Director jobs in bermondsey, greater london

QuarterFive are delighted to partner with The Outward Bound Trust to find an experienced and strategic Director of Fundraising to lead a capable, established team and play a key role in driving the next phase of growth and impact.

The Outward Bound Trust's mission is to inspire young people to believe in themselves and achieve more than they ever thought possible. For over 80 years, its outdoor learning and adventure programmes have helped hundreds of thousands of young people develop confidence, resilience, and the skills they need to thrive in life and work.

Each year, around 25,000 young people take part in Outward Bound programmes across the UK, delivered through partnerships with schools, youth groups, and employers. Around 80% of school participants receive charitable bursary funding, ensuring that financial barriers never prevent young people from accessing these life-changing experiences. Bursaries are central to OBT’s purpose, underpinning its commitment to equity of access, diversity, and the belief that every young person, regardless of background, should have the chance to experience adventure, challenge, and growth.

The Outward Bound Trust is now delivering its 2030 Strategy, which sets out an ambitious plan to grow reach, strengthen partnerships, and invest in its six heritage outdoor centres. 

Reporting to the CEO, you’ll directly manage four experienced team heads and oversee a high-performing team of 18 who generate bursary, unrestricted, and capital income. The role sits on the Senior Management Team, working closely with colleagues across the charity to connect fundraising with programme delivery, marketing, and business development, ensuring shared priorities and greater collective impact. You’ll also play a key role in the Fundraising and Marcomms Steering Group, ensuring effective working between fundraising and external engagement.

This is a broad, strategic role combining leadership, direction, and hands-on relationship management at one of the UK’s most respected youth charities. You’ll work alongside a supportive CEO and senior leadership team, lead an experienced and capable department, and shape a fundraising strategy that will help thousands of young people access the power of outdoor learning and adventure.

As Director of Fundraising, you will:

• Lead and support a multi-disciplinary fundraising function spanning major donors, corporate partnerships, legacies, trusts and foundations, and events
• Deliver growth across bursary, unrestricted, and capital income, ensuring fundraising priorities align with organisational strategy and long-term sustainability
• Develop and implement capital fundraising plans, supporting the upgrade of existing outdoor centres and laying the groundwork for a potential new site acquisition
• Review and refine OBT’s approach to new business and innovation, identifying where to invest, consolidate, or reshape activity to maximise return
• Build and steward high-value relationships, personally managing key donors, corporate partners, and foundations capable of transformational giving
• Ensure fundraising, business development, and marketing operate in partnership to maximise opportunities for income growth and profile building
• Contribute to organisational leadership as a member of the Senior Management Team, supporting financial planning, strategic decision-making, and cross-directorate collaboration
• Represent OBT externally with senior supporters, funders, and government stakeholders, acting as a visible ambassador for outdoor learning and youth development

Ideal skills and experience: 

• Substantial senior-level fundraising experience with demonstrable success in leading multistream teams
• Proven ability to secure and steward six- and seven-figure partnerships and relationships with high-net-worth individuals, corporates, and foundations
• Strategic and analytical mindset, confident in planning, budgeting, forecasting, and evaluating performance
• Experience of capital fundraising or large-scale campaigns advantageous
• Credible, empowering leadership style – able to guide senior managers, foster collaboration, and provide clarity of direction
• Strong influencing and relationship-building skills, able to engage confidently with trustees, senior stakeholders, and external partners
• Motivated by The Outward Bound Trust’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and enable all young people to thrive through outdoor learning

Employee benefits include:

• 10% employer pension contribution
• 24 days plus bank holidays (increasing by one day per year to 30 days).
• Life Assurance (3 x salary)
• Long-term Disability Insurance (2/3 salary less state incapacity benefit after 6 months’), absence for up to 5 years, covered from start date
• Employee Assistance Programme: with easy access to medical and mental health support, including instant GP appointments, physio and counselling services
• Personal Accident Insurance while at work or commuting
• Health Cash Plan with Medicash (after completion of probation; taxable benefit)
• 8 weeks’ sick pay at full salary in any 12 months
• Personal Adventures! Outward Bound has a positive attitude to extended/unpaid leave (forward planning is required)

We are seeking a dynamic Development Director to drive the next chapter of our growth: expanding into new African countries; growing our university partnerships; and scaling our spin-out start-up whose profits support the charity's mission. 

About the Role

We're looking for a proactive and organised Direct Marketing and Fundraising Officer to support our Public Fundraising team. In this varied role, you'll help deliver engaging fundraising campaigns, manage supporter journeys, and ensure our fundraising efforts run smoothly.

