Executive assistant to chief executive officer jobs

Executive and Finance Officer

We’re looking for a proactive and highly organised Executive and Finance Officer to play a vital role in the operations of Centre for Mental Health.

This varied and interesting role supports our CEO and Board, managing day-to-day operations and taking on key finance and HR responsibilities. This will include financial support: reconciling accounts, processing invoices, supporting our Board by organising meetings and helping with many aspects of recruitment, onboarding and assisting our staff team. In this role, you will be at the heart of our team’s success.

You will need to bring outstanding organisational skills, strong IT ability, and experience in financial processes (with knowledge of Sage 50). Experience of working in a charity is desirable.

About us
We’re Centre for Mental Health. We take the lead in challenging policies, systems and society, so that everyone can have better mental health. We do this by building research evidence to create fairer mental health policy.

By joining our small, friendly and dedicated team, you’ll help us create a fairer society and drive forward sustainable policy change, pursue equality, social justice and good mental health for all. 

The closing date for applications is 7th October 23:59.

Interviews will be held in person at our office in Elephant and Castle, on Tuesday 21 October between 10am and 5pm.

Would you like to make a difference?

We are looking for a highly organised and motivated individual to join our team as Executive and Policy Assistant. This is a varied and rewarding role, working directly with the CEO and closely with our Communications and Impact team.

You will provide vital support to the CEO by managing diaries, coordinating meetings and events, preparing briefings and presentations, and acting as a key contact for staff, funders, supporters and the Board. You will also play a hands-on role in our policy and campaigning work — carrying out research, drafting communications and helping to ensure the voices of children, young people and adults with dyslexia are heard at every level.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a busy, purpose-driven environment, can balance multiple priorities, and wants to use their skills to make a meaningful difference for the dyslexia community.

Please carefully review the job description (attached below) for full responsibiliites of the role and essential skills required.

Location - Hybrid - this role is primarily home-based (UK), with the requirement to work from our office in Bracknell once a month, and to travel to London at least once a week, or as needed. 

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Interview schedule - first stage will take place on Monday 13 October 2025, with second stage taking place on Thursday 16 October 2025.

Responsibilities

Executive Assistant to the CEO

• Manage the CEO’s diary, travel arrangements, and general administration (supporting the wider team where needed).

• Manage the CEO’s inbox and LinkedIn messages: triage, prioritise, and draft responses on their behalf where appropriate.

• Support the CEO in engaging with key stakeholders, including funders, trustees, and partners.

• Prepare communications on behalf of the CEO, including blog posts, social media content, and internal updates.

• Identify speaking events and provide briefings for events

• Represent the CEO in meetings, where agreed, and ensure follow-up actions are captured and completed.

• Manage and support cross-organisational projects with multiple stakeholders.
  Provide occasional administrative support to the wider team during peak periods.

Board & Governance Support

• Manage Board of Trustees engagement and communications.
  Coordinate Board meetings, including preparing agendas, collating and distributing Board papers, and taking minutes.

• Support governance procedures and ensure records are maintained in line with compliance requirements.

Office Management & Team Support

• Oversee smooth running of the London office, including supplies, facilities, mail,  and liaising with suppliers.

• Support the Head of People and Culture with HR administration, recruitment coordination, and onboarding.

• Organise and coordinate team events and activities, including away days.

• Help maintain key organisational systems, processes, and documentation.

What we’re looking for

We know not everyone will meet every requirement, but we’re looking for someone who can bring most of the following:

• Proven experience in an EA, PA, or senior admin role, ideally supporting a CEO or senior leadership team.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt tone and style for different audiences.
  Confident building relationships at all levels, from team members to trustees, funders, and partners.

• Discretion and sensitivity when dealing with confidential information.
  Proactive problem solver who can anticipate needs and take initiative.

• Comfortable influencing and coordinating colleagues to deliver on shared goals.

• Strong digital skills, including using Google Workspace, and online collaboration tools such as Monday, Salesforce and Slack.

Person Specification 

Essential skills and experience

• Proven experience in an EA, PA, or senior administrative role, ideally supporting a CEO, Director, or senior leadership team.

• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and manage multiple projects at once.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft clear, professional correspondence and adapt style for different audiences.

• Confident relationship-builder, able to engage effectively with colleagues at all levels, trustees, funders, and external partners.

• High level of discretion and integrity when handling confidential information.

• Proactive problem-solver, able to anticipate needs, spot issues, and take initiative.

• Comfortable coordinating colleagues and holding others accountable to deadlines.
  Strong digital skills, including Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and familiarity with collaboration tools such as Slack, Monday, and Salesforce (or similar CRM).
   

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience supporting a Board of Trustees or similar governance body, including preparing papers and taking minutes.

• Experience working in a charity, social enterprise, or purpose-led organisation.

• Understanding of governance and compliance requirements.

• Event coordination experience (e.g. team away days, workshops, or external events).

• Experience creating or improving processes, systems, and documentation.
   

