Group head of policy jobs

As we continue to evolve and deliver our strategic ambitions, we're looking for an outstanding Head of people to join our Senior Management Group and help shape the next chapter of our organisation. This is a rare opportunity to influence organisational strategy, strengthen leadership capability and ensure our people are equipped to deliver our ambitious corporate objectives. Working closely with the Director of finance, commercial and corporate services and the Executive Team, you'll play a pivotal role in building an organisation that's fit for the future

Job Description: Head of Services

Reports to: Chief Executive

Location: Woking, Surrey

Hours of Work: Full time, 37.5hrs per week

Salary: £42,000 - £45,000 (DOE, pro rata)

About Us:

At York Road Project, we are dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness in Woking. We believe in harnessing the unique strengths and potential of each individual to create a pathway towards stability and independence.

The Role:

We are looking for a proactive and organised Head of Services,  providing full operational leadership across our Accommodation Services and Day Centre Services, ensuring safe, consistent and effective delivery across all frontline provision.

This includes:

• Direct Access Accommodation (10 beds)
• Move-on properties (14 beds)
• Day Centre Services
• Frontline staff across both services

The role holds full responsibility for day-to-day operational delivery and decision-making within services, ensuring they run safely and effectively, with only critical or strategic issues escalated to the Chief Executive.

The role also provides management oversight of property, compliance and health and safety functions delivered by the Facilities Manager and wider staff teams.

Key Responsibilities:

Service Oversight

• Provide operational leadership across both services, ensuring safe, consistent and effective delivery.
• Support and enable staff delivering day-to-day services, providing clear leadership, guidance and appropriate autonomy within agreed standards.
• Maintain service quality, structure and consistency, stepping in where required to resolve operational issues.
• Promote a collaborative, trauma-informed working culture where staff are empowered to deliver services effectively.
• Use service delivery data, client feedback and staff insight to support continuous improvement.
• Ensure accurate recording of service activity and outcomes is maintained.

Accommodation & Day Centre Services

• Provide management oversight of Direct Access Accommodation and move-on properties, ensuring safe and effective delivery.
• Ensure occupancy levels, allocations and housing processes are effectively managed by operational staff and administrative support functions.
• Maintain operational oversight of property standards, compliance systems, inspections, maintenance reporting and fire safety processes delivered by the Facilities Manager and wider staff teams.
• Ensure compliance with HMO requirements, supported housing standards and organisational procedures through monitoring and escalation where required.
• Provide leadership and support to staff responsible for housing management functions, ensuring systems are followed consistently.

Safeguarding & Risk Management

• Provide oversight of safeguarding across all services, ensuring procedures are followed consistently.
• Ensure safeguarding systems, risk assessments and incident management processes are implemented effectively.
• Monitor safeguarding activity and ensure appropriate action and escalation.
• Support staff in managing safeguarding concerns, complex needs and high-risk incidents.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are escalated in line with organisational and statutory requirements.

Health & Safety

• Provide management oversight of health and safety across all services, ensuring safe and compliant working environments.
• Work alongside the Facilities Manager to ensure health and safety policies, risk assessments, inspections and safe systems of work are effectively implemented and maintained.
• Monitor operational health and safety activity within services, ensuring hazards, incidents and safety concerns are identified, recorded and escalated appropriately.
• Ensure safe systems of work are followed across services, including lone working procedures and site safety processes.
• Escalate serious health and safety concerns in line with organisational procedures.

Staff Leadership & Management

• Provide supportive leadership across both services, fostering a stable and positive working environment.
• Lead supervision, reflective practice and performance management conversations.
• Promote a trauma-informed approach across the team.
• Build a culture of accountability, openness and professionalism.
• Oversee recruitment, induction, training and development.
• Manage rotas and staffing levels to support service delivery and wellbeing.
• Ensure staff are supported in managing complex and challenging situations.

Reporting, Service Development & Operational Oversight

• Oversee referrals, allocations and engagement pathways across services.
• Maintain oversight of operational data, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
• Monitor service performance, demand, outcomes and operational pressures.
• Produce regular reports for the CEO covering activity, performance, risks and outcomes.
• Analyse data and feedback to identify trends and service improvement opportunities.
• Support development of effective client progression pathways.

On-Call & Operational Cover

• Participate in a Monday–Friday on-call rota.
• Respond to urgent operational incidents and staffing issues.

Professional Standards & Ways of Working

• Work in a trauma-informed, person-centred and non-judgemental way across all service delivery.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with GDPR and organisational policies.
• Work collaboratively with partner agencies to support positive outcomes for clients
• Maintain clear and appropriate professional boundaries with clients, staff and external partners.
• Manage workload independently, prioritising competing demands effectively.

Knowledge and Skills:

Essential

• Significant experience leading frontline or community-based services delivering high‑quality, trauma‑informed emotional and practical support.
• Strong track record of supervising, developing, and supporting staff and volunteers, including performance management and professional growth.
• Demonstrable experience of safeguarding adults and/or children at risk, with confident use of safeguarding processes.
• Proven ability to oversee operational service delivery in complex or high‑pressure environments and make sound, independent decisions.
• Experience setting service aims, outcome objectives, and KPIs, and reporting performance to senior leadership, commissioners, or governance boards.
• Ability to reach, engage, and develop services for vulnerable or underserved groups.
• Experience working collaboratively with partner agencies and external stakeholders to deliver integrated support.
• Skilled in managing competing priorities while maintaining service quality and compliance.

Desirable

• Working within homelessness, supported housing or related sectors.
• Delivery of trauma-informed services.
• Involvement in service development, redesign or improvement projects
• Setting and monitoring KPIs or outcome frameworks
• Managing budgets or operational resources.
• Working with volunteers in service delivery.

Personal Attributes

• Ability to manage competing priorities under pressure.
• Resilient and confident working in complex environments.
• Commitment to supporting people experiencing homelessness.
• Positive attitude, maintains a positive attitude even in challenging situations.
• Future-orientated, has a forward-thinking perspective, anticipates future needs or issues and plans accordingly.
• Team worker, demonstrates a commitment to strong collaborative work by actively engaging with colleagues, volunteers, external partners and to be accountable for the outcome.
• Ownership, a willingness to take ownership of tasks and projects and to be accountable for the outcomes.
• Aligned with the values and mission of York Road Project.

Benefits:

• Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum, plus bank holidays (pro-rata) 
• Pension Scheme.
• Birthday day off.
• Medicash healthcare plan,
• Flexible working and hybrid working opportunities. 

Main purpose

The Head of People leads Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE)'s HR team directing and overseeing all staff-related activity and holding responsibility for developing and delivering the charity’s People Strategy. The role is a strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). 

