Assistant head of individual giving jobs

Lead our landmark Engine Shed venue and shape unforgettable experiences at the heart of student life. Bring creativity, commercial drive, and operational excellence to one of Northampton’s most iconic spaces.

Northampton Students’ Union is searching for an exceptional Venue & Commercial Manager to take the reins of The Engine Shed—our beautifully restored Grade II listed railway building and the beating heart of Waterside Campus. This is a rare opportunity to lead a venue that blends historic character with modern capability, delivering vibrant student events, standout commercial functions, and unforgettable experiences for our community.

By day, The Engine Shed is a welcoming social hub where students meet, collaborate, and create memories. By night—and throughout the year—it transforms into a distinctive destination for live events, corporate functions, weddings, conferences, and community celebrations. We’re looking for someone who can harness this potential, driving both operational excellence and commercial growth while championing inclusivity, sustainability, and outstanding service.

As Venue & Commercial Manager, you will lead the operational, creative, and commercial development of the venue. You’ll oversee daily operations across the Bar & Café, conferencing, and events, ensuring every aspect of the venue is safe, compliant, welcoming, and running at peak performance. You’ll line‑manage a diverse team—including the Deputy Venue Manager, Caterer, casual staff, and security—creating a positive, collaborative culture where staff thrive and students feel supported.

You’ll be the driving force behind our events programme, coordinating everything from student socials to corporate conferences and weddings. You’ll work closely with clients to understand their vision, delivering bespoke, high‑quality experiences that set The Engine Shed apart. You’ll also lead on developing new income streams, crafting business plans, and presenting performance reports to the Commercial Strategy Meeting.

Commercial acumen is key. You’ll manage budgets, monitor financial performance, refine pricing strategies, and ensure strong cost control. You’ll also oversee stock management, purchasing, and cash handling, ensuring compliance with SU financial procedures. Your ability to interpret data—tracking conversion metrics from web clicks to confirmed bookings—will help maximise the venue’s commercial potential.

Collaboration is central to this role. You’ll work with the Marketing & Communications team to deliver compelling campaigns, build relationships with local businesses and community partners, and champion The Engine Shed’s sustainability credentials. You’ll also work closely with University Estates, Campus Services, elected officers, and SU leadership to ensure the venue continues to evolve in line with student needs and organisational strategy.

As the designated Premises Supervisor, you’ll ensure full compliance with the Licensing Act 2003, conduct regular risk assessments, and lead staff training on health and safety and emergency protocols.

If you’re an experienced venue operator with creativity, commercial instinct, and a passion for delivering exceptional experiences, we’d love to hear from you. Join us and help shape the next chapter of The Engine Shed—where community, innovation, and unforgettable moments come together.

We are looking for a policy adviser to work primarily in our resource stewardship theme to help deliver ambitious leadership for the environment. You will also have opportunities to work on projects in our Legislation & Governance unit.

Using your strong research and strong communication skills, you will contribute to work that shapes the future of circular economy policy and environmental legislation in the UK. Collaborating with colleagues across the organization, including in comms and politics, you will help identify compelling evidence, stories, and projects to drive better use of resources in the UK and will secure support for projects and policy proposals by building relationships with politicians and policymakers, environmental NGOs and community groups, business partners and other stakeholders.

This is a varied role that will also include project management to ensure effective delivery, including ensuring outputs and events are effectively planned and executed to deadline and to a high quality.

You will need to understand, or be willing to learn about, the political and environmental policy contexts we work in and the state of resources policy and wider environmental legislation in the UK.

Who we are

IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) is a national charity working to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the educational support they are legally entitled to. Since we were formed in 1983, we have helped to improve the education experience of thousands of children and young people across England. We do this by providing free and independent legal advice and casework support for families, undertaking policy work and delivering training on the SEND legal framework.

What you’ll do

Reports to: Chief Executive

Location: Home-based or Hybrid (with frequent travel for events and meeting with parliamentarians and other stakeholders) 

We are seeking a Policy Manager to lead IPSEA's policy and influencing work to achieve positive change for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. Working closely with the Chief Executive, Head of Legal and Training, trustees and colleagues across the organisation, you will set strategic policy priorities and develop evidence-based influencing plans that support IPSEA's mission and long-term objectives.

Drawing on insights from our advice and tribunal services, legal expertise and the experiences of families, you will identify systemic issues within the SEND system and develop policy solutions that improve children and young people's access to the support and education to which they are entitled. You will ensure that IPSEA's policy positions are credible, legally robust and informed by the lived experiences of those we support.

You will lead IPSEA's engagement with government, Parliament and other key decision-makers, identifying opportunities to influence legislation, policy and practice at both national and local level. This includes overseeing responses to consultations, parliamentary inquiries and calls for evidence, as well as preparing briefings and strategic advice to support senior-level engagement and advocacy.

