Education jobs

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for an experienced HR Business Partner to support academy leaders and deliver high quality people-focused advice across the Federation.

This is a hands-on role where you will work closely with senior leaders, providing expert advice on employee relations, workforce planning and organisational change. You’ll lead complex casework, coach leaders on effective people management, and support initiatives that improve engagement, wellbeing and performance.

The role involves regular visits to academies, building strong relationships and ensuring consistent, high-quality HR practice. You’ll also contribute to HR projects, policy development and leadership training.

If you’re a proactive, solutions-focused HR professional with strong ER experience and a passion for education, we’d love to hear from you.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Your responsibilities will include:

• Acting as a trusted HR partner to academy leaders, providing proactive, pragmatic advice on workforce planning, engagement, performance and wellbeing
• Providing expert advice and support to managers on complex employee relations cases, including disciplinaries, grievances, sickness absence, capability management and restructures, ensuring legal compliance and timely resolution
• Coaching and supporting senior leaders to strengthen people management capability and embed best practice, including informal dispute resolution
• Providing expert advice and support to leaders on organisational change, including restructures and TUPE transfers, supporting with managing consultation processes and trade union relationships
• Analysing workforce data and trends to inform HR initiatives such as retention, attendance improvement, and improving the employee experience

For a full list of job responsibilities, please download the Job Pack.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Significant experience operating at HR Business Partner or senior HR advisory level within a complex organisation, influencing senior stakeholders
• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases, including change management and restructuring, with strong employment law knowledge
• The ability to coach, influence and challenge senior leaders with credibility, empathy and professionalism

For a full job specification, please download the Job Pack.

APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Elliott, Talent Acquisition Partner, via email  to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application.

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

OUR VISION & VALUES

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.

We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

Role Purpose:

The Circle is an alternative to A&E for young people and children who are finding it hard to cope with their mental health, when medical intervention might not be necessary. We provide one-off in the moment support, and we are open every day of the year.

Mental health advisors are part of the core team, supporting children and young people aged 5-18 and their families every day. We do not have waiting lists. You are expected to work within HFEH Mind’s policies and procedures and adhere to our code of conduct/values.

This role may suit those that have worked with vulnerable children in the past, including, but not limited to, support workers, CAMHS workers and mental health workers. We work within a diverse borough and look to reflect this in our team.

Job Summary:

The mental health advisor role is a key part of the delivery of the Circle, working to support young people and their families who are finding it hard to cope. They will conduct (up to) hour long, one-off sessions with children and young people aged 5-18, providing: safety planning, coping mechanisms, psychoeducation, and signposting, and supporting in de-escalation. This will be delivered with a non-judgemental and empathetic approach.

As a mental health advisor, you will need to be ready to respond in the moment to presenting (often unknown) concerns. You will dynamically risk assess situations and be confident in raising concerns when necessary.

Key Responsibilities:

Service Delivery:

• Work as part of a team to provide support to children, young people and their families.
• Work within the Circle framework and follow all HFEH Mind’s policies and procedures.
• Develop an understanding of the local area, and other services, to effectively signpost to.
• Deal with all safeguarding concerns in line with HFEH Mind’s safeguarding children policy.
• Take pride in the working environment, keeping it clean and tidy, and reporting any Health and Safety concerns appropriately.
• Utilise skills flexibly and effectively so that support can be tailored in a creative way.

Service Accountability:

• Maintain accurate, clear and concise records of all interactions with children, young people, parents/carers and professionals.
• Attend and engage in mandatory training, as directed by HFEH Mind.
• Ensure all support provided has an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects difference and diversity.
• To work collaboratively with all other partners and professionals and represent HFEH Mind in a positive light.

Other:

• To attend and engage constructively in 1-1 supervision, team meetings and group reflective practice, where applicable.
• Carry out any additional tasks as required by a manager in Children and Young People Services.

Person Specification

Essential

• A minimum of two years’ experience supporting vulnerable or at risk children and young people in a paid or voluntary capacity, or equivalent.
• An ability to form supportive relationships with families, and tailor support to individual need.
• A child-centred approach to work
• Working knowledge of child and adult safeguarding.
• Organisational skills and excellent time management.
• Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to tailor messages to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload.
• Ability to work flexibly according to the needs of the service, whilst managing your own self-care.
• An openness to your approach to colleagues, managers and in 1:1s and reflective practice sessions.
• Experience of using Microsoft Office package.
• Working understanding of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the importance of equality, equity, diversity and inclusion and the ability to integrate into your work.

