Research and projects officer jobs

Manchester Central Foodbank is a busy Trussell Trust-affiliated food bank, with centres in Central, North, and East Manchester. We were established in Ardwick in 2013 by students at the Manchester Universities’ Catholic Chaplaincy, making us the first student-led food bank in the country. Since then we have grown significantly, expanding our weekly sessions into Harpurhey and Openshaw.

Our core aims are to deliver the best quality support that we can to the largest number of our neighbours in need, while working with partners and influencing and organising at a neighbourhood and citywide level to reduce and end the need for food banks in Manchester.

We currently support 16,000 people per year with nutritionally balanced 3-day food parcels. This is double the number of people we supported in the first year following the Covid-19 pandemic, and four times the number supported in 2019. We also provide financial inclusion support with advice workers in public sessions, access to energy vouchers, SIM cards, and other voucher or material support. We coordinate across a network of 200 active front-line referral agencies with the aim of ensuring everyone who accesses our service has appropriate, specialised, and ongoing support alongside the material provision that we provide.

We are active leaders in anti-poverty organising and community development, as convenors of the city-wide Building an Anti-Poverty Community collective and aim to be key shapers and influencers of new strategies and policies, working closely to support and influence local government, NHS, education, and research agendas in Manchester and more widely, building upon our track record of successful anti-poverty partnership work, social value impact, and Parliamentary influencing.

Key Responsibilities

Our Operations and Projects Workers are the backbone of our charity. They play a key role in the day-to-day running of operations, from frontline and client-facing work to recruiting, supervising, and supporting volunteers, assisting with stock and logistics activities and deliveries, and leading and supporting a range of projects.

A central part of this diverse, hands-on role is leading and supporting foodbank sessions, with extensive engagement with foodbank clients and primary responsibility for supervising, supporting, and developing volunteers.

The Operations and Projects Workers will help shape and maintain high service standards and embed Our Values at the core of every aspect of the charity’s activity.

On a weekly basis the postholder will work to support the smooth running of three public-facing sessions and the operational activities which underpin them. You will work alongside a team of volunteers and staff 

You will be based at our main office and warehouse site, but also regularly attend our three session sites where appropriate and conduct deliveries and collections across the city. Some working from home is allowed with the prior agreement of your manager.

Foodbank Sessions

As part of a pre-planned rota system you will attend foodbank sessions in a variety of roles. All team members are expected to prioritise the creation of a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and friendly space.

In some sessions you will be the nominated Session Lead, 

• You will be responsible for health and safety, briefing and de-briefing of volunteers and other staff, safeguarding and incident reporting, and dealing with emergency or difficult situations.
• Session leads take an active role in shaping and maintaining our values-led Service Standards and creating a supportive framework for other team members, ensuring all frontline service meets those expectations.
• You will ensure consistent and rigorous monitoring and reporting from sessions, including volunteer registration, stock management, logging and escalation of issues and concerns, also well as consistent reporting on service provision.
• Session Leads will act as the primary liaison and coordination point on the day with advice providers and financial inclusion workers
• They will also be the lead contact point on a session day liaising with host sites and reception staff and other session partner organisations.
• Before, during, and after sessions, the Session Lead will monitor stock levels and ensure packing, loading, and unloading is done safely and consistently.

You may also attend foodbank sessions in a variety of other roles, including, but not limited to:

• Conducting or coordinating one-to-one check-ins and support conversations with clients, responsible for signposting and onwards referrals
• Providing additional support such as energy vouchers, SIM cards, supermarket vouchers, and other provision.
• Delivering and collecting food and other stock and materials to and from session sites and monitoring stock levels.
• Supporting general tasks and activities within sessions, such as packing parcels, referrals check-in, picking lists, or monitoring cafés and adjacent spaces.

General Foodbank Operations

Outside of foodbank sessions, you will lead or support across the broad range of operational and project activities, including:

• Regularly driving the foodbank van and loading and unloading stock and other materials.
• Answering or replying to enquiries from clients, referrers, donors, partners, and other contacts via the main charity phone line and email inboxes.
• Conduct regular office-based administrative, printing, and reporting activities.
• Deputise for senior staff or fill in for other team members where appropriate in day-to-day operational cover and external meetings and relationships, including with foodbank referrers and partner organisations.
• Coordinate and supervise volunteers and logistics around food deliveries, food drives, and food sorting sessions.
• Work and lead on projects to help maintain and increase donation levels.
• In collaboration with other staff, assist volunteer recruitment, training, and development activities.
• Attend and organise meetings and events where required to represent the foodbank or conduct project-related work.
• Undertake training and personal development as appropriate and agreed with your line manager.

The post-holder will be responsible for managing their own workload and time management, completing timesheets and reports for the board.

There may be other project-specific tasks requested from time to time for the benefit of the charity to be discussed and agreed with your line manager.

