Communication jobs

About the Role

In this leadership role, you will lead our Philanthropy and Partnerships Team, driving strategies across corporate partnerships, trusts & foundations, major donors, and other high-value supporters. With a focus on meeting income targets, appeal planning, and long-term forecasting, you’ll play a vital role in maximising our fundraising impact.

***Please download the job description for full details***

About You

To be successful in this role, you will bring proven experience in managing high-value relationships across corporate partnerships, major donors, trusts & foundations, and statutory bodies. You'll have a strong track record of securing and growing long-term partnerships, including successfully negotiating six or seven-figure sums with corporate partners and/or major donors. You'll bring outstanding communication and relationship-building skills, with a proven ability to engage high-value supporters and collaborate effectively across diverse stakeholders.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the corporate, trust & foundation, major donor and other high value supporter strategies.
• Manage and develop the Rapid Response Network, retaining existing partnerships whilst also identifying and securing new partnerships.
• Deliver excellent stewardship that retains and develops support.
• Take to completion and implement recommendations from strategic projects, to include the major donor review and the RRN / corporate support review.
• Continually hone “next appeal” plans that lead to successful appeal launches and maximise funds raised throughout the appeal life cycle.
• Achieve annual core cost income targets and put in place robust forecasting for future years.

About the DEC

The Disasters Emergency Committee brings together 15 of the UK’s leading humanitarian charities to raise funds and respond quickly to global disasters. Since our founding in 1963, we have raised over £2.5 billion through 79 appeals, providing life-saving assistance to millions of people around the world.

Our mission is to save, protect, and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian action. As a team, we operate with urgency, transparency, and compassion.

All roles at the DEC are based in our London office. We operate a hybrid working model, with some non-negotiable office attendance. Please note, during the two-week appeal launch period, staff are required to work long hours in a high-paced environment, with mandatory office attendance.

The DEC is an equal opportunities employer and provides opportunities to learn and grow in an inclusive, supportive, and productive environment. We encourage applications from anyone who can meet the criteria, regardless of gender, race, age, disability, sexuality, or religion.

What We Offer

• Flexible working hours (outside of appeal periods)
• Hybrid working model (some mandatory office days during appeals)
• 25 days annual leave, increasing with service
• Healthcare Cash Plan (value ~£1,660/year)
• Pension contribution (3%, rising to 8% post-probation)
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Access to Wellhub, discounts, and ticket schemes
• Season ticket and hardship loans (post-probation)
• Cycle to Work and Car schemes (salary sacrifice)

How to Apply

If this role is of interest and meets your skills, experience, and knowledge, then please apply with your anonymised CV & cover letter by Thursday 2nd October 2025.

We are unable to support applications for our vacancies if you do not have the right to work in the UK

The DEC is committed to the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults and participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. 

By applying, the job applicant confirms their understanding of, and consent, to these recruitment procedures.

We are seeking an Employer Engagement Officer to join our Work Experience Team.

Our Work Experience programme provides a taster of the ‘World of Work’ helping to raise career aspirations and support academic progression for young people.  Our team work with local and central London employers and education providers to source, manage and co-ordinate placements for over 5,000 young people each academic year. 

About Us

Inspire is a charity based in East London. We inspire children and young people across London and beyond, using data to understand the barriers they face and connecting them with a range of employers and opportunities to open doors to their success.

We have over 40 years of experience in delivering high quality services and programmes to children, young people, schools, local authorities and employers. Working alongside our large network of employer volunteers, our programmes inspire and support children and young people to create a positive future for themselves in their journey from the classroom to workplace.  We provide them with independent careers guidance, high aspirations and strong employability skills.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for an organised, enthusiastic and confident individual to join us in a role with responsibility for sourcing and securing high quality work experience opportunities for young people through employer engagement. If you understand the benefits and importance of work experience for young people and can articulate this to engage employers - this is the role for you.

We are seeking a confident, passionate, articulate person who can communicate in a clear and compelling way across all communication channels including, email, telephone, in-person, social media and LinkedIn to engage employers in :

• Creating meaningful work experience placement opportunities for young people to enable them to gain experience of the world of work.
• Maintaining and developing existing employer relationships to maximise opportunities for young people.

