Development writer and research officer jobs

High Trees are seeking an experienced and data-driven Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead, with strong project management skills. You will be joining us at an exciting time as High Trees continues to grow the scale and reach of our work. This role is central to creating an evidence-based culture and embedding ongoing monitoring and evaluation cycles to understand the impact of our work.

Working across the organisation, you will need to be confident across a range of approaches to monitoring and evaluation and be able to assess and determine appropriate methods, dependent on context. You will be highly proficient in collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data and have experience in developing impact frameworks, including theory of change, outcomes, and indicators. As the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead, you will have oversight of monitoring systems and processes ensuring that impact data collected is to a high standard across the organisation and our partnerships.

Collaboration with colleagues is an essential part of this role and you will enjoy working with others and be a valued partner, peer and colleague. Supporting the Head of Community Research and Impact, you will actively contribute to ensuring our impact plan is effectively embedded within key strategic areas. You will need to be highly responsive to the needs of colleagues, partners and funders and be able to provide practical solutions for a range of situations.

You will need to be detailed orientated but motivated by how data and learning can be turned into impactful stories of change. You will also be a strong communicator: experienced in facilitation, an engaging presenter, and a compelling writer, able to frame and share our impact with a range of audiences. You will have the ability to see the bigger picture, at the same time as being on top of the detail – and value both in equal measures!

Employee benefits 

• 35 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays and 3 Christmas days) rising by 1 day each year after 2 years’ service (capped at an additional 8 days) 

• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave after 2 years’ service 

• Save money off a new bike with the Cycle to Work scheme 

• Up to 7% contribution to the staff pension scheme 

• 24/7 Employee Support Line 

• Clear pay structure with yearly increments (based on performance) 

• Annual Staff away day 

• Premium eye-care vouchers through Specsavers and season ticket loans 

• Regular team lunches and generous supplies of office breakfast and snacks! 

The Organisation

LawCare is the mental health charity for the legal sector, providing free, confidential emotional support and information to people working in law across the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. While our primary focus is on direct support services, we also play a leading role in advocating for improved mental health practices within legal workplaces and driving cultural transformation through education, training, and research.

Established in 1997, we have spent almost 30 years supporting legal professionals by offering a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space to talk, whether individuals are experiencing day-to-day pressures or more complex, enduring challenges. Our team of Champions, over 100 volunteers, and staff bring lived experience of the legal sector, enabling us to provide informed, empathetic support grounded in a deep understanding of the profession’s unique demands.

We serve all branches of the legal community, including barristers, solicitors, in-house teams, chartered legal executives, and business and support staff. From early-career professionals facing bullying or imposter syndrome to senior leaders managing risk, regulatory pressures, or professional  isolation, we are a trusted and independent source of support.

In addition to our direct support services - including helpline, live online chat, and email support - we provide peer support and maintain a substantial, regularly updated online library of resources, including articles, personal stories, research, and multimedia content designed to promote mental health awareness and resilience across the sector. We also deliver training on mental wellbeing, management and supervision, vicarious trauma, and the new SRA workplace behaviour standards, and offer online sessions for legal workplaces and organisations to explain the support we provide.

By combining frontline service delivery with sector-wide advocacy, LawCare is uniquely positioned at the intersection of individual wellbeing and organisational cultural change. We are supported by a strong, capable team and a committed Board of Trustees, enabling us to continue making a meaningful impact across the legal profession.

The Role

LawCare is seeking an inspiring and values-led Chief Executive to lead the charity into its next phase of development at a pivotal moment for the legal profession. As the public face and strategic leader of the organisation, the Chief Executive will champion LawCare’s mission - ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality, confidential support services while strengthening its voice and influence across a rapidly evolving and increasingly commercial mental health landscape.

This is an exciting opportunity to build on strong foundations, guiding a respected and independent charity through a period of significant sector change. Working closely with staff, volunteers, funders and partners, the Chief Executive will drive sustainable growth, deepen impact, and help shape a more compassionate and mentally healthy legal culture for the future.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Impact

• Lead delivery of LawCare’s forthcoming strategy (2026 onwards), translating vision into measurable impact.
• Ensure LawCare sharpens its positioning and messaging in a crowded mental health marketplace.
• Balance direct support services, research, education and influencing work to maximise impact.
• Identify what the charity should prioritise and where it should collaborate rather than deliver directly.

