Brand jobs

Working with colleagues across the Academy, Marketing and Communications, and wider teams, this new role is responsible for growing and nurturing engaged Academy audiences across online communities, social media, email and other channels. The role will plan, draft and publish approved content; moderate and manage online groups in line with community guidelines; and support the promotion of Academy learning opportunities through case studies, testimonials, photography and video content.

By monitoring audience growth, engagement and retention, maintaining accurate records and ensuring use of content is compliant with Battersea privacy and retention policies, the role will help demonstrate the impact of the Academy and support its ambition to reach, engage and benefit more organisations, individuals and animals.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

• 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year.
• Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes.
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
• Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution.
• Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
• Annual interest-free season ticket loans.

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best. If you would like to talk more about this, please contact us. Greyscale copies of the recruitment pack are also available on request.

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Acceptable use of AI:

At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.

To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.

Closing date: Sunday 13th September 2026, 11.59pm

All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Interview date(s): Friday 18th September 2026

For more information about the role, please download our Recruitment pack.

To apply for the role, please click the "Apply" button below.

Hours: Full-time

Pay: Up to £42,440 GBP gross per annual (dependent on experience) with additional uplift applicable during deployment.

Duration: Permanent

Location: UK-Med Office, Manchester, UK (hybrid working) with an expectation of approximately 15% international travel/deployment, as required by UK-Med.

Want to put humanitarian crises on the front pages and shape the global conversation when it matters the most?

UK-Med is looking for an exceptional Media Manager to lead our press office and secure high-impact media coverage that brings the realities of humanitarian emergencies to audiences across the UK and beyond. UK-Med is a frontline medical aid charity. Born of the NHS, we’ve been working for over 30 years
towards a world where everyone has the healthcare they need when crises or disasters hit.

In the past 12 months, UK-Med has attracted significant media attention for our emergency responses in Gaza, Ukraine and around the world. Our work has featured as the lead story on BBC News at Six and Ten, across national and regional television and radio, on the front pages of national newspapers, on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and in leading UK and international media outlets.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Fundraising & Communications team at a pivotal moment in UK-Med’s growth and reputation as the UK’s official Emergency Medical Team. As Media Manager, you will lead our media relations strategy, build strong relationships with journalists, identify opportunities to raise our profile, and ensure our stories reach the audiences that matter.

This is a high-profile role in a fast-paced, creative team where no two days are the same. You'll thrive under pressure, exercise sound judgement, and respond confidently to breaking news and media enquiries while helping colleagues tell powerful stories from some of the world's most challenging humanitarian crises.

You will lead the Press Office, acting as the first point of contact for media enquiries and ensuring requests are managed quickly, professionally and directed to the appropriate spokesperson.

We're looking for an outstanding communicator with excellent writing skills, a strong understanding of the UK media landscape, and the confidence to advise senior leaders and colleagues at every level on media engagement and reputation.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits along with a friendly working environment and the opportunity to make a real difference through humanitarian work.

How to apply

We strongly recommend that you read the Candidate Information Pack - Media Manager before applying.

To apply, please submit a current CV and a supporting letter (2 pages) through our online jobs portal.

Applications must be submitted no later than Friday 4th of September 2026.

UK-Med is committed to safeguarding of our personnel and beneficiaries and has a zero tolerance approach to sexual exploitation and abuse. We conduct thorough vetting before any appointment is confirmed.

UK-Med is committed to the principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive environment where employees feel respected and supported to be able to fulfil their potential.

Shaftesbury is a national disability charity that supports more than 4,000 children, young people and adults with a disability every year to live a life that truly adds up for them. That is at the heart of everything they do.

Their vision ‘all together better for disability’, is about working alongside the people they support so they can participate, contribute and be valued for who they are.

Their work is spearheaded by 1,500+ dedicated staff and volunteers who deliver a wide range of disability care, special education and rehabilitation services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, around the clock. 

