Charity director jobs

Join Generate at a pivotal moment in our journey and help shape the future of a growing charity supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people across North Yorkshire. This is an opportunity to combine strategic leadership, fundraising and organisational development with meaningful impact in a values-driven organisation.

Generate is looking for an inspiring and collaborative Charity Director to lead our next chapter. We work to improve wellbeing, resilience and connection for transgender, non-binary, gender-diverse and gender-questioning adults through peer support, counselling, mentoring, outreach and more.

Since beginning as a volunteer-led initiative in York in 2011, Generate has grown into an established charity delivering a range of services across North Yorkshire. We are now looking for a leader who can build on this strong foundation, strengthen our sustainability and support the organisation's continued development.

As Charity Director, you will provide both strategic and operational leadership across the organisation. Working closely with our Board of Trustees, staff team, freelancers, volunteers and external partners, you will lead the delivery of our strategic vision and ensure Generate continues to be effective, sustainable and responsive.

This is a varied and rewarding role that offers the opportunity to:

• Shape the future direction and development of Generate
• Lead fundraising and develop sustainable income streams
• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships and stakeholder relationships
• Drive organisational development and improve systems and processes
• Support and develop a committed and motivated team
• Ensure strong governance, financial oversight and operational effectiveness

We're looking for someone who can think strategically while also being comfortable with the practical realities of leading a small organisation. You will be a confident relationship-builder and effective communicator, with a strong commitment to delivering positive outcomes for the people we support.

Role details

Salary: £36,000–£40,000 FTE (pro rata based on a 35-hour week), depending on experience
Hours: 21–28 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Home-based, with regular travel into York and occasional travel across North Yorkshire

If you are looking for an opportunity to lead an organisation through its next stage of development, we would love to hear from you.

If you’d like to have an informal conversation about the role, please get in touch and we will be happy to arrange a call with our current Charity Director.

Switchback is an award-winning charity supporting young men to live life differently after prison. As we launch our next strategic plan to grow our impact even further, we are looking for a new Director of Finance and Operations who can bring both strategic thinking and hands-on operational expertise to help us turn our ambitions into reality.

The Director of Finance and Operations is a key role in the leadership team of a dynamic charity making a real difference in young people’s lives. Managing a small team, you’ll have responsibility for a range of essential business functions central to Switchback’s success as a charity: financial and business planning, HR processes, infrastructure (including IT), governance, risk management and compliance.

You’ll also support our business development and strategic partnership-building, helping us tap into exciting new areas of income and impact, including our plans to share our learning through training and consultancy.

Crucially, you’ll oversee and develop our systems and processes in a way that protects Switchback’s agile and human working culture. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a central role helping Switchback achieve our aims of reaching more young men while inspiring change across the justice system and beyond.

The right candidate will have great strategic judgement, proven financial and business acumen, practical knowledge of operations and good governance, and a strong understanding of creating and leading high-performing teams.

You will have a collaborative approach to working with colleagues and trustees, enjoying getting stuck into the day-to-day business of running a growing charity, as well as the ability to bring in new external partnerships and contractual relationships that serve our commitment to providing real opportunities for our Trainees.

You will be driven to achieve great value for money and use smart processes to enable others to do their best work for a vital social cause.

As well as technical expertise, this role acts as a key sounding board for the CEO and Leadership Team, so you’ll also bring excellent listening skills and the confidence to act as a thinking partner across both strategic and operational issues. As a member of the Leadership Team, you’ll also model our values in the way you work, collaborate and communicate.

If you are interested in using your proven financial and operations management skills to contribute to our exciting next chapter, we’d love to hear from you. In return we can offer the opportunity to work in an organisation with a strong history of personal and strategic impact, where each day you will witness the incredible steps that our Trainees make to change their lives.

Director of Operations

Gordon Moody

Location: Hybrid – regular presence across Redditch, Wolverhampton & Dudley, with national travel as required

Salary: £80,200 – £85,082

Gordon Moody is the UK’s leading charity supporting people experiencing the most severe gambling-related harms. Demand for our services continues to grow, and with our new 28‑bed Redditch treatment centre, expanded digital pathways and an evolving Model of Care, we are entering a pivotal and ambitious phase.

We are now seeking a Director of Operations who will play a central role in shaping the future of our services and ensuring we deliver high‑quality, person‑centred support across residential, community and digital pathways. This is a key executive role at the heart of the organisation, responsible for operational excellence, service performance, regulatory compliance and the delivery of NHS England KPIs.

