Data manager jobs in merton, greater london

Challenge Events Assistant
12 months fixed term
Full time (34.5 hours)
Hybrid between home and our London Office
£24,850 - £27,850 per annum

At Macmillan you'll find talented people working together to do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer. We're going all out to find even better ways to help even more people who need our support. Our values are at the heart of who we are and everything we do, inspiring our thinking and guiding our actions.

About the role

We are looking for a 12 months fixed term Challenge Events Assistant with excellent supporter care and Excel skills to join our growing team as we support over 100,000 people to raise £35m for people living with cancer. 

You will work as part of the Challenge Events Assistant team to manage the stewardship and data for our large portfolio of Challenge Events.

You will provide excellent supporter care by email, through our CRM system and online through our Facebook inbox and private event groups and fulfil participant requests using our systems and processes. 

You will also be responsible for sorting and formatting data in Microsoft Excel for a range of purposes. This could include, but is not limited to, helping us import participant data on our event management system and creating mailing lists for our comms.

You’ll be rewarded by joining a fun and high-performing team at one of the UK’s most loved charity brands. You will also be rewarded knowing your work is making a real difference to people living with cancer.

This role does require weekend work (although not at your desk) as you’ll be out and about cheering on our participants. A full UK driver’s license is preferred and a willingness to drive a van is a bonus.

You will be compensated for your weekend work with days in lieu and we commit to developing you throughout your career at Macmillan. We also offer benefits including life assurance, pension, generous leave and interest free loans for season ticket and gym membership.

Please note all candidates are subject to a criminal record check for this role. This cost will be covered by Macmillan and all enhancements must be declared prior to the check.

About you 

We are looking for someone who has a foundation in the skills outlined in the section of the role profile labelled ‘To do this role, you will have...’, so please make sure you clearly demonstrate these in your application. 

You will also have demonstrable experience of:

• Administration
• Data Management
• Good time management
• Experience in providing excellent supporter care
• Strong written communication skills
• Good teamwork
• Excellent attention to detail

Recruitment Process 

Application deadline: Wednesday 4th June 2025 at 23:59.

1st interviews - 9th June 2025.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all of our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed so that shortlisting is based solely upon the suitability of the candidate’s experience.

We welcome applications from everyone who meet the criteria and strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Macmillan. Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee representation body, ‘Our Voice’ and 8 Employee Network groups help us promote fairness and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.

Challenge Event Assistant
Permanent appointment
Full time (34.5 hours)
Hybrid between home and our London Office
£24,850 - £27,850 per annum

At Macmillan you'll find talented people working together to do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer. We're going all out to find even better ways to help even more people who need our support. Our values are at the heart of who we are and everything we do, inspiring our thinking and guiding our actions.

About the role

We are looking for three Challenge Event Assistants with excellent supporter care and Excel skills to join our growing team as we support over 100,000 people to raise £35m for people living with cancer.

You will work as part of the Challenge Event Assistant team to manage the stewardship and data for our large portfolio of Challenge Events.

You will provide excellent supporter care by email, through our CRM system and online through our Facebook inbox and private event groups and fulfil participant requests using our systems and processes. 

You will also be responsible for sorting and formatting data in Microsoft Excel for a range of purposes. This could include, but is not limited to, helping us import participant data on our event management system and creating mailing lists for our comms.

You’ll be rewarded by joining a fun and high-performing team at one of the UK’s most loved charity brands. You will also be rewarded knowing your work is making a real difference to people living with cancer.

This role does require weekend work (although not at your desk) as you’ll be out and about cheering on our participants. A full UK driver’s license is preferred and a willingness to drive a van is a bonus.

You will be compensated for your weekend work with days in lieu and we commit to developing you throughout your career at Macmillan. We also offer benefits including life assurance, pension, generous leave and interest free loans for season ticket and gym membership.

Please note all candidates are subject to a criminal record check for this role. This cost will be covered by Macmillan and all enhancements must be declared prior to the check.

About you 

We are looking for someone who has a foundation in the skills outlined in the section of the role profile labelled ‘To do this role, you will have...’, so please make sure you clearly demonstrate these in your application. 

You will also have demonstrable experience of:

• Administration
• Data Management
• Good time management
• Experience in providing excellent supporter care
• Strong written communication skills
• Good teamwork
• Excellent attention to detail

Recruitment Process 

Application deadline: Wednesday 4th June 2025 at 23:59.

1st interviews - 9th June 2025.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all of our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed so that shortlisting is based solely upon the suitability of the candidate’s experience.

We welcome applications from everyone who meet the criteria and strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Macmillan. Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee representation body, ‘Our Voice’ and 8 Employee Network groups help us promote fairness and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

Foster a collaborative and innovative team environment.

Conduct regular online marketing performance reviews and lessons learnt.

Work alongside the Performance Marketing Specialist, Senior Digital Campaign Officer, PR and Communication Officer and colleagues in the Creative and Content team to deliver online growth.

Social Media Strategy

Develop and implement a robust social media growth and engagement strategy.

Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and set measurable goals.

Stay updated with the latest social media trends and best practices.

Content Creative and Management

Collaborate with the creative team to produce high quality, engaging and relevant content for all social media channels.

Be hands on in the creation of multimedia content for email campaigns, social media and our brand website, including creating engaging images and videos.

Develop our online identity, while ensuring brand consistency in tone, voice, and terminology.

Integrate SEO best practice into content creation to improve online visibility and rankings.

Community Engagement

Monitor and respond to appropriate comments, messages, and mentions across relevant social media channels.

Cultivate relationships, boost loyalty and foster a positive and active online community.

Ensure supporter queries and issues are addressed promptly and professionally.

Analytics and Reporting

Track, analyse, and report on social media performance metrics.

Use data-driven insights to optimize content and strategy.

Prepare regular reports for senior management.

