Head of research and development jobs

Come and join us and be part of a mission to save lives and end economic abuse forever!

In 2024, a staggering 4.1 million UK women experienced economic abuse at the hands of their current or former partner. The rising cost of living has only exacerbated the devastated impact of this form of domestic abuse. 

Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the only UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of economic abuse and transforming responses to it.

Since our founding in 2017, we’ve proudly campaigned successfully for the recognition of economic abuse in UK law and influenced wide-ranging systemic change to transform responses to it. We're now entering an ambitious new phase, and we’re seeking a dynamic, strategic and values-led Head of Income as part of the Senior Leadership Teamto help drive it forward.

This is a critical time for SEA. With a bold three-year strategy now in place, we’re looking for an experienced income-generation leader to oversee and diversify our income streams — across high-net-worth giving, corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, and earned income through consultancy and training. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Head of Income will play a vital role in shaping the future of the organisation and enabling us to scale our impact.

The Head of Income will lead a talented team, including our Senior Fundraising Manager (trusts and foundations) and Corporate Development Manager (strategic multi-stakeholder partnerships), and collaborate closely with our CEO, Trustees and earned income delivery teams (consultancy and training) whilst also being hands on in relationship development. Your approach will be collaborative, survivor-centred and driven by SEA’s values. We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with strong experience in high-value fundraising and/or commercial income generation.

What we’re looking for in the Head of Income

• Proven success in income generation from high-net-worth individuals and/or corporate partners
• Strategic mindset with the ability to lead and grow multi-stream income
• Experience of working in a small, agile organisation and line-managing high-performing teams
• Experience of working at Senior Leadership Team level, or readiness to step into the role
• A confident communicator with strong relationship-building skills
• A commitment to SEA’s feminist ethos, values and mission
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What we offer the Head of Income

• 25 days annual leave + 5 wellbeing days + bank holidays
• Home-based and flexible working options
• Reflective practice and wellbeing support
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Enhanced family leave, carers leave, sick pay
• A dynamic, purpose-led team where your impact is tangible

How to apply for the SEA Head of Income

Charlotte Wilmot at Eardley Wilmot is managing this appointment on our behalf and will support you with your application. Please send your CV to her directly in the first instance or here to her via Charityjob. You will then also be asked to complete a short anonymised application form via the Surviving Economic Abuse website. Charlotte will guide you through that step and a link to the form will be provided. 

The deadline for receipt of completed application forms is midnight on 28 July 2025.

SEA is proudly survivor-centred and committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We particularly welcome applications from minoritised and marginalised communities, and we guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. We also welcome job share applications as a joint application. 

First nterviews will be held week beginning 4 August 2025 (held online – questions will be shared in advance). 

We really look forward to hearing from you.

We are looking for a passionate and ambitious Head of Fundraising to lead and grow our voluntary income. Your focus will span the full range of fundraising activities, from statutory and trust funding to developing and increasing income across major donor giving, legacies, corporate partnerships, and individual giving.

This role offers an opportunity to shape how we communicate our value to funders and supporters, build long-term partnerships that reflect our mission, and grow a culture of income awareness across the organisation. It is a fantastic opportunity for an existing Head of Fundraising, or someone who feels ready to take the next step in their career and play a key role in shaping the future of our fundraising strategy.

As Head of Fundraising, you will work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team to increase philanthropic support and voluntary income. You’ll lead our efforts to diversify and grow income streams – securing support from individuals, corporates, and other partners – with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and long-term impact. You’ll be part of an organisation where you can see the direct effect of your work on the services we deliver to keep children safe.

You will lead and support a small team, bring fresh thinking and strong relationship-building skills, and work closely with project leads to ensure our funding reflects real needs and delivers real impact. You will be able to combine strategic and commercial awareness, with hands-on delivery.

This role will give you the opportunity and responsibility to build on our successful fundraising and extend our appeal to new donors as well as maintain our existing supporters. You will need demonstrable fundraising experience and the ability to work confidently as a strategic thinker as well as a practical fundraiser. You will come with strong ideas and skills to implement them.

If you’re driven by making a difference – especially, in the field of child protection and want to bring your fundraising leadership to a mission that matters, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll get from us

We offer hybrid working, with a minimum of 2 days in the office after one month in the position, a NEST pension, 33 days’ annual leave rising to 38 days (inclusive of statutory bank holidays following qualifying period), up to 5 days’ learning and development per year, flu jabs, eye tests, charity discounts, an employee assistance programme and the option of Benenden medical cover. We are proud to partner with the Living Wage Foundation and be an accredited employer of choice.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the vulnerable adults, children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe in creating a positive environment where our differences are respected and each of us feels valued for our contribution. Showing respect and consideration to all is part of our values and at the core of our culture.