If you have the skills necessary to do this role we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities of the role include:

• Working with the Head of Career Guidance and Work Experience to set the strategic direction for employer engagement within the work experience team.
• Establishing and strengthening relationships with employers to ensure a continuous pipeline of work experience placements are available for young people.
• Acting as primary point of contact for employers.
• To carry out employer Health & Safety pre-placement checks.
• Maintaining administration systems to record and track progress in contacting employers.

Benefits

17 days annual leave plus a pro-rata amount of bank holidays

2 volunteering days per year

Family friendly policies

Hybrid working arrangements

If you have the skills and desire to join our team, please see our job description and person specification for further details about the role.

Inspire is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be required to apply for an enhanced check via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

How to Apply

If you wish to apply for this role, please provide your CV and a covering letter outlining why you are suitable for the role and how you meet the person specification of our job description.

Closing date

This application closing date for this role is 5.30pm, Thursday 11th September. Interviews will be a two stage process, the first will take place on Teams and second interviews will be in-person at our office in Stratford.

Unfortunately, due to the number of applications we receive we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants.

Position

MSF UK is looking for a versatile and collaborative Graphic Designer to join the new (and growing!) Brand and Content team. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with passionate and talented colleagues in a fast-paced environment, designing a broad range of predominantly printed materials and helping to shape and uphold our visual brand identity. As the ideal candidate, you'll be able to adapt your style from corporate to creative and you'll have a strong understanding of the most common print formats. You'll be brimming with creative ideas - design solutions as well as wider communications content - and you'll have an instinct for how a brand can stretch to speak to different audiences.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Mon-Fri

Duration: Permanent

Location: London - hybrid, 2 days per week in office (Wednesday & Thursday)

Salary: £40,682.16 per annum

Job Purpose:

Design impactful printed materials for a range of communications, advocacy, fundraising and internal purposes and support the development, roll out and evolution of the MSF UK visual brand identity.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE 

• Expert in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) 
• Substantial experience of creating visually compelling designs, predominantly printed materials for a range of creative and corporate needs, including communications, fundraising, brand collateral, branded Microsoft templates 
• Strong and versatile portfolio showcasing design skills and creativity in both print and brand design
• Strong understanding of design for print (art working, production, supplier liaison), including designing and delivering press ads to publications specifications and designing editorial publications 
• Proven ability to adapt design style to suit a wide range of audiences, formats and disciplines 
• Substantial experience of developing or evolving and upholding a brand visual identity 
• Strong creative skills including comms and content idea generation, problem solving, storytelling– be an ideas factory! 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cooperatively in a dynamic but complex organisation 
• Flexibility and ability to work under very tight deadlines 
• Proven ability to manage projects independently 
• Commitment to the aims and values of Médecins Sans Frontières 
• Highly experienced in the practical use of personal IT equipment and Microsoft Office 365 suite.
• Highly experienced in effectively collaborating and communicating within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, One Drive and Yammer 

HOW TO APPLY

Please check that you have included the following in your application:

• An up-to-date CV
• Letter of Motivation, which is a supporting statement demonstrating how your skills and experience position you to meet the key accountabilities of the role
• A link to your portfolio or examples of your work included in the letter of motivation

MSF UK is looking for a creative and detail oriented Writer/Editor to join the new (and growing!) Brand and Content team. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with passionate and talented colleagues in a fast-paced environment, producing and editing written content that informs, engages and persuades, as well as shaping and upholding our brand tone of voice. As the ideal candidate, you'll be expert in crafting narratives with the ability to adapt your writing style and tone to speak to varied audiences and to represent different voices. You'll also have a deep understanding of the importance of a clear brand personality and how it translates on the page. And a knack for improving the flow and clarity of other people's writing, with a pedant's eye. Fundraising and/or journalist experience welcome.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Mon-Fri

Duration: Permanent

Location: London - hybrid (2 days per week London Office, Wednesday & Thursday)

