Officer jobs in Belfast

Job Title: Equipment Advice and Outreach Officer

Reports to: Chief Executive / Practice Lead

Contract: Fixed term, 18 months

Hours: Part-time, approximately 22.5 hours per week (0.6 FTE)

Location: Home-based in England, with regular travel across a large region and occasional overnight stays

Salary: £20,556 (Full-time equivalent salary (FTE): £34,259)

About Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance

Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance is a user-led charity run by and for people with muscle-weakening conditions. We provide advocacy, peer support, information, training and campaigning to help disabled people live with greater confidence, connection and control.

We are developing a new service model to help adults with neuromuscular conditions identify practical needs relating to equipment, adaptations and wider day-to-day transitions, and to connect them to people with relevant lived-experience expertise.

Purpose of the Role

The Outreach and Practitioner–Evaluator will help Pathfinders identify adults with neuromuscular conditions who may benefit from practical support around equipment, adaptations and wider day-to-day challenges.

The role is not primarily to provide complex specialist advice directly. Instead, the postholder will:

• build relationships with services and organisations to identify potential clients
• hold structured conversations to understand people’s needs
• offer initial information, practical resources and signposting
• connect people to Pathfinders’ lived-experience specialists where more specific insight is needed
• support the development of reusable lived-experience resources, including short videos, blogs and written guidance
• collect routine feedback and help document and evaluate the service

Pathfinders’ lived-experience specialists are people with direct personal experience of neuromuscular conditions and of specific issues, transitions or practical solutions. A key part of this role is helping people access that expertise.

The role is to help people make sense of what might help, what routes may be available, and who they may need to speak to next. It is not to guarantee that equipment will be obtained, but to improve people’s understanding, preparedness and access to relevant expertise and pathways.

Main Responsibilities

1. Outreach and relationship-building

• Build and maintain relationships with clinics, hospices, charities, networks and other relevant services.
• Travel regularly to external settings to identify potential clients and raise awareness of the service.
• Confidently approach professionals, families and individuals to explain the offer and encourage engagement.
• Help create practical referral and engagement routes into the service.
• Prioritise outreach activity in line with project aims and agreed target regions.

2. Needs identification and support coordination

• Hold 1-to-1 conversations with adults with neuromuscular conditions and, where appropriate, family members or supporters, to identify practical needs relating to equipment, adaptations and wider day-to-day challenges.
• Provide initial information, signposting and relevant resources within agreed boundaries.
• Recognise when an issue would benefit from connection to a Pathfinders lived-experience specialist and facilitate that connection.
• Recognise when an issue requires statutory or clinical input and support onward referral or escalation where appropriate.
• Work with Pathfinders staff to help ensure people are connected to the most appropriate source of practical or professional support.

3. Working with lived-experience specialists and resource development

• Work with freelance lived-experience specialists to identify practical solutions, insights and examples relevant to the issues raised by service users.
• Support and encourage lived-experience specialists to share their expertise in accessible ways.
• Help coordinate and develop practical resources based on lived-experience knowledge, including short videos, blogs and written guidance.
• Contribute to ensuring these resources are accessible, organised and responsive to recurring needs identified through the service.

4. Documentation and evaluation support

• Maintain accurate records of outreach activity, contacts, needs identified, resources shared, onward connections and follow-up.
• Support the collection of routine feedback, including post-support forms and short follow-up conversations.
• Use agreed templates and systems to document contacts clearly and consistently.
• Share reflections and emerging themes with the team to support ongoing learning, evaluation and service development.

5. Teamworking and service development

• Participate in regular supervision, planning and reflective review meetings.
• Work collaboratively with the Chief Executive, Advocacy Officer, freelance lived-experience specialists and external partners.
• Contribute to the refinement of service processes, boundaries and referral pathways.
• Support dissemination of learning through briefings, webinars or other outputs as required.

Additional Requirements

• Regular travel across England is required, typically around once per week, with priority given to areas closest to the postholder’s base in the first instance. 
• Some travel may involve overnight stays.
• The postholder must have access to and use of a car for work purposes, although train travel may be used for some visits.
• Travel expenses and mileage will be reimbursed in line with organisational policy.