You'll also provide key administrative and project support to the team and the Director of Fundraising and Marketing, with the chance to develop your skills in digital fundraising, data reporting, and campaign coordination. If you're detail-oriented, a great communicator, and passionate about making a difference — we’d love to hear from you!

***Please download the job description for full details***

About You

You are a highly organised and detail-oriented individual with proven administrative experience in a fast-paced environment. You’ll be a confident communicator with strong written and verbal skills, able to draft professional documents and liaise effectively with internal and external stakeholders. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, digital collaboration tools and CRM systems is essential. You’ll also have good numeracy skills and experience maintaining financial records. A natural team player, you’ll be adaptable, able to prioritise a demanding workload, and remain calm under pressure — particularly during emergency fundraising appeals.

Key responsibilities:

· Assist in the coordination and delivery of public fundraising activities during emergency appeals, including managing content and materials, liaising with member agencies, and supporting with reporting and updates for senior stakeholders.

· Provide high-quality administrative support to the Fundraising and Marketing Director and wider team, including diary management, meeting coordination, minute-taking, and general team logistics.

· Help develop and deliver fundraising materials across direct marketing and digital channels, gather content, and ensure assets are approved and shared with key stakeholders.

· Maintain and update fundraising budgets, process invoices, and support post-appeal reviews with external suppliers and partners.

· Contribute to digital activities by supporting basic analytics, user journey testing, and content creation for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, with opportunities to take part in digital innovation workshops.

What We Offer

• Flexible working hours (outside of appeal periods)
• Hybrid working model (some mandatory office days during appeals)
• 25 days annual leave, increasing with service
• Healthcare Cash Plan (value ~£1,660/year)
• Pension contribution (3%, rising to 8% post-probation)
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Access to Wellhub, discounts, and ticket schemes
• Season ticket and hardship loans (post-probation)
• Cycle to Work and Car schemes (salary sacrifice)

The DEC is an equal opportunities employer and provides opportunities to learn and grow in an inclusive, supportive, and productive environment. We encourage applications from anyone who can meet the criteria, regardless of gender, race, age, disability, sexuality, or religion.

The DEC is committed to the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults and participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during

Every two hours, someone is paralysed by a spinal cord injury in the UK. Aspire is a national charity supporting people with spinal cord injuries to live independent, fulfilled lives. We work alongside spinally injured people from the moment of injury, through rehabilitation and beyond, creating opportunity, choice and independence.

We receive very limited statutory funding, therefore almost everything we do is powered by the generosity of our supporters. That’s why fundraising is at the heart of our mission. Every pound raised changes lives: providing accessible housing, adaptive technology, specialist advice, and innovative rehabilitation support that helps people achieve their full potential.

This is a pivotal leadership role at an exciting moment in Aspire’s journey. We are seeking a visionary and results-driven Director of Fundraising to lead, grow, and transform our income-generation strategy. You’ll bring creativity, commercial acumen, and passion for our cause — shaping a sustainable, multi-channel fundraising portfolio that delivers significant growth over the next five years.

Working as part of the senior leadership team, you’ll have the autonomy and support to innovate — from building valuable corporate partnerships and maximising legacy giving, to developing compelling digital campaigns and unforgettable events. Most importantly, you’ll ensure that every supporter feels part of Aspire’s story.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter explaining how you meet the requirements of the job. Please note, we will not accept AI-generated letters.

REF-224 509

Join Evolve Music as our next Executive Director — and lead a creative, purpose-driven charity using music to change lives across the South West.

We’re looking for an inspiring, strategic and compassionate leader to guide Evolve into its next exciting chapter.

Since 2017, Evolve Music has grown into one of the South West’s leading community music organisations, working in partnership with health, education and cultural organisations to deliver inclusive, creative and high-impact programmes. From Sound Lab for neurodivergent young people to Dads Rock for fathers and male caregivers, our work reaches thousands each year, using music as a catalyst for wellbeing, confidence and connection.

As Executive Director, you’ll shape our strategic vision, lead fundraising and partnership development, and nurture a talented and passionate team. If you believe in the power of music to transform lives, we’d love to hear from you.

At St Stephen’s we are  looking for a dynamic leader to oversee our 0–11s ministry, inspire volunteers and help children grow as disciples of Jesus. You’ll shape strategy, pioneer new initiatives, and build on our long-standing strength in children’s and families’ ministry. Come join our vision to Love God, Grow Disciples, Transform Communities – and help us “Grow Younger” together!

