Early years jobs

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Communications Officer to come and join our team in Middlesbrough.

Location – This role is both community-based in Middlesbrough, with the ability to work from home as agreed with your manager. There may also be occasional travel to other programme sites (currently Redcar, Cleveland, Stoke-On-Trent and Scotland) or travel to our London office.  

Salary – Up to £35,000 DOE 

Employment Type – Permanent

Team – Communications team

About you

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate the following: 

• Significant experience in a communications role, including experience with copywriting and content creation. 
• Experience producing high quality, clear, compelling and audience appropriate content for a range of platforms.
• Empathy, cultural awareness, and sensitivity when communicating with and about communities whose voices and experiences are often underrepresented, including those with English as an additional language or limited literacy in English.
• The ability to clearly demonstrate our impact and inspire collaboration among our partners and stakeholders by sharing compelling and meaningful stories.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the local community, including its strengths, needs, and challenges. 
• Strong knowledge and skills in Adobe Creative Suite such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop or Canva. 

About the role

The responsibilities of this role include: 

• Actively identify opportunities where communications can strengthen programme delivery, support parent outreach and increase engagement with families and communities. 
• Develop the local stakeholder engagement approach in line with agreed objectives, proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen relationships and using data and team insight to increase engagement.
• Support effective communications with stakeholders across sectors including community, health, education and local organisations. 
• Develop and produce compelling, audience focused content for a range of channels, including newsletters, case studies and promotional materials. 
• Work closely with the Head of Communications, Programme Leads and colleagues across the organisation to align communications priorities with programme and organisational objectives. 

About us

Thrive at Five is a national charity focused on giving every child the best possible start in life. We know the foundations for life and learning are built in the earliest years, from pregnancy to five. By working alongside families, communities and local partners, we help build stronger, more connected support for parents, so more children get what they need to thrive and reach a good level of development by age five.
 

Thrive at Five is a relatively young organisation but with an already strong national and political profile, having been called out in Parliament for our ways of working in Stoke-on-Trent and invited to be interviewed at the 2025 Civil Society Summit by the Secretary of State for Education. We have grown rapidly in our first four years, with a growing team of nearly 40 across the country. 2026 will be a year of further growth and milestones for the charity as we celebrate our fifth-year anniversary and expand into our third and fourth regions. This will involve recruiting for a new teams, establishing our programmes and beginning to co-design and implement our work in partnership with communities. 

About our benefits

• Pension contributions – We will contribute 3% and you can contribute 5% towards your pension through NEST. 
• 25 annual leave days per year plus bank holidays.
• £100 contribution towards your professional body membership.

Please note that as this role is subject to a successful Basic Level Disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). If you have any unspent convictions, but wish to apply for this role, please advise us in your application. The successful candidate will also need to provide satisfactory references and current right to work in the UK. 

To apply for this role, please submit your cover letter and CV by following the Apply Now button. Closing date for applications is midnight on Friday 8th May 2026.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Communications Officer to come and join our team in Redcar & Cleveland. 

Location – This role is both community-based in Redcar & Cleveland, with the ability to work from home as agreed with your manager. There may also be occasional travel to other programme sites (currently Middlesbrough, Stoke-On-Trent and Scotland) or travel to our London office.  

Salary – Up to £35,000 DOE 

Employment Type – Permanent

Team – Communications team

About you

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate the following: 

• Significant experience in a communications role, including experience with copywriting and content creation. 
• Experience producing high quality, clear, compelling and audience appropriate content for a range of platforms. 
• The ability to clearly demonstrate our impact and inspire collaboration among our partners and stakeholders by sharing compelling and meaningful stories.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the local community, including its strengths, needs, and challenges. 
• Strong knowledge and skills in Adobe Creative Suite such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop or Canva. 

About the role

The responsibilities of this role include: 

• Actively identify opportunities where communications can strengthen programme delivery, support parent outreach and increase engagement with families and communities. 
• Develop the local stakeholder engagement approach in line with agreed objectives, proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen relationships and using data and team insight to increase engagement.
• Support effective communications with stakeholders across sectors including community, health, education and local organisations. 
• Develop and produce compelling, audience focused content for a range of channels, including newsletters, case studies and promotional materials. 
• Work closely with the Head of Communications, Programme Leads and colleagues across the organisation to align communications priorities with programme and organisational objectives. 

About us

Thrive at Five is a national charity focused on giving every child the best possible start in life. We know the foundations for life and learning are built in the earliest years, from pregnancy to five. By working alongside families, communities and local partners, we help build stronger, more connected support for parents, so more children get what they need to thrive and reach a good level of development by age five.
 

Thrive at Five is a relatively young organisation but with an already strong national and political profile, having been called out in Parliament for our ways of working in Stoke-on-Trent and invited to be interviewed at the 2025 Civil Society Summit by the Secretary of State for Education. We have grown rapidly in our first four years, with a growing team of nearly 40 across the country. 2026 will be a year of further growth and milestones for the charity as we celebrate our fifth-year anniversary and expand into our third and fourth regions. This will involve recruiting for a new teams, establishing our programmes and beginning to co-design and implement our work in partnership with communities. 