Personal attributes

• Highly organised and detail-oriented, with a calm and professional approach.

• Flexible and adaptable, able to manage shifting priorities with ease.

• Collaborative and team-oriented, willing to “roll up your sleeves” when needed.

• Confident, approachable, and comfortable working with senior stakeholders.

• Motivated by Hatch’s mission to create a fairer society by supporting underrepresented founders.

Executive Director of Brand, Marketing & Fundraising

Location: Any Crisis office across Great Britain, hybrid working with weekly meetings in London
Salary: £120,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent

At Crisis, we believe that homelessness should not exist, and together we can end it. Our bold 10-year strategy is already driving change but with homelessness rising and funding challenges increasing, we know we must think differently, act courageously, and inspire more people to join us.

We’re looking for an exceptional leader to shape the future of our brand, marketing and fundraising. This is a chance to combine creativity, strategy and purpose, ensuring that our voice is heard, our supporters feel deeply connected, and our income grows to meet the scale of our ambition.

What you’ll do

As Executive Director of Brand, Marketing & Fundraising, you will:

• Provide inspirational leadership to a talented directorate and play a vital role as part of our Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO.
• Lead the development of a multi-year fundraising plan that drives sustainable, diverse income and enables Crisis to scale its life-changing work — including our new ambition of direct housing delivery.
• Refresh and strengthen the Crisis brand, building awareness, trust and influence across Great Britain.
• Grow a thriving community of supporters, partners and advocates who stand with us to end homelessness.
• Personally steward high-value relationships and inspire others across the organisation to embrace fundraising and engagement as a shared responsibility.

Who you are

We’re looking for someone who combines vision with action — a leader who brings both strategic insight and personal passion. You will have:

• A strong track record of leading fundraising and supporter engagement at scale, with experience delivering significant income growth.
• Proven success in enhancing a brand to deliver organisational priorities.
• Expertise in strategic marketing, audience engagement, digital innovation and integrated campaigns.
• Experience as part of a senior leadership team, working collaboratively and influencing at Board level.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion and co-production, ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness inform our work.
• An inspirational leadership style that motivates, empowers and unlocks potential across teams.

Above all you want to be part of a movement of change-makers determined to end homelessness in our time.

Ready to Learn More?

Click below to view our full Candidate Pack for everything you need to know – including how to apply.

Closing date: Wednesday 15th October, 9am

Personal Assistant (PA) to the Directors of Strategic Partnerships and Performance & Insight

Contract type: Permanent, Full Time – 35 hours per week

Location: London, United Kingdom. Subject to right-to-work.

UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel). 60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.

Salary: £39,358 – £42,500 per year with excellent benefits.

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

About WaterAid

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About the team

This role sits across two key departments within the Communications and Fundraising Directorate —Strategic Partnerships, which drives transformational partnerships to achieve our mission and Performance & Insight, which ensures our work across fundraising and campaigning is insight-led, data-driven, and delivering maximum impact.

About the role

As our PA to the Directors of Strategic Partnerships and Performance & Insight you will play a proactive and central role in enabling effective leadership and operational delivery across two high-impact departments and work closely with both Directors, senior stakeholders, project teams, and administrative colleagues to drive sustainable change.

In this role, you will:

• Proactively provide executive support to both Directors, anticipating needs, and managing diaries and preparing high-quality materials for internal and external engagement.
• Coordinate departmental and leadership meetings, ensuring agendas, logistics and follow-up actions are delivered efficiently and reported to key stakeholders including Board and Committee members.
• Support the delivery of strategic initiatives and transformation projects, maintaining oversight of priorities, deadlines, and departmental records, and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Lead internal communications planning and collaboration across SP and PID, managing SharePoint sites, induction programmes, and collaborating with other PAs to align processes and share best practices across the organisation.
• Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.

Requirements

To be successful, you will need:

• Significant experience as a PA or high-level administrator in a complex organisational setting, with a proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under pressure.
• A proactive, detail-oriented, and solutions-focused approach, with excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Strong collaboration and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build effective working relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience drafting high-quality briefing papers, presentations, and correspondence on behalf of senior leaders.

Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:

• Experience in the charity or international development sector.
• Familiarity with project management tools and techniques.
• Understanding of data protection principles and experience managing intranet content.

Closing date: Applications close 12:00 PM UK time on 29 September 2025. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 13 October 2025.

How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening question and upload your CV and cover letter.

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?

At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.

Pre‑employment screening

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Benefits

• 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
• Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
• Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Season ticket loan
• Free annual eye tests
• ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
• Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
• Sabbaticals
• One paid volunteer day each year

Our Global Commitment:

Our people promise

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.

Safeguarding

We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).

Together, we’ll change the world through water.

Join us and be part of the change !

The role of Personal Assistant (PA) is a key opportunity to work alongside and support the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) as they lead Church Army forward. The SLT comprises the CEO and three Executive Directors with multiple demands on their time and multiple responsibilities so a PA who can help them work efficiently and effectively is really important. The PA is a trusted and valued colleague who can assist the SLT maximise the impact of their time.

