338 Head of development programmes jobs

This is a particularly exciting time to join the University of Oxford!

As we expand our fundraising activity in support of the  Oxford Excellence campaign, we are growing our senior fundraising capability and are looking for outstanding major gift fundraisers to join Development and Alumni Engagement as Associate Heads of Development.

Location: University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD, with hybrid working options

Salary: Grade 9: £56,623 – £65,336 per annum, with possible extension to £71,218

Contract: Permanent, Full time

About Us

Spanning the historic streets of the "city of dreaming spires", the University of Oxford has been ranked the world's leading university for ten consecutive years. A place where centuries of tradition meet world-changing innovation, we offer you the chance to shape the future while working in an inspiring environment that promotes excellence.

Development and Alumni Engagement works across the University to build lasting relationships with alumni, donors and supporters around the world. As Oxford enters an ambitious period of fundraising growth, our teams will play a central role in connecting people who care deeply about Oxford's mission with opportunities to make an extraordinary difference.

About the Role

As an Associate Head of Development, you will combine major gift fundraising with leadership and strategic influence.

You will personally develop a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, building trusted relationships and securing significant philanthropic support for Oxford's priorities. Working closely with academic leaders, you will translate complex and ambitious ideas into compelling propositions that inspire donors to make high six-figure and seven-figure gifts.

You will also help create the environment in which other fundraisers can succeed: supporting colleagues, strengthening pipelines and contributing to fundraising strategy. You may already have line-management experience, or you may be an accomplished senior fundraiser ready to develop this aspect of your career. What matters most is your fundraising track record, judgement, collaborative approach and potential to lead.

About You

At the heart of your experience will be a strong personal track record in major gifts fundraising, including successfully securing high six-figure and/or seven-figure philanthropic gifts.

You will understand how to build trusted relationships with major donors and prospects, exercise sound judgement around significant gift opportunities, and communicate complex ideas in a way that inspires support. You'll also be comfortable working with senior stakeholders and bring the collaborative approach and leadership potential needed to help others perform at their best.

For the full responsibilities, selection criteria, benefits and further information about working at Oxford and Development and Alumni Engagement, please read the Candidate Pack attached to this advertisement.

Application Process

To apply, please upload:

• Your CV
• A covering letter/supporting statement
• Details of two referees

More information about this recruitment campaign

We are recruiting to multiple Associate Head of Development positions as part of the continued expansion of our fundraising capability.

This is a rolling recruitment campaign rather than recruitment to a single vacancy. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, with interviews taking place throughout the campaign.

We strongly encourage you to apply early. The number of available opportunities will reduce as appointments are made, and the campaign will conclude once all available positions have been filled.

If you are an accomplished major gifts fundraiser excited by the opportunity to help shape Oxford's next era of fundraising, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Fancy helping us deliver some of our most successful fundraising products?

Our regular supporters are essential to delivering our services across the UK and internationally. We’re looking for a Regular Giving Programme Manager to ensure we’re developing innovative new approaches in this area, and existing supporters receive an excellent experience.

What does this role do?

As Regular Giving Programme Manager, you’ll:

• ensure the successful delivery of programmes in the area, which includes our most popular fundraising product Sponsor a Dog, continually analysing and assessing performance, and reviewing plans as necessary,
• develop new product opportunities in the area and maintain existing ones, providing those essential, long-term supporters with an excellent sponsorship experience,
• lead and manage the Regular Giving team, embedding a high-performance culture, and supporting where necessary,
• provide strategic input, insight gathering, and analysis to projects throughout the year.

This role is a fixed term contract from December 2026 to November 2027. Interviews for this role are provisionally scheduled for 12th and 13th October 2026 and will take place on Teams.

Could this be you?

To be successful in this role, you’ll need significant experience in a fundraising role, specifically in individual giving and implementing supporter experience strategies and plans. You’ll be a strong people manager, who is able to coach and manage teams through change, as well as an excellent communicator, who can manage strategic conversations with stakeholders and build relationships internally. Above all, you’ll be passionate about the work we do, and the impact our fundraising can have.

What does this team do?

The Mass Public Fundraising directorate brings in approximately £88m per annum through regular giving, one off gifts, prize led fundraising, community and events and legacy and in memory. Our collective ambition is to build on our already successful portfolio of fundraising products and grow and diversify our income by 25% over the next five years, through engagement and value exchange.

About Dogs Trust

We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.

