Family support worker jobs in basingstoke and deane, hampshire

About the role

As one of two Regional Programmes Manager, you’ll inspire and lead a team of Senior Programmes Officers and Kinship Family Workers to effectively deliver high quality support services for kinship families across Greater London, the South of England and the Midlands.

You’ll do this by working in close collaboration with local authority teams who have commissioned our services and other funders where appropriate.

You’ll have accountability and ownership for ensuring we deliver impactful services for kinship carers and that we meet targets for our commissioned services. Working collaboratively with our other managers in other services, you’ll ensure we’re delivering high impact programmes.

You’ll ensure your team have real clarity and direction on their role and responsibilities - encouraging curiosity, learning and solutions-focused thinking. As a leader in the organisation, you are a key model for the team.

Your team will deliver the following programmes:

• Kinship Connected – in-person one-to-one support and support groups in the community
• Kinship Reach – remote one-to-one support and virtual support groups
• Kinship Ready – online workshops to prepare new and prospective special guardians for their role, as well as wraparound one-to-one support (in one local authority)

You will also manage a new role of Grants Officer - London, funded by the Aviva Foundation.

As one of our deputy safeguarding leads, you’ll be part of our key safeguarding structure.  This means you’ll take ownership to make sure our people feel confident and well supported to demonstrate best practice and making sure safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Key responsibilities include:

• Oversee the day-to-day running of programmes, supporting mostly home-based Senior Programmes Workers and Kinship Family Workers to ensure high quality, consistent and impactful programme delivery.

• Meet performance targets as directed.

• Create and keep developing processes and systems which support consistency across all programmes, ensuring good quality documentation and manualisation on Notion.so

• Develop quality assurance frameworks with other service managers and directors.

• Support your team to establish and deliver in-person and virtual peer support groups regionally and generate engagement with kinship carers.

• Line management and supervision of Senior Programmes Workers and Kinship Family Workers as required.

• Actively encourage personal development and support staff to deliver key targets and outcomes and ensure high levels of wellbeing.

• Work with the Director of Services and Digital, Head of Programmes and the Business Development team to develop proposals and present to local authorities to secure commissions.

• Manage the delivery of commissioned contracts through collaborative relationships with local authorities, ensuring targets are met.

• Manage the programmes and services within budget, in accordance with Kinship’s financial procedures and ensure the reporting of progress in line with funder requirements.

• Work actively and positively with other managers within Kinship to ensure sharing of best practice, problem solving, relevant connections and consistency of delivery across England and Wales.

• Act as a deputy safeguarding lead at Kinship

Essential requirements include:

• Substantial experience in managing a regional service or programme with high quality outputs (national experience desirable but not essential).
• Substantial experience of managing, developing and evaluating effective and innovative services for families experiencing crisis and experience in reaching ‘hidden communities’ and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Experience of leading and managing continuous improvement in changing contexts.
• Experience of governance and managing risk on high profile service delivery.
• Experience of ensuring that services are designed and led with user needs at the heart, ensuring that the voices of our kinship carers inform ongoing design and development of our programmes.
• High quality digital and data literacy and using technology to help us to be better in our processes. You’ll have to own Salesforce and be a massive champion for the team. You will be accountable for ensuring they use it well.
• Substantial experience of leading high-performing service teams including managing wellbeing, development and performance.

How to apply

In place of a cover letter, you will be asked to answer the following five questions, alongside providing your CV. Please keep your answers to a maximum of 250 words.

1. Tell us why you’re interested in working for Kinship in this role and what experience you bring that would make you successful? This is an opportunity to tell us about you, your experience and your values.
2. Please give an example where you have managed a successful regional programme or service (this could also be national). Please include scale, key performance indicators and outcome. What made it a success?
3. What makes you a great team manager? Give one example of how you have supported teams and individuals to flourish and one example when you have had to step in to address behaviour or performance issues. (This is an opportunity to share your enthusiasm for supporting others to develop and deliver to a high standard. You can share evidence of how your approach has worked and how you’ve tackled challenges and difficult conversations along the way).
4. Quality assurance and consistency is key to making sure our programmes deliver impact for our kinship carers. This includes ensuring your team are following processes, using our case management system effectively and have the tolls to do their role. Please describe how you would approach this at Kinship using a previous example.
5. In this role you will be a deputy safeguarding lead at Kinship. This is a key role, the lives of kinship carers are incredibly complex.  Give one example of a safeguarding situation that required your response in a previous role. Explain what your rationale and thought process was. How did you hold appropriate boundaries and progress actions to effectively safeguard vulnerable children and adults?