To achieve their vision, they are looking for an Individual Giving Manager with a focus on acquisition to work alongside the Head of Individual Giving across regular gifts, appeals, lottery, raffle and other new products.

The Individual Giving Manager drives the recruitment of new supporters and supports the stewardship of warm audience, generating sustainable income for Shaftesbury. The proportion of acquisition focus v retention focus is likely around 70/30. 

This role focuses on maximising long-term value through innovative and impactful multichannel campaigns including reactivating lapsed supporters, optimising supporter conversion and delivering engaging onboarding experiences. The Individual Giving Manager will work on growing regular giving, cash and gaming pipelines and manage exciting projects which could include digital, DRTV, face-to- face, telemarketing, direct mail and radio. The role will provide assistance to the Head of Individual Giving with all retention activity, including cash appeals and newsletters. 

Shaftesbury is happy to consider fundraiser or officer level candidates looking to step up into their first manager level role. At present this role doesn’t line manage, so management experience is not necessary. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate project or product management skills, an enthusiasm for fundraising, familiarity with supporter journeys, creative thinking and will have experience within a UK based charity in either IG and legacies, community fundraising, corporate or philanthropy.

This role is hybrid, with 4 days per month on average at either the Gateshead office or London office. The one role is being advertised twice to ensure candidates from both geographic locations see the role within their search remit and feel able to apply. 

Application notes 

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

To express interest, please contact THINK Recruitment using the information in the Candidate Pack to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot progress candidates through to longlist without speaking with them, so please ensure you leave enough time to organise a screening call before the role closes. Following your call we will share the info needed to submit a full application. 

If you need assistance with downloading the pack, please send an email to THINK and our team will support you.

Deadline for expressions of interest: Midnight Sunday 13th September

Closing date for applications: Midnight Monday 14th September

Chief Executive Officer

Age UK Gateshead

Age UK Gateshead is looking for its next Chief Executive Officer,  someone who is passionate about people, believes in the strength of community and wants to lead an organisation that makes a real difference every day.

We are a genuinely community-driven local charity. Our services have grown and developed by listening to the people around us, understanding what our communities need and finding practical ways to respond.

From information, advice and advocacy to community activities, dementia support, day services, hospital-to-home support and regulated care through our subsidiary, Living Well North, our work reaches people at very different points in their lives.

Despite the breadth of what we do, the principle behind it is simple:

It’s simply about people.

We are looking for a CEO who shares that belief and can lead Age UK Gateshead through its next chapter.

The Role

As Chief Executive, you will have overall responsibility for the leadership, development and sustainability of Age UK Gateshead and its subsidiary.

Working closely with our Board of Trustees and leading an experienced senior team, you will provide direction while ensuring the organisation remains financially sustainable, well governed and focused on the people we exist to support.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing clear and positive leadership across Age UK Gateshead and its subsidiary
• Working with the Board to develop and deliver organisational strategy
• Leading our people, culture and organisational development
• Maintaining strong financial oversight and long-term sustainability
• Overseeing service quality, performance and continuous improvement
• Ensuring effective governance, safeguarding, risk management and regulatory compliance
• Providing strategic oversight of regulated services within our subsidiary, including appropriate assurance around quality and CQC requirements
• Developing sustainable income through funding, commissioned services, partnerships and new opportunities
• Building strong relationships with local authorities, NHS organisations, commissioners, funders, businesses and community partners
• Identifying opportunities for growth, collaboration and service development
• Representing and championing Age UK Gateshead locally, regionally and, where appropriate, nationally
• Providing the Board of Trustees with clear information, advice and assurance
• Ensuring the voices and experiences of the people we support continue to influence our decisions and direction

You won't be expected to do all of this alone. A big part of being our CEO is about leading people well, trusting good people to do their jobs, developing a strong senior team and creating clear accountability throughout the organisation.

Who We're Looking For

We aren't looking for someone who simply wants the title of CEO.

We're looking for someone who is genuinely passionate about supporting people and understands the responsibility that comes with leading an organisation that people and communities rely upon.

