School programme leader jobs

Spear is partnering with HTB St Francis Community Church, to deliver the Spear Programme in North Kensington!

At HTB Social Transformation, their mission is to prioritise those who are marginalised within society, creating safe spaces where people are known, are loved and feel that they belong.

The Spear Programme is delivered in Spear North Kensington which offers young people professionally recognised coaching, for free, to support them into sustainable work or education. They leave Spear equipped to thrive in work and life.  
Key Information

Location: North Kensington, office-based

Salary: from £29,000

Contract: Full-Time, Permanent

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5.30pm with some out-of-hours work needed for events such as our Spear Celebrations

Closing date: Monday 23rd February (We are interviewing on a rolling basis and might close the application early if we find the right candidate)

Assessment Day: Thursday 5th March

For more information please read through our Work With Us Information Pack and Job Specification.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Role Responsibilities

Delivery of the Spear Programme – Group and 1:1 coaching

• Preparing and coaching Spear Foundation sessions and 1-1s, ensuring that young people are engaged, retained and work-ready by the end of this initial phase of the programme.
• Building relationships with young people on the programme and managing culture and attitudes in the training room.
• Adapting the Spear coaching material according to the needs of the Trainees and managing behaviour effectively.

Delivery of Spear Career

• Delivering weekly Spear Career sessions (including running workshops with past Trainees), maintaining records and reporting on statistics, and creatively developing ongoing relationships with Spear Trainees.

Training the Assistant Coach

• Contributing towards the training and developing of the Assistant Coach by modelling excellent coaching and giving regular feedback.

Trainee Recruitment 

• Developing relationships with Job Centres and local referral agencies to ensure that the maximum number of Spear Trainees are enrolled on each programme. This involves liaising with referral agencies, active face-to-face recruitment and monitoring recruitment statistics.

Person Specification

• An active Christian, dedicated to representing the values and ethos of Spear and HTB St Francis Community Church.
• You have demonstrable experience as a coach, or a background in youth work or teaching, and are keen to develop these skills further.
• You have a heart for young people and releasing their potential, no matter what challenging circumstances they are facing.
• Effective interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence with a sense of humour and fun.
• You are great at building relationships, with solid communication skills.
• Good administrative and organisational skills, working well under pressure with the ability to prioritise workload.

Key Information

Location: Kennington, office-based

Salary: from £34,000

Contract: Full-Time, Maternity Cover (9-12months)

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5.30pm with some out-of-hours work needed for events such as our Spear Celebrations

Closing date: Monday 23rd February (We are interviewing on a rolling basis and might close the application early if we find the right candidate)

Assessment Day: Thursday 5th March

For more information please read through our Work With Us Information Pack and Job Specification.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Role Responsibilities

Strategy, vision and impact

• Be at the forefront of leading our ‘big picture’ vision of a transformed society, empowering churches to transform young lives 
• Build and implement a strategy for developing relationships with local referral agencies to ensure effective recruitment of young people onto the Spear programme 
• Oversee the reporting of the Centre outcomes and ensure the Spear Programme is delivered in line with agreed targets 

Leadership, line management and training

• Lead your team with confidence; spurring them on our mission; invest in a team culture of excellence, belonging and fun 
• Manage and develop the Lead Coach and Assistant Coach, using a coaching approach to invest in their growth and development. This includes weekly 1:1s, performance reviews and regular feedback
• Equip your team to drive change through a data informed approach, and keep them accountable to agreed targets for the Spear Programme

Relationship management

• Manage great relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including referrers, local businesses, donors, and your Board of Trustees 
• Embed into your local church; working closely with your Spear Trustees and congregation, and actively participating in their mission and events
• Partner with the Spear Trustees and assist in implementing their funding strategy by helping to build corporate
• and donor relationships. For example, by hosting prospective donors in the Training Room

Delivery of the Spear Programme

• Support group and 1-1 coaching with numerous 16-24-year-olds: equipping them with practical work-ready skills and resilient mindsets 
• Provide guidance to the Lead Coach in the training room when dealing with behavioural and safeguarding situations and upskill coaches with consistent coaching feedback
• Use a coaching approach to engage young people in challenging conversations that will enable them to take responsibility and over significant barriers to employment 

