Development director jobs in lymington, hampshire

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location: Eastleigh, Hampshire. Flexible, hybrid working

Salary: £50,000

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

About us:

Learning through Landscapes is the UK’s leading school grounds charity, dedicated to enhancing outdoor learning and play for all. Our vision is a society where the benefits of regular time outdoors are valued and appreciated, and outdoor learning, play and connection with nature is recognised as a fundamental part of education, at every stage, for every child and young person.

We have unrivalled expertise based on three decades of experience, practical action and research. With offices in England and Scotland and staff based across the UK, our team and our accredited network of outdoor learning experts have the capacity to work nationally and internationally. Click HERE for more information.

What you’ll be doing:

As COO, you will play a critical leadership role in the strategic and operational success of LtL. You will work closely with the CEO and the management team to deliver the charity’s vision, overseeing day-to-day project delivery across the UK. You will take the lead for LtL H&S and Safeguarding responsibility alongside deputising for the CEO. It is essential you are happy to and would enjoy frequent travel across the UK.

Key Responsibilities

· Operational Leadership.

· Drive operational excellence and innovation in the charity’s systems, processes, and project infrastructure.

· Work closely with the CEO and senior leadership to translate strategic and project plans into operational delivery.

· Attend and contribute to the planning of board meetings.

· Deputise as CEO.

Project Management

· Oversee the delivery of multiple, complex projects, in all four home nations, ensuring timelines, budgets, and outcomes are met, and line manage project managers.

· Work on national programme implementation, including government contracts, charitable grants, and corporate-funded initiatives.

· Develop and manage project delivery plans, risk registers, evaluation processes, and resource allocation, health & safety, and safeguarding.

· Support the CEO and Finance Manager in budget planning, financial forecasting, and reporting for projects.

· Ensure projects are run within guidelines and legal responsibilities, including data protection, GDPR, health and safety, and charity governance.

· Act as the operational safeguarding lead, working closely with the charity’s Designated Safeguarding Leads to embed best practice in all areas of delivery.

· Work with the CEO to ensure safeguarding policies are robust, understood by all staff partners and network, and adhered to in all operational activities.

· Work with the CEO on contract negotiation and management.

Systems and Operational Development

· Lead the development and improvement of internal systems and processes to support efficient, effective, and collaborative working across the charity.

· Oversee the use and optimisation of IT and digital tools for internal communication and project coordination.

· Embed a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring systems are user-friendly, fit for purpose, and compliant with data protection and other regulations.

People and Culture

· Line manage project managers across the UK, fostering a positive and values-led organisational culture rooted in inclusion, equity, and safeguarding.

· Coordinate leadership and professional development for staff, partners and networks.

· Champion true diversity, equity, and inclusion across all operational activities.

Stakeholder and Partnership Management

· Act as a senior representative for LtL at external meetings, events, and with funders or partners.

· Build and maintain strong relationships with schools, local authorities, funders, and delivery partners.

· Represent LtL in national forums, working groups, and networks relevant to education and the environment.

Travel

· Regular travel across the UK to support project delivery, engage with stakeholders, and lead regional teams with occasional international travel.

· Regular overnight stays required.

What you need

Essential

· Proven experience in a senior operational role, preferably within the charity, education, or environmental sector.

· Track record of successfully managing complex, multi-partner projects at a national or regional scale.

· One or both of Safeguarding and Health & Safety training qualifications.

· Excellent leadership, line management, and team development skills.

· Outstanding project management skills including budgeting, planning, evaluation, and reporting.

· Strong understanding of governance, safeguarding, and risk management in a not-for-profit context.

· Embody LtL friendly and inclusive culture of support and kindness.

· Ability to influence and inspire with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

· Willingness and ability to travel regularly across the UK and occasionally internationally.

Desirable

· Knowledge of outdoor learning, environmental education, or play-based pedagogy.

· Experience of working with schools or in the education sector.

· Familiarity with charity finance and CRM systems.

· Qualification in project management (e.g. Prince2, Agile, or similar).

If you don’t have all of the above but feel it could be the role for you, talk to us!

What we offer:

· Flexible working.

· Holiday, 28 days + bank holidays + a “birthday gift” day.

· Laptop, phone and all travel & subsistence expenses.

· Family & carer friendly policies.

