Head of Programmes
United Way UK
Home-based with frequent national and international travel and overnight stays around 2-3 times a month. The ideal candidate will be based close to good transport links and able to get to London easily, with access to a car and/or a full clean driving licence
Salary £42,000 - £45,000 based on experience
12-month contract with potential for extension
Full-time, with flexible working
Excellent benefits including annual leave of 25 days per year plus bank holidays, increasing by a day annually for each year of service up to 30 days and 6% employer pension contribution
Charity People are delighted to be partnering with the United Way UK, a charity which believes that all individuals should be empowered through opportunity and resources to reach their true potential, to recruit a Head of Programmes.
United Way is a global organisation that supports local communities around the world in more than 40 different countries. Communities all over the world face similar challenges, but each one requires a unique approach to solving them. United Way UK was established in 2014 and harnessing experience and learnings from United Way Worldwide, UWUK uses local knowledge and global expertise to implement the very best programmes for communities across the UK and is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the times.
Driven by the local community, UWUK works with charity partners, businesses and individuals to provide everything a community needs to thrive (education, financial stability and health), providing support in the form of funds, time and expertise. UWUK funding is privately sourced so that the charity is driving new revenue to the voluntary sector.
The Head of Programmes leads UWUK's talented delivery team and works closely with the CEO on relationship development and strategic planning. As part of a small team (UWUK is currently five staff members), the Head of Programmes will be a strong team player and problem solver, with initiative, reliability and high emotional intelligence.
Key responsibilities
* Programme design, delivery and growth: You ensure the successful delivery of programmes, monitor and report on impact, oversee the budget and ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection and charity regulations. You will support the growth of programmes by creating, developing and writing proposals, and travel throughout the UK to support project delivery.
* Partnership development: You will scope, develop and secure partnerships across sectors, building and maintaining strong relationships with funders, partners, schools and charities across the UK and support the organisation of fundraising events, campaigns and other fundraising activities.
* Line management: You will line manage the programmes team (x 2 posts), supporting professional development, conducting performance reviews, and promoting strong team moral and wellbeing.
* Operations and strategy: You will support reporting to United Way UK Board of Trustees, United Way Worldwide and UK regulators, as well as work closely with the CEO on strategic planning and implementation.
What we're looking for
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following essential skills and experience:
* Experience in programme management, stakeholder engagement and partnership building, with strong relationship skills combined and a natural ability to cultivate positive relationships with internal stakeholders, charity partners, prospects, funders, corporates, volunteers and internal partners
* Strong project management skills with ability to manage diverse tasks and priorities with attention to detail and accuracy.
* Experience of monitoring and evaluation to collect feedback from stakeholders and continually improve and learn from programmes and report to funders.
* Solid communication skills, in both written and oral English, with the ability to present to stakeholders and write compelling project proposals.
* Experience working in the charity sector or within corporate social responsibility.
* Experience managing staff, including supporting professional development, conducting performance reviews, and promoting strong team moral and wellbeing.
* Experience in volunteering, either working with, or leading volunteer programmes, or being a volunteer.
* Experience either leading or supporting proposal writing for programme delivery.
* Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.
* Full driving license.
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following personal attributes:
* Self-motivated and results-driven
* Proactive and responsive
* Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
* Collaborative work style and positive team player.
* Commitment to the core mission, values and work of UWUK.
As UWUK is a small organisation, the ideal successful candidate may also have fundraising experience although this is not essential.
The UWUK team are passionate about their mission and delivering results and have a caring, trusting, collaborative and close-knit culture, based on shared values and respect. This role is home-based, but you will be able to travel regularly across the UK, at least 2-3 times a month and be willing and able to easily attend meetings in London on a regular basis. Travel is covered but you will need to be able to be based with easy access to a major transport hub.
How to apply
If you would like to apply, please upload your CV using the link below in the first instance. Jen D'Souza from Charity People will be in touch with the full details about the job and how to apply. The deadline is 9am Tuesday 11 November. The interviews will take place online w/c 24 November. The ideal candidate will be able to start in December and at the latest in mid-January. We will be hosting a webinar on Friday 7 November at 1pm for candidates interested in the role (this will be recorded and shared if you are unable to attend).
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.
About Planet Patrol
Our vision is a world where all beings can enjoy our waterways, free from pollution. We are a global community dedicated to placing people-powered environmental data at the heart of decision-making. Through our unique anywhere, anytime, anybody approach to citizen science, we gather critical evidence of water and litter pollution to drive solutions that protect both environmental and human health. Our data and citizen science methods have been featured in academic journals (Stanton, et al., 2022) and media investigations (Channel 4 and ITV), enhancing public and scientific knowledge of litter pollution.
