Development events manager jobs

Help underrepresented founders take their businesses to the next level through our flagship LEVELS entrepreneurship programme.
Join 20/20 Levels as a Programme Co-ordinator and play a key role in delivering pitch nights, workshops and founder support.

This is an exciting, hands-on role supporting the smooth delivery of our LEVELS Business Development Programme, which empowers early-stage entrepreneurs from ethnic minority and low socio-economic backgrounds to launch, grow and scale their ventures. You’ll help coordinate sessions, engage founders, support events such as Demo Days and Pitch Nights, and work closely with facilitators, mentors and partners to ensure every cohort has an outstanding experience.

If you’re organised, people-focused, passionate about entrepreneurship and driven by social impact, this is a brilliant opportunity to support the next generation of diverse business leaders.

Job title: Corporate Community and Events Manager

Location: Hemel Hempstead & Watford. Hybrid where agreed.

Responsible to: Head of Fundraising & Marketing

Key relationships: Head of Fundraising, Fundraising Officer, MarComms Lead, Marketing & Events Officer

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: £35,000 FTE

Contract Type: Permanent

Disclosure Level:  Enhanced DSB clearance required

About Us: 

Playskill is a Hertfordshire-based charity supporting pre-school children with physical disabilities and their families. The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations to fund its vital services.

Using therapeutic play as a tool for development of key milestones, Playskill steps in during the crucial early intervention window when the brain is developing faster than at any other time. Through expert therapies, vital in-home support, specialist training and all important social and respite events for the whole family.

We stand alongside families throughout the challenges of living with disability, offering guidance, care, and community, helping them to build skills, resilience and networks to face the journey ahead. 

About the role: 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Corporate Community and Events Manager who will play a key role in growing Playskill's income through community, coporate and event fundraising. 

Working closely with the Head of Fundraising & Marketing, you will develop new fundraising opportunities, steward existing supporters, and create initiatives that introduce new people to the Playskill community.

You will lead on community and corporate partnerships, manage flagship and fundraising events (including Playskill’s Annual Golf Day), and line-manage the Fundraising Officer.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Grow income from community, corporate, and events fundraising

• Build and manage relationships with supporters, community groups, and corporate partners

• Plan and deliver fundraising events and campaigns

• Identify new income streams and opportunities

• Line manage the Fundraising Officer

• Manage budgets and record activity accurately using a CRM system

• Ability to manage budgets effectively and maintain financial discipline

Required Experience:

• Minimum 2 years' in community, corporate, or events fundraising

• Experience planning and delivering fundraising events

• Strong relationship-building and organisational skills

• Line management experience

• Experience using a CRM system (Donorfy or similar)

Diversity statement:

Playskill is an equal opportunities employer and has a high number of team members with caring responsibilities and is keen to encourage applicants from a diverse number of backgrounds.

Safeguarding statement: 

Playskill is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment. Playskill has a full safeguarding policy and expects all staff to undergo safeguarding training.
 

Interview date: TBC

Interview location: Hemel Hempstead

Be part of a life-changing programme helping young people from underrepresented backgrounds take their next step into meaningful employment.
Join 20/20 Levels as a Programme Co-ordinator and play a key role in delivering our flagship I AM CHANGE career development journey.

This is a hands-on, people-focused role supporting the smooth delivery of workshops, mentoring and cohort experiences. You’ll work closely with participants, facilitators and the Programme Manager to ensure every session runs brilliantly and every young person feels supported, confident and work-ready. If you’re passionate about social mobility, youth empowerment and creating real opportunity, this is an exciting chance to make a tangible impact.

Pembroke College Oxford is seeking a highly organised and analytical Development Operations Manager to play a central role in supporting the College’s Development and fundraising activities.

Founded in 1624, Pembroke is an inclusive and dynamic College based on a central site in Oxford that combines historic quadrangles with award-winning new developments. The College has ambitious plans for the future and an active programme of alumni engagement, stewardship and fundraising to support its academic mission and long-term sustainability.

