Executive jobs in sevenoaks, kent

About Vision Action

Vision Action, formally Vision Aid Overseas, is a UK-based charity, with a focus on fighting poverty by transforming access to eye care services in lower- and middle-income countries in Africa. The charity was established in 1985. Our work focuses on the development of services for uncorrected refractive error and primary eye health. Uncorrected refractive error is the world’s leading cause of avoidable visual impairment, with an estimated 670 million people affected worldwide. We develop programmes that integrate training, primary eye care, school eye health and facility developments into national and regional eye care plans, seeking always to be responsive to local need. In this way, we help children to learn and adults to earn so that they can provide for their families. Currently, the organisation has programmes operating in Ethiopia, Ghana, Zambia, and Sierra Leone.

We need great people to help us on this journey. You do not need to have a public health, eye care or charity sector background to work with us. We need our people to be self-starters, innovators and able to get on and work with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Job Purpose

Vision Action seeks a highly dynamic individual for a one-year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of an extension. The position is part of the management team, and the post holder will be expected to lead on the financial accounting, management accounting, and budgeting for the organisation as well as taking forward some strategic finance and operations projects as we expand our programmes in existing countries. The individual will also be expected to support the Co-CEOs with administrative, compliance and IT related tasks.

The position holder is required to comply with all of Vision Action’s policies and procedures, including Vision Action’s Safeguarding policy.

The successful applicant must have the right to work in the UK.

Functions / Key Responsibilities:

1. Finance

• Maintain a strong control environment, ensuring accounting records are complete and accurate.

Financial accounting

• Prepare annual statutory accounts in accordance with SORP 2015.
• Prepare for the annual external audit and host auditors ensuring the audit process runs smoothly. This includes supporting Vision Action’s country offices in hosting their respective audits.
• Ensure annual statutory accounts are finalised and submitted to Companies House and the Charity Commission by the appropriate deadlines.

Management accounting

• Coordinate the month-end process with the Finance Officer (UK) and Programme Finance Lead, and review transaction postings.
• Prepare monthly management accounts with cash flow forecasts, modifying the format as needed to suit the preferences of senior management and the Board of Trustees.
• Prepare the annual organisational budget and mid-year reforecast.
• Improve existing budget templates to enable straightforward and transparent budgeting for donors.

Support to country offices

• Collaborate with the Programme Finance Lead on a monthly basis to reconcile intercompany accounts, ensuring that reconciling items are cleared promptly.
• Support country office teams in fulfilling any reporting and financial compliance requirements.
• Conduct internal process reviews (internal audits) of country offices where required.
• Review the bi-weekly payment runs for the UK office and the monthly country office fund requests, ensuring cash flow planning is in place for these payments.
• Ensure asset registers are maintained appropriately.

2. Administration

• Support staff in conducting procurement in line with Vision Action’s procurement policy.
• Assist with preparation for quarterly Board meetings.
• Support office management tasks.

3. Other

• Review and develop existing policies and procedures (e.g. the Finance Manual).
• Conduct staff training on relevant policies and procedures.
• Any other task reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person Specification

Competencies
Essential

• Delivering Results: Dynamic self-starter able to work independently within a small entrepreneurial team.
• Process improvements: Continual review financial processes and identifying areas for improvement.
• Time Management: Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Collaborative: Able to work closely within a small team in the UK and overseas.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Adaptable and sensitive to working patterns and styles in diverse cultural contexts.
• Accuracy: Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Leadership and Management: Lead by example and support colleagues.

Qualifications and experience
Essential

• CCAB fully qualified accountant or finalist, proficient at using MS Office (Advanced Excel)
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in a finance role.
• Preparation of financial accounts.
• Preparation of financial information for senior leadership.
• Preparation of information for and hosting of external auditors.
• Organisational budgeting.
• Budgeting for and reporting to donors.
• Setting up reporting systems to ensure accurate and transparent financial reporting to donors.
• Establishing financial controls and systems.
• Using accounting packages.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Experience of working in an international charity.
• Preparing charity accounts in accordance with SORP 2015.
• Preparing financial information for Board members.
• Involvement in a financial systems upgrade.
• Conducting internal audits.
• Using QuickBooks.
• Experience of working in international development.

WHAT IS OUR SECOND HOME

We are a youth movement that empowers people with refugee backgrounds to build community, become leaders, and flourish into adulthood in the place that they call home.