As an inclusive employer, all qualified candidates will be considered regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or belief, age, socioeconomic background, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and caring responsibilities, marital status, nationality and disability including invisible disabilities and neurodiversity. As part of our safer recruitment process, we actively remove bias from applications i.e. applications are anonymised prior to sharing with the recruiting panel and equal opportunity monitoring forms are removed from applications on receipt and retained by HR for analysis reporting.

#fundraising #headoffundraising #charity #funding #partnerships

All of us at The Talent Foundry believe that a young person's success should be determined by the talents and abilities they have, not where they come from.

Our vision is to spark ambition and unlock opportunity so that every young person can succeed and thrive as part of a fairer society. 

We are proud of our long-term, transformational partnerships with business. This pivotal role in our newly established engagement team has been created to support our next phase of growth and ambition.

This is a broad and dynamic position which will have responsibility for the successful development and implementation of The Talent Foundry’s engagement strategies across fundraising, marketing and communications. 

Head of Engagement (fundraising and marketing)

You will be an ambitious fundraising leader committed to supporting our new vision - to support 1 million young people in the next five years - by developing and implementing exciting ways of engaging our key stakeholders - educators, supporters, volunteers and young people.

Read more about the responsiblities of this role and how to apply in our application pack. 

This is both a strategic and hands-on role, with specific responsibility for cultivation, stewardship and increasing our fundraised income through major gifts and philanthropy, across individuals, grant and trust funders and corporate foundations. 

Your experience: 

• Track record in fundraising - either from a major gifts, philanthropy or trusts and foundations background
• Excellent communications and engagement skills 
• Ability to propose, initiate and execute ideas and quickly respond to opportunities
• Team management 

This is a hybrid role with travel expected to meet with colleagues, funders and visit our projects in schools and partner offices. You do not have to live in London to apply for this role, but before applying, please consider what you would consider a reasonable commute from where you live to our team together days with take place every month. You can read more about our approach to hybrid working in our application pack. 

Other benefits:

• 28 days holiday + bank holidays
• £500 L&D budget
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Morning/afternoon of your birthday off

The Opportunity: Super Pollutants and Health Research Lead (initial 6-month contract)

Are you a talented, internationally-focused research leader with experience working on health and climate and with an interest in super pollutants? 
 
Clean Air Fund is looking for a politically savvy, proficient research programme lead and grant manager to join its super pollutants team, initially for six months, to play an integral part in a major funding proposal. Should the funding proposal be successful there will be an opportunity for a contract extension to play a critical role in implementing an ambitious research agenda. This is a fascinating opportunity for a dynamic research leader with a strong scientific background and sophisticated communication skills to join a talented team working at the nexus of climate and health. 
 
We want someone who can bring presence, initiative and relevant research management experience to our proposal development, our grant-making, and our advocacy for action on super pollutants with governments and international bodies. 
 
We are looking for someone who can start almost immediately. 

Essential Technical Competencies include:

PhD or equivalent expertise in environmental epidemiology, health research, biomedical sciences, public health, environmental science, or a related discipline. 

Demonstrated contributions to the research community through peer-reviewed publications, open datasets, policy briefs, clinical or commercial tools, or conference presentations. An Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) is required. 

Strong understanding of the science-policy interface in air pollution and climate mitigation. 

For more information on this role, as well as the full person specification please see the job description.

• Closing date – 10/07/25
• Salary – £55,500-71,300
• Type of employment – Fixed term full time

As an employer, we are committed to ensuring the representation of people from all backgrounds regardless of their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, returning parents, carers or any other aspect which makes them unique. We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups  to apply and would encourage you to let us know if there are steps we can take to ensure that the recruitment process enables you to present yourself in a way that makes you comfortable. We are committed to ensuring the safety and protection of our employees from all forms of harm. 

Your main role is to be a senior member of the PIRC team, holding responsibility for overseeing PIRC’s strategic direction and vision, and leading on organisational and operational development to ensure the financial health of the organisation.

Title: Head of Operations

Contract: Permanent

Location: Hybrid - based at PIRC offices in Machynlleth, as well as your home address, with travel when necessary.

Salary: £42-45,000 (£25-27,000 pro rata). This is the base rate for our socially-just pay policy, which can provide additional salary based on personal need.

Hours: 24 hours over 3 days, usually between Monday to Thursday, with 1:1  toil system (hours or days earned for working beyond your set hours)

Job-sharing: Unfortunately applications for job-sharing this role cannot be considered.