About our benefits

• Pension contributions – We will contribute 3% and you can contribute 5% towards your pension through NEST. 
• 25 annual leave days per year plus bank holidays.
• £100 contribution towards your professional body membership.

Please note that as this role is subject to a successful Basic Level Disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). If you have any unspent convictions, but wish to apply for this role, please advise us in your application. The successful candidate will also need to provide satisfactory references and current right to work in the UK. 

To apply for this role, please submit your cover letter and CV by following the Apply Now button. Closing date for applications is midnight on Friday 8th May 2026.

Circa £53,000 per annum

Permanent

Part home/Part office (London) based

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as a Senior Policy Adviser – Education.

The role provides strategic leadership on UK education policy across the organisation, with a current focus on early childhood learning and development. The role shapes and delivers rights-based policy influencing strategies, research, and analysis, working closely with colleagues in campaigns and political affairs to drive change for children in the UK.

The role requires expertise in UK education policy, clear experience leading advocacy-oriented research, and a history of influencing UK Government. You will bring a strong understanding of UK policy-making processes and a commitment to children’s rights.

Act now and visit the website via the apply button to apply online.

Closing date: 9am, Thursday 14 May 2026.

Interview date: Wednesday 27 May 2026.  

In return, we offer:

· excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

· outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

· impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

· an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

· the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

Our application process: We use a system called "Applied" that anonymises your responses and focuses on your actual skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

We anticipate most colleagues will work two days a week in the office on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and the rest of the time from home.  We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, and disabled candidates, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact the Supporter Care line during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)

ID: 1782 Operational Manager, Northeast

Service: Stockton on Tees Family Time, Stockton Family Outreach & Volunteer service and South Tees Perinatal service

Salary: Grade 4 Point 34-38: £42,562 – £46,703 FTE (£34,049.60 - £37,362.40 per annum, pro rata for 29.6 hours per week)

- Additionally, £480 home-based allowance FTE per annum

Location: Home based

Hours: Part-time (up to 29.6 hours per week)

We offer flexible working arrangements - please see below for more details.

Contract: Permanent

Family Action & the Role’s Impact:

At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.

We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the

importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the operational delivery of services across Stockton on Tees and South Tees (Recar & Middlesbrough) area.  The Operational Manager will provide strategic and operational management to our services in the Northeast and line management of 2 - 3 service managers.

Stockton services are delivered under our successful strategic partnership with Stockton Borough Council. This unique partnership was formed nearly 5 years ago with the aim of transforming service provision using a collaborative approach to service development and innovation. Our South Tees Perinatal service operates over Redcar and Middlesborough and are just entering a 3 year extension to our current contract.

Main Responsibilities:

· Provide leadership, management and supervision to operational services that provide Family Time sessions, Family Outreach support and Volunteering support, plus perinatal support to families.

· Ensure that services are delivered to a good quality standard in relation to practice and performance and that services can demonstrate their impact using evidence based outcomes tools.

Main Requirements (for details check the job description and person specification):

· Experience of providing effective management, leadership and safeguarding oversight of case work and group work based support services, which overall improve the lives of  service users.

· Experience of setting up and/or managing innovative projects.

· Strong interpersonal skills, with the confidence and ability to present and communicate information effectively both in person and using a range of mediums to internal and external stakeholders, including children and young people, parents and carers, and funders.

· Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service –Enhanced

Benefits:

- an annual paid leave entitlement that commences at 25 working days, rising each April by one day, subject to a maximum of 30 working days plus bank holiday pro rata

- up to 6% matched-pension contributions

- flexible working arrangements and new starters have the right to make flexible working requests from day one of employment

- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions

- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers

- cycle to work scheme

- investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities

We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect.

To Apply:

· Click the “Apply Now” link below and fill out our digital application form

· Closing Date: Sunday 10th May 2026 at 23:59

Interviews are scheduled to take place on: 20th May 2026

For direct queries or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or flexible working requests, please email: Claire Meek (email address available on advert document).

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process and you will be asked whether you require any adjustments if shortlisted for interview. We also make reasonable adjustments on the job, where required.

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Intersectionality is important to us and we particularly welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action. We know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support.

All candidates with a disability are welcome to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and request priority consideration for an interview, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role.

To help remove financial barriers to working with us, we will reimburse reasonable travel costs if you are invited to attend an interview in person.

*Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary scale (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary scale or there are any other exceptional reasons.

Early Years Advisor

We are looking for an Early Years Advisor to join the team in this remote working role.

Position: Early Years Advisor

Location: Huddersfield Hybrid or Remote

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week

Salary: £30 – 32k

Contract: Temporary until 31 March 2029 (subject to contract)

Start Date: No later than June 2026

Benefits: Include 26 days’ holiday, rising to 30 after service increments plus 8 bank holiday, Personal Pension Scheme, Healthcare Cash Plan, Employee Assistance Programme, Staff Awards Scheme, Company Sick Pay Scheme, flexible working patterns

Closing Date: 24th April 2026

The Role

You will support the contract delivery of the Champions programmes, primarily Maths Champions, ensuring contract milestones are met. The Champions programmes are online professional development programmes designed to support early years settings to drive continuous improvement and increase high standards in early education for children from birth to five years, in line with the organisations mission to promote quality in early years for UK and international customers.