You will be comfortable moving between the strategic and the practical. One day you may be discussing finances, governance, contracts or organisational strategy; another you could be meeting a commissioner, visiting one of our services or simply having a conversation with the people we support.

We want someone who is visible, approachable and willing to listen, but who also has the confidence to make difficult decisions when they are needed.

You'll need strong leadership skills, sound judgement and commercial awareness, with an understanding of finance, organisational performance and good governance. You'll also need the ability to build strong relationships and bring people with you.

Our subsidiary delivers regulated care services. You don't necessarily need to have spent your career in regulated social care, but you will need to understand the importance of strong quality assurance and be comfortable providing senior oversight within a CQC-regulated environment.

About Age UK Gateshead

Age UK Gateshead is an independent local charity with deep roots in the communities we serve.

Our staff and volunteers support people in many different ways – sometimes through specialist advice or structured services, sometimes by helping someone regain their independence, and sometimes simply by making sure someone has somewhere to go and somebody to talk to.

Through Age UK Gateshead and our subsidiary, our work spans community support, information and advice, advocacy, wellbeing, dementia services, day opportunities, hospital-to-home support and regulated care.

Our next CEO will inherit an organisation with committed staff and volunteers, established services, strong partnerships and significant opportunities for further development.

They will also be leading in a challenging environment. Demand continues to grow, funding is increasingly competitive and the expectations placed upon charities and care providers continue to increase.

We therefore need a CEO who can balance ambition with sustainability and compassion with commercial awareness – someone who understands that growth only matters when it improves what we can do for people.

Experience & Qualifications

Strong leaders come from different professional backgrounds, and we don't expect our next CEO to tick every box. However, we would particularly value:

• Significant senior leadership or executive experience, ideally within the charity, community, health or social care sectors
• Experience of working effectively with a Board of Trustees, Directors or similar governing body
• Strong financial, governance, risk and organisational management experience
• Experience of developing strategy, leading change and supporting organisational growth
• Experience of income generation, commissioned services, contracts, grants or business development
• Strong partnership experience, particularly with public, voluntary or community sector organisations
• Knowledge or experience of regulated health or social care services and CQC expectations would be advantageous
• Experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams
• A relevant professional, management or leadership qualification would be beneficial, although equivalent senior leadership experience is equally valued

Most Importantly

Qualifications and previous job titles only tell us part of the story.

We want someone who knows how to listen, lead and bring people with them. Someone who trusts and develops their team, challenges things when they can be better and is willing to have difficult conversations when necessary.

Someone who can protect what makes Age UK Gateshead special while having the ambition and ability to move it forward.

Because behind the contracts, funding applications, CQC requirements, targets, strategies, budgets and Board reports are real people.

That's why we're here.

It’s simply about people.

Salary: £55,000–£60,000 per annum, dependent on experience.

Interviews to take place: Friday the 18th September

We are Age UK York, a local independent charity which exists to support the older people of York and those around them. For over 50 years our team of staff, volunteers and supporters have helped us to offer a wide range of services providing vital and trusted support so often when it is needed most.

Our vital work is needed today as much as ever and we ever welcome people to join our team as together we realise our shared mission of making a positive difference to the lives of the older people of York.

Job Summary:

Would you like to make a life changing difference in support of local people and communities in need here in York? Can you bring financial management expertise to support a team effort and help shape the future of our long standing charity?

Age UK York is offering an exciting senior leadership opportunity to join our fantastic team and support our vital work here in York. Could you be our Head of Finance and help lead our  team, ensure our effective financial arrangements and the vital part it plays in realising our mission in the positive difference we can make in helping others.,

We are looking to find for our new Head of Finance who can bring their experience, expertise and passion to support our local York charity, our team and those we are here to help each and every day.

You will manage our brilliant team with a focus on strong financial management. With both internal and external focus the role will lead on our financial management and helping our charity make every penny entrusted to us count, as we develop, manage and realise our financial goals and the difference the enable Age UK York to make in supporting older people and those around them across York.

