Research engagement manager jobs

Communications Manager 

Self- Employed Contract: £20 per hour 
Contract and term: 12-month contract, with the possibility of extension 
Hours: 35 hours per week  
Location: Flexible hybrid working with one/two days a week in our offices in Tower Hamlets or Southwark  
Start date: February2026

Benefits of working with Kineara: 

• A competitive salary 

• Flexible, hybrid working and locations 

• An Wellbeing day entitlement of 10 days, plus bank holidays 

• Personalised wellbeing support offer 

Are you looking for a pivotal role which will shape the future of a CIC and charity working on key social justice challenges? Are you excited to take on a strategic post which will demonstrably improve the charity’s work with its service users, supporters and other key stakeholders? If so, we’d love to hear from you! 

Kineara is looking for someone who can grow our fundraising potential and engage key stakeholders across the sector, while delivering engaging communications and outreach campaigns that demonstrate our social value and grow our support base. They will play a key role in helping Kineara develop our newly formed charitable arm, alongside our community interest company, to generate income through engaging fundraising campaigns, impact-driven communications and strategic relationship-building with existing and potential funders.

You will work closely with project managers and SLT (Senior Leadership Team) to identify how support services can reduce barriers to secure housing, work and school; prevent evictions and homelessness; and improve health and wellbeing of people facing challenges. You’ll use this understanding to motivate new stakeholders to invest in our work - whether charitable trusts, corporate foundations or individuals.  

You will feel real ownership over your work and need to be self-starting, flexible and hungry to grow with an already impactful charity with a strong social mission and vision. You will be keen to understand how our work makes a difference to people and use our impact to demonstrate our social value.This role crosscuts a range of key charitable specialisms, so you may have experience working in communications and be keen to widen your skillset; you may have a background in impact evaluation; or you may have worked in fundraising or development for a non-profit. We are keen to invite candidates with a range of experience from a variety of non-profit roles and are especially interested to meet candidates who have been part of – or are ready to be part of - the strategic growth of a charitable organisation. 

Why us, now? Kineara is going through exciting changes this year: as a newly registered charity, we are opening up to new avenues of finance, engagement and growth. Our most recent projects have put us at the forefront of innovative ways of delivering support to private renters, working in partnership with housing services, private landlords, solicitors and health services to envision secure housing for all. We are also a team with lived experience and are a culturally diverse, spirited and mission-focused group that takes care of each other. 

Why you? You are motivated by seeing vulnerable and marginalised people thriving and you have the drive to grow the reach of our organisation so that more people in need can access our support. You have a wide skillset and open attitude, ready to learn what you don’t already know and confident to lead on your projects but understand the value of listening, collaboration and working to joint and shared ambitions.

Job Description 

Communications 

• Develop, contribute to and implement impact-driven and strategic communications campaigns that build Kineara’s fundraising capacity and raise awareness of the issues 

• Develop brand identity for Kineara’s new charitable arm, ensuring it is consistent across all activities in the organisation, while maintaining Kineara’s overall ‘look and feel’ to ensure coherence in branding, colours, messaging, style and approach. 

• Manage the creation, development, distribution of compelling, impact-driven story-telling about Kineara’s work and beneficiaries using interviews, blogs, case studies, etc. 

• Use a range of platforms to distribute print and electronic content including, but not limited to, newsletters, brochures, leaflets, posters reports, e-newsletters, and Kineara’s website 

• Work closely with IT and business managers to ensure smooth running of internal communications 

Fundraising 

• Develop positive relationships with a range of stakeholders providing funding to charities, including in the third sector, public sector, and the business sector, to raise awareness and promote our work 

• Write grant and tender applications, and manage and coordinate work of external consultants supporting grant writing process where applicable 

• Manage and administer online fundraising platforms, and develop accessible, persuasive campaigns for public donations. 

• Work with Finance Lead on finance strategy, costings, budgets, resource allocation 

Impact 

• Work closely with Operations Manager and practitioners to embed outcomes, create frameworks for monitoring and evaluate Kineara’s projects; and produce yearly evaluations and Impact Report of Kineara’s services 

• Use learning from impact analysis to share with team and deliver impact-driven communications and to share our social value to funders and other stakeholders. 

Business 

• Contribute to development of business plans and strategic decision-making, working with the CEO, Finance Lead and Operations Lead (SLT) 

Person Specification 

Attributes 

With a strong alignment with Kineara’s values, you will be: 

• An outstanding communicator who can engage, inspire and support colleagues, donors, trustees, volunteers and other stakeholders. 

• Confident in promoting thought leadership to share our knowledge to develop external alliances and discuss topical issues online 

• Passionate about addressing poverty and inequality, and commitment to equality and diversity 

• A self-starter and a team player, with a flair for building relationships. 

• Creative, enjoy innovative thinking and using your initiative. 

• Adept at big picture thinking and project management, but also be able to engage with the detail to ensure projects are successfully completed. 

• Comfortable with and skilled at change management and relish the strengths and challenges of a small and dynamic team in an evolving organisation. 

• Analytical and reflective, but with excellent time management and ability to work under pressure. 

Experience and Skills 

We’d like to see a strong track record that is relevant to each of the key components of the role, although we recognise that you may have stronger experience in one or more areas. You will be able to demonstrate that you could deliver in: 
 

• Planning, executing, achieving targets to grow income streams, including donor prospect research, developing new donor relationships, and grant writing. 

• Working on effective online or offline fundraising campaigns that influence a range of stakeholders, with a reflective, creative and innovative approach. 

• Using impact and outcomes to engage and promote services to funders, partners and other stakeholders.

• Developing brands and brand awareness in line with organisational objectives

• Creating communications plans in support of strategic objectives, and executing these to a high standard, reflecting and improving these to achieve greater impact. 

• Familiarity with social media channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and solid experience of content creation and website management 

• Creating and executing community, outreach and fundraising events. 

