Entry level jobs
Do you want to make a real difference in the lives of older and vulnerable people in our community? Are you a strategic, values-driven leader looking to make an impact?
At WECHI, our purpose is to support older people to remain living comfortably and independently in their own homes for as long as they choose. If you are passionate about applying your skills to a meaningful cause, the Head of Central Services role offers a unique opportunity to lead and make a difference, guided by our values of care, respect, integrity, and collaboration.
In this senior leadership role, you’ll work closely with the CEO, Management Board and management team to shape our financial strategy, strengthen governance, and ensure effective management of our people, data, IT and facilities functions. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring your expertise to an organisation with a big heart, a strong social purpose and a team that genuinely cares.
What you’ll lead on
Strategic Finance & Planning
- Lead the development of financial and commercial strategies that support WECHI’s long-term vision.
- Oversee annual budgets, forecasts and business planning.
- Provide clear, insightful financial information to support Board and Executive decision-making.
Financial Management & Reporting
- Lead all financial reporting, including monthly reviews, cashflow management, quarterly management accounts, BVAs and year-end accounts (including subsidiaries).
- Manage the annual audit and maintain strong relationships with bankers, insurers and auditors.
- Ensure robust financial controls, policies and procedures across the organisation.
Operational Performance & Growth
- Partner with operational teams to improve performance, efficiency and financial sustainability.
- Provide financial modelling and support for bids, business cases and new service development.
- Contribute to revenue growth, including development of commercial opportunities and private income streams.
Governance, Risk & Compliance
- Act as Company Secretary, ensuring statutory and regulatory compliance.
- Strengthen organisational governance and risk management, including maintenance of risk registers.
- Ensure compliance with data protection, information governance and financial regulations.
Corporate Services Leadership
- Manage the People Support Lead, providing line management and oversight, while working collaboratively to ensure HR compliance, develop people strategy, and coordinate on key operational matters including payroll and budgets.
- Lead IT oversight and the outsourced IT function, ensuring systems are maintained and improved.
- Oversee facilities management and represent WECHI as a Director for Hide Market Management.
For a full description of duties, person specification, and benefits, please see the attached JD.
This is an exciting opportunity for a Head of Central Services to shape the future of WECHI, make a lasting impact, and champion our values of care, respect, integrity, and collaboration. If you think that's you,we’d love to hear from you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you a strategic, results-driven fundraiser ready to make a real impact?
Join the Orpheus Centre, a vibrant charity that transforms lives through the performing arts. We’re on an exciting journey, launching a £25m capital appeal to expand our facilities and grow our reach. To achieve this, we need an exceptional Deputy Head of Fundraising to help lead our income generation efforts and drive sustainable growth.
About the role
As Deputy Head of Fundraising, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering innovative fundraising strategies across multiple streams—corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, individual giving, and community fundraising. You’ll oversee donor acquisition and stewardship, inspire your team, and ensure we meet ambitious targets. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence the future of a charity that champions creativity, inclusion, and resilience.
Location: The Orpheus Centre, Surrey
Salary: £45,000 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week (flexible working considered) / 52 weeks per year
Contract: Permanent
What you’ll do
- Lead revenue fundraising strategies and secure income through personal efforts.
- Manage and develop a talented fundraising team.
- Build strong relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders.
- Design compelling campaigns and optimise performance using data insights.
- Deputise for the Head of Income and Growth when required.
What we’re looking for
- Proven experience in managing multiple fundraising streams and meeting income targets.
- Strong leadership and team management skills.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
- Strategic thinker with a track record of delivering results.
- Knowledge of fundraising compliance and best practices.
Why join us?
- Be part of a passionate team that celebrates creativity and makes a tangible impact on people’s lives.
- Work on a high-profile capital appeal and exciting projects.
- A supportive, inclusive workplace where your ideas matter.
- Join us in making a lasting difference in the lives of young disabled people through the power of the arts.
Orpheus is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. All posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and satisfactory references. This post is classed as having a high degree of contact with vulnerable adults and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
As part of our safer recruitment process and in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, online searches may be undertaken as part of due diligence.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
In order to be considered you must be eligible to work in the UK.
The Orpheus Centre is proud to be a disability confident employer.
