Director of development jobs
About the team
The Investment Team is responsible for selecting portfolio partners, managing our charity investments and supporting our portfolio partners to improve and scale their impact.
The Investment Team also leads the Impetus Leadership Academy, a leadership development programme to support talent from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK youth sector to progress into senior leadership roles.
The team is made up of 19 people, including former teachers, charity chief executives, charity impact leads, management consultants, social investment portfolio managers and impact consultants.
The team is led by a Portfolio Director who sits on the Senior Management Team. The Portfolio Director has 5 direct reports: a Deputy Portfolio Director, three Sector Leads (who lead our work in School engagement, School attainment and Employment Sectors) and an Impact Lead. Sector Leads line manage 6 Investment Directors. Investment Directors line manage Investment Managers (currently 6). Investment Directors and Investment Managers tend to primarily focus on a sector but might have mixed portfolios, depending on need, experience and interest.
The Investment Team has a good track record of role progression. All four Leads and a number of our Investment Directors were promoted from within the team.
The team is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We come from a range of backgrounds and bring a broad mix of perspectives. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.
About this role
We believe that all young people deserve to succeed in school and in work, whatever their background. We are pleased to be able to expand our team to support our growing portfolio of charity and non-profit partners, in order to reach and impact more lives. The role of Investment Manager presents an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the organisations we serve, the team itself, and the whole of Impetus.
We support a portfolio of 23 high potential charity and non-profit partners in the youth sector, helping them deliver benchmark-beating employment and education outcomes for young people, and to grow.
We believe the strength of our approach resides in three things:
1. Building deep, trust-based sustainable relationships with charity leaders by, investing time, kindness, integrity and honesty
2. Providing our charities multi-year, unrestricted funding to help them become sector-leading organisations and scale their impact
3. Offering tailored advice to charity leaders’ most pressing and strategic questions, including their mission, programme design, performance management, growth planning, and financial resilience.
Working with our portfolio partners is a privilege. The leaders we support are incredibly talented, passionate and keen for external advice, and the issues we work through with them are stimulating and stretching. Our senior management relationships are some of the most fulfilling relationships many of us have had in our careers. The growth and impact performance of our partners are testament to their commitment to disadvantaged young people and the influence we have on their development.
Partners and funders often comment on the quality of our people. Our team is analytical and data driven; we are deeply relational, low-ego and collaborative. We actively invest in our colleagues holding regular training and community of practice sessions, and use skills-based assessments to tailor development.
As an organisation we seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work and actively challenge our assumptions to better deliver change. Over the past two years we have taken action to help reduce racial inequality in the youth sector. In 2021 we launched our Connect Fund to support diverse leaders and their robust solutions to the entrenched employment gap faced by young people from ethnic minority backgrounds compared with their white peers. We have also built a highly regarded Leadership Academy for emerging youth sector leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds, with generous from Bank of America and State Street Foundation.
If you are looking for a role combining strategic thinking, analytical insight and influencing emerging leaders, as well as the opportunity to work with a supportive team to transform young lives, I hope you will apply to work with us.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sebastien Ergas
Portfolio Director
Key responsibilities
Finding high potential charities and non-profit organisations to join our portfolio
- Supporting the annual cycle of identifying new investments - mapping the landscape of charities in thematic areas (e.g. Apprenticeships and Skills), conducting structured analysis of key impact and financial data and reviewing the current evidence base to identify high potential charities and inform options for Investment Directors.
- Contributing to due diligence of new organisations by reviewing quantitative and qualitative charity information ) and preparing clear assessments of suitability for investment; This includes considering impact and scale potential, financial stability and summarising risks and recommendations for senior review. Requires strong relationship management, in co-ordination with Investment Directors, when engaging with potential charity partners.
- Supporting Investment Directors in developing, preparing and presenting high quality investment propositions to our Investment Committee.
Supporting and managing relationships with portfolio partners
- Working closely with Investment Directors to support portfolio partners across all areas of our work - leadership, impact and sustainability – owning defined(e.g. impact management or financial analysis).
- Building trust-based relationships with portfolio partners including senior leaders and delivery staff, acting as a valued advisor on practice improvement contributing insight and support while escalating strategic issues to Investment Directors and Programme/Impact leads.
- Working with Impact teams at portfolio partners to develop and refine impact management practices; including data collection, dashboard development, performance review meetings, programme design and evaluation.
- Supporting portfolio partners functional leads (e.g. Director of Impact) to develop as leaders by contributing insights and tools to help drive and strengthen impact-led approaches within their organisations.
- Coordinating pro- bono projects leveraging our large network of corporate volunteers to provide targeted support for our portfolio partners in key areas (e.g. strategy, marketing advice, financial analysis).
- Supporting Investment Directors with the design and delivery of theory of change workshops, conducting preparatory analysis of charity impact data developing and analysing pre-workshop surveys and co-facilitating workshops.
- Supporting the coordination and delivery of Impetus’ quarterly peer learning forums for our portfolio partners, in particular the Impact Forum.
- Supporting investment governance by preparing clear and accurate reports for Investment and Steering Committees.
Support to Impetus
- Developing knowledge and expertise in Education and Youth Employment domains, staying up to date on relevant sector developments and applying this insight to support analysis and decision making.
- Working collaboratively on Impetus’ public affairs and philanthropy objectives by contributing evidence, insight and content to case studies, research, policy campaigns, donor reports and events.
- Sharing the learning from our work across the team and organisation and supporting communication of insights externally where appropriate.
- Working within Impetus strategy, policies and procedures.
