Director of operations and finance jobs
The Finance team provides finance and budgeting support to staff, managers and members of PCS. The department is about to embark on a digital transformation that will modernise how the Finance department operates for the Union. We are looking for a Head of Finance that will drive and lead this project whilst maintaining continuity of service operation to the union, members and staff and, to join a progressive union that values collaboration, integrity, and social impact.
Salary and Location
- Band 5, London Spine points 21-17 or Regional Spine points 23-19
- Starting salary: London £63,279 p.a. rising to £72,098 p.a. or Regional £58,877 p.a. rising to £67,689, in annual increments (pay award pending)
- PCS Clapham or Regional office
Successful candidates for the post of Head of FInance will be able to demonstrate:
You are a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, ACMA, CIPFA) and or have an MBA with:
- 5 years proven experience of managing a successful finance team
- Proven experience in strategic financial leadership
- Strong knowledge of financial systems, compliance, and reporting
- Project management and delivery in a financial setting
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
- Management of internal and external audit processes
- A commitment to equality, inclusion, and the values of the trade union movement
The main duties of the Head of Finance role include:
- Strong leadership and effective management of the finance team
- Lead and manage the implementation and optimisation of a new finance system to ensure cost-efficiency through service reviews and technology adoption
- Deliver strategic financial advice to senior stakeholders
- Lead the unions financial services, focusing on complex and high-impact areas
- Support medium and long-term financial planning for the Director of Central Services and Senior Management Team
- Oversee management accounts, year-end financial reports, and budget cycles
- Ensure compliance with VAT, Corporation Tax, PAYE, and regulatory reporting (e.g., AR21)
- Provide accurate financial data and strategic insights to decision-makers
- Strengthen audit processes and investment oversight
- Ensure integrity in transaction processing and ledger management
- Maintain compliance with data protection and service level agreements
- Support supplier relationship management
Excellent people and leadership skills combined with strong analytical skills, and problem solving ability, and an understanding of up-to-date finance technology will all be essential requirements for a successful Head of Finance.
Closing date: at 12 midday on Thursday 12 March 2026
Interviews will be held in person at PCS Clapham: Wednesday 25 March 2026
About PCS
PCS is the Public and Commercial Services Union, representing many thousands of members working in the civil service and related areas.
Employer Benefits
You will have access to a generous package of staff benefits including
- flexible working (including hybrid working)
- childcare and family support
- generous maternity/paternity leave
- 32 days leave and Christmas closure
- pension scheme
- employee assistance programme
Learning and Development
The union offers a wide range of learning and development opportunities. We will work with you to support your continued professional development.
PCS Recruiting Process
We use CVMinder to manage all recruitment activities. It helps us to maintain our commitment to equality and diversity by ensuring that we are fair and compliant with our recruiting practices.
Applications must be received by the closing date and time specified.
Candidates invited for interview are required to make themselves available on the date/s specified. Interview dates cannot be changed to accommodate candidates who are unavailable to attend on the specified date.
- CVs will not be accepted. Please see the job description/person specification and follow the application process.
- PCS is working towards equal opportunities and is positive about disabled people.
- All posts can be considered on a full-time, part-time or job share basis.
Please view our guidance for applicants.
JOB DESCRIPTION: HEAD OF FINANCE
Ref: 0326
Grade: Band 5, London or Region
Salary:
London Spine points 21-17
London Starting salary £63,279 p.a. rising to £72,098 p.a.
Regional Spine points 23-19
Regional Starting salary £58,877 p.a. rising to £67,689
Location: PCS Clapham (London) or PCS regional offices
Purpose of the job:
Management and leadership of the PCS Finance Team and the provison of strategic financial advice to the National Executive Committee and other bodies.
Responsible for the management of the compilation and production of all management accounts, PCS annual audit, budgets, cash-flow and financial planning reports and annual reports.
Responsible for the integrity and completeness of the accounting records, ensuring taxation compliance.
To manage the modernisation of PCS finance system and to work with our providers to introduce digital products to support PCS primary financial accounting management system.
To engage stakeholders and drive strategic change to optimise the efficiency of the financial operations and contribute towards PCS overall strategic direction of the PCS Union.
Responsible to: Director of Central Services
Responsible for: Internal Audit & Funding Manager and Finance & Budget Manager
Contacts
External:
PCS members, elected officials and potential members. Employers, Legal, pension and other advisors. TUC, Members of other trade unions and related bodies. Senior Government Officials, Ministers, MPs, pressure groups, campaigning bodies and media, Auditors, financial institutions and Investment Managers.