Holiday: 28 days (17 days pro rata, including bank holidays) 

Additional Leave: We operate a two-week (paid) winter closure period. This is non-contractual leave and it does not count  towards your annual leave allowance. Closure period dates are reviewed and confirmed annually.

Benefits: NEST Pension 3% employer contribution, External Mentor, Annual Training & Development Budget,Free eye test & contribution to glasses.

Deadline to apply: 9:00am, 14th July 2025.

Interviews: We’ll carry out remote interviews online, on 22nd and 23rd July 2025.

Preferred start: October 2025, negotiable.

This role requires that you are resident and have the right to work in the UK.

PIRC works to support our movements—for equality, anti-oppression, and climate justice—to tell better stories for a just world: 

• We connect diverse groups, in participatory spaces, to share knowledge, develop strategies and strengthen movements;
• We carry out strategic research to support this work;
• And we create and openly share resources and tools for developing better strategy and communications. 

For us, this work is not just about communication: our practices must reflect and strengthen the stories we tell, and the values that underpin them. Our approach is strongly rooted in the social sciences, and is led by principles of:

• liberation
• connection
• participation
• creativity

We advocate an approach that can be used by grassroots groups with limited financial resources, who often find themselves excluded by mainstream strategic communications work.

The Role:

Strategic Leadership

• With the Head of Programmes, co-lead, as part of a collaborative process with the full staff team, the development and review of the operational strategy and budget
• Plan and facilitate Core Team Meetings
• Provide oversight and input into funding applications and reports
• Provide oversight and input into Board development and governance processes
• Provide oversight over annual, quarterly and monthly planningCoordinate quarterly staff residentials (timetabling, logistics, agenda overview, facilitation)
• Play an active role in the organisational restructure and its evaluation and review, including development of this role.

Team Leadership & People (HR) Management:

• Oversee HR & legal practices (e.g. policy guidance)
• Coordinate the development of PIRC’s organisational policies and staff handbook
• Coordinate recruitment, induction, exit processes and job descriptions
• Oversee staff development: appraisals, mentoring, anti-oppression 121s, skills audits, and all-team training needs 
• Oversee individual staff training and personal development needs
• Provide support to Core team members (such as Fundraising Lead and Finance Lead) 
• Oversee confidential and/or official People processes (such as grievance, performance  & disciplinary procedures; long-term illness processes and workplace adjustments), utilising the support of the People subgroup and People Support Co-op (PIRC’s external HR support)
• Oversee anti-oppression planning and development 
• Provide oversight over TOIL and Annual Leave

Institutional Administration & legal

• Liaise with PIRC Board ‘People SubGroup’
• Liaise with Financial Lead / Company Secretary

Associates and consultancy work

• Coordinate the set up and contracting of new consultancy/external work
• Onboard and set up contracts for associates and CDT (PIRC’s delivery advisory group) members

About the role

Are you a strategic, compassionate, leader with a deep commitment to equality, justice and human rights?

Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI) is seeking a new Head of Services to join our senior leadership team and help shape the future of our frontline work. This is a unique opportunity to lead a passionate team delivering casework support, training, education, and community outreach to tackle hate crime and promote safer, more inclusive communities.

As Head of Services, you’ll oversee our day-to-day service delivery—ensuring it remains high-quality, trauma-informed, and aligned with our values. You’ll help us meet our contractual commitments, identify emerging needs, and strengthen our impact. You’ll also play a key role in developing staff, representing SARI externally, and supporting organisational strategy, income generation and policy.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and supporting the delivery of SARI’s casework, education, and training services.

• Managing and mentoring staff across multiple teams and workstreams.

• Identifying patterns and trends in hate crime and feeding this into local responses.

• Representing SARI at public events, forums, and in the media.

• Contributing to strategic planning, policy development, fundraising and partnerships.

• Supporting the wellbeing, supervision and development of staff through inclusive and empowering leadership.

About you

We’re looking for someone with:

• Strong leadership and staff management experience.

• A deep understanding of discrimination, oppression and equalities issues.

• Experience of delivering support or advocacy services to marginalised communities.

• Excellent communication skills and a confident approach to partnership working.

• A strategic mindset and ability to juggle operational demands with long-term planning.

• A values-led, trauma-informed approach that centres service users and staff wellbeing

What we offer

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays (rising by 1 day per year to 30 days)

• Hybrid and flexible working

• External trauma-informed 1:1 and group supervision

• A supportive, inclusive and mission-driven team

• The chance to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives

To apply

Visit our website to download the application pack and apply. We warmly welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds, especially those with lived experience of discrimination or marginalisation.

