Engagement team leaders jobs

Networks for Nature spans c60 square miles from the River Dee to the River Mersey, including Chester and Ellesmere Port. This is a collaborative partnership project working with Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Land Trust, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Canal and River Trust, and Sustrans with the aim to drive nature recovery in a mixed-use landscape, creating diverse habitats for species to thrive now and for years to come. We will empower communities to have an active role in conservation action and stewardship and will focus on making nature more accessible to and inclusive for everyone to enable connection and improve wellbeing. To find out more about Networks for Nature visit Networks For Nature | Conservation at Chester Zoo.

As a Wildlife and Wellbeing Officer, you’ll work closely with the Wildlife and Wellbeing Assistant Manager and Networks for Nature project staff to engage and empower communities to make a real impact on conservation efforts and to improve access to nature. You will support with maintaining and establishing community relationships, supporting the development and delivery of a programme of wildlife and wellbeing activities and supporting in building the capacity of community groups, community leaders and other stakeholders within the Networks for Nature project area. You will deliver a broad range of activities, including Family Wildlife Clubs, Wildlife and Wellbeing Clubs, Community Action Days, activities linked to Green Social Prescribing (GSP), GSP workshops for healthcare professionals and activity stands within community settings. You will also actively promote and develop community network links.

Due to the working rota of 10 days in 14 and working every other weekend, there will be some cross-over between the activities delivered within this role and the Community Volunteer Officer role.

We’re looking for someone who can:
 

• Activity Planning & Delivery: Help plan and run a broad programme of wildlife and wellbeing activities to community groups, including Family Wildlife Clubs, Wildlife and Wellbeing Clubs, Conservation Action Days, activities linked to Green Social Prescribing (GSP), GSP workshops for healthcare professionals and activity stands at community events. Effectively adapting each activity to meet the needs of each group.

• Community Relationships: Develop and maintain relationships with community groups to support their continued participation in the project and commitment to creating habitats for UK Wildlife. Including administrative support, dealing with queries via email and telephone and attending meetings, consultations and networking events.

• Content Creation: Research and contribute to the development of resources and new engagement activities designed to support participation in the Networks for Nature project.

• Measuring Impact: Work closely with the Wildlife and Wellbeing Assistant Manager to support in the delivery of an evaluation programme for the Networks for Nature project, including collection and collation of data from project participants, initial analysis of results and presenting findings to key stakeholders.

• Safety & Risk Assessments: With support from the Wildlife and Wellbeing Assistant Manager, ensure that all activities are safe and appropriately risk assessed.

• Developing Expertise: Proactively develop own expertise as a conservation educator, focused on community engagement, UK wildlife and nature and wellbeing.

 

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?

Well, where do we start? Here goes…

We’re a huge team of conservationists, scientists, educators, animal welfare experts, marketeers, visitor experience professionals, environmental policy influencers; the list goes on. Each and every one of us is on a mission to make Chester Zoo the best in the world, and our planet a better place.

As the UK’s biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there’s always lots going on here. We’re an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of nearly 500 permanent and 500 seasonal team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term on our exciting journey.

Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office – where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll among rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?

The Package
 

• Temporary contract until 30th September 2028

• 35 hours per week

• Salary £23,187.50

• The postholder will work 10 days over 14, working every other weekend and with two regular days off in the week

• 33 days annual leave plus the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (pro rota)

• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family

• Cycle to work scheme

• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme

• Discounted gym membership

• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks

• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9% 

Our Requirements:
 

• An understanding & affinity to the organisation’s mission, vision & values, with a strong interest in the conservation of UK nature.

• Experience delivering educational and wellbeing focused activities with a range of different audiences across a variety of ages and needs, preferably within an environmental education or conservation focused organisation.

• Experience presenting to audiences.

• Experience developing quality resources for learning.

• Experience of delivering activities/training with a range of audiences.

• Sound working knowledge of computer software systems e.g. Microsoft Office Suite

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Excellent communication and literacy skills including by phone, face to face and via email/online discussion boards

• Excellent time management, administration and planning skills.

• Experience of working in a busy office environment as part of a team & on own initiative

• Full driving licence
 

Although not essential, the following would be desirable:
 

• Knowledge and understanding of the health and wellbeing benefits of accessing nature and the models used to deliver these benefits.

• Experience working with audiences with special educational needs and/or mental health challenges and/or socio economically deprived.

• Experience working collaboratively with community partners.

• Experience monitoring and evaluating engagement activities in a community context.

Due to the nature of the organisation and the role, this post is subject to a DBS check.

Full time (flexible working options available)

Homebased – UK

Closing Date: 4 March 2026

Ref 7303

Save the Children UK has an exciting opportunity for a strategic, people-driven fundraising leader to join us as Supporter Led Fundraising Lead, where you will shape and grow our supporter-led fundraising portfolio, inspiring communities across the UK and beyond to raise vital unrestricted income for children.

