Independent Advocate Jobs

Job description - Senior Public Affairs and Research Officer

Reporting to – Public Affairs, Policy and Campaigns Consultant

Location – Hybrid/London

Contract: Permanent

Hours – Full time (35 hours)

Salary - £31,000-£32,754 per annum

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Confident Employer that welcome disabled applicants and provide reasonable adjustments.

Main purpose of this role 

The Senior Public Affairs and Research Officer will drive policy change to increase surplus food redistribution by engaging with stakeholders across government, media, industry, and academia. They will support FareShare’s public affairs strategy by producing well-researched briefings, organizing impactful events, and fostering relationships with key partners.

About FareShare 

FareShare is the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 18 independent organisations. Together, we take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to over 8,000 frontline charities and community groups. The food we redistribute is nutritious and good to eat. It reaches charities across the UK, including school breakfast clubs, older people’s lunch clubs, homeless shelters, and community cafes. Every week we provide enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people.

Every year, more than 4.5 million tonnes of food go to waste in the UK, enough for 10 billion meals. Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis is driving millions into food insecurity. FareShare has a plan to help use surplus food to support those struggling to make ends meet, and strengthen communities across the UK through our network of local charities and community groups. We are fortunate to benefit from the support of major retailers, the media, and a groundswell of public engagement. As a result, there has never been a more exciting time to join an organisation at the heart of public consciousness.

FareShare’s vision 

Our vision is of a UK where ‘No good food goes to waste’. 

Every year, food wasted in the UK adds millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. During a climate crisis, and with record levels of food insecurity, it doesn’t make sense to be throwing away perfectly good food.

FareShare believes that with long-term ambition and quick, decisive action, the UK’s food system can become a driver of positive social and environmental impact. 

Our values run through everything we do and set out a clear framework for us to approach our work: passion, ambition, respect, collaboration, and focus. 

The role  

The role will sit within FareShare’s public affairs—part of the wider marcomms team—which is responsible for advocating for policies that create an economic and legislative environment that is beneficial for surplus food redistribution. This will help FareShare achieve its long-term goals of redistributing a higher proportion of the UK’s surplus food and benefiting more communities across the UK.

FareShare recently published its manifesto, ‘Where’s The Food? Strengthening Communities Through Surplus Food Redistribution.’ The manifesto sets out a path for government, businesses, and charities to work together to turn an environmental problem into a social good.

The Senior Public Affairs and Research Officer will be critical in advancing FareShare’s policy agenda, as outlined in the manifesto. Working closely with the Public Affairs, Policy and Campaigns Consultant, you will lead efforts to engage influential stakeholders, create compelling content, and coordinate high-impact events. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence national policy and contribute to meaningful change in the food redistribution sector.

Key responsibilities 

Stakeholder Engagement: Build and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders, including government bodies, media, and academia, to advance FareShare’s policy objectives.

Policy, Research, and Briefings: Develop in-depth policy knowledge and produce well-researched briefings and reports articulating FareShare’s policy goals. Identify opportunities for FareShare to feed into Government consultations and Select Committees.

Events: Support the planning and execution of public affairs events, including parliamentary engagements and engagement with industry conferences.

Person specification 

About you

• Deeply passionate about politics and driven to create progressive change through political advocacy.
• A strategic thinker with the ability to navigate complex political landscapes.
• An intellectually curious person with the ability to understand and communicate complicated topics, with an eye for detail and nuance.
• A skilled writer, who is adept at producing excellent briefings and other written communications.
• A self-starter, who can work independently and does not need constant oversight and management.
• A diligent person with good organisational skills.
• A motivated and persistent individual who is willing to invest the time, effort and energy that is required to succeed in bringing about positive change in the world of policy and politics.  

Experience 

• You will have had two or more years of experience working in politics, policy or research for an MP, political party, government department, think tank, charity, agency, or similar organisation. 
• You will have had extensive experience producing well-researched briefings, reports, and other written material.
• You will be used to dealing with senior stakeholders in a professional and organised manner.

Skills, knowledge, and abilities 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Well developed research and academic skills.
• Strong project management and organisational skills to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, meet deadlines, and manage priorities.
• A self-starter with the proven ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• A deep understanding of the UK political system.
• Experience in food policy, environmental policy, or social policy is highly desirable.
• Ability to understand data to support evidence-based policy recommendations

Values and behaviours 

• Appreciation of FareShare’s mission and strategy.
• Flexible approach and ability to work collaboratively within a team.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain good working relations with internal and external audiences. 

Benefits

• Hybrid / Flexible working, with regular UK travel
• 28 days’ annual leave + 8 bank holidays
• Employers pension contribution
• Employee Assistance Program
• Interest free bicycle purchase loan scheme
• Season ticket loan

We have a job vacancy for a Dementia Specialist to join Shine as the Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) / Dementia Coordinator. 

Shine has a membership of over 14,000 members living with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus and associated conditions and over 6,500 associated members.

In the last year we have seen a 25% increase in members who are living with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There are currently just over 600 members with NPH, plus their carers registered, but we are expecting this to continue to rise as awareness and diagnosis of the condition grows. 

We are looking for an experienced, skilled, organised and dedicated new staff member to join Shine’s Services team to develop and lead our new NPH service. 

Purpose of Job

To be the Dementia specialist for Shine.