Head of Fundraising

Salary Scale: Grade PO5/6/7 £50,568 - £58,692, inclusive of London Weighting

Location: Copthall House, Sutton, SM1 1DA

Hours: Full-time 36 hrs per week, hybrid office/home working, standard working pattern is 8.45am – 4.30pm M-Th and 8.45am – 4.15pm F, with 30mins lunch break each day.

OHC&AT is a family of specialist education providers for over 1800 pupils and students from nursery to further education across 14 academies and 9 college centres in London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire.

Pupils and students within the OHC&AT family have a wide range of learning abilities and additional needs including autistic spectrum disorder; speech, language and communication difficulties; social, emotional and mental health; profound and multiple disabilities; and physical disabilities including multi-sensory impairment and complex health needs. To find out more about us, and what makes us a special place to work please visit our website.

We're looking for a passionate individual to join Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust as our Head of Fundraising. This is a new senior strategic position within Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust (OHC&AT), with overarching responsibility for all Fundraising across the organisation. Reporting to the Executive Director of Development, the Head of Fundraising will be a self-starter, who is target driven and proactive. We are seeking a hands-on, dynamic, and engaging person to take on this role. An outstanding communicator, who will build relationships across our schools and college to fully understand what the funding needs are. A fundraising all-rounder who will be able to identify which route of fundraising could be the most fruitful and have the know-how and ability to pursue these opportunities.

The post-holder is starting with a raft of opportunity. The College and Schools lend themselves to many corporate partnerships with their vocational courses for students ranging from, Catering and Hospitality, to Farming, Hair and Beauty and Retail. There are opportunities for companies to volunteer, mentor, sponsor awards and visit – all the ingredients necessary to attract and engage local companies. In addition, the items and activities that need funding, from sensory play areas and additional therapists to monthly night clubs for young adults with special needs, open up funding opportunities from across the board – individual donors, companies and trusts and foundations.

The Head of Fundraising will manage and support the Trusts and Foundations Manager and be able to expand the portfolio of Trust supporters through experience and knowledge and by supporting and guiding this post holder, who already has much success. Our Head of Fundraising will have excellent emotional intelligence and be able to represent OHC&AT at external meetings in a confident, compelling and informed way.

We are committed to promoting and advancing equality of opportunity by attracting and retaining the most diverse range of students, staff and partners.

Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.

How to Apply:

To apply for this role, you will  be directed to a ‘Login’ page on our E-Teach portal, once signed in, please complete and submit the Application Form.

Please note that CV applications cannot be considered.

Closing Date: 9am Monday 14th July 2025

Interviews: 22nd and 23rd July in person interviews at Copthall House, SM1 1DA

We encourage you to apply before the closing date as we reserve the right to arrange interviews and close this advert before the closing date if we receive applications from exceptional candidates.

Safeguarding Statement

Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Appointments made will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace for all.

This vacancy is restricted to Black and minoritised women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

We reserve the right to close these adverts early if we have sufficient interest, so early applications are encouraged.

Are you driven by a commitment to social justice and equality? Do you want to utilise your expertise to support vulnerable women and children in their fight against inequality and discrimination? Southall Black Sisters has the perfect opportunity for you. We are seeking a dedicated Immigration Solicitor to provide specialised, personalised advice to our clients, empowering them to make informed decisions about their future.

The postholder will support and contribute to Southall Black Sisters’ (SBS) research, policy and campaigning work by developing and delivering high-quality, intersectional research that:

• Strengthens the evidence base on violence against women and girls (VAWG), particularly as it affects Black, minoritised and migrant (BMM) women and girls.
• Centres the lived experiences of victim-survivors, using participatory and coproduced research methods.
• Informs SBS’s advocacy, public education and service delivery strategies through accessible, impactful research outputs.

Working closely with senior staff, frontline colleagues and external partners, the postholder will design and contribute to research projects, gather and analyse qualitative and quantitative data, and produce clear, well-structured outputs including reports, policy briefings and presentations. They will be supported to develop their research skills and will be encouraged to bring creativity and rigour to exploring the structural inequalities that shape the lives of the women SBS supports.

By joining our team, you will be at the forefront of the fight for equality and justice, making a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Why work with Southall Black Sisters?