Internal:
PCS staff and managers across Regions and Departments
Main duties and responsibilities
1.People Management
- Manage work allocation and workflow, future planning and support for Finance Team and Director of Central Services
- Motivate and manage individuals and the team as a whole to provide a high standard of service to develop and improve the skills and efficiency of the Finance team
- Check work standards and maintain consistent quality of delegated tasks
- Seek to continuously improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the team
- Through induction, the appraisal system and one-to-ones, identify staff training and development needs, train or organise formal/informal training for the Finance Team
- Proactively promote diversity and inclusion in line with the wider PCS approach
- Apply the staff conduct policies as and when required e.g. discipline, grievance, capability, dignity at work and IT security policies
- Provide advice and deal with complex issues related to staff management including disciplinary or grievance in consultation with line manager
- Ensure that the health, safety and welfare of staff is maintained and improved, in accordance with PCS and statutory policies
- Work effectively with lay officials. Provide advice to and lead relevant committees including the preparation and presentation of reports
- Deputise for line manager when required
2.Strategy and Advice
- Ensure the provision of strategic financial advice and guidance to a wide range of stakeholders
- Provide leadership in delivering the unions Financial Services, having direct involvement in more complex or strategic areas to support the delivery of the unions objectives
- Prepare and manage delegated budgets in accordance with the Unions overall financial policies and procedures ensuring services are delivered within the agreed budgets
- Provide medium and long term financial planning support to the Director of Central Services and Senior Management team
- Oversee reviews of service prices and providers, making proposals for savings and change, seeking to exploit changing technologies and methods to reduce costs, wherever possible, in line with budgetary and policy constraints
- Oversee statistical systems to produce reports and analyse information within the Finance department
- Monitor and report on issues and initiatives as requested
3. Strategy and Advice
- Ensure the provision of strategic financial advice and guidance to a wide range of stakeholders
- Provide leadership in delivering the unions Financial Services, having direct involvement in more complex or strategic areas to support the delivery of the unions objectives
- Prepare and manage delegated budgets in accordance with the Unions overall financial policies and procedures ensuring services are delivered within the agreed budgets
- Provide medium and long term financial planning support to the Director of Central Services and Senior Management team
- Oversee reviews of service prices and providers, making proposals for savings and change, seeking to exploit changing technologies and methods to reduce costs, wherever possible, in line with budgetary and policy constraints
- Oversee statistical systems to produce reports and analyse information within the Finance department
- Monitor and report on issues and initiatives as requested
4.Finance Systems
- Manage the introduction, implementation and continuous monitoring of a new finance system to provide effective budget management at every level of the union
- Provide detailed financial data and reporting, including management accounts and strategic advice, to the National Executive Committee/Senior Management Team
- Provide straightforward access to budgets for all budget holders to facilitate better planning and cash flow management
- Ensure resources are optimised to enable good decision-making across each command area
- Review and update where necessary current audit processes to ensure compliance with the Trade Union Certification Officer
- Provide investment oversight, forecasting, and asset management to the Director of Central Services, and produce relevant information to support spending and investment decisions
- Ensure controls are in place and adhered to, to manage management override risks
- Maintain professional financial relationships with suppliers and customers
5.Operational Management
- Oversee and ensure the integrity of the unions transaction processing at all times
- Ensure all liabilities are recorded, payments made, receipts banked and ledgers managed in line with best practice
- Ensure all service level agreements are adhered to by the Finance department, and developed where necessary
- Ensure data protection adherence and finance systems are secure
- Assist the Director of Central Services in managing relationships with suppliers
6. Group and Branch Funding
- Oversee PCS work with Special Member Auditors to ensure the completion of union group and branch audit procedures in line with rules and Finance Committee requirements
- Provide assistance to group and branch treasurers, including training courses
- Provide reports as required for the Finance Committee
- Ensure expenses are paid in line with Service Level Agreement requirements
7. Finance Training and good practice
- Participate in the dissemination of financial knowledge across the union. Organise and participate in periodic financial training programmes for budget-holders, treasurers and members
8. Communication
- Draft complex communications including briefs, reports, business cases, for internal and external stakeholders
- Draft papers, policies and regulations in relation to financial management
- Communicate with members by producing circulars and briefings, and by addressing meetings and conferences etc
- Represent PCS where necessary and liaise with outside professional bodies such as auditors
- Provide financial information as required by other areas of the Union, in particular treasurers, or other bodies
9. Team Working
- Proactively promote team working and collaboration
- Initiate, organise, lead and participate in team meetings as appropriate
- Maintain high levels of confidentiality of sensitive issues at all times
- Provide assistance to team members
- Manage and co-ordinate staff on issues arising from new working practises, one off projects, or annual projects such as conference
10.Equality
- Contribute to PCS policies on equal opportunities by developing innovative workplace strategies to tackle inequality and discrimination
11.General
- Contribute to the strategic development of the Unions policy objectives including the PCS planning process
- At all times implement and promote the PCSs equal opportunities policy adhering to the PCS Values
- Take due and reasonable care of self and others in respect of health and safety at work
- Participate in appraisal, training and development systems
- Act in a manner that enhances the work of the PCS and its overall public image
- In all work activities, comply with data protection legislation and PCSs requirements for the protection of personal information and the privacy of individuals
- Such other duties that may reasonably be required and that are within the level of the responsibility of this post
- Willing to work outside normal office hours and location on occasion. (e.g. attendance at Annual Delegate Conference)
Person Specification: HEAD OF FINANCE
Ref: 0326
Date: January 2026
Location: London or Region
ESSENTIAL FACTORS
QUALIFICATION
- Qualification in Finance and/or Business Management (ACA,ACCA,ACMA,CIPFA,) and/or MBA with minimum of 5 years' proven management experience in finance
EXPERIENCE
- People management including induction, work allocation, appraisal and conduct
- Experience of working at strategic management level in finance
- Management accounts production and compilation of year end accounts, external reports and audit processes
- Management of payroll and pensions administration
- Project management and delivery in a financial setting
TRAINING
(including continuous professional development)
- Evidence of ongoing training and continuing professional development
- Commitment to undertake job-related training
- Commitment to participation in appraisal and development review process
- Commitment to staff development
KNOWLEDGE
- Management Accountancy
- Financial management and taxation including VAT, Corporate tax and PAYE compliance
- Contract and regulatory compliance management
- Impact and use of Financial Digital and IT applications
- An understanding of and a commitment to trade unions
SKILLS
- Ability to communicate effectively using written and oral channels, including reports and presentations, with a variety of audiences
- Ability to negotiate and form effective working relationships internally and externally
- Ability to provide strategic and policy implementation advice and guidance
- Proficient with Reporting, Data Analytics tools and performance metrics
- Ability to deliver and adapt financial training to audiences without financial knowledge/expertise
OTHER
- Commitment to the application of Equal Opportunities policies and practices at work
- Understanding of own role in maintaining legal compliances within PCS (e.g. data protection; health and safety)
- Flexible approach to work and willing to work outside of normal office hours and location on occasions
Reports to: Assistant Director of Finance & Operations
Line Manages: Delivery Operations Manager
Salary: £52,692
Location: Central London, Hybrid
Contract: 2-year fixed term
Closing date for applications: 12pm, Tuesday 17th March 2026
Interview dates: Week commencing 30th March 2026
About the Youth Endowment Fund
We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.
In recent years violent crime has risen significantly. Homicides, assaults, robberies and offences involving weapons have all seen sustained growth. We have also seen large increases in violent crime involving children and young people. This is a tragedy. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them.
The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is a charity with a £200m endowment and a mission that matters. We exist to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by funding great initiatives, finding what works and working for change - scaling and spreading the practices that make a difference.
One of the most important things we do is ensure that our funding and commissioning processes run smoothly and deliver maximum impact. We manage significant grants and complex commissioning arrangements that support projects designed to make a lasting difference. To do this well, we need robust systems, clear governance and strong relationships with partners. This role is critical to making that happen. As our Senior Grants & Commissioning Manager, you’ll lead on optimising our grant management system Salesforce, oversee risk and compliance and drive improvements in commissioning and procurement across the organisation. You’ll be the go-to person for contracts, grant agreements, policy guidance and Salesforce, ensuring data integrity and enabling confident decision-making. By keeping everything organised and efficient, you will be helping us achieve our strategic goals and deliver on our mission.
