerships to support IRC’s national fundraising strategies.
The IRC’s private fundraising capability in the UK has grown significantly over the past five years. Ambitious growth plans are in place to deliver increasing income from the private sector as part of an exciting global External Relations strategy.
The Director of UK Mass Markets is responsible for the leadership and direction of the Mass Markets team in the UK and for securing long-term sustainable income for the IRC through individual donor acquisition, retention and supporter care. You will lead and develop a high-performing team by growing mass marketing audiences and income, developing exciting and targeted campaigns, identifying opportunities for product, channel and audience diversification, and championing UX and a supporter centric fundraising model. The Director will also serve as a key partner to the UK Executive Director as they facilitate cross-team collaboration, accountability and success among all private fundraising teams in the UK (Philanthropy, Global Corporate Partnerships, Foundations & Trusts and Mass Markets). The Director will play a leadership role in IRC UK more widely as a member of the UK Senior Management Team (UKSMT). The UKSMT is collectively responsible for achieving the cross-functional goals of IRC UK’s strategy and actively fostering an inclusive workplace at IRC UK.
This role is responsible for:
I. Securing significant and sustainable funding in the UK for IRC’s work
II. Leading strategic activities that support IRC’s mass market fundraising presence including campaigns for the End-of-Year, World Refugee Day and emergencies
Scope and Authority
This position has responsibility for delivering the UK Mass Market team strategy and targets and Supporter Care within the overarching Global Mass Markets strategy and UK Strategic Plan.
Responsibility for Resources:
This post will have responsibility for three direct reports (1x Senior Acquisition Marketing Manager, 1 x Retention Marketing Manager, 1 x Donor Services Assistant) and a substantial expenditure budget. The role is part of the global Mass Markets team and is matrix managed by the Executive Director in the UK and the Global Vice President of Mass Markets.
Key Working Relationships
Internal:
• Counterparts and senior leads in global Mass Markets team
• UK SMT: Directors of Strategy and Delivery, Communications, Advocacy, Philanthropy, Finance, People and Culture, Awards Management
• Global peer-level team: Directors and Heads of Mass Markets for Korea, Germany, Sweden, USA and Global Mass Market Support Leads
• Digital team members (UK and global)
• Global Creative Studio and Brand
• Senior Director for Retention
• International Operations team, incl. data & analytics roles
Key Accountabilities
· Aligned to the overall Global External Relations Strategy, develop, implement, monitor and report on IRC UK’s fundraising and supporter engagement strategy.
· Lead fundraising campaigns (acquisition, retention, mid-level) that deliver unrestricted income to enable IRC’s work. Channels include e-mail, direct mail, inserts, Facebook advertising, new forms of social media, and adwords, as well as telemarketing etc.
· Develop a supporter engagement programme that focusses on developing and deepening long-term relationships and drives retention rates.
· Develop and deliver an innovation programme, ensuring fundraising products and activity are at the forefront of the UK sector and allow IRC to cut through to new audiences.
· Deliver outstanding supporter services, ensuring supporter interactions are dealt with professionally and appropriately.
· Contribute strongly to overall Global External Relations strategy and budget development during the budgeting and investment request process.
· Lead, inspire, develop and performance manage the UK Mass Markets team.
· Ensure effective collaboration between the UK-based leads of the Foundations and Trusts, Global Corporate Partnerships, and Mass Markets teams, in executing comprehensive, aligned donor engagement strategies across the UK.
· Collaborate with other UK leaders on the UK Senior Management Team, holding collective accountability for achieving the goals of the UK strategy and advising on the wider management of IRC UK to support those goals.
· Reporting to the UK Board of Trustees, including presentations to the full Board and the External Relations Committee as required.
· Representing IRC in the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Fundraising Directors group.
· Be the senior contact for all mass marketing partnerships with third party supplies.
· Act as senior voice in cross-market working groups and committees.
· Network and build external profile of the IRC UK Mass Markets team by attending relevant fundraising and sector events, and building other external stakeholder relationships.
· Input into effective risk management of mass marketing income by accurately assessing opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses on a regular basis, and iterating the programme based on results.