The Development Operations Manager is a pivotal role within the Development team. Working closely with the Development Director, the post-holder will be responsible for the operational foundations that underpin the College’s fundraising activity, including alumni database management, gift processing, prospect research, reporting, and insight generation. The role is essential to ensuring that the Development team works efficiently, accurately, and strategically, supported by high-quality data and robust processes.

The post-holder will manage the College’s alumni database (DARS), acting as a knowledgeable and trusted first point of contact for database queries, and will lead projects to improve data quality and compliance. They will also play a key role in analysing giving patterns and engagement trends, preparing reports for colleagues and committees, and supporting the identification and tracking of potential donors. In addition, the role includes dotted-line management responsibility for the Development Coordinator, with a particular focus on overseeing operational activity.

This post would suit someone who is confident working with complex data, highly numerate, and able to spot patterns and trends. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, able to work collaboratively within a small, interdependent team, while also exercising discretion and sound judgement when handling confidential information.

Benefits include membership of the University staff pension scheme, free lunches during working hours when the College kitchens are open, and a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, in addition to public holidays. Opportunities for training and professional development are also available.

Key responsibilities

The main duties to be carried out by the post-holder include:

Data and Database Management

• Manage the alumni database (‘DARS’) and ensure that data held on alumni is GDPR compliant, comprehensive, and up to date.
•  Oversee projects to maintain and improve the quality of the College’s alumni data and ensure engagement activities are accurately and effectively recorded.
•  Produce data exports for third-parties such as consultancies and mailing houses and ensure any data received is processed and imported accurately.
• Produce accurate data content for publications such as lists of stewardship group members and deceased alumni.
• Become a competent ‘super-user’ of the DARS database and act as first point of contact for the Pembroke Development team for any queries about the database, ensuring that the team is both confident in using it and consistently recording data in line with GDPR.
•  Actively engage with the central University team delivering the successor to DARS, ‘Halo’, to ensure it meets the College’s requirements, and lead on the migration to Halo at the appropriate time.

Prospect Research and Tracking

• Undertake prospect research to identify potential major donors among the College’s alumni and supporter base.
• Oversee research into alumni in particular regions in advance of College trips.  
• Manage Pembroke’s prospect management processes, working with fundraisers and others to identify and assign new prospects within the team.
• Work with the Development Coordinator to prepare donor and prospect profiles ahead of events, trips, and meetings.

Insights, Trends and Segmentation

• Working closely with the Development Officer (Regular Giving and Legacies), proactively and creatively analyse patterns of giving to enable the team to target and segment Regular Giving appeals more effectively.
• Conduct research into wider sector giving trends, and provide recommendations for better engagement.
• Prepare regular reports on donor and engagement activities for the team and wider College, including the Development Committee and Campaign Board.

Gift Processing

• Ensure all changes to Direct Debits including cancellations and amendments are actioned in the agreed timescales. Communicate with donors in respect to these changes.
•  Liaise regularly with the PCFNA (Pembroke’s 501(c)(3)) to ensure donations made through it are accurate.
• Record all donations including cheques/PCFNA/one-off bank payments as pledges on DARS.
• Identify missed pledge payments or recurring gifts.  
• Support the Finance Business Partner in all Gift Aid administration including Gift Aid compliance, securing outstanding Gift Aid declarations and updating old Gift Aid declarations and review of non-eligible declarations.
•  Liaise closely with the finance team to ensure donations are accurately classified and reported
•  Ensure that gift agreements and associated commitments (e.g. Gift Aid, pledges, payment schedules) are recorded accurately and actioned.
•  Research into historic donor funds, where necessary.

Gift Acceptance

•  Manage the gift acceptance process, ensuring that the College accepts gifts appropriately and in line with its Gift Acceptance Policy and Fundraising Policy.
•  Undertake all necessary research and due diligence on prospective donors, and liaise with the central University and third-party providers of due diligence services where required.
•  Oversee the gift acknowledgement process.