Collaborative, values‑driven and motivated by purpose, you will work closely with the CEO, Clinical Director and wider Executive Team to ensure our services remain responsive, sustainable and aligned to the changing commissioning landscape. You will bring senior operational leadership experience from a regulated therapeutic, clinical or addiction‑related environment, with the ability to lead teams through change, integrate innovation and maintain the highest standards of care.

If you are inspired by the opportunity to make a profound difference and want your leadership to directly improve recovery outcomes for people affected by gambling harm, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Closing Date – 9am on Monday 27th July 2026

Are you passionate about building relationships, inspiring others, and making a real impact? This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in growing support for our charity by connecting with local communities, businesses, volunteers, and supporters. You will be at the heart of developing meaningful partnerships, identifying new fundraising opportunities, and increasing awareness of the vital work we do. Through your energy, creativity, and relationship-building skills, you will help generate income, maximise community engagement, and strengthen our presence across the region. Every conversation, event, and partnership you create will contribute to making a positive difference in the lives of those we support. If you thrive on meeting people, creating opportunities, and being part of a passionate and purpose-driven team, this rewarding role offers the chance to make a lasting impact while helping our charity grow and succeed.

Could you be the right person to take Pivot forward into the next exciting chapter?

Managing Director
Salary: Circa £45,000 (negotiable)
Hours: 30–37 hours per week (flexible)
Contract: Permanent
Location: London, Hybrid working available.

Pivot is a jewellery-sector social enterprise on the cusp of becoming a registered charity.

We use jewellery-making and the creative industries to transform the lives of those experiencing homelessness who face barriers to employment, education, or social inclusion.

We're looking for a leader who will shape Pivot's future, culture, and long-term impact.

Working closely with our Board of Trustees, you'll:

• Develop our contracts, partnerships and trading income
• Develop a commercial strategy for our products and services, from jewellery commissions to training
• Work alongside our grant and trust fundraiser to build our funding pipeline
• Cultivate relationships across the jewellery, craft, and creative industries
• Lead impactful, inclusive programmes for young people alongside our delivery team
• Establish Pivot as a registered charity, leading on finances, policies, and governance

You'll bring senior leadership experience in the charity, social enterprise, or creative sectors, a track record in fundraising or income generation, and ideally connections within the jewellery, craft, or creative industries would be desirable but not essential. Above all, you'll share our commitment to using creativity to transform lives, with the entrepreneurial drive to build something new and lasting.

Pivot launched in 2020, we've been dedicated to creating beautiful pieces of jewellery that not only tell a story but also make a positive impact.  We’re moving to charitable status to provide more stability, working from an established foundation, we hope to increase our social impact, growing our programme delivery.

Closing date: Thursday 23rd July at Midnight

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.

Pivot is an equal opportunities employer. We actively encourage applications from individuals with lived experience relevant to our work, including those from the communities we serve.

No agencies please.

This is an exciting opportunity for a new Chief Executive Officer to lead our well-respected rare disease patient organisation through the next phase of growth and impact, in particular focussing on financial sustainability and influencing health policy for these rare diseases.These sit alongside the other grass-roots duties of a small charity CEO, including working with our Medical Advisory Team to develop new and maintain existing patient education resources, and overseeing our support services including volunteers and a professional psychological counselling service. Reporting to and working with the Board of Trustees, the CEO will be responsible for delivering our 2027-2030 Strategic Plan, ensuring robust governance, and driving forward our mission to improve the lives of people affected by rare diseases.The CEO manages the part-time Executive Administrator and works with up to 30 current volunteers (patients, carers, and health professionals) to deliver services with impact.This role includes occasional weekend work, as well as approximately 15 days travel (national and international) per year to represent and advocate for the charities’ beneficiaries. 

Community & Corporate Fundraiser – Wales (Dolfor)

Full-time 37.5 hours a week. (flexible/part-time requests will be considered)

Salary £38,000.00 -£42, 000.00 pa

Hybrid role- 3 days in office and 2 home working

This role will lead fundraising across Wales and into the Midlands, building relationships with communities, businesses and supporters to grow income and raise awareness of our work. 

You’ll develop and manage a mix of community and corporate fundraising activity, working closely with colleagues across the organisation and using our Wales site to engage and inspire supporters. 

A big part of the role is building strong, long-term relationships that support sustainable fundraising and help extend the reach of our services.