· Accurately forecast, monitor and report on income and expenditure budget lines.
· Keep up to date with sector developments in individual giving, digital fundraising to ensure IRC is at the forefront of fundraising developments.
· Work closely with Mass Markets team in other national markets (i.e. Korea, Germany, Sweden, US) and the International Operations team to ensure all engagement is coordinated, and where appropriate, synchronised.
Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:
· Driven, motivated and proactive with a solutions-based attitude and resilient in the face of setbacks.
· Proven ability to manage, meet and monitor fundraising budgets and Key Performance Indicators.
· Excellent organisational skills, especially the ability to manage a complex, varied and substantial workload.
· Ability to understand legal frameworks and requirements, and implications of decisions in the best interest of the charity.
· Excellent verbal and written English and the ability to produce well designed and high-quality proposals and reports.
· Institute of Fundraising, Cass or comparable qualifications would be an advantage.
Experience:
· Extensive experience of individual giving (or mass marketing) and digital fundraising and ideally, mid value and legacy giving, within a large or medium global charity, including a proven track record of both acquisition and retention.**
· Launching new channels and products with success.
· Comprehensive understanding and experience of audience and donor segmentation, analytical modelling such as LTV and use of insights to drive strategy and performance.**
· Experience and understanding of creative process and relationship with brand identity through different channels and audiences.
· Proven track record of success in a leadership, line management, recruitment, performance management and talent retention.**
· Demonstrated history of being an empowering and supportive manager to front-line fundraisers.
· Experience working for a centralised, international organisation would be a strong advantage.
· Experience using Salesforce an advantage.
Criteria in the Person Specification marked with ** are the minimum criteria in line with our commitments under the Disability Confident Employer Scheme in the UK.
UK based candidates who state that they have a disability and meet these criteria, will be invited to interview.
The mission of the IRC is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster.



Job Purpose:
To support the delivery of WIPs housing programme for unsentenced women, providing trauma-informed specialist support to women in HMP Bronzefield, and going through court processes, with a focus on improving housing outcomes for women affected by the criminal justice system.
Key Responsibility Areas
- To deliver an effective housing intervention for women impacted by the criminal justice system.
- To develop effective relationships with key stakeholders, such as housing departments, court-based and prison teams, to ensure a collaborative approach to women’s accommodation needs.
- To provide expert advice and support to colleagues, including upskilling through information and training sessions, and supporting system change activities.
For the full list of responsibilities, please download the recruitment pack.
Terms & Conditions:
Start date: 2nd February 2026
Salary:£30,640 per annum (including £3,990 London weighting)
Location: Primarily based in HMP Bronzefield with some travel to South London.
Working hours: 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Our client is a leading independent funder.
They aim to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK.
The foundation provides c. £50million annually in grants to organisations and initiatives with brilliant ideas who share their goals. They also provide social and impact investment for organisations with the aim of creating social and environmental impact.
Their strategy focuses on three interdependent aims: improving Our Natural World; tackling injustice to deliver A Fairer Future; and nurturing Creative, Confident Communities. They also want to play a more active role by using a range of tools to effect change. In addition to funding, this includes convening and brokering alliances, commissioning research, and using its influence to achieve its goals.
Prospectus is delighted to be working with the foundation to recruit a Funding Operations Administrator on a full-time basis. This role will be key member of the Operations Team and will offer broad administrative support to the foundation in all aspects of its work.
A hybrid working model is in place which entails working at least 2 days per week in their office in Kings Cross (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and the remainder flexibly working from home if you wish (although this role may sometimes require additional office-based days for special meetings or events).
The role:
This role contributes to the delivery of the foundation’s strategy by providing comprehensive support to the resources, operations and funding teams, ensuring smooth and efficient running of the organisation.
This is a very broad role which will provide essential input to processes right across the organisation and will be rooted in excellent customer service principles, effective communication and genuine teamwork and collaboration.
It will range from arranging meetings rooms, reception duty, preparing reports for Trustee meetings and arranging and minuting meetings and helping with the logistics of convening events and seminars. It will also involve data input, analysis and reporting using the Salesforce Database, supporting the funding team with Salesforce day-to-day queries and carrying out initial eligibility assessments of initial expressions of interest from organisations interested in applying for funding.
