Policy research jobs

Are you a marketing professional who is passionate about turning data into actionable insights?
We’re looking for a Customer Insight Officer, who will conduct qualitative and quantitative market research to understand the motivations, behaviours and needs of our customers.

What does this role do?
As Customer Insight Officer, you will:

• design and execute mixed method research projects, from quantitative surveys to focus groups, you’ll delve into our customer base to understand their behaviours,
• combine this research with existing data from internal and external sources, to pull together clear narratives that help us understand our customers,
• present insights to key stakeholders, distilling complex data into concise, actionable insights, that drive decision-making,
• use this data to contribute to the development of customer personas and journeys, working closely with colleagues in the Customer Journey team,
• support the management of our brand tracker.

Interviews for this role are provisionally scheduled for week commencing 10th August 2026, and will take place on Teams.

Could this be you?
To be successful in this role, you’ll need some experience in a consumer, audience or market research role, with strong analytical and interpretative skills to draw significant insights from data. You’ll need some experience across qualitative and quantitative methods, such as running focus groups, or software and analytics tools. You’ll need experience of managing research projects from planning to execution, and we're particularly interested in hearing from candidates who have training or experience in trauma-informed research practice.

About Dogs Trust
We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.

To apply for this position please click the APPLY NOW button. Our application process requires you submit a personal statement explaining your interest and suitability for the role.
 
Dogs are incredibly diverse, much like the humans that love them! At Dogs Trust we value diversity, and we're committed to fostering an inclusive culture. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and cultures and believe that a diverse workforce helps us to achieve our mission. Our colleague networks give our people a voice, acting as vehicles for real and meaningful change within Dogs Trust. We truly want to see every candidate shine throughout the entire job application process, interview stages, and during their time with us. If there's anything on your mind or any adjustments you may need, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support you every step of the way.

Team: Advocacy 

Location: Remote with regular travel. Approx. Once a month 

Work pattern: Monday-Friday, 35 hours per week. Flexible working options available 

Salary: Up to £38,918.33 per year 

Contract: Fixed-term contract until 30th April 2027 

We are the UK’s largest cat welfare charity. All over the country, our passionate employees, volunteers and supporters are using their kindness and expertise to make life better for millions of cats and the people who care for them. 

Will you join us and make life better for cats? 

Responsibilities of our Advocacy & Government Relations Officer - Westminster: 

- Support engagement with MPs, Government departments and key external stakeholders to influence policy and advocacy outcomes 

- Monitor parliamentary activity, legislation and policy developments, identifying risks and opportunities affecting cat welfare 

- Draft briefings, consultation responses, position statements and advocacy materials to support campaigning objectives 

- Conduct research and evidence gathering to inform policy development and charity campaigns 

- Develop strategic messaging and responses to legislative, regulatory and reputational issues 

- Coordinate and deliver Westminster-based events and stakeholder engagement activities 

- Work closely with teams such as Media, Digital and Web to maximise campaign impact 

- Build collaborative relationships across the sector to advance shared advocacy priorities and charity goals 

About the Advocacy team: 

The Advocacy & Government Relations team leads the charity in influencing decision-makers and those whose policies, practices and decisions affect cat welfare across the UK. The small, highly motivated team works to influence legislators (national and devolved governments), professional organisations and corporates. The team has successfully influenced the law on microchipping, pet theft and commercial kitten sales in England and worked with the Scottish Government to regulate cat breeding and rehoming activities. The team also runs digital campaigns as part of its strategy. 

What we’re looking for in our Advocacy & Government Relations Officer - Westminster: 

- Experience of advocacy, public affairs or influencing work, ideally in Westminster

- Experience of policy work and research

- Experience of dealing with high profile/ VIP individuals e.g. Ministers, MPs, MSPs, MLAs, MPs, Government Officials, Local Councillors and officers, etc. 

- Proven ability to multi-task and work independently on own initiative, accurately and under pressure

- Experience of effective use of social media and the internet in an advocacy/campaign context

- A confident communicator with good written and oral skills; and great people skills

- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to be flexible and adaptable

- A passion for cats and cat welfare 

What we can offer you: 

- 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with service

- A competitive contributory pension scheme and life assurance for peace of mind 

- Health and wellbeing support to help you stay well while working remotely 

- Flexible working options to support a healthy work–life balance

- Ongoing learning and development to help you build your skills and grow your career

- Financial wellbeing support, including access to Salary Finance

- Access to discounted pet insurance to help care for your pet’s health

Learn more about our full reward package

Application closing date: 5th August 2026 

Virtual interview date: 20th & 21st August 2026 

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. 

Help shape public narratives, amplify the voices and expertise of impacted communities, and support campaigns that drive systemic change in the criminal legal system.

We're looking for a Media, Communications and Campaigns Lead to join UNJUST and lead our media, internal and external communications, and campaigns activity. Working closely with the Executive Director and Research and Policy Lead, you'll develop and deliver strategic communications that support our organisational goals, increase visibility and strengthen our advocacy and campaign efforts.

This is a varied role where you'll manage media enquiries, develop relationships with journalists, create content across our digital platforms, support public campaigns and ensure our research, engagement and policy work is communicated effectively. You'll also help amplify the voices of lived experience through ethical, accessible storytelling and prepare key messaging and briefing materials for media and political engagement.

We're looking for someone with experience in media and communications, excellent written and verbal communication skills, confidence working with journalists, and a strong understanding of the role strategic communications plays in advocacy. You'll be organised, collaborative and committed to UNJUST's values, anti-racism and ethical storytelling.

UNJUST is committed to tackling systemic racism and discriminatory processes, policy and practices within the UK's criminal legal system. We work at the intersection of lived experience, research, law, advocacy and community power to expose the root causes of injustice, reimagine equitable systems and bring about transformative outcomes. Our work centres the voices of those most impacted and is guided by our values of realism, empathy, visionary thinking, activism, collaboration and trust.

Job purpose

To provide high-quality, intensive support to young dads and expectant fathers (aged 25 and under) across Tees Valley; to lead and coordinate peer support activity; to manage allocated budgets and contribute to funder reporting; and to take an active role in the development of NEYDL’s commissioned services in the region.

Hours - Full-time (35 hours per week). Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, with some evening and weekend working expected to meet the needs of the charity.

Location - Tees Valley. Hybrid - mix of community-based, outreach and home working.

Key responsibilities

1. Direct support

•Provide in-person and online 1-to-1 support to young dads and non-birthing people, helping them address key challenges and achieve personal outcomes

•Assess new referrals and manage a complex caseload, prioritising according to need and risk

•Support young dads to attend key meetings with professionals (including child protection, child in need, family court and multi-agency forums)

•Help young dads to access wider opportunities including volunteering, employment, education and community activities

•Support young dads and their families to engage in father and child activities, stay and play sessions, and peer supported recreational activities

•Promote and support access to DigiDAD, NEYDL’s free e-learning platform, and other training and information resources

2. Peer support and group work

•Establish, coordinate and co-facilitate in-person peer support groups for young dads in Tees Valley

•Support the development and delivery of parenting, relationship skills and employability sessions in response to community-identified needs

•Support peer moderated video gaming groups as part of DigiDAD Gaming where relevant

3. Induction, onboarding and milestones

•Ensure every young dad is effectively inducted onto the NEYDL service, completing key onboarding steps and baseline self-evaluation measures

•Track and record progress against key milestones throughout the support journey, in line with NEYDL’s evaluation framework

•Ensure all relevant data is recorded accurately and on time in NEYDL’s data management system

