Independent living advisor jobs in manchester

Imagine This is the only UK charity solely dedicated to supporting the mental wellbeing of seriously ill children and their families. Founded in 2014 by actors Sarah Parish MBE and Jim Murray MBE in memory of their first daughter Ella-Jayne, the charity has rebranded from The Murray Parish Trust to Imagine This in 2025. The charity is now leading a national movement to address a hidden mental health crisis in seriously ill children.

There are one million children in the UK facing life-limiting, life-threatening, and serious chronic conditions. These children are at much higher risk of long-term mental health difficulties that can become more complex and difficult to treat, on top of living with often complex medical needs. Imagine This provides imaginative, innovative and empowering projects to help them navigate their journey with connection, resilience and hope. Our vision is to reach every seriously ill child, and their families, across the UK by 2035, delivering diverse and impactful projects in hospitals, hospices and community settings.

This role will be responsible for an effective and compliant operations function (finance, HR, programmes/projects, governance). You will help the charity to scale its operations sustainably and ensure the charity complies with its legal and governance responsibilities. We are looking for a proactive individual who has an eye for detail in data and administration. You will be ambitious and entrepreneurial, with real vision and a passion for the cause. You will be resilient and collaborative, someone who is highly organised with the ability to juggle a diverse and high workload.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Finance and HR

• Liaise with outsourced bookkeepers (also payroll providers) to ensure timely/accurate information flow.
• Oversee income and expenditure budgets and performance, processing of donations and scheduled payments, and ensuring accurate and consistent coding.
• Work with accountants to support year-end accounts and coordinate annual report production.
• Produce and circulate monthly management accounts and other reports for the Board.
• Support Trustees with designated responsibilities e.g. finance, risk, governance.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding and HR record-keeping (including freelancers).
• Maintain accurate, compliant data in our CRM (Donorfy), including prompt input of donations.

Charitable projects

• Support the planning and coordination of secured charitable projects, liaising with project partners, monitoring delivery milestones, payment schedule and working with the wider team to maximise success.
• Compiling project monitoring/evaluation data from project partners to support excellent impact reporting.

Governance and operations

Together with the volunteer Charity Secretary:

• Coordination of Board meetings and AGMs, agendas, papers and minutes.
• Maintain central registers (trustee attendance/terms, governance documents, policies, risk, safeguarding training etc).
• Fulfil statutory and regulatory responsibilities, including filing of annual accounts.
• Advise trustees on governance best practice, in line with Charity Commission guidance.
• Management of policies, procedures and operational systems (including the CRM) that strengthen internal controls and identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency.
• Prepare Quarterly reports for the Board, and upon request.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and the Fundraising Code of Practice, including delivering the responsibility of data protection lead.
• Maintain relationships with volunteer Independent Advisors and commissioned service providers e.g. finance, HR and legal to ensure compliance/best practice.

Job title: Data and Insights Manager

Reports to: Head of Data and Innovation

Location: London, Birmingham or Manchester, with the option to work remotely for up to 60% of your time per month

Salary: £36,000-£42,000 (£38,500-£44,500 for London)

Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week). Open to flexible working.

Contract: 12-month fixed-term contract

Overall purpose

The Data and Insights Manager will be a vital part of Breaking Barriers’ Data and Innovation Team, which has overall responsibility for Breaking Barriers’ data infrastructure and data analysis (relating to clients, programmes, fundraising, corporate partners and communications). They will oversee the gathering, processing, analysis and presentation of Breaking Barriers’ data, in order to ensure we are as evidence-based and effective an organisation as possible. This will offer the opportunity to influence decision making at all levels and have a genuine impact on Breaking Barriers’ clients. The Data and Insights Manager will also take ownership of various projects to improve the organisation’s CRM (Salesforce) and its integration with other applications. In addition, they will support the Head of Data and Innovation with the management of the Data and Innovation Team’s working relationships with other teams and with coordinating the Data and Innovation team’s work.

The successful candidate will have previous experience in CRM management, ideally having worked as a Salesforce Administrator. They should possess a high level of data literacy, with knowledge of data analytics and visualisation. They should excel as a project manager and a communicator with a willingness to work collaboratively across teams. There is considerable scope for personal development in this role, with opportunities to shape the organisation’s future systems with a key emphasis on self-driven learning and development. The role would suit a pro active, creative and driven individual, who is keen to learn and to make a big impact working across the organisation.

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 pre-employment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include basic DBS checks, 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. Breaking Barriers is committed to protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect and for their views, wishes and beliefs to be fully considered when deciding action.   

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 statement of interest (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)

Closing date for applications is Monday 27 October at 11:30pm. Please note, interviews will be held online on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Network, 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 are from a refugee background.

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for independent and confidential support with your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager, Caroline Meechan 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).

JOB DETAILS
JOB BAND: E
CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-term, Part-time (10 Months, 28 Hours - Parental Leave)
DEPARTMENT: BBC Children in Need
LOCATION: Main Uk Hubs – Hybrid 
SALARY RANGE: £51,600 - £64,000 (Full Time Equivalent) depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights. London Weighting may be applicable.

The internal job title for this role will be Lead Project Manager (Charity)

We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
BBC Children in Need occupies a cherished place in the hearts of the British public and is the UK’s largest independent funder across the children’s sector. We hold a significant voice on children’s issues and play a powerful role in improving the lives of children and young people.

This role is central to that mission. You will be primarily responsible for the development and successful delivery of the ‘We Move FWD’ Fund—a £10 million, 10-year commitment to address systemic racism and issues faced by Black children and young people. To date, over £4 million has been awarded to 66 projects across the UK, with grantmaking decisions led by young Black advisors.

Under the co-leadership of Alex Holmes and Mercy Shibemba, the Fund has expanded to include narrative shifts, storytelling, and celebrating Black joy and imagination. As interim Co-Director (covering parental leave), you will build on this foundational work and lead the strategic management of an additional programme focused on polarisation and division. You will ensure both programmes are aligned with BBC Children in Need’s charitable ambition and strategy, and that their operational delivery drives meaningful impact.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM
This is a unique opportunity to be part of a movement for change. As BBC Children in Need evolves to work in more innovative and impactful ways, this role places you at the forefront of that transformation.

Reporting into the Director of Impact and Influence (Fozia Irfan), you’ll lead the day-to-day management of the ‘We Move FWD’ fund, ensuring equitable and ethical delivery. You’ll work closely with your co-Director (Alex Holmes), expert third parties, infrastructure organisations, and young people to co-create innovative funding programmes. You’ll also manage two programme managers and collaborate across the organisation.

In addition to implementing key strands of our long-term strategy, you’ll spearhead a new fund focused on polarisation and division. This is a substantial opportunity to amplify impact, build legacy, and ensure our funding reaches those most in need.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

Work collaboratively with Trustees, Executive team, and staff to provide strategic direction for both Funds.
Deliver and further develop strategic plans aligned with the Theory of Change for grantmaking and broader impact.
Ensure each Fund has a clear impact strategy linked to funding activities and measurable indicators.
Develop new opportunities and partnerships to advance Fund objectives.
Ensure equitable grantmaking processes that effectively support organisations serving Black children and young people.
Manage existing grants empathetically and build strong relationships with Black-led organisations.
Continue developing broader impact programmes including narrative change, power-sharing, and leveraging BBC platforms.
 

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

Proven leadership and management experience, with a strong organisational approach and ability to build inclusive, innovative team cultures.
Substantial experience in developing and delivering grantmaking programmes/major partnerships, including broader impact initiatives.
Ability to lead in complex, evolving environments, with strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
Deep understanding of systemic racism and race equity, with a demonstrable commitment to anti-racism.
Lived experience working with and for Black communities in the UK.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

Experience in narrative change or storytelling initiatives.
Familiarity with youth-led programme design and co-creation.
Knowledge of polarisation and division issues in the UK context.
Experience working with media platforms or public engagement campaigns.
Strategic experience in legacy-building or long-term impact programmes.
 

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Job title: Employer Engagement Manager

Reports to:   Head of Programmes

Line reports: None

Location: Flexible, hybrid, with some travel required to our offices (London, Manchester or Birmingham)

Salary:          £38,000-£41,000 (£39,000-£42,000 in London)

Hours:           Full-time, 37.5 hours per week, with occasional evening or weekend work (TOIL provided). Open to flexible working.

Contract: FTC 12-months, with intention to convert to permanent position subject to funding and organisational requirements.

Overall purpose

The Employer Engagement Manager (EEM) will play a critical role in ensuring refugees supported by Breaking Barriers access meaningful, opportunities that align with client needs and labour market demand. The postholder will lead employer outreach and partnership building in priority sectors and embed consistent systems and processes that make employer engagement coordinated and impactful across the organisation. The EEM will support pathways, work placements, recruitment pipelines and workshops by ensuring employer input is actively embedded where relevant.

