Social development research officer jobs

About the role

Enjoy being part of a team that works to execute exciting campaigns, provide first class supporter experience, contribute to the retention of valued supporters, and ultimate raise money for a great cause? Then we’d love to hear from you.

The Afternoon Tea executive is focussed on the effective delivery of our fundraising campaign, Afternoon Tea. Over the next 5 years, we have ambitious plans for Afternoon Tea, and this role will play a significant part in helping to plan and deliver this, reach thousands of people and raise millions of pounds each year.

You’ll be responsible for building long-lasting relationships with our valued supporters, accurate delivery of processes, assisting in the design and creation of fundraising materials and working across teams to deliver a high-quality fundraising product.

We’re looking for a passionate, efficient and creative executive who is ready to help and who’s keen to be part of a fun and energetic team.

About you

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your skills in the world of mass participation fundraising, project management and the charity sector. To do this you’ll have an understanding of mass participation fundraising with excellent multi-tasking skills and attention to detail.  Helpful and collaborative in your approach, an interest in relationship fundraising is essential.

As well as your keen interest in project management and relationship-building, this role will allow you to hone your excellent planning and time management skills as you’ll lead on several projects from start to finish. 

Job description and benefits

The job description and our attractive benefits are available for you to download.

Primary location of role and hybrid working

This role is primarily based in our London office. Our hybrid working model allows you to work up to 3 days per week at home.

The salary range is:

£26,936 to £27,500per annum London based

When applying

We hope you choose to apply for this role. To support your application, you’ll be asked to submit your anonymised CV and a supporting statement. Please refer to the essential criteria on the person specification and clearly provide as much information as you can with examples, to demonstrate how and where you meet the criteria. If you’ve any immediate questions please contact the Breast Cancer now recruitment team

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

We’re committed to promoting equity, valuing diversity and creating an inclusive environment – for everyone who works for us, works with us, supports us and who
we support.

We reserve the right to close this advert early. Therefore, to avoid disappointment please submit your application as soon as possible, if you’re interested in this opportunity.

Closing date Monday 31st August 2026 11:59 pm

Interview date  7th September and 8 September

VISION AND MISSION Waverley Abbey is a new spiritual home for a rising generation, based in one of England’s oldest places of Christian prayer, mission and justice. Today, we fire up believers and tool up leaders to play their part in the renewal of faith in the nation and around the world. We are a house of prayer, providing practical education, exceptional hospitality and sparking innovative enterprise. From the first Cistercian monastery in England to the global ministry of Every Day with Jesus, Waverley Abbey has been a place of Christian prayer, mission and justice for over 1,300 years. Now, in partnership with 24-7 Prayer, we are building a new kind of Abbey: a new spiritual home for the nation and a hub that awakens a generation to transform the story of our times through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

VALUES & CULTURE Our team really is something special. Our people are gold. Our people come from all different walks of life, and it’s this mix of brilliant personalities, experiences and insights that gives us that warm, open and friendly culture you can feel as soon as you meet us. But, however wonderfully different we all are, there are five things we’ve got in common, and they are the Waverley Abbey values. Our values are the key to what makes our culture so unique; they’re a reflection of who each of us is and they’re embedded in everything we do. OUR VALUES Integrity Compassion Selflessness Transformational Celebration SO WE EMPLOY AUTHENTIC, SELFLESS, COMPASSIONATE, TRANSFORMATIONAL AND FUN PEOPLE!

JOB PURPOSE This is an exciting senior leadership role with the opportunity to shape how Waverley Abbey tells its story, grows its reach and engages people with its vision. The Head of Marketing and Communications will provide strategic, creative and inspiring leadership across all aspects of marketing, communications, brand and digital engagement. Working across the breadth of Waverley Abbey — including the college, house, House of Prayer, events, hospitality, fundraising and the wider estate — the postholder will develop clear and compelling communication that strengthen our brand trust, reach new audiences and support sustainable revenue growth. This role will ensure that our communications reflect the quality, warmth and bold ambition of Waverley Abbey. You will be a talented and experienced marketing professional, an exceptional leader who mines the gold in others, and an experienced AI champion with a bold vision to play your part to see the Gospel of Jesus transform a generation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Marketing Leadership

> Develop and lead an ambitious, integrated marketing and communications strategy to support and supercharge Waverley Abbey’s vision, organisational priorities and income objectives.

