Fundraising and communications assistant jobs

Lead the operations, governance and compliance that enable Solving Kids' Cancer UK to deliver its mission and impact for children and families affected by neuroblastoma. Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will play a critical role in ensuring the charity operates effectively, compliantly and sustainably.

This broad and varied leadership role spans governance, risk, HR, IT, data protection and organisational operations, supporting delivery of the charity's strategy through robust systems, policies and processes. Acting as Company Secretary, you will work closely with the CEO and Board of Trustees, providing advice on governance, regulatory requirements and best practice. As a member of the Leadership Team, you will oversee key operational functions, lead cross-organisational projects and deputise for the CEO where required.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a strategic, highly organised and values-driven leader with strong experience in charity operations, governance and compliance. You will have a track record of ensuring organisations are well run, compliant and effectively managed, with the ability to oversee multiple operational areas and support strong governance and decision-making at Board level.

You will be comfortable working across a broad remit, including governance, risk, HR, IT and data protection, and confident providing clear, practical advice to senior leaders and trustees.

Person specification

Key requirements include:

• Significant senior-level experience in operations, governance or compliance within a charity or similar environment. 
• Strong understanding of charity governance and regulation, with experience supporting boards and senior leadership. 
• Experience overseeing organisational functions such as HR, IT, data protection or risk. 
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and lead cross-organisational work effectively. 
• Strong judgement, integrity and the ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion. 

See our Recruitment Pack for the full role description and specification and for information about Solving Kids' Cancer UK. 

This is an opportunity to make a significant contribution at the heart of a small, ambitious charity where strong operations are a vital enabler of impact for children and families.

Location: Home-based, within easy reach of London, with regular travel to the London office and occasional UK-wide travel.

First-stage interview: Thursday 6 August 

Second-stage interview: Thursday 13 August

Independent Age is the national charity focused on improving the lives of people facing financial hardship in later life. We believe no one should face financial hardship in later life.

Our Helpline and expert advisers offer free, practical support to older people without enough money to live on. Through our grants programme, we support hundreds of local organisations working with older people across the UK. 

We use the knowledge and insight gained from our support services and partnerships to highlight the issues experienced by older people in poverty and campaign for change.

We would love to find individuals from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us on this journey.

Responsibilities and Person Specification:

This is a critical and influential role at Independent Age, reporting to the Head of Governance. The post holder will provide high-quality support across a broad and impactful portfolio, including risk management, procurement and contracts, governance, safeguarding and business continuity, helping to build a culture where accountability, learning and continuous improvement drive meaningful change. 

Working closely with senior leaders and the Board, you will play an important role in enabling effective and confident decision-making across every level of the charity. This is an opportunity to contribute across a wide range of areas and to see the direct impact of your work on how the organisation functions and delivers its mission. 

We are looking for someone with a genuine passion for risk management, alongside a strong understanding of not-for-profit governance best practice. You will also bring experience in at least one of the following areas: procurement, contracts management, third party contract risk, business continuity planning, policy management or safeguarding.

You will be an excellent communicator, confident working with senior stakeholders, with strong attention to detail and a proactive, can-do approach. Above all, you will take pride in getting things done efficiently and to a high standard and be motivated by the opportunity to work for a values-led organisation making a meaningful difference to older people.

This is a full-time role, 35 hours per week, which you can choose to work over five days or a 9-day fortnight. 

If your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all of the above criteria but you do meet most of them and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply anyway.

What it’s like to work at Independent Age:

We celebrate diversity at Independent Age and champion the differences that make each of us unique. We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We aim to attract and retain a wide range of talent and create an environment where everyone can feel safe, protected, welcome and included. In line with this, our office has many inclusive features, and there is no dress code. 

We offer great benefits including 28 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme with life assurance, and fantastic learning and development opportunities. We also offer a number of enhanced leave provisions and benefits.

We know that a good work life balance helps us perform at our best and supports wellbeing. Flexible working hours and hybrid working is standard for all, but if you need a different form of flexibility, we are always happy to talk flexible working. Those contracted to work in the office are required to attend the office a minimum of 4 days per month. This role supports Board and committee meetings which may be held online or in the office, meaning availability to support with this is required. 

You can find out more about what it’s like to work at Independent Age on the Careers page on our website.

Application Process:

To apply, please visit our website to submit a CV and a Supporting Statement, detailing how your skills and experience meet the criteria within the Job Description and Person Specification (please do not hesitate to contact us if you have specific requirements and need support to apply in an alternative format).

To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion our hiring managers use anonymous shortlisting. Therefore, please do not include your name, photo, or information to indicate your gender or age in your CV and supporting statement. Please do not omit dates of employment. Please ensure the title of any uploads does not contain your name. 

Independent Age is committed to safeguarding and follows Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding those we work with. We therefore ask that you supply your full work history with explanations for any gaps in the application documents you submit and, if offered the post, we will require two employment references including your current or most recent employer. A Basic DBS check will be carried out for the successful candidate.

