External relations director jobs in manchester

About Us 

akt is the UK’s national LGBTQ Youth Homelessness charity. We provide safe homes, mentoring, and support to ensure that no young person needs to choose between a safe home and being who they are. 24% of young people facing homelessness in the UK identify as LGBT (National Scoping of LGBT Youth Homelessness, akt, 2015) and 78% of LGBTQ+ young people cited an absence of family support (The LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness Report, akt, 2021). The charity was founded in 1989 and operates service centres in London, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol and works online through a Digital Service to offer support to young people outside of our four office regions. akt works with over 800 vulnerable young people a year providing both face to face and online assistance.

The Team

This role sits within the Fundraising, Marketing and Communications team. We are a small team of passionate fundraisers, marketers and communications professionals with one goal - to find homes and better support for homeless LGBTQ+ young people. This role line-manages a Social Media Content Coordinator.

Job Summary

Please note there is one vacancy that can be done from any akt location (Manchester, London, Newcastle or Bristol). 

We are looking for a creative, outward-focused communicator to put akt on the map – developing stories and messages, and driving reach through strategic channel management, as well as ambitious celeb, PR and influencer partnerships.

With limited budget and resource, you’ll need to be strategic and inventive to make sure our cause is seen, heard and supported. You’ll also need to be rooted in LGBTQ+ online culture. You’ll be responsible for the management and content of akt’s ‘shop window’ – our social channels and website. You’ll advise the CEO and Director on the best strategy and opportunities for building akt’s reputation, presence and profile.

The ideal candidate will be:

• Confident, taking accountability and ownership for making it happen
• Being bold and courageous in new ideas
• Instinctively inclusive in approach to working with colleagues, young people and external partners

More information about the job role and benefits can be found in the documents attached to this vacancy. 

We've also attached application guidance to help you fill in our application form. If you follow this guidance you'll be more likely to be shortlisted for interview so we'd recommend taking a look! 

Application deadline: midnight (11.59pm) on 17th November 2025

Interviews: 24th or 25th November 2025

The Role

The Hummingbird Pollinator is a strategic and external-facing leader who combines vision with agility, precision with creativity. They will guide Canopy’s Philanthropic Partnerships team in cultivating high-value relationships, securing transformational funding, and embedding a culture of philanthropy across the organization.

As part of Canopy’s leadership team, the Hummingbird Pollinator will serve as a trusted advisor on fundraising strategy, donor relations, and organizational sustainability — ensuring every partnership fuels our mission and amplifies Canopy’s impact on the world’s forests and climate.

The Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Philanthropic Vision

• Develop and execute Canopy’s 5-year philanthropic strategy, aligning major gifts, institutional partnerships, and stewardship with Canopy’s bold goals.
• Set and achieve ambitious revenue targets, ensuring forecasting and pipeline accuracy.
• Collaborate across teams to integrate storytelling, communications, and immersive engagement into all donor interactions.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor the Development Director and Donor Engagement Specialist.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performing team culture.
• Partner with Grants, Research, and Analytics colleagues to ensure seamless execution and reporting.

Donor Engagement & Relationship Building

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward high-value donor and institutional partnerships.
• Lead high-impact donor experiences that inspire connection and long-term commitment.
• Represent Canopy externally as a trusted, strategic ambassador to our philanthropic partners.

Philanthropic Culture & Collaboration

• Champion a culture of philanthropy across Canopy — helping all teams understand and celebrate the power of donor partnerships.
• Equip colleagues with the tools and confidence to engage in meaningful donor storytelling.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure that philanthropic principles are integrated into all strategic planning and communications.

About Canopy

At Canopy, we partner with the world’s largest brands and innovators to protect the world’s forests, species, and climate. We’re a not-for-profit that makes the impossible happen — building market solutions to keep Ancient and Endangered Forests standing and scale Next Gen alternatives that change supply chains forever.

Why Join Canopy

This is a rare moment to join a movement on the rise. With a transformational foundation in place and a clear path toward long-term sustainability, the Hummingbird Pollinator will help shape the next era of Canopy’s philanthropic growth.

