191 Director of operations jobs

Permanent | Full-time 

Salary: £58,560 – £71,480 per annum

Hours: 35 per week

Location: Home-based with regular national travel 

Job reference number: 1766

Help shape the future of Cranstoun’s services 

Cranstoun is a social justice and harm reduction charity supporting and empowering people to live healthier and safer lives. Each year, we support more than 45,000 people through services including substance use, criminal justice, domestic abuse, housing and services for children and young people. 

Following a successful five-year strategy and significant growth, we remain ambitious about the difference we can make. As we enter our next phase, we are investing in the leadership and operational capability needed to support our continued development. We are now recruiting an Assistant Directors of Service to join our senior management team.

This is a significant senior leadership role offering the opportunity to lead substantial service portfolios while helping shape how Cranstoun’s services are led and delivered across the organisation. 

The role

Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will lead a substantial portfolio of complex commissioned services and senior operational managers. 

You will lead eight services with nine direct reports, spanning substance use and services for children and young people. You will have clear accountability for ensuring services are safe, effective and well-led, with strong contractual performance, financial sustainability and positive outcomes for the people and communities we support. 

You will provide operational grip and evidence-based assurance, strengthen safeguarding and management accountability, build effective relationships with commissioners and partners, and ensure risks and underperformance are identified, escalated and addressed early. 

You will also work collectively with fellow senior operational leaders to embed a One Cranstoun approach, strengthening common standards, sharing learning, developing leadership capability and improving quality and resilience across our services. 

What you will be accountable for 

As an Assistant Director, you will take senior operational accountability for: 

• Safe, effective and well-led services – ensuring strong safeguarding, quality, operational risk management and service user outcomes.  
• Contractual performance – ensuring services deliver against contractual requirements and KPIs, with strong commissioner relationships and timely action to address underperformance.  
• Financial sustainability – maintaining strong financial oversight, effective workforce management and oversight of the sustainability of individual contracts.  
• Evidence-based assurance – using reliable performance, quality, workforce and financial information to identify risks and drive improvement.  
• Collective organisational leadership – working beyond individual portfolio boundaries to build consistent standards, stronger leadership and shared ways of working across Cranstoun.  

You will lead and develop senior operational managers, set clear expectations and create a culture in which support and accountability operate together. 

You will also lead and contribute to service mobilisation, transformation, workforce planning and continuous improvement. 

Who we are looking for 

We are looking for established senior operational leaders with substantial experience leading complex commissioned services and geographically dispersed teams. 

You will bring a strong track record of: 

• leading safe, high-quality services for people with complex needs;  
• safeguarding, quality and operational risk management;  
• contract and performance management;  
• managing significant service budgets and improving financial performance;  
• building effective relationships with commissioners, regulators and strategic partners;  
• leading service improvement, mobilisation and organisational change;  
• developing senior operational managers and addressing underperformance; and  
• using performance, quality, workforce and financial information to provide assurance and drive improvement.  

You will need to combine strategic leadership with operational pragmatism, understanding the detail when necessary while maintaining oversight of performance, risk, quality and sustainability across a complex portfolio. 

Above all, we are looking for collaborative, credible and values-led leaders who can support and challenge in equal measure, build leadership capability and bring people together around common standards and organisational priorities. 

Specialist experience 

For this role, significant senior leadership experience within substance use services is essential, including experience of leading CQC-regulated provision and maintaining high standards of quality, safety and regulatory compliance. 

You will also need a strong understanding of safeguarding and the governance required to deliver safe and effective services for children and young people. Direct operational experience of Children & Young People services would be valuable, but we are equally interested in candidates who can demonstrate strong safeguarding and CYP governance experience alongside substantial substance use leadership. 

This permanent appointment offers the opportunity to provide long-term leadership to a significant portfolio and help shape the future development of Cranstoun’s services. 

Be part of Cranstoun’s next chapter 

Our successful five-year strategy has seen Cranstoun grow considerably, extending our reach and the range of services we provide. We remain ambitious and innovative, committed to developing services that respond to the changing needs of people and communities. 

As we look to the future, we are investing in the leadership, operational capability and organisational infrastructure needed to support our continued development, strengthening operational governance, consistency and assurance across our services. 

This role offers the opportunity to do more than manage established portfolios. You will help shape the future of our services and build an Operations Directorate characterised by high standards, clear accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. 

Find out more 

Please refer to the accompanying recruitment pack for the full Job Description, Person Specification and details of the application process.

Please note: All posts are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

How to Apply:

For more details and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button. Please quote the appropriate Job Ref in all correspondence.

Applicants must be able to provide satisfactory evidence of their right to work in the UK at the application stage.

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Closing date: Sunday 20 September 2026.

We are an inclusive employer, committed to promoting equality and diversity in all areas of our work. 

Registered Charity No: 1061582

Dean Farm Trust is seeking an experienced and compassionate Sanctuary Operations Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day leadership and operational management of our 32-acre animal sanctuary near Chepstow.

Home to 200 rescued animals, including pigs, cows, sheep, goats, equines and birds, Dean Farm Trust provides a home for life to animals in need. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role with animal welfare at its heart.

The Sanctuary Operations Manager will lead our on-site team, working through our Team Leaders to ensure the Sanctuary operates safely, effectively and to the highest standards of animal welfare. The role will oversee staffing and rotas, volunteer development, recruitment and training, budgets and resources, facilities and maintenance, land and pasture management, health and safety, compliance, contractors, projects and the operational delivery of Sanctuary events and activities.

We are looking for someone with strong leadership and people-management experience who is confident managing a busy operational environment and developing both staff and volunteers. You will need to be organised, practical and able to balance the immediate demands of running a sanctuary with longer-term planning and improvement.

This is an important appointment for Dean Farm Trust as we strengthen our operational structure and build a sustainable future for the Sanctuary. The successful candidate will work closely with the Director and Trustees while taking real ownership of Sanctuary operations and providing strong, consistent on-site leadership.

A genuine commitment to animal welfare and to the values of Dean Farm Trust is essential.

Please read our full Candidate Pack before applying. It includes the complete Job Description, information about Dean Farm Trust and further background on why we are recruiting for this role now.

Worcester Community Trust (WCT) is looking for a Director of Services to provide strategic and operational leadership for our community-based services. The postholder will be responsible for ensuring services are high quality, responsive to local need, financially sustainable and delivered in line with contractual, legal and organisational requirements.

The role will provide leadership and oversight to relevant Contract Managers, Team Leads and service teams, ensuring effective performance management, contract delivery, budget control, risk management, partnership working and continuous improvement. The postholder will contribute to WCT-wide strategy and work closely with the CEO, fellow Senior Leadership Team members and the Board of Trustees.

About Worcester Community Trust

Worcester Community Trust (WCT) is a registered charity that runs six community centres across Worcester, providing facilities and services for people of all ages. We aim to be at the heart of thriving communities — connecting people, building confidence, and empowering positive change.

Our services aim to increase feelings of wellbeing, reduce loneliness and isolation, offer specialist support for survivors of domestic violence, support people into training, education and employment and work with people to deliver local services especially for young people, families and older people.

Vision: To work with residents to build communities where people feel connected, supported and empowered

Mission: Bringing Communities Together by enabling the provision of services and activities for all.

Our values:

• Collaborative – we acheive more together with local people and partners.
• Inclusive – we welcome diversity and value uniqueness.
• Ambitious – we drive progress through innovation and creativity.
• Delivering Excellence – we invest in our people and infrastructure to provide high-quality services.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Strategic Leadership and Service Development

• Contribute as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team to WCT’s organisational strategy, business planning and future development.
• Provide strategic leadership for the community-based services portfolio, ensuring services remain relevant, effective and aligned with WCT’s mission, values and strategic priorities.
• Use service data, community insight, evaluation and feedback to identify opportunities for improvement, innovation and growth.
• Work with the CEO and colleagues to identify funding and partnership opportunities that support the sustainability and development of services.