The culture at the foundation is collaborative and nurturing, so working closely with colleagues to share ideas and learn from each other will be essential in this role.
The person:
The successful candidate will have experience of working in a busy office-based environment with experience of working with CRM databases and providing excellent customer service both internally and externally.
This person will be highly organised and will have a great eye for detail whilst being naturally helpful by nature and willing to get involved. There is plenty of room for development, so someone who is keen to learn and develop new skills in addition to bringing their own creativity and enthusiasm to the role will be important.
Strong IT skills, systematic and methodical, this person will be a natural problem solver and good at multi-tasking and meeting deadlines. They will also be a good communicator both verbally and in writing with the ability to see the bigger picture. Having a strong vision on how crucial effective administrative support work is to ensuring an organisation meets its charitable objectives and provides an outstanding service to its grantees and stakeholders.
This person will be a real team player whilst being able to work under their own steam, in a fast-paced environment.
This interesting role represents a fantastic opportunity for someone with the right skills and experience to learn and develop within one of the leading funders in the UK.
The foundation believes that a greater diversity of views, skills, and lived experience will help generate better ideas, and will lead to better decision making. We want to encourage applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. In particular, those with lived experience of racial inequity, disability, or poverty.
Purpose of the job
This role is responsible for the design of UK Youth’s support to young people, youth organisations and youth workers. This could include structured youth work programmes, funding and grants+ programmes, professional development programmes, and campaigns.
You will lead and oversee end-to-end design processes, ensuring that UK Youth develops fully packaged offers that respond to the evidence base and people’s needs, drive forward our strategy and achieve incredible impact. You will work across UK Youth teams, with external design partners, and meaningfully involving young people and the professionals who support them in the design process.
You will be experienced in developing high quality funding propositions (proactively and in response to new business opportunities). You will be confident in taking a human-centred design approach to tackle some of the youth sector’s knottiest problems. You will design solutions to important problems, ensuring that they are feasible, equitable, impactful and scalable.
In 2026, our priority topics for youth work programmes and network development are: mental health and wellbeing, employability, social cohesion and community safety.
As a leader, you will work closely with research, evaluation, policy, service delivery, network development, and fundraising teams. You will help to improve the skills and confidence of colleagues across UK Youth to apply design methods in their own work and collaborate effectively with the Design team.
Why work at UK Youth?
UK Youth wants all young people to be equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. Youth work can be life changing (and even life saving.) In 2026, we will be launching our new strategy, positioning UK Youth to unlock youth work so that every young person in the UK can benefit. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed, and delivers high-quality outcomes.
UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference, and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. Come and be part of this change in a driven and supportive team that puts evidence at the heart of our work.
Role Responsibilities
-
Designing Solutions
-
Developing new business and funding propositions
-
Embedding Human Centred Design
-
Building a strong external network to support the Design team’s work
-
Operations
Experience we're after
-
Significant experience of leading and overseeing the development of new business propositions and proposals to time-limited funding opportunities
-
Significant experience of designing interventions (digital and/or physical) for young people and/or those who support them
-
Experience using human-centred-design methods and mindsets; managing projects across the end-to-end design process
-
Proven track record of inspiring and motivating diverse teams and improving collaborative ways of working across teams and departments
-
Experience of developing high quality programme content and curricula for young people, youth workers and/or outdoor learning instructors (desirable)
-
Experience of commissioning and managing external design freelancers and consultants (desirable)
-
Experience of designing and/or delivering professional development programmes (desirable)
What we can offer you
We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:
-
Flexible/Agile Working
-
27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)
-
Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity
-
Other training available in support of your personal and professional development
-
Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)
-
Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary
-
Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally
-
20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.
-
IT equipment provided for the duration of contract
-
CycleScheme and TechScheme
How to apply
If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.
Closing date: Sunday 4th January 2026 at 23:59pm
Provisional Interview Dates: 12th and 13th January 2026
As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.
UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.