What does it take to lead the national voice for special schools at a time of real change?
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – National Association of Special Schools (NASS)
National – home-based, with regular travel across England and Wales, particularly London
£90,000–£110,000 per annum
Full-time, permanent.
About NASS
The National Association of Special Schools (NASS) is the membership association for special schools in England and Wales. We bring together independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies, maintained special schools and multi-academy trusts with specialist provision.
We exist to inform, support and represent our members, helping specialist schools improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and secure the place of specialist provision within the wider education system. NASS is known for being accessible, responsive and personal, combining national influence with practical support that members value as timely, human and trustworthy.
This is a pivotal moment for the organisation. In February this year, the Department for Education published a major white paper on SEND reform which will require NASS to both influence national policy on behalf of our members and children and young people, as well as support them to navigate the changes. Our new CEO will need to review our strategy while building on our strong platform and momentum to further deepen our influence and strengthen our internal capacity.
As our next Chief Executive, you will:
- Strategy & Impact: Lead NASS through a period of policy and structural change, ensuring the organisation remains clear on purpose, responsive to members and influential in the SEND landscape.
- Governance & Finance: Work closely with the Board of Trustees to provide strong governance, prudent financial stewardship, robust risk management and clear strategic oversight.
- Operational Leadership: Provide confident leadership to a small, remote team, strengthening collaboration, accountability, resilience and a positive, high-trust culture.
- Income Generation: Oversee budgeting, planning and reporting while developing thoughtful opportunities to diversify income through membership, partnerships, events and related activity.
- Community & Partnerships: Build and sustain trusted relationships with government, parliament, regulators, sector bodies and member schools, ensuring NASS remains relevant and well connected.
- Member Services: Protect and enhance the practical offer to members, from briefings and special interest groups to conferences, webinars, training and peer-to-peer learning.
- Brand & Profile: Act as a credible public ambassador for NASS, helping to modernise communications and broaden the organisation’s voice beyond a founder-shaped model.
- Future Growth: Shape a distributed leadership profile and support a more varied, accessible and engaging approach to membership, advocacy and communications.
- A seasoned senior leader with experience in a charity, membership body, education or public sector setting, and a clear track record of leading through change.
- A strong strategic thinker, able to absorb complex information quickly and translate it into clear, practical direction.
- A confident communicator with the gravitas to represent NASS with members, staff, trustees, MPs, peers, media and national partners.
- A politically astute relationship-builder, comfortable navigating a complex and fast-moving external environment.
- Experienced in governance, with a sound understanding of working with boards or trustees and supporting effective decision-making.
- Numerate and commercially minded, with experience of budgets, financial planning, income generation or partnership development.
- Credible, approachable and resilient, with the emotional intelligence to lead well in a high-profile, remote and sometimes uncertain context.
- Direct SEND experience would be a significant advantage, alongside understanding of specialist education or similarly complex stakeholder environments.
Why NASS?
- This is a chance to lead a respected, member-led organisation with a strong national reputation and a clear public purpose.
- You will help shape the future of specialist education at a time when SEND reform is high on the agenda.
- NASS has a loyal, experienced and collegiate remote staff team, supported by an active Board of Trustees.
- The organisation offers a genuinely influential platform, with strong connections across the sector and with government.
Application
For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.
Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 8th June 2026
As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
Thank you!
Bid Coordinator
Contracted Days: [5 days per week]
About Offploy:
Offploy is a social enterprise and charity committed to creating a fairer society by helping individuals with convictions, or at risk of offending, lead crime-free lives. Founded in 2016 by an ex-prisoner, we have supported over 5,000 people with tailored services that build skills, confidence, and opportunity. With team members who have lived experience in the justice system, we’re uniquely positioned to deliver impactful, life-changing services that make communities safer.
Role Purpose
To support the Development Function by managing opportunity research, bid compliance, and submission processes, ensuring a high-quality, organised and proactive pipeline of commissioned, grant and framework opportunities.
The Bid Coordinator will play a critical role in maintaining bid governance, strengthening pre-tender intelligence, and ensuring timely, compliant submissions, while providing light-touch writing support where required.