Key Dates

• Application deadline:      Friday 9th May, 10pm
• First interview: Online – Tuesday 6 May
• Second interview: In person (Vauxhall, London) – Tuesday 13 May (travel expenses covered if required)

About Kinship

We are Kinship. The leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We’re here for kinship carers – friends or family who step up to raise a child when their parents aren’t able to.

We are made by and for our community of kinship carers. Like family, relationships run deep. And we hear their experiences; for too long they have been isolated without the help they need.

We support, advise and inform kinship carers. Connecting them so they feel empowered. Because a child needs the love and warmth of a thriving family.

We develop research, campaigns and policy solutions. Creating positive change across society. Because for kinship families, love alone is not enough.

Through our work we harness frustrations to fuel passion for change. And tough experiences to inspire ideas that transform lives.

And as we see momentum building, we keep using evidence to demonstrate the value of kinship care. Helping kinship carers navigate challenging circumstances. Believing in a child’s potential.

Join us. Together, let’s commit to change for kinship families.

Research Associate - National Youth Agency

Contract: 12-month Fixed Term Contract (with potential to extend)
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week 
Salary: £30,000 – £35,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Remote: This role is 100% homebased with occasional travel for staff residentials and other events.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Knowledge Team, working alongside two existing Research Associates and a Data Analyst. 

You will be integral in delivering research, data, and insights that support organisational development and programme delivery across NYA.

We are looking for an experienced mixed-methods researcher with a strong understanding of social research and evaluation approaches. Ideally, you will have experience working in or alongside the youth sector and be confident using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

You’ll need to be flexible, proactive, and a strong communicator, able to explain complex ideas to varied audiences. 

This role is ideal for someone looking to make a tangible difference through evidence-led approaches that shape policy, practice, and impact in youth work.

Key responsibilities for this role will include:

• Designing and delivering research projects using a range of methods including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Supporting the development of the NYA research and data hub, including external research collation and data visualisation.
• Leading on evaluations to meet funder requirements and contribute to NYA’s growing evidence base.
• Analysing data from NYA programmes to support impact measurement.
• Promoting evidence-based practice across NYA and the wider youth sector.
• Communicating findings clearly through reports, briefings, and presentations.
• Managing research projects and collaborating with internal and external partners to deliver on time and to quality.
• Responding to internal and external research enquiries.

The ideal candidate will have experience in social research, familiarity with various research methodologies, and the ability to communicate complex findings to diverse audiences. 

Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.

Why Work for NYA?

NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.

NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.

A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.

NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.

We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

How to Apply:

Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 12th May 2025:

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section. 

A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the

About You section. 

We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.

Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer. 

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission. 

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it. As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power.  We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-221126

• Location: Remote

Salary: £38,000-£42,000
Contract Type: Permanent
 
About Police Care UK
 
Police Care UK traces its roots back to 1926 following the merger of the charities Police Dependants’ Trust and the National Police Fund. Our mission is to reduce the impact of harm on police and their families across the UK.
 
The Charity is currently undergoing a period of growth and development and has transformed from a traditional benevolent organisation to a leader in the blue light sector. This exciting phase is allowing us to expand both our services and our reach. With our office based in Woking, Surrey, we operate throughout the UK to deliver groundbreaking research, innovation, and evidence-based action that supports the police community in coping with the impact of policing. Our work has included targeted projects within police forces aimed at improving wellbeing as well as providing emotional and financial support to serving and veteran officers, staff, and their families.
 
Who We’re Looking For:
 
We are seeking a proactive and highly self-motivated Fundraising Manager to join our team at Police Care UK and make a critical contribution towards our combined annual fundraising target of approximately £1 million.
 
With knowledge of the funding landscape for first responders, police, mental health, or wellbeing causes, you will take direct responsibility for income from Trusts & Foundations, Major Donors, and legacy fundraising, alongside oversight of our challenge and community events.
 
