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Mercy Ships UK is looking for a People Engagement and Development Partner to help cultivate a thriving, supportive and purpose-driven workplace where our people can flourish.
Mercy Ships is an international charity that provides free life-changing surgeries and healthcare to people in need, using hospital ships staffed by volunteers from around the world. Behind this mission is a dedicated team of staff who enable this work to happen and we believe investing in our people is essential to achieving our impact.
This role plays a key part in shaping the employee experience at Mercy Ships UK, strengthening engagement, supporting managers and helping develop a healthy and effective organisational culture.
Working closely with leaders across the organisation, you will support initiatives that encourage staff wellbeing, development and strong collaboration, ensuring our people feel valued, connected and equipped to contribute to the mission.
Key responsibilities
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Support the development and delivery of employee engagement initiatives across Mercy Ships UK
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Partner with managers to strengthen team culture, communication and staff wellbeing
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Help coordinate learning and development opportunities that enable staff to grow and thrive
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Provide guidance and support on people-related matters, helping to build confident and capable managers
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Contribute to organisational initiatives that strengthen culture, values and employee experience
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Support internal communications and activities that foster connection, collaboration and engagement across teams
About you
You will be someone who is passionate about people and organisational culture, with the ability to build trusted relationships across teams.
You will bring:
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Experience working in a people, HR or organisational development role
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A strong interest in employee engagement, culture and learning
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The ability to support and coach managers in developing healthy teams
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Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
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A collaborative and proactive approach to supporting organisational initiatives
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Alignment with the values and mission of Mercy Ships
Why join Mercy Ships?
At Mercy Ships UK, you will be part of a team committed to making a global difference. This role offers the opportunity to help shape the environment where our people work, grow and contribute to a life-changing mission.
This role has an Occupational Requirement for the post holder to be a practicing Christian in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010
This role has an Occupational Requirement for the post holder to be a practising
Christian in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010
Registered Charity
21 - 50
Mercy Ships is a faith-based international development organisation that deploys hospital ships to some of the poorest countries in the world
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Social Finance is an ambitious non-profit that designs, funds and scales solutions to complex social problems. Our vision is a fairer world where together we unleash the potential of people and communities. We work with governments, funders, communities and the social sector to tackle some of the most persistent challenges facing society in the UK.
Our multidisciplinary team brings together experience from the public, private and charity sectors. We are known for our collaborative and intellectually curious culture and for delivering systems change, improving how entire systems operate so they produce better, lasting outcomes.
One of our most significant initiatives is IPS Grow, which supports the national expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment services across England. IPS is an evidence-based approach that helps people experiencing severe mental illness, addiction and other health challenges find and sustain competitive employment with tailored support.
IPS Grow works with commissioners, healthcare providers and delivery partners to expand high-quality IPS services, improve quality and learning across the system, and ensure the data and evidence behind IPS continue to demonstrate its impact. Scaling IPS has been a priority for Social Finance since 2015 and continues to be an integral part of our work today.
With IPS Grow transitioning from a fast‑growing initiative to a mature organisation with expanding reach and influence, we are now looking for an experienced Chief Operating Officer to join the IPS Grow and Social Finance Senior Leadership Team.
The COO will provide strategic leadership across IPS Grow’s operational infrastructure, ensuring the organisation has the systems, processes and capabilities required to deliver impact at scale. You will strengthen financial oversight, resource planning and risk management while helping develop IPS Grow’s data and digital capability. The role will also help shape the organisational structures and culture needed to support sustainable growth.
We are looking for a senior operational leader with experience in finance and the non-profit or publicly funded sectors, ideally with a track record of helping organisations scale. You will bring strong financial literacy, sound strategic judgement and the ability to build effective operational frameworks in complex environments.
You will be a collaborative partner across IPS Grow and the wider Social Finance organisation, building trusted relationships, bringing clarity to operational challenges and fostering a strong “one team” culture across a distributed team.
This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the next phase of IPS Grow’s development. If this resonates with you, we would be delighted to hear from you.
To download a full copy of the candidate brief and learn more about the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button, where you will be redirected to the website of our recruitment partner, Tall Roots.
Applications should include a CV and covering letter responding to the following questions:
- What is motivating you to become our new Chief Operating Officer for IPS Grow? (200 words)
- Given what you have read about us so far, what do you believe would make an effective Chief Operating Officer for IPS Grow? (200 words)
- Please describe your experience ensuring an organisation had the right systems, processes or capabilities in place to use data effectively. What was your role and what difference did this make? (250 words)
- Please tell us about a time when you built strong partnerships across teams or organisations to deliver a shared goal. What approach did you take and what was the outcome? (250 words)
