Deputy country director jobs

Whitley Fund for Nature - Deputy Director (12 months Maternity Cover)
London | 3 days per week in the office
£58,000-£60,000
Closing date: Friday 26th March, 12pm

Charity People is delighted to be working in partnership with Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) who are seeking an experienced, values-driven senior leader to join as Deputy Director (Maternity Cover) - a key leadership role focused on maintaining momentum, safeguarding key relationships, and continuing to generate income from a warm, well-cultivated portfolio.

WFN is an incredible nature conservation charity, generously supported for more than 20 years by our Patron HRH The Princess Royal and WFN Ambassador and former Trustee Sir David Attenborough. Established in 1993, it has channelled £26 million to 220 conservation leaders in 80 countries across the Global South, benefitting wildlife, landscapes, and people.

WFN offer long term, laddered support to courageous changemakers leading local solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises; they are acting on the latest science and igniting projects with passion. Through these award winners we support work rooted in communities that creates lasting benefits for wildlife, landscapes and people.

With a clear, established strategy and a strong pipeline of committed major donors, this is a rare opportunity to step into a pivotal senior role and help steer an organisation with genuine global impact.

The Role
As Deputy Director, you will act as a key strategic partner to the Director and a senior figure across the charity, ensuring continuity during the maternity leave period. You will:

• Line manage two Heads of department (Head of Partnerships and Head of Communications), offering supportive, calm and confident leadership.
• Play a hands-on role in major giving, stewarding key supporters including HNWIs, family foundations and trusts.
• Support the delivery of WFN's income ambitions for this financial year
• Represent WFN at donor meetings, pitches, and engagement events, drawing on your own network where appropriate.
• Work alongside colleagues on the prestigious Whitley Awards, supporting donor engagement and communications linked to the event.
• Oversee high-quality proposals and reports, typically at the £5k-£40k+ level, and support renewals, revisits, and long-term partnerships.
• Maintain oversight of communications and brand, ensuring alignment with WFN's mission and global conservation agenda.

This is a brilliant position for a senior major gifts or partnerships specialist who enjoys balancing strategy with hands-on delivery, and who thrives in a collaborative, mission-led environment.

About You
We're looking for a confident, thoughtful and solutions-focused leader with:

• A strong track record in major donor fundraising (HNWIs, family foundations, trusts).
• Experience in securing and stewarding gifts, managing a portfolio where gifts often sit at the upper major-giving threshold.
• Senior leadership experience, ideally in a charity or environment-focused organisation.
• Willingness to represent WFN externally and maintain strong personal relationships with donors and partners.
• The ability to step into an already well-structured programme and ensure momentum continues smoothly.
• A collaborative, calm and people-centred leadership style.
• An understanding or background in wildlife conservation would be welcomed

Working at WFN
WFN is a warm, committed and mission-driven team, supported by a highly engaged Trustee Board and a clear strategic direction. Income is derived primarily from major donors, making this an ideal environment for someone who enjoys relationship-led fundraising and partnering closely with supporters.

How to Apply
Please contact Kevin Croasdale from our recruitment partners, Charity People, with your CV and to request a full job pack.

Deadline: 12pm, Friday 26th March

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

Join a charity rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission and play a central role in our senior leadership team.
This is a rare opportunity to use your finance and people leadership expertise to help shape the future of a well-established, values-driven organisation.

Shared Lives South West delivers long-term and short break care and support across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, enabling people to live fulfilling lives within family homes and communities. We are proud of the quality of our work and the positive, relational culture we have built as an organisation, and we are ambitious about what comes next.

As Deputy Chief Executive, you will join our senior leadership team in a pivotal organisation-wide role leading finance, people and core business functions. Working closely with the Chief Executive and Leadership Team, you will help strengthen financial stewardship, support a thriving and sustainable people culture, and ensure the organisation remains resilient, well-governed and effective.

This is a broad and influential leadership role offering both strategic responsibility and meaningful organisational impact. You will contribute to long-term planning and decision-making, provide leadership depth and continuity, and deputise for the Chief Executive when required.

