Policy researcher jobs in Leighton buzzard, central bedfordshire

Permanent | Full Time | Circa £30,000 + Excellent Benefits

Location: North East Scotland | Community Based/Home Working

Make a Difference Every Day

For more than 100 years, the RAF Benevolent Fund has been supporting the RAF Family. We are a key partner in the Royal Air Force’s mission to look after its people during and after service, ensuring that this service is valued, recognised, and people are supported even when uniforms are eventually shed. We are a national charity with international reach, delivering emotional, financial and practical support wherever and whenever it is needed. Each year, our vital services and support continued to help those serving, families, veterans, and the bereaved, in 30 other countries and in 2024 more than 64,000 people benefitted from the charity’s work.

As an organisation, we encourage learning and development and there will be ample opportunity to learn more about the Royal Air Force, the broad impact of the Fund’s work as well as developing your own skillset. 

Do you want to play a part in what we do?

People are at the heart of everything we do. Together, we:

• Provide personalised support to members of the RAF Family – listening carefully, offering guidance, and tailoring our services to individual circumstances so no one is left behind.
• Improve quality of life for serving and former RAF personnel and their families through life-changing financial assistance, housing support, and help with essential living costs.
• Increase independence by enabling members of the RAF Family to live life on their own terms, whether through mobility equipment or housing adaptations.
• Enhance wellbeing for those who serve and have served, and their families, through mental health and emotional support, youth programmes, and restorative respite and holiday breaks.

About the Role

We are seeking an individual to raise awareness of the Fund’s welfare offer amongst social welfare agencies across the North East of Scotland but also, crucially, to help address the issue of social isolation and feelings of loneliness experienced by some members of the RAF Family.

You will have experience of engaging and supporting people in a community, charity, social care, or other people focused position, supporting those who are socially isolated to be better connected into their communities.  You will have good organisational skills, empathy and the ability to listen and build relationships with people who may have complex and challenging welfare needs, assisting them by identifying appropriate support from within the RAF Benevolent Fund and the wider statutory and military charity sector.

This is a community-based position working from home but covering the Inverness, Moray and Aberdeenshire regions primarily, delivering both remote and face to face support.  The candidate must have their own vehicle to use to travel around these regions.  Occasional travel to Edinburgh and London will be required.  

Additional Information

· Driver’s License

· Enhanced DBS check

· Must have the right to work in the UK.

How to Apply
Click [here] to submit your CV and a cover letter explaining why you’re the perfect fit, including examples of how you meet the job profile.

Closing Date: Tuesday 7th April 2026, 5:00pm. First stage interviews to be held online via Teams, 14th-16th April.

A copy of the Fund’s Candidate Privacy Notice can be found on our website. As an equal opportunities employer, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. The Fund takes safeguarding seriously, and appropriate background checks will be completed. You can find out more about our commitment to safeguarding on our website.

The RAF Benevolent Fund follows Safer Recruitment practices as it strives to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with the Fund will be protected from harm. The successful candidate for this role will need to be Enhanced DBS checked and prove they have the right to work in the UK. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join the Fund.

The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is a Registered Charity (No. 1081009).

Permanent | Full Time | Circa £30,000 + Excellent Benefits

Location: North East England | Community Based/Home Working

Make a Difference Every Day

For more than 100 years, the RAF Benevolent Fund has been supporting the RAF Family. We are a key partner in the Royal Air Force’s mission to look after its people during and after service, ensuring that this service is valued, recognised, and people are supported even when uniforms are eventually shed. We are a national charity with international reach, delivering emotional, financial and practical support wherever and whenever it is needed. Each year, our vital services and support continued to help those serving, families, veterans, and the bereaved, in 30 other countries and in 2024 more than 64,000 people benefitted from the charity’s work.

As an organisation, we encourage learning and development and there will be ample opportunity to learn more about the Royal Air Force, the broad impact of the Fund’s work as well as developing your own skillset. 

Do you want to play a part in what we do?

People are at the heart of everything we do. Together, we:

• Provide personalised support to members of the RAF Family – listening carefully, offering guidance, and tailoring our services to individual circumstances so no one is left behind.
• Improve quality of life for serving and former RAF personnel and their families through life-changing financial assistance, housing support, and help with essential living costs.
• Increase independence by enabling members of the RAF Family to live life on their own terms, whether through mobility equipment or housing adaptations.
• Enhance wellbeing for those who serve and have served, and their families, through mental health and emotional support, youth programmes, and restorative respite and holiday breaks.

About the Role

We are seeking an individual to raise awareness of the Fund’s welfare offer amongst social welfare agencies across North East England but also, crucially, to help address the issue of social isolation and feelings of loneliness experienced by some members of the RAF Family.

You will have experience of engaging and supporting people in a community, charity, social care, or other people focused position, supporting those who are socially isolated to be better connected into their communities.  You will have good organisational skills, empathy and the ability to listen and build relationships with people who may have complex and challenging welfare needs, assisting them by identifying appropriate support from within the RAF Benevolent Fund and the wider statutory and military charity sector.

