Youth collective senior manager jobs in Birmingham, west midlands

Head of Strategy

Location: Home-based in the UK, within 90 minutes travel of Central London with regular national and international travel

Contract: 1-year fixed Maternity cover commencing April 2026. 

Reporting to: Executive Director

Salary: £65,000 to £70,000.

Additional benefits: 25 days annual leave plus public holidays (annual leave increasing by 1 extra day for every year’s service up to 30 days total), life assurance and access to an employee assistance programme.

About WeProtect Global Alliance

Who we are

WeProtect Global Alliance is a global movement dedicated to ending the sexual exploitation and abuse of children online. We bring together governments, the private sector, civil society, and international organisations to create a safer digital world where every child can thrive.

Our Alliance connects over 300 members from across the globe, uniting diverse expertise and resources to protect children from harm, no matter where they are.

WeProtect Global Alliance is supported by a small, high-performing Secretariat of remote working staff based in the UK/Ireland and is overseen by an influential Global Policy Board drawn from our membership.

Our vision

A digital world free of child sexual exploitation and abuse

Our mission

To work together to build, engage and support a diverse, child-centred global network with the commitment, knowledge and skills to tackle technology-facilitated child sexual abuse and exploitation.

What we do

We focus on driving policy change, fostering international collaboration, and promoting cutting-edge research to combat online child abuse.

Through shared data, insights, and best practices, we empower our members to develop more effective solutions and inspire a coordinated global response.

With a steadfast commitment to child safety, WeProtect Global Alliance stands as a catalyst for change, advocating for a world in which technology empowers and protects children, not endangers them.

Together, we’re creating lasting impact and building a future where every child is safe online.

More information on who we are and what we do can be found on our website.

Job description

Key responsibilities

· To lead the Strategy team, ensuring the research and policy portfolios are informed by best practice to achieve our mission and vision, while embodying our values. This includes working across the Secretariat to deliver the existing strategy.

· To be a thought leader, keep abreast of external trends and developments and changing circumstances to ensure the WeProtect Global Alliance Strategy remains relevant, targeted and focused on improving outcomes for children and young people in a rapidly changing legislative, operational and technological landscape.

· To be accountable for strategy, research, policy and cross organisational projects and work streams. This includes planning and organising relevant performance and delivery areas, being mindful of cross-cutting impacts and priorities.

· To be accountable for the commissioning, delivery and impact of strategic projects, ensuring they are led and informed by participatory principles to reflect the diversity of our membership, embed lived experience, and deliver the WeProtect Global Alliance mission.

· To ensure the effective delivery of the WeProtect Global Alliance Strategy in a fast paced, politically sensitive and rapidly changing external environment, including participating in and leading (where relevant) annual business planning, forecasting, setting, monitoring, reviewing and reporting on budgets and relevant donor requirements to support effective decision making throughout the year.

· To provide exemplary leadership and line management to staff, including appraisals, supervision, team meetings, delegating, managing, engaging, developing and supporting staff to be the best they can be and achieve our strategic objectives in accordance with our vision and values.

· Lead and develop effective working relationships with external partners, stakeholders, members and staff to maximise the collective impact of WeProtect Global Alliance (governmental, public, private, civil society and advocacy communities).

· To take accountability for preparing papers, reports and presentations for internal and external meetings including senior management meetings, executive team, trustee, board and reference groups meetings. To attend, chair, and contribute to meetings, briefings, reviews, due diligence and auditing and compliance activities.

· Represent the Executive Director at internal and external events, share peer responsibility for problem solving challenges, creating a ‘one team’ approach to delivery and deputising were appropriate.

· To be an ambassador, spokesperson and representative of WeProtect Global Alliance Secretariat at external events.

Expectations

Senior Management Team (SMT)

As a member of  SMT, you will also have a pivotal role to play in supporting and improving the organisations effectiveness as we implement the WeProtect Global Alliance new strategy, operating model and ways of working to ensure we remain effective, responsive and relevant in an increasingly polarized political landscape as we enter the fourth industrial revolution.

Cross-Functional Operational Collaboration

Contribute to WPGA operational processes and systems, working collaboratively with colleagues to deliver cross-functional projects that strengthen the reach and impact of the Secretariat.

Building an inclusive culture

Play a proactive role in ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is embedded in everything we do.

Embrace diversity and recognise different perspectives within collaborative working to create a more impactful and effective organisation.

Commit to ensuring all employees are treated fairly and equitably at work, feel like they belong and promote equality in physical and mental health for all.

Other

· To attend and contribute to meetings, training and other events as required.

· To actively participate in our supervision and appraisal process.

· To ensure that all responsibilities and activities within this post are delivered in accordance with WeProtect Global Alliance core values and relevant corporate, organisational, financial and compliance policies.

· To travel to meetings which may require the need to work unsociable hours, for example attending evening or weekend meetings.

· To adhere to relevant legal and statutory requirements including Data Protection Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act.

· To use WeProtect Global Alliance resources responsibly.

As a global, multi-sector alliance, ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is embedded in everything we do is a critical priority. We embrace diversity and understand that being an inclusive organisation, recognising different perspectives, will enable us to be impactful and effective. We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equality in physical and mental health for all.

Person specification

Essential criteria

Experience

· Significant senior experience and demonstrable record leading a Strategy Team to deliver an ambitious child centred mission on the global stage.