Southall Black Sisters is committed to providing a supportive working environment, where team members feel valued, empowered and safe. To that end, we provide an excellent package of employee benefits including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement 
• Hybrid working 
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Enhanced sick pay
• Subsidised public transport season ticket
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, including access to confidential support from MBACP therapists 
• Clinical supervision with an MBACP therapist to explore issues arising from casework
• A focus on continued learning and development through accredited training delivered by experts in their field
• Organisation-wide away days
• Career development pathways and support
• The opportunity to learn and grow within an organisation renowned for inspiring political activism and campaigning successes
• Employer eye care scheme

To Apply

Submit a completed application form along with the optional equal opportunities monitoring form by the application deadline. Please do not send us your CV as this will not be considered.

Please note, incomplete applications will not be considered.

About the role:
As the Head of Philanthropy you will lead and inspire a team dedicated to generating and growing income from high-value donors, corporate organisations, and charitable trusts and foundations.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver the Philanthropy Plan in line with the Organisational and Fundraising Strategy to maintain and grow sustainable income from major donors, corporate partnerships and trusts and foundations
• Through innovation drive the acquisition and development of high-value donors and funders to deliver sustainable growth.
• Collaborate across income streams to maximise income generation, consistency of messaging and donor experience.
• Development and presentation of reports for Directors, Board of Trustees and the Fundraising Committee.
• Develop and actively manage dashboards for monitoring, reporting and forecasting.
• Oversee the income pipelines for all philanthropic income streams, conducting regular prospect research and ensuring systems and processes are in place to identify potential high value supporters, enabling seamless transition across income streams.
• Drive the delivery and implementation of highly targeted and strategic partnership development, stewardship and cultivation plans.
• Oversee the due diligence process for all high value donors.
• Champion the use of Beacon (our central relationship management system) across the team, ensure consistency of use, accurate reporting and data informed decision making.
• Set objectives, and KPIs for the team and monitor performance alongside learning and development plans. Review performance and manage any issues in line with RDA UK policies and procedures.
• Manage a pool of high value donors and have accountability for related personal income targets
• Oversee the restricted income process to ensure all projects adhere to full cost recovery principles and are deliverable while also providing a compelling ask.
• Represent RDA UK externally building relationships with funders, partners, and supporters at all levels
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and other network partners to align and maximise fundraising opportunities

Leadership

• Work with the Director of Fundraising and Communications to set ways of working and high performance targets for the team
• Lead, manage and inspire the Fundraising Team to achieve their income targets through building strong relationships and high-level stewardship to ensure lifetime value
• Ensure consistently high quality written and verbal reports and presentations to donors and prospects
• Collaborate across RDA UK with Heads of Department to build the profile of the Fundraising Team.
• Work with the Finance team on budgeting, reporting and reforecasting for business as usual and any specific appeal or restricted project budget management.
• Lead on planning and delivering successful high value cultivation and stewardship events
• Work closely with the Communications team to develop and deliver impact centred communications, case studies and compelling cases for support for a high value audience

Person Specification
Essential

• Proven experience and understanding of major partnership fundraising including trusts & foundations, major donor and corporate fundraising techniques
• Experience and evidence of first-class relationship management techniques and donor care
• A demonstrable understanding of the written and contractual agreements involved in partnerships, ideally within a charity
• Proven track record of securing significant major gifts
• Experience of effective reporting to board level ensuring compliance, transparency and accountability are achieved
• Significant experience of managing high performance teams
• Experienced in creating strategies, annual plans, and budgets, and adapting them as required
• Proven track record of working successfully in targeted and high pressure environments
• A demonstrable track record of deploying effective fundraising tactics and high-level donor cultivation
• Experience of undertaking due diligence processes within a complex organisation.
• Strong working knowledge of GDPR and fundraising regulations
• Experienced in CRM system use and best practice.

Desirable

• Experience of working in the charity sector
• Knowledge of charity law
• Personally secured and managed partnerships in excess of £100,000
• Knowledge and connections in the wealth management and high net worth advisory space

We're the UK's specialist blood cancer charity and our vision is clear: we’re here to beat blood cancer. We fund world-class research; provide information and support to patients and their loved ones; and raise awareness of blood cancer.

Our strategy has set ambitious goals to reach and engage a much larger and more diverse range of people who care about blood cancer. We’re looking for a talented brand and communications leader with a passion for audience-led integrated planning to help deliver this change. Comfortable getting up to speed quickly and driving conversations with colleagues and agencies at all levels, you have experience leading and energising multi-disciplinary projects and teams to deliver impactful results. 

You’ll own our prospect audience segmentation, using it to inform our brand strategy and communications planning, ensuring we are constantly keeping it fresh by learning from audience behaviours. You’ll drive our audience strategy and bring it together with brand growth targets and communications plans, helping to set priorities based on organisational strategy and audience need. As guardian of our profile, you’ll be responsible for ensuring we remain relevant to our audiences by monitoring and reporting on brand health and communications performance data, using this to inform planning and decision making.