You’ll join a globally distributed team of innovators and advocates, united by the belief that bold collaboration can protect the planet’s most vital forests — and transform industries along the way.

About You

You are agile, curious, and creative. You see patterns others miss, forge connections that spark growth, and thrive in dynamic environments. You’re both strategic and relational, bringing energy, empathy, and excellence to every interaction.

You bring:

1. 10+ years of experience in fundraising, major gifts, or institutional philanthropy, including leadership experience.
2. A record of securing transformative gifts and managing complex donor portfolios.
3. Experience leading and mentoring collaborative, high-performing teams.
4. Strategic thinking paired with operational excellence.
5. Creativity, curiosity, and a “Yes AND…” mindset.
6. Excellent communication and relationship skills that inspire confidence.
7. Resilience, adaptability, and humour.
8. Passion for environmental impact, conservation, or systems change.

Who we’re looking for 

We’re looking for an exceptional Director of Fundraising and Communication who will lead our fundraising and communications with vision and purpose, helping us grow our reach, deepen our impact and amplify our voice. You’ll be joining a people-centred, mission-driven team, united by a shared commitment to making a meaningful difference. At a time when vulnerable young people face increasing challenges, our work has never been more urgent. If you’re motivated by impact and driven by purpose, this is a good opportunity to contribute to lasting change. 

You will be stepping into a well-established and highly effective organisation, but one that remains energised by innovation and continuous improvement. We actively welcome fresh thinking and new approaches that help us evolve and enhance our work. 

What will you do? 

This is a pivotal moment to join JET as we build on fourteen years of impact and enter a new chapter in our journey. We have ambitious plans to expand our reach and influence, and we’re seeking someone who can help us strengthen our funding base and sharpen our message. 

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will lead and develop our fundraising team, shaping a cross-stream strategy and an integrated communications plan. You’ll be responsible for setting the strategic direction for fundraising, communications and events across the organisation. By doing so you will raise JET’s national profile, grow our supporter base and significantly increase income to support programme expansion. 

You’ll bring strong experience across multiple fundraising streams, with a proven track record of securing significant multi-year funding and building lasting relationships with funders—both individuals and organisations. Alongside leading our fundraising efforts, you’ll take ownership of our brand, ensuring clarity and consistency in our messaging, helping partners tell our story, and securing positive media coverage. 

You’ll lead the development of campaigns, fundraising and marketing activities, and digital engagement that not only enhance our national profile but also drive supporter engagement and income growth.

This is a home-based role, with travel required to and within the regions where we operate, including attendance at key events. 

About you 

You will provide strategic leadership across fundraising, communications, marketing and events. Your work will be closely aligned with JET’s five-year strategy, enabling continued growth in funding and programme delivery. 

You’ll bring a wealth of experience in leading fundraising and communications at a strategic level, with a strong understanding of the sector and a track record of securing and sustaining major gifts and partnerships. You’ll be adept at managing integrated campaigns across multiple channels and growing income through sustainable funding models. 

Your leadership style will be collaborative and empowering, with the ability to build high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability and innovation. You’ll be a confident communicator, able to inspire and influence, with excellent relationship-building skills and a strategic mindset. 

Above all, you’ll be passionate about JET’s mission to empower young people facing adversity. You’ll be a credible ambassador, committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and driven by the desire to make a meaningful difference. 

Across the JET team we cultivate a culture of inclusion that respects individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe that our differences enable us to be a better team – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation, and delivers better outcomes for our young people. We welcome applicants whatever your background and whatever your stage in life, so if you are returning to the workforce after a period away, or even seeking a change of pace, please get in touch.  

About the Jon Egging Trust (JET)

At JET, we support vulnerable young people to get back on track and realise their potential; more than 45,000 young people right across the UK to date, and there’s so much more we can do. We’re an organisation that really values its people and we’re immensely proud that our team culture is based on caring and raising each other up.

