Jobs for the Environment sector in Islington

The Big Chalk Partnership is made up of more than 150 organisations with a common vision of creating nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit all of us.

The Protected Landscapes Partnership and Defra are supporting our Partnership to catalyse progress towards the UK’s nature commitments across these special landscapes through the multi-million pound Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund. The Nature Recovery Fund Officer will administer and develop the systems and processes underpinning our grant-making.

The Big Chalk programme is hosted by the National Landscapes Association, which represents the UK’s National Landscapes (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The Association is a charity and non-profit membership organisation. The team advocates, communicates and fosters collaborative action which supports National Landscapes to be as effective as possible, championing their interests with governments and delivering national projects.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds – the most important thing is that you are motivated to work collaboratively with Big Chalk’s partners to benefit nature to the greatest extent possible, helping ensure our grant-making is both effective and compliant.

With significant experience of administering and developing grant making systems, processes and ways of working in the environmental or social sectors, you’ll bring a collaborative mindset and be skilled at building positive relationships with new colleagues, our partners and funders.

You’ll have applied experience of working with partners across the grant-making lifecycle and using grant management software to enable related operations. You’ll possess strong organisational and data management skills and be able to develop and communicate insights.

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, then we’d love to hear from you. 

Job title: The Social Change Nest Financial Controller (Client Funds)

Role Purpose:

This role sits at the heart of our financial controls at the Social Change Nest and combines cash management oversight, payment operations and financial compliance. However, this is not a traditional Financial Controller position. You will work with the team to ensure robust financial controls, accurate reconciliations, secure payment processes and transparent reporting for our diverse portfolio of social impact clients. You will also be a key driver of operational improvement, identifying better ways of working as we scale.

About the Social Change Nest

The Social Change Nest (SCN) is a fiscal hosting organisation that removes the financial and administrative barriers preventing grassroots groups and informal movements from accessing funding. Since 2021, we have supported 700+ groups across the UK and internationally, helping them access over £50 million in funding for causes ranging from climate and housing to racial justice and social wellbeing. We also work closely with funders, providing Grant Distribution and Fund Management services, enabling us to support social action with confidence and transparency. We are at the forefront of fiscal hosting in the UK! 

We’re a growing business operating at pace. We’ve established a lot – but as we grow, we’re still working some things out. The right person will thrive in this environment and relish building out a future-facing finance function. You’ll enjoy problem-solving, feel comfortable handling multiple priorities at once, and seek collaborative solutions. You’ll be adaptable, able to shift focus quickly when things change, and ensure strong communication across the team and with clients to keep everything aligned. 

Key Responsibilities:

1. Payment Processes & Systems Management

●Own and optimise the end-to-end payment infrastructure (banking platforms, expense management tools, Open Collective platform and accounting system integrations)

●Design, implement and monitor robust internal controls to prevent fraud, errors or unauthorised disbursements

●Streamline high-volume payment workflows while maintaining strict adherence to SCN policies

2. Bank Reconciliations & Treasury

●Ensure all client bank accounts are reconciled accurately and daily

●Investigate and resolve any variances between bank statements and the internal ledger immediately

●Track client cash positions to ensure sufficient liquidity for planned social project disbursements

3. Financial Reporting & Compliance

●Produce clear, concise financial reports for clients detailing fund movements and remaining balances

●Act as the lead contact for external audits regarding client cash and payment controls. Support the preparation of year end accounts and SCN’s external Audit as it interfaces with Client funds.

●Ensure all cash management and payment processes comply with UK Anti-Money Laundering supervision and relevant HMRC requirements

4. Operational Innovation & Client Service

●Proactively research and implement new financial technologies to enhance speed, security and transparency of client services

●Continuously evaluate existing workflows to eliminate bottlenecks and improve the client experience

●Lead the roll-out of new financial tools or system upgrades, ensuring smooth transition for internal teams and external partners

5. Leadership & Collaboration

●Line manage 1–2 members of the finance team, providing mentorship and support

●Being the point of escalation for the Finance and Delivery teams on more complex finance queries and dealing directly with our clients for financial solutions

●Contribute to finance team planning and lead on delivery of key projects

●Collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders across the organisation