Management

•  Supervise (with a dotted line reporting relationship) the Development Coordinator, with particular responsibility for overseeing their work in the Operations functional area.
• Be available for regular 1:1 meetings and as a point of contact for any queries, and support their line manager in making sure they receive all necessary training, induction and information to succeed in their role.

Other

• In common with all posts, ensure compliance with the College’s policies and procedures, statutory obligations, and best practice. 
• Be the principal liaison with the Gift Registry and DARS teams, and keep upto-date with changes/improvements to the system and how to utilise them.
• To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required by the Development Director, which may include travel and occasional event attendance outside standard working hours.

For person specification, please see the Job Description attached.

To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and a covering letter, together with details of two referees.

Help unlock life-changing employment opportunities for underrepresented young people across London.
Join 20/20 Levels as our Business Development Manager and build the employer partnerships that power social mobility.

At 20/20 Levels, we believe talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. This role is a unique chance to work at the intersection of business development, recruitment, and social impact, securing paid roles, internships, apprenticeships and career pathways for our alumni.

You’ll engage employers in high-growth sectors, develop long-term partnerships, and position 20/20 Levels as a trusted talent partner for diverse early-career candidates. If you’re commercially driven, relationship-focused, and motivated by creating real change through employment, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re looking for an Events Manager to lead the delivery of a diverse and strategically focused events portfolio at Leeds Beckett University. This is a key role within the Stakeholder Engagement and Events team, responsible for ensuring events are purpose-driven, high quality and aligned with the university’s brand, reputation and student recruitment objectives.

In this role, you will plan, manage and deliver a broad programme of events that support the university’s strategic priorities. This includes responsibility for large-scale, high-profile events such as graduation ceremonies, alongside a varied portfolio of stakeholder, partnership and engagement events. You will ensure each event is designed to tell the university’s story, showcase its strengths and create positive, memorable experiences for prospective students, students, partners, staff and wider audiences.

You will provide leadership and direction to event and partnership officers, project teams and external suppliers, overseeing event planning, logistics, budgets, risk management and evaluation. Strong project management skills are essential, as you will manage multiple events simultaneously, often to tight deadlines, in a fast-paced environment.

Working closely with colleagues across marketing, communications, recruitment and academic services, you will ensure events are effectively promoted, consistently branded and clearly aligned with audience needs and strategic outcomes. You will use insight and feedback to evaluate impact, improve delivery and demonstrate the value of events in enhancing brand reputation, strengthening relationships and supporting recruitment.

At Leeds Beckett, we value diverse perspectives and offer generous annual leave and strong support for professional development. Join a collaborative team committed to delivering outstanding events that bring the university’s strategy to life and create lasting impact.

Are you a Product Development Manager looking to make a significant and critical impact?

RCR Learning supports the professional development of clinical radiologists and oncologists throughout their careers. We design and deliver in person, live online and blended programmes - short courses, lecture series and conferences - rooted in the realities of clinical practice. We’re ambitious to grow, and are investing to expand our needs led, commercially sustainable portfolio.
 
In this is hands-on role you’ll shape our portfolio, drive innovation, and design high-impact courses that improve patient care.
 
What you’ll do:

• Manage the new product development (NPD) process for new learning programmes - owning the pipeline from horizon scanning and opportunity selection through to design, piloting and evaluation.
• Lead the end-to-end design, development and pilot delivery of CPD courses, working closely with our course delivery teams.
• Collaborate with and coach SMEs (clinicians), using your learning design expertise to design high-impact, innovative short courses.
• Conduct market/user research and testing to ensure products meet demand, demonstrate educational impact and are financially viable.
• Lead go to market (GTM) planning and launches for new short courses to achieve commercial targets.

