35 Research development officer jobs in Bristol

Environmental Justice Foundation

Global Head of Finance

£56,000 to £62,000 per year, dependent upon experience

Full-time Permanent

Bath based with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office

About EJF

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is a global non-profit organisation working to protect the natural world and our fundamental human right to a secure environment. We work at the frontlines of environmental injustice, alongside communities most affected by climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and exploitation - transforming evidence into action, and injustice into lasting change. 

Through field investigations, rigorous research, and strategic international advocacy, we expose environmental crime, challenge impunity, and catalyse systemic reform. Our work delivers real-world impact, shaping policy, strengthening governance, protecting vital ecosystems, and defending those who risk their lives to safeguard them.

Our campaigns span four interconnected areas: oceans, climate, forests and wetlands, and the training, protection, and empowerment of environmental defenders and investigative journalists. From illegal fishing and plastic pollution to deforestation, land grabs, and climate breakdown, we confront some of the most complex and urgent crises of our time - always with a focus on accountability, equity, and durable solutions.

EJF has a diverse team of campaigners, filmmakers and community mobilisers working across four continents, united by a shared ambition: to protect people by protecting the planet. We are bold, evidence-led, and impact-driven. We speak truth to power - and we build pathways to a fairer, more resilient future. 

About the role:

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced and conscientious qualified accountant to join a dynamic, high-impact team working to protect the global environment and defend human rights. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you'll lead the international finance team and provide financial insight and analysis to the CEO and Senior Management Team to support a fast-growing, ambitious charity.

This role is right for you if you're an energetic, meticulously organised finance professional with a strong commitment to protecting the environment and the people who depend on it. You'll work globally to ensure EJF's financial administration runs efficiently in every country where we operate, securing value for money so that resources are focused on delivering impact. 

Key responsibilities:

• Maintaining and improving EJF's global financial policies, systems, controls and processes, ensuring they are applied consistently in every country where EJF operates. 
• Managing six finance staff working in the UK and overseas.
• Ensuring the production of accurate, accessible and insightful monthly and annual global financial reporting for internal and external audiences.
• Providing strategic financial forecasts, insights and advice to the CEO, Senior Management Team and Trustees to inform planning and decision-making.
• Preparing budgets for funding proposals and ensuring accurate and timely financial projections of spend against grants and reporting to funders.
• Leading the annual organisational budget process, including multi-year financial plans.
• Mentoring team leads on financial budgeting, tracking and expenditure oversight.
• Monitoring and ensuring value for money in expenditure, identifying and removing inefficiencies and waste. 
• Developing and executing EJF's treasury strategy, including managing currency risk and reserves.
• Overseeing payroll and pensions, working with external providers where relevant. 
• Completing regulatory returns as required by the Charity Commission and statutory bodies in the countries of operation.
• Leading the annual external audit and overseeing the preparation of statutory accounts.
• Managing financial risk, including safeguarding EJF against fraud, and maintaining relationships with auditors, banks and other professional advisers.

Essential skills and experience 

• Demonstrable commitment to EJF’s vision, mission and values and a determination to change the world for the better.
• Qualified accountant with a superb eye for detail. 
• Minimum of six years' work experience, preferably in the international charity sector, including responsibility for managing a finance team.
• Demonstrable experience designing and implementing financial controls and securing good value for money through procurement and commissioning.
• Strong IT skills, and experience managing IT systems and/or databases.
• Excellent communication skills, in writing and in person.
• Proactive and solution-oriented, highly organised and self-motivated.
• Enthusiastic, outgoing and friendly, able to work in a growing, diverse, international team with minimal supervision.
• Experience of working with the UK Charity SORP and the production of the annual report and accounts.
• Experience with multi-currency income & expenditure and management of the processes around sub-grants to overseas partners.
• Ability to travel to EJF's countries of operation to assess the development and implementation of financial systems and to manage finance staff.

What we offer

• 22 days’ annual leave (exclusive of bank holidays), increasing with each year of service, plus additional paid leave between Christmas and New Year.
• Private healthcare package.
• Generous pension scheme, with employer contributions increasing over time.
• Flexible working hours and hybrid working (typically 3 days in the office / 2 from home).
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• A dynamic, supportive, and inclusive working environment, with genuine opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• The chance to contribute to an organisation delivering real-world impact for people and planet.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Closing date 20th September 

Interview date 1st / 2nd October

Based in Bristol | Field-based across Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire & North Somerset

We’re looking for an experienced trade union organiser to lead campaigns, grow our membership, support activists and deliver outstanding representation.

The role

Our 1,200 staff work across 12 UK regions and our national centre in London. Regional offices support the work of local branches, helping to represent, recruit, organise and retain members, as well as making key contributions in areas such as campaigning, strategies for negotiation and bargaining, and actions against discrimination.

As a Regional Organiser, you’ll be playing a hands on, day to day leadership role, as well as acting as an advocate of the union. Guiding, supporting and developing local branches and activists to ensure the strongest possible workplace organisation, you’ll identify activist training and development needs, provide coaching and mentoring to stewards and branch officers, and manage a small team of area/local organisers. Additionally, you will lead negotiations, represent members individually and collectively, and help branches to develop effective systems and processes for handling casework.

The person

What we’re looking for...

• An understanding of our movement, its pressures and drivers, with a passion for equality.

• Ability to provide advice and guidance on the effective organisation of key branch duties (eg maintaining membership density, activist base enhancement, supporting employers with major restructuring, maintaining confidence in union ability to influence outcomes, oversight of case work and reducing response times).

