Democracy jobs in london
Director of Research
The Henry Jackson Society (HJS) is the UK’s boldest think tank and policy-shaping force, constantly ahead of the curve on the big issues of international and domestic importance. We are currently looking for a Director of Research to help lead us permanently on the next stage of our organisational journey, which has already taken us to the status of a household name in the international political and media constellation.
When HJS was founded back in 2005, the global environment was very different to what it has become today. Over that time, the threats to the free world internationally and to free societies domestically have multiplied, but there has been one constant: HJS’s willingness and ability to fight for the principles and alliances which keep societies free – working across borders and party lines to combat extremism, advance democracy and fundamental human rights, and make a stand in an increasingly uncertain world.
Reflecting this, our work is focused into two main streams: “Securing our Societies” and “Advancing the Free World”. “Securing our Societies” focuses on threats to free societies within the West, while “Advancing the Free World” examines how the enemies of the free world are operating internationally. Obviously there is interplay between the two streams as the challenges we face are often not as obliging as to lend themselves to easy classification!
What We Are Looking For
In order to meet our ambitious agenda and to augment our existing capabilities, we need a Director of Research to provide strategic oversight for all HJS research and to act as an integral part of the senior management team. You will also be responsible for your own research programme like any other Research Fellow, in order to produce output in your area of expertise.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious candidate to develop their skills and profile further and will suit people ready to take on a challenging and exciting role at an organisation that can offer profile development as it increases in size and scope, as well as those with existing management expertise looking for a new challenge at the leading edge of the public debate.
You will play a critical part in our future development in a proactive role which will require you to create, manage and expand HJS research capabilities. You will have experience of managing colleagues and working to defined objectives, as well as a proven record in fundraising not just for your own projects but also for wider goals. With colleagues in the research, communications and policy departments to assist, you will be playing the lead role in managing and directing our research output and strategy, as well as developing and delivering profile-raising material of your own.
This position is an opportunity for a motivated and well-rounded individual to work in a pivotal and challenging role where no two days are the same, and which provides the opportunity for career growth in an organisation looking to evolve domestically and internationally. Above all though, we want you to be passionate about our issues and hungry to make a difference in the public policy world – recognising that this is not a normal 9-5 job where you switch off once you turn off your laptop because (a) you don’t want to and (b) you understand that this is not how the policy world works. The rewards, both professionally and personally are vast, as some of the stellar names who have passed through our ranks are now shining examples of, but they require dedication and commitment to achieve.
Join us – and help make history.
Main Duties
- To conceptualise, plan, lead and execute the research programme and special projects;
- To develop existing projects and create new ones in order to boost the written, oral and programmatic output of HJS, and to ensure that there is a steady pipeline of work being published in internet and physical form;
- To structure the department in order to manage research staff, increase their productivity, develop their skills and ensure that they meet agreed deadlines;
- To peer review, proof and edit research output;
- To provide reports on progress, delays and changes to the research programme;
- To identify and develop revenue streams from research content, and to provide an overview of research funding secured and research expenditures through the budgeting and reporting process;
- To help develop a collegial, united and inspiring atmosphere for all staff across the organisation;
- To conceptualise, plan and execute a series of exciting research projects over the course of each year, complete with deliverables, ensuring compliance with good practice in relation to the conduct of research;
- To conduct your own high quality research and writing, including contributing to drafting funding bids and proposals;
- To engage in public speaking and media commentating;
- To ensure media placement of the Society written output in association with colleagues and monitor the frequency and quality of this output, in addition to third party references to research;
- To develop a network of professional, political and media contacts within your field of expertise;
- To fundraise/secure grants to support your work;
- To promote your work and represent your discipline and the work of HJS internally and externally, and to act as part of the HJS family in supporting colleagues doing the same.
Location: Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, SW1P
Working style: In office Monday to Wednesday; Work from Home Thursday and Friday
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Senior Bid and Funding Officer is a new role for Involve as we seek to build the infrastructure to support the growth that we have experienced in recent years. This role will sit within our Finance & Support Services function and will work alongside colleagues at all levels in the Innovation & Practice, Capacity Building & Standards and Advocacy & Communications functions to identify and provide compelling proposals in response to fundraising and tender opportunities.
As Senior Bid and Funding Officer you will be responsible for identifying fundraising opportunities to bring forwards to the team for evaluation and coordinating the submission of returns ensuring high quality tenders are produced that meet the needs of funders and commissioners. You will support function leads in monitoring fundraising outcomes and comparing to income generation targets, developing a database of funders and improving tender response processes to reduce the administrative burden of tender responses without compromising on quality.
