Brand and pr manager jobs

The Interim Director of Fundraising & Engagement will provide strategic and operational leadership to support the development of sustainable income growth during a pivotal transitional period as the charity begins delivery of its organisational strategy to 2030.

Job Title: Interim Director of Fundraising & Engagement (9–12 months)
Organisation: Ben – Motor & Allied Trades Benevolent Fund (The Automotive Industry Charity)
Location: Remote, with UK travel as required
Contract: Fixed-term contract, 9–12 months
Salary: c£90,000
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Direct Reports: Fundraising, Supporter Engagement and Awareness & Experience function

This role is primarily focused on strengthening and scaling voluntary income, leading a fundraising function, and building a robust, future-proofed income engine across the UK automotive community.

Marketing & Communications will play a critical supporting responsibility, ensuring strong brand positioning, audience engagement, and compelling storytelling that underpins fundraising success.

The postholder will also shape the future fundraising operating model and support a smooth transition to a permanent Director.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Income Growth

• Lead the development of an ambitious, income-led Fundraising Strategy aligned to the 2030 organisational strategy
• Drive growth across a diversified voluntary income portfolio, including:
  • Individual & Regular Giving
  • Legacy fundraising
  • Corporate partnerships across the UK automotive sector
  • Community fundraising and events
  • Digital fundraising and supporter journeys
• Build and scale compelling fundraising propositions tailored to the automotive community
• Strengthen income pipelines, forecasting, and KPI frameworks, ensuring clarity on short, medium, and long-term revenue generation
• Embed a culture of performance, accountability, and income optimisation, using data and insight to drive decision-making
• Identify and unlock new income opportunities, partnerships, and funding streams.

Supporter Engagement & Income Enablement

• Lead the development of end-to-end supporter journeys that drive acquisition, retention, and lifetime value
• Ensure audience insight and segmentation are embedded across all fundraising activity
• Strengthen supporter stewardship, ensuring high-quality engagement that translates into long-term income growth
• Foster innovation, testing, and continuous improvement across fundraising channels

Marketing & Communications

• Work with senior leaders and managers to refine and document insight-led marketing and communications delivery plans to increase awareness and engagement
• Strengthen digital reach across the UK automotive workforce and retired community
• Enhance brand positioning, messaging, and storytelling to grow both service uptake and supporter engagement
• Oversee audience segmentation and insight to inform engagement and behaviour change
• Ensure high-quality campaigns and content across digital, PR, social, and partnership channels.

Cross-Organisational Leadership

• Model collaborative, high-performance leadership aligned to organisational values
• Work closely with Impact and Service teams to ensure engagement activity reflects real community needs and insight
• Contribute to organisation-wide planning, budgeting, and transformation.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead and support Fundraising, Supporter Engagement and Awareness & Experience teams through a period of transition and change
• Identify capability gaps and implement solutions (training, reshaping, recruitment)
• Strengthen systems, processes, and performance reporting to support long-term sustainability and growth.

 Key Deliverables (9–12 Months)

• A costed, income-led Fundraising Strategy aligned to the 2030 organisational strategy
• Scalable supporter and beneficiary engagement journeys reaching tens of thousands annually
• Clear recommendations for future team structure, roles, and investment
• Strengthened income pipelines and improved forecasting accuracy
• Enhanced brand visibility and digital engagement within the automotive community
• Smooth transition to a permanent Director with strong foundations, documentation, and operational frameworks in place

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience in Fundraising and MarComms within the charity sector
• Proven track record delivering fundraising strategies and measurable income and engagement outcomes
• Demonstrable success across individual giving, corporate partnerships, and digital fundraising
• Strong experience in brand, marketing, and digital engagement
• Experience leading teams through organisational change or transition
• Experience building and leading high-performing, multidisciplinary teams
• Ideally, experience engaging large communities, workforce-based audiences, or membership groups.