To provide the foundations for improved health, social and emotional outcomes for adults living with NPH/Dementia and to support their families/carers. 

Shine will offer you:

• A competitive salary

• 35 hour working week

• 25 days annual leave plus additional discretionary leave between Christmas and New Year

• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave

• Additional annual leave due to length of service

• Defined contribution pension

• Life Assurance cover

• Support to learn and develop

Please see the full Job Description and Person Specification and Introduction to the NPH Coordinator Role below and on our website.

If you would like to have a chat about the role in more detail or have any questions, please give us a call and ask to speak to our CEO, Kate Steele.

Shine is a Disability Confident employer and will offer guaranteed interviews if a disabled applicant meets the minimum criteria for the job. 

To apply please submit your CV and supporting statement, which should outline your interest and explain how you meet the role criteria.

*Please note applications without a supporting statement will not be accepted* 

Closing date: 11pm Wednesday 16th October 2024 

Interviews:  Tuesday 29th October 2024 at our Head office in Peterborough

Please note: we reserve the right to interview suitable candidates before the closing date, therefore we encourage applications as soon as possible. 

About the role:

We have a new opportunity for a highly organised individual to join our Housing Services Team, as a Housing Services & Income Administrator. With proven skills and experience of using IT and databases related to administrative tasks such as producing letters and reports with a clear focus on organisation skills, you will play an essential role with supporting the Housing Services team and Manager, and our supported accommodation teams.

In your role, you will be responsible for

• Maximising rental income and minimising loss through bad debts through efficient application SHP Procedures.
• Supporting the housing services team, and accommodation services teams to ensure that clients receive timely rent statement and letters.
• Maintaining effective management of accurate rent income records.
• Collating performance returns against KPI’s and provider monitoring returns.

The role will also require supporting the Senior Housing Services and Income Officers in dealing with repairs and building related matters, anti-social behaviour, complaints and neighbourhood disputes.

We are currently operating a blended working arrangement, that includes working from our Head Office in Kings Cross for a minimum of 3 days per week, as well as flexible occasional travel to our accommodation services across London. There is also some potential for home working, in agreement with the Head of Property Services.

The weekly working hours are 37.5 hrs, to be completed between 9am-5pm Mon- Fri, with occasional need to work outside of these times in the event of an emergency.

About you:

To be successful, you will have good proven experience of:

• Organisation skills, working within a team and supporting the role of other within the team as well as excellent communication skills including both verbal and written communication.
• Proven skills and experience of using IT and databases related to administrative tasks such as producing letters and reports with a clear focus on organisation skills.

About us:

Single Homeless Project is a London-wide charity. Our vision is of a society where everyone has a place to call home and the chance to live a fulfilling life.

We help single Londoners by preventing homelessness, providing support and accommodation, promoting wellbeing, enhancing opportunity, and being a voice for change. From supporting people in crisis to helping people take the final steps towards independence and employment, we make a difference to 10,000 lives every year across all 32 boroughs.

We offer you more than a job; we offer you a chance to be part of a compassionate, driven team that's committed to making a real difference in people's lives. You'll have the opportunity to lead, co-create, and inspire change while enjoying a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.

Join us in creating a brighter, more hopeful future for individuals in need. 

Important info:

Closing date: Sunday 6th October (at Midnight)

Interview date: Week commencing Monday 14th October at SHP Head Office in Kings Cross

This post will require a Basic DBS check to be processed for the successful applicant.

Media Defence is a charity that helps media to defend their rights. We support independent media, journalists and citizen journalists who are under legal threat by making sure that lawyers are available to defend them. 

In this role, you will manage Media Defence’s capacity building work to develop or strengthen local legal capacity to defend, promote and strengthen freedom of expression.

This is a great opportunity to work with Teams across the organisation and with our partners abroad.

We are recruiting for a Head of Administration to join the bemix team

Permanent Contract, Working Full-time, 9am-5pm

Office based at the Innovation Centre, Canterbury, with travel to and working from different bemix locations in Kent, as and when needed.

This is an exciting and varied role and will offer someone a fantastic opportunity to lead our friendly and supportive Administration team. 

We are people with and without learning difficulties and/or autism, working and learning together. Whether it’s to be seen working, be heard campaigning or belong to a friendly group of people, people achieve their goals with bemix. We do this by supporting people with learning difficulties and/or autism to speak up, make choices and become powerful and influential. We support them to gain opportunities and become more independent in learning, housing, work, health, money, travel, leisure and relationships. The Administration team plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient day-to-day operations of bemix. The team works hard to support the workforce so they can achieve bemix’s goal for everyone to be seen, to be heard and to belong.

 

Main aim: To oversee, plan and steer the administration across the organisation. With proven skills and experience to confidently approach different tasks and requests throughout the day with a solution-focused, confident and resilient working manner. You will lead, support, unite and develop the office administration team, so that great things can be achieved. The role needs someone who instinctively takes the approach of reviewing and developing systems, tracking progress on projects and thrives on organising and planning a busy calendar of work.

Holding oversight for the bemix mainline, email inboxes and other communication channels, ensuring all are well-manned across the whole week by the administration team and answered in a friendly, helpful and professional manner. Stepping in to provide practical help when needed, to ensure an excellent pathway of communication (both external and internal) is maintained at all times. 