Salary: £40,682.16 per annum

Job Purpose:

Ensure MSF UK and international written materials adhere to high quality and brand standards; develop impactful and engaging written materials for communications, advocacy and fundraising; support the development, roll out and implementation of the MSF UK brand tone of voice.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Excellent knowledge of English grammar (pedants welcome!).
• Substantial experience of producing written materials for fundraising and communications and adapting style to suit a wide range of audiences, formats and disciplines.
• Substantial experience of developing or evolving and upholding a brand tone of voice.
• Firm understanding and experience of ghost-writing. Ability to take disparate oral and written material (often from people whose native language is not English), mimic in written form the ‘voice’ of the person speaking and add and subtract to that material to create clear, compelling and believable written narratives.
• Strong creative skills including idea generation, communications problem solving, storytelling and persuasive calls to action – be an ideas factory!
• Journalistic approach to crafting a story from a suite of input materials.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cooperatively in a dynamic but complex organisation.
• Flexibility and ability to work under very tight deadlines.
• Proven ability to manage projects independently.
• Commitment to the aims and values of Médecins Sans Frontières.
• Highly experienced in the use of personal IT equipment and Microsoft Office 365 suite.
• Highly experienced in effectively collaborating and communicating within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, One Drive and Yammer.

Right to work in the UK - Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply on our website by submitting a copy of your CV together with a letter of motivation (please upload as one document) and your portfolio or examples of your writing by the closing date:

22 September 2025, 9am (BST)

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

We look forward to receiving your application!

If you're someone who can bring both creativity and precision - who enjoys storytelling, project managing, analysing data and collaborating with others - you’ll thrive here. This is a brilliant opportunity to work across Church Army’s appeals, legacy communications, and donor journeys in a role that’s as relational as it is strategic.

This is a really exciting opportunity for someone who wants to plan, execute and evaluate multichannel fundraising appeals, help shape supporter experiences, and see your work directly resource life-transforming ministry. 

The purpose is to deliver compelling, donor-focused communications that inspire generosity and grow income through individual giving, regular donations, and legacies. To support the fundraising team in delivering high-impact campaigns, deepening relationships, and stewarding supporters with care and professionalism. 

As Director of Fundraising, you’ll be part of the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), leading fundraising development and investment. An experienced leader, you’ll manage diverse income streams and teams, excelling in high-value individual and corporate relationships. Strong communication, strategic thinking, and team development skills are essential - you’ll oversee a fundraising strategy, collaborate with other SLT members on grants and campaigns, and help shape the charity’s culture, ensuring all staff align with its values. 

Please see the website for the complete job pack Join Us | Sheffield Hospitals Charity

Join our team to develop your communication and organisational skills whilst championing our network of county-based charities across England.

Network Engagement Assistant
Job ref: NEA
Department: Communities and Participation
Location: London office (N1) or home based, with regular travel
Reporting to: Network Engagement Manager
Hours: Full Time. 35 hours per week
Salary: £29,269 for a role based in our National Office in London or £25,134 for a home-based role outside of the London travel to work area

About Us

We are CPRE, the countryside charity. We want a thriving, beautiful countryside for everyone.

We believe in countryside and green spaces that are accessible to all, rich in nature and playing a crucial role in responding to the climate emergency.

About the Role

In this role, you’ll be part of the small network engagement team, working alongside the volunteering and participation team, in the Communities and Participation directorate.

You’ll assist with supporting, championing and enabling effective collaboration with the network of county-based local CPRE charities across England.

This role has a communications focus and involves editing a weekly email newsletter and an intranet. You’ll be the first point of contact for local CPRE staff and volunteers with queries about the work of their local charities. You’ll organise and support online meetings and events and be involved with measuring and reporting the effectiveness of our work.

The Communities and Participation team is mainly home-based, so applications are encouraged from remote workers with the expectation of travel to meetings and events approximately twice a month, for which expenses are covered.

Full training will be given in all aspects of this role, along with ongoing support and opportunities for development.

AI will not be used in the recruitment process for this role.