Person specification
Essential
- A commitment to Impetus’ mission and values
- Able to build productive, trust-based relationships internally and with senior external stakeholders including portfolio partners and co-investors, escalating strategic issues to Investment Directors as needed
- Strong relationship building and management skills
- Highly analytical and numerate, able to draw insights from a range of data sources, with good command of Excel or similar tools
- Clear and strategic thinker; able to clearly and concisely communicate insights and key messages via a range of mediums, including PowerPoint and Word
- Proven ability to work independently, within a defined scope and escalate risks promptly
- Clear and analytical thinker; keen to work collaboratively with Investment Directors and contribute evidence based insights to team discussions and decision making
- Strong planning and time management, able to balance between priorities
- Displays tenacity and initiative in progressing work within agreed frameworks
- Growth mind-set; seeks out and acts on feedback
- A strong interest in partnering closely with organisations, supporting them to strengthen delivery and impact.
- A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in our work and our organisation
If you don't tick all these boxes, but still feel that you fit the profile, please apply anyway.
Desirable
(candidates with one or more of the following may be particularly well suited to the role)
- Experience in consulting, investment management, or other in-depth grant making and capacity building work
- Previous experience working with charities. Could be in a previous role, pro-bono volunteer or Trustee capacity
- Experience in charity impact management or monitoring, evaluation and learning
- Experience working in, or deep understanding of, UK education and youth employment sectors
- Experience facilitating workshops or presenting to larger groups
- Financial acumen – including experience supporting financial analysis and modelling, fundraising pipeline development and review of financial information e.g, annual accounts, to assess and identify financial risk
- Project Management experience
About Impetus
At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.
We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:
- Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school
- Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths
- The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment
We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve.
Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.
We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.
You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.
Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.
Our Values
In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We are brave and curious
We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.
We bring high trust, high challenge
We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.
We are evidence led and results driven for young people
We pursue excellence for the young people we work with, are wholly committed to better outcomes, unapologetically results driven, and accountable for our actions.
We thrive through diversity
We seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work. We are open, thoughtful and proactive in better understanding and challenging our assumptions to better deliver the change we seek.
We always seek collaboration
We will not succeed alone. We seek meaningful, productive partnerships with others to achieve our mission and drive systems change for young people.
Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results.
We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.
We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.
We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.
Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.
Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.
Our employee benefits
Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers. For more information on these, please download the job information pack from our website.
How to apply
Please click on the "Apply for this job" button.
You will need to:
- Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form)
- Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.
The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.
You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.
As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.
The deadline for applications is Sunday 29th March 2026, 11:59pm.
Interviews:
1st Interviews will take place on w/c 13th April 2026.
2nd Interviews will take place on w/c 20th April 2026.
You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.
Personal Data
Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.
Impetus transforms the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by ensuring they get support to succeed in school, in work and in life.

Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
In 30 years we've helped transform over 10,000 children's lives around the world, giving them the chance of a brighter future. We're feel we are just getting started and are looking for a confident, relational communicator with a heart for transforming children's lives to join our team.
We're looking for someone who loves fundraising and will thrive in an outward facing role which blends strategy, storytelling and relationship-building. You’ll be as comfortable speaking from a church platform as you are meeting one-to-one with a key donor.
Please read the job description and if you feel this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.
We rescue children, then we do whatever it takes to provide the care, love and attention they need to thrive.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Mansfield College is seeking an exceptional fundraising professional to join its high-performing Development team, at an exciting moment in the College’s history. We are looking for an outstanding individual to lead the College’s annual (or ‘regular’) giving programme, and create and deliver engaging stewardship opportunities for donors at all levels.
Mansfield’s annual giving programme is central to the College’s ongoing success and generates vital and significant income for the College every year for every aspect of life and work within our academic community. Now in the public phase of our For Mansfield. Forever. campaign, you will be joining a friendly, supportive and high-performing team that is responsible for delivering consecutive record-breaking fundraising years for the College.
The Development Manager is a senior role within the College’s Development & Alumni Relations team and has responsibility for executing an annual giving strategy that includes telephone campaigns; online giving days using compelling social media content to drive support; direct mail appeals; and encouraging membership of Mansfield’s 1886 Circle. This role is also responsible for ensuring engaging stewardship opportunities for donors to the College at all levels.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Program Director (Youth Employment)
Prospectus is supporting an independent foundation seeking a Program Director (Youth Employment) who can complement the existing team by virtue of their experience in labor market economics, workforce development, value chain transformation, and/or the prioritization of public-sector investment in critical economic sectors.
Program Directors work with their government counterparts to design and support implementation of transformative programs, and many government counterparts are prioritizing youth employment. Program Directors are accountable to the CEO and are responsible for ensuring quality execution of programs; strengthening routine monitoring systems; leading evidence-based decision-making; and driving highly leveraged outcomes.
Program Directors each work on a variety of matters related to human capital development and contribute to programs in different African geographies. You can expect a dynamic environment and a culture of collaboration, innovation, and drive for highly leveraged outcomes.
Candidate Profile
- Extensive experience with complex and large-scale program ideation and implementation, ideally related to youth employment, labor market interventions, value chain transformation, and public-sector investment.
- Good understanding of how governmental departments work, ideally with direct experience working within government.
- Significant interactions at high policy levels within governments, with proven experience in managing complex and politically sensitive relationships with different stakeholders.
- Demonstration of methodical program oversight and management.
- Experienced in the use of programmatic tools such as dashboard creation, program monitoring and strategic planning.
- Demonstrated familiarity with and/or experience working in sub-Saharan Africa.
Terms
- £100,000 – £140,000 + benefits.
- The position is full-time. Staff members working in the London office attend the office five days a week. However, if you have a disability and need a different arrangement as a reasonable adjustment, please let us know. We are committed to supporting an inclusive and accessible workplace and will consider any requests in line with the organisation’s obligations.
