Jobs for the Youth and Children sector

The Sutton Trust is the UK’s leading social mobility charity. We believe every young person should have a fair chance in life, regardless of their family’s income, the school they go to or where they grow up. But today in Britain, the opportunity to succeed is heavily shaped by socio-economic background. Our mission is to change this. Our programmes empower young people to access life-changing opportunities, and our research influences national change to deliver a fairer future.

Each year, together with our university and employer partners, we support over 14,000 young people to reach their potential through our university, apprenticeship and career access programmes. And our support doesn’t stop there. We engage our thriving alumni community to help them to succeed in their professions and to act as advocates for social mobility.

Our rigorous and extensive research shines a light on barriers to opportunity from the early years to the workplace, and we strive to influence national policy change with evidence-based solutions to tackle educational and workplace inequality. Using insights from our programmes and research, we also test and scale new ideas in education and employment practice.

As an independent charity, our work is entirely reliant on the generous support of our community of donors. The need to support our work to tackle Britain’s low social mobility has never been greater.

Fundraising at the Sutton Trust

We are seeking a dynamic and confident fundraiser to be our Corporate Partnerships & Events Manager. The Sutton Trust is at an exciting point in our organisational journey, with a new Chairperson and ambitions to significantly grow our impact and fundraising as part of our 2030 strategy.

Over the past five years the impact of the Sutton Trust has increased, especially with our programmes which have gone from supporting 11,000 young people a year to 14,000 in the 24/25 programme year. We have secured a relatively stable income of c.£6m over several years, and in the last two years this has grown to £7m+. Our organisational strategy, which takes us to 2030/31, will continue this fundraising trajectory with a need to increase annual income on a sustained basis to £12m. With corporate income accounting for nearly half our fundraised income, there is considerable enthusiasm and opportunity in the corporate world for building strategic partnerships with The Sutton Trust.

Our fundraising approach will continue to focus on major gifts and strategic multi-year partnerships, leveraging a range of drivers to secure corporate support. Our highly engaged Chairperson has a commercial background and is keen to leverage contacts in the corporate world, giving a network of prospective contacts to explore.

The role and team

As Corporate Partnerships & Events Manager, you will be an experienced partnership manager and fundraiser, confident in securing new business through active prospecting and networking along with experience in securing and stewarding strategic partnerships with corporates and their associated corporate foundations. You will have an entrepreneurial mindset for income generation, able to confidently manage competing demands to balance securing new partnerships and delivering high quality account management to your portfolio of current and prospective supporters.

The role will lead a portfolio of corporate partnerships, focused on delivering shared strategic goals to increase social mobility in the workplace and supporting a more socio-economically diverse workforce for the future. The role will be the point-person within the Development Team for organisational events, working closely with key colleagues in our marketing & events and programme functions to support delivery of high-quality events. They will also take responsibility for delivering successful stewardship events, including programme visits. It will be crucial to work closely with a range of stakeholders, especially colleagues, to deliver successful stewardship events that showcase the varied work of the Sutton Trust and engage supporters with our work. This will include working closely with existing staff who lead on organisational, advocacy and programme events to ensure donors and prospects are able to attend and engage with the work.

Corporate partnerships are delivered by a talented and growing team, all with their own portfolios based on partnership level and complexity. Team members work on both new business and account management, with ambitious individual income targets.

Main duties
New Business

• Personally scope, develop and secure new five-figure+ corporate partnerships, aiming for a diverse and robust portfolio of partners with multi-year commitments, working with the Head of Corporate Partnerships, other senior staff, and senior volunteers appropriately to secure and steward.

• Proactively approach new business development within the corporate sector, cultivating relationships and networks to grow awareness of The Sutton Trust and secure major gifts.

• Support the Head of Corporate Partnerships in their work with senior volunteers to develop a strong prospect pipeline for major corporate gifts, including support for network mapping to leverage connections and cultivate prospective funders.

Events, Account Management and Development

• Manage and grow the Trust’s leadership and partner level corporate partnerships in your portfolio, including leveraging existing relationships to maximise financial income and partnership longevity.

• Appropriately leverage senior staff and volunteers to secure multi-lateral relationships with corporate partners and prospects, with the aim of retaining partnerships and uplifting income.