Closing date: 9am, Wednesday 10 September

Interviews: Monday 22 or Tuesday 23 September

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.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse CPRE in which everyone feels supported, valued, and always able to be themselves at work, because we recognise that a diverse and inclusive workforce is important in achieving our vision of a thriving, beautiful countryside for everyone. We therefore welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.  People from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sectors. If you identify as a person of ethnic minority background and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

Please note that we only accept applications from candidates with the right to work in the UK for the intended duration of the appointment.  If you are shortlisted for interview, we will conduct a right to work check prior to the interview.

CPRE is an equal opportunities employer.

No agencies please.

Be part of a life-saving mission.​​

We’re looking for a compassionate and strategic individual to join our Rail Team as the Regional Development Lead (RDL) for the Wales & Western routes. This is a pivotal role, responsible for building strong, collaborative relationships across the rail industry and leading on local delivery of Samaritans’ suicide prevention activities within the region.​

As RDL, you will work closely with industry partners such as Network Rail, train operating companies (TOCs), and the British Transport Police, to drive forward meaningful change and support those impacted by suicide. From developing Joint Suicide Prevention Plans (JSPPs) to representing Samaritans at regional meetings and organising post-incident support, your work will help save lives and support communities.​

Contract:​

• Permanent Contract
• £32,850 per annum plus benefits 
• Full time (35 hours per week)
• We are passionate about flexible working, please talk to us about your preferences
• Hybrid working: A blend of working from home and from regional rail offices. Significant travel throughout the Route. The successful candidate should live within or adjacent to the route. Do get in touch with any queries about location prior to applying.

​

About the Role:​

You’ll represent Samaritans Rail Programme at a regional and local level, attending regular suicide prevention meetings and providing guidance and support both within and external to the rail industry, focusing on industry specific priorities. Your role will be to:​

• Act as a central point of contact for rail contacts, sharing information on national campaigns, internal communications, crisis signage, policy, and research.
• Manage regional suicide prevention activities, collaborating with various stakeholders to deliver impactful results.
• Lead community activities and post-incident support, ensuring local applicability of national guidelines and strategies.
• Promote responsible and ethical language around suicide and foster a culture change within the rail industry.

​​​

Full role description available here.

 ​

About You:​

To be successful in this role, you’ll need:​

• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead initiatives from start to finish.
• Experience in relationship management, with the ability to influence and collaborate with multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills to convey complex information clearly and accurately.
• A proactive, problem-solving approach with a strong sense of empathy and emotional intelligence.

​

Why Join Us?

At Samaritans, we believe fewer people should die by suicide. You’ll be at the heart of a nationally recognised programme, working in a supportive team committed to evidence-based, compassionate change. Your work will directly contribute to saving lives and supporting people in crisis.​

Working at Samaritans​

For further information about Samaritans, including our charity structure, values, employee benefits, and application process, please read our recruitment brochure available here. You can also visit our careers website to access this.​

Being Inclusive​

We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from disabled, racialised minority and LGBTQ+ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans.​

Application ​

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, please apply. You will be asked to upload your CV and cover letter. Please make sure to demonstrate in your cover letter how you meet the essential criteria.​

Applications close on 19th September 2025, with video interviews taking place over 25/26 September 2025.​

We kindly ask that you don’t rely on AI tools for your application answers, cover letter or to generate interview answers. We want to see your own unique ideas and writing skills. We want your application to stand out from the rest and showcase your own strengths.​

Apply now and help us continue to be there for people when it matters most.

Job Purpose

This role plays a key part in the delivery of Operation Smile UK’s retention programme, generating income and retaining existing cash and regular giving donors. The Giving Engagement Officer (Retention) will support the Giving Engagement Manager to implement multi-channel (mail, telemarketing, web and email) donor retention campaigns, ensuring timely delivery, creative accuracy, and effective stakeholder coordination.

You will be responsible for managing campaign schedules, supporting the creative and data processes, and ensuring delivery partners are aligned. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to deepen their fundraising or campaign delivery experience in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

Campaign Delivery & Coordination

· Deliver cultivation and retention campaigns, setting up and developing schedules in Asana and coordinating all required stakeholders.

