Finance assistant jobs in city of london, england

Location: Camden Road, London N7

Salary: circa £45,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week

Reporting To: Head of Finance and IT

Contract: Permanent

Centre 404 is a thriving charity with a proud history of supporting people with learning disabilities and their families. Based in North London, we currently work across eight London boroughs. We are looking for a skilled and motivated Finance Manager to lead our finance function and help us build a financially resilient future.

�� About the Role

This is a key leadership role within our Central Services team. You’ll oversee day-to-day financial operations, manage a small team, and deliver accurate, timely reporting that supports strategic decision-making across the organisation.

You’ll work closely with the Head of Finance & IT, senior managers, and Trustees to ensure robust financial planning, compliance, and risk management. Your work will directly support our mission and help us maximise the impact of every pound we receive.

�� Key Responsibilities

· Lead the finance team and manage daily operations

· Deliver monthly management accounts, statutory reporting, and audits

· Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning

· Ensure compliance with Charity SORP, funder requirements, and financial regulations

· Support strategic projects and deputise for the Head of Finance & IT

�� About You

We’re looking for someone who is either qualified or working towards ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or CIPFA, with a strong track record in financial management. You’ll be a confident communicator, a proactive problem-solver, and a collaborative leader who thrives in a mission-led environment.

You’ll bring:

· Experience in charity finance and donor reporting (desirable)

· Strong understanding of financial systems and controls

· Ability to lead and develop a finance team

· Excellent interpersonal and analytical skills

· A commitment to Centre 404’s values and mission

�� What We Offer

· A supportive, inclusive working environment

· Opportunities for professional development

· Flexible working arrangements

· The chance to make a real difference in people’s lives

Like us, you are motivated by a sense of purpose and care deeply for the wellbeing of our planet and the web of life, including humans. You share Gaia’s values: teamwork, kindness/ care, honesty, reciprocity and mutual respect. You believe in doing what’s right with care—not just what’s easy—and are committed to working together towards a common goal – willing to step in when necessary, beyond the call of duty.

If you care about making a difference and contributing to a supportive, values-led culture of care, we’d love to hear from you.

Finance Assistant
£15.13 per hour – Temporary role
Hybrid – 2 days per week in London office

Are you a detail-oriented finance professional looking for your next opportunity to make a difference? We’re looking for a Finance Assistant to join a dedicated finance team within a national charity, supporting vital work that has a real impact.

In this role, you’ll play a key part in ensuring the smooth running of financial processes, from maintaining purchase ledgers and processing payments to reconciling accounts and supporting colleagues across the organisation. Reporting to the Financial Accountant, you’ll provide essential support during busy periods such as month and year end.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing the purchase ledger, ensuring accurate recording and VAT treatment

• Maintaining the invoice system and supplier records

• Reconciling bank accounts and company credit cards

• Setting up weekly BACS payments

• Posting fundraising income and creating sales invoices

• Providing support with debtor management and credit control

• Managing finance inboxes, responding promptly to queries

• Supporting the finance team with year-end and ad-hoc tasks

About you:
We’re looking for someone who combines strong technical skills with a proactive and collaborative approach. You’ll ideally have an AAT qualification (or be working towards one) and experience within a charity, not-for-profit, or VAT-registered organisation. Experience with SUN accounting software is desirable but not essential.

You’ll need to be confident with Excel and have excellent attention to detail, strong organisational skills, and the ability to manage your workload effectively. Just as importantly, you’ll be approachable, a great communicator, and someone who enjoys working as part of a team.

This is a temporary position, with hybrid working (two days per week in the London office). It’s a great opportunity for someone looking to use their finance skills in a supportive and mission-driven environment.

Finance Assistant

We are seeking an experienced Finance Assistant with strong bookkeeping skills to join the central finance team of a growing international charity working at the intersection of cultural heritage and community development.