About you

Essential Experience and Knowledge:

• A full clean driving licence and willing and able to drive a 3.5tn van regularly.
• Experience of working with volunteers.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills in order to coordinate your own workload and schedule, effectively managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with other staff members, volunteers, referrers, and foodbank users.
• Ability to respond to unexpected situations in a busy service delivery environment and make decisions related to health and safety and emergency incidents.
• Ability to independently make and carry out decisions in line with foodbank policies and procedures.
• An enthusiasm for all aspects of work at Manchester Central Foodbank, and the flexibility and willingness to get involved with projects and tasks that may sit outside of your normal work.
• Experience of working with service users in a community setting.
• Proficiency in IT, including email, spreadsheets, and Google Drive.
• A clear understanding of, and belief in the values and aims of, Manchester Central Foodbank and the Trussell Trust.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience of volunteer management.

Essential Behaviours and Competencies

• A clear understanding of, and belief in the values and aims of, Manchester Central Foodbank and the Trussell Trust.
• The ability to communicate and work with people with a range of backgrounds, views, and interests and build ongoing relationships and trust.
• Personal integrity, high professional standards, and honesty.
• Empathy and confidence when working with people who are experiencing financial and/or personal hardship.
• Passionate about social justice and tackling food poverty.
• Ability to be hands-on and adaptable in changeable circumstances.

The Damilola Taylor Trust (DTT) is a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in May 2001 in memory of Damilola Taylor and registered as a charity in July 2001.Our founding purpose is to provide inner-city youths with opportunities to play, learn and live their lives free of fear and violence, and with optimism for a future where opportunities abound. Our Mission is to develop the hope, optimism and self-esteem of young people so that they can:  Lead healthy lives; Stay in School; Grow up to become independent productive adults; Have lofty aspirations and work to attain their innate potential.

Although we have recovered from the Covid 19 pandemic, the nation now faces the worst cost of living crisis since the 1950s, thanks to the Russian Ukraine war, and now the US Israel Iran one which have disrupted the global energy market. There is no denying that, in the UK, young people (YP) are being disproportionally affected. We are deeply concerned about the impact this crisis is having on the young people that we work with across the board.

The UK youth unemployment rate for 16-24-year-olds sits at a concerning 16.2%, an 11-year high. There are over 1 million young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). We know that high numbers of vacancies do not translate into opportunities for all young people, especially those from BAME background who already face discrimination in the labour market.

We are responding to this emerging issue, by working harder and smarter to support young people that we work with for whom the transition from formal education into employment is not automatic. We work to help this group have access to economic opportunities in these challenging times. We believe that our services bridge this gap and provide opportunities for young people to develop wider social, personal and self -management skills required for productive participation and integration into society. For additional information about the Trust and its programmes, please go to our website. 

Job purpose: Provide a range of administration services to enable the Trust to operate its day-to-day activities, management and governance processes effectively.

Roles and responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of the job are:

· Provide administrative support to the Programme Manager, Trustees and Youth Board 

· Provide general administrative support across the Trust, including scheduling meetings, administering our Microsoft 365 system, helping to produce reports/ letters, managing emails, facilitating in-house communication, managing our records, research, and other general duties

· Assist implementation of the Trust’s charitable programmes e.g., by providing administration support to project teams and organising promotional activities.

· Manage enquiries to the Trust and respond to routine enquiries, ensuring that actions are followed up

· Proactively manage our website day-to-day and post to our social media, consulting where necessary. Produce leaflets, publicity and newsletters

· Support our organisation development plans by helping us research and implement any new policies, processes and best practice procedures required, and maintaining the database of evidence

· Suggest administrative improvements to support the smooth running of the charity and, when agreed, implement them

Key working relationships:  The post holder will work with all the Trustees (but particularly the Trustee responsible for Communications), the Programmes Manager as well as the Trust’s finance service provider. The post holder will develop good working relationships with other stakeholders including our project delivery partners, members of the Youth Board and, in some cases, young people on or applying for our programmes.

 Person specification -Specific experience or skill     KEY: (E) Essential (D) Desirable

· Experience of organising own work effectively with limited supervision (E)

· Significant experience providing administrative support. Experience of working in a charity would be an advantage (E)

· Excellent digital skills, with the ability to learn new software and systems quickly and instruct others (E)

· Proficiency in Microsoft 365 including administering a system(E)

· Experience of organising and maintaining records, both on paper and digitally. (E)

· Ability to produce attractive documents and reports for a range of audiences adhering to our house style (E)

· Ability to work effectively with all our stakeholders, including young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (E).

· An ability to gather, analyse and evaluate data and to prepare and present concise reports both orally and in writing

· Exceptional time and task management skills; calmness under pressure (E)

· Experience working in a pressured environment with lots of competing priorities (E) 

Knowledge, qualifications

· Knowledge of good administrative practices (E)

· Knowledge of General Data Protection Regulations (E)

· An understanding of safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults (E)

· Current DBS certificate (E but, for a suitable candidate, the post might be offered subject to a DBS being obtained)

· Degree or relevant experience of working in the charity/ Social sector (D)

Personal skills and abilities

· A highly organised person with attention to detail (E).

