Executive assistant to chief executive officer jobs

We’re looking for someone to fulfil a wide range of duties working alongside the other Administrative Assistant and volunteers in support of the Office Manager to provide coordinated administration across the Cathedral team. In addition, the post holder will support the Chief Operating Officer in tasks related to the management of the residential let properties located in Old Portsmouth. This includes coordinating property checks, arranging basic repairs and maintenance, supporting lettings activity, and carrying out viewings when properties are vacant. The property portfolio includes flats accessed by stairs only and will require the post holder to visit the flats in accordance with our lone working policy..

The successful candidate will have:

§ Good proven administrative, organisational, planning and IT skills including Microsoft 365 

§ Strong interpersonal skills including tact, confidentiality and discretion with the ability to communicate and work with a wide range of stakeholders.

§   A proven ability to work flexibly and proactively as part of a busy team

§   The ability to work alone and under pressure

§   Be committed to equal opportunities and inclusivity and upholding the highest standards of standards of safeguarding practice 

§   The physical ability to climb stairs to properties and manual handling tasks, such as moving furniture, office equipment and stationery

§ Empathy with the beliefs and values of the Christian Faith and the aims and objectives of the Church of England

Ideally you will also have knowledge of music and liturgy and building management coordination.

Hours: part-time 30 hours a week (excluding lunch breaks) split approximately 0.75 administrative and 0.25 hours lettings, worked across office hours Monday-Friday. Some weekend hours will be required occasionally, and some evening working is likely with Time off In Lieu awarded in line with Portsmouth Cathedral’s Policy.

Benefits of working at Portsmouth Cathedral:

• Generous leave allowance of 25 days (pro rata for this part-time post) plus all public holidays and two 'given' days at Christmas.
• Employer pension contributions of 7.5% (1.0% employee contribution)
• Commitment to professional development and training.
• Cash health plan

Safeguarding. The Cathedral takes the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults very seriously, and practices Safer Recruitment for all roles (both paid and voluntary), enhanced DBS for specific roles, and face-to-face or online training as required.

Portsmouth Cathedral is an Equal Opportunities Employer and a member of Inclusive Church.

Closing date for applications: 23.00 Sunday 15th February 2026
Interviews will be held 26th February 2026

This is a challenging, exciting and rewarding role for a highly motivated, enthusiastic and pro-active fundraising professional with a strong background in community engagement and communications. You will continue building the public profile of St Petrock’s and be responsible for generating the income needed to run and further develop our vital and life-saving services.

About St Petrock’s (Exeter) Ltd:  St Petrock’s is Exeter’s local, values-led and much-loved homelessness charity, created and supported by the local community to provide vital services for rough sleepers and other people experiencing homelessness, and those at risk of homelessness in Exeter. For more details, please visit our website.

About the role:  You will be creative, self-motivated, conscientious and energetic, and have superb interpersonal and communication skills to engage effectively with a wide range of people and build the supporter base of St Petrock’s. You will have strong project and event management skills to lead on major fundraising campaigns and events such as our annual Christmas fundraising video campaign, the Big Night Out sponsored sleepout, and the Big Night In fundraising dinner, along with the imagination and drive to develop a full programme of public fundraising challenges and events. You will also have the knowledge and drive to develop legacy giving and major donor programmes and, supported by the Fundraising and Communications Officer, will be responsible for our social media platforms, website, media relations, and other external communications.

You will be primarily based at the St Petrock’s homelessness centre, with the opportunity for some hybrid working (at home or at local co-working venue). Given the nature of the role, it is essential that you have a suitably insured vehicle and are able to attend meetings and events outside normal working hours to share about St Petrock’s as needed.

Applications:For more detail (including a full Job Description & Person Specification) and how to apply, please download the Job Pack from our website or in the ad attachments.

To complete your application, please send us your CV, covering letter and a disclosure form as per the details in the Job Pack, outlining why you feel you are an ideal candidate for this post..  (These can also be emailed to us following the details in the pack). 

