Independent committee member jobs

Community Engagement Manager

Location: Portsmouth, hybrid between home and local office, with one day per month in London office

Contract: 3 days per week, 18-month fixed term contract

Salary: £33,670 - £35,490 per annum (FTE)

About the Blagrave Trust

Blagrave is a funder that works alongside young people, communities and partners to drive systems change towards social justice. As we launch our new strategy in 2026, we are expanding our place-based work in the Portsmouth area and seeking a Community Engagement Manager who can build strong relationships, elevate local insight and help us co-create new youth-focused initiatives.

Role Purpose

The Community Engagement Manager – Portsmouth will lead our engagement efforts across the city, ensuring Blagrave is deeply connected with local young people, community groups, grassroots organisations, local institutions and strategic partners. This role is pivotal to shaping our local programme as we enter a new strategic phase. A core requirement for this post is deep knowledge of and connection to the Portsmouth area. We are explicitly seeking someone rooted in the city—either by living locally, growing up locally, working within local networks, or with a demonstrable track record of community relationships.

Success in this role looks like:

• A stronger Blagrave presence and impact at a local level
• Growing networks of trust and solidarity in the city
• Established partnerships, financial and otherwise, that support and cement Blagrave’s strategic aims in the city
• Local young people facing injustice and their wider communities feel centred in our work

Key Responsibilities Include:

Community Engagement

• Conduct or commission structured mapping of youth and community services and infrastructure, networks, gaps in provision, influencing structures and decision-making spaces, opportunities for partnership, service provision and innovation.
• Produce concise, accessible reports on local findings for internal and external stakeholders, presenting them where appropriate.
• Design and lead other community engagement activities as required, ensuring safeguarding and ethical practices are embedded
• Engage with communities in ways that minimise harm and uphold the wellbeing of everyone we work with.

Communications

• Draft and share relevant information about Blagrave with local stakeholders, using a tailored approach to suit different audiences, and accessible inclusive media; including printed and digital

Events

• Design, coordinate and deliver vibrant community events that centre youth and community participation, including a strategy launch event in 2026
• Manage logistics, partner involvement, young people’s and community participation, and event promotion.

Establish and Support Steering Committee

• Convene and develop steering group to govern our work in the area
• Support the group to determine their own terms of reference and ways of working
• Ensure the voices of young people experiencing injustice are central in shaping purpose and priorities.
• Provide ongoing coordination, communication and relationship management.

Stakeholder Relationship Building

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with a wide range of local stakeholders, bringing a keen understanding of power dynamics, including youth organisations, community groups and grassroots leaders, local authority teams, schools, colleges and educational partners, funders and voluntary sector networks, young people and community members
• Represent Blagrave locally, increasing our visibility and ensuring our work is informed by community insight.

Person Specification

We’re looking for someone who lives and breathes Portsmouth - who has first-hand experience of its neighbourhoods, youth spaces, community leaders and institutions. You’ll be a natural connector who builds trust quickly and genuinely, with a deep commitment to anti-oppressive practice and to creating spaces where young people feel seen, heard, safe, and equipped to tackle the injustice they experience. You’ll bring curiosity, humility and care; listening before you act, valuing diverse lived experience, and willing to be led by the community

Essential

• Experience in youth work or youth engagement with young people experiencing injustice / oppression.
• Strong alignment with our values and approach
• Deep understanding of social justice and power dynamics in relationships
• Deep roots in the Portsmouth area, demonstrated through residency, long-term work experience, cultural familiarity and/or strong connections to local networks.
• Proven ability to build and maintain meaningful, values-led partnerships.
• Exceptional community engagement and relationship building skills.
• Experience in convening groups, hosting conversations and creatively facilitating collaborative processes.
• Ability to design and deliver vibrant events with attention to inclusion, accessibility and anti-oppressive practice.
• Strong organisational, planning and project-management skills.
• Clear communication skills across written, verbal and digital formats.
• Independent working style with ability to self-manage.
• Understanding of safeguarding policies and practice, with experience of escalating safeguarding concerns.

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• 5% pension contribution
• Employee assistance programme
• flexible working, among others

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Blagrave, please click redirect to recruiter for the full job description and how to apply.

Deadline: Sunday, 8th March at 23.30

Join us as our Societies & Volunteering Coordinator and help shape vibrant, student‑led communities. Bring your creativity, energy and passion for supporting volunteers to a role that makes a real difference.