This exciting new role offers the right candidate the opportunity to lead LBWP's new innovative training and development programme enabling ex-service users to develop the skills to become frontline workers and progress into employment. 

The Programme Manager is responsible for developing and implementing the programme which will run over three years, supporting several cohorts of trainees, working with internal staff and external consultants to deliver the training programme and ensuring all aspects of the programme meet the trainees' needs. 

Essential skilss and experience include:

• Significant experience of managing complex programmes involving service users within a charity or similar
• Experience of supporting and/or directly line managing women from the Global majority with lived experience, sensitively and safely
• Good understanding of specialist domestic violence and abuse services that support the specific needs of Global Majority women and their children
• Experience of developing and implementing new programmes, including new systems, processes, internal and external communications, building positive internal and external partnerships
• Experience of developing qualitative and quantative monitoring systems and effectively implementing themation and meeting deadlines

London Black Women's Project is a specialist ‘by and for’ organisation providing refuge, supported accommodation, and wraparound support programmes for Black and minoritised (Global Majority) women and their children who are survivors of domestic violence and abuse. We work across London in partnership with London boroughs, the specialist women's DV sector, funders and community services to provide holistic wraparound support and advice. 

Lead a respected counselling charity and help shape the future of mental health support in our community.

If you're an inspiring leader who combines strategic thinking with a hands-on approach, this is an opportunity to make a lasting difference. As our new Head of Centre, you'll lead an established, BACP-accredited charity with an excellent reputation for delivering affordable, high-quality counselling and professional training across West Kent and East Sussex.

For almost 40 years, The Counselling Centre has been committed to ensuring that everyone can access professional counselling, regardless of their financial circumstances. We are now looking for an exceptional leader to build on this legacy, strengthening our financial sustainability, developing new partnerships and expanding our impact to meet the growing demand for mental health support.

Reporting to the Chair of the Board of Trustees, you will provide both strategic and operational leadership across the organisation. You'll work closely with our dedicated staff, volunteers and trustees to ensure we continue to deliver outstanding counselling, training and community services while identifying opportunities for growth, innovation and long-term sustainability.

This is a varied and rewarding leadership role. You'll oversee the day-to-day running of the charity, lead financial planning and income generation, develop relationships with funders, commissioners, businesses and community partners, and act as an ambassador for The Counselling Centre across the local area. You'll also champion our values, nurture a positive organisational culture and ensure we continue to meet the highest standards of governance and professional practice.

We're looking for someone who brings senior leadership experience, commercial awareness and a genuine commitment to improving mental health. You'll be an excellent relationship builder with experience of developing partnerships, generating income and leading organisational change. Most importantly, you'll be motivated by our mission and excited by the opportunity to help shape the next chapter of our organisation.

Why join us?

• Lead a respected charity with an outstanding reputation built over almost 40 years.

• Make a genuine difference to the lives of people in your local community.

• Work alongside a committed Board of Trustees, experienced staff and dedicated volunteers.

• Help shape the future direction and growth of an ambitious organisation.

• Enjoy a flexible part-time role (21 hours per week) with hybrid working.

• Competitive salary of circa £50,000–£55,000 per annum pro rata, contributory pension, 25 days' annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays, and Christmas closure.

If you're looking for a leadership role where your strategic vision, commercial skills and passion for community impact can make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a rare opportunity to lead and grow an established, high-performing fundraising team, shaping the next phase of Teens Unite's growth as we enter the most ambitious chapter in our history.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will lead the delivery of an ambitious five-year income strategy that broadens and deepens relationships with major donors, philanthropists, corporate partners and leads the charities capital appeal. You will redefine how the charity approaches modern philanthropy, creating innovative partnerships that generate shared value while increasing both impact and income.

Who we are:

Teens Unite is leading the way in youth cancer support.

We’re an energetic, ambitious and dynamic charity improving the lives of 13-24-year-olds living with, and beyond, cancer. We’re not here to cure cancer. We’re here to empower young people to rebuild their lives and thrive beyond a diagnosis.

As we approach our 20th anniversary, we are entering the most exciting and ambitious chapter in our history.

We have bold plans to treble the number of young people we support, grow our income beyond £3 million per year and open the Home of Teens Unite, England's first purpose-built retreat for teenagers and young adults living with and beyond cancer.

To help us achieve this vision, we are looking for an exceptional fundraising leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as Head of Fundraising & Philanthropy.

This is a rare opportunity to join a charity with a proven model, strong foundations and ambitious growth plans. You'll inherit an experienced and successful fundraising team whilst playing a leading role in shaping the next phase of our development.