Knowledge & Understanding

• Strong understanding of supporter engagement, audience insight, and behaviour change
• Knowledge of multi-channel fundraising and modern marketing approaches
• Understanding of charity sector strategy, governance, and income models (desirable)
• Appreciation of the health and wellbeing challenges affecting working people and communities.

Skills & Capabilities

• Strategic thinker able to translate long-term ambition into practical delivery
• Strong leadership and team development capability, particularly during change
• Commercially and analytically minded with strong planning and forecasting skills
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and influencing skills
• Able to build clarity, confidence, and momentum within teams
• Collaborative and cross-organisational in approach.

Personal Attributes

• Calm, supportive, and steady leadership style suited to transitional environments.
• High emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal skills.
• Resilient, adaptable, and delivery focused.
• Purpose-driven with commitment to improving the wellbeing of the UK automotive community.

Success Measures

• Delivery of a clear, Board-approved Fundraising & MarComms Strategy aligned to 2030 goals
• Stronger, more sustainable voluntary income pipelines
• Increased brand reach, engagement, and supporter growth
• Improved supporter and beneficiary journeys and experience
• Clear future organisational design and capability roadmap
• Effective and smooth transition to permanent leadership.

If you seek a fresh and rewarding challenge, look no further than Open Country! Seeking to help disabled people to access and enjoy the countryside, we embrace a wide range of fundraising methods, so this role could be adapted to suit either full-time or part-time work. We are also able to cater for your particular skill set, though core duties would likely include: 

• Researching and writing grant applications to charitable trusts, grant-making bodies and other funders.
• Developing and delivering new and imaginative community fundraising activities.
• Encouraging appropriate corporate sponsorship and fundraising.
• Developing and delivering Open Country fundraising events and third-party events.

This is a hands-on, dynamic role requiring creativity, insight and panache, coupled with great communication and relationship-building skills.

You will work collaboratively with our Finance and Fundraising Manager at our Head Office in Harrogate, though an element of home working can be considered.

Appointment to this post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check. 

The Youth Endowment Fund

Head of Digital Communications

Reports to: Director of External Affairs and Youth Understanding

Salary: £67,800

Location:  Central London or Hybrid*(see below)

Contract: 2-year fixed term contract

Closing date for applications: 12pm, Tuesday 7th April 2026

Interview dates: Week commencing 20th April 2026

About the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF)

All of us will experience violence at some point in our lives. For many children, it is a daily reality. Each year, tens of children are killed, hundreds are hospitalised, 1 in 5 teenage children are victims and the majority admit to feeling afraid of violence. It scares them when they travel home from school, prevents them from going out and makes the most vulnerable feel like they don’t matter. It is taking lives, traumatising families and dividing communities. It robs potential, progress and hope. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.

Communications at YEF

The Communications team, within the External Affairs and Youth Understanding directorate, is a critical arm of the organisation. We can only reduce violence if people hear about what works and put it into practice. Change is hard and it only happens if people trust where it comes from and want to engage with what we are communicating. We can only make change at scale if we’re smart about using digital tools to reach a growing, diverse audience across society.

We need professionals working across our sectors — youth-workers, police officers, social workers, policymakers, headteachers, and more — to find out about and be part of our movement. To do this, we must communicate with humility, authenticity and clarity.

We need politicians, commissioners and funders to follow our guidance and use our products. To do this, we must secure a seat at the table, communicate with intellectual rigour and persuade using the evidence.

We also need to connect with wider society, helping anyone who cares about making Britain safer for the next generation to understand what we do, what works and how they can support our cause. To do this, our brand must be accessible and inspiring, leveraging robust research alongside human storytelling.

As the Head of Digital Communications, you will be essential to achieving our mission. You will join the YEF at an exciting time. We are entering a crucial phase of increasing our policy influence at the top of government, changing things for the better across our sectors — education, youth justice, youth sector, children’s services, policing, health — and mobilising a movement to keep children and young people safe.