Public Relations

Develop and maintain relationships with key online media contacts and influencers, securing coverage to help achieve the charity's aims.

Create, coordinate and manage online PR campaigns and initiatives to maximise engagement and exposure.

Alongside the PR and Communications Officer, write and distribute press releases and other PR materials.

Work with the Senior Head of Communications to develop and implement a robust PR strategy.

The successful applicant will support the effective operation of Sarcoma UK's supporter database (Raiser’s Edge NXT) and contribute to accurate financial reporting. The role ensures that data is managed to a high standard, enabling the organisation to deliver its strategic and charitable objectives. The postholder will also assist the Finance team with timely and accurate income reporting and reconciliations.

Benefits:

• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• 25 days holiday entitlement per annum plus bank holidays and the working days between Christmas and New Year
• Additional day off for your birthday
• Volunteering day per year
• Enhanced sick, maternity and adoption pay
• Sarcoma UK Life Insurance Scheme
• Health and wellbeing:
  • Health Cash Plan
  • Therapy sessions
  • Wellbeing Group
  • Team activites throughout the year
• Interest-free season ticket and bicycle loan

Our Values

• Pioneering we are leading the way to a better future for the sarcoma community.
• Together we are creating a community to make a difference for all those affected by sarcoma.
• Expert we use our expertise in understanding sarcoma to deliver better outcomes.

Duties and key responsibilities

Database Administration (Raiser’s Edge NXT)

• Maintain and update supporter records, including constituent and gift data, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Process donation streams including MuchLoved, Enthuse and others, ensuring accurate integration and reconciliation.
• Work with the Database Manager to develop and manage Omatic Cloud processes for importing and automating gift data from external fundraising platforms.
• Process and record Gift Aid declarations in accordance with HMRC guidelines.
• Conduct data cleansing activities to maintain accuracy of records (e.g. address updates).
• Manage and maintain subscription forms (WordPress), ensuring accurate data capture and integration with Raiser’s Edge NXT.
• Extract and analyse data to support fundraising and operational reporting using Raiser’s Edge NXT queries and Excel.
• Contribute to the annual internal database audit, collaborating with the Senior Database Officer and Database Manager to identify areas for improvement and implement best practices.

Financial Support

• Monitor all income and update the income spreadsheet daily.
• Monthly reconciliations between Raiser’s Edge NXT and the income spreadsheet.
• Work with the Senior Finance Officer to carry out income reconciliations between Sage 50 and Raiser’s Edge NXT.
• Deposit all physical donations into the bank account weekly.
• Provide general support to the Senior Finance Officer as required.

Cross Function Collaboration

• Work closely with the Senior Database Officer to align on day-to-day data processing.
• Collaborate with the Finance Team on reconciliation and reporting.

Other

• Work flexibly and collaboratively in a dynamic environment, undertaking other duties as required to support the wider operations of Sarcoma UK.

Job Title: Membership Administrator

Reports to: Membership and Elections Manager

Line reports: n/a

Contract terms: 35 hours per week, 12 months fixed term (maternity cover)

Salary: £29,895

Location: London based, with hybrid working

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) is a membership organisation and the voice of the profession, with over 4,000 members in the UK and overseas. Our role is to champion the specialty, set standards of training and practice, and influence change to make a difference to the lives of patients with eye conditions.

Job Purpose

 The Membership Administrator will support work relating to membership customer service, recruitment, retention, subscriptions, data management and communications.

The post requires strong attention to detail, experience in using CRM systems and excellent customer service and communication skills as the first point of contact in our membership team.

Main responsibilities

 Membership

• Respond to enquiries about membership by email and phone, and being the first point of contact for membership issues
• Process applications for membership ensuring applicants meet the criteria and provide correct documentation e.g. sponsors 
• Suggest improvements to the membership application process
• Ensure member information is up to date within the CRM
• Ensure membership pages of the website are up to date
• Facilitate access to membership benefits
• Providing mailing list for the publishers of the Eye journal
• Assist in the production of regular membership communications
• Provide reports for Council on the number and names of new members and those gaining fellowship by examination
• Assist in the production of promotional material for use at courses and events

Subscriptions

• Administrate Direct Debit process
• Apply bank transfer payments to member accounts
• Administrate collection process of overdue membership payments
• dministrate membership concessions and grade changes
• Respond to enquiries about subscription fees
• Respond to enquires re the annual renewal process

General

• Assist the Membership Elections Manager with arrangements for the College elections as appropriate
• Assist the Membership Elections Manager with attendance at various national marketing events to represent the College as appropriate
• Download CRM reports and presenting in information in various formats, e.g. inclusion of graphs
• Assist with the work of the membership working group including arranging meeting logistics, including dates, location and catering
• Assist with the organisation of meeting papers, including preparing the agenda, circulating papers and drafting minutes

To undertake other duties as required:

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required, including occasional travel and overnight stays.

Inclusion and Diversity statement 

RCOphth is committed to encouraging inclusion, equity and diversity among our staff, and eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation by complying with the Equality Act 2010. We want a working environment where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued. To do this, we will proactively tackle discrimination and disadvantage and ensure that no individual or group is directly or indirectly discriminated against for any reason. We expect all employees to champion and live our values through their work at every opportunity.  

