Head of policy poverty jobs

About ELBA

ELBA is a leading social regeneration charity in east London. Our mission is to develop employee volunteering and employment initiatives to decrease poverty, improve social mobility and increase equality for communities in east London and beyond. We facilitate corporate support from over 100 organisations into our community, education and employment programmes.

With over 35 years of experience enabling successful partnerships between businesses and communities, ELBA engages over 16,000 corporate employees in volunteer programmes annually that support employment, education and community initiatives. In 2024 the Community Works programme supported over 250 charities and social enterprises through engaging employee volunteers in practical and skills-based volunteering opportunities.

Purpose of the job

The Education Programme at ELBA seeks to raise aspirations of young people, develop their business awareness, and support their employability competencies. Our work involves supporting secondary schools, colleges and universities, predominately through events bringing volunteers together from our corporate partners with local students to support the development of their employability skills and to raise aspirations. Working closely with ELBA’s corporate partners, the team engage students in various opportunities supporting Gatsby Benchmarks 5 & 6.

The role

This role will involve managing relationships with secondary schools, colleges, universities and ELBA corporate partner companies, providing vital support to coordinate and run events of varying scales throughout the academic year. This also includes supporting Mentoring Works, a programme that has been running since 1996 and connects Year 10 and Sixth Form/college students to volunteer business mentors working in the City and Canary Wharf. Taking the relationship lead for a number of our education institutions and corporate partners, the successful candidate will manage these relationships and ensure successful outcomes.

Job Description

Relationship Management

• Develop and manage strong relationships with education partners, this can include recruiting students for Mentoring Works and planning a calendar of events with Career Departments.
• Manage event requests from both education and corporate partners
• Run cross school projects throughout the year with multiple schools taking part
• Support the account management process of corporate partners by attending meetings with the wider account management team
• As a success indicator, consistently secure and maintain high satisfaction ratings from education and corporate partners, ensuring a positive experience for all stakeholders and volunteers.

Delivery

• Deliver projects and activities for educational institutions in line with the priorities and opportunities identified.
• Create and develop materials and resources, share best practice and design new programmes in line with changing priorities.
• Lead on development and delivery of group activities to support the Mentoring Works programme and feedback sessions with students
• Work proactively with CSR departments and other contacts within ELBA corporate partners to promote and enable delivery of projects/activities.
• Promote safety and wellbeing of students at all times and to follow ELBA’s safeguarding policies and have full regard of the policies of the schools and colleges engaged in ELBA programmes
• As a success indicator, ensure the execution of project milestones by consistently meeting or exceeding delivery timelines and stakeholder requirements.

Communication, reporting and evaluation

• All ELBA employees are required to use Salesforce as a record of activity. Training will be provided. Update Salesforce with all activity in line with agreed timescales, share updates with partners on activity.
• Support the Comms team as required
• Implement agreed evaluation and impact measurement tools for each project/activity
• Regularly write case studies, newsletter stories to showcase the impact of the education programme
• As a success indicator, produce comprehensive annual impact reports for partner schools, colleges, and universities, translating activity data into actionable insights that demonstrate programme value and success.

General

• Represent and act as an ELBA ambassador at meetings, social events and functions when required
• Attend ELBA team meetings, collaborate with other ELBA colleagues on projects where appropriate and contribute to the development of ELBA as an organisation
• Adhere to relevant policies including equal opportunities and health and safety

We are looking for a new CEO to lead Surrey ommunity Action into a bright and exciting future, where the voluntary sector and communities of Surrey are helped to survice and thrive.

Surrey Community Action

Chief Executive Officer

35 hours per week, mostly office based but with some scope for working remotely.

Based in Burpham, Guildford, Surrey

The role is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

£62,000 for a 35-hour week

5% employers pension contribution

25 days annual leave plus three days over Christmas

Employee Assistance Programme

About Surrey Community Action

Surrey Community Action supports Surrey’s voluntary sector, the diverse communities of Surrey, and other organisations who seek to work with either. We ensure that non-voluntary sector stakeholders understand the value of our sector and how to work together to achieve shared objectives. We provide services to Surrey’s voluntary sector that increase their effectiveness or fill gaps in their capability, capacity, and resilience. Services to the Surrey’s Communities and we provide services directly to Surrey’s communities that support community action and address unsupported needs.

About The Role

We are seeking a new Chief Executive to join us at an ideal time to complete and implement our emerging new strategy and direct Surrey Community Action into a bright future.

As Chief Executive Officer, you will have the scope and authority to shape strategy, influence policy, empower Surrey’s voluntary sector, and champion rural communities, working closely with a committed Board, and experienced staff team.

You will be the organisation’s lead ambassador, building trusted relationships with partners, funders and decision‑makers, and ensuring the organisation’s voice is heard at local, regional and national level.

You will also play a critical role in leading change and transformation within the charity - strengthening systems, diversifying income and evolving how the organisation works so it remains resilient, relevant and impactful in a fast‑changing environment.

This is a role for someone who enjoys balancing big‑picture thinking with practical delivery, and who can bring people with them through periods of transition.

If you are motivated to improve the capability, capacity and resilience of the Surrey’s voluntary sector, communities and residents; if you thrive in complex and changing stakeholder environments; and if you are excited by the challenge of leading an organisation through its next phase of growth and influence, this role is for you.

No two days will be the same, but there are some core parts of this role.

• Strategic Leadership & Organisational Direction
• You will lead the delivery of a clear, compelling organisational strategy, adapting it in response to an evolving operating environment and ensuring the organisation remains agile, future‑focused and well positioned within the voluntary and community sectors.
• Board Partnership & Governance
• You will work collaboratively with the Board of Trustees, providing high‑quality insight, advice and assurance on strategy, finance, risk, governance and compliance, and then supporting effective Board decision‑making through clear reporting, analysis and professional guidance.
• Leadership of People & Culture
• You will lead, inspire and support the staff team through a transparent, inclusive and empowering management style, creating a high‑performance culture rooted in trust, accountability, equality, diversity and wellbeing.
• Change Management & Organisational Development
• You will be a skilled change manager, leading transformation in response to evolving funding landscapes, policy shifts, technology and community needs, designing and implementing systems, structures and processes that strengthen organisational effectiveness and resilience.
• Ambassadorial Role, Advocacy & External Relations
• You will be the public face of the organisation, representing it with credibility, passion and authority, and building strong, influential relationships with funders, partners, policymakers, communities and stakeholders.

About You

The purpose of the Chief Executive Officer’s role is to guide and plan the strategic development and overall direction of the organisation, providing strong leadership and co-ordination to ensure the aims, strategic objectives and priorities of the organisation are achieved.

