Executive director jobs in hackney, greater london

Director of Fundraising and Development (Maternity cover)

Reporting to: CEO as part of the Senior Leadership team
Direct reports: Head of Business Development, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Head of Individual Giving and Engagement, Head of Major Giving, Department Coordinator Location of work: Remote/ Home based with travel to London and occasional UK travel.
Contract Length: 18 months Maternity Cover
Contract Type: Proposed full-time, 35 hours per week; 28 hours per week or 35 hours compressed may be considered. The role may require occasional evening and weekend work.

Salary: £80,000 - £85,000

BACKGROUND
Magic Breakfast’s mission is to end child morning hunger in the UK now and for good. The latest research suggests that the number of children and young people at risk of hunger has rocketed to 2.7 million, meaning that one in five children don’t have enough to eat. When a child is too hungry to learn, they struggle to concentrate, absorb information, and manage big emotions, causing them to fall behind in their studies.
Magic Breakfast provides a nutritious and filling breakfast to over 300,000 children and young people every school day. We work with schools in areas of high disadvantage, helping staff target the children most in need without barrier or stigma. We are now at an exciting point in our journey as we launch Nourishing Futures, our long-term strategy, which capitalises on market changes and government commitments to scale our work, while redefining breakfast spaces not just as places to eat, but as places to thrive.

JOB PURPOSE
The Director of Fundraising and Development (Maternity Cover) will provide strategic leadership and direction across all fundraising and income-generating activities, ensuring the charity continues to deliver against its financial objectives and accelerates long-term, sustainable growth across our philanthropic, public, and commercial income streams.
You will bring strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills to equip, support, and empower the team through a period of organisational change. You will help the team optimise and make the most of the new organisational strategy, embedding strategic focus, effective decision-making, and collaborative leadership practices across the fundraising leadership group.

You will use your commercial acumen and fundraising expertise to identify opportunities and support the team to recognise, shape, and pursue them confidently and effectively, enabling them to take ownership and drive progress across all income streams. A key part of the role will be ensuring that new commercial and public sector income streams are recognised, understood, and capitalised on across the organisation, working closely with the newly established Head of Business Development to embed this focus and enable them to succeed in driving this work forward.
Working closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will play a crucial role in maintaining momentum, ensuring continuity, and supporting the organisation to deliver the new strategy and business plan, helping to realise opportunities, navigate challenges, and ensure long-term sustainability during this maternity cover period.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Driving income growth: establishing high-performing income pipelines across all income streams, with a strong multi-year focus, supported by robust data, reporting, and pipeline management.
• Integrating and accelerating public sector and commercial income streams: Ensuring newly integrated income areas are understood, valued and operational across the organisation.
• Embedding and executing a unified, co-owned fundraising and development strategy: Partnering with the CEO, SLT and Board to embed strategic focus, ensure integration, and alignment with organisational goals.
• Strengthening leadership, culture and team performance: Providing coaching-based leadership, direction, support and empowerment, helping the team thrive and achieve ambitious income targets across philanthropic, public sector and commercial streams.
• Advance cross-organisational impact, insight and influence: ensuring fundraising and development is tightly integrated with organisational strategy, marketing/engagement, service delivery and external influencing.

For more information on the role or to apply please contact:

Katie Booth | peridot partners| email and phone number can be found on the website link 

Simon Callaghan | peridot partners | email and phone number can be found on the website link 

Timetable

Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 12th January 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: By 5 p.m. Tuesday 13th January 2026
First stage interviews: Friday 16th January 2026 (Online)
Second stage interviews: Tuesday 20th January 2026 (In person, London)

About us:

Drinkaware is a leading charity concerned with reducing harm from alcohol. We do this by providing impartial, evidence-based information, advice, and practical resources; raising awareness of alcohol harms; and working in partnership with others to deliver behaviour change through our tools and interventions. The Trust is funded primarily through voluntary, unrestricted donations from alcohol producers, wholesalers, and on- and off-trade retailers, but acts entirely independently.

If you’re passionate about making a difference and thrive in a role where no two days are the same, we’d love to hear from you.

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About the role:

As our Operations and Programme Support Executive, you’ll play a vital role in keeping our Operations and Programmes team running smoothly. From managing enquiries to supporting projects and events, your contribution will help us deliver our mission effectively and inclusively.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing responsive, professional support to customers and stakeholders.
• Coordinating project administration and logistics for key initiatives.
• Assisting with digital product support, including app-related queries and liaising with external agencies.
• Collecting and reporting feedback to help us continuously improve.
• Offering general administrative support, from scheduling meetings to processing invoices.