• Working closely with key colleagues to be the first point of contact for the Development team to support organisational events, and working with Development leadership to deliver diverse and engaging stewardship events.

• Working closely with key colleagues, support delivery of key donor messaging through Campaign Monitor or other platforms as appropriate, to align with the stewardship events goals of further engaging donors and prospects with the work of the Sutton Trust.

• Be accountable for achieving agreed corporate income targets, looking for opportunities to grow funding and diversify corporate income.

Fundraising, Finance and Reporting

• Act as an ambassador for the Trust with external audiences in the corporate space, representing the Trust with gravitas and confidence to secure major gifts and develop relationships.

• Work with colleagues across Development and Finance to ensure accurate forecasting, income tracking and reporting for your portfolio of corporate partnerships.

• Working closely with colleagues, provide corporate fundraising expertise to increase awareness of viable funding opportunities and develop organisational understanding of best practice for working with corporate partners and funders.

• Ensure you appropriately follow policies and procedures on due diligence, Salesforce and data management, account management, stewardship, and reporting.

• Stay up to date with corporate fundraising best practice, learning from senior members of the team, and keep abreast of developments and opportunities within the wider fundraising space.

• Other duties as necessary from time to time.

Person Specification

We welcome applications from individuals who have experience in:

• Experience in successfully securing, managing, and developing corporate partnerships at five-figures-plus level, from initial prospect research to contracting and ongoing stewardship.

• Experience successfully securing and/or managing corporate-charity partnerships, including engaging senior leadership on both sides to deliver strategic goals and mutual benefit.

• Experience network mapping and networking to build and manage relationships that lead to corporate donations to non-profits, particularly with senior non-profit volunteers.

• Experience planning and delivering events that provide high-quality stewardship to donors and prospects, engaging them with the work of a non-profit and promoting strong relationships.

• Experience managing events with an organised and clear project management approach, including influencing and working with a variety of stakeholders internally and externally.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including networking at C-suite and senior management level and strong presentation skills, with the ability to prepare and deliver engaging and persuasive cases for support.

• First-class interpersonal skills - a natural ambassador able to represent the Sutton Trust with gravitas and confidence in a range of settings, especially the corporate world and with senior leaders.

• Knowledge and experience of the education and/or not-for-profit sector.

• Knowledge of the UK fundraising environment, including corporate fundraising trends and regulations that affect corporate partnerships.

• Experienced at using Salesforce or other fundraising CRM software to accurately record funding relationships.

We are also looking for an individual who:

• Sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and our mission to increase social mobility.

• High degree of initiative and the ability to take responsibility for corporate fundraising activity.

• Dynamic and entrepreneurial fundraiser, with a passion for personally engaging supporters.

• Able to think strategically about the bigger picture and manage hands-on fundraising.

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders at all levels and encourage giving.

• Excellent attention to detail with strong analytical skills.

• Able to work independently and as part of a team

• Is eligible to work in the UK (see here for information about right to work)

Terms of Appointment

• Contract: Full time, Permanent

• Salary: £42,025-£46,000

• Working location: Minimum of two office days per week. Our home working policy gives staff the option to work from home for up to 60% of the time, with approval from their line manager.

• Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP.

• Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. This role is likely to also be required to attend events / meetings outside of normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends, in line with organisational policies.

Interviews

Applications should reach us by 10am, Monday 25th May, with first round interviews held on Tuesday, 4th June, and second round interviews held on Wednesday, 10th June. Both rounds will be held in our London office.

Safeguarding statement

The Sutton Trust believes that a child, young person or vulnerable adult should never experience abuse of any kind. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Therefore all posts undergo a safer recruitment process, including but not limited to, disclosure of criminal records where necessary and eligibility to work in the UK. We have procedures in place to promote safeguarding and a safe culture at the Trust.

Contextual recruitment

The Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and that all applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including those underrepresented at present at the Trust, to apply for this role. As such we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work and know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the young people we support.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates throughout our recruitment process and during employment.

We also operate contextual recruitment at the Sutton Trust. Our application process gives you the option to include information about your background, such as whether you were eligible for free school meals, whether your parents went to university, or whether you attended a state school. For more examples and information on contextual recruitment, please see our website.

We’re looking for a People and Culture Manager to shape and lead Amala's first dedicated people function, ensuring our global team is supported by rigorous and human-centred people practices. You will work closely with the Head of Finance and our international leadership team to manage the end-to-end team member lifecycle and continuously foster a deep sense of belonging across our remote workforce.