· Manage timelines to ensure all activity is delivered on time and to plan.

· Compile campaign costs and track expenditure against budgets, flagging issues as they arise.

Creative, Data & Fulfilment Management

• Develop campaign briefs for creative, data output, print and fulfilment for review by internal teams and suppliers.
• Manage the creative sign-off process: collate feedback from stakeholders and ensure briefing accuracy to suppliers.
• Proof all campaign materials to maintain brand integrity and accuracy.

Digital & Email Communications

• Support the development of donor emails in line with agreed campaign structures.
• Coordinate the production and scheduling of email content in collaboration with the communications and data and tech team.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Compile campaign results for analysis and provide reports to inform future activity.
• Work closely with data teams to ensure appropriate segmentation and tracking.

Donor Stewardship

• Support the thank-you process, including personalising and developing donor thank-you cards as required.
• Contribute to improving supporter journeys and experiences through campaign touchpoints, especially for regular givers.

Recruitment

We are actively interviewing for this role on a rolling basis as suitable applicants apply. If you're interested in this role, it is advisable to apply as soon as possible.

Application Instructions

Could you please provide us with a cover letter (no longer than one A4 page) that addresses the following:

1.  Why are you interested in a career in fundraising?
2.  What skills will you bring to this role? 
3. What specifically attracted you to Operation Smile UK’s mission to provide cleft care and safe surgery globally?
4. How have you coordinated campaign schedules, stakeholders, and suppliers in previous roles to ensure on-time, accurate campaign delivery?

Disability Confident Committed Employer

We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.

At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.

If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation. 

We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. 

Key tasks

Cross-Income Stream Support

• Support the delivery of activity and appeals across major donor, corporate, legacy, and individual giving programmes.
• Identify and research prospective funders, including trusts and corporate partners. Assist in bid development, including desk research, gathering case studies, and impact data.
• Support the development and delivery of materials, campaigns, and digital content.

Events & Community

• Support the delivery and evaluation of in-house and third-party events.
• Assist individuals and groups supporting BeyondAutism within the community.
• Help steward participants and donors with timely and tailored supporter journeys.

Supporter Care & Communications

• Coordinate prompt and personalised thank-you communications.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records on our CRM (Raiser’s Edge).
• Support the creation and scheduling of communications, both print and digital.

Team Coordination & Administration

• Manage the inbox and respond to supporter enquiries.
• Provide administrative support to the Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager and Head of Marketing, Communications, and Fundraising.
• Help ensure all activity is compliant with relevant legislation and best practice. 

We are a growing and thriving charity shop brand. We believe in serving our local community, creating a positive shopping experience for our customers and ensuring our donors know that we are grateful for their support.

Job Summary:

We are looking to recruit an experienced Full-Time Manager working 40 hours week, over 5 days including weekends and overtime as requested. Relevant charity shop retail management experience is essential. The successful candidate will need to hit the ground running and have a proven track record in retail selling , meeting targets and deadlines, dealing with financial accounting and be IT literate and working as part of a team.

The Person:

You are a seasoned professional, well versed in all aspects of running charity shops. You have excellent people training/supervisory/management, communication and customer service skills. You have excellent team work skills to work with existing staff and know how to work with a associate managers , customers and volunteers, run the rota and can keep the shops looking their best at all times. You are up to date with current health and safety legislation, know how to keep everyone adhering to policy and process and understand systematic, accurate and smart ways of working and reporting. You have the abilities to solve problems and make decisions. You will be adept at time management and are not fazed by a challenge

Key responsibilities:

-To ensure that all sales targets, results and KPI's are communicated and that all staff and volunteers are aware of, understand and are working to achieve the agreed targets and KPI's

-Ensuring maximum stock availability through over the door donations and effective control of collections - generating high quality stock, checking stock into the shops and managing any driver delivery schedules

-Ensuring high standards of shop merchandising and layout of the sales area

-Monitoring and managing any variable shop costs to maximise shop profitability

-Completing all administration including cash handling and banking functions to the highest standard, accurately and on time, always adhering to agreed policies and procedures

-Planning daily work load throughout the shop to ensure efficient customer service and a profitable operation

-Actively participating in two way communication sharing and exchanging relevant information with the line manager and colleagues.