Position: Finance Assistant
Location: Remote (UK-based)
Contract: Fixed-term, 6 months (with possibility of extension)
Hours: Part-time (0.4 FTE / 15 hours per week – must be available on Mondays)
Salary:Circa £30,000 per annum, depending on experience

Closing Date:21st September 2025 at 11.59pm

About the Role

Working as part of the charity’s central finance team, the Finance Assistant will help ensure the integrity of financial records and play a key role in maintaining accurate and timely bookkeeping for the UK.

You will be responsible for recording and reconciling transactions, processing invoices and payments, maintaining ledgers, and assisting with audit schedules. This is a highly detail-oriented role, requiring excellent accuracy, organisation, and the ability to work independently in a fully remote environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Recording USD and GBP bank, MoneyCorp, and PayPal entries in QuickBooks
• Monthly reconciliation of all UK bank, MoneyCorp, and PayPal accounts
• Reviewing and processing supplier invoices and expense claims, including setting up payments
• Setting up multi-currency payments for international offices and maintaining creditors ledgers
• Maintaining UK debtors and creditors ledgers
• Recording and reconciling corporate credit card transactions
• Reconciling specified balance sheet accounts monthly
• Assisting with audit schedules and financial reporting

About You

The ideal candidate will be methodical, accurate, and proactive, with significant bookkeeping experience and strong QuickBooks skills. You will be comfortable working remotely, with excellent communication and organisational skills, and the ability to manage your workload effectively.

Key skills and experience required:

• Significant bookkeeping experience with excellent understanding of double entry
• Strong experience using QuickBooks
• Understanding of multi-currency accounting
• Methodical approach with outstanding attention to detail and high accuracy
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong organisational skills, able to work independently in a remote environment

Desirable:

• Understanding of charity finance regulations and practices
• Cross-cultural understanding and experience working with dispersed teams

How to Apply
To apply, please send a CV and a statement (no longer than 2 pages) outlining why you are the right person for this role.

About the Organisation

The employer is a British charity founded in 2006 that believes artisanal heritage matters and has the power to transform lives. The charity supports artisans to thrive, revitalise endangered traditions, and connect people across the world through heritage.

The organisation is fast-growing, with offices in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, and the Levant, and employs over 400 staff worldwide. With both charitable and trading operations, they deliver an ambitious, wide-ranging programme of work in complex and sometimes conflict-affected regions.

You may have experience in areas such as: Finance Officer, Bookkeeper, Assistant Accountant, Accounts Assistant, Finance Administrator, Accounts Payable/Receivable Clerk.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is charity that represents the voice of people living with dyslexia. We aim to influence government and other institutions to promote a dyslexia friendly society that enables dyslexic people of all ages to reach their full potential.

This role will play a crucial part in the BDA. It ensures smooth operations, supporting the Head of Finance & Operations and the Finance Manager, in managing the day to day recording of financial information.  This will include accurate invoicing, debt management, and supplier coordination, supporting the charity’s financial health.

Location

Hybrid – this role is primarily home-based (UK), with requirement to travel to and work from our office in Bracknell (Berkshire) at least once a week, and as necessary. Travel is also required to attend team days, which typically take place twice a year.

Hours of work

Part time (14-15 hours per week). This could be arranged as either: 5 days per week at 3 hours per day, or 4 days per week at 3.5 hours per day. Working pattern can be discussed and agreed based on mutual preference and operational needs.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial administration

• First line of contact for Finance telephone and e-mail inbox queries. 
• To assist in the smooth day to day running of the finance department.
• Set up new customer accounts/contacts and completing supplier forms/portals as required.
• Assist the Finance Manager in raising sales invoices.
• Ensure outstanding customer invoices are chased on an ongoing basis. Regular review of debtor balances with the Finance Manager or Head of Finance.
• Liaise with appropriate departments where necessary, to gather information and resolve problems and inform them of payments received.
• Undertake some absence cover for the Finance Manager, as required.
• Assist Finance Manager in set up of supplier accounts.

