Director of society programmes jobs in woodford green, greater london

Seeking a purposeful career change? Start on your transformative journey with the On Purpose Associate Programme, offering a unique opportunity for mid-career professionals to transition into impactful work. This paid, year-long leadership programme is designed for those ready to pivot their professional journey towards creating a regenerative, equitable and just future.

Key info:

• Based in London, UK

• Full-time (4.5 days at placement & one half day training weekly)

• £27,010 per annum salary 

• Programme dates: October 2025 - September 2026 (49 weeks)

About On Purpose:

On Purpose is tackling the greatest challenge of our time: transforming our economy from profit to purpose. Our leadership programmes develop people who will play their part in this transformation.

Together, we learn to see a different future and take action towards realising it in the organisations we work in. Our programmes seed a vibrant community who care, inspire, challenge and support one another as we make this transformation a reality.

Programme summary:

• Two 6 month placements:

Through work placements with leading purpose-driven organisations, you'll gain hands-on experience tackling pressing social and environmental issues. Some of our current partners include Better Society Capital, Save the Children, BAFTA and Sustainable Ventures.

• Expert-led learning:

Our intensive Learning & Development programme involves weekly in-person sessions led by experts from across sectors. This blend of professional training and academic rigour equips you with the skills, knowledge and mindset to lead organisational and systemic change. 

• 1-2-1 mentoring & coaching:

Receive support through fortnightly mentoring sessions and quarterly executive coaching, fostering both your personal and professional growth.

• Join a supportive, impactful community:

You’ll be part of a tight-knit cohort of 20 Associates, participating in training sessions every Friday afternoon together. You’ll also join the wider On Purpose community, connecting with a global, influential network of impact-driven professionals offering life-long inspiration, collaboration and opportunities.

Benefits:

• Earn while you learn: On Purpose stands out by offering a paid learning and training opportunity, saving you significant costs compared to paying for other leadership programmes or MBAs, all the while offering extensive learning and development.

• Develop your ability to make an impact: Equip yourself with the skills and insights needed to drive meaningful change. You’ll join nearly 1000 purpose-driven alumni who are leading transformative change worldwide in all parts of the system, with 92% currently working in the impact sector.

• Unlock purpose-driven career opportunities: Our Associates have moved into a whole range of sustainability jobs and social impact roles, ranging from CEOs of social enterprises to leadership positions within traditional companies driving change from within. We have a former music label business owner now the CEO of Hubbub, a former Consultant now Director of Impact at B Lab UK and a former civil servant now Climate Lead at Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 

• Standard UK holiday allowance

• A 3-day residential (all expenses paid)

Who we’re looking for:

This programme is ideal for:

• Individuals seeking a career change into the environment and social impact sector.

• Individuals already in the impact sector who want to develop new skills, have the opportunity to work in more commercial organisations, or to join an engaged network of people who share your values and are working toward the same goal. 

Specific sector or industry experience is not important. We’re looking for talented people from diverse industries who have a determination to bring their skills and experience to purpose-driven projects and to driving systemic change. We seek ambitious individuals with:

• A minimum of three years full-time professional experience

• The right to work in the UK for the full duration of the programme

• Fluency in English 

• Office environment experience 

• Skills in project management, stakeholder engagement, adaptability, interpersonal communication, problem-solving, quantitative analysis and strategic thinking.

• Excitement and commitment towards building a career that helps transform our economy from profit to purpose.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences and those who are often under-represented in the impact sector, including but not limited to individuals with disabilities and those from diverse ethnic, gender identities, sexualities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.

How to apply:

• Read our Associate Programme brochure for more information.

• Register your interest via our website to receive a link to your online application form.

• Closing date for applications: Monday 19 May, 9:00 am (BST).

• Interviews will be held in mid-late June.

About International Lawyers Project (ILP) 

ILP is a network of talented and passionate pro bono lawyers drawn from diverse countries and cultures across the globe. We mobilise teams of legal experts to support the policy and legal needs of marginalised communities, their governments, and their social movement organisations. Our partners are civil society organisations, governments, community groups and investigative journalists.

Founded in the UK in 2005, we are staffed by a small core staff team of lawyers and thematic experts dedicated to using the law to achieve economic and environmental justice through strategic pro bono legal support. Over the last 20 years, we have supported partners in more than 100 countries.

We are proud to have a diverse staff and volunteer team reflective of the communities we support, from Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe, with extensive expertise in our focus areas as well as law and international development. We work primarily in the Global South, with active projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia, as well as in Europe. As a charity, our ultimate aim is to help our clients create long-lasting change in some of the world’s most disadvantaged regions. 

Our vision is a just and sustainable world in which the law serves as a tool for those who need it most. 

Role and Responsibilities 

We are looking to recruit an experienced, innovative senior legal manager to manage our international Governance & Accountability Programme. The ideal candidate will be a qualified lawyer (or international development professional with equivalent experience in rule of law /governance / NGO use of legal strategies), with deep enthusiasm and in-depth knowledge of how our partners could use the law to achieve anti-corruption reform. A more detailed explanation of our organisational and programme strategy is set out in our 2024-2026 Strategy.