· Annual training package including: LtL Professional Accreditation in Outdoor Learning and Play, LtL Climate School 180 Network Training package.

· Sick pay.

· Salary sacrifice pension scheme – 5% employer contribution.

· Subsidised Christmas meal.

· A supportive and welcoming team of colleagues, including our 20+ Delivery Team members.

We’re an equal opportunities employer. All suitable applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We are actively seeking to increase diversity within our workforce and are committed to recruiting the best people on the objective basis of their skills, ability and experience. We offer a guaranteed interview to eligible applicants who choose to opt-in to the scheme and can demonstrate that they have at least 5 out of the 9 from the “what you need - essentials” list. To be eligible to apply via the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, you must be from an ethnic minority. Please state clearly in your covering letter if you are applying under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

We are happy to support with any reasonable adjustments that are needed within the recruitment process.

Help shape the future of imaging services by supporting providers on their journey to QSI accreditation. As our Quality Improvement and Review Partner you'll lead independent assessments, guide expert review teams, and drive measurable improvements across NHS and private imaging settings.

The Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI) defines what’s needed to deliver safe, effective, and patient-centred imaging services. Jointly developed by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the College of Radiographers (CoR), the QSI supports imaging providers in embedding a culture of continuous quality improvement and achieving excellence.

As a Quality Improvement and Review Partner, you’ll play a pivotal role in upholding and advancing these standards. Drawing on your professional expertise, you’ll support imaging services on their journey toward QSI accreditation and lead independent assessments across a wide range of settings — from small independent providers to large, multisite NHS and private organisations. You’ll guide expert review teams, deliver robust evaluations, and produce focused reports and action plans that drive meaningful, measurable improvement.

What you’ll do

• Act as the designated Quality Improvement and Review Partner for a portfolio of imaging services across the UK.
• Provide expert guidance to QSI leads on both the review process and the standards.
• Manage the full review cycle for services in your portfolio.
• Select and coordinate review team members in collaboration with the Quality Improvement Coordinator.
• Participate in quality assurance and moderation activities to ensure consistency and rigour.

What you’ll bring

• Demonstrable experience in quality assurance, accreditation, or evaluation assessments, or in healthcare quality management.
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance and assessment approaches.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, tailored to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to prioritise effectively while remaining adaptable to changing needs.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to build strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

If you’re a confident, high-performing professional with a passion for quality improvement, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more about the role, the RCR, and how to apply in the Quality Improvement and Review Partner candidate pack.

Why join us?

• Make a difference to the lives of Doctors and the specialities they work in every day!
• Modern working environment
• Equipment provided to work from home
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Excellent pension scheme
• Interest free season ticket loan and cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

Asylum Matters is looking for a dynamic campaigner committed to upholding the rights of people seeking asylum in Yorkshire & Humber and across the UK at a critical time. Asylum Matters plays a significant role in working towards positive change for refugees and people seeking asylum. We are a small team based around the UK, working locally and nationally with an extensive network of partners to advocate for progressive change in the asylum system. We work with frontline organisations and people with lived experience across the UK on a range of issues that affect people in the asylum system. We co-lead the award-winning Lift the Ban coalition campaign, that brings together almost 300 organisations calling for the right to work for people seeking asylum. The Yorkshire & Humber Campaigns Manager also lead our Lift the Ban campaign Nationally, working with our powerful coalition to raise our collective voices and call for working rights for people in the asylum system.

We are a facilitator of collaboration and joint action. Our work helps strengthen collective advocacy on asylum reform and ensures it is informed by the reality on the ground. We became an independent charity in 2021 and have ambitious plans for the future as we seek to maximise the potential of our collaborative campaigning model and identify opportunities for change at local, regional and national levels, in a challenging external environment.

The successful candidate will work in partnership with local organisations and networks in Yorkshire & Humber to develop and implement strategies for achieving change locally and nationally. They will have experience of developing and delivering impactful campaigns that have achieved change. They will be an effective communicator, able to build strong partnerships and work collaboratively with partners. They will be proactive, able to spot influencing opportunities and quickly mobilise support to respond to them. They will have a commitment to the vision of a fairer and more effective asylum system, and to empowering and working with those with direct experience of it.

