Programme director volunteer jobs in Archway, greater london

What if your planning expertise could help one of the UK's largest charities turn ambitious strategy into measurable progress for people affected by dementia?

About the opportunity

As Head of Corporate Planning, you'll lead the process by which Alzheimer's Society translates its strategy into a clear, deliverable plan and tracks the difference we are making. In a role where every decision shapes how we use our resources to end the devastation of dementia, you'll provide the leadership team with the insight they need to focus on what matters most and to keep adjusting course as the world around us changes.

You'll bring people together from across the organisation, building trusted relationships that make corporate planning a genuinely shared endeavour rather than a Finance exercise. Through workshops, partnership and powerful reporting, you'll help leaders at every level understand how their work connects to the corporate plan, where progress is being made, and where we need to challenge ourselves to do more.

You'll be part of our Finance and Assurance directorate, where our vision is to be the Society's single point of truth. Working closely with other Finance department heads, you'll help to deliver an accountable, efficient and improvement-driven approach to the Society's financial and corporate strategy, providing the leadership team with the information they need to run the organisation well.

Leading our Corporate Planning team, you'll set the standard for accessible, timely and accurate corporate planning, while continuously improving the way we plan across the Society and the way we measure success. You'll act as a vital source of insight on what is working across the Society, what might need to change, and where the next opportunity to increase our impact for people affected by dementia might lie.

Please note that this role is a 12 month fixed term contract. 

About you
You're an experienced corporate planning or strategy professional who understands that good planning is about people as much as process. You're as comfortable in an Executive workshop as you are in the detail, and you know how to combine analytical rigour with clear communication, constructive challenge and a genuine interest in helping others see the bigger picture.

You'll have:

- An in-depth understanding and significant experience of planning a large organisation's activity in a way that effectively supports delivery and the tracking of performance, driving continuous improvement.
- A track record of providing insightful, accessible reporting to drive decision-making at senior levels, including with Executive and Board audiences.
- The confidence to engage stakeholders at all levels in planning and progress tracking, leading them through it with clarity and credibility.
- Proven facilitation, workshop leading and presentation skills, including with executive and senior leadership teams.
- Effective analytical skills, with the ability to draw insight from data and influence priority setting at an organisational level.
- Confidence and experience in leading a small team, managing their performance and developing their capability.
- The ability to deliver effectively to timelines in complex and sometimes ambiguous environments, balancing strategic focus with operational responsiveness.
- Demonstratable critical thinking skills, identifying and acting on ways to work more effectively and efficiently, and celebrating progress, solutions and impact rather than activity.

It would be particularly valuable if you also bring:

- Experience of corporate planning or strategy delivery within a large charity, public sector or values-led organisation.

What you'll focus on

- Leading the corporate planning process and producing the corporate plan, with clear objectives that align to budget and risk appetite and translate strategy into delivery.
- Analysing performance against the corporate plan and providing accessible, timely insight to the leadership of the organisation on what is working and what may need to change.
- Working with Finance, Risk and other relevant teams to align reporting on progress, outcome, finance and risk, producing engaging dashboards and reports that drive decision-making at Executive and Board level.
- Facilitating discussions, running workshops and driving engagement and understanding of our plans and how we measure them across all parts of the organisation.
- Setting, tracking and reporting the impact of activity as part of integrated team, directorate and corporate reporting.
- Continuously improving the performance of the Corporate Planning function so the Society remains agile in delivering impact aligned with the strategy.
- Owning and managing the departmental budget, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to meet strategic and operational objectives.
-  Building and drawing on external networks to inform the Society's approach and decision-making, bringing best practice from across the sector and more widely.

You'll work alongside other leaders across Finance and Assurance to deliver the directorate plan and deputise for the Associate Director of Finance as required, role-modelling a high challenge, high support culture where accountability, performance and development go hand in hand.

Are you ready to bring planning rigour, partnership and insight to the people working to end the devastation of dementia?

Important dates

- The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Wednesday 20th May 2026
- Interviews will begin W/C 25th May 2026 and will include a presentation task to prepare beforehand.

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.