Communications and engagement officer jobs in Friern barnet, greater london

Group Head of Finance
Eltham College Family of Schools | South East London
Salary circa £75,000 + excellent benefits

A rare opportunity to join one of London’s leading independent school groups at a genuinely exciting point of transformation and growth.

The Eltham College Family of Schools — comprising Eltham College Senior School, Eltham College Junior School and Blackheath Prep — is a high-performing, values-led organisation with an outstanding reputation for academic excellence and a rich co-curricular offering. Named London Independent School of the Year 2024 by The Sunday Times, the group continues to thrive despite wider sector challenges.

This is a pivotal appointment.

The newly created Group Head of Finance role offers the chance to step into a business that is not only successful, but evolving — with significant change underway across systems, structure and ways of working. For a commercially minded and hands-on finance leader, this is an opportunity to truly get your teeth stuck into something meaningful.

The opportunity

Reporting to the Bursar and working closely with the Executive Team, you will act as the senior finance professional across the group, providing both strategic leadership and operational oversight.

Crucially, you will join at a time of real momentum:

• A new finance system is being implemented across the group, requiring leadership to embed, optimise and enhance reporting capability
• The finance function is undergoing restructure, offering the opportunity to shape team design, capability and future direction
• There is a clear mandate to modernise processes, strengthen controls and drive efficiencies
• Senior stakeholders are engaged and open to fresh thinking and improvement

This is not a role where you simply maintain — this is a role where you build.

You will lead financial planning, reporting and governance across all three schools, supporting key strategic decisions including investment, estates development and long-term financial sustainability. Alongside this, you will remain close to the detail, ensuring operational excellence across the finance function.

The environment

Set across a stunning 70-acre campus in south-east London, Eltham College combines heritage with ambition. The group benefits from strong financial foundations, high demand, and a clear vision for continued success.

It is a collaborative and values-driven environment, underpinned by a commitment to education, development and community. Staff benefit from excellent facilities, strong leadership, and a culture that genuinely invests in people.

The person

We are looking for a qualified accountant with strong technical grounding and proven experience operating in a senior finance role.

You will bring:

• Experience of leading finance within a complex, multi-entity or multi-site environment
• A track record of improving systems, processes and controls
• The ability to lead through change and bring teams with you
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the credibility to influence at senior level
• A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to balance strategy and delivery

Experience within education or the independent school sector would be beneficial, but is not essential.

Why join?

This is an opportunity to join a thriving organisation that is not standing still — but actively investing in its future.

You will play a key role in shaping a modern, high-performing finance function, with the autonomy and support to make a real impact. For someone motivated by change, improvement and leadership, this role offers both challenge and reward in equal measure.

If interested do get in touch with Rosemary Pini from Allen Lane who is partnering with Eltham College with this vacancy.

Executive Head of Education
£85,000 per annum | Full-time (35 hours) | Hybrid - London (Clerkenwell)

Charity People is delighted to be recruiting on behalf of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) for a new Executive Head of Education, a pivotal executive-level appointment at a time of cultural reset and strategic transformation.
With over 20,000 members across 74 countries, IBMS is the leading professional body for biomedical science. Education sits at the heart of its charitable mission, and this role will be critical in shaping the future of professional standards, qualifications, and accreditation both in the UK and internationally.

The Opportunity
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, the Executive Head of Education will provide strategic leadership across the Institute's entire education portfolio, ensuring IBMS continues to be recognised as an authoritative standard setter and HCPC-approved education provider.
This is a senior, hands-on leadership role with responsibility for building trust, strengthening team culture, and leading a high-performing, multidisciplinary Education Department through change. The postholder will work closely with the CEO, Council, trustees, committees and external stakeholders, influencing at the highest levels and playing a central role in the organisation's executive leadership.

