Senior programme development manager jobs in Manchester

This is a very exciting opportunity as this is a brand new role within Kids and they are looking for someone who is able to lead a multidisciplinary team.

Kids is a national charity that supports disabled children, young people and their families, helping them to thrive and reach their full potential. Through a wide range of services, advice and advocacy, Kids empowers children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access opportunities, have their voices heard, and overcome barriers to inclusion.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Advocacy, you will lead and develop a multidisciplinary team spanning communications, policy and influencing, and youth voice. You will be responsible for shaping and delivering an ambitious communications and external affairs strategy that raises the profile of Kids, strengthens stakeholder relationships, and supports the charity's mission to create a world where all kinds of kids have all kinds of opportunities.

This role offers a unique opportunity to combine strategic communications leadership with public affairs, media engagement, campaigning and programme oversight. You will work closely with senior leaders across the organisation, providing expert advice on communications, reputation management and external engagement.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver an integrated communications and external affairs strategy aligned with organisational goals.
• Enhance the charity's profile with government decision makers, stakeholders and partners.
• Lead brand positioning and ensure consistent, compelling messaging across all channels.
• Oversee digital communications, including website, social media, email marketing and campaigns
• Provide leadership and oversight for youth participation and digital inclusion programmes.
   

We're looking for an experienced communications leader who can combine strategic thinking with hands-on delivery and who is passionate about creating positive change for disabled children and young people.

The appointed candidate will have:

• Significant experience leading multi-channel communications within a charity or values-led organisation.

• The ability to influence and advise senior stakeholders with confidence.
• A strong understanding of public affairs, policy, influencing and campaigning.

• Expertise across digital communications, brand management and content development.

• Line and team management with the ability to coach and develop

Closing date for applications:

1st September

TPP Recruitment is acting as the exclusive recruitment partner for Kids and will be managing all applications for this role.

TPP and Kids are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience and those with protected characteristics that are currently underrepresented within our workforce.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.

Research and Policy Officer 
Job Description 

About DigitalCare Hub 

Digital technology helps care services spend more time caring. It helps the people we support keep control of their lives, and of their care. Over the last few years, the need for information to be shared securely and efficiently between health and care services has become even moreapparent. But this introduces new risks – for example how information is kept safe and secure, and what happens if a digital system fails. 

This is a shared role across DigitalCare HubandtheBetter Security, Better Careprogramme which wemanage. 

Digital Care Hubis runwithsocialcare,for social care.The Digital Care Hub provides free information,guidanceand support to enable adult social care providers to make the most of digital technology – and to do it safely. 

We are an independent, not-for profit, Community Interest Company, guided by care providers, so we understand the needs and challenges facing the diverse range of organisations in our sector. 

Better Security, BetterCareis a support programme– funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed by Digital Care Hub -to help adult social care providers to store and share information safelyby using the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). The DSPT is a free, online self-assessment for health and care providers to evaluate and improve their data and cyber security. 

The programme is delivered by acentral team and our local support organisations across the country. Most of these support organisations arelocal care provider trade associations. We also work closely with colleagues from the NHS, ADASS, DHSC and local councils. 

About you and the role 

We're looking for an inquisitive, analytical and collaborativeResearch and Policy Officerto join our growing team. 

You'll play a key role in helping Digital Care Hub become the leading source of evidence, insight and practical guidance on digital transformation, data, AI and cybersecurity in adult social care. 

Working across our national programmes, you'll design and deliver research projects, analyse policy developments, engage with providers and partners, and translate complex issues into clear, practical resources that help the sector improve. You'll contribute to consultation responses, produce reports and briefings, support national events and webinars, and help us demonstrate the impact of our work. 

This is a varied role that combines research, policy development, stakeholder engagement and programme delivery. No two weeks will look the same—you could be facilitating a roundtable with care providers, analysing survey data, drafting a briefing for government, interviewing providers for a case study or helping develop new guidance on AI in social care. 

You'll work closely with colleagues across Digital Care Hub and our national partners, taking an entrepreneurial approach to identifying emerging issues, generating insight and turning evidence into action. You'll report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and will have the opportunity to shape the development of our research and policy function as the organisation continues to grow. 

Key Responsibilities 

Research and Insight 

• Design and deliver research projects. 

• Develop surveys and analyse data. 

• Conduct interviews and focus groups. 

• Facilitate provider roundtables. 

• Review policy and academic literature. 

• Produce evidence summaries. 

• Identify emerging issues across digital health and adult social care. 

Policy Development 

• Draft policy papers and consultation responses. 

• Translate research into practical recommendations. 

• Produce briefings for government, boards and senior leaders. 

• Track developments across DHSC, NHS England, CQC and ICO. 

• Support Digital Care Hub policy positions. 

Programme Delivery 

• Support grant funded programmes. 

• Develop guidance and resources. 

• Produce webinar materials and case studies. 

• Coordinate advisory groups. 

• Support monitoring and evaluation. 

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Build relationships with providers and representative bodies. 

• Collaborate with universities, government and sector partners. 

• Engage technology suppliers where appropriate. 

Communications 

• Write reports, briefings and newsletters. 

• Draft articles and presentations. 

• Support thought leadership. 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

• Develop outcome measures. 

• Analyse programme impact. 

• Produce evaluation reports. 

• Identify lessons learned. 

Person Specification 

Essential 

• Degree or equivalent experience. 

• Experience designing research projects. 

• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills. 

• Excellent written communication. 

• Ability to explain complex subjects clearly. 

• Excellent organisational skills. 

Desirable 

• Charity experience. 

• Knowledge of digital transformation. 

• Understanding of AI and cybersecurity. 

• Experience evaluating programmes. 

• Experience working with government. 

 
Main terms and conditions 

• £36,000 per annum including pension. 

• Full timefixed term12 month fixed term contract 

• Homebased,withsometravelacross England 

• 28 days annual leave plus Bank holidays 

Head of Communications & Public Affairs 

Salary: Up to £62k depending on experience
Location: Remote, with regular planned travel nationwide, particularly to London and the South, plus attendance at monthly and quarterly team meetings
Hours: Full Time, 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent

We're looking for an exceptional communications leader to join Help for Heroes as our Head of Communications & Public Affairs. This is a rare opportunity to shape how one of the UK's most recognised charities engages with the media, policymakers, supporters and the wider public, ensuring the voices of veterans and their families are heard where it matters most.

Leading our integrated communications, public affairs, policy and PR activity, you'll develop influential campaigns that continue to strengthen our reputation, support fundraising and drive meaningful change for the Armed Forces community. Working closely with senior leaders across the charity, you'll act as a trusted adviser, bringing insight into the political, media and stakeholder landscape while helping to navigate the opportunities and risks that affect our mission.

This is a high-profile leadership role for someone who combines strategic thinking with outstanding delivery, thrives on building influential relationships and wants to use their expertise to create lasting impact for those who have served our country.

Please see below for more information on what just might be your future role.