- The position will require travel to sub-Saharan Africa
- Equal opportunities employer
How to Apply
To apply for the role, please upload your CV together with a supporting statement (no more than 500 words) onto the Prospectus website.
At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website.
Recruitment Timetable (Subject to Change)
- Deadline for applications: 5th April
- Interviews with Prospectus: 13th – 14th April
- First stage panel interviews: w/c 4th May
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
This role sits at the heart of Operation Smile UK’s five-year strategy to deliver transformational growth across all income streams. As Senior Lead - Acquisition and Digital Fundraising, you will be instrumental in delivering on three of our four core strategic priorities:
- Build Regular Giving – laying the foundation for higher long-term value and stronger ROI across acquisition channels.
- Drive All Donors to Legacy – recruiting quality donors who have the potential value to feed into legacy and long-term giving goals.
- Maximise Growth Through Digital Fundraising Integration – leading the expansion and optimisation of digital acquisition within a cohesive fundraising strategy
The Senior Lead - Acquisition & Digital Fundraising role is responsible for delivering Operation Smile UK’s strategic individual giving acquisition programme. This role is key to driving income growth and expanding our supporter base across multiple channels, including digital, DRTV, dialogue fundraising and print.
You will lead the strategy, planning, delivery and evaluation of acquisition campaigns, including the onboarding process, with full accountability for managing significant budgets, agency partnerships and performance metrics. This is a senior, hands-on role suited to an experienced acquisition fundraiser with strong commercial acumen and a data-driven mindset.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Campaign Leadership
- Develop and implement the multi-channel acquisition strategy, aligned with income targets and supporter growth objectives.
- Lead on the planning and delivery of campaigns across direct dialogue, digital, DRTV, and print channels.
- Lead on the planning and delivery of the onboarding process for all new recruits.
- Monitor and report on campaign performance, providing insight-driven recommendations to optimise results.
- Drive testing and innovation to expand existing channels and introduce new ones within acceptable risk and return parameters.
Budget Ownership & Performance Monitoring
- Take full responsibility for acquisition budget management, income forecasting and cost control.
- Set, monitor, and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs), reporting against ROI, CPA, and long-term value across all acquisition channels.
- Collaborate with the Senior Database Manager and the Director of Data and Technology to develop and maintain performance dashboards (e.g., Power BI) and support strategic data analysis, including both short-term and long-term channel performance evaluation.
Agency & Partner Management
- Manage day-to-day relationships with external fundraising and creative partners.
- Lead briefings, content sourcing, agent training, stakeholder approvals, and quality assurance processes.
- Negotiate contracts and hold suppliers accountable for delivery and performance.
Cross-Team and Market Integration
- Represent the acquisition programme in cross-functional planning meetings and contribute to a unified team culture focused on strategic delivery.
- Deliver and optimise the onboarding and conversion programme for new donors.
- Develop CRO strategies and implement with support from the Communications team, whilst supporting the enhancement of web development
- Ensure consistent campaign integration across touchpoints and maximise thematic/creative cohesion, working in collaboration with the Senior Communications Manager to lead and develop the creative and content strategy for acquisition.
- Act as a key liaison with colleagues across Operation Smile global markets, sharing insights and exploring opportunities to align strategy, co-develop creative, or pilot cross-market initiatives.
Compliance, Risk & Best Practice
- Ensure all campaigns meet legal, ethical and data protection requirements (e.g., GDPR, Fundraising Regulator).
- Act as a key contributor to organisational risk assessments relating to income performance and supplier performance.
- Keep up to date with sector trends, innovations and benchmarks to maintain best practice.
Person Specification
Essential Experience
- Extensive experience (ideally 5+ years) in Individual Giving or fundraising acquisition roles.
- Proven success delivering multi-channel acquisition campaigns with strong ROI.
- Experience managing external agencies and suppliers to high-performance standards.
- Strong background in digital fundraising and paid media.
- Demonstrated experience managing and reporting on substantial acquisition budgets.
Skills & Attributes
- Strategic thinker with excellent campaign planning and execution skills.
- Highly numerate and confident using data for decision-making and optimisation.
- Strong project and stakeholder management abilities.
- Proactive, self-starting approach with high levels of ownership and accountability.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to represent the organisation externally.
Desirable
- Understanding of retention and supporter journey optimisation.
- Familiarity with CRM and data system Donorfy.
- Experience with Power BI or other reporting tools.
First-round interviews are set for the week of 23rd March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.
Disability Confident Committed Employer
We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.
At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.
If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation.
We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Our mission at Response is to enable people of all ages to live a more fulfilled life by providing excellent mental health services, housing, and supported living.
Do you have the desire to empower and promote independence and an interest in mental health?
Director of Housing and Estates - £70,000 – £75,000 per annum (Salaries vary depending on experience)
Hours – 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday
Department – Housing
Location – Littlemore, Oxfordshire
What You’ll Be Doing:
Response is recruiting for a Director of Housing and Estates within our Housing Team. The Director of Housing and Estates is a senior leadership role responsible for the strategic and operational delivery of high-quality, safe, and compliant supported housing for people with mental health needs. The postholder will lead housing management, property and estates functions, and provide organisational oversight of Health Safety and Fire, ensuring homes are safe and well-maintained. If you are a motivated individual looking for an exciting opportunity to contribute to a compassionate organisation, we want to hear from you!
Overall job responsibility - Further information can be found in the job description
Some of the core duties include:
- Lead the development and delivery of the organisation’s Housing, Estates, and Health & Safety strategies in line with the charity’s mission and values.
- Act as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to organisational strategy, performance, and risk management.
- Provide expert advice to the Chief Executive, Board, and Committees on housing, estates, and safety matters.