Working closely with other Early Years Advisors, delivery partners, managers and cross teams, you will be responsible for the delivery of Champions programmes.

You will work with the private, voluntary, maintained and independent sectors, and school provision providing advice and support relating to Champions programmes that enable practitioners within nursery settings with practice improvement resulting in better outcomes for children.

Key duties include:

• Provide support to cohorts of early years practitioners
• Deliver live virtual training to Champions
• Mentor and coach Champions
• Aid in the development, review and maintenance of Champions programme materials and resources
• Provide one to one advice and support to early years providers
• Work with the project manager to support the execution, delivery, management and achievement of all milestones within specific time constraints
• Collate data and report on progress of programme completion
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships and relationships
• Support the development and delivery of practice content

About You

You will have previous experience of working in early years, leading practice specifically in mathematical, language, literacy and communication as an early years professional or teacher.

We are looking for someone with experience of:

• Coaching and mentoring early years practitioners to support practice improvement
• Strong customer service or related experience
• Multi-agency partnership working
• Developing and securing strong partnerships
• Involvement with early year’s networks or groups
• Product development and review
• Effective time management
• Delivery against targets and deadlines

To apply please submit your CV along with a covering letter detailing how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role.

About the Organisation

The organisation is a national charity and membership association specifically for nurseries. They work in partnership with nurseries, local authorities, national government and a range of partners to develop an environment in which early learning and care can flourish.

The organisation is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and is actively opposed to discrimination in society.

You may also have experience in areas such as Early Years Advisor, Early Years, Teacher, Primary Teacher, Early Years Teacher, Advisor, Programme Advisor.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, Not For Profit People. #INDNFP

Location: MSSC National Support Centre, London SE1 7JY (Hybrid)

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Salary: £49,000 gross per annum

Closing Date: 3 May 2026

Are you a Safeguarding Manager looking for a new opportunity?

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure, while also enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development.

Thousands of young people take part in Sea Cadets activity every week. We want to reach thousands more. We have a strong vision and are on the cusp of rolling out a new multi-year growth strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide for young people. We aim to equip them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world. We are immensely proud of the breadth, quality and safety of activities we offer to young people.

We are currently looking for a Safeguarding Manager to join our team.

About the role

We are currently seeking to appoint a Safeguarding Manager who will be responsible for overseeing the day to day operational safeguarding functions for our charity. You will manage a team of Safeguarding Officers to ensure that an effective and robust safeguarding service is provided.  The post holder will provide professional advice and support on safeguarding matters to staff and volunteers, as well as liaising and meeting with external bodies, and occasionally delivering training.

You will have experience of the voluntary youth or community sector as a direct practitioner, and knowledge of Early Help and statutory guidance relating to safeguarding children and adults at risk. You will also have experience of managing a team where safeguarding is the main focus area of your work. 

Our safeguarding team operates centrally in London where we are responsible for providing support, advice and guidance to our volunteers relating on all safeguarding matters across the UK. Our Safeguarding Officers act as our lead professionals in managing safeguarding casework in line with our policy, procedures, national guidance and in line with our statutory duty.

Whilst this is a Monday- Friday full time position, a flexible approach to work and working patterns is a must, as is the ability to work effectively and respond appropriately in challenging circumstances.

Responsibilities

· Operational delivery

· Line management of the Safeguarding team

· Service development

Requirements

· A relevant professional qualification for example: Youth Work, Education, Early Years or demonstrable equivalent work experience.

· Detailed understanding of Early Help and legislation affecting safeguarding, regulatory requirements and best practice in relation to youth participation and inclusion.

· Knowledge and understanding of current issues and trends in safeguarding, child protection and work with children and young people.

· Management experience including responsibility for managing safeguarding, child protection, review or risk assessment and complaints and being the key decision maker.

· Experience of managing a team with an understanding of the impact and issues involved in safeguarding and child protection.

For further information, please download the Recruitment Pack. If you are interested in this role, please apply now!

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave per annum, pro rata for part time employees, increasing with length of service
• Hybrid working for many roles
• Volunteering Leave
• Life assurance (4x salary)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
• Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
• Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.

Additional Information

MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.

We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.

All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with experience working in a policy role focused on food or related issues (climate, nutrition, health or education). You will have knowledge of the political landscape in the UK and experience working with or in government departments, academia and NGOs on a range of policy issues.

It is an exciting time in food policy, and in this role you’ll have opportunities to work across our national policy portfolio, whether its exploring the link between climate change and food prices, developing our proposition for a Good Food Bill, improving the Healthy Start scheme, or strengthening public sector procurement.

The postholder will manage a variety of high impact activities and outputs that are used to drive forward change across our national policy areas and will work will colleagues across the organisation working in national policy, local policy, communications, events and food business transformation to do this.

Due to the evolving policy landscape, there will be a chance to tailor the role to the interests and experience of the successful candidate.