People Leadership and Management

• Lead, support and develop managers and team leads within the service area, setting clear expectations and ensuring effective supervision, performance management and communication.
• Promote a positive, accountable and inclusive culture that encourages teamwork, professional development, initiative and continuous improvement.
• Ensure staffing structures, deployment and resources are appropriate to contractual requirements, service demand and available budgets.
• Support recruitment, induction, development and, where required, formal peoplemanagement processes in line with WCT policy.

Contract, Performance and Quality Management

• Oversee the implementation and delivery of multiple contracts, grants and commissioned services across the community-based portfolio.
• Ensure clear systems are in place to monitor outputs, outcomes, quality, contractual milestones and service-user experience.
• Analyse quantitative and qualitative information and produce clear, accurate reports for funders, commissioners, the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees.
• Ensure subcontracted or partner-delivered activity is appropriately monitored and managed where applicable.
• Address underperformance promptly and support managers to implement effective improvement plans.

Financial Management and Sustainability

• Lead the development and management of service budgets, including budgets of significant value, ensuring expenditure remains within agreed funding and organisational parameters.
• Monitor income, expenditure, forecasts and variances in partnership with the Head of Finance & Resources and relevant managers.
• Ensure resources are used efficiently and that services demonstrate value for money and financial sustainability.
• Contribute to funding applications, tenders, business cases and service-costing activity where required.

Risk, Governance and Compliance

• Identify, assess and manage risks relating to service delivery and ensure significant risks are escalated through WCT’s organisational risk-management arrangements.
• Ensure services comply with contractual requirements, WCT policies, data protection requirements, safeguarding arrangements and relevant legislation and guidance.
• Contribute to the development and review of organisational policies and procedures within the postholder’s areas of responsibility.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries, confidentiality and information-governance standards.

Partnerships and Representation

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, funders, statutory agencies, VCSE organisations, local communities and other partners.
• Represent WCT professionally at strategic and operational partnership meetings, networks and forums.
• Promote collaboration across WCT services and with external partners to improve pathways, reduce duplication and strengthen outcomes for local people.
• Protect and enhance the reputation of WCT in all internal and external relationships.

Safeguarding, Health & Safety and Organisational Responsibilities

• Actively promote a culture in which safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and ensure
  concerns within the service area are managed and escalated in accordance with WCT
  procedures.
• Adhere to WCT’s safeguarding, Health & Safety, GDPR, equality, professional boundaries, social media and Code of Conduct requirements.
• Complete mandatory training and maintain the knowledge required for the responsibilities of the role.
• Promote equality of opportunity, dignity and respect for employees, volunteers, partners and service users.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the seniority and responsibilities of the post, as reasonably required by the CEO.

• Adhere to WCT’s safeguarding, Health & Safety, GDPR, equality, professional boundaries, social media and Code of Conduct requirements.
• Complete mandatory training and maintain the knowledge required for the responsibilities of the role.
• Promote equality of opportunity, dignity and respect for employees, volunteers, partners and service users.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the seniority and responsibilities of the post, as reasonably required by the CEO.

For full details including a Person Specification, please download the Recruitment Pack here

What you get…

• Be part of an amazing, welcoming passionate community.
• Put your skills to use to create positive social impact.
• A voice and input into shaping and influence services and decisions.

What we offer…

• Holiday – 25 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata for PT staff) plus an extra day of birthday leave and two additional self-care days
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Access to Westfield Health which provides a range of benefits towards health & wellbeing as well as support with essential healthcare (after completion of probationary period)
• Free Parking
• Life Assurance and a pension contribution of 3%
• Access to professional bereavement and probate support
• An annual celebration and investment review
• A blue light card scheme

Representing the City

WCT is committed to equality of opportunity, fairness and inclusion, and to being representative of the communities we serve. We welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.

To apply please visit our website.

Closing Date: Sunday 4th October 2026

Head of Finance and Operations

We are seeking an experienced finance and operations professional to provide strategic leadership within a growing environmental charity.

Salary: £60,000 FTE, £48,000 actual
Location: Home-based, UK, with some travel to London and occasional UK travel
Hours: 28 hours per week, four days
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 4 October

Interviews: First round on 13 & 14 October; Second round 16 October

About the role

This is a broad and influential senior leadership role covering finance, governance, operations, people and organisational development.

Working closely with the Executive Director, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees, you will ensure the charity has the financial insight, effective systems and strong infrastructure needed to deliver its ambitions. You will also deputise for the Executive Director occasionally and provide line management for support functions.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading financial operations, controls, budgeting, cash flow forecasting and management reporting
• Producing statutory accounts and managing the annual audit
• Monitoring restricted, designated and unrestricted funds
• Supporting the Board and Finance Committee with clear reporting, papers and effective governance
• Overseeing organisational risk, compliance, data protection, cyber security, insurance and business continuity
• Improving HR, IT, CRM, digital and operational systems
• Leading the responsible adoption of digital tools, automation and AI
• Coordinating organisational workplans and monitoring delivery against strategic priorities
• Overseeing recruitment, onboarding, employment processes and staff development
• Supporting an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing remote working culture

About you

You will be a qualified ACA, ACCA, CIMA or AAT accountant with at least seven years’ experience in finance and operations management, ideally within a charity or similarly values-led organisation.

You will also bring:

• Experience across HR, IT, risk, data protection and health and safety
• Strong financial planning, reporting and analytical skills
• Knowledge of accounting software, spreadsheets and CRM systems
• Experience managing and developing people
• Strategic thinking and proven project management skills
• Confidence working with trustees and producing board-level reports
• An understanding of how organisational systems support small, remote teams
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative, self-directed approach

Knowledge of charity governance, philanthropy, Salesforce, Xero or digital transformation would be advantageous. An interest in environmental issues and improving the planet for future generations is also welcomed.

About the organisation

You will join a UK environmental charity working to strengthen philanthropy and increase its impact in response to the climate and nature emergency.

The organisation supports a significant network of funders, advisers and fundraisers by sharing research and expertise, building relationships and encouraging greater investment in environmental causes.

It is a fully remote organisation with a culture founded on kindness, trust, inclusion and mutual respect. Benefits include flexible working, a 7% employer pension contribution, learning and development opportunities, and additional discretionary closure between Christmas and New Year.

Applications are encouraged from people who may not meet every element of the person specification. Adjustments can be made to support an accessible and inclusive recruitment process.

Other roles you may have experience of could include; Finance Director, Director of Finance and Operations, Head of Finance, Head of Operations, Chief Operating Officer, Charity Finance Director, Head of Resources or Director of Resources.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, NFP People.

Head of Organisational Strategy and Operations (known internally as Infrastructure Lead) is a senior strategic leadership role within Healing Justice Ldn, working closely alongside the Executive Director to help shape and steward the organisational infrastructure, systems, and coordination practices needed for HJL’ s next phase of development.

The role exists to strengthen the connective infrastructure that enables HJL’ s organisational arms to operate autonomously while remaining aligned, collaborative, sustainable, and responsive within rapidly changing political, social, and movement landscapes.

Rather than focusing primarily on operational administration or hierarchical management, the role centres on developing values-aligned systems, organisational practices, and ways of working that support collective care, adaptability, organisational health, and long-term sustainability. Working across programmes, research, narrative strategy, operations, and leadership, the post holder will support communication, coordination, learning, and organisational coherence across the organisation while strengthening distributed leadership.

This role would suit someone who has previously held senior leadership responsibility across multiple organisational areas within a values-led, justice-oriented, community-based, or movement environment. As a newly created role within an evolving organisational structure, the responsibilities, focus, and ways of working within the role may continue to develop over time in response to organisational learning, growth, and changing needs.