Key Responsibilities
Your role would be to ensure our funding and commissioning processes run efficiently, compliantly and strategically. You’ll lead improvements in systems, governance and risk management, act as the organisation’s Salesforce and grant management expert, and provide strong leadership to the team which will enable confident decisions and maximising impact. A detailed list of your key responsibilities on how you’ll do this is given below:
- Grant management and system optimisation:
- Manage the organisation’s grant management system (Salesforce), ensuring functionality, accuracy and integrity of data.
- Configure and update forms, fields and workflows to support new applications and evolving business needs.
- Develop and deliver custom reports and dashboard for internal teams to enable effective monitoring and decision-making.
- Act as the primary liaison for system enhancements, ensuring continuous improvement, and day-to-day troubleshooting.
- Commissioning and procurement:
- Support the Assistant Director of Finance and Operations in delivering improvements to commissioning and procurement processes across the Programmes, Evaluation, Change and Evidence directorates.
- Ensure commissioning activities align with organisational priorities and compliance requirements.
- When required, provide support and additional resource to the Delivery Operations Manager on the execution of agreements for all teams.
- Risk management and compliance:
- Lead on negotiating terms and conditions with grantees, evaluators and researchers, escalating complex issues where necessary.
- Conduct due diligence for funded projects, ensuring compliance with organisational standards and risk mitigation.
- Maintain and control master versions of all templates, including Grant Agreements and Variations, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
- Governance and policy development:
- Develop, maintain and disseminate non-HR policies and guidance documents related to commissioning and procurement.
- Ensure governance frameworks are robust, up-to-date and embedded across the organisation.
- Training and capacity building:
- Design and deliver training sessions to build staff competency in policies, guidance and system procedures.
- Act as the organisational expert on Salesforce and grant management processes, providing ongoing support and advice.
- Leadership and team management:
- Provide direct line management, mentorship and professional development for the Delivery Operations Manager. When required during periods of peak activity, provide support and resource for their responsibilities.
- Ensure effective delegation, clear escalation routes and a culture of high team performance
Please visit our website for the full 'About You' information.
While it’s not a criterion, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of youth violence.
It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background.
Hybrid Working Details
The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around the 32 London Boroughs are expected to be in the office for a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.
As part of our commitment to flexible working, we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage.
To Apply
To apply, please send a CV, your answers to the two questions below and complete the monitoring form by clicking on "Apply for this" button by 12pm on Tuesday 17th March 2026.
When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter can answer, within a maximum of 400 words per answer, the following questions below:
1. Please provide an example of a complex operational process you’ve developed from scratch and implemented independently. What did you do, what impact did it have, and what did you learn?
2. Please describe your experience working with CRM or database systems and provide an example of when you’ve implemented a change to how that system is designed.
You’ll be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. As part of our commitment to flexible working, we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage.
Interviews will take place in the week commencing 30th March 2026, we foresee this being a one stage process.
Benefits Include
• £1,000 professional development budget annually
• 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays
• Four half days for volunteering activities
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support • Volunteering days - 4 half days per year
• Death in service - 4 times annual salary
• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm
• Financial support including travel and hardship loans
• Employer contributed pension of 5%
Personal Data
Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.
We exist to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence.
Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people who are life limited or life threatened. Supporting over 750 children and nearly 1,000 families annually, Acorns is a vital lifeline for families across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire during unimaginably difficult times.
Over the past three years, Acorns’ leadership has enhanced collaboration and innovation across the charity and embedded an organisation-wide fundraising culture. With an integrated fundraising structure and an upcoming £5m appeal, Acorns is looking for a senior leader to review, refine and scale its end-to-end donor experience across all income streams.
Forming part of the Fundraising Leadership Team and reporting to the Associate Director of Fundraising, the Head of Donor Experience will lead a central support function covering donor journeys, supporter care, data and insight, digital fundraising and compliance. They will be responsible for shaping and delivering a comprehensive donor-centred strategy that drives engagement, loyalty and long-term value, while championing a digital-first, data-driven approach to stewardship.
As Head of Donor Experience, you will:
- Lead a high-performing Donor Experience team of nine, with four direct reports across Donor Experience, Data & Insight, and Digital Fundraising
- Develop and embed a cohesive donor experience strategy aligned to the wider Fundraising Strategy
- Design and implement a structured supporter journey framework, ensuring appropriate automation and personalisation across channels and income streams
- Drive innovation in stewardship, including digital engagement, journey design, automation, and personalisation
- Review and refine thanking, banking, fulfilment and supporter care processes to improve efficiency and supporter satisfaction
- Oversee CRM development and optimisation, ensuring robust data governance and a clear single supporter view
- Lead insight generation and segmentation strategy to inform fundraising performance and income growth
- Establish and maintain a centralised compliance framework across fundraising activity
- Strengthen collaboration between Fundraising and Marketing to enable more coordinated, funnel-led campaigns
Essential skills and experience:
- Strong background in fundraising operations, supporter care, compliance or customer experience within a charity setting
- Proven track record of developing and delivering stewardship strategies that improve retention and long-term supporter value
- Experience managing and motivating teams to deliver operational excellence and performance improvement
- Experience designing and implementing strategy, annual plans and process improvements
- Strong working knowledge of CRM systems, data governance and supporter database management
- Confidence influencing senior internal stakeholders and driving cross-team collaboration
- Experience of reporting, performance analysis and using insight to inform decision-making
- Strong understanding of fundraising compliance, including GDPR and sector regulation
Employee benefits include:
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- 5 days holiday buyback scheme starting from April 2026
- 7.5% employer pension contribution
- Life assurance scheme (2 x annual salary)
- Retail discounts (including the Blue Light card)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Discounted gym membership
- Access to expert financial health and wellbeing support
When applying via CharityJob, please ensure that your CV reflects the essential skills and experience outlined above. You can use the notes section to share any additional information. Suitable applicants will be contacted and given full support with the formal application process.
Apply by Thursday 12th March.
Round 1 interviews – Tuesday 24 March & Wednesday 25 March
Round 2 interviews – Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 1 April
Head of Programme Operations
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
Location: The role can be based in London, United Kingdom, Abuja, Nigeria or Kigali, Rwanda, subject to right to work eligibility in the respective countries.
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel). 60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.
Salary: Salaries and benefits will vary in line with the location of the successful candidate and depending on experience.
- UK: £68,000 - £74,000 per year with excellent benefits.