Please apply by sending a supporting statement and application form to Caroline Harris by Monday 27 October. Interviews Monday 3 November.

If you have would like an informal conversation with Libby, our vicar, please contact Caroline Harris (email above) to arrange.

Head to Instagram to get an up to date feel for our Church!

Director+of+Childrens+Ministry+Job+Description.pdf

We are hiring — St Stephen's

Director of Finance and Operations
The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK
Salary: £60,000-£70,000 per annum
Remote (UK-based) with expensed travel to London
Full-time, permanent

Akshaya Patra is one of the world’s largest school meals charities – nourishing 2.35 million children in India every day and now expanding our impact across the UK.

Our UK after-school programme, Empower Hour, provides hot, nutritious meals and targeted tuition to children growing up in poverty – extending the school day by 60 minutes to give them the fuel, support and enrichment they need to thrive.

What began in one school in 2024 is already serving ten, and – alongside driving continued expansion in India – we are now ready to scale our delivery to reach thousands more children across the UK’s most disadvantaged communities.

To help lead this exciting phase of growth, we are seeking a Director of Finance and Operations – a senior leader who combines strong financial stewardship with operational leadership and is motivated by purpose as much as performance.

You will sit on the Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the CEO, and oversee two core portfolios:

• Programmes – overseeing Watford kitchen operations, Empower Hour delivery and holiday hunger initiatives.
• Finance and Resources – leading financial planning and reporting, systems, compliance, HR development and organisational infrastructure.

This role will suit someone who enjoys both strategic thinking and practical implementation – someone who finds energy in building strong foundations and helping a values-led organisation grow well.

You may have built your career in charity, education, food provision, public services, the private sector or elsewhere – but you will bring:

• Senior-level experience across finance, operations or programme delivery.
• Strong financial acumen and understanding of charity governance and compliance.
• A collaborative leadership style – supporting, challenging and uplifting those you lead.
• Deep alignment with our mission to fight child hunger and educational inequality.

What we offer:

• Flexible and remote working.
• 34 days’ leave (25 days annual leave + Diwali + English bank holidays).
• Employer pension contribution.
• Investment in professional and vocational development.
• A meaningful leadership role in a growing global movement – empowering children in both the UK and India.

How to apply:

• Download the full job description and application details here or on our website.
• Please send your CV and a cover letter to the email address in the applicant pack outlining both your suitability for the role and what attracts you to Akshaya Patra and our mission.
• Closing date: Monday 3 November 2025.

If you believe no child should be held back by hunger – and you have the leadership skills and desire to help grow an organisation that makes that possible – we would love to hear from you.

CDMT is looking for a talented, ambitious and driven education and arts professional to energetically build on the company’s success over the past decade and imaginatively take forward and elevate our mission and vision for the years ahead. The role is accountable to the Chair of Trustees.

CDMT’s position in the sector and the requirements of the role are described in the job pack and on our website.

ABOUT THE ROLE OF DIRECTOR

CDMT is the industry body for world-class professional schools, conservatoires and awarding organisations in the performing arts, and we are a strong advocate on behalf of the sector.

The Director of the CDMT plays a strategic role in performing arts training, education and assessment nationally and manages the staff and resources of an organisation of UK-wide standing. The CDMT is financed primarily by membership subscriptions. As this source of income is restricted, the successful applicant will need to demonstrate a strategic business sense and a successful income-driven record that will enable the CDMT to create, diversify and take full advantage of developing opportunities.

The Director must be able to liaise effectively with all sectors of the dance, drama, music and musical theatre education communities.  They will have wide knowledge and experience of arts education at all stages of development from entry level, through Further/Higher Education to post-graduate level, and will also require an understanding of qualification frameworks in the UK. Knowledge and experience of inspection and self-assessment mechanisms similar to those operated by the Office for Students, Ofsted and Ofqual, is desirable.

The role includes advocacy on behalf of the sector and requires an ability to offer support and advice to professional schools, conservatoires and awarding organisations as well as informing the thinking of regulators, civil servants and parliamentarians. This demands a high level of tact, diplomacy, professional understanding and tenacity as well as intellectual rigour and integrity.