This is a role for someone who enjoys variety, takes pride in delivering excellent service, and values collaboration.

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About you:

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. You’ll bring:

• Strong customer service skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Excellent organisational abilities and attention to detail.
• Confidence working with digital tools and collaborating with external partners.
• Clear communication skills and a team-focused mindset.

Experience in financial administration or e-commerce support is a bonus, but not essential. If you meet most of the criteria and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply.

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Why join us?

At Drinkaware, we value our people and offer a supportive, inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. You’ll enjoy:

• Hybrid Working (two days a week in the office)
• 30 days annual leave (plus Bank Holidays)
• Bupa health cover
• Matched company pension scheme
• Life assurance cover
• Wellbeing and learning grants
• Perks and discounts platform

…and more.

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Ready to make an impact?

Apply today and help us work together to reduce alcohol harm across the UK.

For full information please refer to the attached job description, our applicant privacy policy and read more about Drinkaware on our website.

All candidates must be eligible to work in the UK and provide proof of your right to work in the UK.

Closing date: 9am, Wednesday 7 January 2026

Expected Interview date: 23 & 26 January

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and welcome applications from all communities. If you need adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

No agency support is required

We are seeking an inspiring and strategic Director to lead Heart of the City through its next phase of development. You will work closely with the Board to set strategic priorities, oversee all operations, and ensure the charity continues to deliver impactful programmes for SMEs. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading Heart of the City as an independent charity, both within and outside the City of London Corporation.
• Developing and delivering annual and three-year business plans, reporting progress to the Board, Council of Members, and funders.
• Managing a budget, and driving business development - diversifying income streams, while maintaining the charity’s vision and objectives.
• Embedding robust impact measurement across all streams of work.
• Representing Heart of the City at senior levels across public, private, and third sectors, and building relationships with key stakeholders.

Bring your drive and passion to lead CPRE London towards its vision of a greener city and manage its strategic direction and delivery. This is a rare, part time opportunity to lead an organisation at the cutting edge of policy regarding green spaces and the environment, housing and planning. You will manage a small but motivated team of staff and dedicated volunteers. We are looking for candidates with the confidence to pitch for new funding and prioritise projects, coupled with a track record of liaison work across the environmental space ideally drawing on a background in planning.

CPRE London is a leading environmental charity in the capital, an independent charity and the London regional branch (1 of 42) of the national CPRE organisation, ‘The Countryside Charity’.

The focus of our campaigning is to make London a well-planned, greener, climate-resilient and nature rich city, which benefits everyone.

Skills in leadership, oversight of income and expenditure, communication, negotiation, and project management are needed to run our operations. In addition to leading CPRE London you will also work closely with a supportive board of trustees.

Currently at the exciting stage of developing the London Tree Ring project, additionally we are involved in many more initiatives such as Healthy Streets Scorecard and GoParksLondon and supporting local campaigns to protect our precious green spaces from development. 

Further details available on our website: Get Involved: Jobs and Volunteering Tab.

The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (“The QICN”)  is looking for a dynamic, hands-on and inspirational professional to join our outstanding staff team to lead the communications and policy function.

The successful candidate will be collaborative and lead by example, working closely with the Chief Executive and the Senior Leadership Team to achieve the charity’s ambitious strategic aims.  It will be crucial to have the seniority, credibility and experience to steward all aspects of the QICN brand, building on strong existing foundations to drive awareness across the UK. The ability to thrive in a fast-paced and changing environment is also crucial.

The QICN is the oldest professional nursing charity in the world and is a leading voice for nurses working in the community.  Our values of excellence, inclusivity, partnership, independence, advocacy, legacy and integrity underpin the charity’s strategic plan 2026-2030, which is included in the Job Pack.

This is a unique opportunity for an astute, super-efficient, fast learner to join the first international climate campaign organisation focused on the steel sector, one of the largest and least-challenged drivers of climate change. In this role, you will provide critical executive administrative support to our Executive Director and leadership team in a fast-moving and developing organisation, bringing invaluable organisational expertise that we need to thrive. There will be plenty of opportunity to develop your own skills and responsibilities as SteelWatch evolves. You will join an international team across countries that are nimble, collaborative, and hugely ambitious in the task of influencing the steel sector, which drives 7% of annual greenhouse gas emissions.