About the Role

As Head of Communications & Public Affairs, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping how the charity is seen, heard and understood by the public, media, policymakers and supporters. Ensuring the experiences of veterans and their families remain at the heart of national conversations and decision-making.

• Developing and delivering an integrated communications, public affairs and policy strategy that advances the charity's mission and influence.
• Leading high-profile campaigns that raise awareness, support fundraising objectives and drive systemic change for the Armed Forces community.
• Building influential relationships with media, government, political stakeholders, partner organisations and sector leaders.
• Acting as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, providing strategic counsel on reputation, stakeholder engagement, public policy and emerging issues
• Leading the charity's press office, crisis communications activity, ambassador programme and external reputation management
• Developing, inspiring and coaching a high-performing team, fostering innovation, collaboration and measurable impact.

About You

Are you a strategic communications leader who knows how to turn insight into action and ambition into results?

Do you have a strong track record of leading integrated communications, public affairs, policy or campaigning activity that has built reputation, influenced decision-makers and delivered measurable impact?

Can you confidently navigate complex issues, build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and provide clear, credible counsel?

Are you equally comfortable shaping long-term strategy, responding to fast-moving external events and spotting opportunities to raise the profile and influence of an organisation?

If you're passionate about telling powerful stories, understand the UK media and political landscape, and enjoy leading talented teams to achieve ambitious goals, we'd love to hear from you.

You'll bring significant senior-level experience across communications, public affairs or policy, alongside expertise in media relations, stakeholder engagement and reputation management.

Most importantly, you'll be motivated by the opportunity to use your skills, networks and leadership to improve outcomes for veterans and their families.

About the Team

You’ll join our ambitious Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs directorate, a team dedicated to amplifying the voices of veterans and their families and ensuring their experiences influence public understanding and decision-making.

We are a collaborative, creative, and purpose-driven team that works across the charity to tell powerful stories, build meaningful relationships and create lasting impact. Together, we’re passionate about helping the Armed Forces community get the support they deserve.

In return we can offer you:

• Belonging to a team who make a difference to our community and value equality, diversity and inclusion.
• 29 days’ annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, regardless of service — plus your birthday off to celebrate!
• Opportunity to buy and sell up to 5 days annual leave per year.
• Added to our free health scheme from day one, including discounts on dental, opticians, massages, and more - with the option to upgrade.
• 3 volunteer days per year to support the Help for Heroes community.
• A generous salary sacrifice pension scheme with an 8% employer contribution and a minimum 3% employee contribution, plus life insurance up to 4× salary as an active member.

Closing date: 23rd August 2026

Interview Process: Two stage process with an initial competency based interview and second round stage involving a task.

First round interviews to be held in person or via Teams 4th/7th/8th or 9th September.

Second Round in person 16th or 22nd September.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of strong applications.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Back Up is an organisation that has inspired and supported people affected by spinal cord injury to get the most out of life for almost 40 years.

Today, the organisation is leading the way in helping people adjust positively to life after a spinal cord injury. The organisation's services are delivered by people who've been there, who understand the journey, and know how to support others. Whether it's building practical skills through wheelchair skills training, boosting confidence via participation in life-changing courses, or supporting families through challenging times, Back Up is there for everyone affected by spinal cord injury.
Charity People is delighted to be supporting this incredible organisation to recruit for a Freelance Website Project Manager who will lead on the project management of a brand new website for the organisation.

Freelance Website Project Manager
Contract: Freelance, part time role working two to three days per week, for around one year
Day rate: £210 per day
Location: Homebased role with very occasional travel to the organisation's London office
Closing date for applications: 9am on Friday 28th August
Interviews: Interviews will be held week 7th September

Leading the full website redesign project, and working closely with the Director of Communications and Marketing at Back Up, this role will be responsible for identifying and secure a suitable agency partner, and then leading the management of the full lifecycle of the project through discovery, design, build, launch, post launch troubleshooting and evaluation.

Core responsibilities within the role will include:

• Procurement and agency selection including developing a shortlisting framework; evaluation of proposals and leading contract negotiation and onboarding
• Project planning and governance including refining project plans and key milestones, ensuring alignment with senior stakeholders
• Lead the discovery phase of the website redevelopment including working with Back Up Services team to identify and contact service users that could be involved in user discovery workshops and testing; work with agency to define user needs, personas, and journeys, and to organise and deliver stakeholder workshops to inform design and content structure
• Support content audit, information architecture development, migration and content development
• Oversee design process to ensure user-centred approach, providing critical review and challenge of agency outputs
• Ensure accessibility (WCAG), inclusivity, and best practice UX
• Monitor build progress against agreed scope and timelines
• Ensure technical quality, performance, SEO, and CMS usability, and oversee integrations (e.g. CRM, donations, third-party tools)
• Coordinate content migration planning
• Define and manage testing plan, ensuring issues are resolved prior to launch and supporting internal readiness
• Oversee launch planning, including risk mitigation and rollback plans
• Work with communications and marketing team to plan communications to stakeholders about new website
• Post launch, support initial optimisation and troubleshooting; review performance against objectives and provide recommendations for ongoing development and improvement

Other responsibilities

• Work with communications and marketing team to support other aspects of digital work such as reviewing and managing GoogleAds programme and exploring options for a digital asset management tool

We would love to see applications from individuals with the following skills and experience:

• Proven experience delivering similar website redevelopment projects (ideally in charity or public sector)
• Strong experience running digital agency procurement processes
• Expertise in UX, accessibility, and content-led websites
• Understanding of CMS platforms and integrations
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Ability to challenge constructively and drive quality outcomes
• Strong content writing and presentation skills
• Experience of managing developing and managing GoogleAds to support communications and marketing team is desirable but not essential

If you're interested in hearing more about this opportunity, please send your CV to Alice at Charity People in the first instance. 

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability, and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so we can help make the application process work for you.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

Corporate Partnerships (Fundraising) Senior Lead 

Salary: £47,463 to £51,090 FTE (offer dependent on experience) pro rated at 0.6 FTE, plus £312 p.a working from home allowance (see below for more details on remuneration)

Contract: Part-time (0.6 FTE), permanent, remote first/home-based. 

Location: Remote, but with the expectation of flexibility to travel regularly to London and occasionally to other locations in the UK. (Applicants residing outside mainland UK will not be considered.)

About Voice 21 

Oracy is our ability to articulate our ideas, develop understanding, and engage with others through speaking, listening and communication. Like reading, writing and maths, oracy is fundamental for learning and life. Every child should be taught how to use their voice to thrive in education and beyond. Voice 21 is the national charity on a mission to secure high quality oracy education for every child. We know that teaching oracy skills improves children’s confidence, wellbeing, engagement and attainment. We support teachers and school leaders to weave oracy into everyday teaching and whole-school culture, to transform learning and outcomes for their pupils. We focus where we can make the most difference, in state schools that serve economically disadvantaged pupils. We also work to influence national policy and champion oracy across the education system. Follow the links to find out more about why oracy is so vital and the impact Voice 21 has. 