We are particularly keen to hear from people with lived experience of the UK asylum system, anyone with lived experience who meets the essential criteria will be granted an interview.

Candidate must have the right to work in the UK.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced strategic lead to drive the next phase of our Right to Health campaign. This new role will work with our experienced and well respected team and our extensive network, to make the political case for the better legal recognition and real-world protection for the right to health. 

An ideal candidate

You will be a passionate and experienced advocate for health, human, social or environmental rights, committed to driving meaningful change in the UK. You will bring proven expertise in leading policy, advocacy, or parliamentary engagement work - ideally within health, human rights, social or environmental justice sectors - and thrive in building strong, strategic relationships with government, civil society, and community stakeholders.

You have a good understanding of the structural causes of health inequality and the power of human rights frameworks to address them. You will know how the UK political and parliamentary systems work, and you are skilled at influencing these processes through clear, compelling narratives backed by evidence.

You are able to communicate with clarity and impact, tailoring your message to diverse audiences - from policymakers to grassroots activists. You are confident working independently and collaboratively within a small, flexible team, balancing strategic vision with practical delivery. Your approach is solutions-focused, inclusive, and grounded in the lived realities of people affected by health inequalities.

Most importantly, you are motivated by the opportunity to join a dynamic and well respected organisation and lead a strategic campaign that challenges the status quo and contributes to a fairer, more just UK.

You have the right to work in the UK and be able to work from home in London or within easy reach of London.  A minimum of weekly attendance in London will be required.

This opportunity is open to applicants wishing to deliver the work on a self-employed freelance or employed basis.

Join our friendly and mission-driven team at NFER, where you’ll help bridge the gap between research and classrooms. This is your chance to bring vital insights directly to schools – raising awareness of the NFER Classroom brand and increasing the reach and impact of our research findings within the education community.

Pay: £36,000 - £40,000 (FTE)
Contract: 18-month fixed-term contract
Hours: Part-time (21 hours)
Location: Remote within the UK, with occasional visits to our Slough office (approx. 6 times per year)
Annual Leave: 30 days plus 4 paid closure days FTE
Pension Contributions: 10% employer contributions
Family Support: Enhanced maternity/parental leave and paid compassionate leave

What you’ll be doing
In this role, you’ll be at the heart of our mission to connect schools with powerful, practical research. You’ll take a leading role in shaping how NFER communicates with educators, using your creativity and insight to bring our work to life across digital channels.

One day you might be crafting social media content that sparks conversation among teachers, the next, you’ll be writing an email newsletter that lands just right with a headteacher seeking evidence-based ideas. You’ll help turn research into engaging, accessible summaries, so schools can quickly grasp key insights and put them into action.

You’ll also update and improve our For Schools website pages, ensuring every word is useful and user-friendly. Behind the scenes, you’ll track performance using analytics, learning what works and what could work even better. And throughout it all, you’ll collaborate with researchers, designers, and communications experts to deliver thoughtful, impactful campaigns that schools actually want to read.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential skills and experience:

• Experience in marketing communications or a related role
• Excellent writing skills and creative flair
• Confidence using digital tools such as social media platforms, Canva, Google Analytics and CRM systems
• Strong time management and the ability to work independently
• A collaborative approach and a clear focus on impact
• Experience working in or with schools is a bonus, but not essential.

If you meet only 70% of our essential skills, still apply; you may have skills we didn’t know we needed.

Other roles you may have experience of include: Marketing Executive, Marketing Officer, Marketing Assistant, Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Specialist, Brand Executive, Communications Executive, Digital Marketing Executive, Social Media Executive, Content Marketing Executive, Email Marketing Executive, SEO Executive

WHY NFER?
At NFER, we are recognised globally for providing trusted research, resources and insights that drive meaningful change. By joining us, you’ll contribute to a mission that prioritises impact over profit, working in an environment where collaboration, flexibility, and inclusion are valued.
What we offer:

• A supportive and inclusive workplace culture.
• Opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career.
• Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance from day 1.
• The chance to make a real difference in the education sector.

APPLICATION PROCESS
We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply early. Shortlisting will commence from 23rd June 2025.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any adjustments or accommodations at any stage, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to support
you and ensure a positive experience. For further details, please review the Job Information Pack.

If you’re ready to bring your skills and passion to a role that makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and start your journey with NFER.