To perform well in this role, you need to be someone who has excellent interpersonal skills and able to engage confidently and effectively with a range of people. The PA works closely with the SLT and will be handling confidential information, so the role requires someone who understands the importance of confidentiality, works with discretion, and always acts professionally. You will need excellent organisation skills and consider what information the SLT need to make the best use of each meeting and event. You should be able to manage busy diaries and multiple projects and tasks have a flexible approach prioritising and responding to requests as they present.

This role sits within our Co.Lab team which refers to the team of people whose roles have an operational focus on facilitating the work of CA across the UK and Ireland. The team come together at regular times over the year to develop connection, collaboration and community to help us better serve the wider Church Army community. Therefore, you will get to be part of a team that works hard and is passionate about making a difference.

Harris Hill is excited to be working with the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen industries (film, TV, VFX, animation and games) helping to grow and future-proof the sector by investing in a skilled and inclusive workforce.

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Personal Assistant to provide first-class support to the Chief Executive Officer. This pivotal role will play a key part in ensuring the smooth running of the organisation, combining traditional PA responsibilities with governance and administrative support for the Board and Finance & Audit Committee.

If you are an experienced PA or EA with excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to thrive in a busy and dynamic environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Role: Personal Assistant
Location: London (minimum 4 days per week in the office)
Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent

Amongst other criteria, the successful candidate will have:

• Proven experience in a PA/EA role supporting at least one Executive Director.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to juggle multiple tasks and stakeholders.
• Excellent diary and email management, with a proactive and professional approach.
• Experience minute-taking for senior-level meetings, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.
• High proficiency across Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom, SharePoint).
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to build positive relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with meticulous attention to detail.

Desirable experience includes:

• An interest in the screen sector and/or skills and training.
• Familiarity with governance processes and company secretariat duties.
• Event coordination and project support experience.

If you are an efficient, confident, and motivated individual who can provide outstanding support at the heart of a busy organisation, this is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact.

For more information and details of how to apply, please contact Giuseppe Di Maria at Harris Hill - [email protected].

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 22nd September

Harris Hill is a certified B Corp™ and a leading charity recruitment agency, committed to equitable and inclusive recruitment practices. Applications from all sections of the community are actively welcomed, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality, or other protected characteristics.

As the UK’s leading dementia research charity, we’re determined to stop this from becoming a reality. We’re working to revolutionise the way we treat, diagnose and prevent dementia. But we will not stop there. With your support, we will keep going until every person is free from the heartbreak of dementia. We exist for a cure.

The Senior Executive Assistant will play a pivotal role in the Chief Executive’s Office, working closely with the Deputy Chief Executive and members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to ensure the smooth and effective execution of strategic, operational, and governance priorities. Acting as a trusted partner and first point of contact, the Senior Executive Assistant will proactively manage high-level administrative functions, facilitate internal and external stakeholder engagement, and contribute to organisation-wide planning and coordination. The role requires a high level of discretion, organisational acumen, and an ability to anticipate the needs of senior leaders in a dynamic and mission-driven environment.

In addition to supporting the Deputy Chief Executive, this role also provides specific project support to the Directors within the Fundraising and Marketing Directorate and contributes to the governance, internal communications, and strategic coordination across Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK).

Main duties and responsibilities of the role:

Executive Support

· Serve as the primary point of contact and trusted liaison for the Deputy Chief Executive, managing their calendar, commitments, and priorities with discretion and strategic foresight.

· Proactively coordinate complex diaries, internal and external meetings, and briefings, ensuring effective time management and optimal scheduling across teams and stakeholders.

· Prepare agendas, compile and distribute papers, attend meetings as needed, and record minutes and action points with professionalism and accuracy.

· Manage comprehensive travel arrangements (domestic and international), including bookings, itineraries, visa requirements, and expenses in line with organisational policy.

· Screen incoming correspondence (emails, calls, invitations), handle or redirect enquiries, and ensure timely and appropriate follow-up.

· Provide responsive and high-quality administrative support across the Senior Leadership Team as needed, in coordination with the Executive Support Manager.

Governance, Project and Strategic Support

· Coordinate and manage key organisational meetings including: Monthly Heads meetings across ARUK and Fundraising and Marketing Leadership Team (FMLT) meetings

· Ensure the smooth delivery of these meetings by preparing documentation, recording actions, and driving follow-through with relevant stakeholders.

· Support cross-organisational strategic initiatives, such as ARUK’s Stakeholder Engagement programme and other priority activities led by the Deputy Chief Executive.

· Proactively use ARUK’s CRM system (Salesforce) to support relationship management and strategic engagement by Executive Directors.

· Assist in the planning and delivery of internal communications activities and events that build alignment and engagement across the organisation to include the annual Fundraising and Marketing away day and monthly Fundraising and Marketing meeting.