Operations 

• Liaise with relevant staff regarding site operations and work to resolve any issues as soon as possible, ensuring the office and training room are safe and tidy working spaces in line with health and safety policies

Person Specification

• You are an active Christian, passionate about your work being a lived expression of your faith 
• You want to help others reach their full potential, and enable young people to overcome significant barriers to employment 
• You have demonstrable experience in coaching, teaching or training and development, as well as being keen to develop these skills further
• You are an experienced and mature leader/line manager, or have great leadership potential, and are eager to bring out the best in your team
• You are confident building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, with effective written and verbal communication skills 
• You are looking for a varied, hands-on role, where you won't be tied to a desk 

In Gateshead, Spear is partnering with Alive Church – Spear Gateshead is a part of Alive Church’s mission to change the culture of the city by bringing hope to unemployed young people.

Whilst the North-East is an amazing place to live, there are still challenges, with large disparities between Gateshead’s wealthier and poorer areas, and 23,600 people live in areas described as having deep deprivation. With this comes all the associated issues that poverty causes, including 1 in 4 children growing up in poverty and one of the worst levels of social mobility in the country.

Alive Church is a diverse community gathered from across Gateshead, Newcastle and the North East with a vision to see individuals, the church and communities across our region Come Alive in Jesus name. Together they are playing their part in the re-evangelisation of the nation, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society.

Key Information

Salary: £27,000, pro rata

Hours: 9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday –Thursday, Part-time (with some flexibility and occasional evening or weekend work for events such as Spear Celebrations)

Contract: Maternity Cover

Location: Alive Church Gateshead

Closing date: Monday 23rd February (We are interviewing on a rolling basis and might close the application early if we find the right candidate)

Please feel free to let us know if you may require any reasonable adjustments to participate fully in our recruitment process.

For more information please read through our Work With Us Information Pack and Job Specification.

Role Responsibilities

Oversight of the Spear Programme

• As a confident communicator, you will lead group sessions of around 10 young people each, using coaching skills to transform attitudes to their own ability and the workplace, and to raise their awareness and maximise potential in stepping into the world of work.
• Prepare and coach group and 1-1 sessions with the Spear Coach.
• Ensure the programme is delivered in line with agreed targets, and report KPIs on recruitment, retention and completion of Spear Trainees, as well as their ongoing progress and sustainment of work or education.

Partnership Liaison and Relationship Management

• Establish the primary local referral agencies and steward relationships with these, overseeing and building a strategy to ensure recruitment of young people onto the Spear programme is effective.
• Maintain and develop relationships with local partners to form a strong referral network.

Line Management and Training

• Manage the Spear Coach, using a coaching approach to invest in their growth and development.
• Work alongside the Programme Manager to analyse Spear Programme performance and ongoing operations of the centre, and report back on KPIs.

Church Community

• The Spear Centre Manager is directly employed by Alive Church, meaning you are part of a vibrant church staff team and submerged in an exciting faith community.
• You will be required to establish strong relationships with key people at the church to ensure the engagement and backing of church members and help the Spear Coach to establish a strong presence at the church to build a network of supporters for the Spear programme.
• Ensure the Spear programme is a key missional feature of the work of the church; this may involve attending church events and speaking at services.

Site Management

• Work with the Church to coordinate the training room and any infrastructure needs for the Spear Centre.
• Liaise with relevant staff locally on-site issues and work to resolve them as soon as possible, ensuring the office and training room are safe and tidy working spaces in line with health and safety policies.

Person Specification

• An active Christian, able to personally represent the values and beliefs of Spear and Alive Church, and a commitment to grow and learn spiritually and as a Christian leader.
• A dynamic and engaging coach with an enthusiasm for and direct experience of coaching and training techniques.
• Passion for social justice and for working as part of the church to transform communities, especially supporting young people in employment or education.
• An entrepreneurial and ambitious individual who enjoys starting new projects, works well under pressure and can translate ideas into practice with creativity.
• Self-motivated with strong leadership, management and organisational skills with the ability to exercise initiative and prioritise workload.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a confidence in group facilitation, high emotional intelligence, and a sense of fun!