Additional Information:

Job includes bonus scheme

Contract: Full Time (40 hours per week variable rota)

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: £30,000.00 /year

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Please review all application instructions before applying to Peaceful Solutions Ltd.

Job Type: Full-time

Experience:

• charity shop management : 3 years (required)

Work Location: In person

Salary: £28,000 FTE

Hours: Full time – 35 hours per week

Days and Times: Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm

Responsible to: Hospital Services Manager

Responsible for: Volunteers

Employed by: Age UK Hillingdon, Harrow and Brent

Contract: 1 year fixed term (with potential to extend)

Location: Ealing Hospital, 601 Uxbridge Road, Southall, UB1 3HW (map)

Closing Date: 12 noon on Thursday 18th September

Interviews: Wednesday 24th September

ACCESS TO A CAR AND A CLEAN FULL DRIVING LICENCE IS A REQUIREMENT OF THIS POSITION

Are you passionate about helping older people live safely and confidently at home? We’re looking for someone caring, proactive, and motivated to join our team and make a real difference.

In this role, you’ll be a friendly face and a trusted support for older people as they leave hospital. You’ll help make the journey home smooth and safe, reduce the risk of falls or readmission, and ensure people feel confident and supported in their own surroundings.

This is your chance to work alongside hospital staff, community teams, and voluntary sector partners — bringing everyone together to create the very best outcomes for patients and their families.

What you’ll do:

• Support safe, timely hospital discharges and home visits
• Identify risks, recommend aids, and escalate concerns when needed
• Connect people with community and voluntary services
• Keep clear records and ensure every discharge is inclusive and person-centred

About You:

We’d love to hear from you if you are:

• Experienced in working with older people in health, social care, or community settings
• Confident in assessing needs and spotting risks in the home environment
• A strong communicator who enjoys working with patients, families, and professionals
• Organised and comfortable with record-keeping and reporting systems
• Compassionate, patient-focused, and committed to helping people live well at home

Ignite Life has been helping young people in need since 2019. Our mission is to provide frontline services to disadvantaged and marginalised young people and families across the Southwest for them to overcome adversity and reach their potential. The organisation has an average income of ~£150,000 per annum over the last 4 years.

We are now looking for an energetic, enthusiastic and motivated CEO to continue the excellent work of the outgoing CEO. Knowledge of, and an empathy for, the needs of young people would, whilst not essential, be helpful. You will be joining us at a time when there are many challenges facing third sector organisations such as an ever-greater call on our services.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to build on the excellent work of the organisation. We are looking for someone who will support and drive the charity forwards whilst effectively managing fundraising, cash-flow and strategic decision making to maximise the impact for the young people we support.

Job title: Chief Executive Officer

Salary Band: c£32,000 - £36,000 per annum (dependent on experience)

Benefits: Annual leave entitlement of 28 days (including 8 public holidays). Staff pension scheme. Access to onsite gym. Flexible working practices. CPD training opportunities. Onsite parking.

Hours: 40 hours per week You may be required to work additional hours (and reasonably flexibly) where the needs of the business require.

Contract: Fulltime, permanent

Locations: Bristol (specifically Kingswood HQ, Staple Hill and surrounding area and occasional visits to Gloucester, Tuffley site)

Responsible to: Board of Trustees

Responsible for: Finance, fundraising, strategic decision making, execution, all stakeholders, paid and unpaid staff and charity beneficiaries

We encourage applicants from a range of backgrounds and encourage diversity throughout.

About the role:

Reporting to, and working closely with, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the CEO will provide leadership, direction and management of Ignite Life to ensure the charity delivers its strategic aims and objectives.

The CEO will have overall responsibility for the operation of the organisation and for supporting our dynamic team to be all they can be, bringing people together and keeping them motivated.