· Ability to organise own workload to reflect our charity’s priorities (E).

· Ability to communicate effectively with all people involved with the Trust (E).

· Remote working skills (E)

· Good report-writing and presentation skills (E).

· Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion (E)

· Ability to research information (E)

· Proven ability to work on own initiative and mobilise/manage support from colleagues (E).

• Proactive, creative and innovative approach with high drive for results (E)

Personal qualities:  Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development (E)

· Commitment to the vision, mission and values of DTT (E)

· Flexibility

• Commitment to effective relationship building and collaboration (E)

Application process

Please write no more than 1000 words explaining how your experience, qualifications and personal qualities fit you for this post. Also submit a CV which includes your full name, address, phone number and email address, your educational and work histories and the names of two referees, one of whom will normally be your current or latest employer. We will not seek references without asking your permission but any offer will be subject to satisfactory references.

Bowel Research UK is looking for a permanent Research and Grants Manager to coordinate and evaluate the management of the charity’s research activities. This role covers all aspects of pre- and post-award research management, impact reporting, grant finance management and governance, co-ordination of the Charity’s scientific committees and shaping external scientific communications to supporters and other stakeholders. Additionally, you will foster and maintain strong relationships with researchers, serving as the primary point of contact for engaging with the research community. 

Bowel Research UK are bringing this permanent role following time spent with an interim postholder in position to create a solid foundation and understanding of what the role needs.

This is an opportunity to work with the UK’s leading specialist bowel cancer and bowel disease research charity. Bowel Research UK believe that a cure for bowel cancer and effective treatments to mitigate, or entirely eradicate, other bowel diseases is possible – but only if vital research is funded and investment made into the scientific and medical communities today, to see the benefits tomorrow. 

Bowel Research UK are a flexible employer, for this post they are looking for someone to be comfortable with joining the team in the London office once a month. If the post holder would prefer to work more regularly from an office base, the charity has office space at Royal College of Surgeons in central London. Most team members work from here on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

For further information and to apply please follow the guidance in the Candidate Pack to arrange a conversation about your suitability for the role and next steps.

Closing date: midnight Wednesday 22nd July

The selection process will involve a two-stage interview process.

Location: Contracted to our Peterborough office with the flexibility for hybrid working 
Salary: £29,000 – £34,000 depending on experience
Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week
Contract: Fixed term contract – 12 months (maternity cover)

Benefits: We want all our employees to feel valued and engaged and are committed to offering a positive working culture along with a good work-life balance. As well as ensuring we pay our employees fairly, we offer the following benefits: Flexible working, Generous annual leave, Private Medical Insurance, including dental and optical, Pension Scheme, Sick Pay, Death in Service, Employee Assistance Programme, Bike Loan Scheme, Cycle2Work Scheme, Eyecare, Discount Portal.

Be a part of an energetic and vibrant team who are driven by the desire to improve the lives of people living with kidney disease. Our vision is the day when everyone lives free from kidney disease.

Kidney disease affects one in ten people in the UK, yet it still doesn't get the attention it deserves. At Kidney Research UK we are determined to change that. In this role, we are looking for an experienced senior research communications officer to help us drive increased engagement with our research across all audiences.

The Role
·        Play a key role in bringing the research we fund and the partnerships we develop to life, telling our story in an accurate and engaging way and raising the profile of Kidney Research UK
·        Work with colleagues across the charity to develop, lead and deliver communications plans to support specific areas of our work, including partnerships with other medical charities and industry, and key strategic projects being led by Kidney Research UK
·        Build relationships with the researchers we fund to help create a sense of community, develop an in-depth knowledge about our research portfolio and encourage our research community to engage and work with us

What We're Looking For
·        Educated to degree level in life sciences
·        Experience in a communications role in a health, medical, patient or research-related organisation

If you're ready to help us grow and strengthen our scientific communications, we'd love to hear from you. Please complete the online application form and submit together with your CV.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone and encourage applications from all sections of the community.

About Kidney Research UK:
Kidney Research UK is the leading charity in the UK focused on funding research into the prevention, treatment and management of kidney disease. Our vision is the day when everyone lives free from kidney disease and for more than 60 years the research, we fund has been making an impact. But kidney disease is increasing as are the factors contributing to it, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, making our work more essential than ever.
At Kidney Research UK we work with clinicians and scientists across the UK, funding and facilitating research into all areas of kidney disease. We collaborate with partners across the public, private and third sectors to prevent kidney disease and drive innovation to transform treatments.
Over the last ten years we have invested more than £71 million into research. We lobby governments and decision makers to change policy and practice to ensure that the estimated 7.2 million people living with all stages of kidney disease in the UK have access to the most effective care and treatment, and to make kidney disease a priority.
Most importantly, we also work closely with patients, ensuring their voice is heard and is at the centre of everything we do, from deciding which research to invest in to how we plan our priorities and our work across the charity.
Those patient contributions are vital, always helping us and our partners to understand what life is like with kidney disease, always ensuring we see the patient behind the treatment and always reminding us that behind every statistic and every number is a person – the patients and the carers who inspire our mission and push us forward to make a difference and change the future of kidney disease.