We have made a positive commitment to employing disabled people. Reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment procedure as required in consultation with the applicant to ensure no-one is disadvantaged because of their disability. If a disabled person is selected for a position, reasonable adjustments will be made to the workplace, including premises and equipment, work duties and practices or policies, as appropriate. All disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role as set out in the role profile and person specification will be considered for interview.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are:
- Challenging attitudes towards disability
- Increasing understanding of disability
- Removing barriers to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
- Ensuring that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspiration
No agencies please.
We are focused on inspiring and empowering young disabled students to live fulfilling, independent lives



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Full time, permanent role
Between 30-40 hours depending on candidate
Salary at 40 hours: £48,743 - £50,000 per annum (the salary will be pro rata if less than 40 hours per week)
We’re looking for a Director to lead Appetite, our acclaimed Arts Council England Creative People and Places programme.
Our Appetite Director will oversee all aspects of the programme including planning, producing and leading the staff team.
As Director, you’ll provide the strategic and producing leadership to turn our community’s ideas into reality, working with artists, partners and local people to deliver bold projects. You’ll also be part of the New Vic Theatre’s Senior Leadership Team, helping shape the future of one of the UK’s most distinctive producing theatres.
Our ideal candidate will be an ambitios creative producer who is looking for their next leadership role. Someone who has experience of programming and producing and is excited by the idea of working closely with our local communities.
Deadline for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Friday 30 January
For further details, including a full job description and how to apply, please visit the vacancies page of our website at the link provided.
The New Vic is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity in our workforce and positively encourage applicants from all sections of the community, particularly applicants under-represented across the arts workforce, including but not limited to, applicants with a disability, applicants who are LGBTQIA+, or applicants of African or Caribbean heritage, South, East and South-East Asian heritage or anyone who experiences racism.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Financial Controller (a charity committed to community transformation)
Permanent, full-time post, 40 hours per week (1 FTE), inclusive of breaks
Salary: £55,184 per annum (including London Weighting)
Hybrid: Some travel around the UK will also be required.
Financial Controller – Oasis Group
Oasis exists to transform communities, so they are healthy, inclusive, and thriving. Through our network of global Hubs, we work holistically to tackle inequality and build strong local ecosystems that serve everyone. To support this vital mission, we are now seeking a Financial Controller to join our national leadership team. Based in our London Waterloo office, the Financial Controller will oversee the finance function for our UK operations, ensuring excellence in financial planning, reporting, compliance, and controls.
Why might you consider Oasis?
We are proud of why we exist and what we bring to the communities in which we operate. Our story is told through a multi-faceted organisation that extends across support for homelessness and housing (Oasis Community Housing), secure education for young people (Oasis Restore), community hubs (Oasis Community Partnerships) and disrupting human trafficking (STOP THE TRAFFIK) and of course our network of 55 Oasis Academies (Oasis Community Learning). We are proud that we don’t just talk a good game – we actively engage and change lives for the better.
What will you do?
This newly formed leadership role will manage the financial operations across specific subsidiaries of Oasis. It will ensure financial accuracy, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and the delivery of timely financial information to support decision-making across the group.
To be successful in this role, applicants will require:
· A recognised professional accounting qualification or part-qualification, together with a thorough practical understanding of financial and management accounting principles and techniques.
· Advanced working knowledge/experience of Excel and computerised accounting systems (preferably PS Financials) with the ability to interpret and extract relevant financial information.
· Ability to communicate complex financial information to a wide audience with varying financial backgrounds, both internally and externally
· Excellent inter-personal and people management experience
What will you get in return?
· A network of peers and partners all sharing the same vision and an environment set up to ensure everyone is supported and included.
· A package of reward that includes a 7% employer contribution pension scheme, annual leave allowance starting at 25 days (plus Bank Holidays) increasing over time, eligibility to join the Green Commute cycle to work scheme and cash benefit health plan.
· Be part of an international network of Oasis charities offering opportunities to develop your career in new directions and locations.
· A competitive salary and workplace flexibility.
As this is a newly created role, expect an evolving position that requires your insightful input, leadership and at the same time, provides incredible opportunities for the right person.
To apply, please send your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than two A4 pages).