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

SteelWatch is an international non-profit civil society organisation established in June 2023, driving corporate accountability in the steel sector and urgent climate action. Our vision is a steel sector that underpins a thriving zero-emissions economy. We are still in 'start-up' mode, actively campaigning while developing our team and systems. We are small but growing, seeking to hold the huge steel industry to account for its impacts and drive urgency into a sector that is, so far, slow to change. The team is spread across countries and timezones, working closely collaboratively and remotely.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Executive Assistant is responsible for providing critical, executive administrative support to enable the Executive Director and SteelWatch Leadership team to operate effectively. The Executive Assistant will be a vital team member, ensuring smooth operations across executive functions and key organisational processes. We are looking for a candidate with curiosity and the capacity to adapt as SteelWatch continues to evolve. The Executive Assistant reports to the Operations Director and works closely with the Executive Director on day-to-day priorities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

The role is focused on supporting the Executive Director and SteelWatch Leadership team on a number of tasks, not limited to:

Executive Support

• Stay up to date on ED priorities and tasks. Manage diaries, schedule appointments, set up meetings accordingly, adapting to priorities.
• Organise and book travel arrangements according to diary needs, ED needs, and internal policies.
• Arrange and prepare for meetings with external partners, allies, industry experts, donors and industry meetings, handling logistics (timing, location, travel, virtual arrangements) and ensuring advanced preparation where needed.
• Draft supporting materials (e.g., presentations) and assist with minute-taking, ensuring team input.
• Track and manage written communication with key external contacts, including funder updates.
• While managing immediate diary priorities, stay one step ahead on the medium and long-term diary, to flag to ED, others in LT or in the staff team where advanced action or decisions are needed.

Governance and Operational Activities

• Manage ongoing engagement with the Supervisory Board by ensuring clear agendas, logistical support in organising these meetings, plus minute taking, sign-off and circulation.
• Manage the logistics for the annual staff retreat and other face to face meetings
• Coordinate weekly team meetings as directed by the Executive Director.
• Assist with key organisational processes and tasks, collaborating closely with the Operations Lead and team members on document management, process improvements, new staff recruitment, and onboarding processes.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The ideal candidate will bring proven experience of executive support and a proactive, creative and tactful approach to making logistics and relationships run smoothly in a busy, evolving, international organisation, and must be happy working in a fully remote environment.

They will be detail-oriented and fussy about accuracy while comfortable operating in a context where systems are improving.

They will be able to navigate ambiguity, drive action forward in a fluid context, and enjoy doing so. Additionally, they will have enthusiasm for a start-up culture, demonstrating a willingness to lean into each other's roles and support team members as needed. They will have the highest professional standards and strong interpersonal communication skills.

Essential skills and experiences

• At least 3-5 years' experience (and possibly much more) and a proven track record as a proactive and problem solving assistant, supporting an Executive Director with calendar management and other administrative challenges.
• Strong belief in the organisation's mission.
• Tech savvy and able to work highly effectively using collaboration tech tools, including Google products (Google Docs, Google Drive, Google sheets, etc.) and other tools (Slack, Zoom, etc).
• Strong organisational and logistical skills with enthusiasm for supporting smooth operations across the leadership team and wider organisation.
• Proven track record as a team player, able to work well with colleagues across cultures and geographies, creating respectful collaborative relationships and efficient teamwork.
• Comfortable in a fully-remote working environment, and able to adapt to the team working practices and team building of an online environment.
• Comfortable working with fluidity and the flexibility of a start-up organisation, able to work independently and adapt to team priorities, committed to investing in strengthening the organisation.
• Willingness to lean into building system improvements and adapting to the pace and urgency of changing priorities. 
• Strong oral and written communication.
• Willingness and ability to work across time zones, collaborate with diverse teams, and accommodate some early start times to work with colleagues in Asia.
• Ability to travel once per year internationally, potentially twice a year in Europe, and to meet irregularly with the UK-based ED and/or Netherlands and Belgium-based Operations team in person.

Desirable

• Prior experience in a non-governmental organisation (NGO) setting is preferred.
• Experience in a fast-paced, start-up environment.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide variety of audiences from analysts to communication experts and campaigners.
• Proven strong organisational skills to coordinate multiple inputs and manage different deadlines, working on immediate tasks as well as longer pieces of work.
• Demonstrated ability to think both strategically and creatively.
• Desire and ability to take initiative and to learn as you go.
• Enthusiasm to work with colleagues who bring different skills and expertise, and many of whom are on a learning curve about steel.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Location/remote working