To do this, we need someone who embodies the following attributes, skills and experience.

You will have:

• Senior leadership experience within a voluntary, community, public or values‑led organisation, with accountability for strategy, performance and resources.
• Proven experience of working effectively with a Board or trustees
• Demonstrable success in leading and managing organisational change, including restructuring, service development or cultural transformation.
• Experience in fundraising, income generation and business development
• Experience of financial leadership, including budgeting, financial planning, income generation and managing funding agreements or contracts.
• A strong track record of external engagement, partnership working and representation at senior level.
• People management experience, supporting a compact team delivering diverse projects.
• Excellent communication skills (including social media) and governance literacy.
• It will be a distinct advantage to have familiarity with Local Government Reorganisation and devolution, ideally in a county like Surrey.

You will be:

• Motivated, motivating and dynamic
• An effective communicator (including social media) with good network contacts, especially in the VCSE sector and across local government
• A strong team builder, able to develop, encourage and support colleagues in making the most of their experience and skillsets and to feel confident in their abilities
• A visionary leader who is able to embrace and manage change through strategic creativity and innovation, while also able to pay attention to detail when necessary.
• Ideally, you will also be able to demonstrate understanding of charity governance, compliance and safeguarding.
• Calm and confident under pressure with an evidence-based approach to prioritising finite resources.

These attributes, skills and experience will make you stand out, but even if you do not match all the criteria below, we still want to hear about you and what you can offer.

The Nuts and Bolts

The role is a permanent contract for 35 hours per week, mostly office based but with some scope for working remotely.

Our offices are in Guildford, Surrey

We are committed to continued professional development and will support you to develop your skills even further.

The role is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

The salary for this post is £62,000 for a 35-hour week.

We also offer:

• 5% employers pension contribution
• Employee Assistance Programme
• 25 days holiday with an additional three days between Christmas and New Year, as well as all English Bank Holidays

We can only accept applications from candidates with the right to work in the UK.

Job Title: Communications Manager

Location: Hybrid UK based with travel to London Office once a month. 

Reports to: Head of Fundraising and Communications

Salary: £40,000

Who we are.

Chance for Childhood has a vision of a world in which every childhood is filled with safety, belonging and play. We fight for children across Africa to lead independent lives through urgent action in education, health and economic resilience.

We work in four African countries (Ghana, the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda) and we are carving out a niche as experts in inclusive education and safe spaces for children in vulnerable situations.

In 2022, we launched the #OverExposed campaign to advocate for ethical imagery and storytelling in the fundraising and marketing materials of international development charities. In 2025, the campaign is still going strong and providing opportunities to keep this important topic on the agenda in the development sector.

Your role.

As the Communications Manager, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering the charity’s communications strategy to raise awareness, increase engagement, and grow support for our vital work. You will manage all external communications across multiple platforms, including social media, website, email marketing, and events, ensuring a consistent and compelling brand voice. You will work closely with the Individual Giving Manager and Fundraising Officer to drive impactful campaigns. Additionally, you will play an essential role in promoting and protecting the charity's brand.

Note on AI applications.

AI is a useful tool but please be aware that it can be reasonably easy to spot when an applicant has copied and pasted directly from ChatGPT. In this role you will not be discouraged from using AI, but you will be expected to write creatively, persuasively and to a high standard yourself. Please use your application as an opportunity to show us that you can do this!

Duties:  

1. Social Media and Content Creation:

• Plan, write, and schedule content for all social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok), ensuring timely and engaging posts.
• Manage and monitor social media engagement, responding to comments and messages.
• Develop and implement a strategy for growing social media followers and increasing engagement.
• Create high-quality multimedia content (stories, infographics, videos) to support campaigns and events.

2. Website and Email Marketing:

• Oversee and manage content updates on the charity’s website, ensuring it is up-to-date, user-friendly, and SEO optimised.
• Write compelling blog posts, news stories, and case studies for the website.
• Work with the Individual Giving Manager to develop and manage email marketing campaigns, including newsletters, donor updates, and appeals, to drive engagement and donations.
• Use analytics tools to track and report on the performance of email and web campaigns, optimising content for better results.

3. Campaigns, Advocacy and Events:

• Collaborate with the Individual Giving Manager and Fundraising Officer to develop and execute communications strategies for fundraising campaigns and events.
• Support the promotion of Challenge Events through creative content and social media.
• Create campaign materials and event collateral, ensuring alignment with the charity’s brand.
• Advocate for ethical storytelling practices by leading our #OverExposed campaign aimed at other charities in the sector

4. Brand Management:

• Ensure all communications align with the charity’s brand guidelines and tone of voice.
• Act as a brand guardian, ensuring consistency across all marketing channels and materials.
• Work with external designers, photographers, and agencies as needed to produce high-quality branded materials.

5. Team Collaboration:

• Provide guidance, support, and feedback to enhance the confidence of local project teams to produce quality communications, in alignment with Chance for Childhood’s shifting power approach and broader 2030 strategy.
• Work with programme staff to gather key project updates and ensure a steady stream of impactful stories from our work to be used in fundraising and communications materials
• Collaborate with other teams across the organisation to support cross-functional projects and activities.
• Coordinate internal stakeholders including programmes, finance, fundraising and Trustees to oversee the writing, design and publication of the Annual Report

6. Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Regularly track and analyse communications and marketing metrics across all platforms, adjusting strategies based on performance.
• Provide reports on social media, website, and campaign performance to senior leadership.

Person Specification:

• Committed to the values of Chance for Childhood, including ethical storytelling and shifting power to local communities
• Motivated by working towards a wide range of positive outcomes for children in vulnerable situations, including facilitating access to physiotherapy and rehabilitation for children with disabilities, educational opportunities for displaced and conflict-affected children, and developing sustainable livelihoods for families in poverty
• Proven experience in a communications role, ideally in the charity or nonprofit sector.
• Strong copywriting skills with the ability to create engaging content across multiple platforms.
• Experience managing social media platforms, scheduling content, and growing engagement.
• Knowledge of website content management systems (WordPress) and SEO principles.
• Experience with email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp) 
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Experience working on brand management and promotional campaigns.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively and manage a remote team member.

Desirable:

• Experience working with international teams and understanding of crosscultural communication.
• Basic design skills (e.g., Canva,) for content creation.
• Knowledge of Google Analytics and social media management tools (e.g. Buffer).

What We Offer:

• Flexible working arrangements.
• Opportunities for professional development and international travel.
• Being part of a passionate and committed team working to make a difference for vulnerable children.