Across these workstreams, you’ll get a chance to:

• contribute to the refinement of policy asks and comms messaging,
• undertake desk research to inform policy,
• coordinate activities with different stakeholders and partners working across different policy areas
• support Ambassadors on advocacy related to dietary inequalities
• support communications and campaign work related to this work

Job Description:

Management and Strategy

• Support the policy portfolio of campaigns and projects across our national policy areas, including on food prices and food inflation, our Good Food Bill campaign, Healthy Start and early years.
• Work closely with the Policy and Advocacy Manager to develop and implement project plans and deliverables across these areas
• Maintain a careful record of our policy impact according to our agreed metrics within our Monitoring Evaluation and Learning framework.
• Policy and research
• Synthesize evidence for and play a significant part in the development of position statements/briefings/reports, working closely with the wider policy team and our designer.
• Support the Public Affairs lead to develop policy products for use in parliamentary engagement.
• Working closely with our Research Lead, identify evidence gaps and policy research questions which are relevant to our policy work to support new positions and generate new ideas for research or evidence collection which help achieve our policy goals.
• Work where needed with external contractors in the delivery of specific pieces of work, setting clear expectations and holding them accountable for delivery.
• Stakeholder engagement
• Develop and maintain a strong civil society network of stakeholders, working to broaden the support base for specific policies.
• Participate in coalitions of organisations who are campaigning together on specific areas of policy change.
• Develop and maintain relationships with junior civil servants in key departments across all policy areas.
• Work with the Citizens Engagement Manager to identify opportunities to bring Adult and Young Food Ambassadors into policy activities and research.
• Represent the Food Foundation and present our work in external events and meetings with relevant audiences and the media.
• Budgets and fundraising
• Administer grants which support our projects and ensure that funders are kept well informed, receive timely reports and that budgets are kept on track.
• Maintain good relationships with funders according to their requirements and provide input to proposals and funding bids.

Communications and campaigns

• Develop a comprehensive approach to dissemination of our policy outputs so they reach our intended audiences.
• Act as a local/regional media spokesperson, brief journalists, and respond to media queries.
• Contribute policy and evidence expertise to support campaign delivery.
• Contribute policy expertise to press releases, newsletters, web copy, podcasts and blogs.
• Support the maintenance of website pages related to project areas.
• Draft social media posts and newsletters.

Personal Profile

Technical skills:

• Knowledge and understanding of the food system, food and nutrition and/or health policy and policy levers for change.
• Strong knowledge of the mechanics of the UK policy-making landscape, including the workings of Westminster and Whitehall.
• Proven experience in synthesising evidence and using evidence to make a case for change.
• Proven experience in writing reports and briefings for different audiences, with the ability to explain complex and highly nuanced subject matter in plain English.
• Previous experience working in a policy role, refining policy asks and communicating these with different stakeholders
• Excellent analytic skills and close attention to detail.

Personal skills:

• Proven experience in budget management, project management and reporting to funders.
• Proven experience in managing multiple projects concurrently to tight deadlines and prioritising workload.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Strong presentation skills and confidence in speaking to external audiences.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to problem-solve and manage risk.
• Ability to work independently and manage own time effectively.
• Ability to build strong relationships with all members of the team.
• Open to giving and receiving challenging viewpoints.
• Resilience and tenacity whilst recognising the need for self-awareness and the impact of actions on others and the organisation.
• Willingness to travel for project meetings and dissemination events.
• A confident networker who enjoys building connections and relationships with new people.

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity only. The Food Foundation is a small charity and as such all staff are expected to vary their duties as necessary to meet the needs of the organisation.

Welsh Language Coordinator

We have an exciting opportunity for a Welsh language Coordinator to support early years, childcare and play work practitioners with Welsh language skills.  

Position: Welsh Language Coordinator

Location: Home Based, Travel will be required to undertake this role.

Hours: Part-time, 22.5 hours per week

Salary: £27,500 - £29,000 pro rata (dependent upon experience)

Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2027, extension possible subject to funding

Benefits: Include pro rata of 26 days paid holiday (rising to 30 days with service increments) plus 8 bank holiday, Personal Pension Scheme, Healthcare Cash Plan, Online Discount Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, Staff Awards Scheme, Company Sick Pay Scheme, Flexible working patterns

The Role

As Welsh Language Coordinator you will support early years, childcare and play work practitioners with Welsh language skills. Targets are agreed annually between the Welsh Government and charity partners. You will co-ordinate the charity’s Welsh language project, encourage Members to embark onto the online self-learning course, and provide ongoing support to practitioners on increasing their use of the Welsh language.

Main duties include supporting the wider organisation and our UK and international customers through:

• To establish and manage robust procedures and systems to support the co- ordination, delivery and monitoring of the Welsh Language project
• Identify settings and recruitment of practitioners for the delivery of training courses
• Promote the development of Welsh language skills by providing information on the online self-learning course, encouraging practitioners to sign up for the training
• Provide support to practitioners to ensure learning from the training is implemented in the workplace
• Development of resources to ensure training influences practice
• Delivery of live interaction sessions with practitioners and other partners
• Collection of data, monitoring and tracking the progress of participants
• Provide regular written reports identifying progress against targets
• Systematically gather and record sector intelligence and research
• Carry out visits within member settings in North Wales to identify settings which may want to transition to Bilingual or Welsh medium status.