We are looking for a highly engaging Leadership & Volunteering Manager to lead and grow our leadership training programming, and to lead on the recruitment, development and retention of our pool of volunteers. You will work across our various hubs to ensure all volunteers are well-supported, feel valued, and are making meaningful contributions to OSH’s mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership Training & Development

• Oversee and continue to codify OSH’s LIT (Leaders in Training) course, including in-person and online sessions, and mentoring LITs on their first residential. This will include hands-on delivery, managing logistics, and working with volunteers and facilitators.

• Co-design and develop other leadership programmes for young people.

• Support young people from refugee backgrounds to move from participants to leaders within OSH.

• Lead the delivery of training and induction for new and returning volunteers in hubs, at pre camp training days and leaders retreats. This includes safeguarding, group dynamics, facilitating groups, and OSH values, but will also include identifying gaps and trends in skills and experiences.

• Help shape the pedagogy and outcomes of OSH’s leadership programmes.

Volunteer Strategy & Recruitment

• Ensure there is an active pipeline of people signing up for the LIT course

• Design and implement a volunteer recruitment strategy to attract a diverse range of volunteers from within OSH and externally.

• Build partnerships with universities, youth networks, and professional communities to widen reach.

• Develop inclusive recruitment materials and accessible application processes.

Volunteer Engagement

• Develop progression pathways for volunteers.

• Ensure an active culture of feedback and reflection within leadership and volunteering.

• Track volunteer impact and progression.

• Coordinate check-ins, socials, and wellbeing support for volunteers.

• Work closely with the whole team to ensure volunteer experiences are safe, rewarding, and well-held.

Operations & Evaluation

• Maintain volunteer records and communications using Beacon (OSH’s CRM).

• Monitor data on volunteer recruitment, attendance, retention, progression, and impact.

• Contribute to fundraising work, for example by ensuring there is a regular supply of case studies for OSH programmes.

• Collaborate with colleagues to share impact and improve practice.

Other duties

• Getting involved in OSH events in the evenings and at weekends, including residentials. These are overnight trips from 2 to 5 nights

• Other duties as may be required from time to time

IDEAL EXPERIENCE

• Excellent facilitation, training, and communication skills.

• Strong experience managing volunteer programmes and/or leadership development.

• Experience designing leadership training or curriculum.

• Understanding of and training in safeguarding in youth settings.

• A deep understanding of inclusive, trauma-informed, and youth-centered approaches.

• Experience supporting young people from marginalised backgrounds, ideally those with lived experience of the asylum system.

• Experience volunteering or working in residential programming.

• Ability to build relationships across diverse groups and inspire trust and commitment.

• Organised and systems-minded, with good project management skills.

• Confident using digital tools (e.g. Google Workspace, CRMs)

• Passion for OSH’s mission and commitment to centering people with refugee backgrounds.

• Ability to speak in other languages relevant to our community, including Arabic, Pashto, Farsi, Tigrinya, Amharic, and Oromo.

On use of AI

We appreciate many use AI tools in applications, but encourage personal insight and genuine motivation. We may also use AI tools to support application sifting, under human supervision. Final decisions are always made by people, not machines.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

We know self-doubt can hold people back, especially if you don’t think you tick every box. But if you’re passionate about our mission and ready for a meaningful challenge, we encourage you to apply. We value diverse skills and experiences, and are committed to supporting the right person to grow and thrive with us. You might be exactly who we need.

Our receptionist plays a key role in ensuring that refugees and migrants who contact us, either by email, phone or in person, are welcomed to LRMN. You will help clients to access the right service at LRMN, taking information and ensuring our client management database is up to date. Working closely with our Service Navigator and Business and Operations Manager you will ensure that the office is a safe and organised environment for clients and staff.

We’re looking for someone who can show empathy to our clients and offer them a warm welcome. You will need to be resilient, able to manage difficult situations and our busy reception.

We are a leading migrants’ rights charity in south London – advocating and supporting those most vulnerable. We advise on critical immigration cases, prevent homelessness, improve wellbeing, meet basic needs and campaign for change. 

LRMN is an equal opportunity employer and committed to safeguarding and fulfilling its duty of care to people working and volunteering in the organisation and to those we come into contact with. The successful candidate will be required to complete a Basic DBS check.