4. Budget and targets

•Take ownership of allocated project budgets, monitoring expenditure and liaising with the Programme Manager (Commissioned Services) and Finance Officer as required

•Work proactively to achieve agreed referral rate targets, taking responsibility for building pathways and relationships that generate consistent referrals

•Contribute to the preparation of funder reports under the oversight of the Programme Manager and Fundraiser, providing accurate data and case study material

5. Specialism

•Take on a designated area of specialism within NEYDL, agreed with the Senior Leadership Team (for example, volunteering, safeguarding or environmental programmes)

•Take a lead role within the team in relation to your specialism, contributing expertise and supporting colleagues

6. Management of staff and volunteers

•Line manage junior staff, project workers and/or volunteers as required

•Support staff and volunteers with operational queries and day-to-day delivery

•Contribute to the induction, supervision and professional development of staff and volunteers

•Support the recruitment and progression of young dads into volunteering roles, including as DigiDAD content creators, peer researchers, DADvocates, AmbassaDADS and community leaders

7. Monitoring and evaluation

•Support the effective recording, monitoring and reporting of programme performance via NEYDL’s data management system and evaluation framework

•Comply with all monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements, both internal and funder-related

•Support the work of NEYDL’s research partners and independent evaluators as required

8. Collaboration and partnerships

•Work in partnership with key stakeholders in Tees Valley to improve the service offer for young dads, including Family Hub teams, social care, health, housing, education and voluntary sector organisations

•Build referral pathways and maintain strong working relationships with local services and networks

•Develop and build effective relationships with principal stakeholders, supporters and referral partners

9. Advocacy and engagement

•Represent NEYDL at external events and meetings to raise awareness of the service and influence other organisations

•Promote, campaign and advocate with and on behalf of young men, ensuring NEYDL continues to be a leading voice for positive change

•Work proactively to enable young dads to influence the design and delivery of the service, including supporting their participation in community leadership programmes

•Support the charity’s communications and engagement activity, including contributing content to annual reports, social media and local media

10. Other

•Deputise for the Programme Managers as required

•Report to the Board of Trustees in person or in writing on a quarterly basis as required

11. Standard clauses

•The post holder must carry out their responsibilities at all times with due regard to NEYDL’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, policy and statement, and Safeguarding Policy

•The post holder is responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures relating to health and safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times

•The post holder must respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means, in line with NEYDL’s Data Protection Policy

•This role requires satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance prior to appointment

This job description is not exhaustive. NEYDL reserves the right to reasonably add to or revise it at any time in agreement with the post holder.

ABOUT GLOBAL CANOPY

Global Canopy is a data-driven not for profit delivering real transparency and accountability for market impacts on nature and people. Our special focus is on ending deforestation – an essential step in achieving urgent global goals on climate, nature and human rights.

Our platforms, data and insights are relied upon by Fortune 500 companies, major financial institutions, national and regional governments, and some of the most effective campaigning organisations worldwide.

We work globally, with a focus on both forested regions (particularly across Latin America and South East Asia), and major consumer and financial markets (with a focus on Europe, the US, Singapore and China).

ABOUT THE NATURE POSITIVE PROGRAMME

Shifting financial flows from enabling nature destruction towards activities that credibly support nature protection and restoration is crucial.

Global Canopy is working to enable the mobilisation of investment at scale into activities that deliver positive outcomes for nature and people, and to reverse the current imbalance, where financial flows to nature-destroying activities sit at USD7 trillion while financial flows towards Nature-based Solutions remain at USD230 billion. Turning this tide requires both reducing financial flows to nature-negative activities and significantly scaling up finance for activities that deliver for nature and people.

Many investors lack clarity on how to make this shift. Building on the success of The Little Book of Nature Business, Global Canopy is developing a Nature-Positive Transitions programme that will deliver the evidence, analysis, innovation and energy to mobilise investors, especially asset owners, to support this financial shift.

We are a new, exciting and extremely ambitious programme within Global Canopy and we work closely with likeminded partners, including Oxford University, UNEP Finance Initiative, and UNEP’s State of Finance for Nature initiative.

We also work closely with other teams across Global Canopy, bringing the organisation’s longstanding expertise and market-leading data for finance and corporate supply chains, and nature, deforestation and human rights impacts.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our very first project under the Nature-Positive Programme, in partnership with the Nature Positive Hub at the University of Oxford, focuses on building the data infrastructure to enable credibility and comparability in assessing nature-related opportunities. To ensure we deliver the data infrastructure that enables credibility and comparability across emerging nature investing opportunities for the financial sector, we are establishing a data infrastructure workstream to define the criteria to assess the potential nature contributions from these opportunities, their risk-adjusted returns, their investability potential and how they can match the mandates of diverse asset owners.

We are seeking two Research Associates with demonstrably strong research and analytical skills and experience in the fields of nature or biodiversity finance who will directly contribute to this data infrastructure workstream.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Research and database development (70%)

• Work with partners and colleagues to define methodologies, relevant frameworks, and criteria for assessing the contribution to nature and the risk-adjusted returns of nature-investing opportunities, with a focus on scaling these opportunities.
• Work with colleagues and partners to design and develop a data repository of nature-related investment opportunities, defining the models, schemas and conventions that enable multiple researchers to record opportunities consistently and comparably.
• Identify and map nature-related investment opportunities across sectors against the defined criteria.
• Conduct interviews with potential investees and investors (including asset owners) for selected nature-related investment opportunities.
• Manage delivery of research in line with project timetable, ensuring alignment with the overall project ambition and strategic direction.

Content and engagement (20%)

• Draft case studies and reports, synthesising the analysis and lessons from the project with the Nature Finance Content Lead and project partners.
• Maintain ongoing technical engagement with partners at the University of Oxford and other key technical contributors
• Coordinate external consultations on the project’s technical aspects, in collaboration with partners and the project’s engagement associate.
• Support in the organisation of events that raise awareness and amplify project results.

Strategy and Fundraising (10%)

• Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and learning, including donor reporting.
• Contribute to fundraising efforts and the ongoing development of the nature-positive strategy

REQUIREMENTS

To be successful in the role, these are the things that will matter most:

• Applied environmental research skills and experience, particularly with nature impact and assessments
• Deep understanding of financial analytics
• Data collection and data modelling experience with a view to inform decision-making
• Programmatic data analysis skills (strong preference for Python using pandas) to clean, structure and analyse complex datasets, compute derived metrics, and produce clear summaries and visualisations for reports and case studies
• Experience delivering collaborative projects with technical components and with external partners
• Demonstrable project management experience, with capacity to independently manage work according to agreed project timelines and to a high standard

Essential behavioural competencies:

• Demonstrable motivation and alignment with the project’s vision and mission, as well as Global Canopy’s strategy
• Proactive and self-motivated
• A team player who takes ownership of their own work, listens to feedback and supports their colleagues’ contributions
• Honesty, curiosity and resilience

Desirable

• Experience building strong data models within spreadsheets or low/no code tools, and/or relational database experience, ideally with PostgreSQL.eans.
• Coding skills (ideally Python) to support and streamline the data work
• Experience with social impact analysis
• Familiarity with the nexus between human rights and nature-related issues.

BENEFITS

Salary: £50,000 full time equivalent. This role sits within Band D on Global Canopy’s remuneration framework.

Nature of contract: x2 full-time, permanent contracts. Our office is in Oxford, with flexible home-working arrangements in place. Attendance at the office will be expected on a monthly basis. We are willing to support UK visa sponsorship for the successful candidates.

Holidays: 36 days (including bank/public holidays) for discretionary use across the annual leave year. Option to purchase up to an additional 5 days or equivalent of one week’s leave.

