Jobs for the Disability sector

About Us

We are a dedicated charity supporting individuals with learning disabilities to lead fulfilling, independent, and valued lives. Our work is rooted in respect, inclusion, and person centred practice. As the charity continues to develop, we are strengthening our strategic capacity to grow income, partnerships, and profile.

Role Purpose

To lead and deliver the charity’s income generation and external engagement strategy, ensuring sustainable growth in funding and a strong community profile that reflects the organisation’s mission and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Income Generation & Fundraising Strategy

Develop and implement a rolling 3-year fundraising strategy.
Identify, research and secure grant funding from trusts, foundations and statutory sources.
Prepare compelling funding applications and impact reports.
Develop individual and community fundraising initiatives.
Explore corporate partnerships and sponsorship.

Grants & Donor Engagement

Maintain positive relationships with funders, donors, and supporters.
Support the development of collaborative projects and joint funding opportunities.
Prepare clear and timely funding reports and impact updates.
Support trustee involvement in fundraising where appropriate.

Marketing & Communications

Oversee website content and development.
Lead social media and digital engagement.
Represent the charity at meetings, events, and networks to strengthen visibility and influence.
Promote the charity’s services, values, and impact within the local community.

Person Specification

Proven track record in grant applications & fundraising.
Strong written communication skills.
Experience in charity marketing or communications desirable.
Ability to work strategically and independently.
Understanding of the learning disability or social care sector desirable.
Strong digital skills.
Organised and self-motivated.
Comfortable working closely with trustees and senior staff.

CLOSING DATE 31st March 2026

What we're building

Level Water exists to solve a problem that shouldn’t exist: too many disabled children are still missing out on high-quality swimming lessons. 

Last year, our swimmers raised over £1m. This year we’ve sold out events in minutes and want to double the fundraising. We’re on the path to exponential growth and we need someone who can help us get there.

We're Level Water, a founder-led charity solving learn-to-swim for disabled children. We're not your typical charity. We own our events and run them like a business. We move fast, test everything, and we're building something that doesn't exist anywhere else. Our events are uniquely profitable, and we reinvest in quality and growth. 

We've just brought in a new Fundraising Director, and this Marketing role is a cornerstone of the team we're building. If you want to help define how a modern charity grows and does marketing, this is your chance.

The opportunity

This isn't a "post on social and send a newsletter" role. This is a “build something exceptional, then grow it” role. Marketing is at the heart of our flywheel, which means you’ll be integral to everything we are doing at Level Water. 

You'll own marketing strategy and execution across our entire operation: our iconic events, our life-changing swimming programmes, and our reputation as a charity. You'll drive growth, tell stories that matter, and build genuine communities that scale.

You'll have the freedom to experiment. Want to test a new channel? Launch a content series? Build a creator programme? Run paid campaigns that actually convert? Brilliant. Build the business case and let's do it.

You'll work with real impact. Children with disabilities are learning to swim because of us. Families are transformed by our lessons. Volunteers and incredible teachers make it happen. These are stories that deserve to be told brilliantly, and you'll be the one telling them.

This role is 80% growth and 20% impact storytelling, but the two are inseparable. We’re product-led and we launch and test often. Great stories fuel growth. Growth creates more stories. You'll understand that tension and thrive in it.

You'll work closely with our Fundraising Director and CEO to scale marketing as our most powerful growth lever. You'll also manage a network of brilliant freelancers (photographers, videographers, copywriters, designers) to help you execute at the highest level.

And you'll grow with us. We're scaling fast, and we need people who can scale with us. 

This is a mission-critical role in driving Level Water's growth. Every event you sell out, every story you tell, every audience you build helps unlock more funded swimming lessons, bringing us closer to a future where every disabled child can have a great swimming lesson with a confident, qualified teacher.

Marketing at Level Water isn’t just about selling events - it’s a core delivery mechanism in our Theory of Change. This role exists to move the levers that unlock more lessons, faster progression, stronger outcomes, and a sustainable income engine that funds it all.