Job Title:  Head of Policy and Engagement

Location:  London, (The Foundry, Vauxhall) 

Type: Permanent, hybrid

Hours: 4 days/28 hours a week 

Salary: £50k pa (FTE) 

About Equally Ours 

Equally Ours (previously the Equality and Diversity Forum) is a UK charity that brings together people and organisations working across equality, human rights and social justice to make a reality of these in everyone’s lives.

Through our members and networks, Equally Ours joins up research, policy and communications to shift public opinion and policy in positive and powerful ways. This is an exciting and pivotal time for us. At the end of 2022, we launched a 10-year strategy, 'Together for social justice', which sets out our bold agenda to increase equality and strengthen rights at scale.  

We are a voluntary membership organisation dedicated to supporting networks, communities and grassroots groups across the UK to influence public policy and decision-making processes.

This important new role aims to support London-based members and our wider networks in shaping meaningful, structural public policy changes that address climate action, social justice, and economic opportunity. This role will work at the intersection of national and London government agendas, ensuring that the diverse experiences of Londoners shape a more socially just London and the UK that protect and advances people's equality and human rights. 

Role Overview 

We are seeking a Head of Policy and Community Engagement to lead our policy advocacy and community engagement initiatives. This role is crucial in helping our members develop a collective voice, influence policy at both local and national levels, and drive long-lasting, systemic change. The successful candidate will work closely with London-based members and grassroots organisations, convening and facilitating opportunities to develop a unified and impactful voice and advocate for systemic change on key issues such as climate justice and resilience, employment inequality and economic inclusion, particularly in the context of public sector investment and the green economy. They will have a passion for human rights, equality and social justice, and strong policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement experience. 

Key Responsibilities 

Policy Advocacy & Engagement 

• Support Member Voice: Facilitate opportunities for our members (and their networks) to develop a unified and impactful voice on key policy issues.

• Drive structural change: Advocate for systemic, rather than piecemeal, policy reform on issues relating to climate action, law and economic opportunity.

• Policy research & analysis: synthesize research data, commission research, and stay informed on the priorities of national government, Greater London Authority and local borough councils, as well as those of funders, to provide members with strategic analysis and support in developing and influencing policy. 

• Focus on intersectionality: Promote the adoption of an intersectional, pan-equality, and human rights-based framework in policy areas such as the equality and human rights legal framework, climate justice and social investment. 

Community & Network Development 

• Develop and strengthen membership model: Lead efforts to develop and adapt our membership and engagement model, ensuring it remains responsive to the evolving needs of our London network and the wider movement.

• Equip grassroots groups: Work closely with grassroots organisations to build their capacity and influence on key issues, supporting them to engage directly with policymakers and participate meaningfully in policy debates.

• Promote collaboration and capacity building: Promote collaboration among members, encouraging the sharing of best practice, strengthening their collective voice, and enhancing their effectiveness in advocating for their communities. 

Strategic Initiatives & emerging trends 

• Horizon scanning and trend analysis: Monitor emerging trends in the climate, social justice, and community development sectors, ensuring strategies are adapted to address these developments.

• Network expansion: Identify opportunities to grow our network and extend our reach, ensuring more grassroots organisations are empowered to engage with policy agendas and drive systemic change. 

What skills and experiences we’re looking for: 

• Strong policy expertise: demonstrable experience of analysing evidence from a range of sources (lived experience, think tank and academic reports,) and working collaboratively with communities to identify the root causes of inequality and create policy solutions. Ideally in one or more of the areas of climate justice, economic opportunity, and social inclusion. 

• Community Engagement: Experience of working with grassroots organisations and local communities, with a focus on building capacity and amplifying their voices at local borough, London and UK government levels. 

• Advocacy Skills:

• Strong understanding and demonstrable experience of public policy change processes at the intersection of UK and London government agendas

• Proven ability to develop, lead, implement and monitor influencing strategies that drive systemic change 

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think creatively and strategically about developing engagement models and responding to emerging trends in social and environmental justice movements. 

• Commitment: commitment to and a sound understanding of how to apply equality, intersectionality and human rights principles to public policy development, and the credibility to build trust with communities. 

• Network Building: Demonstrable experience in growing and supporting membership networks or coalitions, ideally in the voluntary or charity sector. 

