Corporate partners programme lead jobs

Personal Assistant (PA) to the Directors of Strategic Partnerships and Performance & Insight

Contract type: Permanent, Full Time – 35 hours per week

Location: London, United Kingdom. Subject to right-to-work.

UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel). 60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.

Salary: £39,358 – £42,500 per year with excellent benefits.

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

About WaterAid

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About the team

This role sits across two key departments within the Communications and Fundraising Directorate —Strategic Partnerships, which drives transformational partnerships to achieve our mission and Performance & Insight, which ensures our work across fundraising and campaigning is insight-led, data-driven, and delivering maximum impact.

About the role

As our PA to the Directors of Strategic Partnerships and Performance & Insight you will play a proactive and central role in enabling effective leadership and operational delivery across two high-impact departments and work closely with both Directors, senior stakeholders, project teams, and administrative colleagues to drive sustainable change.

In this role, you will:

• Proactively provide executive support to both Directors, anticipating needs, and managing diaries and preparing high-quality materials for internal and external engagement.
• Coordinate departmental and leadership meetings, ensuring agendas, logistics and follow-up actions are delivered efficiently and reported to key stakeholders including Board and Committee members.
• Support the delivery of strategic initiatives and transformation projects, maintaining oversight of priorities, deadlines, and departmental records, and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Lead internal communications planning and collaboration across SP and PID, managing SharePoint sites, induction programmes, and collaborating with other PAs to align processes and share best practices across the organisation.
• Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.

Requirements

To be successful, you will need:

• Significant experience as a PA or high-level administrator in a complex organisational setting, with a proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under pressure.
• A proactive, detail-oriented, and solutions-focused approach, with excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Strong collaboration and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build effective working relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience drafting high-quality briefing papers, presentations, and correspondence on behalf of senior leaders.

Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:

• Experience in the charity or international development sector.
• Familiarity with project management tools and techniques.
• Understanding of data protection principles and experience managing intranet content.

Closing date: Applications close 12:00 PM UK time on 29 September 2025. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 13 October 2025.

How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening question and upload your CV and cover letter.

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?

At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.

Pre‑employment screening

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Benefits

• 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
• Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
• Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Season ticket loan
• Free annual eye tests
• ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
• Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
• Sabbaticals
• One paid volunteer day each year

Our Global Commitment:

Our people promise

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.

Safeguarding

We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).

Together, we’ll change the world through water.

Join us and be part of the change !

Oxford is excited to invite applications for a newly created role that will lead fundraising for its School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE). The Head of Development will be a key member of the Social Sciences Development team within Development and Alumni Engagement (DAE), who will work closely with SoGE and DAE leadership to establish a small Geography team, and to develop a fundraising strategy that serves the School’s goals and grows its philanthropic support.

SoGE is one of the foremost geography and environment university departments in the world, internationally recognised for the quality of its research and teaching. Geography at the University of Oxford is a large, vibrant and intellectually diverse community comprising the core academic department of the School of Geography and the Environment, its three research centres: the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), the Transport Studies Unit (TSU) and the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment (SSEE) and several geographers based elsewhere in the wider university.

This is a special opportunity to work collaboratively with academic colleagues who craft robust, imaginative and forward-looking answers to pressing questions about the environment, technology, geopolitics and socio-economic change.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced major gifts fundraiser who is looking to grow their career in Higher Education through a senior role combining significant fundraising with management of a small team. You will be a collaborative fundraiser with expertise in major gifts and a strong track record of securing complex philanthropic support. Thriving in a fast-paced environment, you will be a strategic thinker and a skilled operator—communicative, adaptable, and adept at building strong, lasting relationships. Your ability to establish credibility and foster trust across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders will be key to your success, as will be a knowledge of and passion for issues relating to the School’s work, and that of the Social Sciences more broadly. Experience in Higher Education or the charitable sector, as well as of managing staff, is desirable.  Above all, you will share Oxford’s mission and be driven to create meaningful impact through strategic philanthropic partnerships.

What We Offer 

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as: 

· 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing, with the option to purchase up to 10 extra days and additional leave after long service. 

· One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave. 

· A commitment to hybrid and flexible working to suit your lifestyle. 

· An excellent contributory pension scheme. 

· Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans. 

· Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs. 

Sponsorship and Right To Work

This role may meet the criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa. The University will meet the cost of the Skilled Worker visa and NHS surcharge for applicants that require a visa. 

Please let us know in your application if you require sponsorship. 

 Application Process 

To apply, please upload: 

· A covering letter/supporting statement 

· Your CV 

· The details of two referees 

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 26 September 2025 

Interviews will take place on Wednesday 8 October 2025 and will be held in person in central Oxford.

The University of Oxford Development and Alumni Engagement Office is committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences, and reflects the community that we serve. We encourage applicants from all sectors of the community and are especially keen to encourage candidates from under-represented groups to apply.

We are looking for an experienced Finance Director to join our team of nearly 100 staff, ideally before the end of 2025.