Your job is to make sure that the right people are drawn to our website and our digital communications, that they discover and engage with our content — from quoting our data, to using our Toolkit and evidence, to following practical recommendations in our guidance, to watching videos about the latest trends and conversations in violence prevention  — and trust what we have to say.

You will support the Director of External Affairs and Youth Understanding to plan, build and execute a digital campaign to make all of this happen. You will help to lead the Communications team to hold the attention of our priority audiences and making them act.

Key Responsibilities

• The core of your job is to ensure that YEF's audience grows rapidly and strategically in size, that people working in our sectors gain awareness and confidence in our brand and that decision-makers engage with our work via our digital channels: our website, social media, newsletters, search, long- and short-form videos and the Safe podcast.
   
• You will further develop YEF’s existing digital marketing strategy into a national campaign across 2026-2029 for mobilising the evidence to prevent violence affecting children and young people.
   
• You will provide leadership to YEF generally and the Communications team specifically - managing the Senior Digital Marketing Manager and Digital Marketing and Communications Officer – to develop internal collaboration for boosting organisation-wide digital activity, such as call-to-actions via social media and video content.
   
• You will execute a strategy for moving to a more segmented, sector-specific communication strategy that engages each audience (whether teachers, youth workers, police officers etc.) to use of YEF’s products whether our Toolkit, our Guidance on what works and self-assessment tools for each sector.
   
• To commission and develop compelling, eye-catching video content that authentically showcases case studies of our work, drives our audiences towards our channels and products and significantly boosts widespread engagement — views, likes, comments and shares — online.
   
• To help secure and convert high-profile digital communications opportunities for the team in representing YEF’s work, including podcast and video placements.
   
• To develop and leverage relevant agency relationships, and use data analytics, to optimise our SEO positioning for online searches related to youth violence, advise on investment in paid advertising to drive traffic to our website and products, and generally boost our digital engagement.

About You

You are this sort of person:

• You communicate complex ideas clearly. Whether speaking or writing, you break down complicated concepts in ways that make sense to different audiences – without oversimplifying. You bring clarity where others bring jargon.
   
• You get things done. You’re organised, delivery-focused, and produce high-quality work, even under pressure. You work independently and to a high standard.
   
• You are skilled at designing and delivering digital comms and audience journeys for different segments of an organisation’s audience. You know how to build up a clear picture of audience members, develop their customer journey and turn them from unaware to aware, to a user and then an advocate.
   
• You think big and adapt fast. You’re a strategic thinker who can see the big picture without losing sight of the detail. You’re logical, creative, and open to challenge – always testing and refining your ideas.
   
• You care about the detail. You like getting a system working well, planning a campaign and getting the detail right, organizing who is doing what and seeing it all happen.
   
• You pay attention to what is happening in the world. You’re plugged into current affairs, technological trends and media conversations, particularly when it comes to British society.
   
• You are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. You believe and act in a way that celebrates and encourages a range of experiences, backgrounds and values.

You have:

• A track record of driving digital communications to hundreds of thousands of people at a regional or national scale. You have led, planned and executed campaigns that bring about measurable outcomes online and practical change in the real world.
   
• Experience working with a mission-driven charity, organisation or business. You care about using your extensive digital skills to drive the work of an organisation striving to achieve social change.
   
• Experience within a leadership or management position. You have led people to drive bold, transformative communications for an organisation, company or business.
   
• Expertise in using technical tools and data analytics to target audiences online. You know how to segment and target digital audiences, transform SEO performance, develop high quality websites, increase newsletter engagement and bring new technical tools to solve problems.
   
• You have experience of commissioning creative partners - like consultants, videographers and designers - to produce compelling digital outputs and developing narrative-led content about urgent social issues that draws people in.
   
• A track record of producing video – such as case studies, explainers or podcasts - to increase positive regard, brand awareness and audience engagement on LinkedIn, Instagram Reels, YouTube, TikTok and X.