What you’ll bring

• Proven success in developing programmes which blend educational rigour with industry/market relevance.
• Strong experience in learning design and education programme development
• Commercial acumen and a user-focused mindset.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• The ability to lead and inspire cross functional teams.

Why join us:

• Make a difference to the lives of Doctors and the specialities they work in every day!
• Hybrid working (60% working week can be done remotely)
• 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

NEON is a not- for profit Organtision 

Our Mission is to remove structural barriers within the arts and creative industries by creating equitable access to training, space, professional experience and paid work.

We centre children, young people and emerging creatives from underrepresented and underprivileged communities, ensuring talent is supported not only creatively, but economically and professionally.

We are seeking to expand our team capacity to deliver transformational growth across our creative programming. The Business Development Manager will  transition NEON from project-based delivery to sustainable, recurring programmes while scaling our impact within the creative industries and local community.

Job Description

You will work closely with both our external cross-sector funders, clients and internal delivery partners and teams to provide a service that exceeds expectations by  monitoring progress and continually adapting and improving effectiveness to meet changing needs

The postholder will:

• Expand income generation through studio hires, memberships, events, and trading

• Securing sponsorships, multi-year funding, and philanthropic donations

• Develop contracts and partnerships with schools, local authorities, and corporate entities

• Strengthening impact reporting and financial reporting and management

• Supporting the Founder and Artistic Director to build a resilient business model across our sites in Vauxhall from 2026. 

Role Profile - Essential Experience and Skills 

• 5 years plus demonstrable experience of income generation  and management, delivering on time and within budget 

• Demonstrable experience of budget management - strong financial literacy, commercial awareness and analytical 

• You enjoy working in an entrepreneurial and creative, start-up environment - understanding that this may mean doing what is needed to get the outcome, even if not within one’s own role

• You have resilience to change course and adapt priorities as needed by the business

• You are as comfortable working independently as you are as part of a team

• You enjoy working with a small team and contributing to the broader ambition of the whole organisation and being an ambassador for our work

• Willing to be based in our studio in Vauxhall

• Substantial experience of relationship building and collaborative partnership with people from all sectors and backgrounds - especially at senior management/executive level e.g. stakeholders, funders and delivery partners

• Demonstrable track record of managing and monitoring performance to meet objectives and delivery of targets 

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate and present ideas clearly, coherently and persuasively in the written format as well as verbally 

• Ability to think, act and communicate strategically and creatively

• Ability to be self-servicing including proficient use of Microsoft IT and Google Suite package

Desirable

• Knowledge and/or experience of the arts and creative industries, in a startup or with creative entrepreneurs is desirable though not essential. We would still like to hear from you if you have experience leading and delivering high-profile projects and are committed to making a difference.

• You are passionate about the arts and creative sectors, wanting to use your abilities to nurture the talents of others and increase diversity within these sectors

War Child believes that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war. It is the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict, with four main areas of work: protecting children, educating children, supporting communities and campaigning. The charity are renowned for their creative, innovative and entrepreneurial approach, with strong connections to the gaming, music and creative industries. 

Philanthropy at War Child is entering a period of rapid growth and development. With income forecast to more than double and a significantly expanded prospect pool, the team is strengthening its focus on major donor relationship management, supported by new investment in data, insight and senior leadership.

The Philanthropy Manager is an established, donor-facing role, focused on building and managing a robust portfolio of major donors through excellent relationship management and strategic pipeline development. You will take ownership of your own donor portfolio, developing tailored cultivation and stewardship plans, converting transactional supporters into long-term partners, and delivering sustainable income growth. Reporting to and working closely with the Philanthropy Lead, and collaborating with the Data & Insights Manager and Senior Philanthropy Manager, you will play a central role in strengthening War Child’s core major donor programme and embedding a more data-led, strategic approach to philanthropy.

Please note that this is a hybrid role, with 1-2 days per week in the Camden office, with regular events and meetings in central London.