Accountable for delivering strategies for brand and content marketing, in line with our brand positioning, you’ll work closely with teams across the charity to ensure integration. And you’ll lead and motivate a passionate Brand and Communications team, energising everyone every day to deliver their best work.

Expected travel for this role is: Once a week or as needed dependent on requirements

We’re committed to actively promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity. In line with our strategy we welcome approaches from individuals from underrepresented groups, including minority communities, and applicants with a disability, to better reflect the community we serve and help broaden our perspectives.

The Research Manager will work in a small team that is responsible for commissioning and managing high quality, robust social research, and for synthesising and disseminating evidence of what works to support the most disadvantaged young people into good jobs.

About the role:

The Research Manager will support all aspects of Youth Futures research, from project development to impact.

This will include:

• helping to develop our research strategy
• identifying research questions alongside colleagues in Youth Futures
• working closely with our research partners and suppliers so that projects are delivered on time and to budget; and ensuring that all research outputs are consistently high quality and make clear, practical and impactful recommendations for practice and policy.

This role can be based at any of our hubs located in Birmingham, Leeds or London.  We currently operate a hybrid model of two-days per week in the office and three-days from home.

How to apply:

Apply via our website. A full job description and person spec can be found in the job recruitment pack. 

Due to receiving high volumes of interest in our opportunities, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.

About us

This is a rare opportunity to lead our Support & Communities teams who provide direct support, practical guidance and other patient focused activities to over 1500 members and their families, UK-wide, whose lives are affected by MPS, Fabry and related diseases.

Our Support Team raise awareness both within the MPS community and external agencies, offering information, advice, support, and advocacy in a range of areas including health and social care, housing, education, transition, independent living, palliative care, and bereavement.  Our Projects and Communities team contribute to the development of our resources and facilitate project work such as youth engagement, advisory boards, and support groups, as well as leading on support focused social media.

Ideal candidate

As Head of Support & Communities, you will exhibit strong leadership skills and have significant experience working within a health and social care or relevant field of work.  You will have an in-depth understanding of the needs of those with disabilities, their families and carers. 

You will primarily be responsible for the overall management and development of the teams and the services they provide. As the company safeguarding lead you will have an in-depth understanding of policy and procedure to protect all.  You will be a relationship builder who cares about the community we serve and ensures that the individual (or family) remains at the centre of support. 

You will have a good understanding of managing budgets and able to produce accurate monitoring/evaluation reports. Excellent IT skills and the ability to plan, prioritise and deliver to tight timescales are essential.  You will be self-motivated and highly organised, juggling many strands of work. 

As a team player, you will demonstrate a willingness to participate in the day-to-day activities of the team, have excellent staff management and development skills along with the confidence to motivate and inspire. 

You will have the passion to work with us to develop our services, play an active role in our senior leadership team and work with members and other key departments to move the charity forward to achieve its goals.

What we can offer you

Join us and you will be working for a caring charity offering:

• A competitive salary
• Generous annual leave of 25 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time hours)
• Extra leave between Christmas and the New Year
• Pension
• Life assurance (subject to the conditions of the scheme)
• Employee assistance programme offering support 24/7

Further information

The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the UK.

The main duties, responsibilities and essential requirements of this role can be viewed on the attached job description.

This is an essential car user post. The applicant must hold a current UK driver’s licence, with no more than 6 points, have access to a car and be able and willing to drive UK wide as required.

This role is offered on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in our Amersham office each week. As part of the role, UK wide travel is necessary. which may on occasion include early morning and/or evening working and sometimes overnight stays.  You may also occasionally be required to attend evening or weekend conferences and events. We have policies in place to ensure that any unsociable hours worked are fairly compensated.

This is a full-time role (35 hrs per week) however part time hours, with a minimum of 28 hrs per week may be agreed for the right candidate.  Salary will be pro-rata for part-time.

We encourage candidates to visit the MPS Society website to learn more about us and the community we serve.  Alternatively, if you would like an informal chat about the role or the work of the MPS Society, please contact Sophie Thomas.

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)

The MPS Society is a charity that provides a range of care, support and activities for children and adults at risk throughout the UK. This is provided in several ways through our dedicated support and advocacy service, annual events, patient expert meetings and conferences. MPS staff, trustees and volunteers may be asked to be involved in the delivery of its regulated activities and therefore will require an enhanced DBS check during recruitment and for this to be reviewed on a regular basis.