• Strong IT skills and familiarity with CRM databases, MS Office, Word Press. 

• Ability to put together and manage project budgets. 

• Creating, developing and adapting outcomes tools such as survey, questionnaires, and focus groups 

• Planning, creating and executing evaluations of projects, including creating surveys, events, questionnaires and feedback tools 

• Managing communications/fundraising officers and external consultants 

How to apply 

To apply for the role, please send an up-to-date CV and a cover letter (up to two pages), describing how you meet the person specification. Please provide concrete examples and experience where possible, however we are open to hearing how you might develop or demonstrate these abilities or attributes if you have not yet had many years of experience in the field. You can also include:  

• Why you wish to apply for this role   

• Your relevant experience, knowledge and skills, based on the person specification above.   

• What other qualities you have that you could bring to the role   

• When you are available to begin work   

Please note we will be shortlisting candidates as we receive applications and reserve the right to close the advert before deadline date if the right candidate comes along, so do send your applications sooner rather than later to not miss your chance! 

We look forward to receiving your application!  

Endometriosis UK is the leading UK charity supporting those living with endometriosis. Formed in 1981, we offer information and support, for example through our website, information leaflets and webinars, and via our local support groups, Helplines and online forum.  As well as directly supporting those with endometriosis, we work to raise awareness of endometriosis amongst healthcare professionals, the public and the media; lobby for improved diagnosis, treatment and management; and support research. We have a big job to do and ambitious plans.

This role sits at the heart of Endometriosis UK working closely with the Community Engagement and Volunteer Manager, Support and Information Administrator and our Volunteer Coordinators based in Scotland and Wales to facilitate the delivery of our support services through our network of volunteers.

At Endometriosis UK, our team of close to 200 trained volunteers are at the very heart of what we do. The empathy, generosity and commitment of our volunteers enables us to run all our support services, ensuring we can help and support all those affected by endometriosis.

The Volunteer Coordinator plays a key role in ensuring we support and grow a thriving volunteer network, this involves working with the team to recruit, mobilise and inspire volunteers in their chosen roles. The Volunteer Coordinator will ensure volunteers are supported at every stage of their journey to ensure those accessing our support services are well supported whilst ensuring the volunteer contributions are recognised and their achievements celebrated.

The Volunteer Coordinator will help to raise the charity’s profile and work with the wider team to develop exciting new projects to achieve our ambitious goals.

Closing date for applications: 10am Wednesday 11th February 2026 

Interview dates: The interview process will consist of 2 stages. Initial interview will take place online week commencing 23rd February followed by a second-round interview in person.

War Child believes that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war. It is the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict, with four main areas of work: protecting children, educating children, supporting communities and campaigning. The charity are renowned for their creative, innovative and entrepreneurial approach, with strong connections to the gaming, music and creative industries. 

Philanthropy is a central driver of War Child’s growth. Income has risen rapidly, underpinned by exceptional networks, high-profile supporters and a highly successful portfolio of events and experiences. Following a strategic review, War Child is now investing in a more structured, sustainable approach to philanthropy fundraising with two clearly defined strands: one focused on traditional major donor relationship management and pipeline growth, and a second dedicated to high-value events and experiences as a core driver of major donor engagement and income. This role has been created to lead the second strand.

While the Senior Philanthropy Manager’s primary focus will be generating income from a warm portfolio of major donors, they will also take strategic ownership of War Child’s high-value philanthropy events, shaping donor engagement rather than delivering events operationally. This is an autonomous, externally-facing role, unlocking influential networks and converting high-profile engagement into long-term philanthropic partnerships.

Please note that this is a hybrid role, with 1-2 days per week in the Camden office, with regular events and meetings in central London.

As Senior Philanthropy Manager, you will:

• Manage and develop a portfolio of donors and warm prospects capable of giving 6-figure gifts, including high-value donors currently sitting with senior leadership
• Take strategic ownership of War Child’s high-value events as a core driver of the major donor pipeline, shaping and strengthening this strand so it becomes a defined, sustainable part of the philanthropy programme
• Lead on donor engagement around events, including narrative, asks, pledge levels, follow-up and conversion to income
• Analyse and prioritise prospects with the Data & Insights Manager to focus effort on the highest-value opportunities
• Unlock and activate influential networks through ambassadors, senior volunteers and high-profile supporters
• Work closely with the Head of Philanthropy, Data & Insights Manager, Events Producer, and Principal Giving Lead

Essential skills and experience:

• Significant experience of high-value major donor fundraising, with a track record of securing £50k+ gifts from HNWIs
• Strong experience of developing donors through identification, cultivation, solicitation and long-term stewardship
• Credibility and confidence working with wealthy, influential individuals, advisers, celebrities and senior volunteers
• Experience of shaping donor engagement strategy around high-value events or pledge environments
• Strategic thinker with strong judgement on prospect prioritisation and pipeline management
• Excellent relationship management, influencing and written communication skills
• Comfortable operating autonomously in a fast-moving, high-profile environment

Desirable:

• Experience of pledge dinners or high-value special events at a strategic fundraising level
• Experience working with ambassadors or high-profile supporters
• International development or humanitarian sector experience

Not required: Direct event production experience; Line management experience

Employee benefits include: 

• 28 days’ annual leave, rising to 33 days, plus public holidays (entitlement is pro-rata for part-time staff
• Enhanced pay provision for maternity, partner/coparent/paternity, shared parental and adoption leave.
• Life insurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan and Cancer Cover
• Enhanced Sick Leave (from Day 1, entitlement increases with length of service)
• Paid Emergency Time Off for Dependants: Up to 5 days paid leave per annum to deal with an emergency involving a dependant
• Flexible Public Holidays: Staff may exchange up to two standard UK public holidays around Easter and Christmas for those that have cultural or religious significance to them
• Career Break: 3-12 months’ unpaid leave available to staff after 3 years’ continuous service
• Temporary Overseas Working: Up to 4 weeks per annum to work from a location outside of the UK
• Volunteer Leave: Up to four days paid leave per annum (pro rata) to participate in volunteering activities
• Cultural Benefits: As a charity that works closely with the creative industry, we’re delighted to offer our staff a number of free tickets to the best cultural events, including gigs, art exhibitions, private views and more! You’ll also receive free membership to Tickets for Good who provide free and discounted tickets to even more live events.