• The position is fully remote with some occasional face-to-face time with colleagues, particularly the Executive Director and Operations Director.
• The UK is the preferred location due to ease of travel and contracting, but we will also consider exceptional applicants located in Belgium and the Netherlands.
• The successful applicant must be based in a time zone within one hour of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
• Being within a four-hour train journey of London is strongly preferred to facilitate travel and in-person collaboration, though we will consider exceptional candidates outside this range.
• While we offer some flexibility for you to work away from home base, this will need to be coordinated with travel of other colleagues, may depend on timezone changes and/or be limited by legal contracting constraints.
• You must have the right to work in your location. You will be employed in that country. SteelWatch is unable to support any visa application process. Work environment/Travel
• Working hours are flexible, but to facilitate collaboration, the core coordination window is 08:00-17:00 GMT/BST, Monday-Friday and you should be reasonably accessible during this window for meetings and coordination purposes. Work may occasionally be required outside of this standard time frame to meet deliverables.
• You will have the flexibility to adjust your weekly schedule to balance out those hours and fit into other commitments.
• Occasional travel will be required to collaborate with the team, including:
  • Annual full team retreat (once per year, may be in Asia, Europe or elsewhere) - essential.
  • Additional travel for events and face-to-face time with the team as needed.
• Face-to-face time with other colleagues may not be frequent, but it is essential. If you are constrained in your ability or permissions to travel, please discuss this before investing in an application.
• We pride ourselves on building a collaborative team of different cultures and working styles. Team members embrace the flexibility and learning curve of a start-up, and adapt to supporting each other as priorities arise.

Terms

This role is full time, 5 days/week. The initial contract period will be up to 12 months with a possibility to renew, depending on country regulations. The type of contract will depend on the location.

The gross salary for this position, if based in the UK, is in the range of £33,423-£44,576, based on experience and qualifications. Salaries are adjusted by location.

Our leave policy, unless varied by national regulation, provides 34 days in total combining public holidays and paid leave in all countries, plus birthday leave and inspiration time.

Ethics

We are a values-based organisation. Every staff member and consultant is asked to sign our Ethics statement and help us as an organisation live up to our values.

Equal opportunities

We strive to be an equal opportunities employer. We actively welcome applications from candidates from historically underrepresented groups in the climate change movement. If you require any adaptation or assistance during the application process, please be sure to let us know so that we can adjust.

Migrants Organise is seeking an experienced and values-driven Co-Director to join our leadership team and work closely with our CEO and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to strengthen Migrants Organise’s organisational infrastructure, support growth and sustainability.

This is a pivotal leadership role that combines strategic vision, grassroots solidarity movement building with hands-on management. The Co-Director will contribute to key aspects of organisational development, including strategic leadership, fundraising and financial management, staff management and development, governance, and capacity building of our grassroots membership to ensure that our mission and movement values are reflected in our internal systems, culture and external impact.

Director of Fundraising

Location: Hammersmith, London (2 or 3 days per week in the office)
Hours: 37.5 per week
Salary: £75,000–£80,000 per annum
Reporting to: Chief Executive
Term: Permanent

Aquilas is delighted to be partnering with The Honeypot Children’s Charity to recruit a visionary Director of Fundraising to lead the organisation into its next phase of growth and impact.

About Honeypot:

For over 30 years, Honeypot has supported young carers aged 5–12 across the UK, providing respite and learning breaks alongside a holistic range of services. We create safe, nurturing environments where children facing demanding home responsibilities can thrive and reach their full potential.

Our work supports children caring for a sick or disabled parent or sibling through ongoing, tailored services including respite and educational breaks, wellbeing grants, healthy eating and nutrition support, and pastoral care. We focus on early intervention and work in partnership with more than 130 referral organisations to provide sustained support for up to eight years, depending on individual need.

About the role:

As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Fundraising will lead and deliver ambitious fundraising strategies, grow income streams, strengthen partnerships, and secure sustainable funding to support Honeypot’s vital work. The successful candidate will bring proven fundraising leadership experience, strong relationship-building skills, and a genuine passion for improving outcomes for young carers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver the fundraising strategy
• Lead, manage, and inspire the fundraising team
• Build and maintain relationships with major donors, corporates, and grant-makers
• Ensure compliance and best practice in fundraising
• Grow income through Charity of the Year partnerships

Person Specication:

• Proven track record in income generation
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Charity sector experience (desirable)

To Apply:

To receive a candidate pack or arrange a confidential conversation, please contact:

Kieran McGorrian, Head of Not for Profit Appointments, Aquilas (contact details in candidate pack)

Applications close 5pm Monday 5th January 

Dancers’ Career Development (DCD), the national charity that enables and empowers dancers to thrive professionally and personally leading up to and beyond their performance careers, seek a Fundraiser.

DCD’s Fundraiser will work closely with the Executive Director and be instrumental in increasing fundraised and revenue income. 