Project Officer - Active Journeys, Schools

When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.

Project Officer - Active Journeys, Schools

England South

£29,235 per annum (pro rata for part time)

Ref: 126REC

Full time 37.5 hours per week – we are happy to talk flexible working

Base: West Sussex

Contract: Fixed term until 31 March 2027

ABOUT THE ROLE

Team: Active Journeys

As the Project Officer, you will work directly with schools and local communities across West Sussex, identifying ways to transform streets and public spaces into safer, more welcoming environments for active travel.

What you’ll be doing:

• Plan and deliver behaviour change projects and activities that promote walking, wheeling, and cycling within schools and local communities.
• Build strong, effective relationships with local leaders, authorities, and other key stakeholders.
• Supervise and mentor colleagues and volunteers involved in project delivery.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys planning and delivering fun activity sessions with children and young people, and helping build projects that help get people active, improving health and wellbeing and the environment!

ABOUT YOU

We’re looking for someone who has experience and understanding in the areas listed below. You don’t need to meet every requirement — if you feel you’d be a good fit, we encourage you to apply.

• Proven experience of managing small clearly defined projects or experience of delivering work packages as part of a project.
• Excellent communication skills, with experience of connecting with different audiences and adapting your approach.
• A proactive problem‑solver who effectively manages priorities and workload.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate and mentor others while collaborating effectively to build strong, positive working relationships.
• Experience of planning and delivering activity sessions, and a willingness to learn and share new practical skills like bike maintenance.
• Experience of working with children and young people.

This role will require travel and work at locations as necessary to undertake projects on behalf of Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.

WHAT WE OFFER

We want you to feel supported, valued, and empowered in your role. That’s why we offer flexible working, a positive team environment, and benefits designed to support your wellbeing, finances, and family life.

Wellbeing Support

• 28 days’ leave per annum plus bank holidays for full-time employees
• Option to buy an extra week of annual leave (pro-rata for part-time employees)
• Paid volunteer days to support causes you care about
• Free, confidential support service available 24/7
• Access to cycle-to-work schemes through Green Commute Initiative and Cycle Scheme

Financial Benefits

• Group Personal Pension scheme with a 6% or 7% of basic salary contribution being matched by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
• Bike, computer and season ticket loans
• Discount benefits
• London Weighting Allowance of £4,530 per annum for all those living within a London Borough (32 local authority districts plus the City of London).
• Death in Service benefit – 3 x annual Salary 

Family Friendly Policies

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Flexible Working practices (full time hours are 37.5 per week, Monday - Friday) 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Application deadline: 23:59, 22 February 2026
• Interviews will be held in Crawley during the 4-5th March. To apply, please complete our online application form.
• We are committed to being a truly inclusive employer. We welcome applications from everyone from all parts of the community
• Adjustments are available throughout the application process.

Want to explore more roles?

We are committed to being a truly inclusive employer. We welcome applications from everyone from all parts of the community.

Adjustments are available throughout the application process.

Our Values

• We are always learning
• Championing equity
• Taking ownership
• Delivering Together

Organisational Vision & Context:

At TLG, we’re passionate about building an exceptional staff team that’s committed to making a real difference in the lives of struggling children across the UK. We’re always on the lookout for great people to journey with us towards our vision, and we’re excited to offer a unique opportunity for a motivated and mission-driven individual to join our team as Head of Volunteer Programmes.

TLG’s programmes aim to bring fulness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face. Each programme is different, but the common thread is an unwavering resolve to transform lives for good.

Mobilising over 200 churches and 1,500 volunteers, TLG’s volunteer programmes - Early Intervention and Make Lunch - currently support around 5,000 children and their families each year. However, our vision goes further: we aim to see many more churches partner with us to transform lives for good in their communities.

This Role’s Impact:

We are seeking an experienced people and operations leader who is passionate about the issues of mental health, poverty, and social justice that underpin our volunteer programmes. This role will help us drive even greater impact through our network of church partners.

They will be naturally relational, organised, and collaborative - empowering others to lead where they are and championing the vital role of the local church in community transformation. With an inquisitive and solution-focused mindset, they will be skilled at identifying and guiding new ways of working that strengthen efficiency, productivity and impact.