About the Programmes Officer role:
This is your chance to sit at the heart of a pioneering national programme that could reshape how kinship families are supported across England.

As Programmes Officer, you’ll be part of the operational engine behind a complex, high-profile feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) – keeping delivery tight, evidence strong and nothing falling through the cracks. If you thrive on pace, precision and being the person who quietly makes big things happen, this might be the role for you. 

Kinship is undertaking a major feasibility RCT of Kinship Connected, a Kinship Navigator Programmes.

This is a complex, multi-partner programme involving funders, independent evaluators, local authorities, internal delivery teams and kinship carers with lived experience.

The Programmes Officer plays a critical role in ensuring the programme runs smoothly day to day. This is a technically demanding, detail-heavy role requiring excellent administration, strong initiative and the ability to anticipate what is needed next.

The Programmes Officer works closely and day-to-day with the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager and is a key part of the core delivery spine of the Kinship Navigator feasibility RCT.

The role provides structured operational, administrative and coordination support that enables the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager to maintain oversight of timelines, risks, dependencies and delivery quality.

This role requires someone who is comfortable working at pace, highly responsive to direction, and able to anticipate what the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager will need next in order to keep the programme running smoothly and evidence-ready.

Please note - we are looking for people who can start immediately ideally. This is due to the nature of the mobilisation and delivery timescales. 

Purpose of the role:
To support the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager in mobilising and delivering the Kinship Navigator feasibility RCT through exceptional administration, proactive coordination and anticipatory problem-solving.

You will act as a trusted operational support, ensuring systems, data, documentation and local engagement activity are accurate, well organised and up to date, allowing the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager to focus on delivery oversight, risk management and external accountability.

Key responsibilities:

Programme delivery and coordination

• Support mobilisation activities across all workstreams, ensuring actions, documentation and timelines are tracked and followed up.
• Maintain delivery plans, action logs and trackers using Asana.
• Support coordination of onboarding activities with local authorities and internal teams.
• Ensure all operational documents are version-controlled, accessible and kept up to date.
• Flag emerging issues, risks or capacity pressures early, with clear evidence.
  

Local authority engagement and ecosystem mapping

• Coordinate local engagement activity across participating local authorities, including planning, logistics and follow-up for local events.
• Map each local authority’s kinship care ecosystem, including statutory services, voluntary and community organisations, referral pathways and gaps in provision.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date local authority profiles and ecosystem maps.
• Ensure local intelligence is captured consistently and stored accessibly using agreed systems (e.g. Notion).

Outreach and local marketing support

• Support outreach and engagement activity by helping develop programme-specific marketing and engagement materials, working with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure alignment with Kinship’s brand and messaging.
• Adapt and manage local collateral for each participating local authority, ensuring materials are accurate, up to date and easy to use.
• Maintain clear version control and accessible storage of outreach materials, incorporating feedback from local partners where appropriate.
• Use Canva, Padlet and other agreed tools to adapt and produce local materials for events, Communities of Practice and local authority engagement.

Communities of Practice support

• Provide operational support to the Head of Programmes in coordinating Communities of Practice in each participating local authority.
• Support scheduling, logistics, materials and follow-up actions.
• Capture learning, actions and insights clearly and consistently.
• Support translation of local learning into insight for programme improvement and future scale-up.
  

Administrative excellence and anticipation

• Deliver a consistently high standard of administration across the programme.
• Maintain clear, structured and accurate records across all systems.
• Anticipate upcoming needs, deadlines and risks, taking initiative to address them early.
• Proactively prepare information, materials and updates without needing to be prompted.
• Act as a reliable operational anchor, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• Anticipate the information, updates and preparation the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager will need to manage delivery effectively.
  

Data, systems and technical delivery

• Maintain accurate and timely data entry across Salesforce and related systems.
• Support data quality checks and evaluator requirements.
• Use Asana, Salesforce, Notion and Canva confidently and fluently.
• Support documentation, manualisation and knowledge management.
• Ensure systems are used consistently and to a high technical standard.

Coordination, reporting and communications

• Coordinate meetings, agendas, notes and follow-up actions.
• Support preparation of dashboards, updates and reports.
• Ensure information is shared clearly, accurately and on time.

How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Programmes Officer by sending a tailored CV and responding to these 4 questions below in the online application process. Please read the guidance notes in the job pack. 

Closing date is 9.30am on Weds 4 March, with interview in person on Tues 10 March 2026. 