How to Apply:

To apply, please send the following documents:

1. Your CV
2. A covering letter of no longer than 2-pages illustrating how your skills and experience make you the right person for the role

Timeline

Deadline for applications: Sunday 5th April 

Recruitment timeline:

Thursday 8th and Friday 9th April: First interviews (online)

Wednesday 15th April: In-person interviews (Old Street, London)

An offer will be made shortly thereafter.

Chance for Childhood is committed to creating an inclusive working environment, promoting and providing equal opportunities in employment. 

We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, LGBT+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as these are underrepresented at Chance for Childhood.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK. A Police criminal record check will be required for this post, as part of Chance for Childhood's commitment to child protection, as outlined in our Safeguarding and PSEA Policy, which all staff are required to sign and adhere to. 

Chance for Childhood is committed to safeguarding everyone we encounter. We have a zero tolerance policy towards any abuse, neglect, and exploitation of all people. Everyone that works with us is required to share and uphold this commitment through signing and complying with our Global Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. We will conduct the most appropriate preemployment checks are undertaken to ensure high standards are maintained, including a police check or equivalent and references.

As Communications Manager, you will play a central role in shaping how London Youth engages with the audiences that matter most. Sitting within the Fundraising and Communications Directorate, you will lead the day-to-day delivery of London Youth's digital communications, ensuring our work, impact and voice reach young people, members, funders, partners and policymakers in compelling and meaningful ways. 

You will oversee London Youth's key digital channels, including social media, our website and newsletter marketing, ensuring they are engaging accessible and aligned with organisational priorities. Through strong editorial judgement, a creative mindset, and a clear understanding of our audiences, you will translate programmes, policy work and youth activities into clear, engaging communications that inspire action and strengthen London Youth's profile and influence. 

Working closely with colleagues across programmes, membership, policy, fundraising and our outdoor centres, you will help ensure the outcomes and impact of London Youth's work are effectively communicated throughout the year. You will support colleagues to plan and deliver communications activities that strengthen engagement with our network, build awareness of the youth sector, and support fundraising and partnership objectives. 

As a key brand guardian for the organisation, you will help embed London Youth's visual identity and tone of voice across the organisation and our network. Through guidance, training and collaboration, you will equip colleagues with the tools and confidence to communicate consistently and effectively on behalf of London Youth. 

You will also play a leading role in developing and improving London Youth's digital presence. By analysing performance and staying abreast of emerging digital trends, you will recommend new approaches to content, campaigns, and audience engagement that enhance the reach and effectiveness of our communications. 

Alongside demonstrating the value and impact of youth work in London, your work will help ensure London Youth remains a trusted, visible, and compelling voice for young people and the youth organisations that support them.

What you will be doing 

• Manage the planning and delivery of London Youth's day-to-day communications activity across our owned digital channels, including our social media platforms, website and newsletter communications to ensure they remain engaging and aligned with our priorities. 
• Support the development and delivery of London Youth's organisational communications strategy, helping to plan and coordinate communications activity across the year - managing the organisation's communications calendar to ensure key programmes, campaigns, policy activity and partnerships are effectively communicated to the right audiences. 
• Create and commission engaging digital content across formatsC, including social media assets, photography, blogs, video and web content. Through thoughtful editorial planning, you will identify opportunities to showcase the voices of young people, showcase our members' work, and demonstrate the impact of London Youth's programmes and partnerships. 
• Manage and development London Youth's website, working with colleagues to ensure content remains accurate, accessible, aligned with our priorities, and inspires action. You will oversee improvements to the website's structure, user experience and performance, working with external agencies to maintain and develop the platform. 
• Own our newsletter marketing and audience engagement activity, working collaboratively with colleagues to develop targeted communications that build and maintain strong relationships with members, supporters, partners and other stakeholders. 
• Be a brand guardian for London Youth to help ensure consistent, high-quality application of our visual and verbal identity, providing guidance and training to colleagues across the organisation, including our outdoor learning centres, helping our team communicate effectively and confidently while maintaining brand consistency. 
• Build and manage productive relationships with creative freelancers, agencies and digital partners to deliver high-quality content and campaigns. You will help identify when external expertise is needed to ensure our partnerships deliver value and impact. 
• Monitor and analyse the performance of our communications activity across digital channels, using data and insights to inform ongoing improvements, and identify opportunities to strengthen audience engagement and refine our approach to content and campaigns. 
• Support the delivery of communications activity linked to key organisational priorities, events and campaigns. Working collaboratively with colleagues across programmes, membership, fundraising and policy, you will also help identify opportunities for young people and members to contribute to and shape our communications. 
• Contribute to key organisational publications and projects, including our annual impact reporting and flagship events such as our AGM and London Youth Awards, ensuring communications activity helps strengthen London Youth's profile and engagement with key audiences. 

What you bring to the role 

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven experience managing digital communications channels, including social media platforms, websites and newsletter marketing. 
• Experience developing, designing and delivering engaging digital content and campaigns that reach and resonate with diverse audiences. 
• Experience producing high-quality written content across formats, including social media, blogs, newsletters and websites. 
• Deep understanding of digital communications trends, audience engagement and best practice across social and web platforms. 
• Experience managing website content and structure, ideally using content management systems such as WordPress.
• Experience analysing communications performance and using insights to improve reach, engagement and impact. 
• Experience working collaboratively across teams to translate organisational priorities, programmes or policy work into engaging communications. 
• Experience working with external agencies, creative freelancers or digital partners to deliver communications projects alongside in-house creative projects. 
• Experience supporting or embedding organisational brand guidelines and communications standards.
• Experience producing high-quality digital and print assets and templates using tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and Adobe Express. 
• Experience working in the charity, youth or voluntary sector, or an understanding of mission-led organisations. 

Attributes and Behaviours 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and engagingly for different audiences. 
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines. 
• Confident building collaborative working relationships with colleagues, partners and external stakeholders. 
• Sound editorial judgement and attention to detail. 
• Ability to work on your own initiative and as part of a team in a fast-moving environment. 
• Curiosity about digital trends and attention to detail. 
• Commitment to ensuring young people's voices are reflected authentically. 
• Commitment to strengthening London's youth sector and the organisations that support young people. 
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends when required. 
• Understanding and supporting the vision, mission and aims of London Youth. 

Demonstrate living our values of being: 

• Ambitious 
• Collaborative 
• Inclusive 
• Accountable 

Why work at London Youth

• Generous holiday allowance - 39 days paid holiday each year (including bank holidays and closure days). If you work part-time, your holiday allowance will be proportional based on
  your working hours.
• Employer 4% pension contribution.
• Additional leave granted to support voluntary activity.
• Free Health Care Cash Plan.
• Free access for you and your family to the Employee Assistance Programme.
• Free access to the 'Headspace' app for you and your family. 
• Free access to the Charity Mentoring Network, as a mentor or mentee.
• Flexible working opportunities considered.
• You will be working with a fantastic team of passionate colleagues across London Youth.
• You will be making a difference to the lives of young people.