Most importantly, you'll help ensure thousands more young people affected by cancer can access the support, experiences and opportunities they deserve and build a facility that will support generations to come.

The role:

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, the Head of Fundraising & Philanthropy will provide strategic leadership across all fundraising activity at Teens Unite.

You will oversee and develop our income generation strategy, ensuring existing income streams continue to grow whilst creating new opportunities for transformational support.                                                                                                           

A key focus of the role will be philanthropy, major donors and capital fundraising.

You will build meaningful relationships with major donors, high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, trusts, corporate supporters and strategic partners, creating opportunities for significant investment in the future of

Teens Unite.

You will also play a central role in securing funding for the Home of Teens Unite, a transformational project that will create England's first dedicated retreat and support centre for young people living with and beyond cancer.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will contribute to wider organisational strategy and help guide the charity through an exciting period of growth and development.

Key Responsibilities:

We're looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with exceptional relationship-building skills. Someone who can inspire supporters, lead a talented team and deliver ambitious growth.

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the development and delivery of Teens Unite's fundraising and philanthropy strategy.
• Develop plans to support the charity's ambition of becoming a £3 million income organisation.
• Identify opportunities for sustainable income growth across all fundraising streams.
• Provide regular fundraising performance updates to the Chief Executive and Board.

Philanthropy & Major Giving

• Build and manage a pipeline of high-net-worth individuals and major supporters.
• Cultivate, solicit and steward significant gifts and long-term philanthropic partnerships.
• Create high-quality donor engagement plans and stewardship programmes.

Capital Appeal Leadership

• Play a leading role in securing funding for the Home of Teens Unite.
• Develop and manage a pipeline of prospects capable of supporting the capital appeal.
• Create compelling cases for support linked to the project.
• Deliver significant philanthropic investment in support of the appeal.

Team Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight, management and support across all income streams.
• Create a positive, high-performing and collaborative culture.
• Ensure individual fundraising strategies align with wider organisational goals.
• Responsible from growing current annual income for £1.4million per annum to £3million per annum over the next 5 years.

Why this role is different:

This isn't a role where you'll inherit a struggling fundraising programme and spend your first year fixing problems. You'll join an organisation with:

• A strong reputation and clear purpose
• A committed and experienced fundraising team
• Existing successful income streams
• Significant growth opportunities An ambitious capital appeal
• Clear board and leadership support
• A vision capable of inspiring major supporters and philanthropists
• You'll have the opportunity to build a major donor programme from the ground up, shape the future fundraising strategy of the organisation and play an integral role in delivering a truly unique national project.

Who you are:

We're looking for an ambitious and relationship-focused fundraising leader who is excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of a growing charity.

You may currently be working as:

• Head of Fundraising
• Senior Philanthropy Manager
• Major Donor ManagerSenior Fundraising Manager

Most importantly, you'll bring:

Essential

• Significant experience in major donor, philanthropy or high-value fundraising.
• A proven track record of identifying and securing five and six-figure gifts.
• Experience managing and developing fundraising teams.
• Strong relationship-building and networking skills.
• Experience building and managing fundraising pipelines with high-net-worth individuals.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• The confidence to engage and build relationships with senior stakeholders and major supporters.
• Experience of capital appeal fundraising.

Desirable

• Experience within youth, health, cancer or social impact organisations.
• Knowledge of trusts and foundations fundraising.

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Direct reports: Trusts & Grants Manager, Events & Challenges Fundraising Team and other fundraising staff as the charity grows

What We Offer:

• Performance-related bonus
• Hybrid and flexible working
• 33 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
• Christmas office closure
• Pension contribution
• Professional development and training
• Recently refurbished offices with free on-site parking
• The opportunity to help shape a nationally significant project and positive change the cancer care landscape for young people.
• Direct access to the Chief Executive and Board

Summary of Key Milestones

We will commence the first round of interviews from Wednesday 30th September

Should a suitable candidate be found prior to the closing date, applications will close early.

Our Vacancy

Join us as a Senior Programme Manager and help shape the future of Peabody's investment into our existing homes. 

What You'll Do

As Senior Programme Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping and overseeing Peabody's investment programmes, helping to ensure our homes receive the right investment at the right time. You'll provide strategic leadership across a diverse portfolio of work, including fire remediation, planned investment and major works, driving effective planning, governance and programme performance.