> Translate organisational strategy into clear annual marketing plans, campaigns, priorities and measurable outcomes, and deliver those plans on time every time.

> Work closely with leaders across the college, House of Prayer, house and estate, hospitality, events, fundraising and other areas to understand their audiences and develop effective marketing responses.

> Significantly grow market share by connecting and building brand trust with new audiences, markets and opportunities to extend Waverley Abbey’s reach and influence.

> Champion and implement AI effectively and wisely to at least 10x our marketing output.

> Ensure marketing activity is focused, coordinated and capable of delivering both immediate results and long-term brand growth. Brand Leadership and Storytelling

> Deliver daily brand and individual stories above the line to build Waverley Abbey awareness, authority and trust. Champion excellent storytelling that communicates the impact of Waverley Abbey through the lives, experiences and communities impacted by our work.

> Lead and be principle guardian of the Waverley Abbey brand and sub-brands.

> Develop a clear, compelling and consistent brand story that captures the heritage, vision, breadth and future direction of Waverley Abbey.

> Ensure the brand is expressed consistently across all communications, campaigns, publications, digital platforms, signage and visitor touchpoints.

> Oversee the development and implementation of brand guidelines and support colleagues to apply them consistently and confidently.

> Protect and strengthen the reputation of Waverley Abbey; identifying, proactively managing and responding appropriately to potential risks. Campaigns, Audience Growth and Engagement

> Lead integrated fundraising campaigns that increase awareness, engagement, participation and income from core and new audiences.

> Develop targeted approaches for student recruitment that increase our HE student enrolments year on year on year, and provide a significantly growing ‘front door’ of non-HE students and trainees via a ‘digital university’.

> Significantly grow house, event and retreat guests to maximum capacity.

> Ensure campaigns are creative, audience-focused, aspirational and informed by meaningful data.

> Establish a clear annual marketing and communications plan aligned with organisational priorities — and deliver on time, every time.

> Strengthen the organisation’s ability to acquire new audiences while deepening engagement with existing supporters, students, guests, customers and partners. Digital Marketing and Content >Deliver the effective and wise use of AI to 10x our marketing output.

> Provide leadership for Waverley Abbey’s websites, social media channels, email communications and wider digital presence.

> Effectively be able to spin-up world class UX websites and apps in short timescales.

>Develop a digital-first approach that makes maximum use of content, video, photography, social media, search, email and emerging platforms.

>Oversee the planning and production of high-quality content that is engaging, market-leading and consistent with the Waverley Abbey voice.

> Ensure the best UX on all websites and that digital platforms are accurate, accessible, engaging, easy to navigate and optimised for search.

>Use analytics and audience insight to improve campaigns and tactics.

>Always be exploring new digital opportunities that could significantly increase Waverley Abbey’s reach and impact. Communications and Public Relations

> Lead Waverley Abbey’s external communications, media relations and public relations activity.

>Develop proactive opportunities to raise the profile of Waverley Abbey locally, nationally and within relevant Christian, educational and hospitality networks.

>Oversee press releases, media statements, articles, briefing materials and external announcements.

>Build strong and constructive relationships with journalists, media partners, influencers and other key stakeholders.

> Lead communications planning during sensitive or high-profile situations, working closely with the CEO and relevant senior leaders.

> Ensure Waverley Abbey communicates with clarity, confidence and integrity. Fundraising and Partnership Communications

> Work in close partnership with fundraising colleagues to develop compelling cases for support, campaigns and supporter communications.