About this role 

Voice 21 is a rapidly growing national charity with a bold new strategy to 2030 and ambitious plans to double its fundraised income over the strategic period. We see significant potential for the corporate sector to engage with our work and support our mission to transform education and outcomes for young people. We are looking for an experienced corporate fundraising specialist to drive growth of our burgeoning Corporate Partnerships programme, unlock exciting new opportunities for support, and lead on developing new voluntary income from corporate partnerships. 

In this role, you will champion creative, insight-driven new business development and account management, ensuring partnerships are meaningful, mutually beneficial, and aligned with our mission. The role will encompass research and qualification, engagement of potential corporate partners, developing propositions and proposals, pitching and securing new partners, and relationship building and stewardship. This opportunity will suit someone proactive and self-motivated, with demonstrable experience of developing new corporate partnerships income from scratch, who is comfortable working independently, skilled in building relationships at all levels, and driven by Voice 21’s mission.

Main responsibilities 

• Working collaboratively across the organisation to build trusted relationships internally, maximise opportunities, and ensure corporate partnerships support our strategic objectives.

• Identifying and delivering opportunities to develop new partnerships, securing and onboarding new corporate partners through targeted engagement.

• Building and maintaining sustainable relationships with corporate contacts, ensuring excellent engagement and stewardship.

• Building and managing a robust pipeline of prospective partners, ensuring a strategic and targeted approach to new business.

• Collaborating across teams to shape and deliver high-value, mutually beneficial partnership proposals that align with organisational priorities. 

• Providing strategic support to the Head of Fundraising and Senior Leadership Team, ensuring where appropriate that senior colleagues are fully briefed and prepared.

• Contributing your sector knowledge, expertise and specialist insights to inform strategy and innovation and assist decision-making.

Your progression 

 Within 1 month, you’ll:

• Learn about the organisation, our mission, impact and case for support; understand our supporters, our fundraising strategy and activities; connect with colleagues and start to build key relationships. 

Within 3 months, you’ll:

• Review corporate partnerships strategy; build targeted list of new corporate prospects; develop partnerships propositions with colleagues. 

 Within 6 months, you’ll:

• own and start to execute corporate partnership strategy; drive pipeline development and prospect engagement; set longer term objectives and KPIs for the programme. 

Person specification 

• Demonstrable experience of setting up a corporate fundraising programme, with a track record of securing five-figure+ relationships and raising income to target.

• Knowledge and/or experience of a wide range of corporate income streams, from strategic partnerships and sponsorships, to cause-related marketing, employee engagement, gifts in kind, etc.

• Strong commercial awareness, with ability to identify and prioritise high-value opportunities. 

• Proactivity and assertiveness, with the ability to recognise and act on new opportunities, along with the tenacity to secure meetings. 

• Experience of building a portfolio of corporate sector prospects and managing a pipeline of opportunities. Ideally with experience of using Salesforce (or another CRM system) to manage pipelines, track performance, and report on outcomes.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships at all levels, negotiating and influencing to achieve successful outcomes. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confident and engaging presentation abilities.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

• Knowledge of fundraising legislation, ethics, compliance, and data protection requirements.

• Self-motivated, comfortable working autonomously, and able to take ownership of own performance. Comfortable in a fast-paced, iterative culture.

Who you’ll work with: Your line manager will be the Head of Fundraising. There is also a full-time Fundraising Officer in the team who will provide some support for this role. The postholder should expect to work regularly with the CEO and wider leadership team. Fundraising sits within Voice 21’s Operations Directorate.

Where you’ll work: All Voice 21 staff work remotely and this is a home-based role, with some travel expected to our London office (near Victoria station) and elsewhere for meetings. Occasional overnight stays may be required. Voice 21 pays all travel and accommodation expenses.

Why work for Voice 21?

Tackle a vital challenge, with great people. Voice 21 exists to transform children's learning and life chances through talk and we are aiming to be working with 2000 schools a year by 2025. To reach this goal we recruit great people and give them real responsibility, training and support. 

Output focused culture, with flexible working opportunities. We have an agile and flexible approach; our team can work when and wherever works best to deliver the requirements of their role. For staff working at home, we support them to create a workspace and provide technology that enables them to work effectively. 

Real development opportunities. We believe in supporting people to develop the skills they need to be excellent - whether this means funding external training, finding a mentor to support them or giving them the time to learn from others in the organisations through our regular CPD sessions. We also offer paid study leave for team members taking part in formal studies outside of work.

Great benefits. 36 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays and a 3 day Christmas closure period). Holiday entitlement increases linked to length of service, 5% employer contribution to pension, interest-free season ticket, cycle and technology loans, employee assistance scheme. 

Remuneration. Our pay is a band and spine point approach, whereby up to 7 years (depending on starting point) annual pay progression is automatically available.

How to apply

Please submit your C.V. clearly summarising your work experience and achievements, along with a written statement (max. length 1,000 words / 2 sides of A4) that addresses these three questions: 

1. Please tell us about the highest value corporate partnership you have personally secured and which you developed from start to finish:

• How did you go about identifying the prospect and opportunity?

• How did you go about developing the relationship before you secured the partnership?

• What were the features of the partnership and what was the value for the charity and the company?

• What was your role in developing the pitch and how did you go about landing the deal?

• What was the outcome and/or impact of securing this partnership?

1. Reflecting on the example you have shared, what did you learn from this experience? And how does that learning show up in your approach to corporate partnerships fundraising? 

1. What interests you about Voice 21, and about undertaking this role specifically? What do you anticipate will be the challenges and opportunities in this role? 

Closing date:  9am Monday 24th August. (We reserve the right to close applications before the stated closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications is received.)

Interview dates: 1st stage virtual interviews (via Zoom) expected to be held on Thursday 27th August. Candidates progressing to 2nd stage will be invited to interview in person at our central London office, expected to be on Wednesday 2nd September.

Valuing every voice

Voice 21 believes that every voice should be heard and valued. We are committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do 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. 

Voice 21 is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us. By offering a salary range, we demonstrate our commitment to considering a wide range of applicants who may bring different perspectives and levels of experience.

Hours: 30–35 hours per week
Location: Home-based*
Reporting to: CEO

*This is a home-based role. However, the successful candidate will need to be based within reasonable travelling distance of London and our programme activity, with the ability to travel to meetings and visits within a day where required. We therefore anticipate that applicants based in Scotland, Ireland, West Wales or the far South West may find the role impractical.

This position is being re-advertised; previous candidates need not apply.

Be part of a mission that's transforming children's futures through food, farming and the countryside

For more than 45 years, The Country Trust has been connecting children from the UK's most disadvantaged communities with the land that sustains us all. Through inspiring farm visits, food education and countryside experiences, we've already reached more than 600,000 children, and we're just getting started.