This is a community-based position working from home but covering primarily the Tyne & Wear/Durham region, delivering both remote and face to face support. The candidate must have their own vehicle to use to travel around these regions. 

Additional Information

· Driver’s License

· Enhanced DBS check

· Must have the right to work in the UK.

How to Apply
Click [here] to submit your CV and a cover letter explaining why you’re the perfect fit, including examples of how you meet the job profile.

Closing Date: Tuesday 7th April 2026, 5:00pm. First stage interviews to be held online via Teams, 14th-16th April.

A copy of the Fund’s Candidate Privacy Notice can be found on our website. As an equal opportunities employer, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. The Fund takes safeguarding seriously, and appropriate background checks will be completed. You can find out more about our commitment to safeguarding on our website.

The RAF Benevolent Fund follows Safer Recruitment practices as it strives to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with the Fund will be protected from harm. The successful candidate for this role will need to be Enhanced DBS checked and prove they have the right to work in the UK. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join the Fund.

The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is a Registered Charity (No. 1081009).

Location: Options for role to be site-based (Buckinghamshire or East Yorkshire) or a hybrid contract with regular UK travel for donor meetings and team events.
Salary: £60,000 per annum.
Contract: Permanent, full-time hours. 

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, whose mission is to see a time when no deaf person feels alone, is seeking a Principal Gifts Manager responsible for identifying, cultivating and stewarding high-value donors to the charity giving £100,000 plus.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has been creating life-changing partnerships between hearing dogs and deaf recipients since 1982. As well as acting as an ear to their partners and alerting them to sounds, the charity’s clever and expertly trained dogs help deaf people to live life with confidence and independence, whilst providing love, companionship and emotional support.

Following a strategic review, the charity is now looking to build a new Income Generation Directorate to enable it to transform many more lives across the UK. This role will be critical to help Hearing Dogs reach their goals to significantly grow and diversify income.

Reporting to the Head of Philanthropy, the post-holder will work closely with senior leaders, trustees and senior stakeholders to solicit high-value gifts, typically of six and seven figures, and to build and deepen long-term relationships between donors and the charity. You will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of potential and current principal-level donors, as well as delivering exceptional stewardship journeys that demonstrate the impact and value of donor support.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record in securing major gifts at the six-figure level or above, ideally in a principal or transformational giving context. You will be skilled at building and maintaining strong, long-term relationships with high-net-worth individuals, as well as being experienced at developing and delivering complex donor strategies and bespoke giving propositions. Finally, you must be a collaborative team player with strong project management and communication skills.

This is an exceptional opportunity to play a leading role in scaling transformational philanthropy at a charity which is changing people’s lives every day, where you have the flexibility of working remotely or spending time at Hearing Dogs’ stunning bases in Buckinghamshire or Yorkshire, with friendly and passionate staff and their four-legged friends.

If you want to lead the pack and help deaf people live well with hearing loss, please download our Candidate Pack for further information [PDF], which includes details on how to apply.

Closing date: Monday 6th April, 9.00 am. 

About the Project

PKD Scotland: Outreach and Community Connections Project. 

It is estimated that around 5,000 people in Scotland could be living with Polycystic Kidney 
Disease. It is however often poorly understood and historically underfunded, meaning people 
can leave clinic after diagnosis with little support beyond medical appointments. Many tell us 
they don't know where to turn for emotional support or to meet others living with the same 
condition. We want to change that and with support from a National lottery Awards for All grant 
that is exactly what we are going to do. 

The eighteen-month project will see us reach into hospitals across Scotland to try and ensure 
that no one with PKD in Scotland has to manage their journey on their own. From diagnosis 
onwards we want all to be aware of the charity, the array of services that we offer and foster 
engagement. Two new volunteer led support groups will be established and a group of 
ambassadors recruited to support the ongoing connections we make to ensure that PKD 
remains in the spotlight. 

As our Scotland PKD Engagement Officer you will be central to the success of the project. 
Many people only reach us years after diagnosis, often when symptoms worsen, but we know 
that early connection can make a real difference. PKD is lifelong and people face new 
challenges at every stage. Having support around them helps them stay confident, informed
and connected.

About The Role

 
As PKD’s Scotland Engagement Officer, you will play a central role in delivering this ambitious 
outreach project. 

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will raise awareness of the PKD Charity and its services, 
ensuring that people diagnosed with PKD are informed about available support from the earliest 
possible stage.

You will build and nurture relationships with NHS professionals and services across Scotland, 
helping embed PKD Charity information and resources into patient pathways. Alongside this, you 
will work closely with volunteers to establish two new PKD support groups and develop an 
ambassador programme to maintain long-term local engagement and visibility.