- Responsible for the leadership of the housing and property department, nurturing an excellent customer focused service to our residents and provide strong leadership to the team, promoting a positive culture reflecting our values and setting clear objectives.
- Strategic oversight and accountability for the success of some housing service contracts, including leading negotiations with commissioners, ensuring financially robust and operationally excellent.
The Successful Applicant:
Our main priority for all our roles at Response is to find people that can live our values every day – Caring, Safe, Creative and Aspirational. We provide excellent training on everything else, but we do ask that you have:
- Level 4 qualification in Housing.
- A commitment to undertake continuous personal development.
- Supported housing knowledge.
- Health and Safety knowledge in a supported housing environment.
- Experience working to strict deadlines without compromising content and service.
- Leadership level experience within a housing association or supported housing environment.
- Dealing with people who experience mental health and vulnerabilities connected to their mental health or housing status.
- IT literate with experience using MS Office packages.
- Strong planning, organisational and time management skills.
What We Offer:
- 33 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays)
- Blue Light card and other discounted shopping
- Employee Assistance Plan - with access to free counselling
- Cycle to Work Scheme (after probation)
- Enhanced family friendly leave
- Flexible and agile working opportunities (role dependent)
- Professional qualification sponsorship and study leave
- £500 refer a friend bonus scheme
- Optional health cash care plan with money off prescriptions and treatments
- Wellbeing hub and mental wellbeing support app – approved by NHS
- Free flu jabs
- Free DBS application
If this Director of Housing and Estates position sounds like the role for you then please apply today! This vacancy may be closed early. To learn more about Response and what we do, please visit our website. Closing date - 15/04/2026
Our employees and clients come from all over the world, we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture and are registered as a Disability Confident Employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our clients. All our roles require an enhanced DBS check, two references from most recent employers and you must have the right to work in the UK.
Harris Hill is delighted to be partnering with a leading international NGO working to accelerate the global transition to sustainable, plant-rich food systems. We are seeking a strategic and hands-on Global Director of Strategic Communications to lead a high-performing international team and shape a compelling global narrative that influences policymakers, businesses, media and partners.
Recognised internationally for its impact and collaboration with major global institutions, the non-profit organisation (NGO) combines evidence, strategy and advocacy to deliver measurable change. This is a rare opportunity to shape and lead a global communications function at a pivotal moment for food, climate and public health.
Reporting to the Global CEO, you will:
- Develop and deliver a global communications strategy aligned to organisational priorities
- Secure high-impact international media coverage (e.g. Financial Times, BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times)
- Provide senior counsel on reputation and crisis communications
- Oversee brand integrity, messaging and digital channels globally
- Build alignment and clarity across distributed international teams
You will bring significant experience influencing B2B and policy audiences, leading global communications functions, and delivering results within complex structures. An established international media network and strong crisis judgement are essential. It’s essential that you have a strong alignment with sustainability, food systems, climate and/or public health agendas.
- Location: Remote (UK-based). Travel required ad-hoc for meetings and conferences.
- Contract: Full-time, Permanent.
- Salary: £56,000–£63,000
- Fantastic benefits package: including enhanced family leave policies, increasing holiday allowance yearly, inclusive, values-driven culture, and dedicated professional development budget.
Firm closing date: Sunday 22nd March. Please get in touch today to find out more!
As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp™, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
Location: MSSC National Support Centre, London, SE1 7JY
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Salary: Up to £80,000 gross per annum, depending on experience
Closing Date: 22 March 2026
Are you looking for a new challenge where you can have a positive impact on the lives of young people? We’re looking for an exceptional leader with significant experience of youth, volunteering, safety and business support.
The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure, while also enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development.
Thousands of young people take part in Sea Cadets activity every week. We want to reach thousands more. We have a strong vision and are on the cusp of rolling out a new multi-year growth strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide for young people. We aim to equip them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world. We are immensely proud of the breadth, quality and safety of activities we offer to young people.
We are looking for an exceptional individual who wants to be at the heart of this project to reach more young people through our extraordinary, highly skilled volunteers. This individual will drive quality and consistency across everything we do.
About the role
The Director of Young People, Volunteer & Business Support is a full-time employee of Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) and reports to the Chief Executive Officer. The post holder is a member of the MSSC Senior Management Team. The post is based at the National Support Centre in London but will require some travel, mostly within the UK, in order to fulfil the responsibilities of the role. The nature of the role will also involve occasional evening and weekend work.
Responsibilities
- Growth, Development & Outreach
- Health, Safety & Environment
- Young People Support & Safeguarding
- Volunteer Support
- Business Support & Legal
- Policy & Impact
Requirements
Knowledge and understanding of health and safety
Knowledge and experience of managing youth safeguarding issues
Knowledge and experience of volunteering and volunteer management
Experience of leading management processes, compliance, assurance and driving change
Experience of leading a large team with strong people management capability and driving high performance including remote management
For further information, please download the . If you are interested in this role, please apply now!
Benefits
- 25 days annual leave per annum, increasing with length of service
- Hybrid working for many roles (minimum 2 days per week in the London office)
- Volunteering Leave
- Life assurance (4x salary)
- Private medical insurance
- Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
- Wellbeing portal and EAP with one-to-one counselling
- Employee development
Additional Information
MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.
We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.
All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.
We help launch young people for life through adventure.


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Role Summary
As our Global Director of Strategic Communications, you will turn ProVeg’s strategy into a unified, high-impact narrative that accelerates the protein transition. You’ll set evidence-based objectives, prioritise where we can win, and align teams across countries and functions to deliver measurable engagement with media, policymakers, industry, partners, and supporters. You’ll elevate the voices of our Senior Leadership Team while staying hands-on for high-stakes moments—balancing speed with quality, and clarity with nuance. You’ll build and lead a high-performing team, create clarity and trust, and enable others to succeed through transparent goals, timely feedback, and consistent follow-through. This role is ideal for someone who has a solutions-first mindset, is passionate about our mission, excited to shape the way the world eats, and motivated by turning bold ideas into lasting, real-world impact.