> Ensure fundraising materials communicate Waverley Abbey’s vision, need and impact with clarity.

> Support the development of strategic partnerships that increase the organisation’s profile, influence and reach.

> Create high-quality communications resources for funders, donors, partners, churches and other key stakeholders. Team Leadership and Development

> Lead, inspire and develop a high-performing Marketing and Communications team in collaboration with the Senior Marketing Manager.

> Create a collaborative, creative and supportive culture in which team members are trusted, equipped and accountable.

> Set clear objectives and priorities for the team, ensuring workloads and resources are managed effectively.

> Provide regular one-to-ones, feedback, coaching, development conversations and performance reviews.

> Support the personal and professional development of direct reports, identifying opportunities for growth and increased responsibility.

> Commission and manage freelancers, agencies and specialist suppliers where appropriate.

> Build positive and productive relationships across the organisation, enabling the Marketing and Communications team to operate as a trusted strategic partner. Planning, Budgets and Performance

> Manage the Marketing and Communications budget responsibly, ensuring effective use of resources and demonstrable value — always within budget.

> Establish clear measures of success across brand awareness, audience growth, engagement, recruitment, conversion and income.

> Provide regular performance reports, insight and recommendations to the CEO and Executive Team.

> Use data, audience research and market insight to inform decisions and continually improve performance.

> Manage multiple projects and priorities effectively, ensuring high quality work is delivered on time and within budget. Data and Compliance

> Ensure marketing communications comply with UK GDPR, data protection, consent and privacy requirements.

> Maintain professional, ethical and legally compliant standards across all communications activity. Leadership and Organisational Contribution As a senior Executive member at Waverley Abbey, the postholder will:

> Contribute actively to organisational strategy, planning and decision-making.

> Build strong relationships across all areas of Waverley Abbey and work generously across organisational boundaries.

> Model leadership that is clear, courageous, compassionate and accountable.

> Champion a culture of excellence, collaboration and continuous improvement.

> Embody Waverley Abbey’s values of Integrity, Compassion, Selflessness, Transformation and Celebration.

> Act as an ambassador for Waverley Abbey, representing the organisation externally and internally confidently and professionally.

> Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the seniority and purpose of the role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION Experience — Essential

> Significant senior-level experience in marketing, communications or brand.

> A strong track record of developing and delivering successful marketing and communications strategies.

> Experience of leading integrated campaigns across digital and traditional channels.

> Demonstrable success in growing audiences, increasing engagement and delivering measurable organisational outcomes.

> Experience of leading, managing and developing a marketing or communications team.

> Strong experience of AI, digital marketing, content strategy, social media, websites, email marketing and audience analytics.

> Experience of working effectively with senior leaders and providing trusted strategic advice.

> Experience of managing budgets, agencies, suppliers and multiple projects.

> Experience of using data insight to evaluate performance and make decisions.

Experience — Desirable

> Experience within a complex, multi-product environment — charity, Christian organisation, education provider or hospitality organisation.

> Experience of student recruitment, fundraising communications, events marketing or customer acquisition.

> Experience of working across an organisation with several distinct audiences, services or brands.

Knowledge and Skills — Essential

> Excellent strategic thinking, with the ability to translate vision into focused and achievable plans.

> Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

> Strong creative judgement and the ability to recognise and develop compelling stories.

> A sophisticated understanding of brand, audience development and customer journeys.

> Excellent leadership and people-management skills.

> Strong project-management and organisational skills, with the ability to balance strategic leadership and practical delivery. > Commercial awareness and an understanding of how marketing supports organisational growth and income generation.

> Confidence in analysing data, measuring impact and presenting clear recommendations.

Knowledge and Skills — Desirable

> A relevant degree or professional marketing qualification.

> Membership of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

> Working knowledge of content management systems, customer relationship management systems, email marketing tools and creative software.

> Understanding of the UK higher education landscape.

