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The National Youth Agency is looking for a Learning & Development Officer.

Learning and Development Officer
Contract: Fixed-term, 6 months
Hours: Full-time – 37 hours per week
Salary: £36,050 per annum
Location: Home-based in England with occasional travel for meetings, workshops, and team activities. Head Office is in Leicester.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work.

About the Role

This role sits within the team responsible for the professional, statutory and regulatory elements of youth work. You will support delivery of youth work curriculum projects, learning activity, and development of high-quality practical tools and materials that help create the conditions for great youth work.

The role exists to provide operational delivery and coordination, enabling the National Curriculum & Learning Manager to focus on strategic development, leadership and quality assurance.

You will be joining an agile, flexible, and collaborative team who work at pace, engaging partners and stakeholders to support youth work across England. Your role will contribute to the improvement and development of learning resources and approaches.

Key Responsibilities

As a Learning & Development Officer, you will support:

• Delivery of local youth work curriculum commissions, from inception to completion.
• Coordination of curriculum-related events and training, including train-the-trainer sessions and stakeholder workshops.
• Development, adaptation and refinement of learning and development tools, templates, and materials.
• Gathering and organising insight, learning and feedback to inform curriculum improvement.
• Drafting, adapting, and maintaining curriculum content aligned to national standards and local context.
• Preparing agendas, notes and follow-up actions for workshops, inception calls and meetings.
• Supporting approaches to demonstrating and evidencing impact.

Note: This role does not hold budget, strategic ownership, or line management responsibility.

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-focused organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

Closing date: 11.59pm on Friday 20th March 2026
N.B. Please apply ASAP as we may close applications early once we have a substantial amount of suitable applicants.

Interested?

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Please note: We use AI detector software, so applications or CV’s with high levels of AI generated content may be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance.

No agencies please.

The National Youth Agency is looking for a Head of Business Development.

Head of Business Development
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time – 37 hours per week
Salary: £53,000 – £59,000 dependent on experience and qualifications
Location: Home-based in England with occasional travel for meetings, workshops, and team activities. Head Office is in Leicester.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

The Head of Business Development will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the organisation’s Business Development Strategy, leading the Business Development team to secure new opportunities, and ensuring the sustainability and growth of NYA’s income streams.

Key Responsibilities

As Head of Business Support, you will:

• Lead, motivate, and support the Business Development team to deliver ambitious growth targets.
• Develop and implement business development strategies to secure new commercial opportunities and funding from public, voluntary, and private sector partners.
• Spearhead new strategic initiatives for business development, identifying and pursuing innovative opportunities for growth and diversification.
• Build and maintain high-value relationships with clients, funders, and stakeholders, ensuring NYA’s offer is visible and compelling.
• Oversee the development and management of the sales pipeline, ensuring targets are met or exceeded.
• Work closely with the Director of Growth to align business development activities with NYA’s strategic objectives.
• Engage directly with trustees, including managing the relationship with the Finance and Growth Committee, preparing reports, and presenting business development performance and strategy.
• Lead on market research, business planning, and the development of commercial proposals and pitches.
• Represent NYA at meetings, events, and conferences, promoting the organisation’s reputation and offer.
• Support the Director of Growth in reporting to the CEO and Board on business development performance and strategy.

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-focused organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

Closing date: 5pm Wednesday 18th March
Interviews: Monday 23rd March (subject to change)

Interested?

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Please note: We use AI detector software, so applications or CV’s with high levels of AI generated content may be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance.

No agencies please.

About Adolescent Health Study

The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) (Registered Charity Number 1213337) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records.

There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.

Purpose of the post

The Engagement and Involvement Officer will play a central role in supporting meaningful engagement and involvement of young people, families, schools and other interest-holders in the process of designing, delivering and ensuring the best outputs from the Adolescent Health Study.

Primarily, the postholder will be responsible for the stewardship and coordination of the AHS Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG). The post-holder will provide ongoing support to YPAG members to ensure their active participation in opportunities to inform and shape the work of AHS. This will include working closely with the adults in the YPAG members’ lives, including parents/carers, teachers and other relevant adults or professionals. The postholder will also be required to build positive working relationships with other organisations and institutions that work directly with young people. They will support the Engagement and Involvement Lead to develop mechanisms to reach wider and more diverse groups of young people to take part in engagement and involvement activities at AHS.  