Working as part of a small but dynamic team, you will have the opportunity to learn at close hand what it means to work for an international NGO focusing on how the law can be used to fight corruption and achieve environmental and economic justice. You will develop projects with a range of partners, including international agencies, NGOs, CSOs, governments and government bodies. You will collaborate with a range of volunteer lawyers (law firms and barristers chambers) who are leading experts in their field. You will also nurture, build and maintain relationships with our funders. The role will involve outreach to new partners, programme management, drafting fundraising applications and donor reports, tracking impact, as well as evaluating and learning from projects.

Key Responsibilities: 

1. Implement the strategic vision for ILP’s Governance and Accountability (G&A) programme, in conjunction with the Senior Programmes Director, Senior Counsel, Legal Fellows, Executive Director, partners, staff and Board; 

2. Develop an expert understanding of the most effective policy tools and legal interventions to deliver the programme’s objectives, through engagement with volunteer lawyers, ILP partners, staff, Board and others; 

3. Build and maintain ILP’s G&A programme. This includes:

· Liaising with partners to identify legal/policy/campaign needs and offer potential legal and/or policy reform solutions, including through conducting analysis of their activities; 

· Creating an active pipeline of G&A projects and cases including environmental crime and corruption, through identifying and engaging in regular outreach with potential new partners; 

· Ensuring an even spread of G&A projects across the five strategic programme pillars;

· Identifying, building and maintaining strong relationships with existing and new highly experienced volunteer lawyers;

· Mapping and developing relationships with regional and international development entities and other technical assistance providers to identify potential partners, needs and focus countries; 

· Representing the programme in external fora and events; 

1. Ensure effective project delivery and evaluation of impact including: 

· Managing & coordinating project implementation through the full project cycle; 

· Delivering financial management for assignments including accurate budgeting, forecasting, accounting and reporting; 

· Supporting the development and maintenance of strong programme management and knowledge management systems and processes, including regular updating of ILP’s databases; 

1. Working closely with the Senior Counsel and Senior Programmes Director, lead fundraising activities to support both the G&A programme and organisational overheads, including exploring opportunities for potential funding with partners, liaising with and nurturing donors, designing funding applications and creating relevant budgets; 

2. Line management of G&A Legal Fellow;

3. Share in the necessary operational and administrative activities of the organisation and contribution to website and social media communications.

Candidate profile:

We are especially interested in candidates with the following skills and experience: 

· A qualified lawyer (or equivalent with significant relevant professional experience) with an  excellent understanding of how law is useful to achieving reform in our key strategic work areas: public procurement integrity, environmental crime and corruption, accountability for international corruption asset recovery, countering illicit asset flows and illicit asset recovery, and tackling the UK’s role as an international money laundering hub for enablers; 

· Understanding and enthusiasm for the concept and practice of pro bono legal assistance;

· Demonstrable project management skills and experience in an NGO (5+ years);

· Demonstrable experience in donor management, including drafting fundraising applications and budgets, nurturing new and managing existing relationships, meeting donor reporting requirements, drafting donor impact reports and raising funds for future projects and activities;

· Relevant experience and knowledge (either from previous work experience or study) relating to economic justice and/or environmental law and policy in an international development context;

· Ability to work on a wide range of tasks simultaneously, and at speed, including developing and managing relationships with a range of stakeholders (donors, NGOs, civil society organisations and government representatives), on an international basis;

· Demonstrable understanding (either from previous work experience or study) of key issues in sustainable international development, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals; 

· Excellent research skills; strong administration and coordination experience in an NGO setting;

· Strong interpersonal and team working skills; 

· Comfortable working independently and proactively and as part of a small team with a busy caseload;

· Very high level of fluency in spoken and written English;

· Working knowledge of another language such as Spanish (desirable).

Key details about the position

· Travel: candidates must be willing and able to travel internationally 2-5 times per year, including fulfilling vaccination and other requirements.

· Our genuine support for equity, diversity and inclusion is illustrated by our current team.

· Visa sponsorship: we are open to sponsoring a UK visa application for an extraordinary candidate. 

Are you our first Deputy Director?

• Are you passionate about the voices of people with lived experience in campaigns and communications around the asylum and immigration system?
• Are you a diplomat and leader, able to influence and collaborate with a network and partners?
• Do you enjoy being part of a small, dynamic team working with movement leaders, turning your hand to different challenges?
• Can you further build a campaign coalition to equip it to win deep change in the way the UK treats refugees?

About us

The Asylum Reform Initiative (ARI) is an alliance of nine leading national organisations collaborating to secure deep change towards a fair, compassionate and well-managed UK approach to refugees. Central to its strategy has been incubating, launching and backing the broader, public-facing Together With Refugees campaign coalition, now with over 600 national and local member groups from across the refugee sector and beyond. The ARI team provides a dynamic hub that supports Together With Refugees, coordinating the development and delivery of the coalition’s campaign strategy.

About the role

This is a new role. Working closely with the rest of the ARI team, One Strong Voice, and the newly formed Together With Refugees Steering Group, it will play a key part in shaping and delivering the ambitious next phase of the Together With Refugees strategy. The Deputy Director will lead on movement building, strengthening the coalition, and developing the reach, activation levels and effectiveness of the coalition’s grassroots campaign organising to secure changes in policy and practice. At the heart of this is the engagement and leadership of activists with lived experience as refugees, and of member groups that are led by and for refugees – so advancing the goal of a transition to leadership by people with lived experience across the coalition. Key to this work will be building the capacity, effectiveness and impact of the One Strong Voice network to support lived experience campaigners, organisations and leaders at all levels. The Deputy Director will also contribute to wider leadership of the team’s work including fundraising, support for – and accountability to – coalition leadership structures, and effective delivery of the team’s work programme.