We're entering an exciting new chapter as we develop our next organisational strategy, and we're looking for an experienced fundraising leader to help shape our future.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an ambitious and strategic fundraiser to join our Senior Leadership Team and lead the next phase of our income growth, enabling even more children to benefit from our life-changing programmes.

About the role

As Head of Fundraising, you'll provide strategic leadership across all fundraising activity while remaining hands-on in securing major income and developing key relationships.

You'll lead a dedicated fundraising team, drive innovation, strengthen fundraising systems and processes, and develop a sustainable fundraising strategy that diversifies income across:

• Trusts and foundations
• Corporate partnerships
• Major donors
• Individual giving
• Legacies
• Gaming and Streaming for Good
• Emerging fundraising opportunities

Working closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, Digital and IT colleagues, you'll help embed new fundraising systems, champion data-driven decision making and ensure fundraising excellence across the organisation.

About you

We're looking for an inspiring fundraising leader who combines strategic thinking with practical delivery.

You'll bring:

• Significant senior-level fundraising leadership experience
• A proven track record of securing substantial income across multiple fundraising streams
• Experience developing and delivering fundraising strategies that drive sustainable growth
• Strong leadership skills with experience developing high-performing teams
• Excellent relationship-building, communication and influencing skills
• Financial and commercial awareness, including budgeting and forecasting
• Knowledge of fundraising regulation, GDPR and fundraising best practice
• A passion for improving opportunities for disadvantaged children

Experience developing new income streams, digital fundraising and CRM systems would be particularly valuable.

Why join us?

At The Country Trust, you'll be joining an ambitious charity where collaboration, learning and innovation are at the heart of everything we do.

We offer:

• Flexible working
• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (FTE)
• Workplace pension
• Homeworking allowance
• Mileage and agreed travel expenses
• A supportive, values-led culture
• The opportunity to shape our future strategy and make a lasting difference to children's lives

We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the communities we serve and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Key dates
Closing date: 11:59pm, Sunday 13th September
Interviews from: Monday 21st September
 

The Country Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

This is a key role in a small and ambitious Communications and Events team, which will sit at the intersection of day-to-day strategic oversight and hands-on delivery. You will develop and deliver engaging marketing and digital campaigns, in line with organisational and communications priorities, manage our year-round events programme, strengthen our community engagement and ensure consistently high standards across Climate Spring’s marketing, digital and events activity.

This role will be perfect for a motivated and experienced marketing and events all-rounder. To excel in this role, you will need to be proactive, highly organised, detail-oriented as well as able to independently manage complex projects and build strong relationships with internal teams and external partners. 

Key responsibilities:

Marketing and community engagement

• Lead the planning and delivery of cross-channel marketing plans (including digital campaigns, events and outreach) to promote Climate Spring’s industry programmes, initiatives and projects, alongside wider organisational campaigns.

• Develop and deliver audience and community engagement strategies that increase participation, strengthen audience journeys and build lasting relationships with our creative community, alumni and industry partners.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to identify priority audiences and community needs, ensuring that the right people are - and stay - engaged through relevant activity and events.

• Develop and manage partnerships and cross-promotional opportunities to extend the reach and impact of Climate Spring’s work.

• Work with industry and production partners to support and collaborate on the marketing and promotion of Climate Spring-supported film and TV projects. 

• Oversee the effective use of planning tools, calendars and reporting processes for marketing, campaigns and events.

• Track performance across campaigns and events, using data, insights and feedback to make recommendations and improve future activity.
   

Brand management and content oversight

• Act as a guardian of Climate Spring’s brand, ensuring consistency, quality and professionalism across all digital, marketing and event materials.

• Provide editorial and visual oversight of presentations, assets and digital content, ensuring that materials align with Climate Spring’s brand guidelines and messaging. 

• Review and provide feedback on copy and materials produced by junior team members, including newsletters, digital content, event materials and other promotional assets.

• Oversee the implementation and use of branded templates, brand guidelines and internal processes, ensuring consistency and quality of marketing, digital and event materials throughout. 

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation and with our creative community to identify stories, opportunities and insights that support audience engagement and the promotion of Climate Spring’s work.

• Support senior colleagues with the creation of high-quality presentations and branded materials for meetings, presentations and speaking engagements.

• Contribute creative ideas and direction for digital campaigns and associated digital content.

Event management

• Lead the delivery of Climate Spring’s programme of online and in-person events, including timelines, invitations, registrations, logistics, suppliers, communications and post-event activity.

• Ensure events are delivered to a consistently high standard and provide an excellent attendee and participant experience.

• Support the delivery of Climate Spring community building events, in collaboration with internal teams.

• Work with the Head of Communications and Events to support Climate Spring’s presence at international film and TV festivals and industry markets.

Operational and team management

• Working with the Head of Communications to maintain and support clear workflows, processes and quality control for marketing, communications and event activity across the organisation. 

• Identify opportunities to improve ways of working and professionalise internal workflows for marketing, digital and events.

• Line-manage and support the professional development of the Communications and Marketing Coordinator.

• Act as a deputy for the Head of Communications and Events as required.

• Identify where specialist support is required, such as graphic design, photography or video production, and manage freelancers as required.

Essential experience and skills

• Experience in a marketing, campaigns or communications role, delivering measurable impact on organisational reach, profile or audience engagement.

• Experience developing and delivering integrated marketing activity across multiple channels, using insights and feedback to improve activity.

• Proven experience delivering successful online and in-person events from planning through to evaluation, ensuring a high-quality attendee or participant experience.

• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently, maintain effective workflows and deliver projects to a high standard.

• Experience growing and engaging communities around programmes, events or initiatives, demonstrating a strong understanding of audience engagement.

• Excellent written and editorial skills, with experience reviewing, editing and quality assuring content.

• A strong visual eye and understanding of branding, with experience using Canva or other design software to create or adapt and oversee high-quality, on-brand materials.

• Experience using email marketing platforms, content management systems and analytics tools to plan, deliver and evaluate activity.

• Experience line-managing, coaching and developing colleagues, creating a supportive and collaborative team environment.

• Experience managing external suppliers or freelancers, ensuring projects are delivered on time, budget and to a high standard.

• Ability to proactively assess and improve internal processes, systems or ways of working to increase efficiency, consistency and quality.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to swiftly build relationships with teams, partners and external stakeholders.

Desirable experience and skills

• Experience delivering paid digital marketing activity.

• Experience using CRM systems to support audience development and segmentation.

• Advanced design skills with experience creating high-quality branded templates and marketing assets from scratch.

• Experience creating and editing video content for digital marketing and social media.

• Experience working in the film and TV industry or the wider creative and entertainment sector.

• Demonstrable knowledge of climate, sustainability and environmental issues.

How to apply

If your skills and experience meet the above requirements, please apply by;

1. A CV outlining relevant employment history, qualifications and experience (maximum two pages)

2. Supporting statement (maximum one page)

As part of the statement, please answer the following questions:

• What interests you about this role and why would you like to work with Climate Spring?