This is a time of change and challenge for the performing arts education community.  The post of Director of the CDMT requires a talented, ambitious and self-driven professional able to offer and energetically deliver an exciting vision for the company’s future, and manage the journey required to successfully achieve it.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE MUST DEMONSTRATE

• Experience of management at a senior level in the education and/or arts sectors, with an awareness of national assessment and inspection frameworks
• Staff management skills and a motivating and inclusive style
• Ability to identify opportunities, take initiative, and command the respect of peers and associates, demonstrating honesty and integrity in all dealings
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal abilities, and strategic thinking and planning
• Knowledge and experience of financial procedures and regulatory compliance and responsibilities
• Proficiency in influencing, negotiating, and finding common ground and agreement
• Resilience, self-motivation, clear vision and the ability to defend and promote CDMT’s mission
• Commitment to equal opportunities and the charity’s values
• Education to a minimum of Degree level
• The guile to engage with the pertinent issues of the time and to endeavour to shape the future for the benefit of CDMT

SUMMARY OF DIRECTOR’S ACTIVITIES

• Set CDMT strategy, vision and direction with Board support
• Establish corporate values, rewards quality and success in a culture of equal opportunity
• Create business plans, allocates capital in support of aims, produces budgets and monitors finances
• Cultivate key relationships, influences decision-makers, develops suitable partnerships and networks
• Strengthen CDMT’s reputation through representations to government, industry bodies and media
• Lead, inspire and build teams of highly qualified staff, consultants with effective use of resources
• Chair meetings and ensures success of operational policies, membership committees and inspections
• Utilise sector intelligence to reinforce the company’s standing through targeted initiatives
• Oversee reports to the Charity Commission, Companies House, HMRC, Pensions Regulator etc (acting as Company Secretary)
• Manage risk assessments and mitigating actions, seek legal and professional advice where necessary.

The iconic and much-loved St Martin-in-the-Fields Trust is seeking a new Director to lead its fundraising and development team into an ambitious new chapter, driving a major capital campaign while securing vital support for the full breadth of the church’s mission.

Applications close at 9 a.m. Monday 20th October

Location: Hybrid / London WC2N 4JH

Who we are

St Martin-in-the-Fields Trust exists to ensure the extraordinary work of St Martin-in-the-Fields can flourish today and for generations to come. For over 30 years, the Trust has brought together people who believe in the power of this remarkable place, where history, culture, faith and social action meet.

We raise funds and steward donations to support St Martin’s in four key areas: conserving its historic buildings; sustaining its world-class music programme; expanding opportunities for education and creativity; and enabling the church’s mission, ministry, and outreach to people experiencing homelessness and vulnerability.

Fundraising is at the heart of what we do. Every gift entrusted to us helps St Martin’s remain open, welcoming, and transformative, a beacon of compassion, creativity, and community at the heart of London and far beyond.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a Director who will bring energy, vision, and ambition to lead St Martin-in-the-Fields Trust into its next chapter. This is a role for an exceptional fundraiser: someone who can inspire generosity, build deep and lasting relationships, and turn passion for St Martin’s mission into transformative support.

You will be an accomplished high-value fundraiser with experience in engaging high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and foundations at the highest level. Strategic yet hands-on, you’ll thrive on being out in front: opening doors, forging connections, and stewarding donors with imagination and care.

Collaboration will be central to your approach. You will work closely with colleagues at St Martin-in-the-Fields, aligning the Trust’s priorities with the church’s vision and ensuring that fundraising supports the full breadth of its mission, from heritage and music to education, ministry and social action.

You will also be a natural leader, eager to mentor and nurture talent within a small, dedicated team. Experience of capital or transformational fundraising projects will be an advantage, as the Trust prepares for an ambitious period of growth and opportunity.

This is more than a fundraising role. It is a chance to help sustain one of London’s most iconic and inspiring institutions, ensuring that St Martin-in-the-Fields continues to shine as a beacon of compassion, creativity, and community for generations to come.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the job description and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 20th October

We are the UK’s leading charity for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. These are life-long conditions with no cure, affecting over half a million people across the UK. Every year, 25,000 people receive a diagnosis. For some it comes as a shock, for others it’s taken years to be heard. However, it happens, it’s life changing. Since 1979, Crohn’s & Colitis UK has been here to support everyone affected, campaigning for faster diagnosis, better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

We are now seeking an ambitious and determined Director of Income Generation to drive a step-change in our fundraising and help shape our future success.

This is a pivotal time to join us. Later this year we will launch our new strategy, built around a bold vision that puts everyone affected by Crohn’s and Colitis at its heart. Alongside this, we are taking a fresh approach to communications, amplifying our voice and transforming understanding of both conditions. Our finances are in a strong position, giving us the resources to invest in innovation and the ambition to accelerate change.

