Head of strategic planning jobs in central london, greater london

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this. 

Their vision is to find a cure for all types of brain tumours. To achieve their mission, they are looking for a Community Fundraiser who will proactively engage with supporters, community groups and volunteers across the West Midlands to join their team of 12 Community Fundraisers across the UK.

The Community Fundraiser (West Midlands) is responsible for providing support and guidance to fundraisers within their communities to achieve their ambitions and ultimately raise vital funds for Brain Tumour Research. This is achieved through a wide variety of activities such as helping supporters to make the most of their own fundraising, engaging participants with externally organised events such as the Great Birmingham Run, and encouraging communities to get involved in events organised by Brain Tumour Research such as Wear a Hat Day and Walk for Hope. The Community Fundraiser will be the face of Brain Tumour Research in the area, providing excellent stewardship to existing supporters, and building great relationships with new supporters.

This post has been vacant since Autumn, and as such needs a fundraiser with confidence and capability in fundraising to join the team, provide donor love to the loyal supporters in the area, and approach developing the areas potential with energy and enthusiasm. If you have fundraising experience and are keen to join a charity with ambition and an amazing supporter base, then this could be the role for you.

Please note the successful candidate will need to live within the region (Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Gloucestershire), have access to a car and be willing to travel around their region. If you are not currently based in this area, please clarify if you have plans to relocate.  

Application notes 

Please download the Candidate Info Pack provided for further information about the role, timelines and next steps.

To progress your application, please follow instructions in the pack to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot shortlist candidates who have not had a screening call. 

As this role has been vacant for some time, we are running rolling interview to see suitable candidates as they apply. Interviews will be kept to one stage, and organised to suit the candidate, where possible. Don’t delay – apply today! 

Salary: £46,000

Contract type: Permanent

Location: UK (minimum 2 days a week in our London office for a full time role)

Work pattern: Full-time (flexible options including part time considered)

Reporting to: Chief Impact Officer

Deadline: Midnight Friday 30th May

Please send anonymised CV and cover letter, ensuring any identifiable information—such as your name, phone number, email address, photos, or other personal details—is removed.

Your covering letter should outline:

● Your motivations for applying to Mission 44

● How this role fits into your career plans

● Experience (professional, voluntary or lived) that makes you a great fit for this role in line with our values and the criteria outlined in this job description.

About the Role

In this newly created role, you will help us achieve maximum impact on a global scale. This role will help us on our journey to become a highly transparent, accountable and progressive foundation. You will focus on:

● Making improvements to our grantmaking by reflecting on our progress so far and ensuring equity is embedded at all stages of the grantmaking cycle

● Developing and delivering our Funder Plus offer, ensuring Mission 44 offers more than just financial benefits to our partners

● Improving how we collect and use our impact data, helping us to build a culture of learning and are able to evidence the change we’re making as a global foundation

We’re looking for someone who is continuously learning and striving to make things better; a proactive and creative problem-solver; someone who enjoys bringing new ideas to life through detailed planning and an ability to create simple systems and processes for others to follow. We hope you’ll join us and become a part of our dedicated team, where you can utilize your expertise to drive meaningful impact in the philanthropic world.

Roles and Responsibilities

Grant Operations (55%)

• Lead on the implementation of a recent grantmaking review, conducted by the Impact Team, including revision of key grant templates and processes: due diligence, proposal development, assessment rubric, recommendation reports, reporting, partner surveys and grant exit. 
• Lead on the summary of progress towards our grantmaking KPIs, providing detailed reports and recommendations for the SLT, Impact Committee and Trustees on a quarterly basis.
• Lead on the management and development of our Impact Committee, a formal governance body overseeing our grantmaking and impact, comprising 4 Youth Advisory Board members and 4 Trustees.
• Ensure that the Youth Advisory Board has sufficient opportunity to feed into (and shape) activities of the impact team, by collaborating with the Senior Youth Participation Manager
• Support the development and implementation of our new CRM system, ensuring data is captured by Partnership Managers and kept up to date.
• Support the Impact team to identify potential grant applicants by researching organisations in fields and geographies of interest to Mission 44, networking and attending relevant events
• Support Partnership Managers as they lead the day-to-day grant assessment and relationship management with our partners. Support the Impact team to maintain relationships and regular communication with our grantees, including site visits and attendance at partners’ events.

