Development leader jobs

the3million is the largest grassroots organisation for EU citizens in the UK, formed after the 2016 referendum to protect the rights of people who have made the UK their home. 

Our work ranges from organising EU citizens’ communities and informing people about their rights, to holding the Government to account on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and advocating for social justice.

We are looking for an experienced and values-driven Community Organiser to lead the delivery of EU Voices, a project aimed at strengthening EU citizens’ communities in the UK through capacity building of civil society organisations (CSOs) and delivering a programme of engagement events and campaigns directly with EU citizens. 

The ideal candidate will be passionate about social justice and migrants’ rights, able to plan, deliver and evaluate community engagement events, while also playing a key role in liaising with CSOs and delivering a programme of capacity building activities, enabling networks to be more effective and strategic in making change happen. The role requires strong experience in community organising, participatory approaches and working with diverse, grassroots-led CSOs.

Key responsibilities

1. Community organising and civic engagement 

• Lead the planning, delivery and evaluation of the project’s community organising strategy, working closely with the3million’s other Community Organisers to deliver a cohesive programme of opportunities.
• Plan, organise and facilitate listening sessions with EU citizens’ communities in partnership with local grassroots organisations.
• Deliver outreach activities at cultural, educational and community events, including stalls promoting the project and voter registration drives.
• Design and facilitate intercultural dialogue events that build bridges between EU citizens and British residents.
• Ensure all community engagement activities are inclusive, participatory and grounded in lived experience.
• Work with the Communications Manager to effectively promote the project in the media and the3million’s website, newsletter and social media as appropriate.

2. Capacity building for CSOs 

• Lead the delivery of capacity building activities for EU citizens’ organisations, coordinating with fundraising, communications and anti-oppressive practices training providers.
• Work closely with grassroots CSOs providing one to one guidance and support, including on organising local engagement events.
• Support CSOs to deliver and implement community organising plans and deliver local outreach and campaigning events.

3. Coordination and project management

• Act as the main point of contact for the3million within the EU Voices consortium, working closely with the Project Coordinator and partners.
• Coordinate activities to ensure coherence, timely delivery and alignment with project objectives and indicators.
• Lead on project planning, internal coordination meetings, and risk management.
• Support monitoring, evaluation and learning processes, including the collection of qualitative and quantitative data from community activities.

4. Stakeholder engagement 

• Work with the Head of Policy and Advocacy to ensure community insights and grassroots priorities inform and lead the3million’s advocacy.
• Support the3million’s policy-focused webinars and engagement with UK and EU decision-makers.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with a wide network of external stakeholders including grassroots community leaders and CSOs. 

5. Reporting and documentation

• Lead on the3million’s narrative reporting for EU funders, including event reports, progress updates and evidence of impact.
• Ensure accurate documentation of activities, participant engagement and outcomes in line with EU funding and visibility requirements.
• Support the production of case studies, testimonials and stories of impact from participating CSOs. 

6. General responsibilities 

• Represent the views of the3million at events, conferences and in the media, as appropriate.
• Provide assistance in other areas of the3million’s work as and when deemed necessary by the CEO.

Person specifications

Knowledge and experience: 

• Significant experience (minimum 3 years) in community organising, grassroots mobilisation or community development.
• Proven experience working directly with EU citizens or other minoritised, racialised or migrant communities.
• Strong understanding of participatory, rights-based and inclusive organising approaches.
• Experience coordinating complex projects with multiple stakeholders and partners.
• Experience of working with people from different backgrounds, including different language skills, cultures/ethnicities, ages, etc. Comfortable interacting with people who hold different opinions with a view to build mutual understanding and solidarity.

Skills:

• Excellent facilitation skills (experience of running workshops, events, stakeholder meetings)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing funding reports, ability to write clear emails with compelling calls to action and the confidence to speak in public settings
• Familiarity with anti-oppression practices (which can include anti-racism, co-liberatory and intersectional principles) and ability to apply them in practice (centering the voices of racialised, minoritised and under-represented community members in project design and implementation)
• Strong administrative skills, time management and attention to detail, including the ability to set meeting agendas, keep records of volunteers/partners and to follow up on agreed actions

Personal attributes:

• A deep commitment to migrants’ rights and a passion for social justice
• Strong understanding of power, inequity and intersectionality, and how these shape participation and community engagement 
• Ability to work independently, managing competing priorities and thrive in a fast-paced environment
• A positive, proactive and solutions-oriented attitude, able to take initiative
• Willingness to travel across the UK

Desirable

• Experience working on EU-funded projects.
• Experience working with EU citizens’ communities or on post-Brexit rights issues.