Pension: Employer pension contribution of 8%.

Healthcare cashback plan: Covering dental fees, eye-care, wellbeing, physiotherapy, chiropody and much more – for you and any children.

Employee Assistance Programme: Which provides free, confidential advice on personal and legal matters.

Other: Huge range of discounts and cashback deals at gyms, restaurants, holidays, and much more.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for the position, please follow the links and submit an up-to date CV and answers to the following questions (please no more than 150 words each):

• Describe a time when you used code to clean, reshape, combine or otherwise modify datasets to prepare them for analysis. What was messy or difficult about the raw data, what did your code do, and how did you verify the result was correct?
• Describe a time when you assessed the environmental benefits and/or the financial performance of an investment that presented itself as potentially beneficial to nature. What was your thought/analysis process, what data did you use, and what difficulties did you encounter in conducting the analysis? How did you address them?
• Why is this role at Global Canopy an attractive opportunity at this point in your career?

All candidates are asked to complete an anonymous diversity monitoring form when they apply.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 10 August 2026 at 9am BST. Early application encouraged. We may close applications early if enough suitable candidates are identified.

First round interview calls are provisionally planned for 21 and 24 August and will be conducted remotely via a video call.

Those successful in the first round will then be invited to complete an assessed exercise which will determine who we invite for a final interview.

Final interviews will be held via video call and are tentatively scheduled for w/c 7 September.

Hybrid – within commuting distance of one of our campuses in Beckenham, Blackburn, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Doncaster or Redcar

Help shape the voice of a national organisation improving teacher and leader development!

About us

The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) has an unswerving commitment to high-quality, evidence-informed teacher education and is on a mission to improve the quality of teacher and leader development across the system.

About the role

We are recruiting for a Communications and PR Manager to join our busy Partnerships team. The team works closely with the NIoT’s regions, founding Multi-Academy Trusts and Associate Colleges as core partners, and supports our national profile, brand, communications, stakeholder engagement and the dissemination of research outputs.

This is a varied role for a confident communications professional who can combine strong campaign instincts with excellent writing, media handling, stakeholder engagement and data-informed improvement. You will help build a clearly distinct NIoT voice, look and feel; manage high-quality internal and external communications; and support positive, purposeful public relations activity across the education sector.

Working closely with colleagues across marketing, policy, research, events, programmes and regions, the Communications and PR Manager will craft compelling messages, support campaign planning, manage channels and relationships, and ensure that NIoT’s work is shared with clarity, credibility and impact.

This is a hybrid role, with an expectation that the postholder will work from the office at least once a fortnight, and more frequently where required to meet business needs. The role also involves national travel, which may include overnight stays.

Key benefits

• Generous annual leave – 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays), rising to 33 days after five years’ service.
• Flexible working – we offer flexible start and end working times, with hybrid working in place for all roles.
• Pension – entry to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Salary sacrifice schemes – we offer salary sacrifice schemes for bikes, cars and tech!
• Lifestyle benefits – we offer discounts on gyms, cinema, retail and much more!
• Parenthood leave – we offer above the statutory minimum for maternity, adoption and paternity leave.
• Working environment – we have a stimulating, supportive and rewarding working environment with a dedicated team of like-minded professionals.
• Support – our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides confidential support for employees on personal or work-related matters.
• Development – we fully support the development of our staff and ensure that you have a high level of continuous professional development.

We think a wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you to be successful in this role. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities.

For more information and to apply, please visit our vacancies page.

Closing date: 31 August 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

As a condition of employment, this post requires a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) with a Children’s Barred List Check and an Occupational Health Check.

Job purpose

To lead and manage the DadVocates project, a four-year National Lottery-funded programme training volunteer young dads as peer advocates for young fathers in children’s social care proceedings; delivering professional training to social workers; and working towards the embedding of father-inclusive practice across children’s social care teams in five local authorities.

Hours - Full-time (35 hours per week), Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, with some evening and weekend working expected to meet the needs of the project

Location - Hybrid, with travel across the North East required and activity based in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Gateshead/Newcastle and County Durham

Key responsibilities

1. Project management

•Take day-to-day responsibility for the management and delivery of the DadVocates project across all strands of activity

•Manage the project budget, monitor expenditure and liaise with the CEO and Finance Officer

•Update and maintain NEYDL’s Evaluation Framework with DadVocates-specific indicators and methodologies within the first two months of the project start date

•Ensure the project meets its funder milestones and KPIs, maintaining accurate records of outputs and outcomes

•Produce quarterly progress reports for internal review and contribute to annual funder reports

•Commission and manage the external evaluator for the four-year evaluation

•Identify and escalate risks and challenges to the CEO, recommending solutions

2. Steering Committee

•Chair and manage the project Steering Committee, which meets every two months and comprises young dads, NEYDL frontline staff, the safeguarding lead, social work professionals and academic partners

•Induct Steering Committee members, including young dads, into their roles, providing tailored support to ensure they can contribute confidently alongside professionals

•Use Steering Committee meetings to review progress, identify challenges and agree recommendations for the next period of delivery

3. Co-creating the DadVocate training programme

•Work with training and research providers, young dads and Steering Committee members to co-create a 100-hour peer advocacy training programme for volunteer DadVocates

•Deliver the DadVocate training programme alongside NEYDL staff and delivery partners

•Lead annual reviews of the training programme and update content in response to learning and feedback

4. Managing and supporting volunteer DadVocates

•Recruit and train 10 young dad volunteers per year (40 over four years), all with lived experience of young fatherhood 

•Provide ongoing mentoring, supervision and wellbeing support to all active DadVocate volunteers: at least 50 hours per volunteer per year

•Set clear objectives for each volunteer, conduct regular appraisals and team meetings, and support their professional development and progression

•Recognise that DadVocates are young dads with lived experience rather than professional backgrounds, and provide the high level of structured support this requires, including supporting them to navigate professional environments with confidence

•Support the progression of volunteers into employment, further training and community leadership roles

5. Matching DadVocates with young dads in CSC proceedings

•Build and maintain referral pathways with social services, midwifery, Family Nurse Partnerships, Family Hubs and other local networks across target local authorities

•Match 100 young dads over four years with a volunteer DadVocate (10 in year 1, rising to 40 in year 4)

•Work closely with NEYDL’s Senior Young Dads Workers, who hold cases, to coordinate peer advocacy support within CSC proceedings

•Maintain oversight of active advocacy arrangements, ensuring DadVocates are appropriately supported and that safeguarding obligations are met at all times

•Engage directly with young dad beneficiaries through steering committee meetings, evaluation sessions and project learning events

6. Professional training for social workers

•Co-create professional training content with social workers and young dads on the Steering Committee, drawing on national research and NEYDL’s practice experience

•Deliver half-day induction training to 15-20 social workers per local authority at the outset of each area’s involvement, co-facilitated by young dads or DadVocate volunteers

•Deliver annual refresher training in each local authority

•Facilitate quarterly case review and learning meetings with social workers in each local authority, involving DadVocate volunteers

•Co-design guidance on what father-inclusive practice looks like within children’s social care teams, with social workers and young dads (first version in year 2; updated version in year 4)

•Organise and host two information-sharing events for social care professionals in years 2 and 4 (approximately 100 professionals per event)

7. Monitoring, evaluation and learning

•Coordinate data collection with young dads, DadVocate volunteers and social workers using NEYDL’s evaluation tools and new instruments co-designed for this project

•Produce annual evaluation reports and disseminate learning through NEYDL’s wider networks, events and conferences