Who we are

Amala’s mission is to use the power of education to transform the lives of young refugees, their communities and the world. We are a non-profit organisation with big ambitions to create a deep and lasting impact for young people who are displaced. We have developed the first accredited secondary level programme and qualification for out of school refugee and crisis affected youth, and we also offer Changemaker Courses in areas such as Peace-building, Ethical Leadership, and Social Entrepreneurship. Our approach to education is conveyed through our  human-centred, context-inclusive curricula and learning programmes that are relevant to the lives that our students lead today and will lead in the future. 

Key responsibilities

• Recruitment & Onboarding: Lead end-to-end hiring and design onboarding programmes that strictly adhere to Safer Recruitment requirements.

• Performance & Development: Manage the annual review cycle and coach managers to have meaningful, development-focused conversations.

• Policy & Culture: Act as a custodian of Amala’s culture while maintaining compliant HR and policies and the Single Central Record.

• Compensation: Maintain our job grading framework and lead salary benchmarking against the NGO sector.

You will be successful if you have

• CIPD Level 5 qualification and proven HR management experience within an NGO or mission-driven organisation.

• The ability to navigate the nuances of supporting globally distributed teams across different cultures and time zones.

• A human-centred mindset that balances rigorous HR compliance with empathy and a commitment to team wellbeing.

All roles at Amala are open to applications from all sections of society. We believe in the potential of everyone regardless of race, religion or belief, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, family structure, economic background, age, nationality or citizenship, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable persons is a priority for Amala. All team members are expected to share that commitment and adhere to Amala’s Safeguarding and Welfare Policy and Team Code of Conduct. Any offer of appointment by Amala is conditional on satisfactory pre-appointment checks.

How to apply
Read the job description for more details on the role and for information on how to apply. 

Deadline: Monday 18 May 2026, 12:00 BST

St. Mark’s in Great Grimsby is a fast-growing, vibrant and charismatic Anglican Church. We’re ready to appoint an experienced and creative Kids & Youth Ministry Lead to take our thriving under-18s ministries to the next level.

Full-time permanent (& part-time considered)

Application closing date: 29th May ‘26

Job Description

Job Title: Parent Adviser – SEND

Responsible To: Senior Parent Adviser - SEND

Team Membership: Helpline/IAS- (Information, Advice and Family Support Directorate)

Hours: 28 hours a week (4 days)

Salary:

Scale 26

£ 36,242.00 - FTE

£ 28,993.60 – actual salary including inner London weighting

Contract:

Fixed term  – until 31 March 2027

Location:

Central London – Office N1 7EU.

(Hybrid working, 1 day working in office). Another working day in the office, will be needed during the induction and training period.

Job Purpose:

The post’s primary focus is to provide specialist education advice primarily by telephone and email, to parent carers with disabled children in the UK. The post holder will be working on the Contact national helpline service. Service hours are Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5pm.

Main Duties:

To respond professionally and with empathy to incoming calls, emails, web form and social media enquiries on SEND and related education issues.

To deal effectively with enquiries by offering specialist education advice, information and relevant signposting.

To provide, information and signposting on the wider concerns of families with disabled children including health and social care.

To build positive working relationships with colleagues, contributing to a culture of mutual respect, trust, and shared responsibility.

To work collaboratively as part of a team, sharing and supporting colleagues to deliver a reliable and responsive helpline service.

To respect diverse experiences and perspectives within the team and contribute constructively to problem‑solving and decision‑making.

To enter accurate enquiry data on the Contact database in a timely manner ensuring appropriate follow up actions to calls and accurate written notes.

To keep up to date on law and guidance relevant to education in England and to be aware of education law relating to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

To communicate, be flexible and responsive, with team members, to ensure coverage of the helpline rota.

To ensure the helpline operates in accordance with confidentiality, safeguarding, privacy and data-protection policies and procedures.

To provide a high-quality service, with commitment to ongoing service development, improvement and good practice.

 General duties

In common with all Contact staff, the post holder will be expected to work in accordance with the aims of Contact and to observe the policy and procedures set out by the directors of the charity.

The post holder will be expected to assist with any reasonable duty at the request of the line manager for the post.