Before you apply

One of the3million’s core values is equity - we are people led, we value diversity and are enriched by differences. We strive to listen to, engage with and represent the broadest range of people. 

We recognise our team is not currently representative of communities that experience racism and that our own ways of working may replicate wider societal oppression and injustices. We are actively working towards becoming an anti-oppressive organisation, including taking steps to create a more inclusive recruitment process.

You may not have worked in an organisation whose focus is campaigning for migrants’ rights. Or you may have experience in a grassroots setting which is not formalised. Please still consider applying as many other settings offer transferable skills.

If you are from a background that is underrepresented in the migration sector - for example you are from a community that experiences racism, or you have lived experience of migration, or you are a disabled person, or you did not go to University or had free school meals as a child - we strongly encourage you to apply.

We believe our work will be stronger with greater diversity. the3million welcomes the whole person to work, and we understand that each of us brings our experiences, our backgrounds and our own unique lens to what we do.

We are part of the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative. The network supports inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience of the UK asylum or immigration system. If this is your experience, you can find useful resources on their website.

Working conditions 

Position: 4 days / week 
Duration: three years contract, with possibility of extension, subject to funding 
Salary: £38,419
Location: London, UK. Majority home working. Travel will be required - majority within the UK, in addition to trips to Brussels and Rome (all travel expenses covered)
Benefits: 28 days holiday + birthday, bank holidays, contributory pension scheme, flexible working patterns.
Reporting to: CEO

About applying 

Apply by submitting an up to date CV and cover letter, detailing your motivations for applying for this post and how your skills, knowledge and experience fit the person specifications of the role. Please note we will not be reviewing applications which do not include a detailed cover letter.

BACKGROUND

Church of England Birmingham (CofEB) is on a journey of growing churches at the heart of every community. Through this we are seeing growth in many exciting ways. Financially we are at a challenging point. We have had an operational deficit for a number of years and this cannot continue. The National Church has agreed to partner with us around this through their Diocesan Investment Programme enabling us to have the time, and resource, to tackle this head on. One key aspect of this is for us to increase our Common Fund returns (the giving from our parishes that supports the costs of our life together). We are taking a radical new approach to our finances which includes intentional reallocation of income to support the costs in our most economically deprived parishes and deeper relationships with each parish around finance through conversation rather than correspondence. Over the next five years we are hoping to be able to move to a financially sustainable platform which will enable us to better serve our communities in the future.

We have recently recruited a new Head of Generosity, who is also Bishops Advisor for Common Fund, to lead on this work and we are now looking to recruit the team to work with them. The focus of the team is to develop long term relationships with all of our parishes leading to:

• Greater support for our parishes.
• Increased generosity by, and within, our parishes.
• Increased Common Fund.

The current plan is to recruit two Giving & Generosity Advisor roles and one Giving & Generosity Support Officer role. Together this team will work with all of our parishes to roll out our financial approach, through in person meetings, and the support that is on offer as part of this. 

JOB DESCRIPTION

The primary focus of this role is to work with parishes to:

• Understand their current financial situation and how this links to the wider Church of England Birmingham situation.
• Understand our model and how support is on offer for parishes who are economically deprived.
• Assess with them the support needed to increase generosity and giving at a local level and create an action plan around this that is bespoke and contextual.
• Create a long-term plan for their participation in the common fund.