Responsibilities

 Organisational stewardship & coordination

• Shape and steward HJL’ s organisational infrastructure, systems, and long-term sustainability alongside the Executive Director and wider leadership.
• Support strategic coherence, communication, and coordination across HJL’ s organisational arms, including programmes, research, narrative strategy, operations, and infrastructure.
• Develop organisational systems, structures, and practices that support autonomy, collaboration, accountability, adaptability, and collective wellbeing.
• Support organisational decision-making, governance, and ways of working that reflect HJL’ s commitments to disability justice, racial justice, accessibility, collective care, and community accountability.
• Help strengthen organisational resilience and responsiveness within changing political, social, funding, and movement conditions.

Infrastructure & organisational development 

• Lead the development and stewardship of values-aligned organisational systems, policies, and internal processes.
• Build and strengthen the connective infrastructure that supports collaboration, shared learning, and coordination across different organisational areas.
• Support organisational learning, reflection, adaptation, and knowledge sharing processes across teams and leadership.
• Help create structures and organisational cultures that support sustainable collaboration, leadership development, conflict navigation, and organisational wellbeing.
• Work collaboratively with advisors, external partners, and leadership to support organisational sustainability and adaptive development.

Organisational sustainability & external relationships (Operational sustainability) 

• Work alongside the Executive Director and external finance partners to support organisational sustainability, financial planning, and resource stewardship.
• Contribute to fundraising strategy, partnership development, and relationship-building with funders, collaborators, and aligned organisations.
• Support infrastructure connected to organisational growth, partnerships, and long-term sustainability.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across HJL s wider ecosystem of collaborators, movement partners, advisors, and aligned organisations.

Organisational health, risk and resilience (Risk, Resilience & Infrastructure) 

• Identify, map and respond to organisational vulnerabilities, operational challenges and external pressures affecting HJL’ s work and sustainability.
• Support systems and practices related to safeguarding, accountability, evaluation, organisational learning, and collective wellbeing.
• Support the organisation to navigate complexity, uncertainty, conflict, and change in ways that remain adaptive, relational, and values-aligned.

Person specification

Experience & Capabilities 

We recognise that people develop leadership experience through many different pathways and do not expect applicants to meet every area listed below.

We are particularly interested in people who bring systems thinking, organisational leadership experience, and experience working within complex, values-led environments.

You may bring:

• Significant experience working within community-based, justice-oriented, movement, or values-led organisations.
• Experience holding strategic responsibility across multiple organisational areas such as organisational development, governance, operations, partnerships, sustainability, fundraising, or people management.
• Experience developing or evolving organisational systems, structures, policies, or ways of working within changing or complex environments.
• Experience supporting organisational growth, transition, resilience, or change.
• Experience building collaborative relationships with funders, partners, advisors, communities, or wider movement ecosystems.
• Systems thinking, facilitation, coordination, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to navigate complexity, ambiguity, conflict, and organisational change with emotional maturity and relational awareness.
• Ability to support collaboration and coherence across multiple teams, work streams, or organisational areas without relying on hierarchical management approaches.
• Understanding of equity-centred, accessibility-informed, trauma-informed, and relational approaches to organisational development and leadership.
• Commitment to collective care, disability justice, racial justice, and community accountability.

Benefits

• 4% Pension contribution
• Individual professional development budget
• Enhanced annual leave provisions beyond the statutory minimum including a summer and winter break
• Staff training on somatics, trauma and resilience
• Free office refreshments
• Season ticket loan
• Enhanced parental leave pay

Introductory / Q&A Webinar

Interested in learning more about the role and our organisation? Join us for a one-hour webinar hosted by our Executive Director, Farzana Khan. We'll share insights into the role, our work and what you can expect from joining the organisation. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during a live Q&A.

The webinar will take place at 5pm on Tuesday 15 September 2026 (click apply link for details on how to join the webinar).

Recruitment Timeline

• Applications Open: Wednesday 9th September 2026
• Introductory / Q&A Webinar: 15th September 2026 at 5pm BST
• Applications Close: Monday 21st September 2026 at 3pm BST
• 1st stage virtual interview: w/c 5th October 2026
• 2nd stage in person interview and task: w/c 12th October 2026
• Appointment made by Monday 19th October 2026

About Healing Justice Ldn

Healing Justice Ldn (HJL) is a community-led organisation working at the intersections of health justice, collective care, healing, and systems change. Rooted in disability justice, transformative practice, and liberation work, HJL develops community-led approaches to wellbeing that address the structural impacts of racism, ableism, state violence, and inequality.

Through research, training, political education, movement support, and healing practice, HJL works to build the infrastructures, relationships, and capacities needed for long-term collective resilience and liberation. The organisation supports communities, organisers, practitioners, and movements to develop sustainable approaches to health, care, and social transformation.

HJL operates through an evolving organisational model centred around autonomy, connection, collaboration, and collective stewardship. Different organisational “ arms ” hold distinct areas of practice while remaining connected through shared values, coordination structures, and relational infrastructure.

As HJL enters a new phase of organisational development, there is an increasing need for organisational infrastructure, systems, governance, and connective coordination that can support sustainable growth while remaining responsive and accountable within rapidly changing political, social, and movement landscapes.

We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager who can balance strategic vision with hands-on execution.  As a member of our leadership team they will work cross-functionally, colaborating with other key members of the team.  They will provide operational excellence by mapping workflows, and use their data skills to provide insights to refine and support service delivery and demonstrate impact.  This is a strategic and hands on role.  Ultimately, the ideal candidate is a problem-solver who can elevate the charity's reputation, nurture community relationships, and translate high-level strategy into practical, impactful operations.

To apply for this role:

Please provide your CV (maximum 2 pages) and supporting statement detailing how you meet the requirements of the role - providing clear examples of experience, skills and knowledge (no more than 1 page).

We’re keen to understand your individual experience and voice, so please write your supporting statement without the use of AI-generated content

About the Role: 

The Operations Manager is a senior leadership role, responsible for overseeing the operational effectiveness of the organisation. You will ensure our team has the tools, systems and support they need to deliver life-changing services to families.  The role is also pivotal in shaping how we measure and demonstrate the impact of our work.  This is a strategic and hands-on leadership role at the heart of a growing, values-driven organisation.  Demonstrable operations experience is essential.

Reports to: 

Managing Director 

Responsible for:

Business Support Administrator

Data Consultant

Key Responsibilities: 

Leadership 

As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will work collaboratively with the Managing Director and other senior leaders to:

• Build strong relationships with counterparts within the Home-Start London network and at Home-Start UK.

• Contribute to strategic planning and collaborate with external advisors on specialist projects as required.

• Deliver against the organisational priorities and objectives as defined in the business plan.

• Develop our services and ways of working to ensure the charity’s long term sustainability. 

• Support the team to work efficiently and effectively - according to the strategy policies and commitments we have signed up to.

• Work closely with the Family Services Manager, to ensure our data needs are aligned with our Impact Measurements.

Operations 

• Oversee the implementation and development of operational policies and procedures, including GDPR and H&S, ensuring compliance.

• Manage the operations budget and ensure efficient use of resources.

• Maintain and streamline administrative systems (eg: Google drive, Google Forms, Charity Log, telephony/communications systems).

• Lead key operational projects and oversee all office administration, tech support and premises management.

• Lead on end to end project management of HSUK Quality Assurance requirements as well as our National Data requirement.

• Manage data collection and evaluation across multiple platforms including Charity Log.  This includes project managing and supporting delivery of our Annual Data review.

• Support governance processes and liaise with the Board of Trustees when required.

Impact and Evaluation

• Lead the organisation’s impact delivery, through supporting data collection and evaluation across multiple platforms including Charity Log.