1. Alignment to Kinship and the role: Why do you want to work for Kinship? And what can you bring to this role (think about the job specification)  

2. Programme coordination and administration: Tell us about a time you supported the delivery of a complex programme or project. What were your specific responsibilities, and how did you keep work organised and on track?  

3. Initiative: Describe a time when you spotted a potential issue, gap or risk before it became a problem. What did you notice, what action did you take, and what was the outcome? 

4. Digital systems and learning new tools: Give an example of a time you had to learn a new digital system or tool quickly to support delivery. What was the context, how did you learn it, and how did you use it in practice? 

What we offer you:

• Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
• ​30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
• Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
• Charity Worker Discounts. 

Sport England is entering a defining period of change. As we deliver our long term strategy to improve lives and strengthen communities through physical activity, we are reshaping how we work.  We are embedding clearer accountability, greater efficiency, and a culture focused on high performance and purposeful delivery. 

We are now seeking an Executive Director, Investments to provide clarity, ambition and steady leadership through this transformation. 

In this role, you will balance strategic vision with practical delivery, inspiring a modern and diverse workforce to thrive. You will shape how we invest public and National Lottery funds so that everyone, regardless of background can experience the benefits of sport and physical activity. 

Funded through a blend of National Lottery investment and grant in aid from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England relies on strong, strategic stewardship. As Executive Director, Investments, you will lead our entire investment portfolio, setting direction and overseeing the design, delivery and evaluation of funding programmes that increase participation in sport and active recreation. Your leadership will ensure our investments are inclusive, targeted and deliver maximum impact. 

As a key member of our Leadership Team, you will also help shape Sport England’s culture, promoting cross functional collaboration and modelling inclusive, accountable, high performing leadership. 

We are looking for an experienced senior leader from a complex organisation, with a strong track record in strategic planning, resource management, and delivering largescale programmes or investments. You will be confident operating at board level, adept at leading through change, and skilled at building trusted partnerships across sector. 

Experience in the sport, public or charity sectors is welcome but not essential – what matters is your ability to bring strategic clarity to this role.   

If you’re passionate about enabling impactful, inclusive outcomes for communities nationwide and excited by the opportunity to shape and strengthen Sport England from within please register your interest at Odgers.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. 

The role is full-time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

The Media Campaigns Manager will lead the creation and execution of high-impact, insight-driven media campaigns and sponsorship opportunities that support income generation while strengthening student engagement. The postholder will oversee the Union’s media sales function, managing and expanding the business development strategy, operational processes, and portfolio of marketable assets.

Do you have experience in income generation through media sales, sponsorships, partnerships, or commercial marketing activity? Do you also have experience coordinating the operational delivery of campaigns or events? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you. Our ideal candidate will have a good working knowledge of media sales, sponsorship, brand activations, and advertising marketplace dynamics, along with a comprehensive knowledge of sales techniques and practice

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. 

The role is full-time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

We are looking for a Marketing Coordinator to coordinate the marketing activity of the Students’ Union throughout the year, taking the lead on campaigns and projects such as Varsity, the Leadership Race, International Festival and End of Year Awards, working with 10+ departments across the Union.

Do you have good working knowledge of effective marketing practices and the student market? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.

Our ideal candidate will have experience in planning a variety of innovative marketing campaigns, promotions and offers, along with experience of collaborating with multiple stakeholders in the successful delivery of projects.

The Survivor Engagement and Activism Coordinator leads the Helen Bamber Foundation’s work to ensure that survivors of trafficking, torture, and human rights abuses are meaningfully involved in shaping services, influencing policy, and driving social change. Working within the Community and Integration team, the post holder safeguards and supports clients as they participate in advocacy, leadership, and organisational development projects.

They oversee key survivor engagement programmes, including the Ambassadors for Change advocacy and leadership programme, the Client Voices Forum, the Board Advisers, and the Alumni Network. This involves coordinating training, facilitating meetings, supporting campaigns, managing administrative processes, and ensuring survivors are prepared, empowered, and safe throughout their involvement.

The role also involves developing innovative ways for survivors to collaborate with staff, contributing to service design, organisational strategy, and sector-wide initiatives. The post holder builds relationships across the asylum and modern slavery sectors, manages lived experience opportunities, and may support client progression and education casework when needed.

Throughout all responsibilities, the Coordinator champions survivor leadership, promotes diversity and inclusion, maintains the ethos of the charity, and practices strong self-care while working with traumatic material.