Person Specification

Essential

• Confident, outgoing and comfortable starting conversations with new people in professional and community settings.
• Experience of outreach, community engagement, advice, advocacy, support work or case coordination.
• Strong organisational skills and confidence managing follow-up, coordination and documentation.
• Comfortable using forms, spreadsheets, databases or case-recording systems and completing paperwork accurately.
• Familiarity with equipment, adaptations or practical support issues affecting disabled people.
• Ability to identify needs and know when to seek support, connect someone to lived-experience expertise, or refer on.
• Strong communication skills and a sensitive, respectful approach with service users, families and professionals.
• Ability to work independently while remaining well connected to a small team.
• Able and willing to travel regularly across England, including occasional overnight stays.
• Access to and use of a car for work purposes.
• Commitment to inclusion, dignity and user-led practice.

Desirable

• Experience of working alongside people with lived experience to co-produce support or resources.
• Experience of gathering feedback or supporting service evaluation.
• Knowledge of health or social care systems.
• Personal or close lived experience of disability or long-term conditions.

We are aiming to recruit immediately for this role with the first round of interviews on 1st June, but will conduct further interviews if necessary until we identify a suitable candidate.

About the role

Sitting within the Community & Events Team, and more broadly the Income & Engagement Department, the Community Fundraising Officer plays a vital role in supporting the long-term growth, development, and delivery of Sands’ community fundraising activities.

This is a new role at Sands, and it is an exciting time to join our growing team. This role will support acquisition activity, national campaign delivery and provide outstanding stewardship to fundraisers, community group and Sands groups, maximising their fundraising efforts and strengthening their relationship to Sands. You will also support the development of Sands regional fundraising approach, providing operational and administrative support to the Community Fundraising Manager.

The role is key to enabling the scaling of national community campaigns, enhancing supporter led fundraising activity, delivering high quality supporter stewardship, and supporting the future development of Sands’ emerging regional fundraising model.

Main Responsibilities

Community Fundraising Delivery & Growth

• Working with the Community Fundraising Manager, develop and deliver a community fundraising strategy for both new and existing activities.
• Support and assist with the delivery of Sands' community fundraising portfolio, ensuring activities are monitored and excellent supporter experience is given so to maximise impact and growth of each product.
• Provide operational and administrative support across the community fundraising pipeline, including, building web pages and ad campaigns, managing enquiries, recording activity on the database, drafting communication and creating e comms.
• Support the implementation of Sands’ regional fundraising model over the next strategy period, working with internal teams to establish ways of working, build best practice and, to identify opportunities for local engagement and increased income.

Supporter Stewardship & Relationship Management

• Deliver high quality, personalised stewardship for supporter led community fundraisers, community groups, schools, clubs and societies, ensuring supporters feel valued, inspired and supported throughout their fundraising efforts.
• Maintain regular communication with supporters via email, phone, and social platforms, ensuring prompt responses, clear guidance and automating where appropriate to improve efficiency.
• Provide proactive stewardship to high potential fundraisers and groups, helping them reach and exceed their targets.
• Work in collaboration with the Supporter Care Team to ensure seamless supporter journeys and continuity of communication.
• Work in collaboration with the Volunteering Team to support Sands Volunteer Groups with their local fundraising activities.
• Review and implement a tiered thanking model, ensuring fundraisers of all levels are thanked appropriately and in a timely manner.

Marketing & Engagement

• Support the Community Fundraising Manager with the delivery of marketing activities for supporter led community fundraising.
• Assist with the development of marketing materials and ads for supporter led community fundraising, seasonal campaigns, and national challenges.
• Work with the Engagement Team to update and maintain the “Fundraise for Us” section of Sands’ website, ensuring content is inspiring, accurate and up to date.
• Gather case studies, stories and impact examples to support promotional activity and supporter motivation.
• Capture and create content for email and social media.
• Work with external agencies and provide admin support to maximise impact and capture learnings.

Administration, Data & Reporting

• Maintain accurate supporter records in the CRM, ensuring all relevant information is captured and updated in a timely manner.
• Support data insight and reporting processes, enabling effective measurement and optimisation of community fundraising activity.
• Prepare basic reports, summaries, supporter lists and stewardship logs.
• Manage logistical tasks relating to fundraising packs, stewardship materials and fundraising products.
• Ensure all activity complies with fundraising regulation, governance standards and Sands’ policies.

Cross Team Collaboration

• Work closely with the Community Fundraising Manager, Supporter Care Officers, Engagement Team, Events Team and Community & Volunteering Team to ensure joined up supporter experience across Sands.
• Support the wider fundraising programme during peak activity periods—including Baby Loss Awareness Week, Say their Name Day, Winter campaigns, and regional events—by assisting with supporter enquiries, content collation and campaign delivery.
• Attend Sands events, supporter activities and external meetings where required, occasionally outside of normal working hours.