Our ideal candidate will have experience of managing the tender return process in other organisations, either in a commercial or charitable sector environment. You will bring strong project management skills, be able to coordinate tender submissions to set deadlines and have an inquisitive mindset to enjoy researching opportunities and thinking creatively how Involve can meet funder requirements while also advancing our mission.
We work across the UK, with offices in Belfast and London. Many of our staff work from home across the UK or in a hybrid pattern, rather than being based at one of our offices, though we meet up regularly as a team. We are flexible but you must be comfortable with regular travel both for project work and for Involve team activities. Must be able to travel to deliver work across the UK.
Please see our website for more details.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About The Conversation
The Conversation is an independent provider of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered directly to the public. Our team of professional editors work with university, and research institute experts to make their knowledge accessible to the public in an accessible manner.
The Conversation is funded by university members, grant and philanthropic sources and reader donations. It is a charity, and operates as a for-purpose, not-for-profit company. Its content is freely available and distributed beyond its website using a Creative Commons licence.
Access to high-quality, accurate and independent information underpins a functioning democracy. Our aim is to ensure better understanding of current affairs and complex issues by publishing explanatory journalism, analysis and reports of research findings produced by academics with recognised expertise. The Conversation aims to enrich public discussion and provide easy access to quality information, with knowledge that can be trusted and information that is useful.
Since our launch in 2013, The Conversation has grown to a staff of 40 and has recently launched a commercial subsidiary, Universal Impact. We are looking for a new Office Manager to manage the day-to-day administrative operations of the company.
Primary Responsibilities:
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Oversee office operations and procedures for The Conversation, including some limited support for Universal Impact;
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Work with the Chief Executive and Editor to ensure a safe, collegiate and healthy office environment
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Maintain office policies and procedures, updating documentation as needed
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Manage day to day HR activities, scheduling appraisals, managing holiday, staff development
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Support HR functions such as onboarding/offboarding, maintaining employee records, and coordinating staff wellbeing initiatives
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Assist with recruitment processes, including drafting job descriptions, posting vacancies, and coordinating candidate communications
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Act as secretariat for The Conversation’s various boards, scheduling meetings, distributing papers, and taking accurate minutes
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Plan, schedule and coordinate internal events, team meetings, and staff away days
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Accepting and sorting mail and deliveries
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Supporting the planning of events and supporting office social activities (including team bonding)
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Support the Finance team
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Arrange travel and accommodation for staff as required
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Assisting in ad hoc administration tasks as needed
Requirements/Skills:
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Previous office management experience required
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Previous HR experience desirable
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Previous experience working for a charity and Trustees desirable but not required
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Excellent organisational skills and ability to adapt to changing priorities
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Project management skills
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Enthusiastic and personable
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills
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Ability to work under own initiative with minimal supervision
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Excellent in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office and IT skills
Benefits:
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Salary: £34,000 p.a (full time)
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25 paid holiday days, plus your birthday off
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8% company pension contribution
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Enhanced parental leave
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Flexible working - our office is in central London and we expect this role to involve being in the office at least two days a week.
Applications will be accepted and interviewed on a rolling basis.
We value and respect all differences in all people (seen and unseen) at The Conversation and actively encourage applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds and ethnicities.
You must be legally able to work in the UK.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We're recruiting for an Engagement Lead, to work in our Innovation & Practice team.
As Engagement Lead you will play a central role in our team – developing, leading and managing significant projects for us, including citizens’ assemblies, citizens’ juries, deliberative workshops, and participatory processes. You will need to have a good understanding of deliberative processes, have excellent project leadership and project management skills, as well the ability to build and maintain good relationships with a wide variety of people, including members of the public, project partners, colleagues and decision-makers.
The role sits in the Innovation and Practice team that designs and delivers high quality practical engagement work leading to better decisions, more engaged citizens and helps address critical challenges of our society. We are constantly balancing high quality standards with innovation to ensure that we stay at the cutting edge and that our engagement processes break down entrenched inequalities of power.
You will be a proven project leader looking to make your next move and develop your leadership skills and profile in this interesting and important area of public participation work. We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience in the design and delivery of large scale deliberative engagement projects.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are looking for a candidate with strong experience of both digital and grassroots campaigning, to manage our Campaigns By You campaigning. Reporting to the Head of Campaigns By You, you will create and manage campaigns, and use the platform to drive change in the UK, making our country fairer, more respectful and more sustainable.
The Campaigns By You platform is the part of 38 Degrees where the general public and partner organisations can use our free software to run campaigns on anything from saving their local community spaces to major national issues. This role is also central to helping 38 Degrees build a broad and representative movement of supporters, who regularly take action to create impact on the big issues of the day.
