Branch development officer jobs

Samaritans Training School - or STS for short - is our dedicated central training team who deliver high quality Samaritans training on behalf of branches and hubs. Our busy team delivers training to new and existing volunteers and staff members, throughout the year.​

We’re looking for an experienced Training School Manager to lead our STS function. You’ll oversee high-quality training delivery and facilitation, leading on quality assurance, continuous improvement and the ongoing development of training practice.​

As an experienced leader, you’ll manage and develop our high-performing STS team, striving to ensure excellence in our training provision. You’ll also be responsible for rota management and scheduling of training courses, balancing organisational priorities along with the performance and wellbeing of your team.​

You’ll work closely with stakeholders across the organisation, including staff and volunteers, through building strong working relationships. You’ll work to understand training and development needs, ensuing joined up learning design and delivery.​

If you’re a strong leader with clear and positive communication skills, an aptitude for problem solving and experience in the operational delivery of training, this may be the role for you.​

Contract terms:

• £47,000 - £51,000 per annum, plus benefits
• Permanent
• Full time hours are 35 hours per week, but we are passionate about flexible working, talk to us about your preferences.
• Homebased contract
• In-person working: Meeting in person and working collaboratively are things we value. We work in person around 2 days or more per month
• This role requires regular out of hours working to oversee evening training delivery. Travel to our office in Ewell (Surrey) for in-person meetings is also required.

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​What you'll do:

• Lead the operational delivery of the Samaritans Training School, ensuring a high-quality virtual training provision
• Set and uphold standards of training delivery and facilitation across the Samaritans Training School
• Manage a high-preforming training team
• Support, coach and develop trainers to address skills gaps and drive continuous improvement
• Schedule training courses balancing trainer availability and resource
• Monitor and quality assess service delivery of training courses, using performance data and insight
• Ensure training delivery is in line with best practice
• Build strong relationships with staff, volunteers and other stakeholders

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What you’ll bring:

• ​Proven experience leading the operational delivery of learning or onboarding training programmes
• Experience of leading the delivery of virtual training
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in written form
• Ability to write clear and concise reports and presentations
• Ability to manage multiple systems
• Experience in building rotas and scheduling
• Experience in managing, leading and developing a high performing team
• Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships
• A training or facilitation qualification (desirable)
• Experience working with or managing volunteers, or within the charity sector (desirable)​

Please see Job Description and Person Specification 

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Why Samaritans?

At Samaritans, you’ll be part of a people-first organisation deeply committed to inclusion, compassion and learning. You’ll contribute to a team where your voice matters, your expertise makes a difference, and your work helps save lives.​

We welcome applications from individuals with lived experience and encourage those from underrepresented communities to apply. We are committed to creating an environment where all our people feel seen, heard and supported.​

You’ll join a values-led organisation with a powerful mission and a collaborative culture. We offer flexible hybrid working, excellent benefits, and the chance to make a tangible difference in suicide prevention across the UK and Ireland.​

For further information about Samaritans, including our charity structure, values, employee benefits, and application process, please read our recruitment brochure available here. You can also visit our careers website to access this.​

We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from disabled, racialised minority and LGBTQ+ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans.

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Apply now

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, please apply. You will be asked to answer some short application questions and to upload your CV. 

Applications close: ​Sunday 12th April 2026.

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At Samaritans, human connection is at the heart of everything we do.​

We do not use AI at any stage during the selection process. Your application will always be carefully reviewed by the recruiting manager or a member of the Talent Attraction Team.​

We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to generate your application or interview answers. We want to hear your own ideas, insights, and writing style so your unique strengths can shine through.

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Through our specialist programmes, our impact on the lives of residents is huge. We match volunteers to housebound residents to help them engage with communities and leave their homes; we provide long term personalised support to people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities to help them volunteer and find paid jobs; we support patients to deliver hundreds of their own activities and peer support groups at GP practices across City and Hackney; and in partnership with Public Health, we support over 250 Community Health Champions to share vital health messaging with their own diverse communities.  

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Post holders need to have excellent communication skills, to represent the charity in writing and in person. You must be enthusiastic, self-motivating and confident to work primarily alone, but also able to engage and collaborate with staff from across the organisation to share information and impact evidence to support your role. If you are successful in securing funding there will be the potential to recruit additional support, and for you to become the Head of Fundraising of a small team.

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The charity, with headquarters in Newquay (Cornwall), was founded in 2010 and has expanded to become the UK’s leading ‘surf therapy’ charity. We now employ nearly 35 staff at 16 sites around the UK, and have nearly 1,400 amazing volunteers.

Contributing to our impact doesn’t just happen on the beach and in the sea. This role is a great opportunity to use your skills, experience and passion to help transform young lives. We are a small but highly driven and creative team who are making a genuine difference in the lives of children and young people. We are strongly values-led:

Care, Safe, Brave, Integrity, Inclusive, Impactful, Thrive

We take our Safeguarding responsibilities seriously. All our volunteers and staff team work hard to ensure that everybody who comes into contact with The Wave Project is safe. Before applying for any of our roles, please have a look through our Safeguarding policy, especially our code of conduct, to ensure you are the right fit for our organisation.

Please read the recruitment pack on our website for more information.