HR administration

• Assist the HR manager with recruitment administration, such as placing adverts on the BDA website, managing the recruitment inbox, arranging interviews, and sending standard letters.
• Provide some administrative support in relation to recruitment of volunteers.
• Support the HR Manager with a range of administrative duties, including recurring annual processes like home & office risk assessments and driver forms, as well as ad hoc tasks that may arise throughout the year.

General 

• Undertake some general administration to support the BDA, including opening and sorting mail and telephone reception duties. 
• Ensuring that the values and standards of the BDA are upheld in all internal and external projects, programmes, and communications. 

Skills and Qualifications:

Essential

• Recent and demonstrable experience in financial administration, including credit control, inbox management, and maintaining accurate financial records.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail, with the ability to identify and correct errors.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain clear records.
• Strong IT skills, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Discreet and professional when handling sensitive or confidential information.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with experience of liaising with supplies, internal colleagues, and external partners.
• Proactive and self-motivated, with a willingness to take initiative and work independently as well as well as part of a team.
• Self-disciplined with a friendly and diplomatic approach.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively within a small, busy team as well as across the wider organisation.

Desirable

• Experience using accounting software such as Xero or similar platforms.
• Working knowledge of stakeholder database management (e.g. CRM systems).
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Experience working within the charitable sector.
• Knowledge of dyslexia and/or neurodiversity.
• Experience working in a small team.

Equal Opportunities

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at the BDA. We are committed to building a diverse organisation that represents the communities we serve and ensuring inclusion in everything we do.

Emmaus Greenwich is a unique charity that offers a home, work and individual support to people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion. We don’t just give people a bed for the night; we offer a home, work opportunities and a sense of belonging.

At the heart of Emmaus Greenwich is our companions. Companion is the name given to those who live in an Emmaus community and contributes to the social enterprise, where they support themselves and one another. Living in a stable environment with the opportunity of work and individually tailored support helps our companions to regain lost self-esteem and the confidence needed to get back on their feet.

Some of the things that we are looking for in our Finance Assistance:

• Confident in processing financial transactions with essential experience using QuickBooks
• Setting up and making electronic payments
• Detail-oriented with strong organisational and communication skills
• Reliable, consistent, and methodical in your approach
• The ability to work independently after initial training
• Comfortable working under pressure and in a people-facing environment, with strong customer service and problem-solving skills.

    Key Responsibilities:

• Process invoices, expenses, and payments promptly using QuickBooks and other systems
• Maintain accurate financial records, reconcile bank accounts, and manage supplier and customer accounts
• Set up and process electronic payments
• Handle income, donations, payroll inputs, HMRC payments, and credit control
• Provide first-line finance and administrative support across the organisation
• Prepare financial reports, support audits, and ensure adherence to financial procedures
• Assist with small projects and contribute to improving finance processes

So, if you hold optimism for change, advocate for social justice, have in-depth understanding of financial processes and have a positive “can do” attitude, we would love to hear from you. You will be joining a friendly and enthusiastic team who are passionate about what they do.

To apply for this role please complete the application form. Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

About CoppaFeel!

CoppaFeel! are the UK’s only youth focused breast cancer awareness charity, and we’re on a mission to get every 18-24 year old checking their chest. We educate people on the signs of breast cancer and encourage them to check their chests monthly, so that if they notice something unusual they are empowered to contact their GP and advocate for themselves.

We do this because when diagnosed early, breast cancer treatments are more effective and survival rates are higher. Early detection can save lives.

Breast cancer does not need to be detected late, and as long as we are here and continue to be supported by people like you, we will do all we can to make sure this doesn’t continue to happen.

The Role

As Head of Finance and Contracts, you’ll oversee all aspects of financial management and contractual compliance across the charity. This is a hands-on role where you’ll be responsible for managing and developing our small finance team, while also leading on budgeting, funder reporting and forecasting. Alongside this, you’ll oversee the organisation’s contracts ensuring we’re operating in line with best practice and regulatory requirements.

This is a hybrid role, with the expectation that you will attend the London office 2 days per week. .

