4 Graduate programmes administrator jobs in Birmingham, West Midlands

Shape the future of the UK’s dedicated Muslim Cancer Support Network by providing critical administrative support. Safeena was created to ensure no Muslim facing cancer feels alone.

As we grow from a volunteer‑led initiative into a professionally governed national organisation, we are recruiting an Administrator who will play a central role in supporting our Head of Transformation and strengthening the foundations of our charity.

Home‑based (UK) with occasional travel

This role is ideal for someone who is organised, proactive and passionate about health equity. You will be at the heart of Safeena’s transformation programme, helping build systems, processes and governance that enable our volunteers, community champions and befriending teams to support Muslims affected by cancer with dignity, compassion and culturally sensitive care.

Why this role matters

Safeena is delivering a major two‑year transformation programme focused on building organisational capacity, strengthening governance, developing a skilled volunteer workforce and expanding cancer awareness activity across mosques and Muslim communities. Your administrative leadership will help ensure Safeena becomes a credible, compliant and high‑performing national charity capable of reaching thousands.

About Safeena

Safeena provides faith‑informed emotional support, peer befriending, bereavement support, cancer literacy education, and culturally sensitive volunteer services. Our work is rooted in sincerity (ikhlas), accountability, service (khidma) and compassion, ensuring every individual receives care that respects their faith, culture and dignity.

Key Responsibilities

Inbox & Communication Management

• Manage and triage the Head of Transformation and Hello inboxes

• Draft responses, prioritise actions and maintain professional communication with partners and volunteers

Meetings & Coordination

• Organise meetings, workshops and community sessions

• Prepare agendas, papers and pre‑reads

• Take accurate minutes and maintain action logs

Documentation & Governance

• Format and proofread reports, papers and presentations

• Maintain project documentation and support governance processes

• Assist with board and steering group preparation

Project Administration

• Maintain project documentation

• Support reporting, monitoring and data collection

• Assist with onboarding and close‑down of project activities

General Administrative Duties

• Diary coordination, travel arrangements and basic financial admin

• Maintain confidentiality and uphold Safeena’s safeguarding standards

Person Specification

Essential

• Strong organisational and communication skills

• Experience managing inboxes, documentation and meeting coordination

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office

• Ability to work independently and handle sensitive information

Desirable

• Experience in healthcare, charity or transformation settings

• Understanding of culturally competent or faith‑informed support environments

Job Title: Hertfordshire Project Assistant

Salary:  £27,980 (London Fringe weighting)

Position Type: Full time/Fixed term (until December 2028)

Reports to: Scaling Manager

Based at:  Remote, with travel to schools in Hertfordshire

Working Hours:                  5 days a week, 9am-5pm (flexible)

Pension: School Food Matters matches pension contributions at 7% of pensionable earnings

Holiday: 31 days including bank holidays that fall on working days. Holidays must be taken during the school holidays

This role requires occasional work outside of core hours (for example, if visiting a school breakfast club). It also requires travel to schools across Hertfordshire, so access to a car would be desirable. Training for delivery of the programme will be provided online and in person, and you will be expected to travel outside of Hertfordshire for some of these sessions.

Background to School Food Matters

At School Food Matters we believe that school food can unlock a happier, healthier, more sustainable future for every child. We want a school food system that delivers for all children, so they can enjoy nutritious, delicious and sustainable school food and leave school with an informed and positive relationship with food. To achieve this, we campaign for a better school food system, bringing the voices of children, parents, and teachers to government policy, and deliver fully funded food education programmes in schools across the country.

Background to Nourish

Our Nourish programme supports schools to create a food environment that puts children and young people's nutrition first. The evidence-based, multi-component programme helps schools to develop action plans and policies to cover the food served across the whole school day. Nourish uses a collaborative whole school approach to food involving everyone across the school community to create lasting positive change.

Job purpose

· To support two Project Officers with the delivery of Nourish in 30 schools in Hertfordshire (primary, secondary and SEND settings) over 2 years

Key tasks include

· Recruit schools to take part in Nourish

· Shadow and support project team to deliver in person food audits in schools

· Build relationships and work closely with teachers, teaching assistants, cooks, kitchen teams and senior leaders in schools in Hertfordshire to improve the food they offer their students

· Provide practical support to the project team with setting up workshops including paperwork and food shopping

· Provide admin support to the project team

· Tailor Nourish resources for Hertfordshire schools where required

· Collect data and maintain accurate records relating to the project

· Gather content for our comms team, website and social media platforms

· Keep project team fully updated on progress

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

· Maintaining the ethos of the charity and positively promoting our work at all times

· You will also be expected to undertake any other tasks relevant to the affairs of SFM that may arise from time to time. Therefore, being flexible and approaching the job with an open and positive mindset is essential.

