Deputy chief executive and director of charitable operations jobs

About the team​

The Investment Team is responsible for selecting portfolio partners, managing our charity investments and supporting our portfolio partners to improve and scale their impact.

The Investment Team also leads the Impetus Leadership Academy, a leadership development programme to support talent from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK youth sector to progress into senior leadership roles.

The team is made up of 19 people, including former teachers, charity chief executives, charity impact leads, management consultants, social investment portfolio managers and impact consultants.

The team is led by a Portfolio Director who sits on the Senior Management Team. The Portfolio Director has 5 direct reports: a Deputy Portfolio Director, three Sector Leads (who lead our work in School engagement, School attainment and Employment Sectors) and an Impact Lead. Sector Leads line manage 6 Investment Directors. Investment Directors line manage Investment Managers (currently 6). Investment Directors and Investment Managers tend to primarily focus on a sector but might have mixed portfolios, depending on need, experience and interest.

The Investment Team has a good track record of role progression. All four Leads and a number of our Investment Directors were promoted from within the team.

The team is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We come from a range of backgrounds and bring a broad mix of perspectives.  We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.

​About this role

We believe that all young people deserve to succeed in school and in work, whatever their background. We are pleased to be able to expand our team to support our growing portfolio of charity and non-profit partners, in order to reach and impact more lives. The role of Investment Manager presents an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the organisations we serve, the team itself, and the whole of Impetus.

We support a portfolio of 23 high potential charity and non-profit partners in the youth sector, helping them deliver benchmark-beating employment and education outcomes for young people, and to grow.

We believe the strength of our approach resides in three things:
1. Building deep, trust-based sustainable relationships with charity leaders by, investing time, kindness, integrity and honesty
2. Providing our charities multi-year, unrestricted funding to help them become sector-leading organisations and scale their impact
3. Offering tailored advice to charity leaders’ most pressing and strategic questions, including their mission, programme design, performance management, growth planning, and financial resilience.

Working with our portfolio partners is a privilege. The leaders we support are incredibly talented, passionate and keen for external advice, and the issues we work through with them are stimulating and stretching. Our senior management relationships are some of the most fulfilling relationships many of us have had in our careers. The growth and impact performance of our partners are testament to their commitment to disadvantaged young people and the influence we have on their development.

Partners and funders often comment on the quality of our people. Our team is analytical and data driven; we are deeply relational, low-ego and collaborative. We actively invest in our colleagues holding regular training and community of practice sessions, and use skills-based assessments to tailor development.

As an organisation we seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work and actively challenge our assumptions to better deliver change. Over the past two years we have taken action to help reduce racial inequality in the youth sector. In 2021 we launched our Connect Fund to support diverse leaders and their robust solutions to the entrenched employment gap faced by young people from ethnic minority backgrounds compared with their white peers. We have also built a highly regarded Leadership Academy for emerging youth sector leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds, with generous from Bank of America and State Street Foundation.

If you are looking for a role combining strategic thinking, analytical insight and influencing emerging leaders, as well as the opportunity to work with a supportive team to transform young lives, I hope you will apply to work with us.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sebastien Ergas
Portfolio Director

Key responsibilities

Finding high potential charities and non-profit organisations to join our portfolio

• Supporting the annual cycle of identifying new investments - mapping the landscape of charities in thematic areas (e.g. Apprenticeships and Skills), conducting structured analysis of key impact and financial data and reviewing the current evidence base to identify high potential charities and inform options for Investment Directors.
• ​Contributing to due diligence of new organisations by reviewing quantitative and qualitative charity information ) and preparing clear assessments of suitability for investment; This includes considering impact and scale potential, financial stability and summarising risks and recommendations for senior review. Requires strong relationship management, in co-ordination with Investment Directors, when engaging with potential charity partners.
• ​Supporting Investment Directors in developing, preparing and presenting high quality investment propositions to our Investment Committee.

Supporting and managing relationships with portfolio partners 

• Working closely with Investment Directors to support portfolio partners across all areas of our work - leadership, impact and sustainability – owning defined(e.g. impact management or financial analysis).
• ​Building trust-based relationships with portfolio partners including senior leaders and  delivery staff, acting as a valued advisor on practice improvement contributing insight and support while escalating strategic issues to Investment Directors and Programme/Impact leads.
• ​Working with Impact teams at portfolio partners to develop and refine impact management practices; including data collection, dashboard development, performance review meetings, programme design and evaluation.
• ​Supporting portfolio partners functional leads (e.g. Director of Impact) to develop as leaders by contributing insights and tools to help drive and strengthen impact-led approaches within their organisations.
• ​Coordinating pro- bono projects leveraging our large network of corporate volunteers to provide targeted support for our portfolio partners in key areas (e.g. strategy, marketing advice, financial analysis).
• ​Supporting Investment Directors with the design and delivery of theory of change workshops, conducting preparatory analysis of charity impact data developing and analysing pre-workshop surveys and co-facilitating workshops.
• ​Supporting the coordination and delivery of Impetus’ quarterly peer learning forums for our portfolio partners, in particular the Impact Forum.
• ​Supporting investment governance by preparing clear and accurate reports for Investment and Steering Committees.