Working alongside SLT in an advisory and partnering capacity, the Head of People helps ensure organisational decisions are informed by workforce insight and that CSE has the people, capability and culture needed to deliver its strategic objectives. The role works with line managers across the organisation to build people management capability and ensure that wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion, and people-related legal and policy requirements are consistently applied. 

The role spans the full breadth of the People function, including strategic business partnering, employee relations, recruitment, learning and development, wellbeing, EDI, people operations and digital transformation. The Head of People leads and develops the HR team, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, proactive and people-centred service while building on the good practice that already exists within the charity and driving continuous improvement for the benefit of the charity and its employees. 

As the senior People professional at CSE, the role balances strategic leadership with practical operational delivery across the full breadth of the People function, requiring the successful candidate to move confidently between strategic thinking and hands-on implementation. The Head of People provides expert advice on complex people matters, develops and implements people policies, frameworks and processes, supports organisational change and improvement, and translates organisational priorities, values and culture into practical people initiatives that support both staff and the wider organisation. 

This role is likely to appeal to someone who enjoys building, improving and embedding great people practice and who is comfortable balancing strategic leadership with operational delivery across a broad and varied remit. The role requires curiosity, pragmatism and a genuine interest in understanding organisational challenges and delivering practical, lasting improvements.

How to apply

To apply, please download and complete the application form available from our website and send it to our Jobs inbox. Your application should demonstrate your suitability for the role against the criteria outlined in the person specification and job description.

For more information and to apply, please visit CSE Jobs website. 

Salary: £62,415 - £64,058 (if UK based) / Competitive Birches rated salary for the
local market if based outside of the UK
Location - London, United Kingdom or the following Start Network countries of operation: DRC · Pakistan · India · Somalia · · South Sudan · Philippines · Kenya · Bangladesh
Team - Communications
Line Manager - Director of Impact and Change
Line Reports - Manage the Communications team, including line management of, Communications Manager and Digital Communications Manager.
Hours - 35 hours per week
Contract - Permanent

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of Communications is a senior role responsible for shaping and delivering Start Network’s communications strategy—externally and internally—to strengthen organisational influence, impact and coherence across all audiences. The role provides leadership to a global hybrid and remote working communications team, including direct line management responsibilities.

The role is responsible for ensuring an integrated, audience-led approach to communications that effectively engages key stakeholders and advances organisational priorities. The role will also oversee the delivery of key publications and act as our brand champion, ensuring that our outputs, messaging and communications are consistently on-brand, clear, compelling and aligned with our values and strategic objectives.

As part of the Impact and Change Directorate, the role will work with colleagues across Policy, Advocacy and External Affairs, Evidence and Learning, and Systems Innovation and Change in positioning Start Network as a leading agent of change, translating evidence and learning into compelling communications that influence policy, practice and funding across the humanitarian system.

The role plays a critical part in strengthening Start Network’s profile, influence and thought leadership across the global humanitarian system.

WHAT IS START NETWORK?

Our purpose is to be a catalyst for system-level change that improves the efficiency, effectiveness and ethics of humanitarian action. We do this by working as a network to develop, test & spread new ways of collaborating and resourcing locally-led crisis response and anticipation.

Our current membership is made up of nearly 145 local, national and international NGOs based all around the world. We also support 10 national and regional hubs made up of civil society organisations and NGOs as our vehicle for devolving power, resources and accountability.

OUR VALUES

WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST: Communities come first in our decision-making and programming.

WE ARE BRAVE: We have great ambition and are willing to explore new things and take risks to achieve it

WE OPERATE COLLECTIVELY: We leverage the value of working as a network, sharing risk and resources, and learning together.

WE ARE INCLUSIVE: We see the value in diverse perspectives and work to remove the barriers that prevent voices from being heard.

WE ARE OPEN: We work transparently and with integrity, building mutual trust in all levels of our work, from governance to programming.

WE ARE ETHICAL: We behave and operate based on key principles of anti-racism, non-discrimination, and anti-colonialism. This is a work in progress.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• Being a part of a network involved in bringing change to the humanitarian sector.
• Hybrid working with options to work from home and remotely to support your work/life balance
• Employee Assistance Programme through Smart Health (depends on the country based)
• Family friendly policies, e.g., flexible working, maternity policy, parental leave and more!
• 25 days’ holiday (if UK based) plus 2 company days over the End of Year period for all staff (depends on the country based)

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

Our roles are open to discussion about flexible working. For part-time working and job-shares, please get in touch with us before putting in an application.

Start Network is committed to protecting people, particularly children, at-risk adults and affected populations from any harm. We are also committed to safeguarding staff from any forms of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and abuse of power as outlined in the Dignity at Work policy. Start Network embraces diversity, promotes equality of opportunity and eliminates unlawful discrimination. We are an equal opportunities employer and treat every application on merit alone. We particularly encourage applications from disabled, BAME, LGBTQ+ and non-binary candidates. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet our essential selection criteria set out in the Person Profile.

APPLICATION

Please contact the People and Culture Team if you have any questions or need support with your application. 

We use Recruitment+ IRIS Cascade as our online recruitment platform. Recruitment+ IRIS Cascade allows you to demonstrate your skills and abilities through blind-review by our team to reduce bias.

 Closing date: 26th July 2026

Date for 1st Interview: 18th August (Subject to change)

Date for 2nd Interview: 25th August (Subject to change)

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications and we may review candidates on an ongoing basis, so please apply early where possible to avoid disappointment.

Any offer of employment will be conditional subject to relevant checks. Please refer to our privacy candidate privacy notice regarding treatment of your data. Start Network also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. The core of the scheme is that participating organisations share information about safeguarding-related misconduct (i.e., sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment) that a candidate has been found to have committed during employment, or incidents under investigation when the candidate left employment. For more information regarding this scheme, please visit their website.

The Company

Start Network is made up of more than 90 non-governmental organisations across five continents, ranging from large international organisations to local and national NGOs. Our programmes allow members to deliver humanitarian action around the world.

Our mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action that will save even more lives. We aren’t driven by media headlines or political will, we’re here for the communities affected by and at risk of crises.

We are an organisation committed to doing things differently. For some roles, we need more technical humanitarian expertise, but for other roles, we are looking for relevant transferable skills, the right attitude, and a passion to bring change.

Title:  Head of Campaigns

Salary:        £60,000

Contract:      Temporary

Hours:  37.5 per week (Monday to Friday) 

Holiday:  25 days per year plus bank holidays 

Location:  Home based with regular across the UK

Probationary Period:  3 months

Reports to:  Chief Executive

Benefits:  An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year

Flexitime policy

5% pension contribution

Anticipated contract duration:  9th November 2026 - February 2028 

We are River Action

We are a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue the UK’s rivers from a toxic cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution and water shortages. We support community action, galvanise and mobilise public opinion, influence government policy, take legal actions and call out destructive industrial practices to incentivise changes that end river pollution and secure freshwater. 