Our ideal candidate will be a creative thinker with an open mindset to propose and explore new avenues of fundraising and income streams.

This role is ideally suited to a self-starter with a passion for the performing arts, who is motivated to make a tangible difference to the quality of dancers’ lives.

If you are excited by this opportunity and resonate with DCD’s values, please get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

Contract: Full-time permanent role

Salary: £35,000 per annum, pro-rata

Start date: As early as possible

Location: This is a remote working role, with monthly in-person team meetings which take place in London or Birmingham. Due to additional in-person events and meetings, as appropriate to the role and usually in London, the Fundraiser should be either based in London or within commutable distance.

Benefits: 23 days holiday pro-rata plus Bank Holidays (increasing to 28 days with length of service), 5% Employers contribution to pension scheme, Health & Wellbeing package, Professional Development opportunities.

Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 9am, Thursday 22 January 2026

Info: Download job application pack from our website for full job spec and how to apply.

Job Title - Head of Legal Aid and Billing

Contract - Permanent

Hours - Part Time, 21 hours per week (0.6 FTE) with some flexibility around working hours

Salary Range - £28,800 to £34,800 per annum (£48,000 to £58,000 FTE)

Location - London office - Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ

About Coram

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

One of the nine members of the Coram group, Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) is the UK’s specialist centre for children’s rights in education, immigration, community care and family law, and provides significant international legal systems consultancy. The centre is located on the Coram Campus in central London with a base in Colchester. We champion access to justice through information and advice, legal practice and representation, policy and strategic litigation. Our Legal Practice Unit provides advice and representation primarily under legal aid contract. Our Policy and Practice Change team promotes practice change through training and capacity building to professionals and secures systems change through research, policy and advocacy.

About the role

This role will provide leadership and management for CCLC particularly focused on the Legal Practice Unit’s legal aid billing operations. Through systematic and efficient management, the post-holder will play a pivotal role in CCLC’s financial and operational sustainability. The role will be accountable for maximising the unit’s legal aid billing in controlled work, certificated work and inter partes costs and will hold responsibility for the unit’s billing systems. It will also be responsible for private fees billing. The post-holder will oversee the smooth running of legal aid billing including through line management of the billing team. The post-holder will work very closely with legal, operations and administrative staff. The role will act as a key point of contact for a range of internal and external stakeholders including Coram’s central finance team who will support the role with grant fund management and overall accounting functions for CCLC. The post-holder will support the Managing Director of Legal Practice and Children’s Rights and department heads in the successful maintenance of our relationship with the Legal Aid Agency. Where appropriate they will be deputising for the Managing Director on legal aid and financial matters.

The role would suit a highly organised and efficient legal, or a finance or billing professional with solid experience of legal practice and a deep understanding of the challenges of legal aid. Whilst candidates with direct experience of legal billing (and more specifically civil legal aid billing) are welcomed, we recognise that this is a highly specialised and niche field. As such, this role could suit a highly experienced solicitor who appreciates the important role developing sustainable businesses plays in ensuring access to justice and who therefore wishes to move into practice and financial management. They will need an aptitude for processing large amounts of data, developing and managing spreadsheets and improving organisational systems. However, they will be well supported through training, an enthusiastic and competent junior billing team, the central finance team and an outsourced legal cashiering company, as well as a friendly and collaborative management team including the Managing Director and the Heads of Education Law, Community Care Law and Immigration and Asylum Law.

This is a largely office-based role in order to fully provide support to the billing team. However, some remote / hybrid working may be possible depending the experience of the candidate after the initial settling in period and there will be flexibility over how the three days will be spread across the week (within working hours). The team are mostly based in the London office and with one billing team member in Colchester so the post holder may require some occasional travel. 

For further information on CCLC please visit our website.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing date: Monday 5th January 2026 at 5pm

Test and Interview date: Week commencing Monday 12th January 2026

Coram (entity) is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We actively encourage applicants from Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds to join our teams. Whilst we have a diverse team we recognise we are a predominantly white workforce and are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from diverse communities in order to improve the services to the children and families we help.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

Working arrangements: We are committed to a hybrid working model that means most staff work flexibly, spending a minimum of 6 days a month in the office. However, the nature of this role will require the post holder to be present in the office at least 4 days per week, with some flexibility based on the annual cycle of activity. Standard working hours between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Our client is recruiting a Senior Executive Assistant – executive office.