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Line manage the Finance Officer and Finance Assistant, providing guidance, support, and performance oversight.
• Actively participate in Leadership Team meetings, contributing to the development and achievement of strategic objectives.
• Support the development of the team structure, driving delivery, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Provide data-driven insights and strategic recommendations to inform long-term decision-making and business growth.

Financial Strategy & Reporting

• Lead the annual budgeting and reforecasting process, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
• Oversee monthly management accounts; meet regularly with Heads of Department to monitor spend and evaluate impact.
• Support with the preparation draft statutory accounts and coordinate audit queries.
• Conduct financial analysis, working with HoDs to assess ROI across key projects and income streams.

Operational Finance

• Manage VAT returns, ensuring compliance with
• Assess risk mitigation approaches to balance financial safeguarding with delivery of organisational objectives.
• Oversee monthly payroll processing in partnership with the payroll agent and resolve payroll queries.
• Ensure the overall smooth running of day to day finances, and finance policy adoption/ adherence.
• Reviewing and maintaining Cashflow and working capital documents.

Funding & Grants

• Provide financial oversight and input for grant and corporate funding applications.

Governance & Legal Oversight

• Attend Finance Committee meetings when necessary and support preparation of required reporting materials.
• Work closely with the Director of Operations and legal advisers to review contracts for grants, fundraising licenses, or procurement—particularly where risk or value is high.
• Oversee supplier, corporate partnership and grant contracts, where highly complex working with solicitors for advice
• Develop, implement, and maintain financial policies and procedures to ensure robust internal controls.
• Stay informed on changes to relevant financial, legal, and regulatory requirements affecting the charity sector.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Essential

• Proven experience in charity finance, including budgeting, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams effectively.
• Strong knowledge of UK charity and company law.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders.
• Experience in managing or coordinating audits, payroll processes, and implementing robust financial controls.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and strong attention to detail.
• Strong technical proficiency in financial systems and data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, accounting software).

Desirable

• Understanding of impact and ROI evaluation in a charity context.
• Experience supporting funding applications, particularly for grants and corporate partnerships.
• Experience working in a small charity environment, and creating new systems or processes.

Application information

Applications will close on 29th September 2025 with the aim to commence shortlisting test as applications come in and interviews on W/C 6th October.

CoppaFeel! reserves the right to close the vacancy early in the event that we receive a high number of applications before the closing date.

Main Benefits and Terms & Conditions

Annual Leave entitlement - 22 days and 3 days off at Christmas + public holidays, a day off for your birthday and for Kris’ cancerversary.

Benefits 

• Wellbeing fund
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to Self Space training and 1:1 therapy
• Core working hours 10am - 4pm
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Flex Friday; every other Friday off, with the flexibility of being available in the case of emergencies

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

At CoppaFeel! we support a diverse range of communities and we understand that diversity within our team is central and crucial to meeting the needs of the young people we exist to serve. We strongly encourage applications from Black, and people of colour, LGBTQIA+ candidates, candidates with disabilities, from men, and from those with a lived experience of cancer because we would like to increase the representation of these groups within the charity.

We promote equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and make recruitment decisions by matching the charity's needs with the skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We recognise the value in encouraging a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge at the charity.

While the successful candidate will be selected purely on merit, in the event of a tie between two candidates with equal suitability, we may select a candidate with lived experience of the issues we are seeking to address through our work.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and we commit to offering an interview for all applicants with disabilities who meet our required criteria for the role. If you have any accessibility requirements or need any adjustments for the interview process please get in touch.

Finance Coordinator is a new role to support our expanding services.

This newly created role will form part of our Finance Team. As a member of a small but dynamic team, you will work closely with the Senior Finance Officer and Head of Finance. Your role will be critical to our success, with your principal responsibilities including:

• processing purchase ledger invoices
• inputting bank and all financial transactions onto the Xero accounting system
• recording donations to Xero accounting system
• reconciling donations, stewardship and CAF transactions with Xero
• reconciling cheques, standing orders and Stripe transactions with Xero
• processing the weekly payment runs ensuring that all payments are paid on time
• processing staff and volunteer expenses

You will have the support of our excellent and established Finance Team, which is central to the smooth and effective running of our operations. You will be responsible for liaising with colleagues at all levels across the organisation, as well as our Trustees, partners and suppliers. 