With excellent people, communication, and training skills, they will lead and develop a staff team responsible for volunteer management, embedding TLG’s culture and values across both programmes. Our new Head of Volunteer Programmes will be a leader who is both operationally sharp and relationally intuitive - able to pioneer with resilience and build a strong, healthy team culture that enables exceptional performance.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: Part time, 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE, equivalent 4 days)

Closing Date: Sunday 15th February 2026

Initial Interviews: Monday 23rd February – Online

Final Interviews: Monday 2nd March – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

Organisational Vision & Context:

As we journey towards our vision to bring fulness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face, we’re looking for a motivated and mission-driven individual to join our team as Head of Programme Development.

While our programmes vary, they share one common thread: an unwavering commitment to seeing lives transformed for good. With two well-established and hugely effective volunteer-driven programmes operating at scale, and two new developing programmes in the early stages of roll-out, TLG is at a pivotal time of innovation.

This Role’s Impact:

We are looking for a dynamic, pioneering leader to energise, shape, and elevate the impact of TLG’s programmes. This person will bring strengths in innovation, collaboration, and strategic delivery – able to inspire others, spot emerging opportunities, and drive meaningful change across the organisation. They will have a strong track record in developing high-quality resources and training, ensuring best practice is consistently embedded across all functions. Naturally creative and forward-thinking, they will champion the exploration and implementation of digital solutions that enhance programme delivery and extend our reach.

The new Head of Programme Development will navigate change with resilience and optimism, leading the way as we explore new approaches and refine what we already do so well. Confident on their feet, yet equally comfortable developing content and materials, they will balance big-picture thinking with a keen eye for detail. Their leadership will drive continuous improvement, so our programmes remain relevant, missional, and high-impact as we pursue our ten-year vision.

As TLG positions itself as a leading practitioner in therapeutic coaching, this leader will bring a solid understanding of coaching practice and how therapeutic coaching can transform a young person’s thinking and strengthen the culture of support we offer. Their expertise will help embed coaching-informed approaches across TLG, shaping programme design and creating richer opportunities for children and young people to reflect and grow, strengthening their wellbeing and future outcomes.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: Part time, 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE, equivalent 4 days)

Closing Date: Sunday 15th February 2026

Initial Interviews: Monday 23rd February – Online

Final Interviews: Monday 2nd March – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

We’re an award-winning charity running local learning centres in the heart of the communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping 56,000 young people each year at its 44 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.

We are looking for a high-calibre candidate who will enjoy working each day with young people and who will thrive in a frontline, community-based, fast-paced and rewarding role. You will be taking up a permanent role as Centre Leader at our IntoUniversity centre in Middlesbrough. You will have responsibility for running your IntoUniversity centre, including managing your team, planning and delivering the programme, liaising with external stakeholders and meeting  IntoUniversity’s targets for delivery.

A substantial element of this role is delivering our education programme to children and young people aged 7-18, so you will need to have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for working with young people, including leading a class of 30 from the front, working with small teams of children and providing one-to-one support.

The role at a glance

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Application deadline - 9am Tuesday 24th February 2026

Interview day (in-person) - Thursday 5th March 2026

Start date: As soon as possible, to be agreed directly with the successful candidate

Working hours
Mon and Thurs: 09:30-18:00
Tues, Weds, Fri: 09:00-17:30

(Some additional weekend & unsocial hours will be required)

Centre Leaders are based at one of our IntoUniversity learning centres and work directly with young people, schools and families on a daily basis. It is therefore not a hybrid role and is based full-time in our centres

Location

IntoUniversity Middlesbrough

The role requires intermittent travel in your region (usually within the day). Periodic travel out of the area is also required e.g. to London, this may include occasional overnight stays. 

Salary

£36,400 per annum.