Closing date for applications: Monday 16th February 2026 at 9am

Please contact Peter Stephenson, Chief Executive via the contact details in the Job Pack if you would like to have an informal discussion before applying (including a contact phone number if you would like to arrange a call back).

St Petrock’s is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable adults and children. We use “safer recruitment” practices throughout our recruitment processes, and all successful candidates will be subject to the highest level of DBS check that is legally permissible for their role. Any offer of employment is subject to a satisfactory DBS check. Applicants should understand that a criminal history will not necessarily bar applicants from this role but will be subject to risk assessment.

Job Title: Policy and Advocacy Manager

Position Type: Maternity Cover

Reports to: Founder/Chief Executive

Based at: School Food Matters, Blackfriars Settlement 9 Rushworth Street SE1 0RB

Salary: £40,500

Working Hours: 9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension: School Food Matters pays pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays

School Food Matters is closed between Christmas and New Year

Job Purpose

· To lead and shape School Food Matters’ policy and advocacy strategy, ensuring our voice influences national and local decision-making on school food and food education

· To design and deliver campaigns that support and advance SFM’s mission

· To line manage the Policy and Communications Assistant and Press and Communications Officer

Key Tasks

· Lead and provide strategic input to campaigns, convene groups and partnerships

· Represent SFM at external meetings and coalitions such as the School Food Review

· Monitor, analyse and interpret relevant research, policy developments and news, identifying implications or opportunities for SFM

· Oversee the strategic direction of SFM’s external affairs and communications, ensuring all policy, campaigns, and public messaging align with the charity’s mission and priorities

· Provide policy research and analysis to support the activities of the School Food Review

· Oversee meetings and governance for the School Food Alliance

· Provide policy and communications expertise for the Food Education Network workstreams

· Represent SFM at relevant policy consultations, meetings and conferences to influence and inform policy discussions, and deliver presentations as required

· Lead drafting of responses to government consultations

· Working closely with the Press and Communications Officer, provide insights to inform timely media responses to policy developments

· Ensure colleagues are regularly briefed on policy activities, priorities and messages, and run internal workshops to keep them up to date with the school food sector

· Provide strategic input to meeting content for the School Food Review, and support the Policy and Communications Assistant to organise meetings for workstreams

· Oversee the development web content, articles, blogs and newsletter content by the Press and Communications Officer and the Policy and Communications Assistant

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

· Maintain the ethos of the charity and positively promote our work at all times

· The Policy and Advocacy Manager will also undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time.  Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential!

Person Specification

Essential

· Experience of research and analysis, ideally in a policy environment

· General knowledge of issues around school food, children’s health and food education

· Comprehensive understanding of the UK’s political system

· Experience of coordinating policy/research-based projects

· Experience designing, coordinating and delivering campaigns

· Experience of working in coalitions

· Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain relationships with a range of individuals and organisations

· Confident and competent IT skills across Office suite of programmes

· Exceptional oral and written communication skills in fluent spoken and written English, with strong attention to detail and the ability to translate complex data and policies into accessible language and engaging stories and communication materials

· Strong understanding media landscape and social media platforms to oversee the communications activity of the organisation

· Ability to work independently, with high levels of self-motivation

· Good project management, time management and organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines

· Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity

Desirable

· Strong knowledge of the public health, food and education policy landscape

· Experience managing others

· Experience managing projects

· Experience managing meetings

· Experience of working with Drupal CMS

· Experience of working within a network or coalition of campaigning organisations

· Established contacts with media outlets/journalists/bloggers

· Digital campaigning and social networking skills

· Experience writing news articles and blog posts with clear structure, purpose and an engaging narrative

· Experience managing or supervising team members to deliver communications projects effectively