We are looking for an experienced senior leader with strong organisational finance expertise and a good understanding of people leadership and workforce practice. You may come from the charity, public or wider values-led sector, and you will bring a collaborative, grounded leadership style alongside professional rigour.

For the right candidate, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant contribution to an already high-performing organisation while continuing to grow your own leadership portfolio in a supportive and purpose-driven environment.

For full details and to apply please see Applicant Pack attached. 

Other organisations may refer to roles like this as Deputy CEO, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Finance Director, Director of Finance and Operations, or Executive Director of Corporate Services.

Greenpeace is a movement of people who are passionate about defending the natural world from destruction. Their vision is a world where everyone has equal access to clean air, water, and energy; where the nature we love is protected, precious habitats are restored and communities are united by ambitious climate action.

This is a pivotal moment for the Key Relationships function as a newly formalised Events & Operations hub is established, with donor-facing events and the operational systems and processes that underpin high-value fundraising being brought together into a cohesive function. This integrated approach will ensure outstanding donor experiences alongside robust infrastructure to support pipeline management, forecasting, reporting and income growth.

We are looking for an exceptional Events & Operations Manager to lead this new hub, manage a team of two staff, and shape how events and operational infrastructure work together to support Major Donor, Trusts & Foundations, Legacy and Key Influencer programmes.

This role will suit a self-starter who is comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy and who takes genuine satisfaction in shaping a new role around the needs of the team. The postholder will be confident operating in ambiguity, able to take the lead in defining processes, and proactive in establishing clear, effective ways of working.

As Events & Operations Manager, you will:

• Lead the newly established Events & Operations hub within the Key Relationships team, managing and developing a team of two staff while actively delivering across both functions
• Plan, design and deliver high-quality donor-facing events, taking full ownership from briefing and creative concept through to meticulous execution and evaluation
• Deliver capital campaign ask events, donor networking events and supporter access moments for the key relationships team
• Work closely Team Heads to ensure events meet their objectives and are delivered to a high standard
• Work with Executive Directors to ensure they are well briefed when speaking at or attending events
• Lead on systems, infrastructure and compliance including CRM oversight, data integrity, GDPR, income reconciliation, forecasting, reporting and dashboarding in partnership with Finance and Data teams
• Oversee prospect research, pipeline management and performance tracking to ensure the operational backbone is in place for the Key Relationships team to be effective and drive income growth
• This is a hands-on leadership role that will actively deliver across events and operations while leading and developing others

Ideal skills and experience:

• Significant experience planning, delivering and evaluating high-quality donor or stakeholder events across in-person, hybrid and digital formats, with clear evidence of aligning events to cultivation and stewardship objectives
• Excellent project management skills, able to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously, meet deadlines, maintain high standards of detail and manage budgets effectively
• Demonstrable experience working in an operations or support role, with responsibility for coordinating systems, processes and infrastructure that underpin fundraising or relationship management activity
• Proven ability to design, improve and embed efficient, compliant systems and processes, including gift administration, data integrity, income reconciliation and structured pipeline management
• Strong experience using CRM databases or similar platforms, maintaining accurate data, overseeing data quality and confidently learning new systems and reporting tools
• Experience of leading and supporting others within a small team, contributing to a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing culture while remaining comfortable with hands-on delivery
• Clear evidence of working in a values-driven way, demonstrating commitment to collaboration, inclusion, continuous learning and role-modelling organisational values consistent with Greenpeace UK

Diversity and Inclusion

Greenpeace UK recognise the value in having a diverse workforce, as well as the importance of creating equal opportunities for all. Applications are welcomed and encouraged from people of all backgrounds.

Applications are particularly encouraged from people of colour, disabled people, and people who identify as working class now or in the past.

Candidates will be selected based on how well they meet the criteria for the role and all applicants will be treated fairly throughout the recruitment process. 

Anti-racism and inclusion commitments

Greenpeace UK wants its team to reflect the diversity of the communities it works alongside. It is committed to fairness, inclusion, and challenging discrimination and oppression in all its forms.

