Director of innovation jobs

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced, dynamic relationship fundraiser to lead a step-change in major donor giving at the Trust. 

This role is for you if you are self-motivated and driven to ensure that targets are hit and projects are delivered to the highest possible standards. 

You will have demonstrable experience of securing and managing 5-figure+ gifts from donors and be a sophisticated communicator with a collaborative approach and the confidence to build relationships with and inspire colleagues, Trustees and donors.

About the Trust

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is a local conservation charity working to protect wildlife and help people connect with nature. With a team of volunteers we care for wild places so that nature has a place to thrive. We help people experience the wildlife on their doorsteps and to take steps to protect it.

We believe that wildlife should have space to thrive alongside our everyday lives and that everyone benefits from having access to nature.

Our head office is based in the attractive setting of Verulamium Park on the outskirts of St Albans. Our staff team are enthusiastic, friendly and committed to wildlife conservation and exemplifies our values of professionalism, valuing contributions by others and continuing to improve.

How do we support you?

The Trust strives to be a positive employer supporting our staff through flexible and hybrid working, and training and development. We recognise the importance of our staff team and looking after their health and wellbeing. Our values and expected behaviours reflect the culture which the Trust seeks to maintain to ensure productive, efficient, effective and pleasant workplaces and roles.

In support of this, we offer an excellent benefits package, ranging from office perks, generous leave entitlements and financial benefits.

As an employer we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health of all our staff.

You can find out more on the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust website jobs section. 

Please see our recruitment pack for more information and on how to apply. 

The closing date is 11:59pm on Wednesday 17th September 2025.

Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, either at application or interview, please contact us. 

Position title: Health and Wellbeing Lead

Reports to: Head of Shed Development and Sustainability

Direct reports: None currently

Location: Remote (with regular travel)

Key stakeholders: UKMSA Volunteers, Sheds and Shedders, Head of Shed Development and Sustainability and team, Head of Volunteering

Salary: Level 3 – £30,000-£35,000

As Health and Wellbeing Lead, the purpose of your role will be to work with volunteers and colleagues to support Sheds and Shed Networks to improve men’s health and wellbeing across the UK. This work is within the context of informal, peer-led, self-determined spaces, where the emphasis is on activity not health prevention, which suits many men and works well for them.

This role involves engaging directly with Sheds and Shed Networks, supporting them to foster partnerships with local health and social care organisations, as well as supporting local health and social care organisations to understand and engage effectively with Men’s Sheds in their area.

You will work with volunteers, colleagues and external experts to gather and share accurate, accessible and relevant resources, information and case studies related to men’s health and wellbeing with Sheds and Shed Networks. This will include developing and engaging with digital health tools, information and training, as well as taking an empowering and capacity building ‘train the trainer’ approach to the design and delivery of all training and workshops related to men’s health and wellbeing.

You will work closely with the Head of Volunteering to support volunteers to promote the role of Men’s Sheds in preventative and community-based health locally and will work with colleagues to support volunteers to actively contribute to promoting the role of Men’s Sheds in preventative and community-based health at a national level. 

You’ll be the main contact for volunteers, Sheds and Shed Networks for all things related to Sheds and men’s health and wellbeing.

Key responsibilities:

1. Sheds and Shed Networks

· Be the main point of contact for all Sheds and Shed Networks for all things related to Sheds and men’s health and wellbeing – ensuring you are approachable, responsive and consistent.

· Empower volunteers and colleagues to support Sheds and Shed Networks to foster partnerships with local health and social care organisations.

· Empower volunteers, colleagues and the wider Shed community to support local health and social care organisations to understand and engage effectively with Men’s Sheds in their area.

2. Information and resources

· Work with volunteers, colleagues and external experts as part of the UKMSA Advisory and Guidance Group to continuously gather, develop and update relevant resources, information and case studies related to men’s health and wellbeing. Regularly share clear and accessible information and resources with Sheds and Shed Networks.