Please expand on your CV to tell us about relevant skills, experience and qualifications you have that relate to the job description and person specification.
We will review applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the advert if we identify suitable candidates. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application as soon as possible.
If successful you will be invited to formal and practical interviews We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers during the recruitment process, please let us know.
Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks.
The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK. Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.
Oasis supports Equal Opportunities. Registered Charity No. 1026487
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This role would suit a professional individual with solid current trade union knowledge, with excellent communication skills, with proven experience of implementing projects to diverse international and multi-cultural environments and fundraising in a global context.
The Head of Union Building will lead a team at head office and work collaboratively with Union Building related staff in our regions to develop and deliver the ITF’s ambitious Union Building programme and its growth path. This includes the development, implementation and monitoring of strategies to ensure that Union Building portfolio and funding grows, and that Union Building projects achieve their agreed objectives and are coherently reported in line with TUSSO standards. The role will also contribute to the strategies required to fulfil the ITF’s overall objectives.
Due to the international aspects of the organisation’s work, a good working knowledge of another language would be an advantage. Proficient in using standard office equipment and other relevant software.
ITF offers a highly competitive defined benefit pension salary scheme, a flexible hybrid working model, enabling staff to work from home as well as the office, as well as the opportunity to work in a state-of-the-art modern office building in central London.
Every day transport workers keep the world moving – connecting millions of people across our cities and countries

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The balance of the role is approximately 2.5dpw HR and 1.5dpw Governance Support. Applications for a 2.5 days per week Head of HR role will also be considered. Please indicate which role you are applying for when you make your application.
Liberty is an independent campaigning organisation. It challenges injustice, defends freedom, and campaigns to make sure everyone in the UK is treated fairly.
Liberty is a small organisation, which punches above its weight, delivering its work through a team of around 35 employees. We are looking for a Head of HR and Governance Support who brings strong leadership and management skills, hands-on day-to-day delivery to support high-performing teams, and who has strong organisational skills and experience working at a senior level to be able to effectively support the Liberty board, and the board of Liberty's sister charity, The Civil Liberties Trust.
You will line manager and work closely with the HR Officer to provide responsive, problem solving and supportive HR service to managers across the organisation and to work alongside, support and advise the Senior Leadership Team to develop and deliver a strong HR strategy embedding best practice and continuing to build a positive, inclusive and high- performing culture strongly aligned with Liberty's values.
You will also work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, the Board and the Finance and Governance Officer to ensure that both boards have the operational and implementation support they need to function effectively, including supporting the upcoming governance review.
We are looking for someone who enjoys working at both a strategic and operational level, who enjoys implementing effective systems, and embraces the opportunities and challenges of embedding values-led, anti-oppressive principles within a progressive organisation.
The successful candidate is likely to be qualified or QBE in HR, and have a good grasp of HR employment law, have experience of taking an organisation through transformational change and enjoy working with managers to get the best out of their teams.
For further information click the apply button.
Liberty challenge injustice, defend freedom and campaign to make sure everyone in the UK is treated fairly.
This is an exciting opportunity to join The National Brain Appeal, a highly ambitious neurological charity with an outstanding track record. We have raised significant funds to transform research and care for people living with neurological conditions – from dementia and brain tumours to motor neurone disease and epilepsy.
Building on the success of our recent appeals, this role will play a pivotal part in expanding our major gifts fundraising and delivering a step-change in the impact of our work. We are seeking a highly experienced philanthropy and partnerships professional with a proven track record in generating major gifts up to figures, who will lead the creation of a new Development Board and work closely with senior supporters, clinicians and researchers to grow and deepen our networks.
The National Brain Appeal (formerly known as The National Hospital Development Foundation) is the charity dedicated to raising vital funds for The Nat
Development Manager
Contract: 12-Month Fixed Term Contract (with a view to extend)
Function/Team: Development & Communications
Location: London, UK
Hours: Full time, inclusive of breaks
Reporting to: Head of Development & Communications
Salary: £33,410 – £36,678
STOP THE TRAFFIK prevents vulnerable communities from being recruited, trafficked, and exploited. Our targeted prevention work disrupts the criminal business of human trafficking, making it too high-risk and low-profit to be viable.