Citizens UK

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.

Living Wage Foundation

The Living Wage movement began in 2001, after Citizens UK brought together communities in East London to discuss poverty and low pay. The campaign grew in momentum and soon required a mechanism to recognise employers who wanted to join the movement, which saw the establishment of the Living Wage Foundation in 2011.

Still part of Citizens UK today, the Living Wage Foundation continues to work with community organisations to make sure the voices of both workers and businesses are part of the Living Wage movement. We now work with over 16,000 employers, benefitting over 475,000 people and winning over £3bn of better wages for people who need it most.

Citizens UK works with a broad base of institutions across the political spectrum. At the Living Wage Foundation, we take the same deliberately broad-based approach and accredit all organisations who pay the real Living Wage to their directly and indirectly employed staff and are committed to tackling in work poverty. As a team we work across a range of industries and sectors to achieve this mission. We seek pragmatic coalitions in order to progress specific campaigns, and partnership around a particular issue such as Living Wage, does not imply an endorsement of broader purpose and policies.

Purpose

At Citizens UK, our organisers and project staff work within communities to develop leaders, strengthen organisations, campaign for change and organise across difference. There are various project roles and operational, communication, finance and HR roles that support the organisation and project staff and organisers to deliver on this mission and work. This work is rewarding and can be challenging; it requires a personal commitment to inclusion, a willingness to listen and disagree respectfully, and an interest in working in an organisation where our staff, member institutions and leaders will come from a diversity of backgrounds and often hold views that may be very different from our own. More information about how we operate within this context and build trusted relationships across difference can be found on our website and is covered in induction. Onboarding and navigating this relational culture, and type of work, is supported by line managers and further training.

Main Responsibilities

We are looking for highly motivated and organised individual to coordinate our accreditation scheme. The role will work with our network of employers, and support new organisations through the accreditation process.

The Programme Officer will lead our work in Yorkshire and Humber support our Managers to grow and deepen engagement with Living Wage Employers through our associated schemes. You will help to ensure our resources and publicity materials are well written and up-to-date, and to coordinate events to grow our employer network.

Working as the Programme Officer for Citizens UK, reporting to a Programme Manager, your main responsibilities will include:

Contribute towards the achievement of CUK and LWF’s strategic objectives

Understand how the role contributes to LWF’s purpose and the core mission of CUK.

Reliably implement CUK’s and LWF’s policies, procedures, and values in own work.

Work with CUK community organisers and leaders to promote civic engagement with and ownership of the Living Wage campaign.

Feed into the LWF strategy and objectives development.

Living Wage Accreditation:

Support key contacts at potential LW Employers through the accreditation process, from dealing with initial enquiries to guiding them through the employer journey, to checking and processing their accreditation.

Develop rewarding relationships with key employers, industry, and campaign partners within our networks to build interest in the Living Wage and deliver a high-quality experience to our accredited employers.

With support from the wider team, develop plans and strategies to grow the number of accreditations in specific regions or industries.

Collate and disseminate Living Wage criteria and policy issues through both internal and external facing guidance, whilst reviewing and monitoring its suitability.

Support the development and implementation of projects to promote and grow Living Wage accreditations and develop the quality of service offered.

Build and manage projects and achieve work targets effectively

Successfully progress projects and tasks incl. tracking performance and expenditure.

Deliver agreed areas of the LWF’s work plan and leading on agenda items to report into team meetings.

Support the growth and development of new and existing Living Wage schemes incl. Recognised Service Providers, LW Funders, LW Places, Living Hours, Global Living Wage and Living Work Consultancy.

Deliver personal work targets on time and to standard:

Respond to telephone and web-based enquiries by providing advice and support to employers and supporters.

Provide administrative support for all aspects of the accreditation journey, incl. processing accreditations, recognitions, and renewals.

Maintain LWF data on systems, incl. Salesforce employer database.

Support the maintenance of our systems to ensure efficient processes and develop reporting mechanisms for effective monitoring and evaluation of our impact and progress against plans.

Coordinate and administrate Steering, Advisory or Leadership Groups as required, incl. coordinating agendas, sending out timely papers, taking minutes and following up on actions.

Learning & expertise

Keep abreast of new developments in the accreditation space.

Apply new learning to work and respond effectively to feedback.

Work collaboratively with the LWF and franchise teams to share learnings and experience and ensure that we are meeting the expectations of our network and stakeholders.