Working closely with colleagues across the Asset Investment and Fire Remediation Directorate, you'll lead the development of reporting frameworks, performance insights and budget forecasting processes that support informed decision-making at all levels of the organisation.

What You'll Do

• Lead the development of innovative reporting tools, dashboards and performance measures that provide clear visibility of programme delivery. 
• Act as a trusted source of programme data and insights, supporting informed decision-making across the business. 
• Shape investment plans by aligning budgets, grant funding and strategic priorities across our housing portfolio. 
• Oversee grant applications, claims and compliance activity, ensuring funding requirements are met throughout programme lifecycles. 
• Provide governance, assurance and performance oversight across fire remediation, planned investment and major works programmes. 
• Identify programme risks, develop mitigation strategies and monitor strategic KPIs to drive successful delivery. 
• Build strong relationships with Regional Managing Directors, contractors and key stakeholders to support programme objectives. 
• Produce high-quality reports and presentations for senior leadership teams, boards and committees. 
• Drive continuous improvement by implementing new ways of working, improving processes and increasing efficiency across programmes. 
• Lead on funding compliance and forecasting, working closely with Homes England, the GLA and internal teams to maximise investment opportunities and ensure robust regulatory compliance.

What You'll Need

• Significant experience managing complex housing, investment, asset management, major works or fire remediation programmes. 
• Strong experience producing programme reports, performance dashboards and management information. 
• Experience managing budgets, financial forecasting and grant-funded programmes. 
• Knowledge of programme governance, assurance, compliance and risk management. 
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and presentation skills. 
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and provide strategic recommendations. 
• Experience working with senior leaders and presenting information to executive or board-level audiences. 
• Knowledge of Homes England, GLA funding programmes or government grant compliance would be advantageous. 
• A collaborative approach and commitment to delivering positive outcomes for residents.

What We Offer

• 30 days’ annual holiday, plus bank holidays
• Two additional paid volunteering days each year
• Flexible benefits scheme, including family friendly benefits and access to a discount portal
• 4 x salary life assurance
• Up to 10% pension contribution
• Professional development and opportunities to broaden your experience

Why Join Us?

When you join Peabody, you’re joining a team guided by our values, Be Kind, Do the Right Thing, Love New Ideas, Celebrate Diversity, Keep Our Promises, and Pull Together. We believe in creating a workplace where everyone feels supported, included, and empowered.

Please read before applying

Peabody does not provide sponsorship as a licensed UK employer.

This advert will close on Monday 5th October 2026. However, we reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Our Assessment Process

Our fair, inclusive and transparent recruitment process includes an in-person Interview. This will be held at our Westminster Bridge Road office across the weeks commencing 12th and 19th of October 2026.

If you have any questions about this role, please email Talent Specialist, Ryan Loasby.

As our Programmes Officer, you will play a key role in supporting grant partners, community engagement activities and effective grant and event administration. Working closely with colleagues, partners and local communities, you will help ensure our programmes are delivered through strong relationships, accurate records and high-quality administrative support. Your key responsibilities will include:

• Being responsible for the grants administration of 40 Regional Programme partners and grants made in Portsmouth, including ensuring due diligence across governance, finance and safeguarding.
• Providing a first point of contact for Regional Programme and local grant partners.
• Managing grant partnerships, ensuring due diligence is met across governance, finance and safeguarding.
• Supporting local grants, events and community engagement activities in Portsmouth.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with partners, community stakeholders and voluntary sector organisations.
• Maintaining the grants database with accurate and up to date information.

If you are proactive, well organised and dependable, with strong organisational and administrative skills, and a connection to Portsmouth, we'd love to hear from you.

The Sutton Trust is the UK’s leading social mobility charity. Our programmes empower young people to access life-changing opportunities, and our research influences national change to deliver a fairer future.

Over the next year the Trust will celebrate its 30th anniversary and as part of its strategy, we have ambitious plans to grow our access to the workplace programmes in new and innovative ways. We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic Employability Programmes Manager to join our team through this exciting period.

The Trust’s Employability programmes support talented young people from lower income backgrounds to successfully access highly competitive universities, degree apprenticeships and professional careers. Delivered in partnership with the UK’s top universities and major employers the programmes support over 1,000 students each year from across the UK.

The successful candidate will lead on the development of a brand-new Tech and Digital Pathways to the Professions programme due to launch in Sep 2027 working with colleagues across the organisation. They will also manage and deliver, a range of other cohort-based employability programmes delivered both online and in-person. They will join a small and passionate team, led by the Head of Employability Programmes, and will play an important role in contributing to the on-going success of our programme work and industry engagement strategy.

