Employability officer jobs in London, greater london

Operations Director:

A new post at the Longford Trust, created at an exciting time of growth and development for the charity.

- A 3 day-a-week role;

- Reporting to the Director and working as part of the Senior Management Team of the trust, within an overall cohort of eight, all part-time posts;

- Paid pro-rata of £50-55,000 depending on experience via PAYE with pensions contributions;

- The trust has no physical office, so team members work remotely, with flexible hours, but all team members work Tuesdays. There are regular face-to-face team meetings, as well as one-to-ones, so easy access to London an advantage.

Responsibilities

- Leadership role in following areas: strategy, developing and implementing the 10-Year-Plan; HR; our Frank Awards programme; Communications and Marketing, systems, digital and AI.

- Working with the Director on fund-raising and finance, growing and nurturing our core partnerships;

- Working with other SMT members when needed in delivering their specific programme areas.

Person specification

Essential qualities you need to be able to demonstrate:

- commitment to prison reform, with an understanding of the prison system and the barriers it creates for those leaving prison (lived experience of the prison or the criminal justice system is valued);

- senior management background either in a charitable organisation or in a relevant area;

- an entrepreneurial approach;

- proven leadership skills and ability to represent the trust in public settings;

- track record in expressing yourself clearly and persuasively in writing;

- strong interpersonal skills in regard of team-working, team-building and upholding the values of the trust;

- up-to-date financial and digital literacy.

Values

Taking our cue from Frank Longford, after whom the trust is named, our values shape every aspect of our work, including all relationships between team members, trustees, scholarship award-holders, our volunteer trained mentors and our employability partners. These values include:

- A firm belief in the power of education to change lives;

- A passion for second chances for those with lived experience of prison;

- A thorough-going can-do, practical approach that is driven by a desire to level the playing field for those who have been to prison and are committed to building new lives;

- A commitment to integration of all regardless of background and circumstances. We assume the best, start from the positive, are curious, are always ready to learn, and reject fixed mindsets.

Who we are and what we do

The Longford Trust was set up in 2002. Each November, it stages an annual Longford Lecture and awards an annual Longford Prize. Our Longford Scholarship programme supports young serving and ex-prisoners to continue their rehabilitation by going to university. It is the only programme of its type across the UK, supporting more than 600 individuals so far, with over 100 current award-holders, as well as many alumni who continue to be part of the trust. Between 80 and 85% of those we support go on to graduate, move into employment and build new lives. Our scholarship programme accounts for more than three quarters of our expenditure

Apply to with an up-to-date CV and accompanying letter explaining how you fit our job specification, why you want to work with the Longford Trust, and what you will bring to it. Closing date noon on Friday May 1. Interviews will be in person in the second week of May.

Steel Warriors was established in 2017 to rethink how knife crime is tackled by turning a symbol of violence into one of strength and resilience. We transform the lives of marginalised young people by recycling knives seized by the police into outdoor calisthenics gyms and create positive change in communities. We provide classes at our five outdoor gyms across – Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Haringey and Enfield – and deliver programmes in schools (including pupil referral units), youth and sport clubs, and in Brixton Prison. Our coach mentors deliver high quality, inclusive calisthenics sessions alongside mentoring and employability sessions

The Head of Programmes and Safeguarding role combines strategic leadership with strong operational oversight. The postholder is responsible for leading the design, development and scaling of high-quality services, supporting their team to perform effectively, and ensuring that programmes deliver meaningful outcomes for participants. They will work closely with colleagues, delivery partners, funders, young people and board members to drive programme development aligned with the organisation’s strategy, theory of change and ultimate goal of young people being safer, healthier and feeling more connected and positive about the future. The role requires an exceptional organiser and team leader able to manage a range of priorities, coordinate people and systems effectively, and maintain high standards across delivery areas.

About Sophie Hayes Foundation

Sophie Hayes Foundation is a small but mighty charity supporting women survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking as they rebuild their independent lives, free from re exploitation for the long-term.

We provide an employability programme which enables survivors to rediscover their skills, build their confidence and sense of purpose, develop workplace skills, and open up opportunities for work placements or volunteering. We also offer a conversational English course, a digital skills programme, and run a survivor network CREW (Creative Resilient Empowered Women).

We do all we can to meet survivors where they are in a complex system, flexing and adapting to need as it arises. We also do not accept a system which fails survivors, leaving them at risk of re-exploitation, and engage in policy and advocacy campaigns based on our lived and learnt experience.

In the words of our participants, “The Programme changed my life’s trajectory. We explored our purpose and discussed the idea of work and career as a central part. Sophie Hayes Foundation should not underestimate how much it plays a big role in people's lives.”

