6 Deputy country director jobs

We are looking for an exceptional senior leader to join The National Lottery Community Fund as Deputy Director England, Policy, Partnerships and Performance. As a key member of the England Senior Leadership Team, you will lead a multidisciplinary function that provides the strategic backbone for delivery of the England Portfolio - connecting policy, partnerships, planning, performance, improvement, insight and learning so that our funding achieves measurable impact for communities.

Reporting to the England Director, Strategy, Partnerships & Engagement, you will lead high-performing, dispersed teams and work closely with funding colleagues and corporate and enabling functions, including Funding Strategy, Corporate Responsibilities, Communications and Impact. The role combines substantial internal leadership with a strong ambassadorial remit, building the Fund’s credibility and influence across the voluntary and community, public and private sectors.

This is a varied, strategic role focused on turning ambition into delivery. You will set clear direction for policy, partnerships and performance; use external intelligence, management information and learning to shape decisions; and ensure implementation is coherent, well governed and able to adapt. You will represent the Fund with senior stakeholders, produce compelling advice for governance forums, including Committee and Board meetings, and create the conditions for teams to deliver consistently and collaboratively.

Key responsibilities may include:

• Lead the Policy, Partnerships and Performance function and support effective implementation of the England Portfolio.
• Develop the Fund’s policy positioning and influence, informed by community need, external insight and organisational priorities.
• Develop the vision and strategy for funding and non-funding partnerships, overseeing relationship and operational management, funding priorities and the grant budget, and using inclusive co-design, convening, listening and learning to increase collective impact.
• Integrate planning, performance reporting, insight, risk, learning and improvement across the England directorate.
• Ensure evidence and performance insight inform priorities, resource allocation, governance and continuous improvement, and demonstrate the delivery and measurable impact of the England Portfolio.
• Champion One Fund ways of working through shared outcomes, clear accountabilities and practical arrangements for joint planning, prioritisation, decision-making and escalation across organisational boundaries.
• Lead and develop inclusive, high-performing teams through change, working across organisational boundaries.

You will bring significant senior-level experience of policy and strategy development, partnership working, implementation and performance leadership. You will have a strong record of translating strategy into coherent plans and measurable delivery, using evidence to manage risk and improve performance. An inclusive and compassionate leader, you will be confident operating in decision-making environments at Board or Committee level, influencing senior stakeholders and communicating complex issues clearly. You will also be financially astute, with extensive experience of costing, financial modelling and budgeting, comfortable overseeing grant budgets and resource decisions, and motivated by the Fund’s purpose and the communities we serve. This England-focused role will involve travel to build relationships with colleagues, communities and partners.

Interview details:

• Date: Week Commencing 19th October 2026
• Format: Virtual
• Location: England

We have a hybrid approach to working. The work pattern, contracted office and travel expectations will be agreed with the successful candidate.

We will be hosting a briefing session  on Monday 28th September at 1pm. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the role, gain insight into the team and key responsibilities, and ask any questions you may have. To register or ask any questions please email the recruitment team.

How to apply:

Upload your CV in Word format and provide a supporting statement of up to 1,000 words demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria below. We will use this to score your application.

Essential Criteria:

• Significant senior-level experience of policy and strategy development, partnership working, implementation and performance leadership.
• Demonstrable success in translating strategy into delivery by setting priorities, aligning resources, managing risk, tracking progress and adapting plans through evidence and learning.
• Experience of leading multidisciplinary and dispersed teams through change, creating an inclusive, collaborative and high-performance culture.
• A strong track record of developing relationships with senior stakeholders across sectors, representing an organisation externally and building credibility, influence and shared purpose.
• Extensive experience of policy development, positioning and implementation, connecting external insight and community need with organisational priorities, alongside identifying and realising funding and non-funding partnership opportunities.
• Strong analytical, performance-management and improvement skills, using data, management information and learning to support decisions, improve operational effectiveness and evidence measurable impact.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication, including producing clear advice and presentations for senior governance forums and operating effectively in Board or Committee decision-making environments.
• Financial and governance acumen, including costing, financial modelling, budgeting, grant-budget oversight, resource decisions, risk management, accountability and effective stewardship of public funds.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of grant-making or working closely with communities, civil society and organisations serving diverse communities.
• Experience of developing innovative funding and non-funding partnerships across the voluntary and community, public and private sectors.
• Experience of bringing together policy, partnerships, planning, performance, insight, improvement or evaluation within a single strategic function.
• A demonstrable commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and to the Fund’s values and purpose.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.) 