About you

The Deputy Director will be a natural collaborator and relationship builder, able to work with diplomacy to drive forward our ambitious strategic aims. You will need ambition, energy and an ability to work at both strategic and more detailed levels. This could be the right opportunity for a range of potential candidates. You could be someone who has led and managed in other issues-based settings, in the asylum and refugee sector, or more broadly. Whatever your background, if you think you have the skills and experience to contribute to our team and take Together With Refugees forward then we’d like to hear from you.

Our commitment to and our strategic aims means that, we warmly invite and encourage applications from people with lived experience of the asylum system, or of forced migration more generally.

How to apply

First, download the candidate information pack; you will also need the application form and the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (these are all downloads under "Application resources" below). Send the two completed forms with your CV to the email address in the pack.

Background 

People and communities around the world have the solutions to social injustice, authoritarianism, and the climate crisis. But repressive governments, corrupt corporations, and armed groups use violence and oppression to try and silence them.

By building resistance and resilience among those challenging unaccountable power, Open Voices supports a shared vision for a world where communities and ecosystems can thrive. 

As a mission-driven nonprofit, we join forces with grassroots activists, community groups, and social movements at risk. Working together, we strengthen their physical safety, digital resilience, and collective wellbeing. As a social impact consultancy, we help high-profile nonprofits and foundations manage risk and care for their teams and partners.

This dual approach allows us to work at every level of civil society, from the grassroots to the global. 

We have scaled to meet a 66% surge in demand for our support over the past two years, with our international team now responding to 11 new cases every week. Last year alone, we:

• Answered 575 calls for assistance across 100 countries.

• Delivered over 6,000 hours of mentoring and accompaniment.

• Trained over 1,000 activists in 112 holistic security workshops.

Whoever we partner with, we start with questions, not answers. Listening before speaking, understanding before acting. Together, we defend those who speak out. 

We are expanding our diverse, inspired, and purpose-driven team. Will you join us as our new philanthropy coordinator?

Role description

As our philanthropy coordinator, you will play a key role in building new partnerships with philanthropists and high-net-worth individuals, with an immediate focus on the UK, US, and Europe. You will design and implement a comprehensive strategy to build a robust portfolio of individual donors, Family Foundations, Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and other personal giving vehicles. 

A proactive and thoughtful relationship builder, you will maintain long-term relationships and lead bold strategies to engage new audiences, including millennial and next-generation philanthropists. You will steward Open Briefing’s first global development board, working closely with our CEO and director of development to engage members around a dynamic programme of activities designed to make Open Briefing more fundable and findable. 

Together with our director of development, you will drive forward a multi-year fundraising strategy to resource our work with activists and organisations on the frontlines of human rights, social justice, and environmental action. 

Your primary responsibilities will include: 

• Designing and executing our philanthropy fundraising strategy. Lead a strategy to identify, cultivate, and solicit high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) —including through Donor Advised Funds, Family Offices, Family Foundations, and other giving vehicles—with an immediate focus on the US, UK and Europe. 

• Prospecting and donor acquisition. Manage HNWI prospecting, generate new leads, develop solicitation plans, brief senior leadership in advance of meetings, and coordinate cultivation and networking opportunities.

• Stewardship and relationship management. Build strong relationships with existing and potential donors through tailored stewardship plans designed to grow income over time. Manage donor tracking and communication systems. 

• Nurture and grow our development board - Work alongside our director of development and CEO to identify and engage members and steward the Board through a 12-month action-orientated development campaign. 

• Budget Management. Manage a programme budget for cultivation and stewardship events and activities.

• Collaboration and Communication. Work closely with our communications coordinator, director of development and programme teams in the production and dissemination of donor-relevant reports, updates and other content; and contribute to the conception and organisation of donor-facing online and in-person events.

• Team support. As a key member of our development and communications team, undertaken other duties as reasonably requested relevant to team and organisational goals. 

Person specification 

Essential 

• You will have extensive experience managing a HNWI or major gift portfolio. 

• You will have a proven track-record of personally securing four, five, or six-figure donations from HNWI and/or major gift donors in the UK, US and/or Europe. 

• You will have experience working within a nonprofit focused on human rights, social justice, and/or environmental action. 

• You will have excellent verbal communication skills, including English language skills, both spoken and written. 

• You will have experience working with senior stakeholders and board members to support fundraising activities. 

• You will have an ability to work both strategically and operationally.

• You will have creative thinking and problem-solving aptitude.

Desirable

• You may have experience working within a global nonprofit. 

• You may have knowledge of the human rights, social justice, environmental justice, and/or international development funding landscape. 

• You may understand grant-making and grant-management processes, especially with respect to private philanthropic funding, including family foundations, DAFs, and Family Offices. 

• You may understand tax-efficient donation mechanisms in the UK, US, and across Europe. 

• You may understand the trends in dynastic giving as well as emerging and next-generation philanthropists. 

If you feel you meet some but not all of the criteria, we would encourage you to get in touch. 

Terms and remuneration

This is a remote, home-working role. You will be contracted for 40 hours a week on a full-time, fixed-term contract. Flexible working is available and encouraged. 

We are looking for someone who wants to embrace this pivotal role within our close-knit team and develop a long-term working relationship with us. You will be properly onboarded and continually supported by experienced and compassionate managers and colleagues. Your line manager will be our director of development, Vicky Nida. 