• Work with the Family Services Manager to ensure outcomes of family experiences inform service design and delivery.

• Produce tailored reports and insights to inform funding applications, Impact Reports and Trustee Reports as required.

• Collaborate on funding applications with the CEO and Communications Manager.

• Champion the voices of children and families, using data to support storytelling to demonstrate real-life impact.

Team Management

• Line manage the Operations Team (Business support Administrator, Database Consultant).

• Provide direction to the Business Support Administrator to enable effective and efficient day to day running of the organisation. 

• Manage team in accordance with the Home-Start Wandsworth procedures, policies and values. 

• Support effective management of any non home-visiting Volunteers supporting the organisation’s work . 

Essential skills and experience:

• Strategic thinker with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities

• Proven experience in operations management, ideally in a charity/not for profit setting

• Strong knowledge of service evaluation and data analysis

• Skilled in communicating complex information clearly and accessibly

• IT confident and adaptable to new systems and tools (Charity Log, Monday CRM, Slack etc)

• Experience of leadership / managing a small team

• Excellent written and verbal communication. 

• Excellent organisational and project management skills. 

• Working knowledge of GDPR legislation and implementation of associated policy

• Experience of Board level reporting against objectives and/or data led reporting.

• Curious and passionate about using data to tell compelling stories of impact

• Project management expertise

• Understanding of local community needs and services

Noah's Ark Children's Hospice is partnering with Robertson Bell on a retained basis to recruit a Director of Finance on a permanent basis. This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly regarded children's hospice at a pivotal stage of its development, taking a leading role in strengthening financial performance, improving organisational effectiveness and helping shape the charity's next phase of growth.

This is more than a traditional Finance Director role. Noah's Ark has undergone significant transformation in recent years, moving from a predominantly community-based service to operating a 24/7 hospice facility at The Ark. The successful candidate will join at a critical point in this journey, with the opportunity to strengthen the finance function whilst working closely with the wider Senior Leadership Team to ensure the charity is making the best possible use of its resources and delivering maximum value for children and families.

For an ambitious, commercially minded finance leader, this is an opportunity to combine strong financial leadership with genuine organisational impact, helping to shape a more effective operating model and contributing directly to the future direction of the charity.

The role

• Partner with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees to shape the charity's financial and strategic direction during a period of organisational change.
• Stabilise and strengthen the finance function, ensuring high-quality financial management, robust controls and accurate, insightful reporting.
• Lead the budgeting, forecasting and financial planning process, including modelling different care delivery approaches, investment decisions and longer-term strategic scenarios.
• Support the charity to improve its financial position, identifying opportunities to increase efficiency and ensure resources are being deployed to maximum effect.
• Oversee statutory accounts, external reporting, audit and regulatory requirements, ensuring the charity maintains strong financial governance and compliance.
• Ensure effective management of reserves, investments, cash flow, liquidity, insurance and restricted funds.
• Contribute to the development of the charity's next multi-year strategic plan, bringing commercial discipline, financial insight and a practical focus on delivery.
• Identify opportunities for cost efficiency and productivity improvements across the organisation, working collaboratively with colleagues to turn insight into action.
• Support the design and implementation of new IT and financial systems, ensuring they provide the information and controls required to support an effective organisation.
• Lead and develop a small finance team, setting clear expectations, building capability and creating a culture of accountability and high performance.
• Play an active role in wider organisational leadership, bringing constructive challenge and financial insight to decisions beyond the traditional finance remit.

The organisation

Noah's Ark Children's Hospice provides specialist care and support to babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, alongside their families. Its purpose-built hospice, The Ark, opened in 2019 and provides a unique environment where children can receive specialist care, therapy, bereavement support and family services in a safe and welcoming setting.

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, Noah's Ark supports families across North and Central London and Hertsmere, delivering care wherever it is needed - in the family home, within the community or at The Ark.

This is an organisation with a warm, supportive culture and a strong commitment to its values of Kindness, Excellence and Courage. It is now looking for a finance leader who can combine that collaborative approach with the confidence to challenge constructively, make difficult decisions and drive meaningful improvement.

Essential criteria

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Strong experience leading a finance function.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, governance, audit and statutory reporting.
• Demonstrable experience producing and interpreting high-quality financial information that supports effective decision-making.
• Experience leading and developing teams, with the confidence to set expectations, address underperformance and hold colleagues accountable.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders and non-finance colleagues.
• A proactive, hands-on and self-starting appr

The Associate Director (Investments) role will design and lead a new mission-aligned strategy that puts racial justice and community power at its centre - redefining how our capital can be put to work to restore dignity and collective care within communities.

This is not a conventional investment role. It will take all of us, including our grant partners to imagine, design and build. Your role is to hold this with bravery and humility, and a willingness to shift as we continue to learn and deepen our strategic ambitions.

We are looking for someone who is as comfortable engaging with communities on the ground as they are with fund managers and wealth advisers - someone who understands that the way capital moves is itself an act of power, and who brings the vision, relationships and technical grounding to help Tudor use its assets in genuine service of our mission.

You will sit on the Senior Leadership Team, serve as Tudor's primary investment adviser to the Board and Finance
& Investment Committee, and lead a working group of trustees and partners as we chart this new course. 

After two years of incubation within BD Giving, we’re seeking a visionary leader to take BD Collective to the next level and help transition it into a strong, independent organisation, and build a team who embodies our core principles to Connect, Collaborate and Change.

You’ll bring strategic thinking, operational expertise, and a passion for community-led impact, with a proven ability to navigate complexity, build trust across diverse stakeholders, and turn ambition into action. Committed to equity and participation, you’ll thrive in ambiguity and inspire a team to deliver bold, member-driven change. 

Salary: £45,000–£50,000 

Closing Date: Saturday 26 September 2026

Location: Barking & Dagenham | Hours: 4-day week 

About BD Collective

At BD Collective, we believe in thinking outside the box to find solutions and challenge existing structures. As our Strategic Director, you won’t just be shaping an organisation, you’ll be shaping a community’s future.

BD Collective is a social infrastructure organisation dedicated to strengthening the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Barking and Dagenham. We create the space for people to connect together, collaborate, and build a better future—bringing people together to imagine bold solutions and challenge the systems that hold us backk.

Originally founded as a network of networks, we’ve evolved into a member-led Co-operative CIC, where our community collectively shapes priorities, decisions, and resources through democratic governance. In the past year alone, we’ve facilitated over £2.5 million in collaborative funding and built active networks across the borough. Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth—and we need a Strategic Director to lead us forward.

This is your chance to drive real, locally impactful systems change and establish BD Collective as the leading voice of the sector.

Apply now by sending your CV and a cover letter (no more than two sides of A4) telling us how you meet the person specification and particularly : 

• What excites you about this role?
• How your leadership experience lends itself to leading in a complex, growing organisation.
• Your knowledge of Barking and Dagenham and the local sector 
• Your approach to partnership building and nurturing successful collaborations.
• Building a new team
• What makes you the right person for this role? 

We welcome applications from all candidates and are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you. If you require any reasonable adjustments please let us know.

About the team

The Philanthropy Team raises income for Impetus and for Impetus partner charities. The team consists of 15 staff. Impetus has an annual income of c.£11 million which we are looking to grow significantly within the next few years. The team is led by two Directors of Philanthropy and Partnerships. 

The Philanthropy Team works with major donors, corporates and grant making trusts, as well as collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to ensure we make a compelling case to generate new financial commitments and wider support for our work. The team also deliver a high-quality engagement programme of volunteering and pro bono for Impetus’s corporate supporters.   

Impetus is driven by a shared belief in tackling the barriers that hold back young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in education and employment. Alongside investing extensive financial and non-financial support in our charity partners through our Investment Team we also seek to influence decision makers to design and implement evidence led policy and direct new resources to get young people the support they need through our Public Affairs team. We are resolutely focused on outcomes, driven by quality evidence.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, ambitious, determined and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our charity partners and the young people we serve. 