• Tell us about a campaign, initiative or event you are particularly proud of. What was your role, and what impact did you have?

• Describe a time when you improved a process, supported a team member or led a complex project. What did you do, and what was the outcome?

Throughout your supporting statement, we encourage you to use specific examples to illustrate your experience and skills, rather than repeating what’s outlined on your CV.

Please note that AI-generated applications will not be considered.

3. Work samples

Please include up to five examples of relevant work (PDF, links or similar). For each example, please include a very brief description of your role in the project/example.

4. Please also fill out this recruitment monitoring formwhen you apply. 

Deadline for applications:  Wednesday, 9th September, 5pm BST

First stage interviews: scheduled for w/c 21st September

Second stage interviews: scheduled for w/c 28th September 

The School for Social Entrepreneurs backs people with purpose — entrepreneurs building organisations that change their communities. We're looking for a National Partnerships Lead to work directly with our CEO, driving high-priority national funding partnerships, diversifying our income, and building the relationships that fund our impact. 

You'll identify major funding opportunities, negotiate with trusts, corporates and government partners, and lead complex proposals from first conversation through to a signed agreement — including the budgets, risk assessments and value propositions behind them. You'll also act as a sounding board for the CEO, pressure-testing ideas and sharpening how we tell our story to funders. 

We're looking for sustained experience supporting a CEO or senior leader, a track record of leading multi-million pound funding initiatives end-to-end, and the versatile writing skills to move between board papers and detailed funder tenders without losing accuracy under pressure. Sharp budgeting and numeracy matter for this role, alongside real comfort building trust with senior external stakeholders. 

This position is for someone who thrives on ambiguity, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants their work to directly fund entrepreneurs changing their communities. 

NCT is the national charity for pregnancy, birth, infant feeding and early parenthood. 

Our vision is simple: a society where everyone who becomes a parent feels confident, connected and safe. 

Through our For Every Parent strategy, we're working to make that vision a reality. We support parents with trusted information, practical help, local communities and a stronger voice in the issues that matter to families. 

For 70 years, we've been by parents' sides through the excitement, uncertainty, wonder and challenges of becoming a parent. Today, our volunteers contribute more than 70,000 hours of community service each year, helping parents build friendships, find support and feel less alone. 

We educate and empower parents with evidence-based information and support. We advocate and act by listening to parents' experiences, raising their voices and campaigning for change. No judgement. No exceptions. 

About the role 

• We are seeking an experienced People and Inclusion (P&I) professional to join our passionate team and contribute to the meaningful work that transforms the lives of parents and families. Your role will work within a small P&I team, which is part of our overall Organisational Services Directorate.  Key duties include:
• Deep and proactive partnering with our charity’s managers as a trusted advisor on People and Inclusion matters across the employee lifecycle.  We rely on our talented staff team to deliver a range of important services for all parents so need our people to feel included, connected and supported to do their best work; 
• Efficient management of People administration and the operational People function to deliver an excellent employee experience.  This will include ensuring our HR System (IRIS Cascade) is optimised for our teams, delivering timely and accurate management data to inform decision-making and ensuring our People policies and practices operate at a minimum in line with employment legislation and aspire to be best practice throughout.  You will manage our People and Inclusion Coordinator and will partner with the Payroll team; 
• Leading the delivery and continuous development of employee equity, inclusion and wellbeing initiatives that support diversity and create belonging for all of our people.  Ensuring that equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is embedded across all of our work is one of our Charity’s key strategic aims; 
• Taking a remote first approach as we have a home-based workforce and working in in partnership with the communications team to deliver motivational, supportive and informative updates alongside connection and engagement opportunities; 
• Build focussed management development, learning and community-building opportunities for our People managers. 

About you: 

• You will relish the opportunity to work in a values-driven, collaborative and parent focussed organisation where our commitment to ED&I is central to all of our work; 
• You thrive in a busy operational environment with multiple priorities, and you enjoy taking a pragmatic and strategically detailed approach to improving imperfect processes and systems.  You also prioritise building positive relationships and collaborating with colleagues. 
• You will have a CIPD Level 5 Qualification (or demonstrable equivalent) and will demonstrate an interest in continuing professional development, including ensuring you are up-to-date with the practical implementation of UK employment legislation and People best practice; 
• You will have significant previous experience operating as a People Business Partner, People and Inclusion Manager or senior HR/People Advisor or similar across the full employee lifecycle.  Your key experience will include: overseeing the efficient and effective deployment and development of an HR system; effective partnering with managers; analysing People data and trends; developing and embedding ED&I principles and practices; and supporting organisational change projects. 

We are seeking an ambitious and motivated Head of Research to oversee the delivery of our research funding programme. You will ensure our funding is delivered strategically with the greatest impact possible for people affected by MND. You will manage our research team to oversee the development and delivery of effective funding schemes, partnerships and initiatives, whilst ensuring the outputs of our research are monitored and evaluated, to communicate our impact and inform our future activities.

This is a key role in our small, agile organisation that will involve close working across the charity, and the research community. We are looking for someone with strong experience in research and people management, working experience in drug discovery, with excellent communication skills and strong motivation to make a difference for people affected by MND. 

Team Structure: 

You will report to the Director of Research and manage a team of four: three Research Programme Managers and a Research Officer. 

Key responsibilities: 

• Have day-to-day responsibility for distribution of the charity’s research funding, developing detailed annual plans and delivering against time and budget; 

• Be responsible for overseeing governance and compliance for all research funding activities, including adherence to standards set by the Association of Medical Research Charities; 

• Identify opportunities for improvements to grant management systems, processes and documentation and work closely with the research team to ensure they are implemented; 

• Maintain oversight of the research programme budget, working closely with the research and finance teams to plan, monitor and forecast; 

• Oversee the development and implementation of new funding schemes and research initiatives to ensure our funds are delivered for maximum impact and address gaps in the research landscape; 

• Oversee the setup and delivery of large collaborative research programmes including managing relationships with joint funders and other partner organisations; 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the research community, including members of our review committees and grant holders; 

• Oversee the development and implementation of a robust impact evaluation framework to monitor, report and evaluate the impact of the research we fund and use this information to inform our future funding activities; 

• Ensure the outputs of our research funding activities inform the work of the charity, working with the research and communication teams to create and disseminate compelling and engaging scientific content to engage supporters and drive income; 

• Maintain a strong understanding of the MND research landscape, using those insights to inform our research activities; 

• Develop a high performing team, ensuring team members are supported and developed to contribute to their full potential in the achievement of the charity’s aims; 

• Oversee the delivery of research events e.g. annual meetings to bring together our researchers; 

• Support the development and implementation of future research strategies, working closely with the Director of Research; 

• Represent the Foundation at external meetings including international conferences; 

• Deputise for the Director of Research as required; 

• Undertake other appropriate work as required by the Director of Research. 