While IBMS is rooted in biomedical science, the organisation is intentionally open-minded about background. This appointment is about leadership, credibility and strategic education expertise rather than narrow technical specialism.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership of the Education Department, including quality assurance, accreditation, qualifications, examinations and digital learning.
• Lead organisational and cultural change, setting clear direction and rebuilding confidence and engagement within the team.
• Act as senior lead for HCPC-approved programmes, regulatory compliance, and UK and international degree accreditation.
• Advise the CEO, Council and committees on education strategy, regulation, policy and emerging sector developments.
• Work in close partnership with the Education & Professional Standards Committee to deliver strategy, standards and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships with academic institutions, regulators, professional bodies and other key stakeholders.
• Oversee education budgets and ensure robust governance, risk management and performance reporting.
• Represent IBMS externally as a credible and authoritative voice on education and professional standards.

Who We're Looking For
IBMS is keen to hear from two broad but equally welcome groups of candidates:
You may be a senior Biomedical Scientist with significant leadership experience, deep understanding of education, training and accreditation, and the confidence to operate at executive level.
Or you may be a senior education leader from a life science, healthcare, medical or health-related professional or membership organisation, royal college, regulator or education body, bringing transferable expertise, strong credibility and a sophisticated grasp of regulated professional education.

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience in senior leadership, with a strong track record of people management, cultural leadership and delivery through change.
• Significant experience of education, training, accreditation or quality assurance within a regulated or professional context.
• Credibility operating at executive and trustee level, with the ability to influence, advise and challenge constructively.
• Strong understanding of professional standards, regulation and governance in healthcare, life science or adjacent sectors.
• Experience of committee work and managing complex stakeholder environments.
• Strategic thinking combined with delivery focus, sound judgement and excellent communication skills.
• Experience of managing budgets and operating within organisational governance frameworks.

Desirable (but not essential)

• HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist.
• Direct experience of biomedical science, pathology or laboratory practice.
• Background in degree accreditation or higher education quality processes.

Why Apply?
This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of professional education within a respected, values-led membership organisation whose work underpins patient care across the UK and beyond. You will join a committed executive team and have genuine influence over strategy, standards and culture during a critical period of change.

How to Apply
Recruitment is being managed exclusively by Charity People to ensure a fair, transparent and externally led process.
For a confidential conversation or to apply, please contact Charity People with a CV and supporting statement addressing the role's leadership focus and your relevant experience.

Interview Dates:
First stage: 5th June 2026
Final stage: 22nd June 2026

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

HMC is seeking a confident and capable Community Manager to deliver our community-based 'Wednesday Service' for migrants and refugees. Our Wednesday Service is a multi-functioning hub, offering a warm, welcoming space for appointments and activities, and has long been the heart and soul of HMC's service. 

The Community Manager role is responsible for the coordination and delivery of HMC's Wednesday Service, including the management of all volunteers involved in the delivery of the service and oversight of our popular Holistic Advocacy service, delivered by volunteers.

This is a new post which recognises the importance of our Wednesday Service and the focus and resources required to deliver it effectively, whilst also recognising and seeking to empower the vital role our volunteers play in sustaining and enriching our services.

Please review the full Job Description & Person Specification for details of the role.

At Samaritans, our vision is that fewer people die by suicide. Every day, our volunteers and staff provide life-saving emotional support to people in distress, and behind that work is a culture built on compassion, inclusion, learning and human connection.

We are looking for an experienced and values-led leader to join us as our new Assistant Director of Organisational Development & Learning within our People and Culture Directorate.

This is a rare opportunity to shape how learning, leadership and organisational capability enable one of the UK and Ireland’s most respected charities to deliver its mission.

You will lead the development of an ambitious organisation-wide learning and organisational development strategy, ensuring our 23,000 volunteers and 300 staff members, have the skills, confidence and support needed to deliver safe, effective and compassionate services.

About the role

Reporting to the Executive Director of People & Culture, you will lead a talented team responsible for organisational development, leadership capability, learning and development, delivery of training through our training school and external learning provision through STEP, our commercial training offer.

Samaritans is on an ambitious journey of change, we are evolving how we work, strengthening collaboration across the organisation to meet growing need for our life-saving listening services.