As Philanthropy Manager, you will:

• Manage and grow a personal portfolio of major donors through full-cycle relationship management, including regular face-to-face meetings with donors and prospects
• Identify, cultivate and steward prospects to secure five-figure gifts and long-term support
• Convert event-based and transactional supporters into deeper, strategic donor relationships
• Develop and deliver tailored stewardship plans, reports and donor communications
• Work closely with the Data & Insights Manager to build a more analytical, data-led pipeline
• Support the Senior Philanthropy Manager with donor strategy around events, prospecting and follow-up
• Maintain high-quality records, forecasting and reporting through Salesforce

Essential skills and experience:

• Proven experience as a major donor fundraiser with a track record of securing five-figure gifts
• Full-cycle experience across identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship
• Strong donor-facing skills with confidence building and managing senior relationships
• Experience writing high-quality donor materials, including reports and proposals
• Analytical and methodical approach, with experience using data to inform fundraising decisions
• Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail and pipeline management
• Confident user of CRM systems, ideally Salesforce

Desirable:

• International development or humanitarian sector experience
• Experience leading on major donor events
• Advanced experience using Salesforce for analysis and reporting

Not required: Substantial events delivery experience; Prior line management experience

Employee benefits include: 

• 28 days’ annual leave, rising to 33 days, plus public holidays (entitlement is pro-rata for part-time staff
• Enhanced pay provision for maternity, partner/coparent/paternity, shared parental and adoption leave.
• Life insurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan and Cancer Cover
• Enhanced Sick Leave (from Day 1, entitlement increases with length of service)
• Paid Emergency Time Off for Dependants: Up to 5 days paid leave per annum to deal with an emergency involving a dependant
• Flexible Public Holidays: Staff may exchange up to two standard UK public holidays around Easter and Christmas for those that have cultural or religious significance to them
• Career Break: 3-12 months’ unpaid leave available to staff after 3 years’ continuous service
• Temporary Overseas Working: Up to 4 weeks per annum to work from a location outside of the UK
• Volunteer Leave: Up to four days paid leave per annum (pro rata) to participate in volunteering activities
• Cultural Benefits: As a charity that works closely with the creative industry, we’re delighted to offer our staff a number of free tickets to the best cultural events, including gigs, art exhibitions, private views and more! You’ll also receive free membership to Tickets for Good who provide free and discounted tickets to even more live events.

War Child believes that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war. It is the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict, with four main areas of work: protecting children, educating children, supporting communities and campaigning. The charity are renowned for their creative, innovative and entrepreneurial approach, with strong connections to the gaming, music and creative industries. 

Philanthropy is a central driver of War Child’s growth. Income has risen rapidly, underpinned by exceptional networks, high-profile supporters and a highly successful portfolio of events and experiences. Following a strategic review, War Child is now investing in a more structured, sustainable approach to philanthropy fundraising with two clearly defined strands: one focused on traditional major donor relationship management and pipeline growth, and a second dedicated to high-value events and experiences as a core driver of major donor engagement and income. This role has been created to lead the second strand.

While the Senior Philanthropy Manager’s primary focus will be generating income from a warm portfolio of major donors, they will also take strategic ownership of War Child’s high-value philanthropy events, shaping donor engagement rather than delivering events operationally. This is an autonomous, externally-facing role, unlocking influential networks and converting high-profile engagement into long-term philanthropic partnerships.

Please note that this is a hybrid role, with 1-2 days per week in the Camden office, with regular events and meetings in central London.