This is an exciting opportunity for a confident relationship-builder who enjoys working 
autonomously while contributing to a small and dedicated team. Your work will help ensure that 
people living with PKD across Scotland feel informed, connected and supported throughout every 
stage of their condition.

For more information and details on how to apply, please read the full Job Description.

The Organisation

The Open SU serves the interests of around 170,000 part-time and distance-learning students spread across the UK, continental Europe and beyond. Our role is to represent and support the interests of this vast and diverse community of students. The Open SU is an independent registered charity, governed by elected student leaders. Our team of vibrant, friendly and dedicated professional staff provide the vital support needed to deliver our ambitious strategy. Though your skills and experience are important, vital to us, are your values. Here at the Open SU we are committed to a positive team culture to enable and empower all members to be their very best.

The Job

This exciting permanent role involves managing multiple projects that further Open SU’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) objectives. Your involvement will be key from conception through to evaluation. You will work alongside the other Officers in the EDI and Belonging Team to create events and raise awareness of various EDI campaigns for students. You will also work closely with our volunteers, supporting them through inductions, training and helping them materialise their ideas.

The Person

This role is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated individual with great communication skills and experience of leading projects. You will have a passion for EDI issues and supporting individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. For a small organisation, we are a very busy team. You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and able to work to deadlines, manage time and prioritise your workload efficiently. You will also enjoy working collaboratively as you will be supporting other colleagues and volunteers with the planning of campaigns.

Please read the full role description and application pack below.

We are seeking a dynamic and highly motivated individual with excellent communication skills who will be a first point of contact with our membership network.

You will proactively increase member engagement whilst nurturing existing relationships and demonstrating commitment to promoting the value of helplines.

This role is supporting the Partnership and Engagement manager to deliver a sustainable membership and partnership model that keeps pace in a constantly moving and diverse climate.

You will be central in supporting HLP’s sustainability and will help to progress continued growth and attract new and diverse collaborations.

You will ideally have experience of working within a fast-paced and proactive team. You will enjoy engaging with a wide range of diverse stakeholders.

The role is predominantly home-based with regular travel to meetings and events. 

We offer attractive staff benefits including 25 days’ annual leave rising with length of service, a company pension scheme, free life assurance and an employee assistance programme.  HLP is committed to equality of opportunity.

Location: Remote (UK only) or Hybrid (Brighton/Sussex) 

Salary: £35,787 (pro rata), 4 days £28,629.60 (actual) plus statutory pension contributions 

Hours: Part-time, 30 hours a week

Contract: 12 month contract, with the intention to renew if the role makes a positive impact 

Start: As soon as possible 

Who we are: 

Grassroots Suicide Prevention (GSP) is a national charity committed to the timely intervention and prevention of suicide. We work to empower people to help save lives through connecting, educating, and campaigning nationally. Our vision is a future where more lives are saved from suicide. 

About the role:  
We are seeking a highly organised and driven Project and Operations Manager to help streamline processes, deliver key initiatives, and support our continued growth in our Training team. In this role, you will bring together complex communications, requests, and ideas, translating them into clear plans, structured workflows, and effective processes that ensure the successful delivery of multiple projects. You will combine strong planning and organisational expertise with a practical, hands-on approach to implementation. Comfortable managing competing priorities, you will remain flexible and adaptable, responding effectively to unforeseen challenges while keeping projects on track. 

Your excellent communication skills will set you apart. You will be an active listener who can clearly convey ideas, build alignment, and confidently influence colleagues, stakeholders, and external partners. With a strong business mindset and a passion for operational excellence, you will play a key role in ensuring both projects and day-to-day operations run smoothly. 
 
This is a highly rewarding role with significant real-world impact. Candidates should demonstrate resilience, as the role involves remote working, engaging with complex subject matter, operating in a fast-paced environment, and managing multiple priorities. You will also be responsible for overseeing the simultaneous delivery of multiple training courses, requiring flexibility, strong organisation, and the ability to multitask effectively. You will be working in close collaboration and guided by the Training Manager and senior leadership staff. 

Your welfare is the utmost priority; before applying, please consider carefully whether the demands and requirements of the role and subject matter could impact your wellbeing. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Lead the project management of all training programmes and services, ensuring effective planning, coordination, delivery, evaluation, and reporting 

• Provide day-to-day coordination and effective leadership, including clear direction and support to the training team (currently three reports) 

• Oversee all aspects of contract delivery, including project planning, timelines, budget management, communications, and reporting to clients, partners and internal teams 

• Manage and maintain updates of a training calendar identifying activity, allocating trainers to training courses to ensure quality delivery of courses 

• Working with managers and team in Training, oversee the Assistant Trainers (freelance trainers) communications, allocations, contracts, feedback and allocation of work 

• Build, develop, and maintain strong relationships with external partners and clients, ensuring all interactions reflect the strategic direction and protect the reputation of the charity 

• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, using strong negotiation and influencing skills to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high standard 