This is a role that requires confidence, autonomy, enthusiasm and skill. The post-holder will be a strong advocate for children’s rights, have a sound working knowledge and understanding of safeguarding practices, and demonstrate experience of co-ordinating youth advisory groups, youth councils or similar.

Main responsibilities

Coordination & facilitation

• Plan, organise, and deliver regular meetings, workshops, and consultation sessions with young people.
• Develop accessible, inclusive and engaging materials to support young people’s participation in activities and discussions.
• Ensure robust mechanisms are in place to facilitate a feedback loop, communicating to young people the impact of their input.
• Ensure safeguarding, wellbeing, and inclusion are embedded in all activities.
• Lead on and maintain communication with young people, parents/carers (where appropriate), and partner organisations.

Support for young people

• Provide guidance, pastoral support, and clear information to help young people take part confidently and safely.
• Facilitate training and development opportunities to build young people’s skills, knowledge, and confidence.
• Foster an environment where young people feel respected, valued, and listened to.
• Manage mechanisms for reward and recognition of young people’s input and contributions.

Strengthen and enable staff team

• Strengthen knowledge and understanding of youth engagement and involvement across the organisation.
• Enable the wider staff team to plan and conduct activities with the YPAG and wider groups of young people, supporting the design of involvement tasks that are age-appropriate, inclusive, and aligned with best practice.
• Provide feedback to colleagues on how to maximise the impact of youth involvement.

Administration & governance

• Manage recruitment and onboarding processes for YPAG members.
• Oversee consent processes, data handling, and safeguarding requirements.
• Coordinate payments, incentives, travel, and expenses for young people.
• Maintain accurate records, produce meeting notes, and ensure timely communication.
• Support the Engagement and Involvement Lead to track, document and report on outcomes and the influence of young people’s involvement on projects and workstreams.

Continuous learning and development

• Contribute to the development of the organisation’s engagement and involvement strategy.
• Contribute to the evaluation of engagement and involvement activities and gather feedback from young people, parents/carers and other relevant parties we work closely with.
• Maintain an interest and working knowledge of best practice in youth involvement, participation, and co‑production.
• Identify opportunities to share learning and reflections with the AHS team and wider colleagues to continuously improve practice and processes.

Interest-holder and partner engagement

• Build and maintain partnerships with schools, youth organisations, and community groups to recruit and support young people to engage in engagement and involvement activities.
• Provide verbal and written presentations of engagement and involvement work with young people to internal and external audiences.
• Represent AHS in meetings, workshops and events where appropriate.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria

• Experience developing and delivering engagement and involvement activities with young people and other relevant interest-holders (such as parents, families, teachers and schools).
• A proven track record or professional background in working with young people – such as in youth work, counselling, mentoring, education, or a related setting.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, especially with young audiences.
• Understanding and experience of good practice in youth engagement and involvement, including the principles and implementation of safeguarding, data protection, and inclusive practice.
• Experience of co-ordinating a youth advisory group, council, board or similar structure
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritising tasks and manage own workload.
• Ability to design and deliver workshops, focus groups or meetings that encourage open dialogue and collaboration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - able to communicate effectively and confidently with a range of stakeholders and to summarise and report key information clearly and accurately, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated commitment to children’s rights, youth participation and the meaningful inclusion of young people’s views and perspectives.
• Confidence using online meeting tools (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom), and collaborative platforms (e.g. SharePoint, Microsoft 365).

Desirable criteria

• Relevant qualification in youth participation, youth work, community engagement or similar.
• Understanding of public involvement in research or willingness to develop expertise.
• Understanding of key concepts and challenges in young people’s health and wellbeing and the transition to adulthood.
• Understanding and knowledge of key potential partners across the UK for delivering youth engagement in the sector.
• Experience using digital engagement and facilitation tools for online sessions (e.g. Miro, Mural, Mentimeter, Canva, PowerPoint).

Dimensions

• This has been designed as a full-time role, although part-time work could be considered for the right candidate.
• Flexible working may be required across several geographical locations in the UK.  Travel may be necessary to various AHS locations and partner organisations.
• Willingness to work hours flexibly including some evenings/weekends.