Skills and Experience:

Essential

• Professional accounting qualification: ACA, ACCA or CIMA
• Proven experience in a Financial Controller, Head of Finance or senior audit role with a focus on cash controls and high-volume transactions
• Strong knowledge of financial governance, internal controls and compliance frameworks
• Experience in at least one of the following:

            -managing multi-currency transactions, FX impacts and global banking corridors

            -oversight of restricted funds, ensuring disbursements align with specific grant conditions and reporting requirements

            -implementing AML and KYC protocols and ensuring rigorous due diligence on all fund movements

• IT-literate and confident with leading technological change; advanced Excel skills and track record of implementing operational improvements
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills — able to translate financial information clearly for non-finance stakeholders
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while maintaining exceptional attention to detail, and being comfortable with shifting priorities and emerging risks
• Ability to lead, manage, and work effectively both as a member of a team and on own initiative.
• Ability to think strategically, supporting the implementation of a financial strategy and suggesting appropriate changes to SCN’s services.

Desirable

• Experience in the non-profit, charity or client-services sector
• Experience in a fast-growing or start-up environment
• Understanding of power dynamics and community engagement
• Experience with innovative approaches to governance

 Location: London/Hybrid preferred – 2-3 days /week in the office

Reporting To: Finance Director

Contract: Full time, Permanent (flexible working considered)

Salary: £58,000-£60,000

Date Closes: Thursday 11th June

Right to Work in the UK required, no sponsorship available. 

NEF is looking for an Economist to join its macroeconomics and monetary policy work. This is an exciting opportunity for a curious, rigorous and politically engaged economist who is motivated to develop bold, practical and well-evidenced policy ideas that can improve living standards, support public investment, and make the monetary system work better for people and planet.

The successful candidate will bring strong quantitative and economic research skills to work across a range of areas, including interest rates, inflation, Bank of England policy, monetary-fiscal coordination, credit conditions, financial stability, public investment, distributional impacts, and the design of alternative monetary tools.

We are recruiting at a time when AI is reshaping how research is produced, tested and communicated. We are looking for economists who can use these tools intelligently, while bringing the judgement, scepticism, creativity and political insight that technology cannot replace.

Role: Economist – Monetary Policy
Hours of work: Full Time (32 hours per week under NEF’s Shorter Working Week)
Salary: £44,769 - £49,764
Location: London (in-office minimum two days per week)
Contract type: Permanent

How to apply

Deadline for applications: midnight, 14th June 2026
Interviews:  First stage interviews 1st July with second stage in person interviews on the 6th July

Start date: ASAP

Please send your CV and your answer to the following questions in Word format.

1. Set out how your experience meets the essential criteria in the job description (300 words max)

2. Tell us about one piece of economic, energy, climate or other public policy research that has influenced your thinking. What did you take from it, and how might it shape NEF’s work? (200 words max)

3. Describe a dataset you have worked with (academic, work-based, or self-initiated). What question did you investigate, and how did you approach the analysis? (200 words max)

4. Share an example of when you disagreed with a policy position or research conclusion. Describe your disagreement and expand on your own position (200 words max)

Please also complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring form.

You must be eligible to work in the UK, as we are unable to sponsor visas.

Inclusivity at NEF:

NEF wants to be an inclusive workplace with a diverse body of staff. We don’t want to conform to the traditional think-tank model where people from certain backgrounds are hugely under-represented. We know we have some way to go in this and are therefore genuinely keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; women; neurodivergent people; disabled people; people who identify as LGBT+; people with experience of mental health problems; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past.

Accessibility and Equal Opportunity:

We value all candidates and are committed to equal opportunity. As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the application process, or would like information in an alternative format, please let us know.

We actively promote positive action to advance fairness and tackle underrepresentation within our workforce.

NEF is looking for a Senior Economist to lead ambitious, policy-relevant work on macroeconomics, public finance and the future of the UK economy. This is an exciting opportunity for a rigorous, creative and politically engaged economist who is motivated to develop bold, practical and well-evidenced policy ideas that can shift public debate and influence decision-makers.