General Responsibilities

• Be an active member of the Community & Events Team and Income & Engagement Department, collaborating with colleagues to optimise performance across all fundraising areas.
• Demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to adapt within a fast growing, evolving fundraising function.
• Take part in monthly 1:1s, annual appraisals, and personal development reviews.
• Undertake all mandatory training and abide by Sands’ organisational policies.
• Represent Sands professionally at internal and external events and meetings.

Person Specification

Skills & Experience

• Experience in a fundraising, events, community engagement, customer service or administrative role (charity sector experience advantageous).
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and communicate empathetically with supporters.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively and meet deadlines.
• Ability to write clear, engaging supporter communications.
• Comfortable using CRM systems, databases and digital platforms.
• Creative thinker with the ability to contribute ideas for campaigns and supporter engagement.
• A passion for supporter led fundraising and an understanding of the motivations of community fundraisers.

What does it take to lead the national voice for special schools at a time of real change?

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – National Association of Special Schools (NASS)

National – home-based, with regular travel across England and Wales, particularly London

£90,000–£110,000 per annum

Full-time, permanent.

About NASS 

The National Association of Special Schools (NASS) is the membership association for special schools in England and Wales. We bring together independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies, maintained special schools and multi-academy trusts with specialist provision.

We exist to inform, support and represent our members, helping specialist schools improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and secure the place of specialist provision within the wider education system. NASS is known for being accessible, responsive and personal, combining national influence with practical support that members value as timely, human and trustworthy.

This is a pivotal moment for the organisation. In February this year, the Department for Education published a major white paper on SEND reform which will require NASS to both influence national policy on behalf of our members and children and young people, as well as support them to navigate the changes. Our new CEO will need to review our strategy while building on our strong platform and momentum to further deepen our influence and strengthen our internal capacity.

As our next Chief Executive, you will:

• Strategy & Impact: Lead NASS through a period of policy and structural change, ensuring the organisation remains clear on purpose, responsive to members and influential in the SEND landscape.
• Governance & Finance: Work closely with the Board of Trustees to provide strong governance, prudent financial stewardship, robust risk management and clear strategic oversight.
• Operational Leadership: Provide confident leadership to a small, remote team, strengthening collaboration, accountability, resilience and a positive, high-trust culture.
• Income Generation: Oversee budgeting, planning and reporting while developing thoughtful opportunities to diversify income through membership, partnerships, events and related activity.
• Community & Partnerships: Build and sustain trusted relationships with government, parliament, regulators, sector bodies and member schools, ensuring NASS remains relevant and well connected.
• Member Services: Protect and enhance the practical offer to members, from briefings and special interest groups to conferences, webinars, training and peer-to-peer learning.
• Brand & Profile: Act as a credible public ambassador for NASS, helping to modernise communications and broaden the organisation’s voice beyond a founder-shaped model.
• Future Growth: Shape a distributed leadership profile and support a more varied, accessible and engaging approach to membership, advocacy and communications.
• A seasoned senior leader with experience in a charity, membership body, education or public sector setting, and a clear track record of leading through change.
• A strong strategic thinker, able to absorb complex information quickly and translate it into clear, practical direction.
• A confident communicator with the gravitas to represent NASS with members, staff, trustees, MPs, peers, media and national partners.
• A politically astute relationship-builder, comfortable navigating a complex and fast-moving external environment.
• Experienced in governance, with a sound understanding of working with boards or trustees and supporting effective decision-making.
• Numerate and commercially minded, with experience of budgets, financial planning, income generation or partnership development.
• Credible, approachable and resilient, with the emotional intelligence to lead well in a high-profile, remote and sometimes uncertain context.
• Direct SEND experience would be a significant advantage, alongside understanding of specialist education or similarly complex stakeholder environments.

Why NASS?

• This is a chance to lead a respected, member-led organisation with a strong national reputation and a clear public purpose.
• You will help shape the future of specialist education at a time when SEND reform is high on the agenda.
• NASS has a loyal, experienced and collegiate remote staff team, supported by an active Board of Trustees.
• The organisation offers a genuinely influential platform, with strong connections across the sector and with government.

Application

For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 8th June 2026

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.