Develop and manage external relationships

Effectively develop and support a range of external relationships.

Respond effectively to queries or requests from stakeholders.

Engage with a diverse range of external stakeholders to support and develop projects as required.

Communications

Communicate effectively within the LWF; ensuring that messages are reliably passed to those who need to know.

Represent the LWF coherently in writing and verbally.

Events and Communications.

Plan and organise events to celebrate and grow our network of LW Employers, incl. playing an active role in the delivery of LW Week and assisting colleagues with event logistics

Represent and speak on behalf of the LWF at internal and external meetings and events.

Develop or feed into employer resources incl. marketing materials, blogs, reports, templates, and guides.

Develop and manage internal relationships

Work effectively with colleagues across Citizens UK.

Work collaboratively within the LWF team and actively participate in the team to ensure we meet the expectations of our network and stakeholders.

Generate income and resources

Contribute to plans and proposals to grow sources of income/resource.

Take personal responsibility for the careful stewardship of LWF’s resources.

Personal Specification

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential

EXPERIENCE:

Comprehensive experience in an administrative role (E)

Experience of building positive relationships (E)

Experience of managing and updating Salesforce or similar databases (D)

Experience of delivering a range of high quality communications materials, including websites, reports, newsletters (D)

KEY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Excellent time management skills with the ability to juggle a wide range of competing demands (E)

Understanding of database and systems management (E)

Ability to take in and interpret information and present in a succinct manner (E)

Excellent communication skills, both verbally and written, combined with the ability to liaise with senior stakeholders (E)

Ability to act on own initiative to introduce and develop new systems as appropriate (E)

Strong attention to detail  (E)

Strong IT skills to include MS Office and database software (E)

Understanding of the policy and campaign landscape in the UK (D)

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

A proactive approach to all areas of work with a ‘can do’ attitude and a flexible approach to work demands (E)

A strong commitment to the Living Wage campaign and principles of Citizens UK (E)

About the application process

We work within diverse communities bringing people together. In line with our Inclusion value, we would love to see applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith, all to better represent the communities we work in. We want our employees to have the working conditions that allows them to fully participate, be able to be their best authentic selves and thrive doing so, and we have employee networks to support staff. Even if you don’t quite meet all the required criteria still consider applying, as we invest in our employees and support them to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their role.

For questions and reasonable adjustments regarding your application including information in a different format, or our recruitment process, please email us.

Interviews will be in person in Leeds, week commencing 30th March.

Are you an influential leader looking for a new challenge? Would you like the opportunity to take a leading charity through the next exciting phase of its remarkable journey?

Harrogate Neighbours exists to support and improve the lives of elderly and vulnerable people across the region, transforming lives and empowering the community on a daily basis! With over 50 years of experience, they provide a vast range of services ranging from residential care (at their homes in Starbeck and Boroughbridge) to meals on wheels in the community to The charity’s values focus on compassion, accountability, respect and excellence, and the incredible staff team deliver an uncompromised standard of care to all.

We have a career defining opportunity for a new CEO to lead this organisation, and community, and in doing so inspire and transform lives across the region!

The Role

The CEO will be accountable to the talented and committed Board of Trustees and be responsible for the overall strategic management, leadership, and development of Harrogate Neighbours. Duties will include:

• Ensuring the development and implementation of integrated strategies across care, housing, operations, finance, marketing and communications, human resources and workforce, information management and technology, estates and performance monitoring, management and reporting.
• Providing overall leadership for Harrogate Neighbours in line with the vision, mission and values agreed by the Board of Trustees.
• Providing strategic leadership for fundraising and income diversification, ensuring the organisation has a sustainable and mixed portfolio of income.
• Developing and maintaining positive collaborative partnership arrangements with commissioners, local authorities, local communities, MPs, the voluntary sector, communities and other key partners and stakeholders.
• Overseeing the financial processes for the organisation and leading delivery of the agreed budgets.

The Person

We are looking for a visionary leader - a creative, charismatic and influential individual who is passionate about the values, ethos and mission of the charity! The skills and experience we are looking for include:

• A demonstrable track record of working in a senior strategic leadership role
• Evidence of working with senior leaders and board members to ensure strong and effective financial management
• Strong networking and influencing skills with an ability to build excellent relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• Strong and clear communication skills with an ability to lead internally, and also deliver messages to a variety of audiences externally.