Royal Star & Garter are a charity that provides loving, compassionate care and support to veterans and their families, both in our Homes and through services that reach into the wider community. Following our recent merger with the Armed Forces charity Care for Veterans in Worthing, we’re looking for a skilled and motivated Fundraising Assistant.

We are looking for someone committed to making a difference to our work and interested in developing a career in fundraising. We welcome experience gained outside the charity sector and are committed to supporting learning and development in this role.

This person must be passionate about delivering high levels of personalised care to a range of donors and have the ability to communicate effectively, while maintaining attention to detail to ensure the smooth delivery of the processes behind donor engagement. You must also be flexible and confident in providing wider support across the fundraising teams within the Royal Star & Garter group.

This is a hybrid role, with two days a week at our Worthing Home to build strong relationships and gain a deeper understanding of our work. There may also be occasional visits to outside events and to Royal Star & Garter’s other Homes as needed.

Purpose of the role

- To provide excellent customer care to all donors, delivering optimum supporter journeys working effectively with the wider team within the Royal Star & Garter (RSG) group 
- To manage all associated fundraising payment processes and procedures and work effectively with finance to manage safe and effective banking and reconciliations
- To provide fundraising support across the department and locations of our services in respect of a range of activities including fundraising events
- To support the High Value Events & Corporate Manager in time bound projects as and when necessary

Supporter care

- To be proactive in enabling the supporter journey with timely communications (phone, email and letters) and clear stewardship with both existing and new donors
- Ensure effective frontline support and response for donors across a range of incoming systems
- Ensure donation processes and procedures are adhered to and executed in a timely manner, in accordance with guidelines – updating those wherever required with approval by the RSG Fundraising Officer.
 
Donations and data entry

- Ensure that the fundraising CRM database is up to date and that supporters contact and financial data is accurate, including creating new records
- Complete weekly banking and allocation tasks in accordance with the approved process, liaising with the finance department to ensure that all batched income is allocated correctly
- Data inputting on the CRM to include: regular giving, importing income from external agencies including CAF and Just Giving, processing Gift Aid and accurately storing declarations
- Filing and management of paperwork, ensuring due diligence and security measures are followed.

Fundraising & volunteer support

- To provide active support to a range of events including: managing participants, sending information, monitoring online giving pages and on the day set up and pack down
- To directly source donated items and contributors to support fundraising events including raffle/auction prizes and coordinating suppliers, stallholders and entertainers 
- Coordinate and communicate with volunteers for events and corporate volunteering days and activities, ensuring they are briefed and supported
- To support any regular mailings or email contact to supporters, assisting with the cleaning and compliance of data once an agreed annual schedule is in place regular.

Other

- To manage all aspects of incoming fundraising post and dedicated inboxes along with outgoing mailings
- Ensure general department are kept up to date including attendance at meetings within RSG group wherever possible
- To be conversant with relevant fundraising legislation and the guidelines of the 
Fundraising Regulator and the GDPR
- To undertake other duties as may be required and which are consistent with the nature of the role.

Knowledge and experience:

- Experience of working in a customer focused environment, preferably within fundraising
- Good working knowledge of CRM database
- Experience of banking processes and consistent financial reconciliation 
- Ability to manage a busy workload meeting deadlines
- Experience of working on own initiative and as part of a team
- Experience of supporting fundraising events, including logistics and on-the-day delivery (desirable)
- Experience of coordinating or working with volunteers, including corporate groups (desirable).

 Skills:

- Excellent communication skills including written (and email) and on the phone
- Excellent attention to detail with a good eye for numbers 
- Excellent general IT skills including Word & Excel
- Good relationship building skills and an ability to work across teams creating strong internal networks
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks in a live event environment
- Confidence in engaging with a range of stakeholders, including participants, local businesses, and community groups.
 