Annual leave
33 days (inc bank & public holidays) + 3 closure days (two in December and one in July) + additional length of service entitlement (one day per year of service, up to 5 days)

Staff benefits

• Employer pension contributions of 6% (and up to 8% after two years)
• Year round ‘early finish’ Fridays at 4.30pm
• Summer working hours (finish at 1pm on Fridays for six weeks in the summer), pro-rated for staff joining after January in the same year 
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to wellbeing and legal support 
• Life Assurance scheme with Aviva including SmartHealth service with access to 24/7 online GP appointments
• Interest-free new starter loans of up to £1,000
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Travelcard Loan Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay and sick pay allowances
• Staff in FOCUS – rewards, competitions and prizes across the year

After a successful Inspiring Minds Campaign that raised £50m over a 10-year period and achieved the goal of providing bursaries to 1 in 4 pupils, the Latymer Foundation is now entering a new strategic period. A new three-year strategy will sustain and grow bursary provision, driving us towards the goal of achieving needs-blind admissions, whilst positioning Latymer as the independent school that sets the global standard for access, inclusion and opportunity.

Within this context, the Head of Philanthropy will play a vital role in securing the financial resources that sustain Latymer’s sector-leading bursary programme, ensuring that talent, not financial circumstance, determines access to a life-changing Latymer education.

The Head of Philanthropy role will have a strong personal focus on major gifts fundraising, whilst overseeing all philanthropic income streams — Major Gifts, Regular Giving and Legacies.

Salary circa £75,000 per annum, dependent on experience.

To apply and find out more about the school and our attractive staff benefits package, please visit our dedicated recruitment website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 9.00 am on Monday, 23rd February 2026.

Interviews 1st Round (Virtual) – Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th March 2026.

Interviews 2nd Round (In-person at Latymer Upper School) – Wednesday 11th March 2026.

Diversity – The School is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion. We have an established and representative staff Equality and Diversity Board to help drive forward positive change. A further Equality and Diversity Committee has recently been formed from our student population.

We are committed to attracting and retaining the very best staff, ensuring that our staff body reflects the diversity of our students and local community. Acknowledging a lack of ethnic diversity within our Support Staff community, we particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates for this role. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010; however, the School may employ positive action where diverse candidates can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All posts are subject to an enhanced DBS, online checks and receipt of two satisfactory references.

1MM Programmes Administrator (Operations & Delivery)

Location: Hybrid working in Greater Manchester, Greater London or Cardiff City Region

Contract: 6 months (continuing subject to funding)

Hours: 37.5 per week

Salary: £25,000 (pro rata)

Rolling recruitment with a final closing date of 12pm on 3rd March 2026 (we may close the application deadline early if we have a high demand of quality applications)

About Us

We are a mentoring charity supporting young people aged 14–25 to build confidence, develop skills, and reach their potential. Our work is powered by committed mentors, strong safeguarding, and high-quality programme delivery — and we’re looking for a highly organised, values-driven Programmes Administrator (Operations & Delivery) to help make it all happen.

About the Role

This is a key role at the heart of our programmes. You’ll support the smooth delivery of mentoring across all regions by coordinating training and events, managing essential systems and checks, and ensuring safeguarding and compliance standards are met at all times.

If you love bringing order to busy programmes, care deeply about young people’s wellbeing, and enjoy working across teams — this role is for you.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Coordinating training workshops and events for mentors and staff
• Supporting mentor recruitment, onboarding, and engagement
• Managing programme communications and bulletins via Brevo
• Administering DocuSign and maintaining accurate records
• Tracking and monitoring DBS checks and suitability processes
• Managing delivery, safeguarding, and enquiries inboxes
• Providing admin support across regions, including mentor engagement
• Supporting HR and operations: including contracts, systems, training, surveys, and tools such as Breathe HR

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be someone who is:

• Passionate about improving outcomes for young people aged 14–25
• Highly organised, detail-focused, and comfortable juggling priorities
• Experienced in event administration
• Confident using digital systems and learning new tools
• 2 years experience in HR and general administration, operations, or programme support
• Calm, professional, and confident handling sensitive information
• Proactive, adaptable, and happy supporting across teams and regions
• Committed to safeguarding and safer recruitment practices

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a mission-driven organisation making real impact
• Play a vital role in safe, high-quality mentoring delivery
• Work with a supportive, values-led team
• Opportunities to learn, grow, and shape better systems

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your CV and a Cover Letter explaining why you’re interested in the role and how your experience matches what we’re looking for.

��️ We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. All roles are subject to safer recruitment checks, including DBS.