Skills and experience required: 

• Educated to postgraduate level, or with similar experience in a relevant biomedical science subject e.g. biochemistry, molecular sciences, neuroscience, pharmacology; 

• Working experience of drug discovery, gained either in the bio-pharmaceutical industry or an academic setting; 

• Significant experience in research management, ideally within a charity or government funding organisation; 

• Proven leadership and people management skills with direct line management experience; 

• The ability to think strategically, navigate uncertainty and adapt to evolving environments; 

• A great communicator, with excellent written and oral skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders; 

• Motivated to make a real difference for those living with MND and future generations. 

Please note, this role involves occasional overnight stays from home, occasional international travel and occasional attendance at meetings and events during evenings and weekends. Candidates must have the existing right to work in the UK.

About Us

We Are Survivors is a survivor-focused voluntary sector organisation that aims to create and facilitate safe spaces for male (including trans and non-binary individuals) survivors of sexual harms across Greater Manchester, providing access to quality-assured support. Our work is focused on developing ways for individuals to empower themselves to work through personal and sometimes painful issues, guided and supported by our trauma-informed team, following the trauma and recovery model.

Our vision is to have “A society where NO male survivor is left behind”

About the Roles

At We Are Survivors, every role exists for one reason: to support male survivors of sexual harms and the people who stand alongside them. While each position has a different focus, they all contribute to providing safe, effective and trauma-informed services that help survivors and their loved ones move forward.

Head of Support and Advocacy

The Head of Support and Advocacy provides operational leadership across We Are Survivors’ support and advocacy services. Working closely with the Service Director, Operations Director and Executive Team, the role ensures services are effective, well governed and meet the needs of survivors and their loved ones. This includes overseeing our trauma-informed, survivor-centred approach; monitoring service performance; safeguarding and record-keeping; and ensuring contractual commitments and quality standards are met. The role also represents the organisation in external partnerships and helps shape services in response to changes in policy, evidence and the needs of people with lived experience.

About You

Head of Support and Advocacy

You’ll be an experienced operational or clinical leader who is comfortable overseeing services that work with trauma, mental health and complex needs. You’ll understand how to balance compassionate, survivor-centred practice with effective governance, safeguarding, quality assurance and contractual performance. Experience of working with men, sexual harms or people with lived experience would be valuable, alongside the ability to build strong relationships with staff, partners and stakeholders. Most importantly, you’ll be someone who can lead with clarity, curiosity and care while helping services continue to learn and improve.

Why Join Us?

· a competitive salary.

· annual leave package with incremental rises plus bank holidays.

· company sick pay.

· Birthday annual leave.

· monthly clinical supervision.

· pension contribution.

· and a range of discount and benefit programmes.

As our Digital Fundraising & Campaigns Lead, you’ll manage and oversee the delivery of our digital fundraising and donor acquisition activities, ensuring campaigns are innovative, data-driven and aligned with our mission.

Leading a small, talented team of marketing and campaign professionals, you’ll lead the campaign development function in cross-departmental planning, including events that drive donor acquisition and fundraising.

You’ll help us tell powerful stories, deepen engagement and help grow our community of supporters, shaping end-to-end integrated digital campaigns that build and strengthen relationships and help us bring hope and practical aid to remote communities.

Alongside campaign strategy and execution, you’ll be involved in paid media activity and digital performance, providing strategic oversight, guiding agency relationships and driving continuous improvement.

Additionally, you will:

- Deliver campaigns, events, and digital initiatives
- Act as a trusted adviser to senior leadership on digital strategy
- Lead the planning and delivery of events and volunteer engagement at festivals
- Ensure budgets are well managed, and campaigns are delivered efficiently
- Develop and evaluate digital performance metrics and reporting

About You

To join us as our Digital Fundraising & Campaigns Lead, you will need:

- At least five years’ experience in digital fundraising and marketing in a charity or mission-driven organisation
- A minimum of two years’ management experience leading digital fundraising or marketing teams
- Experience writing, reviewing, and editing copy for a variety of audiences and users
- Experience in project management
- The ability to communicate clearly, assertively, and diplomatically at all levels
- Demonstrable success in developing and delivering multi-channel digital campaigns with measurable impact
- Demonstrable expertise in paid media strategy and optimisation (Google Ads, Meta, programmatic, etc.)
- Strong creative ideation and direction skills
- A data-driven approach with experience using analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, CRM platforms)
- Excellent and proven stakeholder management and influencing skills
- A deep understanding of digital trends, donor behaviour, and fundraising compliance

This is a remote role with a once a month visit to our Folkestone office. 

Role Overview
We are seeking an ambitious, commercially minded, and relationship-driven Charity Partnerships Lead to establish and grow our corporate and strategic partnerships programme. This is a newly created role, offering an exciting opportunity to shape our partnerships strategy, develop a robust new business pipeline, and secure sustainable income that enables us to deliver greater impact for the players Beyond the Game. The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, securing, and managing high-value partnerships with businesses and individuals and other entities. They will work collaboratively across the Foundation to develop compelling partnership propositions that align organisational priorities with partners' corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social and governance (ESG), employee engagement, and community investment objectives. This role is suited to an experienced charity partnerships professional, who has a proven track record of winning new business and delivering significant income growth within the third sector.

Job Title: Charity Partnerships Lead
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Location: Home Based with travel into London and overseas, when required. There is likely
to be a need to travel to Hong Kong and Australia once or twice per year.

Salary: £60,000 pro rata
Hours: Part Time - 3 days per week (or equivalent)
Contract: Fixed Term Contract until December 2027 with potential to extend beyond this and/or convert to full time.
Start date: September 2026

Who We Are
The Global Rugby Players Foundation is a registered charity set up to support players’ smooth transition into their life Beyond the Game. The Foundation was created by our eleven Founders (Alicia Lucas, Conrad Smith, Census Johnston, Dan Carter, Jonny Wilkinson, Kristine Sommer, Richie McCaw, Rachel Burford, Sharni Williams, Siya Kolisi and Thierry Dusautoir), in partnership with World Rugby and International Rugby Players.

Our Ambition
By the players, for the players; the Global Rugby Players Foundation seeks to empower rugby players, who shaped and contributed to the success of our sport, to achieve their full potential Beyond the Game. It sets out to reframe the perception of leaving the game as a positive challenge and an opportunity to forge new careers, build new connections and expand players’ identity.

Our Purpose

• Support players in navigating their transition from rugby while empowering them to face the challenges associated with the loss of identity that accompanies leaving the game.
• Promote the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of players after rugby, by offering comprehensive support services and proactive mental health programmes.
• Prevent the social exclusion of the most vulnerable players, including those facing challenges such as unemployment, financial difficulties, physical or mental illness, substance abuse, or dependencies, by providing necessary support and resources.
• Encourage players to use their capacity as role models to create positive change in their communities.
• Advocate the importance of supporting players throughout their entire life, and not just their playing careers.