You could not be joining us at a more pivotal time and the capability of our people has never been more important. Working closely with senior leaders across the organisation, you will:

• Lead the development and delivery of innovative, inclusive and high-quality learning solutions
• Shape and embed leadership capability frameworks that support a positive, accountable and compassionate culture
• Support organisational transformation and change through strong organisational development expertise
• Drive strategic approaches to learning, talent and succession planning
• Partner with leaders to build a high-performing and psychologically safe learning culture
• Ensure our learning approaches reflect best practice, accessibility and equity, diversity and inclusion principles
• Support the development of our geographically dispersed volunteer and staff teams
• Bring external insight, thought leadership and innovation into the organisation

You will also play an active role as part of our Senior Leadership Group and People and Culture Senior Leadership Team, contributing beyond your specialist area to help deliver our wider organisational strategy and mission.

About you

You are an experienced organisational development, learning or people capability leader with a strong track record of delivering strategic cultural and organisational change.

Importantly, you are someone who leads with empathy, curiosity and integrity. You understand that high performance and compassion go hand in hand, and you are passionate about creating environments where people feel supported, empowered and able to grow.

You will bring:

• Significant experience leading organisational development and learning strategy at a senior level
• Expertise in leadership development, capability building and organisational change
• Experience of identifying future capability needs through workforce planning’
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, including experience working with senior leadership teams
• Experience developing inclusive learning cultures and blended learning solutions
• Knowledge of talent and succession planning approaches
• The ability to inspire and lead geographically dispersed teams, including volunteers
• A collaborative and values-driven leadership style

Experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector would be welcomed, though we also encourage applications from candidates outside the sector who share our values and mission.

Why Samaritans?

At Samaritans, people matter deeply. We know that meaningful impact starts with how we support each other.

We are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive and flexible workplace where everyone can thrive. We value diversity of thought, background and lived experience, and we actively encourage applications from people from all communities.

In return, we offer:

• Competitive Salary and Rewards; £73,000 - £75,000 per annum plus Benefits.
• Flexible and hybrid working; Our full time hours are 35 hours per week, but we are committed to flexible working and offer a hybrid approach to working. Due to the nature of our work, some evening and weekend working is required with time off in lieu given.
• Hybrid working: Meeting in person and working collaboratively are things we value. This role is linked to our Ewell (Surrey) office with a blend of home working and option to work out of our London office as required.
• The opportunity to shape learning and organisational capability in a nationally recognised charity
• A supportive and inclusive culture
• Professional development opportunities
• The chance to contribute directly to work that saves lives

Every person at Samaritans plays a role in helping fewer people die by suicide. If you are motivated by purpose, compassion and the opportunity to make a lasting difference, we would love to hear from you.

Full outline in the Job description file here. You can also read more about our change programme (future proofing) here - Our need for change

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.

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.

To Apply

Please complete the application questions including those outlined below, and submit your CV, with a brief supporting statement. Please note the following questions have a 300word limit for answers.

1. Please outline your most relevant experience/role that gives you confidence you

could broadly deliver all that’s outlined in the job description?

1. Tell us about a learning and development strategy you have designed and implemented across an organisation or large workforce.
2. Describe a time when you influenced senior leaders or stakeholders to adopt a new approach to leadership, culture, learning or organisational capability.
3. Please describe a significant organisational development, culture change or transformation programme you have led.

We kindly ask that you don’t rely on AI tools for your application answers, 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.

Applications close at Midnight Sunday 17th May

Interviews

All applicants will receive notification of the outcome of their application, at the appropriate time.

The interview process will be in two stages, allowing enough time to connect with leaders and explore this great opportunity with candidates.

Interviews will be taking place as outlined;

First stage Interviews: 28th May and 1st June

Second stage interviews to be held at our Ewell Office (Epsom, Surrey) on 3rd and 4th June.

Please hold these dates in diaries if applying.

Please see attached Recruitment Pack for full job description and person spec for the Senior Programme and Network Lead.

This role leads our work across Birmingham at an exciting moment. We are developing a participatory, community-centred approach to analysing the city's economy, identifying opportunities for change and coordinating alliances to act on them. This means bringing together mixed groups, including grassroots changemakers, researchers, funders and other partners, and facilitating processes that help people make sense of complex information together, find common ground and make decisions about collective priorities. The role requires someone who can hold these processes well: strong facilitation skills, communicating complex ideas accessibly, building trust across groups, sustaining momentum over time and helping diverse coalitions move from analysis to strategy to action.