Desirable

• Experience of working with children or young people presenting with complex needs, and/or who are neurodiverse.
• Experience in managing relationships with professionals (e.g. schools, education psychologists, early help teams), commissioners and other stakeholders.
• Experience in co-producing activities and campaigns with young people.
• Experience of working within a multi- disciplinary team.
• Experience of supporting young people experiencing episodes of heightened stress/distress.

We are an equal opportunities employer; and are proud to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check

Regional Operational Manager

Service: Services and Innovation London

Salary:

• £42,562 - £46,703 FTE per annum (£34,049.60 - £37,362.40 per annum for part-time, 29.6 hours per week)
• Additional £3,866 Inner London Weighting FTE per annum (£3,092.80 ILW per annum for part-time, 29.6 hours) for office based
• OR £480 homeworking allowance per annum (£384 per annum for part-time, 29.6 hours per week) if homebased

Location: Various areas across London

Hours: 29.6 hours per week (part-time) – can also be worked as a 3 day a week role (22.2 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 for a Regional Operational Manager to oversee a portfolio of services across London, driving innovation, operational excellence, and community impact.

The postholder will lead service managers, manage stakeholder relationships and pursue development opportunities across the capital.

Key requirements:

• Proven leadership experience managing services for vulnerable children, young people, and families.
• Strong background in team management, budget oversight, and quality assurance.
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement, partnership building, and service development.
• Experience with tenders, funding bids, and strategic growth.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, compliance, and data-driven performance monitoring.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with an understanding of intersectionality.
• Excellent communication, project management, and organisational skills.
• A recognised qualification in social work, health, education, youth work (or equivalent), and ideally a management qualification.

We welcome applicants with lived experience of the communities we support.

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

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

Benefits:

• an annual paid leave entitlement of 30 working days plus bank holidays (pro-rated for part-time hours)
• up to 6% matched-pension contributions
• 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.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community / particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities 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 travel costs if you are invited to attend an interview in person. 

To Apply:

• Click the ‘Apply’ link below and fill out our digital application form
• Closing Date: Monday 23rd February at 11.59pm

Interviews are scheduled to take place on March 17th, 2026, at our Head Office in London, with slots throughout the working day and early/late slots available.

Appointments are subject to satisfactory Safer Recruitment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where appropriate to the role.

*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.

We are recruiting a Van Peer Coordinator to support our Hepatitis C peer project in the Oxford & Thames Valley area. This role involves driving a van across the region and working with people affected by substance use and hepatitis C. 

Peers use their lived experience to raise awareness of hepatitis C, reduce stigma, and help people access testing and treatment. 

About you 
You will: 

• Be confident driving a van and travelling long distances 

• Have experience working with people affected by substance misuse 

• Have lived experience of hepatitis C, or experience supporting someone who has 

• Be reliable, compassionate, and well organised 

• Have good communication skills 

• Hold a clean driving licence (essential) 

What you’ll do 

• Recruit and support volunteer peers 

• Work with NHS hepatitis C teams, drug and alcohol services, and homelessness services 

• Coordinate education sessions and community-based hepatitis C testing 

• Support people into hepatitis C treatment and ongoing care 

This role requires regular travel across Oxford & Thames Valley. 

Location: Onsite in Marylebone
Contract: Fixed-term contract until 2027
Hours: Full-time
Salary: £56,000 per annum

Prospectus is delighted to be supporting our client in their search for a Senior Facilities Manager. The organisation is a renowned, music specialist higher education institution based in Central London, searching for an experienced and proactive professional to lead estate management operations and ensure the smooth running of facilities on a day-to-day basis.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of the Estates strategy, overseeing all operational facilities management and ensuring excellent customer service.
• Manage operational teams, service providers, and contractors across soft services, hard services, M&E, fire, telephony, and security.
• Oversee security operations (access, keys, CCTV, security staff) and act as the out‑of‑hours emergency contact.
• Maintain responsibility for key licences, the asset register, and Health & Safety compliance.
• Monitor external contracts, procurement, budgets, and supplier performance to ensure value for money and best practice.
• Manage contract documentation, operational processes, and Estates‑related project work.
• Drive continuous improvement and carry out additional duties as required by the Director of Finance.

