Director of operations and finance jobs

Salary: £48,000 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: UK (minimum 2 days per week in the London office)

Work Pattern: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week with the opportunity for flexible working hours

Reporting To : Associate Director Advocacy & Campaigns

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit an anonymised CV and covering letter (please remove any identifying details such as name, address, or photos) by 23:00 on Monday 25 May via Workable.

In your covering letter, please demonstrate your motivations for applying for the role, how the position aligns with your career plans, and the experience (professional, voluntary, or lived) that makes you a strong fit for the role in line with our values and the criteria outlined in the job description.

We encourage candidates to ensure their responses reflect their own skills, experiences, and personal voice. If AI tools are used, candidates will be asked to explain how and why they used them. Please see our Using AI - Guidance for Job Applicants for further assistance.

INTERVIEW STAGES

The selection process will consist of three stages (dates will be confirmed with shortlisted candidates):

• First-round interview w/c 1 June 2026
• Second-round interview w/c 15 June 2026

Candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation (10 minutes maximum) on a policy and campaigning topic. Candidates should allocate no more than 3 hours to prepare this task.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Mission 44 exists to drive change and build a fairer, more inclusive future for young people around the world. As our work continues to expand, so does our ambition to influence policy, shift power, and drive systemic change by addressing the barriers young people face and advancing evidence-based solutions.

The Senior Manager, Policy & Campaigns will be central to this mission, leading the development of policy positions and research that strengthens Mission 44’s ability to influence decision-makers and shape public discourse.

Mission 44’s impact model brings together strategic investment (through grantmaking) and targeted influence to drive systemic change. The Senior Manager will work closely with grantmaking teams to ensure that insight from funded work is embedded in policy and research, while also feeding learning and evidence back into funding strategies to strengthen decision-making and maximise impact.

The role will lead and manage Mission 44’s policy and research agenda, acting as a key point of contact for partners and building trusted relationships across government, the education and youth sectors, and civil society. The role will lead the development of policy recommendations, commission and translate research into clear, actionable outputs, and collaborate with internal teams and partners to align policy priorities with wider organisational objectives and maximise influence.

The role also plays a critical role in advocacy and external engagement, ensuring Mission 44’s voice is present in key policy moments, supporting strategic campaigns, and connecting research and insight to high-impact opportunities that drive political attention and sustained change at a national and global level.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

POLICY

• Lead the development and delivery of Mission 44’s policy strategy, aligned to organisational priorities and focused on driving systemic change for young people
• Develop clear, evidence-based policy positions and recommendations that influence government, civil society, the education sector and key decision-makers
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with policymakers, advisors, think tanks, academics, and sector leaders to strengthen Mission 44’s influence
• Identify and shape opportunities to influence policy agendas, consultations and legislative processes at national and global levels
• Work cross-functionally to align policy priorities with external engagement and advocacy activity
• Monitor and analyse political and policy developments across relevant landscapes, leading on timely evidence-led responses and providing strategic insight and recommendations
• Track and evaluate the impact of policy and advocacy activity, using insights to refine strategy and approach
• Account manage Mission 44’s external policy and research partners and consultants, ensuring high-quality delivery and value for money

CAMPAIGNS

• Support the design and delivery of integrated advocacy campaigns that connect policy, research and storytelling to drive political attention and action

• Work closely with partners and young people to co-create campaigns, ensuring their voices and experiences shape campaign priorities, policy recommendations and delivery approaches
• Work cross-functionally with communications and partnerships teams to maximise influence
• Identify and leverage key moments, partnerships and platforms to elevate Mission 44’s voice and policy agenda
• Contribute to campaign messaging and narratives that translate policy positions into compelling calls to action for target audiences

RESEARCH

• Commission and oversee high-quality research, ensuring outputs are rigorous, relevant, and actionable
• Translate complex research and data into compelling policy briefs, reports, and insight-driven narratives to support advocacy and influence

• Ensure all policy and research outputs are accessible, inclusive and reflect the lived experiences of young people

ABOUT YOU: SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL 

• Strong experience in policy development with a track record of influencing decision-makers
• Experience shaping or contributing to successful community-led movements, advocacy campaigns or policy change initiatives
• Deep understanding of political and policy-making processes, ideally in education, employment, social justice, or youth-focused areas
• Experience in participatory and youth-centred research approaches, including co-creation with young people and gathering insight through polling, perception studies and stakeholder engagement - alongside more traditional research methods
• Ability to translate complex research and evidence into clear, persuasive policy recommendations and narratives
• Proven experience building and managing senior stakeholder relationships across government, civil society, education, employment and/or youth sectors
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including producing high-quality briefings, reports and consultation responses
• Experience leading projects and managing external partners 
• Strategic thinking skills, with the ability to identify and act on opportunities to influence policy agendas

DESIRABLE

• Experience working in or with government, think tanks, charities or advocacy organisations
• Experience in working with young people to create campaigns or advocacy initiatives
• Knowledge of UK and/or international policy landscapes relevant to Mission 44’s focus areas
• Familiarity with youth engagement approaches and/or incorporating lived experience into policy development
• Experience working with high-profile stakeholders
• Understanding of media and communications as a tool for policy influence