About You

To be successful in the role you will need the following skills and experience:

• Effective communication skills - fluent in both English and Welsh
• Knowledge of the benefits and value of the Welsh language in the early years sector
• Experience of using a range of IT applications including Microsoft Office/ Excel
• Excellent administrative skills with attention to detail
• Able to build relationships easily and communicate at all levels, including the ability to use language and other communication skills that very young children can understand and relate to
• Enthusiasm for quality early years, childcare and play work opportunities
• Ability to meet deadlines and prioritise a busy workload
• An enthusiastic, self motivated, organised, team worker and networker
• Ability to work independently and use their own initiative
• Ability to organise and prioritise work with a minimum of supervision

In order to fulfil this role you must have the use of your own transport and the ability to travel as needed.

To apply you will be asked to submit your CV along with a covering letter detailing how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role.

About the Organisation

The organisation is a national charity and membership association specifically for nurseries. They work in partnership with nurseries, local authorities, national government and a range of partners to develop an environment in which early learning and care can flourish.

The organisation is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and is actively opposed to discrimination in society.

You may have experience in areas such as Welsh Language Support Officer, Welsh Speaking Project Manager, Welsh Speaking LSA, Welsh Speaking Teaching Assistant, Welsh Translator, Teacher of Welsh, etc.

The ideal candidate will be just as comfortable in a room full of adults, supporting teachers to understand the principles of TastEd, as they are with a group of children, getting stuck in and modelling the fun of using all five senses to explore fruits and vegetables. They will also enjoy keeping things organised behind the scenes, from coordinating sessions to ensuring feedback is collected.

This role combines:

• Delivering training to educators
• Managing relationships with schools and early years settings
• Delivering hands-on sensory food education sessions with early years and primary-aged children

We are a small and collaborative team, so the successful candidate will be comfortable getting involved across different aspects of the charity’s work. This is a new role as the organisation grows, giving the successful candidate an opportunity to help shape how the role develops. The key focus will be supporting schools and early years settings to successfully implement and embed TastEd’s approach to sensory food education.

This is a rewarding opportunity for someone who enjoys working with both educators and children, and who is passionate about improving children’s experiences with food.

The role is currently funded for 12 months; however, subject to funding, we hope to extend this.

The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking an Early Career Researcher Network Assistant to join the busy ECRN team in the Research Directorate, providing key support in the delivery of the Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN).

The Network aims to create an inclusive, supportive environment where early career researchers (ECRs) can develop their skills, expand their professional networks, and access opportunities that strengthen their career prospects. The Network is driven by the needs and interests of ECRs, promoting equality of opportunity and encouraging diverse participation. Through regional and national connections, intersectoral collaboration, and a programme of skills development, events, and networking, the ECRN enables more researchers to realise their potential and engage with the wider research community.

The ECRN went national at the end of 2025 and is now approaching 10,000 members, making this a particularly exciting time to join a dynamic and growing team. The Network is expanding its reach, strengthening its programme of events and opportunities, and deepening engagement with early career researchers across the UK.

The role

Reporting to the Head of ECRN, the post holder will provide core administrative and coordination support for the Early Career Research Network (ECRN), ensuring the smooth running of its operations, events, and communications. Working closely with colleagues in the team, they will help establish effective systems and processes that underpin the Network’s growth and delivery. The role involves regular interaction with researchers, universities, Academy Fellows, and colleagues across the Academy, requiring excellent organisation, communication, and stakeholder‑management skills.

They will be responsible for managing the ECRN inbox, supporting internal reporting, maintaining financial and administrative records, and ensuring timely information flow across teams. A key part of the role will be supporting the planning and delivery of the ECRN’s programme of online and in‑person events, including the biannual ECRN Forum, by liaising with venues, coordinating logistics, preparing papers, and providing on‑the‑day support. The post holder will also work with communications colleagues to help promote ECRN activities, including the Network’s podcast.

This is a varied and collaborative role, ideal for someone who enjoys building efficient processes, supporting events, and contributing to a programme that strengthens opportunities for early career researchers.

About the Academy

The British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, established by Royal Charter in 1902. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. Today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, culture, and societies. With a Fellowship of around 1700 leading national and international academics, the Academy invests in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas; engages the public with fresh thinking and debates; and brings together scholars, government, business, and civil society to influence policy.

The Academy currently has five directorates: Communications & Marketing; Development; Policy; Research; and Resources, plus a small Governance & Fellowship Team. We have increased staffing in the last 12 months and expect to continue to grow this year.

Working at the Academy

Our senior management team have worked with staff to foster a culture of collaboration, respect, and empathy, in which all contributions are recognised as we work towards our common goals. Our people strategy and working practices focus on building strengths and sharing insights, with learning & development, wellbeing, and equality, diversity & inclusion at the centre of how we operate as an organisation. Investing in our staff and encouraging a healthy work/life balance is central to our success, as we move forward and continue to grow. Find out more about the British Academy, including our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement.