With strong research and writing skills, you’ll identify new funding opportunities and produce compelling, high-quality applications. You’ll also bring excellent relationship-building abilities, managing key donor relationships with care and ensuring grant compliance to maximise impact and income.
 
If you have a strong track record in securing significant income from trusts, foundations, grant-making bodies and major donors, and a commitment to improving mental health outcomes for those who serve, we’d love to hear from you.
 
Main Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver a trusts and foundations fundraising strategy to meet agreed income targets.
• Research and identify new funding opportunities from trusts, foundations, and statutory sources.
• Write compelling, tailored funding proposals, applications, and reports.
• Work closely with finance and clinical teams to monitor and report on grant expenditure.
• Organise meetings, presentations, and site visits to engage and inspire funders.
• Provide timely updates, reports, and impact statements to funders.
• Build and maintain strong, personalised relationships with major donors through regular communication and engagement.
• Plan and deliver an effective legacy marketing strategy.
• Champion Police Care UK and the support it provides to our police, their families and the wider police service.

 
Experience:
 

• Proven experience in securing significant income from trusts, foundations, or grant-making bodies.
• Experience of raising substantial fundraising income and achieving performance targets.
• Building and nurturing relationships with grant-making bodies.
• Setting and achieving ambitious income targets from major donors.
• Experience or understanding of effective legacy marketing and administration processes.
• Working with the marketing team to showcase donor impact through storytelling and recognition opportunities.
• Working effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of setting, managing and delivering against budgets, reporting on KPIs, variances and re-forecasting.
• Managing multiple deadlines and working under pressure.

 
Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the funding landscape for first responders, police, wellbeing and mental health causes.
• Understanding of financial budgeting and grant compliance.
• The regulatory environment for charities, Gift Aid, Fundraising Code of Conduct.
• Proficiency in fundraising databases and Microsoft Office.

Skills:

• Exceptional communication skills.
• Strong research skills to identify new funding opportunities.
• Preparing compelling, tailored proposals to inspire significant philanthropic gifts.
• Analyse donor trends and provide insights to enhance major donor fundraising strategies.
• Maintain a pipeline of prospects and manage a calendar of funding applications and deadlines.
• Strong relationship-building skills with funders and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to craft persuasive funding applications.

 
Additional:

• Pro-active and highly self-motivated.
• The ability to change and adapt to changing needs and circumstances.
• Ability to work collaboratively and to support a skill sharing agenda.
• An empathy with the police service and the welfare needs of police officers and their families.

Hours of work: The basic hours of work are 35 hours, Monday – Friday
Location: Remote
 
How to Apply: If you’re ready to join a forward-thinking charity that values innovation, empathy, and collaboration, we’d love to hear from you. You will need to submit your CV and a detailed cover letter explaining why you’re the right fit for this role. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as you are able.
 
Limitations
 
This job description is neither exclusive nor exhaustive. The duties and responsibilities may vary from time to time in the light of changing circumstances in consultation with the jobholder.
The jobholder will be required to work within the rules and regulations of the Charity and accept the authority of the Chief Executive, who has the discretion to delegate authority to the jobholder and to withdraw it.
 
Equal Opportunities Policy
 
The Charity is committed to eliminating any discrimination and promoting diversity and equality of opportunity in all it does. The Charity is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, and we will not unlawfully discriminate against job applicants, employees of the Charity, volunteers, workers, or contract workers on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins) religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
 
REF-221397

Home Based within Essex or Hertfordshire

Closing date: Tuesday 6th May

Phone Interviews: W/C 28th April & W/C 5th May

Panel interviews: Tuesday 13th or Wednesday 14th May

Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.

Change lives in a life-changing career

When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.

The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.

We challenge the systems and policies that surround children and young people, we highlight gaps and campaign for change. Because we know what a better future could look like. And we know what we need to do to make that future a reality. We need to push harder, reach further and work smarter. And we need the right people on our team to help us get there. People like you.

About the role

We’re looking for a Fundraising Engagement Manager with great personality and team ethic to join our Regional Fundraising team.

This is a role of variety, opportunity and innovation, and we are looking for someone who embraces change and constantly strives to achieve more.