- Nigeria: NGN 64,968,462 – NGN 90,955,847 per year with excellent benefits.
- Rwanda: RWF 73,661,730- RWF 89,738,798 per year with excellent benefits.
Change starts with water. Change starts with you.
Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.
About WaterAid
We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.
About the Team
The Programme Operations team sits within WaterAid UK’s International Programmes Department (IPD), operating in 17 countries in Africa and Asia. The team is a diverse and motivated group of 14+ people made up of planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting (PMER), project design and management, and programme systems specialists. They support global operational excellence, PMER, risk management, donor compliance and performance assurance across WaterAid UK’s country and regional programmes. Working in partnership with regional and country leadership teams, the function provides technical oversight, systems development and operational support to strengthen programme delivery and organisational accountability.
About the Role
The Head of Programme Operations leads the development, implementation and continuous improvement of WaterAid’s international programme operations framework. The role provides strategic and operational leadership across programme operations, business management, systems, risk and compliance.
Key responsibilities include overseeing IPD business management processes, supporting financial planning and performance reporting, acting as a delegated focal point for operational risk, and providing senior troubleshooting support on complex operational and management challenges.
The role works in close partnership with Programme Funding to ensure operational readiness for new donor opportunities and effective grant start-up and close-out. It also leads operational assurance processes, strengthens compliance with donor and organisational requirements, and supports capacity strengthening across regional and country teams.
In this role, you will:
- Provide Programme Operations Leadership
- Lead IPD Business Management and Support
- Drive Collaboration, Risk and Performance
- Oversee Systems, Compliance and Assurance
- Lead Capacity Strengthening and Support
To be successful, you’ll need:
- Proven experience in managing or overseeing large scale international programme operations in the INGO or development sector.
- Strong understanding of operational systems (finance, procurement, logistics, compliance) in multi country environments.
- Excellent relevant IT skills, primarily Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word), but specifically relevant data systems that support high quality planning, monitoring and reporting.
- Experience of leading, managing and motivating others and driving change.
- Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to build relationships and drive organisational change collaboratively.
- Experience working in complex matrix structures across multiple cultures.
- Strong analytical, problem solving and systems thinking capabilities.
- Demonstrated knowledge of donor compliance and grant management processes.
- Working style that reflects WaterAid’s values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation.
Desirable:
- Experience in WASH, public health or community development sectors.
- Experience working with restricted and unrestricted funding portfolios.
- Relevant university degree or equivalent professional experience.
- Familiarity with WaterAid UK’s operating model and countries of operation.
Closing date: Applications will close 12:00 PM UK time on 3rd March 2026.
How to Apply: Click Apply to answer the pre-screening questions upload your CV and cover letter.
Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application? At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.
Pre-employment screening: To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Benefits
As a global organisation, WaterAid is committed to creating an environment where you can thrive and be yourself at your very best. Alongside our inspiring mission and meaningful work, we offer a range of benefits tailored to each country’s context and policies. These will be shared during the process
Our Global Commitment:
Our people promise
We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are
determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.
Equal Opportunities
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.
Safeguarding
We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).
Together, we’ll change the world through water.
Join us and be part of the change!
Our vision is a world where everyone, everywhere has sustainable and safe water, sanitation and hygiene.



Role: Commercial Manager
Location: Hybrid working with a minimum 2 days per week in the Thame office
Salary: £50,000.00 - £53,000.00
Hours: 37.5 per week
Contract: Permanent
Reports to: Commercial Director
Making growth work – sustainably and responsibly
Affinity Trust is a values-led social care charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and other assessed needs to live their lives, their way.
We’re growing - and with that growth comes a clear responsibility: to ensure our contracts, services and partnerships are commercially viable, operationally strong, and true to our social purpose.
We’re looking for a Commercial Manager who brings commercial rigour as well as curiosity - someone who can improve performance across existing contracts as confidently as they develop new opportunities.
This is a pivotal role, working closely with the Commercial Director, Finance, Operations and senior leaders across the organisation.
About the role
As Commercial Manager, you’ll play a key role in strengthening the financial sustainability and commercial performance of Affinity Trust.
You’ll focus on:
- ensuring existing contracts and services are commercially viable,
- identifying and delivering efficiency and value-for-money improvements, and
- developing strong, evidence-based business cases for growth, diversification and partnerships.
You’ll work across the organisation to turn insight into action - balancing ambition with realism, and growth with long-term sustainability.
What You’ll Do
- Strengthen commercial performance by reviewing contract viability, improving profitability, and leading value-for-money and efficiency initiatives.
- Develop robust business cases for growth, diversification, and partnerships, working closely with Operations and Finance to assess affordability, risk and return.
- Support sustainable growth by identifying new commercial opportunities and carrying out early-stage due diligence on partnerships or acquisitions.
- Use insight and data to track performance through clear KPIs and dashboards, informing senior decision-making.
- Work collaboratively across the organisation to ensure commercial decisions are operationally deliverable, person-centred and values-led.
What We’re Looking For
You’ll bring:
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience improving contract performance or commercial efficiency.
- Proven experience developing and evaluating business cases and financial models.
- Understanding of commissioning, contracting and funding in social care, health or housing.
- Confidence working across teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
- A practical, analytical mindset - able to spot risk, challenge assumptions and find solutions.
How You’ll Make an Impact
You’ll help shape sustainable, person‑centred growth by aligning colleagues, ensuring commercial efficiency, and turning strategic ideas into real results.
What will we do?
- We offer hybrid working (min. 2 days/week in Thame)
- 31 days’ annual leave (inc. bank holidays), rising with service
- Health cash plan, Pension, Life assurance, Employee Assistance Programme
- Blue Light Card, option to buy extra annual leave
Inclusion, accessibility and our commitment to diversity
Diversity is key to what we do. Life would be dull, and change slow, if we all thought the same way. We want colleagues who bring different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences, and we know this makes us stronger and better for the people we support.
We are committed to being Disability Confident and we guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
We’re also committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage, for example, accessible formats, support with the application form or adjustments for interview, you can tell us in your application or contact our recruitment team to discuss what you need.
Ready to join us?
If you’re ready to drive new commercial opportunities that make a real impact, connecting with colleagues to build strong relationships, making a real difference in a values-led charity, this could be your next role.
If you are offered the role, you will be required to have a DBS check at the relevant level, which we’ll cover the cost for.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
About the role:
This Best Companies Top 50 mid-sized company and Top 10 Charity is looking to appoint an Operations Manager who will be responsible for the efficient operations and security of Rainbow Trust’s offices, operations contracts, vehicle fleet management and core IT infrastructure.