This is the most exciting marketing job in the charity sector for the right person.

What you'll actually do

This role owns marketing as a growth engine. You'll set strategy, drive execution across multiple channels, and be accountable for how marketing translates into event sign-ups, fundraising growth, profile, and impact. You'll work closely with the Fundraising Director to shape priorities, influence decisions, and build something that scales.

Drive growth marketing that converts

• Own end-to-end marketing for our events portfolio: from launch campaigns to sell-out.

• Build and execute multi-channel campaigns across social, email, paid ads, PR, partnerships, and whatever else works.

• Test everything. Audiences, messages, creative, channels. Find what works, double down, and scale it.

• Use data to spot opportunities: which channels are converting? Where are we leaving growth on the table? What could we do differently?

• Manage our digital advertising and paid social strategy with a ruthless focus on ROI.

• Grow our email database and social audiences with intent, not just for vanity metrics.

• Be trusted to repeatedly turn £1 into £5 or £10. 

• Define and unleash our audiences: help them share their stories in a way that turns experiences into future sales, and makes everything that Level Water does easier.

• Build and manage our captain and ambassador programmes as genuine growth engines - nurturing relationships, setting expectations, and turning influence into measurable impact.

• Proactively convert interest into action. This includes direct outreach (e.g. picking up the phone to captains, engaging top fundraisers, activating ambassadors) to ensure intent turns into ticket sales and fundraising.

Tell stories that build belief

• Find, shape, and share the stories that show our impact: the children, the families, the teachers, the moments that matter.

• Build and curate a library of content (video, photography, case studies, testimonials) that we can use everywhere.

• Work with freelance photographers and videographers to capture our events and programmes at their best.

• Create content that our supporters, partners, and prospects actually want to engage with, not just content that ticks a box.

• Manage our website (fundraising, events, and programmes pages) to ensure it's always up to date, compelling, and optimised for conversion.

• Ensure our impact reporting to donors is rich with content about our work.

• Use storytelling internally to build shared understanding, momentum and belief across the charity as we scale.

Build our profile and partnerships

• Position Level Water as a leader in accessible swimming and outdoor challenge events.

• Build and leverage relationships with press, influencers, local authorities, and stakeholders.

• Identify partnership and sponsorship opportunities that align with our mission and drive growth.

• Amplify examples of inclusion within our pools, making them known and also making inclusive practice visible.

• Promote our swimming pool partners and recognise their contribution to our work.

Manage, measure, and improve

• Own the marketing budget and get maximum value from every pound spent.

• Manage our freelance network: scope projects, review proposals, and ensure quality work on time and on budget.

• Report regularly on what's working and what's not: campaign performance, audience growth, conversion rates, ROI.

• Stay ahead of the curve: what are the best organisations doing? What can we learn and adapt?

Who we're looking for

We care much more about how you work than where you've worked. You don't need charity sector experience .

People who thrive here have:

• Hustle and drive. You take ownership. You spot opportunities and go after them. You don't wait to be told what to do.

• A commercial approach. You think in terms of audiences, funnels, conversion, and scale. You understand what drives growth and you know how to execute it.

• Copywriting chops. You can really write. Headlines that stop the scroll. Emails people actually read. Stories that land. You know that words matter.

• A data brain. You can look at campaign performance and spot the story. You know that "CTR is up 18%" means something, and you know how to act on it.

• A bias for action. You test things. You move fast. You're comfortable with uncertainty and you learn by doing.

• Creative thinking. You generate ideas. You see opportunities others miss. You're not afraid to try something different.

• Organisation. Strong attention to detail, with the ability to run 12 products, 40 email journeys and 100 web pages without dropping anything.

• An entrepreneurial mindset. You think like an owner. If this were your business, how would you grow it?

Bonus points if:

• You've worked in a startup, scale-up, or high-growth environment.

• You've built audiences from scratch or scaled marketing profitably.