Endometriosis UK is the leading UK charity supporting those living with endometriosis. Formed in 1981, we offer information and support, for example through our website, information leaflets and webinars, and via our local support groups, Helplines and online forum.  As well as directly supporting those with endometriosis, we work to raise awareness of endometriosis amongst healthcare professionals, the public and the media; lobby for improved diagnosis, treatment and management; and support research. We have a big job to do and ambitious plans.

This role sits at the heart of Endometriosis UK working closely with the Community Engagement and Volunteer Manager, Support and Information Administrator and our Volunteer Coordinators based in England and Wales to facilitate the delivery of our support services through our network of volunteers.

At Endometriosis UK, our team of close to 200 trained volunteers are at the very heart of what we do. The empathy, generosity and commitment of our volunteers enables us to run all our support services, ensuring we can help and support all those affected by endometriosis.

The Scottish Development Coordinator plays a key role in ensuring we support and grow a thriving volunteer network, this involves working with the team to recruit, mobilise and inspire volunteers in their chosen roles. The Scottish Development Coordinator will ensure volunteers are supported at every stage of their journey to ensure those accessing our support services are well supported whilst ensuring the volunteer contributions are recognised and their achievements celebrated.

The post holder will help to expand our reach in Scotland to help raise the charity’s profile and ensure we are delivering vital supportive services to everyone affected by in Scotland this includes work with the wider team to develop exciting new projects to achieve our ambitious goals.

Closing date for applications: 10am Wednesday 11th February 2026 

Interview dates: The interview process will consist of 2 stages. Initial interview will take place online week commencing 23rd February followed by a second-round interview in person.

Location: Home-based in Scotland 

Job Title: Regional Coordinator – North West (Inspiring the Future)

Reports to: Senior Project Manager - Primary Futures

Location: Home based with regular travel across the North West region with a primary focus on Chester, Cheshire West and a secondary focus on Northwest Lancashire. Very occasional travel to London where the charity itself is based. Travel costs will be remunerated via expenses.

Purpose: This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a newly created post in the role of Regional Coordinator – North West for Education and Employers Charity; supporting the delivery of our internationally recognised flagship career-related learning programme in schools. The programme is called Inspiring the Future and is known as Primary Futures in primary schools.

Through our programmes, we bring inspiring volunteers from the world of work into schools, helping children learn in a fun way about a wide range of future jobs and career pathways, broadening their horizons and raising their aspirations and attainment. School activity sits at the heart of our charity’s mission which is to: ‘ensure that every young person in our country, wherever they live, whatever their parents or carers’ circumstances, has the opportunity to meet a diverse range of volunteers to hear first-hand about jobs and the world of work’.

This important role will be part of a friendly and supportive ‘Schools Team’, and the post has responsibility for supporting the local northwest delivery of a key primary school focussed project for the charity, funded by the Westminster Foundation. Responsibilities include initiating, developing, and managing relationships with primary schools in Chester, Cheshire West and Northwest Lancashire.

The role will include working closely day to day with local teachers/ schools to organise and deliver an exciting range of virtual and face-to-face events and activities in their schools. The role will also require the postholder to initiate and build positive partnerships with local employers and organisations to recruit and engage more inspiring volunteers to support these activities in schools.

Remuneration: £26-28k per annum depending on experience

Additional Terms: We offer an excellent overall package with 30 days paid holiday, exclusive of Statutory Bank Holidays, plus a competitive pension scheme and a volunteering allowance of up to 5 days per annum – pro rata in accordance with the length of contract. Additional family friendly benefits, including enhancements to Statutory Payments.

Appointment Terms: Permanent and full time

Job Purpose:

The postholder will report to the experienced Senior Project Manager - Primary Futures and work closely with a friendly, supportive and experienced set of colleagues across the wider Inspiring the Future team. The successful appointee will be responsible for working closely with volunteers from the world of work and primary school staff – supporting the effective delivery of interactive career related learning activities aimed at primary school children. It is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference to children and young people, particularly in less advantaged areas, by helping to broaden their horizons and raise their aspirations.

This is a newly created role to support delivery of an exciting multi-year project, kindly funded by the Westminster Foundation as part of our Primary Futures programme. The postholder will draw upon our revolutionary online platform that helps connect schools with a huge range of diverse, inspirational volunteers that have registered with our charity and who come from a wide range of exciting sectors of the economy. You will have the chance to engage directly with primary school children by facilitating interactive virtual and in-person activities with volunteers. While experience of working in or with schools may be an advantage, it is not essential.

The role will be home based with regular travel to nominated primary schools within the allocated region and very occasional meetings at the charity’s office in central London. Working with schools, the successful candidate will be responsible for targets within their region, managing the relationship with schools and volunteers/ employers.

The role, will by its nature, involve extensive travel across the region with a primary focus on Chester and Cheshire West and a secondary focus on North West Lancashire. Therefore, access to a car/public transport is essential. Regular virtual meetings with the wider team and occasional face-to-face team meetings either in London or another convenient location will be a requirement. The Regional Coordinator will make effective daily use of our Customer Relationship Management system (based on Salesforce technology) to manage data and delivery. 

What we are looking for in a candidate:

We are seeking a driven, highly capable, and enthusiastic Regional Coordinator who can deliver engaging presentations to employers, children, and teachers; confidently manage relationships at varying levels; and work efficiently to support the achievement of key targets.  You will bring excellent communication, organisational, and administrative skills, along with experience in relationship management. If you are motivated, enjoy connecting with people, and want to make a real difference in schools, this role could be the perfect fit for you!