Hours: Working 37 hours per week, working Monday - Friday between 9am - 5pm .  Working hours need to have flexibility to respond to tight deadlines with extra hours, taken as time off in lieu.

Location: Mainly at the Canterbury Innovation Centre, University of Kent site, Canterbury. With great facilities, including free parking, cafe, reliable local transport connections and lovely outside spaces to explore on breaks/lunch/walking supervision. With flexibility and commitment to travel and work at other bemix locations and sites, as the role needs demand.

Salary and benefits: In the range of £30,000 - £34,000 per annum.  With an offer made based on experience and proven track record. Along with generous 25 days annual leave pro rata plus 8 bank holidays + Contributory Pension Scheme option (5% of pay) 

If you are …

• A natural communicator with great interpersonal skills. You must be able to collaborate with different types of people and organisations and be patient when people are speaking.

• Someone with a proven track record of effective Leadership, ideally in a similar setting. 

• Someone with the ability to create, implement, and communicate effective administrative processes to team members. 

• A strategic and proactive person, who can manage requests and prioritise/execute a large array of different and changing tasks. 

•  You are adept at spotting what needs to be done, with the vigour to do what it takes to keep bemix thriving and operational.

• You are able to be physically present and engaged with the office team. As well as effectively communicate information in a way that is easy to understand and maintain confidentiality when required. 

•  Someone with a working style means that you tend to foresee the things that will need attention long before they arise! You find ways of supporting a team in a more proactive, rather than reactive manner.

• You are adept at navigating both expected and unexpected scenarios with a non-judgmental, calm and solution-focused approach. 

...we’d love to hear from you!

If you feel you have the experience for this role, share the bemix EPIC values and would like to be part of a fantastic growing team, then please go to our website and fill out our online application form.    

Closing date for applications: Midnight, Sunday 6th October 2024

Interview date/s:  Monday 14th October and/or Tuesday 15th October 2024

We will contact everyone by the end of the day on: Wednesday 9th October 2024. 
 

No agency contact please. You will be required to declare all past convictions, whether spent or not, as this post is exempt from The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1984. You will also be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS Check.

We are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for people with disability, neurodiversity and/or long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us.

We're looking for two proactive & passionate individuals to join our Housing Advice team to deliver an effective housing advice and advocacy service to young people accessing our day centre.

You will be working within our Housing team to deliver an effective advice service for young people. You should be experienced in delivering housing advice within a youth and community or other relevant setting, of supporting clients with multiple and complex needs, and have a proven track record of referring and progressing vulnerable people into suitable accommodation. There are two roles available.

Key details

• Contract type and hours: Permanent. The role is full-time, 35 hours per week Monday to Friday. Some work over the Christmas period will also be required.
• Salary: The starting salary for the role is £31,200. The salary scale is £31,200 to £34,736 pro rata.
• Location: New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JR.
• Application deadline: 9am, Friday 4 October 2024 *or earlier if enough applications are received, so apply as soon as possible*

Key objectives:

• To deliver an effective Housing Advice service to young people accessing New Horizon Youth Centre, carrying out thorough assessments of need and enabling young people to move on into independence.
• To maintain and build a network of relationships with relevant external agencies and internal specialists.
• To increase accommodation options for young people, both through NHYC’s own projects and with external partners and make appropriate referrals into accommodation and external specialist services.

Reporting to: Service Manager and Head of Services (Housing)

Main tasks and responsibilities

Young people's services

Delivering a housing advice service to young people with multiple needs. This will include:

1. Working to ensure young people receive a high-quality service from the point of registration to move-on. Taking a hands-on approach to dealing with complex or difficult cases.
2. Carrying out thorough needs assessments with young people accessing the service in order to refer young people into appropriate accommodation and to external specialist services.
3. Providing young people with expert advice and guidance relating to their housing situation. Monitoring and evaluating young people’s progress.
4. Engaging other relevant external partners, able to provide accommodation and other move on opportunities to young people.
5. Referring young people to other internal New Horizon Youth Centre teams in order to support their progression, including Health, Youth Work, Outreach and Jobs, Education and Training.
6. Providing advocacy and referring young people to a wide range of specialist external advice services including around advocacy, substance misuse, mental health, immigration, counselling, financial/debt advice, and legal services.
7. Attending regular briefings, team meetings, reflective practice and clinical supervision, both with NHYC and project partners. Ensuring that Health and Safety or safeguarding issues are addressed at all times.

Sharing best practice

To proactively share best practice with internal and external stakeholders in order to maximise the impact of the work of NHYC. This will include:

1. Identifying and acting to maximise NHYC’s profile by seeking out and responding to opportunities with specialists and agencies who might offer resources, funding, or individual services relevant to client needs.
2. Promoting and representing NHYC at relevant forums, meetings and events.

Information management

To produce and maintain accurate and useful information in a range of formats in order to promote effective service delivery and evaluation. This will include:

1. Recording all contacts with clients appropriately and maintaining all relevant files and recording systems.
2. Producing written reports in a variety of formats to meet the requirements of NHYC, external service providers and funders, e.g., project reviews and assessment reports.
3. Inputting and extracting information from client monitoring systems and other accounting and database systems. Utilising other relevant software for the production of reports.
4. Being self-servicing in day-to-day administration, and following team and NHYC’s administrative procedures.