We are a talented team of positive disrupters and stakeholder mobilisers delivering our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of communities, rivers and wildlife.

Our 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're looking for an exceptional campaigner to lead an ambitious environmental campaigning  programme for just over a year to cover maternity leave. This is an exciting opportunity for an inspiring leader who can develop bold, strategic campaigns that shift public debate, influence decision-makers and deliver tangible environmental outcomes.

You'll be an experienced campaign strategist who understands that lasting change rarely comes from a single tactic. You'll know how to bring together compelling communications, evidence and investigations, grassroots mobilisation, political engagement, legal interventions and partnerships into integrated campaigns capable of changing policy, behaviour and corporate practice.

We're looking for someone who combines strategic vision with practical delivery. Someone who is comfortable making decisions in a fast-moving environment, spotting opportunities as they emerge and adapting campaigns to maximise impact.

Experience in environmental campaigning would be highly valuable, but above all we're looking for someone with an outstanding track record of leading successful campaigns that have shifted opinion, influenced policy or held powerful institutions to account.

We’re looking for someone who brings energy, creativity and courageous leadership. Someone who is excited by building campaigns that challenge the status quo, comfortable navigating complexity and able to combine bold thinking with sound judgement. You'll know when to disrupt, when to collaborate and how to inspire others to believe that together we can restore the UK’s rivers. 

If you're motivated by creating change, thrive in a dynamic environment and want to lead campaigns that make a genuine difference to one of the UK's greatest environmental challenges, we'd love to hear from you. 

What you’ll be doing:

As Head of Campaigns, you will be developing and delivering bold, integrated campaigns that drive lasting change for the UK's rivers. You'll lead and inspire a talented team of campaigners, helping them to develop innovative, impactful campaigns while fostering a collaborative, ambitious and supportive culture. You'll work closely with colleagues across communications, policy, legal, fundraising and research, ensuring our work is strategically aligned and greater than the sum of its parts.

Leading River Action's Campaigns Team, you will shape the organisation's campaigning strategy, ensuring our work is innovative, evidence-led and designed to influence public opinion, hold polluters to account and secure meaningful political and systemic change. You'll create campaigns that connect compelling storytelling with community mobilisation, strategic communications, political advocacy, legal action and partnerships, ensuring every part of our work contributes towards our mission to rescue the UK’s rivers.

You'll provide strategic leadership across the full campaign lifecycle, overseeing campaign planning, delivery, budgeting, resourcing and evaluation. You'll ensure our campaigns are informed by robust evidence, guided by clear objectives and measured against meaningful outcomes, using insight and learning to continually strengthen our impact.

You will lead River Action's communications and public profile, ensuring our campaigns cut through the national conversation, inspire public action and strengthen our reputation as one of the UK's leading environmental campaigning organisations. You’ll oversee media, messaging and campaign communications that amplify our voice and build public support for change.

Internally, you'll work in close partnership with the Head of Public Affairs to ensure our public campaigns reinforce and accelerate our political influencing work, while ensuring community campaigns and grassroots action inform our national priorities. You'll also work alongside the Head of Legal to develop campaigns involving strategic litigation to achieve change within and outside of court and legal processes, using legal action as a catalyst for wider public awareness, policy change and industry accountability.

As a member of River Action's Senior Management Team, you'll help shape the strategic direction of the organisation and contribute to organisational leadership beyond your own department. You'll work alongside the CEO and fellow Heads of Department to deliver our organisational strategy, embedding collaboration, innovation and impact across all areas of our work.

You'll also play a key role in securing the resources needed to deliver our ambitions. Working with the Head of Development, you'll help develop compelling funding proposals, inspire funders with our vision and demonstrate the impact of our work through robust monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Working with the Finance and Operations Manager, you'll oversee campaign budgets, ensuring resources are managed effectively and strategically.

Main Duties 

• Provide strategic leadership as a member of the Senior Management Team, supporting the CEO to deliver River Action's organisational strategy, theory of change and long-term vision.

• Lead the development and delivery of River Action's integrated campaigning strategy, ensuring our public campaigns drive measurable environmental, political and societal change.

• Develop and oversee a portfolio of ambitious national campaigns, identifying opportunities to influence public opinion, policy, regulation and industry practice through innovative and impactful campaigning.

• Lead River Action's communications, media and public engagement strategy, ensuring compelling storytelling, strong brand visibility and effective use of traditional, digital and social media to grow our influence and supporter base.

• Lead the planning and delivery of River Action’s creative interventions and actions, from polling, petitions and shareholder actions to public protests and high-profile actions.

• Serve as a senior public representative and spokesperson for River Action, building the organisation's profile and influence through media engagement, public speaking, stakeholder engagement and high-profile external events.

• Oversee River Action's digital campaigning platforms, including the strategic development of our website and digital engagement tools.

• Work closely with the Head of Public Affairs  to ensure campaigns and political advocacy are fully integrated, maximising opportunities to influence government, regulators and decision-makers.

• Work closely with the Head of Public Affairs to ensure grassroots action informs national campaigns, and national campaigns empower and amplify community action.

• Work with the Head of Legal to identify, develop and deliver strategic legal interventions that strengthen campaigns, increase accountability and drive systemic change beyond the courtroom.

• Build and maintain influential relationships with campaign partners, coalitions, NGOs, academics, community organisations, funders and other key stakeholders to maximise collective impact.

• Lead campaign planning, governance and delivery, ensuring campaigns are effectively resourced, managed and evaluated against agreed objectives, budgets and monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER) frameworks.

• Lead, inspire and develop the Campaigns Team, fostering a collaborative, creative and high-performing culture that enables colleagues to thrive and deliver exceptional work.

• Work with the CEO, Head of Development and senior colleagues to secure funding for campaign activities, contributing to funding proposals, donor engagement and impact reporting.

• Work with the Finance and Operations Manager to develop, monitor and manage campaign budgets, ensuring resources are used effectively and strategically.

• Support organisational reporting by contributing to Board papers, quarterly and annual reports, organisational planning and performance monitoring.

Other Duties & Responsibilities 

• Adopt a positive approach to personal and professional development; engaging in one to one meetings and relevant training.

• Be aware of, and act on, relevant health and safety responsibilities as an employee of River Action and adhere to these wherever you are working.

• To maintain confidentiality in all areas of work at River Action.

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

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to creating an inclusive, equal and diverse workplace and a positive organisational culture.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across River Action to collectively deliver our ethos and mission.

