Join a movement transforming how communities create lasting change. This isn't a typical charity role—it's a chance to shape the future of place-based working across the UK and help lead a growing organisation.
Place Matters is a small, entrepreneurial charity punching above its weight. We work at the intersection of communities, public services, funders, and policymakers to tackle the root causes of inequality and create changes that communities want to see. Our approach? Empower communities to lead change in their own places, learn from what works, and influence the systems that hold them back.
Why this role matters
This is a senior position on our Executive team, reporting directly to a co-CEO. You'll play a leadership role in developing our organisation—shaping strategy, building our team, and deepening partnerships. We're looking for someone colleagues and Trustees trust to make sound decisions on behalf of our mission.
Learning and practice development is at the heart of everything we do. You'll design and lead learning partnerships that build the capabilities of communities and organisations to work differently. You'll capture insights from the ground and turn them into accessible tools, frameworks, and resources that make place-based working more effective for everyone.
You need to be a team player, confident and with strong opinions, but low ego and collegiate
What you'll do
- Lead the development and delivery of Learning and Practice Development Partnerships
- Initiate, convene and participate in ‘field-building’ efforts that aim to influence the broader place-based change sector, bringing together community organisations, public sector organisations, policy makers, foundations and businesses to build broader support for community centred place-based change
- Develop Place Matters thought and practice leadership
- Draw together the themes and patterns from learning into regular blogs and publications to make the learning as widely accessible as possible and influence key policy makers and funders
- Initiate and convene field-building efforts to influence the broader place-based change sector
- Build a wide network of place-based practitioners from all sectors
- Play a key role in business development, securing new partnerships, fundraising, and improving organisational efficiency
See job description (JD) for full details
What makes this role special
- Executive leadership: Part of the leadership team shaping organisational direction
- Real autonomy: Lead your own projects, design new partnerships, represent Place Matters externally
- Learning culture: We practice what we preach—continuous learning and innovation are built in
- Flexible working: Hybrid arrangement, negotiable location, with UK travel (up to 50 days annually)
- Competitive salary: £65,000-£75,000 (negotiable based on experience)
Practical details
Ideally 37.5 hours per week (flexible) but we'll consider part-time. UK travel required, including occasional overnight stays and some evening/weekend work.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from disabled people and people from diverse backgrounds.
We'll conduct interviews on 19th and 21st January.
Submit a CV and a cover letter of no more than 2 pages
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
As Neighbourhood - Senior Organiser at Pembroke House you will be someone who is highly skilled and experienced at bringing together diverse groups of people to take collective action on local issues.
You’ll have the ability to blend organising and community-building strategies, knowing that we can’t build power without building community and that community is often built through a common cause.
You’ll be excited to bring your organising and facilitation skills to our existing community programmes, including the Walworth Living Room - a new ‘third space’ for the community, as well as playing a crucial role in developing new partnerships and future areas of our work.
If this job is done well, residents will be growing their skills and capacity to collaborate, groups will be building momentum, and beginning to take action to effect change in the neighbourhood. Pembroke House’s role and approach to supporting neighbourhood change will be further clarified, codified and evidenced.
Person Specification
You’ll be an energetic person who thrives on making new connections and can inspire others to take action. As an experienced facilitator you will be confident facilitating groups and at ease with designing and adapting formal and informal training sessions appropriate to the context.
Your experience MUST include facilitating groups who don’t already hold a common and agreed set of values. So while academic or activist settings may form a significant part of your experience, it is essential to have worked in a mixed community or neighbourhood setting, where you regularly encountered and brought together a range of contrasting viewpoints, which included views substantially different to your own.
A knowledge of community organising methodology (see for example Act Build Change or Citizen’s UK) is useful, but there may also be other approaches or experiences that you could draw on for this role. You will be curious and keen to learn about the history of community organising and community development at Pembroke House, and keen to build on and contribute to the development of that work.
Pembroke House
Pembroke House is a centre for social action and residential community in Walworth, South-East London.
We were founded in 1885, by students from Pembroke College, Cambridge, as one of the first settlement houses. Concerned about growing poverty and inequality, the pioneers of the settlement movement sought a new approach: taking up residence to live, work and solve problems alongside local communities.
For 140 years, we’ve been working to bridge traditional divides and unite people – whatever their background or walk of life – in building a better Walworth.
Responsible to: Director of Partnerships
Location: Pembroke House, 80 Tatum Street, SE171QR, the Walworth Living Room, All Saints Hall, Surrey Square, SE172JU, and surrounding areas in Walworth.
As we are a neighbourhood based organisation we believe it is essential to our work that staff are present in one of our sites in Walworth as much as possible. This role is in person and not suitable for remote or hybrid working.
Job Information Event -Friday 12th December 2025 11.00 - 12.00. Signup required (see website)
Application Deadline: 9am Monday 5th January 2026
Short interview calls: Week of 5th January 2026: A brief online call to clarify your relevant experience.
In person interview: Tuesday 13th/Wed 14th January 2026: Full interview with two members of our team
Final round: Trial session at Walworth Living Room, Friday 16th January 2026
Hours of Work: Full time 35 hrs per week, with some evening and weekends (taken off as TOIL).
Salary: £38,353 - £40,381
Annual Holiday Leave: 28 days paid annual leave per annum (pro rata), plus the standard Bank and Public Holidays and three discretionary days between Christmas and New Year.
Registered Charity
11 - 20
Located in the heart of Walworth, we strive to empower communities and individuals to create a neighbourhood where everyone can flourish.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.