Reporting to the Director of Finance & Operations, you will organise and manage the activities and contracts that facilitate the smooth running of the organisation, including the management of our facilities contracts and leases for our head office in Surrey and our nine regional offices, and managing our IT systems contracts to ensure the reliability and security of our IT infrastructure.
Managing the central administration budget, as well as our leased fleet of 80 vehicles with the support of the Fleet Administrator, you will develop efficient office procedures, project manage relocations and lead on the negotiation and management of all relevant third-party contracts.
This is a broad ranging role which requires excellent organisation, project management, contract negotiation and relationship management skills.
What we’re looking for:
- A systematic and effective problem solver – you are self-disciplined and analytical and you thrive on providing solutions, delivering high standards, and are skilled in appropriately tailoring your output to a range of different stakeholders for decision-making.
- A self-disciplined multi-tasker who is able to work independently and at a fast pace to meet deadlines – you are someone who perseveres and ensures close follow-up of delegated tasks to deliver consistently high-quality work through to completion.
- A strong verbal and written communicator with a high level of attention to detail – you’re a quick decision maker, who operates well within a defined area of control, basing your decisions on policy and procedures.
- You build strong working relationships both internally and externally – you are driven to achieve results and have the ability to train and support others to make correct decisions
- You work well within established systems, standards and procedures – you are accurate, highly numerate with excellent Excel skills and make fact-based and solution orientated decisions.
Applications will be particularly welcome from those who have demonstrable experience of negotiating and managing contracts and budgets including IT contracts, and knowledge or experience of cyber security.
What we offer:
We are a Best Companies Two-Star rated organisation, an outstanding place to work! We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, this includes:
- Flexible working hours to balance home and working life
- Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand
- Company car for front line care posts
- 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)
- Time off in Lieu
- Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts
- Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes
- A recommend a friend recruitment bonus scheme
- Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year
- Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%
- The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping
- Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth
If you’d like to find out more about these benefits and working with us, click here. More information can also be found in our Candidate Pack.
About us:
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of time together, providing expert, practical and emotional support, where they need it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.
How to apply:
Please send your CV and a covering letter highlighting why your application meets the criteria for the role and should be considered above others to us via the link.
Please disclose in your covering letter if you have used AI for any part of your job application.
Interviews will take place at our Head Office in Leatherhead. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful. If you require any adjustments during the interview process, please let us know.
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.
An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.
Rainbow Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.
Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.
Do you have excellent financial management skills and a desire to make a difference to the world around you? Are you able to think strategically, focus on detail and help others to plan and manage budgets to achieve their goals?
We are looking for a Finance Manager to run the day-to-day finance systems and processes of the Trust, managing the financial reporting and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. You will provide support and advise budget holders to help us achieve our vision of restoring nature on a grand scale in the West of England.
This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference to our organisational effectiveness, working with managers, staff and Trustees to embed a culture of financial awareness and inform decision-making. You will manage our small finance team, produce high quality financial information to support the effective management of the Trust, and support our Finance & Operations Director in reporting accurate and up to date financial information.
We want to see nature restored on a grand scale across the Avon region. We have big plans between now and 2030 to see this happen.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
World Horse Welfare is an international charity that strives to support and strengthen the horse-human relationship through a combination of care, research, education and influence. Our international team work alongside communities and local organisations across the globe to transform the lives of working horses - and the people who rely on them.
We are looking for a proactive and highly organised individual to join our International team and play an essential role in supporting our global programmes. This is an exciting and varied position where you will provide administrative, logistical and financial support to the Director of International, our International Programme Officers and overseas consultants.
About the role:
In this role, you will coordinate international travel and logistics, ensuring our staff and consultants have the necessary travel documentation, safety information and support they need before and during travel. You will also play a key role with communications when they are overseas as well as supporting with preparation of reports and maintaining digital records and filing systems.
A significant part of the role involves financial administration, including budget support, processing expenses and maintaining accurate financial records in collaboration with the Finance department. Your ability to manage multiple tasks, maintain confidentiality and keep processes running efficiently will be central to this role and the team.
This is a hybrid role working between our head office in Snetterton, Norfolk and at home.
About you:
We are looking for someone with strong attention to detail, excellent organisational skills and a flexible, proactive approach. You will be confident building working relationships with colleagues and partners from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. Experience coordinating domestic and international travel is essential, as is experience working with budgets, expenses, invoices and administrative processes. If you thrive in a busy environment, enjoy supporting others and are motivated by work with real global impact, we would love to hear from you.
What we offer:
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contributions up to 8%, rising to 12% with length of service.
- Employee health cash plan to cover expenses such as dental, optical, physiotherapy, etc.
- 20 days holiday pro rata increasing to 25 days with service, plus bank holidays and a shutdown between Christmas and new year.
- Paid employee sickness absence scheme and compassionate leave.
- Life assurance scheme of 4x annual salary.
World Horse Welfare is committed to championing equality and diversity in all aspects of employment and in the services that it provides. We encourage applications for all of our vacancies from under-represented groups, particularly ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities.
World Horse Welfare takes great pride in being realistic, compassionate and forward-thinking and the successful applicant for any of our vacancies will be expected to share these values.
Closing date: Wednesday 4th of March 2026
Interview date: Week commencing 9th of March 2026 at our head office in Snetterton, Norfolk.
World Horse Welfare’s vision is a world where every horse is treated with respect, compassion and understanding.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Neotree: The Digital Learning Health System
Neotree is an award-winning digital learning health system co-designed with frontline clinicians to end preventable newborn deaths in low-resource settings. Our open-source platform integrates real-time, knowledge-based clinical decision support (CDS), structured data capture, and visual dashboards into routine neonatal care. Currently active in 18 healthcare facilities, Neotree has supported care for 60,000 newborns and trained over 3,000 health workers to date. Neotree is the only platform of its kind with a defined pathway to embed AI-enabled decision support into routine neonatal care in sub-Saharan Africa.