Our benefits package includes:

• Flexible working

• Enhanced annual leave

• Homeworking allowance 

• Occupational pension scheme

• Occupational sickness scheme

• Special paid leave provision

• Enhanced family leave 

Download the Candidate Information Pack

Read our Applicant Privacy Notice 

Child and adult at risk protection policy statement 

The Jon Egging Trust is committed to providing a safe and positive environment for everyone involved in its services and activities. The Trust takes its extended moral and legal duty of care very seriously in relation to children, young people, staff and volunteers. We seek to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children and to protect them from harm or abuse when they engage in any of our activities. JET expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective employees or volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. 

To apply 

Please complete our online application form.

The closing date is 16th November 2025 at [23:30].

Interview Process 

• First-round interviews: Monday 24th November (online) 

• Meet the team task and fireside chat: Thursday 27th November 

• Final interview (in person, London): Monday 1st December 

Questions? 

Contact us through our website. 

Please note:

Due to our anonymised recruitment process, if your application is not shortlisted, we are unable to provide personalised feedback. 

To become an employee at JET, you must be able to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK and a satisfactory DBS check – enhanced with children's barred is required for this role. As part of our recruitment process, we want to make clear that we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this position. 

As part of our safer recruitment process, all candidates invited to a final interview will also be required to complete a confidential self-disclosure form, which allows any relevant information to be discussed in line with our safeguarding policy. 

We also reserve the right to cancel the final stage of interview on 1st December if candidate does not meet expectations at this stage. 

This is a key role in fulfilling CEASE’s aim to drive legislative reform that strengthens accountability, scrutiny and regulation of all parts of the commercial sex industry and other vested commercial interests, which are driving sexual violence, abuse and exploitation. It is about holding the UK government accountable in its duty to protect citizens from high-harm industries, appealing to robust evidence, survivor testimony and a careful critical analysis of the ideological justifications that uphold it. 

The work crosses multiple different areas, from policing, online safety and child protection to violence against women and girls (VAWG). It involves close collaboration with experts and partner organisations through strategic partnerships and coalitions, and the building of trusted relationships with MPs, Peers, civil servants and other decision-makers.

This role sits within the Activism strand of CEASE’s strategy, alongside media outreach and commercial advocacy, and works closely with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director 

Main Duties and Responsibilities

A. Strategic Leadership

• Work closely and effectively with the Chief Executive, Strategic Director and Trustees to advise on priorities and opportunities within this space.

• Develop both short- and long-term political strategies to engage key stakeholders with CEASE’s policy solutions.

• Identify and formulate strategies for gathering robust evidence on key issues where needed.

• Shape policy recommendations in line with CEASE’s strategic priorities and emerging trends.

• Ensure all external engagement reflects CEASE’s values and core messaging.

• Contribute political intelligence and insight to CEASE’s wider strategic planning and organisational development.

B. Policy

Goal: To ensure CEASE’s policy recommendations are robust, evidence-based, survivor-informed and coherent.

• Gather and present evidence on commercial and cultural drivers of sexual abuse and exploitation, and on systemic failures in regulation and enforcement.

• Identify evidence gaps and devise effective means for CEASE or partners within our networks to fill them.

• Produce policy briefings and consultation responses for parliamentarians and civil servants, often in collaboration with allies.

• Monitor parliamentary business in Westminster, analysing legislation and proposing amendments grounded in evidence and framed for maximum impact.

• Develop CEASE’s positions on new and emerging issues and technologies in line with our mission.

• Prepare speeches and statements for the Chief Executive or Strategic Director to deliver to parliamentarians, committees and inquiries.

• Integrate survivor insight and lived experience into policy and advocacy materials wherever appropriate.

• Analyse, distil and present research findings to provide credible, compelling evidence for policymakers and stakeholders.

• Track engagement outcomes and evaluate the impact of CEASE’s policy work, sharing learning internally.

C. Public Affairs

Goal: To ensure CEASE’s policy recommendations are seen, heard and acted upon.

• Create opportunities to promote CEASE’s policy solutions in Westminster through roundtables, drop-ins and parliamentary events.

• Engage directly with decision-makers, building trusted relationships across parties and with key officials.

• Identify and support parliamentarians who can champion CEASE’s issues through speeches, strategic questions, debate briefings and Private Members’ Bills.