The successful candidate will lead work across a wide range of areas, including fiscal policy, monetary policy, public investment, inflation, taxation, debt, living standards, industrial strategy, economic security, and the macroeconomic conditions needed for a fast and fair transition.

We are particularly interested in self-starters: people who can identify important economic questions, immerse themselves quickly in the evidence, and use data tools and AI intelligently to develop substantial projects from early idea through to impactful, public-facing outputs with limited supervision.

Role: Senior Economist – Macroeconomics
Hours of work: Full Time (32 hours per week under NEF’s Shorter Working Week)
Salary: £54,470 - £60,480
Location: London (in-office minimum two days per week)
Contract type: Permanent

How to apply

Deadline for applications: midnight, 12th June 2026
Interviews:  First stage interviews 24th June with second stage in person interviews on the 30th June

Start date: ASAP

Please send your CV and your answer to the following questions in Word format.

1. Set out how your experience meets the essential criteria in the job description (300 words max)

2. Identify one economic policy idea that NEF should develop over the next year. What problem would it address, what evidence would you need, and who would need to be persuaded? (200 words max)

3. Tell us about a substantial project or workstream you led, ideally from conception to delivery. How did you shape the question, manage any uncertainty and ensure the work had impact? (200 words max

4. Explain a complex economic issue you have worked on or wish to work on and do so as if you are briefing a busy MP. (200 words max)

Please also complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring form.

You must be eligible to work in the UK, as we are unable to sponsor visas.

Inclusivity at NEF:

NEF wants to be an inclusive workplace with a diverse body of staff. We don’t want to conform to the traditional think-tank model where people from certain backgrounds are hugely under-represented. We know we have some way to go in this and are therefore genuinely keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; women; neurodivergent people; disabled people; people who identify as LGBT+; people with experience of mental health problems; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past.

Accessibility and Equal Opportunity:

We value all candidates and are committed to equal opportunity. As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the application process, or would like information in an alternative format, please let us know.

We actively promote positive action to advance fairness and tackle underrepresentation within our workforce.

NEF is looking for a Researcher/Economist to join its energy and net zero work, as part of our mission to deliver a fast and fair transition to a green economy. This is an exciting opportunity for a curious, rigorous and politically engaged researcher who is motivated to develop bold, practical and well-evidenced policy ideas that can cut bills, accelerate decarbonisation, reduce inequality, and shift power towards people and communities.

The successful candidate will bring strong quantitative and economic research skills to work across a wide range of issues, including energy affordability, electricity market reform, green investment, industrial decarbonisation, household energy use, fossil fuel dependency, energy taxation, distributional impacts, and the design of a truly fair transition.

We are recruiting at a time when AI is reshaping how research is produced, tested and communicated. We are looking for someone who can use these tools intelligently, while bringing the judgement, scepticism, creativity and political insight that technology cannot replace.

Role: Researcher/Economist – Energy and Net Zero
Hours of work: Full Time (32 hours per week under NEF’s Shorter Working Week)
Salary: £42,868 - £49,764
Location: London (in-office minimum two days per week)
Contract type: Permanent

How to apply

Deadline for applications: midnight, 10th June 2026
Interviews:  First stage interviews 23rd June with second stage in person interviews on the 2nd July

Start date: ASAP

Please send your CV and your answer to the following questions in Word format.

1.Set out how your experience meets the essential criteria in the job description (300 words max)

2.Tell us about one piece of economic, energy, climate or other public policy research that has influenced your thinking. What did you take from it, and how might it shape NEF’s work? (200 words max)

3.Describe a dataset you have worked with (academic, work-based, or self-initiated). What question did you investigate, and how did you approach the analysis? (200 words max)

4.Share an example of when you disagreed with a policy position or research conclusion. Describe your disagreement and expand on your own position (200 words max)

Please also complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring form.

You must be eligible to work in the UK, as we are unable to sponsor visas.

Inclusivity at NEF:

NEF wants to be an inclusive workplace with a diverse body of staff. We don’t want to conform to the traditional think-tank model where people from certain backgrounds are hugely under-represented. We know we have some way to go in this and are therefore genuinely keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; women; neurodivergent people; disabled people; people who identify as LGBT+; people with experience of mental health problems; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past.