· Take on discrete projects on behalf of the Deputy Chief Executive

· Work closely with the Executive Support Manager and Head of Governance to support Board and trustee-related activities, including the preparation of papers, coordination of logistics, and accurate record-keeping.

· Help ensure the delivery of effective governance arrangements and contribute to continuous improvement in the support of ARUK’s leadership and oversight functions.

Team and Leadership Contribution

· Act as a senior member of the Executive Support team, sharing best practices and supporting colleagues with guidance, training, and mentoring where appropriate and deputising for the Executive Support Manager where appropriate

· Contribute to process improvement initiatives that increase the efficiency and impact of the Chief Executive’s Office.

· Stay informed of sector developments, best practices in executive support, and opportunities for innovation within the charity’s operations.

What we are looking for:

· Extensive experience providing high-level executive support to senior leaders 

· Discretion, integrity, and sound judgement in handling confidential and sensitive information.

· Experience coordinating meetings, travel, and logistics for senior leaders.

· Exceptional organisational and time-management skills, with proven ability to manage complex and competing priorities.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills, with attention to detail and professional presentation.

· Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience with CRM systems such as Salesforce.

· Proven ability to build relationships and work collaboratively across teams and with external stakeholders.

Additional Information:

Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals.  This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD. 

Salary: Circa £35,000 per annum, plus benefits

Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 21st September 2025, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.  Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. While we strive to anonymise your CV where possible, there are certain sections, such as the application question, that cannot be fully anonymised. We kindly ask that you remove any personal information, including your name, when answering the application question. The hiring panel will not have access to your personal details, such as your name and address, until you are invited for an interview. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us via our website. 

How to apply: Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK: Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure.  Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope. 

There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure. 

In 2024, we were incredibly proud to be awarded a 3-star accreditation by Best Companies which recognises ‘World Class’ levels of workplace engagement. This is the second consecutive time; we have been awarded a Best Companies 3-star accreditation.

We were also listed in the prestigious Best Companies lists:

· 18th in the 100 Best Large Companies to Work For in the UK.

· 10th in the 50 Best Companies to Work For in the East of England.

· 2nd in the 30 Best Companies to Work For in the Charity Sector.

ARUK really does look after its people, where you will be able to add value and make a difference. 

To view further details about working for us and the benefits we offer, please visit Alzheimer’s Research UK

Job Title: Senior Programme Officer, Active Fellows

Line Manager: Team Leader, Active Fellows (Deputy Fellowship Programme Manager in Team Leader’s absence)

Salary: £36,062

Start date: 1 November 2025

Contract type: Permanent

Application deadline: 16 October 2025. Please note we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis

Benefits:

• Challenging and rewarding work, always life-changing, sometimes lifesaving

• Competitive salary

• Team and individual training opportunities

• Commitment to performance and personal development

• Hybrid working, home and office (minimum 2 days each week in the office)

• Eight hours each day Monday – Friday, with flexible working by arrangement around core hours of 10am – 4pm

• 25 days plus Bank Holidays annual leave entitlement

• 8% employer pension contribution

• Convenient office location at Elephant and Castle, close to Tube (Bakerloo and Northern lines) and bus routes

Role Purpose Statement

The Senior Officer, Active Fellows plays a key role in delivering high-quality support to Cara Fellows. This includes leading casework, coordinating Cara’s mentoring scheme to support Fellows’ placements, and contributing to strategic improvements across the Fellowship Programme. The role combines direct support to Fellows, operational oversight and delivery of casework, and collaborative leadership to support Cara to uphold its mission.

Organisational Background

The Council for At-Risk Academics is a UK-registered charity founded in 1933 under the leadership of William Beveridge, to rescue academics suffering persecution under the rise of Nazism and facilitate their continued work in safety. Sixteen Cara Fellows from the 1930s and 1940s became Nobel Laureates, and many more innovators in their fields, including, Nikolaus Pevsner, Lise Meitner and Karl Popper. A number of Cara’s founders and Council members also personally provided places and/or funds to help individual academics; and Cara, known in the 1930s as the AAC, later the SPSL, was closely involved in the successful effort in 1933 to bring to London the Warburg Institute art library, which had been prohibited by the Nazis, and six of its staff. The Fellowship Programme is the continuation of the rescue mission operation started in 1933.

Cara has been a lifeline to academics at risk for over 90 years, as and when world events have placed them in the line of fire: Hungarian Uprising, Cold War, Apartheid South Africa, Iran, Latin American Juntas, Vietnam, Kosovo, DRC, Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc. and, more recently Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Cara support is typically framed as temporary sanctuary offered at times of heightened risk.

Cara Objectives ‘To assist academics who have been, or are, or are at risk of being, subject to discrimination, persecution, suffering or violence on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, to relieve needs among them and their dependants and ensure that their specialist knowledge and abilities can continue to be used for the benefit of the public.’

‘To advance education by supporting academics and their educational institutions in countries where their continuing work is at risk or compromised, to ensure that such academics and institutions can continue to fulfil their critical role as educators for the public benefit.’