Future First is seeking an experienced and motivated Interim Membership & Delivery Manager to lead the day-to-day delivery and growth of our schools’ membership programme.

This is a hands-on operational leadership role, responsible for managing school relationships, supporting membership growth, ensuring high-quality delivery, and line managing our membership team.

You will work closely with senior leadership to implement agreed growth plans, while taking ownership of operational performance, team management and member experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing relationships with a portfolio of member schools and colleges

• Delivering against membership growth and retention targets

• Leading and line managing the membership team

• Overseeing quality assurance of workshop delivery

• Managing and supporting sessional delivery staff

• Managing sales pipeline, reporting and performance

• Supporting staff training and development

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience working with schools or in education-related settings

• Has strong account management, membership and/or sales experience

• Has proven experience line managing staff

• Is confident delivering sessions to young people

• Is highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities

• Is comfortable using CRM systems (Salesforce desirable)

• Is passionate about improving outcomes for young people

This is an excellent opportunity to join a mission-driven organisation and make a difference to young people’s lives.

To apply, please submit a short video (no more than 2 minutes), your CV and a covering letter setting out why you feel you’re a great fit for this role and why you want to work for Future First. Applications will close on Monday 9th February at noon.

Please download the recruitment pack for a full job description and more information about the role.

Young Citizens is seeking a Business Development and Special Projects Lead to support a critical year of fundraising, income generation and partnership development. This role supports the special projects work with the CEO and will work with the senior team to lead on the income and visibility opportunities that unlock our delivery for our three-year strategy.

Your Role’s Purpose

Year 1 of this role will be focused on business model development, income generation and strategic partnerships. Working closely with the CEO and senior management team, you will help shape, test and secure new funding and commercial opportunities that position Young Citizens for long-term sustainability and impact. The special projects element includes supporting the developmental design of our future business model, charity strategy and public affairs work.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building, creating and working at pace to achieve great results within a small team. You will be rapidly developing propositions, forging partnerships and converting ideas into credible, funded initiatives. You will play a central role in strengthening our relationships with funders, institutions, corporates and sector partners, while supporting wider organisational development projects.

Young Citizens works at the intersection of education, democracy and civic life, and this role offers a unique opportunity to influence how active citizenship is funded, delivered and embedded across the UK.

In Year 1, your primary focus will be to:

• Develop and drive income/fundraising with existing channels, including grant funding, partnerships and commercial activity.
• Build a strong pipeline of income opportunities, working closely with the CEO to convert prospects into funding
• Produce high-quality business cases, funding bids, proposals and presentations of our work
• Design and execute new funding models and partnership opportunities alongside the CEO’s updated strategic plan
• Lead staff member for strategic engagement with funders, corporates, policymakers and sector stakeholders.

Alongside this, you will contribute to priority special projects that support Young Citizens’ organisational growth and external positioning.

Who We’re Looking For

This role is not just open to traditional fundraisers or partnership managers. As long as you have the seniority and expertise leading results, you might come from a charity, social enterprise, consultancy, policy or start-up background. What matters most is your ability to confidently progress a pipeline of opportunities, build partnerships, generate income and deliver results.

We are interested in a wider pool of candidates with 5+ years in the working world, possibly from other start-ups or programme design focus instead of 'trad' fundraising roles'. If you are a high-performer who wants to focus on corporate partnerships, external relations and business success, this role may be right for you—talk to us.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Entrepreneurial and proactive, with a strong interest in business development and income generation
• Confidently able to design and deliver on their ideas, instilling confidence and get results with high-level stakeholders
• Highly professional writer and communicator, able to produce strong proposals and pitch deck materials
• Commercially aware, with an ability to spot and shape fundable opportunities
• Excels at working closely with senior stakeholders including the CEO, able to predict needs and are responsive to what gets the best results
• Organised and adaptable, able to own multiple priorities in a small, fast-moving organisation
• Technically capable, making data systems like Salesforce easily integrated into their workflow
• Distinctly motivated and/or experienced in social impact, education, democracy or civic participation

Please note the pay scale of this role is determined by the demonststrable strategic seniority the person brings in managing others and organisational outcomes alongside technical role skills above.