As a member of our dynamic leadership team, you will play a critical role in inspiring our community of supporters, unlocking transformational partnerships and securing the resources needed to deliver our strategy. We are looking for a creative, driven and collaborative leader who thrives on building relationships, driving innovation and leading talented teams to achieve more.

In return, you will find an empowering, energetic working environment rooted in our values and the full support of our Chief Executive and Board as you deliver impact and shape the future of our fundraising.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Director-level communications professional with a strong background in knowledge translation of technical information to different audiences internationally. 

Reporting to the Executive Director and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the Director of Communications & Knowledge Translation will provide strategic leadership for all Health Care Without Harm Europe’s Communications and KT activities. The Director will lead exciting new digital KT initiatives in line with our new Strategy and as a key part of a small, high-performing team working at the timely intersection of health and the environment. S/he will lead and support all of the organisation’s engagement and communication with target audiences, so that they achieve maximum impact on European healthcare policy and practice in support of the organisation’s mission. 

The post is for an initial 12-month period, at a critical time of development for the organisation’s communications and KT activities. We intend to make the post permanent thereafter, subject to receiving sufficient funding, and we have high hopes that this will be the case.

Are you passionate about youth work with leadership experience? We are looking for a Director of Youth Work to provide effective leadership and management for the Youth Work team within FAST London. The Director of Youth Work will sit in the Leadership Team, working in collaboration with the CEO and youth workers to ensure FAST’s overall strategic objectives and desired outcomes are met.

Who we are

FAST London (FAST) is a Christian youth charity based on the Patmore Estate focused on supporting 10–19-year-olds from deprived backgrounds in Battersea and South Lambeth. Our mission is to help young people succeed by creating safe spaces and providing diversionary and inspiring activities that develop resilience and inspire hope in efforts to achieve this. We build relationships with young people by engaging with them in environments where they feel most comfortable whilst doing activities they love. Once relationships are developed, we work with young people and stakeholders to overcome challenges and unlock potential.We also provide opportunities for young people to explore the Christian faith as we believe it transforms lives. We serve people without regard to their religion or ethnic background.

Context for this role

This is a pivotal moment for FAST, as the need for our work has grown significantly. More young people are falling into poverty and struggling in school, making our mission more urgent than ever.

Although capacity remains a challenge—especially with a 60% reduction in public youth programmes over the past decade (YMCA, 2020)—we continue to grow strong, engaging over 400 young people annually.

Our desire is to build and sustain a healthy youth organisation that delivers excellent and vibrant youth work. We aim to make a lasting difference in young people’s lives and to cultivate a team of empowered, well-equipped staff who love what they do.

To achieve this, expanding our team is essential. We are seeking someone with experience in delivering and leading youth work, as well as insight into developing a healthy organisation. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for driving meaningful results, a strong work ethic, and strategic thinking.

We would love to hear from you if you:

Qualities and Attributes

• Are a committed Christian who loves young people with a heart for the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach
• Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills that inspire confidence and develop a culture of excellence.
• Are an experienced manager, with an ability to grasp detail and translate ideas into strategies and deliverable outcomes.
• Are highly organised, adaptable, problem solver with a focus on results.
• Can think systematically with knowledge of systems and governance of systems

Experience

• Have experience delivering frontline youth work in group sessions as well as one-to-one mentoring- experience delivering football projects is ideal

• Have experience managing projects and a track record for developing the systems, quality assurance that support organisational excellence;

• Have experience of managing Safeguarding and Risk within an organisation.

• Have experience in finance and managing budgets

• Have experience of project design, development and evaluation

• Have experience of working in senior leadership in an organisation and a track record of driving strategic vision to reality

This post is subject to an occupational requirement that the holder is a practising Christian male under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

Director of Development – Dundee Heritage Trust

Abeer Macintyre Consultancy is recruiting, on behalf of Dundee Heritage Trust, for a Director of Development.

About Dundee Heritage Trust
Dundee Heritage Trust is a charity dedicated to preserving and sharing Dundee’s rich cultural and scientific heritage. It operates two award-winning visitor attractions, Discovery Point, home of the RRS Discovery (the ship that took Scott and Shackleton to the Antarctic), and Verdant Works, an 1833 flax and jute mill that tells the story of the industry which shaped Dundee for almost 200 years.

The Trust generates around £2.2m annually through admissions, cafés, events, venue hire, fundraising and the capital appeal. To sustain and grow this work, Abeer Macintyre Consultancy is seeking, on behalf of the Trust, an exceptional Director of Development to lead the fundraising strategy and team.

As Director of Development, you will

• Lead the fundraising team and nurture their potential following a period of leadership change.