Additional Information

• Enhanced DBS/PVG or equivalent safeguarding check will be required.

Application Process

This post is subject to receipt of satisfactory references, an enhanced DBS check and right to work in the UK (visa sponsorship is not available). Please apply with a CV and a covering letter (of no more than two pages) explaining what you can bring to this role, and including your current salary.

The closing date for this position is midnight on End of Day Sunday 29 March.

Interviews are currently expected to be held during the weeks commencing 27 April and 05 May.

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Beyond these protected characteristics, we acknowledge the importance of socio-economic background, childcare and caring responsibilities, educational background, neurodiversity, and any other factors that shape an individual’s identity and opportunities. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute fully.

Values

It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team and begin to plan the pilot studies. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.

• Are you motivated by hitting income targets and building lasting partnerships?
• Do you enjoy turning conversations into opportunities and ideas into income?
• Are you ready to play a direct role in driving revenue growth in the education sector?

Then this could be the role for you.
 

We are looking for a Business Development Officer to drive revenue growth at Learning on Screen—the UK’s leading charity for moving image in post 16 education. This is a revenue focused role for someone who thrives on relationship building, enjoys closing deals, and is motivated by delivering clear income targets. You will play a key role in growing and diversifying our income through sales, partnerships, and sponsorships, contributing directly to our strategic ambitions.
 

Role overview

• Job title: Business Development Officer
• Salary: £28,000 (£35,000 FTE)
• Hours: 28.8 hours/week (4 days, 0.8 FTE)
• Contract: Permanent
• Location: Remote
• Reports to: Chief Revenue Generation Officer

What you will be doing

• Selling our products and services (including memberships, subscriptions, and courses) to meet income targets
• Researching, identifying, and converting new leads across the education sector
• Supporting the development of sponsorship and partnership opportunities with external collaborators
• Building and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships to maximise value, engagement, and income performance
• Creating compelling proposals and resources to support income-generating initiatives

What we are looking for

• Experience in B2B sales, partnership development, or commercial (ideally in the non-profit or education sectors)
• A confident communicator with excellent writing and presentation skills
• Someone who is proactive, target-driven, and able to manage multiple priorities
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders
• Strong data awareness, able to monitor performance and spot opportunities

This is a great opportunity to grow your career in a supportive, ambitious, and flexible environment while contributing to our mission of transforming education through the power of moving image and sound.
 

About us
Learning on Screen is a membership organisation that champions the use of moving image and sound in post-16 education. We give educators and students access to millions of films, TV programmes and radio broadcasts—spanning over a century—and support our members to use this content confidently and creatively. From expert copyright advice to innovative partnerships, we help bring teaching to life and open up new possibilities for learning. If you're passionate about education, media, and meaningful impact, you’ll feel right at home here.

How to Apply: 

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the 'apply' button below: 

• Your CV
• Cover letter outlining your relevant experience and qualifications
• Completed equality and diversity monitoring form 

Application Deadline: Tuesday 10th March 2026 by 12pm. 

Interviews: W/C 16th March 2026.

Please note that this is a part-time, permanent position. The job description is subject to occasional amendments and not considered part of the employment contract. Flexibility is required within the broad scope of the role. 

Learning on Screen is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to consider any applications received after the deadline. 

About Us 

The Good Ancestor Movement is a UK-based advisory and consultancy firm supporting individuals and organisations to redistribute wealth in ways that are reparative, regenerative and aligned with their deepest values. We work with wealth holders to challenge traditional models of accumulation and tax avoidance, and instead imagine futures where wealth actively contributes to social equity, economic justice, and ecological resilience.

We support clients to shift from extractive to regenerative practices, helping them translate their values into meaningful action through redistribution, reparations, and investment aligned with justice. 

Our programmes, like Reimagining Wealth, invite individuals to understand the wider impacts of their capital and take intentional steps toward responsible stewardship.

Good Ancestor Movement’s consultancy work includes strategy design, values-aligned redistribution planning, and building tools and systems that support collective accountability and transformative impact. We are committed to building a regenerative economy where wealth is mobilised in service of repair and liberation. 

About Your Role

This role is central to how the organisation functions day-to-day.