Education and Employers is a small charity of supportive and fun colleagues, working at a rapid pace to bring about change. This is a dynamic role for someone passionate about motivating and inspiring children and who relishes working with a range of stakeholders to create impactful activities.

The exact brief to be finalised with the successful candidate and the funder but the role will be expected to undertake the following key accountabilities:

Key Accountabilities:

We will look to finalise these with the successful candidate but the postholder will have a range of responsibilities, including but not limited to the following:

Relationship building – The job holder will need to build positive relationships

• Re-engage with primary schools who have previously worked with us under a forerunner project that was undertaken last year
• Identify and initiate relationships with new target schools across the identified regions of Chester, Cheshire West and Northwest Lancashire in relation to the Westminster Foundation project
• Develop and manage these school relationships over the lifetime of the project, coordinating their day-to-day engagement in our career related learning (CRL) sessions and deepening their connection to the charity’s work
• Organise virtual and face-to-face activities including school liaison, securing volunteers via the Inspiring the Future system and host on tech platforms (Zoom, MS Teams etc)
• Work with the Primary Futures Manager to build relationships and to capture and exchange good practice between schools and teaching professionals, from all areas involved in the project
• Build relationships with the charity’s partnerships team to ensure that contacts and volunteers from the wider work of the charity are harnessed to support the Westminster Foundation funded project where possible

Delivery – the job holder will need to present/facilitate sessions to local schools and stakeholders

• Plan and arrange all logistics for the events that the postholder will deliver directly with schools. These will be both virtual and in person delivered in school settings
• Facilitate interactive virtual and face-to-face activities to connect pupils with volunteers through themed sessions, Q&A or job guessing-game format.
• Support and host teacher training sessions, staff meetings and info webinars to promote Inspiring the Future and encourage engagement and independent usage of the platform.
• Identify and connect with local employers, engaging the support of their organisation and staff, to secure and encourage local volunteers to help deliver CRL activities within funded projects.

Resource development, technology, data and reporting – the jobholder will need to use our technology, gather impact data on our behalf, develop resources, and make improvement suggestions

• Track and report back to the Primary Futures Manager, delivery against agreed targets and impact. This could include gathering baseline and impact data like pupil/ teacher surveys, feedback quotes, and photos of our activities (permissions to be obtained from the schools).
• Use Salesforce CRM to support with data management, assisting with maintaining up to date records and supporting data cleansing as needed
• Support the development of educational resources for teachers and pupils that provide insight into the world of work and different sectors
• Other ad hoc administrative tasks to support successful delivery of the project whilst always having a positive focus on improvements and ‘how can we do things better’.
• Promote Education and Employers wider offer and programmes as appropriate across the wider North West region. This would include our pilot project with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to inspire young people to consider future careers in local media

Person specification:

We are looking for someone with the following Skills/ Knowledge/ Expertise

Essential

• Minimum two years’ experience in a relationship management, school engagement, or school-based role. Other relevant experience will be considered if it demonstrates the candidate can undertake the accountabilities above
• Experience in successful relationship management – ability to engage confidently and sensitively with schools/colleges and employers and at a range of levels of seniority up to and including headteacher level
• Outstanding customer service and telephone manner, including handling large volumes of email enquiries and dealing with difficult situations politely and assertively
• Strong organisational and administrative skills including close attention to detail and effective time management
• Persuasive and confident communicator who is influential, and effective in presenting a concept both in person and on the phone.
• Good level of education, demonstrating capability in producing written content to a high standard.
• Demonstrable experience of managing a diverse workload; being able to prioritise work and working under pressure.
• Good working knowledge and practical application of Microsoft Office tools
• Willingness to travel either by car or public transport (‘Clean’ full driving license if preferred method of transport is driving)

Desirable

• Passion for supporting young people in realising their potential through harnessing skilled volunteers to engage in education
• Experience in virtual and in-person facilitation with children and young people
• Experience of project management and delivery
• Experience of client relationships management (CRM) databases, in particular Salesforce
• Experience of marketing to schools
• Experience of working in a small team
• Experience of working with volunteers
• Understanding of safeguarding, risk management and data protection
• Comfort and confidence in working with data to inform actions

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to uphold our charity’s five values - Inspiring, Inclusive, Innovative, Impactful, Integrity
• Flexible – responsive to changing operational context and new opportunities
• Team Player: working collaboratively and flexibly to achieve outcomes and is keen to add value to the organisation’s culture and ethos
• Able to undertake some occasional work in the evenings and at weekends, although this is not a regular or likely day-to-day requirement of the role

Application process

The Education and Employers Charity values having a diverse workforce.  We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. We offer a range of inclusive employment and family friendly policies as well as flexible working arrangements in order to support staff from different backgrounds. 

The closing date for applications is 9am on Wednesday 4th February and interviews will take place at our London office on Wednesday 11th February. Please send a covering letter of no more than 2-3 sides of A4 setting out your interest in and suitability for the role against the job description and person specification, together with an up to date CV. Please include your name and the role applied for in the subject line of your e-mail. Thank you

*Please note, in your cover letter we have a strong preference for human-written content. We want to hear about you, your genuine interest in the role, and why from your experience, skills, and personality you feel you are a great fit for the role

We will only consider applications with both a CV and covering letter and applications will only be accepted from those with the right to work in the UK with a valid passport/visa. 

Thank you for taking the time to consider this role. We very much look forward to receiving your application!

The Charity is fully committed to safeguarding those in our care. We plan our recruitment processes to ensure effective timelines for any required vetting processes such as enhanced DBS, qualification, reference and identity checks. The Charity also ensures that each staff member is appropriately trained for their duties with a comprehensive induction process on commencement and regular CPD in areas like safeguarding. 