The Development Manager sits within our Development & Communications Team and plays a critical role in securing the funding and partnerships that fuel our global prevention efforts. This role is responsible for managing and preparing high-quality funding applications, nurturing donor and partner relationships, and leading on individual giving initiatives that grow our supporter base and strengthen long-term sustainability.
This is a dynamic and strategic role suited to someone who is a strong writer, comfortable working with data and impact insights, and driven to connect STOP THE TRAFFIK’s mission with funders who share our vision. You will help build a strong pipeline of philanthropic, trust, foundation, and corporate support, ensuring the organisation continues to innovate and scale its prevention programmes worldwide.
This role will be responsible for:
Funding Development & Applications
• Prepare and submit compelling, high-quality funding proposals to trusts and foundations.
• Develop supplementary materials for applications, including budgets, MEL frameworks, timelines, and theories of change.
• Research and identify new funding opportunities to maintain a strong pipeline.
• Manage funding calendars, ensuring deadlines, reporting, and grant obligations are met.
Relationship Management
• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing funders, partners, and individual donors, ensuring excellent stewardship.
• Support the Head of Development & Communications in cultivating philanthropic prospects and corporate partnerships.
• Represent STOP THE TRAFFIK in meetings and presentations with funders and external stakeholders.
Campaigns & Individual Giving
• Lead individual giving activities.
• Collaborate with the Development & Communications Team to design creative fundraising campaigns that grow income across diverse supporter groups including universities, schools, and community initiatives.
Storytelling & Impact
• Translate data, insights, and project outcomes into persuasive narratives for funders and partners.
• Work closely with programme teams to gather impact information and incorporate it into applications and pitches.
The ideal candidate will have:
• Experience in fundraising or partnership development within the charity or social impact sector.
• A strong track record of writing successful funding proposals and trust/foundation applications.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to craft persuasive, evidence-based narratives.
• Experience researching prospects and managing a varied funding pipeline.
• Confidence presenting to funders and external audiences.
• Strong relationship-building skills with individuals and organisations.
• The ability to work with data and monitoring insights to strengthen reporting and funding cases.
• Excellent organisation and multitasking skills in a fast-paced environment.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, safeguarding, and STOP THE TRAFFIK’s core values.
Benefits:
• A friendly, supportive team.
• Opportunity to engage with global partners and influential funders.
• Autonomy to shape fundraising approaches and contribute innovative ideas.
• Healthcare cash benefit scheme (with the option to include partner/children).
• Corporate eye-care scheme.
• Life insurance.
• Non-contributory Group Personal Pension Scheme with 7% employer contribution.
• 27 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (rising to 33 days with service).
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Season Ticket Loan.
• Ability to swap two bank holidays to suit personal needs.
• Flexible working policy that supports staff wellbeing.
• Access to internal and external training opportunities.
If you have the relevant experience, are highly resourceful, adaptable, pro-active, and a critical thinker able to work in a fast-paced environment, please send a CV and brief cover letter (both in pdf format) that evidences your ability to be successful in this role.
Email your application via the Oasis Charity Jobs Website. Only applications sent via email will be considered to ensure an equitable review process. The deadline to apply is Sunday 4th January 2026.
Registered Charity No. 1127321
We cannot sponsor applicants at this time.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
At the Community Fund we are committed to making a bigger difference in the years ahead. That’s why being 'impact-focussed’ is one of our core values. We want to transform how we use insight in our organisation so that we can: identify the communities that most need our funding, demonstrate the difference we make and take an equity-based approach. Our 2030 strategy ‘It starts with community’ sets stretching goals and puts impact at the heart of what we do.
We’re recruiting for a Process Improvement Lead in our Evidence and Impact team.
In this role you will help make sure that the Evidence and Impact team is working effectively so that we deliver a brilliant service for community organisations, colleagues and external partners.
You will proactively identify improvement opportunities within our UK-wide team. Putting the voice of the users at the forefront of your work, you will help our team fully understand the needs of customers. You will coach and challenge us to continuously improve by assembling multi-discipline groups to undertake root cause analysis, gather user experience and design new processes. The processes you build will support stronger cross-team working, reduce duplication and deliver time savings and efficiencies for colleagues at all levels. They will also help us make better use of established and new technologies to improve how we work.