As Senior Philanthropy Manager, you will:

• Manage and develop a portfolio of donors and warm prospects capable of giving 6-figure gifts, including high-value donors currently sitting with senior leadership
• Take strategic ownership of War Child’s high-value events as a core driver of the major donor pipeline, shaping and strengthening this strand so it becomes a defined, sustainable part of the philanthropy programme
• Lead on donor engagement around events, including narrative, asks, pledge levels, follow-up and conversion to income
• Analyse and prioritise prospects with the Data & Insights Manager to focus effort on the highest-value opportunities
• Unlock and activate influential networks through ambassadors, senior volunteers and high-profile supporters
• Work closely with the Head of Philanthropy, Data & Insights Manager, Events Producer, and Principal Giving Lead

Essential skills and experience:

• Significant experience of high-value major donor fundraising, with a track record of securing £50k+ gifts from HNWIs
• Strong experience of developing donors through identification, cultivation, solicitation and long-term stewardship
• Credibility and confidence working with wealthy, influential individuals, advisers, celebrities and senior volunteers
• Experience of shaping donor engagement strategy around high-value events or pledge environments
• Strategic thinker with strong judgement on prospect prioritisation and pipeline management
• Excellent relationship management, influencing and written communication skills
• Comfortable operating autonomously in a fast-moving, high-profile environment

Desirable:

• Experience of pledge dinners or high-value special events at a strategic fundraising level
• Experience working with ambassadors or high-profile supporters
• International development or humanitarian sector experience

Not required: Direct event production experience; Line management experience

Employee benefits include: 

• 28 days’ annual leave, rising to 33 days, plus public holidays (entitlement is pro-rata for part-time staff
• Enhanced pay provision for maternity, partner/coparent/paternity, shared parental and adoption leave.
• Life insurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan and Cancer Cover
• Enhanced Sick Leave (from Day 1, entitlement increases with length of service)
• Paid Emergency Time Off for Dependants: Up to 5 days paid leave per annum to deal with an emergency involving a dependant
• Flexible Public Holidays: Staff may exchange up to two standard UK public holidays around Easter and Christmas for those that have cultural or religious significance to them
• Career Break: 3-12 months’ unpaid leave available to staff after 3 years’ continuous service
• Temporary Overseas Working: Up to 4 weeks per annum to work from a location outside of the UK
• Volunteer Leave: Up to four days paid leave per annum (pro rata) to participate in volunteering activities
• Cultural Benefits: As a charity that works closely with the creative industry, we’re delighted to offer our staff a number of free tickets to the best cultural events, including gigs, art exhibitions, private views and more! You’ll also receive free membership to Tickets for Good who provide free and discounted tickets to even more live events.

Harris Hill Charity Recruitment is supporting a well-established independent school in South West London to appoint a Development & Alumni Relations Manager.

This is a relationship-led role, ideal for someone who enjoys stewardship, community-building and long-term engagement, rather than new business fundraising. You’ll play a central role in shaping how alumni and supporters are engaged, informed and valued, with genuine scope to develop strategy and grow an alumni programme.

About the role

Working within a small, collaborative development team, you will:

• Lead on alumni relations, acting as the main point of contact and building meaningful, long-term relationships
• Develop and deliver a stewardship-focused fundraising approach, including regular and legacy giving
• Plan and deliver alumni and supporter events, both social and engagement-led
• Support communications and outreach, including social media and written content
• Help shape strategy, bringing fresh ideas to a developing programme

This is a hands-on role with a high level of autonomy and visibility.

Why this role stands out

• A genuine opportunity to build and grow an alumni programme, rather than inherit a fixed model
• A small but mighty team with close collaboration and support
• A warm, values-led environment where relationship-building is truly prioritised
• The chance to see the impact of your work quickly and meaningfully

Key details

• Salary: £35,000 - £45,000
• Deadline: ASAP – Send CVs to Hannah on
• Location: South West London
• Working pattern: On-site, 5 days per week
• Term time: 8am–5pm
• School holidays: 9:30am–4:30pm
• Contract: Fixed term (12 months), starting as soon as possible

To apply, please submit your CV to Hannah at Harris Hill on ASAP as the hiring manager is reviewing candidates as they come in.