About the Role

We can’t do any of this work without brilliant and concerted fundraising efforts. SHF is independent and relies on funds from grant-making bodies, individuals, and businesses in our supporter community.

This role will be at the forefront of the realisation of SHF’s bold strategic ambitions. You will work alongside our small and dynamic executive team to unlock growth, develop new approaches and communicate our impact.

You will build a lead small, effective and positive fundraising and communications team.

You will develop deep and meaningful relationships with the individuals and organisations while support SHF’s work – and new supporters we have not met yet.

You will be hands on, getting stuck into grant applications, prospecting, communicating, and developing new engagement programmes.

We know small charity fundraising is no mean feat – you will get all the support and engagement you need from the SHF team and Board to do you very best work, in a hugely meaningful context.

You will have the opportunity to get involved in any and all parts of the organisation’s work, including policy advocacy, lived and learnt experience co-design, research and service delivery.

If you are an energetic, positive, collaborative and experienced fundraiser, we can’t wait to hear from you! You can find out more about the mission and values of Sophie Hayes Foundation our website: 

Objectives

FUNDRAISING

• Leadership of successful portfolio of grant funding, including stewardship of existing funders, and growth to new ones through high quality applications and proactive identification of opportunities.
• Development and implementation of income generation and diversification strategies, most particularly through major donors programme and corporate partnerships.
• Working alongside Executive team to develop programmes enabling new sources of funding to be opened up.
• Building close relationship with existing supporters and using network to significantly expand network and prospects, through supporter engagement journeys.
• Ensuring all fundraising activity is in line with the required legislative frameworks and complies with best practice.
• Funding to be opened up
• Building close relationship with existing supporters and using network to significantly expand network and prospects, through supporter engagement journeys.
• Ensuring all fundraising activity is in line with the required legislative frameworks and complies with best practice.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Developing the charity’s existing communications efforts into a coordinated, coherent, and impactful strategy, across all communications channels and traditional and social media.
• Developing and implement opportunities to raise the charity’s profile and engagement.
• Working alongside team members to develop and publicise the charity’s policy and advocacy activities, creating and leading innovative communications campaigns.
• Overseeing the production of all branded materials.
• Overseeing the charity’s duty of care to participants who share their stories, ensuring we approach this with due care and sensitivity, working with the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

MANAGEMENT 

• Managing and monitoring all parts of income generation and communications, especially high-quality impact reporting.
• Managing fundraising budget – setting budgets, reporting against them, managing funds, reporting to Board risk & finance committee on fundraising.
• Building a highly effective small team of 2-3 people – outcome-focused and empathetic line management of team members.
• Contributing as key member of Senior Executive Team to organisational strategy and decision-making.
• Acting as a senior leader and figurehead within the charity for all parts of development and fundraising.
• Working closely alongside the Board to unlock potential for income generation and communications.
• Undertaking any other duties as directed by the CEO which may be required. Experience & Skills
• Significant success and experience of impactful charitable fundraising from a diverse range of income streams, especially grants, major donors, and corporates. Or comparable experience of business development in another sector.
• Experience of communications campaigns, PR and marketing.
• Convincing and engaging written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build excellent collaborative working relationships across a wide range of people; colleagues, external partners and funders.
• Highly organised. Ability to prioritise workloads, project manage and deliver to deadlines, often with competing priorities.
• A knowledge of the Modern Slavery sector & trauma-informed practices is desired but not essential, but a commitment to the vision, purpose, and values of Sophie Hayes Foundation is important.
• Effective line management skills and ability to deliver alongside and through small team.
• Positive, creative, entrepreneurial, and solutions-focused.
• Proactive, dynamic, able to work effectively independently. 

Employment Coach

Are you driven by the belief that every woman deserves the chance to shape her future, no matter her past?

We are an award‑winning national charity, the UK’s only employment charity dedicated solely to supporting women with convictions.

Driven by our vision of a society where no woman is held back by her past, we work to ensure every woman has the support, encouragement and opportunities she needs to reset her life and thrive.

We challenge misconceptions about women with convictions and raise awareness of the issues that often sit behind women’s offending. At the heart of our work is a simple belief: a conviction should never define a woman’s future.

If you’re passionate about helping people transform their lives, you could be the person we’re looking for to join our small, friendly team at Working Chance.

About the role

Our Employment Coaches support our clients to build their confidence, strengthen their employability and secure work that aligns with their skills, aspirations and circumstances. You’ll do this by guiding women through their job search and applications, and by helping them access opportunities with employers we partner with.