•Share learning through stakeholder events, professional networks and NEYDL’s regular sector-facing activity

8. Safeguarding

•Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements are in place for all project activity, particularly for DadVocate volunteers operating within CSC proceedings

•Work closely with NEYDL’s Safeguarding Lead to ensure policies and protocols relevant to the project are current, understood and followed by volunteers and partners

•Act as first point of contact for safeguarding concerns arising within the DadVocates project

9. Collaboration and partnerships

•Work closely with NEYDL’s Senior Young Dads Workers as case holders, ensuring a joined-up and consistent approach to supporting young dads involved in the project

•Build and maintain relationships with academic, statutory and voluntary sector partners

•Work with the Business Development Manager to help secure longer-term Local Authority funding for DadVocates, using evidence of impact from the project to support conversations with Local Authorities and expand the project’s reach beyond the areas and targets in the original funding bid

•Represent NEYDL and the DadVocates project at external meetings, networks and conferences

•Contribute to NEYDL’s wider communications and engagement activity

10. Other

•Deputise for the CEO as required

•Report to the Board of Trustees in person or in writing on a quarterly basis as required

11. Standard clauses

•The post holder must carry out their responsibilities at all times with due regard to NEYDL’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, policy and statement, and Safeguarding Policy

•The post holder is responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures relating to health and safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times

•The post holder must respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means, in line with NEYDL’s Data Protection Policy

•This role requires satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance prior to appointment

•This job description is not exhaustive. NEYDL reserves the right to reasonably add to or revise it at any time in agreement with the post holder.

Are you an exceptional communicator who enjoys building relationships, delivering memorable experiences and helping others connect with a meaningful cause? We invite you to apply for the Development Officer - Gardens, Libraries & Museums (GLAM) position within Development and Alumni Engagement at the University of Oxford, where your work will help secure philanthropic support for one of the world's leading universities.

Location: Oxford, with hybrid working available

Salary: Grade 6: £35,681 - £41,636 per annum, with a possible extension to £45,212 including an Oxford University Weighting of £1,730

Contract: Permanent, Full time

About Us

Spanning the historic streets of the "city of dreaming spires", the University of Oxford has been ranked the world’s leading university for ten consecutive years. A place where centuries of tradition meet world-changing innovation, we offer you the chance to shape the future while working in an inspiring environment that promotes excellence. Here, you'll contribute to an organisation which delivers ground-breaking research that tackles global challenges - from advancing sustainability to pioneering healthcare solutions - and join a diverse, inclusive community that champions your wellbeing, development, and aspirations.

Development and Alumni Engagement (DAE) plays a central role in enabling the University's ambitions by building meaningful relationships with alumni, philanthropists, trusts, foundations and partners around the world. Within the Gardens, Libraries and Museums team, you'll help unlock philanthropic support that preserves world-renowned collections, expands access to knowledge and enables cultural engagement for future generations. Your work will directly contribute to initiatives that enrich research, education and public understanding on a global scale.

What We Offer

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as:

• 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays), with the option to purchase up to 10 additional days.
• One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• An excellent contributory pension scheme.
• Sustainable travel benefits, including cycle loans, discounted bus travel and season ticket loans.
• Access to a wide range of social, cultural and sporting activities.

About the Role

This is an excellent opportunity to build a career in major gift fundraising within one of the world's most respected cultural institutions. Working with experienced colleagues, you'll develop your own portfolio of donors, helping to secure philanthropic support for the Bodleian and across the Gardens, Libraries and Museums.

Alongside developing donor relationships, you'll lead the delivery of two high-profile annual stewardship events attended by senior University figures, oversee annual fundraising appeals and create compelling proposals and communications that inspire philanthropic support. You'll work closely with colleagues across the University to turn complex academic and cultural projects into engaging stories for donors.

Whether you're already working in fundraising or bring transferable experience from events, communications, alumni relations or another externally facing role, you'll receive training and support to develop your expertise in major gifts fundraising.

About You

You will bring:

• Experience in fundraising, alumni relations, marketing or other relationship-focused roles.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce engaging and persuasive content for different audiences.
• Experience of planning and delivering high-quality events
• Strong relationship-building skills, with confidence working with a wide range of stakeholders.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities, organise your own workload and deliver to deadlines.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications and CRM or relationship management systems.
• A demonstrable interest in the cultural sector and a desire to develop a career in philanthropic fundraising.

Application Process

To apply, please upload:

• A covering letter/supporting statement
• Your CV
• The details of two referees

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday 3 August 2026.

Face-to-face interviews will take place funon Thursday 13 August 2026

Two positions:

• 1 x Greater Manchester
• 1 x Barking & Dagenham

We have recently been awarded a transformative multi-year grant from The National Lottery Community Fund  as part of its Health Inequities: Structural Racism and Discrimination Partnership. We are one of ten national partners working alongside The National Lottery Community Fund and will take a leading role in shaping how the partnership operates, including building evidence, influencing policy and practice, supporting the design of new national funding programmes, and facilitating collective learning across the partnership.​

Alongside this, the centrepiece of our participation will be the delivery of three Anti-Racism Collaboratives (ARCs), each based in a specific locality and rooted in communities experiencing the sharpest health inequities. The initial locations are Greater Manchester, the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham.. ARCs will bring together voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSE), faith organisations, people with lived experience, primary and secondary care providers, local authorities, public health and social care partners. Each ARC will convene a Co-Production Panel (CPP) of people from minoritised ethnic communities to identify where structural racism produces inequitable health outcomes, and to co-produce evidence-led solutions that improve health and tackle the wider determinants of health.​

We are recruiting two Changemakers, one each for Greater Manchester and for Barking & Dagenham. As a Changemaker, you will establish and support an ARC within one of our pilot localities, bringing together stakeholders, providing strategic advice and knowledge of research methods and policy opportunities. You will support the design and implementation of health intervention programmes decided on by the ARC that have the power to influence policy, practice and systems.

Working as part of a national team of Changemakers, you will also contribute to the Foundation's evidence, influencing and systems change work, connecting learning from your locality to national policy, while bringing national developments back into local action. Together, the team will develop a replicable model for tackling racial health inequities.​

We are looking for an experienced systems change practitioner who is passionate about tackling structural racism and improving health equity. This highly collaborative leadership role requires someone equally comfortable working alongside people with lived experience, senior leaders across health and local government, and colleagues from the voluntary and community sector. Success will depend on your ability to build trusted partnerships, work strategically in complex environments, translate evidence into action, and create the conditions for lasting systems change.

Person Specification​

Essential​

• Demonstrable experience of leading complex, multi-agency change involving communities, VCSE organisations and statutory partners. ​

• Strong understanding of how systemic racism operates within health and wider public systems

• Experience of identifying opportunities to redesign policy, commissioning, organisational practice or partnerships to reduce racial inequities. ​

• Experience of leading or facilitating programmes that sought to tackle systemic racism through systems or organisational change. ​

• Ability to build trusted relationships across organisations with different priorities and levels of influence, exercising sound judgement in complex and politically sensitive environments. ​

• Significant experience of working alongside communities experiencing racial inequities to co-produce evidence-led solutions that influence policy, organisational practice or systems. ​

• A commitment to trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches that recognise community knowledge as equal to professional expertise. ​

• Experience of synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence and translating it into practical recommendations that influence policy, commissioning, organisational practice or wider systems change.​

• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience of using evidence and partnership working to shape policy, commissioning or organisational practice.​

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences. ​

• Ability to work strategically while maintaining oversight of programme delivery. ​

• Ability to work confidently in ambiguity, adapting approaches in response to evidence, community insight and changing organisational contexts. ​

• Commitment to equity, anti-racism and the values of the Race Equality Foundation. ​

Desirable​

• Experience of working within health and care systems. ​

• Experience of analysing ethnicity-disaggregated data or wider health inequalities evidence. ​

• Experience of Action Learning, organisational development or other systems change methodologies. ​

• Knowledge of the VCSE, statutory and community landscape within the locality. ​

• Experience of organisational improvement or quality frameworks such as REMI.