About this role

The Development Director (New Business) provides strategic leadership for Impetus’ new business development, prospect pipeline and high-value funding opportunities. The postholder will have responsibility for identifying, cultivating and converting new corporate, trust and foundation, and high-net-worth donor relationships, as well as continued relationship management for key, established relationships.

In 25/26, the Philanthropy and Partnerships team generated £11m in philanthropic income, alongside £2.8m in probono contributions. The Development Director will play a key role in delivering Impetus' growth ambitions, helping to increase philanthropic income to £14m by 2029. 

Working closely with the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships, the role will translate the fundraising strategy into clear new business priorities, pipeline plans and prospect engagement approaches, ensuring a strong flow of qualified opportunities and sustainable growth in high-value income.

Working closely with colleagues across Philanthropy and Partnerships, the postholder will personally lead and support significant six and seven-figure prospects and strategic funding opportunities, while overseeing the stewardship and retention of current partners. 

Working collaboratively across the Philanthropy and Partnerships team and with colleagues across the organisation, the Development Director will ensure a joined-up approach to donor acquisition, pipeline development, prospect conversion and stewardship, maximising income, partnership value and long-term impact within the agreed fundraising strategy.

Key responsibilities

New Business, Pipeline & Conversion

• Personally lead on six and seven-figure level priority prospects and strategic funding opportunities, managing the full fundraising cycle from qualification to close.
• Work with trustees, senior volunteers, and networks to unlock introductions and new opportunities, providing clear support and follow-up to maximise success.
• Evolve Impetus’ new business strategy, driving the identification, cultivation, and conversion of new high-value donor and partner relationships.
• Translate Impetus’ impact, evidence base, and venture philanthropy model into compelling propositions for new audiences and sectors.

Strategic Relationship Management & Growth 

• Own and oversee select donor relationships at six and seven-figure levels within the philanthropy portfolio, ensuring high levels of retention, satisfaction, trust, income growth and long-term value.
• Ensure your donors receive timely, consistent, high-quality and relevant engagement and communications throughout their relationship with Impetus.
• Work closely with the wider team to ensure a smooth transition between new business, and long-term stewardship.
• Ensure account plans for priority donors and partners include clear renewal and growth pathways; engagement and risk-management plans.
• Act as senior relationship owner where required, modelling strong stewardship and coaching the Head of Development and other colleagues to navigate complex or sensitive relationships.

Research, Insight & Pipeline Development

• Provide strategic leadership for the Research & Insights function, ensuring prospect research, donor intelligence and market insight inform fundraising strategy, pipeline development and organisational planning.
• Lead the strategic development of fundraising pipelines, ensuring focus on opportunities with the greatest potential for long-term income growth, impact and strategic fit.
• Ensure donor intelligence and prospect research are used effectively to identify, qualify and prioritise new funding opportunities.
• Maintain oversight of gift acceptance, due diligence and fundraising compliance in relation to fundraising opportunities, ensuring adherence to relevant regulatory requirements and organisational policies.
• Identify and escalate strategic, reputational or compliance risks associated with donors and partners.

Leadership and Team Performance

• Line manage and develop the Head of Development, providing strategic direction, coaching and performance oversight.
• Establish the Head of Development as the operational lead on new business, ensuring capability, succession and high performance across the wider team.
• Set clear objectives and success measures for new business growth, aligned to Impetus’ wider income strategy.
• Build and sustain an inclusive, evidence-led and high-performing team culture that balances pace and ambition with quality, learning and collaboration.
• Build fundraising capability across your team through leadership, coaching and consistent, fair, and high-quality performance management, including objective-setting, feedback and development planning.

Pro Bono, Events, Volunteering & Partnership Value

• Ensure engagement opportunities, including volunteering, pro bono and events, strengthen strategic partnerships and support long-term income growth through strong collaboration with colleagues.

Operational Excellence, Governance & Risk

• Ensure new business activity complies with due diligence, gift acceptance and risk management requirements.
• Oversee accurate pipeline reporting, forecasting, and performance tracking, using Salesforce and other systems to ensure insights inform decision making.
• Work with Finance and Operations to ensure income is contracted, invoiced, and reported accurately and on time in line with financial controls.
• Identify and escalate strategic or reputational risks associated with prospective partnerships.

Cross-Organisational Leadership & Representation

• Act as a senior ambassador for Impetus, representing the organisation credibly with new donors, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to organisational strategy, income planning, and senior leadership discussions.
• Lead philanthropic work on Impetus funds including identifying funding opportunities and risks; shaping prospect pipelines; contributing to cases for support and donor presentations; and develop fund stewardship.
• Champion collaboration across the Philanthropy team, ensuring opportunities are shared, relationships are leveraged and expertise is used to maximise income and impact.
• Back Impetus’ values, evidence-led approach, and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Philanthropy team.

Strategic leadership

• Work in partnership with the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships to contribute to the fundraising strategy.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear operational plans, objectives and delivery, ensuring new business delivers against organisational priorities, income targets and long-term growth ambitions.
• Provide strategic oversight of annual forecasting, budgeting, pipeline performance and resource planning, ensuring risks and opportunities are identified and addressed proactively.
• Maximise the contribution of trustees, committees, senior volunteers and wider networks to support strategic relationship building and new business development.
• Act as a trusted senior adviser to the Directors of Philanthropy and Partnerships, providing insight, challenge and solutions to strengthen organisational fundraising performance and capability.
• Deputise for the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships where appropriate, within agreed delegations and priorities.
• Build a positive, collaborative and high-performing culture across the Philanthropy team, modelling Impetus' values and supporting continuous improvement.

Person specification

Essential:

Fundraising & new business leadership

• Significant experience in major donor and/or corporate fundraising at six and seven-figure gift level, with a strong track record of securing new income and managing complex partnerships.
• Ability to lead and personally deliver the full fundraising cycle, from prospecting and cultivation through to solicitation, negotiation, and close.
• Proven experience of building, managing, and converting a new business pipeline, balancing ambition with delivery.
• Strong ability to leverage internal and external networks, including trustees, senior volunteers, and professional contacts.

Senior stakeholder engagement

• Experience of operating at a senior level and leading high value or complex stakeholder relationships (trustees, board members, senior external partners).
• Ability to influence and build credibility with senior audiences through clear, confident and evidence led communication.
• Excellent negotiation skills, with the ability to secure mutually beneficial outcomes while protecting organisational values and reputation.

Leadership & people management

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including developing senior colleagues and building leadership capability.
• A strong track record as a collaborative senior team member, contributing beyond own area of responsibility and supporting wider organisational success
• Ability to build a high-trust, high-challenge culture that supports excellence, inclusion, and learning.
• Strong performance management capability and ability to handle complex people issues, giving strategic feedback, and addressing underperformance constructively.
• Ability to deputise for the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships when appropriate.

Strategic & intellectual capability

• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to translate agreed strategy and insight into clear plans and execute them effectively.
• Ability to grasp, interpret apply and communicate complex information and ideas, including Impetus’ venture philanthropy and impact-led funding models.
• Evidence of an innovative and creative approach, with the ability to adapt in changing contexts.

Financial, operational & delivery capability

• Solid financial management, with experience contributing to budget-setting, managing agreed budgets, supporting forecasting and identifying efficiencies.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to delivery, with the ability to manage multiple priorities to a high standard
• Able to use insight and data (including CRM systems such as Salesforce) to inform decisions and strengthen performance.
• Sound judgement in identifying, managing, and escalating risk, particularly in relation to donor relationships and reputation.