This is a critical time to join our dedicated and friendly Fellowship Programme team as we expand our capacity to support at-risk academics from the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Russia and many other countries.

Key Responsibilities

Fellowships

Casework

· Manage a caseload of up to 50 Cara Fellows, providing tailored support.

· Maintain accurate and GDPR-compliant records of casework activity.

· Liaise with Fellows to coordinate support and escalate complex cases to the Team Leader as required.

· Monitor, research and update visa guidance to reflect changes in complex immigration regulation.

· Keep up to date with relevant information regarding immigration laws, e.g. visas, legal procedures, etc.

· Liaise with independent legal advisors where necessary.

Finance

· Work with colleagues in finance to ensure accurate and timely payments to Cara Fellows and non-Fellowship related payments.

· Promptly issue relevant invoices.

· Understand financial processes – on Salesforce and Pleo – and update systems appropriately.

· Contribute to robust financial processes.

Support Mechanisms

Mentoring Scheme

· Project Lead for the Cara Mentoring Scheme.

· Coordinate rounds, delegate tasks to the team as required, and oversee delivery.

· Recruit mentors and mentees, and decide on a cap on number of participants if required.

· Lead on partnerships with organisations working in the mentoring world.

· Monitor the relevant budget and flag issues to the Team Leader.

· Lead on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for the Scheme, suggesting improvements to this, and ensuring accurate data collection and reporting.

Webinars and Workshops

· Lead on developing ideas for webinar topics relevant to the needs of Cara Fellows.

· Organise these webinars, contacting speakers and attendees, all with the close support of the Programme Assistant.

· Monitor and evaluate the success of these events, through clear feedback mechanisms.

· Aim to deliver approximately three webinars per year, subject to team capacity.

· Lead on the delivery of workshops for Cara Fellows with external partners, managing Fellow participation.

· Contribute to the development of accessible resources to share openly within the Cara network.

Strategic Development

Alumni Engagement and Impact Reporting

· Play a key supporting role to the Team Leader in improving Cara’s alumni engagement.

· Contribute to developing Cara’s alumni network, with involvement in strategic discussions on interacting with alumni.

· Keep track of Cara Fellows’ media preferences and support the Team Leader in inviting relevant Fellows to participate in public events and media engagements.

Monitoring and Evaluation

· Support M&E activities across the Fellowship Programme, suggesting improvements to data quality and reporting.

· Ensure accurate data entry on Salesforce and flag inconsistencies to relevant team members.

· Assist with compilation of required information, statistics and reporting to Cara’s Council & F&GPC meetings.

Management Responsibilities

Deputise for Team Leader

· Cover for the Team Leader when required – lead team meetings, make decisions on cases for the team, provide general guidance and leadership.

· Assist the Team Leader with line management within the team, mentoring junior staff and contributing to continued team development.

· Approve the Active Fellows team’s working hours.

· Provide input on policy and process improvements.

· Show adaptability and willingness to take on additional work when needed.

Training/Inductions

· Play a leading role on inducting new staff to the Active Fellows and wider Cara team.

· Train new staff on key processes and offer continued guidance on difficult/complex cases and tasks.

Partnerships

· Support key strategic partnerships in Cara’s Universities and Research Network.

· Support the Team Leader in organising webinars and events for Cara’s network representatives at host institutions across the UK.

Ad Hoc Responsibilities

· Show adaptability and willingness to take on additional work when necessary.

· Support Fellowship Programme with ad hoc responsibilities.

Responsibilities also include related activities that might arise in relation to the Fellowship Programme as required by the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive & Fellowship Programme Manager, Deputy Fellowship Programme Manager, or Team Leader, Active Fellows.

Person Specification – Senior Programme Officer, Active Fellows:

Qualifications

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Strong analytical and numeracy skills

Desirable:

• Master’s degree or equivalent

Knowledge & Experience

Essential:

• Understanding of UK immigration options for displaced academics
• Experience managing sensitive casework and maintaining accurate records
• Experience coordinating projects, events, or support schemes
• Familiarity with basic financial processes (e.g. payments, budget tracking)
• Confident use of Microsoft Office and Salesforce or other CRM systems

Desirable:

• Awareness of global issues affecting at-risk academics
• Experience coordinating mentoring programmes or similar initiatives

Skills & Attributes

Essential:

• Cultural sensitivity and commitment to Cara’s mission
• Ability to supervise and mentor junior staff
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong attention to detail and time management
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Adaptability, integrity, and problem-solving ability

Desirable:

• Foreign language skills (e.g. Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Ukrainian, Russian)

Job requirements & duties

To plan, prepare and deliver a range of Forest School sessions, with guidance/instruction from the CEO, and support from school staff. Groups will include children and adults with learning disabilities and mental health concerns. The Forest School leader will be expected to:

· Plan and deliver Forest School education-based activities to a wide age range.