Requirements

• Recent experience in a similar role, ideally within the higher education or not-for-profit sector.
• Excellent operations, project, and estate management knowledge, including ability to oversee multiple sights and engaging suppliers/contractors.
• Ability to make quick decisions with significant impact., and take ownership of decisions to successful resolution.
• Proactive nature and strong attention to detail.
• Confident managing teams and supporting professional development.
• High quality communication and interpersonal skills.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so please apply ASAP and submit your CV in Word format. 

As a specialist Recruitment Practice, we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations, and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you in your application. 

At Outside the Box we make a real difference, positively changing the lives of the people with learning disabilities/autism. To build on our success, we are now looking for someone special to lead our ‘day’ services (OTB Choices).

OTB Choices provides a dynamic portfolio of education, skills, creative and work experience opportunities, from cooking, art and craft to printing, computing, music and customer service, and much more. We are at an exciting stage in our delivery and development and are seeking an exceptional person to lead and manage our services, ensuring consistently high quality provision that really does make a difference.

You will play a pivotal role in our work, proactively leading a diverse team and multi-site operations to achieve targets and outcomes. You will be solution-focused, have the strength, vision and evidenced track record of an experienced manager and shared passion for enabling and empowering people with learning disabilities and/or autism to have their best lives.

​About the role   

We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, and energetic supervisor or team leader to take up a full-time role within our organisation as a Operations Supervisor to be part of our small and dedicated team. The role will be based in Southwark as well as potential for wider London working as you will be part several innovative housing projects in London supporting vulnerable households to sustain their tenancies. As well as a team line manager, you will be maintaining and developing partnership with the Council’s housing officers, solicitors, landlords, community services, social prescribers, and mental health support workers to ensure tailored support can be offered for each client. The objectives of these programmes are to avoid evictions, sustain tenancies, increase employment opportunities, improve wellbeing, and increase educational outcomes. You will be working in partnership with other stakeholders such as schools and local authorities to improve family health, build relationships and engage families and individuals and their networks of support.    

About you   

We are seeking an experienced and motivated professional to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in staff management and project leadership, knowledge of housing polices, and with proven experience working with individuals who have complex needs. 

You will be responsible for managing and developing partnerships, supporting data collection for reports and monitoring, and contributing to quality assurance processes. In addition, you will hold a small caseload, providing direct, holistic support to individuals as part of your role. 

We’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic, self-motivated, and highly organised. You should be confident working independently, with a genuine passion for driving positive change. Strong interpersonal skills are essential, along with the ability to provide holistic support and think creatively to find solutions. 

You will have:

• Experience leading and supervising other support workers, or volunteers, including delegation, training, and mentoring. 

• Ability to monitoring staff performance, and ensuring continuous professional development 

• Demonstratable experience of building and maintaining partnerships with stakeholders, statutory and  community organisations 

• Understanding of housing law, direct experience of working in partnership housing associations, local authorities, homeless organisations and public sector stakeholders  

• Good understanding of policy and procedures related to homelessness, benefits and housing market  

• Experience of organising project delivery and development 

• Experience of writing reports to showcase records and impact 

• Ability to work sensitively and empathetically with people in vulnerable circumstances

About Kineara   

Kineara is a unique community interest company that supports people in poverty across London who facing barriers to housing, employment and education. We break down barriers, provide holistic support for families, vulnerable adults, and school pupils, and deliver intensive one-to-one interventions to those in need of extra help through challenging times. We use holistic, trauma-informed methods, partnership working and a flexible, non-judgemental approach that puts the needs of those we work with first.

People Relations Partner

£35,072 -£36,918

Location , Leeds, West Yorkshire. With Hybrid working opportunities available

The WEA is the UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of adult education, a charity dedicated to bringing high quality, professional education into the heart of communities.   

We are looking for talented individuals to help us deliver our mission – to bring lifelong learning within reach fighting inequality and promoting social justice. 

Job Description 

 As the People Relations Partner, you will lead across the WEA’s people relations. Ensuring all colleagues are heard, supported and treated with dignity and respect. As a trusted partner to leaders, you will provide expert, person-centred advice and guidance on all people relation matters, mitigating risk and fostering a fair, consistent and positive workplace culture.  