To apply:

Please provide your CV and a cover statement giving examples to demonstrate your competencies, achievements and skills alongside explaining how your previous roles and experiences make you the candidate we are looking for.

Closing Date:whilst we have an initial closing date of 18 July, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview and assessment.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead our Alumni Engagement team who provide support to an alumni base of almost 40,000 contactable alumni of the Sutton Trust programmes. These are generally young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds who move into highly competitive universities, courses and careers. The alumni community has grown rapidly over the past 3 years and now expects around 6-7000 new alumni to join each September. Engagement covers supporting their transition to university and into the workplace through communications, events and programmes. It also spans alumni volunteering, our Alumni Leadership Board, and working with our Development team towards alumni giving.

The role is dynamic and diverse, requiring you to be able to think strategically whilst devising and delivering on operational delivery plans, and we are looking for a confident and experienced team leader during a period of maternity leave.

This role is part of the Programmes Leadership Team and will work closely with the Director of Programmes, Head of Employability Programmes and Head of University Access & Digital on shaping the strategic direction of the team and its programmatic work. The role will also connect closely to the work of the Development Team as we look to devise and implement a segmented alumni giving scheme, as well as the Communications and Policy team, and may evolve to take on new projects over time.

Main duties

• Strategic leadership to alumni engagement, including:
  • Embedding alumni relations and programming across the organisation, ensuring alumni are considered or involved in all areas of the Trust’s work
  • Managing budget and project timelines to ensure projects are delivered effectively
  • Working with the wider programmes team to ensure a smooth transition for Sutton Trust beneficiaries between programmes and the alumni community

• Alumni Engagement and Volunteering:
  • Refining and communicating the alumni strategy across the Trust and to donors and external stakeholders
  • Growing the Sutton Trust alumni network and developing a long-term strategy for alumni engagement, including communications and events, identifying key areas of focus and setting out benchmarks and KPIs
  • Overseeing a suite of volunteering opportunities for alumni to give back to, and represent the Trust in (for example on programmes, with our funder base, in our research and policy work, or to benefit the alumni community)
  • Managing the online alumni platform (STA) and its integration with other platforms .
  • Overseeing the recruitment to and engagement of the Alumni Leadership Board and new Changemaker/Ambassador programme to build on our advocacy work, and ensuring effective engagement with the work of the Trust and the wider alumni community
  • Ensuring that the above complements a long-term plan which would enable alumni to fundraise for the Trust or make donations in support of the Trust

• Programme management and Alumni Support:
  • Support delivery of access to the workplace and employability programming for alumni alongside the Head of Employability Programmes
  • Overseeing the delivery of bursary support programmes (including the Opportunity Bursary funded by JP Morgan) by the Alumni Programmes Manager from recruitment to evaluation and reporting
  • Overseeing the delivery of a series of employer-led events (working with employer-facing colleagues across the Trust) across a range of industry sectors that support student access to workplace opportunities, and the chance to build employability skills (such as networking / interview skills etc)
  • Overseeing the development of content and activities to support young alumni transitioning to HE
  • Overseeing the evaluation and scoping for potential growth for alumni-alumni mentoring with the Alumni Connect programme (piloted in Spring 2025)
  • Ensuring appropriate systems and processes are in place to manage programmes and events for alumni

• Alumni Giving and Relationship Management
  • Working closely with the Development team to provide support for key funding partnerships including those that directly fund/ work with the Alumni team.
  • Working with the Director of Development/ Head of Philanthropy to input into a new strategy to build funding from our alumni
  • Working with the Development team to implement an ongoing segmented fundraising communications plan to build awareness of our need for funding and directing alumni to appropriate giving schemes depending on their life/career stage
  • Identifying potential mid to high level alumni donors and working with the Development team to cultivate
  • Representing the Trust and facilitating introductions via senior alumni for new and potential employer or delivery partners

• Team Management:
  • Leading the alumni team to ensure effective engagement of our alumni community, including line management responsibility, team meetings, pastoral support and appraisals
  • Line managing, motivating and proactively supporting the Alumni Programmes Manager and Senior Alumni Officer in their professional development
  • Working with Director of Programmes and Heads of Programmes on team management, culture and long term planning
  • Working across the organisation on cross-team projects, such as with the employer working group, youth voice, Changemaker pilot, alumni giving, and STO/STA platforms strategy.
  • Member of extended-SLT

• Other duties as necessary from time to time

Person Specification

We welcome applications from individuals who have experience in:

• Professional experience of alumni relations, or managing other similar membership communities, ideally within the education or charity sector.
• Has experience working within or an understanding of the not for profit sector and/or the education sectors;
• Experience of developing strategies, frameworks and operational plans to support alumni relations, programmes and events for young people, or equivalent
• Strong understanding of databases, data processes and experience using a CRM (ideally Salesforce)
• Experience in project management, monitoring and evaluation, managing budgets, financial control and administration
• Building relationships with significant, diverse stakeholder groups
• Experience of managing volunteers and volunteer stewardship
• Excellent verbal and written communication and strong analytical skills
• First-class interpersonal skills - a natural ambassador able to represent the Sutton Trust in a range of settings
• Working collaboratively across teams and within a small team
• Line management and leadership of a small team
• Adapting to new opportunities and trialling new initiatives
• Personable, flexible and discreet; able to fit in to a small team

We are also looking for an individual who:

• Has experience of building philanthropic support through alumni
• Is sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage;
• Has excellent attention to detail;
• Is eligible to work in the UK (see here for information about right to work)

Terms of Appointment

• • Contract: 13-month Fixed-term Maternity cover contract starting November 2025. Our ideal dates are from 1 November 2025 – 30 November 2026, however we can be flexible if needed for the right candidate.
  • Salary: £60,000-£64,000 per annum
  • Working location: Minimum of 2 office days per week
  • Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. 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.
  • Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and may also be required to attend events / meetings outside of their normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends
  • DBS check will be required

Interviews

Applications should reach us by midnight, Sunday 20th July, with first round interviews held over Zoom on Tuesday, 29th July, and second round interviews held at our London offices on Tuesday, 5th August.

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.

At The National Lottery Community Fund we are passionate about strengthening communities and improving lives.  We are driven by our strategy, ‘It starts with community’ and its four community-led missions, as well as our equity-based approach to tackling poverty, discrimination and disadvantage.   As part of our commitment to being more than a funder, we are serious about enabling collaboration, sharing best practice, amplifying the impact of our grantholders and influencing future policy making.   

We are now seeking to appoint a Head of Policy Engagement to lead our engagement with policymakers and senior sectoral stakeholders under our four community-led missions and lead our customer support offer. Using your deep understanding of the political and social environment in which our grantholders operate, you will explore the context for new funding initiatives, including potential partnerships, ensuring that we are making the greatest impact possible.   

You will already have well established relationships with Welsh Government Departments, other funders and the voluntary and community sector and you will use this to share learning and insight from our funding, lead consultations and identify opportunities for future collaboration. You will convene both grantholder and stakeholder networks to inform our analysis and ensure that community voice is at the heart of our decision-making. 

Working with our Funding Team you will ensure we provide first class customer support leading our advice service and working closely in support of our outreach work, ensuring an appropriate level of general and targeting applicant and customer support. 

You will be part of a policy and practice network across the Fund, working collaboratively with colleagues across the UK to develop One-Fund approaches to our missions. 

We’re looking for someone who is values-driven, passionate about the Fund’s purpose and deeply committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and environmental responsibility. You will have a strong track record of influencing at a senior level and be able to articulate strategic ambitions clearly and effectively.  You will also have a nuanced understanding of the role of a non-Departmental Public Body in the policy landscape and experience of working collaboratively across organisational boundaries.  As a member of the Wales Leadership Team, you will provide inspiring leadership and strategic direction to the wider team. 

Regular travel around Wales is expected, as well as some travel to other parts of the UK to connect with colleagues.  We offer a flexible and supportive working environment and an excellent all-round benefits package. 

Interview Date: Week commencing 4th August

Location: Wales. Our offices are in Cardiff and Newtown. We have a flexible, hybrid approach to working.

On application, please align your supporting statement to the criteria below

Essential Criteria 

• Deep understanding of Welsh communities. Knowledge of the context for the third sector, the funding landscape, public policy and the people and organisations who are influential in these areas. 
• Demonstrable experience in high-level engagement, influencing and senior relationship management, internally and externally. 
• Experience of managing customer facing support services. 
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to articulate strategic ambitions, positioning the organisation in the funding landscape and social policy debates.
• Passionate about the Fund’s purpose, evidencing a deep understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion and related best practice.
• Proven leadership skills, including the ability to inspire colleagues and work collaboratively in matrix structures. 
• Strong planning and analytical skills, with expertise in research and consultation. 
• Proven commitment to continuous improvement, self-reflection and personal development.

Desirable Criteria

• ​Clear understanding of the role of a UK-wide non-Departmental Public Body and the implications for policy and influencing.
• ​The ability to speak and write in Welsh.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)