• Salary: £50,331 gross per annum

• Location: London

• Contract Type: Fixed Term

• Contract Duration: 18 months

• Hours: Full Time

• Closing Date: 20 February 2026

• First Interview Dates: Starting from the 9th of March

About the role

ClientEarth is a leading not for profit organisation working across four key impact areas: climate, nature, health and justice. You will join ClientEarth’s Governance & Legal Services Department. The Governance Legal Services Department is ClientEarth’s in-house legal team driven to enable ClientEarth to deliver innovative legal strategies while managing risk and legal & regulatory compliance in a manner consistent with our organisational values. The role covers both providing direct support to manage governance meetings and documentation, and creating systems, processes, and a framework of best practices to empower Management Bodies and staff. 

Meet your Manager

In this role, you will be managed by Amy Rose. Amy manages ClientEarth's Governance and Legal Services Department, overseeing ClientEarth’s governance, risk and compliance, and managing its various related legal entities globally. This includes ensuring that ClientEarth company and staff comply with legal, professional, and ethical obligations, and supporting ClientEarth contracting and contractual compliance. Amy specialises in strategic impact litigation and oversees the management of ClientEarth's diverse and growing litigation portfolio. She focuses on supporting our legal teams to bring a wide range of climate and environmental cases across Europe and around the world. Amy is a member of the Global Leadership Group, and the President of ClientEarth (Luxembourg) ASBL. Before joining ClientEarth, Amy was the Head of Litigation at Altisource Portfolio Solutions in Luxembourg, where she managed a large and diverse portfolio of multinational cases. Prior to moving to Europe, Amy worked as a general commercial litigator at the global law firm of Squire Sanders (now Squire Patton Boggs) in San Francisco, California.

Main Duties

• Provide secretariat support to ClientEarth UK Board of Trustees, working closely with the Assistant to the CEO and Board to ensure the well-coordinated delivery of meetings, including coordinating and facilitating scheduling, forward planning, setting of agendas and invitations, and managing, filing, and maintaining all required documentation.
• Support the flow of relevant governance information between ClientEarth Group and ClientEarth Americas to maximise efficiencies and facilitate effective coordination. 
• Coordinate the governance of all ClientEarth Group entities, working closely with the General Counsel, Heads of Country, in-country governance leads, and national Management Bodies to ensure the effective and aligned delivery of Group Governance Board and Management Body meetings, including supporting and coordinating with them on: scheduling, forward planning, setting of agendas and invitations, drafting resolutions, managing, filing, and maintaining all required documentation.
• Lead the design and continual improvement of ClientEarth’s governance framework and .strategic thinking on evolving ClientEarth’s governance structures to meet the organisation’s needs over time. 

See the job description (below) for a full list of duties for this role.

Role requirements

• Understanding of the charity / non-profit sector and charity / non-profit governance (essential)
• Experience managing board meetings and related documentation and processes (essential) 
• Good knowledge of setting up and managing effective administrative processes, systems, and procedures (essential)
• Knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements for a charitable organisation and company (essential) in multiple jurisdictions relevant to ClientEarth (desirable) 

See the job description (below) for a full list of requirements for this role.

Note to candidates: We know that long lists of criteria can be daunting and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you feel you meet at least some of the essential criteria, we still encourage you to apply.

Further Information

Have a question about this job? Please visit our Careers site for advice on applying, FAQs, and more.

Flexible working:  We are proud to be a Flexa accredited Employer. Visit our Flexa Employer page for more information on our approach to flexible working. Our flexible working policy allows our people the choice to decide to work from home/another location in the country where their contract of employment is issued for 80% of their month, with the other 20% of their month being office-based  See our Benefits page for more as well as our flexible working FAQ.

ClientEarth values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We aim to appoint the most suitable candidate at all times and welcome applications from people from all different backgrounds. See our equity, diversity and inclusion journey page for more.

Please note that ClientEarth is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in the UK.

ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.

Hofesh Shechter Company seeks a Head of Finance and Operations to join our leadership team at Somerset House. This pivotal role manages strategic three-year budget planning and core functions including Finance, HR, IT and Governance. 