Staff will be expected to attend and participate in Contact staff meetings and the staff annual conference.

Staff will be expected to attend training events relevant to their specific responsibilities.

Staff will be offered supervision, support and annual appraisal incorporating their training needs.

Working as part of the Events & Programmes team, you will be responsible for supporting the smooth and effective running of events taking place in Crystal Palace Park, be they corporate, commercial, community or otherwise.

The role will oversee the safety, wellbeing and customer care of visitors and audiences, supervise volunteers, liaise with senior staff in the Events and Park Management teams and be a point of contact for visiting companies, hirers, producers and community groups.

Some evening and weekend work can be expected as many of our events take place outside of normal sociable hours. Peak periods will usually be during summer months.

This role is a great opportunity for someone who loves working with a broad range of people and communities and is enthusiastic about delivering excellent customer service.

As part of our commitment to developing our workforce to be reflective of our communities we are particularly encourage applications from individuals who are ethnically diverse, disabled, LGBTQIA+ and from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Martin House provides free specialist palliative care to babies, children and young people with complex and life-shortening conditions. Families from across West, North and East Yorkshire have access to our care 24/7, 365 days a year, including specialist doctors. Every year we care for more than 550 families, at the hospice, in hospital and in families’ own homes, as well as supporting around 200 bereaved family members.

We’re looking for an inspiring and strategic Special Events Team Manager to lead our Special Events team in delivering a vibrant, high‑impact calendar of fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship events. You’ll play a key role within the Major Relationships team, driving consistent year‑on‑year income growth and deepening supporter engagement through an ambitious and thoughtfully curated Special Events portfolio.

The role will involve:

1. Leading, managing and inspiring the Special Events Team through regular one-to-ones, appraisals and performance reviews, ensuring team members meet agreed SMART objectives and income targets.
2. Supporting the delivery of the Special Events Fundraising Strategy and managing the Special Events Portfolio, including philanthropy and major partnership engagement and development events.
3. Identifying opportunities for growth and ensuring strong return on investment across all activities.
4. Working closely with senior volunteers and committees to deliver a successful and sustainable Special Events programme.
5. Implementing, evaluating and continually reviewing the performance of the Special Events portfolio with the Head of Major Relationships to maximise income.
6. Delivering the Special Events programme within budget and to agreed timescales, supported by detailed work plans and accurate record-keeping  on the fundraising database
7. Collaborating with wider fundraising teams to ensure the Special Events Portfolio appeals to key stakeholders, including the development of sponsorship opportunities.
8. Leading the delivery of annual committee-led Special Events, working with committees, venues, suppliers, sponsors and volunteers to ensure events are delivered to target and achieve year-on-year growth.
9. Assisting with the recruitment, coordination and motivation of volunteers to support Special Events fundraising activities.
10. Maximising income from Special Events and existing supporters, while identifying, securing and developing new relationships with major donors and partners.
11. Building and maintaining strong internal and external relationships, representing Martin House at the highest level.
12. Working with the marketing team to developing and implement effective marketing and PR strategies to support the successful delivery of all Special Events to maximise ticket sales, income generation and relationship development.
13. Ensuring accurate and up-to-date records of supporters, projects and events using the fundraising database and relevant shared systems.
14. Researching, recommending, developing and delivering new and innovative fundraising products for the Special Events Team, in collaboration with the Philanthropy and Partnerships Team Manager.
15. Supporting the Head of Major Relationships with cultivation, development and stewardship events, working closely with the Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager.

There is an expectation that the post holder will need to travel to visit businesses, attend meetings and conferences etc. sometimes outside of working hours.

The Noah’s Ark Charity supports the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales in providing world class care, helping to ensure the best outcome and experience possible for children and their families.

Scope of role

The data entry officer role plays a vital part in the Noah’s Ark Charity’s supporter experience.The charity’s database, Donorflex, is used to manage relationships and contacts with many thousands of supporters. The system is critical to ensure that we hold and look after all the data that supporters have given us compliantly; that we maximise use of this data to inform decision making and that our colleagues have the training and support necessary to use the system in the most efficient and effective way.

Person specification

We are seeking a data officer with broad experience of using computerised management information systems. The candidate will have strong Microsoft excel skills, good knowledge of databases, excellent numeracy and data analysis skills.