Our values are: 

Inclusion

• actively welcoming a diversity of experiences and perspectives
• everyone being respected and encouraged to participate regardless of their background or role

Integrity

• being open and honest, demonstrating accountability in all its work
• evidence-based and transparent decision-making, utilising a range of data, information, expertise and experience

Innovation

• creating novel opportunities to advance and deliver on its aims, anticipating changing circumstances
• actively welcoming fresh ideas and approaches
• fostering a climate of ambition and excellence drawing on expertise from across the College’s communities

Improvement

• being a learning organisation, reflecting on both successes and mistakes
• continuous and sustainable development across all its activities

Person Specification

Knowledge, Qualifications and Experience

• Administration experience in a customer facing environment
• Experience of data processing
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software
• Experience of working with CRM systems (please list all systems and experience level on CV)

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal with the ability to relay key information and handle enquiries
• High attention to detail
• Highly developed organisational, prioritisation and time management skills
• Work on own initiative and respond effectively to new situations
• Professional attitude with strong focus on quality of service
• Work well within a team, with consideration for colleagues

Personal Qualities (Attributes)

• Commitment to equity and diversity and understanding of how this applies to own area of work
• Committed to own continuing professional development

Other requirements

• Discretion, tact and flexible attitude
• Understanding of GDPR requirements

Staff benefits

 We offer a friendly and supportive working environment and make sure our employees are well looked after with a great benefits package, which includes:

Work life balance and family friendly benefits:

• Hybrid working (2 days in the office, 3 from home)
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days with length of service (plus bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year)
• One day of paid leave to move house

 Enhanced parental leave

Planning for your future:

• Employer pension contributions are double the employees, up to a maximum employer contribution of 12%.
• Life assurance of 4x of base salary

Career development:

• All staff are offered opportunities for learning and development, in addition to a comprehensive e-learning package
• Study loans

Travel:

• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

Wellbeing:

• Summer Fridays (staff can finish 90 minutes early from mid-July to the end of August)
• Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme (with access to free counselling sessions)
• Health Cash Plan

How to apply

Please submit your 2-page CV and a 1-page covering letter. The cover letter must explain what makes you suitable for the role. Please use the Job Description for reference.

Interviews will be held at our office in Euston, week commencing 23 June 2025. Please indicate if you are likely to need any reasonable adjustments to successfully complete this interview.

Applicants must already have the right to work within the UK without restriction. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The closing date for applications is 16 June 2024.

Are you passionate about helping young people build brighter futures?

Are you a people person with great attention to detail? If so, we’ve got a brilliant opportunity for you to join our team as our Volunteering Development Officer at Young Enterprise.

Who We Are

We’re Young Enterprise – a national charity with a bold mission: to give every young person the skills, confidence, and mindset to thrive in the changing world of work.

For over 60 years, we’ve empowered more than 7 million young people through hands-on enterprise and financial education programmes. Whether it’s launching a student business or learning how to manage money, we help young people develop key life skills—teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and resilience.

We’re a passionate, down-to-earth team of 90+ staff and 2,000+ volunteers who believe that every young person, regardless of background, deserves a fair start in life.

Why Join Us?

We think Young Enterprise is a great place to work—and we’re proud of our people-first culture. Here’s what you can expect:

• A friendly and supportive team where your voice is heard
• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion—we want everyone to feel they belong
• Generous holiday allowance and flexible working
• Cycle-to-work scheme, life assurance, and NHS top-up plan
• Ongoing learning and mentoring opportunities
• A chance to directly impact the lives of young people every single day

About the Role

At Young Enterprise, we’re proud to engage thousands of passionate volunteers every year across England and Wales. Together, we empower young people with vital enterprise and financial education skills—delivered in schools, universities, and communities. Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re looking for a proactive and enthusiastic Volunteering Development Officer to help us create the best possible experience for them.

You’ll be the first point of contact for new volunteers, ensuring every volunteer’s experience is smooth, well supported and rewarding – from registration through to recognition. You’ll lead on all aspects of our volunteer registration processes, systems, and records, as well as using your expertise in volunteer management to deliver excellent customer service and build effective relationships on a national scale.

You’ll be contributing to upholding high standards and creating a warm, welcoming environment and ensuring our volunteers are supported every step of the way—and in doing so, you’ll help us make a lasting difference in young people’s lives.

You’ll love this job if you are…

• A people person who enjoys building relationships and providing great customer service.
• Passionate about the transformative power of volunteering for young people.
• Organised, self-motivated and with a keen eye for detail.
• Looking to gain broad experience in the volunteering sector, managing the end to end volunteer experience and getting stuck in to make improvements to they way we do things.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivering a seamless onboarding experience, handling queries and providing a warm welcome to new volunteers.
• Supporting and training colleagues on volunteering systems and processes.
• Managing our safeguarding and DBS processes for volunteers to keep young people safe.
• Using our Volunteer Management System (Assemble), ensuring communications are logged and accurate reports are available for monitoring and KPIs.
• Creating and maintaining clear documentation, process and guidance documents so colleagues and volunteers have everything they need at their fingertips.
• Recognising volunteer contributions by coordinating our volunteer rewards and recognition activities.
• Writing inspiring news articles and email communications updates on our Volunteering platform.
• Championing the volunteer journey and actively contributing to team goals that ensure volunteers have a positive and consistent experience.

A few practical things:

• This role is hybrid, involving a mixture of working from home and from our Central London office.
• There will be some limited additional requirements to travel for meetings and occasional expectations to work outside of office hours, such as our annual in person Staff Conference and quarterly evening ‘get togethers’ online with volunteers.
• This role is the equivalent of 3 days per week, however we are flexible to accommodate the regular working hours that work for you, between 9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday.
• Giving our volunteers the best possible experience involves really understanding what they do- so you will be actively encouraged to get stuck in and ‘volunteer’ yourself within our programmes and alongside our volunteers.

Keeping Young People Safe:

At Young Enterprise, safeguarding is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. All successful applicants will receive ongoing safeguarding training throughout their employment and be expected to uphold excellent safeguarding practice at all times.

How to Apply

If you’re ready to help shape the futures of young people, we want to hear from you!

Please send your CV and a cover letter (max 2 pages) telling us why you’re the right person for this role. Applications must be submitted by 23:30 on 20 June 2025. Please note, we are only able to respond to shortlisted candidates, and may close applications before the closing date if we find the right candidate.

Interviews will be held via Teams and may take place before the closing date. Please note, we are only able to respond to shortlisted candidates.