· Create and maintain a safe, engaging and supportive environment, demonstrating flexibility in planning and running sessions in response to varying/changing needs of the groups.

· Comply with all health and safety policies, measures and legislation.

· Supervise and support groups with varying needs while delivering sessions.

· Be aware of and comply with all Mudlarks Policies and Procedures.

· Participate in training and other learning activities/meetings as required.

· Administer first aid as the need arises.

· Assist with Risk Assessments where required.

· Follow reporting procedures as outlined by the CEO.

· Ensure that receipts for all purchases are kept and passed to the finance officer.

· Ensure that all spending is approved by the CEO.

· Provide information for reports and Mudlarks trustee meetings.

· You may be required to carry out other duties, as within your capabilities and level of responsibility, in order to meet the needs of the organisation and as requested by the CEO.

Person specification

Education, training & knowledge

Essential

· Experience of leading groups or working with people with learning disabilities.

· First Aid Certificate or a willingness to gain one.

· Level 3 Forest School qualification, or a desire to gain one*.

Skills, abilities & attitudes

Essential

· A strong interest and passion in Forest School activities and environments.

· Ability to think logically and creatively to provide practical solutions to a changing range of problems and issues.

· Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to collaborate with staff and volunteers.

· Ability to manage challenging behaviour.

· Ability to work positively both as a member of a team and independently, with general direction and within a clear framework of accountability.

· Self-motivated and able to use own initiative.

· Good verbal communication skills.

· A flexible and proactive work ethic and positive attitude.

· Punctual and organised.

· Ability to work under pressure.

· Willingness to be flexible.

· To have a keen interest in, and/or experience of, one or more of the activities undertaken at Mudlarks

Desirable

· Written communication skills necessary to present information in written reports and correspondence.

DBS Clearance

Please note that as this post will involve working with children and vulnerable adults, your appointment is subject to you receiving satisfactory DBS clearance.

*Please note that The Mudlarks Community would fund a level 3 qualification, however the enrollment, exam and associated costs would be repayable from the candidate to Mudlarks in the event of them resigning from the role within 3 years of completing the course, or failing to complete the course.

This assignment will be fulfilled at 30 hours per week across Monday–Thursday. The successful applicant will be required to visit the charity's Twickenham office at a minimum of once per week.

Fowler’s Syndrome UK (FSUK) is the only charity in the world dedicated to women (and afab) with Fowler’s Syndrome or Chronic Idiopathic Urinary Retention; a life-changing and poorly understood bladder condition that causes full or partial urinary retention.

The CEO is looking to appoint a highly organised, pragmatic, and detail-focused professional to deliver executive, project and governance support on an initial fixed-term contract of 1 year.

In this vital role, you will harness your initiative as you provide proactive PA support to the CEO and Chairs of the medical and trustee boards, while delivering project and event coordination across FSUK’s core programmes.

Excitingly, alongside executive and governance administration and support and ensuring that the charity maintains the highest standards of compliance and record-keeping, you will also be responsible for project management of two major initiatives such as FSUK’s flagship CURATE consensus project, alongside their annual two-day conference. From coordinating clinicians and steering groups, to managing logistics, guest travel, supplier liaison, and on-the-day delivery, you’ll ensure these complex projects run efficiently. You will also assist with grant applications, research activity, and the production of project trackers and reports.

Are you inspired by the prospect of coordinating projects and events, and do you flourish when responsible for a broad portfolio of work?

Being exceptionally well-organised, confident in managing multiple priorities, and able to communicate professionally with a wide range of stakeholders is crucial for the success of this post. You’ll need to have excellent project management, written skills, proficiency in MS Office, and the discretion to handle sensitive information. Experience with grant applications, safeguarding, or working in a charity, healthcare, or academic setting would be advantageous, though not essential.

Lived experience of Fowler’s Syndrome is not essential but would be a welcome bonus!

If you’re eager to play a vital role in nurturing FSUK’s patient community, enhancing the digital presence of a growing charity that ensures women living with Fowler’s Syndrome feel supported and connected, we’d love to hear from you.

Fowler’s Syndrome UK welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and especially anyone with lived experience of FS. We actively encourage interest from racially and culturally minoritised individuals, those who are neurodivergent, part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or living with a disability.

Please get in touch if you would like to talk to us about any support that you may need in completing an application.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced fundraiser to help us increase our income from mid-level and major donors, trusts and foundations, and legacies.

This is an exciting time to join our charity, Cambridge is changing rapidly, and we are working hard to tackle issues such as the loss of nature, climate change and access to green space. We have inspiring new projects to expand habitats and green spaces on the Gog Magog Hills, to create a new wetland at our Coton Reserve, to plant trees and woodlands and to save one of Cambridge’s oldest buildings. Right now, the work of our charity is needed more than ever before, and we need the financial resources to be able to step up and make even more of a difference.