About the role
As Director, you will oversee daily operations, including forecasting and budgeting for the entire organisation (currently c£300K per annum). As such, you will lead on developing a sustainable funding stream for our mission-driven work, ensuring we maintain a 6-month runway at all times. You will build and maintain strong external relationships to help grow and develop the organisation. The Director will provide leadership to a small, remote team (4 x PAYE) and create a happy, sustainable and productive work environment. Most importantly, the Director will ensure objectives are being met - both personal and organisational - to deliver impactful, positive change for our waterways in the UK, and abroad.
About you
The successful candidate will be a strong leader who excels at strategic thinking, with the natural ability to analyse situations and relationships to maximise impact and return on investment. They will have experience in line management, fundraising and financial management. We are seeking candidates who have experience in senior management in a non-profit setting, ideally within the environmental sector but not essential. Critically, you must thrive in a start-up environment and have a can-do attitude to problem solving. You’ll be one of only a handful of employees and a team of excellent freelancers, so being a team player is a must! This is a great opportunity to really shape the organisation and our impact, so if you like having agency and being innovative, Planet Patrol would be a great fit.
Your top qualities as a leader
- Ambitious
- Collaborative
- Agile
- Resilient
- Resourceful
Key Responsibilities
Funding Development + Stakeholder Relationships (40%):
- Significant responsibility for successful contractual negotiations and maintaining a healthy new funding pipeline. Secure six-to-seven figure funding opportunities to provide a sustainable revenue stream for 3+ years.
- Strategic understanding and experience of competitive and fast changing charitable financial landscape.
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with funders and other voluntary sector organisations.
- Ensure we are suitably represented at appropriate meetings, events, conferences, management groups etc. and that issues that impact our work are raised appropriately.
Operational Leadership including Compliance + Budgetary Control (30%):
- Effective leadership driving business operations and strategic targets. Inspire teams to deliver high-quality programmes and foster a culture of creativity and innovation.
- Draw up and monitor budgets, with support from the Founder and Team Leaders, and ensure effective management and use of all resources. Ensure maximum operational efficiency and maintain a six-month runway at all times.
- Work collaboratively with the Founder and Team Leaders to build annual Business Plans and long term strategies for the organisation.
- Ensure compliance across product / project delivery, finance, human resources, IT, legal, health and safety, customer services and facilities management. Ensure that all data is collated and managed in line with data protection requirements.
- Maintain and develop effective human resource systems for the recruitment, management, support, training, and appraisal of staff and volunteers. Ensure systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the work.
Team + Performance Management (30%):
- Build high-performing, committed teams. This includes line managing, coaching, and supporting team members to create a positive, productive work environment.
- Oversee the team to deliver comprehensive planning and reporting.
- Set benchmarks, monitor performance, and develop a culture of continuous improvement.
- Proactively manage the performance of Team Leaders by carrying out inductions, regular accountability meetings, supervisions, and probation reviews, while also setting clear work and development objectives.
Person Specification
If you think you could do the role but do not meet all of the specification points below, we would still like to hear from you.
Essential Experience and Ability
- Senior management experience working within a small charity or Community Interest Company (CIC).
- Track record of driving operational excellence, including organisational finances and resources.
- Experience of line management, team development and performance management.
- Experience of securing sustainable and diverse revenue streams; including multi-year, strategic deals worth six-and-seven figures.
- Proactive approach to risk management and maintaining compliance.
- Experience in a strategic role, including developing organisational strategy and/or developing and overseeing monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
- Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and managing stakeholder relationships.
- Ability to effectively prioritise, manage and oversee programmes of work across the organisation and lead through change.
- Ability to work under own initiative, delegate where appropriate, prioritise work and meet strict deadlines.
- Good general IT skills and appreciation of new platforms that can increase efficiency and effectiveness (Slack, Trello, Canva, Dext, Xero, HubSpot, SenseHR).
- Broad understanding of GDPR and other essential legislation and organisational policies, including use of AI.
- Passionate about the environment and the importance of citizen science.
- A commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
- Legal right to work in the UK without visa sponsorship.
What we offer
Planet Patrol values collaboration, innovation, and agility. That’s why we’re proud to be a 4-day week employer. We offer a flexible, remote working environment, paired with regular opportunities to connect as a team. We’re a vibrant, mission-driven non-profit that supports professional growth, alongside wellbeing. We offer a generous annual leave package, your birthdays off and encourage you to get out into nature whenever possible.
Application details
If you believe in the work we’re doing and think you could add something to it then we would love to hear from you.
Please submit your CV, LinkedIn profile and answers to the four questions listed. We are unable to process applications which are not complete.
Applications close midnight Sunday 23 November.
First stage interviews will be held virtually on Wednesday 26 November.
Second stage interviews will be held in person on Wednesday 3 December.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.