About the Education and Employers Charity

Education and Employers is an independent UK based charity launched in 2009 with the original vision of “providing children and young people with the inspiration, motivation, knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to help them achieve their potential”. Our current strategic plan and mission is available to read here. It aims to achieve this by working with schools, employers, the national bodies that represent them and a wide range of other partners including the government and third sector organisations. The charity also works with partners internationally – more details here.

The charity runs Inspiring the Future, a free service which uses innovative match-making technology to connect volunteers with state schools and colleges, quickly, simply and at scale. Schools can very easily search a massive database of willing volunteers, filter against a wide range of criteria – e.g. subject, sector, career route and send them a message. It enables young people, wherever they live, whichever school they attend, the opportunity to meet people from a wide range of backgrounds doing jobs from across the whole world of work.

Over 90,000 people have already volunteered in the UK - people from all levels: apprentices to CEOs and all sectors: apps designers to zoologists and over 85% of English secondary schools and 42% of primary schools have registered with us. People can volunteer from an hour a year in a local primary or secondary school to chat informally about their job and career route, take part in career speed networking session, give careers insights, provide mock interviews or feedback on CVs through to serving as a governor or trustee.  There is also the opportunity to link up with schools for workplace visits, job shadowing and mentoring.

Inspiring the Future operates on a technology platform kindly developed in partnership with Deloitte, Salesforce and Ordnance Survey. It allows the charity to run national campaigns and others focused on specific geographic areas or economic sectors such as engineering, science, health and arts and culture. The campaigns have secured high profile support across government, business and teacher associations and ongoing corporate partnerships including our lead corporate partner Bank of America.

In partnership with the National Association of Head Teachers the charity has developed a version for primary schools called Primary Futures and over 6,500 primaries have already signed up. To see a short clip on how it works please click here.  All campaigns run through Inspiring the Future share a common objective: to broaden young people’s horizons, raise their aspirations and show them the range of opportunities and careers routes e.g. apprenticeships and university open to them. Over 5 million interactions between young people and volunteers from the world of work have already taken place.

Since the Charity’s launch it has sought to understand what difference employer engagement in education makes to young people and the economy. It works with academics and researchers from around the world and its own research is regularly cited by government and international organisations like the OECD. The research, which has informed and influenced a range of government policies, shows that employer engagement helps improve social mobility, reduces the likelihood of young people becoming NEET (not in education, employment of training), increases the amount they earn in adult life, helps them make better informed career choices and leads to improvements in educational attainment.

Job Title: Research Officer – Fundraising Prospect Research

Location: Rhodes House, Central Oxford (hybrid working)

Contract: Fixed-term – 12-month contract (From mid-March 2026)

Hours: Full time – 37.5 hours per week

Salary: £33,000-£35,000

Reports to:         Research Manager

We have an exciting, new opportunity for a Research Officer (Fundraising Prospect Research) to join the Rhodes Trust, Oxford. This role is based within the Global Engagement department, focusing on Development and Alumni Engagement, based at Rhodes House.

We are looking for the successful candidate to ideally start with us in Mid-March 2026.

About the Rhodes Trust

The Rhodes Trust is an educational charity which offers Rhodes Scholarships to exceptional students from around the world to come and study at the University of Oxford. Our mission is to build a better world through global fellowship programmes that develop and connect compassionate, innovative, and public-spirited people committed to solving humanity’s challenges. In recent years, we have also partnered with several other remarkable organisations to create the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Atlantic Institute, Schmidt Science Fellows, RISE and Oxford Next Horizons.

The role

The Research Officer will help provide a high-quality in-house prospect research service to the senior leadership team and the Warden (CEO) of the Trust. The Research Officer will report to the Research Manager, work closely with the major gift team located in the UK, Canada, Australia and the United States, and gain first-hand knowledge and experience working as an in-house prospect research professional for a highly regarded educational charity.

The role will be responsible for;

· Providing a high-quality in-house prospect research service to the Development Team and senior leaders including the Warden (CEO) of the Trust, and Trustees, as required

· Contributing to the proactive identification of potential major donors and partners to the Rhodes Trust including alumni, individuals, foundations and corporates

· Delivering a pipeline of briefing materials for the Warden (CEO) and senior leadership team to support key fundraising and stakeholder meetings, events and overseas travel itineraries as requested

· Assisting with compiling and managing a portfolio of additional research materials and projects, including profiles, network mapping, philanthropy reports, and targeted analysis, as well as country-specific content to support the Trust’s fundraising efforts in different geographies

· Recording and managing prospect and stakeholder data using the Trust’s CRM database (Salesforce)

· Role modelling the Trust’s organisational values of commitment, inclusion, belonging, growth and innovation

· Carrying out any other duties relevant to the role, as requested

· Having a deep commitment to the values, ethos and mission of the Rhodes Trust

Please see the job description for more responsibilities

Essential skills, experience and qualifications:

· Previous experience in an educational Development and / or alumni office – direct experience in prospect research would be a plus

· Reliable and responsible with excellent written communication skills and an emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy

· Ability to use initiative and creatively source information to identify opportunities and map connections

· Ability to keep information confidential and exercise discretion

· Experience of accurate data entry and record maintenance; good working knowledge of a CRM system and competency in creating and running reports from a database

· Excellent IT skills, including experience with Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook)

· An interest in the educational sector

Please see the job description for more responsibilities

Benefits of working here

We are a global organisation and we use our deep connections across the world to bring together people of different backgrounds and viewpoints. We encourage our staff to challenge each other’s thinking and generate new ideas.

· 30 days annual leave (pro rata) plus 8 bank holidays

· Competitive pension scheme

· Generous family leave schemes

· Private health insurance

· Employee Assistance Programme

· Personal development opportunities

· Additional benefits, such as free access to the University's gardens, parks, libraries and museums, and University staff discounts in shops across Oxford.