Personal Qualities The successful candidate will be:

> An imaginative and ambitious leader who is excited by the opportunity to build something significant.

> A gifted storyteller who communicates with clarity, warmth and authenticity.

> Strategic and creative, while also able to bring structure, focus and delivery.

> Collaborative, generous and able to work effectively with colleagues holding different responsibilities and perspectives.

> Emotionally intelligent and confident in navigating complexity.

> Proactive, resourceful and comfortable taking appropriate initiative.

> Committed to excellence without losing warmth, humanity or perspective.

> Resilient, adaptable and able to respond positively to change.

> Personally aligned with the Christian vision and values of Waverley Abbey. Occupational Requirement There is an occupational requirement for the postholder to be a practising Christian. The successful candidate will be expected to affirm Waverley Abbey’s Statement of Faith, participate in the prayer life of the organisation and conduct themselves in a way that is consistent with its Christian ethos and values. This requirement is applied in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010. Additional Requirements

> Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of significant events, campaigns or organisational activity. > Willingness to travel occasionally for meetings, events and partnership activity.

> This job description reflects the current requirements of the role. It may be reviewed as Waverley Abbey develops, following consultation with the postholder. 

The Talent Set is delighted to be partnering with the Henry Smith Foundation on the recruitment of a newly created Head of Digital Transformation role. This is a unique opportunity to lead a significant organisation-wide transformation programme and help shape how one of the UK's leading independent foundations uses digital, data and technology to maximise its impact.

As the Foundation continues to grow and evolve, it has recognised the need for a strategic leader who can bring together systems, data, technology and people into a clear and ambitious digital vision. This is an opportunity to build and lead a digital transformation agenda from the ground up, working closely with senior leaders, trustees, colleagues and external partners to create a more connected, data-informed and future-ready organisation.

The Opportunity

The Foundation has grown significantly over the last decade, with increasing organisational ambition and a more complex operating environment. Alongside core grant-making activities, the organisation has developed new programmes, partnerships and ways of working that require a more strategic approach to technology and data. While many systems and processes work well individually, the organisation is now seeking someone who can create a joined-up digital strategy that supports its long-term goals.

Reporting to the Director of Finance, Investments and Resources, you will lead the Foundation's digital, data and technology transformation programme. You will define and deliver a multi-year roadmap, oversee key technology and systems projects, and build digital capability across the organisation. Most importantly, you will help colleagues embrace change and ensure digital becomes part of how the organisation thinks and works every day.

This role offers a rare combination of strategic influence and practical delivery. The successful candidate will shape major decisions around systems, data, AI and organisational capability, whilst also working closely with colleagues to ensure solutions are adopted, embedded and delivering measurable benefits.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the Foundation's digital, data and technology strategy and transformation roadmap.
• Drive organisation-wide improvements in systems, processes, data management and digital capability.
• Lead digital transformation projects from concept through to implementation and adoption.
• Champion effective use of technology, including Microsoft 365 tools, collaboration platforms and emerging AI opportunities.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation and act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Support colleagues through change by providing leadership, communication, training and coaching.
• Manage suppliers, consultants and implementation partners to ensure successful delivery of digital initiatives.
• Line manage the IT and Data Compliance Manager and provide strategic oversight of digital operations and governance.
• Create a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and digital confidence.

About You
We're keen to hear from candidates who have successfully led digital transformation programmes and understand that meaningful change is ultimately about people as much as technology.
You might currently be a Head of Digital, Head of Transformation, Digital Programme Lead, Technology Transformation Leader or similar, and will likely bring:

• A proven track record of leading organisation-wide digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience developing and delivering digital strategies and multi-year transformation roadmaps.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility at all levels.
• Experience leading change, improving adoption of technology and developing digital capability across teams.
• The confidence to operate strategically whilst remaining hands-on when required.
• Strong project, programme and supplier management experience.
• The ability to translate complex technical concepts into practical, engaging and accessible conversations.
• A collaborative and relationship-focused approach, combined with resilience, pragmatism and curiosity.