Person Specification

Essential

· Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail

· Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email

· Ability to work in a team, and seek help when needed

· Comfortable engaging with variety of audiences (students, school staff and parents), incl. writing and responding to email, conducting telephone, virtual and face to face meetings, and running workshops

· Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude

Desirable

· Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation

· Experience of working in schools

· An interest in food education and children’s health

· Access to a car

Do you want to be part of a dynamic and innovative fundraising team? Do you want to raise money for some of society’s most pressing challenges and play a key role in an ambitious fundraising and volunteering campaign?

We are looking to recruit a Philanthropy Officer to join us at this very exciting time. The Philanthropy Officer will be responsible for the relationship management of a portfolio of around 100 prospective donors in order to raise funds for a range of key projects. They will be responsible for the entire prospect relationship management process including researching, cultivating, asking and stewarding. 

This role will play an integral part in supporting donations to improve student experience and across key areas of research.

As part of an award-winning team and led by some of the most respected names in higher education fundraising, you’ll get the chance to work across the team and wider university to encourage new donors to make long-term, sustainable and significant £10k plus gifts. You will also have the opportunity to work with our senior team on proposals to top donors enabling you to get experience of working with some of the most successful and experienced major gift fundraisers in the UK Higher Education sector. 

You will be provided with a robust induction and an ongoing training program that will include support from the University as well as expert external providers.

As a Philanthropy Officer you will have responsibility for managing a portfolio of current and prospective donors. You will have the confidence to ask for donations, be a strong communicator, and be passionate about making a difference to some of the biggest challenges the world faces.

The Philanthropy Officer will take ownership of the end-to-end relationship management process of a prospect, from initial research to stewardship activity:

1. Personally manage a portfolio of circa 100 of the University’s (4- and 5-figure) donors and prospective donors, maintaining close relationships with each prospect and integrating them with the University whenever possible to bring the prospective donors to the point where you can ask for philanthropic support.

2. Secure over £100,000 of donation pledges in the first year and develop a sustainable pipeline of prospects and philanthropic income.

3. Demonstrate an understanding that successful fundraising is based on building effective relationships, which match a prospective donor’s philanthropic interest with an area of strength and/or opportunity at the University. Be responsible for the end-to-end relationship management process of your contacts including:

· Identifying new prospective donors from your networks.

· Making the approach and managing a cultivation process, tailored to your prospect.

· Understanding the University’s campaign priorities and bringing them to life for individual supporters. through various communication channels.

· Asking confidently, passionately and effectively for key priorities.

· Building long-term relationships that are centred on the donor, including maximising volunteering opportunities where appropriate.

· Stewarding the donor once a gift is made, ensuring the individual remains connected to the University, the project, and the impact which they have made.

4. Responsible for adhering to relevant fundraising regulation and GDPR whilst ensuring fundraising processes are ethical and that due diligence is undertaken as necessary.

5. Deliver against set targets including money raised, asks made, meetings secured and gift close rate.

6. Communicate effectively with prospects, donors, volunteers, alumni, academics, researchers and businesses using a wide range of communication skills.

7. Communicate effectively with prospects and donors by phone, email, LinkedIn, letter and face-to-face.

8. Work internally with academics to showcase projects to potential donors and work with colleagues across the university to bring gifts to fruition.

9. Work closely with the Volunteering, Events, Campaign Management, Donor Experience, Regular Giving and Legacy Teams to maximise opportunities for collaboration with prospective donors.

10. Working in partnership with other fundraisers and members of DARO including sharing best practice and ensuring prospect development by playing in senior stakeholders at the right time.

11. Use Blackbaud CRM to record meetings and proposals effectively to allow accurate performance monitoring and reporting.

12. Take ownership of all processes and communications in relation to your prospects to include writing proposals, first approach communication, thank you letters and gift paperwork as appropriate.

13. Work with the Philanthropic Finance Team to ensure pledges are fulfilled and donations are correctly managed.

14. Being familiar with methods of tax efficient giving in the UK.

15. Seeking out opportunities for professional development.

16.  Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff.

17.  Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.

18.  Any other duties commensurate with the grade.