Head of  Acquisition

When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.

Role Title: Head of Acquisition
Salary: £56574 to £58,221
Location: Hybrid: London or Chard, Somerset
Tenure: fixed term - 1 year

ActionAid UK is a member of the ActionAid Federation, an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty. We work with our partners and dedicated staff in 43 countries to end violence and fight poverty so that all women, everywhere, can create the future they want

Are you a keen advocate of women and girls’ rights in emergencies? 

Are you  a strategic leader with exceptional acquisition expertise and a commitment to feminist principles and anti‑racist practice

Then we'd love to hear from you!

The Head of Acquisition provides strategic leadership for ActionAid UK’s supporter acquisition programme, shaping and delivering multi‑channel campaigns that bring new supporters into our movement and help drive long‑term organisational impact.
You will develop and oversee a bold, insight‑driven acquisition strategy, ensuring alignment with our mission and 2025–2028 organisational goals. You will lead a high‑performing team and collaborate widely across Public Fundraising, Digital, Stories, Media, Data & Insight and Supporter Operations.

Key areas of responsibility include:

Strategic Leadership

Lead the development of a compelling, data‑driven acquisition strategy and multi‑channel portfolio (including digital, DRTV, face‑to‑face, door drops and inserts).
Develop strong business cases for investment and innovation.
Work closely with the Head of Retention to ensure cohesive supporter journeys and integrated fundraising communications.

Team Leadership & People Management

Build and nurture a motivated, values‑driven team, ensuring coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
Champion feminist leadership behaviours and ActionAid UK values across all work.

Operational Excellence

Lead the planning, management and evaluation of end‑to‑end acquisition campaigns.
Oversee budgeting, reforecasting, KPIs and performance reporting.
Ensure compliance with relevant fundraising regulations and data protection requirements.
Build strong, effective relationships with agencies, suppliers and internal partners.

Insight, Innovation & Continuous Improvement

Work closely with the Data & Insight team to ensure acquisition performance is measured rigorously and learning is embedded.
Drive innovation in channels, propositions and products, ensuring best practice and continuous improvement.

You will bring:

• Extensive experience leading high‑performing acquisition or direct marketing programmes across multiple channels.
• A track record of delivering substantial growth, innovation and strong ROI.
• Experience building and managing significant budgets.
• Strong analytical and data‑interpretation skills.
• Excellent relationship‑building skills and experience working with agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, support and inspire a team.
• Commitment to ActionAid UK’s mission, feminist principles, safeguarding standards, anti‑racist values and data protection responsibilities.

Experience working with women’s rights organisations or the “Global South” is highly desirable.

Additional information

Diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging:

Diversity, inclusion and belonging are key to our organisational culture. We are on a journey to become not only an anti-racist organisation but one that proudly celebrates the diversity of all applicants and employees. We look forward to you bringing your full self to work, proudly sharing your unique perspective and helping us to shape our combined future. We especially welcome applications from those from under-represented/marginalised communities.

AAUK is a Disability Confident Committed organisation and as such any candidate that declares a disability will be shortlisted for interview if they meet the essential criteria for the role.

Referencing and safeguarding:

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, safeguarding, criminal records and terrorism finance checks. By submitting an application the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures. 

ActionAid UK is committed to preventing any form of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse (including child abuse and adult at-risk abuse) and responding robustly when these harms take place. We expect all ActionAid UK staff and ActionAid UK representatives to share this commitment. We will not tolerate our staff or other representatives carrying out any form of sexual harassment, exploitation or abuse towards anyone we come into contact with through our work. 

Working practices:

ActionAid is committed to supporting flexible working. If you would like to discuss flexible working options, including the possibility of a job share for this role, there will be space to do so during the interview process.

ActionAid UK has a hybrid working policy for many of our roles. The requirement will vary from team to team and the responsibilities of individual roles. As a minimum, all colleagues are expected to attend the office 12 days per year, plus additional time for induction, training, and company connection days. Some roles may require in-office attendance on all days and if so, these will clearly be marked as in-office roles.

Please note that ActionAid UK does not offer fully remote working options. We encourage you to discuss hybrid working expectations at interview.

Recruitment processes:

Please note that ActionAid UK may review, shortlist and interview candidates prior to the closing date so we encourage all candidates to apply as soon as possible. If we receive a very high response, we may close the vacancy early and will not accept further submissions. Vacancies close at 23:55pm 

Salary: £62,651 per annum

Contract Type:                         Fixed Term Contract – Maternity Cover (up to 12 months)

Closing date:                         12 April 2026 at 11pm

Interview date:                      4 – 15 May 2026

About CARE

CARE International is a global humanitarian organisation leading the fight to end poverty in the world’s most challenging situations. Women and girls are at the centre of our work, because we cannot overcome poverty and inequality until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We know that when a crisis erupts, women are often the first to pick up the pieces, so we work alongside women, so they have the power to make change where it’s needed most. Founded in 1945, CARE currently works in over 100 countries and last year alone reached 53.4 million people through nearly 1,500 projects.

Why work for CARE International UK?

CARE International UK is currently developing its new 4-year Strategy working within the CARE International Vision 2030, which will launch in July 2026. The strategy will build on our focus on women’s leadership in crisis, seeking to work more directly with women’s rights/women-led organisations. The post-holder will be joining us just as we begin implementing the strategy, and this will be an exciting time to shape new and evolving ways of working with women’s rights activists from across the globe. The Advocacy and Influencing team are central to achieving the goals of the strategy by encouraging the UK  Government and other UK-based stakeholders to use their power on the world stage to counter the rollback on women’s rights.

The Head of Advocacy and Influencing is a key organisational leadership role and will be part of the CIUK Extended Leadership Team working with other heads of team and the senior leadership team to help run the organisation effectively and deliver the 4-year strategy.

About you

You will have significant experience of advocacy and/or public affairs with a track record of driving strategies that achieve measurable policy, attitude or legislative change. You will be a strategic thinker with excellent communication skills in English, and the ability to translate complex issues into plain English. You will have experience of project management and preferably budget management, particularly team or donor-funded project management. You will be media trained and confident speaking to and influencing a range of external senior stakeholders.

In past roles, you will have line managed colleagues and may have managed teams, and will know how to work with others, including in coalition with other organisations, to design and deliver advocacy campaigns. You will understand how to motivate your team to deliver against an organizational strategy. Your leadership style will be aligned with CIUK’s feminist leadership principles and values. You will have strong understanding of, and preferably experience working on, international development issues, in particular with reference to gender equality.