As an active member of the Evidence and Impact leadership, you will help build a continuous improvement culture across our whole team. Mentoring and supporting others will be a critical part of the role, as you support colleagues to grow their own skills and build experience in continuous improvement.
We’re looking for someone whose enthusiasm and energy can help our team reach new heights. You will bring extensive experience of delivering meaningful long term changes through continuous improvement projects. You will be able to pair this with a solid understanding of methods such as six sigma, kata or vanguard and excel at applying them to a service context.
Finally, you’ll be comfortable working across a complex organisational landscape, ideally with experience of delivering in a UK context, and you will relish taking on process challenges that span multiple departments. You will bring the skills and experience to translate our overall strategy into efficient processes that deliver real benefits for communities and our own team members.
Interview details:
- Date: 26th and 27th January 2026
- Format: Virtual
- Location: UK Wide
Location: We have a hybrid approach to working. Work pattern and location will be agreed with the successful candidate. The role can be based at any of our UK offices: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, and Newtown.
We will be hosting a briefing session on: Tuesday 6thJanuary 2026, 11:00 – 11:45am. To register or ask any questions please email the recruitment team.
How to apply:
Upload your CV in word format and write a supporting statement (1000 words) with the following criteria, we will use this to score your application.
Essential
- Strong knowledge of business improvement methodologies such as lean six sigma, Kata or systems thinking/analysis.
- Experience of coaching and supporting colleagues at all levels of seniority to help develop a continuous improvement culture.
- Demonstrable experience of leading service or enabling functions to improve their processes, with measurable results.
- Excellent facilitation skills and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams to break down problems and understand root causes from the user/customer perspective.
- Strong knowledge of project management principles and the interaction between PMO requirements and continuous improvement.
- Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the business.
- Ability to understand and breakdown complex issues and communicate to a variety of stakeholders.
Desirable
- A willingness to understand the external functional standards for the work of the Evidence and Impact team.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.
We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)
It starts with community.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
**Please note our client is a 4-day-week employer**
Our client is a small, independent housing association providing general and supported housing for single homeless people across London. Their mission is to provide housing and skills development to people in need, providing a safe space in which they can attain independence. They are now recruiting an interim Head of Housing Services (initially on a 6 month fixed term contract) to provide strong leadership across our client’s housing portfolio.
As interim Head of Housing Services, you will provide inspiring leadership to your housing operations team, supporting staff to achieve tangible social impact and/or recovery outcomes in line with the organisation’s mission and with funder’s contractual obligations. You will act as strategic lead for income, service and performance management of our client’s property portfolio, ensuring compliance of housing stock and tenancy matters within legal and statutory requirements. You will prepare and present accurate performance reports for the entire portfolio, reporting on voids, rent management and tenant engagement outcomes to the CEO and local authority partners, identifying corrective action where needed. You will develop and manage effective allocation processes for maximum occupancy and will work closely with other delivery colleagues to ensure that housing is accessible and operates in line with any funding criteria.
To apply for this role, you will have experience of managing housing services (general needs or homelessness), including budget management and performance reporting. You will have demonstrable experience of managing and developing housing staff (including managing staff across dispersed locations) and will have strong networking and negotiating skills. You will have knowledge of housing law, statutory and regulatory, and will have good practice requirements of housing providers (especially as it relates to housing management and health & safety). Overall, you will be an experienced housing management professional, passionate about delivering high quality housing services to a variety of people.
If you are interested in finding out more about this exciting opportunity, please register your interest and submit your CV by clicking 'apply now' below.
At Prospectus, we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you in your application. If you are enthusiastic about working with a fantastic charity that makes a real difference in people's lives, we would love to hear from you!
Please note this role will be working 4 days a week (32 hours), 3 days in the office or across services, and 1 day from home.
Please only apply if you are available immediately or have no more than a 1 month notice period.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Expressions of Interest sought
Interim Director of Fundraising
Hybrid, 1-2x per week in the London office
c£65,000
Full time or 4 days considered
c9 months contract
This organisation is looking for a fundraising lead to build voluntary income to reduce reliance on statutory funding and therefore develop a diverse portfolio of income streams. It is a critical role, and the successful candidate will bring senior-level experience in fundraising, a demonstrable understanding of trusts, foundations, and major donor engagement, and a passion for feminist, anti-racist leadership.