The Foundation is particularly interested in candidates who can balance strategic thinking with practical delivery, and who understand how to introduce change at a pace that brings people with them rather than leaving them behind.

What's on Offer?
Salary: £67,000 - £70,000 per annum
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week (Part Time considered)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Hybrid, Attendance is expected at least 1 day per week in the Kings Cross office, but with some variation.

Interviews
First Stage Interview: Thursday 10th September
Second Stage Interview: Monday 14th September PM

How to Apply
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the apply button. We aim to respond to all successful applicants within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity
The Henry Smith Foundation 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.

Requesting reasonable adjustments
We are committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the application or interview stages, please let us know. You can share your needs at any point in the process. Adjustments can be tailored to suit both physical and mental health needs. Our team will work with you to ensure you have what you need to perform at your best.

Our approach to candidates using AI in applications
We recognise that technology, including AI tools, can be helpful when preparing job applications, and we welcome the use of tools that support you in presenting your experience clearly. However, it’s important that your application genuinely reflects your own skills, experience, and voice. We therefore recommend reviewing any AI-generated content carefully to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

If you are invited to interview, we’ll want to hear directly from you about your skills and experiences. Any significant differences between your application and how you present yourself in person may negatively impact your application.

We are looking for a Community Organiser, based in Manchester, to work with us on a short-term, freelance basis to organise with people in debt.

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 1 September, 9am
Location: Manchester
Contract: Three days per week for four months
Start date: as soon as possible
Rate: £200 per day, to be invoiced on a freelance, self-employed basis.

You will support members of our Manchester campaign group, led by people with lived experience of the debt crisis, to demand and win policy change to end the use of bailiffs for council tax debt collection. And work directly with  allies in Manchester and officials at Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and target councils.

Please read the role profile (.pdf) for full details.

Application process: please email your CV and a covering letter outlining how you meet the skills and experience in the role profile by 9am on Tuesday 1 September.

If you have a question about any aspect of the role, please do get in touch. 

We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented in the sector, including black and brown people, women and non-binary people, people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and people who identify as working class or have done in the past.

About the role 
This role will provide cross team support to both the School Partnerships and the Teaching and Learning functions of the charity. Within the School Partnerships team, they will play a key role in supporting effective engagement of school and MAT partners by ensuring the smooth running of both day-to-day operations and longer-term projects. This element of the role is central to developing and maintaining relationships with schools and MATs, while also managing essential administrative processes, communications, reporting and systems. Within the Teaching and Learning function, they will support the delivery of the training, curriculum design and quality assurance of tutors working across The Brilliant Club’s Access Programmes and Projects. The role leads on several administrative processes, including course design, tutor training and programme team liaison, engaging with stakeholders both internally and externally to ensure that tutors and curriculum documents are of the highest quality when they arrive in schools. It’s a varied and dynamic position that helps keep our teams connected, organised and working efficiently.
 

About you 
The role will best suit someone who: 

• Has excellent organisational skills, including the ability to balance complex and competing needs; 
• Is a collaborative and strong team player, including supporting those in other teams during peak periods; 
• Has a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, is enthusiastic about working with data and records, and can produce high quality documents with excellent attention to detail; 
• Takes initiative to complete and improve administrative processes; 
• Adheres to information security policies included in the charity’s ISO 27001 manual and completes information security training; 
• Has a demonstrable passion for furthering The Brilliant Club’s mission. 

This exciting new role sits within REUK’s Education Pathways work which has been in a pilot phase for the last few years and is rapidly growing now that the UK government has made a commitment to expanding safe and legal routes to higher education in the UK for refugee students.

Higher education provides a transformative pathway for refugee youth, but establishing sustainable institutional access routes requires systemic collaboration. This role will lead the growth, formalisation, and management of university partnerships required to make an education pathway to the UK grow and flourish. You will oversee the complete partnership lifecycle: from university outreach and onboarding (including negotiating formal agreements at senior level), to enabling the formation of campus welcome groups, leading on initial and ongoing university and welcome group training and support, and monitoring and improving all university-facing processes within the pathway.