You may have the following, but they are not necessary:

• A qualification in digital marketing.
• Past experience of using Salesforce for marketing campaigns.
• Experience of working in or close to one or more of our priority sectors: education, youth justice, youth sector, children’s services, policing and health.
• Knowledge of using Artificial Intelligence to ethically and effectively boost digital performance at an organisation

While it’s not a criteria, we are especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of youth violence.

It’s important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background.

All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

This position will require a DBS check to be performed, but a record is not a block to performing this role.

Hybrid Working Details 

The office is based in Central London, but you don’t have to be. Those living in London and within the 32 London Boroughs are expected to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month. 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 the interview stage. 

To Apply 

To apply, please send a CV and a cover letter answering the specific questions below, along with the completed monitoring form, by clicking the "Apply for this" button by 12pm, Tuesday 7th April 2026.

Application Questions  

• Why are you drawn to work at the Youth Endowment Fund and why do you care about our mission? (400 words max)
• Tell us about your experience of leading a digital communications team? (400 words max)
• Tell us about your experience of creating and implementing a digital strategy within an organisation to engage a large audience. Please be clear about how you measured your success? (400 words max)

Interview Process

Shortlisted candidates will be sent a technical task to complete before the interview. Interviews will take place from the week commencing 20th April 2026

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. 

Benefits Include

• £1,000 professional development budget annually
• 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support
• Volunteering days - 4 half days per year
• Death in service - 4 times annual salary
• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm
• Financial support including travel and hardship loans
• Employer contributed pension of 5%.

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.

Event & Engagement Coordinator 

Remote based in North West England. Please note, the role requires working one day a week in Manchester. 

Fixed term contract: initially 12 months with potential to extend.

Job Purpose: 

To plan, coordinate, and deliver a range of local events across North West England, ensuring each event is well-organised, inclusive, and engaging for local communities. The Local Event Coordinator will collaborate closely with partners, local authorities, suppliers, volunteers, and members to deliver high-quality, unique and memorable experiences.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Plan and manage logistics for a variety of local member events, making sure all events are accessible and attractive to both existing and potential members. 

• Liaise with relevant external and internal contacts such as venues, suppliers, CSSC’s ticketing platform, Head Office departments, and volunteers. 

• Complete all relevant compliance work such as risk assessments and public liability checks. 

• Develop and manage event budgets, ensuring value for money and accurate financial tracking. 

• Promote events via social media, email campaigns, posters, and local press in collaboration with marketing teams. 

• Manage and grow the North West’s CSSC TikTok presence, including content planning, filming, editing, posting, and community engagement. 

• Demonstrate strong working knowledge of TikTok trends, algorithms, analytics, and best practices. 

• Create engaging, on-brand short-form video content tailored to target audiences. 

• Monitor performance metrics and use insights to optimise content strategy and increase reach and engagement. 

• Stay up to date with emerging social media trends, tools, and platform updates. 

• Show a genuine interest in communications, digital marketing, and social media strategy. 

• Oversee event setup and breakdown where applicable, managing on-site logistics and resolving any issues on the day. 

• Recruit and coordinate volunteers to assist with events. 

• Evaluate event success through feedback, data collection, and post-event reporting. 

Key Skills & Experience: 

Essential: 

• Proven experience in planning and delivering events. 

• Strong organisational and time-management skills. 

• Ability to manage budgets and handle multiple projects simultaneously. 

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills. 

• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends when required. 

• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the region. 

• Ability to analyse member insights to inform event planning for CSSC members and to attract potential new members. 

• Work collaboratively with the Regional Team to develop and implement strategies aimed at supporting membership growth and ensure positive member experiences. 

• Build a rapport with CSSC volunteers and understand skillsets in order to correctly identify support necessary for events. 

• Confident in using IT systems and ticketing platforms to effectively promote events across appropriate channels. 

• Supporting Regional Hub Manager with member and volunteer engagement events 

• Experience with processes 

Desirable: 

• Experience working with community groups, charities, membership organisations or not for profits. 