What you’ll bring

The position will suit a strategic, well organised, energetic, passionate and dedicated person. The ideal person will be an excellent leader, a people person, and thrive within a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The person will have a passion to protect and restore our waterways and hold those responsible for environmental destruction to account.

• Ability to think strategically to deliver campaigns that are positively disruptive and meet River Action values.

• Line management experience of highly experienced professionals, bringing out the best in your team.

• Creative attitude and skills for solving problems and raising awareness of problems and solutions.

• A head for organisation and excellent time management, bringing others along with you in planning and delivering interventions and projects at short notice and under pressure.

• Experience in public and/or political campaigning either within or outside the environmental sector.

• Experience and contacts in communications and PR. 

• An understanding of the issues that are impacting our rivers, and their solutions.

• The ability to establish and maintain effective contacts and relationships with senior and influential external individuals and bodies.

• The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide range of people both verbally and in writing including the media, community groups, other NGO representatives, government, industry leaders, supporters and followers on social media.

• Exceptional IT literacy and a head for figures and budgeting.

• Ability to work independently and take initiative to solve problems.

• Ability to work flexible hours as necessary.

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

• Ability to think clearly even when working under pressure.

• A passion for River Action’s mission and vision.

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 would still like to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this or other roles. 

How to apply

To apply, please submit to jobs at riveractionuk dot com with the subject ‘Head of Campaigns’’:

• your CV (2 pages max), 

• a cover letter (2 pages max) 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

River Action is looking to develop a campaign around water security in the UK to launch in 2027. Please put together a campaign brief setting out the challenges faced, how we would develop and deliver this campaign including campaign asks; campaign outcomes; public, political and legal tactics; routes for funding and resource requirements.

Your campaign brief should be no longer than 2 sides of A4. 

Application process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 23:59 on 19th July.

Should your application be shortlisted, the next stage will involve an initial 30 minute interview on 28th July via video conference. You may then be invited to attend a second interview with a panel on 3rd August. 

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

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

Why this role matters
Good ideas, strong evidence and inspiring stories only create change if the right people understand and act on them. This role exists to ensure that the case for physical activity reaches the right people, in the right way, at the right time, and that it moves them to act. You’ll develop compelling narratives grounded in insight, evidence, and behavioural science, helping partners across the system create greater impact and supporting Yorkshire  Sport Foundation in leading and influencing far beyond its own boundaries.

Responsibilities
Strategic comms leadership
• Develop and lead a long-term strategic marketing andcommunications approach aligned to our Active Partnership role
and Sport England priorities
• Use behavioural science, audience insight and evidence to shapehow the system understands physical activity and inequality
• Identify the beliefs, motivations and barriers of key audiences anddesign communications that influence action
• Ensure all communications activities support YSF to influencestrategic stakeholders
• Advise the organisation on how messaging can support policy, investment and system change
• Develop Yorkshire Sport Foundation’s reputation as a trusted strategic voice

Influence & stakeholder engagement
• Shape communications that influence policy, investment and practice across local authorities, health and education systems
• Support senior leaders to land key messages with senior stakeholders
• Equip partners with messaging that helps them to demonstrate and amplify the impact they make
• Translate complex insight and evaluation into clear narratives and messages
Insight-led communications
• Embed audience insight and behavioural science into messaging
• Combine data, evaluation and lived experience to demonstrate impact whilst ensuring communications reflect communities
authentically
• Build a learning approach to testing, adapting and improving messaging effectiveness

Organisational leadership
• Lead and develop the strategic marketing and communications function
• Set standards for when communications activity should, and should not, happen
• Maintain humility while strengthening clarity of impact and purpose

Channels & delivery
• Plan and deliver integrated marketing and communications campaigns across digital, media, content and internal channels, ensuring activity aligns with organisational objectives and brand standards
• Produce and oversee high-quality content (copy, press materials, web, social, email and collateral) while coordinating agencies, suppliers and internal stakeholders to meet deadlines and budgets.
• Monitor performance using analytics and insight, report on outcomes and continuously optimise campaigns and messaging to improve engagement and reach.
Other
• To lead on YSF public affairs and policy work in partnership with the CEO
• Strategic comms planning with the Active Partnership National Organisation and other leading Active Partnerships ensuring consistency of messaging across England
• To support the marketing of events across Yorkshire
• To work flexibly to respond to changing organisational requirements and carry out any other duties which may arise from
time to time
• To follow policies and procedures in relation to other matters, e.g.Health and safety, safeguarding, GDPR, financial procedures, etc.

What we’re looking for
We know great candidates rarely tick every box. If you have strongskills across most of the areas below and believe you can add value, we’d love to hear from you.
• Skills in both operational and strategic marketing and communications
• Ability to influence policy, investment or organisational behaviours
• Ability to design and deliver communications strategies that change decisions
• Skills in translating evidence and insight into persuasive narratives
• Understanding of behavioural science and audience-centred communications
• Able to operate with credibility and humility in partnership environments
• Comfortable working where success means others receive recognition
• Strategic thinker who challenges activities that lack purpose
• Commitment to reducing inequalities
• Strategic narrative and messaging development skills
• Senior stakeholder influencing and facilitation skills
• Ability to simplify complex evidence and communicate in engaging ways
• Leadership and team development skills

Other
• Ability to travel independently around West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.
• Ability and willingness to work to our organisational values

Please make sure you demonstrate your ability to meet therequirements of the job by giving clear, concise examples of how you meet each of the requirements in the What We’re Looking For section of the job description.

We recognise and welcome our responsibility to remove any barriers in our Recruitment and Selection process for disabled people. We have tried to do this, but if you have a disability and identify any barriers in the job description or employee specification, please tell us of these in your application. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments
to the job wherever possible and it would help us to know your needs to do this.

The Woodland Trust is looking for a The Head of Estate and Programmes - Scotland. They will lead the Trust’s estate and programmes team in Scotland, ensuring that the estate and associated programmes are managed to the highest professional standards and in accordance with the Woodland Trust’s management approach, policies and standards. They will lead the development of the Treescape programme and other priority programmes as required and develop and manage strategic partnerships in support of the Trust’s work in Scotland.