Reporting to the Executive Producer, you will provide essential oversight to help achieve our creative and commercial goals. In this role, you will be expected to actively drive an entrepreneurial culture by adding your voice and ideas to the exploration of new income streams and providing the financial analysis and insight needed to strengthen fundraising initiatives and core business functions.

We require an experienced professional with accountancy qualifications and strong operational skills to oversee business functions and strategic planning. A supportive leadership style is essential.Knowledge of the arts or charity sector is required; experience with Theatre Tax Relief and NPO funding is highly desirable.

As part of an ambitious Business Development team, you’ll work closely with partners from the commercial, not-for-profit and government sectors to plan and implement activities that enable people to report crime without fear.

Reporting to the Head of Business Development, you will work collaboratively, whilst showing initiative and proactivity. Much of the work we do is cutting-edge for the sector and as such, we welcome creativity, curiosity and a solutions-based approach. 

The Account Manager position is very varied – liaising closely with Operations, MarComms and our Data teams and of course, at all times, overseeing and meeting partners, producing reports and writing evaluations. 

You'll find the job pack below, and you can apply via our careers page via the link.

Please note that you must submit both a CV and a covering letter to be considered for this role.

Please ensure that your application reflects your genuine voice and experiences that demonstrate your suitability for this role.

ODI is seeking an exceptional Head of Global IT—a high‑calibre technology leader with high emotional intelligence, servant‑hearted authenticity, and a deep passion for strengthening the most persecuted Christians and praying for their connection with the global Church.

This individual will embody ODI’s ministry‑driven purpose, continually improving our operational effectiveness and safeguarding our security as we serve the persecuted Church. If you’re a mission‑aligned IT leader who thrives on building resilient systems that empower global ministry, this could be your next calling.

The primary responsibilities of the Head of Global IT are:

• Global IT team leadership and management (approximately 25 staff & contractors)
This includes business analysis, project and program management, solution design and selection, technical architecture, software development and maintenance, customer support, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

• Alignment through influence
Build strong, trust‑based relationships with executives and functional leaders across fundraising and field operations, using influence, communication, and demonstrable value to drive voluntary alignment.

• AI and innovation
Champion the adoption of AI and automation (e.g., business analysis, software development, analytics, workflows, decision support) to improve program effectiveness, supporter engagement, and internal efficiency.
Promote the Enterprise Architecture, AI, and innovation processes to identify emerging technologies to help drive solutions that increase the value of IT support and services.

• Cybersecurity
Ensure effective cybersecurity posture globally, including policies, awareness, identity and access management, monitoring, incident response, and alignment with relevant standards and regulations.

• Global IT governance
This includes standards and policies that balance consistency with local flexibility, in close partnership with international leadership, fundraising bases, and field operational entities.
Lead and facilitate the creation of governing principles and a board to guide EA and AI decision‑making (e.g., foci, prioritization, value realization, allocation of roles and responsibilities) to enable the long‑term Ministry strategy.

• IT portfolio and program management
This relates to major technology initiatives, ensuring alignment with strategy, clear business cases, disciplined prioritization, and on‑time, on‑budget delivery.

• Infrastructure
Oversee Azure and Microsoft‑centric infrastructure, collaboration platforms (e.g., M365/Teams/SharePoint), and core business applications, ensuring reliability, scalability, and security for a 60+ country footprint.

• Networking
Provide oversight of vendors, partners, and outsourcing relationships to maximize quality, cost‑effectiveness, and mission fit.