Reporting to the Head of People Relations and Policy, the successful candidate will empower leaders and colleagues to resolve issues effectively, safeguarding our people and our organisation.  

We have attached the full role profile, that lists the key deliverables, performance measures and experience/qualifications needed for this role. Please take your time to read through this, and if you’d like to apply, hit that button! 

We are working hard to create a workplace that reflects the communities we seek to serve and in which everyone feels empowered to be themselves and work together to drive positive change. We strongly encourage applicants from a diverse range of candidates and encourage everyone with the appropriate skills, experiences and potential to apply. 

Should you need any support with your application, then please get in touch.   We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible 

 In our recent OFSTED inspection, we received a GOOD overall grade, with an OUTSTANDING rating for Behaviour and Attitudes and Personal Development. 

You can read more about our benefits and what it’s like to work here, on our website .

#HR #peoplerelations #CIPD #peopleteam

Mentivity is seeking 2 Senior Youth Workers to support the delivery of high-quality, safe and engaging youth work sessions for young people across our Southwark youth clubs and school holiday provision. Female applicants are particularly encouraged to apply as part of our commitment to building a diverse and representative workforce.

This role is ideal for an experienced youth work professional who is passionate about empowering young people, creating inclusive spaces, and supporting positive personal, social and emotional development.

About Mentivity:

Founded in 2016 by Sayce Holmes-Lewis alongside co-founders Leon Wright and Tyson Holmes-Lewis, Mentivity is an award-winning, inspirational mentoring organisation that provides aspirational support for young people, schools, families and communities.

Through Mentivity House, we provide a dedicated space for youth development and community engagement, including youth clubs, tailored programmes and respite provision. Our work focuses on raising aspirations, improving life outcomes and ensuring young people feel seen, heard and supported.

What we do:

Youth Work & Mentoring
High-quality, relationship-led youth work that supports young people to develop confidence, resilience and life skills.

Mentivity House & Community Delivery
Inclusive youth clubs, community programmes and safe spaces rooted in the needs of the local Southwark community.

Holiday & Enrichment Programmes
Structured, engaging school holiday provision offering activities, trips, meals and enrichment opportunities for young people who benefit from additional support outside term time.

The Role:

As a Senior Youth Worker, you will play a key role in delivering engaging, youth-led sessions across community and holiday settings. You will build trusted relationships with young people, model positive behaviour, uphold safeguarding standards and contribute to a safe, welcoming environment where all young people can thrive.

You will also support inclusive practice, particularly for young people facing additional challenges or vulnerabilities, and work collaboratively with staff, volunteers and partners to ensure high-quality delivery.

This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference within a values-driven organisation that is deeply committed to young people and the communities we serve.

#Senior Youth Worker #Mentor #Youth #Youth Worker #Youth Work #Youth Mentoring #Senior Youth Work 

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 
We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.

Longer working lives and ongoing economic transitions are reshaping careers: how we start them, and how we move through them. But too many people remain paid in low-paid, low-quality work – with damaging consequences for them personally, and our economy as a whole. We’re seeking a senior, policy-oriented research leader to help us and our partners generate insights that enable more people to move into and progress through better work.

You’ll have a proven track record in scoping and securing funding for research and influencing activity, with significant autonomy to lead your own programme at L&W. You’ll be supported by committed researchers and managers whom you will coach, lead, and develop—alongside a peer group of Deputy Directors working across other key pillars. We welcome quantitative expertise, but most important are the skills to design and deliver high-quality, impactful research programmes.

You’ll join an organisation with a national reputation for driving policy change—and a friendly, highly capable, delivery-focused team. 

Location: Hybrid working: 40-60% in an L&W office. Our offices for this role are currently in Leicester and London, but if you are based elsewhere, please contact us to talk about how the role could work for you.

Team:Research and Development

Salary:£64,450 -£77,880 per annum (pro rata), dependent on experience and location

Duration:Permanent

Working hours:0.8 to 1 FTE, with flexible working supported (e.g. condensed hours, flexible start and finish times)

Main Purpose

The Deputy Director, Policy and Research (Better Work and Progression) will have overall ownership of the ‘Better Work’ pillar of our strategic plan at L&W: overseeing all projects and activity in this area and generating new work (including developing project ideas and securing funding).