The CEO will also focus on developing strong, trusted and long-lasting relationships with our stakeholders at all levels. The day-to-day responsibilities of the CEO will vary due to the wide range of projects, issues and tasks that may arise.

They will be responsible for making corporate decisions, managing overall operations and will be accountable to Trustees at all times.

Main responsibilities:

● Leadership of the charity, working with the staff team and board to set goals and take overall responsibility for delivery.

● The chief executive will be responsible the continuing growth and development of Ignite Life.

● Being the Designated Safeguard Lead for all of Ignite Life’s services.

● Fundraising leadership for the charity, including developing new partnerships and funding streams.

● Operational oversight for the charity’s services.

● Taking overall responsibility of the charity’s Health and Safety, and GDPR.

● Oversight of charity’s financial position, including budgeting and updating managed accounts.

● Leadership of core team of staff and volunteers (around 45: 6 contracted counsellors and 1 clinical supervisor, 1 full-time employed staff member, 17 volunteers, 15-25 contracted youth mentors).

● Regular and effective reporting to the Trustees.

● Managing annual reporting with Charity Commission.

Personal attributes:

● Strong empathy and commitment to the charities values

● Energetic, enthusiastic and motivated to improve young people’s lives for the better

● Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

● Highly organised and able to work on multiple priorities

● Confident communication with multiple stakeholders and public speaking

Skills:

● Able to work collaboratively internally and externally and to build relationships across the community

● Financially literate with charity finances and budgeting an ability to understand accounts, cash-flow, fundraising and forecasting

● An understanding of charity outcome measurement

● IT systems for monitoring services and marketing

● Excellent communication and relationship building skills

● Self-starter willing to roll sleeves up and get stuck in

Experience:

● Charity leadership and understanding of charity governance (policies, legal responsibilities, insurances)

● Managing staff and/or volunteers

● Setting strategies and budgets

● Charity governance and the role of the Charities Commission

● Safeguarding

● Voluntary sector

● Working with young people

● Demonstrable experience of income generation through fundraising

Join Beacon to drive projects that place patients at the heart of translational research, shaping progress and improving outcomes with and for rare disease communities.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

Beacon, now in its second decade of operation, has experienced substantial growth over the last three years, including an organisational rebrand and expansion into international projects. We are now recruiting a Senior Patient and Scientific Engagement Officer to play a central role in delivering ambitious projects that put patients at the heart of translational research.

This role sits at the crossroads of patient involvement and scientific communication, building meaningful collaborations between patients, researchers, and other stakeholders. You’ll provide essential operational support and subject expertise to ensure projects run smoothly and reflect the real-world needs of the rare disease community.

You will contribute primarily to two of Beacon’s major collaborative initiatives: REMEDi4ALL, a European-wide drug repurposing platform with over 25 partner organisations, and the LifeArc Translational Research Centres for Rare Disease (LifeArc TrC4RD), a UK-wide partnership. In this role, you will work directly and regularly with partners across these consortia, encompassing patient group leaders, patient representatives, academic researchers, clinical trialists, and beyond. You will act as a vital interface between patients and researchers in both projects, coordinating activities, facilitating collaboration, and embedding patient perspectives throughout the work. While these will be your main focus, you will also support other initiatives across the charity, particularly those aimed at advancing scientific understanding of rare diseases and strengthening patient involvement in research.

This is a varied position offering the chance to apply and further develop your expertise across areas such as patient and public involvement, scientific content development, training, and stakeholder engagement. We are looking for someone with a strong grasp of both the scientific and patient landscapes, who can balance attention to detail with big-picture awareness and work confidently in highly collaborative settings with multiple partner organisations. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a tangible contribution to advancing rare disease research and ensuring patients’ voices drive progress across the UK and Europe.