· Outstanding leadership and team management experience, including experience coaching and line managing direct reports.

· Demonstrable effective influencing and negotiation skills and political judgment with a proven track record building productive and impactful professional relationship and partnerships with a wide range of individuals and organisations.

· Proven experience leading change and transformation with demonstrable qualities as a change agent. 

· Demonstrable senior management level experience in project management, financial, donor and budget management, monitoring, evaluation and lesson learning across the fields of strategy, research and policy.

· Significant experience commissioning high quality, high value research and policy projects and able to demonstrate the use of insights in long term planning and impact frameworks.

Skills

· Outstanding communication skills and ability to effectively engage and build meaningful relationships with internal and external staff and stakeholders at all levels.

· Excellent self-management skills to work independently, autonomously and as part of a team, using own initiative and being flexible and adaptable to deliver as ‘one team’.

· Exemplary IT, project management, financial management and donor engagement skills.

· Demonstrable excellent planning and organisation skills to deliver work to agreed timescales and standards.

Knowledge

· Knowledge and understanding of WeProtect Global Alliance mission, vision, values and ambition and how it applies to this post.

· Knowledge and understanding of a child centred approach to participation, advocacy and EDI and how it applies to this post, with a focus on embedding effective policies and processes.

· Awareness of global child protection policies and procedures within the digital arena and a genuine passion for child protection.

Other

· Right to work in the UK.

· A willingness to travel and work unsocial hours (time in lieu can be claimed).

· Commitment to your own continuing professional and personal development.

· To uphold high standards of work, standards and conduct in line with WeProtect Global Alliance values.

Diversity, inclusion and equity

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those of different ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities and lived experiences. We particularly encourage applications from individuals who are part of communities that are under-represented in our sector.

Safeguarding and values

As a child-focused organisation, we have a strong commitment to child safeguarding and rigorous procedures. The successful candidate will be required to provide two referees and to undergo a criminal record check.

All staff are expected to act at all times in a manner consistent with our values and in compliance with our policies and procedures, including our Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

Our values are:

Empowerment – collaboration, innovation, challenge

Accountability – responsibility, delivery, safeguarding

Respect – honesty, feedback, inclusion

Role outline and purpose

The Head of External Relations leads strategic engagement and influencing activities to ensure hunger and hardship remain a priority for key external audiences, to build the breadth and depth of support needed to help end the need for food banks.  This role engages and influences target stakeholders in government, business, civil society and faith communities to prioritise hunger and hardship in their decisions and actions.

This role is part of Trussell’s Prioritising Hunger and Hardship programme, the goal of which is to keep hunger and hardship at the forefront of conversations and decision making – both amongst the public and key individuals and organisations relevant to our cause.  This role is focused on the successful delivery of the overall programme outcomes, contributing to the fulfilment of our long-term vision of a UK without the need for food banks.

Role responsibilities

· Leading the organisation’s external influencing strategy to shape key conversations, decisions, and activities among target audiences to ensure hunger and hardship remain a national priority.  Working closely with colleagues across the organisation focused on influencing and advocacy with relevant stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, advice sector, local authorities).

· Develop and maintain high-impact senior relationships with key parliamentarians, civil servants, faith leaders, youth organisations, the wider charitable food sector and other partners to build strategic support and unlock change.

· Oversee targeted engagement programmes that deepen collaboration with, and activate, key stakeholders and organisations to build and amplify the long-term wide-ranging support needed to end the need for food banks – including youth and wider civil society organisations, charitable food providers and faith communities.

· Shape and support coalitions that align around shared priorities, build a unified narrative, and strengthen the collective voice of organisations working to support people facing hunger and hardship.

· Act as an external spokesperson representing the organisation in media, at external events and high-level meetings and through written commentary.

· Provide team leadership, direction, support and line management.  This will include regular 1:1s and reviews to ensure object and targets are met.

Person Specification

Technical skills and minimum knowledge:

· Proven track record of developing and delivering successful influencing strategies, focused on wide-ranging and high-profile external audiences

· Extensive experience in senior stakeholder engagement, coalition building, and influencing with impact across a wide range of partners, including a strong understanding of the UK political landscape and policy processes

· An understanding and appreciation for faith communities, particularly the role churches play in mobilising communities to end the need for food banks

· Knowledge of issues related to hunger and hardship, with an ability to translate complex policy into accessible messaging

Behaviours and competencies:

· Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate and respond to changing political and social environments

· Role model inclusive behaviour, values and leadership including empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially excluded backgrounds

· Comfortable working in a fast-paced and high-performing organisation, combining problem-solving with collaborative interpersonal skills

· Effective communications and influencing skills: diplomatic, builds rapport, accessible and audience-appropriate presentation, and highly persuasive

Key Stakeholders

· Programme Leadership Team, particularly Heads withing Prioritising Hunger and Hardship (Head of Programme, Communications, and Research)

· Key influencing stakeholders within Making Social Security Work, Sustainable Holistic Advice, and Supportive Communities programmes (including Heads of Policy, Advice Advocacy, Community Building, and Community Design)

· Senior Audience messaging specialist (in programme)

· Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland leads

· Assistant Director of Income Generation

· UK parliamentarians and officials

· Senior sector partners

· Senior Church leaders