About you:

• Experience in fundraising, partnerships or a similar relationship-based role
• Confident building and managing external relationships
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Organised and able to manage multiple priorities
• A proactive, self-motivated approach

This is a varied role with real scope to grow fundraising across Wales and make a direct impact on the children and families we support.

Thames Reach is one of London’s leading homelessness charities, working to end street homelessness and help the people we support to find and sustain a decent home, build supportive relationships and lead a fulfilling life.

We are seeking a Director of Operations to take on a new senior strategic leadership role that will play a key part in the future direction and long-term sustainability of the organisation.

As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will work collectively with the Chief Executive and Director of Services to provide organisational leadership, contributing to strategic direction and operational effectiveness.

You will be accountable for ensuring the organisation has effective infrastructure, people and financial sustainability. You will oversee and provide integration across all non-service operational areas, holding overall responsibility for Finance, People, Data, IT, Property & Facilities, and Thames Reach Housing, our Registered Provider subsidiary.

You will act as a primary point of organisational assurance to the Chief Executive, SMT and Board on operational sustainability, risk and compliance.

Key priorities include providing organisational stewardship of finance, overseeing the transformation and effective operation of digital, data and technology systems, and championing continuous improvement in organisational capability, leadership and ways of working.

Director of Operations Thames Reach
Salary: circa £92,000 per annum
Directorate: Central Operations

About you
We are seeking a leader with a strong collaborative leadership style, with a commitment to collective responsibility and organisational leadership. You will bring:

• Senior strategic leadership experience in a complex organisation, with responsibility for multiple operational and enabling functions.
• Strong financial acumen, including the ability to oversee budgets, interpret financial data and communicate financial matters clearly to senior leaders and Trustees.
• Experience of organisational change, transformation and continuous improvement.
• Experience of governance, risk management and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to operate credibly at Board and Committee level.
• Ability to operate effectively within a regulated environment, including building an understanding of the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing.
• Extensive experience of managing multiple projects and critical decision making.

Crucially, you will demonstrate a clear commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and to furthering our mission of ending street homelessness.

How to Apply
For further information, to access the appointment brief and to apply to this role, please click on the Redirect button.

Recruitment timeline
Application deadline: 9th August
Interviews with Prospectus: w/c 24th August & w/c 31st August
Interviews with Thames Reach: 18th September

About the role

Cardiomyopathy UK's Director of Research and External Affairs leads the charity's research, policy and advocacy, and communications and marketing functions, with a team of four staff. The post-holder sets the strategic direction of the directorate, drives high-quality delivery,  upholds the charity's values, and represents the charity externally. The Director is a member of the charity's Leadership Team, working closely with the CEO to steer the charity forward. 

For the right person, this is an opportunity with real strategic scope. We want to build on our strong policy positions and evidence base and translate them into more proactive campaigning and influencing, moving from good policy thinking to concerted public affairs activity, strategic stakeholder engagement, and campaigns that achieve real change. 

The Director will also lead the next phase of our research work, following our inaugural research grant-funding activity and James Lind Alliance top ten work. They will work with the Research Manager and our clinical and academic partners to better define and deliver our ambitions.

Raising awareness of cardiomyopathy, its signs, symptoms and genetic risk, is also within the team's scope. Too many people are still diagnosed late because neither they nor their GP knew what to look for. The Director will drive our communications and marketing agenda purposefully, equally ensuring the charity’s external profile is actively managed and enhanced.

About you

We're looking for a leader who is a collaborative and inclusive, able to build trust with staff, colleagues, external partners and the Board. They will have strong strategic, analytical and planning skills, with the ability to develop coherent strategies. They will have experience as a senior leader/ manager in a charity, health, research or patient-focused organisation. See the Person Specification for further details.
 
Why join us?

Cardiomyopathy UK is the national charity for people affected by cardiomyopathy. We provide specialist nurse support, peer support, wellbeing services and trusted information to thousands of people each year, as well as influencing policy, supporting advocacy, and funding and enabling better research.

We are ambitious about our future. We are committed to quality, accountability and continuous improvement. Most importantly, we are committed to ensuring that everyone affected by cardiomyopathy can live well with the condition.

We are a family friendly employer with flexible and hybrid working. We offer an enhanced Employee Assistance Programme, additional annual leave linked to length of service, and an extra special occasion day each year.

We are midway through our five-year strategic plan, at a genuinely exciting moment, both for the charity and for cardiomyopathy more broadly. If you are excited by the opportunity to shape our Research and External Affairs work, lead a strong team and ensure we can clearly demonstrate the impact of our work, we would love to hear from you.