In return for your time and dedication, we will offer you a remuneration package made up of fair pay, sector-leading benefits, and progressive leave policies, including:

• Salary of £46,900 per annum.

• 7% employer pension contribution.

• Family private medical insurance.

• Employee Assistance Programme, including welfare counselling.

• Unlimited professional coaching.

• Enhanced annual leave of 25 days plus local public holidays.

• Additional leave days for annual closedown.

• Enhanced sick pay.

• Flexible working, including flexitime and remote and home working.

• Access to local coworking spaces.

• Support for climate action:

  • Personal carbon emissions offsetting.

  • Up to two additional leave days for sustainable travel.

  • Up to two additional leave days for climate activism.

• Apple MacBook and peripherals.

If you are based outside the United Kingdom, you will be offered comparable compensation through our local employer of record, Remote. For parity, we contribute 4% above the local statutory requirements into the personal pension plans of staff members employed outside the UK. We will contribute 7% into the personal pension plans of staff members employed in counties where there is no  local statutory provision. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Open Briefing values diversity. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all can be their authentic selves. We therefore encourage applications from all who meet the person specification and particularly from candidates who are from racialised communities and those under-recognised in our development team. This currently includes people of colour and people from countries in the global majority.

Please read our diversity, equity, and inclusion policy for more information. Our ethical and environmental policies are also available. And you may find our Vision, Mission, and Values statements of interest.

Open Briefing is a Disability Confident Employer and a signatory of the Charter for Employers Who Are Positive About Mental Health. We will make reasonable adjustments for disabled and neurodivergent people during the recruitment process and any subsequent employment. Please let us know in your cover letter how we can be the recruiter and employer you need us to be.

We have checked the text of this advert using the Gender Decoder tool.

Safeguarding

Open Briefing is dedicated to upholding the highest safeguarding standards, ensuring a culture of respect and protection for both our internal and external stakeholders. Our approach encompasses preventative measures and a strong response mechanism to any safeguarding concerns, guided by a survivor/victim-centred ethos. We enforce a strict no-tolerance policy towards any violations of safeguarding policies, ensuring that all concerns are addressed promptly and appropriately. Our safeguarding policy is available here.

How to apply

Please submit your application using our online form and note the following dates:

• Closing date: 30 May 2025

• Interviews: w/c 9 June 2025 

• Desired start date: As soon as possible 

Please let us know on the form if any of these dates are problematic and we will try to accommodate. The successful candidate will need to complete a reasonable vetting process before engagement.

The role

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Senior Programmes Manager to lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of our international programs. This pivotal role requires a strategic thinker with extensive programme management experience and a deep commitment to our mission.

The Senior Programmes Manager will be responsible for ensuring that our programmes are effectively designed and delivered, meet the needs of the communities and animals we serve, and align with our organizational strategy and donor expectations. 

Positioned within the Global Programmes Department the role will involve close collaboration across teams in both the Global Support Office and our implementing partners.

Responsibilities include: programme management, strategic planning & stakeholder engagement, budget management, monitoring & evaluation, cross-team collaboration. 

Contract, location and salary

This is a full-time (34.5 hours per week), permanent role. This is a remote position with regular attendance required at SPANA's London office. Benefits include a generous company pension scheme, health care cash plan and life insurance. The salary is c.£45k per annum subject to skills and experience. 

Further details and how to apply

Please review the job description for full details including a person specification. The deadline for applications is 23:59 BST on Sunday 11 May 2025.

About the role

As one of two Regional Programmes Manager, you’ll inspire and lead a team of Senior Programmes Officers and Kinship Family Workers to effectively deliver high quality support services for kinship families across Greater London, the South of England and the Midlands.

You’ll do this by working in close collaboration with local authority teams who have commissioned our services and other funders where appropriate.

You’ll have accountability and ownership for ensuring we deliver impactful services for kinship carers and that we meet targets for our commissioned services. Working collaboratively with our other managers in other services, you’ll ensure we’re delivering high impact programmes.

You’ll ensure your team have real clarity and direction on their role and responsibilities - encouraging curiosity, learning and solutions-focused thinking. As a leader in the organisation, you are a key model for the team.

Your team will deliver the following programmes:

• Kinship Connected – in-person one-to-one support and support groups in the community
• Kinship Reach – remote one-to-one support and virtual support groups
• Kinship Ready – online workshops to prepare new and prospective special guardians for their role, as well as wraparound one-to-one support (in one local authority)

You will also manage a new role of Grants Officer - London, funded by the Aviva Foundation.

As one of our deputy safeguarding leads, you’ll be part of our key safeguarding structure.  This means you’ll take ownership to make sure our people feel confident and well supported to demonstrate best practice and making sure safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Key responsibilities include:

• Oversee the day-to-day running of programmes, supporting mostly home-based Senior Programmes Workers and Kinship Family Workers to ensure high quality, consistent and impactful programme delivery.

• Meet performance targets as directed.

• Create and keep developing processes and systems which support consistency across all programmes, ensuring good quality documentation and manualisation on Notion.so

• Develop quality assurance frameworks with other service managers and directors.

• Support your team to establish and deliver in-person and virtual peer support groups regionally and generate engagement with kinship carers.

• Line management and supervision of Senior Programmes Workers and Kinship Family Workers as required.

• Actively encourage personal development and support staff to deliver key targets and outcomes and ensure high levels of wellbeing.