This is a truly wonderful opportunity to lead a fantastic charity where you will directly influence the landscape for the communities across the Harrogate region, for the future. As CEO of Harrogate Neighbours, you will be leading a financially stable organisation with a strong board and talented staff team. The charity also promotes a supportive culture, has a generous pension scheme, offers a variety of wellbeing initiatives, 6.6 weeks annual leave and a range of additional benefits (including Blue Light Card and paid for massages!).

If you believe that you could be the right person to lead this charity through the next phase of its exciting journey then get in touch for more information, or apply here before Friday 27th February.

First stage interviews have been scheduled for Friday 20th March, and second stage interviews will be on 25th, 26th and 27th March 2026.

Please note: If you would like to submit an application or express your interest in an alternative format, such as audio or video upload, please contact either Charlie or Leanne who will be happy to advise on this.

Please also be aware that Charity Horizons use anonymous recruitment methods when submitting shortlists for all our roles and we only work with organisations that are happy to engage with us in this way.

Charity Horizons is an equal opportunities employer and as such actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from all suitable candidates irrespective of age, disability, hidden disability, race or national origin, religion or belief, gender, gender expression, political view, sexual orientation, medical condition and pregnancy.

Citizens UK

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.

Purpose

The Head of People & Culture ensures that Citizens UK has the people, organisational capacity and enabling culture required to deliver its mission of building people power and strengthening civil society. The role plays a central part in securing a workforce that is capable, motivated and aligned with Citizens UK’s values, enabling the organisation to build strong alliances, support local leadership and achieve lasting social change.

Working as part of the senior leadership team, and under the direction of the Executive Director, Finance & Operations, the role strengthens organisational effectiveness by embedding fair, inclusive and well-governed people practices. Through sound employment frameworks, statutory compliance and a culture that supports engagement, performance and wellbeing, the Head of People & Culture safeguards Citizens UK’s resilience, reputation and ability to deliver impact at scale.

Main Responsibilities

Working as the Head of People & Culture for Citizens UK, reporting to the Executive Director, Finance & Operations, your main responsibilities will include:

People & Culture Strategy

Ensure Citizens UK has the people, capability and organisational shape required to deliver its mission and sustain impact over time.

· Analyse organisational strategy, change priorities and external context to identify their implications for people, capability, structure and ways of working.

· Carry out workforce planning to assess current and future capacity and capability, identifying gaps, risks and realistic options to address them.

· Develop, maintain and refresh the People & Culture strategy so it responds directly to organisational needs and provides clear priorities for action.

· Provide expert people and culture advice to the Executive Leadership Team and Board, informing strategic discussions, trade-offs and decisions.

Talent Management

Develop and implement talent management processes that ensure Citizens UK attracts, retains and sustains the people needed to deliver its work.

· Lead recruitment, selection and onboarding to bring in people who can perform effectively in their roles and are aligned with Citizens UK’s values.

· Develop and maintain retention approaches focused on the key drivers of retention, including meaningful work, effective management, development opportunities, wellbeing, inclusion and fair treatment.

· Identify critical roles and critical talent and put in place practical succession and risk-mitigation plans, including knowledge transfer, handover planning and interim cover where needed.

· Monitor employee experience across the employment lifecycle, using insight from feedback and people data to improve people practices and ways of working.

Performance, Leadership & Capability

Strengthen organisational effectiveness by enabling teams to perform well, grow in capability and contribute consistently to shared goals.

· Maintain and operate performance management processes, including objective setting, regular feedback and reviews, ensuring that staff are clear on expectations and accountable for results.

· Support managers to address performance issues constructively by clarifying expectations, strengthening feedback, building capability and resolving barriers to effective performance.

· Coordinate and deliver learning and development activity that supports managers and staff to build skills, leadership capability and confidence in their roles.

Organisational Culture, Engagement & Wellbeing

Foster a working environment where people feel engaged, supported and able to do their best work together.

· Promote Citizens UK’s values in everyday people practices, supporting managers to translate values into consistent behaviours, decision-making and ways of working.

· Design and operate staff engagement and feedback mechanisms, ensuring staff voice is heard, themes are analysed, and practical actions are taken in response.

· Develop and maintain wellbeing approaches that support psychological safety, healthy workload management, early resolution of concerns and sustainable working practices.

· Support constructive relationships with the Trade Union and enable effective consultation and dialogue on people-related matters. 