You will be part of our energised senior leadership and management teams helping to shape our charity and the continued positive difference we make whilst working closely across our teams in their role together with our Board of Trustees.

The opportunity offers an excellent benefits package and support for your own personal development and aspirations. The opportunity would not only empower you to take forward the strong legacy from our current team though bring your own identity, ideas and strengths to the fore in our collective efforts to be there tomorrow and beyond.

Key Responsibilities:

We are looking for an experienced financial manager with a keen eye for detail and drive for high performance, continuous improvement and team work. With an ambition and drive to make a telling contribution and strengthen our charity and the difference we can together make in supporting older people  and communities.

We would love to hear from you if you have:

· Experience and success in leading the financial management for an organisation.

· Experience in providing leadership within an organisation; an eye for detail and a driver of standards in continuously learning and strengthening working practices and outcomes.

· Managed a team providing support, motivation and nurturing talent and opportunity

· The ability to readily transfer your existing experiences and skills to a new challenge;

· Understanding of your strengths and areas for continuing development and proactively build your knowledge and skills

We would love to hear from you.

We’re looking for someone who:

· Is successful in providing financial management for an organisation and effective in collaborating and supporting non-financial colleagues in our shared financial goals and successful practice.

· Demonstrates wider leadership qualities including contributing to overarching organisational strategic priorities.

· Skilled, including an excellent communicator, in building and maintaining successful relationships across internal teams and external partnerships.

· Able, and experienced, in delivering in meeting outcomes and targets whilst supporting a performance and continuous improvement organisational approach.

· Highly organised, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment;

· Strong attention to detail, analytical and critical thinking qualities, and able to apply and be energised to meet organisational challenges and opportunities in continually strengthening our organisation to help us realise our vision, mission and priorities.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

· Ability to prepare, manage, monitor and report on budgets.

· Previous experience in one or more, management or financial accounting roles delivering day to day finance functions.

· Experience of line management and support, motivation and development to colleagues and collective team.

· Experience of supporting the development and delivery of high quality services through financial management and support to operational colleagues.

· Effective understanding of financial statistics and accounting principles.

· Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. Including interpreting and communicating financial information to non-finance function colleagues and in support of decision making; a facilitative and accessible approach; ability to manage remote communications and diplomacy and conflict resolution skills.

· Passion and commitment to work within a not-for-profit organisation and support a team approach in working to help others.

· Decision making – ability to make decisions based on an analysis of data and insights, including financial, performance and needs based data.

Salary and Benefits:

• £17.75 per hour, £32,391 (FTE) per year, pro rata
• Flexible working options within our 21 hour per week role
• A genuinely friendly and supportive environment
• Generous holidays – 26.5 days plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time employees). Additional leave – an extra day of long service.
• Birthday day off
• Enhanced sick pay after 6 months of service
• Flexible work schedule 
• Potential for funding towards professional qualifications 
• Employee discounts including Blue Light Scheme eligibility
• BUPA Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Free eye test 
• Free flu jab 
• Free DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)

Shaftesbury is a national disability charity that supports more than 4,000 children, young people and adults with a disability every year to live a life that truly adds up for them. That is at the heart of everything they do.

Their vision ‘all together better for disability’, is about working alongside the people they support so they can participate, contribute and be valued for who they are.

Their work is spearheaded by 1,500+ dedicated staff and volunteers who deliver a wide range of disability care, special education and rehabilitation services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, around the clock. 

To achieve their vision, they are looking for an Individual Giving Manager with a focus on acquisition to work alongside the Head of Individual Giving across regular gifts, appeals, lottery, raffle and other new products.

The Individual Giving Manager drives the recruitment of new supporters and supports the stewardship of warm audience, generating sustainable income for Shaftesbury. The proportion of acquisition focus v retention focus is likely around 70/30. 