Closing date: Monday 6 July 2026. We may extend the closing date, however, please apply as soon as possible.
Preliminary telephone interviews will be held on 10 and 15 July 2026. In-person interviews will be held in Peterborough on 20 or 22 July 2026.
No agencies please.
You may have experience in the following: Research Communications Officer, Science Communications Officer, Health Communications Officer, Medical Communications Officer, Communications Manager, PR and Communications Officer, Research Engagement Officer, Science Writer, Health Writer, Charity Communications Officer, Content and Communications Officer, Charity, Charities, Third Sector, Not for Profit, NFP, etc.

REF-229 462

Help us change lives through world-class medical research

At the Medical Research Foundation, we believe in the transformative power of medical research. As an independent charitable foundation, we fund exceptional research into underfunded and emerging areas of health, areas where we can make the biggest impact. As we roll out an ambitious strategy to 2029, we’re looking for a Research Impact Officer to help monitor and evaluate our research to ensure our funded projects make a real-world difference.

About the role

• Reporting to our Senior Research Impact Manager, your main responsibilities will be to:
• Provide day-to-day administration for the research portfolio
• Be the first point of contact for reporting enquiries from funded researchers
• Collate qualitative and quantitative data to support impact reporting
• Support the ongoing development of progress reporting forms
• Develop and maintain working relationships with grant-holders
• Organise and attend meetings with researchers in support of impact evaluation activities
• Liaise with the Communications Team to publicise research outputs
• Respond to requests for information about research impact from across the organisation
• Assist in the delivery of scientific seminars and award events
• Represent the charity at external events.

About you

You will use your excellent analytical, communication and organisational skills to help us manage our diverse research portfolio.  You are motivated and enthusiastic and you will be keen to get involved in projects aimed at achieving our ambitious research strategy.  You can see full details in the attached job description, but we will be looking particularly closely for evidence of the following criteria in your written application:

• Experience of working or volunteering in a science-related environment
• Experience of collating and analysing data using Microsoft Excel plus generally high level of IT skills
• An interest in scientific affairs or medical research
• Ability to understand complex scientific information presented in reports and explain it in a simple way
• Excellent customer service skills
• Ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally with colleagues, scientists and other stakeholders

About the Medical Research Foundation

Our vision is a world where medical research improves health for everyone.

There are still many health conditions which impose a heavy burden on millions of people, in the UK and around the world. History has shown us, time and again, that the best way to achieve better human health is through medical research. We know that by investing now, we will see life-saving advances in the future and improvements in health for everyone.

Salary, benefits and working arrangements

We will offer a salary of between £32,000 and £37,000 per annum depending on skills and experience for a full-time post (36 hours).  We are happy to consider a part-time contract (min 0.8 FTE).

We value spending time working in-person to develop strong connections with each other and with our mission, so you will be based at our central London office for a minimum of three days a week (usually Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) with the option to work remotely for the remainder.

We offer

• 30 days' holiday plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• Double-matched pension contributions up to 12% employer contribution
• Life insurance at 4x salary
• Wellbeing support and flexible working culture

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Medical Research Foundation

At the Medical Research Foundation, we believe that diversity drives creativity and innovation. We are dedicated to promoting equality of opportunity, fostering fairness and inclusion, and creating an environment where everyone feels that they belong.  We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

How to apply

The job description gives full details of the role and who we are looking for.  To give your application the best chance of success, please prepare a CV and supporting statement that set out clearly how you meet the shorlisting criteria listed above under 'About you', then visit our website to find out how to submit your application.

If we invite you to interview we will ask you to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Market Research Analyst (Insights Coordinator) 

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about using data and insights to empower our student leaders and staff to make change and ensuring we are the experts about our students. You’ll join our Insights Team to expand our sector-leading insights function and collaborate with other Guild departments and University stakeholders to deliver strategic and student-facing projects, and build data curiosity across the organisation.

The Role

Role: Market Research Analyst (Insights Coordinator)
Hours: 35 hours per week (to be worked flexibly)
Salary: £26,586 per annum
Contract: 24 month fixed term 
Location: Exeter/Hybrid 

Who are we?
Exeter Students’ Guild is the University of Exeter’s students’ union, led by students for students. We’re an independent charity, offering a wide range of opportunities, services and support to help students get the most out of their unique journeys at university. This includes everything from social activities to making sure things are going well on their academic course. We have over 300 student groups and all of our work is led by, and in the best interest of, our members.

The Guild is a truly rewarding place to work. Our talented and passionate staff make a real difference to the lives of students every single day, working together to achieve the Guild’s purpose: to shape an excellent student experience for all students at Exeter by empowering them to take their place in the world and make a positive difference. We are looking for people who recognise that the Guild is student-led and share a genuine passion for student engagement and empowerment. If you share a commitment to our values and want to be part of a radically inclusive organisation with a seriously exciting future ahead, we can’t wait to hear from you.

What will you bring?