EDI & Safeguarding

Ensure Citizens UK is equitable, inclusive and safe for all by embedding fairness, care and accountability into how the organisation operates.

· Develop and implement Equity, Diversity and Inclusion priorities, using clear measures to monitor progress, identify gaps and support accountability across the organisation.

· Embed EDI considerations into recruitment, progression, policy development and everyday people decisions, working closely with relevant colleagues to ensure consistency in practice.

· Act as the People & Culture lead for safeguarding, ensuring responsibilities are clear, processes are understood, and concerns are handled appropriately, sensitively and in line with agreed procedures.

· Support managers and leaders to recognise and address inclusion or safeguarding issues early, escalating concerns where required and ensuring appropriate follow-up.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Ensure Citizens UK has a clear, effective and trusted people governance framework that supports lawful decision-making, fair treatment and organisational confidence.

· Develop, review and maintain People & Culture policies and procedures, ensuring they are legally compliant, values-aligned and understood by managers and staff.

· Provide day-to-day advice and guidance on people-related risk and compliance, identifying emerging issues early and supporting proportionate, lawful responses.

· Manage disciplinary, grievance and other formal employment processes, ensuring fairness, consistency, appropriate documentation and timely resolution.

Systems & HR Operations

Ensure the efficient, reliable and compliant administration of people processes and systems.

· Operate and maintain HR systems, payroll processes and core people administration, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality and compliance with organisational and legal requirements.

· Review and improve people processes to reduce duplication, minimise manual work and improve efficiency, making best use of available technology and automation.

· Maintain accurate and up-to-date people records and data, ensuring information is accessible, secure and fit for reporting, audit and operational needs.

Functional Leadership & Resource Management

Build and manage CUK’s People & Culture function, ensuring that staff and resources contribute effectively to achievement of CUK’s mission.

· Plan, prioritise and sequence People & Culture work to ensure available capacity is focused on the organisation’s most important people risks and priorities.

· Manage the People & Culture budget, including payroll, monitoring spend and applying value-for-money principles in line with organisational policies.

· Manage People & Culture staff and outsourced service providers utilising an engaging leadership style to support effective delivery of expectations.

Personal Specification

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential

Qualifications

· (E) CIPD qualification (Level 7) or equivalent senior-level professional experience in People / HR leadership

· (D) Degree or equivalent qualification in human resources, organisational development, management or a related field

Experience

· (E) Significant experience in a senior People / HR role, ideally within a charity, not-for-profit or values-driven organisation

· (E) Experience of leading and delivering people and culture priorities in complex, mission-led organisations

· (E) Experience of advising Executive and Board-level stakeholders on people, culture, governance and risk matters

· (E) Experience of operating as a senior, hands-on HR generalist, covering strategy, policy, employee relations and operational delivery

· (E) Experience of workforce planning, recruitment, performance management and organisational change

· (D) Experience of working with trade unions or staff representative bodies

Key skills and knowledge

· (E) Strong generalist HR expertise across employment law, compliance, safeguarding, performance management and people governance

· (E) Proven ability to design and implement practical people processes that support performance, inclusion and wellbeing

· (E) Strong coaching capability, with the ability to support managers to address performance, capability and behavioural issues constructively

· (E) Ability to manage complex employee relations matters with judgement, fairness and confidence

· (E) Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present clear advice and recommendations to senior leaders and boards

· (D) Knowledge of HR systems, people data and process improvement to support efficient delivery

Personal qualities & values

· (E) Strong commitment to social justice, inclusion and the values and mission of Citizens UK

· (E) Values-led and relational leadership style, combining empathy, integrity and pragmatism

· (E) Resilient and adaptable, able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced and evolving environment

· (E) Comfortable working within an accountable team culture, open to feedback, reflective practice and continuous improvement

· (D) Willingness to work occasional evenings or weekends, and to travel when required to support organisational priorities

First round interviews to be held on W/C 16 March 2026

Second round interviews to be held on W/C 23 March 2026

Terms and Conditions:

1. Support Women in Prison to influence policy makers to reduce the unnecessary criminalisation of women and improving the rights of women in the criminal justice system
2. Ensuring women with Lived Experience are at the heart Women in Prison’s policy and public affairs work
3. Political analysis and monitoring
4. Supporting the wider work of the Policy and Public Affairs Team

• Is restricted to women only as a genuine occupational requirement
• Requires the right to work in the UK
• Is subject to a basic DBS check