Committed to our causes, you will use your donor cultivation skills to strengthen existing relationships and use your research and networking skills to identify and cultivate new opportunities. Your excellent written and development skills will enable you to work with colleagues to turn their visions into compelling proposals for funders and our wider support base. Your knowledge of fundraising best practice will ensure that we deliver an excellent donor experience.
You will be an effective worker with an eye for detail who can use your experience to fulfil the administrative and reporting requirements of the funds you are helping to raise.
You will work alongside our Membership & Communications Manager and have some support from our Administrative Assistant. You will also be supported in your work by the CEO, trustees, volunteers, and external contractors.
You will be part of a friendly and committed management team where you can make a difference, and your work will have an impact.
Our office is in an 18th century building overlooking the beautiful Wandlebury estate. Wandlebury is located on top of the Gog Magog Hills just south of Cambridge.

London (Hybrid Working)
Client: Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)

Are you passionate about sustainability and ready to support leadership at the heart of a global mission?
Hays is delighted to be working with the Marine Stewardship Council to recruit a Personal Assistant to the Chief Standards Officer. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the health of the world's oceans by supporting a senior leader in a globally respected organisation.
As PA to the CSO, you'll be a trusted right hand, enabling strategic leadership by managing complex diaries, communications, travel, and meetings. You'll also coordinate across the Science and Standards leadership team, ensuring smooth collaboration and supporting senior colleagues with logistics and administration.
This role offers a dynamic and international working environment, with the chance to engage with internal teams and external partners across the globe. You'll be based in London, with flexible working arrangements available.

What you'll bring:

• Proven experience supporting senior leaders in a PA or EA capacity
• Exceptional organisational and communication skills
• A proactive, detail-oriented approach and absolute discretion, first-class organisational skills - able to plan ahead, manage competing priorities, and anticipate needs.

Working arrangements:

• Hybrid model: minimum 50% of the time in the London office each month
• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK (visa sponsorship is not available)

About MSC: MSC's vision is for oceans teeming with life and seafood supplies safeguarded for future generations. With over 700 fisheries engaged in its certification program and products available in 66+ countries, MSC is a global leader in sustainable seafood.
Interested? Please apply here or send your CV and a covering letter to Matthew Sharman at Hays -

If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

The Youth Endowment Fund

Assistant Director of Public Affairs and Partnerships

Reports to: Director of Change, with significant engagement with Director of Public Affairs and Comms and CEO

Salary: £75,500 per annum

Location:  Central London or Hybrid

Contract: 2-year fixed term – potential to extend. Open to 0.8 FTE for the right candidate

Closing date: Friday 26th September by 12pm

About the Youth Endowment Fund

We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

Last year, 244 people in England and Wales tragically died after being assaulted with a knife. Of these, 32 were children. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them. Even when violence doesn’t strike directly, we know that the fear of violence has a terrible effect on children’s lives.

The Youth Endowment Fund exists to try and permanently change things. To succeed, we must build an exceptional body of knowledge about violence affecting young people and how we reduce it. This knowledge has to be both rigorous and highly relevant to those making decisions about how to support vulnerable young people. We need to find out what works and what doesn’t through evidence synthesis, data analysis and qualitative research into children’s lives. We need to convert this into highly accessible content on what works, how delivery organisations need to change their practice and how the systems they operate in need to be reformed. We then need to work with the right people that can make change happen, across systems, policies and practice, to have a real impact on reducing violence affecting children’s lives.

We can’t do this alone, we have to build and maintain brilliant partnerships across government, with other funders and with wider society. We are looking for an exceptional individual to lead on this work. We also need to have an eye for the future. Our present endowment must be spent down by April 2029. We need someone who can lead on planning for the future.

Key responsibilities

You ensure that we:

· Are ready for the future: Born with a ten-year endowment, the YEF has become the leading authoritative voice on how to reduce violence affecting children. We must spend down this endowment by April 2029, so need to start thinking about after this date. You will lead on ensuring we have a great plan for post 2029. You will spot the best opportunities, assess them and, over time, take them. This includes both building great external relationships and also ensuring there’s a clearly articulated, inspiring narrative – filled with facts, examples and case studies - of what has been delivered to date and what needs to happen between 2029 and 2039 to double down on our mission. To do this, you will orchestrate the expertise and knowledge of colleagues across the organisation – ensuring that what you need comes together perfectly.

· Build and maintain great relationships across government: We have an increasingly large number of relationships across government – providing advice and support on what works to prevent violence. You will be ready to offer advice to colleagues on those relationships where needed. You will build new relationships and maintain them where they are needed so we are ready for the future. You will be really well organised too ensuring that internal colleagues know which relationships they own and making sure that key regular meetings are in place. We have a simple process that tracks these relationships; you will make this process work well for us – with minimum bureaucracy and maximum effectiveness. You will also provide help and advice and coaching as YEF colleagues think through how best to get system changes to happen that will ultimately reduce violence.