Personal characteristics should include:

- A consultative approach to solving problems
- Planning and organising; schedules activities effectively
- A positive upbeat attitude
- Effective team player
- Role model our values in all aspects of work
- Flexible and adaptable, with a willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends to support events.

We reserve the right to update and amend your job description to ensure it accurately reflects the role.

The Senior Accounts Technician plays a key role within the financial accounts team, working in partnership with the Director of Finance and Governace to ensure the smooth operation of financial systems and processes.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the securing of income opportunities by providing financial information for bids, grants, and applications.

• Work with project leads and the senior team to ensure the effective management of funds, including tracking and reporting expenditures. 

• Develop and deliver financial performance information to assist the senior team and trustees in running the charity, providing valuable financial insights to help make better decisions about formulating and executing the charity's strategy.

• Assist the CEO and Senior Leads in the business planning and budgeting/forecasting processes.

• Support the Director of Services, to manage and review contract rates to ensure competitiveness and maximize income generation.

• Manage the year-end independent examination by liaising and engaging with the external auditor. 

• Monitor and evaluate Hooyo Eas Food Enterprise & Chicksand Preschool  Business Model.

• Work with the Senior Team and Finance Sub Committee to provide adequate procedures, measures, and systems of internal control appropriate for the nature and size of the charity and meeting statutory obligations.

• Produce accurate monthly/quarterly Management Accounts for the CEO and Senior Management Team, including commentary on significant areas and variances from budgets and Update monthly the cash flow forecast. 

• Manage the complete payroll process through QuickBooks and submit relevant deductions. 

• Complete monthly payments to HMRC, and year-end submissions in a timely, proactive and accurate manner and deadlines are met. 

• Manage accounts receivable and payable, ensuring authorised bills and invoices are recorded and processed on time.

• Enhance income streams, such as registering for Gift Aid and VAT etc. 

• Ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements, identify and manage financial risks. 

• Undertaking administrative tasks as required, being hands-on and fostering a collaborative working environment. 

• Proactively monitor and evaluate activities within services business through the development and delivery of effective cross-service monitoring and evaluation, responding to issues and identifying and following-up on opportunities.

• Deputise for Director of Service and the CEO when necessary including attending meetings and preparing and presenting reports. 

• Proactively monitor and evaluate activities within services business through the development and delivery of effective cross-service monitoring and evaluation, responding to issues and identifying and following-up on opportunities. 

• Support/seek new business opportunities, develop, and draft funding bids, and produce and lead on tender responses, and produce progress reports For the fundraising team. 

• Develop business case funding/tender reports for funders, commissioners and the Board of Trustees. 

• Support the CEO strategic leadership role as an active member of the Senior Management Team, including being proactive in providing solutions to strategic issues with and for colleagues.

• Participate actively in strategic planning process in the following ways: 

- Leading /inputting on the planning and development of projects (both existing and new); and 

- Proactively alerting staff and trustees to potential opportunities and threats to the charity. 

• Lead on the delivery of a sustainability plan, evidenced by Monitoring and evaluations outcomes. 

• Oversee designated project budgets for services and produce reports related to these.

Unique opportunity to join a fast-moving, values-led organisation.  The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the accurate and timely data processing of the sales and purchase ledgers for both our organisation and those we outsource our services to.  Teamwork is central to the ethos of our work and staff are encouraged to work collaboratively and supportively.

The Political Studies Association (PSA) is seeking an enthusiastic and detail-oriented individual to join our team as Membership, Programmes & Events Assistant!

In this role, you will provide key administrative support across our membership services, events, and programmes - including the prestigioius PSA26 Annual Conference.

This is a fixed term contract for six months from October 2025 to April 2026.

Applications are open to all, including PhD students and Early Career Researchers.

For full details of the role, please review the job description.