Main duties

This role is responsible for leading on the design, planning and delivery of the new Tech and Digital programme (pre 18), alongside planning delivery for the existing employability programmes including our current Careers Plus (post-18) programmes in the tech & digital sector.

Programmes design and delivery

• Design a suite of interventions and activities for the new Pathways to Tech & Digital programme for launch in September 2027 leveraging our existing Sutton Trust theory of change, previous evaluations and models adapted from existing programmes. The role will work closely with the Senior Employability Manager and other colleagues across the team responsible for employer engagement, evaluation and marketing to ensure successful launch.

• Deliver existing employability programmes including our current Careers Plus (post-18) programme to launch the next cohort in April 2027, liaising with the Alumni team to ensure alignment with overall alumni engagement.

• Plan, project manage and deliver a range of online and in person activities within those employability programmes including launch events, career insight activities, academic taster sessions, skills workshops, group projects, networking, information and advice sessions etc. Some activities will also be in-person at employer partners.

• Liaise with colleagues in the Employer Engagement team to plan and delivery work experience placements, insight days and employer volunteering across programmes.

• Design engagement and comms plans for programmes to ensure strong student engagement and retention

• Work with colleagues to build and manage relationships with industry partners from across a range of sectors, who fund and support delivery across the programmes

• Managepartnerships with external delivery organisations (including universities and 3rdsector facilitators) to ensure the sessions and content of the programmes meet its intended aims

• Ensure all events and activities are risk assessed and delivered in line with both health and safety and safeguarding policies and best practice

• Liaise with colleagues in the evaluation team to manage the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning across programmes supporting strong response rates, stakeholder reporting and adapting programme design and delivery based on feedback.

• Lead programme transition and change, balancing the delivery of existing programmes with the development and implementation of new initiatives

• Manage programme budgets and reporting process

Team responsibilities

• Line manage a Programme Assistant who supports across programmes

• Working with the Development team, manage the evaluation and reporting of programme activities including reporting/presenting to funders

• Other duties as necessary from time to time

Organisational responsibilities:

GDPR

• Being conscious of how the GDPR relate to your area of work

• Monitoring and raising issues or potential issues as they arise

Safeguarding

• Being aware of and actively working to include safeguarding within all aspects of work

• Raising issues or potential issues as they arise

Fundraising

• Acting as a representative and ambassador of the Sutton Trust when interacting with external contacts and particularly (prospective) donors

• Engage with fundraising and/or donor-related activities if required (e.g., contributing to funding proposals, reports or donor meetings)

Health & Safety and Office

• Familiarising yourself with the Trust’s Employee Safety Handbook, and your individual H&S duties and responsibilities.

• Reporting any H&S concerns or issues as they arise, either at home or in the office, as appropriate.

• Being aware of trigger points and informing the Ops team as needed e.g. when moving address or adjusting home workstation setup.

• Ensuring line reports are completing all H&S training.

• Regularly checking in with line reports on any H&S concerns, particularly when lone working/working from home.

• Acting as the Trust’s first point of contact, by providing a responsive and efficient service for general external and internal telephone and email enquiries

HR

• Line managing, motivating and proactively supporting Programmes Assistant: Employability in their professional development

• Following the Trust’s HR policies relating to line management and engaging with relevant processes as necessary

Person Specification

We welcome applications from individuals who have experience in:

• Managing projects/programmes, including event design, planning, administration and delivery

• Developing and launching new programmes or initiatives, using evidence, insight and innovation to deliver high quality programming

• Experience of leading programme change and transition

• Leading young person-facing events and activities, including awareness of best practice in supporting student needs, ideally with experience of digital delivery

• Facilitation of sessions with young people in person or online

• Building and Managing relationships with both contracted and voluntary delivery partners as well as diverse stakeholder groups including corporate or funder relationships;

• Using data to design and deliver programmes

• Monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and administration

• Budget management

• Working within or an understanding of the not for profit sector

We are also looking for an individual who:

• Is sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage

• Demonstrates a high degree of initiative and leadership when delivering projects and events

• Has strong organisational skills including the ability to multi-task and prioritise

• Excellent verbal and written communication and strong analytical skills

• Has first-class interpersonal skills - a natural ambassador able to represent the Sutton Trust in a range of settings

• Is eligible to work in the UK

Terms of Appointment

• Contract: Full-time, Permanent

• Salary: 43,000 - 44,000 per annum

• Working location: Minimum of two office days per week. Our home working policy gives staff the option to work from home for up to 60% of the time, with approval from their line manager.

• Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP.

• Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. This role is likely to also be required to attend events / meetings outside of normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends, in line with organisational policies.

• A DBS check may be required

• Please note that we are unfortunately not a licensed visa sponsor

Interviews

Applications should reach us by Tuesday 29th September, with first round interviews held over Zoom on Wednesday 7th October, and second round interviews held at our London offices on Thursday 15th October.

Safeguarding statement

The Sutton Trust believes that a child, young person or vulnerable adult should never experience abuse of any kind. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Therefore all posts undergo a safer recruitment process, including but not limited to, disclosure of criminal records where necessary and eligibility to work in the UK. We have procedures in place to promote safeguarding and a safe culture at the Trust.

Contextual recruitment

The Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and that all applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including those underrepresented at present at the Trust, to apply for this role. As such we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work and know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the young people we support.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates throughout our recruitment process and during employment.

We also operate contextual recruitment at the Sutton Trust. Our application process gives you the option to include information about your background, such as whether you were eligible for free school meals, whether your parents went to university, or whether you attended a state school. For more examples and information on contextual recruitment, please see our website.

We are seeking a talented Director of Programme Delivery and Operations (maternity cover), fully committed to our widening participation cause, to join the Senior Leadership Team in a pivotal role for a growing and ambitious charity. 

You will have responsibility for ensuring we are providing high quality programme delivery to young people across our centre network, that are centres are functioning effectively, and that targets are monitored and met. And of course, you will need to have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for working with young people and helping them achieve their ambitions.

The Director of Programme Delivery and Operations is a Senior Leadership Team position within the charity and reports into the Chief Operating Officer. The role is responsible for oversight of all centre programme delivery and performance across our network of 44 local learning centres (and growing).

Contract

This is a fixed-term, maternity cover role until at least end of November 2027. This role can be either full-time or part-time (0.8 FTE) - responsibilities will be adjusted proportionally for part-time candidates.

Start date
January 2027 (or as otherwise agreed)

Working hours
Mon and Thurs: 09:30-18:00
Tues, Weds, Fri: 09:00-17:30
We are a delivery organisation providing frontline educational services for young people. We are an organisation with team members at different stages of their career, including many in their first roles: We are committed to nurturing talent and providing a developmental culture for all. Our team works in-person 4 days per week (or 3 days for a 0.8 FTE staff member)
with 1 day working from home. 

Location

The role would be based at one of our IntoUniversity centres in Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, London, Manchester or Nottingham, with regular travel across the network and to our Head Office in London. 

Salary

£62,500 (Plus additional London contribution of £2,800 for London-based candidates). Pro rata for part-time candidate.

Annual leave

This is the full-time staff entitlement and will be pro-rated for part-time staff.

33 days (inc bank & public holidays)
+ 3 closure days (two in December and one in July)
+ additional length of service entitlement
(one day per year of service, up to 5 days)
 

Staff benefits

• Employer pension contributions of 6% (and up to 8% after two years)
• Year round ‘early finish’ Fridays at 4.30pm 
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to medical and legal support 
• Life Assurance scheme with AIG including SmartHealth service with access to 24/7 online GP appointments
• Interest-free new starter loans of up to £1,000 
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Travelcard Loan Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay and sick pay allowances
• Staff in FOCUS – rewards, competitions and prizes across the year

Application deadline - 9am Monday 28th September 2026.

Interview Day (in-person at our Head Office in London) - Wednesday 7th October. Please ensure that you are available on this date.

Independent Age is the national charity working towards ending financial hardship in later life. 

Our Helpline and expert advisers offer free information and advice to older people without enough money to live on, while our external training equips professionals with the information they need to support older people on low incomes. Through our grants programme, we fund and support hundreds of local charities working with older people across the UK.  We use the knowledge and insight gained from our support services and partnerships to highlight the issues experienced by older people in poverty and campaign for change. 

We believe no one should face financial hardship in later life. We would love to find individuals from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us on this journey.

Responsibilities and Person Specification:

As Head of Services Development, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Independent Age’s services and maximising our impact for older people facing financial hardship. Reporting to the Director of Services, you will lead service development, innovation, quality, evaluation and strategic change across our service provision (information, advice and external training) ensuring they remain effective, evidence-led and responsive to changing needs. Working closely with colleagues across the charity and external partners, you will translate strategy into practical improvements, develop new opportunities for impact and collaboration, and embed a culture of continuous learning, improvement and innovation.