Neotree: The Charity
The UK charity was established by core members of the University College London (UCL) Neotree research project to maximise the impact of their research on the quality of newborn care and newborn mortality. After five years of rapid growth and proven clinical impact, Neotree is seeking a visionary Executive Director to lead our next chapter. Having evolved from an innovative research pilot into a multi-country digital health intervention, integrated into routine neonatal care in Malawi and Zimbabwe, Neotree is poised for national-scale rollout and scale up, alongside rigorous ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
The Opportunity: Impact at Scale
By 2030 the ambition is for Neotree to be a fully integrated, sustainable standard of care across Malawi and Zimbabwe, having been handed over to, and owned by, their respective Ministries of Health. The incoming Executive Director will lead this transition, shifting the organisation from a research-led implementation partner to one able to scale up a digital public good (currently a DPGA Nominee with a full submission for DPG designation under review).
While the technological landscape, and specific delivery modules, will evolve, the Executive Director will ensure Neotree remains a safe, cost-effective, equitable, and evidence-based system that is successfully embedded within national digital health infrastructures.
The Executive Director's success will be measured collaboratively, focusing on KPIs related to impact and sustainability, and they will work alongside experienced clinical, technical, and academic leads.
Location: Remote within 2-3 hours of Central Africa Time (CAT), with approximately quarterly travel (including to Malawi, Zimbabwe and the UK).
Reports to: Board of Trustees
Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Key Responsibilities
1. Operations, Clinical Safety & Quality Assurance
1.1. Senior Operational Oversight: Provide high-level oversight of Neotree’s operations across 18 healthcare facilities in Malawi and Zimbabwe, ensuring that the "baby-first" mission is consistently delivered on the ground.
1.2. Clinical Safety & Ethical Governance: Lead the overarching strategy for clinical safety and ethical compliance. Ensure the platform remains a safe and effective clinical tool, and that all operations comply with international data protection and health governance best practices.
1.3. Quality & Effectiveness: Oversee the continuous improvement and optimisation of the Neotree platform based on real-world feedback from frontline clinical staff, ensuring the system remains highly acceptable and trusted by healthcare professionals.
2. Management: People, Grants & Finance
2.1. International Team Leadership: Lead, oversee and inspire a multi-disciplinary, multi-country team (UK, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa), fostering a culture of agility, collaboration, and excellence.
2.2. Develop local leadership and support the growth of country-based teams, ensuring long-term sustainability through in-country capacity building.
2.3. Financial & Grant Management:
2.3.1. Provide robust oversight of the charity’s finances, including budget setting and cash flow.
2.3.2. Lead the management of complex institutional grants (e.g. FCDO, Gates Foundation), ensuring all milestones and reporting requirements are met.
2.3.3. Manage relationships with multiple downstream partners.
3. Governance & Accountability
3.1. Statutory Compliance: Lead Neotree’s reporting and compliance with the Charity Commission, HMRC, Companies House, donors and other relevant legislation. Oversee internal and external audits.
3.2. Board Development & Relations: Act as the primary link to the Board of Trustees, providing transparent reporting on risks, financial performance, and strategic progress. Work proactively with the Chair to strengthen the board, supporting its growth and ensuring its membership is representative of the diverse international contexts and communities Neotree serves.
3.3. Risk Management: Serve as the ultimate lead for organisational risk, identifying and mitigating risks to protect the charity’s reputation, clinical safety, and financial health.
3.4. Organisational & Innovation Governance: Responsible for the continuous review and implementation of all policies (HR, due diligence, safeguarding, clinical and data governance etc.). Ensure policies are legally compliant across international operations.
4. Strategy & Impact Scaling
4.1. Overall Strategy: Lead the development and execution of Neotree’s business model and strategy to scale impact globally, ensuring the sustainable growth and wider adoption of Neotree as a digital public good.
4.2. Evidence base: Work closely with Neotree’s academic team at University College London to identify and address evidence gaps, to support on Neotree research grants (e.g. NIHR, Gates Foundation), and to ensure academic insights are translated directly into clinical impact and national policy.
4.3. Tech Strategy & Interoperability: Lead the development and execution of Neotree's digital strategy. A key focus will be driving the roadmap for system interoperability to ensure Neotree is a future-proofed platform. This includes FHIR compatibility and integration with national systems, such as DHIS2 and national EHRs, to support seamless data exchange.
4.4. Fundraising Strategy: Design and deliver a diverse fundraising strategy that further moves the organisation toward financial resilience and reduced dependence on major academic grants.
4.5. Partnerships & External Relations: Serve as one of the primary ambassadors for Neotree, alongside our Principal Investigators and co-founder Professor Michelle Heys. Define priority stakeholders, and build and maintain relationships with those high-level strategic partners to drive adoption and raise Neotree’s profile.
Key Priorities for the First 12-18 Months
The new Executive Director will focus on the following key priorities during their initial 12-18 months:
1. Successful Project Delivery & Ministry of Health Partnerships. Ensure successful delivery of the projects currently in flight, in both Malawi and Zimbabwe. This includes partnerships with the Ministries of Health in both countries to build and hand over neonatal modules in their EHR systems based on Neotree, and support their successful rollout.
2. Strategic Plan Development. Develop a 3-5 year plan with the Board, academic partners, and wider project team to build on our existing foundation to expand Neotree – including addressing research gaps, using AI to improve clinical decision support, and finding ways to expand the adoption of the technology in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and beyond. Sustainability is a core part of that strategy.
3. Strategic Plan Execution. Execute on that plan, including securing funding, building partnerships, and further developing the Neotree team.
Person Specification
Personal attributes and skillset
- Overall: Values-driven, mission alignment, humility, and commitment to equitable partnership.
- Visionary Leadership: An inspiring leader who can balance day-to-day operations with a long-term strategic focus. You can articulate a clear future for Neotree that motivates an international team and aligns global partners toward making Neotree a national standard of care, ensuring every innovation remains underpinned by our "baby-first" mission.
- Adaptability & Flexibility: You must thrive in a landscape that is constantly shifting. You can pivot strategies as national digital health priorities evolve or as new technological partners emerge. You are comfortable with ambiguity and can steer the organisation through the "unknowns" of the next five+ years.
- Communication & Collaborative Mindset: You are a bridge-builder. You have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across international borders and multidisciplinary partners, linking academic research, technical development, and frontline clinical delivery.
Experience
1. Education: Master’s degree (MSc, MPH, MBA) in a relevant field (e.g. Global Health, International Development, Digital Health).
2. Proven track record of overseeing delivery of health services and/or health interventions (ideally in low-resource settings).
3. Experience of working in partnership with Ministries of Health strengthening health systems.
4. Proven experience in scaling an organisation or a digital product / health intervention from a pilot phase to a national or regional standard.