· You’ll have experience in planning and delivering research projects
· You know how to use Microsoft Excel and PowerBI (or similar) to transform and interrogate data
· You’ll be able to communicate data in easy-to-understand formats

We offer lots of great benefits including enhanced family pay, at least 6-weeks’ holiday, sustainable travel incentives, access to exclusive discounts and perks and a free confidential advice service. We’re committed to helping you achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life through a real commitment to flexible and hybrid working. We also provide access to great development opportunities, including a personal development budget for you to spend on sharpening your skills. We’ll also help you to gain valuable experience, ensuring that you have opportunities to grow your career both here at the Guild and beyond.

Inclusion is central to the Guild. We approach our work collaboratively, empower our people and celebrate our uniqueness. If you’re driven to empower others and achieve great things, you’ll fit right in. Our people are proud of who they are and value each other’s differences, and we are committed to creating a diverse community that is radically inclusive of race, gender, age, religion, identity and experience.

You can view the role profile amd find how you can apply via our website. 

For general enquiries, please contact us - details can be found on our website. 

How to Apply? 

Please submit your application via our recruitment portal. You will need to provide an up-to-date copy of your CV, and answer the following questions related to the person specification for the role: 

• Please outline your experience of gathering and analysing data to produce recommendations
• Please tell us about your approach to summarising data into easy-to-understand formats for diverse audiences to empower change
• What is your understanding of our values, and how would you use them to shape insights and research at the Guild?

Please note: 

• We will contact you to let you know the outcome of your application. This can sometimes take a few days. 
  You must be able to provide proof of your right to work in the UK before starting work with us. We are not currently able to sponsor employees requiring a visa. 
• Applications received after the above closing date will not be considered. 

A message from your new Manager 

Amy Holden, Senior Research and Insights Manager

 If you'd like an informal chat with me to find out more about the role, the team and what we’re looking for in our Insights Coordinator, please get in touch - I would love to hear from you!

Dates for your Diary

· Closing Date: Monday 20 July at 10am
· Shortlisting: Wednesday 22 July
· Interviews: Thursday 30 July

We look forward to hearing from you!

Schools’ Project Officer
The Mark Evison Foundation aims to promote the personal development of young people through challenge. We work directly with London partner state schools, encouraging non-academic proposals for challenge from 17-year olds (Y12s). It is fascinating work, bringing out the best in young people. Students must create their own applications and challenges, decide what they want to do, research and plan the projects and present them: we help with plans (sending comments by email), careful risk assessment and funding.

Due to expansion, we are seeking a gifted schools’ project officer for a key role within a busy team based in Dulwich SE21, Southwark. The work is varied and fulfilling.  

You should be a graduate from a good university, enthusiastic and very well-organised, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to work independently, manage priorities, work to deadlines, and take initiative. The post involves presenting at school assemblies as outreach, working with students to help them prepare costed applications, handling draft applications by email, and accurate data collection and input. You will need to deal efficiently and accurately with our administrative requirements, and have excellent PC skills – Word, Excel and Outlook. We would train you to deal with the work and our systems.

Salary is in line with experience, range £30k- £35k pro rata, depending on experience. 

Applications by 15 July 2026. Please see attached Job Description, and send CV and cover letter. 

This is a hands-on role that moves between two registers: structured qualitative research with proper analytical underpinning, and fast-turnaround reactive policy work. You will need to be genuinely comfortable in both able to run a multi-month thematic publication and turn around a tight briefing or consultation response within 48-72 hours when a policy window opens.

The role will lead The Difference's qualitative research and insight function, including research workstreams tied to the Difference Schools Partnership's annual thematic priorities, and our Harmful and Abusive Behaviours (HaB) workstream convening a sector council to build a shared framework for how schools understand and respond to peer-on-peer harm. You will produce briefings, evidence submissions and publications, manage external research partners, and work with the CEO, Head of Policy and Communications team to launch research with real impact. The role reports to the Head of Policy and works closely with colleagues across Strategy, Research and Programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead The Difference's qualitative research and insight function, running research workstreams tied to annual DSP thematic priorities and emerging strands on MAT inclusion and LA working
• Design and deliver qualitative research with schools, MATs and local authorities interviews, focus groups, school visits and thematic analysis  translating findings into evidence and policy recommendations
• Lead the Harmful and Abusive Behaviours research workstream, convening a sector council, producing briefing material and managing the route from convening to publication
• Produce timely, citable evidence for policy influence  including drafting briefings, consultation responses and evidence submissions on fast turnaround
• Project manage publication cycles from scoping through to launch, working with coalition and media partners to maximise reach and tracking policy traction post-launch
• Brief, manage and integrate the outputs of external research partners where commissioned (e.g. FFT Datalab, Pro Bono Economics)
• Capture and develop case studies from DSP schools and the wider Difference network

About The Difference

• Every day, the equivalent of 5,500 children are suspended from England's schools, doubling their likelihood of being NEET by 24. The Difference is a young education charity founded to change this story through whole school inclusion. We train school leaders, carry out our own research, and turn frontline insights into policy recommendations lobbying Ofsted and the Department for Education to improve funding and support for inclusion. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030.