• Work with the Director of Services and Digital, Head of Programmes and the Business Development team to develop proposals and present to local authorities to secure commissions.

• Manage the delivery of commissioned contracts through collaborative relationships with local authorities, ensuring targets are met.

• Manage the programmes and services within budget, in accordance with Kinship’s financial procedures and ensure the reporting of progress in line with funder requirements.

• Work actively and positively with other managers within Kinship to ensure sharing of best practice, problem solving, relevant connections and consistency of delivery across England and Wales.

• Act as a deputy safeguarding lead at Kinship

Essential requirements include:

• Substantial experience in managing a regional service or programme with high quality outputs (national experience desirable but not essential).
• Substantial experience of managing, developing and evaluating effective and innovative services for families experiencing crisis and experience in reaching ‘hidden communities’ and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Experience of leading and managing continuous improvement in changing contexts.
• Experience of governance and managing risk on high profile service delivery.
• Experience of ensuring that services are designed and led with user needs at the heart, ensuring that the voices of our kinship carers inform ongoing design and development of our programmes.
• High quality digital and data literacy and using technology to help us to be better in our processes. You’ll have to own Salesforce and be a massive champion for the team. You will be accountable for ensuring they use it well.
• Substantial experience of leading high-performing service teams including managing wellbeing, development and performance.

How to apply

In place of a cover letter, you will be asked to answer the following five questions, alongside providing your CV. Please keep your answers to a maximum of 250 words.

1. Tell us why you’re interested in working for Kinship in this role and what experience you bring that would make you successful? This is an opportunity to tell us about you, your experience and your values.
2. Please give an example where you have managed a successful regional programme or service (this could also be national). Please include scale, key performance indicators and outcome. What made it a success?
3. What makes you a great team manager? Give one example of how you have supported teams and individuals to flourish and one example when you have had to step in to address behaviour or performance issues. (This is an opportunity to share your enthusiasm for supporting others to develop and deliver to a high standard. You can share evidence of how your approach has worked and how you’ve tackled challenges and difficult conversations along the way).
4. Quality assurance and consistency is key to making sure our programmes deliver impact for our kinship carers. This includes ensuring your team are following processes, using our case management system effectively and have the tolls to do their role. Please describe how you would approach this at Kinship using a previous example.
5. In this role you will be a deputy safeguarding lead at Kinship. This is a key role, the lives of kinship carers are incredibly complex.  Give one example of a safeguarding situation that required your response in a previous role. Explain what your rationale and thought process was. How did you hold appropriate boundaries and progress actions to effectively safeguard vulnerable children and adults?

Key Dates

• Application deadline: Wednesday 30 April, 9am
• First interview: Online – Tuesday 6 May
• Second interview: In person (Vauxhall, London) – Tuesday 13 May (travel expenses covered if required)

About Kinship

We are Kinship. The leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We’re here for kinship carers – friends or family who step up to raise a child when their parents aren’t able to.

We are made by and for our community of kinship carers. Like family, relationships run deep. And we hear their experiences; for too long they have been isolated without the help they need.

We support, advise and inform kinship carers. Connecting them so they feel empowered. Because a child needs the love and warmth of a thriving family.

We develop research, campaigns and policy solutions. Creating positive change across society. Because for kinship families, love alone is not enough.

Through our work we harness frustrations to fuel passion for change. And tough experiences to inspire ideas that transform lives.

And as we see momentum building, we keep using evidence to demonstrate the value of kinship care. Helping kinship carers navigate challenging circumstances. Believing in a child’s potential.

Join us. Together, let’s commit to change for kinship families.

Battersea's Global Programmes Department is looking for a Grants and Programmes Manager to manage the delivery of a portfolio of work within the Grants and Programmes function. This is an exciting time for Battersea as we expand our work to impact more dogs and cats. Over the coming five years it is planned that the size and complexity of grant making will grow, including the establishment of several multi-year programmes in the UK and abroad.

This is a senior grant making role within the Grants and Programmes team in the Global Programmes Directorate, requiring excellent experience of people management, strategic leadership and good grant making practice.

The successful postholder should be comfortable making proposals, suggesting alternative approaches and solutions, supporting the contributions of others, and advancing the collective interests of a team. They should also be comfortable working with considerable scope, and complexity and nurturing relationships with colleagues and external partners as an integral element of the role. The successful postholder should be able to develop and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, to pose and field questions of considerable complexity and sensitivity and use discretion in carrying out a constructive and effective dialogue; they will be comfortable with proposing ideas, engaging in productive debate, supporting the contributions of others, and in other ways advancing Battersea’s strategic interests.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

- 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
- Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes
- Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
- Generous pension contributions – up to 10% employer contribution
- Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
- Annual interest-free season ticket loans

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our hybrid working model:

We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best. 

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Closing date: 17th May 2025
Interview date(s): First stage interviews: 22nd May 2025; Second stage interviews: 28th May 2025

To apply for the role, please click the button below. All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

About this role

At SPANA, we support a network of global partners working through both a short- term small grants and long- term programmes – known as our Senior Partners. Senior Partners represent key strategic investments in our mission to enhance working animal welfare. These programmes are established country offices, each led by dedicated Country Directors who oversee the implementation of our work. Our initiatives in these regions reflect a commitment to delivering holistic programming across a range of interventions to improve the welfare of working animals. 