5. Experience of leading multidisciplinary, multi-cultural teams, both in person and remotely.
6. Experience of monitoring and evaluating health programmes.
7. Experience managing complex grants, and diverse revenue streams (grants, philanthropy, or social enterprise models).
Desirable
- AI & Innovation: Understanding of the ethical and practical implications of integrating AI/Machine Learning into healthcare.
- Governance: Familiarity with UK charity governance, including reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House.
Equal opportunities
Neotree values diversity and is committed to equal opportunities. All applicants for employment will receive equal treatment without discrimination on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation, or any other grounds. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds, and the low-resource settings in which we work, to ensure we have a well-balanced and widely representative staff base.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Contract: Fixed-term maternity cover (anticipated from May 2026, up to 12 months)
Hours: Part-time – 3 days per week (22.5 hours) Location: NSA Head Office, Malvern, with hybrid working by agreement
Reporting to: NSA Chief Executive Salary: £20,700 - £21,486 pro-rata (FTE £34,500 - £35,811)
About the National Sheep Association (NSA)
The National Sheep Association (NSA) is a membership charity supporting and promoting sheep farming throughout the UK. NSA delivers national and regional projects, events and partnerships to support sheep farmers, influence best practice and strengthen the sector.
Purpose of the role
The Project Manager (Maternity Cover) will be responsible for the management and delivery of NSA-led and NSA-linked technical/research/innovation related projects during the maternity leave period of the substantive postholder.
Following an internal review of responsibilities, a number of non-project duties have been redistributed across the staff team. As a result, this maternity cover role has a clear and deliberate focus on project delivery, coordination and reporting.
Key relationships with: All NSA staff, particularly the NSA Chief Executive, NSA Operations Director and NSA Management Team, as well as key NSA committees, groups and individuals delivering NSA-led/NSA-linked projects and relevant research and development contacts.
Management responsibilities: The NSA Project Manager is part of the NSA management team, which meets regularly to ensure effective internal communication and decision-making. There are no line management responsibilities within this role.
Job role
The postholder will:
Project delivery and coordination
- Manage and deliver a defined portfolio of ongoing and fixed-term NSA projects, including externally funded and partnership projects.
- Ensure projects have clear objectives, deliverables, timelines and budgets, and are delivered in line with agreed commitments.
- Coordinate contributions from NSA staff, committees, researchers, consultants and external partners.
- Monitor progress, manage risks and issues, and escalate where appropriate.
Project portfolio management
- Maintain clear records of project activity, outputs and deadlines.
- Ensure project financial requirements are met and communicated with the NSA finance team, (both existing projects and any new project developments).
- Ensure compliance with funder, partner and governance requirements.
- Support the development and refinement of project plans where required.
Stakeholder and partnership working
- Act as the primary project contact for assigned partners and funders.
- Represent NSA at project meetings and relevant external forums (online and in person).
- Support positive working relationships that reflect NSA’s values and strategic objectives.
Reporting and governance
- Contribute project updates to the management team discussions.
- Prepare input for quarterly Board reports relating to project activity.
- Maintain documentation to ensure continuity and effective handover. Events and knowledge exchange (project-linked)
- Work with colleagues to ensure project outputs are linked into NSA events and activities where appropriate.
- Attend relevant NSA events and meetings to support project delivery and profile-raising.
Person specification
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of managing and delivering projects
- Experience in livestock farming/management at a practical or research/development level
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Experience working with multiple stakeholders and partners
- Ability to work independently and meet deadlines
Desirable
- Experience of externally funded or partnership projects
- Experience working in a charity, membership or not-for-profit organisation
- Experience preparing reports for senior management or Boards
Additional Information
- Occasional travel and evening or weekend work may be required, with time off in lieu in line with NSA policy.
- The postholder will form part of the NSA management team for the duration of the maternity cover.
Apply for this role today, or enquire for more details.
To apply for this role, please email a covering letter, CV and completed application form to Aaron Dhanda, NSA Operations Director before 5pm on Friday 13th March 2026.
Interviews will take place on Tuesday 24th March 2026.
Please use the same email address for any enquiries regarding the role.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) exists to champion a strong, resilient and respected UK sheep sector, today and for generations to come.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
This is a key role within our Finance team, combining technical expertise, team supervision, and strategic support. You’ll work closely with the Finance Director and Senior Management Team to provide clear, accurate financial information that helps guide decision-making across our ministries.
You will play a central part in strengthening financial processes, improving reporting, and ensuring compliance while helping us honour God through faithful stewardship of the resources entrusted to us.
Key responsibilities include:
· Financial Reporting & Management Information
· Team Supervision
· Statutory Accounts & Audit
· VAT
Essential:
- ACA, ACCA, CIMA or ICAEW qualified (Applied Skills and Strategic Professional level completed)
- Strong experience in financial reporting, budgeting, and statutory accounts
- Experience supervising or supporting finance staff
- Solid understanding of VAT processes
- Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues
- This role requires a basic DBS check
Occupational Requirement:
In accordance with the Equality Act of 2010 and due to the context of the role there is an ‘occupational requirement’ for the post holder to be an evangelical Christian. The job holder should be committed to the purpose of SPI and be able to demonstrate enthusiasm for the Christian purposes of the organisation and be able to live out, hold to, support and contribute to its Christian ethos.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Director of Programmes & Learning (DPL) provides strategic, technical, and operational leadership for Amna’s programmes across all geographies, partners, and ecosystem levels. The DPL champions a culture of learning, quality, and continuous improvement, ensuring that all programme strategies and initiatives are designed to advance Amna’s global mission.
Please note that compensation will be benchmarked and weighted according to the cost of living and market standards in the country where the candidate currently resides
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Senior Finance and Payroll Officer provides day-to-day financial management, reporting and business partnering support across the Royal Court Theatre (English Stage Company Ltd or ESC), a charity with two commercial companies. The role works closely with the Finance Manager, Finance Director and Bar and Kitchen General Manager as well as other departmental managers to ensure financial information is accurate, timely and fit for purpose.
A key focus will be the Catering Company. You will support robust financial controls, deliver key payroll and banking processes, and help maintain an effective operational link between the Catering subsidiary and charity, enabling informed decision-making and strong financial stewardship.
Keeping up to date with finance and payroll software advances and integrations, the Senior Finance and Payroll Officer will also review and report on efficiencies and improvements across our finance functions.
The successful candidate will:
- Strong working knowledge of payroll processes, including pensions, PAYE, NI and statutory compliance.