Job details
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Reports to: Global CEO
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Department: INT Communications
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Direct Reports: Media Lead, Advocacy Communications Manager, Social Media Manager
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Location: Remote, UK
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Hours: full-time
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Salary: £56k- £63k
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Start date: May 2026
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Application deadline: 22.03.2026
Responsibilities
Leadership & Strategy Development
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Develop and execute a global communications strategy that drives narrative shifts, making plant-rich food systems a priority for decision-makers and addressing polarisation on food systems transformation.
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Oversee the development of strategic communications plans for ProVeg’s flagship Global Programmes – from insight and strategy to content, campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and measurement.
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Define how we measure the impact of our strategic communications on organisational and programmatic goals, working with Programme Leads and our Impact team.
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Collaborate with the Development team to develop compelling, mission-aligned content and narratives for major donor proposals, grant applications, and fundraising campaigns.
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Oversee the development and execution of our internal communications strategy, making recommendations on how we can improve communications with globally distributed employees.
Narrative Influence & Thought Leadership
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Use your existing network and develop new high-level media relationships to ensure ProVeg’s insights are front and center in top-tier global business and policy media outlets (e.g. FT, BBC, Guardian, NYT.).
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Act as a senior adviser to the Global CEO and SLT on reputation management and media appearances.
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Drive a "thought leadership" engine that positions ProVeg experts as the go-to source for food system transformation.
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Elevate ProVeg as an expert voice in the food system transition, leveraging our track record to secure high-impact presence at major national and global forums.
Brand Integrity & Editorial Direction
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Oversee and maintain the ProVeg brand, ensuring visual and verbal consistency across all global markets while maintaining a clear identity that resonates with key audiences.
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Provide clear guidance and capacity-building tools to international and programme teams on content narrative, positioning, and tone.
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Uphold the ProVeg Writing Style Guide and messaging frameworks across all platforms.
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Oversee the development and governance of owned channels, including the optimisation of the ProVeg website and global newsletters.
Team Leadership & Operations
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Build, lead, and inspire a high-performing global communications team, fostering a culture of excellence, creative-problem solving, and continuous improvement.
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Set OKRs, manage budgets, and streamline workflows to ensure maximum efficiency.
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Champion inclusive and effective communication practices that empower our 14 national teams.
Competencies
Required:
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You are a strategic thinker with deep knowledge of how to influence B2B and policy actors through communications and a persuasive communications style.
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You have a proven track record of managing diverse, high-performing, globally distributed teams. You lead by example - you’re as comfortable directing a global launch as you are drafting a press release when the pressure is on.
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You bring an extensive network of international media contacts and a proven ability to craft narratives that break through the noise to secure coverage in top-tier outlets.
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You have experience of delivering results within a matrix structure, preferably within an international federated network.
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You prioritise open and honest communication, demonstrate excellent judgement under pressure, make decisions based on evidence, and are comfortable managing trade-offs and navigating crisis/risk communications.
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You bring strong alignment with and passion for ProVeg’s mission and vision, and familiarity with the food systems, climate, and/or public health spaces.
Preferred:
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Experience developing and executing communications strategies for programmes or portfolios.
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Experience of working with and overseeing agency partners.
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You bring strong digital strategy expertise across web, email, SEO, and social; familiarity with CRM/automation and analytics tools.
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You have experience with crisis scenarios, misinformation dynamics, and reputation management.
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You speak additional languages.
Benefits of working with ProVeg
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A strong organisational focus on personal development, with a designated training budget.
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Provision of a work laptop.
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Flexible, trust-based working arrangements and home-office arrangements.
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Career development support.
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Mental health & wellbeing support via access to the OpenUp platform and a free Headspace subscription
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We are a workplace that encourages everyone to bring their whole selves to work. We are an inclusive workplace for our diverse employees around the world.
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Generous annual leave entitlement - 25 days increasing by one day a year to a maximum of 30 days (plus bank holidays)
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Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay.
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Employee Assistance Programme including counselling
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Access to 24/7 virtual GP Service
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Access to the Wisdom app with exclusive perks and discounts
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Compassionate animal companion leave
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And, last but not least, become part of a great team and work with us towards a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet!
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you a values-driven leader who believes that women facing domestic abuse deserve exceptional services - services not just designed for them, but truly shaped by their lived experiences?
Leeds Women's Aid (LWA) is a proudly feminist, women-centred organisation delivering life-changing support for women and girls experiencing domestic abuse. As they enter an exciting time of growth and transformation, they're looking for a visionary Director of Services & Engagement to help shape the next era of innovation and impact.
Salary: £55,000-£60,000
Location: Hybrid (50/50) split between Leeds office, home and cross-service/stakeholders
Contract: Permanent, 35 hours per week FTE
Benefits: 30 days annual leave (+bank), 5% employer pension contribution, enhanced maternity/paternity policies, flexible life and family-friendly working
About the opportunity
In this newly reimagined role, you'll lead service delivery and engagement with women accessing LWA's support, ensuring services are safe, trauma-informed and inclusive - and, above all, grounded in women's lived experiences. You will create the conditions for their voices to be heard, valued and amplified, so they meaningfully shape practice and influence change.
This is a rare, career-defining opportunity at the heart of LWA's future. The organisation is building a visible, united and inspiring senior team, rooted in shared leadership, mutual accountability and collaboration.