· Cycle to work scheme

· Electric car scheme

If you would like to find out more, please click ‘apply’ to view the full job description and to find the link to apply. Please send us your CV and a covering letter. Please note, this advert will close on 4 February 2026.

If you have any issues with submitting your application, please email the Recruitment team.

The Rhodes Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We warmly welcome applications from talented people of diverse backgrounds and appoint without regard to age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, parental status, marital or civil partner status, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, religion or belief.

Trusts & Foundations Manager – David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF)

 Hybrid | Full-time | 35 hours per week

We’re looking for an experienced Trusts & Foundations fundraiser to lead and grow our major grant income at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

In this senior role, you’ll develop and deliver a sustainable Trusts & Foundations strategy, securing significant multi-year funding to support our conservation, education and art programmes. Working closely with our Senior Management Team, you’ll build strong relationships with UK and international grant-makers and position DSWF as a strategic funding partner.

About you:
You’ll bring a strong track record of securing five-figure (or above) grants, excellent writing skills, and a genuine passion for conservation and biodiversity.

Why join us?
• Make a direct impact on wildlife conservation
• Collaborative, mission-driven culture
• Hybrid working and generous annual leave

Apply now to help protect wildlife and build long-term funding for conservation.

Visit the careers page of our website for full details, job description and application pack. Deadline for applications Monday 16th February.

The Royal Commission's diverse and growing alumni community spans academia, industry, science, engineering, and the arts. We are now seeking an Alumni Manager to strengthen engagement with this community and help build meaningful, long-term relationships that enhance the impact of our programmes.

The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 is a historic charitable foundation established to carry forward the legacy of the Great Exhibition. Today, we support excellence in research, innovation, and STEM education through prestigious postgraduate fellowships and awards, alongside the stewardship of our South Kensington estate.

The Role

Reporting to the Secretary to the Royal Commission, the Alumni Manager will lead the coordination and delivery of our alumni strategy. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong communication and organisational skills who enjoys building communities and working in the not-for-profit or higher education sector.

Key Responsibilities

Alumni Relations & Community Building

· Maintain and develop the Commission’s alumni network, fostering long-term engagement.

· Work with the Secretary and Alumni Steering Group to develop and deliver an alumni engagement plan.

· Act as the main point of contact for alumni enquiries.

· Manage alumni use of Commission facilities.

Communications & Content

· Produce newsletters, alumni profiles, updates, and case studies.

· Manage alumni-related online content, including website updates and mailing lists.

· Coordinate content and publication of the annual external stakeholder magazine.

· Develop targeted communications for different alumni audiences.

Events

· Plan and deliver dedicated alumni events.

· Support alumni in delivering their own events.

· Assist the Events Coordinator and executive team with other Commission events.

Data & Administration

· Maintain and develop the alumni database, CRM (Hivebrite), survey tools, and internal records.

· Ensure alumni data is accurate and up to date.

· Track engagement metrics and prepare reports for internal review.

You may also be required to undertake other duties reasonably associated with the role.

About You

Essential qualities

· Experience in alumni relations, community management, stakeholder engagement, or a similar role.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects.

· Experience planning and delivering events.

· Ability to build positive relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.

· Proficiency in CRM or database systems and Microsoft Office.

Desirable

· Experience in higher education, charities, research organisations, or learned societies.

· Understanding of academic or research environments.

· Experience in digital communications, content creation, or website management.

Salary & Benefits

Salary: £16,932 per annum (10 hours per week; £59,262 FTE).

Flexible working hours agreed with the Secretary, within core hours of 10am–4pm.

At least one day per week working from the office.

Annual leave: 8.5 days plus public holidays (pro rata).

Employer pension contribution of 15% of gross salary via The People’s Pension or a personal pension scheme.

Role Overview

The Community and Patient Engagement role will play a key role in building, supporting, and strengthening relationships with people living with lung conditions, carers, patient organisations, and wider community stakeholders across Europe. The postholder will ensure that patient voices are meaningfully embedded in ELF and ERS activities, including research, education, advocacy, and policy. This role requires strong communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and a commitment to inclusive, ethical, and impactful engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Community & Patient Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with patients, carers, patient organisations and professionals across Europe
• Support the development and coordination of patient advisory groups, community panels, and networks
• Ensure diverse patient perspectives are represented, including underserved and marginalised communities
• Develop innovative strategies and ways of reaching the community

Co-production & Involvement

• Facilitate meaningful patient involvement in research projects, clinical practice guidelines, educational activities, and events
• Support co-creation of materials, resources, and initiatives with patients and community partners
• Provide guidance and practical support to ensure engagement activities are accessible, inclusive, and ethical

Programme & Project Support

• Coordinate patient engagement activities across multiple projects, ensuring timelines and objectives are met
• Work collaboratively with internal teams, ERS colleagues, researchers, and external partners
• Support the evaluation and continuous improvement of engagement activities

Communication & Advocacy

• Help translate complex medical and scientific information into clear, patient-friendly language
• Contribute to the development of engagement content for websites, newsletters, social media, and events
• Support patient participation in conferences, workshops, and policy-related activities
• Plan and deliver online events for patients and the public, including programme management, technical support and content creation

Monitoring, Learning & Reporting

• Collect feedback and data to assess the impact and quality of engagement activities
• Contribute to reports, funding applications, and internal learning documents
• Share best practice in patient and community engagement across the organisation

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience working in patient, community, or public engagement, preferably in health, research, or a non-profit setting
• Experience of delivering patient involvement, co-production, or participatory approaches
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders across cultures and countries
• Strong project management skills with proven ability to manage multiple simultaneous projects from initiation to completion
• Sensitivity to ethical issues, confidentiality, and safeguarding in patient engagement

Desirable

• Experience working with patient organisations or people living with long-term conditions
• Knowledge of respiratory or lung health (or willingness to learn)
• Experience working in a European or international context
• Additional European language skills
• Experience evaluating engagement activities or using qualitative feedback
• Experience of organising and delivering conferences and events, ideally with a focus on patient‑facing meetings or patient conferences
• Experience in coordinating and prioritising a team’s project workload, ensuring resources are used effectively and deadlines are met

What We Offer

• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact on lung health and patient involvement across Europe
• A collaborative, mission-driven working environment
• Flexible working arrangements
• Professional development opportunities
• A supportive and inclusive organisational culture

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The European Lung Foundation is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and particularly encourage candidates from underrepresented communities and those with lived experience of lung conditions.