Key Responsibilities
1. Opportunity Monitoring & Market Intelligence
- Monitor procurement portals (e.g. Contracts Finder, Find a Tender, DPS platforms, local authority portals) independently to identify relevant opportunities not yet captured in Stotles
- Use Stotles to its full capability for pre-bid market intelligence, including commissioner profiling, spend analysis, contract expiry tracking, award pattern analysis, and commissioning trend identification
- Flag potential opportunities to the Senior Bid Manager for qualification, supporting the maintenance of a 12-month forward pipeline
- Track live frameworks, grants and pipeline intelligence aligned to strategic priorities
- Maintain Bids, Grants and Awards in Salesforce (ensuring accurate stage progression
- Conduct early-stage opportunity research including:
- Contract history and incumbent analysis
- Buyer behaviour and award trends
- Estimated contract value benchmarking
- Local delivery landscape and competitor mapping
- Prepare opportunity summaries to inform bid/no-bid discussions
2. Pre-Bid & Qualification Support
- Support bid/no-bid qualification processes
- Draft opportunity summaries for internal review
- Identify key risks (financial, delivery, TUPE, geographic, partnership requirements)
- Coordinate clarification questions where required
3. Bid Compliance & Submission Management
- Lead on completion of Selection Questionnaires (SQ), PQQs and standard compliance sections
- Maintain and update core compliance responses (policies, certifications, insurance, accounts, etc.)
- Ensure all attachments are current and correctly formatted
- Manage portal uploads and submission checks
- Conduct final compliance reviews before submission
- Maintain submission records and audit trail
4. Bid Toolkit & Content Library Management
- Maintain and update the Bid Toolkit (case studies, CVs, policies, impact data, boilerplate responses)
- Ensure evidence packs (e.g. wellbeing, confidence, lived-experience delivery) remain current
- Coordinate with Operations to gather up-to-date impact data and testimonials
- Version control all key documents
- Ensure alignment between toolkit content and organisational messaging
5. Writing & Development Support
- Provide light-touch drafting support for lower-risk questions
- Adapt standard responses to specific tenders
- Support editing, formatting and proofreading of submissions
- Assist in formatting submissions for clarity and consistency
- Support post-award review documentation and lessons learned logs
6. Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Support quarterly pipeline reporting
- Track win rates and conversion trends
- Log feedback from unsuccessful bids and support thematic analysis
7. Repeatable Tasks by Cadence
Daily
- Check procurement portals and Stotles alerts for new or updated opportunities
- Monitor active submission deadlines and flag any risks to the Senior Bid Manager
- Update Salesforce with any status changes or new intelligence
Weekly
- Conduct a structured Stotles review: run commissioner and keyword searches, review expiring contracts, and log any new intelligence relevant to the pipeline
- Prepare and circulate a pipeline update summary ahead of any scheduled development team check-ins
- Review and progress any live clarification questions or portal correspondence
- Check and update bid toolkit items flagged as requiring refresh (policies, CVs, compliance documents)
Monthly
- Conduct a full pipeline review with the Senior Bid Manager, including stage progression, upcoming decision gates, and opportunities requiring early research
- Review compliance document expiry dates and initiate renewals where required (insurance certificates, policies, accounts)
- Gather updated impact data and outcomes from Operations/Salesforce for use in live bids and store in Bid Toolkit
- Update Salesforce with any new bid outcomes (awards, losses, withdrawals)
Quarterly
- Conduct a full audit of the bid toolkit: identify gaps, flag outdated content, and coordinate updates with the relevant teams
- Review Stotles usage and market intelligence gathered over the quarter; identify any commissioning patterns or emerging opportunities to inform the development strategy
Person Specification
Essential
- Strong organisational and deadline management skills
- Experience working with procurement portals
- High attention to detail, particularly in compliance documentation
- Ability to analyse information and summarise key points clearly
- Strong written communication skills
Desirable
- Experience in bid coordination, tender administration or similar role
- Experience within employability, social justice, or public sector contracts
- Familiarity with Salesforce or CRM systems
- Experience supporting SQ/PQQ completion
- Understanding of public procurement processes in the UK
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Regional Development Officer (RDO) - Midlands
Location: Midlands (home-based with travel and use of hot desk office in Midlands)
Salary: £35,100 FTE (£18/hour £21,060)
Contract: 2-year fixed term (22.5 hours/week)
Reports to: National Fundraising & Development Manager
This is not an administrative role. It is comparable to:
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Regional Development Officer (charity sector)
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Community Development Officer
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Partnerships / Outreach Officer
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Network Growth or Membership Development roles
The role combines business development, community engagement, and programme delivery, with clear responsibility for growing Phab’s national footprint and reputation.
Why this role matters
This is a rare opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up.
You’ll be the person who brings Phab to new communities—connecting disabled and non-disabled people, creating life-changing social opportunities, and building a network of clubs that transform lives.