This is a great opportunity to join a small but highly motivated team.   

Job Description

Job Title: Digital Content Officer – SEND

Responsible To: Senior Parent Adviser - SEND

Team Membership: Helpline/IAS- (Information, Advice and Family Support Directorate)

Hours: 14 hours a week  

Salary scale:

Scale point 26
£32,168.00 FTE
£12,867.20 – actual (14 hours a week) plus £26.00 a month home working allowance

Contract: Fixed – until 31 March 2027

Location: Home based - UK

Job Purpose:

To write engaging plain English website copy on SEND law and related education law matters in England.

To help ensure the provision of quality information, advice and support to parent carers.

Main Duties: 

 To write quality plain English copy for the Contact website.

To review, edit and update existing SEND and education related copy on the Contact website.

To work with the education helpline team to identify and prioritise the information and advice needs of parent advisers and parent carers.

To write and develop content to respond to common SEND and related education law concerns of parent carers.

To help ensure our information and advice reaches more families by working with the comms team to promote our IAS through social media, and digital channels.

To build positive working relationships with colleagues, contributing to a culture of mutual respect, trust, and shared responsibility.

To respect diverse experiences and perspectives within the team and contribute constructively to problem‑solving and decision‑making.

Demonstrates awareness of education legislation, statutory guidance, and good practice in England.

A commitment to the provision of quality information and advice.

 General duties

In common with all Contact staff, the post holder will be expected to work in accordance with the aims of Contact and to observe the policy and procedures set out by the directors of the charity.

The post holder will be expected to assist with any reasonable duty at the request of the line manager for the post.

Staff will be expected to attend and participate in Contact staff meetings and the staff annual conference.

Staff will be expected to attend training events relevant to their specific responsibilities.

Staff will be offered supervision, support and annual review s incorporating their training needs.

Role Overview

The Joshua Tree is a growing charity with a vision to support any family affected by childhood cancer that needs us. In 2026 we are celebrating our 20th year as a charity and setting our sights on increasing our reach nationally.

As a Corporate Fundraiser, you will build and nurture relationships with companies in Manchester and across the North West. We see huge potential in creating local and regional partnerships in the area. 

We are looking for a proven relationship builder, ideally with experience of corporate fundraising and pipeline management. 

Duties and Responsibilities  

• Identify and approach companies to build new corporate partnerships, contributing to a team income target of £230k+ per year 

• Manage existing relationships, engaging companies in supporting the charity in various ways, and ensuring they have a great experience while doing so 

• Support The Joshua Tree events by recruiting corporate participants and sponsors 

• Develop high quality proposals and applications for support 

• Manage a pipeline of potential supporters and key contacts, with prospects moving through stages at pace 

• Keep accurate and up to date supporter records and financial monitoring 

To be successful, it is essential that candidates can evidence in their application:  

• Strong ability to complete written funding applications/ corporate proposals 

• Experience of developing strong relationships with external partners

• Excellent presentation and public speaking skills

• Entrepreneurial and able to work on your own initiative to seek out new opportunities

• Ability to work as part of a team and contribute to group and individual targets 

• Car owner with business insurance cover 

• Have a ‘can do’ persistent, positive attitude 

This job description should be seen as enabling rather than restrictive. The Joshua Tree is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are happy to discuss and reasonable adjustments that maybe required during the recruitment process.  

The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check. 

To apply please email a CV and two-page cover letter, along with the applicant information form. 

Closing Date for applications: Midday Monday 11th May (The Joshua Tree reserves the right to close applications early) 

Job Description

 Job Title:

Parent Adviser – By Your Side Project, North East

 Responsible To:

Senior Parent Adviser/ London Family Support Projects Manager

Department and Location:

Family Support 

Salary Scale:

 Scale point 26  FTE £32,168  Actual salary £14,104.43 (Inclusive of annual leave)

Hours of Work

17.5 hours per week. Term time only.

Hybrid working - one day a week in hospital and home based.

Annual leave entitlement:

5 weeks a year plus one day for each additional year served up to a maximum of 6 weeks (pro rata for part-time employees) As this is a term time contract, annual leave is taken outside of term time. The annual leave entitlement pay is included in your salary and paid over 12 months.

 Main Duties

1. To work with families with disabled children using Great Northern Children’s Hospital, providing in-person information, advice and support around issues faced by families with children with disabilities.