For the full job description see attachment.

Applications will only be accepted via application form on our portal. We will not accept any applications via CV.

Please note, we can only accept applications from those already eligible to work in the UK.

Senior Government and Research Fundraising Manager

Location: Bristol with hybrid working (40% office based)

Salary: £43,000 to £45,000 per annum FTE

Hours: Part-time, 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)

Contract: Fixed term (up to 14 months - maternity cover)

Vacancy dates

Closing date for applications: Sunday 9th August 2026 

Interviews will be held on: Friday 14th August 2026 (with Wednesday 19th August reserved for 2nd stage interviews if required) 

Expected Start date: Monday 5th October 2026 

Expected End date: Friday 31st December 2027 

About our Organisation

The Soil Association, formed in 1946, is the only UK charity which works across the spectrum of human health, the environment and animal welfare. That’s because we cannot tackle these issues in isolation. 

We campaign for change, we support farming innovation, we serve healthy food in communities, we support and grow the organic market, and we protect forests. We couldn't do any of this without our supporters, partners, donors and dedicated staff. We make a difference in the world where it’s needed the most. 

About the Opportunity

2026 is our 80th year and an exciting time to join the Soil Association.  We have an ambitious strategy to 2030 with inspiring, scalable projects which deliver impact across the food system.  We are seeking 14-month maternity cover for our Senior Government and Research Fundraising Manager to lead on significant funding opportunities through collaboration with multiple internal and external stakeholders.

About You

We are looking for an experienced fundraiser with specific experience in securing and managing researcher-led and government funding – managing processes from horizon scanning, through application to reporting and claiming and relationship stewardship.

You will: 

• Be an expert in horizon scanning for relevant funding opportunities

• Have extensive experience in managing multiple internal and external stakeholders including senior leadership teams 

• Have a proven track record of securing and managing significant six-figure plus funding from Government and research funding sources (both UK and international)

• Be a confident communicator with the ability to translate complex food systems and sustainability programmes into compelling, tailored applications 

• Be self-motivated, process-driven and thrive in a fast-paced environment

Our Benefits

We offer a range of financial and lifestyle benefits to all our employees, including: 

• 27 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days with length of service plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Pension scheme with ethical investment options and employer contribution increasing with length of service.
• Free membership of the Soil Association and discounts on organic produce.
• Volunteer days to give back to the local community or support green initiatives.
• Family friendly policies and flexible working
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Sociable and engaging workplace of professionals that share a passion for healthy, sustainable lifestyle and produce.

To Apply

Click ‘apply now’ to submit your CV and cover letter. Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy early.

Please check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive a confirmation email upon submitting your application. All candidates will subsequently receive an email to confirm whether they have made it through to interview stage.

We know the value of diversity in nature and want it in our organisation. We recognise that diverse backgrounds and experiences will bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you're not sure about applying, please get in touch with us for a chat.

Thank you for your interest in supporting our work at the Soil Association.

Various locations around Liverpool and from home

Hours: 35 hours per week

About the Role

Main Responsibilities

• Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own priorities.
• Use the Citizens Advice Adviser Net website to find, interpret and communicate the relevant information.
• Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions.
• Act for the client where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning.
• Negotiate with third parties such as statutory and non-statutory bodies as appropriate.
• Assist in the completion of benefit applications
• Refer internally or to other specialist services as appropriate, including but not limited to welfare, debt, housing and link work support services
• Ensure that all work conforms to the organisations’ office manual and the Citizens Advice quality standard and any other funding requirements, as appropriate.
• Ensure that work reflects and supports the Citizens Advice Service’s equality and diversity strategy.
• Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation.

Social policy

• Assist with social policy work by providing information about clients' circumstances through the appropriate channel.
• Alert clients to social policy options.

Professional development

• Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training.
• Read relevant publications.
• Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.
• Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings/staff meetings as appropriate.

Other duties and responsibilities

• Complete the required training to comply with quality assurance processes.
• Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
• Demonstrate commitment to the aims and policies of the Citizens Advice service.
• Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.

Requirements

1. At least 6 months’ experience of providing welfare benefits advice and support in an advice setting, including ben checks, calculations, resolution of welfare benefits issues

2. A good up to date understanding of equality and diversity and its application to the provision of advice.

3. Ability to monitor and maintain own standards.

4. Ability to interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills to get to the root of the issues and empower clients, whilst maintaining structure and control of meetings.

5. Understanding of the issues affecting society and their implications for clients and service provision.

6. A good knowledge of the social model of health and how link worker services can support wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.

7. Ability to use IT systems and packages, and electronic resources in the provision of advice, record keeping and document production.

8. Ability and willingness to work as part of a team.

9. A clear understanding of the requirements of a target based workload

10. A commitment to continuous professional development, including a willingness to develop knowledge and skills in advice topics.

11. Ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information and produce and present clear reports verbally and in writing.

12. Ability to understand statistics and check accuracy of calculations.

The successful candidate will have a ‘mobile office’ made up of pc, information systems and promotional materials and despite having a regular geographical location, will be expected to respond attend outreaches across the city if necessary.

How to Apply

Please fill out the application form provided on our website.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised closing date should a sufficient number of suitable applications be received.

About us

Citizens Advice Liverpool is a charity that provides free, confidential and impartial advice to people who live and work in the city. We depend on a workforce of paid staff and over 120 trained volunteers. We give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem. We are the leading provider of advice and advocacy services in Liverpool and have helped clients with over 106,000 issues in 2022/2023.

CAL have achieved accreditation with the Workplace Wellbeing Charter, showing we are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our workforce. We've also gained an award for outstanding contribution by an employer to workplace health and wellbeing 2022 by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust.

We've gained awards from Citizens Advice National recognising our Advising Margainalised Communities Team for championing equity, diversity and inclusion in both 2021 and 2021. We were also named volunteer team of the year in 2022.

Job Description and Person Specification

Job title Participation Manager

Hours 35 hours per week. We are opening to discussing flexible arrangements – please highlight any requests when applying.

Length of contract  12 months

Location Hybrid work between home and our Vauxhall office. Please read more about our approach to hybrid working in the relevant section below.

Reports to Director of Evidence and Improvement

National Voices

Making what matters to people matter in health and care

National Voices is the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. We have more than 200 members covering a diverse range of health conditions and communities, connecting us with the experiences of millions of people. We work together to strengthen the voice of people: patients, service users, carers, their families, and the voluntary organisations that work for them.

Our Vision: People shaping their health and care.

Our Mission: We advocate for more inclusive and person centred health and care, shaped by the people who use and need it the most.

We do this by:
 

• Understanding and advocating for what matters to people especially those living with health conditions and groups who experience inequalities.
• Finding common cause across communities and conditions by working with member charities and those they support.
• Connecting and convening charities, decision makers and citizens to work together to change health and care for good.

The Role

At National Voices, our aim is to make what matters to people matter in health and care. Too often, we see decisions made about the design of health and care services which don’t consider the people who use and need those services – especially those with long term conditions and from groups experiencing inequality. While the intentions of decision makers are usually good, they can unwittingly develop services which are difficult to access, stressful to experience and which don’t enable people to live life to its full potential.