You will maximise income for Young Live vs Cancer by coaching our supporters to reach their goals, whilst seeking out new fundraising opportunities for your geographical area. This role sits within the ‘Regional Engagement’ team and we need someone with natural customer service skills who wants to deliver a legendary experience to all of their supporters. Your team of supporters will range from volunteers and individuals, to groups and local corporates.

We are lucky enough to have some of our most committed supporters in the area, but there is still so much opportunity to grow support across the counties. You will have an incredible opportunity to build relationships with not only those who have been supported by the charity, but our incredible services team members who support children and young people treated out of University College Hospital and Great Ormond Street hospital.

Candidates should live within Essex & Hertfordshire, in one of the following postcodes: Essex: CM; CO1-9; CO11-16; IG (except IG11); RM & SS and Hertfordshire: AL1-10; CM21-23; EN6-8; EN10-11; HP1-4; SG1-14 & WD.

Candidates who live outside of these areas should highlight an intention to relocate to the area in their covering letter for their application to be considered 

This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application a basic record check will be completed.

What will I be doing?

No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in our Role Details document.

• To plan, monitor and report on your budgeted income with a constant eye on contingency planning to ensure annual targets are achieved
• To steward our most committed supporters and deliver legendary supporter experience
• To be a key, valued member of your regional team and UK wide team.
• To identify, cultivate and secure partnerships and donations within your area
• To work with your local service team/s to build and maintain strong and effective working relationships
• To be the first point of contact for service user families, to offer opportunities to them and their networks to engage with the wider charity as they would like I.e. fundraising, volunteering, sharing their story

What do I need? 

• A proven track record of delivering amazing customer experiences
• Experience of relationship management in either a charity or corporate setting
• Ability to work within a financial target-based setting, and experience of reaching/exceeding set targets
• Demonstrable experience of winning new business
• Experience of managing own workload
• Proven ability to manage/complete projects
• Able to ‘make the ask’ for support and to influence/negotiate
• Have a full UK driving licence and access to a car (including business insurance)
• Have a sufficient Broadband connection

Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.

The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:

• Natural storyteller
• Strong prioritisation skills
• Great communicator
• Great at spotting opportunities
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Compassion
• Integrity
• Team player

What will I gain?

For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:

• Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
• Wellbeing days: four days a year to do what works for you – from catching up on training to going for a walk
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Great family/caring leave entitlements
• Enhanced pension
• Access to our employee savings scheme

To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.

We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. CVs can be uploaded, but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history sections of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly and objectively.

Recruitment process

We will be shortlisting applications on a rolling basis. We will hold informal telephone interviews w/c 28th April and w/c 5th May and if invited  to panel interview, these will take place on 13th or 14th May.

Accessibility

We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible.Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.

To arrange an informal chat, please contact Alex O'Connell.

#ShowTheSalary #NonGraduatesWelcome

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week​

Location:​Home-based with frequent travel to projects across Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool​

Contract:Permanent​

Do you want to work with multiple award-winning charity, FoodCycle? As Regional Manager you will represent, manage and co-ordinate FoodCycle for your allocated regional Projects. Our Projects are spaces where volunteers are empowered to run their own community meals using surplus food.​

You will manage local relationships with supermarkets, volunteer recruitment channels and venues to enable this to happen. As an excellent communicator, you will manage the volunteers at each Project ensuring they are trained, supported and on-message with FoodCycle strategy, ensuring that volunteers are confident enough to self-organise and make a success of their Projects.​

You will have experience of programme planning and delivery, and working with volunteers. You will be experienced in building relationships with a range of stakeholders, and be passionate about food and cooking.​

There will be frequent travel to our projects in the North East, with some evening and weekend work needed to cover our projects. A full driving license and access to a vehicle for work purposes is essential for this rewarding role.​

Benefits: We offer 26.5 days holiday plus bank holidays, and additional holiday for length of service (pro-rata for part-time). Our healthcare package allows staff to claim money back on healthcare bills and includes access to telephone counselling and online GP appointments.​

How to apply:Please upload a CV of no more than two sides, and a covering note/letter of no more than two sides explaining why you are suitable for the role, via our vacancy website.