Reviewing personal and professional development needs

To be proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance and identifying and acting upon areas for improvement. This will include:

1. Reviewing and evaluating own performance to identify strengths and areas for development. Identifying own learning/development needs and opportunities.
2. Undertaking development and training opportunities and being responsible for obtaining maximum benefit through review, reflection and practice.
3. Taking a proactive approach to supervision including regular line management supervision, team meetings, team reflective practice and clinical supervision.

Other

To contribute positively and constructively to the development of the team, the service and the centre. This will include:

1. Covering for other members of the team where necessary.
2. Following NHYC’s policies, procedures and performance expectations in all functions of the post.
3. Undertaking as required any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Service Manager, Head of Services, Director of Operations or CEO.

Application deadline

9am, Friday 4 October - or earlier if enough applications received

We have an exciting opportunity for a new Head of Business Development.

At Thrive, we help people to improve their physical, social and emotional health through gardening. We primarily work with people with disabilities and health conditions. We:

• ·​ ​Deliver in-person Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) programmes for people with disabilities,  health conditions or experiencing social isolation.
• · Provide free resources that help people garden at home, reducing the risk of poor health, and helping people to garden with specific long-term health conditions or disabilities.

• · Are the leading Social and Therapeutic Horticulture training provider in the UK, helping organisations, health and social care professionals and teachers deliver STH.

• · Advocate for access to STH services and are actively working to remove the barriers to the use of STH. within the UK.

  Thrive is an independent charity, primarily funded by donations, trusts and grants, paid for services and local authority funding. This role is based in England, it can be hybrid or office-based with some national travel and overnight stays. Please do get in touch to discuss.

About the role:

• With a growing awareness of the benefits of time in nature and gardening we want to realise opportunities to grow our impact. This role will lead on the identification and progression of income generating activities, working with colleagues to raise funds and enable the delivery of our charitable services.

·You’ll have a key role in making connections that lead to the growth of our Training, Education and Consultancy work. You’ll oversee our fundraising and philanthropy teams, guiding our skilled managers and teams as they work to strengthen Thrive’s financial sustainability. You’ll work closely with our Head of Marketing and Engagement to help us reach new audiences and grow our impact.

To succeed in this role, you will have a proven track record in leading business development through B2B contracts in the charity sector or have been overseeing a successful fundraising team. You’ll be someone who progresses work, an excellent communicator and collaborator, skilled in building sustainable partnerships that add value.

Appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check. Thrive complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an individual from working for Thrive.

To apply, please email recruitment with your CV and a written statement explaining how you meet the person specification and what you will bring to Thrive.

Closing date for applications: 9am on Friday 20th September 2024.

First round interview date to be confirmed

Funded by Lambeth Council as part of its cost of living response in the borough, we are looking for an experienced generalist adviser able to deliver advice services to clients onsite at our main office and at various outreach locations, mainly in debt, benefits and housing

You will join a small, friendly team of staff and volunteers providing high-quality advice to persons in need. You will be supported through regular supervision and training. Your salary will be £33,444. The post is funded for one-year initially, however we intend seeking further funding during this term as we consider this post to be a high strategic priority for the Centre and of significant value to the clients who will benefit from it

BAC is a dynamic independent advice centre based in London with core specialist services in Housing, Benefits, and Debt. We also provide extensive pro bono legal services through our award-winning Online Legal Clinic in areas including Crime, Family, Employment and a wide range of litigation matters. We provide a range of generalist, outreach and specialist project services such as legal advice to persons living in the private rented sector

Welfare Benefits Advisor – Adults
Salary: £27k to £30k negotiable & dependent on experience
Training can be provided in key areas of the role for those with essential experience. (see person specification)
Hours: 37.5 hours a week
Place of work: Centre for Independent Living, Mo Mowlam House, Clem Atlee Court, SW6 7BF
Contract period: Permanent
Accountable to: Welfare Benefits Team Leader

The Organisation

Action on Disability (AoD), founded in 1979, is one of London’s leading Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations. As we believe in the social model of disability, our values and principles embrace inclusive and accessible ways of working both internally and in all our activities, seek the participation and contribution of our members, and encourage and respect diversity.

The organisation is a medium sized charity with a Board of Trustees (at least 75% is disabled trustees), 25 staff and a strong ad hoc staff and volunteer base including many with direct experience of disability - all of whom are passionate about removing the barriers that disabled people face.

AoD provides five key services. These are: Youth, Employment, Welfare Benefits and Independent Living.

AoD’s Welfare Benefits Service

The Welfare Benefits Service provides free independent advice and assistance to all disabled residents and their carers who live and work in Hammersmith and Fulham borough. The service is for all ages, including parents and carers of disabled children.

We provide free advice and assistance, up to and including Tribunal level, on all Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) benefits, Tax Credits, and some local authority benefits.