Terms and conditions

The British Academy is based at 10-11, Carlton House Terrace, London SW1, a Grade 1 listed building. We offer a competitive benefits package including a 35-hour working week, with hours and location worked flexibly under our hybrid-working policy; 34 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays; a subsidised canteen and an excellent occupational pension.

How to apply

We use Applied for our recruitment. Applied aims to overcome unconscious bias in recruiting. Instead of using CVs, candidates are asked to answer questions that test skills needed for the role. The responses are then anonymised and reviewed in a random order by members of the hiring panel.

To find out more and apply, please visit our website via the apply button.

Closing date: Midday on 7 May 2026 (we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications).

Interviews for this role are currently scheduled for 21 May 2026, but this may be subject to change.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, reflecting our commitment to a diverse and inclusive working environment, equal opportunity and addressing under-representation. We will make reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and offer an interview to those meeting the minimum selection criteria

Little Village makes a big difference to families with babies and young children living in poverty across London. Via its network of baby banks and partners such as Family Hubs, community organisations and all of London’s maternity units, the charity passes on pre-loved goods from one family to another – clothes, toys and equipment – so that many more children have the essential things they need to thrive.

Families are supported through welcoming hubs or home deliveries, and connected into a wider network of support in community settings, while Little Village also raises its voice to highlight the realities of child poverty.

Little Village is entering an exciting new phase as it approaches its 10-year milestone and prepares to launch its next strategy. QuarterFive are partneruing with Little Villag to find a Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications to play a central role in shaping its future – leading how the organisation grows income, strengthens its brand and amplifies its voice. Sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, you will lead a newly integrated fundraising, marketing and communications department, driving a cohesive, high-performing function and building on strong foundations to deliver a more strategic, scalable and insight-led approach.

With an income base with high potential for growth and particular strength in high-value fundraising, there is significant opportunity to grow and diversify income further, while also increasing visibility and influence at a time when public awareness of child poverty is rising.

We are looking for a strategic and hands-on leader with a track record in delivering income growth. You will be motivated by impact and excited to help drive Little Village’s next phase, strengthening long-term income and increasing its influence.

This role is home-based with regular travel to Little Village hubs across London. Core hours: 09:30-15:00. Weekly or fortnightly team and SLT meetings in London plus other meetings as needed.

As Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications, you will:

• Lead and deliver an integrated fundraising, marketing and communications strategy aligned to organisational priorities
• Set and achieve ambitious income targets across multiple streams, including high-value philanthropy and partnerships
• Develop a more structured, data-informed approach to fundraising, including pipelines, forecasting and performance management
• Oversee brand and communications, ensuring a clear, compelling and consistent narrative
• Build and steward relationships with major donors, partners and senior stakeholders
• Act as a senior ambassador, raising Little Village’s profile and influence
• Lead and develop a high-performing, collaborative team

Essential skills and experience:

• A strong track record of developing and delivering successful multi-stream fundraising strategies, weighted towards high value income streams including major donors, corporates, and trusts and foundations
• Proven success in securing significant and multi-year funding
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Exposure to or interest in mass fundraising
• Strong financial, forecasting and pipeline management skills
• Expertise in working with senior stakeholders/volunteers, ideally including reporting to Committees and Trustee boards
• A successful track record of involvement in launching, managing, and evaluating campaigns
• Strong understanding of brand management, digital engagement, and integrated campaigns across multiple channels
• Understanding of digital transformation, including CRM/data integration, marketing automation, and analytics
• A data-informed approach, with experience using insight and systems to drive performance
• Excellent influencing, relationship-building and storytelling skills

Desirable:

• Experience leading an integrated fundraising and communications function within a frontline charity
• Experience of using Beacon CRM
• Lived or personal experience of the issues faced by the families Little Village supports

Diversity and Inclusion:

Little Village operates in London, one of the most diverse cities in the world. The charity are working towards a goal where their team fully reflects that diversity and difference in lived experiences and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups including: people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with lived experience of poverty either personally or through family, experience of the care system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates. As part of their commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed without names and any protected characteristics.

As part of our commitment to increasing representation of people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, we are piloting a Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) for this role, as a new approach to make our recruitment more equitable. If you identify as Black, Asian or other Minority Ethnic backgrounds and meet the essential criteria for the role, you can choose to opt in to the GIS. We will be aiming to offer everyone who opts into the scheme and meets the essential criteria a first stage interview/ assessment. See the applicant pack for further details.

Employee benefits include:

• 25 days per year annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for those working fewer than 35 hours per week)
• Team members are usually given time off between Christmas and New Year, which doesn’t come off your allowance
• Pension contributions matched by 3%
• A period of sick leave at full pay regardless of length of service
• Enhanced family friendly policies including Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental Leave and Adoption pay, with a Fertility Policy designed to support employees during fertility investigations and treatment
• Death in Service benefit (x3 annual salary)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Rewards Gateway and Tickets for Good

About Spear York

In York, Spear is partnering with York Vineyard Church, which is part of the Vineyard network of churches.