As Programme Manager you will lead our critical relationships and day to day activities with SPANA Senior Partners in overseas country offices delivering our international programmes. You will be responsible for managing activities across SPANA’s international programme work including budget reporting, grant making and management as well as procurement. You are a key part of SPANA’s Global Programs Department (GPD) team and report to the Senior Programmes Manager.

For full details including a person specification please see the job descriptiom. 

Contract, location & salary

This is a full-time (34.5 hours per week) permanent role working remotely with regular attendance in our London office. The salary is approximately £40k per annumb subject to skills and experience. 

Deadline & how to apply

Please see the job description for full information including details on how to apply. The deadline for applications is 23:59 BST on Sunday 18 May 2025. 

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

Battersea's Global Programmes Department are looking for a passionate individual to join the team as Grants and Programmes Associate.

The Grants and Programmes Associate will support the delivery of a portfolio of work within the Grants and Programmes function at Battersea, focusing on the UK portfolio. The Associate will work closely with and report to a Grants & Programmes Manager who leads the portfolio. This is an exciting time for Battersea as we expand our work to impact more dogs and cats.

Over the coming five years, it is planned that the size and complexity of grant making will grow, including the establishment of several multi-year programmes in the UK and abroad.

This is a grants management role within the Grants and Programmes team in the Global Programmes Directorate, requiring excellent experience of relationship, grant and project management. The successful postholder should be comfortable working as a team, with considerable scope, and complexity and nurturing relationships with colleagues across the organisation as an integral element of the role. The Associate would support a portfolio led by a Manager who would also be their line manager.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

- 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
- Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes
- Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
- Generous pension contributions – up to 10% employer contribution
- Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
- Annual interest-free season ticket loans

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our hybrid working model:

We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best. 

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Closing date: 13th May 2025
Interview date(s): 16th May 2025

To apply for the role, please click the button below. All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Position: Director of Engagement
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours a week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Office-based in London with flexibility to work remotely
Salary: £73,653 per annum plus excellent benefits
Salary Band: Band 5

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

It is a very exciting time to join the MS Society as Director of Engagement a brand-new role in the organisation. We are implementing an ambitious cross-organisational transformation programme.  And we have just started a new 2025-29 strategy. Engagement is at the heart of both.

Engagement is everything. We define engagement as any interaction anyone has with the MS Society. We need to grow the audience we engage with. And deepen our audience relationships through engagement.  Growing and deepening engagement with all our audiences will enable us to deliver transformational impact for the MS Community. And contribute to our ultimate vision of a world free from MS.

We are looking for someone to provide strategic and thought leadership to engagement.  Someone who can work collaboratively across the organisation to lead and drive forward our ambition for engagement.

You will have significant experience of leading strategic engagement and customer experience to a complex multi-audience landscape within a complex cross-organisational operating model.  And be able to provide sector-leading thought-leadership and strategic expertise within engagement and customer experience.

You will have proven experience of delivering significant and sustainable business benefits through change programmes. And deep and broad experience of brand, marketing, digital and content.

You will have experience in understanding complex and wide-ranging external trends, taking the lead development of relevant cross-organisational strategic responses.  And significant experience of cross-functional and cross-organisational strategic leadership.

Closing date for applications: 9:00 am Monday 12 May 2025
Anticipated interview dates:
First interviews: Tuesday 27 May or Wednesday 28 May
Second interviews: Wednesday 4 June or Friday 6 June

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.

UK Feminista is recruiting for a Director.

Hours: full-time, 35 hours per week
Salary: £53,130 per annum
Location: Flexible (home working, based in our coworking space in London or hybrid). Regular office attendance required (minimum once a week). 

Role Overview

The Director of UK Feminista plays a pivotal role in driving forward the organisation’s mission to advance sex equality through strategic leadership, operational oversight, and external advocacy. They are responsible for shaping and delivering UK Feminista’s long term vision, ensuring that its work remains bold, effective, and rooted in feminist principles. Working closely with the Board of Directors, the Director leads the organisation’s strategic planning processes, oversees programme delivery, and ensures compliance with all legal and regulatory responsibilities.

The role requires strong financial stewardship and a proactive approach to income generation, including fundraising from trusts, foundations, and supporters. The Director also manages a small staff team, fostering an inclusive and empowering organisational culture. As a visible leader and public representative, the Director builds relationships with stakeholders across civil society, education, media, and politics to maximise the organisation’s influence and impact. This is a unique opportunity to lead a dynamic organisation that challenges systemic inequality across the UK.

2. Application process

Documents

Please apply via CharityJob, including your CV, covering letter, and Recruitment Monitoring Form.

The covering letter should include answers to the following:

• Tell us about your background and experience
• Why are you interested in the role and how do you meet the requirements?
• What is your approach to feminist campaigning? 

The Recruitment Monitoring Form is available to download from the UK Feminista website. This will not be viewed in conjunction with the application.

A copy of UK Feminista’s HR Privacy Notice can be provided upon request.

We are committed to increasing diversity in our team and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants from underrepresented groups who meet the essential criteria for the role. If you wish to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in your application.

Deadline and key dates

The deadline for applications is 9am Saturday 10th May 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must be available to attend a face-to-face interview in London week commencing 19th May 2025. This will include a short task about which you will receive information when offered an interview. 

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be notified by Tuesday 13th May 2025. If you have not heard from us by that time your application has been unsuccessful. 