Welfare Benefits Advisor will

• Provide high quality Welfare Benefits advice and casework and, as appropriate, representation at the 1st Tier Tribunals for disabled individuals of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
• Write Mandatory Reconsideration requests and in a limited number of cases, write appeal submissions.
• Undertake direct welfare advice and casework.
• Maintain appropriate records of work undertaken using an appropriate electronic Welfare Benefits Recording and Information System via AoD’s Charity Log, and through the use of Excel
• Gather information to monitor and evaluate the service.
• Assist with funding applications / tender bids by providing basic factual information to Fund Raising Manager/CEO/Managers to enable them to apply for funding and also enable them to write funding/tender applications.
• Contribute to Welfare Benefits related publicity material, social media, reports for the Board of Trustees and other stakeholders and other documents as required.
• This post requires travel to different locations, e.g. for home visits.

For all work:

• Work in a person-centred way
• Produce agreed regular monitoring and progress reports
• Comply with AoD’s agreed policies and procedures.
• Participate in the wider development of the service and contribute to service improvement as required.
• Be computer literate and administratively self-supporting.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as identified by the line manager.

Closing Date: 10am Monday 23rd Sept

Interviews: Scheduled for Wednesday 02nd Oct.

Please note we do not accept CVs and only review applications sent via email or post, not via social media.

Finally, Action on Disability positively welcomes applications from Disabled people.

Please identify any specific requirements you may have, or wish to bring, to ensure full access at your interview if you are shortlisted.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Action on Disability prides itself on being an accessible and equal opportunity employer.

No agencies please.

Job title: Senior Communications Manager

Manager: Head of Public Engagement

Line reports: Communications and Campaigns Officer

Location: Hybrid work with 40% from Breaking Barriers’ offices in London, Manchester or Birmingham

Salary: £42,000-£45,500 (London) or £39,000-£42,000 (Manchester or Birmingham)

Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours), open to 4/5 days per week

Contract: Permanent

Overall purpose

The Senior Communications Manager is responsible for developing, leading and implementing key aspects of our communications and engagement strategy. Your focus will be to maintain our high reputation and build engagement with key audiences – principally target public audiences, corporate partners, funders and supporters, volunteers, clients, and staff. 

Bridging the gap between senior leadership and delivery, you will be a confident and strategic thinker, but remain excited by the challenge of getting stuck in. You will be comfortable supporting colleagues to deliver activity as well as working independently on your own projects. You will have the knowledge and experience to ensure that the right policies, frameworks and plans are in place for our small team to achieve ambitious plans.

The Senior Communications Manager is responsible for campaigns, PR, content and storytelling, brand and creative, and plays an integral role in internal communications. They also support other external engagement activities, such as digital marketing campaigns, corporate partner acquisition and retention, and public fundraising.

Strong copywriting is essential for this role. You will be able to write, edit, and tailor content for different audiences, and publish it across various channels, including the website, social media, emails, and marketing materials. 

You will enjoy variety. Your day could involve operational planning, developing a new campaign, briefing freelancers and agencies, finding compelling stories, creating our Impact Report, speaking with journalists, working on internal communications, or drafting social media posts.

The successful candidate will have strong emotional intelligence, relationship building and negotiation skills. They will be collaborative and creative, drive projects forward, work effectively alongside the Senior Digital Marketing Manager, and bring people together across the organisation. They will provide supportive, effective management to the Communications and Campaigns Officer, and be an internal advocate for the impact our Communications and Engagement can have.

It is an exciting time to join our team. Breaking Barriers is an innovative organisation, so you will need to be comfortable with change and building new knowledge quickly. Although our work is fast paced, the Public Engagement Team prides ourselves on supporting each other, approaching problems with a good sense of humour, and being willing to experiment and learn.

To view the full job description and person specification, as well as details on our accessible recruitment process, please view the attached recruitment pack.

Other considerations

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out preemployment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK.
• We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.

How to apply

If you are looking for a role where you can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. To apply, please submit a CV and statement (up to approximately 500 words/1 A4 page) outlining:

• Why you are interested in the role
• What skills you would bring to be successful in this role
• Any experience you would like to highlight
• Any reasonable adjustments you require for the interview process
• Disclosure of disabilities if you wish to do so (as a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role)

Please note that applications without a covering letter will not be considered.

Closing date for applications is 11:30pm on Sunday 13th October. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background. 

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager Dani Meier for further details (we are unable to include email addresses in this advert, but you can find contact details on the final page of the attached recruitment pack).

ShareAction is an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle the climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.

Position

As part of the Financial Sector Standards Directorate, the Co-Head of Investor Engagement is responsible for leading ShareAction’s engagement with asset owners, asset managers and investment consultants. The role is key to establishing, sustaining and deepening constructive relationships with investment professionals at the heart of the financial system, challenging, encouraging and supporting them to raise their ambition on climate, nature, decent working conditions and people’s health. This is a new role that has been created from a restructure of the team that we hope will allow both parts to work more collaboratively.

In this role, you will be accountable for designing and leading ShareAction’s strategy to engage and influence major global institutional investors. You will help ShareAction work towards our vision by playing a leading role in shaping a dynamic new strategy for engaging pension funds to be active responsible stewards of pension savers’ capital, helping them to exercise positive influence over the wider investment system in the interests of the people whose assets they manage.

You will work closely with your fellow Co-Head of Investor Engagement, who acts as Technical Lead. They bring analytical and research expertise, ensuring that ShareAction’s insights, guidance and research outputs are informed, credible and robust. Your vital contribution will be to build constructive and sustained relationships with our key audiences in the investment industry and to shape inspiring and engaging events, dialogue and communications that deliver our messages in ways that resonate.