Working collaboratively with colleagues across legal, communications, fundraising and training teams, you will ensure IPSEA's policy, campaigning and public affairs activities are aligned and maximise the organisation's impact. You will also monitor developments across the political, legal and policy landscape, helping IPSEA respond proactively to emerging opportunities and challenges affecting the rights of children and young people with SEND.

This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference as part of a small, friendly, and dedicated team. If you are passionate about helping children and young people with SEND and have the skills and experience needed, we would love to hear from you.

Who are we looking for?

You will have significant experience in a senior policy and campaigning/public affairs role and have good knowledge of local and national government structure including the legislative process.

You the ability to build and maintain relationships with a range of stakeholders including MPs, civil servants, campaigners and parents. You exhibit tact and diplomacy and can be impactful with people of varying levels and experience.

Your research and critical thinking skills enable you to analyse policy and data to produce relevant reports and position papers. You have experience of drafting organisation responses to government consultations and parliamentary calls for evidence.

IPSEA should also reflect the communities we support. We would particularly like to hear from candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people, under-served communities and disabled people, as well as those with lived experience of the SEND system, either as a child or as a parent/carer.

What we can offer you

• 5% employer pension contributions
• Healthcare cash plan
• Flexible working arrangements
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays plus an additional day off for your birthday (pro-rata if part-time).

To apply

Visit our website to download a recruitment pack and application form.

Deadline for applications: 9am on 7 September 2026.

First-round interviews: on 15 September 2026 in our offices in Takeley, Essex, with second-round interviews (online) on 18 September 2026.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE.

Community Youth Work Manager

Oasis Community Hub, Waterloo

Hours: 40 hours per week

Contract type: 1-year fixed term

Salary: £34,030 per annum (including London Weighting)

Supporting young people to thrive in Waterloo

Do you believe in the potential of every young person? Are you an experienced youth practitioner who can combine excellent frontline practice with leadership, strategic thinking and partnership working?

Oasis Hub Waterloo is looking for a Community Youth Work Manager to lead and develop our youth services for young people aged 10+ across North Lambeth.

Oasis Hub Waterloo has been part of the Waterloo community for more than 20 years. We’re an ambitious, inclusive and Christ-centred organisation working alongside local people to build a community where everyone is included, can contribute and can reach their potential.

Our youth service has been working with young people in North Lambeth for more than a decade. We provide accessible, supportive and trauma-responsive services that help young people build confidence, make positive choices and thrive in our community.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and lead our youth work at a time of development

You’ll manage a small team of youth practitioners and sessional workers while staying connected to frontline delivery. You’ll oversee and deliver group activities, after-school drop-ins and one-to-one mentoring, as well as developing holiday programmes, youth leadership and social action opportunities.

You’ll also help shape the future of our youth provision, working with colleagues across Oasis Hub Waterloo to develop our 0–18 strategy and create new, collaborative services.

Partnership working is central to the role. You’ll develop strong relationships with Oasis Academy South Bank, local youth organisations, community partners and statutory services, helping connect education, health and community provision around the needs of young people.

About you

You’ll bring significant experience of working directly with young people aged 10+, alongside the skills and confidence to lead and develop a youth service.

You’ll have:

· Strong youth work practice, including group and one-to-one work.

· Experience of developing and delivering youth programmes or projects.

· Experience of managing or supervising staff, sessional workers or volunteers.

· Strong partnership and multi-agency working skills.

· A thorough understanding of safeguarding and child protection.

· Experience of monitoring, evaluating and improving services.

· Creativity, initiative and the ability to develop new opportunities for young people.

· A genuine passion for helping young people thrive.

Knowledge of youth services in Lambeth or Southwark, and experience of education, youth leadership, social action or statutory services, would be particularly welcome.

Join us

You’ll join an innovative and supportive charity where you’ll have the opportunity to make a tangible difference to young people and help shape the future of youth work in Waterloo.

Oasis is committed to inclusion and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds.

The role includes regular evening and some weekend work and is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

As part of the package, Oasis offers:

· A pension scheme, offering 7% employer contribution.

· A generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year (plus 8 Bank Holidays).

· Policies which promote well-being and are family friendly.

To apply, please send your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than two A4 pages).

Please expand on your CV in your cover letter to explain why you would be a good fit for the role.

Please include how you would balance frontline youth delivery with leadership and management responsibilities.

Please also give an example of a piece of youth work you are particularly proud of, explaining what you did and what difference it made.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Completed applications should be returned by 9am Monday 21st September 2026.

Interviews will take place on Thursday 24th September 2026.

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. 

We appreciate you may wish to use AI to support elements of your application but we strongly encourage all candidates to submit applications that genuinely reflect their own skills, achievements and lived experiences. It's what makes your application stand out!

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. 1163889