This is a full-time, home-based, permanent position. You can be based anywhere in mainland UK or Ireland, with some travel and occasional overnight stays to meeting and conferences mainly in England and Wales.

We offer flexibility around working hours, including the option of a 9 day fortnight - time off in lieu is also available. We offer 25 days holiday pro rata (rising to 28 days) plus statutory public holidays. We are happy to make adjustments for people with disabilities and/or caring responsibilities, and we welcome applications from all communities.

The role is a grade 7 position with a starting salary circa £75,000 plus benefits including 9% employer pension contribution.

The Finance Director (“FD”) works alongside the Chief Executive and Operations Director to manage the finances and governance of The Rivers Trust, a leading conservation charity with three associated trading subsidiaries operating across the UK and Ireland, with a collective annual income approaching £10m.

Given the prospective retirement of the current postholder at the end of 2025, we are seeking a well-qualified and experienced individual to take on this senior leadership role as soon as possible to enable handover to occur.

The role is very varied and wide-ranging, including presenting financial information to the Trustees and senior management on a quarterly basis, reviewing monthly management accounts, leading on annual budgeting, appraising internal project concepts and contracts, statutory compliance administration and liaising with auditors.

The postholder will lead a team of eight in the Finance department and join a very welcoming team of 95 highly engaged and passionate staff at The Rivers Trust.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Working alongside the CEO, the Finance Director will provide commercial, financial and governance management and leadership for The Rivers Trust ("the Charity") and its associated subsidiaries (“The Companies”). The FD will not only be an exceptional accountant, with executive oversight of the finance function, but will be commercially astute and have the confidence to represent robustly the best interests of The Companies. The FD will also be an experienced manager of people.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Act as a business partner to support and constructively challenge the CEO in the general management of the Charity and the Companies, reporting to the board.
2. Lead all aspects of the finance function (including maintaining and developing the financial control environment; robust financial accounting; cashflow management; incisive management information; clear and concise reporting to Board) to ensure that the Charity and the Companies’ assets are secured, risks are managed, and the Board of Trustees, subsidiary boards and committees can make well-informed decisions.
3. Manage relationships with auditors, funders, IT specialists, banks, investment platforms and other external organisations.
4. Provide support to project bids and the development of other commercial opportunities to ensure that bids/opportunities are optimised for the Charity and the Companies as a whole.
5. Provide input to project and programme delivery from time to time, to ensure that performance is maximised for the Charity and the Companies.
6. Attend Board meetings and Business Audit and Risk Committee meetings to guide the Board and the Senior Management Team on financial, commercial and governance issues.
7. Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission and Companies House and, from time to time, provide guidance to members of the Rivers Trust movement on good governance practice.
8. Maintain the finance department operational manual for business continuity.
9. Serve as the Company Secretary for the Charity and Companies.

Staff Management:

1. Lead, manage and develop the finance team (who work remotely) and ensure the team understands their respective and collective contribution to achieving the Charity's and the Companies’ objectives.
2. Support the team in their professional development.
3. Ensure the team delivers a high-quality service focused on internal and external customers and funders.

Knowledge, skills, experience, and personal qualities:

Essential

• Significant experience in financial management and senior leadership roles, ideally gained in a range of organisations.
• A strategic thinker, able to see the big-picture, shape long-term direction and balance this with attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills combined with creativity and openness to innovate.
• Strong IT and digital skills, with experience of using technology to improve efficiency and automate processes.
• Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of managing, developing, and inspiring teams and creating a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative culture.
• Excellent relationship builder, with the interpersonal skills to influence, collaborate, and provide constructive challenge while maintaining positive relationships across the organisation, including with trustees and senior stakeholders.
• Experience reporting to boards of trustees and/or directors, with the confidence to contribute to board-level discussions as a trusted adviser.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills, able to distil complexity into pertinent, concise and understandable messages tailored to diverse audiences.
• The courage to make and communicate tough decisions and be open about risks and setbacks.
• Resilient and calm under pressure, with the ability to maintain focus and steady leadership in challenging circumstances.
• Impeccable standards of integrity and personal ethics, acting as a role model for the organisation values.
• Knowledge of Sage financial software packages.
• Work to a good standard in Microsoft 365, especially Excel, Word, Outlook and Teams.

Desirable

• Experience of working in the charitable sector.
• Experience of being a Company Secretary.
• Understanding of the environmental sector or a passion for making a positive impact.
• Familiarity in using Sharepoint, Sage and Slack.
• Knowledge of Partial Exemption VAT rules.
• A basic understanding of Irish tax law, Irish and UK payroll taxes and corporate governance.

Qualifications/ Education

• Qualified Accountant, preferably ICAEW or ACCA.

Additional information

Everyone who works for us is expected to contribute to a respectful and inclusive working culture and follow our policies and procedures including Health & Safety, EDI, Cybersecurity and GDPR.

Please note we can only accept applications made through this site, and not sent by email or other methods.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you through the process, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter.

Closing date: Wednesday 24th September 2025

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a strong pool of applications, so we encourage early submission