We have 146 parishes and the Head of Generosity will manage the team so that all parishes can be engaged as quickly as possible. It is the Head of Generosity and two Giving & Generosity Advisors who will be carrying out the in-person meetings with each parish. These roles will work closely with a range of people and teams across Church of England Birmingham so that this work is integrated within our wider strategy and parishes are not confused by multiple disjointed initiatives. This will mean working with Archdeacons and Area Deans, Mission Support Team, Ministry Team, Property Team, Finance Team, Community Regeneration Team and Communications Team as well as others.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Develop strong relationships with parishes that will enable this project to flourish and also help increase the connection between parishes and the DBF. Signposting to other teams and projects will be important.
• Inspiring and encouraging parishes in their Christian approach to giving and generosity
• Creating bespoke multiyear plans for Common Fund with parishes with the support of a Steering Group that includes the Archdeacons and other key stakeholders.
• Provide consultancy, resources, and hands-on support to parishes to grow regular giving, legacies, and other forms of financial support. This work will be able to draw on the resources developed by the national church as well as the data held on their Cornerstone Grants Platform. The post-holder will be expected to engage in the work of the National Giving Team as part of the development of these wider resources.
• Develop and deliver training for clergy, lay leaders and PCCs on the theology and Christian practice of giving and generosity and also practical financial management (in conjunction with the Finance Team).
• Work closely with the Finance Team in matters of technical accounting, governance and financial management identified as needed by parishes.
• Encourage and assist parishes in the implementation of the Parish Giving Scheme, introduction of contactless giving mechanisms and related diocesan resources.
• Source, develop and curate practical resources (digital and print) to support local stewardship campaigns and initiatives.

• Evaluate the impact of stewardship and generosity initiatives and adapt strategies accordingly to achieve the project outcomes.
• Working with our Communications Team, create compelling communication tools that articulate the impact of generosity.

As we are looking to recruit two people into these roles there is flexibility to appoint people with complementary skill sets who may have greater expertise in certain elements of the role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Qualifications & Experience:

• Strong understanding of church governance structures and financial operations and requirements.
• Knowledge of generosity principles and Christian financial stewardship.
• A prayerful Christian with a deep commitment to the Church’s mission (Genuine Occupational Requirement).
• Experience of working in a sensitive environment and handling confidential matters with tact and diplomacy.

Essential Skills & Attributes:

• Resilient and adaptable, able to handle challenges and maintain momentum in a demanding role.
• Strong people skills, able to engage effectively with parishes and church communities.
• Good communicator being able to engage a wide range of stakeholders and hold their attention.
• Trustworthy and credible, able to build and maintain confidence with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Empathetic towards parishes and deeply committed to supporting the local church.
• Excellent conflict resolution skills, capable of handling difficult conversations with care and professionalism.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and keep track of numerous ongoing responsibilities.
• Capable implementer, ensuring initiatives are successfully delivered, both at a local and diocese wide level.
• Financially literate, with a good understanding of budgets, stewardship, and sustainability within the Church.
• As the role involves visiting parishes across the diocese, including some locations not accessible by public transport, candidates must be able to travel independently. This requires holding a valid driving licence and access to a suitably insured vehicle.
• Be a person of integrity. 

Other Considerations:

• The role requires significant evening and weekend work, demanding flexibility and commitment.
• Local presence is essential—the role must be delivered in an incarnational way, engaging directly with communities.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The post-holder will be employed by the Diocesan Board of Finance for a fixed term ending on 2nd November 2030, subject to funding.

Salary and Pension: Salary of £35,000 plus membership of the Church Worker’s Pension Scheme with 12% employer contribution. We are open to discussion especially if you are ordained and are moving out of parish ministry. 

Hours: Full-time 35 hours (5 days) per week. Weekend and evening work will be required, for which the equivalent time may be taken back from standard working hours. We are happy to consider requests for flexible working and candidates seeking part-time hours. Please do mention in your application if you would be interested in looking at alternative working hours.

Holidays: 5 weeks per year plus Bank Holidays and 3 Discretionary Days between Christmas and New Year

Employer: Birmingham Diocesan Board of Finance

Responsible To: Head of Generosity

CLOSING DATE: 1stFebruary 2026

INTERVIEWS: 16th February 2026 in central Birmingham

For an informal conversation or further information about the role, contact Dawn Baker, Head of Generosity. 

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where all can be themselves and bring their unique identity to their ministry and/or work. 

We welcome applications from any individuals who feel that they meet the person specification for any post, in particular from those who are currently under-represented in or staff teams such as those from Global Majority Heritage or UK Minority Ethnic backgrounds, those with visible or invisible disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQI+.

We offer a range of inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and other services to our staff teams.

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment.