Funding officer jobs in birmingham, west midlands

Team Coordinator

Youth Futures Foundation is the national What Works Centre for youth employment, with a specific focus on marginalised young people.   

We find and generate high-quality evidence to better understand England’s’ youth unemployment and inactivity challenge, and most importantly to learn what solutions work to address this. We do this through bringing together the best evidence already in existence and build on this by conducting original research and testing and evaluating promising interventions to produce much needed new evidence where there are gaps.  

We are looking for a dynamic Team Coordinator to provide administrative and business support to the Programmes and Grants Directorate. The successful candidate will help us to deliver our objectives by providing seamless support and delivery. They will:

Understand the needs of the teams, the context in which they operate, and focus on problem-solving and working with others to meet objectives. 

Help the teams to work effectively, co-ordinate team activities, maintain relationships, alongside supporting operational excellence 

Work flexibly as needs evolve to support teams, and occasionally, support cross-Directorate colleagues. 

Use digital ways of working, technology and platforms to achieve goals. 

This role will be based at our Birmingham office.

We currently operate a hybrid model of two-days per week in the office and three-days from home.

For more information and a full job description, please download the Recruitment Pack.

HOW TO APPLY

Click on the 'Apply on website' button below to apply online. The closing date for applications is Sunday 28th September 2025 11:59 PM.

As part of Youth Futures Foundation’s safeguarding policy, all employees are subject to a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, some positions may require an enhanced level disclosure. 

The young people we aim to serve – and the challenges they face - are all unique. We are looking to build a team that reflects this diversity. Our commitment to inclusion across race, gender, age, class, religion, identity, and experience forms the cornerstone of our work. We are an equal opportunities employer, Mindful Employer, Disability Confident and welcome applications from all sections of the community. 

We are particularly keen to encourage people with lived experience of the challenges facing young people in the labour market, and committed to supporting you in your application. Please contact us if you require any additional support. 

Internally, we encourage an open, collaborative and inclusive working environment. 

Title:Policy and Advocacy Manager

Salary:From £40,000 per annum

Contract:Permanent

Hours:37.5 per week (Monday to Friday)

Holiday:25 days per year plus bank holidays 

Location:Home based with travel within / to London and across the UK

Probationary Period:3 months

Reports to:Head of Legal and Policy

Benefits:An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year, Flexitime policy, 5% pension contribution

Start date:As soon as possible / flexible

We are River Action

We are a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue Britain's rivers from a toxic cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution. We support community action, galvanise and mobilise public opinion, influence government policy, and call out destructive industrial practices to incentivise changes that end pollution. 

We are building a talented team of positive disrupters and community mobilisers to deliver our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of community and wildlife.

Britain’s rivers are our life support system and they are dying. We need urgent action to bring them back to life. 

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a dynamic and self-motivated individual who shares our passion for protecting rivers to join our team to drive forward our policy and advocacy work. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong policy insights capable of blending analytical problem-solving with intelligent advocacy to drive meaningful change. This role requires someone to have excellent writing skills and the ability to draft complex policy documents as well as top line arguments for wider communication. . 

The ideal person will bring a combination of expertise, energy and ideas to amplify our impact, holding decision-makers and polluters accountable with a professional and diplomatic approach. They will engage with influential people across the sector, government, industry and media. 

If you thrive in fast-paced environments and want to be at the forefront of environmental policy and advocacy across multiple campaigns, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing

As our Policy and Advocacy Manager, you will play a leading role in shaping and advancing River Action’s political and policy influence, working closely with the Head of Legal and Policy, Chief Executive and wider team to develop and execute an impactful policy and advocacy strategy.

River Action is the Co-Secretariat for the APPG on Water Pollution, offering our Policy and Advocacy Manager a unique opportunity to shape the policy direction for River Action and also to influence policy development across Parliament. 

You will also work closely with our public affairs agency who manage our daily Westminster activities. 

You will:

• Lead River Action’s policy and advocacy work on agricultural, sewage and industrial water pollution, with a focus on regulation, funding and legal frameworks. 

• Collaborate with River Action’s team and external partners to ensure our collective work is underpinned by robust and forward-thinking policy analysis and evidence.

• Develop policy analysis to support campaign, communications and policy strategies, based on a strong evidence base and a sound understanding of the relevant legal and policy frameworks.

• Translate complex policy and evidence into concise documents with clear messages and compelling campaigns to engage political and policy stakeholders.

• Monitor and analyse political and policy developments, interpreting their implications and opportunities for River Action and its supporters.

• Generate analysis to enable participation in public consultation processes, including drafting high-quality and persuasive consultation responses and briefings for Westminster and Whitehall audiences.

• Increase our political influence with exciting policy interventions, ensuring River Action’s voice is heard at the highest levels of decision-making.

• Build and maintain relationships with key policymakers, civil servants, industry experts and partner organisations.

• Support grassroots community groups and third-sector partners in engaging with their local representatives for effective advocacy.

• Organise and attend key political meetings and events, including the Water Pollution APPG, stakeholder roundtables and parliamentary events.

• Manage strategic policy partnerships, including our relationship with Wildlife and Countryside Link and other third-sector organisations.

• Ensure River Action’s policy and advocacy efforts align with our creative campaigns, by making sure colleagues and spokespeople are well-briefed and communications content is well-informed to maximise reach and impact.

You will also:

• Actively engage in professional development and training.

• Adhere to health and safety policies while working in different locations.

• Maintain confidentiality in all areas of work at River Action.

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to an inclusive, equal and diverse workplace.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across River Action to collectively deliver our mission while being true to our values. 

UK travel will be required. Training and operational activities may require overnight stays away from home, in which case costs will be covered and standard River Action procedures will apply.

What you’ll bring

The position will suit a self-motivated, strategic and determined person. You will be an excellent communicator, with exceptional writing skills and comfortable representing River Action and engaging with diverse stakeholders. You will have a passion to protect and restore our waterways and to hold decision-makers and polluters to account.

Essential knowledge, skills and experience:

• Experience in a similar policy and advocacy role, ideally within the environmental sector. 

• Policy and/or legislative experience, with a good understanding of the workings of the UK government and Parliamentary procedure.

• A good understanding of the UK water industry, the key UK water-related policies and the issues that are impacting our rivers, land and wildlife.

• Excellent communication and writing skills with close attention to detail and the ability to produce concise and persuasive briefings, reports and consultation responses.

• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to working creatively and at a fast pace with colleagues, stakeholders and partners. 

• Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to proactively plan and prioritise work and to report your progress and impact.

• Ability to work flexible hours and travel as necessary.

• A good and supportive team player with a willingness to muck in as and when required.

Why join us?

• Be part of a mission-driven organisation working to restore and protect the UK’s rivers.

• Work at the heart of political and environmental change, influencing decision-makers at the highest levels.

• Work in an agile, supportive and happy work environment where your ideas and expertise will have real impact.

• Opportunities for professional development and growth within the organisation.

Diversity and inclusion

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single criteria. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. So if you like the look of this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we’d still love to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this role.

How to apply

To apply, please submit to jobs at riveractionuk dot com with the subject ‘Policy and Advocacy Manager’:

• your CV (2 pages), 

• a cover letter (2 pages) explaining why you want to work for River Action and how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role, and 

• a written submission (2 pages) as described below. 

Only applications including all three documents will be accepted. Please provide your documents in pdf format. 

Written submission

Please prepare a 2 page policy briefing for MPs on a current issue affecting the health of UK rivers. Your briefing should be written in a clear, persuasive style suitable for a Parliamentary and government audience and:

• Identify a water-related issue (e.g. agricultural pollution, sewage discharges or water management).

• Provide a concise analysis of the impact on rivers and biodiversity.

• Summarise relevant UK Government policies and legislation.

• Propose two or three practical policy recommendations for decision-makers.

Application process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 23:59 on Monday 15 September 2025.

Should your application be selected during sift, the next stage will involve an initial 15-minute interview. You may then be invited to attend a second interview with a panel. 

Initial interviews will be held on 17 and 18 September 2025 and panel interviews will be held in w/c 22 September 2025, all via video conference. For panel interviews, some questions will be provided in advance for equity and to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and experience most effectively. 

Please indicate in your covering letter or in a covering email your availability for interviews.

If you have any questions about the role or your application, please contact us on jobs at riveractionuk dot com.

We’re an award-winning charity that runs local learning centres in the heart of communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide an innovative education programme which includes practical learning support and motivational and confidence-building activities for children and young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to inspire students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to broaden their horizons and achieve their full potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping thousands of young people each year. We have forty-five centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, with ambitious plans to scale-up our provision further over the coming years.

IntoUniversity and the Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation are working in partnership to offer further life-transforming opportunities for IntoUniversity students to attend independent and state boarding schools on fully-funded bursaries.

We are looking for a Boarding Schools Bursary Manager to join our team. The postholder will have responsibility for leading and developing the Boarding Schools Bursary programme in partnership with Royal SpringBoard and will be the principal point of contact for IntoUniversity centres, the bursary students and their families, the boarding schools and Royal SpringBoard.