While there is significant scope to shape the ongoing programme of research and impact work, we anticipate that key areas of focus in this area going forward will be: understanding & better supporting career change; understanding and improving policy to increase employer investment in skills; high quality and fair access apprenticeships and technical education; understanding how to better support progression from low pay.

They will be a senior leader for the organization – helping to continuously shape our strategy and the plans we are implementing to deliver it.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and management

• Intellectual leadership of the Better Work pillar: developing and owning policy positions, messages, theory of change and research priorities, and supporting the wider team to feed into and understand them
• Line management of senior and mid-level staff
• Act as a senior leader at L&W – including taking on specific organization-level responsibilities where appropriate

Income

• Write and/or co-ordinate responses to reactive research and evaluation tenders in the areas of employment, better work and progression
• Develop pro-active proposals that will drive change in your area, and respond to the interests of funders and partners
• Build relationships with current and potential funders and research partners

Impact

• Act as an external expert on the issues of better work and progression: writing press quotes, articles and blogs;speaking on platforms
• Building relationships with practitioners, policymakers and partners to improve our insights, and get our recommendations implemented
• Develop appropriate means of tracking impact towards our better work goals, and monitor against them. 

Delivery

• Deputy Director/Project Director-level oversight of projects being delivered in your and related areas: supporting project team to shape research plans, deliver sharp insights and manage funder relationships
• Quality Assurance of research proposals and outputs
• Use your research skills and experience to support the wider development of the Learning and Work team

Person Specification

Experience

Experience of developing, overseeing and delivering programmes of policy-relevant research at a high level - Essential

Experience of business development in a policy/research context: developing ideas, writing bids and building relationships with funders- Essential

Experience of building senior-level relationships with external stakeholders for impact and influence -Essential

Track record of delivering national and/or local policy change - Essential

Experience of senior organisational leadership as part of a team - Desirable 

Experience of responding to tenders- Desirable 

Skills

Advanced research skills (qualitative of quantitative) -Essential

Quantitative skills: experience of using key national research and administrative data sets to generate insights into the labour market -Desirable 

Clear and direct written communication style - Essential

Knowledge

Knowledge of, and commitment to, L&W’s charitable aims and purpose.- Essential

Demonstrable knowledge of employment and/or skills policy in the UK - Essential

Demonstrable knowledge in the specific areas of Better Work and/or progression -Desirable 

Learning and Work Institute works across the UK. Our work in Wales is led by a Cardiff based team, but all staff are required to follow the guidance set out in our Welsh language scheme when working in Wales.

Job Title: Research Officer – Fundraising Prospect Research

Location: Rhodes House, Central Oxford (hybrid working)

Contract: Fixed-term – 12-month contract (From mid-March 2026)

Hours: Full time – 37.5 hours per week

Salary: £33,000-£35,000

Reports to:         Research Manager

We have an exciting, new opportunity for a Research Officer (Fundraising Prospect Research) to join the Rhodes Trust, Oxford. This role is based within the Global Engagement department, focusing on Development and Alumni Engagement, based at Rhodes House.

We are looking for the successful candidate to ideally start with us in Mid-March 2026.

About the Rhodes Trust

The Rhodes Trust is an educational charity which offers Rhodes Scholarships to exceptional students from around the world to come and study at the University of Oxford. Our mission is to build a better world through global fellowship programmes that develop and connect compassionate, innovative, and public-spirited people committed to solving humanity’s challenges. In recent years, we have also partnered with several other remarkable organisations to create the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Atlantic Institute, Schmidt Science Fellows, RISE and Oxford Next Horizons.

The role

The Research Officer will help provide a high-quality in-house prospect research service to the senior leadership team and the Warden (CEO) of the Trust. The Research Officer will report to the Research Manager, work closely with the major gift team located in the UK, Canada, Australia and the United States, and gain first-hand knowledge and experience working as an in-house prospect research professional for a highly regarded educational charity.