You will lead the organisation’s income strategy with a focus on growing income and working closing with the senior leadership team to develop and cultivate relationships.
We are looking for an individual with a commitment to anti-racism, feminism and social justice.
This post is open to women only under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1.
Application via CV in the first instance. Further details will be shared with professionals with the relevant experience and values sought.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Location: Hybrid – London office and home
Contract: Permanent, full time
Reporting to: Chief Executive
Working pattern: Four-day week
About Spinal Research
Every two hours, someone in the UK becomes paralysed. Globally, more than 15 million people live with paralysis. At Spinal Research, our vision is a world where paralysis can be cured. We fund groundbreaking research to deliver life-changing treatments for people with spinal cord injuries. By backing the brightest minds and fostering innovation, we are driving progress towards what could be the medical breakthrough of the 21st century: curing paralysis. We will not stop until that future is achieved.
The Role
We are seeking a dynamic and strategic leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as Head of Strategy and Operations. This pivotal role ensures Spinal Research is efficient, resilient, and future-focused. You will work closely with the Chief Executive, board, and senior colleagues to deliver organisational strategy, oversee operations, finance, HR, and systems, and help position the charity for growth and impact.
You will bring people, processes, and data together to maximise effectiveness, empower teams, strengthen cross-department collaboration, and champion innovation—including the use of AI and technology—to help us deliver our mission.
Key Responsibilities
- Shape and deliver organisational strategy, project development, and workforce planning as part of the Senior Leadership Team.
- Act as a key point of contact for the board on operational matters.
- Build alignment between research, fundraising, community engagement, and operations.
- Oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring efficient and consistent processes across teams.
- Lead on HR, recruitment, staff wellbeing, safeguarding, health & safety, and cyber security.
- Ensure robust financial management, reporting, and compliance.
- Develop and implement policies, systems, and processes to support organisational resilience.
- Act as Data Protection Officer, ensuring compliance with data protection laws and championing data-driven decision-making.
- Lead change management initiatives and explore AI tools and technologies to enhance efficiency.
- Line-manage staff and partners in operations, finance, HR, and data.
- Promote internal career progression, training, and succession planning.
- Be a visible advocate for Spinal Research’s mission and support new initiatives, partnerships, and fundraising activities.
The Kind of Person We’re Looking For
We’re seeking a strategic, collaborative, and innovative leader who thrives in a mission-driven environment. The ideal candidate will be passionate about making a difference, with a proven ability to drive organisational effectiveness and lead teams through change.
Experience and Skills
- Senior Leadership: Significant experience in a senior operational, strategy, or general management role, ideally within the charity, health, research, or not-for-profit sectors.
- Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to shape and deliver organisational strategy, manage complex projects, and align cross-functional teams.
- Operational Excellence: Strong track record overseeing day-to-day operations, including HR, finance, compliance, and systems development.
- Change Management: Experience leading change initiatives, with the ability to engage and support teams through transitions.
- Data and Technology: Comfortable championing data-driven decision-making and integrating new technologies (such as AI tools and platforms like Salesforce) to enhance organisational performance.
- People Leadership: Skilled at empowering, developing, and line-managing diverse teams and partners, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and act as a credible advocate for the organisation’s mission.
- Values-Driven: Committed to upholding Spinal Research’s values of commitment, integrity, collaboration, and innovation in all aspects of work.
Personal Attributes
- Proactive, resilient, and adaptable, with a growth mindset.
- Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities.
- Passionate about making a positive impact for people affected by spinal cord injury.
Working Arrangements
- Hybrid role split between home and our London Bridge office.
- Spinal Research is a four-day week employer
- Part of a supportive, values-driven team (commitment, integrity, collaboration, innovation).
- Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support organisational priorities.
Ready to help us deliver life-changing impact?
Apply now to join Spinal Research and play a key role in our mission to cure paralysis.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This is a very special role with huge potential for the right candidate to deliver transformational impact in our communities in Somerset.