• Monitor and report on project progress and performance, ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of all training activities and identifying and raising risks or issues early 

• Working with managers in Finance and Training, set realistic targets, manage budgets, cross-checking invoices, and capacity, and track project performance against agreed KPIs 

• Support quality assurance across training programmes, including accreditation requirements, reviewing and proofreading materials, adherence to brand, copyright and maintaining high standards of training materials 

• Working with managers in Marketing and Training. oversee and provide reports on training evaluation data and feedback to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement 

• Working collaboratively with the Marketing team to ensure a consistent flow of content to promote the courses, such as upcoming training, feedback quotes and data, website updates, training videos and raising courses that align with campaigns 

• Working with managers in Communications, implement improvements to systems, processes, and workflows to enhance operational efficiency and the client experience from initial enquiry through to evaluation 

• Support the growth of the organisation’s training offer by identifying and assessing opportunities for new partnerships, services, and income generation 

• Maintain oversight of the effective and consistent use of operational systems and platforms across the team (such as Salesforce, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, Monday), recommending improvements where appropriate 

• Working across the training team, ensure activities comply with relevant policies and regulations, including health and safety, safeguarding, suicide prevention, and ethical standards 

• Undertake additional duties as required to improve the function of the Training team, as directed by your line manager. 

To succeed and thrive in this role, you will be: 

• Confident, adaptable, and highly organised, with exceptional attention to detail 

• Eager to learn and develop, welcoming guidance and feedback from senior managers to continually improve 

• Hands-on and comfortable engaging with operational detail, while maintaining a strategic mindset 

• Proactive and solutions-focused, able to suggest improvements and independently resolve challenges when needed 

• Able to prioritise your own workload and that of your team 

• Reliable in meeting deadlines and maintaining consistently high standards of work 

• Skilled at communicating tasks clearly to project teams effectively and efficiently, with the ability to adapt communication styles to suit a range of audiences 

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced training delivery environment, able to prioritise effectively and manage multiple responsibilities 

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively adapting to rapidly changing needs and working flexibly across multiple projects 

• Self-motivated and capable of working independently and remotely, while also contributing positively as part of a team 

• Willing to act as a brand ambassador and consider and raise any risks to the charity’s reputation and profile within Training activity 

• Represent Grassroots Suicide Prevention on external groups and promote our services and expertise 

• Willingness to travel occasionally if required 

• Passionate about your part in delivering high-quality online and in-person training courses that help save lives. 

Essential Skills and Experience: 

• A recognised project management qualification or equivalent practical experience 

• Proven experience managing multiple projects simultaneously, delivering them from initiation through to completion across cross-functional teams 

• Strong ability to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, identify risks, and recognise emerging trends to inform decision-making 

• Experience writing high-quality reports for clients, clearly demonstrating project progress, outcomes, and impact 

• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and motivate teams, fostering collaboration and high performance 

• Highly self-motivated and resilient, with the ability to work effectively in a remote or distributed environment 

• Evidence of developing and improving processes and procedures to increase organisational efficiency and effectiveness 

• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, CRM systems, and email marketing platforms 

• Proven experience building and maintaining strong relationships with colleagues, clients, and key stakeholders 

• Strong negotiation, influencing, and diplomacy skills, with a track record of achieving positive outcomes, including growing client engagement 

• Experience representing and communicating with senior stakeholders and decision-makers internally and externally 

• Experience in operational, financial, and business planning, including budget management and monitoring 

• Understanding of accessible communications, brand consistency, key messaging, and reputation management 

• Commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, and ethical practice. 

Desirable Skills and Experience: 

• Project management experience within teaching and learning environments, including e-learning development or delivery 

• Understanding of quality assurance processes, including reviewing and maintaining training or educational materials 

• Experience using AI tools responsibly and effectively, with awareness of both the opportunities and potential risks 

• Experience working in the non-profit or charitable sector 

• Experience collaborating with a diverse range of clients, such as non-profit organisations, county councils, corporate organisations, and the Civil Service 

• Knowledge or experience in health and social care, mental health, or suicide prevention 

• Experience with design principles and accessibility in communications, ensuring materials are inclusive and user-friendly 

• Familiarity with platforms such as Eventbrite, Salesforce, SurveyMonkey, Mailchimp

• Awareness of marketing and promoting training courses 

• Experience conducting competitor research and analysing data to inform improvements and decision-making. 

Why Grassroots Suicide Prevention: 

GSP is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community and workplace - a place where we can all be ourselves, and each have the equal opportunity to succeed and be recognised for our unique contribution. We value the experiences, skills and perspectives of all individuals and actively encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds. We make recruitment decisions based on applicants’ skills, experience, and knowledge, ensuring all applicants are treated fairly. 