The role will be responsible for;

· Providing a high-quality in-house prospect research service to the Development Team and senior leaders including the Warden (CEO) of the Trust, and Trustees, as required

· Contributing to the proactive identification of potential major donors and partners to the Rhodes Trust including alumni, individuals, foundations and corporates

· Delivering a pipeline of briefing materials for the Warden (CEO) and senior leadership team to support key fundraising and stakeholder meetings, events and overseas travel itineraries as requested

· Assisting with compiling and managing a portfolio of additional research materials and projects, including profiles, network mapping, philanthropy reports, and targeted analysis, as well as country-specific content to support the Trust’s fundraising efforts in different geographies

· Recording and managing prospect and stakeholder data using the Trust’s CRM database (Salesforce)

· Role modelling the Trust’s organisational values of commitment, inclusion, belonging, growth and innovation

· Carrying out any other duties relevant to the role, as requested

· Having a deep commitment to the values, ethos and mission of the Rhodes Trust

Please see the job description for more responsibilities

Essential skills, experience and qualifications:

· Previous experience in an educational Development and / or alumni office – direct experience in prospect research would be a plus

· Reliable and responsible with excellent written communication skills and an emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy

· Ability to use initiative and creatively source information to identify opportunities and map connections

· Ability to keep information confidential and exercise discretion

· Experience of accurate data entry and record maintenance; good working knowledge of a CRM system and competency in creating and running reports from a database

· Excellent IT skills, including experience with Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook)

· An interest in the educational sector

Please see the job description for more responsibilities

Benefits of working here

We are a global organisation and we use our deep connections across the world to bring together people of different backgrounds and viewpoints. We encourage our staff to challenge each other’s thinking and generate new ideas.

· 30 days annual leave (pro rata) plus 8 bank holidays

· Competitive pension scheme

· Generous family leave schemes

· Private health insurance

· Employee Assistance Programme

· Personal development opportunities

· Additional benefits, such as free access to the University's gardens, parks, libraries and museums, and University staff discounts in shops across Oxford.

· Cycle to work scheme

· Electric car scheme

If you would like to find out more, please click ‘apply’ to view the full job description and to find the link to apply. Please send us your CV and a covering letter. Please note, this advert will close on 4 February 2026.

If you have any issues with submitting your application, please email the Recruitment team.

The Rhodes Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We warmly welcome applications from talented people of diverse backgrounds and appoint without regard to age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, parental status, marital or civil partner status, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, religion or belief.

Pembroke College Oxford is seeking a highly organised and analytical Development Operations Manager to play a central role in supporting the College’s Development and fundraising activities.

Founded in 1624, Pembroke is an inclusive and dynamic College based on a central site in Oxford that combines historic quadrangles with award-winning new developments. The College has ambitious plans for the future and an active programme of alumni engagement, stewardship and fundraising to support its academic mission and long-term sustainability.

The Development Operations Manager is a pivotal role within the Development team. Working closely with the Development Director, the post-holder will be responsible for the operational foundations that underpin the College’s fundraising activity, including alumni database management, gift processing, prospect research, reporting, and insight generation. The role is essential to ensuring that the Development team works efficiently, accurately, and strategically, supported by high-quality data and robust processes.

The post-holder will manage the College’s alumni database (DARS), acting as a knowledgeable and trusted first point of contact for database queries, and will lead projects to improve data quality and compliance. They will also play a key role in analysing giving patterns and engagement trends, preparing reports for colleagues and committees, and supporting the identification and tracking of potential donors. In addition, the role includes dotted-line management responsibility for the Development Coordinator, with a particular focus on overseeing operational activity.

This post would suit someone who is confident working with complex data, highly numerate, and able to spot patterns and trends. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, able to work collaboratively within a small, interdependent team, while also exercising discretion and sound judgement when handling confidential information.

Benefits include membership of the University staff pension scheme, free lunches during working hours when the College kitchens are open, and a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, in addition to public holidays. Opportunities for training and professional development are also available.

Key responsibilities

The main duties to be carried out by the post-holder include:

Data and Database Management

• Manage the alumni database (‘DARS’) and ensure that data held on alumni is GDPR compliant, comprehensive, and up to date.
•  Oversee projects to maintain and improve the quality of the College’s alumni data and ensure engagement activities are accurately and effectively recorded.
•  Produce data exports for third-parties such as consultancies and mailing houses and ensure any data received is processed and imported accurately.
• Produce accurate data content for publications such as lists of stewardship group members and deceased alumni.
• Become a competent ‘super-user’ of the DARS database and act as first point of contact for the Pembroke Development team for any queries about the database, ensuring that the team is both confident in using it and consistently recording data in line with GDPR.
•  Actively engage with the central University team delivering the successor to DARS, ‘Halo’, to ensure it meets the College’s requirements, and lead on the migration to Halo at the appropriate time.