Funder Plus (20%)

• Work with the Impact Team to implement (and continually improve) our Funder Plus programme, ready for delivery in 2026/27 - with input and consultation from a range of internal and external stakeholders
• Meanwhile in 2025/26, support the Partnership Managers in their aim to provide additional support beyond financial grants which help our grantees to build their capacity, leadership potential and resilience - this is likely to involve regular communication with the fundraising team and liaison with our major corporate partners

Research, Learning and Evaluation (15%)

• Lead on the data collection and impact reporting processes which have been developed to capture learning, evidence and impact data from our programmatic work. 
• Support our partnership managers to use the data collection and impact reporting processes, ensuring we’re able to collect and analyse key impact data on a regular basis
• Work with our Head of  Strategy and Learning and colleagues in the Impact team to help us clearly and confidently articulate the difference we’re making as a foundation. 
• Identify opportunities to improve the systems and processes we use to generate appropriate impact data, research, case studies and evidence of our impact 
• Identify opportunities to collate and share learning across the Mission 44 team, to influence and inform our future grant-making and organisational strategy
• Build and maintain strong relationships with a range of peer grantmakers, charities, and other external stakeholders within the philanthropic sector, identifying opportunities for Mission 44 to share our learning externally, where appropriate.

Fundraising and Communications (10%)

• Support fundraising efforts by providing data and case studies to include in fundraising proposals and grant reports
• Support engagement between our partners and our donors, by facilitating the delivery of skills-based volunteering activities

About You 

Skills and experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a grantmaking organisation, as a researcher and/or grant-maker 
• Experience developing new/improved grantmaking systems and processes, and supporting the successful implementation of these processes within your organisation
• Strong project management skills 
• Experience of using grant management and/or database systems eg Salesforce or other CRM systems
• Experience of managing complex partnerships or contracts
• Proven experience of building and maintaining relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• Proven experience of analysing information to inform your judgement
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines

Desirable

• Experience working in the non-profit, education, youth employment or youth sector
• Experience working outside of the UK, in the one or more of Mission 44’s geographies: US, Brazil and Italy
• Understanding of participatory grantmaking models and approaches

Personal Qualities 

• Passionate about supporting and empowering young people to thrive and succeed 
• Flexible and creative; a strategic mind and a proactive self-starter
• Humility, tact, maturity, and a strong personal commitment to learning and improvement
• Possesses cultural sensitivity to work respectfully and effectively in different settings
• Highly collaborative, adept at building and maintaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• Ability to work independently as part of a global team and being self-motivated

Benefits

• Enjoy 28 days annual leave, plus a day for your birthday
• Use our cycle-to-work scheme and free gym access
• Save for retirement with our generous pension package
• We finish every Friday at noon in August
• Optional health insurance and access to an EAP
• Professional development budget of £1k
• Unlimited volunteering leave, as agreed with your manager
• Wellbeing allowance to spend in whatever way works for you
• Competitive parental leave package

At Ambitious about Autism, we're currently looking for an Online Communities Manager to join our National Services team.

We work together with autistic children and young people, their parents and carers, and our partners to create a world where every autistic child and young person can thrive. Our online communities play a vital role in this vision, helping autistic young people explore their autistic identity, connect with others, and take part in meaningful projects and campaigns. We also provide parents and carers with a safe, supportive space to share experiences, access information, and find solidarity with others.

We're looking for a passionate and creative individual to join us at an exciting time of growth. You'll help us expand our reach, increase diversity, and develop engaging digital content that speaks to the experiences and ambitions of autistic young people and their families.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and develop our online communities to ensure they are safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces
• Create and curate digital content that informs, inspires, and engages our audiences
• Develop partnerships to drive the growth, diversity and reach of our online communities
• Work closely with our participation team to elevate the voices of autistic young people
• Collaborate with marketing and communications to deliver our National Services strategy

We'd love to hear from you if you're committed to inclusion, excited by digital engagement, and motivated to make a difference.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD) and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

Responsible to: Engagement Team Manager
Team: Engagement
Place of work: Home-based (within specified geographical area)
 
Benefits:

• Salary – £27,000 per annum
• 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• Home-based (with occasional UK travel)
• 26 days annual leave plus all Bank Holidays
• bhsf cash plan, 3% pension contribution, death in service insurance
• Learning and development opportunities, Employee Assistance Programme

 
Job summary
 
Reporting to the head of growth and sitting within the engagement team you will:

• recruit volunteers by promoting Re-engage’s services,
• develop effective relationships with new and existing referrers such as social prescribers and community link workers
• identify and cultivate new, innovative referral pathways to connect with a broader demographic of seniors experiencing social isolation and loneliness
• support the wider Re-engage team in the delivery of our grant funded projects