Accessibility and Equal Opportunity:

We value all candidates and are committed to equal opportunity. As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the application process, or would like information in an alternative format, please let us know.

We actively promote positive action to advance fairness and tackle underrepresentation within our workforce.

Role Overview:
The Talent Set are delighted to partner with a respected charity to recruit an Individual Giving Manager. This pivotal role focuses on enhancing and expanding the organisation’s supporter engagement and fundraising efforts, directly contributing to their strategic growth and mission.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the organisation’s individual giving strategy to meet income targets.
• Manage and grow supporter programmes across channels, including regular giving, digital campaigns, payroll giving, legacies, and experimental fundraising initiatives.
• Lead delivery of compelling campaigns to acquire, retain, and deepen donor relationships, ensuring seamless supporter experiences.
• Oversee supporter communications, including email stewardship, website donations, merchandise sales, and third-party platforms.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to produce innovative, engaging marketing materials tailored to target audiences.
• Analyse campaign performance using data insights to refine approaches, maximise ROI, and improve supporter retention.
• Line-manage the Senior Individual Giving Coordinator, supporting data segmentation, reporting, and supporter database management.
• Administer supporter databases and ensure compliance with data protection and fundraising regulations.
• Monitor budgets, forecast income, and prepare detailed reports for project and strategic planning.
• Manage supporter enquiries and administrative activities associated with fundraising activities and merchandise sales.
• Support the continued development of the organisation’s supporter engagement and fundraising infrastructure.

Person Specification:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in individual giving or supporter fundraising, with proven success in programme management.
• Experience in planning and delivering multi-channel supporter acquisition and retention campaigns.
• Strong knowledge of donor stewardship principles and engagement strategies.
• Ability to analyse data to inform campaign development and measure effectiveness.
• Excellent organisational skills, with a proactive approach and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Comfortable creating compelling marketing materials for digital and print channels.
• Knowledge of fundraising regulations, data protection, and supporter management systems.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build relationships across levels and teams.
• Experience managing budgets and financial reporting.
• Demonstrates a passion for environmental causes and supporter-centred fundraising.

What’s on Offer:

• Salary: £39,000 - £42,500
• Location: Hybrid – South London
• Contract: Permanent

How to Apply:
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the 'apply now' button (please do not apply via email). We aim to get back to all successful candidates within 48 working hours.

Commitment to Diversity:
The Talent Set are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, or age. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.

Furnishing Futures is an innovative charity creating fully furnished, healing homes for survivors of domestic abuse who have been rehoused in empty social housing. We do this by partnering with the interiors industry, which donates high quality furnishings that might otherwise end up in landfill. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic and talented junior designer who is passionate about our mission to assist our Homes Design team in creating a wide range of trauma-informed homes for beneficiaries and their children. You will need to be organised, compassionate, committed to anti-discrimatory practice and able to work at a fast pace. This position is based in Leyton E10 and involves flexibility with some work outside usual office hours, as well as travelling to all London boroughs. Tasks will vary from practical and physical design to administration and data entry. You will have a can-do attitude where no problem is too big and no task is too small.

You'll be joining a small team of Homes Designers making a huge difference to the lives of survivors and their children. 

Overview

Afield Environmental is a brand new charity responding to environmental injustice. We do this by working with communities to rewild disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods; and bysupporting artists to undertake ecological research. This exciting and challenging role will beright at the heart of making everything happen.

We are looking for a creative and community-minded Communications and OperationsCo-ordinator to help develop Afield over the next 12 months. This is a varied roleencompassing communications and operational support for the grants programme and thecharity more generally. You will help us develop our communications strategy, support our grantees, and develop our systems and processes as a new charity.

As we are a new charity we have created this as a fixed-term appointment - we are still working out the longer-term roles for the charity.

We are looking for someone who is organised and self-sufficient, a skilled communicator, and a connector of people and ideas. We welcome applications from those early in their career. Where a candidate needs time to grow into aspects of the role, they will be helped to do so through management support and training.