At YE we are passionate and committed to keeping your data safe and secure.  Full details can be found in the YE People’s Privacy Notice.

Join us – and help us give every young person the chance to thrive. 

Job Title: Dynamics Developer

Reporting To:                 Senior Systems Administrator

Salary Range:              £38,000 - £40,000 (Dependent on experience)

Contract Type:              Permanent

Location: Hybrid - (across Felix’s sites in London (Deptford, Enfield, Poplar, Park Royal/Acton, Western International Market, Greenford, Canary Wharf).

Hours/Days per week: 37.5 hours per week, 9am – 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Requirements: he Felix Project can only employ applicants who currently have the right to work in the UK. 

About The Felix Project

The Felix Project is London’s largest food redistribution charity. Our vision is a London where good food is never wasted, and no one goes hungry. We aim to reduce the negative impact food waste has on the environment by working with the food industry to rescue high quality surplus produce, that would otherwise have gone to waste. This food is sorted at one of our four depots or turned into meals in Felix’s Kitchen. It is then distributed to over 1,200 community organisations, such as food banks, homeless shelters and primary schools, all of whom are working within communities across London to feed people experiencing hunger.

Our Values

Our values set the tone for our organisational culture and reflects how we do everything at The Felix Project including our recruitment & Selection process.

WE SOLVE IT DIFFERENTLY - We succeed by thinking outside the box, being solutions driven and trying new things.

WE MAKE IT HAPPEN - We set the standard in what we do, with the commitment to getting things done.

WE DO IT TOGETHER - We pull together as one, recognising the power of diverse experiences, skills and perspectives.

WE DO IT WITH HEART -We are driven by our care for each other, the environment and the communities we serve.

Purpose of the Job 

We are looking for a Dynamics Developer to play a key role in the Felix IT Team to support our continued support and development of bespoke applications built on the Microsoft Dynamics technology stack.

This role will report into the Senior System Administrator who is responsible for our Microsoft Dynamics environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

At The Felix Project, we are embarking on a journey to apply technology and IT systems to streamline the business and become more efficient. Our core applications are all based on the Microsoft suite – Dynamics, M365, Power BI, Fabric, Real Time Marketing and SharePoint. We also use the Microsoft Security and Compliance systems. We do also have a number of 3rd party external systems where we pull data from for analysis.

Currently we have the following solutions built in MS Dynamics, a journey which we started 3 years ago.

· Route Me (Bespoke route planning application)

· Fund Raising

· Volunteer Management System (based on the MS Not For Profit stack)

· Community Portal (Internal bespoke application that manages our Charitable Organisations we support)

· Supply Team

· Felix Connect (Bespoke application to manage Ad Hoc food offers)

· Real Time Marketing

Your normal duties and responsibilities will be set out in your job description. However, the charity may require you to perform other duties from time to time. 

Person Specification 

We are looking for a Dynamics Developer with experience helping to continue our migration of legacy applications and spreadsheets into D365. We have a limited external support contract from a near shore support centre in Bratislava and an offshore support development team in India (limited days per month), so this role will also focus on supporting current and new Dynamics applications.

The role will also require the person to support and engage with the business to gather clear requirements and log them in DevOps once they have been prioritised.

As we grow, it is paramount we develop all areas of the charity to have maximum impact through innovation, creativity, agility and an entrepreneurial approach. During our continued migration to D365, we expect the successful applicant to be able to review business processes and make suggestions and improvements from the As Is process to the To Be process prior to modelling with technology.

The successful candidate will also have a comprehensive understanding of the DataVerse, and the structures of tables and rows used in Dynamics as this will be the lead system for our business reporting and intelligence via Fabric and PowerBi during 2025. 

Essential Criteria

·Act as primary support for Felix’s MS Dynamics solutions

·1st line Helpdesk; Responsible for triaging and resolving tickets both internally and externally with our support centre

·Troubleshooting system performance issues and minor bug fixing

·Liaise with Senior System Administrator and IT Change Management to ensure tickets are prioritised and dealt with in a timely fashion within SLA timeframes

·Test the resolution of Bugs in the development environments before being deployed to production

·Test new features in the development environments before being deployed to production

·Support the Senior System Administrator in deploying Felix solutions to the live environment

·Manage and maintain user permissions, security roles and security teams

·Ensure that data in Dynamics is accurate and protected against unauthorised access

·Partner with team members in Felix IT across the organisation to train new users and support existing users with system usage such as data entry, reporting, and basic system functionality

·Monitor Dynamics operations and conduct performance analysis to assesses options for optimising and configuring the system

·Participate in IT and cross-functional meetings to support staff and various team members to review upcoming Dynamic issues, items, and trainings

·Take on the responsibility and acting on deduplicating contacts

·Setup new users and apply the correct license to their account

·Setup various views for Felix staff member.

Equity Diversity Inclusion & Belonging

At The Felix Project, we are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in everything we do. We value the unique contributions of every individual and strive to create a respectful, inclusive environment free from discrimination or prejudice. Our commitment extends to all employees, and volunteers, ensuring equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of background or characteristics.

Application procedure 

Once you apply you will be directed to our recruitment portal. Please upload your CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role and make sure that they are both uploaded before submitting your application. After you have submitted your application, you have 24 hours in which you can access you application and make edits. We will only consider applications with both CV and cover letter submitted.

Recruitment timeline 

We reserve the right to close advertisements early and we might assess candidates and arranging interview as applications come in, so please apply as soon as possible, to avoid missing out on this opportunity.  

Due to the anticipated large number of applicants, if you do not hear from us within four weeks of your application, we regret to inform you that your application has been unsuccessful. Consequently, will not be able to provide feedback.

At Ambitious about Autism, we're currently looking for a Policy Manager to join our External Affairs team.