The environmental sector still has further to go when it comes to representation. Greenpeace UK has published ambitious race representation targets and, through its Anti Racism Plan, is working proactively to achieve stronger representation of people of colour, particularly within leadership positions.

As part of this commitment, a Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) is being piloted. Greenpeace UK aims to offer an interview to everyone who opts into the scheme and meets the essential criteria. Guaranteed interview applications will be processed by QuarterFive and shared only with the Greenpeace UK recruiting manager and HR team.

If you identify as a person of colour and meet the essential criteria for the role, you can choose to opt in to the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Research shows that women and people of colour may hesitate to apply unless they meet every area of the person specification. If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet all the criteria, you are encouraged to apply.

Employee benefits include: 

• 25 days annual leave for full-time staff, with additional leave accrued according to length of service up to a maximum of 32 days
• Once a month, all Greenpeace staff take an organisational ‘breather’ day where the office closes with no expectations of output on these days
• Office closure normally occurs between Christmas and new year and staff are not required to use annual leave to cover this period
• Employer pension contribution of 8.5% of basic salary, provided employees contribute at least 3%
• Interest free season ticket loan, or a tax efficient bicycle loan
• Life assurance scheme (4 x annual salary)
• Employee Assistance Programme that includes access to free confidential advice with a qualified counsellor

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.

Help transform global care systems so children can grow up in safe, loving families, not institutions.
Join Lumos at a pivotal moment as we scale our global ambition to reform childcare systems and improve the lives of millions of children worldwide.

Lumos Foundation is an international NGO working to end the institutionalisation of children and support governments and partners to build sustainable, family-based care systems. Founded by J.K. Rowling, Lumos works across Europe, Africa, Latin America and beyond to drive lasting systemic change for children and families.

As our Senior Technical Advisor, you will play a critical global role providing expert leadership on child protection and childcare reform across Lumos programmes and partnerships. This is an opportunity for an experienced specialist to influence national reform processes, strengthen programme quality, and support governments and partners to deliver meaningful change at scale.

You will work closely with country teams, senior stakeholders and international partners, ensuring that Lumos’ programmes reflect global best practice while responding to local contexts.

What you will do

• Provide high-level technical expertise on child rights, child protection and care reform

• Support the design, implementation and evaluation of country and regional programmes

• Deliver technical advice and capacity building to governments, partners and Lumos teams

• Develop guidance, training materials and learning products

• Support evidence generation and knowledge sharing across programmes

• Contribute to donor proposals and programme reporting

• Represent Lumos in international technical networks and partnerships

About you

You are a collaborative and experienced professional with deep expertise in childcare reform or child protection programming and a strong commitment to children’s rights.

You will likely bring:

• Significant experience working in child protection, care reform or related international development programmes

• Experience working with governments or large institutional partners

• Strong analytical, facilitation and communication skills

• Experience developing training, technical guidance or policy materials

• Ability to work effectively across cultures and global teams

• Excellent written and spoken English

• Willingness to travel internationally when required

Additional languages and experience working across multiple countries are an advantage.

Salary: Competitive, depending on experience.
The advertised salary range applies to candidates based in the UK. For candidates exceptionally appointed in another Lumos country office (Colombia, Kenya, Moldova or Ukraine), salary will be benchmarked and aligned with local market conditions and Lumos’ country-specific salary framework.

Location

London (UK) preferred. Exceptional consideration may be given to candidates based in Lumos country offices in Kenya, Colombia, Moldova or Ukraine.

Candidates must have the right to live and work in the country from which they apply.

Contract

Fixed-term until 31 December 2027, aligned with Lumos’ current strategy, with potential extension subject to funding.

Why join Lumos?

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a bold global mission during a period of organisational growth and impact. You will work alongside passionate international colleagues committed to ensuring children grow up in families and supportive communities.

Benefits vary by location and include flexible working arrangements, generous leave provisions, learning and development opportunities, and wellbeing support.

Safeguarding and Inclusion

Lumos is committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk and operates a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, exploitation and harassment. Employment is subject to appropriate checks and references.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter through the application portal. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.