The postholder will work alongside a newly created Students Lead role, enabling you to focus on the institution-facing workstreams, while student-facing onboarding, welfare, and direct casework are handled by your counterpart.

This is a critical role within a small, high-capacity specialist unit within REUK. Because this is an emerging and new area of work you must be comfortable working with risk and ambiguity, refining and learning rapidly as parameters evolve. You will be an allrounder - as comfortable presenting to university executive boards and Vice-Chancellors as you are drafting MoUs, establishing Terms of Reference, organising and facilitating institutional training, and handling complex partnership operations independently.

Role outcomes

1. UK universities actively partner with REUK to create, expand, and sustain dedicated safe and legal education pathways for displaced students. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Developing and executing a national university engagement strategy to identify, pitch to, and secure new partner universities across the UK higher education sector.

• Engaging directly with key university representatives - including Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Heads of Admissions, Sanctuary staff and key academics - to build institutional buy-in and secure long-term commitment to refugee education pathways.

• Negotiating university support packages, including as appropriate fee waivers, scholarship or bursary structures, and accommodation commitments.

• Nurturing and strategically managing existing university partnerships to ensure institutional sustainability, high-level engagement, and year-on-year growth in pathway placements.

• Representing REUK where appropriate in sector-wide higher education networks and working groups on displaced student pathways.

2. Partner universities establish institutional frameworks, well-trained staff networks and campus welcome groups to receive refugee education pathway learners. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Guiding universities in establishing and structuring sustainable on-campus welcome groups (bringing together university staff and students) to support the welcome and integration of education pathway students.

• Designing and delivering high quality training sessions for on-campus welcome groups and other key staff members.

• Developing practical toolkits, guides, and frameworks for university staff to accompany above training.

• Collaborating with the Students Lead to ensure campus welcome structures integrate with REUK's student support mechanisms.

• Advocating within partner institutions for structural policy improvements (e.g. contextual admissions and flexible documentation policies).

3. University partnership governance, agreements, and operational systems run effectively and efficiently. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Drafting, negotiating, and finalizing formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Terms of Reference (ToRs), and operational service agreements with partner universities. 

• Managing all administrative and governance aspects of university partnerships independently, including contract tracking, partnership reviews, and operational timelines without junior admin support.

• Coordinating institutional admissions frameworks and placement quotas with university registry and admissions departments.

• Serving as the primary point of contact for senior university leads when strategic, structural, or other partnership challenges arise

• Maintaining robust data systems and records relating to university commitments, funding allocations, and institutional agreements.

4. REUK’s Education Pathways university partnerships work is robustly evaluated, financially sustainable, and aligned with REUK’s broader strategy. To this end, key responsibilities include: 

• Reporting directly to the Education Pathways Lead  on partnership growth, institutional engagement metrics, and strategic pathway goals.

• Working in close alignment with the Students Lead to ensure institutional frameworks effectively support cohort needs and programme delivery.

• Collecting sector data, university feedback, and institutional metrics to demonstrate impact to funders, university boards, REUK’s board of trustees, and government stakeholders.

• Supporting grant reporting and budget management related to university pathway expansion and partner development.

• Feeding operational insights from university partnerships into REUK’s broader research, policy, and systemic change initiatives.

Person specification

Although each role requires particular competencies, we seek staff members - irrespective of role - who are willing and able to demonstrate core competencies related to 1) character and values, 2) personal working style and 3) team working. Please see the applicant pack for more details. The competencies required for this specific role are:

• Higher Education sector expertise: Deep understanding of UK university governance, executive structures, admissions procedures, international frameworks, and sanctuary initiatives.

• Senior stakeholder engagement and negotiation: Proven track record of engaging and influencing senior decision-makers within universities.
   