Support to Impetus​

• Developing knowledge and expertise in Education and Youth Employment domains, staying up to date on relevant sector developments and applying this insight to support analysis and decision making.
• ​Working collaboratively on Impetus’ public affairs and philanthropy objectives by contributing evidence, insight and content to case studies, research, policy campaigns, donor reports and events.
• ​Sharing the learning from our work across the team and organisation and supporting communication of insights externally where appropriate.
• ​Working within Impetus strategy, policies and procedures.

Person specification

​Essential​

• A commitment to Impetus’ mission and values
• ​Able to build productive, trust-based relationships internally and with senior external stakeholders including portfolio partners and co-investors, escalating strategic issues to Investment Directors as needed
• ​Strong relationship building and management skills
• ​Highly analytical and numerate, able to draw insights from a range of data sources, with good command of Excel or similar tools
• Clear and strategic thinker; able to clearly and concisely communicate insights and key messages via a range of mediums, including PowerPoint and Word
• ​Proven ability to work independently, within a defined scope and escalate risks promptly
• ​Clear and analytical thinker; keen to work collaboratively with Investment Directors and contribute evidence based insights to team discussions and decision making
• ​Strong planning and time management, able to balance between priorities 
• ​Displays tenacity and initiative in progressing work within agreed frameworks
• ​Growth mind-set; seeks out and acts on feedback
• ​A strong interest in partnering closely with organisations, supporting them to strengthen delivery and impact.
• ​A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in our work and our organisation

If you don't tick all these boxes, but still feel that you fit the profile, please apply anyway.

Desirable​

(candidates with one or more of the following may be particularly well suited to the role)

• Experience in consulting, investment management, or other in-depth grant making and capacity building work
• ​Previous experience working with charities. Could be in a previous role, pro-bono volunteer or Trustee capacity
• ​Experience in charity impact management or monitoring, evaluation and learning
• ​Experience working in, or deep understanding of, UK education and youth employment sectors 
• ​Experience facilitating workshops or presenting to larger groups
• ​Financial acumen – including experience supporting financial analysis and modelling, fundraising pipeline development and review of financial information e.g, annual accounts, to assess and identify financial risk
• ​Project Management experience  

​About Impetus

At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.​

We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today: ​

• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school
• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths
• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment ​

We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve.​

Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life. ​

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.​

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.​

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.​

Our Values​

In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are brave and curious

We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.

We bring high trust, high challenge

We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.

We are evidence led and results driven for young people

We pursue excellence for the young people we work with, are wholly committed to better outcomes, unapologetically results driven, and accountable for our actions.

We thrive through diversity

We seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work. We are open, thoughtful and proactive in better understanding and challenging our assumptions to better deliver the change we seek.

We always seek collaboration

We will not succeed alone. We seek meaningful, productive partnerships with others to achieve our mission and drive systems change for young people.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results.​

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.​

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.​

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.​

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

​Our employee benefits ​

Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers. For more information on these, please download the job information pack from our website.

How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button.​

You will need to:​

• Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form)
• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.​

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.​

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.​

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.​

The deadline for applications is Sunday 29th March 2026, 11:59pm.​

Interviews:​

1st Interviews will take place on w/c 13th April 2026.

2nd Interviews will take place on w/c 20th April 2026.​

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.

Location:  Hybrid working - Part London office-based (E14) and part home working. The post holder will work a minimum of one day a week in the office. 

Salary: £46,750 per annum 

Hours: 35 hours per week 

Closing date: Tuesday 31 March 2026 at 10.00am 

Interview date: Monday 13 April in person with a possible second stage in person on Friday 17 April. 

This is a permanent role. 

Who we are looking for 

Breakthrough T1D is the UK’s leading type 1 diabetes charity, dedicated to funding research, advocating for change, and supporting the T1D community. A year into our exciting rebrand from JDRF to Breakthrough T1D, we’re looking for a Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager to help us build on this momentum.