Communication, values & ways of working

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate clearly, persuasively, and with impact.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish, maintain, and leverage relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• A strong commitment to Impetus’ mission and to improving outcomes for young people.
• A clear commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, demonstrated through inclusive leadership and professional practice.

Desirable 

• Experience working within venture philanthropy, impact investing, or systems-change funding models.
• Familiarity with private equity, professional services.
• Experience contributing to income growth, donor strategy or portfolio development within an agreed organisational fundraising strategy.
• Knowledge of the UK charity or social impact sector, particularly education, employment, or youth-focused work.
• Experience using CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce) to manage pipelines, performance, and forecasting.

About Impetus

At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.

We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:

• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school
• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths
• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment

We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve.

Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

Our Values

In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are brave and curious

We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.

We bring high trust, high challenge

We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.

We are evidence led and results driven for young people

We pursue excellence for the young people we work with, are wholly committed to better outcomes, unapologetically results driven, and accountable for our actions.

We thrive through diversity

We seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work. We are open, thoughtful and proactive in better understanding and challenging our assumptions to better deliver the change we seek.

We always seek collaboration

We will not succeed alone. We seek meaningful, productive partnerships with others to achieve our mission and drive systems change for young people.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results.

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Our employee benefits

Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers. For more information on these, please download the job information pack from our website.

How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button.

You will need to:

• Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form).
• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 20th September 2026, 11:59pm.

Interviews:

1st Interviews will take place on w/c 5th October 2026.

2nd Interviews will take place on w/c 12th October 2026.

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.

About the team

The Philanthropy Team raises income for Impetus and for Impetus partner charities. The team consists of 15 staff. Impetus has an annual income of c.£11 million which we are looking to grow significantly within the next few years. The team is led by two Directors of Philanthropy and Partnerships. 

The Philanthropy Team works with major donors, corporates and grant making trusts, as well as collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to ensure we make a compelling case to generate new financial commitments and wider support for our work. The team also deliver a high-quality engagement programme of volunteering and pro bono for Impetus’s corporate supporters.   

Impetus is driven by a shared belief in tackling the barriers that hold back young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in education and employment. Alongside investing extensive financial and non-financial support in our charity partners through our Investment Team we also seek to influence decision makers to design and implement evidence led policy and direct new resources to get young people the support they need through our Public Affairs team. We are resolutely focused on outcomes, driven by quality evidence.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, ambitious, determined and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our charity partners and the young people we serve. 

About this role

The Development Director (Philanthropy) provides strategic leadership across Impetus’ philanthropy and stewardship portfolio, with responsibility for relationship management, renewal, growth and selected new business activity. The postholder will work with high-value funders, including corporate partners, trusts and foundations, and high-net-worth individuals.

In 25/26, the Philanthropy and Partnerships team generated £11m in philanthropic income, alongside £2.8m in pro bono contributions. The Development Director will play a key role in delivering Impetus’ growth ambitions, supporting the increase in philanthropic income to £14m by 2029. 

Working closely with the Directors of Philanthropy and Partnerships, the role will translate the fundraising strategy into clear stewardship, renewal, relationship-growth and selected new business plans, ensuring strong donor retention, high-quality engagement and sustainable growth in high-value income.

Working closely with the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships, the postholder will oversee the donor lifecycle across the philanthropy portfolio, with particular focus on strategic stewardship, renewal, relationship growth and the effective transition of selected prospects into long-term donor relationships. They will personally lead and support significant six and seven-figure donor relationships and selected funding opportunities, while working with colleagues to ensure the philanthropy pipeline, stewardship plans and account management disciplines are strong.

Working collaboratively across the Philanthropy and Partnerships team and with colleagues across the organisation, the Development Director will ensure a joined-up approach to donor stewardship, renewal, relationship growth and selected donor acquisition, maximising income, partnership value and long-term impact within the agreed fundraising strategy.

Key responsibilities

Strategic Relationship Management & Growth

• Own and oversee strategically significant donor and partner relationships at six and seven-figure levels, ensuring high levels of retention, satisfaction, trust, income growth and long-term value.
• Set and embed best practice stewardship standards, ensuring donors receive timely, consistent, high-quality and relevant engagement and communications throughout their relationship with Impetus.
• Work closely with the wider team to ensure a smooth transition between new business, and long-term stewardship.
• Ensure account plans for priority donors and partners include clear renewal and growth pathways; engagement and risk-management plans.
• Act as senior relationship owner where required, modelling strong stewardship and coaching the Head of Philanthropy and other colleagues to navigate complex or sensitive relationships.

New Business: Pipeline & Conversion 

• Personally lead on select six and seven-figure level priority prospects and strategic funding opportunities, managing the full fundraising cycle from qualification to close.
• Work with trustees, senior volunteers and networks to support warm introductions, relationship development and follow-up, in line with agreed new business and stewardship priorities.
• Work with colleagues to translate Impetus’ impact, evidence base and venture philanthropy model into compelling propositions for donors, prospects and priority audiences.

Performance and KPI Reporting

• Accountable for ensuring effective implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of fundraising performance frameworks, KPIs and reporting disciplines.
• Use performance data and insight to improve team effectiveness, inform portfolio planning and resource recommendations, and identify opportunities for retention, renewal and growth.
• Oversee philanthropy portfolio data quality, reporting and forecasting, ensuring robust systems and processes.
• Ensure robust systems, processes and performance disciplines are in place to support delivery of agreed philanthropy portfolio objectives and wider fundraising goals.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and evidence-led decision-making across the philanthropy portfolio and direct team.

Donor Communications

• Provide strategic oversight of donor communications for the philanthropy portfolio, ensuring messaging is clear, compelling, timely and aligned to Impetus’ voice, values and evidence base.
• Work with Communications and Philanthropy colleagues to design and continuously improve philanthropic communications, including cases for support, proposals, pitches, stewardship materials and donor updates.

Leadership and Team Performance

• Line manage and develop the Head of Philanthropy, providing direction, coaching and performance oversight within agreed strategy and priorities.
• Develop the Head of Philanthropy as the operational lead for stewardship, ensuring capability, succession and high performance across their team.
• Set clear objectives and success measures for stewardship, renewal, relationship growth and portfolio delivery, aligned to Impetus’ wider income strategy.
• Build and sustain an inclusive, evidence-led and high-performing culture across the philanthropy portfolio, balancing pace and ambition with quality, learning and collaboration.
• Build fundraising and stewardship capability across the team through coaching and consistent, fair and high-quality performance management, including objective-setting, feedback and development planning.

Pro Bono, Events, Volunteering & Partnership Value

• Ensure engagement opportunities, including volunteering, pro bono and events, strengthen donor relationships, partnership value and long-term income growth through strong collaboration with colleagues.

Operational Excellence, Governance & Risk

• Ensure philanthropy and selected new business activity complies with due diligence, gift acceptance and risk management requirements.
• Oversee accurate philanthropy pipeline reporting, forecasting and performance tracking, using Salesforce and other systems to ensure insight informs portfolio planning and decision-making.
• Work with Finance and Operations to ensure income is contracted, invoiced, and reported accurately and on time in line with financial controls.
• Identify and escalate strategic, financial or reputational risks associated with donors, prospects and partnerships.

Cross-Organisational Leadership & Representation

• Act as a senior ambassador for Impetus, representing the organisation credibly with new donors, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to organisational strategy, income planning, and senior leadership discussions.
• Lead philanthropic work on Impetus funds including identifying funding opportunities and risks; shaping prospect pipelines; contributing to cases for support and donor presentations; and develop fund stewardship.
• Champion collaboration across the Philanthropy team, ensuring opportunities are shared, relationships are well managed and expertise is used to maximise income and impact.
• Model Impetus’ values, evidence-led approach and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion across the philanthropy portfolio.