This role focuses on maximising long-term value through innovative and impactful multichannel campaigns including reactivating lapsed supporters, optimising supporter conversion and delivering engaging onboarding experiences. The Individual Giving Manager will work on growing regular giving, cash and gaming pipelines and manage exciting projects which could include digital, DRTV, face-to- face, telemarketing, direct mail and radio. The role will provide assistance to the Head of Individual Giving with all retention activity, including cash appeals and newsletters. 

Shaftesbury is happy to consider fundraiser or officer level candidates looking to step up into their first manager level role. At present this role doesn’t line manage, so management experience is not necessary. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate project or product management skills, an enthusiasm for fundraising, familiarity with supporter journeys, creative thinking and will have experience within a UK based charity in either IG and legacies, community fundraising, corporate or philanthropy.

This role is hybrid, with 4 days per month on average at either the Gateshead office or London office. The one role is being advertised twice to ensure candidates from both geographic locations see the role within their search remit and feel able to apply. 

Application notes 

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

To express interest, please contact THINK Recruitment using the information in the Candidate Pack to organise an informal screening call. Please note, we cannot progress candidates through to longlist without speaking with them, so please ensure you leave enough time to organise a screening call before the role closes. Following your call we will share the info needed to submit a full application. 

If you need assistance with downloading the pack, please send an email to THINK and our team will support you.

Deadline for expressions of interest: Midnight Sunday 13th September

Closing date for applications: Midnight Monday 14th September

Students’ Union UCL is an organisation that exists to make more happen. We are the representative body for University College London’s (UCL) students, one of the most diverse student communities in the world.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s ground-breaking Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

The role is full time and fixed term contract for 1 year. This role will be based at Bloomsbury campus with a hybrid working arrangement in place 40/60 split (40% working from office). We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible, and job share basis wherever possible.

The Societies Development Manager is a vital role within the Student Activities team, providing accurate, consistent and innovative support to the student volunteers running over 300 societies. This role will support the delivery of a variety of student led events and activities, empowering and enabling student leaders. This role will put students’ experience at the forefront of everything we do, focusing on providing excellent management of stakeholder relationships, problem solving and risk management with student activities. The Societies Development Manager will work collaboratively across the Student Experience directorate to empower student leaders to run impactful activities for their peers - removing barriers to engagement wherever you find them. They will be responsible for leading major events across the Union and project managing key cross-departmental initiatives such as our annual awards celebrations. The successful postholder will be there to expand our programmes, fostering vibrant and inclusive communities and ensuring all students can access the amazing opportunities extra-curricular opportunities available to them no matter what their level of experience. 

This exciting new role sits within REUK’s Education Pathways work which has been in a pilot phase for the last few years and is rapidly growing now that the UK government has made a commitment to expanding safe and legal routes to higher education in the UK for refugee students.

Higher education provides a transformative pathway for refugee youth, but establishing sustainable institutional access routes requires systemic collaboration. This role will lead the growth, formalisation, and management of university partnerships required to make an education pathway to the UK grow and flourish. You will oversee the complete partnership lifecycle: from university outreach and onboarding (including negotiating formal agreements at senior level), to enabling the formation of campus welcome groups, leading on initial and ongoing university and welcome group training and support, and monitoring and improving all university-facing processes within the pathway.

The postholder will work alongside a newly created Students Lead role, enabling you to focus on the institution-facing workstreams, while student-facing onboarding, welfare, and direct casework are handled by your counterpart.

This is a critical role within a small, high-capacity specialist unit within REUK. Because this is an emerging and new area of work you must be comfortable working with risk and ambiguity, refining and learning rapidly as parameters evolve. You will be an allrounder - as comfortable presenting to university executive boards and Vice-Chancellors as you are drafting MoUs, establishing Terms of Reference, organising and facilitating institutional training, and handling complex partnership operations independently.

Role outcomes

1. UK universities actively partner with REUK to create, expand, and sustain dedicated safe and legal education pathways for displaced students. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Developing and executing a national university engagement strategy to identify, pitch to, and secure new partner universities across the UK higher education sector.