Working within the Community Fundraising & Engagement team, you will lead the development of impactful fundraising experiences — from iconic challenge events to innovative supporter-led initiatives — ensuring supporters feel valued, motivated and connected to our mission.

About Us

Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.  When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave.  We ensure children's unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.

About the role

As Supporter Led Fundraising Lead, you will be responsible for delivering impact through the strategic development and management of supporter-led fundraising income streams, including UK and international challenge events, committed fundraisers and individual fundraising initiatives.

This is a key leadership role within the Community Fundraising & Engagement team, suited to someone already operating at manager level who is ready to step into a senior leadership position. You will lead and coach a multidisciplinary team, working closely with colleagues across fundraising, marketing, data and communications to maximise income, engagement and lifetime value.

You will play a critical part in growing unrestricted income, strengthening supporter relationships and positioning Save the Children at the heart of local communities across the UK.

Importantly, this role offers real autonomy: there is no single blueprint for success. You will have the opportunity to shape and evolve supporter-led income streams, bring fresh thinking to challenge events and community fundraising, and put your own stamp on how we grow this portfolio.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the supporter-led fundraising squad, setting strategy and overseeing the planning and delivery of a portfolio of UK and international challenge events.

• Deliver ambitious fundraising targets by securing flexible income through high-quality events, stewardship and supporter experiences aligned to organisational impact goals.

• Identify and develop new supporter-led fundraising propositions to grow income, increase retention and build brand awareness across communities.

• Influence and collaborate with marketing, data and stakeholder teams to unlock new pipelines and opportunities for growth.

• Champion exceptional stewardship, equipping teams with the tools, insight and resources needed to build strong, lasting supporter relationships.

• Hold accountability for budgets, performance reporting, compliance, safeguarding, and health and safety across the supporter-led fundraising portfolio.

About you

To be successful, it is important that you are a strategic and collaborative fundraising leader who can inspire teams and supporters alike.

You will bring:

• Demonstrable experience working directly on challenge events, with a strong understanding of how to design, deliver and grow successful event-led income streams.

• Experience within a community fundraising team, with insight into how to mobilise and engage supporters at a local level.

• Proven experience leading and developing teams to deliver income growth and strong supporter engagement — and the readiness to step from manager level into a senior leadership role.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience managing budgets and driving performance improvements.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to adapt your style to suit different supporter audiences and influence senior stakeholders internally and externally.

• A strategic mindset, able to prioritise, balance competing demands and identify sustainable growth opportunities.

• A supporter-first outlook, combining creativity, insight and data to design compelling fundraising experiences.

• Commitment to Save the Children's vision, mission and values.

What we offer you:

Working for a charity provides one of the best benefits there is – a sense of purpose and reward for helping others. However, we understand the importance of giving back to our employees to ensure a happy and healthy working environment and work/life balance.

• We focus on flexibility, inclusion, collaboration, health and wellbeing both in and outside of work.

• We provide a wide range of benefits which will reward your hard work, motivate you, and inspire you to work to improve the lives of children every day. 

Closing date: Wednesday 4th March 2026

Please note: To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.

Location & Ways of Working:

The majority of our roles can be performed remotely in the UK, but at times you will be required to come to your contracted office (usually between 2–4 days per month, depending on the needs of your role, team, or service). For many roles, this is likely to be the minimum required to deliver impact.

This will be discussed and agreed with your manager / team and we encourage candidates to discuss our ways of working in more detail at interview stage.

Please note: travel costs to your contracted office will be at your own expense. 

Flexible Working - We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: 

Save the Children UK believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and equitable where all children have the opportunity to change their world. We apply this to our workforce and we are committed to developing and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisation where all employees have a sense of belonging and feel that they can be "Free to Be Me". We are not looking for just one type of person - we want to recruit people who can add fresh perspectives, innovative ideas or challenge that disrupts the risk of group think. 

We are especially interested in people whose childhood experiences - of life on a low income, of migration, of being in a racialised community, of the care system, of being LGBT+ or in an LGBT+ family or living with (or with someone with) a disability - help us to see things we might otherwise miss. Whatever your story is we want to hear it because we know that different voices, ideas, perspectives and knowledge, working together will enable us to better the lives of children around the world. This is the reason why we are all here. 

This is an exciting opportunity to help grow our retail operation and support animal welfare across Derbyshire. RSPCA Derby is looking for an experienced and motivated manager to lead, develop and shape the future of our charity retail operation.

As Retail Development Manager, you will:

• Lead and develop a network of charity shops and retail teams
• Drive income growth across physical shops, online sales and gift aid
• Ensure high standards of customer service, compliance and financial control
• Manage retail performance, budgets and reporting
• Identify and develop new retail opportunities to support our strategic ambitions
• Play a key role in supporting animal welfare through sustainable income generation.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience in retail management, ideally across multiple sites
• Is a strong, inclusive leader with experience managing and developing staff and volunteers
• Has a proven track record of meeting financial and commercial targets
• Is organised, resilient and comfortable managing competing priorities
• Shares our commitment to animal welfare and our values
• Is confident working with data, budgets and performance reporting
• Experience in charity retail is desirable but not essential — we welcome applicants with strong commercial retail experience who want to make a difference.