Your Key Qualities

Open Doors believes that spiritual maturity, character, and behaviour are as important as competence. Therefore, the Head of Global IT is:

• A devoted follower of Jesus with a heart to strengthen persecuted Christians.
• Prayerful and able to take IT decisions founded on faith in God.
• Able to build strong relationships across national cultures.
• Able to empower others and intentionally develop future IT leaders.
• Prepared to make difficult decisions and have honest conversations with grace.
• Active in a local church that supports their vocation and provides spiritual support.
• Emotionally intelligent and aware of the impact of their leadership on people.
• Able to communicate complex topics in simple, compelling language for non‑technical leaders.
• Strong in integrity, stewardship, and accountability, recognizing the responsibility of managing donor‑funded resources.
• Experienced in negotiating and influencing at a senior level, combined with strong interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Proven IT skills and experience in the areas of:
o Technology and architecture.
o Delivery and methods: proficiency in business analysis, requirements elicitation, and solution evaluation.
o Data, AI, and process improvement, including process mapping, optimization, and automation.

Horatio’s Garden charity is looking for an experienced fundraising leader to develop this newly created role within the fundraising and events directorate. We are a growing, award winning, national charity delivering garden-based support to improve the mental health of people with spinal injuries across the UK. 

You will be joining the charity in an incredibly exciting year, as we launch our new 5 year strategy and head into a Capital Appeal for our tenth garden in Wakefield.

Our newly created role of Head of Philanthropy & Partnerships will play a critical part in this next chapter, leading the development of our existing high value fundraising portfolio to support our growth ambitions. This is both a strategic and hands-on role, operating in a small team environment and requiring the postholder to work with the Director of Income Generation and CEO to shape strategy, build relationships, and deliver income directly. 

The role will work across major donors, trusts & foundations and corporate partnerships, supporting a talented team of four fundraisers: Senior Philanthropy Manager (Trusts & MD), Senior Regional Partnerships Manager, Trust & Foundations Fundraiser and Trusts & Foundations Assistant.

The charity has a history of building successful high value relationships, and we are looking for someone with the experience and ambition to help us build on this solid foundation to deliver our 5-year strategy and complete our core capital appeal programme. 

You will need to have significant fundraising experience gained in a charitable environment across major donors, trusts and foundations and corporate partnerships. You will work with the team to develop compelling case for supports, identify and cultivate prospects and build partnerships to secure high value gifts.

We are looking for a conscientious and skilled coordinator who understands how vital administrative tasks are to a well-functioning, smooth-running organisation. You are a big picture thinker with an eye for detail, someone who can support us in grounding our big ideas in reality, helping to ensure our work is clearly documented, replicable, compliant with relevant legislation, and that it contributes to making a big impact for the social sector. 

You love to collaborate cross-functionally and have a knack for understanding and maintaining the ecosystem of a cohesive and impactful organisation. You’re looking to join a small, friendly, and respectful team with an outsized impact, where your ideas and contributions are valued and where you are trusted to work in a way that suits you.

About DataKind UK

DataKind UK is a small infrastructure charity with a vision of a strong, thriving third sector that embraces data science to become more impactful. Effective data use has the potential to transform an organisation's impact by improving decision-making, maximising operational efficiency, and ensuring service delivery is evidence-based. A lack of access to responsible data science skills and techniques in the third sector means it isn’t having the impact it could.

We provide a variety of free and contracted support services to help third sector organisations achieve their missions, encourage innovation, and improve decision making, problem solving, and practices.

Since 2013, more than 2,200 DataKind UK volunteers have supported over 300 charities—from large organisations like St John Ambulance and Action for Children to local food banks and campaigning charities—helping them better understand their users, evaluate what's working, streamline routine tasks, and ultimately better tackle society's biggest challenges.

You'll be part of a kind and collaborative five-person staff team that works closely with a talented community of volunteer data scientists. This is an exciting and unusual opportunity to shape how the third sector uses data. Join us!

Essential qualities

• Proactive, can-do attitude - if in doubt, we’ll figure it out!
• A highly organised, process-driven problem solver.
• You are aligned with DataKind UK’s core values: curious, responsible, collaborative.
• You are self-directed and goal-oriented, and like working independently or managing without direct authority.
• You thrive in an environment where every day is a bit different, and are happy working flexibly and adaptably. You can switch between big-picture and detail-oriented thinking.
• You are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• You are a collaborative team player, and happy to jump in and help out when and where needed. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit.