The mission of York Vineyard church is to further the gospel of Jesus Christ, build up the faith of Christian believers, share in the training of workers, promote Christian education, advance the Kingdom of God and bring relief to the poor, the needy, the sick and elderly.

“Since hearing about the Spear Programme we have seen how well the coaching focusses on mindset, as well as skills, with the aim to support young people to thrive in the workplace, looking beyond just an initial job offer”.

Spear is a dynamic, growing youth employment charity that coaches young people to overcome barriers and thrive in work and life. We do this through the Spear Programme. 

Key Information:

• Salary: £24,000 FTE
• Part-time, Permanent - Tuesday to Thursday
• 28 days annual leave pro rata, including bank holidays
• Closing date: Wednesday 6th May (we interview on a rolling basis and may close the role early if we find the right candidate)
• Assessment day: Wednesday 13th May

For more information please read through our Job Specification and Work with us pack.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process please let us know.

We deliver the Spear Programme in partnership with York Vineyard Church. We'd love you to take a moment to read their statement of beliefs and do get in touch if you'd like to chat or have any questions.

Person Specification

• An active Christian, able to personally represent the values of Spear and York Vineyard Church, and a commitment to grow and learn spiritually and as a Christian leader.
• A confidence in group facilitation, and a desire to learn and understand coaching techniques.
• Passion for social justice and for working as part of the church to transform communities, especially supporting young people in employment or education.
• An ambitious and self-motivated individual with the ability to exercise initiative, prioritise workload and work well under pressure.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• High emotional intelligence, and a sense of humour and fun!

As we approach our 30th anniversary, we are thrilled to announce a brand-new role that will help shape the future of our organisation. This is an exciting chance for a Brazelton-trained visionary with clinical experience in the infant and perinatal field to make a real impact.

You will bring your expertise in the Brazelton approach, the NBAS and/or NBO, to the forefront of our work, ensuring it continues to guide everything we do. Collaborating with our team and partners in the field, you will help implement a bold strategic plan and play a central role in developing innovative services for the future.

If you are passionate about the Brazelton approach, embedding relationship-centred care into services and want to be part of an organisation that values compassion, knowledge, and collaboration, this role is for you.

Responsible to

The Director

Responsible for

Strategy implementation, service development, programme development and partnerships

Base

Hybrid with some in person meetings at 66 Devonshire Rd, Cambridge CB1 2BL 

Salary

£49,000 to £57,000 pro rata depending on experience (Band 7 AfC)

Working hours

22.5 hours per week (equivalent to 3 days per week)

Background

The Brazelton Centre UK aims to support the transition and adjustment to parenthood, focusing on the development and mental health needs of both babies and parents. Holding the baby in mind, the Centre, which is research and practice based, enables health professionals to facilitate relationship building between parents and their newborn at a time that is experienced as a major life event. The philosophy of the organisation is one of enabling effective service development, appropriate clinical intervention and sharing of expertise.

The Centre, established in Cambridge in 1997, is a training organisation for health professionals and researchers who work with babies and parents.We offer training courses in the Newborn Behavioural Observations System (NBO) and Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale. (NBAS). Brazelton Centre UK is one of four Centres in the world, teaching the NBO and NBAS, and the most active.Brazelton UK works in partnership with other organisations on training, surveys and research, including third sector organisations, universities, NHS trusts and organisations providing support for the under-fives. Almost 6,000 practitionershave undertaken the UK training courses in both the NBO and NBAS.

The Centre currently has a staff of 7 from different professional groups, in a range of roles, with 10 Trainers across the UK, able to teach specific courses as required. 

The charity has a Board of Trustees.The Strategy and Service Development Lead will report directly to the Director and be ultimately accountable to the Board of Trustees.

The Brazelton Centre UK has developed a new Strategic Plan for 2025–2030, setting out ambitious goals to increase reach and impact, expand research activity, develop new training programmes and increase engagement with parents.

This new post has been created to support the Director and Trustees in delivering this strategy and to lead the development of new programmes, partnerships and services that support the Centre’s mission.

This is a part-time post in the first instance and may entail some travelling in the UK and abroad for meetings. 

Key Responsibilities and accountabilities:

Strategic development and implementation

·Support the Director and Board of Trustees in the implementation of the Brazelton Centre UK’s strategic plan.

·Lead the coordination and delivery of strategic initiatives designed to increase the reach, impact and sustainability of the Centre’s work.

·Identify opportunities for innovation and development of services that support professionals working with babies and their families.

·Work collaboratively with the Director and staff team to translate strategic priorities into practical implementation plans and measurable outcomes.

·Monitor progress against strategic objectives and provide regular updates to the Director and Trustees

Service and programme development

·Lead the development of new programmes, services and initiatives in line with the BCUK’s strategic goals.

·Support the development of new training programmes and educational resources for health professionals and practitioners working with parents and babies.

·Work with colleagues, trainers and partners to design, pilot and evaluate new initiatives including antenatal and postnatal programmes.

·Work with the Director, staff team and trainers to support the development and implementation of online learning modules, webinars and digital educational resources that enhance the BCUK’s training and educational offer.

·Contribute to the development of digital resources that support professionals trained in the NBO and NBAS, including resources designed to strengthen implementation and reflective practice.