This job is for you if you’re passionate about making the country fairer, more respectful, and more sustainable – and if you have the skills and drive to run popular, timely, creative, impactful, people-powered campaigns to make it happen. We’re looking for a digital campaigns expert who is quick to react to the news of the day, who’s happy to pick up the phone and find the perfect case study, who’s able to manage partner relationships well and who’s able to translate complex issues into easily understandable language.
There are no formal education requirements for this role. As long as you can show us that you have the skills we don’t mind where you got them from! To be successful in your application you must meet the requirements of this role and answer the questions below which are part of the selection criteria. Without completion of this task your application cannot be considered.
Your background and experience
We are looking for someone who understands 38 Degrees, our model and our organisational culture already, and our fierce determination to change our country – campaigning to do so without fear or favour whoever is in power. You will have worked at, or with, a similar organisation to us, where our supporters are our purpose, and you’ll be ready to engage in discussions about campaigning tactics and way of working from day one.
The Campaigns By You platform is central to our mission to give people power in order to make the country fair, respectful and sustainable.
You understand how to translate complex issues into everyday understandable language and you’re experienced in running digital and offline campaigns that create change in local, national, political and corporate issue areas.
You’ll have loads of experience in digital-first campaigning, especially knowing how to use a large email list to spark activism, but also will love using a range of digital tools and platforms to give people the power to influence decision-makers.
You’ll be able to demonstrate experience of effective partnership and project management, thrive working in a fast paced reactive environment, sound judgement and good decision making, and be able to build productive, collaborative relationships at all levels that help you succeed in the CBY team, wider Impactful Campaigns Department and across the organisation as a part of the Senior Management team.
Click here for the full job description
About us
38 Degrees is one of the UK’s biggest campaigning communities, involving over a million supporters who campaign to make the UK a better place. We’re united by a shared vision to create a fairer and more respectful UK and a more sustainable world.
In the space of a week, millions of supporters could be campaigning on anything from protecting our NHS and stopping cuts to Universal Credit, to saving local green spaces and protecting our democracy.
38 Degrees is fiercely independent. We are primarily funded by small donations from hundreds of thousands of members of the public from all over the UK. This independence means we never have to hold ourselves back from taking on those with power and can truly listen to our supporters.
Why you’ll want to work here
The 38 Degrees culture is honest, kind, supportive, courageous, and respectful. We move fast, and frequently change plans to respond to events. We work hard but we also have fun. We regularly enjoy team away days and social hours.
Benefits include:
27 days holiday per year (plus bank holidays); Office closure between Christmas and New Year; 9-day fortnight (office closed every other Friday); 4pm closure on the alternate Friday; (note we are currently piloting a 4 day working week for 6 months, working Monday-Thursday); Flexibility to work 90 days overseas per tax year (30 day maximum per travel in any location as per approval process); One month paid sabbatical leave after 5 years of service; Employer pension contribution; 24 hour employee assistance programme; Enhanced family leave policies; Cycle to work scheme; Employer paid annual flu vaccination; Rental deposit loan; Contribution to eye tests/glasses; Learning and development budget.
Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
We’re especially keen to hear from people who’ll bring lived experience of the issues we work on and who’ll make our team more diverse as a result. So if you’re Black, Asian or from any other minority ethnic group, if you’re disabled, LGBTQIA+, or if you’re from a working class home, your application will be especially welcome. And thanks to our flexible home working approach and network of offices, we have a staff team that is increasingly based across the UK. We’re keen to continue diversifying geographically, so that we’re rooted in our supporters’ communities.
To make sure that we are able to reach our goal of a diverse team we have equal opportunities monitoring requirements. Your application will not be complete without the equal opportunities monitoring form.
38 Degrees is committed to inclusive working practices, so during the application process we commit to:
- Paying for childcare whilst you’re at 38 Degrees interviews or tasks
- Paying for your travel costs to the office and back – and for overnight accommodation if you’re travelling from a long distance for an interview although at present the majority of interviews are held online using zoom.
- Making any reasonable adjustments – for example ensuring we have a BSL interpreters organised in advance if you’d need one
- If there anything else you’re concerned about or think we could provide, please let us know.
To be successful in your application you must meet the essential requirements for this role and answer the questions below which are part of the selection criteria. Without completion of this task your application cannot be considered.
The successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK at the time of appointment.
Application Questions (max. word count: 2000 words across all questions)
1. Tell us about a successful campaign that you played a leading role in. What was your role? What made the project successful in your view?