We believe that if health and care leaders were better supported to meaningfully involve people living with health conditions, disability, inequality and their carers in decisions about how services are delivered then our NHS and social care services would be more equitable, and person centred.

At National Voices, we believe that this can best be achieved by connecting health and care leaders in health and care to key groups including:

• Leaders within the patient participation movement, who can support and advise health and care leaders on how to share power with people and communities using coaching and quality improvement techniques, and by acting as a critical friend.
• Leaders from voluntary sector organisations and community groups, who can bring insight into the needs, experiences and priorities of the communities they serve. They can identify opportunities to improve how services are designed and delivered, and help connect decision-makers with communities whose voices are often underrepresented.
• People with lived experience of inequality, particular conditions or services, who bring unique expertise based on their direct experience of care. They can provide timely insight into the impact of policies and services, helping decision-makers stay tuned to current needs, experiences and priorities, rather than relying on historical evidence or assumptions.

We are looking for a Participation Manager who can lead on the design, development and delivery of funded projects that generate insight, support improvement, and enable meaningful participation in health and care decision making. This will include end-to-end responsibility for project design, delivery, reporting and impact.

Projects may include designing and delivering activity such as workshops, coordinating lived experience advisory groups, coordinating coalitions of VCSE organisations, undertaking qualitative research, facilitation and engagement work. The postholder will need sufficient breadth of experience across these areas to confidently design and steer programmes, while drawing on colleagues, partners and associates for specialist input where needed.

You will be responsible for overall programme management - ensuring projects are well planned, appropriately resourced, and delivered on time, within budget and to a high standard. This includes managing risks, reporting requirements and funder relationships.

Projects may also include co-ordinating the delivery of Voices for Improvement coaching relationships and workshops on meaningful participation. We are open to a Participation Manager who has skills and experience around coaching theory and practice, however, we can also bring in external Associates with this subject matter expertise where needed to guide and supervise the coaching elements of the process.

You will also play an active role in identifying and developing new funding and partnership opportunities, contributing to the growth of National Voices’ portfolio of externally funded work.

Finally, where needed, you will also work collaboratively with another Participation Manager who leads National Voices’ Lived Experience Partner programme, membership scheme and partnership programme. You will contribute to these areas where required, particularly where they intersect with funded projects, but they will not be the primary focus of this role.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and delivery of funded participation projects

Lead the end-to-end design, delivery and management of funded programmes and projects that generate insight, support improvement and drive meaningful participation in health and care, including:

• Lead on shaping, securing and delivering funded projects from proposal stage through to completion, ensuring clear outcomes and impact
• Design and oversee programmes that may include research, engagement and participatory activity, such as qualitative and quantitative research, stakeholder engagement and participation work
• Convene and coordinate a range of delivery approaches including advisory groups, workshops, events, VCSE engagement and system partner collaboration
• Ensure delivery is well planned, resourced and managed, including oversight of budgets, timelines, risks and funder reporting
• Draw on colleagues, partners and associates for specialist expertise where needed, while holding overall responsibility for programme design and coherence
• Translate insights and findings into clear, accessible outputs in collaboration with policy and communications colleagues to support influence and impact
• Develop and shape new funding opportunities and proposals to grow the organisation’s portfolio of externally funded work

Deliver coaching and engagement programmes

Manage the delivery of structured coaching and engagement programmes, including National Voices’ Voices for Improvement model, where included within funded projects:

• Oversee delivery of coaching and engagement activity including matching, coordination and participant support
• Ensure coaching relationships between people with lived experience and system leaders are well supported and of high quality
• Contribute to the design and facilitation of associated engagement or learning sessions where required
• Work with associates or external specialists to bring in coaching or quality improvement expertise where needed
• Capture learning, feedback and impact from coaching programmes and contribute to funder reporting, case studies and evaluation outputs

Contribute to wider participation programmes

Work collaboratively with another Participation Manager to support integration with National Voices’ wider participation infrastructure:

• Contribute where relevant to the Lived Experience Partner programme, membership scheme and partnership programme
• Support the involvement of lived experience partners, members and partners in funded projects and engagement activity
• Ensure alignment across programmes and share learning between project delivery and participation infrastructure

General

• Provide line management to one Project Officer within the team, if needed - quality assuring outputs, holding regular 1-2-1s as well as setting annual objectives and completing appraisals.
• Provide matrix management for other National Voices colleagues as and when required.
• Work in sync with other managers across National Voices, contributing to a joined-up, supportive team culture.
• Deputise for the Director of Evidence and Improvement, or other senior colleagues, when required.
• Follow organisational processes to measure, monitor and communicate the impact of our work
• Support good project, financial and data management

Person Specification

Values, attitudes and behaviours

• Passionate about National Voices’ mission and the meaningful involvement of people with lived experience
• Strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and reducing health inequalities
• Proactive, flexible, and responsive, with a willingness to work in complexity
• Comfortable working both collaboratively and independently, taking ownership of delivery
• Calm under pressure and able to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines without compromising quality
• Confident engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including constructively challenging where appropriate
• Entrepreneurial - able to spot opportunities for growth, collaboration, and impact
• Energised by variety, able to work across diverse themes while identifying connections and opportunities

Skills and abilities

• Strong programme and/or project management skills, with demonstrable experience of leading complex, multi-stakeholder funded programmes from design through to delivery and completion
• Ability to shape ideas into deliverable programmes, including contributing to funding bids, designing delivery approaches, and translating proposals into practical delivery plans
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills, with the ability to translate complex qualitative and quantitative insight into clear, structured outputs that inform decision making and drive action
• Excellent organisational skills, including planning, prioritisation, risk management and delivery of high-quality work to deadlines
• Confident stakeholder and relationship management skills, with experience working across partners, funders, subcontractors, commissioned work and multi-organisation collaborations
• Strong facilitation and engagement skills, including designing and delivering workshops, events and participatory sessions for diverse audiences
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, accessible written outputs and presentations
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively, support others in delivery, and contribute to shared outcomes

Experience, knowledge and understanding

• Demonstrable experience of leading or delivering participation work with people with lived experience, ideally addressing inequality
• Strong experience of designing and delivering insight generation projects (qualitative and/or quantitative) that have led to real-world impact and improvement
• Experience of working meaningfully with people experiencing inequalities in safe and inclusive ways
• Experience of managing projects, budgets, and multiple stakeholders, working with a high degree of autonomy
• Experience of managing partnerships, funders, or commissioned work, including contributing to income generation
• Experience of facilitating workshops, events, or participatory sessions
• Understanding of the health and care landscape
• Good understanding of the participation landscape, with the ability to act as a credible contributor in the field (desirable)
• Experience of managing or contributing to coalitions or networks of VCSE or membership organisations (desirable)
• Understanding of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approaches to evidence generation and analysis (desirable)
• Coaching and/or quality improvement qualifications (desirable)
• Lived experience of disability, caring responsibilities and/or inequality (desirable)

Our approach to hybrid working

We recognise the importance of coming together regularly, in-person, as a team, so we can share learnings and spend social time with each other. We also recognise that people need flexibility, and that homeworking enables focused work and can fit well in people’s lives.

We ask all staff to take part in pre-arranged team meetings which take place every six weeks in our office space. We also might ask you to meet in-person with members of your team from time to time, or to be available for face-to- face meetings with clients and partners where this enhances the work.

We assume that this would usually not amount to more than one day per fortnight for people who work full time. We are happy to discuss how this sits in your life. This can be agreed by your line manager.