·Ensure that all programme development reflects current evidence and best practice in infant mental health, early development and parent–infant relationships.

Partnerships and collaboration

·Develop and maintain strong partnerships with external organisations including universities, NHS services, local authorities and voluntary sector organisations.

·Contribute to the development of professional networks and initiatives that support practitioners trained in the NBO and NBAS.

· Support the Director in identifying opportunities for collaborative projects, research partnerships and service innovation.

· Represent the Brazelton Centre UK in meetings, networks and events as appropriate.

· Promote collaborative working with partners in order to strengthen the Centre’s profile and maximise opportunities for impact.

Research and evaluation

·Support the Director and R&D Manager with the development of research collaborations and evaluation projects which strengthen the evidence base for the Brazelton approach.

·Work with academic and clinical partners to develop evaluation frameworks that demonstrate the impact of Brazelton Centre UK programmes and training, and support dissemination of learning and research findings.

·Assist in the identification of opportunities for research funding and collaborative projects.

Governance and organisational development

·Support the Director and Board of Trustees in the development and review of organisational policies, strategies and governance processes.

·Work closely with the Director to support the effective operational functioning of the Brazelton Centre UK, helping to ensure that organisational priorities and work programmes are delivered effectively.

·Provide leadership and coordination of agreed areas of organisational activity, working with the Director to support the management and development of the Brazelton Centre UK staff team.

·Support the Director in the development of staff objectives, work plans and monitoring of progress against agreed priorities.

·Contribute to the coordination and oversight of the delivery of programmes, projects and training activities to ensure they meet organisational standards and strategic objectives.

·Work collaboratively with the Director and colleagues to support the effective coordination of the Brazelton Centre UK Trainers and related initiatives.

· Ensure that work undertaken within the role reflects the values and principles of the Brazelton Centre UK.

General

This job description describes the major responsibilities and accountabilities associated with the post of Strategy and Service Development Lead.It is not intended to be exhaustive and it should not be assumed that other duties of a similar level/nature appropriate to the role of Strategy and Service Development Leadare excluded simply because they are not itemised.

Similarly, it should be recognised that the duties of the post may alter due to changes in legislation or policy or the business needs of the charity.Where such changes occur, training may be given where reasonable to enable the post-holder to undertake the new or varied work.

The Strategy and Service Development Leadis a key advocate for The Brazelton Centre UK and is expected to display the highest levels of personal and professional integrity at all times and to always act in a way which reflects positively on the organisation. 

Further details about the Centre can be found on the Brazelton Centre UK website.

For more information about the post and informal discussions, please contact Inge Nickell, Director of the Brazelton Centre UK.

Please refer to the attachment for person specifications. 

Right to Work in the UK: Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.Proof of eligibility to work in the UK will be required from candidates who are shortlisted for interview.

Interview date is on the 30th June 2026 in Cambridge in person. 

About the role

The Climate and Resilience Expert is a specialist role that will contribute to strengthening and expanding Practical Action’s Climate and Resilience portfolio, with a primary focus on Early Warning Systems and Early Action. The postholder will play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of our EWS/EWEA work, providing high‑quality technical expertise, thought leadership and sector engagement to enhance the impact of our programmes, partnerships, and consultancy services.

This role will support the delivery of ongoing workplans for key EWS/EWEA initiatives, including maternity cover responsibilities for priority projects. Approximately 50% of the postholder’s time will focus on coordinating delivery of the EWS Thematic Lead work under the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, ensuring continuity, effective collaboration, and high technical standards across research, programme design, partnership development, and influencing activities.

About you

The successful candidate will bring strong technical knowledge of early warning systems and early action, experience working in climate resilience in low‑ and middle‑income contexts, and the ability to collaborate effectively with global teams, partners, and external stakeholders to advance Practical Action’s mission of putting ingenious ideas to work for a world that works better for everyone.

Person Specification

• Minimum of 5 years professional experience in a related role, including significant time working in different geographical contexts globally. 
• Masters degree level qualification or equivalent in a related field.
• Strong personal empathy with Practical Action’s mission, vision and values.
• Ability and willingness to travel overseas several weeks a year.
• Established professional relationships with relevant key actors/networks in the Early Warning System sector.
• Experience of developing and leading consultancy assignments, projects and teams.

Skills, Abilities and Competencies:

• In-depth knowledge of Early Warning Systems, and relevant stakeholders and funders.
• Knowledge of Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) as a priority in EWS.
• High standards of written and spoken English. 
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships and networks.
• Enthusiastic and results driven.
• Ability to write and speak in a language other than English would be an advantage (e.g. Spanish, French, Portuguese).

 The opportunity to work for an organisation that is making a positive difference to the lives of people worldwide, a friendly and supportive culture, and working with values-driven and highly engaged colleagues are just some of the reasons we think Practical Action is a great place to work.

This role will be based in the UK.

The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in the UK.  The successful candidate will be expected to attend the Rugby office on regular occasions.

Interviews: It is anticipated that interviews will take place in the weeks commencing 11th and 18th May 2026.

If you do not hear from us within five weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.