• Build and maintain relationships with MPs, Peers, civil servants and officials in relevant government departments (Home Office, DCMS, DfE, etc.); participate in select committees and APPGs.

• Monitor the political landscape to identify alignment between CEASE’s goals and current government priorities, debates and legislative timetables.

• Collaborate with colleagues to nurture relationships with key stakeholders such as charities, public bodies, academic institutions, industry figures and experts.

• Lead or contribute to policy-focused coalitions and alliances aimed at influencing government and legislative reform.

• Support wider campaigns that leverage coalition backing (e.g. petitions, iParls or media initiatives), aligning messaging across CEASE’s team to amplify impact.

• Track and evaluate the reach and influence of CEASE’s public affairs activities to inform ongoing strategy.

D. Research

• Maintain awareness of political and legal developments in other countries and international bodies such as the UN.

• Commission or collaborate on research that strengthens CEASE’s evidence base and credibility.

• Distil complex research and policy information into accessible formats for internal and external audiences, in collaboration with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director.

• Work with the wider CEASE team to “demystify” the political process and support civic and grassroots engagement.

E. Fundraising

• Identify potential donors and funding opportunities through policy networks.

• Contribute to the development of compelling funding cases linked to CEASE’s policy impact and advocacy outcomes.

General Responsibilities

• Represent CEASE externally to promote its work and values.

• Uphold CEASE’s ethical and professional standards at all times.

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the Chief Executive.

Please see Job Description for full details.

About us

Literacy Pirates’ vision is for every child to have the literacy skills, confidence and perseverance to succeed at school and beyond. We provide free, after-school literacy support to children who are falling behind in class and who have fewer opportunities for additional support due to their personal circumstances than others. Founded in East London, Literacy Pirates’ programme now runs online and serves children anywhere in the United Kingdom.
 
Literacy Pirates is on an exciting journey of growth, rolling out our innovative learning programme to reach more children than ever before. An ambitious, fast-growing charity we have set ourselves a goal of reaching 3,000 children a year nationally, by 2030 compared with 650 this year.

What we're looking for

We are looking for a talented Bookkeeper to maintain our financial records and handle financial operations in the charity.

Core duties include processing all routing transactions encompassing supplier invoices, sales invoices, bank transactions, petty cash, credit cards and treasury management. You will also make payments, prepare our in-house payroll and submit pension returns. 

You will work closely with our Finance Director to support the month end close while complying with and upholding the Charity’s policies and procedures. 

 Our ideal candidate will have experience in a similar role, ideally have worked for a charity and be familiar with Xero. You will also have at least one of the following: 

• A relevant qualification such as an accountancy or business degree
• Part or fully qualified with an accountancy body, such as the AAT
• Demonstrative qualification by experience.

Required skills 

• Proven bookkeeping experience in a similar enviroment 
• Solid understanding of financial operations in a SME environment 
• Proven ability to calculate, post and manage accounting figures and financial records 
• Accurate data entry skills along with an eye for numbers 
• Proficiency in English and in MS Office 
• Qualified to degree level, or partly or fully qualified with an accountancy body, or demonstrable QBE 

Person specification 

• Highly organised 
• Dedicated to providing excellent service and building positive working relations 
• Able to balance speed of work with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills 
• Able to work independently at times and use initiative 

Responsibilities

Process all financial transactions in our finance IMS (Xero) accurately and promptly encompassing: 

• Accounts payable 
• Employee and volunteer expense claims 
• Sales invoices, grants, donations and other income 
• Bank transactions 
• Petty cash 
• Credit cards
• Download bank records into the IMS and reconcile all bank accounts 
• Monitor savings and move funds between accounts ensuring that we comply with our investment policy 
• Operate credit control on the sales ledger and issue payment receipts to customers and donors 
• Make payments to creditors and settle expense claims 
• Prepare payroll to draft status, pay staff and HMRC, report pension contributions 
• Electronically store all required records in line with statutory requirements 
• Update contacts and restricted fund profiles in the finance IMS 
• Make Gift Aid claims 
• Operate within the Charity’s financial procedures and prevailing accounting standards 

Support the Finance Director with any of the following: 