• Engaging directly with key university representatives - including Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Heads of Admissions, Sanctuary staff and key academics - to build institutional buy-in and secure long-term commitment to refugee education pathways.

• Negotiating university support packages, including as appropriate fee waivers, scholarship or bursary structures, and accommodation commitments.

• Nurturing and strategically managing existing university partnerships to ensure institutional sustainability, high-level engagement, and year-on-year growth in pathway placements.

• Representing REUK where appropriate in sector-wide higher education networks and working groups on displaced student pathways.

2. Partner universities establish institutional frameworks, well-trained staff networks and campus welcome groups to receive refugee education pathway learners. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Guiding universities in establishing and structuring sustainable on-campus welcome groups (bringing together university staff and students) to support the welcome and integration of education pathway students.

• Designing and delivering high quality training sessions for on-campus welcome groups and other key staff members.

• Developing practical toolkits, guides, and frameworks for university staff to accompany above training.

• Collaborating with the Students Lead to ensure campus welcome structures integrate with REUK's student support mechanisms.

• Advocating within partner institutions for structural policy improvements (e.g. contextual admissions and flexible documentation policies).

3. University partnership governance, agreements, and operational systems run effectively and efficiently. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Drafting, negotiating, and finalizing formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Terms of Reference (ToRs), and operational service agreements with partner universities. 

• Managing all administrative and governance aspects of university partnerships independently, including contract tracking, partnership reviews, and operational timelines without junior admin support.

• Coordinating institutional admissions frameworks and placement quotas with university registry and admissions departments.

• Serving as the primary point of contact for senior university leads when strategic, structural, or other partnership challenges arise

• Maintaining robust data systems and records relating to university commitments, funding allocations, and institutional agreements.

4. REUK’s Education Pathways university partnerships work is robustly evaluated, financially sustainable, and aligned with REUK’s broader strategy. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Reporting directly to the Education Pathways Lead  on partnership growth, institutional engagement metrics, and strategic pathway goals.

• Working in close alignment with the Students Lead to ensure institutional frameworks effectively support cohort needs and programme delivery.

• Collecting sector data, university feedback, and institutional metrics to demonstrate impact to funders, university boards, REUK’s board of trustees, and government stakeholders.

• Supporting grant reporting and budget management related to university pathway expansion and partner development.

• Feeding operational insights from university partnerships into REUK’s broader research, policy, and systemic change initiatives.

Person specification

Although each role requires particular competencies, we seek staff members - irrespective of role - who are willing and able to demonstrate core competencies related to 1) character and values, 2) personal working style and 3) team working. Please see the applicant pack for more details. The competencies required for this specific role are:

• Higher Education sector expertise: Deep understanding of UK university governance, executive structures, admissions procedures, international frameworks, and sanctuary initiatives.

• Senior stakeholder engagement and negotiation: Proven track record of engaging and influencing senior decision-makers within universities.
   

• Partnership governance: Demonstrated experience drafting, negotiating, and executing formal and operational agreements, including MoUs and ToRs.
   

• Facilitation and training: Strong training and facilitation skills, with a track record of designing and delivering workshops and guidance, ideally within the higher education or refugee education sectors

• Operational self-sufficiency: Outstanding organisational skills with the ability to manage high-level administration, systems setup, and contract management independently without administrative support.

• Knowledge of education pathway models: Familiarity with international refugee education pathway models (such as Canada’s WUSC; Australia’s RSSP/SkillPath and or others operating in Japan, Italy, Ireland etc).

• Knowledge and understanding of refugee tertiary education: Strong understanding of the systemic barriers faced by refugee students in higher education both in the UK and in first countries of asylum. 

• Interpersonal skills: An ability to build and maintain positive, warm and confidence inspiring working relationships with internal colleagues and external partners and stakeholders, including in complex situations.

• Communications: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including ability to appropriately communicate nuance and complexity; confidence communicating with and presenting to high level audiences.