About You

Essential

• Dual capability across reactive and structured research : comfortable producing tight briefings on a 48–72 hour turnaround and running multi-month qualitative publications
• Experience in education research, policy research or applied social research, with examples of published, commissioned or internally-influential work
• Strong qualitative research skills : interview and focus group design, thematic coding, framework development, synthesis across multiple sources
• Persuasive writing for mixed audiences : able to write clearly and concisely for policymakers, school leaders, the press and the sector, and comfortable ghost-writing for senior colleagues
• Project management discipline : able to run multiple workstreams in parallel, manage your own deadlines, and keep colleagues and external partners on track
• Comfortable working at pace in a fast-moving environment where priorities shift as policy windows open and close : self-directed, flexible and able to make good judgement calls under pressure
• Shared values with The Difference and personal commitment to improving life outcomes for young people

Desired

• Strong working understanding of UK education policy, particularly around inclusion, exclusion, SEND, accountability and school improvement
• Confident data literacy and basic quantitative analysis : comfortable interrogating population-level datasets and translating findings into accessible policy language
• Understanding of why language matters when writing about behaviour, exclusion and vulnerability, and the ability to frame behaviour as a signal of unmet need consistently across all work
• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people
• Experience of working in or with schools, multi-academy trusts or local authorities
• Existing relationships in education research, policy or sector organisations

Please see the attached Job Description for full role details and person specification.

We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector. As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and protected characteristics redacted.

Location: Hybrid with a minimum of 8 office days per month in either our London or Leeds office. The post will require some UK travel for project work and events. 

Contract: Full time, permanent

Salary: £27,000 - £32,000 per year (depending on experience) 

This is a brilliant time to join our Research and Impact team. We are at the start of a new strategy which has learning and development at its heart. We have embedded a strong monitoring, evaluation and learning culture within the organisation and have a highly evolved theory of change. We have a learning plan for the year ahead and a 5-year vision for where we want our learning culture to get to in the next strategy period. Our work is central to BookTrust’s ambition to deepen our impact for children and families, and build our profile, public affairs and income generation work in support of our overall mission. 

We are looking for someone committed to and excited by the potential for research and insight to strengthen our impact, with a specific focus on our work with primary and secondary schools. 

The role will suit a mixed methods researcher with experience of fieldwork and analysing evidence from a range of sources to generate insights and help others apply these to inform decisions or drive change. It requires excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, and a keen eye for detail. The role requires someone who is happy to work collaboratively and flexibly in a changing environment, potentially changing focus and approaches in line with evolving organisational priorities. It requires high levels of organisation and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.

This is an early career position, but we are looking for candidates with one or two years of relevant experience outside academia. 

How to apply:

Please apply through our Career’s portal with your CV and a covering letter showing how you meet the person specification and your motivations for applying for the role. Your covering letter should not be longer than two sides.

Please also answer this question in your cover letter:  

BookTrust sees good evidence, and good use of evidence as key to delivering our strategy. In your application, please tell us: what are some of the principles of good use of evidence that BookTrust should incorporate into our work?

Please also attach one or two examples of written outputs (reports, blogs etc) you have produced and also specify if you are applying to be based from our Leeds or London office.

Closing date: 5pm Friday 3rd July 

Interviews: First stage interviews will take place on Microsoft Teams, week commencing 20th July. Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to a second-stage interview. 

About the role

Cardiomyopathy UK's Director of Research and External Affairs leads the charity's research, policy and advocacy, and communications and marketing functions, with a team of four staff. The post-holder sets the strategic direction of the directorate, drives high-quality delivery,  upholds the charity's values, and represents the charity externally. The Director is a member of the charity's Leadership Team, working closely with the CEO to steer the charity forward. 

For the right person, this is an opportunity with real strategic scope. We want to build on our strong policy positions and evidence base and translate them into more proactive campaigning and influencing, moving from good policy thinking to concerted public affairs activity, strategic stakeholder engagement, and campaigns that achieve real change. 

The Director will also lead the next phase of our research work, following our inaugural research grant-funding activity and James Lind Alliance top ten work. They will work with the Research Manager and our clinical and academic partners to better define and deliver our ambitions.

Raising awareness of cardiomyopathy, its signs, symptoms and genetic risk, is also within the team's scope. Too many people are still diagnosed late because neither they nor their GP knew what to look for. The Director will drive our communications and marketing agenda purposefully, equally ensuring the charity’s external profile is actively managed and enhanced.

About you

We're looking for a leader who is a collaborative and inclusive, able to build trust with staff, colleagues, external partners and the Board. They will have strong strategic, analytical and planning skills, with the ability to develop coherent strategies. They will have experience as a senior leader/ manager in a charity, health, research or patient-focused organisation. See the Person Specification for further details.
 
Why join us?

Cardiomyopathy UK is the national charity for people affected by cardiomyopathy. We provide specialist nurse support, peer support, wellbeing services and trusted information to thousands of people each year, as well as influencing policy, supporting advocacy, and funding and enabling better research.