At UHCW Charity, we believe everyone deserves the best possible care when they need it most. As the official charity for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust - including University Hospital Coventry and the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby - we go beyond what the NHS alone can provide. With the support of our community and partners, we fund everything from state-of-the-art equipment and enhanced hospital environments to pioneering research and staff wellbeing initiatives.

We're now looking for an experienced and ambitious Fundraising Manager to help drive our fundraising to the next level. Leading our corporate, community and events fundraising, you'll build meaningful relationships with supporters, inspire new partnerships, oversee high-quality fundraising events and campaigns, and ensure every supporter has an exceptional experience. You'll also line manage our Fundraising Assistant and play a key role in shaping the future growth of the Charity.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, passionate team where your ideas, leadership and expertise will have a direct impact on patients, families and NHS staff across Coventry and Warwickshire. Together with our supporters, we're proud to help create the best possible experience for every patient and their loved ones, every day.

FUNDRAISING DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Looking for a fundraising role where your work genuinely changes lives?

Our client is a Christian charity supporting families and individuals through programmes focused on poverty relief, emotional wellbeing, education, community support and long-term life transformation. They are looking for a proactive, relationship-focused Development Manager to help grow and strengthen their fundraising across trusts, donors, events and community fundraising.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing charity making a real difference to families and local communities. Working closely with their Fundraising Director, you’ll play a key role in building meaningful supporter relationships, delivering engaging fundraising activity and helping develop sustainable income streams that allow the charity’s work to flourish.

This is far more than a desk-based fundraising role. They require someone who enjoys building connections, spotting opportunities, bringing ideas to life and getting involved in the practical delivery of fundraising activity.

Your work will include:

• Building and nurturing strong donor and supporter relationships
• Supporting trust and foundation applications and reporting
• Helping plan and deliver fundraising events and community initiatives
• Managing and maintaining fundraising data through Salesforce CRM
• Supporting the delivery of fundraising strategy across multiple income streams

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience in fundraising, donor engagement or community fundraising
• Is comfortable working independently and as part of a team
• Has experience using CRM systems (Salesforce desirable)
• Enjoys both strategic thinking and hands-on delivery
• Is a confident communicator and relationship builder
• Will respect the charity’s strong Christian ethos.

In return, you’ll join a supportive and collaborative team within a charity that is growing, ambitious and deeply rooted in community impact. You’ll have the opportunity to develop across different areas of fundraising and charity life while seeing the direct impact of your work on families and individuals who need support.

If you’re passionate about people, purpose and building relationships that make a difference — we’d love to hear from you.

For over 30 years, RASASC has provided specialist, trauma-informed support to survivors of rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse across Cheshire and Merseyside. 

As Managing Director, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, working closely with our Board of Trustees, staff team, funders, commissioners and partners to ensure RASASC continues to deliver high-quality, survivor-centred services while building a sustainable future.

The opportunity:

• Shape and deliver RASASC’s strategy, growth plans and future direction
• Lead and inspire a committed team, creating a culture of excellence, collaboration and learning
• Ensure strong governance, financial sustainability and organisational resilience
• Develop relationships with funders, commissioners, partners and stakeholders
• Champion survivor voices and influence the wider sexual violence support sector
• Drive innovation, service improvement and long-term impact

We are looking for an experienced senior leader who can demonstrate:

• Strategic leadership experience within the charity, public, voluntary or social purpose sector
• A strong track record of managing budgets, resources and organisational performance
• Experience working with Boards, Trustees or Non-Executive Directors
• Success in securing funding through grants, contracts, tenders or partnerships
• The ability to lead people, manage change and build effective relationships
• A commitment to equality, inclusion, safeguarding and survivor-centred practice

This is a rare opportunity to lead a respected organisation with a powerful mission — ensuring survivors of sexual violence receive the support, advocacy and voice they deserve.If you are an ambitious, compassionate and strategic leader who wants to create lasting change, we would love to hear from you.

As Deputy Director of Operations (Local Services), you'll lead the strategic and operational delivery of Victim Support's services across the regions. You'll act as the senior organisational representative for commissioners and system partners, shaping local system responses and ensuring quality, sustainability and innovation. You'll Translate national strategy into regional implementation and be accountable for performance, risk and culture.

You'll lead a cluster of services across England and Wales, and work with individual associated Area Managers, to identify, develop, promote opportunities to grow and develop services, to improve impact and reach more victim-survivors. In conjunction with the Director for Operations, you'll further develop opportunities for partnership working across England and Wales. You'll identify trends in commissioning and act to ensure models and approaches are evolving.

