5 Head of community jobs

High Trees Community Development Trust is seeking an ambitious Head of Community Research & Impact to join our senior management team and lead one of our core service areas.

Community-led research sits at the heart of how High Trees works. Our approach aims to rebalance the role and power that communities have in deciding how research is informed, delivered and used to improve lives for Lambeth residents. Over recent years we have built a strong foundation for this work and developed two flagship community research partnerships — the Lambeth Peer Action Collective and the Lambeth Community Research Network. We are now looking for someone to significantly expand this work: building local evidence of community need, working with communities to identify solutions and appropriate responses to local challenges, and advocating for change to policy and practice where needed.

This is a broad and varied leadership role. Alongside our direct research programmes, you will lead the development of infrastructure around community-led research in Lambeth, so that voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations can access the training, resources and networks they need to design and deliver their own research. You will also lead our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning and Communications functions, ensuring the impact of everything we do is understood, evidenced and communicated well.

As part of High Trees’ senior management team, the Head of Community Research & Impact will not only oversee delivery in their service area, but also help shape organisational strategy, grow partnerships and income, and ensure we work as one High Trees — keeping our practice responsive, collaborative and always led by community need.

About High Trees

Based in Tulse Hill, High Trees has been rooted in the local community for nearly 30 years. We deliver community action, employment, education, youth services and community research, working in partnership with local people and local organisations to build stronger communities and create meaningful change. We are recognised for our collaborative, long-term approach and our ability to adapt and respond to the issues that matter most to local people.

About the role

As Head of Community Research & Impact, you will:

• Lead and inspire our Research & Impact team to deliver high-quality, community-led research that drives change.
• Shape and deliver High Trees’ strategic vision for community-led research, championing collaborative research practice across Lambeth.
• Take the lead on designing new research programmes, support with sourcing the funding to run them, and ensuring projects are completed to a high standard with high-quality outputs.
• Grow the infrastructure for community-led research locally, including through the Lambeth Community Research Network and the Lambeth Peer Action Collective.
• Support VCS organisations with community research training, resources and capacity building support.
• Lead and embed Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and Communications across High Trees and our partnership work.
• Contribute as a member of High Trees’ senior management team, ensuring a joined-up approach across all our services.

About you

We are looking for someone who brings:

• Significant professional experience in research and/or community settings, with a track record of leading research projects.
• Experience of qualitative and mixed methods research and a working knowledge of participatory research approaches.
• A proven track record of leading teams and managing multiple projects and programmes at once.
• The ability to build trust and long-lasting relationships across community, academic, public sector and voluntary sector organisations.
• A strategic mindset, balancing day-to-day delivery with long-term vision.
• A solid understanding of the context in which High Trees delivers its work

Why join us?

This is a rare opportunity to take a senior leadership role in a values-led organisation at a time of growth and ambition. You will help set the standard for community-led research and system change, creating tools, resources and practices that benefit the wider sector — and be part of a collaborative team dedicated to creating lasting change.

Head of Community Services

£54,961 PA
37.5 hours per week
Working days: Predominately Monday-Friday with On Call requirements

Benefits

5 weeks’ holiday plus Bank Holidays Pension Scheme, Staff referral scheme (earn extra each time you successfully refer someone), Employee Assistance Programme, including private GP access, Blue Light Card discount scheme, Free DBS check, Free parking and uniform

Closing date: Mid-day 9 October
Interview date: 19 October

Make a genuine difference, every day

At Nottinghamshire Hospice, we’re proud to lead the way in delivering compassionate, community-based palliative care for people living with a terminal or life limiting illness across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Our values—Compassion, Trust and Ambition—guide everything we do, for the people we support and for each other.

About the Role

The Head of Community Services is a senior leadership role responsible for the operational, and clinical delivery of Nottinghamshire Hospice’s community-based services. You will ensure the provision of high-quality, safe, and compassionate palliative and end-of-life care, supporting people to live as well as possible in the place they call home.

As a key member of the Hospice Leadership Team, you will provide visible and inspiring leadership, driving excellence in care delivery, service performance, and workforce development. This role combines strong operational management with professional clinical leadership, requiring an experienced registered healthcare professional with a sound understanding of palliative and end-of-life care.

You will lead and develop our Hospice in Your Home (24-hour service) and Wellbeing Day Services, ensuring they are responsive, sustainable, and patient-centred. The role involves regular travel across Nottinghamshire and participation in the clinical on-call rota (approximately one week in every five weeks).

What we’re looking for

We are seeking a compassionate and experienced leader to drive excellence in our community palliative care services.

You will champion equity, inclusion, diversity and belonging, while fostering a positive, high-performing culture where staff feel supported and empowered. With strong experience in service delivery, you will manage performance, resources, and workforce planning to meet the needs of our patients and families.