Essential skills

• Personable and skilled at relationship building and communicating with a variety of people - we work in a small, hybrid team, and with a wide variety of volunteers, charity partners, and other stakeholders.
• Skilled at collaborating with/managing people who are not your direct reports (e.g. colleagues, volunteers, trustees).
• Comfortable juggling multiple projects and priorities and making decisions about what to prioritise accordingly.
• Familiarity with digital software - currently we use Google suite for email, diary management and documents; Beacon CRM; Monday for project management; and Slack for team and volunteer communications. You may not have used those exact tools but you are comfortable with learning new tools and processes, to the point where you can clearly document processes and train others.

Desirable

• Experience of working and/or volunteering in the UK charity sector.
• Knowledge of charity governance / legislation.
• An interest in the use of data to support decision making in the third sector.
• Experience of working or collaborating with volunteers.

What we offer

• Working in a small, flexible, hybrid team where you are trusted to manage your time and your projects. If you need to switch your hours one week, or take time out of your working day to go to a dentist appointment, sit an exam, or for your child’s school play, go ahead! We are focused on outputs over time spent at your desk. 
• 5% employer pension contribution.
• 11 days holiday (27 days pro rata).
• Employee Support plan including medical and dental assistance.
• We will provide you with a comprehensive onboarding plan, where we will identify any additional training needs to support you in your role and arrange for training at a time/place/pace that suits you.

Working hours and location 

This is a part-time role (14 hours per week). You can do this across two or more days, depending on your preferred work pattern. Working hours are flexible, but we ask that at least 75% of your working time is within the hours of 10am and 6pm UK time, in order to facilitate team working and real-time collaboration.

This role will ideally be hybrid / London-based. We can currently provide London office space on Mondays (Victoria), Thursdays (Shoreditch) and Fridays (Victoria). (Please note we don’t currently have any other staff members in the office on a Friday.) We will occasionally hold team days in London - you will be given advance notice of these dates. We may be able to offer remote working for an exceptional candidate, but our preference would be for a hybrid schedule with at least one day in the office (Monday or Thursday) per week - please note this could be a shorter day, e.g. 9-3 to accommodate other commitments.

You must have the right to work in the UK.

How to apply

The deadline for receipt of your application is 9am, Monday 23 February. Applications received after this time will not be considered.

Please send us your CV and a cover letter of no more than two single-spaced pages to explain why this role appeals to you and how you meet the experience, skills, and qualities listed above using the STAR (Situation Task Action Result) approach. We would also like to know:

1. What made you decide to apply for this role?
2. How do you stay organised? Again, this can be an example from your work, study or personal life.
3. Can you tell us about a time when you have had to step outside of your comfort zone or usual role, either in a job or an example from your life outside of work? What motivated you to get involved and what was the outcome?

All applications will be anonymised before shortlisting.

A note on use of generative AI

We know a lot of people use generative AI tools like Chat GPT to help them with job applications. We don’t encourage this, but if you do want to use it, we recommend asking it for suggestions on relevant things to include, get it to give you them in bullet points, then write the application yourself. We really want to hear from YOU, the human, in your authentic voice. It helps you to stand out, and helps us figure out if you're really and truly a good fit for the role. We do not use AI to assist us with reviewing and shortlisting applicants.

Equity & Diversity Monitoring

Please consider filling in the Equity & Diversity Monitoring Form linked in the Job Description attachment. This is entirely voluntary and anonymous and will not affect your application in any way.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background, and welcome applications regardless of age, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, religion/belief, race, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, or disability.

The data you provide will be used to monitor whether we are receiving applications from quality candidates across the whole of society. If there are differences in application rates it will enable action to be taken to ensure that no group is treated unfairly.