CENTRE FOR AGEING BETTER

Head of External Affairs (Maternity cover) - January 2027 start

· Maternity cover

· Salary £62,388 per annum

· Full or part time (minimum 4 days a week)

· Flexible working options will be supported.

· Central London Office and Hybrid working (at least 6 days a month office attendance)

We offer a pension scheme with employer contribution up to 10%, in addition you’ll receive 28 days holiday plus bank holidays, 24-hour access to a comprehensive employee assistance programme, cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan scheme and other benefits.

Help shape the country's response to an ageing society

The Centre for Ageing Better is looking for an experienced, politically astute and ambitious Head of External Affairs to join us on a maternity cover contract.

This is a unique opportunity to lead one of the country's most influential voices on ageing at a time of significant social, economic and political change. As Head of External Affairs, you will lead our communications, public affairs and campaigning work, helping us secure greater government attention, commitment and action on the opportunities and challenges of our ageing society.

Alongside leading a high-performing team, you will personally drive some of our most strategically important influencing priorities. Working closely with senior leaders across the organisation, you will lead high-profile programmes of work across our action areas of Work, Homes & Communities and Ageism & Inequality, helping to ensure that government, parliamentarians, local leaders and other decision-makers take meaningful action to improve the experience of ageing. These programmes will sit at the heart of our efforts to make ageing a mainstream political priority and secure practical policy change.

This is an ideal role for someone who combines outstanding strategic leadership with a track record of delivering high-impact public affairs, policy and communications programmes that have achieved real-world change.

About you

We're looking for someone who brings a blend of strategic leadership, political awareness and hands-on delivery experience.

You will have:

• Significant experience in public affairs, strategic communications, campaigning and policy influencing.
• A strong track record of securing policy, political or systems change through effective influencing and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience of working successfully with Westminster, Whitehall and other senior decision-makers.
• Demonstrable experience of developing policy positions and translating evidence, research and evaluation into compelling content and influencing narratives.
• Experience of leading high-profile programmes, campaigns or initiatives that have attracted government attention and resulted in action from decision-makers.
• A track record of developing and delivering integrated communications and influencing strategies that achieve measurable impact.
• Excellent writing, stakeholder management and political influencing skills.
• Strong leadership and people management experience, with the ability to motivate and develop high-performing teams.
• The ability to think strategically while also delivering complex projects and responding to a fast-changing external environment.

About us

The Centre for Ageing Better is an independent centre of excellence on ageing and demographic change. We work with national and local government, industries, businesses and community organisations to improve how people experience ageing. Our work focuses on creating better workplaces, homes and communities, while tackling ageism and addressing inequality in later life.

The Centre for Ageing Better is a charitable foundation funded by The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) and part of the government’s What Works Network. We are fortunate to have monies remaining from our endowment from the NLCF to fully fund us until 2029, and we will be looking for new funding opportunities to sustain activity beyond 2029.

We are striving to create an organisation that reflects our society and the communities we serve with a workplace where everyone feels empowered and where diversity of background and thought is celebrated. We know there is more work to be done and are committed to continuing to improve our practice around Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.

We very much welcome applications from minority groups and those underrepresented in our workforce. This especially includes people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBT+ people, and Disabled people. 

We are a Positive Action employer, therefore in recruitment where two candidates are ‘as qualified as’ each other, we will favour a candidate from any group identified as currently underrepresented in our team based on protected characteristics as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.

To Apply

To apply, please follow the link to complete an application form and Equality and Diversity form.

Please address in your supporting statement how you meet the person specification for the role as fully as possible to demonstrate why you should be shortlisted for an interview for this post.

Failure to do so will result in your application being automatically rejected.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace and the support that generative AI can offer. However, we would encourage you to write your supporting statement and complete your application without the use of AI and if you do use AI, to avoid copy and pasting and to consider the value it will add. We encourage you to showcase your experience and knowledge using your own unique voice.

The closing date for this role is 9am on Monday 28th September, with in- person interviews to take place during the week commencing 26th October with an expected W/C 4th January start date.

Job Title - Project Management Officer (Operations)

Contract - Permanent

Hours - 35 hours per week

Salary - £33,000 - £35,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Location - Coram Campus, London WC1N 1AZ

Additional information: Applicants must currently hold the right to work in the UK, as no sponsorship is available for this role. This position is based at our office on the Coram Community Campus, with some flexibility to work from home up to 2 days per week, depending on business need.

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About Coram International

Coram International is a research and consultancy team based at the Coram Children’s Legal Centre in London. Our team works with UN agencies, international charities and governments around the world to promote and protect children’s rights.

Our work involves designing and implementing research on a broad range of thematic areas relating to children. We also provide technical expertise to support the development of laws, policies and programmes to protect children’s rights as well as training for professionals and practitioners who work with children. Our thematic areas of focus include: the treatment of children within criminal justice systems; violence against children and child protection; protecting the rights of children in the context of migration and asylum; child marriage; adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health rights; the rights of children in the context of armed conflict and terrorism; and many others. We work in countries throughout the world.

We are seeking a highly organised, diligent and proactive Project Management Officer to manage a portfolio of consultancy projects and provide comprehensive administrative and operational support to our team.

This role does not involve conducting research or managing programmes or services delivered directly to children and families.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing Date: Wednesday 30th September 2026 @ 23:59pm

Interview Date: Interviews commencing the week of 5th October 2026

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 281222.

Hours: Part Time, 21 hours per week

Interviews: 14th & 15th October 2026

Employer: King's Trust International (not The King's Trust)

Help to shape programmes that create brighter futures for young people around the world. The King’s Trust International is looking for an inspiring Head of Programme Development to lead the creation of high-quality, evidence-informed and scalable programme models that help young people learn, earn and thrive. This is an exciting opportunity to support our programme design and content team in translating ambitious long-term strategy into practical programme models, curricula, tools and guidance that can make an impact across diverse global contexts. You will lead a talented team of specialists and work across the organisation to champion innovation, inclusion, safeguarding and impact. This permanent, part-time role is 21 hours per week and is London-based, with hybrid working and an expectation that at least 50% of contracted hours are spent in the office.

What you will do

• Lead the Programme Development function, setting a clear vision, priorities and quality standards.
• Oversee the design, testing and continuous improvement of inclusive youth programmes, blended learning models, curricula, training materials and delivery tools.
• Use evidence, data and learning to strengthen programme models, theories of change and measurable outcomes.
• Work with Delivery, Impact, Digital, Safeguarding and Fundraising colleagues to create scalable, fundable propositions and support their transition into delivery.
• Champion user-centred design, blended delivery and responsible uses of digital tools and AI.
• Develop a high-performing, collaborative team and manage resources, capacity and budgets effectively.

What we are looking for

You will bring strong programme development expertise, sound judgement and a track record of turning strategy into practical, adaptable approaches. You will understand how evidence, safeguarding and inclusion shape excellent programme design, you will be confident working across both online and offline delivery and you will be able to evidence significant experience working with partners across international or multi-country contexts. With a strong track record of leading and developing teams, you will create clarity, build alignment and enable others to do their best work. Above all, you will share our commitment to putting young people at the centre and creating meaningful, sustainable impact.