You’ll carry out initial assessments, develop personalised action plans, identify barriers to employment and signpost to specialist support where needed. You’ll also help clients prepare disclosure statements and stay motivated throughout their journey.

You’ll build strong relationships with employers, monitor suitable vacancies and proactively promote clients for opportunities.

You can find out lots more about the role and the charity - including the job description and person specification - in the downloadable recruitment pack below. 

If you think this might be the opportunity you've been looking for, we'd love to hear from you!

What we offer

You’ll be joining a supportive, values‑driven team who care deeply about the women we work with. Alongside a competitive salary, we offer flexible working, a generous holiday allowance, wellbeing days and time off for your birthday.

 For more information about Working Chance, please visit our website.

Closing date: 12pm, Monday 13 April 2026
Interviews: Week commencing 20 April 2026

Vetting and role requirements

As an organisation committed to supporting women with criminal convictions into employment, we warmly welcome applicants with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

Please note that this role requires a Basic DBS check and HMPPS vetting because it includes work on contracts commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS. These vetting processes have specific criteria set by those agencies, which means that not all applicants will be eligible to pass. We want to be transparent about this so that candidates can make informed decisions, while still encouraging anyone who feels they could thrive in this role to apply.

Guidance and requirements can be found in the ‘HMPPS Risk Assessed Access for Personnel with Lived Experience of the Criminal Justice System Policy Framework’. A link to this included in the job pack.

Due to requirements set out in these contracts, this position is open only to women, in accordance with the sex‑based exemptions of the Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 9, Part 1).

Application guidance

While we recognise the increasing use of AI tools, your personal insights, experiences and reflections are what matter most to us. We strongly encourage applicants to provide answers in their own words. Your individuality is your strength, and AI‑generated responses may limit your opportunity to stand out.

 Application process

To help us understand your experience and motivations, please submit your CV along with brief written responses to our questions.

We look forward to learning more about you and the strengths you could bring to our team.

Location: London (flexible working - 2-3 days in the office)

Interviews: 15th and 16th April 2026, and second stage interviews the following week on the 22nd April 2026. 

Employer: King's Trust International (not The King's Trust)

Around the world, 65 million young people are unemployed. Many more face the challenge of unstable, unsafe and underpaid work. King’s Trust International was founded by His Majesty King Charles to tackle the global crisis in youth unemployment and ensure that every young person has the chance to succeed. Central to our new 10-year strategy is the need to articulate the challenges and opportunities faced by young people and help them shape a better future.  We are recruiting a Director of Marketing, Communications and External Affairs to shape and share this story.

In this exciting and varied strategic and operational role, you will lead KTI’s marketing, communications and external affairs team with the aim of promoting and protecting King’s Trust International and The King’s Group, increasing awareness of our brand and our work for young people around the world. You will spearhead the establishment of our advocacy function and play a key role in research commissioning, awareness raising and coalition creation.  This will involve attendance at key global events, the commissioning of proprietary research, and guiding the marketing and communication strategies that will bring these narratives into the public consciousness.

You will be an experienced and dynamic communicator with significant demonstrable experience in communications, marketing and external affairs at a senior level. This will be complemented by strong knowledge of the full range of media, marketing and communications tools, and how to deploy them effectively to maximise the reach, impact and value of our brand.

In addition, you will have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to confidently build and maintain strong relationships with a diverse group of people and stakeholders. Possessing strong management skills, you will have experience of managing small multi-disciplinary teams, providing direction and leadership to enable growth and development, and the ability to role-model a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Perks for working at The King’s Trust International:

• Great holiday package. 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus public holidays. Office closure the days between Christmas and New Year
• Fantastic Family leave. Receive 13 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay for maternity and adoption leave, and pro rata entitlement for shared parental leave. Receive 8 weeks' full pay for paternity leave.
• Flexible and agile working. Where operationally possible, you can work your hours that support a work-life balance, including compressed hours and hybrid-working (part office - part home-based) or working from home options.
• Benefits platform. Everything from health and financial wellbeing support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas
• A free employee assistance programme (EAP) to support your mental wellbeing.
• KTI will contribute 5% of your salary to the workplace Pension Scheme
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary)
• In-house and external training opportunities are available throughout the year

Careers Specialist

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Careers Specialist with a strong background in supporting people facing various barriers to employment, including those from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds.

You will play a key role in guiding and empowering young people aged 16–26 to develop their skills, confidence, and aspirations, helping them to achieve sustainable employment and realise their full potential.

Position: Careers Specialist

Location: London/Hybrid

Salary: £33k - 35k per annum (depending on experience)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)

Contract: Fixed term for 12 months (with possibility of extension)

Start date: April - May 2026

Benefits: 27 days holiday per year PLUS the 1st Friday of every month is a half day. Pension and contributions are payable 3% after 3 months of service, employee assistance programme.

