The Youth Endowment Fund
Senior Change Manager, Children’s Services
Reports to: Head of Change, Children’s Services
Salary:£54,300 per annum, depending on experience
Location: Central London or Hybrid*(see below)
Contract: 2-year fixed term contract
Closing date for applications: 12 pm on Monday, 1st June 2026
Interview dates: Week commencing 15th June 2026
About the Youth Endowment Fund
All of us will experience violence at some point in our lives. For many children, it is a daily reality. Each year, tens of children are killed, hundreds are hospitalised, 1 in 5 teenage children are victims and the majority admit to feeling afraid of violence. It scares them when they travel home from school, prevents them from going out and makes the most vulnerable feel like they don’t matter. It is taking lives, traumatising families and dividing communities. It robs potential, progress and hope.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.
A big part of the movement that we need to build is in the world of children’s services. We need to inspire and connect with senior leaders in England and Wales to spread what works and make our country safer for some of our most vulnerable children. We need someone who can deliver this whilst understanding and working within the context of the major sector reforms that are currently being delivered via the Families First Partnership programme.
Key Responsibilities
We are at an exciting moment in our work. In June we will publish our children’s services practice guidance, setting out the evidence for what works to reduce serious youth violence in the children’s services sector.
We have plans to work with the sector over the rest of the financial year and beyond, including designing a self-assessment tool to help senior sector leaders benchmark their existing practice against the evidence. We will also launch a new change programme, working hand-in-hand with the sector to implement the evidence for what works, gaining valuable insights in the process.
Your role is to help us turn these plans into a reality.
This will include launching the self-assessment tool and promoting its use within the sector. It will also involve planning, designing and delivering the change programme to turn the theory into reality.
You will also contribute by designing and delivering a range of sector engagement activities, such as webinars, events and learning opportunities, that reach the sector, helping to build momentum, understanding and commitment across children’s services.
Lastly, you will support the Head of Change for Children’s Services with government engagement as required and support the establishment of a new network for senior sector leaders to share the latest evidence and best practice.
Key responsibilities will include:
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Supporting the launch and roll-out of the children’s services self-assessment tool, driving up demand and ensuring widespread completion of the tool across the sector;
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Work hands-on with Local Authorities to help them put evidence into practice via our change programme; planning, delivering and learning as the work continues;
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Continuously capture and act on learning from the self-assessment tool and deep dive change programme to inform future work;
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Supporting the design and roll-out of a children’s services network to spread learning of what works to reduce serious youth violence;
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Spend time genuinely understanding the pressures, priorities and constraints facing children’s services leaders to inform our longer-term approach to change.
As part of your wider contribution to the organisation, you will also:
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Build a culture where it is natural to perform well and support colleagues brilliantly.
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Contribute to setting the strategy, delivering results and building and modelling the culture that we need to succeed.
You are this sort of person:
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You are fascinated about change and are experienced in making it happen. You have outstanding analytical judgment alongside the emotional intelligence and experience needed to identify the right opportunities for change, then make them happen. You understand why people find change difficult. You come alive talking about how people make decisions and why they do the things they do.
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You understand the children’s services sector. You understand how the sector really works. This could include experience of working with/supporting senior sector leaders to facilitate change and improvement that improves the lives of young people.
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You win people over. People tend to warm to you and respect you. You have built good relationships with very senior people and with very junior people. You are good at chairing meetings, connecting people and having good introductory meetings. You are comfortable talking to a government minister, a youth worker, a company CEO, a social worker and a 15-year-old student. Listening to people from all backgrounds matters to you.
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You have experience of developing resources which support children’s services. You understand and take a curious approach to learning about the needs of sector leaders. You are able to skilfully translate these insights into helpful resources and tools which support leaders to improve practice.
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You learn fast but remain humble. You are very quick at getting your head around things. You like learning. You are very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know. You know that you can learn more. You know that it's easy to assume you know when you don't. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You are a great and supportive team player.
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You don't want your days to pass without making a difference. You want to play a significant part in reducing violence.
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You understand young people. You understand what the lives of vulnerable young people can be like, and you understand some of the organisations that work with them, ideally through first-hand experience.
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You are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
You must have this sort of experience
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Delivering positive change within children’s services: You have significant experience of working with sector leaders to support the development and improvement of practice.
While it’s not a criteria, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of violence affecting children and young people.
It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background.
All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.
Hybrid Working
The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.
To Apply
Please click on the "Apply for this" button and submit your CV, your completed monitoring form and ensure your covering letter answers the following three questions below. Please submit your application by Monday 1st June 2026 at 12pm.
Application Questions
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How have you used evidence to deliver effective change and improve outcomes? How did you gather and use the evidence and influence senior leaders to act differently?
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Describe your experience and understanding of working in or with the children’s services sector, in particular working with senior sector leaders. Please be specific about the context and impact you made.
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What personal and professional experiences shape your understanding of the children’s services sector and its role in preventing youth violence?
As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage.