The Operations & Executive Support Lead will provide trusted executive support to the CEO and diary management support for directors while also holding the operational backbone of the organisation. This includes managing administrative flow, designing and strengthening systems, and ensuring that work lands reliably and on time.

This is a highly varied, hands-on role suited to someone who enjoys building order, spotting risks early, and creating processes that allow others to do their best work.

You will work closely with the CEO, our Directors, and our finance team to identify and develop operational processes as required. You will work alongside our entire team and be able to contribute to the organisation’s bold aims and ambitions within your role.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Support

• Provide full diary and schedule management for the CEO, including proactive planning, prioritisation and coordination.

• Support our Director level with diary management and bookings as required.

• Manage CEO inbox triage and correspondence, acting as a trusted first point of contact and gatekeeper.

• Prepare agendas, briefing notes and supporting materials for meetings.

• Coordinate travel, logistics and key engagements.

• Track actions and follow-ups to ensure timely completion across priorities.

Operations & Administration

• Act as a central intake point for operational and administrative requests.

• Prepare invoices and expenses for approval and support payment workflows.

• Coordinate room bookings, event logistics and forward planning.

• Support finance processes in collaboration with the outsourced finance team.

• Manage projects, create and maintain operational project trackers, records and documentation.

• Provide administrative and logistical support to programme delivery as required.

• Support fundraising administration and reporting requirements.

• Provide light communications and coordination support as needed.

Systems & Process Development

• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, reduce risk and strengthen consistency.

• Design and implement proportionate, fit-for-purpose processes aligned with organisational needs.

• Create and maintain clear operational processes and documentation.

• Support the selection and introduction of appropriate tools and systems where required.

• Contribute to the development of more structured, predictable ways of working.

About You

• You come from an operations, executive assistant, office management, or organisational support background and are confident working across administration, coordination and operations.

• You are highly organised and reliable, with a strong ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and moving parts, and anticipate executive needs.

• You have experience providing executive support, including diary management, inbox triage, meeting coordination and preparation of briefing materials.

• You are excited by the opportunity to grow beyond day-to-day execution and take on a more strategic role over time.

• You are comfortable owning operational processes end-to-end and ensuring consistent follow-through.

• You can spot gaps, inefficiencies or recurring issues in ways of working and take initiative to improve them.

• You are confident in handling approvals preparation, tracking actions, and supporting financial and administrative workflows.

• You work well with senior stakeholders and external partners, communicating clearly and professionally.

• You are trusted to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.

• You are calm under pressure and able to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.

• You are open to learning new systems and tools and adapting as the organisation evolves.

We understand that the issues we work on disproportionately impact on low-income, marginalised and minoritised communities. We are an organisation led by a Black female founder and CEO and as an inclusive employer that values both lived experience and professional experience, we hope to be able to attract applicants from a range of backgrounds for this important role. You do not need to have a university degree for this role, nor is it essential for you to have experience in the new economy ecosystem: we care about your character, your experience and your ability to demonstrate leadership and practice personal growth.

Job Title: Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnership
Reporting To: Deputy CEO/Director of Fundraising and Communications
Manages: Head of Trusts and Foundations, Head of Corporate Partnerships
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time (36 hours per week, flexible)
Salary band: £58,000 - £66,000 per annum
N.B. To ensure fairness and consistency across Home-Start UK, new colleagues usually join at the first point of the pay band for their role. This helps us maintain a clear and equitable approach to pay for everyone joining our team.

Location: Remote – with regular travel to meetings with donors, for events and to our central office in Leicester for collaborative meetings and team activities.

About Home-Start UK

Home-Start is a federated charity consisting of a central national office – Home-Start UK - and over 170 geographically dispersed local Home-Start organisations, all working together under the same identity.

We recognise that being a parent has never been easy. Every Home-Start volunteer is trained to work alongside parents to overcome the challenges they are facing. We work with parents to build on their strengths and give them the support that they tell us they need. We offer no judgement – just compassionate, confidential help and expert support. This peer-to-peer support is key to the difference Home-Start makes and often our volunteers have lived experience of the challenges their families are facing themselves.

About The Role

This is an important moment for us and for the families we support. Parents of babies and young children are facing huge pressures, and strong, values-driven partnerships matter more than ever. We’re looking for a senior leader who can help us meet this moment with confidence and ambition.

As Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships, you will help shape the future of our national work and support our federation of 170+ local Home-Starts working in communities across the UK. You will lead a talented team, build long-lasting relationships, and help make sure Home-Start has the funding, partnerships, and influence it needs to give every child the best possible start in life. This role will suit someone who is motivated by purpose, who values people and relationships, and who is comfortable working across a large and varied network.

We are looking for someone with a strong track record, someone who has already delivered high-value fundraising and partnerships at a senior level and is ready to take on a role with significant national influence. With responsibility for an annual income portfolio of circa £4 Million – with strong potential to grow this over the next 3-5 years to between £6Million-£8Million plus, you will work with a supportive Leadership Team and Board, who have already engaged external philanthropy expertise to develop a strategy and roadmap that you can build on. You’ll need to be confident working with high-value supporters: able to build trust, communicate clearly, and nurture long-term relationships with people who want to invest in families and early years support. You’ll bring the skills and confidence to grow a portfolio that is already strong and take it further, along with the ability to work well with others in a fast-moving environment.

You will be joining a warm, collaborative organisation that believes in the power of community, the strength of families, and the importance of early help. If you feel excited by the chance to make a national difference, to build partnerships based on trust and shared purpose, and to help shape the next chapter of Home-Start’s impact, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The people at Home-Start are its most important resource. Home-Start UK has been accredited with Investors in People since March 2005, which recognises the commitment we give to developing our staff.

Benefits of working for Home-Start

• Flexible working
• Family friendly policy
• PayCare health cash plan
• Enhanced employer contribution pension
• Learning and development
• DAS Employee Assistance

If it sounds like your type of challenge, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The closing date for applications is Friday 27th March at 4pm.
As part of our recruitment process, shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a full-day assessment centre at our Leicester office on Tuesday 14th April.
The assessment centre will include a mix of individual and group activities designed to understand your strategic thinking, relational approach, and leadership style.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Home-Start UK is committed to Equality of Opportunity and Diversity. We wish to encourage applications from all parts of the community irrespective of gender, race, colour, age, sexual orientation or disability. 

No agencies please.

We’re recruiting an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to work with Platform Places and Footwork over the next 10 months – to develop our bold narratives and inspiring content that help drive locally-led neighbourhood transformation.

• Target start date: 11th May 2026 
• Time input: 3 days per week (0.6 full-time equivalent), with flexibility for up to 4 days per week in certain busy periods, by mutual agreement
• Remuneration: £55,000-£61,500 per year (pro rata) depending on experience
• Flexible working: Work hours can be flexible as long as role objectives are met
• Location: Hybrid, remote or in-person (option to work from our London office). Monthly in-person team days in London, plus occasional trips to partners in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol and London and learning gatherings (expenses covered). 
• Contract type: PAYE employment contract. 10 months fixed term.
• Eligibility: Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

About us

In 2025, Platform Places integrated with Footwork Trust, becoming what we call ‘civic partners’. Together we facilitate locally-led neighbourhood transformation – so people have the power to live affordably, sustainably and together. 

About Platform Places

Platform Places is a national cross-sector collaboration and not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to unlock town centre buildings for amazing ideas that help us live affordably, sustainably and together. We convene councils, community leaders and asset owners around the country to build powerful partnerships, to unlock buildings for local benefit. We support these Partnerships with access to funding, technical expertise and networks.

Our deeper intention is to localise and democratise who owns, controls and transforms town centre and neighbourhood buildings, so that communities can:

• design spaces to meet local needs – whether affordable space for arts, music, healthcare, local food, housing, nature connection, reuse & repair, childcare etc
• retain and reinvest the wealth generated by these buildings.

We’re inspired by pioneers like Hastings Commons, Stour Trust, SAFE Regen, Civic Square, Nudge Community Builders, Makespace Oxford and other members of the Mycelial Network.

About Footwork Trust 

Footwork (UK charity Footwork Trust) supports local people to transform their neighbourhoods for the better and builds alliances to make this possible.

Since 2022, Footwork’s ‘People and Place’ programme has supported over 50 community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change, in response to a local social or environmental challenge. Often reviving land and buildings for community use, they are part of a growing force for fairer, locally-led regeneration, making the places they call home more resilient and equitable. 