• Knowledge of health and safety and safeguarding procedures. 

• Familiarity with marketing or PR for events. 

• First Aid or event safety training. 

• Previous experience with ticketing platforms or willingness to learn. 

• Understanding of how comms and events align with one another.

• Data literacy or willingness to understand some basic data analytics 

Job Title: Heritage Engagement Officer
Salary: £27,855 – £31,097 per annum, pro rata
Hours: Part Time – 22.5 hours per week
Contract: 2 Year Fixed Term
Location: Heritage Centre, Spa Well Rd, Winlaton Mill, Blaydon-on-Tyne, NE21 6RU

About us

Groundwork NE & Cumbria is a long‑established environmental and community charity with over 30 years’ experience creating greener, healthier and more resilient places across the region. Our mission focuses on Improving People’s Prospects, Creating Better Places, and Promoting Greener Living, supporting communities to thrive no matter the challenges they face.

A key part of our work is the Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill, a unique visitor hub set in the beautiful Derwent Valley. Operated by Groundwork, the centre showcases the area’s rich natural, industrial and cultural heritage, hosts year‑round events and activities for all ages, and features a café and community space that directly supports local environmental and heritage projects.

About the role

The Land of Oak & Iron is a unique landscape filled with centuries of industrial history, vibrant woodlands, cultural traditions and iconic wildlife. With support from National Lottery Heritage funding, we are delivering an exciting programme that will strengthen heritage connections across the valley.

As our Heritage Engagement Officer, you will play a central role in capturing stories, developing engaging resources, enhancing the Heritage Centre experience and building strong connections with volunteers, community groups, artists, schools and heritage partners.

This role is perfect for someone who loves working with people, is passionate about storytelling, and is excited to help preserve and promote local heritage for future generations.

About you

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about heritage, community storytelling and local history.
• Confident engaging with people from all backgrounds.
• Creative, organised and able to lead on heritage interpretation projects.
• Experienced in working with volunteers or community groups.
• Comfortable working flexibly, including some evenings and weekends.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 5th April 2026
Please note, should we receive a high volume of applications, we may look to close the role early, therefore we recommend an early application.

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.

Make yourself at home

We want you to be yourself at Groundwork and we value everything that makes you unique. We recognise and celebrate your difference and together we make Groundwork a special and great place to work. As a Disability Confident employer we offer a guaranteed interview to applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role

At Groundwork we ensure that we provide a safe environment for adults, children and young people to take part in any activity or service that we organise. We are committed to creating a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk. Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and comprehensive process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all the people we appoint are suitable to work with our children, young people and adults.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship – the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

No agencies please.

We’re looking for a Stories and Content Officer to join our team

Salary: Circa £32,000

Base: Central Edinburgh/hybrid

Hours: Full time and permanent.  35 hours a week over core working hours of 10am - 3pm, Monday to Friday, with a one-hour lunch break. The office is open 8am - 7pm daily and our hybrid working policy requires all full-time employees to work at least two days a week in the Edinburgh office. Working hours can be adapted for the right candidate.  

Benefits: 10% employer pension contribution; private medical insurance; employee assistance programme and counselling service; enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption pay; enhanced sick pay; 31 days’ paid holiday/year plus four paid winter public holidays; 2-weeks’ fully remote working/year; three days’ paid carer leave/year; death in service benefit; cycle to work and travel season ticket schemes.

To support the team’s work-life balance, we work a nine-day fortnight where the charity is closed every second Friday.  

About the role and why we need you

We’re looking for a talented storyteller to join our team; to create compelling content that brings human experiences to life and connects meaningfully with our audiences. You’ll lead on interviewing and capturing powerful, real-life stories with empathy and respect, translating complex topics into clear, engaging narratives.