External Relations & Sector Influence

• Act as the primary ambassador and spokesperson for LawCare across the legal sector in the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with:
  • Professional bodies
  • Regulators
  • Law firms and chambers
  • Legal educators
  • Funders and charitable trusts
• Speak regularly at conferences, sector events, roundtables and award ceremonies. These are primarily London based, however, there will be occasions where representation is required across England, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
• Build alliances to influence policy, regulation and workplace practice around mental health and wellbeing.
• Position LawCare as the authoritative, evidence-informed voice on mental health in law.

Service Oversight & Quality

• Ensure the continued delivery of high-quality, confidential helpline and peer support services.
• Maintain robust safeguarding, confidentiality and data governance practices.
• Oversee volunteer recruitment, training and engagement.
• Ensure services evolve in response to emerging issues (e.g., stress, anxiety, workplace conflict, regulatory pressure, AI-related disruption).

Financial Sustainability & Governance

• Lead financial planning and sustainability, working closely with the Treasurer and Board.
• Manage relationships with core professional body funders and diversify income streams.
• Develop compelling funding cases and annual pitches to key stakeholders.
• Strengthen reserves and long-term financial resilience.
• Ensure strong governance, compliance and risk management.
• Support and work closely with the incoming Chair and a refreshed Board.

Research, Education & Prevention

• Build on the impact of the Life in the Law research programme.
• Promote preventative approaches for firms and educators.
• Strengthen LawCare’s role in vocational education and regulatory conversations.
• Ensure research informs policy influence and funding opportunities.

Organisational Leadership

• Lead, support and develop a small, experienced and fully remote team.
• Foster a culture of trust, collaboration, wellbeing and accountability.
• Provide clarity and reassurance during a period of leadership transition and financial strengthening.
• Ensure operational efficiency and effective use of technology in a remote environment.

The Person

LawCare is seeking a credible, strategic and values-driven leader with a deep understanding of the legal profession and the pressures shaping it today. You will bring senior leadership experience, strong commercial and financial acumen, and the ability to balance operational excellence with sector-wide influence.

An authentic and compelling ambassador for mental health and wellbeing, you will be an exceptional communicator who builds trust with ease. Emotionally intelligent, resilient and grounded, you will combine empathy with clarity and conviction, guiding the organisation confidently while remaining steadfast in your commitment to improving mental health across the legal community.

Essential

Professional Background

• Prior professional experience in the legal sector is required. Experience working in a qualified or regulated professional role is desirable.
• Deep, intrinsic understanding of the culture, pressures and structural dynamics of the profession.
• Senior leadership experience with responsibility for strategy, people and budgets.

Leadership & Influence

• Credible, visible and compelling leader with presence.
• Exceptional communicator - confident public speaker and strong writer.
• Knowledge of mental health systems, workplace wellbeing or addiction support.
• Able to influence senior stakeholders and bring sceptical audiences “on the journey.”
• A credible ambassador for mental health and wellbeing - knowledge of mental health systems, workplace wellbeing or addiction support.
• Comfortable operating at Board level.

Organisational Capacity

• Experience managing and motivating high-performing teams (ideally remote).
• Financial acumen, including budget oversight and income generation.
• Fundraising experience, particularly with trusts, foundations or membership bodies.
• Ability to balance operational delivery with strategic influence.
• Skilled at prioritisation in resource-constrained environments.

Personal Qualities

• Authentic commitment to mental health and wellbeing.
• Emotionally intelligent, empathetic and values-driven.
• Resilient and calm under pressure.
• Able to navigate sensitive conversations with discretion and diplomacy.

Desirable

• Experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector.
• Experience working with regulators or professional bodies.
• Understanding of research commissioning or evidence-led advocacy.

Further information

For further information about LawCare, the scope of the role and the person specification, please download the Candidate Briefing Pack.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please provide the following with your application:

• An up to date CV, with the details of two referees (we will not contact them without your prior permission).
• A supporting statement outlining how you meet the criteria set out in the Person Specification, along with your motivation for applying for the role.