2. To support parents to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make decisions which are right for their families.

3. To build strong relationships with hospital partners, funders, Contact volunteers and voluntary sector partners.

4. Focus on developing and enhancing our work with hospitals, aiming to reach more families early in their journey with their child’s disability.

Cross functional duties:

1. Work in partnership with health, local government, and voluntary agencies to ensure those families’ social, emotional, and practical needs are recognised and responded to wherever possible.

2. Work with the By Your Side team to seek ways to improve partnership working with other agencies and hospitals to provide a seamless and co-ordinated service to children and families.

1. Contribute to representing Contact’s work in the hospitals at a strategic level, where appropriate.
2. To work with colleagues to produce appropriate information and publicity materials for families and professionals.
3.  Participate in forums and meetings that operate within Contact, and Children’s Hospital’s to utilise resources available across the organisation as appropriate.
4. Keep up to date with relevant new developments, policies, and guidance.
5. To support and participate in events and activities as appropriate.

General duties

1. To work with parents of disabled children using Great Northern Children’s Hospital, to provide information advice and support to meet their need.
2. Provide in-person drop-in information services for parents of disabled children who attend Great Northern Children’s Hospital. nb the specific hospitals/locations may change as the project develops).
3. The service is in-person, with additional online support.
4. Ensure the provision of good quality information and support to parents and professionals working with families.
5. Respond to enquiries via phone, social media, email and through the drop-in service for information and advice from parents, signposting on to other organisations where appropriate.
6. Work in collaboration with hospital and hospices staff, and colleagues in other By Your Side services (e.g., Midlands, London and Scotland) to continuously promote and improve the By Your Side service for families, developing and growing a network of partners
7. Actively gather information on local services and explore the most effect ways to disseminate this across the designated location(s).
8. Deliver and contribute to the design of information workshops (delivered face to face or virtually) to parents and professionals.
9. Maintain accurate up to date records of work.
10. Participate in external family and information events to promote the work of Contact. 
11. Monitor and evaluate the impact of the service using the common outcomes framework and use this information to inform the development of the work.

Do you enjoy problem solving as part of your day-to-day work? Are you a team player who can work cross organisationally?  Do you have a keen eye for detail? Do you like bringing numbers to life and making them easy for others to understand? Are you keen to continue your finance career in an organisation that believes girls can do anything? 

We’re recruiting for a finance business partner. You'll be responsible for preparing monthly management accounts, as well as supporting budget holders to understand their accounts, review their forecasts and develop thier annual budgets.

Head of Marketing

Salary: £60,000–£65,000 (depending on experience)
Location: Hybrid: role can be based out of Leeds/London with regular travel (8 days in per month), please state your home location on your CV
Contract: Full time

About BookTrust

BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, supporting 1.4 million children and families each year. Working with partners across education, health, libraries and social care, the organisation focuses on reaching those who need support most, helping to tackle inequality and improve life chances through reading.

The role

BookTrust is seeking a Head of Marketing to lead and shape its marketing function at an exciting stage of growth.

Reporting to the Director of Communications, this senior leadership role is responsible for developing and delivering an integrated, audience-led marketing strategy that drives engagement, participation and behaviour change across BookTrust’s programmes. The role will play a key part in increasing reach among families, strengthening engagement with professionals and partners, and supporting sustainable commercial growth.

The postholder will oversee the full marketing mix, including campaigns, digital, content and insight, while leading a team of specialists and managing external agencies. As a member of the wider leadership community, they will champion audience-first thinking and embed marketing as a core organisational discipline.

Key responsibilities

• Define and deliver BookTrust’s marketing strategy, aligned to organisational priorities and measurable outcomes
• Advise senior leadership on marketing, audience engagement and brand positioning
• Champion audience-first, insight-led decision-making across the organisation
• Act as brand guardian, ensuring consistency, clarity and impact
• Lead integrated, multi-channel campaigns to drive awareness, engagement and participation
• Oversee digital marketing, including email, social, paid media and website optimisation
• Drive commercial growth through effective marketing of traded programmes, particularly for B2B audiences
• Embed data-driven approaches, defining KPIs and measuring impact across marketing activity
• Lead and develop a high-performing team, managing budgets, resources and external suppliers
• Work closely with Communications to ensure a joined-up MarComms approach