What we offer

At Victim Support, we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent. Our competitive rewards and benefits package includes:

• Flexible Working Options: Including hybrid working.
• Generous Annual Leave: 28 days plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 33 days plus Bank Holidays, with options to buy or sell annual leave.
• Birthday Leave: An extra day off for your birthday.
• Pension Plan: 5% employer contribution.
• Enhanced Allowances: Enhanced sick pay, maternity, and paternity payments.
• Exclusive Discounts: High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment, and leisure discounts.
• Financial Wellbeing: Access to our financial wellbeing hub and salary-deducted finance.
• Wellbeing Support: Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support.
• Inclusive Networks: Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes.
• Sustainable Travel: Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans.
• Career Development: Ongoing training and support with opportunities for career

About the Role

Central to the role is ensuring that relationships between Victim Support, commissioners and stakeholders are strong and you'll take proactive action to address risks and improvement actions and themes. With excellent interpersonal skills you'll manage Area Managers, within a cluster, to ensure the organisation is positioned strongly and represented professionally with accurate evidence-based information and insight.

You'll help promote a strong external brand for the organisation by ensuring the team serve people impacted by crime well in line with strong service delivery standards. You'll play a key role in the ownership and accountability for the delivery of financial, customer, risk, and people objectives across regional services.

About Us

Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet all essential criteria for a job where it is practicable to do so. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment and selection process.

How to apply

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

Contract: Full-time, permanent
Hours: Full-time
Reports to: Chair; Board of Directors 
Location: Hackney
Salary: £50,000-60,000 depending on experience.
Pension: HSoF participates in the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme and contributes 3%.
Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, free onsite lunches .
Probation period: Six months.

About Hackney School of Food

Hackney School of Food is an award-winning food education hub based in the grounds of Mandeville Primary School in Clapton, East London. Through our teaching kitchen and educational garden, we help children, families and communities build the skills, confidence and knowledge to grow, cook and eat good food.

Each year, we welcome more than 10,000 visits to our kitchen and garden, delivering curriculum programmes for schools alongside community cooking courses, gardening projects, holiday clubs, corporate volunteering and public events. Since becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2023, we have expanded our facilities, strengthened our governance and built a strong reputation as a leader in food education.

We're now looking for an exceptional Managing Director to build on these strong foundations and lead Hackney School of Food through its next phase of growth and impact.

About the role

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Managing Director (MD) will provide both strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the organisation delivers its mission while remaining financially resilient, well-governed and responsive to the needs of the communities it serves.

The Managing Director is responsible for all aspects of the organisation, including strategy, income generation, finance, governance, partnerships, programme delivery and people leadership. Working closely with a small, committed team and an engaged Board, they will build on strong foundations to grow Hackney School of Food's impact, reach and long-term sustainability.

This is a varied, hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys balancing big-picture thinking with practical delivery. One day you may be developing a new partnership, meeting a prospective funder or working with the Board on future strategy; the next you could be supporting the team, welcoming visitors to the garden or solving day-to-day operational challenges.

Key priorities

In your first 12 months you will:

• Build on Hackney School of Food's strong foundations to deliver the next phase of our strategy and growth.

• Increase and diversify income through fundraising, partnerships and commercial opportunities to strengthen long-term sustainability.

• Lead, support and develop a small, ambitious team, fostering a positive and inclusive culture where people can thrive.

• Strengthen relationships with funders, partners and local businesses, helping Hackney School of Food deepen its impact.

• Work closely with the Board to embed strong governance, organisational systems and long-term planning for the future.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership 

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for Hackney School of Food, ensuring delivery of its mission, vision and long-term objectives. 

• Lead the development and implementation of Hackney School of Food's annual business plan and organisational priorities.

• Work with the Board to evolve organisational strategy, identify opportunities, manage risks and support sustainable growth.

• Monitor, report on and respond to organisational performance against agreed objectives and impact measures. 

• Champion Hackney School of Food externally, strengthening its profile and influence.
   

Financial sustainability and income generation 

• Oversee organisational budgeting, financial planning, forecasting and cashflow management, working closely with the Treasurer and accountant.

• Lead income generation across the organisation, including trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, sponsorship and earned income.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with funders, sponsors and strategic partners.

• Ensure all funding commitments are met, including grant reporting, monitoring and evaluation requirements.

• Identify new opportunities to diversify income and strengthen long-term financial sustainability.