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

We're looking for a strategic and collaborative leader with experience of leading complex projects, organisational change and service improvement programmes. 

You will be skilled at turning strategy into delivery, bringing together people from different teams and disciplines to develop practical solutions that improve outcomes. You will be comfortable using data, insight and evidence to drive decision-making and have a track record of stakeholder engagement and identifying opportunities for innovation and growth. 

You will also bring experience of impact measurement, evaluation, quality assurance or performance frameworks, with the ability to use evidence to demonstrate value and improve services. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential, alongside the confidence to influence senior stakeholders and work across organisational boundaries. An understanding of the needs of older people, the wider ageing sector and the role that data, learning and collaboration play in delivering social impact would be advantageous.

For full details on the role and requirements, please review the job description and person specification.  If your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all of the criteria in the person specification but you do meet most of them and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. 

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

What it’s like to work at Independent Age:

We celebrate diversity at Independent Age and champion the differences that make each of us unique. We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We aim to attract and retain a wide range of talent and create an environment where everyone can feel safe, protected, welcome and included.

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

We know that a good work life balance helps us perform at our best and supports wellbeing. Flexible working hours and hybrid working is standard for all (those contracted to work in the office usually attend 1 day per week). But if you need a different form of flexibility, we are always happy to talk flexible working. 

With an employee engagement score of 98%, colleagues say Independent Age is a great place to work. You can find out more about what it’s like to work at Independent Age on the careers page of our website.

Application Process:

To apply, please submit a CV and a Supporting Statement, detailing how your skills and experience meet the criteria within the Job Description and Person Specification, by visiting our jobs website.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you require any specific arrangements or adjustments to enable you to fully participate in the recruitment process, such as having the job description in a larger text format or to apply in an alternative format, please get in touch with us via the email address on the ‘Contact Us’ page on our jobs site. 

To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion our hiring managers use anonymous shortlisting. Please don’t include your name, photo, or any information that could indicate your gender or age in your CV and supporting statement, and don’t include your name in the title of any documents that you upload. However, please do include all dates of employment.  

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

Closing Date: Friday 25 September at 11:59pm

Interview Dates: Monday 12 October at our London office, 18 Avonmore Road W14 8RR

Are you an experienced operational leader who thrives on making organisations run brilliantly behind the scenes?

Southwark Charities is entering an exciting new chapter. With a £100m property portfolio, a growing grant programme and the development of 64 new almshouses, we're looking for an exceptional Head of Resources to lead the systems and processes that keep our charity strong.

Reporting to the CEO, you'll oversee finance, HR, IT, governance, property compliance, contracts and organisational systems, ensuring the charity operates efficiently, remains compliant and is well positioned for future growth. You'll work in a small, dedicated team while working closely with colleagues to deliver outstanding services for older people across Southwark.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys improving processes, managing change and finding practical solutions. You'll bring experience in operations, finance or corporate services, excellent organisational skills and the confidence to work across multiple disciplines.

If you're looking for a varied senior role where your expertise will have a direct impact on people's lives and the future of a respected historic charity, we'd love to hear from you.

Cure Parkinson’s is looking for an experienced events professional to join our Research Team and take charge of our programme of research workshops and conferences, both for the scientific community and for lay/patient supporters of the charity. This is an exciting time to join the team as we restructure our event offering and grow our programme of activity.

As our Scientific Programmes Manager you will have a degree in life sciences, with experience in neuroscience an advantage. You will have significant experience in planning, co-ordinating and delivering scientific programmes events, meetings and conferences (in-person, hybrid and virtual). You will be adept at liaising with and growing a research community and be skilled at speaking to and writing for both lay and scientific audiences.

Head of Strategic Programmes

Help shape the future of the Church across Sussex.

We are seeking an experienced strategic leader to oversee an ambitious portfolio of programmes designed to help churches and communities flourish and grow.

Position: Head of Strategic Programmes

Location: Hove/Hybrid

Salary: £61,149 per annum

Contract: Fixed term until 31 December 2030, with the possibility of extension

Closing Date: 11 October 2026

Interview Date: Hove on 30 October 2026

About the Role

Working closely with the Diocesan Secretary, Bishops, Archdeacons and other senior leaders, you will lead the delivery and continued development of the Diocesan Growth Strategy.