The Opportunity
There is significant potential for growth, particularly through gifts in Wills, working in partnership with professional advisers and growing high-value fundraising. We’re also broadening our appeal to a wider range of donors and partners having launched our Collective Giving Funds, which offer a compelling way for anyone to give strategically to the causes and places they care about in Somerset
As our Philanthropy and Marketing Director you will be at the forefront of this ambition. We’re looking for a strategic leader who can balance vision with execution to deliver great results. You’ll need to be a credible, emotionally intelligent and authentic relationship builder, adept at building trust, genuinely passionate about our mission and have strong alignment with our values.
This senior leadership role also holds strategic responsibility for marketing and brand positioning, enabling us to unlock the full potential of philanthropy in Somerset to drive change in our communities. We’ve recently invested in the growth of our Philanthropy and Marketing Team, and have welcomed a specialist marketing Trustee on to our Board.
We’re looking for an experienced and inclusive manager, confident at providing a balance of coaching and mentoring to help our talented team to develop and shine. And as an active and engaged member of our Senior Leadership Team, you’ll share our passion for continuous improvement, help to drive organisational growth and development, and provide expert advice and guidance to our Board of Trustees.
The impact we make as a charity is achieved largely through our funding programmes. You must have an appreciation of the role that community-led charities and groups play in creating positive change locally. And the role we, as a place-based funder, can play to support that work. You do not, however, need experience of working for a funder previously.
Download the recruitment pack to see the roles full responsibilities and required skills, knowledge and experience.
About Somerset Community Foundation
Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) (charity no.1094446) is a grant-making charity that helps build strong communities where everyone can thrive. We do this by funding local charities and facilitating local giving.
We provide simple, rewarding and impactful ways for donors to give locally, guided by research and our unrivalled local knowledge.
For small, local charities, community groups and social enterprises, we provide vital funding and support to help their organisations flourish. We raise and distribute between £4 million and £5 million of funding to local groups every year. We’re also building an endowment for long-term investment into our communities, which is currently valued at around £11 million.
By inspiring local giving and funding social action, we support local communities to drive change and realise their dreams.
SCF is part of a network of 47 Community Foundations operating throughout the UK. Together we are one of the largest funders of communities across the nation.
WE HELP PASSIONATE PEOPLE IN SOMERSET CHANGE THE WORLD ON THEIR DOORSTEP BY FUNDING LOCAL CAUSES AND INSPIRING LOCAL GIVING AND PHILANTHROPY.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We’re looking for an experienced philanthropy professional who’s ready to take their next step. You’ll bring at least five years of building and managing high-value donor relationships, ideally with philanthropists, though experience with trusts, foundations, or corporate partners is also valuable. You’ll have a strong track record of securing five- and six-figure gifts and achieving ambitious income targets.
As a confident leader, you’ll have experience managing and developing fundraising staff, and you’ll be comfortable navigating the international development funding landscape, with an interest in sustainability, agroecology, or locally led development. You’ll be a natural networker who can build authentic relationships with stakeholders at every level.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
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Want to work in a vibrant, dynamic and youth driven organisation that is protecting children’s health by transforming the food system?
Be part of the creative, agile and growing team empowering Bite Back’s exceptional teenage activists. As our Director of Finance and Operations you will make a real difference to our mission to help make the food system healthier and fairer.
As a key member of the Leadership Team, the Director of Finance & Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across finance, people, digital, operations and governance. They ensure the charity is financially sustainable, well-run, compliant and values-driven, so that our resources, systems and culture are aligned with our mission.
They will be accountable for the following areas:
Strategic leadership & organisational development
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Act as a strategic partner to the CEO and Leadership Team, shaping organisational strategy and translating it into robust financial, people and operational plans.
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Lead the annual organisational planning cycle, ensuring objectives, budgets and KPIs are aligned to the strategy and are realistic, affordable and measurable.
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Champion a culture of accountability, inclusion, learning and collaboration across the charity, role-modelling our values in leadership and decision making.
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Provide clear, insight-driven analysis and recommendations to support major strategic decisions (e.g. growth, new programmes, partnerships, investments, cost management).
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Lead and develop the Finance & Operations team (Finance, Fundraising, HR, IT/systems, operations) building a high-performing, service-oriented function that supports colleagues to deliver impact.