This is a strategic, hands-on role, the successful candidate will map and cultivate employer relationships, secure employer input into sector pathways, workshops and recruitment initiatives, translate labour market intelligence into programme improvements, and design the operational processes that enable Programmes and Corporate Partnerships to work together effectively. You will operate in a matrix environment, collaborating closely with the Programmes, Corporate Partnerships and Client Services teams but will not hold direct line-management of delivery staff.

The role is set up to be ambitious but achievable within 12 months. The priority is to build tested, repeatable employer engagement practice (relationships, processes, insight-sharing and measurable impact) that can form the foundations of a permanent employer engagement function if/when funding allows.

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

Other considerations

• This is a fixed-term contract for 12 months. Toward the end of the term, a review will be conducted to assess the impact and scope of the role, with the intention to adapt into a permanent position subject to funding and organisational need.
• This role may require occasional travel for employer meetings, events, and networking opportunities.
• Some evening or weekend work may be required to attend employer engagement activities (TOIL provided).

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out pre-employment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include basic DBS checks, 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.

  Breaking Barriers is committed to protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect and for their views, wishes and beliefs to be fully considered when deciding action.

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 statement of interest (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)

Closing date for applications is 11:30pm on Tuesday 28 October. Please note that interviews will be held on a rolling basis and we reserve the right to close the advert early if a suitable shortlist is found.

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

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experince of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reasch out to HR Manager, Caroline Meechan 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).

POST

Finance and Operations Manager

RESPONSIBLE FOR

Overseeing Operations at every level of the organisation, with line management responsibility for some of the team, Project and Workstream Coordinators (approximately 5 direct reports) plus some external consultants and contractors.

SALARY & HOURS OF WORK

Part Time – 4 days a week (30 hours)

Salary: Gross £40,000 pro rata £32,000

Term - Permanent 

Annual Leave Entitlement - 31 days including public and bank holidays Pro Rata

Pension: Workplace pension contributions of 5% per month will be paid by NUM

LOCATION OF THE POST HOLDER 

The post holder will be predominantly remote working but will be required to attend the head office and drop-in in Manchester, drop-in spaces in Glasgow and London, and support staff members nationally. The post involves some travel throughout the UK and some work outside of office hours.  All equipment required for remote working will be provided and costs for travel will be covered.

ROLE SUMMARY

We are looking for a Finance and Operations Manager to support the CEO in the day-to-day running of our charity. The NUM CEO develops the overall vision of the organisation, while the Operations Manager is responsible to carry out the vision. 

To be successful in this role, you should have experience as a manager in a position of public trust, have excellent financial, organisational, and communications skills, as well as being a problem-solver with work experience in high-pressure work environments. The Finance and Operations Manager must be versatile in their understanding of the larger vision and as well as the fine details and tactics needed to achieve NUM's goals.

The successful candidate will work in an agile manner to ensure the charity continues to be proactive and innovative, while also being responsive to the changing landscape within the sector and the international sex worker rights and safety movement. As part of supporting the operations of NUM, the successful candidate will provide resources, information and support to NUM Managers and Coordinators across diverse projects, workstreams and teams, to achieve aspects of the organisation’s mandate of 'ending all forms of violence against sex workers' and eliminating the conditions that lead to poverty and survival sex work.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

• At least 3 years' work experience as a Manager, Project or Programme Manager or similar role that requires oversight of a whole system, business, operation or organisation Experience leading remote or hybrid teams is desired. This includes time management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks, lead team meetings and support members to manage resources, timelines and project budgets, etc. 

• At least two years’ experience in grant writing and fund development, as well as in financial management, with a demonstrated ability to co-develop budgets, cashflow forecasts and financial reporting as well as oversee banking activities and work with accountants and Trustees to ensure NUM’s financial health.

• Knowledge of the charity sector, the day-to-day running of a charity, business or similar organisation, and familiarity with the work of National Ugly Mugs and other sex worker-serving and sex worker-led organisations.

• Excellent leadership and delegation skills and experience. 

• Ability to support and execute on elements of NUM's policies and strategic plan. 

• Experience and training in Safeguarding and the ability to integrate appropriate safeguarding into all aspects of NUM services.

• Exemplary critical thinking and problem-solving skills and experience.

• Excellent IT skills and familiarity with CRM systems, applications and digital platforms and services, particularly Google Workplace, QuickBooks, the Microsoft Office Suite, as well as Slack, Trello, and other project management programs and tools.

• Experience in Human Resource Management and monitoring performance across diverse teams. 

• Exceptional verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to engage in knowledge translation within NUM and with external partners, funders and other stakeholders. 

• A demonstrated ability to be discrete and confidential as part of working on sensitive issues within a diverse staff team, and to be tactful and strategic in challenging social and political climates.