PERSONAL QUALITIES  

• Passionate about creating a fairer, more inclusive future for young people around the world 
• Highly motivated, proactive, and able to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Strong relationship builder
• Collaborative mindset, with the ability to work cross-functionally and bring others with you
• Confident and persuasive, with the ability to engage and influence senior audiences
• Analytical and curious, with a strong attention to detail
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to manage competing priorities and ambiguity
• Works flexibly and proactively without close supervision

Benefits

• Enjoy 28 days annual leave, plus a day for your birthday
• Use our cycle-to-work scheme and free gym access
• Save for retirement with our generous pension package
• We finish every Friday at noon in August
• Optional health insurance and acccess to an EAP
• Professional development budget of £1k
• Unlimited volunteering leave, as agreed with your manager
• Wellbeing allowance to spend in whatever way works for you
• Competitive parental leave package

Location: Loughborough (with regular travel to Cambridge and other Baca service locations)

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week (including some evenings, weekends and participation in an on‑call rota)

Start date: May/June 2026

About Us:

Baca is dedicated to providing support and care to 16 to 18 year old unaccompanied asylum seeking children who are newly arrived in the country, helping them rebuild their strength, dignity, and hope for the future. We work closely with social workers and representatives from other agencies to benefit the young people in our care.

Role Overview:

We are seeking an experienced and values‑led Accommodation & Facilities Manager to take responsibility for the safe, compliant and welcoming management of all Baca accommodation, offices and service delivery spaces.

This is a critical role within our service model. You will ensure that young people are provided with homes they can truly call their own, while staff and volunteers have safe, functional, culturally respectful environments in which to work. You will also lead our premises team and work closely with contractors, landlords and partners to deliver high‑quality, compliant properties across our services.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day management of all Baca accommodation, offices, and service delivery spaces applying practical and technical knowledge and experience to diagnose maintenance issues, oversee and complete repairs.
• Ensure properties are safe, welcoming, culturally appropriate, and fully compliant with health & safety and regulatory standards
• Lead maintenance planning to support short-, medium-, and long-term property sustainability
• Line manage and support three Maintenance Workers, working collaboratively with service teams and leaders
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, inspections, and audits, maintaining accurate documentation
• Manage maintenance budgets, monitor spend, and ensure value for money
• Build and maintain strong relationships with landlords, contractors, and suppliers
• Create safe opportunities for young people to develop practical life and employability skills through involvement in maintenance activities

About You

You will be an organised, confident and values‑driven professional with experience in facilities, accommodation or property management. You will bring:

• Strong leadership and people‑management skills
• Sound knowledge of health & safety, compliance and regulatory requirements
• Excellent planning, organisation and problem‑solving abilities
• Confidence working with budgets and contractors
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to hold constructive and supportive conversations
• Cultural humility, curiosity and a commitment to reflective practice
• A flexible approach, including participation in an on‑call rota and out‑of‑hours working when required

Why Join Baca?

• Make a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable young people
• Work within a values‑led, mission‑driven organisation
• Be part of a collaborative and supportive management team
• Help shape safe, inspiring spaces that genuinely feel like home

How to Apply:

If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young asylum seekers and have the skills and attributes we are looking for, we would love to hear from you.

Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK for this role as Baca is not on the Home Office list.

Purpose of the job

As Major Donor Manager, you will support the delivery of UK Youth's major donor programme, cultivating high-value, long-term relationships with high-net-worth (HNW) individuals in support of UK Youth's mission and vision. You will build and manage a pipeline of major donors and prospects, working towards income targets that grow year on year, and play a critical role in securing unrestricted funding, programme funding and transformational capital investment.

This role requires a strategic, relationship-led approach and a deep understanding of major gift fundraising. You will work closely with senior leadership to ensure credibility, effective stewardship and meaningful donor engagement. The Major Donor programme prioritises depth of relationship and long-term value over short-term income targets, and you will be instrumental in embedding this culture across the organisation.

The role sits within the strongly performing and highly motivated Fundraising department, including events, corporate, trust and foundation fundraising.

Why work at UK Youth?

Every young person deserves a youth worker. UK Youth exists to make that a reality. As the UK’s infrastructure body for youth work, we support a network of thousands of youth organisations to improve young lives every day. At the same time, we are transforming the policies, investment, and ideas needed to future-proof youth work for generations to come.

UK Youth exists to widen the reach and deepen the impact of youth work and outdoor learning. By joining UK Youth, you can help create a society that backs young people – through each spark, struggle and success.

Key responsibilities

• Major Donor Fundraising and Pipeline Development

• Cultivation, Stewardship and Events

• Capital Appeal Support – Avon Tyrrell

• Communications and Engagement

• Strategy and Performance

Experience we're after

• Proven experience in major donor fundraising, with a track record of cultivating and securing five or six figure gifts from HNW individuals.

• Experience of building and managing a major donor pipeline from prospect identification through to solicitation and stewardship.

• Experience of senior stakeholder management, including working with CEOs, trustees and senior volunteers.