You'll take ownership of a diverse and dynamic portfolio spanning refuge, community services, housing, engagement, impact and performance. As an ambitious organisational strategy gains momentum, you'll focus on strengthening partnerships, building emerging housing capability and ensuring survivors' voices influence every decision.
Taking the lead on
- Strategic oversight of frontline services and survivor-centred practice.
- Coaching-led leadership for managers and multi-disciplinary teams.
- Quality assurance, performance, safeguarding and operational risk.
- Innovation and service development informed by data, evidence and lived experience.
- External engagement with commissioners, statutory services and the wider sector.
- Development of a sustainable, forward-facing housing strategy.
About you
You are a confident, highly skilled operational leader with a deep commitment to women-centred, trauma-informed practice. You bring the credibility and conviction to represent an organisation rooted in women's lived experience, ensuring its values, language and decisions consistently reflect women-centred principles.
You'll also bring:
- Senior leadership experience within charity, public sector or social care settings.
- Proven track record of delivering high-quality services across complex teams.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to identify and drive innovation and change.
- Sound judgement, calm decision-making and strong relationship-building skills.
- Able to offer respectful challenge, foster reflective practice and shared ownership.
- Consistently values-led, inclusive and ethical in your leadership.
Please note, this is a women-only role under the Equality Act 2010, which is an Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
Why this role matters
You'll join an organisation with courageous ambition and a commitment to collective leadership. This role gives you the platform to influence strategy, shape service excellence, elevate survivor voice and lead a talented, purpose-led workforce making a profound difference every day.
Are you ready to apply?
Please send a copy of your CV or profile to Amelia Lee at Charity People as the first step.
If your experience matches what we're looking for, then we'll be in touch with more detail about the application process.
Deadline: 9am on Wednesday 25th March
Interview dates will be confirmed soon.
Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.
Director of Commercial Services
Salary: £60,727
Location: University of Reading Students’ Union
Contract: Full Time – 37.5 hours per week (worked flexibly)
Are you ready to shape exceptional student experiences through vibrant and innovative commercial services?
Reading Students’ Union is seeking a progressive and values-driven Director of Commercial Services to provide strategic and hands-on leadership across all commercial services, helping to deliver outstanding spaces, services and experiences for the student community.
About Reading SU
Reading Students’ Union is an independent education charity led by, and for, students.
The Students’ Union is central to the University experience and works to support all aspects of student life for the 19,000 plus students studying at the University of Reading. Located in one of Britain’s top green spaces, the Students’ Union is an ambitious and diverse organisation, committed to supporting every student at Reading University in achieving personal success.
Reading SU sits at the heart of a thriving student community, with activities and initiatives inspired by students themselves. The Students’ Union is committed to promoting the interests and welfare of its members, representing their needs, and offering opportunities for personal development through a wide range of social, cultural, sporting and recreational activities.
This commitment to student experience also underpins the Union’s commercial activity. Reading Students’ Union’s venues, services and events are designed to be inclusive, welcoming and vibrant spaces where students can connect, feel a sense of belonging and create lasting memories. Guided by student insight, the commercial services play an important role in supporting the Union’s mission while enhancing student life across campus.
About the Role
Reading SU are thrilled to be searching for a Director of Commercial Services, a dynamic leader experienced in licensed trade, catering, events, and marketing. This role is not just about maintaining the status quo but about reimagining and diversifying the commercial services in line with student community needs.
The ideal candidate will be both strategic and hands-on, with an ability to develop Reading SU’s commercial services while also being involved in delivery of the operations.
The successful candidate will not necessarily come from the Higher Education sector but will be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of the trends, challenges and opportunities that shape student life and the Students’ Union sector. They will bring a sound understanding of charity governance and financial management, alongside the strategic and operational capability required to lead complex commercial services within a democratic, student-led organisation.
Reading Students’ Union offers an inclusive and engaging working environment and is passionate about developing its people. The organisation is committed to ensuring its workforce reflects the diversity of the community it serves, respecting individual identity and celebrating differences. Applications are encouraged from all candidates regardless of background, and Reading Students’ Union particularly welcomes applications from candidates from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and from candidates with disabilities.
The SU offers a range of sector-leading benefits including enhanced leave, onsite nursery, occupational sick pay, access to campus facilities and winter shutdown over the Christmas period- a rare opportunity within the hospitality and commercial sector.
It’s a genuinely exciting time for Reading Students’ Union and we look forward to receiving your application.
Key Dates
Closing Date: Thursday 9th April, 12pm
First Stage Interviews (Remote): 20th April
Final Interviews (In-person): 27th April
Optional Q/A session with the CEO and Interim Commercial Director: 26th March (time tbc) Email to register (see below)
How to Apply
Please click 'Apply' to be redirected to our website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and apply.
For an informal conversation about the role and the application process, or to register to the optional Q/A session, please contact our recruitment partners at Atkinson HR Consulting. Their details can be found in the candidate pack.
Associate Director, Scotland
Ref: REF000006
Location: Home-based, Scotland (However, travel and overnight stays within the UK will be required as part of this role)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: Circa £66,000 per annum
Finding strength through support
The Stroke Association is the UK’s leading charity providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families. We provide tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year. This support includes one-to-one and group support, funding vital scientific research into stroke prevention, acute treatment, recovery and long-term care, and campaigning to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.
We’re here for stroke survivors and their loved ones, from the moment they enter the new and frightening post-stroke world, supporting them every step of the way as they find their strength and their way back to life.
It’s only thanks to the generosity of our supporters and donors that we can provide vital support.
Stroke Association is driven by our ambition to improve the lives of everyone affected by stroke. This means we’re determined to create an equitable and inclusive workplace that benefits from the difference, and thrives on the diversity, of our people. Guided by Our approach to solving inequity in stroke, we are prioritising listening to, and learning from, lived experience across our charity.