Partnerships & External Relations

• Act as the main point of contact for HSoF’s key partners, LEAP Federation and Chefs in Schools to ensure the partnerships are effective and positive.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with other key stakeholders, including local authorities, funders and sponsors.

• Represent Hackney School of Food at meetings, events, and public forums.

• Champion the value of food education and contribute to wider local and national conversations. 

• Ensure programmes remain responsive to community needs through ongoing engagement and consultation. 

Governance and public benefit 

• Ensure the organisation operates in line with its CIC objectives and delivers clear public benefit. 

• Support the Board of Directors to fulfil its governance responsibilities through high-quality reporting, planning and decision-making.

• Prepare Board papers, reports and agendas, ensuring timely and accurate information is available to support effective governance.

• Oversee and report on organisational performance to the Board of Directors quarterly.

• Act as the primary link between the Board and the operational team.

• Maintain effective governance, delegated authority and accountability frameworks. 

• Support the Board in meeting all statutory and regulatory obligations relating to the CIC.

People, Culture and safeguarding

• Provide leadership to a small core team (currently c.4 employees), directly managing staff and fostering a positive, inclusive culture. 

• Provide oversight and support for a wider network of approx. 15 freelance contractors to ensure consistently high-quality delivery.

• Lead recruitment, induction, performance management and professional development in line with safer recruitment and equality principles. 

• Ensure effective organisational structures, clear roles, and performance accountability.

• Oversee HR processes including appraisals, performance management, and professional development.

• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, embedding safeguarding throughout the organisation maintaining compliance with all relevant requirements. 

• Develop organisational systems, policies and practices that support an inclusive, high-performing workplace.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Maintain and regularly review the organisational Risk Register and report key risks and mitigations to the Board.

• Oversee organisational policies, procedures and continuous improvement, ensuring policies and legal requirements are up to date, clearly communicated and embedded across the organisation. 

• Ensure compliance with employment law, health and safety, safeguarding, GDPR and other relevant legislation. 

Personal specification

Essential experience 

• Senior leadership experience with responsibility for organisational performance and accountability. 

• Experience securing income through fundraising, partnerships and/or commercial activity.

• Experience of financial leadership, including budget setting, forecasting and cashflow oversight.

• Experience working closely with a Board, Trustees or governing body to translate strategic vision into operational delivery. 

• Experience building and managing successful partnerships with funders, businesses and community stakeholders. 

• Experience in managing and motivating a team, creating a positive and inclusive workplace culture. 

• Experience of governance, compliance and organisational risk management.

• Experience of safeguarding within an education, youth or community context.

• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, make sound decisions and remain resilient in a resource-constrained environment.

Essential skills and attributes

• Passion for Hackney School of Food's mission and the role of food education in improving health, wellbeing and community connection. 

• Strategic thinker who is equally comfortable with hands-on operational leadership. 

• Entrepreneurial, resourceful and committed to building long-term financial sustainability and identifying growth opportunities.

• Ability to lead a team through change with sensitivity, clarity and kindness.

• Strong communicator with excellent relationship-building skills. 

• Confident decision-maker with a high level of personal accountability. 

• Committed to equity, inclusion and community-led practice.

Desirable 

• Experience working within a Community Interest Company (CIC), social enterprise or charity.

• Knowledge of Hackney, its communities and local stakeholder landscape.

• Experience of working in food education, community food, gardening, environmental education or a related field.

• Experience reviewing and managing contracts, service agreements or other legal documentation.

An inclusive workplace

We know that diverse teams make stronger organisations and are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment and will consider all qualified applicants regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

We particularly encourage applications from people who are under-represented in our sector and in leadership roles, including people from the global majority and those whose lived experience brings valuable perspectives from the communities we serve. We also welcome applications from people who live in Hackney or East London.

How to apply

The deadline to apply is Monday 20 July at 9am. Please apply by filling out this application form.

You'll find the link to the application form on our Recruitment Pack which provides more information. 

Stage 1: A one-hour online interview with the Senior Team and Board (24 July) 

Stage 2: On-site interview at Hackney School of Food (30 July), including a short presentation. 

We may also invite the preferred candidate to an informal meeting with the wider team and Board before making a final appointment. 

The successful applicant will need to pass an enhanced DBS check and provide two suitable references. 

We may close the application window earlier if we are inundated with applications, so please don't wait to apply.

If you have any questions about the role or your suitability, please feel free to get in touch with us. You will find a Recruitment pack and email address to contact via our website.