Purpose and scope

Key responsibilities

• Provide first class direct and responsive support to the CEO, president and chair of the board of trustees including efficient co-ordination and management of the diary, mail, meetings, travel, accommodation, preparation of agendas, collating information, organisation, and recording meetings as required.
• External-facing activity
  • assess enquiries directed to the president, CEO and chair of the board of trustees, triaging these in terms of importance, risk and determining any necessary delegation to senior officers and/or executive directors
  • when appropriate, communicate in writing, by email, over the phone and in person with senior stakeholders
  • develop and maintain key relationships with counterparts in other medical royal colleges and the wider healthcare network, including membership of networking groups, in order to support key CEO and presidential stakeholder relationships.
•  
• Internal-facing activity
  • manage the activity of the executive office
  • work with senior levels of our clients governance including the PRCP, CEO, senior officers, college officers and executive leadership to ensure effective communication and flow of work and to promote collaborative working across all areas of the college to maintain quality in the delivery organisational objectives
  • work closely with internal colleagues to coordinate, plan and deliver major corporate events.

About you

You are a motivated and enthusiastic individual with significant experience of providing first class executive support to senior position-holders within a similar organisation. You will be comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, capable of establishing strong working relationships with individuals working in any part of the organisation and confident making evidence-based decisions whilst respecting the boundaries of your role.

You will have the opportunity to be involved in some of the most interesting work of the college.

For more information about the role and our client, please view the role description attachment at the bottom of this page. 

Closing date: 11th January 2026

Shortlist date: 12th January 2026

Interview date: 19th January 2026

Programme Support & Knowledge Director

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

Location: The role can be based in the London, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda, subject to right to work eligibility in the respective countries.

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: Salaries and benefits will vary in line with the location of the successful candidate and depending on experience.

UK: £75,916 - £79,912 per year with excellent benefits.

Ethiopia: ETB 13544181 - 19864798.8 per year with excellent benefits.

Tanzania: TZS 217215222.3 - 304101311.22 per year with excellent benefits.

Nigeria: NGN 81860262.3 - 106418340.99 per year with excellent benefits.

Ghana: GHS 1200723 - 1681013 per year with excellent benefits.

Rwanda: RWF 95234280.3 - 133327992.42 per year with excellent benefits. 

Salaries and benefits for other countries will vary in line with the location of the successful candidate and depending on experience.

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

The Programme Support & Knowledge (PSK) team is a critical and dynamic unit within WaterAid UK’s International Programmes Department (IPD), working across 17 countries in Africa and Asia. PSK is a diverse and motivated group of over 20 technical specialists and advisors committed to bringing sustainable WASH to the world’s poorest and most marginalised people.

About the role

As our Programme Support and Knowledge Director, you will play a key role in delivering our mission by providing strategic leadership to the PSK team and the wider IPD, as part of the department’s SMT. You will also input into organisation-wide initiatives, external collaborations and global networks to drive sustainable change.

In this role, you will:

• Provide strategic and technical leadership to WaterAid UK’s programmes
• Lead the Programme Support & Knowledge Team
• Lead programme learning and knowledge management
• Oversee programme support and capacity development
• Support fundraising, external engagement, partnerships and communications
• Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.

Requirements

To be successful, you will need:

• Extensive and deep experience in WASH development across multiple contexts
• Strong technical WASH skills – e.g. sustainable rural and /or urban water supply service delivery and management, climate resilient WASH, 
• Systems-thinking capability to support transformational WASH programming
• Proven ability to lead strategic, impactful initiatives in large organisations
• Strong understanding of planning, monitoring and evaluation in development
• Experience in knowledge management, learning and capacity development
• Proven experience of developing propositions and donor engagement and
• A track record of leading high-performing teams and supporting change

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

• Working knowledge of French, Portuguese or Spanish
• Experience leading or managing applied research
• Experience establishing and promoting technical standards.

Closing date: Applications close 12:00 PM UK time on December 21st 2025. Interviews may be scheduled on a rolling basis, and the role may close earlier if a suitable candidate is found.

How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening questions 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

As a global organisation, WaterAid is committed to creating an environment where you can thrive and be yourself at your very best. Alongside our inspiring mission and meaningful work, we offer a range of benefits tailored to each country’s context and policies. These will be shared during the process

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 !

Want to work in a vibrant, dynamic and youth driven organisation that is protecting children’s health by transforming the food system?

Be part of the creative, agile and growing team empowering Bite Back’s exceptional teenage activists. As our Director of Finance and Operations you will make a real difference to our mission to help make the food system healthier and fairer.

As a key member of the Leadership Team, the Director of Finance & Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across finance, people, digital, operations and governance. They ensure the charity is financially sustainable, well-run, compliant and values-driven, so that our resources, systems and culture are aligned with our mission.