Person specification

Essential:

• Significant senior marketing leadership experience in a complex organisation
• Proven track record of delivering integrated, multi-channel strategies
• Strong analytical skills, using data and insight to drive performance
• Experience leading teams, managing budgets and working with agencies
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, including advising senior stakeholders
• Experience driving change and embedding new approaches
• Strong understanding of marketing best practice and trends
• Commitment to improving outcomes for children

Desirable:

• Experience in B2B or income-generating marketing
• Experience working with product, UX or service design teams
• Professional marketing qualification (e.g. Chartered Marketer)

How to Apply 
To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the 'apply now' button.

Please Note: All speculative/ direct CVs sent will be forwarded to The Talent Set for review. 

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. 

Head of Communications

Salary: £60,000–£65,000 (depending on experience)
Location: Hybrid: role can be based out of Leeds/London with regular travel (8 days in per month), please state your home location on your CV
Contract: Full time

BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, supporting 1.4 million children and families each year. Working with partners across education, health, libraries and social care, the organisation focuses on reaching those who need support most, helping to tackle inequality and improve life chances through reading.

The role

BookTrust is seeking a Head of Communications to lead its strategic communications function at a pivotal moment, following the launch of its five-year strategy, Reading for a Brighter Future.

Reporting to the Director of Communications, the role leads an integrated approach across media, content, campaigns, internal communications and stakeholder engagement. The postholder will ensure a clear, consistent and audience-led voice, strengthening reputation, extending reach and increasing influence.

As a senior leader, the Head of Communications will advise the Executive Leadership Team on reputation, risk and organisational positioning, while leading a high-performing team and delivering impactful communications.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the communications strategy
• Advise senior leadership on reputation and positioning
• Ensure a consistent, audience-led approach across all communications
• Oversee brand, messaging and storytelling
• Lead media relations, including high-profile coverage and crisis communications
• Set content priorities and ensure effective, insight-led delivery across channels
• Position BookTrust as a leading voice in children’s reading and social impact
• Support campaigns, advocacy and fundraising through compelling communications
• Lead and develop the communications team and manage resources effectively

Person specification

Essential:

• Significant senior communications leadership experience
• Proven track record of delivering integrated strategies
• Strong media relations and reputation management expertise
• Excellent writing and storytelling skills
• Experience advising senior stakeholders
• Team leadership and budget management experience
• Commitment to inclusive, audience-focused communication
• Passion for improving outcomes for children

Desirable:

• Experience in policy, advocacy or fundraising communications
• Professional membership (e.g. CIPR)
  
  How to Apply 
  To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the 'apply now' button.
  
  Please Note: All speculative/ direct CVs sent will be forwarded to The Talent Set for review. 
  
  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. 

This is more than a management role—it’s an opportunity to create a vibrant ecosystem for young entrepreneurs.

You’ll take ownership of the centre, embedding it in the local community while supporting young people (18–30) to start and grow their businesses. From building partnerships to mentoring founders, you’ll be at the heart of real social impact.

We’re looking for a self-starter who thrives on responsibility, can work independently, and brings energy, ideas and leadership to everything they do.

Growing Enterprise in the Community

• Build strong partnerships with local organisations and stakeholders
• Create a collaborative network that champions youth enterprise
• Raise awareness and position the hub as a go-to space for start-ups

Recruiting & Supporting Clients

• Lead outreach and recruit aspiring entrepreneurs
• Provide pre-start advice and guide business planning
• Manage applications, referrals and waiting lists

Delivering Business Support

• Offer ongoing mentoring and practical business advice
• Connect clients with local businesses, professionals and mentors
• Support employability and enterprise development pathways

Running the Hub

• Oversee day-to-day operations and facilities
• Host tours, meetings and events
• Ensure a welcoming, professional and inspiring environment

Reporting & Performance

• Monitor KPIs including occupancy and business success rates
• Maintain accurate records and reporting for trustees
• Manage rent processes and contribute to financial sustainability

Budget & Compliance

• Manage budgets and support fundraising activity
• Ensure Health & Safety standards are implemented and upheld

Launch It Kent is an independent charity based in Sheerness Kent. The charity is supported through a social franchise by Launch It who have been operating for over 25 years and manage 7 enterprise centres across the UK.