Our employee benefits include: 

• Hybrid/Flexible working – we offer our team a split of home and office working, or fully remote working in some roles 

• Health Cash Plan and employee assistant programme offering a contribution to the costs of everyday healthcare needs (dental, optical, wellbeing) and counselling support, plus legal and financial support 

• Learning and development opportunities

• A creative, friendly and collaborative culture. 

Please note that we are looking for a start as soon as possible, so the selection process begins immediately and will close when we fill the post with the right person.

GSP is in a period of transition and development, and the post holder should be aware that their Job Description and line management may evolve to meet the future needs of the charity. 

Background

We are Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. Since 1954, we have worked to create a more humane society for animals. Working side by side as the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, we have helped to pass thousands of landmark laws, rescue hundreds of thousands of animals, and cared for and protected millions more.

In 2025, to convey our mission and make sure that everyone understands who we are and the bold work that we do, our organisations are standing together under a new shared name: Humane World for Animals. 

We are dedicated to changing the world for animals. We drive change with human action. We help people, communities, governments, and corporations shift behaviour, providing the right support and advocating for policy change to stem the root causes of suffering and cruelty.

Purpose of role

As the Managing Director for the UK and Europe, you will develop and deliver the European fundraising strategy and plans and oversee the execution of all fundraising activities in Europe. These activities include, but are not limited to individual giving, major gifts, bequests, corporate giving, and community fundraising.

Primary responsibilities

The job holder will have the following key responsibilities: 

• Oversees fundraising activities and performance in Humane World for Animals’ EU and UK offices. Works closely with the Country Directors and the VP of International Fundraising on the execution of the fundraising programmes. Identifies opportunities to improve efficiency and facilitates collaboration efforts across European offices. (30%)
• Manages all fundraisers in the region and ensures they achieve their goals by providing guidance and advice, training, performance management and career development. Coordinates priorities and tasks and monitors progress. (25%)
• Monitors and reports on performance progress towards agreed revenue targets; efficiency and cost-effectiveness (including external fundraising contractors); and challenges or opportunities in the external fundraising environment. (20%)
• Creates and manages the budget for fundraising expenses and income targets. Sets and reviews multi-year and yearly investment and revenue targets. (10%)
• Leads research, planning, and implementation of new marketing initiatives and acquisition programmes, including but not limited to DRTV, face-to-face, telemarketing and PSMS Mobile channels. Establishes effective donor retention strategies and oversees their execution. (10%)
• Works closely with the VP of International Fundraising to develop and execute a strategic vision to grow fundraising income in the Europe region, translating the vision into an action plan, and ensuring the successful implementation and execution of the vision. (5%)

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and experience

• An academic degree or equivalent work experience is required.
• A minimum of eight or more years of fundraising experience with a proven track record in driving significant, multi-channel revenue growth across multiple markets.
• A minimum of five years of senior management experience leading fundraising or marketing teams, including leadership responsibilities for staff, strategy development and execution, and budget accountability, preferably in the animal welfare arena, required.
• Demonstrated experience scaling high-performing international fundraising programs. International NGO experience strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to deliver multi‑million income portfolios, optimize ROI, and drive continuous improvement in donor acquisition and retention.
• Experience accurately forecasting and reporting on revenue, expenditures and delivering against agreed KPIs.
• At least five years’ experience in at least one of the following income streams: individual giving, major gifts, bequests, corporate giving, and/or community fundraising. Additionally, a strong preference for marketing experience.

Skills and qualifications

• Excellent people managerial skills: ability to coach, motivate, and manage high‑performing fundraisers across dispersed locations.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to plan workload in order to manage fundraising program priorities and meet agreed targets.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, entrepreneurial spirit, and drive to achieve desired outcomes.
• Ability to thrive in a matrixed, fast-paced, mission‑driven environment and drive collaboration across countries and functions.
• Knowledge and understanding of GDPR and other data protection regulations.
• Excellent English verbal and written skills.
• Ability to work in a self-directed manner.
• Willing and able to travel extensively in Europe.

Role Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to shape Shine’s strategic direction while managing the operational delivery of our services for children, young people, and families aged 0–25. Building on the success of our Little Stars/Ser Bach programme for members aged 0–12 and the development and extension of the FIRE (Friendship, Independence, Resilience, Empowerment) programme for those aged 13–25, you will play a key role in shaping the future of our support for children, young people and their families.

Working across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, you will lead the delivery of an established, evidence-based programme that improves health, social, and emotional outcomes for those living with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and associated conditions.

You’ll lead a passionate team and work closely with Shine’s Adult Services Team (25+), Health Team, Wales and Northern Ireland Managers and wider colleagues across the organisation to ensure work is coordinated, complementary, and beneficial to members. At the same time, you’ll forge strong partnerships with NHS professionals, statutory services, and voluntary organisations—driving collaboration that will support our vision of providing consistent, high-quality support for children, young people and families nationwide.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Team Management
• Programme Development & Delivery
• Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting
• Member Support & Engagement

Please see the full Job Description & Person Specification below and on our website. 