You'll work closely with autistic young people, their families, and our specialist settings, to develop and influence policy on our priority areas. You will be accountable for achieving the wider policy aims in our new strategy, so that autistic young people can achieve at school, be healthy, and live and work as independently as possible.

You'll collaborate with autistic young people, their families, colleagues across Ambitious about Autism, and other stakeholders to develop and implement policies that influence practice in our priority policy areas. You'll plan and manage regular engagement activities with autistic young people, their families, and other key stakeholders, to ensure our policy influencing is beneficiary- led and reflects the needs of our settings.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Proven experience of developing and delivering policy positions to effect social change
• Proven track record of using social and traditional media to generate engagement in campaigns for change
• Knowledge and understanding of at least one priority policy area affecting autistic children, young people and their families (education or employment policy)
• Proven ability to develop and manage research and policy projects within agreed timescales and budgets.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

Research Initiatives Manager
£45,864 pa plus excellent benefits
London WC1 and home-based
35 hours per week

The Research Initiatives Manager is a crucial role at the College, as you will work closely with senior clinicians to lead a series of projects and activities to feed into the development and delivery of child-health research initiatives. The initiatives include research awards, research events and research capacity and capability building, by embedding academic skills into the paediatric workforce and enabling academic research.

As Research Initiatives Manager, you will also lead on the RCPCH Genomics Programme which aims to develop and deliver a series of resources and activities related to supporting the preparedness of our membership for the era of genomics medicine.

Based within the Research and Evidence team, you will be the operational lead for relevant Committees and working groups, acting as a representative of the College to represent the views of paediatricians, whilst ensuring timely reporting of progress to Project Boards.

You will also build and develop relationships with external stakeholders and work with the Head of Grants and Partnerships to identify sources of funding to support future work within the Research and Evidence remit.

With a degree or equivalent experience with a research, health science, life sciences or genetics/genomics component, you should have a proven understanding of the national funding landscape and infrastructure for clinical research.

An expert at providing senior project leadership, you should have experience of collaborative ways of working across multidisciplinary teams and programmes of work, along with demonstrable experience of producing high quality written reports, documentation and promotional information suitable for a range of audiences.

With excellent organisational skills and an ability to adopt an orderly and precise approach to work, paying careful attention to detail and the ability to follow standard procedures and ways of working, you should also have demonstrable programme management skills, and be capable of working autonomously and taking personal responsibility for your projects.

Knowledge of research methodology, including data analysis, along with a background of organising workshops and events and an understanding of the genomic medicine landscape, would be desirable. 

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health sets and maintains standards for the education and training of all doctors working in paediatrics and child health in the UK. We advocate on child health issues at home and internationally. Additionally, through a variety of activities, the College influences the quality of medical practice for children in hospital and in the community. 

The RCPCH has more than 25,000 members and fellows and employs around 200 staff, most of whom work in our London office in Holborn. We have a Devolved Nations team operating from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Our College values: Include, Influence, Innovate and Inspire, are important to us. These values ensure we bring out the best in each other, strive forward together to make the College a positive and dynamic place to work. 

The RCPCH champions Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Our workplace is inclusive, offering a supportive environment where staff can thrive. The College is keen to accept applications from people with protected characteristics. We believe that our staff should represent all of the diverse communities we serve. Join us to help realise our vision of a world where every child is healthy and well. 

The College operates a flexible and modern working policy, whereby our colleagues work in the office for a minimum of 40% over a 4 week cycle and the remainder from home. 

The RCPCH is committed to safeguarding the children, young people and adults it has contact with in the exercise of its functions and responsibilities. The RCPCH expects all staff to share this commitment – we place a high priority on ensuring only those who do so are recruited to work for us. 

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records.

Closing date: 12 June 2025
Interview date: 25 June 2025

RISE is a collaborative effort with the goal of delivering a unified approach to women’s empowerment in global supply chains. Bringing together the world’s four largest women’s empowerment programs in the global supply chains - BSR’s HERproject, CARE International, Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. Program and ILO-IFC Better Work, RISE will leverage the combined experience in over 21 countries to achieve transformative change for the millions of women who work within supply chains globally. 

RISE will focus on three interrelated pillars of action to tackle both immediate barriers and medium/long term structural improvements for women workers. These include increased agency, confidence, and communication, increased access to and control over financial products, services and resources, enhancement of the capabilities of unions and industry organizations, and implementation of policies at the workplace level, but also regional and national levels that promote gender equality.

Pillar 1: Capacity Strengthening: Working in factories in key countries, RISE will achieve impact with a network of local civil society partners and organizations working on gender equality to deliver worker capacity building programs.  There are four options available (i) Foundation – a 13 month needs based worker training program (ii) Digital – an 8-month tablet-based learning on health, financial literacy and stress management, (iii) Respect - one year program on gender-based Violence prevention and remediation and (iv) Financial Health – a one-year program on financial capability, resilience and inclusion​.

Pillar 2: Market Transformation: RISE will work with and encourage leadership from industry actors (brands, buyers, suppliers, and worker representatives) to improve operating practices at all levels in global value chains to support greater gender equality outcomes. 

Pillar 3: Influencing: RISE will leverage the founding partners’ existing relationships and identify opportunities to work in partnership to influence employer/company/factory policies, programs, and budgets, as well as government policies that impact workers, in particular women workers.

PURPOSE OF THE CONTRACT

The consultant will lead the implementation of RISE’s MEL framework to ensure that data and insights inform the organization’s work and effectively demonstrate our impact.

The consultant will embed MEL systems across the organization, provide technical support and guide the teams. In addition, the consultant will lead on evaluation, develop data collection tools, analyze data and share reports and learning to improve program effectiveness.

The consultant will also demonstrate RISE’s impact to internal and external stakeholders.