See our full job description for more information on REMEDi4ALL and The LifeArc TrC4RD

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Your main responsibilities will span aspects of project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and patient-centred scientific support. In this role, you will:

• Support the delivery of Beacon’s work within REMEDi4ALL and the LifeArc TrC4RD, collaborating directly with partners across these consortia to coordinate activities and ensure timely delivery of shared goals.
• Assist in the preparation of project materials, reports, and updates for consortium meetings and communications.
• Write, review, and refine accessible, patient-facing materials that explain complex scientific concepts and research projects clearly.
• Help design and deliver patient engagement strategies for major collaborative projects, ensuring patient perspectives are embedded throughout.
• Support and liaise with REMEDi4ALL Patient Champions and the LifeArc Patient Engagement Group, including coordinating mentorship, facilitating input into project teams, and managing communications.
•  Build and maintain strong working relationships with patient advocates, researchers, funders, and partner organisations, ensuring clear communication and effective collaboration.
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of multi-stakeholder meetings, workshops, and webinars that bring together patients, researchers, and other partners to discuss research priorities and approaches.
• Support the creation and delivery of training materials, sessions, and talks for patient groups, researchers, and other stakeholders on topics such as patient and public involvement (PPIE) and rare disease research.
• Participate in project discussions to understand current patient engagement and provide input or signposting to improve engagement and support.
• Represent Beacon and its work at consortium meetings, external conferences, and events – both as a delegate and, where appropriate, as a speaker.
• Support other Beacon-led projects as required, particularly those focused on advancing patient knowledge, engagement, and scientific understanding.
• Provide hands-on support for the on-the-day delivery of Beacon events, training programmes, and other charity activities.

 PERSON SPECIFICATION

This is a mid-to-senior level role. Candidates should have professional experience in scientific engagement, patient involvement, or research coordination, and be ready to contribute confidently to collaborative consortium projects with external partners.

We are looking for someone with a strong commitment to patient-centric approaches, who is willing to advocate for patients’ perspectives and priorities, while also navigating the need for compromise and collaboration across multiple organisations.

Essential

• Relevant professional experience (e.g., life sciences, medical communication, translational research, or patient engagement), ideally accompanied by a scientific qualification.
• Experience in patient and public involvement or patient engagement within research, ideally in health contexts.
• Strong understanding of scientific processes, translational research, or clinical research, with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly to non-specialist audiences.
• Ability to work effectively within multi-partner or consortium projects, collaborating with external organisations.
• Confidence in liaising with a wide range of stakeholders, including patients, researchers, funders, and partner organisations.
• Experience developing accessible, patient-centred materials, training, or communications.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills and confidence in building relationships across diverse groups.
• Ability to work independently and proactively, while contributing effectively as part of a team.
• Commitment to patient-centred research and improving outcomes for the rare disease community.
• Flexibility to travel for in-person meetings, workshops, and events within the UK and internationally multiple times a year.

 Desirable

• Experience supporting or delivering training sessions, workshops, or webinars for patient or professional audiences.
• Familiarity with drug repurposing, translational research, or rare disease research environments.
• Experience managing or contributing to multi-stakeholder research projects.
• Experience working or volunteering in the charity or not-for-profit sector.
• An understanding of rare diseases, health charities, or small-organisation dynamics

WORKING AT BEACON

Beacon is a small, tight-knit team, with a friendly atmosphere and strong commitment to our beneficiaries. We aim to give all employees opportunities to pursue their interests, develop their skills, and shape their career path.

We offer flexible working practices to help our staff balance their personal and professional lives, including hybrid working (50% split between home and office working) and flexible hours. We also recognise the substantial benefits of in-person collaboration and communication for the organisation, team morale, and for individual staff development, and are committed to maintaining this as a core part of how we work.

After the initial in-person onboarding period, we’d like this role to be based in the office for around 2–3 days a week on average (though not necessarily every single week) to support effective teamwork, strong communication, and smooth daily operations.

BENEFITS

• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays and Christmas to New Year closure 
• Flexible working practices including hybrid working and flexitime
• Time off in lieu to support appropriate work/life balance
• 5% pension contribution 
• Annual training budget to support personal and professional development 
• A close knit and friendly small team environment 
• Frequent opportunities to meet with beneficiaries and expand your professional network
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) including access to mental health support, 24/7 GP service, discounted gym membership, shopping savings and more