We are working to improve the representation of this lived experience at all levels within the Stroke Association, and we are eager to recruit applicants from a variety of communities and backgrounds. We are keen to receive applications from people affected by stroke, people of colour, members of LGBT+ communities, and disabled people because these identities and experiences are underrepresented and would add enormous value to how we work.
We are a Disability Confident employer, and we are making great progress focusing on flexible working, reasonable adjustments and access to work. Our charity has a variety of staff network groups, and we're committed to continuously improving our diversity and inclusion efforts. If you have questions, or access needs, we’re happy to discuss any support and adjustments we can make throughout the recruitment process so that you’re able to contribute your best in a way that meets your needs.
About You and The Role
We’re looking for an exceptional systems leader to drive our work across Scotland and ensure people affected by stroke have the support they need to rebuild their lives. You’ll shape and deliver our vision for Scotland, focusing on what matters most to stroke survivors and ensuring our work has real, measurable impact.
In this influential role, you’ll build strong relationships across health and social care, Scottish Parliament and Government, and the wider stroke community. You'll bring deep understanding of the Scottish context and ensure our work is grounded in the lived experience of stroke survivors and their families.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Lead the Stroke Association’s strategic direction and impact in Scotland, ensuring people affected by stroke receive high quality support.
- Build and manage relationships with key health, social care and political stakeholders, acting as a credible and respected systems leader.
- Adapt organisational priorities for Scotland and ensure effective delivery through strong planning and performance oversight.
- Lead and develop the Scotland team, addressing capacity needs and building volunteer capability to meet local priorities.
- Strengthen partnerships across the stroke community to improve access to support and tackle health inequalities.
- Lead engagement in local policy and pathway development, influencing improvements at health board level.
You will have:
- Significant senior-level experience in advocacy and influencing, including shaping policy change in values-driven, social-impact contexts within Scotland’s health and social care sector.
- Substantial experience developing and managing senior-level relationships across partner organisations, using strong negotiation skills and sound political judgement.
- Experience leading complex organisational change and transformation, ensuring people-centred and sustainable outcomes.
- Strong understanding of the Scottish health and social care landscape, including Parliament, Government, influencing systems, and awareness of UK-wide legislative procedures.
- Ability to balance local, national and UK-wide organisational priorities.
To fulfil the role, you must live in Scotland and have the right to work in the UK. This role requires travel and overnight stays across the UK. Candidates must be able to demonstrate how they can meet this requirement of the role.
Closing Date: 5 April
First Interview (online) Date: Monday 20 April or Tuesday 21 April
Second interview and Roundtable Discussion (face to face): week commencing 27 April
Please note all roles close at midnight
Please state any preferences for flexible options in your application. Applications from individuals who are seeking flexible working options, including reduced hours or job shares are welcomed.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
No agencies please.
Our vision is of a society where everyone has the opportunity to live a rewarding and fulfilled life.
Are you our next Chief Executive?
- Are you passionate about addressing issues around poverty and inequality?
- Do you have the experience and skills needed to lead this innovative place-based funder?
- Are you a creative thinker who thrives on working collaboratively and collegiately?
If so, then you might be the right person to lead Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving.
About Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving
Established over 500 years ago, Cripplegate Foundation has become a pioneering, place-based grantmaking foundation with a reputation for innovation and making a difference. It created Islington Giving, which was the first scheme of its kind, to work with residents and a coalition of funders, businesses and voluntary organisations to create better solutions to the challenges of poverty and inequality. We make grants of over £2 million a year and we have become a major influencer in the grant-giving sector, achieving significant progress, such as:
- Raising over £12 million since 2010.
- Partnering with Islington Council to promote community development and support residents
- Developing innovative and participatory grant programmes
- Pushing forward with ambitious Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals
It’s an exciting (and challenging) time to join us!
Given the challenges in Islington (and beyond), the next few years promise to be pivotal in shaping our future and there are many opportunities for the new Chief Executive to make a difference, including:
- Leading on considerations around the changing political landscape
- Working creatively and innovatively to explore the strategy for the coming years
- Building on our programme of Social Impact Investing and ethical Investing
- Leading a passionate, professional and committed team
About the role and person
The new Chief Executive could be someone with senior management experience who is ready to lead an organisation for the first time, or they may already have experience of being a Chief Executive.
Whatever your background you will need to demonstrate, amongst other things:
- Experience of leading and managing in a collaborative and collegiate style
- Skill at creating and delivering cross-sector partnerships
- An entrepreneurial style and a record of income generation
- A deep understanding of the issues arising in inner city areas, gained through lived and/or professional experience
- A pioneering, creative and innovative style and a commitment to DEI
If you feel you fit the role and are motivated by our work then we’d be excited to hear from you. Please find out more by looking at the Candidate Information Pack.
Our vision is of a society where everyone can live a rewarding and fulfilled life, free from poverty and inequality.
Age UK Kensington & Chelsea (AUKC) is a vibrant, values led local charity dedicated to helping older people live well — staying connected, independent and fulfilled at every stage of life. We work alongside our community to codesign and deliver impactful services that promote wellbeing, tackle loneliness, influence local policy and ensure dignity and independence for people across the borough.
As we look to the future, we are focused on innovation, growth and lasting impact. Building on the success of resecuring our two largest contracts in 2025 (for three and up to nine years respectively) we are seeking to strengthen our partnerships, diversify the ways we deliver support, and create new approaches to have even greater impact for older people in Kensington & Chelsea.
This is an exciting time to join a charity widely recognised for its compassion, quality and influence with a strong reputation among NHS, local authority and community partners.