• Partnership governance: Demonstrated experience drafting, negotiating, and executing formal and operational agreements, including MoUs and ToRs.
   

• Facilitation and training: Strong training and facilitation skills, with a track record of designing and delivering workshops and guidance, ideally within the higher education or refugee education sectors

• Operational self-sufficiency: Outstanding organisational skills with the ability to manage high-level administration, systems setup, and contract management independently without administrative support.

• Knowledge of education pathway models: Familiarity with international refugee education pathway models (such as Canada’s WUSC; Australia’s RSSP/SkillPath and or others operating in Japan, Italy, Ireland etc).

• Knowledge and understanding of refugee tertiary education: Strong understanding of the systemic barriers faced by refugee students in higher education both in the UK and in first countries of asylum. 

• Interpersonal skills: An ability to build and maintain positive, warm and confidence inspiring working relationships with internal colleagues and external partners and stakeholders, including in complex situations.

• Communications: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including ability to appropriately communicate nuance and complexity; confidence communicating with and presenting to high level audiences.

Imperial College London is partnering exclusively with Robertson Bell to recruit a Head of Management Accounting on a permanent basis. This is an exceptional opportunity to join one of the world's leading universities in a senior finance leadership position at a pivotal time for the them. Imperial is investing significantly in the future of its Finance function through the implementation of Oracle Fusion, bringing enhanced business intelligence capabilities and the modernisation of their management accounting processes.

As Head of Management Accounting, you will play a central role in shaping this transformation whilst leading a high-performing team responsible for delivering financial insight across the University's extensive non-academic portfolio.

The role

• Lead and develop a high-performing management accounting function of 11 finance professionals, creating a collaborative, high-performing culture centred on continuous improvement and exceptional customer service.
• Oversee management accounting and financial reporting for more than 30 support service departments, responsible for approximately £320m of annual expenditure and £185m of capital investment programmes.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and month-end reporting, ensuring timely, accurate and insightful financial information that supports strategic decision making across the University.
• Act as the finance lead for the continued optimisation of Oracle Fusion, driving process redesign, standardisation, automation and the adoption of AI to improve efficiency and reporting capability.
• Oversee financial accounting and statutory reporting for key University subsidiaries, whilst leading external audit activity and ensuring compliance with FRS102.
• Partner with senior leaders across Finance and Professional Services, providing commercial insight, challenging assumptions and influencing strategic decision making.
• Work closely with the Finance Business Intelligence team to further develop reporting capability through Power BI and data-driven insights.
• Champion continuous improvement by reviewing existing processes, strengthening controls and embedding best practice across the management accounting function.

Essential criteria

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA or CCAB).
• Proven leadership experience managing and developing finance teams.
• Strong management accounting, budgeting and forecasting expertise within a large, complex organisation.
• Experience leading process improvement, harmonisation and finance transformation initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and challenge senior leaders.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, including FRS102.
• Excellent analytical skills, attention to detail and the ability to communicate complex financial information clearly.

Experience within Higher Education, knowledge of TRAC, Oracle Fusion or Power BI would be advantageous but is not essential.

Why join Imperial?

The opportunity to continue your career at a world‑leading institution and be part of our mission to deliver world‑class teaching and learning. You'll benefit from an outstanding working environment, genuine opportunities for professional development and a comprehensive reward package designed to support your career, wellbeing and work-life balance.

Benefits include:

• Hybrid working (2-3 days per week office based working)
• Competitive pension scheme.
• Generous annual leave (27 days plus campus closures and Bank Holidays), with the option to purchase additional leave.
• Comprehensive health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, discounted sports facilities and occupational health services.
• Excellent family-friendly policies, enhanced parental & carers leave &childcare initiatives.
• Extensive learning and development opportunities to support your long-term career progression.
• A wide range of employee discounts, travel schemes and lifestyle benefits.