Our Services
Transition out of professional rugby can be one of the most challenging and transformative periods in a player's life. Moving beyond the structure, routine and identity of professional sport often means finding a new purpose, career, and sense of self. The Foundation provides much needed support to players facing these challenges, wherever they are in the world.

Local
We provide grant funding to official Player Associations around the world, enabling them to deliver tailored support that meets the needs of former players in their communities. Programmes span career transition, mental wellbeing, financial wellbeing, education, and lifelong connection.

Global
Working alongside our programme partners, World Rugby and the International Rugby Players Association, we develop global initiatives that complement local support and benefit former players worldwide. This includes the continued development of the Beyond the Game Platform, providing accessible learning, resources, and opportunities wherever players are based. Together, our local and global programmes empower, connect and champion former players as they build their lives Beyond the Game.

Responsibilities

Partnership Development

• Develop and implement a proactive new business partnerships strategy aligned with the Foundation's fundraising objectives.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective corporate and strategic partners, and individuals to support our mission.
• Identify and research potential partners whose values align with the Foundation's mission.
• Develop tailored partnership proposals and compelling cases for support.
• Lead negotiations and secure mutually beneficial partnership agreements.
• Represent the charity at networking events to generate new opportunities.

Relationship Management

• Develop strong relationships with prospective and existing partners.
• Deliver exceptional stewardship throughout the partnership lifecycle.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure partnership commitments are fulfilled.
• Identify opportunities to grow existing relationships through additional fundraising, sponsorship, employee engagement, volunteering, and strategic collaborations.

Income Generation

• Achieve agreed annual income and partnership targets.
• Produce accurate income forecasts and pipeline reports.
• Monitor partnership performance against agreed objectives and impact KPIs.
• Maximise long-term value from partnerships through renewals and strategic account growth.

Strategic Development

• Help establish and embed partnership processes, systems, and best practice.
• Contribute to the wider fundraising strategy.
• Monitor market trends and competitor activity to identify emerging opportunities.
• Ensure all partnership and major donor activity complies with fundraising regulations and charity governance requirements.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Experience

• Significant experience securing and developing corporate partnerships and grants and trusts within the charity or not-for-profit sector.
• Demonstrable success in generating new business and achieving income targets.
• Experience managing high-value partnerships from prospecting through to stewardship.
• Experience preparing compelling partnership proposals and presentations.
• Strong understanding of corporate fundraising, CSR, ESG, and employee engagement programmes.
• Experience using CRM systems to manage pipelines and reporting.

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Outstanding relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Excellent negotiation and presentation abilities.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify mutually beneficial opportunities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organised with strong project management skills.
• Confident working independently while collaborating effectively across teams.

Essential Knowledge

• Thorough understanding of the charity sector and partnership fundraising.
• Knowledge of fundraising regulations and ethical fundraising principles.
• Understanding of corporate decision-making and partnership development.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about the Foundation’s mission and values.
• Entrepreneurial, proactive, and resilient.
• Results-driven with a focus on achieving measurable impact.
• Creative thinker with strong problem-solving abilities.
• Professional, credible, and confident engaging with senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative and committed to continuous improvement.

Desirable

• An understanding of the rugby ecosystem and existing relationships within the sport.
• Membership of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising or other relevant professional body.
• Experience working in a newly established fundraising or partnerships function.
• Experience developing multi-year strategic partnerships and securing six-figures.
• Knowledge of impact measurement and social value reporting.

Success Measures
Within the first 12 months, the Charity Partnerships Lead will be expected to:

• Establish a qualified pipeline of prospective corporate partners.
• Secure new partnership income in line with agreed targets.
• Develop a clear partnership strategy and proposition.
• Build strong internal relationships to support partnership delivery.
• Create a sustainable framework for future partnership growth.

Equality and Diversity

• At GPRF we champion diversity and inclusivity in our workforce and values, and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.
• We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments candidates may need during the recruitment process and will ask whether you require any during the recruitment process at the application stage.

Reasonable Adjustments
We will endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments that are necessary to support applicants during the recruitment process. Please let us know if you require any of the following adjustments during the recruitment process:

• Extra time during tasks or video applications.
• Assistance if the test or assessment is on a computer, such as closed captions.
• Option to interview without the camera on.
• Sharing interview questions on screen (or on paper if interviewing in person).
• Have an accessible car parking space reserved.
• Hold the interview at a specific time of day (please suggest during the application stage).
• A British Sign Language interpreter.
• Anything else (please describe during the application stage).

Working Conditions
We do not have a central office and our workforce is remote. This role is fully remote; therefore, you must be comfortable working effectively as part of a virtual team.

What We Offer

• A senior standalone role at the heart of a new, high-profile international foundation.
• The opportunity to shape and lead the Foundation’s partnerships from the ground up.
• A dynamic, mission-driven environment with global reach.
• Flexible remote working arrangements.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• 27 days annual leave.
• Pension.

Closing Date – 11pm on Sunday 23 August 2026

For nearly 20 years, Lively Minds has been proving that parents are the sleeping giants of early childhood development. With strong evidence and a national scale proof point in Ghana, we have shown that parent powered approaches delivered through government systems can transform children's lives at scale.

We are now at a pivotal moment. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum, and we need the funding, profile and influence to match our ambition. This is a rare opportunity to lead income generation and external voice for an award winning NGO entering an exciting new phase of growth. You will lead our fundraising strategy and direct engagement with Funders ensuring that we maximise all funding opportunities as we continue our strategic evolution. You will also shape a compelling external narrative that will help position Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments strengthening their early childhood development systems.

If you are an exceptional fundraiser and communicator who is equally comfortable in a strategic conversation and writing a winning proposal, we would love to hear from you.

Read the full advert and apply below. Closing date: 3rd September 2026.

About Lively Minds

Lively Minds is an award-winning NGO with nearly 20 years of experience designing, testing and scaling early childhood development (ECD) solutions across the Global South. Our core idea is simple but radical: parents are the sleeping giants of ECD. Governments and donors have long overlooked parents, assuming that poverty and low literacy make them unable or unwilling to support their childrenʼs development. We have spent two decades proving otherwise. With RCT-backed evidence and a national-scale proof point in Ghana, we have demonstrated that parent-powered approaches, delivered through government systems, can achieve meaningful child development outcomes at scale.

Our 2026–2028 strategy marks a pivotal shift. Having demonstrated what is possible, we are now helping pioneer an innovative model of country-led sustainable scale. Rather than delivering programmes ourselves, we provide lean, time-limited technical advisory support to governments to help them integrate parent-powered ECD into their own systems, budgets and institutions. We are currently working with the governments of Ghana, Uganda, Oromia state (Ethiopia) and The Gambia in 2026, growing to six or more country engagements by 2028. Our ambition is to catalyse a sector-wide shift, positioning Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments seeking to strengthen their ECD systems.