About the role

The Head of Advocacy and Influencing is a leadership role with significant responsibility for external analysis and positioning for CIUK - including through regular updates to the board Impact and Transformation Committee. The role is responsible for providing strategic direction for CIUK and CI’s advocacy and influencing and leading the team to deliver UK and globally facing advocacy campaigns. The role is responsible for ensuring high quality publications and managing sign off and profile risks as part of CIUK’s risk management strategy. The Head of Advocacy and Influencing will also act as a senior external spokesperson for the organization to the media, parliament and public events. The role has significant responsibility for positioning and meeting expectations of donors who fund the team’s work.  The Head of Advocacy and Influencing is critical for ensuring the CEO and SLT have up-to-date power analysis, political analysis and policy lines for external engagement with high level targets.  

As the manager and contract holder for the Centenary Action Group campaign and fundraising coordinator and a standing member on the Steering board of the Centenary Action Group, the role also manages CARE UK’s role as a convener and ally of the UK women’s rights movement in line with our global commitment to shift the power and localization.

The role covers four main areas of responsibility:

Strategic Leadership & Delivery

Play a key role in the delivery of CIUK’s new 4-year strategy. Lead cross-organisational teams to deliver high quality policy analysis, advocacy and campaign strategies to UK government, parliamentary and private sector targets. Work with communications to design and deliver integrated campaign plans.

External representation and relationship management

Build the visibility and reputation of CIUK by building and managing key external relationships in government, parliament, private sector and across the sector, including in coalitions and alliances. Provide strategic advice on political developments, external opportunities, and risks, ensuring timely and well-informed positioning, and prepare the CEO/SLT for high-level external engagements. Serve as a senior spokesperson for CIUK in political, media, and public forums. Work with the CARE confederation to develop advocacy lines and approaches.

Thought leadership and Policy Development

Provide strategic leadership of the Gates Foundation partnership, delivering against expectations and securing further funding from this and other donors. Ensure a rigorous evidence base for CIUK’s policy agenda, both by working with CIUK’s team of thematic experts, as well as commissioning and managing research projects where needed. Prepare and approve briefings, position papers, op-eds and other communications in support of CARE UK’s influencing goals. Oversee CIUK’s strategic role in Centenary Action, including representation on the Steering Group and overall coordination. 

Team and line management

Set and drive the advocacy and influencing team’s annual plans and contribution to the organisation’s strategic priorities. Be accountable to delivering on team KPIs and organisational KPIs that link to the team’s work, and for managing the team’s budget. Play a key role in the leadership of the Programme and Policy department. Provide strong line management to direct reports and demonstrate a strong personal commitment to CIUK’s equity, diversity and inclusion goals and feminist leadership principles.

Right to Work in the UK

All applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom at the time of appointment. Proof of right to work will be required as part of the recruitment process. For more information, please visit the UK Government's guidance on right to work. Where you do not have current right to work in the UK, then this will be discussed with you as part of the recruitment process. Please note that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship and further information (should you require sponsorship to work in the UK) on eligibility can be found here.

Safeguarding 

CARE International UK has a zero-tolerance approach to any abuse to, sexual harassment of or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives or partners. CARE International UK expects all staff to share this commitment through our Safeguarding Policy (link here) and our Code of Conduct (link here). They are responsible for ensuring they understand and work within the remit of these policies throughout their time at CARE International UK.

Safeguarding our beneficiaries is our top priority in everything we do, including recruitment. All offers of employment at CARE International UK are subject to: 

· Satisfactory references. CARE International UK participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (link here).  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. 

· Appropriate criminal record checks (including a Bridger check, link here).

By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures. 

Equality and Diversity

We are committed to Equality and value Diversity. We are a Disability Confident Employer and particularly welcome applications from disabled people. We guarantee interviews to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role (see person specification). If you require the candidate brief or need to submit your application in an alternative format, because of a disability, please do get in touch by sending an email to HR.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from people of underrepresented backgrounds, including those from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities, and individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. We offer more than just a career, we offer the opportunity to support our global movement in a dynamic and inclusive environment with a real focus on personal development.

We are delighted to be recruiting for Head of Northern Ireland to be the senior ambassador and strategic leader for Mary’s Meals across Northern Ireland. This role is remote however we require candidates to be based in Northern Ireland.

While playing a key role within the wider Development Directorate, you will guide how Mary’s Meals is seen, understood, and felt in Northern Ireland – shaping our public profile, driving sustained income growth, and building the partnerships and grassroots energy needed to grow our movement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Working cross-directorate to create and deliver a fundraising growth strategy for Northern Ireland, rooted in regional insight, cultural understanding, and community needs, and aligned with the global and national strategy.​

• Working with the Communications team, shape a clear and compelling narrative, respecting the nation’s strong identity.​

• Identify emerging opportunities across Northern Ireland, including diocesan networks, local relationships, and regional giving patterns, adjusting plans quickly to drive maximum impact.​

• Serve as the senior MMUK representative in Northern Ireland, ensuring activity aligns with the national organisational strategy.​

• Act as the leading spokesperson for Mary’s Meals in Northern Ireland, representing the charity to churches, schools, local authorities, individuals, universities, and community or business networks.​

• Spend focused time externally; networking, nurturing partnerships and driving growth through representing the charity at events, meetings, faith gatherings, conferences, and civic forums.

• Proactively cultivate, pursue, and develop fundraising opportunities via networking and outreach with the aim of securing support for our school feeding programme.​

• Develop and maintain a robust national growth pipeline, ensuring proactive identification, cultivation, conversion, and stewardship of opportunities.​

• Significant focus on the growth and development of new Volunteer Fundraising Groups in counties across Northern Ireland.

• Line manage and coach a Regional Development Officer, enabling them to become a confident, high‑performing fundraiser.

• Serve as a trusted media spokesperson for press, broadcast, and faith media when required.​

• Work closely with the Communications team to provide compelling local supporter stories, impactful moments, and local activity to showcase.​

• Shape national to local messaging so that campaigns resonate with audiences across Northern Ireland.

To apply for the role of Head of Northern Ireland based at Mary’s Meals UK, please follow instructions on Charity Job.

Applicants must hold full right to work in the UK.​

We welcome applications from candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse charity providing a supportive place for you to do the best and most rewarding work of your career.

Closing date for applications is Tuesday, 24 March 2026.