• You've led paid campaigns that actually delivered ROI.

• You've worked across multiple channels and understand how they work together.

• You love being outdoors (swimming, hiking, wild camping, anything that gets you outside). 

Why Level Water?

Our values: Bold, Driven, Personal, and Joyful are at the heart of this role. You'll be expected to bring ambition, move with purpose, care deeply about impact, and help create marketing that feels genuinely joyful to be part of.

Bold. This isn't a "follow the playbook" role. We want your ideas. We want you to challenge us. We want you to help us build something better.

Driven. We're growing fast and we need people who can scale with us. If you're ambitious, there's a huge opportunity here.

Personal. We're a small, founder-led team. We move fast, we debate hard, we test everything, and we care deeply about what we do.

Joyful. You'll work on some of the most iconic outdoor swims in the UK. You'll help tell stories that change lives. You'll be part of creating something people remember forever.

Practical details

• Flexible working: remote, hybrid, or (even better) office-based in Tunbridge Wells or Exeter, your choice.

• You'll attend weekend events throughout the summer (with time off in lieu).

• Salary: £30k–£45k depending on experience.

How to apply

We want to hear from you in whatever way best shows us who you are and how you think.

Get creative. It’s a marketing job so sell us on your personality and style. A traditional CV and cover letter? Absolutely fine. A video introduction? Great. A presentation deck? Bring it on. Whatever format helps you shine and show us who you are.

Here's what we'd love to know:

1. How you'd approach marketing growth:
Imagine we want to double sign-ups for one of our summer events (currently sitting at 500 swimmers). Walk us through your approach: which channels would you use, what would your messaging be, how would you measure success, and what would you test first?

2. What excites you about this role:
Tell us why this opportunity appeals to you specifically.

3. Something you're proud of:
Share one thing you've built, grown, or improved. Doesn't have to be in charity or even at work, it could be anything that shows your drive and ability to make things happen.

Before you apply

If you've got questions about the role, the team, or whether this might be right for you, please reach out. I'm Andy Punter, Fundraising Director at Level Water, and I'd genuinely love to chat.​

Deadline

20th March 2026

We're excited to meet you. Let's build something brilliant together.

About UP
UP is the only UK charity solely dedicated to improving the lives of adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Our mission is to empower the 130,000 adults in the UK living with CP to lead full, active lives, with equitable access to healthcare, community support, and meaningful opportunities.

About the Role
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth of a national, inclusive community and shape the future of adult CP support in the UK. 

With the launch of our Community Support Programme, we are creating a “virtual community centre” to reduce social isolation, promote health and wellbeing, and strengthen the collective voice of the adult CP community.

As our new Community Manager, you will be at the heart of this programme, helping to grow, support end empower our community, through connection, education and advocacy. You will be working to help create a programme aimed at reducing social isolation, fostering peer support, and empowering the community through education, connection, and advocacy. This role requires active travel and presence at regional outreach events, where you will build direct relationships, listen to lived experiences and represent UP in community settings. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a national support network from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

Community Engagement & Growth

• Manage and grow our online and offline CP community, fostering a sense of trust, connection, and belonging.
• Design and manage communications with members across platforms and mailing lists.
• Travel to and engage with regional hubs, community partners and peer network to build visibility around the UK.
• Build relationships with allies, other charities, allied organisations and service providers to enhance collaboration and outreach.
• Develop and implement strategies to attract and retain members, ensuring broad
• reach across geography, gender, ethnicity, and access needs.

Programme Delivery & Events

• Lead the delivery of our Midweek Matters series and new virtual community offerings as well as design and launch new virtual initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing.
• Coordinate virtual and in-person community events, including content planning, logistics, and speaker outreach.
• Develop a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive virtual community culture.
• Liaise with community members to ensure our offering reflects their interests, voices, and needs.
• Champion the use of lived experience in shaping activities.
• Track participation, feedback, and community satisfaction and use surveys, case studies, and en-gagement data to report on programme progress and impact.