• Operating restricted funds 
• Balance sheet reconciliations 
• Financial reporting (internal/external) 
• Budgeting and forecasting 
• Statutory reporting 
• Supporting the annual audit process 
• Any other reasonably requested duty

WHO WE ARE

The Humane League (THL) is a global nonprofit ending the abuse of animals raised for food. THL fosters a high-energy culture of teamwork and mission-driven problem solving, and we have earned recognition as Top Charity from Animal Charity Evaluators for all of their rating periods. Over the past few years, we’ve grown to a staff of 100+ talented individuals dispersed around the world. At THL, how animals are treated in the food system is at the forefront of our everyday work. As such, many of our staff are vegan by personal choice, and all of our THL-hosted events offer fully vegan menus. We welcome all mission-aligned candidates to apply, no matter where you are in your journey to end the abuse of animals raised for food.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

The Humane League is seeking a self-motivated, organized, collaborative individual with the drive to create progressive change for millions of farmed animals as part of our Global Corporate Engagement team. As Temporary Global Corporate Engagement Coordinator, you will support global corporate engagement work by recording and maintaining data on cage-free and broiler chicken welfare policies and providing crucial administrative support to the team. You will manage our research databases and conduct research on food companies, finding corporate policies, company contacts, and other information to inform global campaigns and corporate relations work. You will also work closely with members of the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), our global coalition of animal protection groups, to share data and progress, and you’ll coordinate with member organizations and/or third parties to translate global commitments into key languages. 

You are passionate about The Humane League’s mission of ending the abuse of animals raised for food and are keen to use data to support this work. While working autonomously is an important part of this role, the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders will also be paramount to your success. You are able to work independently and as a member of a team in a fast-paced environment, and you bring the organizational skills needed to prioritize and manage multiple tasks effectively and efficiently. This position reports to the Director of Global Corporate Engagement.

This is a temporary, full-time, remote position, beginning in late February and ending in late August. The duration may be extended or shortened at The Humane League’s discretion. The temporary hire will provide coverage while a permanent staff member is on maternity leave, with overlap for training and onboarding. This position provides the opportunity for optional domestic and international travel, equivalent to 1 or more trips per year.

This position can be based in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, or Peru. The successful candidate must be authorized to work in one of these countries and reside in that country while undertaking this role. We are only able to consider candidates who reside in the time zones GMT-6 through GMT+0. Please note that we are not able to consider candidates who reside in Pacific or Mountain Time.

We have recorded a webinar hosted by Ellie Ponders, Sr. Director Global Corporate Engagement, and Mollie Putnam, Sr. Global Corporate Engagement Coordinator, to answer questions about the role and about THL and the OWA. You can view the recording on our website.

For priority consideration, please submit your application by November 20th, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. After this date, we will begin advancing candidates through the hiring process and may close the role. New candidates are welcome to apply as long as this job opening is listed on our website. If you are experiencing technical issues, please contact us through our careers email, which can be found on our website. Please submit applications and all supporting documents in English. All application questions and materials need to be submitted here through the application submission form; we do not accept applications through our careers email.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Update and maintain THL’s global commitment tracking database by transferring,  fact-checking, and proofreading data submitted by other animal welfare organizations. Keep policy information, corporate contacts, translations, and other details up to date in the database and other tracking documents so that progress and statistics can be shared internally and externally.
• Maintain our database of country-level cage-free information to inform global corporate relations work. Track relevant information on countries’ cage-free status, major commitments, legislation, and more. 
• Work with the OWA to collect key language translations of global cage-free and broiler chicken commitments so that groups around the world can leverage commitments in their respective regions.
• Assist with setting the Global Corporate Engagement team’s strategy, bringing a data lens to inform strategic decisions. 
• Independently perform research on food companies to support global campaigns and corporate negotiations, finding details such as executive contact information, existing animal welfare policies, corporate brand portfolios, worldwide locations, and more. 
• Refine the team’s list of hundreds of global companies in order to identify the top companies to prioritize. Annually update data on the top global companies, tracking their revenue, number of locations, countries of operation, welfare commitments, and more.
• Carry out administrative duties for team meetings including scheduling, agenda creation, note-taking, and facilitation. 
• Create presentations for OWA corporate engagement webinars. Co-lead presentations and provide tech support as needed.