Why Join Us?

• Make a real impact supporting local animal welfare
• Lead a values-driven retail operation with room to innovate and grow
• Work with committed staff, volunteers and supporters
• Be part of a respected local charity making a difference every day

Are you passionate about supporting people at a critical point in their lives? Do you believe everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported?

We are looking for three Hostel Support Workers to join our team at a 14-bed, 24-hour hostel, where you will play a vital role in creating a calm, welcoming, and well-managed environment for residents experiencing homelessness.

Working day and evening shifts, you will provide practical, emotional, and safeguarding support to vulnerable adults, ensuring their welfare, dignity, and protection at all times. You will remain alert to risk, respond confidently to incidents or concerns, and follow clear safeguarding and risk-management procedures to keep residents and colleagues safe.

You will hold a small caseload of residents, offering person-centred, trauma-informed key-work support that helps individuals build independence, stability, and wellbeing. This will include encouraging engagement with support services, promoting positive routines, and helping residents work towards longer-term housing and life goals.

Working closely with colleagues across the service, you will:

• Maintain accurate records and case notes

• Communicate clearly with the wider team

• Deliver effective handover between shifts to ensure continuity of care and support

Above all, you will help foster an environment where residents feel safe, listened to, and encouraged, supporting them to move forward at their own pace.

This role is ideal for someone who is compassionate, resilient, and committed to making a meaningful difference—whether you bring previous hostel experience or are looking to grow your career in homelessness and supported housing services.

Have you got what it takes to help St Margaret’s Hospice raise over £10m+ every year? Do you have a passion for people and building relationships to realise vital income? Do you have experience of fundraising or the commercial acumen to know what makes a great charity retail brand? Can you craft a compelling case for support and negotiate multi-year six figure grants?

Join St Margaret’s Hospice as our Director of Income Generation and play a vital role in ensuring fundraising and retail remain central pillars of our new five-year strategy.

What can you expect to be doing? 

As a senior leader, you’ll help shape the future of St Margaret’s at a defining moment for the hospice sector, where financial sustainability is essential.

Hospices play an integral role in local communities, and here at St Margaret’s, we pride ourselves on thinking of our income generation activities as an extension of the care and compassion that is core to who we are. 

Working closely with your peers within the executive, as well as the Board, you’ll be an ambassador for St Margaret’s, and expected to represent the hospice. You’ll develop and own pivotal relationships both internally and externally, and role model the values of compassion, collaboration and ambition, while holding yourself and others to account so the best interests of St Margaret’s are always met. 

What can you expect to be good at?

From legacies to lottery, challenge events to collections, merchandising to retail operations, you’ll know how to raise significant funds, and will be experienced in leading and inspiring teams to achieve their goals.

Ideally, you will have a strong grounding in charity, either as a fundraiser yourself or having worked in charity retail. Alternatively, you may have transferable skills and the drive to learn and apply your knowledge and experience in a hospice setting.

Either way we are looking for an individual who can demonstrate relevant and lived experience, tenacity, curiosity and a hunger to succeed.

We also welcome high performing individuals who are looking for their first director role.

We invite applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to helping you thrive. If you're excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.

What can we offer you?

• Salary: £80,000 to £87,975 per annum
• Location: Taunton or Yeovil, with regular travel across Somerset
• Contract: Permanent
• Working Pattern: Full time (37 hours per week), including some evenings and weekends

Holiday entitlement

• 29 days holiday, plus bank holidays, increasing to 33 days after 5 years
• Ability to buy and sell annual leave

Pension scheme

• NHS employees eligible to continue with their NHS pension scheme*
• Non-NHS employees will receive 5.5% employer and 5% employee contribution.

Plus…

• Life assurance cover
• Health Cash Plans
• Virtual medical care with unlimited access to a GP 24/7,
• Confidential and free 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family offering: Counselling, Support, Legal, Financial and Medical Information and Advice
• A Vitality & Wellbeing health portal.
• Blue Light Discount Card
• Enhanced maternity leave*
• Excellent learning and development opportunities
• Free on-site parking in Yeovil and Taunton
• Volunteering and fundraising opportunities

*Eligibility criteria applies

How to Apply
Click the apply button to complete the online application form and upload your CV.

As part of the application process, you will be asked for to complete a supporting statement detailing how your skills, knowledge and experience align to the person specification.

You can learn more about the role via the candidate pack attached to this advert or, for an informal chat with our CEO, Joanna Hall, contact the Recruitment Team.

With a new CEO in post, and momentum being built as we roll out our new strategy – it’s an exciting time to join the team. We look forward to learning more about you and why you think you can be a great match for St Margaret’s.

Closing date: 6th March 2026. We may close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer visa sponsorship at this time. 

DBS Information

This role requires a criminal background check via the disclosure procedure.