They will be accountable for the following areas:

Strategic leadership & organisational development

• Act as a strategic partner to the CEO and Leadership Team, shaping organisational strategy and translating it into robust financial, people and operational plans.

• Lead the annual organisational planning cycle, ensuring objectives, budgets and KPIs are aligned to the strategy and are realistic, affordable and measurable.

• Champion a culture of accountability, inclusion, learning and collaboration across the charity, role-modelling our values in leadership and decision making.

• Provide clear, insight-driven analysis and recommendations to support major strategic decisions (e.g. growth, new programmes, partnerships, investments, cost management).

• Lead and develop the Finance & Operations team (Finance, Fundraising, HR, IT/systems, operations) building a high-performing, service-oriented function that supports colleagues to deliver impact.

Financial strategy, planning & stewardship

• Develop and keep under review the charity’s financial strategy, ensuring long-term sustainability, appropriate reserves and effective use of resources.

• Lead and coordinate the annual budget and medium-term financial planning process, working closely with budget holders to create robust, activity-based budgets.

• With the support of the Senior Finance Manager, provide timely, accurate and insightful financial reporting to the CEO, Leadership Team and Board, including management accounts, restricted funds reporting, cashflow and forecasts.

• Maintain robust financial controls, policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, accounting standards and Charity Commission / Companies House requirements.

• Lead the relationship with external auditors and oversee the annual audit process, ensuring high-quality statutory accounts and a culture of continuous improvement in financial controls.

• Oversee financial aspects of funding bids, contracts and grant reporting, including costing models, financial due diligence and project / restricted fund monitoring.

People, culture & HR

• Champion Bite Back’s values - Fresh, Resilient, Respectful, Energetic, and Real - in all your work.

• Provide strategic oversight of HR, working closely with the HR & People Manager on people strategy, workforce planning, recruitment, employee relations and HR operations.

• Champion a positive, inclusive and psychologically safe workplace culture. Lead on embedding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the organisation, shaping recruitment, policies, culture and practices so that staff from all backgrounds feel welcomed, represented, supported and able to flourish.

• Lead the organisation-wide objective-setting and performance management framework, ensuring clear expectations, regular feedback and fair, constructive review processes.

• Oversee learning and development approaches so that staff and managers have the skills, tools and support to perform at their best and develop their careers.

• Ensure all people-related policies and procedures (including safeguarding where appropriate), are up-to-date, legally compliant, values-aligned and consistently implemented.

• Oversee pensions, insurance, payroll and benefits ensuring these are well-managed, compliant and provide value for money.

Digital, data, IT & systems

• Work alongside the Digicomms team to support the organisation’s digital and technology strategy, ensuring systems and tools are fit for purpose and future-focused.

• Ensure the charity’s CRM (Salesforce) is effectively governed, embedded and used across the organisation, with clear ownership, training and data standards.

• Oversee data protection and information security, ensuring GDPR compliance, robust data governance and adherence to frameworks such as Cyber Essentials where relevant.

• Manage relationships with IT and systems suppliers, ensuring contracts are well-specified, performance is monitored and services deliver value for money.

• Lead the design and continuous improvement of cross-organisational systems and processes to reduce duplication, improve user experience and increase efficiency.

Operations, facilities & supplier management

• Oversee the effective management of the charity’s co-working space in Fivefields and any hybrid / remote working arrangements, ensuring they are safe, inclusive and support collaborative working.

• Plan for future workspace needs in line with organisational growth, culture and budget.

• Lead procurement and supplier management, together with the Operations & Contracts Manager, for key operational services, ensuring contracts are well-managed and aligned with our ethical, environmental and sustainability commitments.

• Ensure robust health and safety arrangements are in place and implemented across all activities, including appropriate policies, risk assessments and training.

• Oversee business continuity planning and disaster recovery arrangements so that critical operations can continue in the event of disruption.

Governance, risk & compliance

• Act as Company Secretary and secretary to the Board, ensuring effective governance processes and high-quality information flows between the executive and trustees.

• Ensure timely and accurate compliance with Charity Commission, Companies House and any other regulatory or funder requirements, including statutory filings and returns.

• Lead the development, maintenance and regular review of the organisational risk register, ensuring an appropriate appetite for risk and clear mitigation actions.

• Provide assurance to the Board and its committees on the effectiveness of internal controls and compliance frameworks across finance, HR, data protection, health & safety and other key areas.

• Coordinate the review, approval, communication and implementation of organisational policies, ensuring staff are inducted, trained and clear on their responsibilities.

• Support the Chair and CEO in planning Board and committee agendas, ensuring trustees are well-supported to discharge their duties and have appropriate information to make decisions.