In addition to the above essential job duties, other duties may be assigned as business needs arise. These may include non-essential, marginal job duties.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Technology and Data Analysis: Comfort with contemporary software applications, including Google Sheets and Google Docs, with the ability to learn new platforms and troubleshoot independently. Assists with basic data tasks by organizing and tabulating data and creating simple visualizations.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making: Ability to identify and resolve problems, making use of available resources and consulting other staff members when appropriate. Supports decision making processes by gathering relevant information and following established guidelines. Assists in the documentation and execution of crisis protocols as directed.
• Initiative, Proactivity, and Adaptability: Willingness to adapt to changes and embrace new tasks and tools. Manages workload independently and proactively seeks out additional responsibilities and opportunities for improvement.
• Verbal and Written Communication: Ability to write and speak clearly and effectively and communicate successfully with diverse stakeholders, including OWA members who do not speak English as a first language. Ability to participate in presentations, create well-organized documents, and communicate responsively in an asynchronous environment. 
• Collaboration and Interpersonal Skills: Collaborates effectively with internal and external stakeholders, demonstrating a team mindset and a willingness to support others. Actively participates in team projects, activities, and discussions and contributes to a supportive work environment. 
• Organization: Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to field time-sensitive requests, anticipate future needs, and balance multiple priorities and deadlines. Leverages internal systems, processes, and workflows to help the team function smoothly. 
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to grasp organizational goals, policies, and procedures and understand how they align with broader strategic objectives. Supports strategy development processes and contributes to the initial stages of strategy implementation. 
• Global Perspective: Approaches work with a global and inclusive mindset, prioritizing global impact and taking into consideration the diverse experiences of colleagues and OWA member groups across many different cultures, languages, and political systems.
• Research: Ability to perform basic research on food companies and their revenue, locations, existing animal welfare commitments, executive teams, contact information, and more. Uses creativity and tenacity to find details that may be difficult to locate.

Hiring Timeline Details

Once your application has been reviewed, you will be notified via email with further details on the status of your application. If a candidate is moved forward, the interview process will be as follows:

• Recorded Video Interview

• Work Simulation Exercise (completed remotely)

• Interview (via video call)

For full details of our recruitment process please check our website.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual compensation range for this role is:

• $56,895 - $69,539 USD for candidates based in the United States
• $56,269 - $68,773 CAD for candidates based in Canada
• £34,086 - £41,661 GBP for candidates based in the United Kingdom
• R$23,200- R$34,800 for candidates based in Brazil
• $34,060,829-  $51,091,243 COP for candidates based in Colombia

Compensation ranges for candidates based in other locations will be determined prior to extending an offer.

At The Humane League, we believe in maintaining a fair and nondiscriminatory work environment. As part of our commitment to transparency, we have implemented a job architecture framework, which levels all of our roles according to size and complexity, as well as a compensation step system, which allows us to determine fair salaries for all. We also look at market data for each country that we operate in, to allow us to create specific salary bands per country. This work is time consuming and involves a cost to THL. Therefore, when expanding into a country for the first time, we only undertake this work towards the end of the recruitment process, when we know where our ideal candidate is based. In addition, we have adopted a no negotiation policy for salaries. To determine a job's level, we carefully consider a variety of factors, including a job's size and complexity, required experience, knowledge, and/or skills, internal comparability, and market data. Candidates whose experience places them at step 5 or above of their job level within our compensation structure will be awarded a “senior” title designation. These practices are aligned with our organizational values and will help us ensure we maintain clear, consistent, and transparent HR processes.

THL offers a unique and competitive benefits package. Each country will be provided with benefits that are applicable and relative to the location they are in. Therefore, your exact benefits package will be shared with you at the time of offer. However, as an idea, some of the benefits that are currently offered to our global team are:

• Unlimited paid time off
• The last Friday of every month off as a THL ‘Public Holiday’ called ‘Mend Your Heart Friday’
• Enhanced sick pay
• Generous bereavement leave
• Generous personal emergency leave 
• Sabbatical leave
• Enhanced parental leave
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement contributions
• Internet allowance

For candidates outside the United States, The Humane League will not be your direct employer. The successful candidate will enter an employment agreement with a local Employer of Record with whom The Humane League partners.