Please note that our offices are fully wheelchair accessible and that we are committed to making our workplace fully inclusive.

Application guidance

Please submit a CV and cover letter to apply. We are also recruiting a permanent Participation Manager role at the same time. If you would like your application to be for both roles, please make this clear in your cover letter.

You're welcome to use AI tools to help you prepare your application. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. We often see similar AI-generated writing styles, which can make applications less distinctive. As a charity, we're particularly interested in hearing why our mission matters to you and how your values align with ours.

Please specify any access or other requirements of which we need to be aware for the online interview.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Thursday 30th July.  

The interviews will take place in early August on Microsoft Teams. Details of an interview task and interview questions will be emailed to you in advance.

We are committed to diversifying our team in order to broaden the insight and experiences we can draw on, and to do our work more credibly. In particular, we would welcome applications from older people, disabled people and people who have experienced socioeconomic inequality. Our offices are fully accessible and we are a Disability Confident and an LGBT+ friendly employer.

Participation Manager

Job Description and Person Specification

Job title Participation Manager

Hours 35 hours per week. We are opening to discussing flexible arrangements – please highlight any requests when applying.

Length of contract  Permanent

Location Hybrid work between home and our Vauxhall office. Please read more about our approach to hybrid working in the relevant section below.

Reports to Director of Evidence and Improvement

National Voices

Making what matters to people matter in health and care

National Voices is the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. We have more than 200 members covering a diverse range of health conditions and communities, connecting us with the experiences of millions of people. We work together to strengthen the voice of people: patients, service users, carers, their families, and the voluntary organisations that work for them.

Our Vision: People shaping their health and care.

Our Mission: We advocate for more inclusive and person centred health and care, shaped by the people who use and need it the most.

We do this by:
 

· Understanding and advocating for what matters to people especially those living with health conditions and groups who experience inequalities.

· Finding common cause across communities and conditions by working with member charities and those they support.

· Connecting and convening charities, decision makers and citizens to work together to change health and care for good.

The Role

At National Voices, our aim is to make what matters to people matter in health and care. Too often, we see decisions made about the design of health and care services which don’t consider the people who use and need those services – especially those with long term conditions and from groups experiencing inequality. While the intentions of decision makers are usually good, they can unwittingly develop services which are difficult to access, stressful to experience and which don’t enable people to live life to its full potential.

We believe that if health and care leaders were better supported to meaningfully involve people living with health conditions, disability, inequality and their carers in decisions about how services are delivered then our NHS and social care services would be more equitable, and person centred.

At National Voices, we believe that this can best be achieved by connecting health and care leaders in health and care to key groups including:

· Leaders within the patient participation movement, who can support and advise health and care leaders on how to share power with people and communities using coaching and quality improvement techniques, and by acting as a critical friend.

· Leaders from voluntary sector organisations and community groups, who can bring insight into the needs, experiences and priorities of the communities they serve. They can identify opportunities to improve how services are designed and delivered, and help connect decision-makers with communities whose voices are often underrepresented.

· People with lived experience of inequality, particular conditions or services, who bring unique expertise based on their direct experience of care. They can provide timely insight into the impact of policies and services, helping decision-makers stay tuned to current needs, experiences and priorities, rather than relying on historical evidence or assumptions.

We are looking for a Participation Manager who can manage our lived experience programme, our membership scheme and our partnership scheme. This role will ensure that where there are opportunities for people and communities to shape health and care, National Voices has the right relationships, processes and support systems in place to connect decision makers with our Lived Experience Partners, members and people with lived experience.

The Participation Manager will:

· Lead National Voices’ Lived Experience Partner programme by strengthening engagement and participation, investing in members’ knowledge, skills and confidence, and ensuring lived experience insights shape our work.

· Lead National Voices’ membership scheme by driving engagement, retention and inclusion, strengthening member relationships, embedding member insights across the organisation, and overseeing satisfaction, records and knowledge management.

· Lead National Voices’ scheme by managing partner engagement, retention and recruitment, overseeing delivery of the partnership offer, and ensuring partners receive high-quality advice, insight, connections and access to relevant people and communities.

· Develop and deliver funded projects, supporting income generation and securing resources to advance National Voices’ strategic priorities.

The Participation Manager will work in collaboration with:

· Policy and communications colleagues who have worked hard to ensure when we capture insights from people and communities, we have established relationships and ways of communicating with key players in health and care so that insights collected lead to impact.

· Research and insight colleagues who have expertise around qualitative research methods and inclusive engagement, who regularly deliver high quality qualitative research on a range of topics and on a range of topics – often focussed on surfacing the experiences of those least well served by health and care services.

· Colleagues across the organisation who lead and contribute to member and partner benefits, including policy forums, networking opportunities, events and other engagement activities.

The Participation Manager will play a central role in ensuring National Voices’ lives its values around meaningful participation so that in both our internal and external work people and communities are engaged in a timely and inclusive way, using methods that ensure their input is heard and acted upon, and their knowledge, priorities, and contributions are recognised and fairly valued.

Responsibilities

Lead our Lived Experience Partner programme

National Voices’ Lived Experience Partners are a group of 15 people who have significant experience of navigating the health and care system, expertise in meaningful participation and who have received training and support to enable constructive and strategic input into improving health and care. The majority of Lived Experience Partners have also accessed learning around coaching and are regularly matched into coaching relationships with senior leaders in health and care. Your role will be to:

· Deliver meetings where our Lived Experience Partners have opportunities for peer learning and opportunities to influence live pieces of work.

· Gather insights from our Lived Experience Partners on how they are experiencing working with National Voices and how they want to grow.

· Ensure our Lived Experience Partners are supported to grow in their knowledge, skills and confidence to influence decision making – through 1:1 catch ups, training and more.

· Lead our work matching Lived Experience Partners in high quality coaching relationships with senior leaders in health and care, ensuring that coaching duos have the support they need to gain value from the relationship.

· Diversify and grow our network of Lived Experience Partners as needed.

Lead our membership programme

National Voices’ members are a group of over 200 not-for-profit organisations who serve a diverse range of communities, including: condition-specific charities - such as Diabetes UK, Allergy UK and Lupus UK; equality charities - such as the Caribbean and African Health Network, Groundswell and National Ugly Mugs; other health, care and community based organisations – such as Compassion in Dying, Pain UK and Patient Information Forum. Our members include some of the biggest and smallest charities in England. They connect us with the experience of millions of people. Your role will be to:

· Direct the activities of our membership working group, taking lead responsibility for member engagement, stewardship, renewals, support and retention.

· Deepen the relationship with our membership, ensuring that we have the structures in place to understand their ambitions, insights, practice and ideas.

· Collaborate with colleagues across the team to ensure our members’ insights become more central to everything that we do.

· Diversify and grow our membership.

· Oversee our annual survey on member satisfaction.

· Oversee improvements in records and knowledge management.

Lead our partnership programme

National Voices’ Partners are a small group of impactful organisations who want to join National Voices in achieving our mission of making what matters to people matter in health and care, including the Nuffield Trust, the Kings Fund, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and others. Your role will be to:

· Take lead responsibility for engagement, stewardship, renewals, support and retention of organisations in our partnership scheme.

· Oversee the delivery of the partnership offer – co-ordinating requests which come from partners and collaborating with colleagues, members and Lived Experience Partners to ensure partners receive high-quality advice, insight, connections and access to relevant people and communities.

Develop and deliver funded projects

· Identify opportunities for collaboration, partnership and income generation that support our strategic priorities – leading on selected funding bids and supporting others as required.