The Co-Head role is not a job share – both Co-Heads are full-time roles. Jointly, you are accountable for the design and overall delivery of ShareAction’s investor engagement strategy and for the wellbeing and performance of the Investor Engagement Team. However, you each have distinct accountabilities within the strategy, and the Engagement Lead (this role) will have primary responsibility for team operations (budget, risk and plan management, as well as monitoring, evaluation and learning). The team comprises eight more junior colleagues, six of whom will sit in your reporting line, with three reporting directly to you. As a team Head, you will also be part of ShareAction’s Extended Leadership Team, which plays a key role in organisational leadership, strategy and decision-making.

You will also liaise closely with colleagues who lead our advocacy with policymakers, as well as those who lead our corporate campaigns, helping to coordinate their efforts to build coalitions of investors that drive change through collaborative engagements with specific companies and sectors. You will also oversee the secretariat function which ShareAction provides to two networks of mission-led investors (the Charities Responsible Investment Network and the Responsible Investment Network – Universities), supporting their ambitions to be at the leading edge of responsible investment practice.

ShareAction’s research, engagement and campaigns are highly respected within the investment industry. If you are excited by the opportunity to influence and shape the way the finance sector responds to the challenge of aligning long-term economic, financial, environmental and social goals, then we’d love to hear from you!

What you’ll bring to the team

We want to hear from you if you’re highly skilled in strategic stakeholder relationship management and have a passion for making the financial system work in the interests of people and the planet. We think this role could suit someone who has previous experience in the financial sector. Or perhaps, you may have worked in wider industry in investor relations, in a professional services organisation, or in a stakeholder-facing role within a civil society organisation or regulatory/policymaking body. Additionally, the key aptitudes we’re looking for are the ability to shape and lead a strategy to engage and influence with impact and the ability to lead and manage a passionate and talented team. However, we recognise that talent comes from all types of backgrounds, and lots of skills are transferable. So, if you believe you would excel in engaging to change the financial industry but don't have one of these profiles of experience, we’re still keen to hear from you, and we welcome opportunities to explore different ways of achieving our goals.

What we will do for you

We are a fast-paced organisation that has grown substantially over the past few years. We recognise that our people work hard to advocate for responsible investment and drive meaningful engagement with those who have the power to create a brighter future. Every day, they bring their expertise, passion and persistence to build a world where the financial system serves our people and planet. We want to ensure we provide the right environment for our colleagues to thrive, and we are committed to improving our employee offer where possible.

Currently, we are pleased to offer:

• A commitment to flexible working: over 60% of our employees have some sort of flexible working arrangement in place.
• Hybrid working: we are committed to supporting our staff to work in a way that suits their lifestyle and meets the requirements of their role.
• Internal promotion and development opportunities: we offer a range of ways to improve your skills and focus on what you love, including promotion, secondment, or sideways development opportunities. For some levels of roles, we offer direct progression.
• The opportunity to help make a difference: we tackle some of the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges. We offer opportunities for you to develop your skills and experience in a friendly, flexible and supportive working environment.
• A unionised work environment: our staff have the opportunity to join the union, and we are supported by our recognised union, Unite. We regularly consult and negotiate with our employees on workplace matters ranging from working conditions to pay.
• Regular in-person meetings, including all-staff away days, retreats and directorate strategy days to create connected teams.
• 8% non-contributory pension: invested with NEST and their green funds.
• A healthcare cash plan with Westfield that gives you money back on your healthcare costs.
• An employee assistance programme: advice and support, lifestyle discounts and short-term counselling.
• 25 days’ annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus office closure at the end of the year, ensuring everyone gets time to switch off together.
• Enhanced family leave pay: up to 18 weeks paid at 90% for either parent.
• Enhanced sick pay: starting at 5 weeks’ full pay from day one.
• Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities, and we are working hard to provide an environment where all can bring their authentic selves to work. We know that some people won’t apply for a role unless they meet all the requirements listed in the job description. If this is the case for you, but you think you would excel in this role, we want to hear from you!

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 9am on Monday 30 September 2024.
First-round interviews: Wednesday 9/Thursday 10 October 2024 (online).
Second-round interviews: Wednesday 16/Thursday 17 October 2024 (in person).

Our hiring process is anonymised; we won’t ask for a cover letter, and we don’t look at CVs until the interview stage. We do this so that we reduce the opportunity for unconscious biases to affect our decision-making, and so we prioritise skills and expertise over how well you can write a CV.

To be considered for this post, you must be legally eligible to work in the UK; unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Please be aware that when shortlisting we are really keen to get a sense of your unique voice and individual experience, especially if you are using generative AI tools as part of your drafting process.

Job title: Philanthropy Manager

Manager: Senior Philanthropy Manager

Location: Hybrid work with 40% from Breaking Barriers’ offices in London, Manchester or Birmingham

Salary: £34,000-£40,000 (London) or £32,000-£38,000 (Manchester/Birmingham)

Hours: 5 days per week (37.5 hours) but open to part-time (30 hours minimum), and flexible working arrangements

Contract: Permanent

Overall purpose

The Philanthropy Manager will manage and steward a portfolio of funders and donors – across trusts and foundations, statutory sources and major donors – to secure annual and multi-year gifts in support of Breaking Barriers’ vision. As well as managing relationships with our existing donors there will be a focus on creating new relationships through proactive prospecting and developing a long-term strategic approach to stewardship and relationship development.

