Head of pr and communications jobs

We’re looking for an ambitious Partnerships Executive to help drive income by supporting and building profitable, long-term partnerships with individuals and organisations. Working within the Philanthropy and Partnerships team, the role of the Partnerships Executive is to deliver excellent relationship management to maximise income revenues.

To thrive in this position, you’ll need to:

• Manage a portfolio of corporate supporters <£10k ensuring they meet their maximum giving and engagement potential.
• Provide excellent relationship management and customer service support across all key audiences in partnership with the account managers.
• Deliver event support for flagship fundraisers such as our annual Dragon Boat Race, Corporate Sports Day, in-hospital volunteering opportunities and innovative Christmas campaign.
• Create fundraising and marketing materials, in partnership with the marketing and communications team, to drive new supporters and support existing partners. Including leading on a regular external Philanthropy and Partnerships newsletter.
• Provide operational support to the philanthropy and partnerships team, including desk based research and database management and reporting.
• Respond to fundraising queries (email and telephone) promptly and efficiently.
• Manage the philanthropy and partnerships teams’ presence on social media, including creating content which helps to promote impact, the charity and supporters.
• Support the team to deliver remarkable stewardship of all donors, including the management of our banking and thanking process and helping to create bespoke impact reports and materials.
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date records of activities and communications are captured on our CRM database (Salesforce) along with regular reporting.
• Provide general administrative support to the philanthropy and partnerships team as and when required.
• Build and maintain records of recognition milestones for supporters providing monthly reports to wider team for stewardship activity.

What we offer: 

• Flexible and hybrid working to support work-life balance 

• Generous annual leave entitlement with additional leave for long service  

• Enhanced sick pay 

• Enhanced Maternity Pay 

• Employee Assistance Program and Lifestyle Savings

• Free flu jabs 

• Cycle to work scheme 

• Charity events throughout the year 

• Employer enhanced auto-enrolment pension scheme with 8% employer contribution 

• Ongoing commitment to education and professional development 

The Charity is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.  

Successful candidates will have access to vulnerable beneficiaries therefore the role is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.  

If you think you have the qualities we are looking for and the desire to contribute, please download the Job Vacancy Pack and then send us a CV and covering letter explaining how you meet the criteria for the role and making clear why you would like to be considered for it. 

We will be interviewing for this role on Thursday 16th April at our Charity Office based in Birmingham City Centre.

Mercy Ships UK is looking for a People Engagement and Development Partner to help cultivate a thriving, supportive and purpose-driven workplace where our people can flourish.

Mercy Ships is an international charity that provides free life-changing surgeries and healthcare to people in need, using hospital ships staffed by volunteers from around the world. Behind this mission is a dedicated team of staff who enable this work to happen and we believe investing in our people is essential to achieving our impact.

This role plays a key part in shaping the employee experience at Mercy Ships UK, strengthening engagement, supporting managers and helping develop a healthy and effective organisational culture.

Working closely with leaders across the organisation, you will support initiatives that encourage staff wellbeing, development and strong collaboration, ensuring our people feel valued, connected and equipped to contribute to the mission.

Key responsibilities

• Support the development and delivery of employee engagement initiatives across Mercy Ships UK

• Partner with managers to strengthen team culture, communication and staff wellbeing

• Help coordinate learning and development opportunities that enable staff to grow and thrive

• Provide guidance and support on people-related matters, helping to build confident and capable managers

• Contribute to organisational initiatives that strengthen culture, values and employee experience

• Support internal communications and activities that foster connection, collaboration and engagement across teams

About you

You will be someone who is passionate about people and organisational culture, with the ability to build trusted relationships across teams.

You will bring:

• Experience working in a people, HR or organisational development role

• A strong interest in employee engagement, culture and learning

• The ability to support and coach managers in developing healthy teams

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

• A collaborative and proactive approach to supporting organisational initiatives

• Alignment with the values and mission of Mercy Ships

Why join Mercy Ships?

At Mercy Ships UK, you will be part of a team committed to making a global difference. This role offers the opportunity to help shape the environment where our people work, grow and contribute to a life-changing mission.

This role has an Occupational Requirement for the post holder to be a practicing Christian in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010

The Mason Foundation is a national charity supporting neurodivergent young people into meaningful employment through our Propel mentorship programme. We work across England and Scotland, partnering with schools, colleges, community youth settings and employers to champion neuroinclusion and create opportunities for young people to thrive.

75% of our staff are neurodivergent, and we're proud to create an inclusive, supportive workplace where everyone can succeed.

The Opportunity

We are at an exciting growth phase with ambitions to scale nationally. To achieve this, we need to capture and share the positive impact we have on people's lives.

As the Impact and Fundraising Manager, you will work hands on with our delivery team to design data collection systems that feel manageable and purposeful, not burdensome. You understand that different people think, process, and work in different ways, so you will create multiple methods for collecting the same data to suit different styles.

You take a methodical approach to understanding what data we need to showcase impact, then build the frameworks and provide the practical support to make collection happen across multiple methods. You empower the team to grow their confidence in impact measurement through training, clear guidance, and being there alongside them.

You will translate the data we collect into compelling, heartfelt stories that position The Mason Foundation as best practice. You will engage with traditional media and sector publications to showcase our work and support the COO with fundraising by providing the impact evidence that inspires funders and commissioners to collaborate with us.

What We're Looking For

• Methodical approach to collecting data across multiple different methods, understanding what needs to be collected to showcase impact without being burdensome

• Hands on experience supporting frontline teams with data and impact collection, building their confidence and skills

• Ability to design multiple ways of collecting a uniform dataset, recognizing different thinking, processing, and working styles

• Strong storyteller who can make data heartfelt and human whilst maintaining evidence-based rigour

• Experience with traditional media engagement (press releases, media relations) and writing for sector publications

• Understanding of neuroinclusion, community development, or social impact landscapes

• Experience working with CRM systems and ability to lead exploration of accessible data tools

• Empathetic, supportive, highly organised, and self-motivated with ability to work part time hours efficiently in a remote environment

Why Join Us

In return, you get to work for an ambitious, values driven charity making a real difference in the lives of neurodivergent young people. You will have the flexibility of remote working with a flexible working pattern, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata), opportunities to shape our impact story and professional development, and the chance to be part of a neuroinclusive workplace culture where everyone's contributions matter.

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

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