Perks for working at The King’s Trust International:

• Great holiday package. 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus public holidays. Office closure the days between Christmas and New Year
• Fantastic Family leave. Receive 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay for maternity and adoption leave, and pro rata entitlement for shared parental leave. Receive 8 weeks' full pay for paternity leave.
• Flexible and agile working. Where operationally possible, you can work your hours that support a work-life balance, including compressed hours and hybrid-working (part office - part home-based) or working from home options.
• Benefits platform. Everything from health and financial wellbeing support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas
• A free employee assistance programme (EAP) to support your mental wellbeing.
• KTI will contribute 5% of your salary to the workplace Pension Scheme
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary)
• In-house and external training opportunities are available throughout the year

Community Youth Work Manager

Oasis Community Hub, Waterloo

Hours: 40 hours per week

Contract type: 1-year fixed term

Salary: £34,030 per annum (including London Weighting)

Supporting young people to thrive in Waterloo

Do you believe in the potential of every young person? Are you an experienced youth practitioner who can combine excellent frontline practice with leadership, strategic thinking and partnership working?

Oasis Hub Waterloo is looking for a Community Youth Work Manager to lead and develop our youth services for young people aged 10+ across North Lambeth.

Oasis Hub Waterloo has been part of the Waterloo community for more than 20 years. We’re an ambitious, inclusive and Christ-centred organisation working alongside local people to build a community where everyone is included, can contribute and can reach their potential.

Our youth service has been working with young people in North Lambeth for more than a decade. We provide accessible, supportive and trauma-responsive services that help young people build confidence, make positive choices and thrive in our community.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and lead our youth work at a time of development

You’ll manage a small team of youth practitioners and sessional workers while staying connected to frontline delivery. You’ll oversee and deliver group activities, after-school drop-ins and one-to-one mentoring, as well as developing holiday programmes, youth leadership and social action opportunities.

You’ll also help shape the future of our youth provision, working with colleagues across Oasis Hub Waterloo to develop our 0–18 strategy and create new, collaborative services.

Partnership working is central to the role. You’ll develop strong relationships with Oasis Academy South Bank, local youth organisations, community partners and statutory services, helping connect education, health and community provision around the needs of young people.

About you

You’ll bring significant experience of working directly with young people aged 10+, alongside the skills and confidence to lead and develop a youth service.

You’ll have:

· Strong youth work practice, including group and one-to-one work.

· Experience of developing and delivering youth programmes or projects.

· Experience of managing or supervising staff, sessional workers or volunteers.

· Strong partnership and multi-agency working skills.

· A thorough understanding of safeguarding and child protection.

· Experience of monitoring, evaluating and improving services.

· Creativity, initiative and the ability to develop new opportunities for young people.

· A genuine passion for helping young people thrive.

Knowledge of youth services in Lambeth or Southwark, and experience of education, youth leadership, social action or statutory services, would be particularly welcome.

Join us

You’ll join an innovative and supportive charity where you’ll have the opportunity to make a tangible difference to young people and help shape the future of youth work in Waterloo.

Oasis is committed to inclusion and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds.

The role includes regular evening and some weekend work and is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

As part of the package, Oasis offers:

· A pension scheme, offering 7% employer contribution.

· A generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year (plus 8 Bank Holidays).

· Policies which promote well-being and are family friendly.

To apply, please send your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than two A4 pages).

Please expand on your CV in your cover letter to explain why you would be a good fit for the role.

Please include how you would balance frontline youth delivery with leadership and management responsibilities.

Please also give an example of a piece of youth work you are particularly proud of, explaining what you did and what difference it made.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Completed applications should be returned by 9am Tuesday 6th October 2026.

Interviews: Date to be confirmed.

We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers during the recruitment process, please let us know. 

We appreciate you may wish to use AI to support elements of your application but we strongly encourage all candidates to submit applications that genuinely reflect their own skills, achievements and lived experiences. It's what makes your application stand out!

Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks. 

The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK.  Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.

Oasis supports Equal Opportunities.  Registered Charity No. 1163889