Benefits to working at Shine:

• Competitive salary: Review due April 2027
• Regular working hours, and no shift work (some very occasional weekends or evenings)  
• 3% pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with additional discretionary leave between Christmas and New Year
• Additional annual leave awarded for ‘long service’
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Broadband allowance for home-based roles
• Life insurance after 12 months’ employment  
• Access to our Employee Support Programme and Mental Health First Aiders 
• Support to learn and develop 

How to apply 

Shine is a Disability Confident employer and will offer guaranteed interviews if a disabled applicant meets the minimum criteria for the job. 

If you would like to discuss the role with our Deputy CEO, Gill Valentine, please contact Shine to arrange a convenient time for a call. 

To apply please submit your CV and supporting statement, which should outline your interest and explain how you meet the role criteria. 

We understand that you may wish to use AI tools to help you with some aspects of your application but we do expect tailored applications which are personalised to your experiences and not generic applications which are completely AI generated. We encourage candidates to be transparent about AI usage in their applications. 

*Please note applications without a supporting statement will not be accepted* 

Closing date: Thursday 16th April 2026 at 11pm 

Interviews:  Monday 27th April 2026  

Please note: we reserve the right to interview suitable candidates before the closing date, therefore we encourage applications as soon as possible. 

JOB TITLE:                         Centre Based Assistance Dog Instructor (Maternity Cover) 

LOCATION:                        Based at our Centre in Milton Keynes, with travel up to 3 hours 

SALARY BAND:                 £26K - £32K per annum, depending on experience. Line management experience desirable.

JOB TYPE:                          Full time and Part time applicants considered. Fixed Term of 12-18 months 

REPORTS TO:                    Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme 

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives. 

We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving alert assistance dogs to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with NHS Trusts and other researchers and Universities both in the UK and internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.

We have an exciting new opportunity to join this small but fast-growing charity that is a world leader in its specialist innovative field. 

The Role 

We are looking for a passionate and driven person who has previous proven experience and skills working as an Instructor within an Assistance Dog organisation, who has worked with clients and partnerships. The role includes supporting both clients who have had a MDD dog placed with them and also our own dog applicants with their puppies and young dogs to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and early training in terms of obedience, public access and developing an alert to the applicant’s condition, with the aim to reach an accreditable assistance dog partnership status. The role will also include carrying out client specific and odour training for MDD own dogs, placing these dogs with their new clients and looking after a number of established partnerships. This role would suit somebody residing up to an hour from our centre in Milton Keynes.  

Duties that encompass the role of an Instructor include:  

• Be the first point of contact for the allocated partnerships in your area. To provide guidance and instruction to applicants who have applied to the charity to have their own dogs considered for the training programme guidance and instruction on handling, behaviour and obedience and odour training as well as newly placed partnerships.

• Alongside the Instructing team, to run puppy classes, public access training, recall sessions in small groups for applicant own dogs that are in line with the charity’s quality standards and in accordance with timescales and targets. 

• To also carry out support visits and home interviews for applicants and clients that have been allocated to you.  

• Regularly monitor progress of any young dogs and partnerships in training in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme.

• To carry out client specific training with any MDD owned dogs that have been matched, including the required odour scent training.

• Instructing, guiding and supporting new assistance dog clients in managing and handling a Medical Alert Assistance Dog effectively, via pretraining, placement training and aftercare visits.

• Supporting partnerships in training in successfully reaching an accreditation standard and in maintaining this standard throughout the life of the partnership.

• To support a number of established partnerships in the form of aftercare, refresher training and yearly re-accreditations, assisting further afield on occasions as required.

Responsibilities  

• To escalate issues and problems to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme as appropriate.

• To carry out scent assessments on any MDD dogs in socialising as and when required with the support of the rest of the Instructing Team.

• To plan, organise and deliver practical and theoretical training to clients, meeting their individual needs in line with agreed standards to include areas such as dog welfare, appropriate handling, commanding and overall management. This will involve working with the parents as Team Leader and child as Client and working with adult clients.
• Assess the team dynamics of the family & balancing the needs of all family members as well as those of the dog.
• Assess the individuals preferred learning style and amending as relevant to aid a client.
• To accompany the client into all regular environments that they will take the dog to, ensuring the dog behaves in an acceptable manner and that the client and others are aware and clear in terms of where they dog should reside and behave for e.g. public transport, place of work. To complete a check list of environments for any applicant own dogs in training who are on the programme to be assessed within.
• To support and advise clients in transferring the odour training from pot training and recognising alerting behaviours to establish real life alerting.
• To ensure all partnerships are in line with the ADUK regulations with regards to behaviour, obedience and welfare and branding.
• Due to the nature of the role, flexible working hours may be required in some instances to facilitate the effective delivery of the work e.g. working during the school holidays with school age clients.
• To monitor the correct and false alerting percentages of allocated partnerships via data analysis, advising where necessary until the correct alerting levels are achieved.
• To complete comprehensive reports and paperwork for any time spent with applicants or partnerships in training or established. Maintain accurate records by providing verbal and written information with agreed timescales about clients, dogs, applicants and apprentices as appropriate.
• To work alongside allocated partnerships with the aim of the partnership reaching an accredited standard and feeding back to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme if there are any concerns that the accreditation cannot be achieved.
• To provide clients with appropriate aftercare services at regular intervals in their own homes in the form of annual visits, support visits or at refresher workshops run at the Centre to agreed standards.  This will include continual re-assessment of the dynamics of family and dog, formulating and training on appropriate solutions, as well as offering additional dog training advice.
• To deliver handling days as part of an applicant’s pretraining to include ‘Introduction to Assistance Dog’ ‘Advanced Handling’ and Family Handling.
• To scent train and seizure proof advanced dogs in preparation to be partnered with an adult or child client and ensure that applicant own dogs have received this at the earliest opportunity.
• To maintain the ongoing public access training with any advanced dog in scent training that has been allocated to them.
• To liaise with Independent Contractors as relevant.
• To provide support to the Charity’s public relations and fundraising functions as required, specifically in your area.
• To act as the ‘contact’ person for the assistance dog programme in relation to training policy procedures with clients and their families, other professional service providers and members of the public.  This will include on-going research and development of the project.
• As required, to liaise and provide support for Volunteers of the Charity.

Other 

• Share best practice with colleagues across the charity.

• Any other duties or tasks that are required to ensure the successful running of the Medical Alert Assistance Dog Department and the Charity overall.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High level of preparation, organisational and co-ordination skills
• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
• Experience of running puppy classes, carrying out public access training and recall sessions
• Able to develop training plans for any dogs in training under your care
• High level of self-motivation and planning
• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life-threatening conditions
• Happy to travel alone within the UK to visit any clients as necessary
• Willing to be on call for partnerships as and when required
• Willing to stay away from home in local accommodation when client locations are too far to travel back home
• Happy and able to have Medical Alert Assistance Dogs in training reside in your home
• Good team player, but equally able to work independently
• Positive, empathetic and calm attitude
• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation
• Flexible

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE 

Essential 

• Previous Assistance Dog Instructing and Dog Training experience
• Knowledge of AD(UK) and ADI regulations
• Law in relation to dogs 
• Knowledge of medical conditions relevant to puppies between 8 weeks and 2 years of age
• Knowledge of dog and human psychology
• Proven evidence and experience of dog handling and training skills
• Previous experience of teaching and instructing
• Sound dog training and dog behaviour knowledge
• IT literacy and report writing skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Teams, Zoom and SharePoint
• Full UK driving licence
• Pass a DBS (CRB) check due to regular contact with children

Preferable  

• Knowledge of debilitating medical conditions and understanding of how they can impact people, both physically and psychologically, particularly when they are unstable and fluctuating
• Previous knowledge of odour/scent training
• Previous line management experience 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES ​

• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills 

• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life threatening conditions 

• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation

• You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as able to motivate yourself

• You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as being able to motivate yourself.
• You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem-solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations.

DIVERITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION

We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive Charity. Medical Detection Dogs thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Charity Values

All employees are expected to uphold the charity’s core values in their daily work. This includes demonstrating respect through open and considerate communication, fostering cooperation by working collaboratively, maintaining honesty in all interactions and ensuring fairness through just and transparent decision-making.

Finally, the successful candidate will also be expected to: 

• Hold a full UK Driving Licence 

• Provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK. 

• Undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check 

• Work some evenings and weekends 

• Be willing to travel to the Centre based near Milton Keynes

About Spear

We launched the award-winning Spear Programme over 20 years ago, and there are now 18 Spear Centres across the country, equipping unemployed 16–24-year-olds facing barriers to employment with the skills and mindset they need to secure work and thrive in the workplace.

Spear operates a joint venture model with churches across the UK to run our Spear Centres. Some Centres operate in collaboration with independent charitable trusts, while others are run directly with the local church (both referred to below as ‘Spear Church Partners’ or ‘Church Partners’).

About the role

We’re looking for a new Church Partnerships Manager to join us for this northern based role, with travel across the region.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in driving national growth by developing and nurturing partnerships with churches across the North of England. You will be at the forefront of developing new relationships with potential early-stage partners, inspiring churches to engage with our mission, and supporting them through the pipeline, and helping to establish a diverse and thriving network of church partnerships.

We are looking for a confident relationship-builder who can engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders, particularly church leaders, and who is comfortable working in a dynamic and evolving environment.