Scope of Work

MEL Management and Implementation

• Implement MEL frameworks, including Theories of Change, Logical Frameworks, KPIs, and outcome indicators, ensuring they remain up-to-date and aligned with RISE values.
• Systematically integrate MEL across all programs and organizational processes to drive continuous improvement.
• Build teams’ MEL capacities and capabilities through direct technical support and guidance on MEL systems, data use, and strategic alignment.
• Foster a culture of learning through strategic reviews with the teams, gathering evidence and learning: key insights, impact narratives and lessons learnt.
• Lead quality assurance of MEL processes to improve rigor and integrity. Assess their strengths and weaknesses and recommend improvements.
• Provide strategic MEL input to support organizational planning, grant reporting, and decision-making, providing insights that support RISE’s aim of multistakeholder action.

Program Evaluation

• Design and implement robust evaluation methodologies. Refine measurement indicators and develop tools for data collection (quantitative and qualitative).

• Develop and oversee data collection tools such as surveys, focus group protocols, and interview guides.
• Lead baseline, midline, and endline evaluations, including analysis and reporting.
• Lead on impact assessments for RISE’s program areas

Data Management, Analysis & Reporting

• Manage data collection, cleaning, analysis, and visualization using appropriate software tools.
• Ensure data integrity, consistency and compliance with ethical standards and GDPR.
• Produce high-quality, accessible impact reports for internal and external audiences.
• Develop key learning products to improve internal and external communications.
• Proactively explore innovative ways to analyze data, including the use of A.I., to support more efficient analysis.

Communications

· Demonstrate RISE’s impact through a variety of channels like external publications, reports and insights, communicating value to stakeholders.

• Engage internal and external stakeholders by showcasing social impact stories and deliverables.

Note: This Scope of Work is not exhaustive but reflects a range of duties the consultant will perform. The job description will be reviewed regularly and may be changed based on experience and in consultation with the consultant.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Minimum8+ years of experience in MEL roles within sustainability, development, or impact-focused organizations.
• Proven experience designing and leading MEL strategies and frameworks, preferably across multi-country or cross-sectoral programs.
• Strong background in both qualitative and quantitative methods and tools.
• Knowledge of leading global best practice and emerging trends in the collection, measurement, management and reporting of social impact data.
• Excellent analytical and research skills, including the ability to process large amounts of information, distribute it appropriately and extract critical analysis from it.
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis tools and visualization platforms.
• Demonstrated experience translating complex data into strategic insights and engaging reports.
• Strong project management, research, reporting writing and presentation skills.
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and written.

· Excellent relationship management internally and externally.

· Able to manage multiple diverse projects and prioritize workload.

· Excellent team-working and cross-team collaboration and influencing skills.

· Ability to review proposals and contribute to the development of project designs, evaluation methods, logic models, performance indicators, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

Desirable criteria:

· Excellent understanding of measuring women's empowerment and social impact programs on a global scale, and in emerging markets.

· Excellent understanding of programs that focus on workers employed in global supply chains.

· Experience designing and implementing gender equality approaches to MEL.

· Experience in technical advisory roles or equivalent.

· Flexibility to undertake overseas travel.

 Reporting and Location

The consultant will report to the RISE Program Director.  This is a remote part-time (2-3 days) role, with preference for UK-based consultants. The initial contract will be for a period of six months, at which point it will be reviewed for extension.

Culham St Gabriel’s Trust is an endowed charitable foundation whose vision is for a broad-based, critically reflective religion and worldviews education contributing to a well-informed, respectful and open society. The Trust is committed to providing teachers of religion and worldviews and other professionals with the connections, challenges and professional development they need. 

As our Digital Operations Manager you will be an experienced professional who is passionate about digital strategy and transformation. You will have knowledge of the charity, education or religion and worldviews sector. You will be a collaborative team player who thrives in an often-changing context, having an innovative and adaptable approach to your work.

You will join a small, friendly staff team. Our values lie at the heart of everything we do and are summed up in the principles of empowering others and collaborating purposefully. We are a remote working organisation, meeting regularly online for team meetings, and in-person at least once a month. Occasional travel to other in-person meetings on Trust business may be required as part of this role. 

It is necessary that you have a right to work in the UK.

We encourage you to have a short informal conversation about this role before you decide whether to apply. 

Reports to: Chief Executive

Key Benefits: 10% employer pension contribution, salary sacrifice scheme offered, optional private health insurance, employer supported volunteering scheme.

Holiday Entitlement: 25 days per annum, bank holidays and four discretionary days pro rata 

Do you want to help inform how the UK understands and debates carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in the context of the net zero transition, including the role that land use and nature can play? Do you enjoy making complex issues easier to understand for a wide audience, including journalists, decision-makers and the public?

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) is a non-profit organisation that supports informed debate on energy and climate change issues in the UK. We provide independent analysis and accessible briefings to the media and other stakeholders to improve understanding of climate-related topics and contribute to evidence-based discussions. Our work covers a range of issues including land use, transport, the power sector, and heating and buildings, with a focus on the UK but with international work too.

This role involves tracking and responding to media, political, and policy debates on CDR, focusing initially on land-based removals and expanding to engineered removals. You will highlight trade-offs, counter misinformation, and support fact-based future debates.

Working closely with our Head of Land and Head of Analysis, you will contribute new analysis, monitor the debate, and help develop communications outputs. This is a unique opportunity to play a role in how the UK engages with one of the most complex and fast-evolving areas of climate policy.

Benefits:

• Generous Annual Leave: 30 days annual leave.
• Hybrid Working Model: Benefit from the flexibility of remote work combined with in-person collaboration.
• Monthly Team Days: Connect and collaborate with colleagues during regular team building events.
• Healthshield Healthcare Scheme: Access essential health and wellness support, including optical, dental, and physiotherapy coverage.
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Contributions: We match employee pension contributions up to 5%.
• Fora office amenities:
  • An on-site gym with wellness classes.
  • A rooftop terrace with stunning views of London, including The Shard.
  • Fully stocked kitchens with complimentary tea, coffee, and snacks.
  • Comfortable breakout areas, a reading room, and private phone booths.
  • Secure bike storage and shower facilities.