Prospect Research and Tracking

• Undertake prospect research to identify potential major donors among the College’s alumni and supporter base.
• Oversee research into alumni in particular regions in advance of College trips.  
• Manage Pembroke’s prospect management processes, working with fundraisers and others to identify and assign new prospects within the team.
• Work with the Development Coordinator to prepare donor and prospect profiles ahead of events, trips, and meetings.

Insights, Trends and Segmentation

• Working closely with the Development Officer (Regular Giving and Legacies), proactively and creatively analyse patterns of giving to enable the team to target and segment Regular Giving appeals more effectively.
• Conduct research into wider sector giving trends, and provide recommendations for better engagement.
• Prepare regular reports on donor and engagement activities for the team and wider College, including the Development Committee and Campaign Board.

Gift Processing

• Ensure all changes to Direct Debits including cancellations and amendments are actioned in the agreed timescales. Communicate with donors in respect to these changes.
•  Liaise regularly with the PCFNA (Pembroke’s 501(c)(3)) to ensure donations made through it are accurate.
• Record all donations including cheques/PCFNA/one-off bank payments as pledges on DARS.
• Identify missed pledge payments or recurring gifts.  
• Support the Finance Business Partner in all Gift Aid administration including Gift Aid compliance, securing outstanding Gift Aid declarations and updating old Gift Aid declarations and review of non-eligible declarations.
•  Liaise closely with the finance team to ensure donations are accurately classified and reported
•  Ensure that gift agreements and associated commitments (e.g. Gift Aid, pledges, payment schedules) are recorded accurately and actioned.
•  Research into historic donor funds, where necessary.

Gift Acceptance

•  Manage the gift acceptance process, ensuring that the College accepts gifts appropriately and in line with its Gift Acceptance Policy and Fundraising Policy.
•  Undertake all necessary research and due diligence on prospective donors, and liaise with the central University and third-party providers of due diligence services where required.
•  Oversee the gift acknowledgement process.

Management

•  Supervise (with a dotted line reporting relationship) the Development Coordinator, with particular responsibility for overseeing their work in the Operations functional area.
• Be available for regular 1:1 meetings and as a point of contact for any queries, and support their line manager in making sure they receive all necessary training, induction and information to succeed in their role.

Other

• In common with all posts, ensure compliance with the College’s policies and procedures, statutory obligations, and best practice. 
• Be the principal liaison with the Gift Registry and DARS teams, and keep upto-date with changes/improvements to the system and how to utilise them.
• To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required by the Development Director, which may include travel and occasional event attendance outside standard working hours.

For person specification, please see the Job Description attached.

To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and a covering letter, together with details of two referees.

Join Savera UK

We are looking for a passionate individual with a strong commitment to human rights and driving change. You will bring experience in training, development, and management to take on the role of Training and Development Manager, leading our training and education development projects.

The Role

This is a rewarding leadership role where you will:

• Lead the development and enhancement of Savera UK’s training and education package on HBA, harmful practices, and related issues
• Take responsibility for the development, delivery, and management of the National Lottery-funded Reaching Communities training project, including managing a team to deliver project outcomes
• Develop advanced, in-depth training programmes tailored to a range of professional audiences, including health, social care, education, the voluntary sector, and community groups
• Design flexible training programmes that can be delivered online, in person, or in hybrid formats, with the ability to tailor content to meet the needs of different organisations and CPD requirements

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• At least 3 years of experience in the field of training and development
• Expertise in designing, developing, delivering, implementing and managing high-quality training and education packages and programmes
• Experience in delivering training to a range of audiences and adding to Savera UK’s own expertise
• Experience in leading, mentoring and supporting staff and volunteers
• Experience in training, project management, and budgeting
• Commitment to Savera UK’s values of respect, inclusion, compassion, innovation, and ambition

What We Offer

• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
• Wellbeing support and external supervision
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• Employer pension contribution (3%)

Equality & Occupational Requirement

This post is open to anyone with the right experience and skills required for the project to succeed. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds.