External development manager jobs
We’re recruiting an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to work with Platform Places and Footwork over the next 10 months – to develop our bold narratives and inspiring content that help drive locally-led neighbourhood transformation.
- Target start date: 11th May 2026
- Time input: 3 days per week (0.6 full-time equivalent), with flexibility for up to 4 days per week in certain busy periods, by mutual agreement
- Remuneration: £55,000-£61,500 per year (pro rata) depending on experience
- Flexible working: Work hours can be flexible as long as role objectives are met
- Location: Hybrid, remote or in-person (option to work from our London office). Monthly in-person team days in London, plus occasional trips to partners in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol and London and learning gatherings (expenses covered).
- Contract type: PAYE employment contract. 10 months fixed term.
- Eligibility: Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.
About us
In 2025, Platform Places integrated with Footwork Trust, becoming what we call ‘civic partners’. Together we facilitate locally-led neighbourhood transformation – so people have the power to live affordably, sustainably and together.
About Platform Places
Platform Places is a national cross-sector collaboration and not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to unlock town centre buildings for amazing ideas that help us live affordably, sustainably and together. We convene councils, community leaders and asset owners around the country to build powerful partnerships, to unlock buildings for local benefit. We support these Partnerships with access to funding, technical expertise and networks.
Our deeper intention is to localise and democratise who owns, controls and transforms town centre and neighbourhood buildings, so that communities can:
- design spaces to meet local needs – whether affordable space for arts, music, healthcare, local food, housing, nature connection, reuse & repair, childcare etc
- retain and reinvest the wealth generated by these buildings.
We’re inspired by pioneers like Hastings Commons, Stour Trust, SAFE Regen, Civic Square, Nudge Community Builders, Makespace Oxford and other members of the Mycelial Network.
About Footwork Trust
Footwork (UK charity Footwork Trust) supports local people to transform their neighbourhoods for the better and builds alliances to make this possible.
Since 2022, Footwork’s ‘People and Place’ programme has supported over 50 community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change, in response to a local social or environmental challenge. Often reviving land and buildings for community use, they are part of a growing force for fairer, locally-led regeneration, making the places they call home more resilient and equitable.
Through national and local events, Footwork creates spaces for peer support and shared learning, showcases inspiring examples, and convenes built environment practitioners to enable true collaboration with community partners.
Together, Footwork and Platform Places co-facilitate the Mycelial Network for Community Asset Developers.
About the Local Property Partnerships pilot, 2024-2027
Thanks to National Lottery players, Platform Places and partners have received almost £2.5 million over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The funding is being used to enable communities to come together and secure long-term spaces for the activities and services that they need the most.
This fund and programme resources local leaders in neighbourhoods in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool City Region, Bristol and London – working towards shifting multiple buildings into long-term local ownership. We’re also supported by our national partner organisations Architectural Heritage Fund, Power to Change and Social Investment Business. Our intention is that this work will lay the groundwork for a larger follow-on funding programme, which catalyses England-wide adoption of this approach.
The role
We’re looking for an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to join our small team and network of local and national partners.
The Communications Lead will focus on our key programmes, with the below time distribution. The challenge and opportunity is to hit the ground running and drive communications across our key channels – to help attract allies, funding and support, and inspire replication of these approaches in neighbourhoods around England.
2 days per week, ‘Local Property Partnerships’:
- You’ll lead on promoting, and sharing learnings from, Platform Places’ exciting pilot programme (funded by National Lottery Community Fund) – which is localising and democratising who owns, controls and transforms town centre buildings in five neighbourhoods across England.
0.75 days per week, ‘People and Place’:
- You’ll promote, and share learnings from, Footwork Trust’s ‘People and Place’ programme – which supports community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change for their place.
0.25 days per week, Wider movement building:
- You’ll work on ad hoc broader communications opportunities that support our mission and the programmes – for example, creating a content piece with local or national partners from our wider network, or pitching a media story that cuts across all our programmes.
This involves the following areas of responsibility:
- Build on our working communications strategy
- Work with co-directors to develop our bold, inspiring core messaging, and update our boilerplate narratives
- Manage digital channels for Platform Places and Footwork: a) plan and create regular social media content; b) write newsletters (approx. quarterly); c) upload and edit website content, on Squarespace (drag-and-drop editor) and occasionally Wix (guidance available).
- Strategic media relations: build journalist relationships and pitch stories (local or national), op-eds and comments
- Work with local and national partners to share inspiring and compelling stories
- Develop practical how-tos and templates, together with partners (you'll have support initiating partner relationships)
- Provide comms guidance to local programme partners
- Support co-directors and partners with speaking engagements and event opportunities
You’ll start from a strong foundation of communications activities, along with our established tone, visual identity and branded templates – with lots of freedom for new ideas.
About you
- You’re as comfortable with creative storytelling as you are with practical resources
- You’re a campaigner for systems change – experienced in attracting allies and creating communications for diverse audiences
- You make it sing – you turn dense or complicated materials into clear and effective narratives to shift opinion and action
- You’re a collaborator – you can effectively hold relationships with local and national partners to plan and deliver coordinated communications
- You can ‘wear all the hats’: you get stuck in on strategy and roll up your sleeves on delivery; you know when to pitch to media and when the tactic is digital; you can knock up great copy or quick Canva graphics without aiming for perfection
- You’re efficient and resourceful, comfortable leading on comms in a small (and collaborative) team, and know how to make things happen on a small budget (and when to seek external specialists)
- You’re passionate about community-led places and social and environmental justice – and you’re knowledgeable about at least one of: high streets, property, retrofit, community business, heritage buildings, cultural venues, town planning, neighbourhood governance
We know you likely have a particular comms specialism, with more strengths and experience in some areas than others. We’d love to hear about this, and about your approach to getting stuck into the rest.
Our team & culture
You’ll be joining our small, agile team of six people across Platform Places and Footwork. We meet in-person on a monthly basis to have lunch together and plan ahead, and have weekly online huddles to check-in and discuss priorities.
We work flexibly around our needs, whether a caring responsibility or otherwise.
Our culture is driven by our values: generous sharing, diverse perspectives, active listening and curiosity, staying networked and joy.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Job Title: Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnership
Reporting To: Deputy CEO/Director of Fundraising and Communications
Manages: Head of Trusts and Foundations, Head of Corporate Partnerships
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time (36 hours per week, flexible)
Salary band: £58,000 - £66,000 per annum
N.B. To ensure fairness and consistency across Home-Start UK, new colleagues usually join at the first point of the pay band for their role. This helps us maintain a clear and equitable approach to pay for everyone joining our team.
Location: Remote – with regular travel to meetings with donors, for events and to our central office in Leicester for collaborative meetings and team activities.
About Home-Start UK
Home-Start is a federated charity consisting of a central national office – Home-Start UK - and over 170 geographically dispersed local Home-Start organisations, all working together under the same identity.
We recognise that being a parent has never been easy. Every Home-Start volunteer is trained to work alongside parents to overcome the challenges they are facing. We work with parents to build on their strengths and give them the support that they tell us they need. We offer no judgement – just compassionate, confidential help and expert support. This peer-to-peer support is key to the difference Home-Start makes and often our volunteers have lived experience of the challenges their families are facing themselves.
About The Role
This is an important moment for us and for the families we support. Parents of babies and young children are facing huge pressures, and strong, values-driven partnerships matter more than ever. We’re looking for a senior leader who can help us meet this moment with confidence and ambition.
As Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships, you will help shape the future of our national work and support our federation of 170+ local Home-Starts working in communities across the UK. You will lead a talented team, build long-lasting relationships, and help make sure Home-Start has the funding, partnerships, and influence it needs to give every child the best possible start in life. This role will suit someone who is motivated by purpose, who values people and relationships, and who is comfortable working across a large and varied network.
We are looking for someone with a strong track record, someone who has already delivered high-value fundraising and partnerships at a senior level and is ready to take on a role with significant national influence. With responsibility for an annual income portfolio of circa £4 Million – with strong potential to grow this over the next 3-5 years to between £6Million-£8Million plus, you will work with a supportive Leadership Team and Board, who have already engaged external philanthropy expertise to develop a strategy and roadmap that you can build on. You’ll need to be confident working with high-value supporters: able to build trust, communicate clearly, and nurture long-term relationships with people who want to invest in families and early years support. You’ll bring the skills and confidence to grow a portfolio that is already strong and take it further, along with the ability to work well with others in a fast-moving environment.
You will be joining a warm, collaborative organisation that believes in the power of community, the strength of families, and the importance of early help. If you feel excited by the chance to make a national difference, to build partnerships based on trust and shared purpose, and to help shape the next chapter of Home-Start’s impact, we would be delighted to hear from you.
The people at Home-Start are its most important resource. Home-Start UK has been accredited with Investors in People since March 2005, which recognises the commitment we give to developing our staff.
Benefits of working for Home-Start
- Flexible working
- Family friendly policy
- PayCare health cash plan
- Enhanced employer contribution pension
- Learning and development
- DAS Employee Assistance
If it sounds like your type of challenge, we would be delighted to hear from you.
The closing date for applications is Friday 27th March at 4pm.
As part of our recruitment process, shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a full-day assessment centre at our Leicester office on Tuesday 14th April.
The assessment centre will include a mix of individual and group activities designed to understand your strategic thinking, relational approach, and leadership style.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
Home-Start UK is committed to Equality of Opportunity and Diversity. We wish to encourage applications from all parts of the community irrespective of gender, race, colour, age, sexual orientation or disability.
No agencies please.
Our new Learning Coordinator will be an outstanding teacher who believes in learning as a vehicle for change. We work with a diverse group of people who may have experienced trauma, problems with mental health, and discrimination that has limited their opportunities. Our ideal person therefore needs to be patient, kind, and inclusive with an aspirational approach to support members to build their self-worth and achieve their potential.
A core part of this role is designing and delivering new and inspiring courses and activities in keeping with the needs and interests of members and key themes including wellbeing, culture, and citizenship. You will support the day to day running and quality assurance of the learning programme and capture impact for members.
We deeply value diversity, lived experience and what those can bring to the team, and we welcome applications from people who have faced the disadvantages our members experience in their lives.
For all the details of the role and how to apply please download the application pack below.
The application deadline for this role is Wednesday 9th March at 9am.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
About the opportunity
As Procurement Officer within our Finance & Assurance directorate, you'll be part of an agile, flexible team that's transforming how we deliver financial partnership across the organisation. We're on an ambitious journey to become the Society's single point of financial truth - trusted partners and credible experts who enable the organisation to make faster, better-informed decisions. This is where your procurement expertise meets meaningful impact, where your ability to engage colleagues and drive understanding directly enables us to focus on what matters most: transforming lives affected by dementia.
In this role, you'll provide hands-on procurement support to colleagues across the Society, helping them navigate contracts, suppliers and purchasing decisions. You'll implement our procurement strategies at an operational level, ensuring contracts are delivered with quality and on time. Working collaboratively with Finance, Legal, Risk and Audit colleagues, you'll develop and manage contracts, maintain supplier relationships, and collect the financial data that helps us understand procurement performance. Crucially, you'll engage widely to build understanding of procurement policies, making compliance accessible rather than burdensome, and fostering a culture where best practice becomes the natural way of working.
You may also have the chance to line manage a Procurement Assistant, developing their capabilities while role-modelling the high-challenge, high-support culture that drives our team's success.
About you:
You're an experienced procurement professional who understands that operational excellence comes from making procurement easy for colleagues to get right. You know how to balance rigorous processes with practical support, and you're skilled at engaging people at all levels to improve how procurement works. You're as comfortable analysing spend data as you are explaining contract requirements or building rapport with suppliers.
You'll have:
- Experience driving efficiencies and cost savings through supporting the design and implementation of procurement plans in large organisations.
- A track record of improving understanding of and engagement with procurement across diverse audiences to boost compliance and effectiveness.
- Experience of contract development, management and negotiation, with knowledge of the procurement landscape and relevant legislation.
- Good relationship-building skills with experience working across multiple business areas and with colleagues at different levels, particularly those in financial roles.
- Excellent communication and influencing abilities, able to engage effectively with internal colleagues and external suppliers alike.
- Some experience working with finance systems and processes, or in a financial environment, with an interest in the dementia landscape and its procurement implications.
What you’ll focus on:
- Implementing our procurement strategies operationally, ensuring quality contract delivery while building understanding and compliance across the Society.
- Forming strong relationships with colleagues at all levels to provide expert procurement support that makes purchasing decisions clearer and easier.
- Collecting and translating financial and procurement data into reports that demonstrate impact and spotlight opportunities for better value.
- Managing supplier relationships and developing contracts that protect the Society's interests while collaborating across departments for appropriate oversight.
- Building effective relationships with colleagues to improve value for money and/or drive efficiencies, particularly with colleagues in financial roles.
- Taking personal ownership of monitoring your work's progress and impact, while supporting the team's efforts to track overall procurement performance.
Can you see yourself as the procurement partner who turns policy into practice through effective relationship building and clear guidance? Are you ready to combine operational rigour with authentic engagement to drive both compliance and efficiency? Can you bring technical procurement knowledge and people skills to ensure every pound is spent wisely in our mission to end the devastation of dementia?
Important Dates
The deadline for applications is 23:59 on 17th March 2026.
First-stage interviews will take place on Monday 30th March and Tuesday 31st March.
Second-stage interviews will take place on 14th and 15th April.
About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.
At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.
Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.
Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.
Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.
We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society.
Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.
Our hiring process
During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply. Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.
To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.
We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.
We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.
Giving back to you
Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society.
You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.
Can you help us develop an outstanding service for parent/carers in Surrey?
Do you have a passion to support young people's emotional health and wellbeing?
Barnardo's Parenting Wellbeing Service (PWS) are seeking to recruit two reliable and motivated individuals to join our team who share our commitment and vision to develop an outstanding service and embed Barnardo's basis and values in all we do. Barnardo's PWS offers advice, guidance and support to parents and carers across the county of Surrey.
The contracted hours for these two positions are 26.75 hours per week. Flexibility can be discussed about how these hours are completed within the working week. It is essential that Tuesdays are a working day and there will other occasions where early evening working (up to 6pm) will be required however this would be planned in advance to cater for our parent/carer schedules.
As a Parenting Wellbeing Practitioner, you will hold a rolling caseload and provide support to parents/carers whose children/young people are experiencing difficulties with their emotional health and wellbeing. PWS aims to upskill parents/carers and empower them to explore new strategies to make effective change. PWS encourages parents/carers to use a solution focussed, goal-based strength approach, building on their existing knowledge to support their child(ren) to thrive.
Parents/Carers are offered a hybrid model of support over a number of sessions which are continuously assessed to measure progress. This is usually provided through one 60-minute session per week which can be received either online, over the phone, at home or out in the community.
The Parenting Wellbeing Service operates within a Thrive Framework where choice and shared decision making is fundamental. It is a relational model, and we hold a non-judgmental and trusting relationship between the staff member and parents. You will receive training on the Thrive model at the start of your employment.
To be successful in this role you will:
- Have experience working with and supporting parents/carers whose children and young people are experiencing difficulties with their emotional health and wellbeing.
- Have the ability to plan, deliver and evaluate 1:1 and groupwork wellbeing interventions with a solution focussed, goal-based strength approach.
- Be able to engage and communicate online and in person with parent/carers, schools, and other professionals or stakeholders representing Barnardo's.
- Have an understanding of how to work within a trauma-informed framework.
- Have knowledge of safeguarding issues, working within multi-agency frameworks and conducting risk assessments.
- Have good time-management, organisational, numeracy and literacy skills including competency on IT software.
- Have a full UK driving licence and access to a roadworthy and taxed car.
Although the role is hybrid with the ability to work from home, it is essential to meet the needs of the service to travel around Surrey when necessary. Due to this, access to a vehicle and a valid driving licence will be essential. Car insurance must include business use and be in place before starting with the service. The office base (Surrey Wellbeing Hub) for this role is currently in Leatherhead, Surrey and there is a requirement to regularly attend meetings and collect resources from this location. This base determines your normal deductible commute.
Barnardo's offer their staff regular supervision, external clinical supervision and give all colleagues access to at least three learning days a year (pro-rata). Barnardo's University (BU) facilitate a range of opportunities which will be available through B-learning online and the BU prospectus. However, staff can use this time in a way that works for them – for instance to spend a day shadowing another team.
When completing your application please refer to your skills, knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
- Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
- Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
- The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
- A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
- Service related sick pay from day 1
- Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
- Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
- Cycle2work scheme
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
- 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
- Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
- Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
- Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Our basis and values
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.