Closing date for applications: Monday 30th March 2026
Preliminary interviews with Russam: Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th April 2026
Interviews with LawCare: Week commencing 20th April 2026

We look forward to receiving your application.

About You. 

You will be a self-motivated and proactive senior trust fundraiser, excited about this new role and achieving our ambitious fundraising goals – approaching it with good humour, resilience and resourcefulness, and confident in your skills and abilities. 

Professional, reliable and highly organised, you will enjoy working collaboratively, able to inspire and support colleagues, and have a strong team ethos.Outgoing and engaging, you will be able to convey a passion for nature and wildlife to different audiences and feel confident when sharing our vision and impact with others. You will be able to nurture and develop relationships with key stakeholders, including those we do not already have a relationship with.

You will have a strong knowledge of Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent and be able to work/travel throughout the county.

We welcome applications from senior trust fundraisers, bid writers from the commercial sector and senior fundraisers from major donors or corporate partnerships who can demonstrate transferable skills and knowledge, and success at the income levels required. 

About the Role.  

We are investing in our Fundraising and Development team to deliver an ambitious 5-year fundraising strategy. The Trusts and Philanthropy Manager is pivotal in securing philanthropic support from trusts and foundations, legacies, major donors, and corporate partners.

 
Over the strategy period you will be responsible for developing annual trust and grant income to £500,000+, by securing grants of five figures and above and gaining multi-year donations.Using your experience in creating strong cases for support, including unrestricted costs, and pipeline development, you will work with two part-time colleagues to increase annual income from major donors, legacies and corporate partners to £250,000+ (excluding exceptional legacy gifts). 

With curiosity, you will identify funding opportunities and reach new audiences. You will thrive on building strong, long-lasting relationships, cultivating donors through verbal and written communications, and managing stewardship events.

As a senior manager, you will have budget responsibility, report regularly, and mitigate under performance.You will ensure joined-up planning and delivery, developing fundraising relationships across income streams, and you will enjoy line management, collaborating with others, and leading project groups to deliver targets on deadlines. 

A typical week is expected to include at least 2 days from our Wolseley Head Office, 1-2days in Staffordshire to secure new support and meet donors, the remaining time worked remotely, with flexibility as required. 

About Us. 

“Staffordshire Wildlife Trust protects and enhances the wildlife and wild places of Staffordshire and promotes understanding, enjoyment and involvement in the natural world.” 

A registered charity established in 1969, we are one of 46 county Wildlife Trusts throughout the UK and are supported by over 18,000 members. 

The Trust owns or manages 45 nature reserves covering an area of over 1900 hectares. We have around 140 staff, based in six locations around the county including our Headquarters at Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, with our work divided into four departments: Conservation Delivery & Engagement, Fundraising and Development, HR & Support Services, and Resources. The Trust has a diverse workforce including site wardens, wildlife surveyors, community and education officers, catering, retail and administration. 

In addition, we have a trading company which looks after the trading side of our business. This includes a café at The Wolseley Centre, charity shops in Leek, Penkridge and Codsall, and a retail shop in the Wolseley Centre. 

We’re Wild About Inclusion! To us, this means inspiring, empowering and engaging people from all backgrounds, cultures, identities and abilities, to change the natural world for the better. It means creating workspaces where difference is celebrated, everyone can be themselves and flourish, just like nature. 

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is committed to keeping children and young people safe, you can see our policy on our website.Safeguarding and protecting our visitors, customers, members, staff and volunteers is the responsibility of every trustee, employee, and volunteer at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. For applicable roles, applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks at the eligible level. 

Disability Confident Employer. As a Disability Confident accredited employer, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for vacancies. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities. 

At SWT, we are committed to creating a safe environment where discrimination, bullying, and harassment are not tolerated. We expect everyone to uphold, respect, and support our zero-tolerance policy.

Please be aware we may not accept applications if we have reason to believe they have been wholly produced using generative AI tools 

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity.Charity No: 259558.

Closing Date:  9am on Monday 30th March 2026 

Interviews: 1st stage - MS Teams call during the recruitment period 
2nd stage -Wed 8 April or Fri 10 April 2026