As a certified B Corp™ and leading charity recruitment agency, Harris Hill is committed to equitable and inclusive recruitment practices. Applications from all sections of the community are actively welcomed, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality, or other protected characteristics.

Job Purpose: To support the development of a new heritage-themed community project and the delivery of our ongoing programme of community-led services, activities, events across Nottingham. The postholder will play a key role in identifying local needs, building relationships and empowering residents and local groups to engage with, and shape the services in their local area.

We’re advanceNG, a small but vibrant charity based in Nottingham. We are a trusted, values-driven organisation dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the lives of local people. For many years we’ve been known as the Castle Cavendish Foundation and although we’ve changed our name, our commitment to the community remains steadfast.

Why Work with Us?

Collaboration is at the heart of our success. At advanceNG, we work in partnership with local communities and other like-minded organisations - big and small - to pool our strengths and resources, share expertise and create meaningful, lasting social impact in Nottingham.

Our Vision

We are working towards “A better Nottingham, where places and spaces thrive, local people reach their full potential, and communities are stronger, more connected, and more resilient than ever before.” We turn this vision into reality through our mission:

Our Mission

“advanceNG will lead a community program and manage a property portfolio that delivers urban renewal in an ethical, inclusive, and sustainable way.”

Our Core Values

Our core values are the foundation of everything we do, guiding our actions and shaping our identity:

· Be kind, welcoming, and friendly

• Embrace partnership and collaboration
• Promote respect and equity
• Celebrate diversity in all its forms
• Uphold high ethical standards
• Act with fairness and transparency
• Champion environmental sustainability
• Strive for excellence in everything we do

Exciting Opportunities Ahead!

We are embarking on an exciting new chapter, shifting from primarily distributing community grants to actively delivering services and managing community assets. Our dedicated team is ready for this challenge, but we need a passionate Community Development Worker to help us achieve our mission.

Could That Be You?

If you are motivated to make a difference and share our vision, we would love to hear from you!

We’re looking for a Head of Stakeholder Engagement and Events to provide strategic leadership for a broad and high-profile portfolio of stakeholder engagement and events activity at Leeds Beckett University. This is a senior role within the Communications and Marketing service, responsible for setting direction, leading teams and ensuring engagement and events activity supports the university’s strategic priorities, brand reputation and student recruitment ambitions.

In this role, you will lead the development and delivery of an integrated stakeholder engagement and events strategy that strengthens the university’s relationships with key audiences, including civic partners, industry, employers, alumni, and internal stakeholders. You will ensure that activity is purposeful, impactful and aligned with marketing, communications and recruitment objectives.

You will have oversight of a complex portfolio of events and engagement activity, from high-profile external events and partnerships to internal engagement programmes. You will use insight, evaluation and audience understanding to shape activity that enhances the university’s reputation, supports student recruitment and contributes to regional, national and international profile-building.

As a senior leader, you will provide clear direction and leadership to managers and teams, fostering a high-performing, collaborative culture. You will be responsible for strategic planning, resource allocation, budget oversight and performance management, ensuring activity delivers value and measurable impact.

You will work closely with senior colleagues across the university, providing expert advice on stakeholder engagement and events, influencing decision-making and representing the university externally. Excellent communication skills, strong judgement and the ability to operate confidently in a complex, fast-paced environment are essential.

At Leeds Beckett, we value diverse perspectives and offer generous annual leave and strong support for professional development. Join a senior leadership team committed to delivering engagement and events activity that enhances the university’s reputation, strengthens partnerships and supports future growth.

We are seeking an experienced individual to help us deliver a productive, empowering, needs-orientated programme of training and development activities for community rail groups. Under the guidance of the Training & Development Co-ordinator you will aim to strengthen the community rail movement and enhance the value it delivers to communities. 

About us 

Community Rail Network is a not-for-profit organisation, working across Britain to support a growing ‘community rail’ movement. Community rail promotes sustainable and inclusive travel, coordinates volunteering and place-making projects, and brings people together. 