Interview Process
This will be a two-stage interview process. Interviews will take place the week of 15th June 2025.
Please Note: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.
Benefits Include
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£1,000 professional development budget annually
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25 days annual leave, 3 days end of year shut down, plus Bank Holidays
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Four half days for volunteering activities
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Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support
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Volunteering days - 4 half days per year
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Death in service - 4 times annual salary
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Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm
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Financial support including travel and hardship loans
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Employer contributed pension of 5%.
Your Data
Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful, and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We exist to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Programme Impact & Portfolio Management Advisor
Permanent, Full time, Hybrid working (minimum of 2 days per week in the office)
Location: This role can also be based in one of our UK offices (Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Warrington)
Salary - £45,732 per annum (plus London allowance if applicable)
If we receive a high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close the advert before the scheduled closing date. Therefore, we encourage interested applicants to apply at their earliest convenience.
About us
Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We are a global movement of people, churches and local organisations who passionately champion dignity, equality and justice worldwide. We are the changemakers, the peacemakers, the mighty of heart.
We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and recognise the value this brings in forming strong, creative and high performing teams. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, and from those with experience from outside of the voluntary sector. And no, you don’t have to be Christian to work here – we encourage people of all faiths and none to apply. We just ask that everyone lives out our values of dignity, equality, justice and love. We value a good work-life balance, so we’re open to part-time and flexible working. We also offer hybrid working for our office-based colleagues.
About the role
Reporting in to the Global Programme & Partnership Lead, the Programme Impact & Portfolio Management Advisor plays a pivotal role in supporting the effective implementation of Christian Aid’s unrestricted funded projects and programmes, valued at over £10 million, including signature programmes and other incubative funding mechanisms under Christian Aid’s unrestricted portfolio.
The post-holder will provide comprehensive support across all stages of our ‘signature’ programmes and programmes under unrestricted portfolio, brining deep global and regional experience to lift programme portfolio management across the organization. The role supports the global programme and partnership lead in managing the full programme cycle from design to closure, ensuring compliance with internal and external standards and policies, ensuring consistency and coherence.
The role also involves supporting capacity building for our Multi Country Cluster (MCC) and global staff, contributing to programme information management systems, and engaging in cross-organisational initiatives to enhance programme quality and excellence. The role supports the global programme and partnership lead in coordinating cross-functional teams across MCC and global enabling functions, ensuring coherent and quality programme delivery across the unrestricted portfolio to achieve the greatest impact under the new strategy.
Some of the main areas of responsibility for the Programme Impact & Portfolio Management Advisor include:
- Support MCCs to ensure effective programme cycle implementation from design, inception, delivery to close-out, with a focus on signature programmes and other programmes under the unrestricted portfolio, aligned with internal standards, organizational values and goals, and external commitments such as the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS).
- Support the global programme and partnership lead in ensuring effective and impactful programme impact and portfolio management across the full unrestricted portfolio- from design and planning through implementation, review, and closure – drawing on substantive regional experience to ensure quality, coherence, and learning embedded at every stage.
- Collaborate with Impact Department colleagues to develop policies and enhance programme, project and partnership cycles, collaborating to drive meaningful change.
- Support delivery of capacity-building initiatives through training and resource navigation support for unrestricted funding projects to maximize income and
- Collaborate with the MEL Advisor and Income & Public Engagement Department to strengthen communications and reporting for internal and external stakeholders, building relationships based on trust and openness.
- Support programme and finance teams in monitoring expenditure and resource allocation within agreed
About you
Who we are looking.
Essential:
- Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant
- Significant hands-on experience in leading and supporting programme portfolio management across the full cycle of programme cycle management (PCM)-design, planning, implementation, review, and closure- including in the context of unrestricted (code 1) funded programmes.
- Substantive regional and global experience (Africa, Asia, Middle East and Latin America) that can be applied to lift the quality and ambition of signature programme and other programmes under unrestricted portfolio.
- Demonstrated ability to provide global support in anchoring and coordinating cross-functional teams – including MCC and global enabling functions – to achieve joined -up, quality programme delivery.
- Significant experience working on global programme portfolio management
- Significant experience in coordinating with cross-functional and cross-cultural teams
- Highly developed in MS Office applications (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel) and web/intranet-based systems for financial management.
- Significant experience and acumen of budget monitoring, financial analysis using spreadsheets and producing reports for donors.
- Demonstrable experience working with diverse cultures in contexts across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, or Latin America through a partnership approach.
- Developed problem-solving skills with the ability to manage complex issues independently.
- Highly developed communication skills for convening meetings and taking clear minutes.
- Fluency in English
Desirable:
- Developed ability in French or Spanish (written or spoken).
- Demonstrable experience working with external
- Understanding of humanitarian principles and international standards such as SPHERE or
Further information
At Christian Aid we strive to be an inclusive and diverse employer and recognise the value that this brings in helping to build strong, creative and high performing teams.