Working across a range of marketing and communications channels, you’ll produce high-quality copy for websites, social media, and media releases, tailoring content to platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok. You’ll also collaborate with and manage external creatives, including photographers, videographers and copywriters.

With excellent editorial judgement, you’ll identify stories that align with our mission and resonate with diverse audiences. Highly organised and collaborative, you’ll manage projects to deadline while maintaining professionalism, confidentiality and sensitivity at all times.

This is a rewarding opportunity to use your creativity and compassion to make a genuine impact. We encourage applications from candidates at all stages of their careers, including those who meet the criteria but may be in an unrelated role at present, or those returning to the workplace after a break.

Who are we? 

At Worldwide Cancer Research, we start new cures. Cancer is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide, but cutting-edge science can give us hope. Discovery research seeks to uncover new knowledge that could change the way we think about cancer. It reveals new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer that can save lives.

We fund discovery research into any type of cancer, anywhere in the world. Discovery research is the critical first stage of the research journey, creating a pipeline for future breakthroughs. By funding it, we can transform our understanding of how cancer works and start new cures, because no one should lose a loved one too soon.

Our vision is of a day when no life is cut short by cancer. Anyone that shares that vision and helps bring forward lifesaving breakthroughs – including our staff, supporters, and the researchers we fund – is a Curestarter. Are you?

As a charity, we are committed to opportunity without barriers, and we are striving to seek, value and learn from different perspectives and experiences. We want Worldwide Cancer Research to be an inclusive organisation – where everyone can be themselves and feel valued – as diverse as the scientific community we fund and the families whose lives we impact.

We are committed to ensuring that we provide equal opportunities to every applicant regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We aim to ensure that our recruitment process is unbiased and that everyone is treated equitably because our team members are at the heart of everything we do to start new cancer cures around the world.

To help start new cancer cures and save lives, we are looking for a Stories and Content Officer to join the busy Marketing and Fundraising team at Worldwide Cancer Research, to help the charity run its multi-million-pound funding programme for discovery cancer research.

CEO

• Salary for FTE: £62,000 - £75,000 dependant on experience
• 38 hours a week over 5 days (flexibility for right candidate)
• Home-based with travel for events and meetings

Reporting into the Board of Trustees, we are seeking an inspirational CEO for the PDA Society, who can lead with humility and curiosity, empowering and supporting our staff along the journey. They will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the charity and its staff and volunteers, and will oversee the development of our training products, research and support services, whilst ensuring sustainable growth in impact and income.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a trusted enterprise within the PDA community with a strong mission and a committed, values driven team. The successful candidate will be passionate about improving the lives of PDAers and their families. You will be energetic, creative and bring new ideas for enhancing the charity’s reputation, through nurturing existing relationships and developing new ones to achieve the charities goals. Our ideal candidate will have lived experience of autism, PDA or other neurodivergence although this is not essential.

Closing date for applications: Midnight on 22nd April 2026

Interviews with Trustees:  April / May 2026

Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence has been supporting victims and survivors of sexual abuse since 1994, and today provides a range of services to anyone in Derbyshire and Derby City who has experienced sexual abuse, assault or violence, including their friends and family members. We support people irrespective of age, gender or when the abuse occurred. 

We're looking for a highly motivated and dedicated Administrator to join our friendly, professional and passionate team to provide high quality administrative duties to the SV2 team, across all services and ensure the proper flow of office procedures.

The successful candidate will maintain a positive and friendly company image by acting as the first line of contact to visitors, clients, and stakeholders in person, online, and via telephone. You will be responsible for answering the phoneline, taking referrals and signposting, ensuring appropriate notes are made on the Organisation’s secure database.

You could be the right person for the role if you have

• A minimum of two years’ experience of undertaking administrative duties
• Experience in delivering services in a confidential environment
• Responding to queries and problem solving
• Able to communicate in a concise and professional manner with a range of staff at various levels, both internal and external to the organisation
• Ability to demonstrate a methodical, organised and flexible approach to work
• Competent multi-tasking skills
• Full driving licence and access to a reliable vehicle with business insurance

We're keen to hear from you if you are looking for a new and exciting challenge.