Our scale strategy rests on three interdependent pillars: fixed-term Technical Advisory partnerships with governments; the development of a modular radio model simple and affordable enough for governments to adopt and fund independently; and an advocacy and sector influence agenda designed to make parent-powered ECD the norm globally.

Purpose of the Role

Lively Minds is at a critical inflection point. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum. We now need the funding, profile and sector influence to match our ambition. The Director of Fundraising and Communications is a priority hire, created to provide the dedicated, experienced leadership that this moment demands.

The Director will own and drive Lively Mindsʼ income generation, building new funder relationships, managing and deepening existing ones, and ensuring the organisation has the pipeline, discipline and quality of engagement to meet and exceed its fundraising targets. Working in close partnership with the Founding CEO, who retains ownership of a small number of long-standing strategic relationships, the Director will take primary responsibility for securing the funding that makes the 2026–2028 strategy deliverable, and that opens the door to greater scale beyond it. We need to raise approximately £3.4m over the next 3 years to deliver our strategy. But our ambition is to exceed that target so we can support additional governments.

Alongside fundraising, the Director will provide strategic leadership to Lively Mindsʼ communications and advocacy work, ensuring that the organisationʼs external voice is compelling and that we are building credibility in the spaces where funding decisions are made. The Director will lead and provide strategic coherence to a small but outward-facing team, including Head of Partnerships and Advocacy Lead who are active on the international stage. Lively Minds is committed to thought-leadership and active external engagement, but equally committed to ensuring that communications resource is deployed with discipline and rigour. The Director will set a clear strategic filter for where the organisation shows up, what it publishes and who it engages: prioritising focus and quality over volume, and always asking whether external activity is building the relationships and reputation that ultimately drive income and/or systems change.

Lively Minds is a dispersed, remote organisation. The Directorʼs team the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer - are internationally distributed. The ability to lead, develop and maintain high standards across a dispersed team is essential. The role requires regular travel to international conferences and events.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Income Generation

• Own and deliver the multi-year fundraising strategy with clear priorities, targets, income streams and a disciplined pipeline to support the 2026–2028 strategy and future scale
• Steward existing funder relationships, turning strong partnerships into long-term supporters, advocates and connectors to new funding opportunities.
• Lead the shift towards Big Bet and catalytic funding, personally cultivating and negotiating high-value, multi-year partnerships and positioning Lively Minds for system-level scale
• Maintain a high standard of fundraising quality, pipeline management and forecasting, while coaching the team to produce compelling, sophisticated fundraising materials
•  Build and continuously strengthen a diverse funding pipeline, identifying emerging opportunities, new funding markets and strategic partnerships that reduce concentration risk and support long-term financial sustainability

Communications, Brand & Advocacy

• Own and deliver Lively Mindsʼ communications and marketing strategy, balancing visibility and sector influence with the need to strengthen fundraising and systems-change objectives
• Partner closely with the CEO to shape and steward a coherent external narrative, brand and messaging framework across all audiences and channels
• Oversee high-quality core communications and fundraising materials, including cases for support, pitch decks, website content, proposals and donor reports
• Provide strategic communications expertise to Advocacy, Partnerships and MEL, ensuring evidence and learning are translated into compelling narratives and consistent external messaging
• Lead efforts to strengthen Lively Mindsʼ profile and thought leadership in the ECD sector, identifying opportunities for strategic media, events, publications and external platforms that reinforce its positioning and influence

Organizational Leadership&TeamDevelopment

• Contribute actively to SMT and organisational strategy, bringing funder intelligence, external perspective and communications expertise to strategic decision-making.
• Work closely with Finance and MEL to align fundraising targets, forecasting, budgets and evidence, ensuring proposals are credible, accurately costed and evidence-led
• Act as the organisationʼs communications subject matter expert, providing guidance and challenge to ensure high-quality, consistent external communications
• Lead and develop the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer, fostering a team culture of quality, accountability, strategic clarity and continuous improvement
• Build strong cross-organisational collaboration, ensuring teams understand how fundraising, communications, advocacy and evidence work together to advance Lively Mindsʼ strategic priorities

Person Specification

Essential Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of significant senior-level fundraising experience within international development, education, philanthropy or a comparable sector
• Proven track record of securing major grants from foundations, institutional donors and high-net-worth individuals, alongside demonstrated experience securing or meaningfully progressing large-scale, catalytic funding from Big Bet philanthropy programmes such as the Audacious Project, Skoll Foundation or comparable funders. A strong understanding of what these funders look for and how to position an organisation compellingly within their processes is essential
• Exceptional fundraising writing skills, with the ability to personally develop compelling cases for support, funding proposals, award applications and pitch decks tailored to sophisticated impact funders. This is a hands-on role requiring both strong writing capability and the ability to coach others to consistently produce high-quality fundraising content
• Experienced in developing and owning a marketing and communications strategy, with a strong understanding of how to balance organisational visibility, thought leadership and sector influence with coherence, strategic focus and income generation
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with a Founding CEO to shape and steward the organisationʼs external narrative and brand. Comfortable working in a founder-led environment, providing expertise and constructive challenge while ensuring the organisation maintains a clear, consistent and coherent external voice

Desirable Experience

• Experienced fundraising for a technical advisory, systems change or government-facing organisation
• Knowledge of the ECD, education or early childhood sector and its funding landscape
• Familiarity with the Big Bang Philanthropy network or equivalent impact-focused funder communities
• Experience working alongside advocacy and partnerships teams, providing communications expertise and strategic coherence to their external activity
• Familiarity with the funding landscape for organisations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience working remotely across multiple countries and effectively collaborating with cross-cultural teams

Behaviours & Ways of Working

• A doer, equally comfortable in strategic conversations and writing a funding proposal
• Sets a high bar for quality and clarity in all external communications and holds it consistently
• Builds a strong, trust-based partnership with the Founding CEO, provides honest challenge and operates effectively within a founder-led dynamic without losing their own voice or judgement
• Collaborative and cross-organisational. Invests in strong relationships with programme, MEL and finance colleagues, understanding that the best fundraising is grounded in organisational reality
• Calm and focused under pressure - able to manage competing priorities and maintain quality when the stakes are high

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• 25 days annual leave
• Health insurance
• Pension contribution
• Generous learning and development budget
• Flexible, remote working

Application Instruction

Interested candidates are encouraged to read the Job Description carefully before applying to ensure they understand the role and meet the required criteria.

To apply, please complete the pre-screening questions and submit your updated CV

PLEASE NOTE - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Timeline

Closing Date: 3rd September 2026

Our Stance

Lively Minds operates a strict Safeguarding Policy and is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable people. As part of our recruitment process, the suitability of successful candidates will be verified through appropriate background checks including professional references and police checks.

Lively Minds is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and to providing equal opportunities throughout our recruitment process. We want this commitment to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, experiences and perspectives.

We are committed to ensuring that recruitment decisions are based on merit, skills, experience and suitability for the role, and that all candidates are treated fairly and with respect throughout the recruitment process.