We particularly encourage applications from groups which are underrepresented in data science, tech, and/or the third sector, including people of colour and people with disabilities. We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process (both with the application and interview) and on the job. If you have particular accessibility needs, please get in touch and let us know any requirements you may have at contact at datakind dot org dot uk.

We will treat the data you provide in your application in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

In the decade to 2030 we aim for 30% of Suffolk to be connected and well looked after for nature, and for 1 in 4 people in Suffolk to be actively helping to make that happen. This role helps build the supporter power to get us there by delivering an excellent membership experience & ensuring our members feel valued, informed and connected to the work of Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

The post holder will take responsibility for the efficient day-to-day administration of the Trust’s membership schemes, using the Charity CRM database to maintain accurate contact & financial records in line with GDPR. This includes processing new, renewing and lapsed memberships, handling payments ( Direct Debits, PayPal & Gift Aid) and providing consistently high-quality communication with members through enquiries, welcome packs, renewal reminders and supporter care.

You’ll also support member growth and retention by helping deliver key supporter journey communications, thanking activity and retention projects, and by liaising with external partners such as the membership recruitment agency. Alongside this, you’ll help co-ordinate membership resources such as welcome packs, leaflets and magazine mail-outs (working with the volunteer delivery network), and contribute to continuous improvement in data quality, reporting and processes to strengthen our systems and supporter relationships.

To succeed in this role, you’ll be committed to Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s mission and bring a proactive, ‘can-do’ approach. You’ll have experience in an administrative, office or customer service role, with strong organisation, attention to detail and a methodical approach to maintaining accurate records.

You’ll be confident using Microsoft 365 and databases/systems with an understanding of GDPR and data protection. You’ll communicate professionally and warmly by phone and in writing, handling confidential information and difficult conversations with sensitivity. Willingness to learn Direct Debits, Gift Aid and charity income processes is essential; charity/membership sector experience is desirable.

This is a maternity cover role to cover a period of maternity leave (up to one year) working 22.5 hours per week over three days (office hours are Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm) based at Brooke House in Ashbocking. There may be opportunity for the role to become a permanent contract. We operate flexible homeworking arrangements where colleagues spend more time working together than homeworking. The starting salary is £14,398.80 per annum pro-rata (FTE £23,998.00).

To apply for this opportunity, please submit an application via our website by 9:00am on Tuesday 17 February 2026. The application process will include uploading a CV and optional cover letter. The interviews are planned for Monday 23 February 2026 at Brooke House. 

Annual leave entitlement starts at 33 days per annum (including Bank Holidays), increasing annually to 38 days plus employees receive an extra day off for their birthday. We offer a 9% employer pension contribution with no employee contribution required, free 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme, free life insurance from day one of employment, free access to a private GP and discounts at high street retailers. Staff can also enjoy a 10% discount in our visitor centre cafes, including retail.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone is welcome. As a conservation charity, we recognise the importance of diversity in both nature and our workforce of staff and volunteers. We strive to ensure that everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute to our vision of “A Wilder Suffolk where nature is thriving and abundant because everyone is doing more to help”.

Assistant Director of Operations
Salary: £72,000 per annum
Work Pattern: This is a permanent contract, working full time, Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours a week.
Location: Your base can be at any of the 6 mainland UK Discovery Sites: Arundel BN18, Llanelli SA14, London SW13, Martin Mere L40, Slimbridge GL2 or Washington NE38. The 7th site is Castle Espie.
For this role we can offer the opportunity for hybrid working. It is expected the role will need you to be present at each of your sites on a regular basis, at least once per month.

About The Role

WWT is the charity for wetlands.

This is a critical role in the recently restructured Operations Directorate at WWT. As Assistant Director, you will be directly responsible for the performance of our 7 Wetland Discovery sites. You will provide inspiring and professional leadership to your teams, whilst proactively collaborating cross organisation and externally.