Deadline for your application:We will be shortlisting and interviewing for this post on an ongoing basis and the vacancy will close once we have found the successful candidate.  Please apply as soon as possible if interested, and no later than 11.59pm on Thursday 8th May.

Interview process: Shortlisted candidates will need to complete a 30 minute task prior to being invited to interview.

Inclusivity: FoodCycle is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We are a Disability Confident Scheme member. 

Safeguarding: Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – FoodCycle is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare / wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk. This role will therefore require a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.

Please note that you will need to have existing Right to Work in the UK to apply for this role. We are unable to provide visa sponsorship.​

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Wonderseekers, the charity behind Winchester Science Centre, is seeking a senior leader to drive the charity’s financial strategy and operational effectiveness. As a key member of the Executive Team, the role will provide strategic oversight of financial operations, risk management, and key support services, ensuring the charity's long-term sustainability. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership and trustees to align financial and operational goals with the charity’s mission of engaging children with science to improve their lives and contribute to a sustainable future. This leadership position will also focus on the efficient delivery of essential support functions, ensuring compliance with governance, legal obligations, and safety standards, and fostering a culture of excellence across all areas.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to step into a pivotal leadership role at a charity with a powerful purpose and a solid financial foundation. Following a period of remarkable transformation, we are poised for even greater impact—investing in sustainability, expanding our reach, and enhancing our impact-driven science engagement experiences. If you’re passionate about leveraging financial leadership to create a better future for children and the planet, we’d love to hear from you.

Job details

Hours: 37.5 per week.

Work pattern: Usually Monday to Friday working during office hours with occasional weekends and out of hours work, however we do operate very flexibly.

Salary: Between £60,000-£70,000 per annum depending on experience (full-time)

Contract: Permanent

Line manager: CEO

Responsible for: Head of Finance, Head of Estates and Sustainability, Head of Digital Infrastructure

Holiday: 28 days per annum plus bank holidays (full-time). Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. The post-holder will not usually be expected to work bank holidays however when duties require, time off in lieu will be available.

Location: Between both sites - Winchester Science Centre, Winchester, SO21 1HZ and Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh, SO50 9DE. Some remote working is possible however an onsite presence is required for most of the role.

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, charity workers discount scheme, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, enhanced pension contribution and pension salary sacrifice scheme, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Deadline: Monday 12th May 2025 9am

1st round interviews: 20th and 21st May 2025 at Winchester Science Centre

2nd round interviews: w/c 9th June

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat or have any questions about the role before applying.

About our Charity

Wonderseekers (the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre) strives to engage all children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives and contribute to improving life on earth. The Charity runs Winchester Science Centre - a vibrant, hands-on experience for young children. Promising an exciting day out for families, with curriculum-linked trips for schools and an evening events programme, the Science Centre welcomes over 170,000 visitors every year. Through our magnificent planetarium and live science experiences, science is brought to life in imaginative, fun and accessible ways that means everyone is included.

Key Objectives

• Finance Leadership: Be the architect of and execute a strategic vision for the charity's financial growth and long-term sustainability, ensuring resilience in financial operations.
• Risk Management: Lead and drive the strategic management of risk within the Charity, fostering a culture of continuous improvement in risk practices.
• Health, Safety, and Safeguarding: Promote and ensure a culture of excellence in Health and Safety and Safeguarding practices, maintaining the highest standards across the charity
• Infrastructure Development: Champion the development and implementation of robust systems and infrastructure to enable the charity to fulfil its mission efficiently and effectively.
• Leadership: Lead the Charity Support Services team, ensuring seamless and proactive support for the organisation’s operations and strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Executive leadership and strategic contribution

• Report directly to the CEO, providing regular updates on financial performance, risk management, and operational efficiency. Additionally, the CFRO will present detailed financial reports, risk assessments, and progress on strategic goals to the Board of Trustees, ensuring transparency and alignment with the charity's long-term objectives.
• As a key member of the Executive Team, actively contribute to the development and refinement of the charity’s overall strategy, aligning financial and risk management goals with broader charity objectives.
• Play a leading role in setting and delivering the goals and targets defined in the charity’s business plan, ensuring financial health and operational efficiency.