The Role:

• Lead and oversee the Woodland Trust’s Scottish estate, ensuring woodlands are managed to the highest professional, environmental and compliance standards, including UKWAS accreditation.
• Drive delivery of the Trust’s Treescape Programme in Scotland, building effective partnerships and ensuring strategic objectives are achieved.
• Manage and inspire a high-performing team of site managers, project leads and programme staff, fostering a culture of accountability, development and collaboration.
• Oversee multi-disciplinary projects and a budget of approximately £5m, ensuring resources are managed effectively and deliver maximum value and impact.
• Provide strategic leadership on estate acquisitions, disposals and land management, supporting the growth and long-term sustainability of the Trust’s woodland portfolio.
• Champion health and safety and operational excellence across all estate activities in Scotland, ensuring compliance and best practice at all times.
• Build and maintain influential relationships with partners, funders, stakeholders, government bodies and the wider land-use sector to advance the Trust’s vision and objectives.
• Contribute to senior leadership and organisational strategy, representing Scotland within the Woodland Trust and supporting UK-wide initiatives, policy development and knowledge sharing.
• This is a homebased role, requiring regular travel to locations within wider Scotland, sometimes to remote locations. You would be expected to live within reasonable travelling distance of your area of responsibility. Occasional travel to regional offices and overnight stays will be required.
• A company vehicle will be provided for this role. Please note that out Company Vehicle Policy is also under review as part of our Job Families and Contract Review project, so the eligibility criteria therein are subject to change in due course.

The Candidate:

• Extensive experience in forestry, woodland and land management, with a strong understanding of native woodland management, Scotland’s land-use landscape and rainforest ecosystems.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to lead, motivate, develop and inspire multidisciplinary teams to deliver high performance.
• Strong project, programme and budget management expertise, including oversight of complex initiatives, resource allocation, monitoring and reporting.
• Commercial and operational management experience, including procurement, contract management and delivering value for money while achieving organisational objectives.
• Exceptional partnership and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience building strategic relationships across government, funding bodies, landowners, conservation organisations and other key interest groups.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders, preparing written reports, presenting ideas and supporting successful funding applications.
• Knowledge of legal, policy, and governance frameworks, including experience developing and managing legal agreements and understanding Scotland’s conservation, forestry and land-use policy environment.
• Relevant professional qualifications and practical capability, including a forestry-related qualification, membership (or working towards membership) of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, strong IT skills (including MS Office and GIS) and the ability to travel extensively.

Benefits and Wellbeing:

Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:

• Enhanced Employer Pension
• Life Assurance
• Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
• Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time)
• Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
• Enhanced Parental Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme

About Us:

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.  We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees. 

People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.

Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.

Application Advice:

For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and we do not ask for your CV at application.

Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role.

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.

Apply Now:

If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete. 

First round interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams on 18th, 19th and 20th August 2026.

Context and Background

The Public Engagement team is responsible for developing and delivering the strategy that will drive significant, long-term income growth by inspiring and engaging public audiences to support the work of the NSPCC. 

This will be achieved through integrated, audience-led, multi-channel marketing approaches, including; mass participation, individual giving, and campaigns that generate sustainable funding aligned to the NSPCC’s strategic priorities. 

Alongside income generation, the team plays a vital role in increasing public understanding of abuse and neglect and building advocacy. 

The team will foster a high-performing, results-driven culture that values collaboration, innovation, and integration. By focusing on excellent supporter relationship management and purposeful engagement, it will deliver long-term, sustainable impact to support the NSPCC’s mission. 

Job purpose

The Associate Head of Engagement Delivery will lead the planning, delivery, and optimisation of engagement and fundraising activity to key agreed audiences, ensuring alignment with the audience engagement strategy and campaign plan. 

· Take accountability for Engagement Delivery team outputs, ensuring high-quality execution across creative, campaigns and channels 

· Provide direct line management and coaching to diverse, multi-disciplinary teams, building capability, confidence and high performance across the full channel mix, while fostering an inclusive and supportive culture 

· Ensure engagement and fundraising activity is insight-led and audience-focused, delivering effective engagement across a range of channels, with a strong focus on both warm/loyalty channels such as direct mail, email and telemarketing, and broader cold acquisition channels including DRTV, door drop, press, digital and integrated campaigns 

· Take accountability for continuous improvement in campaign performance, working collaboratively with peers across the Engagement and Fundraising directorate to maximise impact and supporter value 

· Work with the Public Engagement SLT to champion operational excellence and innovation, ensuring the team has the capacity, tools and processes to deliver integrated, responsive and supporter-centric campaigns 

Key relationships – Internal

●        Reporting into the Head of Engagement Delivery, this role sits alongside three peer Associate Heads within the Engagement Delivery function: the second Associate Head of Engagement Delivery (leading the complementary campaign delivery squads), the Associate Head of Digital Engagement, and the Associate Head of Direct Fundraising. 

●       Line management of a team of 8: Engagement Delivery Managers, Senior Officers and Officer 

●       Member of Public Engagement Leadership Team 

●        Collaborates closely with other Associate Heads within Engagement and Fundraising directorate, as well as Brand, Marketing and Communications, to create integrated strategies for public engagement and fundraising. 

●        Pro-actively works closely with managers and staff in other NSPCC functions to further fundraising relationships and opportunities for cross departmental working. 

Key relationships – External

· External Agencies and Suppliers – including Creative and Media Agencies.

· External peers and networks in the charity sector, regularly attending groups in the UK charity sector to ensure the NSPCC is at the forefront of the sector trends.

· Professionals / Trading Bodies / Organisations that are at the forefront of fundraising and marketing

Main duties and responsibilities

·       Campaign Planning and Delivery 

o   Accountable for the planning and operational delivery of engagement and fundraising campaigns, including direct mail, email and telemarketing to current supporter and DRTV, digital acquisition supporting integrated charity-wide campaigns, and advocacy activity. 

o Oversee direct line management of campaign delivery teams, coaching and developing individuals to build capability, confidence and high performance across the full channel mix, while fostering an inclusive and supportive culture 

o   Oversee campaign briefing, scheduling, and performance tracking, ensuring campaigns are delivered in line with audience strategy and organisational priorities. 

o   Adjust campaign strategies as required to respond to performance, changing supporter behaviours, market conditions, and organisational priorities. 

o    Lead the formation, leadership and allocation of high-performing campaign delivery squads, ensuring teams are effectively structured, supported and empowered to deliver, ensuring each team is equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to successfully execute their campaigns, allocating resources based on audience insight and projected impact. 

o   Monitor and report on campaign performance, embedding structured feedback loops and squad retrospectives to capture learning and drive continuous improvement, using data to inform improvements and strategic decisions. 

o   Collaborate with colleagues across Engagement and Fundraising to ensure campaigns are insight-led and supporter-centric. 

o   Work with the Engagement Delivery Management Team ensuring that all activities are aligned with Digital Engagement and Direct Fundraising teams to ensure seamless execution and optimisation of campaigns to achieve the overarching objectives for the Public Engagement Directorate. 

o   Champion delivery standards, processes, and best practice within your portfolio, ensuring alignment with the organisation-wide Engagement Delivery standards set by the Head of Engagement Delivery. 