The Disclosure and Barring Service offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants. This route gives applicants the choice not to have any gender or name information disclosed on their DBS certificate and is available for all levels of DBS check.

At Ambitious about Autism, we're looking for a People Advisory Manager to join our team.

You'll lead and manage the team of People Advisors, as well as the Onboarding team, to deliver a customer and quality focused service to managers and staff on all matters relating to the employment lifecycle for all employees. You'll coordinate and manage employee relations casework and lead on people support queries, advising managers and staff on ways of working and implementing employment policies.

You'll provide guidance on safer recruitment, safeguarding and vetting policies in line with Ofsted, CQC and Keeping Children Safe in Education legislation, as well as managing and reporting on Occupational Health service usage.

We are looking for some who has:

• Demonstrable experience of providing advice to managers and staff on HR related matters.
• Experience of applying and managing pre-employment checks inclusive of DBS, Right to Work and other associated compliance
• Experience and desire in delivering a customer focused advisory and onboarding service.
• CIPD qualified level 5 or above or demonstrable equivalent Employee Relations and HR Management experience.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

About this role:

This role is a new position beginning in April 2026, as part of the new Croydon Mental Health Partnership pilot programme (MHP) led by Croydon Voluntary Action. The MHP is part of the Building Brighter Futures (BBF) initiative funded by the Maudsley Charity. Reaching Higher is one of the BBF consortium members.

Main purpose of this role:

The Co-ordinator will provide early, relational, trauma-informed interventions for young people (15–19) presenting with mild–moderate emotional wellbeing, mental health, and social needs.

This role will deliver timely engagement (contact within 72 hours), needs-based assessments, short-term support, and warm handovers into the most appropriate pathway across the BBF consortium, avoiding duplication and repeated storytelling. The role is central to the front-door and allocations model, ensuring young people receive the right support, at the right time, from the right organisation.

This new role is perfect for someone who is looking to grow their skills in partnership working, including building partnerships between statutory services and the voluntary sector, while making a meaningful difference in the lives of young people. You will play a hands-on role in both the development and delivery of an exciting new mental health initiative, in line with Reaching Higher’s contextual safeguarding strategy.

Role: Commercial Manager
Location: Hybrid working with a minimum 2 days per week in the Thame office
Salary: £50,000.00 - £53,000.00
Hours: 37.5 per week
Contract: Permanent
Reports to: Commercial Director
 
Making growth work – sustainably and responsibly

Affinity Trust is a values-led social care charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and other assessed needs to live their lives, their way.

We’re growing - and with that growth comes a clear responsibility: to ensure our contracts, services and partnerships are commercially viable, operationally strong, and true to our social purpose.

We’re looking for a Commercial Manager who brings commercial rigour as well as curiosity - someone who can improve performance across existing contracts as confidently as they develop new opportunities.

This is a pivotal role, working closely with the Commercial Director, Finance, Operations and senior leaders across the organisation.

About the role

As Commercial Manager, you’ll play a key role in strengthening the financial sustainability and commercial performance of Affinity Trust.

You’ll focus on:

• ensuring existing contracts and services are commercially viable,
• identifying and delivering efficiency and value-for-money improvements, and
• developing strong, evidence-based business cases for growth, diversification and partnerships.

You’ll work across the organisation to turn insight into action - balancing ambition with realism, and growth with long-term sustainability.

What You’ll Do

• Strengthen commercial performance by reviewing contract viability, improving profitability, and leading value-for-money and efficiency initiatives.
• Develop robust business cases for growth, diversification, and partnerships, working closely with Operations and Finance to assess affordability, risk and return.
• Support sustainable growth by identifying new commercial opportunities and carrying out early-stage due diligence on partnerships or acquisitions.
• Use insight and data to track performance through clear KPIs and dashboards, informing senior decision-making.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation to ensure commercial decisions are operationally deliverable, person-centred and values-led.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll bring:

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience improving contract performance or commercial efficiency.
• Proven experience developing and evaluating business cases and financial models.
• Understanding of commissioning, contracting and funding in social care, health or housing.
• Confidence working across teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
• A practical, analytical mindset - able to spot risk, challenge assumptions and find solutions.

How You’ll Make an Impact
You’ll help shape sustainable, person‑centred growth by aligning colleagues, ensuring commercial efficiency, and turning strategic ideas into real results.

What will we do?

• We offer hybrid working (min. 2 days/week in Thame)
• 31 days’ annual leave (inc. bank holidays), rising with service
• Health cash plan, Pension, Life assurance, Employee Assistance Programme
• Blue Light Card, option to buy extra annual leave
   

Inclusion, accessibility and our commitment to diversity
Diversity is key to what we do. Life would be dull, and change slow, if we all thought the same way. We want colleagues who bring different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences, and we know this makes us stronger and better for the people we support. 

We are committed to being Disability Confident and we guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. 

We’re also committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage, for example, accessible formats, support with the application form or adjustments for interview, you can tell us in your application or contact our recruitment team to discuss what you need.

Ready to join us?