You will provide strategic oversight of major programmes and projects with a combined budget exceeding £10 million. This includes leading a multidisciplinary team, strengthening programme governance and ensuring investment delivers measurable mission impact.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the delivery and development of a portfolio of strategic programmes and projects
• Translating diocesan priorities into achievable plans and measurable outcomes
• Overseeing programme governance, performance reporting, risk management and evaluation
• Managing programme budgets, resources and delivery
• Leading, supporting and developing the Strategic Programmes team
• Building effective relationships with parishes, clergy, diocesan boards, senior leaders and national church partners
• Providing clear analysis, reports and recommendations to support strategic decision-making

About You

You will be a wise, experienced and collaborative leader who can work strategically within a complex, faith-based organisation.

You will have:

• Significant experience of leading large and complex programmes
• Experience of working with a diverse range of stakeholders
• Strong engagement and influencing skills at all levels
• Experience of managing budgets, resources and programme performance
• Excellent analytical, communication and report-writing skills
• The ability to turn strategic priorities into practical plans
• The confidence and judgement to work effectively with senior leaders
• The enthusiasm and self-motivation to lead and inspire others

A Genuine Occupational Requirement applies under paragraph 1 of Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010, and the successful candidate must be a practising Christian.

Full details can be found in the job description and person specification when you apply.

About the Organisation

The vision of the Diocese is to help people to know, love and follow Jesus. Based in Hove and serving the people of Sussex across more than 360 parishes and 154 church schools and the wider community, this is a great role for someone who supports the ethos, aims and objectives of the Diocese and the Church of England.

As an employer, and as a team, the mutual values at work are to be Respectful, Professional, Flexible and Supportive.

What is on offer:

• 28 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays and two privilege days per year
• Membership of the Church Worker’s Pension Scheme with a 15.1% employer contribution and an employee contribution between 0 and 6%
• Employee Assistance Programme with access to GP appointments, counselling and financial and legal support
• Flexible working, free parking, a ride to work scheme and development opportunities

Our client is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment and comply with the relevant safeguarding policy. This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check and completion of the Church of England Confidential Declaration Form.

Other roles you may have experience of could include Head of Programmes, Director of Programmes, Strategic Programmes Manager, Programme Director, Head of Strategy, Portfolio Director, Transformation Director or Head of Strategic Development.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, Not For Profit People. #INDNFP

Help Shape a Brighter Future for Bedford

Do you have the vision to turn great ideas into impactful programmes? Are you committed to creating opportunities for children and young people, and helping communities to thrive?

The Harpur Trust is a charitable organisation that operates four leading independent schools, delivers a substantial community grants programme and sponsors the Heart Academies Trust. With more than 1,200 employees, we invest in education, community development and initiatives that improve life chances across Bedford Borough.

We are also a founding partner and host of Bedford Giving, a movement of businesses, charities and other partners, who have all come together to form Bedford Giving to help create a brighter future for the next generation in Bedford.

We're looking for a dynamic Programmes and Grants Manager to play a central role in delivering these missions. This is a unique opportunity to join a respected local charity and help shape the future of Bedford Giving.

About the Role

As Programmes and Grants Manager, you will lead the development, commissioning and management of high-impact programmes and partnerships across The Harpur Trust and Bedford Giving.

You'll take ideas from concept to delivery, identifying community needs, researching solutions, commissioning services, managing partnerships and ensuring programmes achieve meaningful outcomes.

This is a varied and rewarding role combining strategy, programme development, stakeholder engagement, grant-making and contract management.

You'll work closely with senior leaders, trustees, community organisations and delivery partners, helping to ensure that every pound invested delivers maximum impact.

About You

We're looking for someone who combines strong project or programme management skills with a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for children, young people and communities.

You will bring:

• Experience of programme development, commissioning, grant-making or service delivery within the charitable, public or voluntary sector.

• Strong project and contract management skills.

• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder engagement abilities.

• Confidence managing multiple priorities and delivering work to a high standard.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• A proactive, solutions-focused approach and a willingness to take initiative.

• A passion for creating positive social impact.

Why Join Us?

At The Harpur Trust, you'll be part of an organisation with a long history of investing in people and communities.

In return, we offer:

• A competitive salary up to £40,000.

• The opportunity to influence programmes that improve lives across Bedford.

• A supportive and collaborative working environment.

• Professional development and learning opportunities.

• Generous pension and employee benefits.

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements where appropriate.

• The chance to work with inspiring partners across the charity, education and community sectors.

Interested?

Find out more by viewing the full job description and click on apply to find out where to send your CV and covering letter.