Your focus will be on driving meaningful improvements at sites across our three ambitions of Restore, Inspire and Thrive, with emphasis on financial performance driven by visitor experiences. Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will directly manage two Heads of Operations, a Head of Retail and Head of Catering. You will indirectly lead more than 400 staff and volunteers across Living Collections, Reserve Management, Visitor Experience, Trading, Marketing, Facilities and Grounds.

You will work closely with Health & Safety and Sustainability leads to ensure good governance and compliance at sites and across the Operations Directorate.

You will have a background working in visitor attractions or a very similar sector, coupled with a passion for purpose-led organisations and a keen interest in the environment. You will be an inspiring leader with high levels of emotional intelligence and values & behaviours that align with WWT.

About You

To join as our Assistant Director of Operations, you will need to evidence:

• Experience in a senior position(s) held in the visitor attraction/events management sectors, directly accountable for site operations and visitor experience throughout the visitor journey.
• Strong skills in leading business planning, financial analysis, budget development and management, and delivery of significant capital projects across £multi-million business unit(s).
• Demonstrable ability to recruit, performance manage and motivate large (>100) diverse multi-disciplinary teams.
• The ability to develop, communicate and implement strategic change, turning organisational vision into improvements at scale.
• An inspirational and empathetic leadership style, able to role model an organisation’s values and behaviours, and to evidence strong emotional intelligence. Able to prioritise effectively, to collaborate, network and influence internally and externally at a senior level.
• A highly creative and inquisitive mindset, able to spot and exploit potential opportunities, keen to explore, test and learn as a means of driving continual improvement and excellence in the visitor experience.
• Experience of working collaboratively with insight, marketing and communications teams to deliver strong brand and marketing campaigns which drive footfall.

About Us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you’ll love working at WWT

• Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
• 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) – this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
• Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
• Cycle to work scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
• Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme

Closing Date: 23rd February 2026

N.B. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications from candidates who meet the required skills and experience. We therefore encourage early applications.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.

No agencies please.

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.

Your outstanding management of the Woodland Heritage Skills project will ensure that the project meets its objectives and in doing so help the charity in achieving its mission.

You will be a core part of how Woodland Heritage is achieving its mission and it will be an incredibly rewarding and varied experience!

Your work with the charity will be as part of a small, dedicated team of staff and a wider group of passionate trustees. Everyone will want you to succeed and will support you along the way.

Woodland Heritage is creating a thriving UK wood culture that benefits our environment, all people and our economy. We do this by championing the good use of home-grown timber from sustainable, productive woodlands for the benefit of present and future generations. Through a combination of demonstration sites, research, education, membership and outreach, we build on the wisdom and skills of the past to weather the challenges of tomorrow. 

About the role

• The role is full time 37.5 hours per week for a fixed term of two years, with planned evening and weekend working as required. 
• We can offer flexible working and hybrid working. You may wish to work at Whitney Sawmills, Herefordshire, for example for a day per week, though this is not required.
• 25 days plus Bank/Public holidays as paid leave
• Salary £35,000 PA FTE
• Your line manager will be the Chief Executive
• Employer contribution from nest pension

 All other terms and conditions will be as per your contract. More details are available via our staff handbook which can be provided to shortlisted candidates. 

This role is part of a £238,442 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to create ‘Woodland Heritage Skills’; two years of educational workshops, digital educational assets and collaboration with its members and partners to deliver the charity’s new Open Woods & Workshops initiative.

A tremendous £13,547 of this grant is matched funding from the outdoor furniture B-Corp Gaze Burvill, a corporate member of Woodland Heritage, alongside fellow personal and corporate members of the charity. 

About you

You will have a committment to the vision and values of Woodland Heritage and a desire to bring about positive change in the relationship between people and woodlands. You will have demonstrable experience of managing projects, delivering educational impact and a willingness to learn and to be flexible.

Visit our website to download the job specification and learn how to apply. We'd love to hear from you!