Key information:

• Salary: £37,000
• Location: Remote with once a month travel to London for team meetings and regular travel in the North of England
• Full-time, 12-14month Fixed Term Contract, with the possibility of extension
• Closing date: Friday 10th April, 09.00am (we interview on a rolling basis and will close the role early if we find the right candidate)

For more information please read through our Job Specification and Work with Us Pack.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Person Specification

• A practising Christian, passionate about personally representing the values and beliefs of Spear, and our mission to equip and support young people facing barriers to employment
• Strong leadership ability with the confidence to make effective decisions
• Outstanding people skills and emotional intelligence, capable of quickly winning trust and confidence, as well as network, influence and negotiate with church leaders and a range of audiences, internally and externally
• An understanding of the needs and workings of churches and their leaders, and the ability to innovate, build our growth strategy and generate new partnerships
• An excellent communicator (both written and verbal)
• Excellent initiative and a self-starter, with the ability to operate flexibly in a changing and dynamic environment and in response to the support needs of each partner
• Strong organisational skills including the ability to establish appropriate processes and structures and to manage multiple priorities to meet targets and deadlines
• Strong quantitative skills including ability to work with and interpret impact data, fundraising pipelines and basic financial information
• Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint competent and experience of/ability to use databases

We are looking for a dynamic, values-led, strategic leader to drive our mission for migration justice and social work solidarity. The role entails oversight of the operations and strategy of the organisation, responsibility for financial management and fundraising, maintaining the health of the organisation and embedding anti-racist and anti-opressive values into every aspect of the organisation. 

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People – High Value Events Team Manager
Location:Hybrid working with some travel to Hearing Dogs offices in either Buckinghamshire or East Yorkshire.
Salary: £55,000 per annum.
Contract: Permanent, full-time hours. 

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, whose mission is build confidence, companionship and connection for people with hearing loss, is seeking a High Value Events Team Manager to lead the development and delivery of inclusive, inspiring and impactful high-value event experiences that deepen relationships and generate transformational philanthropic support for the charity.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has been creating life-changing partnerships between hearing dogs and deaf recipients since 1982. As well as acting as an ear to their partners and alerting them to sounds, the charity’s clever and expertly trained dogs help deaf people to live life with confidence and independence, whilst providing love and emotional support.

Following on from a strategic review, the charity is now building a new Income Generation Directorate, to enable them to transform many more lives across the UK. This role will be critical to help Hearing Dogs reach their goals to significantly grow and diversify income.

With a strong focus on values-led, relationship-based fundraising, this role will provide strategic leadership to the charity’s new High Value Events function, bringing a consistent, high-quality approach to engagement, cultivation, fundraising and stewardship events. The post-holder will ensure that events are inclusive, mission-focused and deliver strong return on investment, building long-term commitment among principal and major donors, trusts and foundations, corporate partners and senior volunteers.

The ideal candidate will be a strong leader with a background in planning and delivering high-value fundraising or engagement events generating £100k+. You will have worked with high-value supporters, including high net worth individuals, committees and senior stakeholders, and will have a strong track record of working to income targets and maximising fundraising return on investment. Excellent organisational and communication skills will be combined with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of audiences. You will be creative and proactive, with a collaborative and inclusive approach to work, alongside the ability to communicate impact clearly and compellingly.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the direction of High Value Events at an organisation which is changing people’s lives every day, and where you have the flexibility of working remotely or spending time at Hearing Dogs’ stunning bases in Buckinghamshire or Yorkshire, with friendly and passionate staff and their four-legged friends.
 

If you want to lead the pack and help deaf people live well with hearing loss Please download our Candidate Pack for further information [PDF], which includes details on how to apply.

Closing date: Monday 20th April, 9.00 am. 

The Big Chalk Partnership is made up of more than 150 organisations with a common vision of creating nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit all of us. 

This relies on an expansion in the scale, pace and impact of nature recovery activities across southern England, benefiting globally important habitats and species and delivering ecosystem services including natural beauty, clean water, healthy soils and our own wellbeing.

The Protected Landscapes Partnership and Defra are supporting our Partnership to catalyse progress towards the UK’s nature commitments across these special landscapes. The Nature Recovery Fund Manager will co-manage a significant grants fund on behalf of Big Chalk’s Partnership Board. 

The Big Chalk programme is hosted by the National Landscapes Association. The National Landscapes Association represents and supports the UK’s National Landscapes (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The Association is a charity and non-profit membership organisation. The team advocates, communicates and fosters collaborative action which supports the UK’s network of National Landscapes to be as effective as possible. We champion the interests of National Landscapes with governments and coordinate the delivery of national projects.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds – the most important thing is that you are motivated to work collaboratively and effectively with Big Chalk’s partners to help ensure our grant-making benefits nature to the greatest extent possible.

With significant experience of grant making and donor reporting in the environmental or social sectors, you’ll bring a collaborative mindset and be skilled at quickly building positive working relationships with new colleagues, our partners, our funders and other stakeholders. 

You’ll have applied experience of working across the grant-making lifecycle, and possess excellent analytical skills, able to identify, summarise and communicate key issues and risks. 

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, then we’d love to hear from you.