If you’re ready to drive new commercial opportunities that make a real impact, connecting with colleagues to build strong relationships, making a real difference in a values-led charity, this could be your next role.

If you are offered the role, you will be required to have a DBS check at the relevant level, which we’ll cover the cost for.

Independent Age is the national charity focused on improving the lives of people facing financial hardship in later life. We believe no one should face financial hardship in later life.

Our Helpline and expert advisers offer free, practical support to older people without enough money to live on. Through our grants programme, we support hundreds of local organisations working with older people across the UK. 

We use the knowledge and insight gained from our support services and partnerships to highlight the issues experienced by older people in poverty and campaign for change. We would love to find individuals from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us on this journey.

Responsibilities and Person Specification:

This role is strategic, creative and fast paced. The successful applicant will lead the Westminster public affairs team at Independent Age to develop influencing strategies targeting decision makers across national and local government, Parliament and Whitehall to ensure we secure policy change for older people facing financial hardship. You’ll need to be a strategic thinker, with an in-depth understanding and experience of different parliamentary levers, the ability to build strong external relationships, and have exceptional organisation skills. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the issues faced by people in later life experiencing financial hardship up the political agenda and further establish Independent Age’s profile as a key stakeholder in this space. 

For full details on the role and requirements, please review the job description and person specification.  If your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all of the criteria in the person specification but you do meet most of them and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. 

This is a full-time role, 35 hours per week, which you can choose to work over five days or a 9-day fortnight. 

What it’s like to work at Independent Age:

We celebrate diversity at Independent Age and champion the differences that make each of us unique. We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We aim to attract and retain a wide range of talent and create an environment where everyone can feel safe, protected, welcome and included.

We offer great benefits including 28 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme with life assurance, and fantastic learning and development opportunities. We also offer a number of enhanced leave provisions and benefits.

We know that a good work life balance helps us perform at our best and supports wellbeing. Flexible working hours and hybrid working is standard for all (those contracted to work in the office usually attend 1 day per week). But if you need a different form of flexibility, we are always happy to talk flexible working. 

You can find out more about what it’s like to work at Independent Age here.

Application Process:

To apply, please visit our website to submit a CV and a Supporting Statement, detailing how your skills and experience meet the criteria within the Job Description and Person Specification (please do not hesitate to contact us if you have specific requirements and need support to apply in an alternative format).

To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion our hiring managers use anonymous shortlisting. Therefore, please do not include your name, photo, or information to indicate your gender or age in your CV and supporting statement. Please do not omit dates of employment. Please ensure the title of any uploads does not contain your name. 

Independent Age is committed to safeguarding and follows Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding those we work with. We therefore ask that you supply your full work history with explanations for any gaps in the application documents you submit and, if offered the post, we will require two employment references including your current or most recent employer. A Basic DBS check will be required for this role.

Closing Date: Sunday 1st March 2026 at 11:59pm

Interview Dates: Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th March

WSS Regional SEND Leader for Yorkshire and the Humber
Contract Type: Fixed term Secondment contract until 31 March 2027
Salary: £550 per day (payable to the school / education setting)
Hours: A minimum commitment of 40 days a year, equating to an average of one-day a week (flexibility to plan own day or equivalent in part days), during term time

Join our Regional Whole School SEND Teams – help shape the future of SEND

Whole School SEND is expanding its regional teams, and we are looking for experienced SEND leaders to step into seconded Regional SEND Leader positions.

As a Regional SEND Leader, you will lead the strategic delivery of the DfE’s Universal SEND Services programme across your region, enabling schools and colleges to embed inclusive practice and improve outcomes for learners with SEND. Working closely with national and regional partners, you will shape regional priorities, oversee professional networks, guide system level SEND development and champion the use of evidence based practice.

These roles are ideal for experienced SEND leaders who:

• already think beyond one school
• have strong professional networks across their region
• are confident working with senior leaders, MATs, local authorities and other partners
• want to shape policy and practice at a national level
• value collaboration, knowledge exchange and inclusive leadership

You might currently be:

• a MAT SEND / Inclusion Director or Lead
• a trustwide SENCo / Inclusion Lead
• a local authority SEND leader
• an experienced SENCo influencing across multiple schools
• a system leader with credibility and influence in your region

This role is offered on a secondment basis. This means the successful applicant will remain employed by their current organisation, and Whole School SEND (through nasen) will reimburse the employer for the time the individual spends undertaking Regional SEND Leader duties. The secondment fee of £550 per day is paid directly to the employing organisation, ensuring there is no financial loss to the school, trust or local authority releasing the colleague for this work.

The Regional SEND Leader will continue in their substantive role while contributing the equivalent of one day a week (40 days across the year) to Whole School SEND. This model enables leaders to bring current, real world expertise into the national programme while maintaining their ongoing responsibilities within their home organisation.

This is an opportunity to apply your expertise at regional and national levels, while maintaining your connection to your current school, trust or organisation.

This role requires flexibility, occasional travel and occasional overnight stays.