·       Strategic Leadership and Integration 

o   Working in partnership with peers to ensure that all channels are effectively utilised to deliver both standalone activity and integrated charity-wide campaigns, including collaboration with audience strategy, supporter experience, product, and insight teams, driving innovations across the income streams. 

o   Act as a subject matter expert within the organisation, providing expert guidance on campaign execution, creative development, and audience engagement. 

o   Maintain awareness of sector trends and developments in campaign delivery, bringing insight back into the team to inform delivery approaches and continuous improvement. 

o   Lead strategic relationships with external partners, including creative and media agencies and suppliers, ensuring they deliver high-quality, insight-led work aligned to organisational goals 

o   Undertake other duties as required by the Head of Engagement Delivery. 

·       Financial Management and Supplier Oversight 

o   Develop and manage comprehensive budgets for all campaigns, closely monitoring income and expenditure to ensure alignment with agreed ROI targets, and taking timely corrective action where necessary. 

o   Maintain oversight and senior level relationships with external suppliers, ensuring quality, compliance, and performance. 

·       Team Leadership and Development 

o   Lead, support and develop a high-performing, inclusive team, providing clear direction, coaching and feedback to build capability, confidence and accountability 

o   Foster a culture that prioritises wellbeing, continuous learning and high performance, ensuring individuals feel supported to succeed 

o    Develop T-shaped skills across the team to increase flexibility and cross-channel capability 

Responsibilities for all Staff within Engagement and Fundraising Directorate 

· To actively participate in regular team meetings and department meetings, contributing to discussions and decisions which will be beneficial to the NSPCC’s development of fundraising activities.

· To behave at all times in a manner consistent with the NSPCC’s Values.

· To ensure data used in relevant systems is current, accurate and reliable.

· To maintain an awareness of own and others Health and Safety and comply with the NSPCC’s Health and Safety policy and procedures.

·  A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Person specification

1.             Significant experience in strategic, integrated engagement and fundraising - developing and delivering multi-channel campaigns (direct mail, email and telemarketing, DRTV, door drop, press, digital and charity wide integrated campaigns) across the full marketing funnel, from brand awareness to direct response, in a non-profit or similar environment. 

2.             Up-to-date knowledge of direct and digital marketing theory and practice, including individual giving trends, regulations, and best practice, with a proven ability to optimise campaign performance and return on investment. 

3.             Strong track record of financial planning and budget management at scale, including setting and reporting on income and expenditure targets, and providing clear performance updates to the Engagement and Fundraising SLT. 

4.             Proficient in using data, analytics, CRMs, and business systems to generate insights, drive decision-making, and support continuous improvement across supporter engagement and fundraising activity. 

5.             Excellent strategic thinking and decision-making skills, with sound judgement, the ability to operate under pressure, and a creative, solution-focused approach to systems and process development. 

6.             Strong leadership and people management capabilities, with experience coaching and developing diverse teams, building capability, confidence, wellbeing and sustained high performance to deliver complex campaigns. 

7.             Deep understanding of audience and supporter experience across every touchpoint, with a focus on growing engagement, retention, loyalty, and long-term value. 

8.             Effective cross-organisational collaborator, skilled in aligning stakeholders, leading cross-functional delivery, and navigating complex environments with influence and confidence. 

9.           Excellent planning and workload management skills, able to balance strategic priorities and operational delivery across multiple projects in fast-paced, agile environments, delivering high-quality outputs at pace and responding effectively to changing performance, insight and organisational priorities 

10.        Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with the credibility to present to and influence stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally including creative and media agencies and suppliers, to deliver high-quality campaign outcomes 

Safer Recruitment

As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk.

Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.

The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.

Our principles:

· Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation.

· Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.

· We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.

· Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.

· As an organisation committed to safeguarding, we will ensure all under 18’s joining the organisation will have ongoing risk assessments to ensure their role and activities are safe and appropriate.

· All documentation relating to candidates will be treated confidentially in accordance with the GDPR legislation.

Public Affairs and Water Policy Officer

This role is predominantly home-based with regular travel to locations across the UK specifically London. Office facilities are available at our Newark office (Tuesdays to Thursdays) for those within easy travelling distance.
up to £36,380 per annum

Permanent, Full Time (35 hours per week)

Closing date for applications: 12th July 2026

First interview: 21st & 22nd July (Online Interview)

Second interview: 29th July (Online Interview)

About Us

The Wildlife Trusts are a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that we need nature and nature needs us. We have more than 945,000 members, over 33,000 volunteers, 4,100 staff and 600 trustees. There are 46 individual Wildlife Trusts, each of which is a place-based independent charity with its own legal identity, formed by groups of people getting together and working with others to make a positive difference to wildlife and future generations, starting where they live and work.

Every Wildlife Trust is part of The Wildlife Trusts federation and a corporate member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912 and one of the founding members of IUCN – the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Taken together this federation of 47 charities is known as The Wildlife Trusts.

The next few years will be critical in determining what kind of world we all live in. We need to urgently reverse the loss of wildlife and put nature into recovery at scale if we are to prevent climate and ecological disaster. We recognise that this will require big, bold changes in the way The Wildlife Trusts work, not least in how we mobilise others and support them to organise within their own communities.

About You

The post will support the Head of Public Affairs in helping the Wildlife Trust movement make arguments and develop relationships with parliamentarians in order to influence policy in Westminster, to the benefit of nature recovery. You will work with policy, campaigning, and communications colleagues to build support for The Wildlife Trusts’ advocacy priorities, including work on water policy.

You will have an understanding of the legislative process and parliamentary procedures and will have the ability to communicate detailed policies in a compelling and persuasive way, especially in written form. Experience of and a proven track record of working with politicians is advantageous, as is experience of supporting successful advocacy campaigns and fronting policies and programmes. You should feel comfortable with policy work as well as parliamentary advocacy, any past experience of water policy will be particularly useful.

The Wildlife Trusts value passion, respect, trust, integrity, pragmatic activism and strength in diversity. We are passionate in promoting our aims, and we pride ourselves on being inclusive. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities.

RSWT take our Safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. Please click here to read our commitment statement. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For applicable roles, applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks at the eligible level.

RSWT are committed to increasing the diversity of its staff through its Levelling the Field recruitment pledge and, as a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming recruitment experience for all applicants. Applicants with disabilities and from ethnic minority backgrounds, will be considered for the next stage of the selection process should they meet all the minimum criteria for the role outlined in the person specification detailed as essential criteria in the recruitment pack.

As part of our Disability Confident Scheme, RSWT offers an interview to a fair and proportionate number of applicants with disabilities and therefore not all applicants with disabilities would be entitled to an interview as they must still satisfy the minimum requirements for the job. This commitment is designed to help reduce barriers and promote equal opportunity. We actively work to remove barriers throughout the recruitment journey and are dedicated to creating an accessible and supportive recruitment experience by offering reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process, as well as within the workplace. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you during your application or interview process, please let us know and we will be pleased to put the appropriate support in place.