Closing Date: 24th April 2026

About the Role

As a Careers Specialist, you will demonstrate a genuine passion for making a difference in young people’s lives. You’ll have the ability to build trusting relationships, broaden horizons, and inspire young people to be ambitious about their future.

You will be working for a charity that transforms the lives of young people facing barriers to employment. Through personalised guidance, mentoring, and access to meaningful opportunities, you’ll help them develop the skills, confidence, and direction needed to achieve their full potential and thrive in sustainable careers.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Provide individual, person-centred Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) to young people on the programme, supporting them to identify and work towards their career goals.
• Identify and create opportunities for employment, training, and education that align with participants’ interests, abilities, and aspirations.
• Deliver workshops, group sessions, and outreach activities to engage young people across multiple London boroughs.
• Support young people in their job search by assisting with CVs, applications, interviews, and professional skills development.
• Maintain a client-centred and inclusive approach, ensuring sensitivity to the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and needs of each young person.
• Record and monitor progress accurately using internal databases and contribute to evaluation and reporting for funders and partners.
• Collaborate with delivery partners to achieve agreed milestones and outcomes, ensuring a coordinated and effective service offer.
• Represent the programme at internal and external meetings, promoting good practice and sharing insights to continuously improve service delivery.
• Contribute to a positive, supportive, and learning-focused team culture, sharing ideas and best practice to enhance the organisation’s impact.

About You

To be successful in the role of Careers Specialist, you will have resilience, a belief that there is always a way forward, and an innovative approach to youth engagement.

If you have the experience and skill set that meets the requirements in this job advertisement, then apply today and enjoy a job that really makes a difference in the lives of young people!

Experience, Qualifications and Skills

• Experience supporting young people or adults from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds to overcome barriers and move into sustainable employment, education, or training.
• Proven ability to build trust, motivate, and empower clients, particularly those with complex or multiple needs.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to adapt style for different audiences.
• Experience delivering training sessions, employability workshops, or group activities to young people.
• Sound understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and risk assessment when working with vulnerable individuals.
• Empathetic, engaging, and innovative, able to inspire confidence and encourage ambition while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
• Highly organised with excellent time management, administrative, and record-keeping skills.
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively as part of a supportive team.
• Confident using IT systems and databases (e.g., Salesforce or similar CRM tools) to record and monitor progress.
• Resilient, adaptable, and solutions-focused, with a genuine commitment to helping young people reach their full potential.

You may have gained relevant experience in roles such as Careers Advisor, Employment Coach, Youth Worker, Recruitment Consultant, HR or Training Specialist, Programme Officer, or any other position focused on helping people overcome barriers to achieve meaningful employment and personal growth.

What matters most is your ability to engage, motivate, and guide young people towards achieving their full potential. #INDNFP

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

Volunteer Centre Hackney is a thriving charity (annual income circa £1.1m, with 29 paid staff) providing volunteering infrastructure to the voluntary sector across the City of London and the London borough of Hackney. We support over 1500 residents a year to realise their skills and passions through volunteering and social action, and to share these for the benefit of others. We also provide volunteering resource, and advice and guidance on best practice in volunteer management, to hundreds of charities and community organisations.

Through our specialist programmes, our impact on the lives of residents is huge. We match volunteers to housebound residents to help them engage with communities and leave their homes; we provide long term personalised support to people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities to help them volunteer and find paid jobs; we support patients to deliver hundreds of their own activities and peer support groups at GP practices across City and Hackney; and in partnership with Public Health, we support over 250 Community Health Champions to share vital health messaging with their own diverse communities.  

This is a hands-on and strategic role for an experienced fundraiser who thrives in a small to medium sized charity environment. You will have autonomy to develop a whole new fundraising strategy, utilising diverse fundraising methods, and building and developing new project ideas and partnerships. You will lead on income generation primarily through sourcing and applying to multiple trusts and foundations, but diversified by building new corporate partnerships, community campaigns and individual giving. You will build authentic relationships with funders and supporters, and together with VCH colleagues, will identify new programme models as ways to generate income. You will contribute to the development and production of compelling stories, evidence and marketing and build and maintain the infrastructure needed to track and achieve progress against annual income targets.

Post holders need to have excellent communication skills, to represent the charity in writing and in person. You must be enthusiastic, self-motivating and confident to work primarily alone, but also able to engage and collaborate with staff from across the organisation to share information and impact evidence to support your role. If you are successful in securing funding there will be the potential to recruit additional support, and for you to become the Head of Fundraising of a small team.