The successful candidate will quickly gain an understanding and knowledge of the IntoUniversity students recommended for bursary places and will develop relationships of trust with their families to ensure a smooth transition and integration into boarding school. 

The role at a glance

Contract: Full-time, permanent
Start date: As soon as possible to be agreed directly with the successful candidate
Location: Frequent travel around the UK is required for this role. Could be based in one of the following IntoUniversity  centres: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester, Nottingham
Salary: 
£40,800 per annum (including London contribution) for candidates based in London
£38,100 per annum for candidates based outside of London

What will my main duties be?

Programme Management

• To oversee the IntoUniversity Boarding School Bursary Programme including recruitment of potential students and ongoing support of current boarders.
• To prepare the students and their families for Royal SpringBoard and school assessments as well as reparing for boarding school life. 
• To plan and/or attend boarding school taster and pastoral visits across the UK. 
• To create a calendar of out-of-boarding events and support for students and families to connect to their local centre, including centre visits and community hubs. 
• Work with the Safeguarding Team to promote the wellbeing of students and respond to safeguarding concerns (additional training will be provided for this aspect of the role). 
• Encourage post-18 alumni to engage with the Royal SpringBoard alumni programmes and the IntoUniversity Student Associate Network
• Ensure Salesforce database records and monitoring requirements are kept up to date. 

Stakeholder Management

• Manage the relationship with Royal Springboard, including reporting on KPIs and maintaining communication.
• To build strong relationships and liaise with the host boarding schools and the key staff members such as Houseparents.
• To provide support to parents/carers as needed and manage any issues that may arise sensitively, mediating between the boarding schools, parents/carers and students as necessary.

Other duties

• To ensure that the ethos, values and culture of the charity are maintained.
• To champion diversity and inclusion in your role at all times, referring to the Diversity and Inclusion Staff Responsibilities Guide and fully supporting with the implementation of the charity’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
• To ensure compliance with all necessary regulations and legal requirements, including the Children’s Act, Equal Opportunities, Data Protection, Health & Safety and Working with Vulnerable Groups.
• To undertake any task that may be requested from time to time that may be consistent with the nature and scope of this post. 
• To have full regard for IntoUniversity and Royal SpringBoard’s policies and procedures and to uphold IntoUniversity and Royal SpringBoard’s reputation, aims and values

WHO WE ARE

Animal Equality is an international animal protection organisation working with society, governments and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals. Animal Equality has offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and India.

Animal Equality releases investigative materials captured from inside factory farms and slaughterhouses, exposing the conditions that farmed animals face around the world. We publish our findings on television, in newspapers and online. We routinely secure mainstream media coverage, including on the BBC, ITV, Sky News, The Times, The Guardian, The New York Times and many more.

Animal Equality also advocates for political change. Our current campaigns include a UK ban on foie gras imports, increased enforcement of existing animal protection laws, legal protections for farmed fish, and Government subsidies for transitioning towards a plant-based food system.

We focus on farmed animals because of the scale and severity of the issue. More than a billion animals are confined and killed for human consumption every year in the UK. Farmed animals also often suffer in some of the worst ways: pigs typically endure painful mutilations, many chickens die of heart attacks, fish are confined in underwater cages, and some farmed animals are victims of deliberate abuse and neglect. But the problem is solvable! By utilising effective campaigning strategies, Animal Equality is having an impact for animals around the world and building a future where all animals are respected and protected and are no longer exploited for human consumption.

Animal Equality UK’s current key campaigns include:

• Strengthening enforcement of animal protection laws.
• Halting the expansion of Scotland’s salmon farming industry.
• Achieving a ban on foie gras imports.
• Securing species-specific slaughter legislation for fish.
• Inspiring the public to eat plants, not animals.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a talented storyteller and strategic communicator to join our busy, dynamic, and focused team of professional activists as a Copywriting Coordinator. With a natural flair for persuasive writing and a background in direct response marketing, you will craft powerful narratives that expose the reality of animal farming, inspire action, and mobilise financial support for our life-saving mission.

You will be responsible for creating compelling content across print and digital platforms – from fundraising appeals and newsletters to blogs, campaign pages, and supporter journeys. Combining creativity with analytical rigour, you will ensure every piece of copy both engages hearts and delivers measurable results. You will proudly champion Animal Equality’s tone of voice, supporting fellow team members to apply our messaging to their copy.

This is a pivotal role in growing Animal Equality UK’s reach, deepening supporter relationships, and driving the income we need to achieve lasting change for farmed animals.