Dependant on experience the role could be at junior or senior level (range 30,000-50,000 - prorated if part time) Senior level applications are encouraged

We are recruiting a Support Manager to provide clear leadership, coordination and oversight of our support services during a period of growth. This role is pivotal in ensuring our services are safe, sustainable, well-governed and responsive to patient needs, while supporting staff and volunteers working in emotionally demanding environments. You will work closely with the Director of Research & Programmes and collaborate across the organisation to align support services with wider strategy.

This is an ideal role for someone with experience managing support or community services in the charity or health sector, who values clarity, collaboration and compassionate leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Service Leadership & Oversight

• Provide operational oversight of Make 2nds Count’s support services, ensuring high-quality, consistent delivery.

• Embed clear processes, boundaries and decision-making routes across support activities.

• Monitor service activity, risks and capacity, escalating issues appropriately.

Safeguarding, Risk & Quality

• Act as the operational safeguarding lead for support services.

• Ensure safeguarding, incident reporting and crisis procedures are embedded, understood and followed.

• Support a culture of emotional safety and reflective practice.

Team & Volunteer Support

• Line manage and support staff within the support team.

• Work with the Director of Research & Programmes to ensure appropriate supervision structures are in place.

• Support volunteers and facilitators through clear guidance, training pathways and escalation routes.

Planning & Collaboration

• Contribute to service planning, improvement and prioritisation.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the charity, including fundraising and communications, to ensure joined-up delivery.

• Support the evaluation and development of services based on insight and learning.

About You

Essential

• Experience managing or coordinating support, community or health-related services.

• Strong understanding of safeguarding in sensitive or high-risk environments.

• Experience supporting staff or volunteers in emotionally demanding roles.

• Ability to bring structure, clarity and consistency to complex service delivery.

• Confident communicator, able to navigate sensitive conversations with care.

• Comfortable working remotely and managing your own workload.

Desirable

• Experience in cancer, health, mental health or lived-experience-led services.

• Knowledge of governance, data protection and information management.

• Experience working in a small charity or resource-constrained environment.

• Understanding of trauma-informed or compassionate practice.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a mission-driven, patient-led charity making a real difference.

• Work with a supportive, values-led leadership team.

• Flexible, home-based working.

• Annual leave enhancements over Christmas and New Year.

• Opportunity to shape and stabilise vital support services at a key moment.

How to Apply

Please submit:

• A CV, and

• A supporting statement (no more than 2 pages) outlining how your experience meets the requirements of the role and why you are interested in working with Make 2nds Count.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment and welcome applications from people with lived experience of cancer.

The Talent Set are delighted to be partnering with the Royal Free Charity to recruit an experienced Senior Individual Giving Manager to lead and grow a high-performing Individual Giving and Legacy programme at a pivotal moment for the organisation.

The Royal Free Charity supports over two million patients and 17,000 NHS staff across four hospitals and 30+ NHS services, funding life-changing equipment, research, staff wellbeing and patient care. With ambitious plans for growth including a forthcoming multi-million-pound cancer appeal, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

The role

This senior role sits within the Public Fundraising team and leads on developing and delivering a sustainable individual giving strategy, covering regular giving, cash appeals, in-memory and legacy fundraising. You’ll drive supporter acquisition, deepen engagement, and lead innovative approaches to income growth, while managing and developing a talented team.

What you’ll do

• Lead the strategy and delivery of individual giving, regular giving and legacy programmes.
• Develop ambitious growth plans and identify new income opportunities and channels.
• Drive acquisition and retention through insight-led, multi-channel campaigns.
• Lead the charity’s in-hospital face-to-face programme and legacy strategy.
• Build powerful supporter journeys and deliver best-in-class stewardship.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, reporting and KPIs.
• Line manage and inspire a Senior Individual Giving Officer and Supporter Care Officer.

About you

• Proven experience leading successful individual giving and legacy programmes.
• Strong track record of income growth, supporter acquisition and retention.
• Excellent leadership, project management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A confident communicator, who is comfortable working across NHS and charity environments.
• Data-driven, strategic and highly organised.

How to Apply
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the 'apply now' button (please do not apply via email). We aim to get back to all successful candidates within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity
The Talent Set are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, or age. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.

Help us make art matter.

Firstsite is seeking an experienced and motivated Trusts & Grants Manager to lead our trusts and grants fundraising and secure vital income for our programmes, including Holiday Fun, YAK, exhibitions, learning, and community projects.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a creative and purpose-driven team and play a key role in shaping work that has real impact in our communities.

About the role

As our Trusts & Grants Manager, you will:

• Develop and deliver a proactive trusts and grants fundraising strategy.
• Secure funding from trusts, foundations, and statutory bodies, with a target of £120,000 for 2026/27, contributing to an overall organisational target of £300,000.
• Identify and research new prospects, write high-quality funding applications, and produce compelling cases for support.
• Manage the grants pipeline, deadlines, and reporting requirements.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation to gather budgets, impact data, and programme information.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with funders.
• Uphold best practice in safeguarding when working with young people through programmes such as YAK.

You will be the organisation’s specialist in trusts and grants, supported by the Head of Philanthropy and working closely with colleagues across Firstsite.

About Firstsite

Our mission is to ensure art and creativity are valued for their integral role in shaping a happy and healthy society for everyone. We do this by championing creativity as a catalyst for positive change in society, celebrating everyone's imaginations as places to shape a better future and demonstrating the impact of art and galleries at the centre of everyday life.