Strategic Leadership

• Work in partnership with the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships to contribute to the fundraising strategy.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear operational plans, objectives and delivery, ensuring stewardship, renewal and relationship growth contribute to organisational priorities, income targets and long-term growth ambitions.
• Provide strategic oversight of philanthropy portfolio forecasting, budgeting input, pipeline performance and resource recommendations, ensuring risks and opportunities are identified and escalated proactively.
• Maximise the contribution of trustees, committees, senior volunteers and wider networks to support donor stewardship, relationship growth and selected new business development.
• Act as a trusted senior adviser to the Directors of Philanthropy and Partnerships, providing insight, challenge and solutions to strengthen philanthropy portfolio performance and wider fundraising capability.
• Deputise for the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships where appropriate, within agreed delegations and priorities.
• Build a positive, collaborative and high-performing culture across the philanthropy portfolio, modelling Impetus’ values and supporting continuous improvement.

Person specification

Essential:

Fundraising & new business leadership

• Significant experience in major donor and/or corporate fundraising at six and seven-figure gift level, with a strong track record of securing new income and managing complex partnerships.
• Ability to lead and personally deliver the full fundraising cycle, from prospecting and cultivation through to solicitation, negotiation, and close.
• Proven experience of building, managing, and converting a new business pipeline, balancing ambition with delivery.
• Strong ability to leverage internal and external networks, including trustees, senior volunteers, and professional contacts.

Senior stakeholder engagement

• Experience of operating at a senior level and leading high value or complex stakeholder relationships (trustees, board members, senior external partners).
• Ability to influence and build credibility with senior audiences through clear, confident and evidence led communication.
• Excellent negotiation skills, with the ability to secure mutually beneficial outcomes while protecting organisational values and reputation.

Leadership & people management

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including developing senior colleagues and building leadership capability.
• A strong track record as a collaborative senior team member, contributing beyond own area of responsibility and supporting wider organisational success
• Ability to build a high-trust, high-challenge culture that supports excellence, inclusion, and learning.
• Strong performance management capability and ability to handle complex people issues, giving strategic feedback, and addressing underperformance constructively.
• Ability to deputise for the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships when appropriate.

Strategic & intellectual capability

• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to translate agreed strategy and insight into clear plans and execute them effectively.
• Ability to grasp, interpret apply and communicate complex information and ideas, including Impetus’ venture philanthropy and impact-led funding models.
• Evidence of an innovative and creative approach, with the ability to adapt in changing contexts.

Financial, operational & delivery capability

• Solid financial management, with experience contributing to budget-setting, managing agreed budgets, supporting forecasting and identifying efficiencies.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to delivery, with the ability to manage multiple priorities to a high standard
• Able to use insight and data (including CRM systems such as Salesforce) to inform decisions and strengthen performance.
• Sound judgement in identifying, managing, and escalating risk, particularly in relation to donor relationships and reputation.

Communication, values & ways of working

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate clearly, persuasively, and with impact.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish, maintain, and leverage relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• A strong commitment to Impetus’ mission and to improving outcomes for young people.
• A clear commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, demonstrated through inclusive leadership and professional practice.

Desirable 

• Experience working within venture philanthropy, impact investing, or systems-change funding models.
• Familiarity with private equity, professional services.
• Experience contributing to income growth, donor strategy or portfolio development within an agreed organisational fundraising strategy.
• Knowledge of the UK charity or social impact sector, particularly education, employment, or youth-focused work.
• Experience using CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce) to manage pipelines, performance, and forecasting.

About Impetus

At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.

We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:

• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school
• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths
• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment

We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve.

Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

Our Values

In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are brave and curious

We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.

We bring high trust, high challenge

We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.

We are evidence led and results driven for young people

We pursue excellence for the young people we work with, are wholly committed to better outcomes, unapologetically results driven, and accountable for our actions.

We thrive through diversity

We seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work. We are open, thoughtful and proactive in better understanding and challenging our assumptions to better deliver the change we seek.

We always seek collaboration

We will not succeed alone. We seek meaningful, productive partnerships with others to achieve our mission and drive systems change for young people.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results.

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Our employee benefits

Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers. For more information on these, please download the job information pack from our website.

How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button.

You will need to:

• Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form).
• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 20th September 2026, 11:59pm.

Interviews:

1st Interviews will take place on w/c 5th October 2026.

2nd Interviews will take place on w/c 12th October 2026.

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.

About us

The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading race equality think tank. We generate research to challenge racial inequality in Britain.

For more than 50 years, we have worked tirelessly to build a Britain in which we all belong. Proudly independent, we speak truth to power on race and racism without fear or favour. We are not swayed by political agenda, profit or popular opinion. We are authentic, led by an ethnically diverse team, and we draw from our lived experience and that of our wide and inclusive community and partnership networks.

The Role

We are seeking a talented and motivated People & Culture Manager to lead and develop Runnymede’s people function and help ensure colleagues have a positive, consistent and inclusive experience throughout their time at the organisation.

Reporting to the Director of Operations & Finance, you will provide practical HR advice and support to managers and staff, oversee key people processes and ensure our policies, systems and ways of working support Runnymede’s values, culture and operational needs.

This is a varied role covering people operations, recruitment, employee relations, performance, wellbeing and organisational culture. You will oversee the employee lifecycle from recruitment to exit, maintain and develop our people policies and employee handbook, coordinate payroll administration, and support initiatives that strengthen engagement, communication and collaboration across the organisation.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll be the right person for this role if you have strong experience across HR and people management, with the ability to provide practical and confident advice to managers and staff across a range of people matters.

You will bring sound knowledge of employment law and HR best practice, alongside strong organisational and communication skills. You’ll be comfortable managing employee relations matters, developing effective people processes and supporting managers to build their confidence and capability.

You’ll also have a genuine interest in creating positive workplace cultures, with a commitment to inclusion, wellbeing and staff engagement. You’ll thrive in a collaborative environment and be able to balance day-to-day people operations with longer-term organisational development.

How to apply

To apply please click the apply button below.

This will take you to our online recruitment platform, BeApplied, which is a platform that aims to facilitate an unbiased and inclusive hiring process.

On BeApplied you will be asked to upload your CV and answer some skill-based application questions instead of a traditional covering letter.

Runnymede Trust is committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in research and policy making and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; people with disabilities; people who identify as being LGTBQIA; people who have a mental health condition; and people who identify as working class now or in the past.

We are also aware that many highly capable prospective candidates nonetheless rule themselves out of work in think tanks because they underestimate their own ability to do the role. With this in mind, we strongly encourage applications from anyone who is prepared to learn and grow on the job and would like to stress that past experience of working in think tanks is not required.

Interview Schedule

Candidates will hear back about their application status on 30th of September, and interviews for shortlisted candidates will be conducted on w/c 5th of October.

Help lead the next chapter of an award-winning, volunteer-powered environmental charity

As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, Shrewsbury Food Hub is looking for an inclusive, practical and strategically minded Executive Director to lead us through the next phase of our development.

We have a simple vision: a community where food is valued and not wasted.

Founded in 2016, we rescue surplus food seven days a week from local suppliers and redistribute it through charities, community groups, schools and Foodshares. In the year to March 2026 alone, we rescued more than 270 tonnes of food, with our work reaching an estimated 4,000 people every week across Shrewsbury and the surrounding area.

We have also developed a growing programme of community cooking, bringing people together to build skills and confidence, share food and strengthen community – while ensuring that good food does not go to waste.

The opportunity

Shrewsbury Food Hub has grown significantly over the past decade. Our next Executive Director will help us build on that success while strengthening the foundations beneath it.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead an established and much-loved local charity through a period of organisational development: bringing greater clarity, focus, structure and resilience while protecting the energy, relationships and community spirit that make the Hub special.