Apply now

If you're an ambitious finance leader looking for an opportunity to shape the future of management accounting within a world-renowned institution, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a permanent, full-time position based at Imperial College London's White City Campus, operating on a hybrid working model.

Applications close on 6 September, with interviews scheduled for 16 September.

Location: Bristol office, hybrid (minimum three days a week onsite)

Salary: £50,285 per annum

Job Type: Fixed term maternity cover, approximately 15 months. Minimum 30 hours a week, up to full time (37.5 hours)

The role:

This role covers the current post-holder's maternity leave for an anticipated 15 months. As Financial Controller you will lead CSE's finance team, directing and overseeing the finance function in compliance with appropriate accounting standards and practices, company and charity law.

You will provide timely, accurate financial and management information to support strategic decision-making and effective budgetary control by our Senior Leadership Team, Trustees, project managers and other budget holders. You will line manage the Finance Manager and Finance Assistant and be a member of CSE's Senior Management Team.

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Operations, you will work alongside the wider Operations Team to provide operational support that underpins delivery of our charitable mission. This is a fast-paced role and we need someone who can get up to speed with minimal delay.

Specific responsibilities

An applicant appointed to the role will be expected to:

• Take responsibility for day-to-day accounting, invoicing, payroll, VAT returns, payments and banking, credit control and cash management, including timely monthly management accounts.
• Line manage the Finance Manager and Finance Assistant.
• Co-ordinate the annual budget cycle and mid-year budget refresh alongside the Director of Finance & Operations and SLT.
• Attend monthly SMT meetings to share the previous month's financial results and handle related queries.
• Prepare accurate, accessible reports on organisational, team, staff and project financial indicators to support timely decision-making.
• Maintain the organisation's financial records to appropriate accounting standards and prepare documentation for the annual audit and other statutory reporting.
• Liaise with CSE's auditors to enable an effective and timely annual audit.
• Support project managers to plan and manage project budgets, providing financial data for reporting to clients and funders.
• Provide expertise on financial costing and monitoring approaches for new project funding proposals, reflecting funder requirements.
• Provide finance support to Retrofit West CIC, including financial reporting, statutory obligations and payroll as required.

To see a more detailed list of responsibilities please see the supporting documents attached. These documents are also available to download from our website.

About you:

Essential attributes for this role include:

• Fully qualified ACA, ACCA or equivalent accountant.
• At least seven years' post-qualification experience, including at least five years in a financial management role.
• Working knowledge of accounting standards, VAT and HMRC regulations in England, including requirements applicable to a UK charity with a trading subsidiary.
• Experience of leading the preparation for an annual audit.
• Experience of preparing routine financial and management information reports for senior executives and staff.
• Experience of using timesheet software to track allocation of staff time to different cost centres.
• High level competence with Sage accounting software and MS Excel.
• Able to analyse, structure and sense-check financial data to produce clear, informative reports, with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with proven management skills.
• Self-motivated and organised, able to work with limited supervision and manage conflicting priorities.

Please note, the above is an overview of the skills required for this role. To see the full list of essential and desirable skills please see the attached job description.

Benefits:

CSE offer a range of other benefits including:

• You will be entitled to 25 days' paid holiday (plus statutory holidays)
• Company pension scheme with 8% employer and 6% employee contributions
• Subsidised bike purchase and Tech Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Health Cash plan
• Retail discounts
• Discounted breakdown cover and many more.
• We will pay fees and expenses on relevant training courses.
• We are flexible with working hours and will discuss this openly if you are invited to interview.

How to apply

To apply, submit a CV and cover letter our Jobs email (available in the candidate pack). Your application should demonstrate your suitability against the criteria in the person specification and job description. 

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 7 September 2026.

First interviews are expected online on w/c 14 September 2026, with final panel interviews at our Bristol office on w/c 21 September September 2026. The earliest start date is early October 2026.

This role requires a basic DBS check. If invited to interview, we will ask for evidence of eligibility to work in the UK.