- Proactive and solutions-focused, with the confidence to identify and suggest process improvements
- Experience of using accounting systems such as Xero and related finance tools
- Collaborative approach, with the ability to build positive working relationships across teams
Further details of the role can be found in the Job Description below. If you are interested in this role, please complete an application form. Please address how you meet the criteria set out above within your application.
To note, your personal statement can also be sent through in the form of a voice note, or PowerPoint presentation (no more than five slides). Should there be a more accessible form for your application to be received, please contact the recruitment inbox.
If you have any questions about the role, please contact us via the email on our website.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
WORKING WITH US
The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.
We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.
As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.
Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.
To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.
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ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking an organised, proactive and professional Personal Assistant to provide high-level support to the Director of Secondary Education at the Harris Federation. This 1-year fixed-term maternity cover role is central to ensuring the smooth running of the Director’s day-to-day operations, including diary management, stakeholder communication, meeting coordination and the preparation of key documents.
As part of our Head Office team, you will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues across our secondary academies, playing an important role in supporting the Federation’s mission to deliver an outstanding education for thousands of young people. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, and enjoys building strong, professional relationships.
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MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Your responsibilities will include:
- To present the professional and welcoming face of the Harris Federation and all secondary academies, to all visitors, staff and students, in person and on the telephone.
- To ensure that the Director’s diary is managed efficiently and effectively. This will involve liaising with a variety of external and internal stakeholders.
- To provide a daily/weekly diary and documentation and maintain an overview of approaching deadlines.
- To maintain the Director’s contacts.
- To maintain an exemplary professional environment for the Director at all times.
- To ensure that all visitors are welcomed and catered for in a professional manner, organising refreshments as appropriate.
- To exercise complete discretion when dealing with issues of confidentiality and sensitivity.
- To take all telephone calls, in the first instance, dealing with queries, passing on calls if necessary.
- To keep the Director’s meetings file and retrieve necessary paperwork as and when meetings arise.
- To be responsible for organising meetings and passing on messages between all stakeholders, parents/carers, external agencies and students and the Director.
- To liaise with clerks to Governors to ensure that all relevant paperwork and correspondence is efficiently managed for all the secondary academies.
- To support the Director with the preparation of paperwork and presentations for a range of meetings including interviews, disciplinary hearings, grievances, performance management, presentations, training sessions etc.
- To liaise with Federation admin teams, Data, HR, IT and Finance Business Managers, as well as PAs and Principals across the Federation as appropriate.
For a full list of responsibilities, please download the Job Pack.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We would like to hear from you if you have:
- Appropriate degree or equivalent experience in previous roles
- Trained in the use of a variety of ICT packages
- Knowledge of personal assistant roles and responsibilities
- Training in typing and formatting of a variety of documents including spreadsheets
- Experience of managing staff in relation to the PA role
- Some experience of human resources e.g. recruitment and/or monitoring attendance
- Experience of working to targets and deadlines
- Experience of managing meetings including preparation and circulation of papers, minutes and ensuring information is circulated as required
- Ability to communicate well both orally and in writing
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to be flexible
- Ability to communicate exceptionally well with parents and carers as well as other stakeholders in the academy
For a full job specification, please download the Job Pack.
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APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION
If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.
Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.
When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application.
A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.
OUR VISION & VALUES
Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.
We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Safeguarding Notice
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Equal Opportunities
The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.
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WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.
You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:
- Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
- Annual performance and loyalty bonus
- Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
- 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
- Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
- Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
- Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
- Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
- 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
- Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans
For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.
Life is a national charity committed to delivering high‑quality, compassionate and person‑centred support to people facing crisis. Guided by our values of Humanity, Solidarity, Community, Charity and the Common Good, we work across multiple sites to provide safe, effective and life‑changing services.
The Role
We are seeking an exceptional Director of Quality Improvement and Compliance to join our Senior Leadership Team at an exciting time of organisational development.
Reporting directly to the CEO, this is a senior, influential role with strategic responsibility for quality, safeguarding, compliance, estates and continuous improvement across our national portfolio of services.
You will provide visible, values‑led leadership, ensuring that everything we do is safe, effective, person‑centred, financially sustainable and fully compliant with regulatory requirements. This role has a real opportunity to shape the future of Life – and to positively impact the lives of hundreds of people we support.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership on quality improvement, compliance and continuous improvement across supported housing, estates and services
- Hold senior accountability for safeguarding governance, complaints and assurance frameworks
- Lead audit, inspection and review activity, ensuring consistently high standards and strong regulatory outcomes
- Embed a culture of quality, learning and improvement across multi‑site services
- Oversee property compliance, health & safety and estates management, ensuring safe and welcoming environments
- Use data, insight and digital systems to drive performance, manage risk and support innovation
- Act as the organisation’s senior lead with regulators, inspectors and professional bodies
- Work collaboratively with fellow Directors to deliver a joined‑up, high‑quality client journey
- Develop, coach and inspire senior leaders, fostering a high‑performing, values‑driven culture
About You
You will be a credible, values‑led leader with a strong background in regulated services and a passion for quality and safeguarding.
Essential experience and qualifications include:
- Senior leadership experience within supported housing, homelessness or a closely related regulated sector
- Proven success leading multi‑site services and senior operational leaders
- Strong track record in quality improvement, safeguarding, compliance and inspection readiness
- Sound financial and commercial awareness, including managing significant budgets and resources
- Lean Six Sigma qualification
- Level 5 Safeguarding qualification
- Health & Safety qualification (IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent)
You will also bring:
- Strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into practical delivery
- A collaborative, visible and approachable leadership style
- Integrity, humility and purpose in how you lead
- A commitment to co‑production, continuous learning and innovation
- Strong communication, influencing and relationship‑building skills
Information about the role:
For further information, please see the attached job description on our website.
Salary: £50,285 per annum
Hours: 32 hours per week
Location: Home Based with travel across sites in the UK
Benefits:
At Life we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training, we offer our:
- Generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time hours)
- Birthday Leave (applicable after 1 years service)
- Additional annual leave for long term service
- Company Pension Scheme
- Signed member of the Menopause Workplace Pledge
Safeguarding and Equality:
Life is committed to protecting all staff, volunteers and service users from harm of any kind. Life expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct.
We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organisation by encouraging applications from all backgrounds.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. Life takes its obligation to protect the rights of children and vulnerable people very seriously; therefore, the successful candidate for this post will be also subject to extensive background checking, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) which is paid for by the Charity.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.