2. What do you think the biggest challenges and opportunities for 38 Degrees’ campaigning are over the next year? How do you think we could use the CBY platform to overcome the challenges and maximise opportunities?
3. Describe the most difficult challenge you’ve faced when leading a team (for example on a project or campaign). What was it, and how did you resolve it?
Students’ Union UCL is an organisation that exists to make more happen. We are the representative body for University College London’s (UCL) students, one of the most diverse student communities in the world. UCL students have the potential to do anything, and the Union plays an essential role in helping them to achieve things they may have never thought possible. As a charity we employ over 130 career staff and over 250 part-time student staff, and deliver a wide range of services and representative functions for students. We work in partnership with UCL towards a fantastic experience for all of our 50,000 students and to ensure that university life enables them to develop the skills, experience and confidence to become the leaders of the future.
Our vision is of an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.
It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s ground-breaking Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.
We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.
The role is a full time and permanent contract. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).
We are looking for a Project Active Assistant to support the delivery of Project Active; Students’ Union UCL’s programme designed to engage inactive students in sport and physical activity. Working with the Project Active Coordinator, you will deliver beginner-friendly, accessible and inclusive sport and physical activity events throughout the year including women’s-only provision, pay and play sessions and several mass participation events. You will be an enthusiastic ambassador for Project Active, supporting on the ground delivery and providing a friendly point of contact for students. This is a hands-on role where you will regularly be required to work on site and out at events throughout the year.
An outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
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Trusts and Grants Fundraising - Tasks and Responsibilities
- Research and identify new trust and foundation prospects.
- Draft and submit high-quality funding applications and reports.
- Maintain a calendar of deadlines and stewardship activities.
- Record and track pledges, donations, and grant income.
- Ensure that all reporting is completed in a timely and professional manner.
- Work closely with the Education and Operations teams to ensure they have all the information they need to deliver work related to restricted funding.
Fundraising Administration
- Maintain accurate records in Salesforce and ensure data integrity.
- Reconcile income records with the finance team.
- Process donations and Gift Aid claims.
- Support income tracking and reporting.
Supporter Care
- Ensure timely and appropriate donor thanking.
- Respond to supporter queries via email and phone when needed.
- Assist with donor communications and stewardship planning.
- Working with the Comms and Operations Teams to assist with fundraising marketing, website and social media content.
- Working to consolidate and grow our group of recurring donors.
- Support with processing payments and donations online, in-person and over the phone, depositing cheques and cash donations.
- Help manage the stewardship calendar for major donors throughout the year.
Events Support
- Help coordinate logistics and communications for fundraising events.
- Track income and pledges from events like the Annual Lunch.
- Support with ticketing, invoicing, and donor follow-up.
Collaboration and Compliance
- Work closely with colleagues across fundraising, finance, comms, and operations.
- Ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection regulations.
- Contribute to a positive, collaborative team culture.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Students’ Union UCL is an organisation that exists to make more happen. We are the representative body for University College London’s (UCL) students, one of the most diverse student communities in the world. UCL students have the potential to do anything, and the Union plays an essential role in helping them to achieve things they may have never thought possible. As a charity we employ over 130 career staff and over 250 part-time student staff, and deliver a wide range of services and representative functions for students. We work in partnership with UCL towards a fantastic experience for all of our 50,000 students and to ensure that university life enables them to develop the skills, experience and confidence to become the leaders of the future.
Our vision is of an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.
It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s ground-breaking Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.
We are looking for a Head of Intercultural Engagement (Maternity Cover) to lead our work to create a truly global experience for all students at UCL, harnessing the diversity of our student body, creating opportunities for international mobility, and working to ensure every UCL student is internationally aware, culturally inquisitive, and a true global citizen ready to change the world for the better.
We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.
The role is a full time and fixed term contract for 12 months. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).
As the Head of Intercultural Engagement, you will be responsible for leading the Intercultural Engagement strand of UCL’s Student Life Strategy. By building relationships across UCL harnessing the rich diversity of UCL’s student community and creating new and investing in existing relationships with international partners, you will work to increase the number and range of opportunities for students to gain intercultural exposure on and off campus, managing a small team to support the expansion of our global engagement work.
You will lead the Union’s work on Freedom of Speech at a time of change, increasing complexity and opportunity for the sector. Your team will support the organisation to deliver over 1500 external speaker events each year. You will be responsible for leading innovative programmes aimed at enabling students to disagree well at a global university as we tackle challenging issues in an uncertain world.
Do you have experience in leading global engagement or intercultural engagement programmes? Do you have a detailed understanding of contemporary global conflicts and culturally significant global events? Are you passionate about supporting students developing intercultural competence? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.
An outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.