 
Engagement officer tasks and requirements
 

• Growing and developing our network of referral partners, including social prescribers and link workers, ensuring that Re-engage's work is promoted to people aged 75 who are experiencing social isolation and loneliness.
• Partnering with communities to create regular, volunteer led, social gatherings for people aged 75
• Utilise Re-engage's CRM (OPUS) to inform evidence-based, data-driven decision-making to develop effective engagement plans.
• Working closely with the service delivery team ensuring that the right people are recruited and engaged into the right roles, in the right place, and at the right times.
• Collaborating with the communications team ensuring the widest possible publicity for the region’s needs through media and social media opportunities, local press, radio, TV, and online forums.
• Liaising closely with the fundraising team delivering against recruitment targets linked to grants.
• Working with the fundraising team on proposals and grant applications using regional knowledge, identifying local need, and collecting case studies.
• Identifying speaking and presenting opportunities ensuring that Re-engage's work is promoted to referrers.
• Working effectively as part of a regional team, maintaining, and growing all Re-engage services.
• Joint accountability, with colleagues in the region, for the engagement of older people and recruitment of volunteers into Re-engage's portfolio of services
• Carrying out any other reasonable tasks assigned to you by your line manager.
• You’ll be a proactive, solution-focused person with passion and skill for networking and building relationships. You’ll be experienced at building and maintaining effective relationships with referrers and social prescribers and will be a flexible, hands-on team player, who will deliver Re-engage's strategic objectives, values, behaviours, and working practices.

 
Knowledge, skills, and attributes
 
Essential

• Excellent people skills with a proven ability to network and collaborate with professionals, partners, older people, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Digital first approach with strong ability in all areas of working digitally.
• Experience of working across different sectors and developing links with other organisations.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Organised and methodical approach to work with strong administrative skills
• Enthusiastic about using technology to its full advantage to engage and recruit older people and volunteers and make data informed decisions.
• Self-motivated, able to work remotely with minimal supervision.
• Experience of working to deadlines and meeting KPIs and targets
• A positive ambassador for Re-engage - committed to an organisation that challenges ageism, empowers volunteers and recognises and values diversity.
• Able to work your own initiative as well as collaboratively as part of a team
• A clear understanding of safeguarding systems and processes and of confidentiality and the implications of GDPR when working with volunteers and older people.

 
Desirable

• Experience of community engagement or sales, including online engagement.
• Experience working in a target-driven work environment
• Skilled at building and maintaining effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from the statutory, commercial, and voluntary sectors to deliver results.
• Interested in learning about loneliness, social isolation, and factors that impact the ageing population.
• Understanding of volunteer journey, including recruitment and engagement.
• Full driving license and own car preferred as this post will require regional travel as and when required and the occasional overnight stay.
• Understanding of, and empathy with, the issues affecting older people who are isolated, and lonely.

 
About Re-engage
 
Re-engage is a charity that is positive about older age and committed to reducing loneliness so that people can have social lives and friendship groups however old they are. We inspire and enable meaningful connections and shared experiences within communities across the UK for people over 75 facing loneliness and social isolation.
 
Our volunteers work together to create better communities and help to enrich the lives of our members. Older people who may have felt very alone now feel valued as individuals, continue to form friendships, and have groups that give support. We make sure that people know they are important well into their old age.
 
We are proud of our values - positive, innovative, transparent, evidence-based, and accountable - and of our ethos of bringing generations together.
 
Our vision is a world where no one is ever too old to make friends and enjoy social interaction.
 
Our mission is to work within communities to end social isolation and loneliness in older people.
 
Re-engage is committed to growing a staff team that enjoys coming to work every day and gets satisfaction out of being part of delivering significant impact to the lives of older people. We all work remotely, and we don’t let that stop us from getting to know each other and enjoying down time together. Our wellbeing programme includes multiple interest groups: music, books, hobbies etc as well as coffee and catch ups, quizzes, mindfulness, and other group activities. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in working groups and staff networks, all of which contribute to us getting to know each other. We have strong values and promote behaviours that underpin all we do.
 
How we recruit
 
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Re-engage we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we’d encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
 
Re-engage uses the Hireful platform which helps remove unconscious bias for a forward-thinking, fair, and objective alternative to traditional hiring. Instead of using your CV alone, we'll be asking you to answer questions to test essential skills needed for the role. The responses are then anonymised and reviewed in a random order by members of our team. This enables us to make data-driven assessments focused on someone's ability, rather than their background.
 
The Hireful platform also asks some demographic questions before you start your application. We never see these responses with your application. We only see summary statistics to help us check if our candidate pool is balanced and if everyone has an equal chance to get hired irrespective of their background. If you prefer, you can easily opt out of answering these questions.
 
We would rather AI wasn't used for your answers as we want the real you, however we do reserve the right to reject applications if we feel the use of AI has been excessive.
 
The closing date is midnight on 18 May 2025 and interviews will be held week commencing 26 May 2025 and week commencing 2 June 2025
 
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