We’re looking for someone who thrives on meeting people, spotting opportunities, and making things happen—someone who can walk into a room, inspire others, and leave with new partners, volunteers, and future club leaders excited to get involved.
If you’re energised by purpose and disability-inclusion, love being out in the community, and want to play a key role in growing a national charity’s reach—this role is for you.
Role Purpose
To grow and strengthen the Phab network by:
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Launching new Phab Clubs in underserved areas in the Midlands
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Supporting and energising existing clubs
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Building strong regional relationships that drive participation, partnerships, and sustainability
A critical part of this role is identifying and supporting outstanding Club Leaders—the individuals who make clubs thrive.
What success looks like (2-year targets)
Year 1: Establish & Build Momentum
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Launch 3–5 new Phab Clubs in priority areas
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Identify and develop a pipeline of future club leaders and volunteers
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Build relationships with local authorities, schools, disability organisations, and community groups
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Visit and engage with existing clubs in the region to strengthen relationships and identify growth opportunities
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Generate local funding or in-kind support for new and existing clubs
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Represent Phab at key regional events and networks
Year 2: Grow & Sustain
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Support Year 1 clubs to become fully sustainable and independently run
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Launch an additional 3–5 new clubs or affiliate groups
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Increase membership and engagement across existing clubs
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Develop regional partnerships that provide ongoing referral pathways (e.g. professionals, services, schools)
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Contribute to income generation (grants, partnerships, training opportunities)
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Establish a strong regional identity and presence for Phab
Key Responsibilities
1. Network Growth & Club Development
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Identify areas of need and actively develop new Phab Clubs
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Recruit, mentor, and support Club Leaders and volunteer teams
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Set up clubs alongside the club leaders (venue, structure, governance, initial membership)
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Build relationships with professionals (e.g. SEND services, social workers, educators) who can refer members
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Reconnect with former Phab participants and supporters to re-engage them
2. Supporting Existing Clubs
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Regularly visit and engage with existing clubs
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Identify challenges and opportunities, offering practical support
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Encourage growth in membership, activity quality, and sustainability
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Share best practice and connect clubs to wider opportunities (training, funding, events)
3. Community Engagement & Partnerships
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Act as a visible, energetic ambassador for Phab
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Attend networking events and build strong regional relationships
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Develop partnerships with community organisations, corporates, and funders
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Promote Phab’s wider offer (Phab ACTS training, Phab Adventures, events)
4. Income & Sustainability
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Identify and secure local funding opportunities
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Support clubs to access grants and sponsorship
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Contribute to Phab’s broader income generation strategy
5. Internal Collaboration & Delivery
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Work closely with Marketing, Fundraising & Development, and Charity Support teams
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Use CRM (Beacon) to track engagement, contacts, and progress
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Contribute to planning and delivery of regional and national initiatives
Experience & Background
We are looking for someone who has done this kind of work before, not just worked “in charity or business”.
Essential experience:
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Experience in community development, outreach, or network growth
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Proven track record of starting or growing initiatives, projects, or groups
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Experience building partnerships and engaging external stakeholders
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Experience recruiting, supporting, or managing volunteers or community leaders
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Experience working in or alongside disability, inclusion, or community services
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Knowledge of UK charity landscape and safeguarding/good practice
Desirable:
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Experience setting up or running community groups, clubs, or programmes
Experience securing local funding or sponsorship
Equal Opportunities, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Phab is committed to creating an inclusive organisation where disabled and non-disabled people can thrive together as equals. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, lived experiences and identities, particularly disabled people and those who are underrepresented within the charity sector.
We believe diversity strengthens our organisation and helps us better support the communities we work alongside. Recruitment decisions are made based on skills, experience, values and potential, and we are committed to ensuring a fair and accessible recruitment process for all applicants.
Reasonable adjustments will be offered throughout the recruitment process and during employment. If you require any adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know.
As a Regional Development Officer, you will play an important role in promoting inclusion, accessibility and equality across our network of clubs, projects and partnerships.
Safeguarding Statement
Phab is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. We expect all staff, volunteers and partners to share this commitment and to uphold a culture of safety, dignity and respect.
The successful candidate will be required to work in line with Phab’s safeguarding policies and procedures and may be subject to an enhanced DBS check, depending on the nature of the role and responsibilities.
We are looking for someone who shares our values of inclusion, respect, integrity and participation, and who is committed to helping create safe and welcoming environments for everyone involved in Phab activities.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
Our mission is to build an inclusive world where everyone is valued and belongs.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.