Key Responsibilities

Communications
● Help deliver Afield’s communications strategy aligned with our mission
● Make Afield’s Wilding and Arts grants visible, accessible, and compelling to key
communities and audiences
● Manage Afield's digital presence across website, blogs, and social media, creating
compelling content written, visual and including graphics
● Monitor, evaluate, and report on Afield’s communications activity, to continually
improve our reach and resonance
● Help document Afield-related events through photography and video.

Support for grants programmes
● Support grantees in documenting, editing and communicating project outputs and
outcomes, including video content, for a variety of audiences
● Support the Grants and Cohorts manager as required, including setting up cohort
meetings, helping manage selection panels and providing event support, preparing
materials etc
● Provide communications skills support as appropriate to grantees / cohorts.

Other
● Provide administrative and operational support to the founders as required
● Provide support to the organisation’s broader evaluation activities
● You might occasionally be asked to support our grantee programmes in other ways
such as helping at events or workshops

Requirements

Essential
● An excellent communicator, with experience of running workshops, presenting
information to audiences, or developing relationships with partners
● Proven experience running and creating content for social media channels or websites
● Excellent writing and editing skills for different audiences, with examples of published
content (including for example social media posts)
● Empathetic, with a positive attitude and a desire to help our grantees. You should be
able to provide evidence of supporting a group of people
● Organised and energetic with a self-sufficient attitude, and with the ability to
independently manage a busy workload, multiple deadlines and priorities
● Demonstrable commitment to ongoing development and learning
● Evidence of an interest in arts and/or the environment.

Desirable:
● Strong understanding of digital content strategy, with experience of using a CMS
platform, and social media analytics
● Experience of arts-related documentation and/or archiving
● Ability and comfort in creating structure out of ambiguity
● Ability to identify challenges and opportunities, and express proposals for change
● Experience working with or supporting artists, grantees or cohorts.
● Video editing.

For more information, please see the Job Description attached.

Social Policy Economist/Quantitative Researcher

Full time, permanent contract with 6 months’ probation.

NEF is looking for an economist or quantitative researcher to join its social policy team. This is an excellent opportunity to join a leading Westminster think tank, ideal for a curious and energetic researcher who is excited by NEF’s mission to build an economy that works for people and planet.

We strongly encourage you to apply if this role interests you, even if you’re not sure you meet every outlined criteria. We take an open-minded approach to how candidates may have developed the skills needed for the role.

We’re looking for someone with strong experience in rigorous quantitative public policy research, alongside specific knowledge of labour markets, public services, social security, or a related area. You’ll bring the energy and creativity to challenge established orthodoxies, and the skills to develop robust, innovative approaches to complex public policy challenges.

Economists and researchers at NEF bring deep expertise in at least one key UK economic or social policy area. They apply strong economic and quantitative research skills, working collaboratively to produce high quality analysis and insight, and taking ownership of discrete elements within larger projects.

A key part of the role is connecting research to contemporary debates, and communicating complex ideas clearly and persuasively to a range of audiences, both internally and externally.

Role: Social Policy Economist/Quantitative Researcher
Hours of work: Full Time (32 hours per week under NEF’s Shorter Working Week)
Salary: £44,769 - £49,764
Location: London/South East (in-office minimum two days per week)
Contract type: Permanent

How to apply

Deadline for applications: midnight, 10th June 2026
Interviews:  First stage interviews 23rd June with second stage in person interviews on the 29th June

Start date: ASAP

Please send your CV and Covering letter (no longer than 1 page and in Word format) outlining how you meet the person specification. 

Please also complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring form.

You must be eligible to work in the UK, as we are unable to sponsor visas.

Inclusivity at NEF:

NEF wants to be an inclusive workplace with a diverse body of staff. We don’t want to conform to the traditional think-tank model where people from certain backgrounds are hugely under-

represented. We know we have some way to go in this and are therefore genuinely keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; women; neurodivergent people; disabled people; people who identify as LGBT+; people with experience of mental health problems; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past.

Accessibility and Equal Opportunity:

We value all candidates and are committed to equal opportunity. As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the application process, or would like information in an alternative format, please let us know.

We actively promote positive action to advance fairness and tackle underrepresentation within our workforce.