• Experience of managing a diverse workload with multiple deadlines, stakeholders and deliverables.

• Experience of thinking strategically and developing compelling fundraising propositions aligned to organisational priorities.

• Experience of delivering cultivation and stewardship events for major donors.

What we can offer you

We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:

• Flexible/Agile Working

• 27 days annual leave (24 days + 3 days winter closure) plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)

• Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity

• Other training available in support of your personal and professional development

• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)

• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary

• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally

• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.

• IT equipment provided for the duration of contract

• CycleScheme and TechScheme

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.

Closing date: 29th April 2026 at 23:59 (midnight)

Provisional Interview Dates: TBC

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.

Job description

Role: Partnerships and Programme Development Manager

Directorate: External Affairs

Team: Corporate Partnerships

Manager: Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager

Direct reports: N/A

Role purpose

This role supports the development of WorldSkills UK’s income and partnership activity by turning programmes and ideas into clear, compelling funding opportunities. You will work across teams to develop proposals, manage partnerships, and support reporting and planning processes that contribute to long-term financial sustainability.

You will play a key role in strengthening how we plan, communicate and deliver partnership activity, helping to build strong relationships with funders and partners while improving internal systems and processes.

Key tasks and responsibilities

Partnership and project delivery

· Manage delivery of partnerships and events, ensuring they are well planned, on time and within budget

· Support management of key strategic partner relationships

· Coordinate teams and stakeholders to deliver partnership activities

· Ensure partnerships align with WorldSkills UK’s strategic priorities and equity, diversity and inclusion commitments

Income development and proposals

· Develop funding opportunities from programmes and organisational activities

· Produce high-quality proposals, presentations and funding applications

· Support applications to trusts, foundations and corporate partners

· Contribute to the development of partnership agreements and documentation

Reporting and planning

· Support delivery of income and fundraising plans through regular monitoring and reporting

· Track progress against agreed objectives and provide clear updates and analysis

· Contribute to income forecasting and financial tracking, working with colleagues in Finance and across the organisation

· Support the development and reporting of project plans (Project Initiation Documents) and associated performance measures

Systems, processes and knowledge management

· Use and help improve our CRM system (HubSpot) to manage relationships and track opportunities

· Maintain accurate records, documentation and reporting systems to support partnership activity

· Identify opportunities to improve ways of working and streamline processes across the team

Research and pipeline development

· Carry out research to identify potential partners, funding opportunities and sector trends

· Support the development of a strong and diverse pipeline of prospective partners

· Contribute to internal decision-making by providing relevant insights and analysis

General

In addition to the key tasks and responsibilities set out above, employees at this level are expected to:

· Produce specification requirements in line with procurement processes for outsourced activity

· Contribute to organisational risk and issues management processes.

· Support delivery of WorldSkills UK’s strategic priorities and annual business plan

· Ensure resources (staff, suppliers, partners, volunteers) are managed efficiently and effectively

· Contribute to a performance‑driven culture with robust monitoring, evaluation and reporting

· Demonstrate WorldSkills UK’s values in all aspects of the role, contributing to a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing organisational culture

· Promote and comply with WorldSkills UK’s policies, including safeguarding, health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion

· Carry out any other duty as may be reasonably assigned that is consistent with the nature of the role and its level of responsibility. Any significant changes will be made in consultation with the post holder taking account of their experience, skills and capability

Head of Direct Dialogue
Location: Flexible / Home-based (with regular travel to London and nationwide)
Salary: £65,000
Contract: Permanent

Shelter is leading the movement to defend the right to a safe home, and to win this fight, they are expanding their award-winning income generation team. Shelter is now looking for a strategic and ambitious Head of Direct Dialogue to lead its high-impact face-to-face fundraising programme.

As Head of Direct Dialogue, you will set the vision and strategy for one of Shelter’s most vital acquisition channels. This is a senior leadership role within the Individual Giving team, responsible for managing a £4m investment budget to deliver sustainable, long-term growth across cause-led and lottery products.

Leading a hybrid model of in-house teams and external agencies, you will oversee the end-to-end delivery of campaigns that inspire thousands of new supporters. You will be a highly visible leader, spending time in the field to support non-desk-based teams while ensuring the highest standards of compliance, risk management, and supporter experience. This is an opportunity to innovate, using data-driven insights to optimise supporter journeys and embed direct dialogue expertise within the wider mobilisation plans.

Shelter is looking for a commercial and entrepreneurial leader with extensive experience in large-scale direct dialogue campaigns. You will bring:

• Strategic Expertise: A proven track record of leading complex fundraising programmes across in-house and agency channels.
• Contract Management: Experience managing high-value partnerships (£1.5m+) with the ability to negotiate and drive high performance.
• Analytical Thinking: A data-led approach to budget modelling, forecasting and scenario planning in evolving environments.
• Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the Code of Fundraising Practice and Gambling Commission regulations.
• Inclusive Leadership: A commitment to diversity and the ability to foster an equitable, high-performing team culture where people can be their authentic selves.

For further information on the role and how to apply, please download the Candidate Pack.
 

Closing date: Monday 4th May, 9am