We are actively encouraging racialised minorities, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people with caring responsibilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, women, and older workers to apply. This is because these groups are under-represented within our teams, especially at senior level, and we recognise and value the contributions members of these groups make to strong, creative and high performing teams.
We have a strong Christian ethos and we encourage applications from all faiths. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and sympathy with Christian Aid’s faith identity.
All successful candidates will require a DBS/police check appropriate to the role and location and a Counter Terrorism Sanction check as part of your clearance for commencing your role with us. We also participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information as part of the referencing process from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
This role requires applicants to have the right to live and work in the country where this position is based and undertake the role that you have been offered. If you are successful and we make you an offer for the role, we will be required to conduct a right to work check on your immigration status in the UK. We will contact you regarding the documentation you will need to provide to evidence this.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
- Directorate: Innovation, Policy & Systems Change
- Reporting into: Associate Director of Research, Learning and Systems Change
- Colleagues reporting into role: No direct reports at present. However, coaching and managing of volunteers and/or consultants is expected.
- Location: You can be home-based anywhere in the UK, with travel for meetings. You can also choose to work from our Bristol or London offices.
- Closing date: Monday 8 June at 12 midday
- Interview dates: Monday 15 June and Tuesday 16 June (please tell us in your application if you cannot attend interview on one of these days)
Change lives in a life-changing career
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.
The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. And that impact can be felt by entire family. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer.
We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise well-being. And we stop at nothing to make their voices heard and their unique needs understood, so they can get the right care and support at the right time.
About the role
We’re looking for a Head of Research & Evidence to join our ambitious Research, Learning & Systems Change Team.
Young Lives vs Cancer has a strong and growing commitment to changing the system for children and young people with cancer, and their loved ones. Our North Star vision and Time is Now Strategy focus on influencing how the wider system works – from services and policy to practice on the ground – so that families get the support they need.
The Head of Research and Evidence sits in the Research, Learning & Systems Change team, within our Innovation, Policy & Systems Change Directorate. The role is responsible for ensuring our work is grounded in strong, credible and useful evidence, and that learning is actively used to shape decisions, practice and change across the system.
This is a leadership role within a small but ambitious team. You will set direction and provide thought leadership, but you will also be hands on – designing, commissioning, managing and using research alongside colleagues and partners.
Building trusted relationships and using evidence to influence thinking and action are central. You will work with colleagues, children and young people, families, and partner organisations (such as the North Star Cancer Collective) to learn, strengthen credibility and create change.
This role is subject to a Criminal Record Check. In the event of a successful application, a Basic Criminal Record Check will be completed. A previous conviction is not necessarily a barrier to employment. We encourage qualified applicants to apply, and we will consider each case individually.
What will I be doing?
No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. You’ll work as part of a strong internal team, collaborating closely with colleagues across the organisation and with key external partners to generate, use and apply evidence that supports learning, influence and system change. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description and pack:
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You’ll be setting the direction for research and learning, leading a clear and purposeful research programme focused on the psychosocial experiences of children and young people with cancer. You’ll ensure research is high‑quality, ethical and impactful, including commissioning work with partners and contributing to research funding bids.
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You’ll be understanding needs and experiences to grow a strong, credible evidence base, building and using robust evidence on need, inequality, impact and progress to inform strategy, services, policy and system change. You’ll ensure children, young people and families meaningfully shape research and that insight is shared in clear, practical ways.
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You’ll be providing system insight and leadership, analysing how the system works, identifying trends and pressures, and using evidence to guide where change is most needed. You’ll build trusted relationships across the voluntary sector, NHS and research community, sharing learning and strengthening our credibility and influence.
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You’ll be turning learning into action and influence, helping teams apply research to real‑world practice and supporting testing, learning and improvement over time. You’ll put feedback and learning loops in place and assess how research‑informed change is affecting practice and outcomes.
What do I need?
Diverse perspectives and unique skill sets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.
The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:
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Experience leading and delivering research, including setting direction, choosing methods, commissioning or carrying out research, analysing data, and ensuring high quality and ethical practice.
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Strong research and analytical skills, with confidence working with both qualitative and quantitative data and evidence, and turning insight into practical action.
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Experience using evidence to support change, such as shaping strategy, influencing policy, improving services or supporting system change.
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Experience working across organisations, building trusted relationships with colleagues, partners, and where appropriate, children, young people and families.
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Ability to communicate complex research clearly and accessibly to different audiences, in writing and in conversation.
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A collaborative way of working, with strong people skills, curiosity and a learning mindset, and a clear commitment to equity, inclusion and anti‑oppressive practice.
What will I gain?
For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:
- Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
- Well-being, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Great family/caring leave entitlements
- Enhanced pension
- Access to our employee savings scheme
To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.
We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.
To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value AI adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to tell us about your skills and experiences in your own voice.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.
To hear more about this role, please sign up to one of our informal drop in sessions taking place at 12:30pm on Tuesday 26th May and 17:30pm on Monday 01st June.
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