Role and Responsibilities

·Analyse land use, nature-based solutions, and CDR using various sources and data; present findings clearly in reports, briefings, press releases, and social media content.

·Monitor and analyse emerging political and media debate around CDR and nature-based solutions, including misinformation.

·Provide fast turnaround analysis of breaking developments, synthesising findings into accessible and impactful outputs for media and other stakeholders.

·Stay updated on climate and energy policy, particularly CDR, land use, and related political and media narratives.

·Support strategic planning around key moments, identifying risks and opportunities to support well informed discussion and responsible coverage of these topics.

·Collaborate with colleagues across programmes to develop joined up, multi-channel communications outputs

·Develop and maintain a network of stakeholders in the land use, CDR, climate, media and policy communities.

·Brief journalists on CDR issues and our findings, and, where appropriate, act as a media spokesperson for ECIU.

·Contribute to ECIU’s newsletter, website, and other outward facing materials.

·Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Experience

Essential

·Analysis

oStrong analytical background.

oAn academic background in environmental science or related areas (preferably at a Masters or PhD level).

oAbility to quickly analyse data and summarise key insights in accessible, engaging formats.

oSkilled in conducting quantitative analysis, including familiarity with key data sources relating to CDR and the ability to develop new analysis projects to answer relevant questions.

oAbility to design and deliver new analysis projects relevant to carbon dioxide removal (CDR), land use and net zero.

oSkilled in using data to support communications and build compelling, evidence-based outputs.

·Knowledge and Context

oGood understanding of UK climate policy and the net zero transition.

oFamiliarity with the role of CDR and nature-based solutions in climate strategy.

oAwareness of key trade-offs, uncertainties, and areas of public and political debate around CDR.

oAppreciation of the broader political and economic context, including the roles of government, industry and civil society.

·Communication and Networks

oStrong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey complex ideas in clear, concise language for a range of audiences.

oAwareness of evolving discussions in media and Parliament relating to climate and carbon removal.

oExperience developing outputs or commentary that align with public and parliamentary discourse.

oSkilled in building and maintaining productive, trust-based relationships with stakeholders including journalists, policymakers, academics and NGOs.

oExperience in journalism, public affairs or communications, particularly on technical or high-profile topics.

oComfortable working in a fast-paced environment, responding to emerging stories or shifting political developments.

Desirable

• 3-5 years’ experience working in the energy, climate or nature sectors.
• Familiarity with government datasets or other key sources relevant to net zero and CDR.
• Experience briefing stakeholders, such as journalists or MPs.
• Understanding of the UK media, particularly its reporting on climate and climate change.

Winston’s Wish is a digital first organisation leading the way in Digital Transformation across the Bereavement sector. We have an exciting opportunity to join our ambitious Mass participation team as our Individual Giving Manager.  This role plays a vital part in helping Winston’s Wish turn up the dial across our Individual Giving Fundraising. The Individual Giving Manager is responsible for creating, developing and delivering a fundraising plan to grow existing and new support for Winston’s Wish across our online and offline channels. This includes Direct Mails, Regular Giving, our Lottery, Legacies and In Memory giving income streams.

As the driving force behind our individual giving activity, you will help us to engage individuals across the country by bringing them closer to our work, encouraging them to stay longer, give more and become true ambassadors for our vital work with grieving children, young people and families. We’re looking for a highly creative individual who can help us to stay one-step ahead of the curve and excite new and existing audiences to get behind our vision of a society in which every child can get the help they need when someone close to them has died.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy

• Lead on the development and implementation of our Individual Giving strategy, supported by the Head of Mass Participation and the Director of Fundraising & Marketing.
• Ensure all opportunities and future plans are in line with Winston’s Wish’s over-arching fundraising strategy to meet financial targets, organisational objectives and KPIs.
• Maintain an awareness of philanthropy trends, news, events and legislation in the UK to ensure that Winston’s Wish remains up to date on key changes which are likely to impact on individual giving.

Generating Individual Giving Income

• Lead on and deliver a plan to increase individual giving income from streams including, but not exclusive to, direct mail, regular giving, legacies, in-mem and our charity lottery
• Effective use of KPIs to ensure decisions are driven by evidence and real-time data.
• Continuously analyse our income and supporter data to measure effectiveness of activities and return on investment.
• Work alongside our design agencies and in-house marketing team to develop and manage direct mail campaigns, including segmentation to ensure campaigns will be carefully targeted and designed to maximise income.
• Explore and test new methods for donor recruitment and increasing donations.
• Seek every opportunity to increase awareness of legacy giving to Winston’s Wish and monitor the effectiveness of these activities over time.
• Manage a growing portfolio of legacy enquirers with appropriate contact and timely solicitation of prospective legators including hosting events and tailored stewardship.
• Manage the stewardship and development of our regular giving programme including uplift campaigns and solicitation of new donors to agreed targets.
• Work alongside the wider fundraising team to ensure effective cross-selling of individual giving products and vice-versa identify opportunities to introduce other fundraising products to our individual givers.
• Identify supporters who could provide compelling content which could be used by the wider Fundraising & Marketing team to inspire further support including suggesting key individuals who could feature in online and offline publications.
• Work with the Philanthropy & Partnerships Manager to ensure that potential major donors are identified and included in relevant activities.

Administration

• Diligently maintain records of all interactions with supporters on Salesforce.
• Ensure all activities comply with appropriate legal, regulatory and fundraising good practice and with Winston’s Wish policies and standards.
• Keep a close eye on incoming donations to ensure they are coded correctly and that supporter data is accurately recorded in accordance with GDPR.
• Effective management and control of expenditure across all projects and campaigns in line with agreed expenditure budgets.