Through national and local events, Footwork creates spaces for peer support and shared learning, showcases inspiring examples, and convenes built environment practitioners to enable true collaboration with community partners. 

Together, Footwork and Platform Places co-facilitate the Mycelial Network for Community Asset Developers.

About the Local Property Partnerships pilot, 2024-2027

Thanks to National Lottery players, Platform Places and partners have received almost £2.5 million over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The funding is being used to enable communities to come together and secure long-term spaces for the activities and services that they need the most.

This fund and programme resources local leaders in neighbourhoods in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool City Region, Bristol and London – working towards shifting multiple buildings into long-term local ownership. We’re also supported by our national partner organisations Architectural Heritage Fund, Power to Change and Social Investment Business. Our intention is that this work will lay the groundwork for a larger follow-on funding programme, which catalyses England-wide adoption of this approach.

The role

We’re looking for an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to join our small team and network of local and national partners.

The Communications Lead will focus on our key programmes, with the below time distribution. The challenge and opportunity is to hit the ground running and drive communications across our key channels – to help attract allies, funding and support, and inspire replication of these approaches in neighbourhoods around England.

2 days per week, ‘Local Property Partnerships’: 

• You’ll lead on promoting, and sharing learnings from, Platform Places’ exciting pilot programme (funded by National Lottery Community Fund) – which is localising and democratising who owns, controls and transforms town centre buildings in five neighbourhoods across England. 

0.75 days per week, ‘People and Place’: 

• You’ll promote, and share learnings from, Footwork Trust’s ‘People and Place’ programme – which supports community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change for their place. 

0.25 days per week, Wider movement building: 

• You’ll work on ad hoc broader communications opportunities that support our mission and the programmes – for example, creating a content piece with local or national partners from our wider network, or pitching a media story that cuts across all our programmes.

This involves the following areas of responsibility: 

1. Build on our working communications strategy
2. Work with co-directors to develop our bold, inspiring core messaging, and update our boilerplate narratives
3. Manage digital channels for Platform Places and Footwork: a) plan and create regular social media content; b) write newsletters (approx. quarterly); c) upload and edit website content, on Squarespace (drag-and-drop editor) and occasionally Wix (guidance available).
4. Strategic media relations: build journalist relationships and pitch stories (local or national), op-eds and comments
5. Work with local and national partners to share inspiring and compelling stories
6. Develop practical how-tos and templates, together with partners (you'll have support initiating partner relationships)
7. Provide comms guidance to local programme partners
8. Support co-directors and partners with speaking engagements and event opportunities

You’ll start from a strong foundation of communications activities, along with our established tone, visual identity and branded templates – with lots of freedom for new ideas. 

About you

• You’re as comfortable with creative storytelling as you are with practical resources
• You’re a campaigner for systems change – experienced in attracting allies and creating communications for diverse audiences
• You make it sing – you turn dense or complicated materials into clear and effective narratives to shift opinion and action
• You’re a collaborator – you can effectively hold relationships with local and national partners to plan and deliver coordinated communications 
• You can ‘wear all the hats’: you get stuck in on strategy and roll up your sleeves on delivery; you know when to pitch to media and when the tactic is digital; you can knock up great copy or quick Canva graphics without aiming for perfection
• You’re efficient and resourceful, comfortable leading on comms in a small (and collaborative) team, and know how to make things happen on a small budget (and when to seek external specialists)
• You’re passionate about community-led places and social and environmental justice – and you’re knowledgeable about at least one of: high streets, property, retrofit, community business, heritage buildings, cultural venues, town planning, neighbourhood governance

We know you likely have a particular comms specialism, with more strengths and experience in some areas than others. We’d love to hear about this, and about your approach to getting stuck into the rest. 

Our team & culture 

You’ll be joining our small, agile team of six people across Platform Places and Footwork. We meet in-person on a monthly basis to have lunch together and plan ahead, and have weekly online huddles to check-in and discuss priorities.

We work flexibly around our needs, whether a caring responsibility or otherwise.

Our culture is driven by our values: generous sharing, diverse perspectives, active listening and curiosity, staying networked and joy.