Who We’re Looking For

Essential

• Event planning experience, online or in-person.
• Experience in community engagement, support work, or programme delivery.
• Excellent communication skills—verbal, written, and digital.
• Highly organised, with ability to manage multiple tasks and projects.
• Tech-savvy and comfortable with remote tools (Zoom, social media, basic content management).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small, dedicated team.
• Empathy and understanding of the lived experience of disability (lived or learned).
• Passion for equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Desirable

• Experience working with or within the disability community.
• Experience facilitating support groups or community-led initiatives.
• Knowledge of Cerebral Palsy or long-term health conditions.

Why Join Us?
You’ll be joining a small, passionate, and growing team making a big difference. We are grassroots, community-led, and driven by the belief that adults with CP deserve visibility, voice, and choice. This role offers a unique opportunity to build something truly impactful from the ground up.

Closing date for applications is 20th of March with interview dates on 30th and 31st March

Campaign Director

Are you driven by social justice and motivated by creating real, lasting change? Are you a strategic campaign leader who can turn public will into political action? If so, we have a job for you.

We are looking for a Campaign Director to provide overall day-to-day leadership of the Partnership with The Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP). You will be responsible for driving forward an ambitious integrated campaign, which combines political influencing, press and digital communications, public campaigning, and coalition mobilisation. Reporting directly to the Chair, the Campaign Director ensures the Partnership’s strategy is coherent, impactful, and responsive to political and public opportunities.

In this role, one eye will always be to our impact and the lasting legacy of our campaigns. Success will be measured in terms of real lasting social change – the extent to which DCP has driven positive shifts in policy, practice and attitudes through our campaigns, and whether our influence has shaped the narratives, priorities and actions of others beyond the lifetime of the campaign.

This role is a fixed‑term position (22.5 hours per week, worked over 3 days) until June 2027. We’re open to discussing how these hours can best work for you. Some on‑call and out‑of‑hours working may be required.

At Mencap, we offer flexible and hybrid working. The role involves at least fortnightly in‑person meetings at the Contact office in London N1, with opportunities to also work from Mencap’s Head Office in London E1.

The Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) is a major coalition of 130+ organisations united by a common vision: improved health, education and social care for disabled children, young people, and their families. Together we campaign to secure the policy change, public awareness, and political attention that disabled children deserve.

Our current focus is our high-profile Fight for Ordinary campaign. Together we are calling for reform of the SEND system, so that children with special educational needs or who are disabled can enjoy the ordinary things that other children take for granted, like having a nursery, school or college place, being safe in school, making friends, and taking part in activities in and beyond school.

What you’ll do

• Lead and evolve an integrated strategy across influencing, media, digital and grassroots mobilisation.
• Build and nurture a high‑performing coalition, aligning 130+ partner organisations around shared objectives and moments.
• Anticipate and seize political and media opportunities; brief spokespeople and partners; and steward relationships across government, parliament, arm’s‑length bodies and civil society.
• Champion co‑production with disabled children, young people and families - so lived experience shapes priorities, messages and tactics.
• Set clear goals and KPIs; commission insight and evaluation; and report transparently on outcomes and learning.
• Act as a visible ambassador for the DCP, representing the Partnership in senior forums and the media.

What you’ll bring

• A strong track record of leading multi‑channel campaigning that shifts policy, budgets and public narratives.
• Deep experience of political strategy and stakeholder management (government, parliament, local systems, sector leaders and media).
• Credibility and facilitation skills to align diverse organisations behind shared priorities—and keep them moving.
• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and experience of co‑producing campaigns with people who have lived experience.
• Analytical and outcomes‑focused mindset - you use data, insight and evaluation to prioritise, pivot and scale what works.
• Inclusive, values‑led leadership that builds trust, clarity and accountability across partners and teams (aligned to Mencap’s values and behaviours.

If you are passionate about creating meaningful, lasting change for disabled children, young people and their families, we want to hear from you! Apply now with an updated CV. Applications close on Sunday 15th March. Interviews will be held week comencing 23rd of March.