The Senior Fundraising & Grants Manager will lead the development and delivery of Bite Back's fundraising strategy with a primary focus on trusts, foundations and institutional grants. You’ll oversee the organisation’s grants pipeline, coordinate funding applications and reports, and ensure excellent standards of funder stewardship and compliance. You’ll also play a role in developing early-stage public fundraising activities to diversify income and support the long-term sustainability of Bite Back’s youth-led mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Fundraising and Grants Manager is accountable for:

Fundraising Strategy & Planning

• Design, deliver and monitor a values-aligned fundraising strategy, with a primary focus on trusts and foundations.

• Set annual income targets, track progress against goals, and report performance to senior leadership and trustees.

• Identify new income opportunities to support Bite Back’s strategic growth and impact.

• Develop and maintain a 12–24 month grant pipeline to forecast income and manage funding cycles.

• Ensure all fundraising activity complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice, GDPR, and Bite Back’s ethical standards.

Grants from Trusts and Foundations

• Lead the processes for securing income from trusts, foundations and institutional funders, from prospect research through to submission, reporting and renewal.

• Research, identify and prioritise funding opportunities aligned with Bite Back’s youth-led mission and programmes. Collaborate with internal teams to conduct due diligence to ensure funding sources are aligned with our values.

• Prepare and submit high-quality, evidence-led, and compelling grant proposals in collaboration with the CEO, Director of Finance & Operations, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, and programme leads.

• Coordinate grant management and tracking: maintain accurate records of deadlines, deliverables, and reporting requirements.

• Work with the finance team to develop accurate project budgets and ensure financial reporting meets funder expectations and our operational needs.

• Produce and submit clear, engaging progress reports to funders that highlight impact, learning, and youth voices.

• Monitor grant income and expenditure, ensuring compliance and timely claims against restricted funding.

• Work with the Operations and Contracts Manager and the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager to develop and improve systems for grant tracking and data integrity within the CRM (Salesforce).

Donor Stewardship and Relationship Management

• Work closely with the CEO to build and maintain strong relationships with existing and potential funders, ensuring high-quality engagement and stewardship.

• Coordinate communications, updates, and thank-you processes for donors to encourage repeat and multi-year funding.

• Lead workstreams, working closely with the Brand Manager and leadership team for support, in order to deliver meetings, presentations, and reports to funders.

• Represent Bite Back at relevant events, funder briefings, and networking opportunities.

• Promote a culture of fundraising awareness and collaboration across the organisation.

Fundraising Development

• Work with the Communications and Operations teams to explore and pilot small-scale public fundraising initiatives (e.g. individual giving, online campaigns, web donation tool).

• Work with the CEO and Communications team to develop a new strategy to build a strong and committed donor network of high net worth individuals aligned with Bite Back’s values

• Develop systems, messaging, and supporter journeys that reflect Bite Back’s youth-led identity.

• Explore opportunities for revenue from the public sector.

• Test new public fundraising channels and evaluate their return on investment to inform future strategy.

Other

• Champion Bite Back’s values - Fresh, Resilient, Respectful, Energetic, and Real - in all fundraising work.

• Collaborate with the youth activism, communications, and policy teams to translate programme outcomes into fundable opportunities and compelling narratives.

• Stay informed about trends in the fundraising and grant-making sectors and share learning across the team.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE 

We will be looking for applications that demonstrate experience in at least some of these, and evidence of capacity to build skills in other areas. Please don’t be put off applying for one of our jobs because you can’t demonstrate every skill. If you're passionate and excited about working for us, and possess the main skills and experience we are looking for, go ahead and apply. You could be just what we are looking for!

The ideal candidate would have the following:

Essential

• Proven experience in securing income from trusts and foundations, ideally within the non-profit or campaigning sector.

• Track record of developing and managing a grant pipeline and meeting income targets.

• Excellent written communication skills with experience producing high-quality funding applications and impact reports.

• Strong organisational and project management skills with the ability to meet multiple deadlines.

• Understanding of budgeting and financial management for grant-funded projects.

• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Experience using CRM systems for tracking income and reporting (ideally Salesforce).

• Knowledge of fundraising regulations, GDPR, and ethical standards.

• Commitment to Bite Back’s youth-led, systems-change mission.

Desirable

• Experience of developing public fundraising initiatives (individual giving, digital, community).

• Familiarity with youth-led or campaigning charities.

• Experience managing cross-team collaboration on proposals and reports.

• Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation in fundraising contexts.

• Confidence presenting to funders or representing the organisation externally.