Community rail is made up of 77 community-based partnership organisations, 1,300 station friends volunteer groups, and other community-led initiatives around Britain. Their activities range from creative projects with young people, to advising train operators on service improvements, to building travel confidence with families and marginalised groups, to biodiversity projects at stations, to promoting greener travel and tourism by rail. 

Our enthusiastic team of 23 works mainly from home in different locations, but we come together regularly in person and online. We work collaboratively to advise our members, provide training, events and resources, run campaigns, and champion community rail and its insights via decision-makers and the media. We believe in developing our team and supporting everyone to reach their potential while having a good work-life balance. 

 
Responsibilities: 

You are principally responsible for supporting the delivery of a year-round programme of high quality, empowering training and development opportunities for our members. The programme will be delivered in line with inclusion and accessibility best practice, will be largely online with some face-to-face sessions and events.

• Work with the Training and Development Co-ordinator to agree a rolling programme of training that supports member organisation capabilities and their impact on communities. 

• Topics will largely include areas required to achieve accreditation (for CRP’s) as well as good community-based practice for other member types. This includes but is not limited to training to support members with skills in creating and prioritising activity plans, project management, how to apply for grants and funding (including our own grants funds), how to prepare for an accreditation meeting, designing good outcomes and demonstrating organisational impact (including impact reports and use of social media), community engagement, volunteer recruitment, and co-production techniques. 

• Work with the Training & Development Co-ordinator to ensure your own understanding of these topics is current and identifying areas for personal development to support our training offer to be more robust. 

• Work with colleagues in other teams to set up, administer and deliver (largely online) webinars, networking and showcase events, setting them up, researching and engaging speakers and collating case studies to use, sending invites, facilitating the presenters and discussion during the event, and collating and reporting on feedback to inform future sessions. 

• Support the T&D Co-ordinator, colleagues in the regional support team, and communications team, to promote training and networking sessions effectively. 

• Where directed ensure we maintain high-quality training partnerships and opportunities that members can be signposted to and be responsible for administering our bursary scheme.

• Regularly report on bursary expenditure, member feedback, attendance figures and any specific funder requirements. 

• Be responsible for supporting member organisations and colleagues to use our impact reporting platform and to keep up to date on any changes in how we record and demonstrate the social, economic and environmental impact of community rail. 

• Attend team and all staff meetings, online and in person, contributing to strategic shared areas of work, information sharing and workforce development activities. 

Skills and competencies: 

1. Understanding, and experience of running, online and in person training and networking sessions, ideally within a community or not-for-profit context; 
2. Knowledge of, and ability to share effectively, key skill areas for example, volunteering recruitment and support, project management, applying for funding, co-production techniques, community engagement best practice, demonstrating outcomes and impact. 
3. A proven ability to work collaboratively, develop and maintain productive partnerships and joint activities, and form professional networks internally and externally; 
4. Demonstrable ability to manage time and resources effectively under pressure, and meet deadlines; 
5. Excellent writing, communication and presentational skills, including the ability to develop and deliver audience-appropriate training materials, presentations and other content to professional and community audiences; 
6. IT literate with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, the internet and social media; excellent administration skills and the ability to identify efficient and secure ways of working using AI; 
7. Awareness of social and sustainability issues and the relationship between transport and social and economic development.

Online interviews are scheduled for 16 February 2026.

Community Rail Network is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and Black, Asian and other minoritised groups, who meet with the skills and competencies for this role. We will provide reasonable adjustments for interviews as required. 

Other information

This post is home-based, but with some travel (including overnight stays) for our programme of events and meetings. Applicants will need local access to a train station to enable rail-based travel for work as needed.

This is a permanent position and includes a probationary period of three months from the date of appointment. Successful applicants will need to provide proof that they have the right to work in the UK and provide two references.

We are committed to being a flexible, supportive, inclusive and understanding employer.