Benefits

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.

Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.

For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.

At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.

Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

• Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
• Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes
• Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

Digital Communications & Engagement Manager

Are you driven by social justice and motivated by creating real, lasting change? Are you experienced in digital communications, able to create engaging content and mobilise campaigns? If so, we have a job for you. 
 

We are looking for a Digital Communications and Engagement Manager to drive forward the Disabled Children's Partnership's digital presence, supporter mobilisation, and stakeholder engagement. Reporting to the Campaign Director, this role is crucial in ensuring the Partnership’s campaigns are visible, engaging, and impactful. 

Delivery of our campaign objectives depends on the contributions of our members and supporters. This role will be the central point of coordination of a complex programme of activity from multiple member organisations and teams. You will deliver excellent digital communications to members, provide support for all DCP meetings, and maintain accurate plans and calendars to track activity and report on progress.

This role is a fixed‑term position (30 hours per week, worked over 4 days) until June 2027. We’re open to discussing how these hours can best work for you. Some on‑call and out‑of‑hours working may be required.

At Mencap, we offer flexible and hybrid working. The role involves at least fortnightly in‑person meetings at the Contact office in London N1, with opportunities to also work from Mencap’s Head Office in London E1.

The Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) is a major coalition of 130+ organisations united by a common vision: improved health, education and social care for disabled children, young people, and their families. Together we campaign to secure the policy change, public awareness, and political attention that disabled children deserve.

Our current focus is our high-profile Fight for Ordinary campaign. Together we are calling for reform of the SEND system, so that children with special educational needs or who are disabled can enjoy the ordinary things that other children take for granted, like having a nursery, school or college place, being safe in school, making friends, and taking part in activities in and beyond school.

What you'll do

• Design, implement, and manage an “always-on” social media plan to grow and engage DCP’s online audience, through our own channels and those of members
• Lead the development and delivery of digital mobilisation strategies and create compelling digital content (posts, graphics, short videos) aligned to campaign goals and organisational priorities.
• Plan and deliver supporter journeys, email campaigns, calls-to-action designed to build momentum and influence decision-makers, and manage the campaigner database
• Maintain strong relationships with member organisations, delivering regular communication, including newsletters, updates and briefings. 
• Plan and support the organisation of DCP meetings, including the CEOs group, steering group, policy, comms, campaigns, and public affairs sub-groups, and all-member meetings. 

What you'll bring:

• Demonstrable experience in digital communications and social media management in a campaigning context.
• Experience of online campaign mobilisation.
• Ability to create engaging, accessible digital content across multiple channels.
• Experience using email marketing tools, CRM systems, and supporter databases.
• Strong organisational and coordination skills, with experience supporting meetings or projects.
• Clear understanding of data protection regulations and safe data handling.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work flexibly, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Commitment to the values of inclusion, accessibility, and championing the rights of disabled children and their families.

If you are passionate about creating meaningful, lasting change for disabled children, young people and their families, we want to hear from you! Apply now with an updated CV. Applications close on Sunday 15th March. Interviews will be held week commencing 23rd of March.

Benefits

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.

Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.

For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.

At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.

Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

• Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
• Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes
• Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

Administration Officer - 14 hours per week – remote working.
Salary Scale £23,000 - £27,000 (pro rata)

A wonderful opportunity has arisen to join our small, passionate team. We are looking for a self-motivated individual who can commit to the Charitable Objectives of this Christian Charity. We are looking for a self‑motivated individual who is committed to the charitable objectives and Christian ethos of ICC.  This role has direct responsibility for day-to-day administration of the ICC UK remote office, including general donor and office support, as well as managing and maintaining the ICC UK Storage Facility.

A desirable part of the role includes supporting financial administration and reporting tasks. Knowledge of financial systems like Xero or Sage,  Direct  Debit management and Gift  Aid.