Interviews will commence week commencing 30th March 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Salary:                                 £62,651 per annum

Contract Type:                     Fixed Term Contract – Paternity Cover (up to 10 months)

Closing date:                     12 April 2026 at 11pm

Interview date:                  4 – 15 May 2026

About CARE

CARE International is a global humanitarian organisation leading the fight to end poverty in the world’s most challenging situations. Women and girls are at the centre of our work, because we cannot overcome poverty and inequality until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We know that when a crisis erupts, women are often the first to pick up the pieces, so we work alongside women, so they have the power to make change where it’s needed most. Founded in 1945, CARE currently works in over 100 countries and last year alone reached 53.4 million people through nearly 1,500 projects.

Why work for CARE International UK?

CARE International UK is currently developing its new 4-year Strategy working within the CARE International Vision 2030, which will launch in July 2026. The strategy will build on our focus on women’s leadership in crisis, and expand on our strengths in anticipatory action and women’s access to economic opportunities. This includes investing in CIUK’s Early Action Fund, which sits within the Programme Management Team and works with country offices to support communities to prepare for and respond to climate and conflict-related emergencies. The Programme Management Team is at the centre of driving the impact we want to achieve through our new strategy, and continuing to work towards our goal of giving more power, resources and space to local organisations and communities, in particular to women-led organisations and women activists, so they can lead the decisions, debates and programmes that affect their lives.

The Head of Programme Management is a key organisational leadership role and will be part of the CIUK Extended Leadership Team working with other heads of team and the senior leadership team to help run the organisation effectively and deliver the 4-year strategy. CIUK’s restricted income from donors is significant and is CIUK’s largest income stream; as such the Head of PMT has a high level of responsibility for stewardship and effective management of the ongoing programme portfolio. Our largest programmes are complex multi-partner consortia in fragile contexts with budgets of up to £60m. The role-holder also has a crucial role to play in identifying learning from our programmes and sharing these across CARE and the sector.

About you

You will have demonstrated experience working with a range of donors, including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), with deep knowledge of how the FCDO operates, how they are structured and contract programmes, as well as their current priorities. You will also have experience delivering programmes with corporate partners, and trusts and foundations. You will have the ability to build strong relationships and have demonstrated ability to negotiate complex contracts with donors and influence donor positions. You will have a strong programme management and risk management background that allows you to understand and work across multiple projects and contexts, and manage risk at the portfolio level, dealing effectively with new risks and issues as they emerge.

As a leader of a large team, you will have strong people leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to translate strategy into action, motivate colleagues and demonstrate to team members how their role links to organisational strategy and objectives. Your leadership style will be aligned with CIUK’s feminist leadership principles and values. You will need to have experience of working in donor-funded organisations, understand cost recovery models, and have experience working to deliver large-scale programming in development and/or humanitarian contexts.  A good understanding of the current debates in the sector on local leadership and a commitment to the principles set out in the pledge for change are essential.

About the role

The Head of Programme Management leads a large team to oversee all of CIUK’s active humanitarian and development projects funded by UK donors. The team leads CIUK’s relationships with Country Offices and Regions and develops close partnerships to help us achieve long-term and effective programming across the humanitarian and development arena. The team also builds strong relationships with institutional donors and works with the Partnerships and Philanthropy team to deliver corporate-funded programmes. The Head of Programme Management is responsible for ensuring strong grant management and donor compliance including programme financial management. The team ensures that CARE provides and is recognised by donors for offering excellent value for money and real impact for its programme participants. The team also leads CIUK’s approach to delivering smart development and humanitarian programmes with an increasing focus on equitable partnership approaches. 

The role covers four main areas of responsibility:

Representation and relationship management

Holding relationships with a set of senior stakeholders including FCDO Senior Responsible Owners, other donor counterparts, CARE Country Directors, Programme Directors and Regional Directors. Negotiating contract terms with donors and troubleshooting delivery issues with country offices. Positioning CARE’s work to external stakeholders, including personally representing CIUK in external forums and with donors.

Organisational and team leadership, strategy and planning:

Set and drive the programme management team’s annual plans and contribution to the organisation’s strategic priorities. Be accountable to delivering on team KPIs and organisational KPIs that link to PMT’s work. Play a key role in the leadership of the Programme and Policy department. Provide strong line management to direct reports and demonstrate a strong personal commitment to CIUK’s equity, diversity and inclusion goals and feminist leadership principles.

Financial and compliance management

Provide close and effective management of multi-million pound budgets. Reforecast accurately throughout the year, identifying and working with country offices to rectify implementation issues. Manage risks and issues at portfolio level, raising high and critical risks for attention by senior leadership and board as necessary. Ensure donor compliance is followed.

Programme quality, monitoring evaluation and learning

Ensure that CIUK closely monitors project implementation, relevance of programme outputs and outcomes and ensures programmes meet relevant technical standards and up to date best practice. Programmes fulfil requirements on programme quality and adhere to do no harm standards, the Core Humanitarian Standard, and ensure that CARE’s safeguarding standards are met throughout the life of the programme. Proactively share knowledge from CIUK’s programmes across the confederation and externally.

Right to Work in the UK

All applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom at the time of appointment. Proof of right to work will be required as part of the recruitment process. For more information, please visit the UK Government's guidance on right to work. Where you do not have current right to work in the UK, then this will be discussed with you as part of the recruitment process. Please note that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship and further information (should you require sponsorship to work in the UK) on eligibility can be found here.

Safeguarding 

CARE International UK has a zero-tolerance approach to any abuse to, sexual harassment of or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives or partners. CARE International UK expects all staff to share this commitment through our Safeguarding Policy (link here) and our Code of Conduct (link here). They are responsible for ensuring they understand and work within the remit of these policies throughout their time at CARE International UK.

Safeguarding our beneficiaries is our top priority in everything we do, including recruitment. All offers of employment at CARE International UK are subject to: 

· Satisfactory references. CARE International UK participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (link here).  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. 

· Appropriate criminal record checks (including a Bridger check, link here).

By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures. 

Equality and Diversity

We are committed to Equality and value Diversity. We are a Disability Confident Employer and particularly welcome applications from disabled people. We guarantee interviews to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role (see person specification). If you require the candidate brief or need to submit your application in an alternative format, because of a disability, please do get in touch by sending an email to HR.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from people of underrepresented backgrounds, including those from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities, and individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

Do you share our dream of a UK where poverty is a thing of the past?  

Founded in 2019, the Poverty Truth Network believes this can only happen when those most impacted by poverty are at the heart of the movement to end it. Our specific contribution brings together people experiencing poverty with those with responsibilities for alleviating it.

We are now recruiting for an Administrative Coordinator to join our team. 

This is a key enabling role within a small, relational and values-led organisation. The Administrative Coordinator will provide coordinating and administrative support across the Network, helping ensure smooth systems, high-quality financial administrative and shared working practices across a dispersed team. 