To apply, please send your CV, a cover letter, and a completed Equal Opps Form by 5pm on Friday, 3 October 2025.

The Youth Endowment Fund

Assistant Director of Public Affairs and Partnerships

Reports to: Director of Change, with significant engagement with Director of Public Affairs and Comms and CEO

Salary: £75,500 per annum

Location:  Central London or Hybrid

Contract: 2-year fixed term – potential to extend. Open to 0.8 FTE for the right candidate

Closing date: Friday 26th September by 12pm

About the Youth Endowment Fund

We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

Last year, 244 people in England and Wales tragically died after being assaulted with a knife. Of these, 32 were children. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them. Even when violence doesn’t strike directly, we know that the fear of violence has a terrible effect on children’s lives.

The Youth Endowment Fund exists to try and permanently change things. To succeed, we must build an exceptional body of knowledge about violence affecting young people and how we reduce it. This knowledge has to be both rigorous and highly relevant to those making decisions about how to support vulnerable young people. We need to find out what works and what doesn’t through evidence synthesis, data analysis and qualitative research into children’s lives. We need to convert this into highly accessible content on what works, how delivery organisations need to change their practice and how the systems they operate in need to be reformed. We then need to work with the right people that can make change happen, across systems, policies and practice, to have a real impact on reducing violence affecting children’s lives.

We can’t do this alone, we have to build and maintain brilliant partnerships across government, with other funders and with wider society. We are looking for an exceptional individual to lead on this work. We also need to have an eye for the future. Our present endowment must be spent down by April 2029. We need someone who can lead on planning for the future.

Key responsibilities

You ensure that we:

· Are ready for the future: Born with a ten-year endowment, the YEF has become the leading authoritative voice on how to reduce violence affecting children. We must spend down this endowment by April 2029, so need to start thinking about after this date. You will lead on ensuring we have a great plan for post 2029. You will spot the best opportunities, assess them and, over time, take them. This includes both building great external relationships and also ensuring there’s a clearly articulated, inspiring narrative – filled with facts, examples and case studies - of what has been delivered to date and what needs to happen between 2029 and 2039 to double down on our mission. To do this, you will orchestrate the expertise and knowledge of colleagues across the organisation – ensuring that what you need comes together perfectly.

· Build and maintain great relationships across government: We have an increasingly large number of relationships across government – providing advice and support on what works to prevent violence. You will be ready to offer advice to colleagues on those relationships where needed. You will build new relationships and maintain them where they are needed so we are ready for the future. You will be really well organised too ensuring that internal colleagues know which relationships they own and making sure that key regular meetings are in place. We have a simple process that tracks these relationships; you will make this process work well for us – with minimum bureaucracy and maximum effectiveness. You will also provide help and advice and coaching as YEF colleagues think through how best to get system changes to happen that will ultimately reduce violence.

· Build great relationships with other organisations that will be key to the future: As the lead organisation on reducing violence affecting young people, we increasingly receive and see a host of opportunities to partner with other organisations including funders on projects, co-funding and research. You will support this work – leading on relationships that are essential in making us ready for the future. You will spot the opportunity, build relationships, bring in other YEF colleagues, pull together key information, write brilliant documents where needed, win others over. In short, you will make great things happen.

As a senior member of staff in the organisation you also:

• Lead on culture: Build and maintain a culture where it is natural to perform well and support colleagues brilliantly.
• Deliver on strategy: Contribute to setting the strategy, delivering results, and building and modelling the culture that we need to succeed.

About you

You are this sort of person:

· You make things happen. You’re organised, delivery-focused, and produce high-quality work, even under pressure. You work independently and to a high standard. You are quick at really understanding something so you can make good decisions quite fast. You put plans together and make them happen. Wherever you work, people think of you as someone who makes things happen. You do it in a generous, kind way that means people are feel delighted to see you succeeding, never trampled upon.

· You like bringing order and clarity to a big project that involves lots of people. You are at home bringing order to a big project: working out who is going to do what by when, having a regular steering group to ensure progress, keeping everyone on side and delivering a great result at the end.