Equal Employment Opportunity

THL is an equal opportunity employer. THL does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected classifications, including but not limited to race, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, physical or mental disability, marital or familial status, legally protected medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. THL is committed to the importance of non-discriminatory practices within the nonprofit sector, as well as all workplace environments, and strongly encourages all interested candidates to apply.

Accommodations

The Humane League is committed to fully supporting all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, THL provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws throughout the hiring process and employment if hired. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the People team to initiate the interactive process. Please view our website for the email. THL complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and all other applicable state and local laws.

AI Policy

Original work and thought are essential in the hiring process and allow us to evaluate you based on your own skills and competency. Therefore, the use of artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, Gemini, Rytr, Google Assistant, etc) to generate responses is strictly prohibited. By submitting this application you agree to comply with our AI Policy. Violations of this policy in any part of the recruitment process will result in being dismissed from consideration. If you need a reasonable accommodation to this policy, please see above for more information.

Safety and Assurance Officer

Location: Homebased, based in the Southern Area

Contract: Full time, permanent

Salary: £32,000 gross per annum

Closing Date: 21 November 2025

Are you a Safety Specialist looking for a new opportunity?

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure and also enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development. Working with our employees, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a strong vision and five-year Future Ready strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide, both for young people, seafarers and maritime professionals – and the thousands who aspire to be the sea cadets and marine professionals of the future. It is also about equipping them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world, while growing our charity to benefit even more people – including those from under-represented or marginalised groups.

We are currently looking for a Safety and Assurance Officer to join our team.

About the role

The Safety & Assurance Officer (SAO) is an employee of the MSSC and a member of the MSSC National Safety Assurance Team (NSAT). This is a home-based role, with a primary focus on the Southern area, predominantly the South-East. The SAO will report to the Head of Safety, Health, and Environment.

The SAO will work closely with other SAOs and will be functionally accountable to:

The Head of Inshore Boating for inshore boat assurance
The Staff Royal Marines Officer for weapons and ammunition safety and security assurance

The role requires regular travel within the area of responsibility and, on occasion within the UK. It will involve evening and some weekend work to fulfil the role’s responsibilities.

Requirements

Qualifications: Good general education and NEBOSH (or equivalent), with completion required during probation if not already held.
Safety & Environmental Management: Experience implementing safety and environmental management systems, conducting risk assessments, and working within formal assurance frameworks.
Incident Management: Experience managing, investigating, and reporting incidents.
Training & Support: Ability to deliver training, guidance, and support to non-specialist staff or volunteers on safety, health, environmental, and assurance matters.
Workload & Volunteer Management: Proven ability to manage a busy workload and effectively support and manage volunteers.

Responsibilities

Join the Marine Society & Sea Cadets as a Safety and Assurance Officer, ensuring the highest standards of safety, health, environment (SHE), and operational compliance across our units and facilities.
You’ll lead assurance inspections, maintain compliance with legislation and organisational regulations, and support the safe management of weapons, armouries, and inshore boating activities. Working closely with other members of the National Safety and Assurance Team (NSAT) and Area teams, you’ll oversee safety at events, camps, and competitions, conduct audits, and monitor incident reporting.
This role plays a vital part in upholding the safety and welfare of our cadets and volunteers through proactive assurance, training, and continuous improvement.

For further information, please download theIf you are interested in this role, please apply now!

Benefits

25 days annual leave per annum, increasing with length of service
Hybrid working for many roles
Volunteering Leave
Life assurance (4x salary)
Private medical insurance
Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
Cycle to work scheme
Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.

Additional Information

MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.

We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire. 

All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.

The Case Coordinator will work closely with the Head of Direct Work to ensure the delivery of high-quality Independent Social Work Reports (ISWRs) across the direct work strand of SWWB. The Case Coordinator will supervise volunteer social workers, carry out social work assessments themselves, and support quality assurance processes to maintain excellence in social work practice.