3.  About UK Feminista

UK Feminista is a feminist campaigning organisation working for a society in which women and girls live free from sexism and violence. We campaign for systemic change so that women can enjoy their rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. We exist to tackle the root causes of sex inequality.

As part of our vision and in line with our partners, UK Feminista recognises prostitution, pornography and lap dancing as forms of commercial sexual exploitation. We further recognise a woman’s right to access a legal, free, safe abortion as fundamental to women’s reproductive rights.

Our values: 

• Feminist  We are a feminist organisation which recognises and actively works against discrimination. 

• Collectivism – We are compassionate and acknowledge our mutual responsibility to support one another, stay connected, share knowledge and contribute to collective efforts.

• Adaptable – We work flexibly and dynamically, taking initiative and staying curious so we can learn from each other and respond to our changing environment. 

• Professionalism – We are a passionate team of experts motivated to deliver high quality, evidence based campaigns with integrity. We are committed to collaborating with other experts and working to amplify the voices of survivors. 

• Ambitious – We are bold and ambitious for change in society. We are also ambitious for our people, who we support to develop and thrive. 

Our current strategic priorities:

1. Combating commercial sexual exploitation – our long term goal is that the government adopts laws to effectively combat commercial sexual exploitation and support victims survivors. 
We work with survivors, policy makers and practitioners to combat commercial sexual exploitation. We provide the Secretariat for the UK Parliament’s AllParty Parliamentary Group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation. We also provide the Secretariat for A Model For Scotland and the CoSecretariat for Not For Sale.
 

​2. Tackling sexism and sexual harassment in schools and colleges – our longterm goal is that all schools and colleges take effective action against sexism and sexual harassment.

We conduct research, provide training and resources to schools, and run a national award scheme which recognises schools that take outstanding action against sexism. 

UK Feminista is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, established for charitable purposes. Our work is governed by a Board of Directors.

4. Job description

Key Responsibilities

1. Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and implement UK Feminista’s strategic vision and business plan.
• Ensure operational efficiency, compliance, and financial sustainability.
• Represent UK Feminista externally and engage with key stakeholders.

2. Fundraising & Financial Management

•  Identify and secure funding from trusts, foundations, and other sources.
•  Manage funder relationships, applications, and reporting.
•  Manage financial processes, including budgeting, payroll approvals, and compliance.

3. Governance & Compliance

• Serve as the main liaison with the Board of Directors, preparing papers and reports.
• Ensure compliance with legal, financial, and safeguarding regulations.
• Act as the organisation’s Designated Safeguarding Lead and Data Protection Officer.

4. People & Operations Management

• Lead and support the staff team, ensuring effective recruitment, onboarding, and performance management.
• Maintain and implement HR policies and procedures.
• Ensure staff have the necessary resources and support.

5. Communications & Public Engagement

• Act as the organisation’s spokesperson, managing media relations and public representation.
• Oversee external communications, including the website, press releases, and advocacy efforts.

6. Programme & Campaign Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight and management of UK Feminista’s Programmes, ensuring effective delivery and advocacy.
• Lead policy and campaign work on commercial sexual exploitation 
• Represent the organisation in advocacy networks and campaigns.

The postholder will manage a small team, and report to the Board of Directors. 

Notes

This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within the post at various times and the postholder will be expected to carry out other duties from time to time which are broadly consistent with those in this document.

5. Person specification

Skills, knowledge and experience 

Essential 

• Proven senior leadership experience in the charity, advocacy, or public affairs sector.
• Strong fundraising and financial management skills.
• Experience in strategic planning and organisational development.
• Strong people management and HR experience.
• Knowledge of governance, compliance, and safeguarding.
• Excellent communication and media engagement skills.
• Commitment to feminist principles and gender equality.

Desirable

•  Experience in political lobbying and public affairs.
•  Knowledge of gender equality in education.
•  Background in campaigning or policy development.

Personal qualities 

• Commitment to the aims and values of UK Feminista
• Teamplayer:

• • Happy to regularly provide and receive constructive feedback in support of achieving organisational objectives 

• • Collaborative and able to work flexibly in a small team to deliver shared priorities 

• • Supportive and eager to help colleagues develop and grow

• • Keen to proactively contribute ideas and knowledge in team meetings

• Proactive:

• • Enthusiastic, self-motivated and happy to work independently

• • Able to organise, plan and deliver work under pressure and ahead of time

• • Able to take responsibility and ownership over own work, including through applying a high attention to detail to ensure accuracy and quality and asking for support when needed

• • Willing to learn and develop

• Resourceful and adaptable: 

• • Solutions-focused, a ‘can do’ attitude and able to demonstrate initiative when facing challenges

• • Creative and able to maximise outputs from a small budget and limited time

• • Happy to work responsively to a changing context and to the timelines of external stakeholders 

Note: UK Feminista is committed to safe and fair recruitment, safeguarding and protecting those who come into contact with the organisation. We ensure all our staff are vetted to the appropriate standard for the role undertaken, and that staff are supported and trained to undertake safeguarding responsibilities to a high standard. 

Due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check before an offer of employment is confirmed. UK Feminista is committed to equality of opportunity for all and welcomes applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with criminal records. UK Feminista undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. We would be very happy to discuss the nature of convictions if applicants have any concerns. To arrange a confidential phone call, please contact us.