Title:  Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager

Salary:  From £45,000 - £55,000 per annum 

Contract:  Permanent

Hours:  37.5 per week (Monday to Friday) 

Holiday:     25 days per year plus bank holidays 

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

Probationary Period:  3 months

Reports to:  Head of Department 

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

Title and salary to be commensurate with experience.

We are River Action

We are a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue UK rivers from a toxic cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution and water shortages. We support community action, galvanise and mobilise public opinion, influence government policy, take legal actions and call out destructive industrial practices to incentivise changes that end river pollution and secure freshwater. 

We are building a talented team of positive disrupters and stakeholder mobilisers to deliver our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of communities, rivers 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 expanding our political influence by introducing this new position, which will work closely with our existing Policy and Advocacy Manager to bolster our strategic reach particularly in the areas of water scarcity, security and justice, sewage and chemical pollution, and water sector reform.

We are seeking a dynamic and self-motivated individual who shares our passion for protecting rivers and securing our nation’s water, food, health, jobs and economy 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 a Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager, you  will lead the development and drafting of River Action’s overall policy strategy as well as leading on specific policy areas. You will play a leading role in shaping and advancing River Action’s political and policy influence, working closely with the Senior Management Team, Chief Executive and wider organisation 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 development and delivery of our policy and advocacy strategy on sewage, industrial water pollution, and water scarcity 

• 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 and regular trips to London. 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 in positions of responsibility. 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 senior policy and advocacy role, ideally within the environmental sector and including experience of water policy. 

• 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.

• Knowledge of the challenge of water scarcity.

• 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 Senior 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 Parliamentarians on the issue of water scarcity and water justice and how it affects UK rivers and our security.  Your briefing should be written in a clear, persuasive style suitable for a Parliamentary and government audience and:

• Identify causes of water scarcity and injustice.

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

• Summarise and assess gaps in relevant UK Government policies, legislation and plans.

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

Application process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 5pm on Wednesday 15th July.

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. 

Interviews will be held in the weeks commencing 19th July and 26th July via video conference. 

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.

Context and Background

The NSPCC’s mission is to end cruelty to children by fighting for every childhood. To carry out its charitable work the NSPCC relies on the fundraising support of people across the UK for 90% of it’s income. Within fundraising our aim is to provide maximum resources for the NSPCC. We aim to provide the best possible supporter experience, building long-term relationships to create an experience which is different, better and more rewarding than that of supporting any other charity.

The Associate Head of Mass Participation Fundraising is a member of the Supporter Led Fundraising Leadership Team and the Philanthropy & Partnerships Department. The role contributes to the overall leadership and management of the team and department as well as implementing the fundraising plans and strategies for the Engagement & Fundraising Directorate.

Mass Participation Fundraising is an important component in the NSPCC’s Engagement and Fundraising strategy. The post holder will lead and develop a first-class team to develop our portfolio, engaging and deepening the relationship with participants into long-term supporters and optimising the fundraising income they generate.

A key element of the role is to provide leadership across a diverse team, which includes Third Party Events, DIY fundraising and Schools Fundraising. The role will work collaboratively across all departments to build the best possible supporter relationships to generate income and promote key organisational messages to external audiences.

Job purpose

To deliver effective fundraising activities from a mass participation portfolio of diverse products, events and opportunities. To manage relationships with suppliers and agencies, while providing leadership and management to fundraising staff within the Mass Participation Fundraising team. Continually refreshing, improving and growing the portfolio, facilitating increased income generation across all teams.

• To have accountability and responsibility for the budgetary performance of three core Mass Participation income generation streams (Third Party Events, DIY Fundraising, and Schools Fundraising)

• To form and deliver the strategy of acquisition, stewardship and retention of mass participants

• To identify synergies and best practice across similar operations within and beyond Engagement & Fundraising, applying principles of Supporter Centricity across participants and their connected supporters

• To take a lead role in working effectively with other teams and departments to maximise the recruitment of supporters and their fundraising to deliver income for children

• To lead, manage and develop the Mass Participation Fundraising team in line with our values and behaviours

Key relationships - Internal

• Reports to the Head of Supporter Led Fundraising

• A member of the Supporter Led Fundraising Leadership Team

• Line manages team leaders of Third Party Events, DIY Fundraising and Schools Fundraising teams and the Senior Marketing Officer

• Works closely with other teams within the Engagement & Fundraising Directorate operating nationally and locally to develop supporters, potential supporters and business projects

• Works closely with colleagues in other directorates to inform, support and manage fundraising activity and use relevant management information to maximise the impact of fundraising activities - such as Data, Tech and communications.

Key relationships - External

• Peers within the local and national fundraising sector

• Professionals/trade bodies/organisations that are the forefront of mass participation and supporter acquisition

• Marketing agencies and creative suppliers

Main duties and responsibilities

• To work with Head of Supporter Led Fundraising to develop ambitious strategies and business plans to optimise and grow income

• To guide and direct the implementation of agreed strategies including influencing the plans and activities across other fundraising audience streams

• To develop, deliver and be accountable for teams' annual budgets through monitoring, managing and reforecasting financial performance, ensuring that contingency plans are in place as required

• To guide and direct efficient acquisition strategies across Third Party Events, DIY Fundraising and Schools Fundraising and ensure all supporters are onboarded to the organisation appropriately, supporting retention.

• To seek and commission insight of sector-wide fundraising opportunities through a range of markets and/or supporter groups, to inform the team strategies

• To be accountable for the management of agency relationships and core suppliers that are key to the delivery of income growth and supporter satisfaction

• Within the Supporter Centricity framework, promote and prioritise lead sharing across fundraising, ensuring supporters follow the best supporter journey, establishing Mass Participation as a core route for new supporter acquisition

• To work with other functions, such as Children's Services, Technology and Communications to optimise compelling propositions, messaging within effectively delivered supporter journeys

• To foster an innovative culture within the team to generate increased income though incremental changes in pre-existing products or new product development.

• To recruit, train, develop and manage staff in line with NSPCC policies and practice including regular team meetings and regular performance reviews, coaching and mentoring staff to achieve high performance, growth and personal development

• To participate in Engagement & Fundraising or cross-directorate projects as required

Responsibilities for all Staff within the Income Generation Directorate

• A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

• To be responsible for updating databases and supporter information systems on a regular basis in line with Data Protection legislation and NSPCC policy and procedures to ensure all records are up-to-date and accurate.

• To actively participate in regular department and team meetings, contributing to strategy, discussions and decisions which will be beneficial to the NSPCC's development of fundraising activities.