You will be an ambitious, enthusiastic, energetic, and autonomous fundraiser with a demonstrable passion for supporting people from a refugee background. You will have a strong track record of high-value relationship management and fundraising, ideally specialising in Trusts, Statutory, Major Donor fundraising or a related area. We are looking for someone who can successfully secure and steward gifts of 5 figures and above – so evidence of stewarding high-value relationships and high-quality written skills are key. You will collaborate with additional fundraisers across Trusts, Statutory, Corporate and Major Gifts to coordinate approaches and maximise opportunities across all functions.

We welcome applicants with relevant transferable skills from other sectors and other areas of fundraising but a strong knowledge of the fundamentals of grant fundraising is essential. We are looking for a passionate individual who can get people excited about the work we do and who wants to make a difference in the lives of individuals from a refugee background. You will share our energy and determination, and will be attracted by the idea of working in a team with big ambitions, and in which you will have the opportunity to grow and develop. We encourage creative thinking and new ideas so a proactive individual who is able to spot opportunities and take the initiative would thrive in this role.

To view the full job description and person specification, as well as details on our accessible recruitment process, please view the attached recruitment pack.

Other considerations

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out preemployment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK.
• We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.

How to apply

If you are looking for a role where you can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. To apply, please submit a CV and statement (up to approximately 500 words/1 A4 page) outlining:

• Why you are interested in the role
• What skills you would bring to be successful in this role
• Any experience you would like to highlight
• Any reasonable adjustments you require for the interview process
• Disclosure of disabilities if you wish to do so (as a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role)

Please note that applications without a covering letter will not be considered.

Closing date for applications is 11:30pm on Friday 11th October. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background. 

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager Dani Meier for further details (we are unable to include email addresses in this advert, but you can find contact details on the final page of the attached recruitment pack).

Position: Campaigns Coordinator

Based: EJF offices in London or Bath

Contract: Full-time, permanent. Hybrid working arrangements are in place, and flexible working arrangements can be considered.

Salary range: £38,000-48,000 dependent on experience

Benefits: Private healthcare package, generous pension and annual paid leave (30 days including bank holidays, increasing subsequently each year and additional paid leave over Christmas), cycle-to-work scheme (more details below)

Reporting to: CEO

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) exists to protect the natural world and defend our basic human right to a secure environment.

We believe in equity and justice and a need to respect, defend, and empower communities most at risk from habitat loss, biodiversity collapse and global heating.

We campaign for environmental justice and work internationally, presenting investigative findings to high-level decision-makers to shape systemic, durable reform. We expose abuses and support environmental defenders, Indigenous peoples, independent journalists and communities on the frontlines of environmental injustice.

With over 115 staff in 16 countries, our campaigns are outcome-focused, presenting findings from our investigations, research and films to decision-takers and media to secure policy changes and high-impact results for environmental justice. Key campaigns include:

Ocean: Defending precious marine biodiversity and protecting coastal communities whose human rights depend on marine habitats. EJF campaigns to protect the ocean from climate change, destructive and illegal fishing, deep- sea mining and plastic pollution, and to end ‘seafood slavery’.

Climate: Campaigning for legal protection and assistance for climate refugees and those on the frontlines of climate change; and to protect Nature’s carbon stores, including wetlands, forests and ocean biomes.

Environmental Defenders: Providing targeted training and equipment, guidance and support that enables grassroots activists, Indigenous peoples, and independent journalists to document, expose and end threats to their natural world and human rights.

The role:

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and experienced person to coordinate the delivery of EJF’s portfolio of cutting-edge campaigns, which bring about critical impacts for both people and the planet. We seek an outstanding, confident professional to support the Directors in coordinating our campaigns, projects and programmes globally. You will report directly to the CEO and play a key role in ensuring our growing advocacy teams deliver meaningful impacts to protect people and our planet. You will be exposed to a diverse range of campaigns across four continents and gain invaluable experience effectively administrating a growing charity and international organisation. The post will not manage projects, campaigns or programmes but ensure the most efficient and effective co-ordination.

The successful candidate will work across all EJF campaigns and operations, taking responsibility to:

• Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress against campaign strategies. This will include ensuring that all projects and campaigns have a plan with precise, measurable outcomes, outputs, activities, roles and responsibilities, timelines and budgets pre-agreed with the programme lead and CEO.
• Ensure staff regularly and thoroughly update progress and challenges in delivering outcomes and outputs activities and that the CEO is kept full briefed.
• Assess, in detail, which projects are progressing on schedule, within budget, and delivering planned outcomes.
• Deliver constructive, critical impact evaluation as measured against pre- agreed metrics.
• Track and update major campaign activities and outputs in one accessible, calendarised central location for the Directors and Senior Management Team.
• This will include significant campaign initiatives, key advocacy meetings, and relevant third-party dates/events.
• Ensure the compilation and submission of progress reports and other updates to funders.
• Work closely with the CEO and Senior Management Team (SMT) to ensure global teams coordinate fully and share information on cross-cutting or mutually beneficial projects.
• Work with the communications team to ensure the entire team network stays updated with the latest campaign developments and has an overview of EJF's work across different jurisdictions.
• Assist in producing detailed external communications, primarily to donors on behalf of the Directors.
• Propose simple, effective and use-friendly systems to be used by the global team to share information and intelligence
• Support team leads in ensuring their staff work efficiently, flagging and helping identify swift resolution to any issues or challenges.