This exciting new role sits within REUK’s Education Pathways work which has been in a pilot phase for the last few years and is rapidly growing now that the UK government has made a commitment to expanding safe and legal routes to higher education in the UK for refugee students.

Once a student is selected for participation and offered a university place, this postholder becomes their core anchor and primary REUK point of contact. This role oversees the entire student journey—from pre-departure preparation and arrival orientation to ongoing academic support, psychosocial wellbeing, community building on campus and monitoring of student outcomes.

The postholder will work alongside the newly created Education Pathways Universities Lead. While the Universities Lead focuses on institutional partnerships, you will focus on the student support side of the pathway: equipping university welcome groups to develop integration plans, pairing scholars with academic mentors (with support from REUK’s educational mentoring team), building a vibrant national student network, and providing hands-on casework escalation when complex issues arise.

This is a critical role within a small, high-capacity specialist unit within REUK. Because this is an emerging and new area of work you must be comfortable working with risk and ambiguity, refining and learning rapidly as parameters evolve. You will be a versatile practitioner - equally skilled at designing cohort orientation programmes and delivering student workshops as you are at managing administrative workflows, tracking student outcomes, and delivering compassionate, individual casework support.

Role outcomes

1. Refugee Education Pathway students transition smoothly into UK higher education through comprehensive pre-departure guidance, arrival orientation, and holistic onboarding. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Serving as REUK’s primary point of contact for scholars in the months immediately preceding travel, delivering pre-departure briefings and managing expectation-setting.

• Supporting the Education Pathways Lead to recruit, select and match eligible students.

• Coordinating arrival logistics and initial orientation in close collaboration with partner universities and campus welcome groups.

• Establishing clear, trauma-informed onboarding protocols to help students adapt quickly to the academic and cultural environment of UK universities.

• Designing and delivering (in collaboration with young refugees who participated in the pilot pathway) high-quality orientation resources, toolkits, and interactive induction sessions tailored to the unique practical and psychosocial needs of newly arrived refugee students.

• Working alongside the Universities Lead to conduct campus visits to ensure scholars are safely settled and Welcome Groups are offering appropriate integration support

2. Scholars thrive academically, socially, and emotionally through tailored REUK-added support structures, mentorship, and peer networks. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Supporting the Universities Lead in training campus welcome groups (staff, student unions, and peer volunteers) and maintaining ongoing liaison to ensure high-quality local support.

• Overseeing REUK’s added-value support framework, including:

  • Sourcing, matching, and managing academic mentors for students on the programme;

  • Facilitating a vibrant, national network for education pathway students, organising regular in-person and online meet-ups and peer connections, as well as referrals to REUK’s refugee student leadership programme;

  • Providing occasional direct, high-level casework support and conflict resolution when complex student welfare, academic, or integration issues are escalated from universities to REUK.

• Fostering an empowering community environment that prioritises student agency, mental health, and long-term wellbeing throughout their studies.

3. Student support operations, cross-team coordination, safeguarding and administrative processes are managed efficiently and self-sufficiently. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Managing all student-facing administrative processes, communication channels, and record-keeping systems independently without junior administrative support. 

• Working in close alignment with the Universities Lead to ensure institutional arrangements and campus support delivery are fully synchronized.

• Maintaining robust safeguarding and data protection protocols across all student casework, communications, and interactions. 

• Liaising with external specialist organizations (e.g., legal advisors, healthcare providers, mental health services) when complex casework exceeds standard university support.

4. Student progress and outcomes are robustly evaluated and clearly communicated, contributing to programme learning and REUK’s wider mission. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Reporting directly to the Education Pathways Lead and Chief Executive on cohort wellbeing, retention rates, academic progress, and key student outcomes.

• Designing and implementing (with the support of REUK’s Research Manager) student feedback mechanisms, regular check-ins, and longitudinal evaluation frameworks to track scholar progression.

• Supporting grant reporting and contributing qualitative impact stories and student reflections for funders, communications and organisational learning.

