Senior communication officer jobs in Manchester

The Vacancies

We are seeking to appoint one registered medical practitioner and one business registrant (Companies Committee), one lay member (Education Committee) and one optometrist (Standards Committee) to our Advisory Panel Companies Committee.

About the GOC
We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, performance, and conduct.  For more information about us please visit our website.

About the Advisory Panel
The Advisory Panel is a meeting of the four Council’s committees (Companies, Education, Registration, and Standards) in plenary session. They are established by statute for the purpose of giving advice and assistance to Council (whether or not in response to a request from them) on:

• matters relating to business registrants other than matters required by the Opticians Act to be referred to the Investigation Committee, the Registration Appeals, Committee or the Fitness to Practise Committee;
• matters relating to optical training, education, and assessment;
• matters relating to registration, other than matters required by the Opticians Act to be considered by the Registration Appeals Committee; and
• matters relating to the standards of conduct and performance expected of registrants or those seeking admission to the register.

Time Commitment and Remuneration

This role is part time with a commitment of approximately 2-3 days per year, including time spent preparing for meetings.  Meetings will usually take place via MS Teams but may on occasion be held at the GOC Offices in London or other suitable venues.

Members are paid up to £185 per meeting. This is taxable and subject to National Insurance (NI) contributions. This is in line with our member fees policy and member fee schedule.

How to apply

Please apply with the following:

• your CV outlining your employment history, any relevant voluntary work, public service, or other experience; together with any relevant professional, academic, or vocational qualifications (please keep this to two sides of A4);
• the application form (attached), stating how your experience matches the essential criteria for the vacancy you are applying for; and
• an EDI monitoring form (linked in the candidate pack) 

Please email your completed application quoting reference GOC01/26 to appointment@optical. org.

We would welcome applications from individuals who are disabled and from diverse ethnic backgrounds, as these are currently under-represented on our Council and committees.

For more information about these roles please download the candidate information pack attached.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: midnight Sunday 29 March 2026.

Online interviews will be held on 14,15,18 and 19 May 2026.

If you have any questions, please email them to appointment@optical. org and we will aim to respond to you within 48 hours. 

We strive to be as diverse as the public we protect and welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, and geographical locations outside of London.

Overview of Role:

Church Army is looking for an experienced ‘Apprenticeship Programme Lead’ to implement, support and develop our Youth Ministry Apprenticeship Programme, focusing on developing practitioners to inhabit the qualities outlined in the Ministerial Formation Framework.

Church Army has been awarded funding by the Church of England’s Resourcing Ministerial Formation Innovation Fund and the 30K Project to develop a three-year pilot project to develop Level 3 Apprenticeship Training for Church Based Youth Workers. This is part of the Church of England’s 30K Project, to raise up 30,000 new children and youth ministers (both voluntary and employed) by 2030.

The postholder will manage programme delivery, resources, quality assurance, assessment, and reporting, and will act as the main liaison with dioceses, training providers, and National Church Institutions, including using the Church of England grant management system. You will contribute to the design and review of training pathways, teach and assess apprentices, and oversee Ministerial Formation Tutors. You will ensure that training is aligned with emerging practice and national strategy.

Salary: £46,085 per annum

Hours:37.5  per week

Pension: Church Army is an auto enrolment pension employer. You will be assessed under pension auto enrolment criteria.

Annual Leave: 25 days, plus Bank Holidays (total 33 days)

Contract:Fixed-Term, 3 years.

DBS: A DBS check is not required for this post. However, all staff are expected to read and comply with Church Army’s Safer Ministry Policy.

Everyone in Church Army is responsible for making sure that Church Army has a safe and healthy safeguarding culture. We are committed to protecting the vulnerable and ensuring the highest possible safeguarding standards. We expect everyone in Church Army to be familiar and comply with our Safer Ministry Policy, undergo any safer recruitment processes, and report any concerns or behaviours they don’t think are right to a member of the safeguarding team or someone they trust.

Occupational Requirement:  This post is subject to an Occupational Requirement under the provisions made in the Equality Act 2010 that the post holder has an active faith in Jesus. The successful candidate must be in agreement with the vision and values of Church Army.

Application Deadline:31st March 2026

Interview Date:   17th April 2026

Next Steps:

For more information on the role, you can find the job description and person specification for the post here.

To apply, please download and complete a Faith Based Application Form  for this post. When you are ready to submit your application, please email your completed application form, in word format. 

PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT ACCEPT CVs

Do you share our dream of a UK where poverty is a thing of the past?  

Founded in 2019, the Poverty Truth Network believes this can only happen when those most impacted by poverty are at the heart of the movement to end it. Our specific contribution brings together people experiencing poverty with those with responsibilities for alleviating it.

We are now recruiting for an Administrative Coordinator to join our team. 

This is a key enabling role within a small, relational and values-led organisation. The Administrative Coordinator will provide coordinating and administrative support across the Network, helping ensure smooth systems, high-quality financial administrative and shared working practices across a dispersed team. 

You will be a highly organised and dependable administrator, with experience supporting finance and digital systems, and a clear commitment to social justice and relational ways of working. 

Key tasks include:

• Coordinating meetings, events and trustee processes 

• Providing hands-on finance administration, including bookkeeping using Xero 

• Supporting digital systems, CRM and data stewardship 

• Maintaining accurate records and shared documentation 

• Contributing to consistent, relational and accountable ways of working across the Network 

This role involves working from home with some travel. 

We welcome applications from people with the necessary skills and experience from all walks of life, particularly those from communities underrepresented in the charity sector. 

How to apply 

To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter (maximum 2 sides of A4) explaining how your skills and experience match this role. Please include the names and contact details of two referees (at least one of whom knows you in a professional capacity). 

The application deadline is 23:30 on Wednesday 25th March.

Interviews will be held online on 1st and 2nd April.

Applications will only be considered from applicants who already have the right to work within the United Kingdom.