Skills and experience

This challenging, fast-paced and varied role demands meticulous attention to detail, creative thinking, an ability to grasp new issues quickly, and a ‘can do’ attitude. The Campaigns Coordinator will have superb organisational and interpersonal skills and a proven ability to coordinate projects, ideally in international environments and across diverse teams.

Essential skills and attributes

• Outstanding project or programme management experience (of at least three years), including coordinating campaigns and projects on time and within budget, and with knowledge in output, outcome, and impact monitoringframeworks.
• Strategic and pragmatic thinker with proven experience leading campaign strategy development, planning, delivery and evaluation.
• Excellent, collaborative working style with proven experience in leading, convening and inspiring action in a cross-cultural environment and across diverse and dispersed teams.
• First-class communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex information verbally and in writing clearly and simply to staff and relevant external audiences (e.g. funders).
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Excellent organisational skills, self-motivated and able to prioritise workloads and balance multiple work streams.
• You can work independently and effectively collaborate with colleagues and partners overseas. You are reliable, determined, creative, positive, and resourceful.
• You have a solid commitment to EJF’s mission, values, and vision—you want to change the world for the better.

Desirable skills and experience:

• A strong understanding of environmental and human rights issues.
• Experience working in a third-sector organisation.
• Proficiency in other languages.

Applications: If you think you are a strong candidate, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, please send your CV and a cover letter to the email address provided. 

Closing date for applications: 20 September 2024. First interviews will occur on a rolling basis as applications are reviewed, and the successful applicant may be found before the closing date.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates must have the legal right to live and work in the UK.

EJF is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity within the workplace.

Benefits:

Starting Leave: 22 days plus all bank holidays

Additional Leave: Leave entitlement increases further with time of service up to 45 days, inclusive of bank holidays.

Holiday Closure: EJF’s offices close between Christmas and New Year, giving additional paid leave.

Hybrid Working: Discretionary option to work two days each week from home

Flexible Working: Flexible start and end times and the possibility of further flexible work arrangements to allow for childcare and other caring responsibilities

Remote Working: Employees can book up to two weeks per year remote working from any location

Office space: Attractive offices in Farringdon, London and Bath city centre

Progression: Opportunity for career development, rapid progression and learning new skills working for an effective, inspiring international environmental organisation.

Insurance: Private healthcare package and comprehensive travel insurance

Pension: Employer’s contribution to pension starts at 3% and increases to 10% with time of service, plus additional pension contribution for ethical investments

Cycle to Work scheme: £300 towards the purchase of a bike and safety equipment

Starting salary £30,000 per annum

35 hours per week (Full-time)

Permanent

This role will involve hybrid working from home and WGN offices, as well as travel across London and community-based working as determined by service user and service delivery requirements.

About us

Women and Girls Network (WGN) was established in 1987 and has spent over 30 years supporting women and girls across London affected by gendered violence. This includes childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, rape, prostitution (including trafficking and sexual exploitation), female genital mutilation (FGM), and so-called ‘honour’ based crimes such as forced marriage.

About the role

We are now looking for looking for an experienced and dynamic Housing Caseworker (Young People) to join our highly successful Advice Casework Service.

The Advice Casework Service provides trauma-informed, intersectional, woman-centred, rights and strengths-based advocacy and advice that supports survivors on their unique journey of healing and growth. The work is delivered through a commitment to an anti-oppressive, feminist framework that strives to address additional barriers and meet the diverse range of survivors needs, understanding the specific support needs of each survivor. We are passionate about social justice and being part of dismantling systems and structures which oppress survivors, and Caseworkers play a key role in identifying current issues affecting survivors in London and opportunities for change.

As a Caseworker you will work with young women (18-30) who have experienced any form of violence against women and girls (VAWG), providing medium and long-term practical, emotional and advocacy support. You will amplify young women’s voices and create a non-judgemental and creative space where survivors are free to be their authentic selves, safely explore their rights, options and impact of their experiences, and make informed choices about their future. You will manage a caseload of young women, as well as lead in delivering our one-off drop-in specialist practical support to sessions to young women as part of the Voice and Choice Project.

About you

The ideal candidate will be experienced in providing specialist advocacy support to young people, have an excellent insight into the needs of survivors of VAWG and to be passionate about delivering creative face-to-face sessions to young people. If you have the required skills and are passionate about supporting survivors, we would love to hear from you.

How to apply

Please visit our webite to download an application pack. Completed application form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring forms should be submitted by 9am on Monday 30th September 2024.

Interview details

First stage interviews are expected to take place remotely in the week commencing 7th October 2024, however, please note dates may be subject to change. 

Further Information

This post is subject to satisfactory references, social media screening and a DBS check.

WGN’s employee benefits include: 3% pension contribution, enhanced leave entitlement and an Employee Assistance Programme, as well as the opportunity to work with a leading multi-cultural, women-led feminist charity.

We welcome and encourage applications from women of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Ethnic communities.

WGN is an equal opportunities employer. Posts are exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.