· Build great relationships with other organisations that will be key to the future: As the lead organisation on reducing violence affecting young people, we increasingly receive and see a host of opportunities to partner with other organisations including funders on projects, co-funding and research. You will support this work – leading on relationships that are essential in making us ready for the future. You will spot the opportunity, build relationships, bring in other YEF colleagues, pull together key information, write brilliant documents where needed, win others over. In short, you will make great things happen.

As a senior member of staff in the organisation you also:

• Lead on culture: Build and maintain a culture where it is natural to perform well and support colleagues brilliantly.
• Deliver on strategy: Contribute to setting the strategy, delivering results, and building and modelling the culture that we need to succeed.

About you

You are this sort of person:

· You make things happen. You’re organised, delivery-focused, and produce high-quality work, even under pressure. You work independently and to a high standard. You are quick at really understanding something so you can make good decisions quite fast. You put plans together and make them happen. Wherever you work, people think of you as someone who makes things happen. You do it in a generous, kind way that means people are feel delighted to see you succeeding, never trampled upon.

· You like bringing order and clarity to a big project that involves lots of people. You are at home bringing order to a big project: working out who is going to do what by when, having a regular steering group to ensure progress, keeping everyone on side and delivering a great result at the end.

· You understand how government works – as in really understand. You understand the nuance of how decisions are made within government. You understand that there is no such thing as ‘the department’s position’ (instead there are different views competing) and that while some decisions are very rational, some are more about personalities and politics. You find the process of how decisions get made within government departments, and with Number 10 and the Treasury, fascinating.

· You are fantastic at spotting how to get something done in Whitehall or Westminster. You are really good at thinking about how to make change happen. To some, Westminster and Whitehall can seem like a blob but you are brilliant at spotting how to make change happen there. You can think through the intricacies of who to get onside, who to get advice from, who to persuade and how to get the job done. You have a track record of doing this.

· You write really well. The idea of writing one or two pivotally important longer documents (30-40 pages) for the organisation that makes the case for something and pulls in content from lots of colleagues, synthesising and making it all fit together sounds interesting. You know – from experience – that you would be good at it.

· You win people over. People tend to warm to you and respect you. You easily build good relationships with both very senior and very junior people. You can be at ease talking to a senior politician or a 15 year old. It is important to you to be humble. You acknowledge how much you don't know as well as how much you do.

· You are great at building lasting partnerships with other organisations. You have experience of building partnerships or collaborations with other organisations, winning them over, doing conflict well when you need to, communicating clearly so that the work gets done and people feel as good as possible about it.

· You are a team player. You work brilliantly in a team. You are not motivated by being the individual winner. You want the team as a whole to succeed. You enjoy coaching other people so that they perform excellently in a meeting. You are not possessive of your contacts. You don’t care who gets the credit as long as things get done. You like the idea of being part of a small, well-motivated team and are ok with the downside of this – that we don’t have a lot of junior admin staff to do the jobs we like less.

· You think and communicate really well from the big picture to practical reality. You’re a strategic thinker who can see the big picture without losing sight of the detail.  You find it quite easy to summarise in a few sentences, a few pages or a few words a complex argument or case. Whether speaking or writing, you break down complicated concepts in ways that make sense to different audiences – without oversimplifying. You bring clarity where others bring jargon.

· You care about our mission. You can be easily motivated to do work to prevent violence. This is something that matters to you. You believe in getting people to do things that are most likely to save lives, rather than just things that sound good.

· You’re committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Not just in theory – but in how you work, who you listen to, and what you prioritise.

While it’s not a criterion, we are especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of violence affecting young people.

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background. 

Secondments

We are open to candidates that would prefer to join us on a 2-year secondment or career break. Secondment candidate should ensure that their current organisation is in support of this in principle, all candidates will go through the full interview process. Candidates should state clearly in their covering letter if they would like to join us as secondee.

Hybrid Working Details

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office for a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage.

To Apply

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter, and complete the monitoring form click on "Apply for this" button by Friday 26th September 2025.

When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter can answer, within a maximum of 1000 words (there is no need to be this long though) the following questions:

1. Tell us in two paragraphs about something you made happen. We are keen to find someone who is good at be a self-starter, organised and finding the way to make something happen. Tell us what you were trying to get done, how you organised the task and how you made it happen.

2. Summarise in one or two paragraphs your experience of working with or in central government. We are keen to find someone who knows how decisions are made in government and has seen them being made.

3. Tell in two paragraphs about someone or an organisation you won over or built a good relationship with.Tell us how you went about it. We are keen to find someone who quite easily builds good relationships with other organisations.

Interview Process

This will be a two-stage interview process. The first stage interviews will take place in the week commencing 13th October 2025. Second stage interviews are currently scheduled for the week commencing 20th October 2025

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Benefits Include

· £1,000 professional development budget annually

· 28 days holiday – 3 of which are taken between Christmas and New Years - plus Bank Holidays

· Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support

· Volunteering days - 4 half days per year

· Death in service - 4 times annual salary

· Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm

· Financial support including travel and hardship loans

· Employer contributed pension of 5%.

Personal Data 

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.