· You understand how government works – as in really understand. You understand the nuance of how decisions are made within government. You understand that there is no such thing as ‘the department’s position’ (instead there are different views competing) and that while some decisions are very rational, some are more about personalities and politics. You find the process of how decisions get made within government departments, and with Number 10 and the Treasury, fascinating.

· You are fantastic at spotting how to get something done in Whitehall or Westminster. You are really good at thinking about how to make change happen. To some, Westminster and Whitehall can seem like a blob but you are brilliant at spotting how to make change happen there. You can think through the intricacies of who to get onside, who to get advice from, who to persuade and how to get the job done. You have a track record of doing this.

· You write really well. The idea of writing one or two pivotally important longer documents (30-40 pages) for the organisation that makes the case for something and pulls in content from lots of colleagues, synthesising and making it all fit together sounds interesting. You know – from experience – that you would be good at it.

· You win people over. People tend to warm to you and respect you. You easily build good relationships with both very senior and very junior people. You can be at ease talking to a senior politician or a 15 year old. It is important to you to be humble. You acknowledge how much you don't know as well as how much you do.

· You are great at building lasting partnerships with other organisations. You have experience of building partnerships or collaborations with other organisations, winning them over, doing conflict well when you need to, communicating clearly so that the work gets done and people feel as good as possible about it.

· You are a team player. You work brilliantly in a team. You are not motivated by being the individual winner. You want the team as a whole to succeed. You enjoy coaching other people so that they perform excellently in a meeting. You are not possessive of your contacts. You don’t care who gets the credit as long as things get done. You like the idea of being part of a small, well-motivated team and are ok with the downside of this – that we don’t have a lot of junior admin staff to do the jobs we like less.

· You think and communicate really well from the big picture to practical reality. You’re a strategic thinker who can see the big picture without losing sight of the detail.  You find it quite easy to summarise in a few sentences, a few pages or a few words a complex argument or case. Whether speaking or writing, you break down complicated concepts in ways that make sense to different audiences – without oversimplifying. You bring clarity where others bring jargon.

· You care about our mission. You can be easily motivated to do work to prevent violence. This is something that matters to you. You believe in getting people to do things that are most likely to save lives, rather than just things that sound good.

· You’re committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Not just in theory – but in how you work, who you listen to, and what you prioritise.

While it’s not a criterion, we are especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of violence affecting young people.

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background. 

Secondments

We are open to candidates that would prefer to join us on a 2-year secondment or career break. Secondment candidate should ensure that their current organisation is in support of this in principle, all candidates will go through the full interview process. Candidates should state clearly in their covering letter if they would like to join us as secondee.

Hybrid Working Details

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office for a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage.

To Apply

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter, and complete the monitoring form click on "Apply for this" button by Friday 26th September 2025.

When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter can answer, within a maximum of 1000 words (there is no need to be this long though) the following questions:

1. Tell us in two paragraphs about something you made happen. We are keen to find someone who is good at be a self-starter, organised and finding the way to make something happen. Tell us what you were trying to get done, how you organised the task and how you made it happen.

2. Summarise in one or two paragraphs your experience of working with or in central government. We are keen to find someone who knows how decisions are made in government and has seen them being made.

3. Tell in two paragraphs about someone or an organisation you won over or built a good relationship with.Tell us how you went about it. We are keen to find someone who quite easily builds good relationships with other organisations.

Interview Process

This will be a two-stage interview process. The first stage interviews will take place in the week commencing 13th October 2025. Second stage interviews are currently scheduled for the week commencing 20th October 2025

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Benefits Include

· £1,000 professional development budget annually

· 28 days holiday – 3 of which are taken between Christmas and New Years - plus Bank Holidays

· Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support

· Volunteering days - 4 half days per year

· Death in service - 4 times annual salary

· Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm

· Financial support including travel and hardship loans

· Employer contributed pension of 5%.

Personal Data 

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.