Success in the first six months of this role will look like:

• Immediate management and confidence securing existing income contracts with corporate and funding partners of £200,000+
• Tactical, high-volume stakeholder engagement campaigns to increase sponsorship and new income opportunities
• Leading the development of improved business modelling, pricing structures and income streams that create a more sustainable base
• Operating with professionalism, improving processes and keeping organisational priorities at the forefront

Why join us?

• Make a real difference by helping deliver inspiring citizenship experiences to young people nationwide.
• Shape and strengthen the delivery of our flagship national programmes.
• Join a supportive, purpose‑driven team that values collaboration, flexibility, and doing great work together.
• Grow with us as we deliver our new three‑year strategy and embed smarter, stronger delivery processes.

If you're excited about making a tangible impact through high‑quality programme delivery, and want to contribute to a mission‑driven organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

A few useful notes to apply:

This is a 12 month fixed contract starting as soon as possible. 

• The closing date for applications is 11pm on Sunday 22 February 2026. We encourage you to apply ahead of the deadline, as shortlisting will begin on Thursday 12 February. However, as long as this advert remains live, first‑round interviews have not yet been finalised.
• Please submit a covering letter of no more than two pages outlining your interest in this role. Applications without a covering letter cannot be reviewed. We are unable to progress applications that do not demonstrate direct or clearly transferable experience.
• If you have any questions before applying, please contact our HR team.

For a full overview of the role and responsibilities, please see the job pack for more details.

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 and Public Affairs, 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.

We’re an award-winning charity running local learning centres in the heart of the communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping 56,000 young people each year at its 44 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.

We are looking for a high-calibre candidate who will enjoy working each day with young people and who will thrive in a frontline, community-based, fast-paced and rewarding role. You will be taking up a permanent role as Centre Leader at our IntoUniversity centre in Clacton-on-Sea. You will have responsibility for running your IntoUniversity centre, including managing your team, planning and delivering the programme, liaising with external stakeholders and meeting  IntoUniversity’s targets for delivery.

A substantial element of this role is delivering our education programme to children and young people aged 7-18, so you will need to have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for working with young people, including leading a class of 30 from the front, working with small teams of children and providing one-to-one support.

The role at a glance

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Application deadline - 9am Monday 2nd March 2026.

Interview day (in-person) - Friday 13th March 2026.

Start date: As soon as possible, to be agreed directly with the successful candidate

Working hours
Mon and Thurs: 09:30-18:00
Tues, Weds, Fri: 09:00-17:30

(Some additional weekend & unsocial hours will be required)

Centre Leaders are based at one of our IntoUniversity learning centres and work directly with young people, schools and families on a daily basis. It is therefore not a hybrid role and is based full-time in our centres

Location

IntoUniversity Clacton-on-Sea

The role requires intermittent travel in your region (usually within the day). Periodic travel out of the area is also required e.g. to London, this may include occasional overnight stays. 

Salary

£36,400 per annum.

Annual leave
33 days (inc bank & public holidays) + 3 closure days (two in December and one in July) + additional length of service entitlement (one day per year of service, up to 5 days)

Staff benefits

• Employer pension contributions of 6% (and up to 8% after two years)
• Year round ‘early finish’ Fridays at 4.30pm
• Summer working hours (finish at 1pm on Fridays for six weeks in the summer), pro-rated for staff joining after January in the same year 
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to wellbeing and legal support 
• Life Assurance scheme with Aviva including SmartHealth service with access to 24/7 online GP appointments
• Interest-free new starter loans of up to £1,000
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Travelcard Loan Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay and sick pay allowances
• Staff in FOCUS – rewards, competitions and prizes across the year

Job Title: School Careers Advisers

Location: Across Kent, Medway, West Kent and Mid Kent Regions

Salary: £29,291 - £32,343 (FTE) depending on experience pro-rata term time only/ Term Time Only salary including annual leave is £25,175 - £27,802

Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week) or Part-time (22.2 hours - per week)

Contract: Permanent (Term Time Only)

Reports to: Senior Careers Adviser

About CXK

CXK empowers people to succeed in employment, education and training. The charity strives for a fairer society where everyone can grow and realise their potential. “The CXK Way” embodies the following core values:

Ethical – We work with professionalism, honesty and integrity

Passionate – We reach out enthusiastically to all who need out support

Innovative – We inspire, enhance and improve

Collaborative – We engage, support and share with others

Young Peoples’ Careers Service

CXK is the lead provider of Personal Careers Guidance to young people in schools and specialist centres across Kent & Medway, where we provide independent Personal Careers Guidance, via our CXK Young Peoples’ Careers Service.