• Working alongside the Youth Advocacy Manager to provide Education Pathways students opportunities to engage with our Refugee Changemakers team

• Feeding student-led insights and operational learning into REUK’s broader research, policy, and systemic change work to improve refugee education nationwide.

Person specification

Although each role requires particular competencies, we seek staff members - irrespective of role - who are willing and able to demonstrate core competencies related to 1) character and values, 2) personal working style and 3) team working. Please see the applicant pack for more details. The competencies required for this specific role are:

• Student support and safeguarding: Proven track record of delivering direct support, pastoral care and complex casework for displaced young people or international/refugee students in higher education and supporting others to do the same.

• Training and resources: Experience designing and delivering transition, orientation, or onboarding programmes that support cross-cultural adaptation and academic readiness.

• Volunteering management: Strong experience in recruiting, training and supporting volunteers and volunteer groups (e.g., akin to academic mentors or campus welcome groups).

• Network and community building: Skills in facilitating student-led networks, organizing cohort events/meet-ups, and building inclusive peer-to-peer support spaces.

• Operational self-sufficiency and willingness to travel: High level of personal organization, ability to manage admin independently without junior support, and willingness to travel regularly across the UK.

• Knowledge of education pathway models: Familiarity with international refugee education pathway models (such as Canada’s WUSC; Australia’s RSSP/SkillPath and or others operating in Japan, Italy, Ireland etc).

• Knowledge and understanding of refugee tertiary education and the needs of resettled refugees more broadly: Strong understanding of the systemic barriers faced by refugee students in higher education both in the UK and internationally in first countries of asylum, as well as the support needed on resettlement to a third country.

• Student participation: Deep understanding of the principles of youth or student leadership and co-production, with the ability to embed these meaningfully across the education pathway 

• Interpersonal skills: An ability to build and maintain positive, warm and confidence inspiring working relationships with internal colleagues and external partners and stakeholders, including in complex situations.

• Communications: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including ability to appropriately communicate nuance and complexity; confidence communicating with and presenting to a variety of audiences.

With a 110-year history, we are proud to be able to say that the WI continues to be the largest and most influential UK women’s organisation, with over 170,000 members. Our campaigns push for change on the issues that matter to women and their communities, from equal pay to climate change, mental health and violence against women. The WI has brought about real change, and this record of action shows that we are as relevant today as we were in 1915.

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes (the NFWI) is responsible for running the organisation and provides support and advice to members at both regional and local levels.

About the role

Leading innovation across the organisation, you will be responsible for developing and delivering a strategy to grow our movement, to increase our membership and reach whilst ensuring we continue to reflect the needs and aspirations of women. You will oversee research into women’s evolving needs and preferences, whilst testing approaches with new external audiences to maximise our relevance, diversity and inclusivity. At the same time, you will actively embed innovation into strategy and decision-making in all areas, constantly find new ways to reach underrepresented women and build a wealth of data to support your recommendations. You will lead transformation across the organisation by championing change, creativity and a forward-thinking strategy that ensures the continued growth for the WI.

Location: Hybrid, with one day per week at our London, Oxfordshire or Wales office.

About you

Highly experienced in innovation, organisational development or programme management, you will bring an impressive track record of instigating and managing successful organisational change that leads to sustainable income generation. You will be adept at designing and delivering pilot programmes, as well as commissioning research and deploying data to support action. The role requires excellent communication skills and the confidence to advise and lead at both senior leadership and Board level, as the organisation looks to you to lead fundamental organisational change. Experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector would be beneficial, as would an understanding of trends and issues affecting women across different demographics in the UK.

How to apply

For further information about this Head of Innovation role, please download the recruitment pack which includes the job description and person specification.

To apply, please submit your current CV with a covering letter clearly explaining why you would be suitable for the role to the HR department.

Closing date: 3 September 2026.

First round interview (virtual): 11 September 2026.

Second round interview (in-person): 15 September 2026.

No other media or agencies, please.

The WI is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and values diversity. Reg. Charity No. 803793.