In exchange we offer a competitive salary, 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays and a comprehensive employee wellbeing service.

This role is subject to Enhanced DBS certification due to the nature of our services. You can find out more about our recruitment of ex-offenders policy by contacting us

Closing date for completed applications is Midnight on Sunday 19th April 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role  Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Job Type: Full time, Permanent 

Full-time hours: 37.5 per week

JOB TITLE:                         Centre Based Assistance Dog Instructor (Maternity Cover) 

LOCATION:                        Based at our Centre in Milton Keynes, with travel up to 3 hours 

SALARY BAND:                 £26K - £32K per annum, depending on experience. Line management experience desirable.

JOB TYPE:                          Full time and Part time applicants considered. Fixed Term of 12-18 months 

REPORTS TO:                    Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme 

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives. 

We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving alert assistance dogs to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with NHS Trusts and other researchers and Universities both in the UK and internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.

We have an exciting new opportunity to join this small but fast-growing charity that is a world leader in its specialist innovative field. 

The Role 

We are looking for a passionate and driven person who has previous proven experience and skills working as an Instructor within an Assistance Dog organisation, who has worked with clients and partnerships. The role includes supporting both clients who have had a MDD dog placed with them and also our own dog applicants with their puppies and young dogs to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and early training in terms of obedience, public access and developing an alert to the applicant’s condition, with the aim to reach an accreditable assistance dog partnership status. The role will also include carrying out client specific and odour training for MDD own dogs, placing these dogs with their new clients and looking after a number of established partnerships. This role would suit somebody residing up to an hour from our centre in Milton Keynes.  

Duties that encompass the role of an Instructor include:  

• Be the first point of contact for the allocated partnerships in your area. To provide guidance and instruction to applicants who have applied to the charity to have their own dogs considered for the training programme guidance and instruction on handling, behaviour and obedience and odour training as well as newly placed partnerships.

• Alongside the Instructing team, to run puppy classes, public access training, recall sessions in small groups for applicant own dogs that are in line with the charity’s quality standards and in accordance with timescales and targets. 

• To also carry out support visits and home interviews for applicants and clients that have been allocated to you.  

• Regularly monitor progress of any young dogs and partnerships in training in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme.

• To carry out client specific training with any MDD owned dogs that have been matched, including the required odour scent training.

• Instructing, guiding and supporting new assistance dog clients in managing and handling a Medical Alert Assistance Dog effectively, via pretraining, placement training and aftercare visits.

• Supporting partnerships in training in successfully reaching an accreditation standard and in maintaining this standard throughout the life of the partnership.

• To support a number of established partnerships in the form of aftercare, refresher training and yearly re-accreditations, assisting further afield on occasions as required.

Responsibilities  

• To escalate issues and problems to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme as appropriate.

• To carry out scent assessments on any MDD dogs in socialising as and when required with the support of the rest of the Instructing Team.