You will be a highly organised and dependable administrator, with experience supporting finance and digital systems, and a clear commitment to social justice and relational ways of working. 

Key tasks include:

• Coordinating meetings, events and trustee processes 

• Providing hands-on finance administration, including bookkeeping using Xero 

• Supporting digital systems, CRM and data stewardship 

• Maintaining accurate records and shared documentation 

• Contributing to consistent, relational and accountable ways of working across the Network 

This role involves working from home with some travel. 

We welcome applications from people with the necessary skills and experience from all walks of life, particularly those from communities underrepresented in the charity sector. 

How to apply 

To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter (maximum 2 sides of A4) explaining how your skills and experience match this role. Please include the names and contact details of two referees (at least one of whom knows you in a professional capacity). 

The application deadline is 23:30 on Wednesday 25th March.

Interviews will be held online on 1st and 2nd April.

Applications will only be considered from applicants who already have the right to work within the United Kingdom. 

The Childhood Trust is London's child poverty charity. We are dedicated to creating opportunities and brighter futures for the 700,000 children growing up in poverty in London. While we work to alleviate today’s impact of poverty, we support children and families to build pathways to become happier, healthier, safer and more resilient, breaking the cycles of inequity. Listening to and engaging with young people who have experience of living in poverty, is critical to ensuring our efforts truly reflect their needs and aspirations.  

As a grant-making charity, we award funding to charities actively supporting children in poverty across the capital. This funding is made possible thanks to the partnerships we build with corporate organisations, other trusts and foundations, philanthropic individuals and families, and public donations. Since 2013, The Childhood Trust has raised over £50 million through our matched fundraising campaigns, enabling us to fund impactful child poverty projects across all London boroughs.  

We are entering an exciting new phase of development. We are seeking a Capacity Building Manager to lead the development and implementation of our organisation-wide funder plus approach -strengthening the support we offer beyond grant funding and helping to build a more connected, resilient and effective sector. This role will play a key part in ensuring our work delivers greater benefit for children, young people and communities across London. 

Benefits to working at the Childhood Trust include:

• Competitive holiday package including a day off for your birthday and the days between Christmas and New Year Off 

• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave 

• Flexible working environment 

• Hybrid working, with the expectation of ideally one day a week, in our office in Victoria 

To read more about the responsibilities in the role, please read the attached Job description. 

Interviews will take place, in person at our office in Victoria, on Wednesday 15th April.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a skilled line manager with experience in general welfare advice to join Sufra NW London. In this highly rewarding role, you will oversee the delivery of services that can measurably change lives by providing quality advice and support to those most in need.

You will manage our team of advice staff and volunteers to deliver high quality advice, information and welfare support to guests on a range of topics including benefits, housing, debt and immigration issues. An additional focus will be on establishing clear pathways for referring guests to external services, and managing volunteers to triage, signpost and refer guests to other forms of welfare support.

The advice team consists of paid staff and support volunteers. This year will be dedicated to consolidation of the service, ensuring that we are fulfilling our core mission to the highest standards. We are also hoping to launch our immigration advice service, providing guests with a first point of contact for their immigration needs and smooth referral pathways to specialist advice.

Finally, our OpenARMs programme will be launching workshops for our refugee and asylum seeker communities.

You will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, especially Head of Advice at Sufra to support the implementation of new initiatives, and the expansion of our information and advice services to enhance our efficiency and impact.

The post holder will be a highly articulate and proactive individual with good welfare advice knowledge, 3+ years delivery experience in managing a charity team, strong service management skills, as well as experience managing staff and volunteers. The ideal candidate will have up-to date knowledge of the welfare system, immigration and safeguarding protocols. They must also have demonstrable experience using a case management system, adhering to advice standards and be able to manage a diverse workload and work under pressure.

This is an immensely rewarding role working in a dynamic charity built on an ethos of sharing, hospitality and inclusivity. We are looking for an exceptionally committed individual who is willing to go the extra mile and has flexibility to work during evenings and weekends if necessary. As this is a frontline role, you will be required to work on site at least 2 days per week.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits including:
• Excellent annual leave entitlement0
• Pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Death in Service benefit
• Flexible working
• Opportunities for training and professional development

Starting Salary: £31,312 - £33,815 (including London weighting) 

Location: Romero House, London 

Hybrid working with a minimum of 40% of your time in the London head Office 

Job Profile

We are looking for an Advocacy Assistant who is keen to contribute to the work of CAFOD’s advocacy work, especially our work in Parliament. You will work closely with the policy and campaigns teams in contributing to bringing about long-term change for the poorest and most marginalised. The post will be responsible for monitoring key issues in Parliament and supporting work with the CAFOD All-Party Parliamentary Group. It provides direct support to the Director of Advocacy and Communications and ensures our advocacy and development education grants programme is well administered. You will be interested in advocacy work and have had some experience in campaigns, policy or parliamentary work, maybe gained in a voluntary capacity. You’ll be very well organised, with an eye for detail and completing tasks on time.

Key Responsibilities

Providing focused and valuable administrative support

• Developing and amending online and offline systems for teams or the Group 

• Support the teams on events, activities and projects 

• Supporting and Coordinating Supporter mailings 

• Collate relevant annual reporting information including the ECOSOC reporting.

Parliamentary Monitoring 

• To track Parliamentary activity, statements, questions and circulate these to relevant stakeholders within CAFOD 

• To support organising Parliamentary events and APPG meetings 

• To work with other NGO’s and coalitions on Parliamentary activity

Grant Processing 

• To administer the advocacy and development education grants liaising with prospective and successful grantees as appropriate. 

Communications Support

• Act as a first point of contact for any external enquiries, passing on requests to others as appropriate, and ensuring that the Supporter Relations Team have up to date information 

• Supporting the campaigns and policy team’s communications, mainly internal, and where appropriate, through CAFOD’s external website, social media tools

Financial Support 

• Monitoring expenditures and budgets

Person Specification  

• Understanding CAFOD: I understand, demonstrate and actively support CAFOD’s vision, mission and values and what we aim to achieve 

• Managing ourselves: I recognise what needs to be done and take action to deal with it

• Working with others: I help others in the team and across CAFOD to achieve their goals

• Communicating: I actively listen to others; I keep colleagues informed of developments that may affect them

• Managing resources: I am clear about available resources and how they can be best used. I am careful in the use of resources, including other people’s time

• Achieving results: I have a clear sense of priorities. I keep focused on the work to be done. 

Job-specific Competencies  

• Experience in administration and budgets in an office environment with good knowledge of IT systems

• Good communication skills, written and verbal.