All Staff

• Contribute to the vision and mission of Winston's Wish; working with colleagues in all teams to meet the objectives of Winston’s Wish.
• Work to objectives, targets and work plans agreed with your line manager.
• Undertake specific projects and other ad hoc duties agreed with your line manager, fulfilling any deadlines, reviews and reporting procedures required.
• Take an active part in the one-to-one process and participate in training agreed with your line manager.
• Contribute to the wider charity sector and childhood bereavement sector by getting to know those working in the same space and actively contributing to sector-wide events.
• Ensure the health and safety of all colleagues, volunteers and visitors in accordance with Winston’s Wish policy.
• Promote equality of opportunity and diversity in accordance with Winston’s Wish policy.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• A sound understanding of the principles of fundraising across individual giving, in-memory fundraising, and legacies.
• Proven track record of preparing successful programmes of activity and business plans to recruit, engage, inspire, and retain supporters in a not-for-profit organisation, or similar transferable experience gained in the commercial sector.
• Specific experience of delivering an individual giving programme.
• Experience of budgets, including planning, forecasting, and analysing performance.
• Experience of high-level use of a customer relationship management system.
• Experience of managing direct mail campaigns.
• Strong organisational skills and keen attention to detail to plan and schedule multiple activities, respond flexibly to opportunities, handle conflicting demands and meet tight deadlines.

Desirable

• Understanding of childhood bereavement.
• Experience of using Salesforce CRM.

Recruitment Timetable

Application deadline: Wednesday 28th May 2025

Interview date: Friday 13th June 2025

Interview location: MS Teams

Winston’s Wish reserves the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications for the role before the closing date.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Westway Trust as our Adult & Community Learning Manager, responsible for leading the Adult learning provision within a community setting. 

You will work closely with the Senior Manager: Learning to ensure that the design and delivery of the Trust's Learning Programme is innovative, creative and responsive to the creative, cultural, practical and wellbeing needs of community interest.

You will be an ambitious individual who will demonstrate an entrepreneurial flair in identifying and implementing opportunities to develop unique and distinctive learning opportunities specifically oriented to the communities of North Kensington.

You will also provide strategic and operational leadership to the programme team in the delivery of these objectives, and will lead and motivate a team of tutors to drive the programme’s success and meet our strategic goal of putting the community at the heart of what we do.

Key responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:

Strategic Leadership and Curriculum Development

• Clear understanding of the national and local policy context of the Adult Education Sector with a focus on: impact on funding or impact on the future curriculum.
• Ensuring the curriculum aligns with educational standards, accreditation requirements, and community demands.
• Leading on the servicing and management of specific regulatory and statutory inspections.
• Develop and articulate a compelling purpose and identity for the Learning Programme to reflect the Trust’s strategic objectives, ensuring that all activities are aligned to this purpose and driving performance.

Programme Management

• Contribute to RBKC self-assessment process, including supporting the Senior Manager: Learning in analysing data and drafting appropriate sections of the Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and Quality Improvement Plan (QIP).
• Offer clear academic and managerial leadership to all teaching staff involved with the programme and to deploy and organise the team in a way that makes the most effective and efficient use of all team members.
• Working with the team to foster a culture of pride and ownership, setting high expectations and supporting operational discipline and best practice.
• Ensure the effective management of the Adult Learning budget.
• Provide timely and impactful information to the Board of Trustees committees and in support of funding bids as required.
• Co-ordinate the assessment and internal verification process where appropriate, including liaison with the external verifier and preparing for the External Verifier visit.
• To carry out internal verification as required and adhere to quality frameworks, such as the Education Inspection Framework, Internal Quality Assurance and External Quality Assurance requirements.

Quality Improvement

• Working to ensure the highest quality of experience is at the heart of what we do and ensure compliance as required for external regulators.

Talent management and team development

• Working to foster a culture of engagement, ownership and co-creation in the team, cultivating high expectations of themselves and others within a peer support environment.
• Identify and develop the skills and capabilities within the team to deliver its objectives.

External Advocacy

• Represent and advocate for the Trust externally to cement and raise profile and internally when collaborating to meet organisational objectives.
• Help raise the profile of the Westway Learning programme with the wider community.

Essential Experience, Skills and Attributes

• A minimum of 2 years’ experience and up-to-date knowledge of policies, initiatives and developments of Adult Education.
• Designing and delivering an innovative and distinctive creative/cultural practice curriculum programme in response to identified market needs and to successfully attract new students.
• Managing a diverse team in an educational setting or learning environment, proactively creating a positive working environment and effectively leading a high performing team that contributes to organisational success.
• Working with awarding and Quality Assurance bodies to ensure compliance with identified standards.
• A track record of working with external audit organisations e.g. Awarding Bodies and Ofsted
• Knowledge of the Education Inspection Framework and funding methodologies and their impact on courses and programmes of learning.
• Knowledge of national, regional and local priorities for adult and community learning services. 
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to adapt approach to engage with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Resilience and able to work under pressure.

Desirable:

• Ideally the post holder will also have a background in ESOL and be responsible for all Adult (19+) learning programmes and activities.
• A good understanding of the local area (North Kensington).

Qualifications:

• Teaching qualification or relevant equivalent qualification/experience.
• Educated to degree level or can demonstrate relevant equivalent experience.
• Level 4 TAQA qualification in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes or equivalent qualification.

Benefits of working with us:

• Great location in the heart of Portobello, North Kensington
• Generous holiday entitlement of 25 days per year + statutory bank holidays
• Sick pay scheme
• Investor in People (IiP) employer
• Free gym membership at health club one minute walk from the office
• Pension scheme
• Life Assurance
• Season ticket / bicycle loan
• Free eye test voucher

The application deadline is Sunday 1 June 2025 when applications will be reviewed and shortlisted for interview.  However, we reserve the right to close the application early.  An early application is strongly recommended.