We are ambitious about our future. We are committed to quality, accountability and continuous improvement. Most importantly, we are committed to ensuring that everyone affected by cardiomyopathy can live well with the condition.

We are a family friendly employer with flexible and hybrid working. We offer an enhanced Employee Assistance Programme, additional annual leave linked to length of service, and an extra special occasion day each year.

We are midway through our five-year strategic plan, at a genuinely exciting moment, both for the charity and for cardiomyopathy more broadly. If you are excited by the opportunity to shape our Research and External Affairs work, lead a strong team and ensure we can clearly demonstrate the impact of our work, we would love to hear from you.

For over 60 years the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has been building a better childhood for all.

Research and Development Officer
Contract: Permanent
Work Pattern: Part Time, 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
Salary: £34,408 per annum, FTE (£27,526 per annum for 28 hours per week), with annual salary increments for the first three years
Location: Homebased – however NCB and RiP has offices in Sheffield, Newton Abbot and Belfast that staff can work from should they choose.

The Vacancy

For over 20 years, Research in Practice has been at the forefront of supporting evidence-informed practice in adult social care. We are now looking for a passionate and experienced Research and Development Officer to join our adults’ team.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a skilled facilitator with strong experience in adult social care (or a related sector, e.g. housing, homelessness, mental health or criminal justice) who is motivated to make a real impact. While the role requires a solid understanding of research and its application, it is not a primary research post—instead, the focus is on translating evidence into meaningful learning and development opportunities.

You will play a key role in designing and delivering high-quality learning experiences, including programmes, full-day workshops, webinars, and events, working with diverse audiences such as senior leaders and practitioners.

What you’ll be doing

• Designing and delivering engaging learning and development activities for a range of audiences
• Translating complex research, policy, and legal frameworks into accessible, practical learning
• Developing high-quality outputs (e.g. publications, tools, and learning resources)
• Building strong relationships with stakeholders and supporting collaborative projects
• Managing multiple projects effectively in a varied and fast-paced environment

About you

We are looking for someone who brings:

• In-depth knowledge of adult social care, or related sectors such as criminal justice, housing and homelessness, or mental health
• Experience in facilitation and delivering learning, including workshops and webinars
• A strong understanding of research, policy, and practice frameworks
• Skills in knowledge mobilisation, with a passion for co-production and evidence implementation
• Proven experience in relationship management
• Excellent communication skills, including confident public speaking
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work flexibly (including occasional travel and overnight stays)

Research in Practice

Research in Practice is part of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) family. For over 60 years, the NCB has been building a better childhood for all.

Research in Practice works with organisations across the adults and children’s social care, health and criminal justice sectors, supporting them to develop an evidence-informed approach to their work. Our focus is on using evidence from research, practice and lived experience, to provide resources that improve policy and services, in order to achieve positive outcomes for people of all ages.

About NCB

For more than 60 years, the National Children’s Bureau has championed the rights and amplified the voice of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence, blending in lived and learnt experience to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families.

Bringing people and organisations together is fundamental to how we improve the systems that babies, children, young people and their families rely on to thrive. We push boundaries, even looking beyond childhood itself to consider transitions into adulthood and the impact of childhood issues on an entire lifespan. We are united for better childhoods and brighter futures.

The Benefits

• 30 Days Annual Leave
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible Working
• Winter Holiday Closure & Break

Employee Assistance Programme

Closing date: 8am, Friday 10th July 2026
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible .

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are actively seeking to broaden the diversity of our staff group and warmly welcome applications from candidates underrepresented in the charity sector, including those from Black and Global Majority communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with lived experience of the issues NCB works on.

No agencies please.

For over 60 years the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has been building a better childhood for all.

Research and Development Officer
Contract: Permanent
Work Pattern: Part Time, 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
Salary: £34,408 per annum, FTE (£27,526 per annum for 28 hours per week), with annual salary increments for the first three years
Location: Homebased – however NCB and RiP has offices in Sheffield, Newton Abbot, London and Belfast that staff can work from should they choose.

The Vacancy

We are looking for a talented Research and Development Officer to join our children and families team at Research in Practice. In this role you will develop and deliver accessible content and learning activities that promote evidence-informed practice and policy across child and family social care, youth and family justice as part of our annual delivery programme for our partners. You will also be involved in the delivery of commissioned project work.

The successful candidate will have experience designing and delivering resources, workshops, webinars, and events for a range of audiences, including senior leaders.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong written and editorial skills, excellent facilitation skills and who is confident distilling complex information into accessible learning materials. While the position requires engagement with and understanding of research, it is not a primary research role.