Please note this is a secondment position from an education setting, you must be located in the geographical region stated on the advert to apply, those not meeting this criteria will not be considered.

Closing Date: Thursday 5th March 2026
N.B The application period may be closed earlier if sufficient suitable candidates apply.
Start date: 1st April 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Whole School SEND is an equal opportunities organisation and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

About Whole School SEND (WSS)

Whole School SEND (WSS), hosted by nasen, is a national community committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The work of Whole School SEND is based on the principle that the knowledge and expertise needed to develop the workforce already exists in the system and that knowledge exchange can occur through effective collaboration.

Since its inception in 2016, the WSS community has brought together key stakeholder organisations, individuals and educational settings from across the SEND community and encouraged collaboration between them.

Regional SEND Leaders are central to the success of the programme, acting as the bridge between national direction and regional implementation. They bring deep SEND expertise and strong regional networks to the role, enabling them to identify local priorities, champion evidence informed practice and work closely with schools, colleges and system partners to build confidence and capability in meeting the needs of learners with SEND.

A regionalised model of delivery and development, responsive to local contexts, will continue to be an essential part of the growth and sustainability of our work. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of SEND in your region. We have a wide-ranging programme of work, including delivering CPD (online and face-to-face) and leading Professional Development Groups, as well as maintaining and extending regional networks.

No agencies please.

WSS Regional SEND Leader for the East of England
Contract Type: Fixed term Secondment contract until 31 March 2027
Salary: £550 per day (payable to the school / education setting)
Hours: A minimum commitment of 40 days a year, equating to an average of one-day a week (flexibility to plan own day or equivalent in part days), during term time

Join our Regional Whole School SEND Teams – help shape the future of SEND

Whole School SEND is expanding its regional teams, and we are looking for experienced SEND leaders to step into seconded Regional SEND Leader positions.

As a Regional SEND Leader, you will lead the strategic delivery of the DfE’s Universal SEND Services programme across your region, enabling schools and colleges to embed inclusive practice and improve outcomes for learners with SEND. Working closely with national and regional partners, you will shape regional priorities, oversee professional networks, guide system level SEND development and champion the use of evidence based practice.

These roles are ideal for experienced SEND leaders who:

• already think beyond one school
• have strong professional networks across their region
• are confident working with senior leaders, MATs, local authorities and other partners
• want to shape policy and practice at a national level
• value collaboration, knowledge exchange and inclusive leadership

You might currently be:

• a MAT SEND / Inclusion Director or Lead
• a trustwide SENCo / Inclusion Lead
• a local authority SEND leader
• an experienced SENCo influencing across multiple schools
• a system leader with credibility and influence in your region

This role is offered on a secondment basis. This means the successful applicant will remain employed by their current organisation, and Whole School SEND (through nasen) will reimburse the employer for the time the individual spends undertaking Regional SEND Leader duties. The secondment fee of £550 per day is paid directly to the employing organisation, ensuring there is no financial loss to the school, trust or local authority releasing the colleague for this work.

The Regional SEND Leader will continue in their substantive role while contributing the equivalent of one day a week (40 days across the year) to Whole School SEND. This model enables leaders to bring current, real world expertise into the national programme while maintaining their ongoing responsibilities within their home organisation.

This is an opportunity to apply your expertise at regional and national levels, while maintaining your connection to your current school, trust or organisation.

This role requires flexibility, occasional travel and occasional overnight stays.

Please note this is a secondment position from an education setting, you must be located in the geographical region stated on the advert to apply, those not meeting this criteria will not be considered.

Closing Date: Thursday 5th March 2026
N.B The application period may be closed earlier if sufficient suitable candidates apply.
Start date: 1st April 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Whole School SEND is an equal opportunities organisation and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

About Whole School SEND (WSS)

Whole School SEND (WSS), hosted by nasen, is a national community committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The work of Whole School SEND is based on the principle that the knowledge and expertise needed to develop the workforce already exists in the system and that knowledge exchange can occur through effective collaboration.

Since its inception in 2016, the WSS community has brought together key stakeholder organisations, individuals and educational settings from across the SEND community and encouraged collaboration between them.

Regional SEND Leaders are central to the success of the programme, acting as the bridge between national direction and regional implementation. They bring deep SEND expertise and strong regional networks to the role, enabling them to identify local priorities, champion evidence informed practice and work closely with schools, colleges and system partners to build confidence and capability in meeting the needs of learners with SEND.

A regionalised model of delivery and development, responsive to local contexts, will continue to be an essential part of the growth and sustainability of our work. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of SEND in your region. We have a wide-ranging programme of work, including delivering CPD (online and face-to-face) and leading Professional Development Groups, as well as maintaining and extending regional networks.

No agencies please.

Job Profile

Reporting to the Managing Director, you will lead on the recruitment, retention, and value growth of Afghanaid’s supporter base by directing and implementing communications, fundraising and engagement strategies, aligned with broader organisation goals. Designing and managing a tight budget, you will direct the Communication and Giving unit to maximise their success.