· Work with volunteers, colleagues and external experts as part of the UKMSA Advisory and Guidance Group to build knowledge and understanding of relevant organisations and services related to men’s health and wellbeing. Regularly share clear and accessible information about organisations and services with Sheds and Shed Networks.

· Work with Sheds and volunteers to gather case studies and develop resources highlighting Sheds that demonstrate innovation and best practice in the field of health and wellbeing.

3. Training and workshops

· Work with volunteers, colleagues and external partners to develop an empowering train the trainer model to enable Shed Leaders and Shedders to plan, deliver and evaluate training and workshops related to men’s health and wellbeing.

· Work with volunteers, colleagues and external partners to co-design and deliver training and workshops related to men’s health and wellbeing at UKMSA events.

· Support peer-to-peer learning amongst Sheds and Shed Networks through regional events, online forums, and learning networks.

4. Digital health and wellbeing

· Work with volunteers and colleagues to test and empower Sheds and Shed Networks to use digital platforms for hybrid training, remote participation, or digital inclusion efforts.

• Work with volunteers and colleagues to utilise and adapt data tools (e.g. CRM, health analytics and dashboards) for monitoring health and wellbeing related outcomes and for reporting impact.

5. Monitoring and Reporting

· Work with volunteers, Sheds and Shed Networks to collect and report data in relation to men’s health and wellbeing to demonstrate the role and impact of Men’s Sheds in preventative and community-based health.

· Work with volunteers, colleagues, Sheds and Shed Networks to contribute to relevant evaluation and research projects relating to Sheds and men’s health and wellbeing.

6. Stakeholder Engagement

• Work with volunteers to build relationships with local and regional health, community, and voluntary sector organisations.
• Represent UKMSA at relevant networks, events, and conferences.
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of the annual Shedfest and other key events, coordinating and supporting volunteer involvement in relation to men’s health and wellbeing.
• Work with colleagues, including the CEO, to build effective working partnerships across the UK men’s health sector  

Key expertise required:

• Knowledge, skills and experience in men’s health and wellbeing.
• Some knowledge of how to effectively improve men’s health and wellbeing in the Shedding context, and a willingness and interest in working with volunteers to develop and share expertise in this area.
• An understanding of the importance of taking an empowering train the trainer approach to planning, delivering and evaluating training and workshops related to men’s health and wellbeing.
• Ability to build relationships with local and regional health, community, and voluntary sector organisations, and to support others to do so.
• Skilled at actively collaborating with volunteers and subject matter experts.
• Confident communicator - able to build rapport, deliver training, and manage sensitive conversations.

· Strong relationship builder - able to connect with people, build trust and maintain long term engagement.

· Willing, able and confident to travel to meet volunteers and attend Shed events regularly.

· Confident working with data and systems - including CRM tools and digital tools.

· Proactive and creative - always looking for ways to improve how things are done.

· Self-motivated and able to manage your own workload without needing close supervision.

· An understanding of the nuances and limitations of how Sheds can support health and wellbeing

What success looks like:

• Strong, collaborative relationships established between Sheds, Shed Networks and local health and community partners.
• Demonstrable improvements in the health and wellbeing of Shedders through supported activities and case studies.
• Volunteers, Sheds and Shed Networks feel empowered and equipped to deliver activities that support mental and physical health.
• Health and care organisations view Men’s Sheds as trusted, valuable partners in preventative health and social prescribing pathways.
• Resources, training, and support materials are well-received, practical, and widely adopted in Sheds and across Shed Networks.
• Clear and impactful reporting informs and supports UKMSA’s work at a national level.

This job is not:

• An expert, clinical or therapeutic health role—you will not be expected to deliver personal care, therapy, or counselling.
• Solely office-based or desk-bound—this is a varied, outreach-focused role that involves relationship-building, travel, and hands-on support.
• Focused only on one region—this is a national role, requiring awareness of regional variations across the UK.
• A short-term fixer—you’ll be building capacity and confidence in communities for long-term sustainability, not quick fixes or prescriptive solutions.

This job description is intended to outline the general responsibilities and expectations of the role. It may be reviewed and updated as the organisation evolves, and from time to time you may be asked to take on other reasonable tasks that fall outside this scope - we’re a small team, and flexibility is part of how we work.