Financial strategy, planning & stewardship
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Develop and keep under review the charity’s financial strategy, ensuring long-term sustainability, appropriate reserves and effective use of resources.
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Lead and coordinate the annual budget and medium-term financial planning process, working closely with budget holders to create robust, activity-based budgets.
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With the support of the Senior Finance Manager, provide timely, accurate and insightful financial reporting to the CEO, Leadership Team and Board, including management accounts, restricted funds reporting, cashflow and forecasts.
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Maintain robust financial controls, policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, accounting standards and Charity Commission / Companies House requirements.
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Lead the relationship with external auditors and oversee the annual audit process, ensuring high-quality statutory accounts and a culture of continuous improvement in financial controls.
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Oversee financial aspects of funding bids, contracts and grant reporting, including costing models, financial due diligence and project / restricted fund monitoring.
People, culture & HR
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Champion Bite Back’s values - Fresh, Resilient, Respectful, Energetic, and Real - in all your work.
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Provide strategic oversight of HR, working closely with the HR & People Manager on people strategy, workforce planning, recruitment, employee relations and HR operations.
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Champion a positive, inclusive and psychologically safe workplace culture. Lead on embedding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the organisation, shaping recruitment, policies, culture and practices so that staff from all backgrounds feel welcomed, represented, supported and able to flourish.
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Lead the organisation-wide objective-setting and performance management framework, ensuring clear expectations, regular feedback and fair, constructive review processes.
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Oversee learning and development approaches so that staff and managers have the skills, tools and support to perform at their best and develop their careers.
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Ensure all people-related policies and procedures (including safeguarding where appropriate), are up-to-date, legally compliant, values-aligned and consistently implemented.
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Oversee pensions, insurance, payroll and benefits ensuring these are well-managed, compliant and provide value for money.
Digital, data, IT & systems
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Work alongside the Digicomms team to support the organisation’s digital and technology strategy, ensuring systems and tools are fit for purpose and future-focused.
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Ensure the charity’s CRM (Salesforce) is effectively governed, embedded and used across the organisation, with clear ownership, training and data standards.
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Oversee data protection and information security, ensuring GDPR compliance, robust data governance and adherence to frameworks such as Cyber Essentials where relevant.
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Manage relationships with IT and systems suppliers, ensuring contracts are well-specified, performance is monitored and services deliver value for money.
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Lead the design and continuous improvement of cross-organisational systems and processes to reduce duplication, improve user experience and increase efficiency.
Operations, facilities & supplier management
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Oversee the effective management of the charity’s co-working space in Fivefields and any hybrid / remote working arrangements, ensuring they are safe, inclusive and support collaborative working.
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Plan for future workspace needs in line with organisational growth, culture and budget.
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Lead procurement and supplier management, together with the Operations & Contracts Manager, for key operational services, ensuring contracts are well-managed and aligned with our ethical, environmental and sustainability commitments.
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Ensure robust health and safety arrangements are in place and implemented across all activities, including appropriate policies, risk assessments and training.
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Oversee business continuity planning and disaster recovery arrangements so that critical operations can continue in the event of disruption.
Governance, risk & compliance
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Act as Company Secretary and secretary to the Board, ensuring effective governance processes and high-quality information flows between the executive and trustees.
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Ensure timely and accurate compliance with Charity Commission, Companies House and any other regulatory or funder requirements, including statutory filings and returns.
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Lead the development, maintenance and regular review of the organisational risk register, ensuring an appropriate appetite for risk and clear mitigation actions.
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Provide assurance to the Board and its committees on the effectiveness of internal controls and compliance frameworks across finance, HR, data protection, health & safety and other key areas.
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Coordinate the review, approval, communication and implementation of organisational policies, ensuring staff are inducted, trained and clear on their responsibilities.
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Support the Chair and CEO in planning Board and committee agendas, ensuring trustees are well-supported to discharge their duties and have appropriate information to make decisions.
Please apply with a CV and a covering statement telling us why you’re a good fit for this role. Your covering statement must include answers to the four questions we ask in the application pack. If you do not answer these questions we will not be able to consider your application.
OUR MISSION IS TO CHANGE THE WAY UNHEALTHY FOOD IS MADE, MARKETED AND SOLD, ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.