You will provide strategic and supervisory oversight of fundraising income from individual giving, regular giving, major donors, trusts and foundations, corporates, community and student fundraising and events, managing annual fundraising appeals and driving organisational unrestricted income growth. 

You will lead on communications for Afghanaid, overseeing print, digital, and paid marketing activities and the growth of communications channels. You will execute Afghanaid’s organisational brand strategy which ensures the integrity of the brand and maximises awareness. You will manage all public relations including crisis communications, as well as the growth of strategic media placements and high profile relationships. You will drive the success of organisational impact storytelling and communications for both internal and external stakeholders. As a member of the executive department, you will collaborate and synergise with other departments to promote organisational success.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive organisational strategy, culture and cross-department collaboration to advance Afghanaid’s mission and objectives.

• Lead development and delivery of Communications, Engagement and Fundraising strategies and work plans.

• Line manage and develop a high-performing team, including staff, volunteers and interns.

• Build and maintain relationships with consultants, agencies and pro bono partners.

• Oversee budgets, reporting and data-driven performance management to ensure efficiency and impact.

• Promote a positive and cohesive London team environment, coordinating hybrid working, inductions and HR support.

• Oversee public fundraising strategy across multiple income streams.

• Lead design and delivery of internal and external appeals, campaigns and donor stewardship.

• Identify new funding opportunities, partnerships and innovation in engagement.

• Oversee the full range of Afghanaid’s event portfolio, and attend relevant events to represent Afghanaid;

• Ensure effective CRM management, data integrity and financial reconciliation.

• Serve as brand guardian, ensuring consistency and evolution of Afghanaid’s identity.

• Oversee creation and execution of integrated communications and marketing plans.

• Direct production of engaging digital and print content, including newsletters, social media, and fundraising collateral.

• Manage website optimisation, SEO and analytics to drive engagement and conversions.

• Lead innovation in digital marketing, email campaigns and supporter journeys.

• Advise leadership on reputation management and crisis communications.

• Develop media policies and act as spokesperson when required.

• Manage proactive and reactive media relations, building relationships with journalists, influencers and advocates.

• Promote Afghanaid’s thought leadership through strategic storytelling and public commentary.

• Commission and direct multimedia content to strengthen organisational storytelling.

• Lead content planning, production and performance analysis.

• Champion participatory storytelling approaches and creative innovation.

Undertake any other duties as and when required by the line director.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

You will be an experienced and dynamic communicator with significant demonstrable experience in fundraising and/or communications at a senior level, coupled with an awareness and up to date knowledge and experience of the tools that would maximise the success of our communications and fundraising activities. In addition, you will have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to confidently build and maintain strong relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders. Possessing strong management skills, you will have experience of managing small multi-disciplinary teams, providing direction and leadership to enable development and high performance, and the ability to role-model a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Education/ Training

Master’s Degree in communications, marketing, public fundraising or another relevant field (or at least 5-years’ experience).

Work Experience

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, supporter engagement or communications, with at least 2 years’ experience directly managing staff.

• Experience developing and leading integrated multi-channel and multi-stakeholder communications, engagement and/or fundraising strategies.

• Experience in growing audiences, engagement and/or income streams.

• Experience communicating about and/or fundraising for and/or maintaining engagement with Afghanistan or a similar context.

• Experience using KPIs and data to make data-driven decisions to improve efficacy and efficiency.

• Experience managing and monitoring a tight budget.

• Experience conceptualising, producing and commissioning multimedia content, from marketing and fundraising collateral to audiovisual content.

• Experience running full-funnel, multi-channel marketing strategies including paid advertising.

• Understanding of risks associated with communications, public fundraising, and NGO operating contexts, and experience in mitigating those risks.

• Experience supervising, organising, motivating and developing staff.

• In depth knowledge of trends in storytelling, brand, PR, marketing and fundraising.

Professional Skills, Competencies, Values and Attitudes

Afghanaid’s core values are creativity, fairness and honesty. Our staff is passionate about and proud of Afghanaid. Teamwork is fundamental to our standards and demonstrated by taking initiative, assisting others and taking on additional responsibilities and tasks if necessary. We are results driven, committed and motivated to achieve targets and take accountability for our own actions.

Specifically, the holder of this position should also demonstrate the following:

Essential

• Fluent in spoken and written English. 

• Track record of increasing audiences, fundraising totals and engagement metrics from multiple different sources, with a strong business development mindset.

• Experience securing five or six figure gifts from funders;

• Solutions and results orientated; energised by thinking outside the box, and by finding and pursuing novel or innovative approaches and solutions.

• Experience using Salesforce CRM and Marketing Cloud

• Skilled at spotting and prioritising opportunities and synergies, and effective in securing wide-ranging forms of engagement and partnership.

• Excellent listening, speaking and writing skills; strong capabilities of persuasion and a proven track record of uniting people around a common goal.

• Multimedia skills, with knowledge, experience and enthusiasm in driving digital innovation.