The Team

We are a diverse and welcoming team of advisers, who use a wide variety of creative methods to deliver personalised, client centred, personal careers guidance, ranging from one-to-one sessions through to group guidance, parents and options evenings, as well as focused talks and assemblies. We have minimal admin and keep our clients’ experience central to what we do, providing an inclusive service with individualised action plans, including the use of visual career maps, career cards and white boards, alongside more traditional approaches where appropriate.

We follow the CDI code of ethics and best practice for Action Planning (which names and recognises CXKs innovative work in this area):

The team is led by Chris Targett RCDP, who alongside his work at CXK, is the current Chair of the Careers Writers Association and co-author of the recently released Career Development and Inclusive Practice book, published by Trotman Publishing in partnership with the CDI.

The team is small but impactful. Feedback from our young people, that tell us about what our students valued regards our services:

· Helping young people understand their next steps

· Helping young people understand the options and careers choices they have

· Helping young people to know where to access further help, information, or support

The Role

The Careers Adviser will travel across Kent, Medway, West Kent and Mid Kent Regions to a broad range of school and college settings, delivering creative and inclusive Personal Careers Guidance, as well as assemblies and drop-in sessions as required. 

Each student and each learning environment will be unique, so the opportunity lends itself well to candidates who enjoy traveling and working in varied locations, meeting people from diverse backgrounds, and educating people of all abilities.

You will routinely liaise with Careers Leaders and senior school/ college staff to arrange and deliver activities for students during the school day. Whilst most delivery will take place between 8:30am and 4pm, travel before and after these times will be required and occasional attendance at parents’ and options evenings will also be required, but you will be given time off in lieu where this is applicable.

We would require you to work five days-a-week, term time only, with a pro rata holiday entitlement. If you would prefer part-time only employment (minimum of three days a week), this can be negotiated.

Skills and Knowledge

At CXK we are proud to be a disability confident and equal opportunities employer. We actively promote diversity within our workforce and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Minimum Criteria

· Level 6 (or above) Careers Guidance Qualification

· In possession of a full, clean UK Drivers Licence with access to your own vehicle

Core Competencies

· Experience of delivering CEIAG in schools / colleges, face-to-face with young people Enthusiasm

· A willingness to deliver activities during school timetables; occasional evening events rebalanced via “time off in lieu.”

· Knowledge of Post 16 and Post 18 education and training routes for young people with and without additional needs and disabilities

· Adept at juggling activities and travel, emails and routine project admin; balancing school site work with homebased preparation and admin

· Experience of Microsoft products and ability to use them effectively, including Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint

· A commitment to undertake all necessary training for the role

Employee Experience

A career with CXK is rewarding work enabling you to fulfil your potential. This eclectic and exciting role within the CXK Young Peoples’ Careers team, provides the opportunity for you to travel from home to various education settings, networking with teachers and careers educators across the Kent and Medway area. You will hone specialised skills and knowledge relating to Post 16 and 18 career pathways, including 6th Forms, colleges, study programmes, gap-years, entrepreneurship, university and apprenticeship routes whilst being a positive influence on young people’s lives.

CXK employee benefits include:

· CDI and professional register membership (RCDP) paid for by CXK

· Defined contribution pension scheme (matched by CXK up to 10% depending on length of service criteria)

· Flexible working

· Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

· Training and development programmes and opportunities

· Mental and physical healthcare initiatives and more

Recruitment Timeline

Vacancy closing date: Ongoing

Application review date: Ongoing

Interviews dates: Ongoing

Useful Information

Should you wish to have an informal conversation before submitting your application, please contact recruitment @ cxk. org

Please note: Applicants will need to complete an enhanced DBS check and provide references before any offer of employment is made.

All applications must be submitted online via our portal.