• Understanding of the UK Parliament is helpful but not essential.

CAFOD is a welcoming and supportive place to work and is committed to a safe and inclusive working culture where all are respected. CAFOD will make reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process to ensure candidates with disabilities or individual needs are fully supported.  

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults  

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.   

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.  

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities. 

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults

SMART CJS – Trust and Foundations Bid Writer

Role Overview

Are you committed to supporting people who are homeless or rough sleeping?

Are you proactive with a positive attitude?

Job Title: Trust and Foundations Bid Writer (with some responsibility for corporate fundraising)

The salary will be in the range of £36,000 to £42,000.

Hours: 37 hours per week

Term: Permanent

Location: Working from our office in central Bedford, with some provision for remote working.

About SMART CJS

Founded in 1997, we are a charity that provides safe spaces for people who are facing or experiencing homelessness, are rough sleeping or have fallen on tough times. As times have changed, our services have adapted and grown, but we’ve always kept the people we support at the centre of all that we do. We believe that everyone needs a little help sometimes and, with trust, respect and honesty, people can make incredible changes. Our vision is to transform communities so that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential, participate in and contribute to all aspects of life. Our mission is to provide safe spaces to work with vulnerable people within our communities, empowering them to make positive changes and take control of their lives.

Why Join Us?

We believe in diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

Benefits include:

• 27 days Annual Leave (rising to 30 after 3 years) + Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Generous Pension scheme (after successfully completing a probation period)
• Excellent Development and Growth Opportunities
• Access to a Charity Worker Discount scheme
• Access to the company health and wellbeing service including support with mental health, legal advice and more
• Access to an online GP service

We require all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This job description will be supplemented by annual objectives which will be developed in conjunction with the post holder.

The Role

SMART CJS is looking to recruit a Trusts and Foundations Bid Writer. The successful candidate will also have some responsibility for corporate fundraising with businesses based in Bedford and beyond; this responsibility will be shared with our Community and Corporate Fundraiser.

The main responsibility, though, will be to generate income by writing bids to charitable trusts and foundations, and to statutory funders.

The role will include researching and identifying charity trusts and similar bodies which are able to make an award to SMART. It will also include keeping abreast of developments in fundraising in the charity sector as a whole, especially in the field of grant awarding and, to a lesser extent, of corporate giving.

There will be a probationary period for the role. As it generally takes six months for a grant to be awarded (though some arrive more quickly), the probationary period will need to be for a minimum of seven months, though its precise duration can be negotiated with the successful candidate.

Training will be given; the scope of the training will depend on the candidate’s previous experience.

This is an exciting opportunity to join SMART’s friendly and dedicated team. You’ll need to be able to manage your time effectively; the role is primarily self-directed. We envisage that you’ll be working primarily from our offices in Prebend Street, Bedford, though you'll be able to work from home for some of the time as well. Given the nature of our work, personal resilience is important; some of the stories we use when applying for funding can be emotionally challenging.

Our fundraising comes from regular gifts, donations from the community (individuals and groups), and corporate bodies (businesses). The majority of our fundraising income comes from grants. There will be a realistic target for the amount you need to raise; this will reflect the performance for grant applications in the charity sector as a whole and it will not be unrealistic. Fundraising is not an exact science; the assessment of performance against the targets will be fair and reasonable. The final responsibility for SMART’s fundraising rests with the trustees; they appreciate and understand the complexity of the issues involved.

Main Purpose of the Role

You will work closely with the CEO, the Chair of Trustees, the Head of Business and the fundraising team. The post involves gathering information, writing the bids, tracking the progress of submissions, and reporting back to grant awarders on how their money has been spent, if they require this.

There will also be a responsibility for corporate fundraising. This will involve building relationships with businesses in and beyond the Bedford area. The responsibility for this will be shared with our Community and Corporate Fundraiser.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising and Bid Writing

• Research and identify suitable grant and funding opportunities from charitable trusts, foundations, and statutory bodies.
• Write and submit high-quality funding applications and proposals in line with SMART’s strategic priorities.
• Work collaboratively with service leads and front line teams to gather accurate, up-to-date data and service information for applications.
• Tailor the applications to the funder’s criteria, using storytelling effectively.
• Manage a pipeline of applications and submissions, ensuring deadlines are met and income targets are tracked.
• Maintain and build relationships with key funders, providing timely reports and updates on grant-funded work.
• Work to realistic targets and be able to provide feedback on these.
• Organisational Development and Support
• Contribute to the strategic development of SMART’s income generation plans.
• Support development of strong internal bid and grant management systems.
• Monitor success rates and provide monthly reporting on funding performance to the Head of Business and to the Chair of Trustees.
• Represent SMART CJS at funding briefings, webinars, and networking opportunities where appropriate.

Other Responsibilities

• Participate in SMART’s performance management and appraisal process.
• Attend the monthly meetings of the Fundraising Committee (a sub‑committee of the Board of Trustees).
• Comply with health and safety policies and procedures.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role, as required by the CEO, the Head of Business or the Chair of Trustees.

Person Specification

Whether you’re already an experienced bid-writer, or whether you think this is something that you could learn to do effectively, we’d like to hear from you. You need to have excellent skills in written English and be able to write in prose that’s clear and readily understandable to the general reader. The criteria for each grant awarder are different; you need to be able to match your bid to what they would like to fund (homelessness, mental health, relief of poverty, women’s issues and so on). You need, then, to tell SMART’s story in a way which appeals to each funder.

You need to have excellent inter-personal skills and be able to work as part of a team. While there is a strong element of self-direction in the role, you need to be able to work closely with senior management and also with the trustees; the trustees have the final responsibility for fundraising in the charity.

You will need, too, to have a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to have a genuine interest in homelessness and the work of the charity, and a commitment to improving our clients’ lives and wellbeing.

War on Want challenges the root causes of poverty and injustice. We run impactful campaigns in the UK - and work with partner organisations across the Global South. We are currently relaunching our trade justice campaigning and are looking for an energetic early career campaigner to work on it. 

The trade system sits at the heart of the rigged global economy. It perpetuates social, economic and climate injustice. From fossil fuel corporations suing governments in secret courts, to British mining giants violently extracting minerals from countries in the Global South, to upholding neocolonial patterns of economic inequality. 

Our re-launched campaign will challenge these secret ‘ISDS’ courts and the dangerous global rush for critical minerals, while championing trade justice.

This is a diverse and challenging role. On a typical day, the successful candidate might be planning a panel discussion, producing social media content, meeting an MP, carrying out research, organising a protest, or coordinating with allied organisations. We are looking for an ambitious self-starter with a passion for social justice. 

Take a look at the application pack or get in touch to find out more.