• Highly organised with strong leadership and project management skills, able to collaboratively manage competing priorities with senior and junior colleagues.

• Demonstrably skilled brand custodian, able to mitigate risks, anticipate and capitalise upon opportunities, and strengthen reputation.

• Capable of working independently as well as collaboratively, both in leading a team and as part of the team.

• Passionate about driving change, and inspiring individuals and groups to support a cause to deliver that change.

Desirable

• Experience working within an international development or humanitarian context, particularly with causes related to Afghanistan

• Strategic understanding of UK and global fundraising landscapes and emerging giving trends.

• Proven ability to represent an organisation publicly with confidence, professionalism and credibility.

• Experience guiding senior leaders or trustees on media, communications and reputational matters.

• Skilled in crisis communications and reputation management.

• Understanding of inclusive and ethical storytelling practices, with sensitivity to safeguarding considerations.

• Experience developing high-value corporate or media partnerships.

• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, resource-limited environment and adapting to changing external circumstances.

The Organisation

Afghanaid is a British humanitarian and development organisation. For over forty years, our dedicated personnel have worked with millions of families in some of the poorest and most remote communities in Afghanistan. We build basic services, improve livelihoods, strengthen the rights of women and children, help communities protect against natural disasters and adapt to climate change, and respond to humanitarian emergencies. We are headquartered in Kabul, and operate provincial and district offices across Afghanistan, as well as a Marketing and Fundraising office in London. We employ around 500 personnel, 97% of whom are Afghans.

Other Information

Afghanaid’s core values are creativity, fairness and honesty. Our staff are passionate about and proud to work at Afghanaid. Teamwork is fundamental to our standards and demonstrated by taking initiative, assisting others and taking on additional responsibilities and tasks if necessary. We are results driven, committed and motivated to achieve targets and take accountability for our own actions.

Our remuneration and benefits package is competitive with other similar organisations. 

This position presents an excellent opportunity for someone who has the ambition and determination to move up in their career.

To apply for this role please head over to our website and complete an application form.

The Compassionate Neighbours Manager will lead the day-to-day running of the Compassionate Neighbours programme across Greenwich and Bexley, helping people nearing the end of life to live as well as they can for as long as they can through meaningful community connection. This includes managing the Compassionate Neighbours Coordinator and ensuring the successful delivery, growth, and sustainability of the programme. You will build strong community connections, support volunteers, and ensure high-quality engagement with people living with serious, long-term, or terminal illness who may be experiencing loneliness or isolation.

The post holder will work closely with the Community Development & Volunteering team to deliver the Community Development & Engagement Strategy, develop outreach strategies, strengthen partnerships, and ensure the programme meets its objectives.

Application Deadline: Tuesday 3 March Midday

Interview date: TBC

We reserve the right to close this job advertisement early if we receive a sufficient number of applications. To avoid disappointment, we encourage interested candidates to submit their applications promptly. 

Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy levels amongst people in the criminal justice system?

We’ve made substantial progress in recent years, with improvements and expansions to our delivery model and significant growth in our staff team. In Spring 2026, we will launch our refreshed organisational strategy, which will shape our work over the next three years and beyond. To support this growth, we are recruiting for a full time Director of People to help provide strategic people leadership to our growing team of staff and volunteers.

In this pivotal leadership role, you will shape and deliver our People and Culture strategy, ensuring an inclusive, values‑driven and high‑performing environment for our people. You will lead organisation‑wide strategic workforce planning, oversee the full employee lifecycle, and champion initiatives that strengthen engagement, wellbeing and belonging. As a core member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will advise on all workforce matters, drive leadership development, and support our managers to build capability and confidence. You will ensure our HR, volunteering and people operations run smoothly and efficiently, modernising processes and maintaining compliance with employment law, safeguarding requirements and best practice. You will also provide strategic oversight of EDIB work, reward and recognition frameworks, and organisational risk, while leading a dedicated team covering HR, learning and development, and volunteering.

The role requires excellent communication and organisational skills, strong knowledge of employment law, the ability to coach and influence senior leaders, and the capacity to work autonomously while managing multiple priorities effectively. You must be IT literate, with a good working knowledge of the commonly used Microsoft business tools, and be able to work independently. The role calls for a hands-on, collaborative, people‑centred leader with strong emotional intelligence, an inclusive and values‑driven mindset, and the ability to think strategically while remaining performance‑focused and learner‑centred.

We want to hear from applicants who are as committed to the cause as we are.

This is a home-based role but may require occasional travel around the UK including overnight stays. This role is 5 days per week (35 hours) with working days/hours to be mutually agreed in line with business needs.

Employee benefits include a company contribution to pension scheme of up to 5%, 30 days holiday plus bank holidays, life insurance, paid volunteering days, discounts via Reward Gateway and an Employee Assistance Programme. The biggest benefit though is our culture – our people really want to work for the organisation.

We welcome job applications from people with lived experience of the criminal justice system and do not routinely ask for details of any criminal convictions.

Interviews, which will be held online, will take place on 31st March and 1st April 2026