• To plan, organise and deliver practical and theoretical training to clients, meeting their individual needs in line with agreed standards to include areas such as dog welfare, appropriate handling, commanding and overall management. This will involve working with the parents as Team Leader and child as Client and working with adult clients.
• Assess the team dynamics of the family & balancing the needs of all family members as well as those of the dog.
• Assess the individuals preferred learning style and amending as relevant to aid a client.
• To accompany the client into all regular environments that they will take the dog to, ensuring the dog behaves in an acceptable manner and that the client and others are aware and clear in terms of where they dog should reside and behave for e.g. public transport, place of work. To complete a check list of environments for any applicant own dogs in training who are on the programme to be assessed within.
• To support and advise clients in transferring the odour training from pot training and recognising alerting behaviours to establish real life alerting.
• To ensure all partnerships are in line with the ADUK regulations with regards to behaviour, obedience and welfare and branding.
• Due to the nature of the role, flexible working hours may be required in some instances to facilitate the effective delivery of the work e.g. working during the school holidays with school age clients.
• To monitor the correct and false alerting percentages of allocated partnerships via data analysis, advising where necessary until the correct alerting levels are achieved.
• To complete comprehensive reports and paperwork for any time spent with applicants or partnerships in training or established. Maintain accurate records by providing verbal and written information with agreed timescales about clients, dogs, applicants and apprentices as appropriate.
• To work alongside allocated partnerships with the aim of the partnership reaching an accredited standard and feeding back to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme if there are any concerns that the accreditation cannot be achieved.
• To provide clients with appropriate aftercare services at regular intervals in their own homes in the form of annual visits, support visits or at refresher workshops run at the Centre to agreed standards.  This will include continual re-assessment of the dynamics of family and dog, formulating and training on appropriate solutions, as well as offering additional dog training advice.
• To deliver handling days as part of an applicant’s pretraining to include ‘Introduction to Assistance Dog’ ‘Advanced Handling’ and Family Handling.
• To scent train and seizure proof advanced dogs in preparation to be partnered with an adult or child client and ensure that applicant own dogs have received this at the earliest opportunity.
• To maintain the ongoing public access training with any advanced dog in scent training that has been allocated to them.
• To liaise with Independent Contractors as relevant.
• To provide support to the Charity’s public relations and fundraising functions as required, specifically in your area.
• To act as the ‘contact’ person for the assistance dog programme in relation to training policy procedures with clients and their families, other professional service providers and members of the public.  This will include on-going research and development of the project.
• As required, to liaise and provide support for Volunteers of the Charity.

Other 

• Share best practice with colleagues across the charity.

• Any other duties or tasks that are required to ensure the successful running of the Medical Alert Assistance Dog Department and the Charity overall.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High level of preparation, organisational and co-ordination skills
• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
• Experience of running puppy classes, carrying out public access training and recall sessions
• Able to develop training plans for any dogs in training under your care
• High level of self-motivation and planning
• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life-threatening conditions
• Happy to travel alone within the UK to visit any clients as necessary
• Willing to be on call for partnerships as and when required
• Willing to stay away from home in local accommodation when client locations are too far to travel back home
• Happy and able to have Medical Alert Assistance Dogs in training reside in your home
• Good team player, but equally able to work independently
• Positive, empathetic and calm attitude
• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation
• Flexible

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE 

Essential 

• Previous Assistance Dog Instructing and Dog Training experience
• Knowledge of AD(UK) and ADI regulations
• Law in relation to dogs 
• Knowledge of medical conditions relevant to puppies between 8 weeks and 2 years of age
• Knowledge of dog and human psychology
• Proven evidence and experience of dog handling and training skills
• Previous experience of teaching and instructing
• Sound dog training and dog behaviour knowledge
• IT literacy and report writing skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Teams, Zoom and SharePoint
• Full UK driving licence
• Pass a DBS (CRB) check due to regular contact with children

Preferable  

• Knowledge of debilitating medical conditions and understanding of how they can impact people, both physically and psychologically, particularly when they are unstable and fluctuating
• Previous knowledge of odour/scent training
• Previous line management experience 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES ​

• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills 

• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life threatening conditions 

• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation

• You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as able to motivate yourself

• You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as being able to motivate yourself.
• You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem-solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations.

DIVERITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION

We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive Charity. Medical Detection Dogs thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Charity Values

All employees are expected to uphold the charity’s core values in their daily work. This includes demonstrating respect through open and considerate communication, fostering cooperation by working collaboratively, maintaining honesty in all interactions and ensuring fairness through just and transparent decision-making.

Finally, the successful candidate will also be expected to: 

• Hold a full UK Driving Licence 

• Provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK. 

• Undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check 

• Work some evenings and weekends 

• Be willing to travel to the Centre based near Milton Keynes