Closing Date: Tuesday 14 July, 23:59

1st Interview Dates: Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 July, online via Microsoft Teams 

2nd Interview Dates: Wednesday 29 July, in person at our London Office (Avonmore Road)

Location: Hybrid role working in North East England (primarily home-based with significant regional travel)

Base region: Tees Valley and Tyne & Wear

Coverage: This is a home-based role that requires regular weekly travel to schools and colleges across the North East. You will be expected to work extensively throughout Tees Valley and Tyne & Wear, with specific current activity hubs in Cramlington, Walkergate, Hartlepool, Stanley and Redcar. Regional location throughout the North East will change according to programme demand.

Applicants must hold a full, clean driving licence and have the ability and willingness to travel regularly across the region.

Reporting to: National Programmes Manager

Application Deadline: Wednesday 8th July at 9AM. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy sooner if we receive a high volume of applications.

1st Stage Interviews: Week commencing 13th July (online)

2nd Stage Interviews: Wednesday 22nd July (in-person)

About The Girls’ Network:

The Girls' Network is a national charity with a mission to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them with a network of professional women role models and volunteer mentors. We believe no girl should have her future limited by her gender, ethnicity, background, or parental income. Our vision is a future where all girls are supported to realise their ambitions, discover their self-worth, and shape their own futures.

We partner with secondary schools and colleges across multiple regions in England, including London, Merseyside, Portsmouth, Southampton, Sussex, Tees Valley, Tyne & Wear and the West Midlands. We match girls aged 14–19 with trained volunteer mentors for one-to-one support. In addition to this core mentoring, workshops, and access to an Ambassador Community that provides continued opportunities for development, career support, and connection.

Role Summary

The Regional Programme Lead is responsible for delivering The Girls’ Network’s suite of programmes in schools and colleges, including facilitating engaging and impactful workshops for girls aged 14–19 from disadvantaged backgrounds. The post-holder also leads on the recruitment, induction, training, matching, supervision and support of volunteers and will appropriately match mentors with young people. You will steer local partnerships and oversee programme administration to ensure the smooth and effective delivery of our mission.

This role combines hands-on programme delivery with operational coordination, ensuring that The Girls’ Network’s regional programmes achieve their intended outcomes and contribute to national KPI achievement.

Person Specification:

Essential:

• Applicants must hold a full, clean driving licence and have the ability and willingness to travel regularly across the region.

• Understanding of equal opportunities and inclusion in youth work. A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, with an understanding of its application in youth work in the charity and/or education sector. We welcome applications from outreach youth workers and/or teachers/teaching assistants or equivalent roles.

• A genuine understanding and passion for addressing the challenges faced by girls and young women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Experience and/or willingness to learn delivering high quality workshops or training sessions to groups of young people, aged 14-19.

• Proven ability to build and independently manage multiple relationships with key stakeholders, including young people, volunteers, education providers and local partner organisations.

• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and time-management skills, with a proven ability to meet deadlines in a target-driven environment.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.

• Experience of developing resources for programmatic delivery, including volunteer training and workshops for young people.

• Project or programme coordination experience, with the ability to manage conflicting priorities effectively.

• Target-oriented, with experience of achieving KPIs and contributing to performance monitoring.

• Practical knowledge and experience of safeguarding and child protection working practices.

• Competence in using digital tools, including Salesforce or other CRM platforms, with attention to accuracy and the ability to maintain high-quality records for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage deadlines, adapt to change, and work effectively both independently and as part of a geographically dispersed team.

• Commitment to The Girls’ Network mission and keeping young people at the centre of all work.

• Ability to travel and work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Desirable:

• Experience working in a charity, youth, or education setting.

• Experience of working with young people from diverse backgrounds.

• Experience of safer recruitment in volunteering.

• A mentoring or coaching qualification, or equivalent experience.

• Experience working remotely, demonstrating initiative and the ability to work proactively with minimal supervision.

• Flexible and adaptable approach, with an understanding of the time and resource limitations typical in small organisations.

• Specific knowledge of mentoring programmes and/or youth/education services.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. If you believe you have relevant experience and the potential to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you do not meet every single criterion listed.

How to apply

Please apply as soon as possible. You will be asked to complete your application by submitting your CV and answering a few application questions.

Appointees are subject to a DBS check. You must have the right to work in the UK to apply.

The deadline to submit your application is Wednesday 8th July at 9AM. Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Diversity at our core

The Girls' Network is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating discrimination. In line with the Equality Act 2010, if you require any reasonable adjustments to support you with any stage of this recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team.

Our Benefits

• 27 holiday days per year, plus public holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff)

• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days of annual leave every year

• Gifted birthday leave

• 3 days volunteering leave per year

• Extended and comprehensive sick pay policy

• Enhanced Family Leave pay policy

• Pension scheme

• Annual professional development fund to help you grow

• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme for wellbeing support

• Benefit from flexible, remote working options with home office equipment.

• A dedicated Girls’ Network buddy, available beyond the induction period for ongoing support