We collaborate with people where, together, we can have the most impact and we share the results of our work with diverse audiences to influence change.  We do this in three places: in our award-winning gallery, reflecting our radical region and digitally with audiences around the world.  To do this well we have four values that help us do what we do, to the best of our abilities:

Creative – Inclusive – Agile – Responsible

Who we’re looking for

Essential

• Proven experience securing income from trusts, foundations, or statutory funders.
• Strong research skills and ability to identify new funding opportunities.
• Excellent written communication and proposal-writing ability.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple deadlines and coordinate information.
• Collaborative, confident working with teams, partners, and stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience in arts, culture, or charity sectors.
• Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation.
• Experience coordinating or supporting volunteers.

Key Responsibilities

• Research new funding opportunities and develop a proactive grants strategy.
• Draft and submit funding applications and proposals.
• Maintain an accurate pipeline and deliver timely reports.
• Work with programme teams to gather budgets, outcomes, and evidence.
• Ensure funder reporting and compliance requirements are met.
• Support stewardship of funders and shape Firstsite’s case for support.
• Coordinate fundraising activity with the wider team.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata)
• Contributory pension scheme (conditions apply)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Tailored training and development
• Staff discount in our café and shop

By providing finance and support, at SIB we enable charities and social enterprises to exist, grow and thrive. We have disbursed £0.8bn to thousands of organisations since 2002. Our team believes in the power of the social economy, champions the charities and social enterprises we support - and we are all working together to build stronger communities and a fairer society. 

It is a hugely exciting time to join the organisation. We are growing, investing in our expert team, and building on the successes of the last few years. 

Find out more about our values and what we do by visiting our website.

Our values are: People First, Curious, Bold, Collaborative, Accountable

About this role:

Reporting to the Head of Policy and Communications, the Policy and Communications Coordinator will support SIB’s track record of sector, government and media engagement, notably the high standard of publication set through its media partnerships with Tortoise and the Financial Times, its contributions to the policy landscape in the social sector, and its in-house data analysis and insight generation. This new post will contribute to SIB’s ongoing communications and public policy work and its reach and influence, building on a growing base of expertise across SIB’s three strategic priority areas: Green Transition, Infrastructure and Services.

Key responsibilities

1. Support the Head of Policy and Communications to deliver the Policy and Communications strategy for SIB.

2. Making use of media and parliamentary tracking software keep abreast of SIB’s strategic policy areas, sharing accessible updates and digests of relevant legislation and central and local government programming and media coverage.

3. Attend / watch online relevant parliamentary committees, All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) and Commons and Lords sessions, capturing relevant outcomes and identifying MPs and Lords that SIB should seek to work with / influence.

4. Support the Head of Policy and Communications to identify a key parliamentary contacts list. Create tailored communications for these key contacts which share relevant statistics and case studies from SIB’s portfolio, alongside policy influencing lines. This will include drafting questions and briefings where relevant, and ensuring that regular contact is maintained. 

5. Support the drafting of consultation responses and press releases using SIB’s core messaging, reporting, research and data.

6. Support SIB’s annual party conference attendance with coordination and administration in advance and in person.

7. Support the Head of Policy and Communications with attendance at influencing meetings and webinars with, for example, the Association of Decentralised Energy, Community Energy England, Locality, Better Society Capital, the Access Foundation and others.

8. Draft internal and external copy for newsletters and the SIB intranet and website.

9. Monitor the press email address and support correspondence with journalists on reactive and proactive stories.

10. Attend and provide oversight to the Social Investment Forum, as part of SIB’s secretariat and hosting.

11. Write, edit and produce engaging and relevant content at pace for web, social media and e-newsletters, as well as earned and paid channels.

12. Management of external suppliers of communications and policy activities, including agencies, designers, consultants and think tanks.

13. Work with the Marketing Manager, Marketing and Events Coordinator, Business Development Manager and wider team to deliver successful external events with customers, stakeholders and partners including attendance at Party Conferences.

14. Work in line with the organisation's values, principles and processes to achieve operational excellence.

15. Adopt our continuous improvement and learning ethos

16. Support and embed equality, diversity and inclusion into day-to-day behaviours and activities within your role as well as contributing more widely across SIB’s commitment to E, D & I

17. Support and contribute to the implementation and delivery of SIB’s strategy

18. In agreement with manager to undertake other tasks and work on cross team projects that support the objectives of SIB as required

Core competencies

• Previous experience of working in a public policy, PR, marketing, external affairs or communications role
• Excellent writing skills
• Good research skills, with an ability to absorb large amounts of information at pace, including in unfamiliar policy areas and produce cogent syntheses
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively teams across functions in an integrated way
• Good established networks through experience in a similar role, and a commitment to expanding those networks to support SIB’s strategic aims
• Experience of building effective media partnerships
• Good working knowledge of data-driven storytelling in a variety of outlets from organisation websites to mainstream media and confidence in interpreting data and understanding the key points to be drawn from it to gain traction in media and campaigning environments
• Experience of developing and delivering effective communications campaigns, including through a range of digital channels
• Strong planning skills and an ability to multi-task, work well under pressure and meet deadlines
• Strong understanding of UK political context, especially as it concerns the social economy, and parliamentary process
• An understanding of how to promote research, policy papers, data analysis and other activities of a think tank and consultancy
• Excellent IT skills and the ability to learn new programmes quickly

Desirable competencies

• Data visualisation skills
• Data storytelling
• A good aesthetic eye and ability to shape images, visuals and formatting, and to liaise confidently with designers
• Understanding of the UK charity and social enterprise sectors

Education / Professional experience

• Experience in policy, research and media
• Experience of collaborative working across teams
• In-depth digital communications expertise

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 
 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:
 

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 

We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.