• Good knowledge of key employment law, including developing case law and upcoming changes that may affect members.

• Good understanding of the political landscape and how this might impact our approach.

• Ability to manage a team of staff, with a willingness to collaborate and to lead by example.

• Excellent communication and advocacy skills, with proven ability to manage high level negotiations and representation of cases in challenging situations.

• Ability to build and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders, ability to influence and engage at all levels eg activists, democratic bodies/committees.

• Strategic project management experience, including budget management. Ability to develop strategies and solutions to solve complex problems.

Please refer to the job description and person specification for full requirements for this role.

This is a field based role and you will need to be able to travel in and around the South West region, including to our regional offices in Bristol, Exeter, Taunton and Poole, as required and occasionally to London for training, meetings or other purposes. The South West region covers a large area from Wiltshire to Cornwall.  However, for the foreseeable future we expect this post to be based in the Bristol office and will be supporting our branches in the north of the region (Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire).

How to apply

To apply for this opportunity please download and complete the General application form, referring to the job description and person specification.

Please note that only the relevant application form will be accepted. CVs will not be accepted.

The completed application form, along with the Recruitment and Disability Monitoring Form, should be sent by email.

Please save each of your documents to include your full name, followed by job title, region/dept and reference.

Completed application forms must be received by no later than 11:59pm Sunday 13 September 2026.

In-person interviews will be held in our Taunton office on Tuesday 29 September 2026. 

Please see a map of our regions.

About UNISON

UNISON is the UK’s leading public services trade union, with over 1.3 million members working in the public sector, private, voluntary and community sectors and in the energy services. We employ approximately 1,200 staff, with around 370 at our national centre in Euston in central London and the remainder in our 12 regions across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

UNISON is a dynamic, progressive union, committed to equality. We encourage men and women of all ages, Black and minority ethnic groups, disabled people, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to work with us.

Who We Are

Animal Equality is an international animal protection organisation working with society, governments and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals. Animal Equality has offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and India.

Animal Equality releases investigative materials captured from inside factory farms and slaughterhouses, exposing the conditions that farmed animals face around the world. We publish our findings on television, in newspapers and online. We routinely secure mainstream media coverage, including on the BBC, ITV, Sky news, The Times, the Guardian, New York Times and many more.

Animal Equality also advocates for political change. Our current campaigns include a UK ban on foie gras imports, increased enforcement of existing animal protection laws, legal protections for farmed fish, and Government subsidies for transitioning towards a plant-based food system.

We focus on farmed animals because of the scale and severity of the issue. More than a billion animals are confined and killed for human consumption every year in the UK. Farmed animals also often suffer in some of the worst ways: pigs typically endure painful mutilations, many chickens die of heart attacks, fish are confined in underwater cages, and some farmed animals are victims of deliberate abuse and neglect. But the problem is solvable! By utilising effective campaigning strategies, Animal Equality is having an impact for animals around the world and building a future where all animals are respected and protected, and are no longer exploited for human consumption.

Animal Equality UK’s current key campaigns include:

• Strengthening enforcement of animal protection laws
• Halting the expansion of Scotland’s salmon farming industry
• Achieving a ban on foie gras imports
• Securing species-specific slaughter legislation for fish
• Inspiring the public to eat plants, not animals

About The Role

The Communications & Digital Marketing Coordinator will play a key role in shaping Animal Equality UK’s public voice. They will ensure all outgoing content, both digital and print, aligns with our brand, values, and mission.

This role will lead on paid digital marketing and lead-generation activities to grow our supporter and donor base; oversee video production; manage website content; optimise organic and paid reach; support SEO strategy; and ensure consistent day-to-day engagement across our social media channels.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively across all UK departments, particularly Marketing and Campaigns, as well as with international colleagues, to maximise our impact for farmed animals.

Position Location: Remote, in the UK. Candidates should be prepared to travel to London once a month for in-person team meet-ups. Please note that travel for these routine office visits is self-funded. Occasional travel to Animal Equality events may be required, with all associated expenses fully covered.

For further information and to apply, please visit our website.

Application deadline: 5.00pm on Friday, 11th September 2026.

About Us
Young Life International is a fast-growing Christian charitable organisation. Our aim is to share the message of Jesus with young people all over the UK. We do this through building relationships with them and earning the right to be heard.

Our Operations team strives to help our staff and volunteers to thrive by anticipating, developing and delivering excellent operational services and our Finance team focuses specifically on providing excellent financial services in a Christ-centred way.

About the Role
As the Finance Co-ordinator you will build good relationships with the wider staff team and be a friendly and knowledgeable source of advice for all queries relating to finance. As a key member of the team, you will be the primary user of many existing processes, and will be the key person in implementing new systems we are planning to enable us to be more efficient. You thrive on knowing you are using both your numerical and organisational skills and your relational skills to support others.

More Details and How to Apply
Download the Application Pack for the following information:

• Welcome from the Operations Director

• How this role fits into the wider YLI and Operations Team

• Full Job Description and Person Specification

• Details of how to apply online (application form)

• Deadline and interview dates

• YLI Faith and Conduct Policies - check we're in alignment with one another's beliefs

Accessibility & Support 

We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments or accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know. You can reach out to us in confidence at the email in our application pack, and we will be happy to support you.

We care about your data privacy -  to find out more please visit our website to view our Privacy Policy.