This is an exciting part-time role with a Charity caring for children and families with disabilities in China. International China Concern (ICC) has been established for over 30 years and the UK National Office is looking forward to our next phase of growth.

A Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) exists for the post-holder to be a practising Christian in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Main Responsibilities:

Office & Administrative Operations

• Manage day‑to‑day office operations to ensure a welcoming, efficient, and well‑organised working environment.

• Oversee office supplies, equipment, stationery orders, and relationships with vendors.

• Maintain digital and physical filing systems, ensuring documents are stored securely and are easy to locate.

• Support onboarding and practical arrangements for new staff, volunteers, and interns.

• Point of contact and responsible for maintaining the ICC UK Storage Facility. (Currently situated in Newcastle upon Tyne)

Executive & Team Support

• Provide administrative support to the Executive Director and wider leadership team, including diary coordination, travel booking, meeting preparation, and expense processing.

• Assist in preparing board papers, agendas, minutes, and follow‑up actions for ICC UK Board and sub‑committee meetings.

• Support internal communication by ensuring timely circulation of updates, documents, and scheduled reminders.

Finance & Compliance Support

• Assist with routine finance administration, including invoice processing, receipts collation, card reconciliation, and liaising with the ICC UK finance team as needed.

• Maintain accurate records for compliance, audits, safeguarding training, and policy renewals.

• Support contract and lease administration (e.g., office lease, supplier agreements, insurance renewals).

Event & Travel Coordination

• Coordinate logistics for UK events, training days, team gatherings, and visits from international colleagues.

• Manage bookings, venue arrangements, hospitality, travel itineraries, and attendee communications.

• Support international travel preparation, including documentation, itinerary organisation, and expense tracking.

Communications & Public-Facing Support

• Serve as a friendly first point of contact for enquiries via email, phone, and the ICC UK office address.

• Assist with maintaining contact databases and ensuring GDPR‑compliant data handling.

Systems & Organisation

• Maintain shared calendars, organisational systems, and internal workflows to ensure alignment across the team.

• Help ensure consistency of templates, branding, and standard documents across ICC UK.

General Duties

• Uphold ICC’s mission, values, and commitment to hospitality, clarity, and servant‑hearted support.

• Undertake other reasonable administrative tasks as required to support the smooth running of ICC UK and its partnership with ICC International.
   

Deadline for applications: 16th March 2026

Reg Charity No 1164736

ICC acknowledges our duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of children. As such we are committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice requirements. Training will be provided where needed to ensure ICC’s policies and procedures on Safeguarding are adhered to.

The suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment.

The offer of a permanent contract of employment will be subject to references and a 6 month probation period. 

This is a home-based role, working Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Applications are welcome from candidates based outside Belfast, provided they are resident in Northern Ireland and able to commute to the Belfast office if required.

The External Affairs Manager plays a pivotal role in empowering people with sight loss to live the life they choose. This position leads the development of policy and campaigns within the country, aligning with Guide Dogs’ strategic objectives. Working collaboratively with the central policy, public affairs, and campaigns team, as well as the country leadership team, the role builds strategic partnerships with government bodies, local authorities, societies, and other key organisations. This ensures Guide Dogs remains informed and influential on all policy initiatives affecting the organisation and its stakeholders.

The post holder will be responsible for the day‑to‑day leadership, management and oversight of a team.

The post-holder is responsible for shaping policy positions, drafting responses to consultations from councils, combined authorities, and devolved governments, and driving impactful campaigns at a regional level. A key focus is increasing the involvement of blind and partially sighted people in advocacy and campaigning.

Additionally, the role leads the implementation of Guide Dogs’ regional marketing and communications strategy across the Devolved Nations. This includes raising brand awareness, engaging diverse audiences—service users, families, volunteers, donors, and the public—and delivering integrated communications plans that strengthen Guide Dogs’ presence and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Policy Development

• Lead the creation of country-specific policy and position papers, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy.
• Prepare responses to consultation papers from devolved administrations, local government, and regional bodies.
• Represent Guide Dogs on committees, working groups, and forums, staying informed on policy issues impacting the organisation and its service users.