The Senior Programme and Network Lead will develop and deliver initiatives that support a growing movement for economic justice across the city, with a particular focus on building support and engagement amongst grassroots changemakers and communities experiencing economic injustice. It will manage projects and resources, conduct programme development and delivery, oversee outreach and partnerships, changemaker recruitment and contribute to fundraising, ultimately playing a key role in shaping our regional impact. This position is crucial in coordinating our work across Birmingham and driving meaningful collaboration with local and national stakeholders, in particular working collaboratively with Economic Justice Brum, a long-standing initiative working on local economic systems change.

We are looking for a Caretaker to join our team at Spring School.

You'll work as part of the School Business Support Team to ensure the school site is safe, secure, and well-maintained, supporting statutory compliance and operational continuity including all aspects of the site maintenance. This includes security, cleanliness, porterage, routine maintenance and refurbishment, minor repairs, and monitoring activities in accordance with Health and Safety legislation.

You'll carry out repairs and DIY projects, as well as ensuring the school is kept clean and tidy to enable the best environment for learning. You'll conduct maintenance work in the school buildings and the wider grounds, ensuring this is effectively carried out.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Experience or skills in a trade to support basic building repairs and maintenance
• The ability to understand and apply regulations such as Health & Safety, manual handling, COSHH water hygiene Legionella etc. or willingness to learn
• Good IT skills – Microsoft Office and particularly Outlook, email, calendaring, Excel, Word and PowerPoint or willingness to learn
• Ability to perform the physical tasks required by the post including lifting, carrying and pushing various equipment to undertake the duties of the post

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD) and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

Mind in Croydon is seeking a motivated, empathetic and person-centred Mental Health Personal Independence Co-ordinator (MHPIC) to support adults experiencing mental health challenges to live independently and access the resources and services they need within their local communities. The MHPIC will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) within the Integrated Neighbourhood Team (INT) framework. You will provide one-to-one support to individuals, helping them develop Personal Recovery Plans and Action Plans using Open Dialogue approaches, navigate local services, and build confidence and autonomy. The role involves community-based support, home visits, and liaison with carers, families, and a range of health, council, and voluntary sector professionals. You will act as a named keyworker, supporting individuals over a defined period to achieve their recovery goals and improve their mental health and wellbeing.

If you are committed to recovery-focused, person-centred care and want to make a tangible difference in the lives of people in Croydon, we would welcome your application.

Salary: £30,117 per annum

Terms: Fixed term until 31st July 2027 (with potential to extend)

Hours Full time, 36 hours a week (including occasional evening and weekend work as required)

Reports to: Mental Health Personal Independence Co-ordinator Manager

Based at: Mind in Croydon Fairfield House  
10 Altyre Road, East Croydon, CR0 5LA
Flexible working with regular presence across our premises and community sites across the borough of Croydon.

As Legacy Executive for Battersea, you will have the opportunity to gain further skills and experience of the fast-growing charity Legacy sector. In this role, you will ensure the fulfilment of the wishes of those animal lovers who have been kind enough to remember Battersea in their Will and in turn will be of direct help to some of the most vulnerable animals in our society.

In this role, you will:

• Provide administrative support to the Legacy Administration team, who are responsible for the legacies left to Battersea.
• Manage your own caseload of pecuniary legacies, including corresponding sensitively and effectively with family and friends of the people who have left a legacy to Battersea.
• Have the opportunity to manage a caseload of non-contentious residuary cases, maximising the gift to Battersea.
• Build relationships with supporters, executors, family members and co-beneficiaries to maximise Battersea’s legacy income and protect the reputation of the charity.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

• 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
• Discounted gym membership and cycle to work schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources
• Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution
• Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year
• Annual interest-free season ticket loans

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our hybrid working model:

We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best. Greyscale copies of the recruitment pack are also available on request.

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Acceptable use of AI:

At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.

To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.

Closing Date: 17th May 2026
All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Interview Details:
First Stage: Online (via MS Teams) w/c 1st June 2026
Second Stage: In Person - Date to be confirmed

For full details on the role, please download the recruitment pack.