Do you have a passion for building and driving mutually beneficial partnerships that can help drive forward breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes? The Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager role presents an opportunity to play a critical role in income and impact for our work here at Breakthrough T1D.You will oversee strategic partnerships with key industry partners who share our passion for a world without T1D.We’re looking for a confident relationship builder with experience and a touch of creative flair to build on our highly valued strong and long-established partnerships.We want to take these partnerships to another level in the years ahead and build further partnerships to accelerate progress for our mission.This role is a key member of the Fundraising & Engagement division and engages with senior colleagues across the organisation, within our international Breakthrough T1D community and also key partners.It’s an exciting time at Breakthrough T1D with a new and ambitious strategy and if you’d like to help make the next chapter a reality, we would love to hear from you. 

Experience required 

You’ll have previous experience of: 

• Extensive experience of either working in corporate fundraising, preferably in a new business environment, or working in a commercial marketing/sales position in a client facing role, preferably with knowledge of the medtech and pharmaceutical industries. 

• Experience of researching, prioritising and developing new strategic business partnership opportunities.

• Experience of achieving and exceeding new business income targets including developing individual corporate partnerships to the value of £100k+. 

About Breakthrough T1D 

Breakthrough T1D is the world’s leading charitable research funder into type 1 diabetes, improving lives until we find the cure. We are dedicated to our 400,000 strong type 1 community in the UK and work closely with our international affiliates across the world, including the US, Canada and Australia. 

You will find a vibrant atmosphere and spirited team at Breakthrough T1D, always striving to make a difference to people living with type 1. 

Employee benefits 

As an employer we offer: 

• Hybrid working arrangements 

• Flexible working and will consider compressed hours 

• Generous annual leave entitlement – 25 days per year plus bank holidays for full-time staff with leave increasing after three and five years’ service 

• Health cash plan that allows you to claim for some treatments such as dental, optical and physiotherapy treatment 

• Season ticket and cycle loan 

• Pension scheme 

• Family-friendly policies – maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave at enhanced rates 

• Personalised training to suit your career aspirations and professional development 

Breakthrough T1D is an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation or age. 

Our Second Home (OSH) is the UK’s youth movement for people with refugee backgrounds. We support young people to build community, become leaders, and flourish into adulthood in the place they call home.

Each year, hundreds of young people from dozens of countries and living in London & Bristol take part in our residential programmes, leadership training and youth hubs. Our residentials are often the first step – immersive, relationship-rich spaces where young people connect, reflect and begin to see themselves as leaders. From there, many move into leadership training and take on volunteer roles within the movement.

Our work is youth-led and rooted in lived experience. We are now implementing our 2025–2028 strategy, focused on strengthening quality, embedding learning and ensuring our growth is sustainable and safe.

The Head of Programmes is a senior leadership role, reporting to the CEO and managing two senior colleagues. You will hold responsibility for the quality, coherence and safeguarding of all programme activity.

Responsibilities (abridged - see attached job description)

Programme Leadership & Strategy in Practice

• Lead implementation of OSH’s 2025–2028 programme strategy.

• Oversee the design, quality and coherence of residentials, leadership training and hubs.

• Take operational responsibility for residential delivery, including participant referrals, recruitment of staff and freelancers, programme content and educational standards.

• Attend and lead approximately five residential programmes per year.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen youth engagement and leadership pathways as the organisation scales.

• Ensure programme data is accurately recorded and used to improve delivery.

Team Leadership

• Line manage the Communities Manager and Leadership & Volunteering Manager.

• Provide structured supervision, clear objectives and professional development support.

• Ensure strong coordination between hubs, residentials and leadership pathways.

• Build a culture of accountability, reflection and continuous improvement.

Safeguarding & Welfare

• Act as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and serve as DSL at events as required.

• Ensure safeguarding practice is robust, consistent and embedded across all activities.

• Respond to safeguarding and behavioural issues appropriately and oversee safe recruitment processes.

Partnerships, Budget & Oversight

• Maintain referral partnerships and represent OSH externally where appropriate.

• Hold programme budgets within agreed limits and ensure financial discipline.

• Embed monitoring, evaluation and reflective practice across the programme team.

Experience & Competencies (abridged - see attached job description)

Essential

• At least 5 years’ experience in youth or youth-centred programming, including residential or intensive settings.

• Experience designing and delivering leadership development or informal education programmes.

• Strong facilitation and training skills.

• Demonstrable experience managing staff and developing teams.

• Strong understanding of safeguarding practice and willingness to act as Deputy DSL.

• Experience working with young people from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds, or strong understanding of the issues affecting them.

• Ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on delivery in a part-time senior leadership role.

• Strong organisational skills and commitment to inclusive, youth-led practice.

Desirable

• Level 3 Safeguarding training.

• Experience managing programme budgets.

• Experience contributing to organisational strategy or scaling programme models.

• Familiarity with Google Workspace, Beacon CRM, MyConcern or similar systems.

• Lived experience of migration or displacement.