Key responsibilities are:

• Producing evidence-informed practice and policy resources in a range of formats (e.g. publications, videos, podcasts, animations). This includes evidence scoping, content development, commissioning, project management, editing, writing and quality assuring resources from inception to publication.
• Leading the development and delivery of concise, accessible content and learning activities to enable the development of evidence-informed practice and policy in the sector.
• Developing and facilitating learning sessions and events with a range of participants, including senior leaders across the sector.
• Working on a range of commissioned project work, from development/design through to analysis; presenting findings on completion and representing Research in Practice in project teams with academic and practice partners.
• Building strong relationships with sector experts and effectively managing relationships with authors, facilitators, people with lived experience and those working in research, policy and practice.

Research in Practice

Research in Practice is part of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) family. For over 60 years, the NCB has been building a better childhood for all.

Research in Practice works with organisations across the adults and children’s social care, health and criminal justice sectors, supporting them to develop an evidence-informed approach to their work. Our focus is on using evidence from research, practice and lived experience, to provide resources that improve policy and services, in order to achieve positive outcomes for people of all ages.

About NCB

For more than 60 years, the National Children’s Bureau has championed the rights and amplified the voice of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence, blending in lived and learnt experience to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families.

Bringing people and organisations together is fundamental to how we improve the systems that babies, children, young people and their families rely on to thrive. We push boundaries, even looking beyond childhood itself to consider transitions into adulthood and the impact of childhood issues on an entire lifespan. We are united for better childhoods and brighter futures.

The Benefits

• 30 Days Annual Leave
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible Working
• Winter Holiday Closure & Break
• Employee Assistance Programme

Closing date: 8am, Wednesday 8th July 2026
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are actively seeking to broaden the diversity of our staff group and warmly welcome applications from candidates underrepresented in the charity sector, including those from Black and Global Majority communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with lived experience of the issues NCB works on.

No agencies please.

This is an exciting time to join us. As we grow our international efforts and sharpen our strategic focus, we are creating a new Head of Research & Grants role to lead our combined research and grant-making function. Reporting to the Director of Impact, you will be our senior operational and strategic leader for how we identify, fund and learn from the work that gives babies the best start in life.

The grants and research effort of the Foundation is focussed on the ‘So What?’. You will make sure every piece of ground breaking research and every charity grant adds to our global advocacy for babies, informing and educating policy makers across the world about the 1001 Critical Days and how they can help parents and carers give their babies the best start in life.

To apply, please click the redirect to recruiter button. 

Policy and Research Coordinator 
Location: Hybrid (typically 3 days in the office), central Manchester with occasional travel 
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Salary: £25,000 - £30,000 
Closing date: 10am, Monday 13th July 2026 

About Belong 

Belong – The Cohesion and Integration Network is a national organisation working to strengthen social cohesion and integration across the UK. Through research, policy development and place-based programmes, we bring people together, support communities and champion approaches that help create a more connected and less divided society. 

Belong is entering an exciting new phase of growth. With a strengthened national profile, an ambitious strategy and a passionate team, we are looking for talented people who share our commitment to creating positive change. 

About the Role 

As Policy and Research Coordinator, you will play an important role in supporting the delivery of Belong’s policy and research work. Working closely with the Policy and Research Lead and wider team, you will help ensure projects are well organised, rigorous and impactful. 

This varied role combines research coordination, stakeholder engagement and project support. You will contribute to research and policy projects from planning through to dissemination, supporting activities such as literature reviews, data collection and analysis, stakeholder engagement, report writing and project administration. You will also help coordinate meetings, workshops and consultation activities, ensuring research findings and insights are effectively shared with a range of audiences. 

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with information and evidence, managing multiple priorities, and contributing to work that informs policy, practice and positive social change. 

About You 

You will be an organised and proactive individual with experience supporting research projects, policy development or related activities, ideally within a charity, public policy or research environment. 

You will have strong information-handling skills, with the ability to analyse, summarise and synthesise complex material clearly and accurately. Alongside excellent written and verbal communication skills, you will be comfortable building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and managing competing priorities effectively. 

Most importantly, you will be intellectually curious, collaborative and committed to Belong’s mission and values. You will bring a solutions-focused approach, a strong attention to detail, and a genuine desire to learn and develop within a policy and research environment. 

Benefits  

• 30 days’ annual leave per year 

• Hybrid working (typically 3 days in the office) 

• Enhanced sick pay 

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay 

How to Apply 

Please click ‘Apply’ to be redirected to our recruitment partner's site, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and find details of how to apply. As part of your application, you will be asked to answer three questions. 

1. Please tell us about a piece of work that you are particularly proud of and the role you played in its success. (max. 300 words) 

1. Please describe a situation where you had to work with a range of different people to achieve a shared outcome. (max. 300 words) 

1. Belong works with people, communities and organisations from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. What values or principles guide how you work with others? (max. 300 words) 

Deadline:  10am on Monday 13th July 2026 
Interviews: 21st or 22nd July 2026 (in-person in Manchester)

For questions or to arrange an informal conversation, please contact Atkinson HR Consulting.

Belong’s Commitment to Inclusion  

Belong is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. They welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly encourage individuals from communities under-represented in the charity sector to apply. Impostor syndrome can disproportionately impact candidates from marginalised groups—if you are unsure whether to apply, we encourage you to do so.