We are now seeking an exceptional Director of Services & Deputy CEO to join our leadership team and help shape the next stage of our journey.
Director of Services & Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Kensington & Chelsea, London (hybrid working)
Circa £75,000 FTE for 4 days per week (circa £60,000 for 4 days)
The Opportunity
This is a rare and exciting leadership role for someone who is passionate about community impact and aspires to become a CEO in the future.
As Deputy CEO, you will work closely with our Chief Executive to provide inspiring, values driven leadership across the charity. You will help develop and deliver our new three-year strategy, steer organisational priorities, strengthen our culture, and ensure we continue to grow and thrive — as well as deputising confidently for the CEO when required.
As Director of Services, you will lead our Health, Wellbeing and Community Services, ensuring they remain high quality, evidence based and financially sustainable. You will champion innovation, drive integration across programmes, and make sure our work delivers measurable outcomes for older people.
A key part of your role will be building strong relationships with commissioners and partners, developing compelling proposals, and supporting the growth and diversification of our services. You will also lead our impact and quality agenda, embedding a culture of learning, continuous improvement and accountability.
If you are an ambitious, strategic and collaborative leader who thrives on variety and purpose — and who is energized by working alongside communities — this is an exceptional opportunity.
About You
We are looking for a confident and compassionate leader who brings:
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Significant senior leadership experience in the voluntary, community or public sector.
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A strong track record of developing and delivering health, wellbeing or community services.
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Expertise in impact measurement, quality assurance and evidence driven service design.
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Experience of business development, including securing grants, contracts or new partnership opportunities.
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Excellent relationship building skills across health, care, local government or community sectors.
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A leadership style that is collaborative, inclusive and aligned with our values of kindness, respect and integrity.
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Experience working within integrated care systems or commissioning environments
What We Offer
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A rare career development opportunity for someone who may be aspiring to become a CEO.
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A supportive and ambitious organisation committed to innovation, inclusion and impact.
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The chance to shape high quality services that make a real difference to people’s lives.
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Competitive salary, pension and ongoing professional development.
How to Apply
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact our retained advisors Anna Gardet or Erica Ritchie at Prospectus.
Recruitment Timetable
Deadline for applications: Sunday 12th April 2026
Interviews with Prospectus: 20-24th April 2026
First stage interviews with Age UK Kensington & Chelsea: 7th May 2026
Second stage interviews with Age UK Kensington & Chelsea: 12th May 2026
This position is offered on a full-time basis, though we welcome applications from candidates interested in working 3–4 days per week
This is a really exciting time to lead on Service Design at UK Youth. The Government’s recently-launched National Youth Strategy represents a shift in youth work’s recognition. UK Youth is about to launch its own new Strategy and we have big ambitions for the coming year – in this crucial leadership role, you’ll drive forward our ambition to design, test and scale the very best solutions to the challenges faced by young people and the professionals supporting them.
UK Youth’s Impact Function has grown over the last year – we’re investing in the power of evidence, human-centred design and influential storytelling to improve the equity and effectiveness of youth work. Join us and help build a society that backs every young person – through each spark, struggle, and success.
Purpose of the job
This role is responsible for the design of UK Youth’s support to young people, youth organisations and youth workers. This could include structured youth work programmes, funding and grants+ programmes, professional development initiatives, and campaigns.
You will lead and oversee end-to-end design processes, ensuring that UK Youth develops fully packaged offers that respond to the evidence base and people’s needs, drive forward our strategy and achieve incredible impact. You will work across UK Youth teams, with external design partners, and meaningfully involving young people and the professionals who support them in the design process.
You will be experienced in developing high quality funding propositions (proactively and in response to new business opportunities). You will be confident in taking a human-centred design approach to tackle some of the youth sector’s knottiest problems. You will design solutions to important problems, ensuring that they are feasible, equitable, impactful and scalable.
In 2026, our priority topics for youth work programmes and network development are: mental health and wellbeing, employability, social cohesion and community safety.
As a leader, you will work closely with research, evaluation, policy, service delivery, network development, and fundraising teams. You will help to improve the skills and confidence of colleagues across UK Youth to apply design methods in their own work and collaborate effectively with the Design team.
Why work at UK Youth?
UK Youth wants all young people to be equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. Youth work can be life changing (and even life saving.) In 2026, we will be launching our new strategy, positioning UK Youth to unlock youth work so that every young person in the UK can benefit. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed, and delivers high-quality outcomes.
UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference, and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. Come and be part of this change in a driven and supportive team that puts evidence at the heart of our work.
Role Responsibilities
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Designing Solutions
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Developing new business and funding propositions
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Embedding Human Centred Design
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Building a strong external network to support the Design team’s work
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Operations
Experience we're after
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Significant experience of leading and overseeing the development of new business propositions and proposals to time-limited funding opportunities
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Significant experience of designing interventions (digital and/or physical) for young people and/or those who support them
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Experience using human-centred-design methods and mindsets; managing projects across the end-to-end design process
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Proven track record of inspiring and motivating diverse teams and improving collaborative ways of working across teams and departments
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Experience of developing high quality programme content and curricula for young people, youth workers and/or outdoor learning instructors (desirable)
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Experience of commissioning and managing external design freelancers and consultants (desirable)
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Experience of designing and/or delivering professional development programmes (desirable)
What we can offer you
We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:
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Flexible/Agile Working
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27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)
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Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity
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Other training available in support of your personal and professional development
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Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)
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Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary
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Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally
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20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.
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IT equipment provided for the duration of contract
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CycleScheme and TechScheme
How to apply
If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.
Closing date: 25th March 2026 at 23:59pm (midnight)
Provisional Interview Dates: 1st and 2nd April (In person at our London Office)
As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.
UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.