Closing date: 9th October 1200 hrs
Interview: 17th October

Job Title: Senior Programme Manager
Closing date: 26th September 2025 17.00 GMT
Interviews: 3rd October 2025
Reports to: Ubele Founder/ CEO
Location: Min 2 days per week based in North London office, remote working available for max 3 days a week
Pay: £60,000- £63,000 full time, gross per annum
Type of Contract: One-year fixed term contract
Annual Leave Entitlement: 28 days’ annual leave, including UK bank holidays.
Pension: 3% employer pension contribution on eligible earnings.

About The Role  

The purpose of this role is to have overall responsibility for The Phoenix Way (TPW) Programme across the London, South and East regions and delegating day to day management South and East Regions to a dedicated Programme Manager. The role includes:

Strategic oversight of and accountability for the London, South and East regions of The Phoenix Way the creation of sustainable Black and racially minoritised communities and community-led organisations across three separate regions, with an in-depth focus on Greater London by ensuring there is an equitable stake in decisions relating to funding processes, priorities, funding allocations and beyond.
Collaborating with funders, statutory bodies, community organisations and voluntary sector, and other stakeholders committed to the development of an equitable future.
Actively supporting all funding bodies to seek change for diverse communities and deliver significant improvements in their organisation’s cultures, strategies, competences, and capabilities.
Helping funding bodies to adopt equitable policies and practises based on the evidence and learning garnered from the community organisations that receive funding and support from TPW. 

Oxford is excited to invite applications for a newly created role that will lead fundraising for its School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE). The Head of Development will be a key member of the Social Sciences Development team within Development and Alumni Engagement (DAE), who will work closely with SoGE and DAE leadership to establish a small Geography team, and to develop a fundraising strategy that serves the School’s goals and grows its philanthropic support.

SoGE is one of the foremost geography and environment university departments in the world, internationally recognised for the quality of its research and teaching. Geography at the University of Oxford is a large, vibrant and intellectually diverse community comprising the core academic department of the School of Geography and the Environment, its three research centres: the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), the Transport Studies Unit (TSU) and the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment (SSEE) and several geographers based elsewhere in the wider university.

This is a special opportunity to work collaboratively with academic colleagues who craft robust, imaginative and forward-looking answers to pressing questions about the environment, technology, geopolitics and socio-economic change.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced major gifts fundraiser who is looking to grow their career in Higher Education through a senior role combining significant fundraising with management of a small team. You will be a collaborative fundraiser with expertise in major gifts and a strong track record of securing complex philanthropic support. Thriving in a fast-paced environment, you will be a strategic thinker and a skilled operator—communicative, adaptable, and adept at building strong, lasting relationships. Your ability to establish credibility and foster trust across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders will be key to your success, as will be a knowledge of and passion for issues relating to the School’s work, and that of the Social Sciences more broadly. Experience in Higher Education or the charitable sector, as well as of managing staff, is desirable.  Above all, you will share Oxford’s mission and be driven to create meaningful impact through strategic philanthropic partnerships.

What We Offer 

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as: 

· 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing, with the option to purchase up to 10 extra days and additional leave after long service. 

· One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave. 

· A commitment to hybrid and flexible working to suit your lifestyle. 

· An excellent contributory pension scheme. 

· Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans. 

· Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs. 

Sponsorship and Right To Work

This role may meet the criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa. The University will meet the cost of the Skilled Worker visa and NHS surcharge for applicants that require a visa. 

Please let us know in your application if you require sponsorship. 

 Application Process 

To apply, please upload: 

· A covering letter/supporting statement 

· Your CV 

· The details of two referees 

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 26 September 2025 

Interviews will take place on Wednesday 8 October 2025 and will be held in person in central Oxford.

The University of Oxford Development and Alumni Engagement Office is committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences, and reflects the community that we serve. We encourage applicants from all sectors of the community and are especially keen to encourage candidates from under-represented groups to apply.