The Copywriting Coordinator will report to the Executive Director and work closely with team members across our UK and international teams.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Be a brand champion: Develop engaging, accurate, and impactful copy that embodies Animal Equality’s tone and mission, sharing the experiences of farmed animals with donors and potential supporters.
• Deliver multi-channel content: Produce persuasive copy for appeals, newsletters, websites, campaign pages, blogs, magazines, impact reports, and petitions, ensuring timely and budget-conscious delivery.
• Support fundraising growth: Write powerful long-form and short-form content that motivates supporters to give and meaningfully engage with our work, enabling Animal Equality to expand our impact for animals.
• Content planning: Work with Campaigns, Marketing, and Communications teams to align content with upcoming exposés and campaign actions, ensuring maximum reach and supporter engagement.
• Collaborate with the team: Synthesise complex briefs into digestible, engaging, and emotive content while collaborating with team members to ensure Animal Equality’s content reaches its full potential through amplification, SEO, and multi-channel repurposing.
• Engage supporters: Lead focus groups and supporter calls to understand motivations and feedback, tailoring communications to strengthen loyalty and impact. Ensure communications are tailored to supporters’ needs, motivations, and advocacy journeys.
• Stay topical and creative: Monitor trends and news stories relevant to animal protection, responding quickly with fresh content that connects to our campaigns.
• Data-driven optimisation: Track, test, and analyse the performance of Animal Equality’s copy (open rates, click-throughs, donations, etc.), producing regular reports and using insights to refine future content.
• Represent Animal Equality’s culture: Support Animal Equality’s life-saving work by producing high-quality output, embracing and representing the organisation’s culture principles proudly at all times, and supporting our philanthropic efforts.
• Take on ad-hoc tasks, as requested by your line manager.

ABOUT YOU

You are a forward-thinking communicator with exceptional writing skills and a passion for advocating for animals with impact. You thrive in a fast-paced environment, balancing resilience and creativity with strategic and data-led decision-making. You are self-motivated, organised, and able to multitask, working on several briefs simultaneously.

You actively seek constructive feedback and use it to continuously improve your work. You show ownership and a growth mindset that is focused on improving the world for farmed animals. Knowledge of farmed animal issues and alignment with Animal Equality’s mission is a must, as is professionalism, adaptability, and discretion.

You must have a minimum of three years’ experience in copywriting or a directly related field, with a proven ability to design and deliver content for successful fundraising. Experience of Pardot, Grav and/or WordPress is a plus.

You will be based remotely in the UK. In addition to monthly meet-ups, some travel within the UK may be required for demonstrations, meetings, and events. While not common, occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary to support campaigning activities. Any additional hours worked and agreed with your Manager can be reclaimed as TOIL.

BENEFITS

• Holiday entitlement equal to 33 days per year (including standard public holidays).
• Personalised employee assistance programme (EAP): An Animal Equality-funded benefit that offers employees confidential counselling and advice on a wide range of work and personal issues. The programme offers several services, such as a 24/7 confidential helpline and expert cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Flexible hours, with the option to start between 8am and 10am and finish between 4pm and 6pm.
• Able Futures Support: The service is a nine-month, practical and confidential support service for employees whose circumstances or mental health may impact their wellbeing or work. Employees can work with a mental health professional to deepen their understanding of how their mental health may impact them and build coping skills and resilience to thrive at work.
• Yearly stipend to access learning and development resources to help employees further grow their personal and professional skills.
• A free vegan lunch every month at the Animal Equality monthly meetups.

APPLY NOW

For more information and to apply, please visit our vacancies page.

Closing date: 5.00pm on Friday 19th September 2025.

The role of Head of Legal reports to the Director of Legal & Governance and you will assist them in ensuring the legal function of the organisation runs efficiently, smoothly and that we proactively identify and address legal risk and development needs.

You will be responsible for overseeing and managing the day to day legal affairs of the organisation.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Identify legal risk and propose mitigations and solutions.
• Proactively identifying issues and resolving problems efficiently.
• Providing guidance and advice to colleagues
• Developing and managing the suite of legal templates in use across the organisation, proactively identifying areas for improvement and / or development and working collaboratively to develop new templates as needed
• Ensuring internal legal requirements are well designed and understood and are aligned to delivery of strategy
• Ensure that internal legal processes run smoothly
• Make sound, timely decisions that support sustainable, long-term strategic outcomes.

This is a part time, fixed term role and can be based at any of our hubs located in Birmingham, Leeds or London.

For more information, please download the Job Recruitment Pack.

Due to receiving high volumes of interest in our opportunities, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.