The Board is committed to focusing increasingly on governance and delegating day-to-day leadership and management to the Executive Director. You will have the authority and responsibility to lead the organisation, work closely with our Senior Leadership Team and create the conditions in which staff and volunteers can perform at their best.

This is not a figurehead role. We need an Executive Director who can see the bigger picture, make difficult choices and turn strategy into practical action – someone equally comfortable around the Board table and spending time with the staff, volunteers and partners who make our work possible.

This role is largely based in Shrewsbury, with some home working possible. This is a strongly place-based role requiring a regular and visible on-site presence.

What you will lead

Working with the Board, staff, volunteers and partners, you will:

• Lead the development and delivery of a clear, focused and financially sustainable strategy.
• Strengthen our structures, systems, processes and ways of working, leading organisational change with clarity and sensitivity.
• Provide overall leadership for safe, reliable and effective operations and organisational risk.
• Build an inclusive, enabling and accountable culture, supporting and developing our Senior Leadership Team and wider community of staff and volunteers.
• Oversee financial sustainability and the development of a strong, balanced income base.
• Build trusted relationships with funders, suppliers, businesses, local authorities and community partners, acting as a visible and credible ambassador for the Hub.

Please see the full Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

Who are we looking for?

You will bring successful senior leadership experience from a charity, social enterprise, public service or other purpose-led organisation, together with experience of shaping strategy, leading change and turning plans into results.

You will be financially astute, pragmatic and comfortable creating clarity in a busy organisation. Above all, you will be a genuine people leader: emotionally intelligent, approachable and able to build trust across a diverse community of staff, volunteers, trustees, founders and partners.

We don't expect our new Executive Director to be a specialist in everything. You may bring particular depth in operational and organisational leadership or in income generation, fundraising and external development. What matters is that you have credible experience of the other and the leadership ability to bring different expertise together.

Previous Executive Director experience is welcome, but is not essential.

Our values

We want our new Executive Director to share our commitment to reducing food waste and strengthening our community, and to lead in a way that reflects our values:

Passion – Accountability – Inclusiveness – Integrity – Caring – Resilience

These values shape not only what we do, but how we work together. We are looking for a leader who enables others to succeed, listens to different perspectives, acts with integrity and empathy, and remains purposeful and constructive through change.

Our ambitions remain firmly rooted in place. We believe there is significant potential to deepen our environmental and social impact across Shrewsbury and Shropshire, rather than becoming a national organisation.

How to apply:

Please submit your CV and a covering letter of no more than three pages, outlining your suitability for the role, by 5pm on Friday 25 September 2026.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to visit Shrewsbury Food Hub on Monday 5 October 2026, providing an opportunity to meet the team, see the Hub in action and gain a deeper understanding of the organisation ahead of formal interviews.

Shrewsbury Food Hub values the strength that comes from different experiences and perspectives. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and are committed to a fair and accessible recruitment process.

#Executive Director #Executive Director Jobs #Executive Director Charity #Executive Director Non Profit #Executive Director Third Sector #Executive Director Voluntary Sector #Charity Executive Director #Executive Leadership #Senior Leadership #Strategic Leadership #Charity Leadership #Charity Leader #Charity Director #Director Charity #Director Jobs #Chief Executive #Chief Executive Officer #Charity CEO #Non Profit Leadership #Third Sector Leadership #EnvironmentalCharity #ShrewsburyFoodHub #Shropshire

The Talent Set is delighted to be partnering with Mencap to recruit a new Head of Fundraising Strategy & Operations. This is a rare opportunity to join one of the UK's leading disability charities at a pivotal moment of investment and renewed ambition. 

Head of Fundraising Strategy & Operations
Salary: £65,000 - £70,000 dependent on experience
Location: Hybrid (London HQ)

Mencap is seeking an exceptional fundraising operations and strategy leader to join the organisation as Head of Fundraising Strategy & Operations. This is a newly created and highly influential role at the centre of Mencap's fundraising transformation journey. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, Fundraising, the successful candidate will act as a key strategic partner, helping to build the systems, processes, insight and infrastructure required to support sustainable fundraising growth.

This role will shape the future of fundraising strategy and operations at Mencap. Working across a directorate with clear ambition for growth, you will lead the planning, performance, insight, systems and case for support activity that helps their fundraising teams work with clarity, consistency and confidence.

Mencap’s fundraising teams need strong foundations to build trusted relationships, grow income and deliver lasting impact for people with a learning disability and their families. You will work closely with senior fundraising leaders and colleagues across Mencap to turn the ambition of Mencap 2030 into joined-up plans, strengthen reporting and forecasting, and improve how data, systems and evidence are used to support decision making.

We are looking for a confident fundraising strategy and operations leader who combines strategic thinking with strong planning, reporting, systems and stakeholder management experience. You will be able to bring structure to complex work, improve ways of working and support sustainable fundraising growth across the directorate.

You will directly lead key roles across fundraising operations, case for support, stewardship and strategy, creating the leadership, confidence, systems and ways of working needed for fundraising strategy and operations to support growth. This role is for someone who can connect strategy with delivery, build the conditions for teams to succeed and help the directorate scale income and deliver lasting impact.

Over the last year Mencap has made significant investment in fundraising capability, including the implementation of Salesforce. As the organisation enters the next phase of its development, the focus is shifting from implementation towards optimisation, embedding best practice, building capability and creating a more strategic, data-led fundraising culture. This role will be instrumental in helping Mencap realise the full value of that investment.

This is not a traditional fundraising role. Rather than leading frontline income generation, the Head of Fundraising Strategy & Operations will be responsible for building the engine that enables fundraising success. You will identify risks, strengthen processes, improve ways of working and create the conditions that allow fundraising teams to perform at their best.

This is a highly collaborative leadership role requiring strong relationship-building skills, excellent project management capability and the ability to influence across organisational boundaries. The successful candidate will act as a trusted advisor to the Executive Director, helping to drive continuous improvement across the fundraising function and supporting the wider transformation agenda.

Potential Early Objectives / Success Measures

• Develop and embed a clear fundraising planning cycle aligned to Mencap 2030.
• Establish reliable operational reporting, forecasting, budget oversight and KPI routines across the Fundraising Directorate.
• Strengthen use of data, insight and Salesforce to support decision-making, performance management and continuous improvement.
• Review fundraising systems, data and compliance practices, including GDPR, Gift Aid and Fundraising Regulator requirements.
• Develop a clear case for support and stewardship approach that can be used consistently across fundraising activity.
• Build capability, confidence and clear accountabilities across fundraising operations, case for support, stewardship and strategy roles.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Significant experience leading fundraising operations, strategy, planning, insight or performance functions.
• Strong understanding of fundraising processes, systems and best practice across multiple income streams.
• Experience managing CRM platforms and driving organisational adoption of data and technology solutions.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities and deliver complex initiatives.
• Experience developing performance frameworks, reporting systems, KPIs and management information.
• Strong analytical capabilities, with the ability to translate data into actionable insight and strategic recommendations.
• Experience building operational infrastructure and supporting fundraising growth or transformation programmes.
• Outstanding stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across departments and seniority levels.
• Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of developing capability and building high-performing teams.
• A strategic mindset combined with strong operational delivery skills and attention to detail.
• A commitment to continuous improvement, innovation and fundraising excellence.

Above all, we are looking for a collaborative and solutions-focused leader who is passionate about fundraising excellence. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of fundraising at Mencap by building the systems, insight and operational foundations that will support long-term sustainable growth and enable greater impact for people with a learning disability and their families.

How to Apply
The deadline for applications is Friday 2nd October with 1st stage interviews to take place w/c 12th October. To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role via our website using the apply now button.
If you have any initial questions before applying, please get in touch. We aim to get back to all successful candidates within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity
The Talent Set is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. We actively encourage applications from people with diverse experiences and are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments required throughout the recruitment process.