Financial strategy and governance

• Develop, implement, and continually refine the charity’s financial strategy, policies, and practices in alignment with best practices and the organisation’s overall strategic goals.
• Provide financial leadership and oversight, ensuring the charity’s financial health by managing the planning, budgeting, reporting, and monitoring processes.
• Manage and oversee the preparation of accurate, timely financial statements, budgets, and forecasts that support decision-making by the Executive Team and Board.

Risk management and mitigation

• Lead the development and implementation of an enterprise-wide risk management framework that identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks across all operations.
• Oversee regular risk assessments and report on risk management performance, ensuring that all areas of the organisation are proactively managing risks.
• Foster a culture of risk awareness across the charity, ensuring that risk management is embedded in all key decision-making processes.

Operational efficiency and support services

• Lead and drive the efficient delivery of essential charity support functions, including IT, facilities management, health and safety, and safeguarding, ensuring that they are effectively resourced and aligned with the charity’s strategic needs.
• Ensure these functions operate in a seamless and ‘invisible’ manner, enhancing the operational efficiency of the charity while supporting its mission delivery.

Compliance and regulatory oversight

• Ensure full compliance with charity governance, statutory reporting, and all relevant legal obligations, including charity law, tax regulations,, financial reporting standards and data protection. The postholder will also act as our Data Protection Officer.
• Ensure that the charity adheres to all relevant health and safety regulations, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for staff, volunteers, and visitors.

Leadership and team development

• Lead, manage, and inspire the Charity Support Services team, ensuring a high level of collaboration and providing the resources needed for effective performance.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, supporting the professional development of staff and encouraging innovative problem-solving.

Stakeholder management and reporting

• Engage with the Board of Trustees and external stakeholders on matters relating to financial performance and risk management.
• Provide regular reports to the Board, senior leadership, and key stakeholders on financial status, risk assessments, and performance against strategic goals.

Person Specification:

Education:

• Essential: A recognised accountancy qualification (preferably ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Desirable: Management/leadership qualification or significant professional experience at a senior level in the charity sector.

Experience and knowledge:

Essential:

o A minimum of three years' experience in a senior management or leadership role.

o Proven track record of managing finance for a medium to large charity.

o Experience as a member of a Senior Management Team, contributing to strategic decision-making and organisational leadership.

o Expertise in financial management, including producing management accounts and monitoring cash flow for organisations with an annual turnover exceeding £2 million.

o Experience in business planning and long-term financial forecasting to support strategic goals.

o Strong experience in team management, including motivating staff and overseeing performance to drive high levels of engagement.

o Demonstrable experience of managing budgets, safeguarding processes, and risk management.

o Experience in the production and implementation of policies for example those related to finance, risk, health and safety, safeguarding and data protection within a charitable context.

Desirable:

o Familiarity with managing complex cash flow monitoring processes in a dynamic, mission-driven organisation.

Skills and Abilities:

Essential:

o Advanced IT skills, particularly in Excel, for financial analysis and reporting.

o Strong numeracy and attention to detail, ensuring accurate and high-quality outputs.

o Excellent time management and the ability to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines effectively.

o Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to present complex financial and risk-related information clearly to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

o Proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, with a hands-on and proactive approach.

o Personal integrity, intellectual agility, and the capacity to influence stakeholders at all levels within the organisation.

o Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusting relationships across diverse teams and external partners.

o A professional, flexible, and resilient approach, maintaining composure in high-pressure environments.

Desirable:

o Ability to work effectively in a customer-facing organisation, ensuring financial and risk practices align with service delivery.

o Energetic, self-starting, and results-driven with a focus on continuous improvement and organisational impact.

o A positive and collaborative attitude towards contributing to a team culture that supports the charity’s mission.

The post-holder will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.

Interview Process:

We look forward to getting to know you through our friendly and welcoming interview process. The interview is likely to include a pre-interview task and questions from our panel. Interview questions will be circulated in advance.

We can’t wait to hear from you! Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat, or have any questions about the role before applying.

Ready to Apply?

When you are ready to apply, please submit your application through our recruitment portal.

You will be asked to submit your contact details and answer a few questions so we can get to know you. Please keep your responses concise, this is your opportunity to really stand out. After answering these questions, please upload your cover letter and CV.

Need information in a different format or would like to apply in an alternative way? Just get in touch via our website.

No recruitment agencies, thank you.