Position: Director of Income Generation
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours a week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Office-based in London with flexibility to work remotely
Salary: £73,653 per annum plus excellent benefits
Salary Band: Band 5

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

It is a very exciting time to join the MS Society as Director of Income Generation a brand-new role in the organisation. We are implementing an ambitious cross-organisational transformation programme. And we have just started a new 2025-29 strategy. Income Generation is central to both.

We are transforming our approach to engagement to grow and deepen relationships with all our audiences. This creates an opportunity to integrate our approach to engagement and income generation. So we can increase our financial supporter base. Grow and diversify long-term sustainable income to deliver transformational impact for the MS Community. And contribute to our ultimate vision of a world free from MS.

We are looking for someone to provide strategic and thought leadership to income generation.  Someone who can work collaboratively across the organisation to lead and drive forward our ambition for income generation.

You will act as the leading authority on matters relating to income generation, providing advice across the organisation including to the Executive Group and Trustees.

You will enable the delivery of related transformation programmes that increase and diversify income. And have strategic ownership of the income generation programme, including income-related activities and KPIs within the engagement calendar, and customer experience and journeys relating to financial supporters

You will lead on income generation functions planning and budget setting contributing to the overall business planning process for the Income and Engagement Directorate

Closing date for applications: 9:00am Monday 12th May 2025
Anticipated interview dates:
First interviews: Tuesday 27 May or Wednesday 28 May
Second interviews: Wednesday 4 June or Friday 6 June

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.

About Equally Ours:

We’re the UK charity that brings together people and organisations working across equality, human rights and social justice to make a reality of these in everyone’s lives. Our vision is a just and compassionate society, where we are free from harm and can all contribute and flourish, whoever we are, whatever we believe in, and whatever we do and don’t have. A society that is equally ours.

About the role:

We’re on the lookout for a new Director of Policy and Public Affairs, to protect and advance equality and human rights in the UK, by increasing our policy impact and working collaboratively to harness the power of our network.

The Director of Policy and Public Affairs will play an important role in protecting and advancing equality and human rights in the UK. This role will focus on growing our policy and public affairs capacity so that we can achieve the goals set out in Together for Social Justice, our 10-year strategy. 

You’ll develop and deliver high-impact policy influencing strategies on our three big issues of law, climate and investment. This will mean working on vital public policy issues such as embedding equality and human rights in the government’s mission-driven approach, ensuring a strong legal framework of rights protections, improving public awareness of the value of human rights, and creating a work programme to ensure that people’s whose rights are most at risk can lead policy development on climate breakdown.

You’ll have a strong track record of creating innovative policy solutions that influence public policy and secure social change; the ability to forge and nurture constructive dialogue and working relationships across the political spectrum and within civil society, and a deep understanding of how to increase racial justice at systemic level. You’ll be confident communicating complex legal and technical issues in an engaging way that brings their practical impacts to life for a wide range of audiences, including the media. You’ll be skilled at bringing people together and working collaboratively. 

We’re a small team whose strength comes from combining our own lived and professional expertise with that of the leading thinkers and organisations who make up our network. We offer flexible working and lots of autonomy within a collaborative and supportive environment where it’s your job to make things happen. 

Why Equally Ours?

• Generous benefits including enhanced pension, 26 days of annual leave, health and wellbeing support, and more. 

• Flexible working arrangements to help you balance your professional and personal life. 

• A collaborative culture that values lived experience alongside professional expertise. 

If you are looking for an opportunity to use your skills to drive meaningful social change, we would love to hear from you. 

How to Apply: 

Please read through the full job pack and then submit your CV and cover letter (max 2 pages) outlining your interest in the role and how you meet the criteria. Please ensure that you address all the criteria, providing sufficient relevant evidence, including examples, to show how your skills and experience match those required in the person specification. Applications without cover letters will not be accepted.

Closing date for applications: 6th May, 12 noon

Position: Director of External Affairs
Type: Full-time (35 hours a week), permanent
Location: Office-based in London with flexibility to work remotely
Salary: £73,653 per annum plus excellent benefits
Salary Band: Band 5

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information. 

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

It is a very exciting time to join the MS Society as Director of External Affairs a brand-new role in the organisation. We are implementing an ambitious cross-organisational transformation programme. And we have just started a new 2025-29 strategy.

We’re looking for an experienced and focused leader who has the ability to drive forward our brilliant Policy & Evidence, Campaign & Public Affairs and PR teams. We’re looking for someone who can work collaboratively across the organisation to ensure our work has a positive impact for the MS community.

With the ability to provide strategic and thought leadership, you’ll act as the leading authority on matters relating to external affairs, providing advice across the organisation including to the Executive Group and Trustees.

You’ll have significant experience of developing and implementing relevant external affairs strategies and of successfully leading policy, communications or campaigning functions in an organisation of comparable size and complexity. You’ll also need to be influential both internally and externally, including representing the MS Society at a range of external meetings with a variety of audiences.

As well as leading on planning and budget setting for the external affairs functions, as a member of the leadership team, you will also contribute to the strategic leadership, planning and policy formulation of the MS Society as a whole.

We’re looking for someone who is committed to collaborative working, who is excellent at building relationships and trust with colleagues at all levels, and whose focus is on supporting high performing teams and enabling them to do their best for the MS community.

Closing date for applications: 9:00 am Monday 12 May 2025

Anticipated interview date:

First interviews: Friday 23 May 2025

Second interviews: Wednesday 28 May 2025 or Thursday 29 May 2025

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.