• To maintain an awareness of own and others' Health and Safety and comply with the NSPCC's Health and Safety policy and procedures.

• To take personal responsibility for keeping up to date with NSPCC work to end cruelty to children, including securing updates on project and service developments and general NSPCC news and also ensuring that the fundraising teams do likewise.

Person specification

1. Experience of leadership to successfully drive income growth from event participation, DIY or schools fundraising either in the commercial or charity sector

2. Skilled in strategic planning and development to find new ways to drive growth in an established market

3. Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively share complex information, propositions and business cases

4. Substantial experience of budgetary management and financial planning

5. Understanding of acquisition marketing strategies and integrated marketing planning approach.

6. Leadership and management experience of a diverse and geographically dispersed team to deliver results, with a commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

7. An ability to influence, empower, support and develop those who work with and for them

8. Experience in managing strategic relationships with suppliers, such as creative agency providers including the management of SLA's and performance measures, ensuring sustained high level of performance

9. Experience of presenting to and influencing senior stakeholders and external audiences

10. Willingness to work flexibly to changing deadlines and demands and the ability to travel to support the delivery of our event portfolio.

Safer Recruitment

As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk.

Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.

The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.

Our principles:

• Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation.

• Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.

• We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.

• Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.

Head of Finance

Location: Hybrid, a mixture of remote working and office-based at Solar House, 3rd Floor, 1-9 Romford Rd, London, E15 4LJ.   
Hours: 3 or 4 days a week, negotiable

Salary:  Up to £62,500 (pro rata) 

Closing date of advert: 20 July 2026

Interview Dates:  TBC

Our mission at School-Home Support is simple. We get children and young people back in school, ready to learn, whatever it takes. Every role in our organisation helps make that happen.

We are looking for a Head of Finance to act as our financial conscience and strategic navigator. 

As the Head of Finance, you will provide strategic financial leadership while ensuring our day-to-day operations are exceptionally robust.  You will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer, line-manage a Senior Finance Manager, as well as working closely with our Board of Trustees.

In this role, you will be expected to serve as the organisation's financial conscience, ensuring absolute transparency, integrity, and strict adherence to UK fundraising regulations. Looking ahead, you will also play a key role in analysing commercial opportunities to drive new business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Stewardship: Manage general ledgers, reserves, budgeting, and long-term financial modelling.
• Governance & Trustees: Work closely with the Board, Finance Committee, and Remuneration Committee.
• Compliance & Legal: Ensure complete adherence to HMRC, Charity Commission, and Charities SORP requirements.
• Risk Management: Maintain and update the Risk Register to protect charity assets.
• New Business & Commercial Growth: Provide costings and commercial modelling for new tenders and products.
• Team Leadership: Oversee the internal finance team and third-party payroll providers.
• About You
• Qualifications: You are a fully qualified CCAB or CIMA accountant with extensive post-qualification experience.
• Sector Knowledge: You have a proven track record in a senior charity finance role managing statutory accounts over full year cycles.
• Regulatory Expertise: You fully understand UK fundraising regulations, charity governance, and company law.
• Commercial Mindset: You can confidently support non-finance departments with commercial analysis to secure new contracts.
• Systems Experience: Experience with Sage and Salesforce is highly desirable 

What We Offer
We really value modern workplace flexibility. This permanent role is offered as a 3 or 4 days per week part-time position, with a hybrid working pattern split between remote work and our office in Stratford, London.

We actively support staff wellbeing and champion a safe, diverse culture where everyone can be themselves. Here is what we offer our team:

• Employee Assistance Programme, providing confidential support for you and your family
• Life assurance for added financial security
• Pension scheme
• A structured induction and ongoing professional development
• A supportive and collaborative team environment where your experience and ideas are valued
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families

Applications are reviewed continually, and we reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date, so early applications are strongly encouraged. 

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community. 

School-Home Support takes the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children very seriously, and is committed to ensuring that our safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice. Our safeguarding policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances.

All roles at SHS are subject to a DBS check at the level appropriate to the role.

The Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) is a human rights and feminist organisation led by and for Latin American migrant women in the UK. Our work is dedicated to supporting the immediate and long-term needs of Latin American migrant women exposed to violations of their fundamental human rights; facing violence against women and girls, exploitation or trafficking; enduring difficult living and working conditions in low paid jobs, and facing barriers to social protection.

The Head of Policy and Public Affairs will provide strategic leadership in developing and delivering LAWRS’ key influencing and media priorities and policy positions. The post holder is responsible for maintaining a contextual analysis and overview of key trends and issues in current affairs and the sectors that impact the organisation’s work, brand, profile and external positions. 

This post is open to Latin American women only* in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and LGBTQ+ candidates as they are currently underrepresented within the team.

*women who identify as Latin Americans (1st and 2nd generation) and speak Spanish and/or Portuguese

Please note that only applicants with the right to work in the UK covering the duration of the contract will be considered for this position.

The Difference is seeking a Director of Engagement and School Partnerships to grow our traded relationships with schools and sector partners, and build the systems and team to deepen impact at scale.

This senior role ensures partnerships, delivery and learning work as one coherent cycle from first contact to long-term partnership.

Key Responsibilities

• Grow traded relationships : build and convert a pipeline of trusts and LAs into our programmes
• Build a sequenced pipeline :turn engagements from press and events into a journey towards deeper work
• Design the partner journey :map and improve from first contact through onboarding and renewal
• Develop CRM and systems :track relationships and income with discipline
• Org-wide leadership :senior ambassador and leadership team member

About The Difference Every day, 5,500 children are suspended from England's schools, doubling their NEET likelihood by 24. The Difference tackles this through whole school inclusion  training leaders, researching what works and turning insights into policy. Our vision: lost learning falling nationally by 2030.

About You: Essential

• Shared values and commitment to the children most affected by lost learning
• Credibility with schools, trusts and local authorities
• Experience designing end-to-end partner journeys
• Hitting income targets while staying honest about quality
• Knowledge of school improvement or inclusion to work with programme experts
• Building routines that help a team deliver consistently
• CRM or pipeline experience to drive decisions
• Managing relationships :expectations, risks and progression
• Strategic judgement :balancing delivery against long-term value
• Managing people and building a culture of clarity, care and accountability
• Critical friend in a senior team

Desired

• Background in partnerships, engagement, account management or business development
• Experience scaling a programme while protecting quality
• Experience building business cases for school-sector audiences
• Experience designing renewal or progression models
• Experience with schools, trusts, LAs or education charities
• Insight into children affected by exclusion, poverty or SEN

Please see the attached Job Description for full details. We are committed to building a diverse team and encourage applications from under-represented groups. All applications assessed with names and protected characteristics redacted.