You will build effective partnerships with healthcare and community stakeholders, helping to improve access and patient pathways. A commitment to quality, governance, and continuous improvement is essential, alongside the ability to lead confidently in complex situations.

Above all, you will embody our values of Compassion, Trust, and Ambition, helping us deliver outstanding care and shape the future of hospice services.

You don’t need to meet every desirable criteria — we recruit based on values.

If you’re compassionate, reliable and eager to learn, we’d love to hear from you.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

We want Nottinghamshire Hospice to be a place where everyone feels they belong. We warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds and value the different perspectives and experiences that help us provide better care. We particularly encourage applications from people who are currently under‑represented in our workforce, including individuals from minoritised ethnic communities, people with disabilities, and men.

Registered Charity No: 509759

Human Kind exists because vulnerability isn't the exception — it's part of being human. At some point, all of us need connection, kindness, and somewhere we belong. We're a community organisation built around a welcoming café, a programme of events and activities, and — soon — a peer-led listening service, all designed to make sure nobody in Billericay has to face difficult moments alone.

We're now looking for an experienced operational leader to help take Human Kind into its next chapter.

The Opportunity

This is a genuine leadership role, not a café management job. You'll be responsible for the people, programmes and day-to-day operations that make Human Kind work — from our community café and food offer, to family activities, events, partnerships and volunteers.

You'll move between the strategic and the practical: one morning working with trustees on priorities, the next developing a team member, the next solving an operational problem or meeting a potential partner.

You won't be expected to do everything yourself. You'll build a team where people understand their responsibilities and take ownership — while you focus on the decisions, relationships and direction that only you can provide.

Be clear-eyed about what the first year looks like: it's about getting a firm grip on the operation, building structure and earning trust — before it becomes about bigger ambitions. If you enjoy bringing order to a busy, people-first environment and want to see the results of your work in your own community, this is a rare opportunity to make a lasting difference.

About Human Kind

Human Kind is a community organisation based in the heart of Billericay. We believe food, connection and kindness can bring people together and build a stronger community. Our work includes:

• A welcoming, pay-it-forward community café.
• Family and children's activities.
• Community events and regular groups.
• Support for older people, carers and anyone experiencing isolation.
• A growing peer-support and listening offer.
• Partnerships with local schools, charities and businesses.
• A large and active volunteer community.

We've built strong foundations. We're now focused on the leadership, structure and sustainable operating model needed to take Human Kind into its next phase — and this role is central to that.

What You'll Do

• Lead our café, food offer and community programme, working through your team of supervisors and coordinators.
• Build a confident, accountable team that takes real ownership of its areas.
• Make sure volunteers are a genuine, valued part of how we work — not just extra help.
• Manage budgets and costs with a commercial eye, while protecting what makes Human Kind special.
• Build relationships with local schools, partners and organisations that extend our reach.
• Help shape a new listening and peer-support service as it launches.
• Give trustees clear visibility of performance, risks and opportunities.

Your First Year

Your early months will be about getting a clear, honest picture of what's working and what needs to change, and establishing who owns what across the team. From there, you'll strengthen your team's ownership, tighten up reporting and systems, and start building toward a more coordinated, sustainable programme of activity — bringing your own ideas and experience to how that takes shape.

What We're Looking For

• Significant leadership and operational management experience — you may come from a charity, hospitality, community, education or customer-facing background.
• A track record of developing and holding managers or team leaders accountable.
• Confidence with budgets, costs and commercial decision-making.
• The ability to work with real autonomy — comfortable bringing your own structure and judgement rather than waiting to be told what to do.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the confidence to have difficult conversations when needed.
• A genuine connection to what Human Kind stands for.

Experience with volunteers, café or hospitality operations, or charity-sector leadership would be a bonus, but isn't essential — what matters most is your ability to lead people and build something better.

We’re looking for an inspiring Head of Community Delivery to join our London-based team. This is a senior leadership role within our Delivery Team, where you’ll play a key part in shaping and delivering AllChild’s place-based programmes, ensuring they create meaningful and lasting impact across your region.

Across the UK, millions of children and young people are facing complex social and emotional challenges. AllChild works within local communities and wider support systems to identify and support children and young people most at risk of poor social, emotional and academic outcomes. Through our two-year Impact Programme, we help build a joined-up network of support around each child and family, working in partnership with schools, local services and community organisations.

For further information, please view the Job Pack.

To apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 25 September 2026.

We recognise that candidates may use AI tools to support research and check grammar. However, we ask that all supporting statements and application responses reflect your own thoughts and experiences. Over-reliance on AI may limit our ability to assess your individual skills, critical thinking, and personal approach, which are important parts of our selection process.