• Shape and deliver a multi-channel fundraising strategy, with a focus on major gifts, high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, legacies and international networks.

• Work closely with the Executive and Commercial Directors to align fundraising with earned income.

• Draw on the strength of a highly engaged Board, a well-connected Chair, and high-profile Patrons such as Brian Cox, Dan Snow and Lorraine Kelly.

This is a senior leadership role with the freedom to create your own strategy, supported by colleagues who understand what it takes to make fundraising thrive. The potential is significant, from polar exploration enthusiasts and the Scottish diaspora to corporate partnerships and legacy giving, and the platform is already set.

Person specification

Essential experience

• Development and management of donor giving for not-for-profits or member-based organisations, or client development for commercial income generation and business development.

• A track record of achieving revenue targets from campaigns, activities and events.

Essential skills, abilities and attributes

• Strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial, self-motivated approach.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a dynamic, evolving organisation.

• Proven success securing major gifts and or regular subscriptions from individuals, philanthropists, corporates and supporters.

• Creative thinker with strong written and verbal communication skills, able to craft compelling narratives that influence at the highest level.

• Experience of developing international networks and gifts.

• Personable, with excellent collaborative and team skills.

• Knowledge of the Scottish, UK and international philanthropic landscape and, ideally, a well-connected personal network.

How to apply

Please send a CV and covering letter, both no longer than two pages, by 31 October 2025.

• First-stage interviews: Thursday 20 November 2025 in Dundee.

• Second-stage interviews: Tuesday morning 25 November 2025 via Zoom for top-placed candidates. Please keep this date free unless you are notified that you have not progressed.

If you have questions not covered in the candidate pack, please email the address above to arrange a convenient time to speak.

We're hiring: Interim Director of Research (Maternity Cover)

Part-time / £60,000-£70,000 / Hybrid role 

Location - Home based and London

Hours - 3/4 days per week

Salary: £60,000-£70,000 depending on experience

We are looking for an Interim Director of Research (Maternity Cover) who will lead a talented research team of staff and associates providing direction and oversight for a diverse, ambitious research portfolio. As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will play an essential role in strategy and have a hands-on approach from quality assurance and developing research practice, to managing projects and nurturing partnerships.

You will need to have deep roots in qualitative research, as well as the work of charities and funders, with experience of line management, team supervision and leading on new work development.

You will play an essential role at a key moment for IVAR. Charities are facing mounting pressures and ongoing complexities, and IVAR’s work is critical in supporting the response.

About us

At the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR), we work with charities, foundations and public agencies to strengthen UK communities through action research. We champion the role and contribution of the voluntary sector. We listen, learn and share what helps – and what gets in the way – so that funders and decision-makers can put charity voice at the heart of change.

As Interim Director of Research, you will lead a motivated and talented team of research staff and freelance research associates. You will be responsible for maintaining and developing a strategic and balanced research portfolio, including leadership of project design and new work development.

You will work closely with the Director of IVAR and both the Deputy Director of Research and Director of Communications to support quality assurance, supervise specific projects, and ensure that IVAR meets its ethical standards. As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will also support and feed in on all people matters and contribute to embedding an inclusive and equitable approach and internal culture. For more details of our work please read our full job description.  

You will have a proven track record at the senior leadership team level and in line management, experienced at moving between strategic and operational priorities, and be confident to lead a research team in a collaborative and developmental way. 

You will have strong experience of research design, bid writing and generation of new work. You will be skilled in qualitative and action research, including significant experience of facilitating complex processes and discussions.

It is essential that you have experience of the voluntary sector and working with funders.

If you feel that this sounds like you would love to hear from you. 

What we offer:

• £60-70,000 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hybrid Working (Thursdays are a key working day in the London Office, SE11)
• 0.6-08 FTE Hours (3/4 days per week)
• 30 days annual leave (pro rata for part time)
• Pension matched to 5%
• Personal and Professional Development opportunities

How to Apply 

Please complete an online application by noon Sunday 26th October 2025. 

Interviews will be held in person at the offices on Thursday 6th November 2025.

Start date: 5th January 2026 or before 

Please submit your CV, a cover letter (maximum of two A4 sides) and links to a couple of examples of reports/papers that you have authored. Your cover letter should include;

• Why you are applying
• How you meet the person specification
• Your availability to start 
• What in particular you would bring to IVAR. 
  

We value, welcome and respect all the differences that make us who we are, including age, cultural background, disability and mental health, ethnicity and race, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and social background.