Public Affairs

• Build and influence relationships with key stakeholders, including elected representatives and senior officials.
• Represent Guide Dogs at Government Scrutiny Committees and cross-party groups.
• Act as the primary liaison with local government and statutory agencies.

Campaigns & Influence

• Strategically lead and coordinate campaigns at a country level, ensuring alignment with devolved policy priorities.
• Develop and deliver campaigns addressing local needs of the visually impaired community.
• Foster partnerships within the Third Sector to build consensus and amplify Guide Dogs’ strategic aims. 

Leadership & People Management

• Provide strong leadership to local staff and volunteers, promoting best practice and knowledge-sharing.
• Oversee recruitment, performance management, and compliance with safeguarding policies.
• Ensure high levels of engagement through effective communication and leadership.

Financial Accountability

• Support fundraising initiatives and monitor operational budgets to ensure efficiency and compliance.

Diversity & Inclusion

• Champion Guide Dogs’ diversity agenda, ensuring services are inclusive and accessible.
• Work with external partners to create a more inclusive environment for people with sight loss.

How to apply 

Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, or require any accessibility support to apply, our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help.

As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site.

If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time.

Safeguarding

Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment.

At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly.

Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service.

For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.

Join an amazing charity that makes a difference for the 110,000 adults and children in the UK with a muscle-wasting condition. This is a role where you can really make a difference.

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We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented groups including people from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with lived experience of conditions we represent. We believe that diversity strengthens our work and helps us better support our beneficiaries.

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As part of our safer recruitment and safeguarding responsibilities, this role requires a DBS check and professional/character references. We are committed to inclusion and will consider each application fairly.

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About you;

This is a terrific opportunity to play a fundamental role as Helpline and Support Officer at Muscular Dystrophy UK’s and provide tailored advice and practical support to individuals and families affected by muscle-wasting and weakening conditions.

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This is a new, 12months fixed term, full-time position that has been created to strengthen the delivery of key services, improve efficiency, and enhance the overall experience for those we support as we deliver our new strategy.

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The Helpline and Support Officer role sits within the Services and Support Directorate and provides tailored advice and practical support to individuals and families living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions from the point of diagnosis and beyond.

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You'll support people to navigate the UK’s health, social care and welfare systems, enabling access to the services, benefits and equipment they are entitled to.

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You'll be involved in informal advocacy, helping service users communicate their needs to overcome barriers; while ensuring they receive high-quality and ongoing support throughout their journey.

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About us:

Muscular Dystrophy UK is a charity that connects a community of more than 110,000 people living with one of over 60 muscle wasting conditions, and all the people around them. So everyone can get the healthcare, support and treatments needed to feel good, mentally and physically. 

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This is an exciting time to join Muscular Dystrophy UK. We recently launched our new 10 year strategy to transform the lives of people living with muscle wasting conditions. Our vision is clear, a world without limits for people with muscle wasting conditions, and we won’t stop until we achieve it.

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Values and behaviours:

• A positive attitude and approach that reflect the charity’s values.

• Seek opportunities to contribute to the development of the charity.

• A commitment to and an understanding of disability issues, equality, diversity and inclusion.

• Always demonstrate role model behaviour.

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Benefits:

We appreciate the range of skills and experience our staff have to offer. In return for your enthusiasm and commitment we commit to actively developing and supporting you. We believe in supporting our people both professionally and personally.

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Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to promote wellbeing, work–life balance, and career development. Our offerrange of benefits includes great pension contributions, life insurance, cycle scheme, health cash plan, employee assistance programme, instant retail and events discounts, and much more...

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Location: Head Office, London SE1 (with flexibility for hybrid working)

Closing date: Sunday 15th March 2026

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Interview dates: NB: Please note that we are interviewing on a rolling basis and may close the advert earlier than the stated deadline if we successfully fill the role.

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Please download the job description to see full role responsibilities