· Develop ideas into clear, fundable proposals and secured projects. This may include designing and delivering activity such as workshops, coordinating advisory or lived experience groups, undertaking qualitative research, facilitation and engagement work.

· Plan confidently and realistically across lived experience workstreams, taking accountability for delivery, spend, and completion of agreed outcomes.

· Manage projects, programmes and budgets in partnership with colleagues and stakeholders, putting in place effective systems to ensure timely, high-quality delivery and reporting.

General

• Provide line management one Project Officer within the team, quality assuring outputs, holding regular 1-2-1s as well as setting annual objectives and completing appraisals.
• Provide matrix management for other National Voices colleagues as and when required.
• Work in sync with other managers across National Voices, contributing to a joined-up, supportive team culture.
• Deputise for the Director of Evidence and Improvement, or other senior colleagues, when required.

· Follow organisational processes to measure, monitor and communicate the impact of our work

· Support good project, financial and data management

Person Specification

Values, attitudes and behaviours

· Passionate about National Voices’ mission and the meaningful involvement of people with lived experience

· Strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and reducing health inequalities

· Proactive, flexible, and responsive, with a willingness to work in complexity

· Comfortable working both collaboratively and independently, taking ownership of delivery

· Calm under pressure and able to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines without compromising quality

· Confident engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including constructively challenging where appropriate

· Entrepreneurial - able to spot opportunities for growth, collaboration, and impact

· Energised by variety, able to work across diverse themes while identifying connections and opportunities

Skills and abilities

· Strong project and/or programme management skills, with demonstrable experience delivering complex, multi-stakeholder work

· Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise, plan, manage risk, and maintain high-quality delivery

· Strong communication skills, including the ability to translate complex insight and evidence into clear, accessible outputs

· Confident relationship and stakeholder management skills, including working with partners, subcontractors, and commissioned work

· Excellent facilitation and presentation skills, including delivering workshops and events to diverse audiences

Experience, knowledge and understanding

· Demonstrable experience of leading or delivering participation work with people with lived experience, ideally addressing inequality

· Strong experience of designing and delivering insight generation projects (qualitative and/or quantitative) that have led to real-world impact and improvement

· Experience of working meaningfully with people experiencing inequalities in safe and inclusive ways

· Experience of managing projects, budgets, and multiple stakeholders, working with a high degree of autonomy

· Experience of managing partnerships, funders, or commissioned work, including contributing to income generation

· Experience of facilitating workshops, events, or participatory sessions

· Understanding of the health and care landscape

· Good understanding of the participation landscape, with the ability to act as a credible contributor in the field (desirable)

· Experience of managing or contributing to coalitions or networks of VCSE or membership organisations (desirable)

· Understanding of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approaches to evidence generation and analysis (desirable)

· Coaching and/or quality improvement qualifications (desirable)

· Lived experience of disability, caring responsibilities and/or inequality (desirable)

Our approach to hybrid working

We recognise the importance of coming together regularly, in-person, as a team, so we can share learnings and spend social time with each other. We also recognise that people need flexibility, and that homeworking enables focused work and can fit well in people’s lives.

We ask all staff to take part in pre-arranged team meetings which take place every six weeks in our office space. We also might ask you to meet in-person with members of your team from time to time, or to be available for face-to- face meetings with clients and partners where this enhances the work.

We assume that this would usually not amount to more than one day per fortnight for people who work full time. We are happy to discuss how this sits in your life. This can be agreed by your line manager.

Please note that our offices are fully wheelchair accessible and that we are committed to making our workplace fully inclusive.

Application guidance

Please submit a CV and cover letter to apply. We are also recruiting a 12 month fixed term Participation Manager role at the same time. If you would like your application to be for both roles, please make this clear when applying. 

Applications should be addressed to our Director Evidence and Improvement, Sarah Sweeney, and submitted through CharityJob.

You're welcome to use AI tools to help you prepare your application. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. We often see similar AI-generated writing styles, which can make applications less distinctive. As a charity, we're particularly interested in hearing why our mission matters to you and how your values align with ours.

Please specify any access or other requirements of which we need to be aware for the online interview.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Thursday 30th July.  

The interviews will take place in early August on Microsoft Teams. Details of an interview task and interview questions will be emailed to you in advance.

We are committed to diversifying our team in order to broaden the insight and experiences we can draw on, and to do our work more credibly. In particular, we would welcome applications from older people, disabled people and people who have experienced socioeconomic inequality. Our offices are fully accessible and we are a Disability Confident and an LGBT+ friendly employer.

JOB TITLE:                  Welfare Benefits Support and Information Officer / Advisor

ORGANISATION: Big Local Works – Charity No: 1182561

LOCATION:                       Big Local Works 4 Market Place, London SE16 3UQ

CONTRACT TYPE:           6-month / Fixed Term contract  (Sickness Cover)

REPORTING TO:             Charity Manager

General Information

Big Local Works (BLW) is a community-focused economic support and regeneration charity based in Bermondsey, South East London. We want to help create a thriving, inclusive local economy and community in which everyone can participate.

To make this happen, we maximise local people’s financial and economic wellbeing to reduce poverty and hardship, and give them support to find sustainable, active routes out of poverty, including through employment and enterprise.

We deliver our support in the community through three main services:

· Expert welfare and benefits advice and advocacy for local people experiencing poverty and hardship

· Employability Skills training and coaching to help people access ways of increasing their earned income

· Start-up and enterprise support for clients who wish to start trading on the local ‘Blue Market’

Our current Welfare Benefits Advisor is on leave of absence, so this role is temporary cover until the end of the year. We are looking for someone for an immediate start.

The role of the Welfare Benefits Support and Information officer is the relief of financial need by the provision of free advice, information, support and advocacy for Southwark Residents

Key Tasks include:

· To provide a generalist welfare benefits advice, information and casework service to clients using the services at BLW

· To provide a review of possible benefit entitlements and support clients to make claims, submit forms and applications as appropriate.

· Ensure advice service provided by BLW is effective and efficient, meets best practice and is of a consistently high quality, delivering a high level of customer care and client satisfaction.

· To provide welfare benefits support in a variety of settings i.e. drop-ins and community spaces, to provide advice and information, and welfare benefit checks to ensure individuals have accessible support.

· Help clients understand benefit decisions, represent clients who have been turned down for benefits, deal with reviews, and, where appropriate, prepare for and attend appeals tribunals.

· Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation.

What you need to bring:

· A good understanding of the Welfare Benefits system to deliver an advice casework service

· Good administration skills and ability to develop own caseload and prioritising work.

· Ability to use IT, Word and Excel in the provision of advice

· Ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information

· Numeracy skills required to understand statistics and check calculations

· Use IT for statistical recording, record keeping and document production.

· Able to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders

· Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training.

· Demonstrate commitment to the aims and policies of the BLW’s service.

· Abide by health and safety and safeguarding guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.

· A good understanding of- and commitment to the aims and principles of the charity and its equal opportunities policies.

· Willingness to learn and develop skills in advice topics

You will benefit from

· Holiday -  FTE 25 days plus Bank Holidays so for 6 month contract at (0.4 FTE)  it would be 5 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

· A great working environment and culture within a small, but growing, charity dedicated to improving lives in our community

If you are passionate about supporting individuals and communities facing poverty and improving their lives, and have the skills and experience required for this role, please apply.

MAIN TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2 days per week (0.4 FTE)

Hours normally 9-5 pm but flexible to accommodate outreach, research and training needs

Annual salary: £12,000 for 2 days / week (£30K FTE)

DBS check essential