• Emotional intelligence: High levels of emotional intelligence and resilience, including the understanding and ability to manage how lived experience of our privilege and inequality can impact in the workplace for yourself, colleagues and external stakeholders. 

• Managing staff: Experience managing at least one staff member, providing both task centered and pastoral support. The ability to hold and manage difficult feelings and conversations with tact and sensitivity. 

• Anti-racism: Commitment to embed anti-racism across all aspects of our work.

Desirable: 

• Experience of commissioning different types of research 

• Experience of working with impact monitoring and evaluation frameworks, for example theory of change methodology. 

SLRA is a well-established local migrant support organisation working with and for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants who are at risk or in crisis as a result of immigration issues. We provide specialist immigration advice (SLRA is regulated to provide advice at IAA Level 3) as well as a broad range of practical, social and therapeutic support services. SLRA also campaigns for a fairer immigration system, involving local people with lived experience in influencing local and national policy and practice.

We are looking for a Senior Immigration Advisor and/or Solicitor who will be responsible for the delivery of immigration advice and casework to service users in a wide range of circumstances, although most will be rough sleepers. The work will be varied and will cover a broad range of asylum and immigration issues, along with the opportunity to support advocacy work and to improve access to justice.

We would love to hear from you if you:

Are an Immigration Advisor regulated at IAA Level 3 and/or qualified solicitor with substantial relevant experience of providing high quality advice and casework to clients.

Have a good understanding of a wide range of legal, rights and entitlements issues as they relate to immigration and asylum, along with knowledge of and empathy with the backgrounds and experiences of migrants who are in crisis or at risk

Benefits include:

• 25 days holiday per year (with 3 additional days when the office is closed at Christmas) plus bank holidays. 
• Additional long service annual leave days up to a maximum of an additional 5 days per year. 
• Flexible and family friendly working arrangements including compressed hours and school term time working.
• Pension scheme with 5% employer contribution. 
• Commitment to staff learning and development.
• Cyclescheme and travelcard loans. 

DEADLINE: Rolling deadline, applications will be reviewed on submission and successful candidates invited to interview straight away.

For all roles, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals, and those who are migrants or refugees, and who have lived experience of the hostile immigration system. We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network, which aims to create a charitable sector that is led by people with lived experience of the asylum and immigration system. As part of this network, we challenge the one-size-fits-all approach in our employment practices, and respect personal circumstances and needs of people with lived experience. Please feel free to use information and resources on their website which may help in preparing your job application. 

SLRA is a well-established local migrant support organisation working with and for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants who are at risk or in crisis because of immigration issues. We provide specialist immigration advice as well as a broad range of practical, social and therapeutic support services. We also campaign for a fairer immigration system, involving local people with lived experience in influencing local and national policy and practice. 

Our Nest Project brings advice and improved awareness and knowledge to migrant families with young children, through community settings in Lambeth and Southwark. The project aims to reach families with the information and advice they need in order to resolve their status before they fall into crisis, and allow them to live safely and access opportunities.

The Nest Project Coordinator will lead on developing partnerships with and providing training to staff and volunteers in community settings as well as providing immigration advice and casework.

We would love to hear from you if you have: 

• Experience of providing immigration advice and casework support to migrant individuals who have complex needs, working sensitively and effectively within community settings.
• A strong track record in establishing and developing partnership working, and delivering training/workshops within community settings.
• Authorisation to provide immigration advice at IAA Level 1 or higher, and a strong understanding of the rights and entitlements, support available to the client group and of referral processes to statutory and non-statutory support agencies.

Benefits include: 

• 25 days holiday per year (with 3 additional days when the office is closed at Christmas) plus bank holidays.
• Additional long service annual leave days up to a maximum of an additional 5 days per year.
• Flexible and family friendly working arrangements including compressed hours and school term time working.
• Pension scheme with 5% employer contribution.
• Commitment to staff learning and development.
• Cyclescheme and travelcard loans.

For all roles, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals, and those who are migrants or refugees, and who have lived experience of the hostile immigration system. We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network, which aims to create a charitable sector that is led by people with lived experience of the asylum and immigration system. As part of this network, we challenge the one-size-fits-all approach in our employment practices, and respect personal circumstances and needs of people with lived experience. Please feel free to use information and resources on their website which may help in preparing your job application.