Shelter cymru jobs
How's your job search on our site?
A senior role that sits at the heart of our mission, turning empty and underused buildings into safe, dignified places to live through our Empty Spaces to Homes programme.
Habitat for Humanity Great Britain (Habitat GB) is part of the global Habitat for Humanity Federation fighting global poverty and homelessness. We believe that a decent home helps to permanently break the cycle of poverty and allows families to achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance.
Job Purpose
The Head of Construction (Feasibility & Delivery) is a leadership and technical role responsible for the end-to-end development, delivery and stewardship of Habitat GB’s construction and property portfolio.
Key responsibilities include strategic planning and technical leadership for core aspects of Habitat GB’s domestic programme, such as the construction project pipeline associated with our Empty Spaces to Homes (ES2H) programme. The postholder will lead the feasibility, design, costing, procurement and delivery of demonstration construction projects, primarily the conversion of empty commercial and retail buildings into high-quality, affordable homes, while also ensuring the safe, compliant operation and maintenance of HFHGB-owned, leased and operated properties, including ReStore sites.
The Head of Construction (Feasibility & Delivery) is also responsible for the people management of staff, contractors and consultants and (where relevant) volunteers. Key areas of risk management that sit within the portfolio of this role include project and site health & safety, compliance and asset maintenance.
This role is central to translating Habitat GB’s mission and strategy into high-quality, buildable, scalable projects that maximise social impact.
Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities
Construction & Programme Delivery
• Lead the planning, design and delivery of Habitat GB’s demonstration construction projects within the ES2H programme.
• Contribute technical leadership to programme strategy, performance monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Work collaboratively with other ES2H workstreams (Advocacy, Research, Scalability) to ensure projects inform and support wider systems change.
• Provide expert construction input into organisational decision-making, risk management, and strategy implementation.
Building Pipeline Development & Feasibility
- Lead the identification, assessment and prioritisation of potential conversion opportunities across Great Britain.
- Conduct frequent site visits to assess empty or underutilised commercial buildings.
- Undertake and/or oversee:
- Building diagnostics and technical surveys
- Early identification of structural, asbestos, planning, fire and compliance risks
- Location-based risk profiling (logistics, supply chains, neighbourhood constraints)
- Act as the organisation’s technical authority on building viability and conversion risk.
Design, Specification & Cost Leadership
- Develop initial design concepts, spatial layouts and performance specifications that balance cost‑efficiency, compliance, buildability and the dignity of residents.
- Ensure all designs meet relevant statutory and organisational requirements, including:
- UK Building Regulations
- Fire safety and CDM 2015
- Sustainability and environmental standards
- Provide client side cost leadership and quantity surveying oversight across projects, including:
- Preparing feasibility cost models, early stage estimates and robust construction budgets
- Assessing and benchmarking contractor quotations and negotiating best value outcomes aligned with charitable objectives
- Maintaining effective cost control and financial visibility throughout delivery
- Lead the appointment and management of architects, planning consultants and specialist technical advisors as required.
Construction Delivery, Contractor & Site Management
- Identify, appoint and manage contractors, subcontractors and consultants on a project-by-project basis.
- Ensure projects are delivered: safely; to specification; on time and within approved budgets
- Combine on-site leadership with remote project management, using digital tools, dashboards and reporting systems.
- Maintain a national overview of live and pipeline projects, providing the Executive Team with clear, real-time updates on milestones, risks, spend and cashflow, and delivery confidence.
Health, Safety & Risk Management
- Be responsible for Health & Safety across Habitat GB’s construction and property portfolio.
- Ensure full compliance with relevant legislation, including CDM 2015.
- Oversee:
- Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS)
- Training and inductions
- Incident reporting and corrective actions
- Ensure a strong safety culture across construction sites and property sites, working closely with the Site & Property Maintenance Officer to delivery their responsibilities successfully and safely.
- Work with colleagues to ensure appropriate insurances are in place.
Financial Management & Reporting
· Own construction and maintenance budgets, ensuring strong financial control and value for money.
· Lead procurement processes for works, materials, and equipment.
· Work closely with Finance to ensure accurate forecasting, cost tracking, and timely payment of invoices.
· Maintain robust project management tools, trackers, schedules, and cost sheets.
· Provide regular input into organisational performance reporting, risk registers, and assurance processes.
People Leadership & Culture
· Line-manage and support direct reports, setting clear objectives, and providing regular supervision and development.
· Lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing, values-driven team and contractor network.
· Ensure good practice management of consultants, contractors and volunteers.
· Role model Habitat GB’s values, including commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and safeguarding.
Person profile:
· Extensive experience in UK construction project management, particularly refurbishment and conversion projects, with responsibility spanning early feasibility through to delivery.
· Strong technical understanding of:
• UK Building Regulations and fire safety requirements
• Permitted Development rights and planning constraints
• Health & Safety management, including CDM 2015
· Strong client‑side commercial judgement, with proven ability to develop feasibility cost models, set and manage construction budgets, and maintain effective cost control across projects.
· Demonstrated experience appointing and managing contractors, consultants and procurement processes to deliver best‑value outcomes.
· Strong leadership and people management experience, including the ability to lead teams, contractors and consultants with credibility and clarity.
· Relevant construction or built‑environment qualification, or equivalent senior professional experience (e.g. MCIOB, MRICS or similar).
· Valid CSCS card.
· Recognised Health & Safety qualification (e.g. IOSH or SMSTS).
· Full UK driving licence.
Skills and competencies:
· Technically confident and commercially astute, with the ability to exercise sound professional judgement and make high-quality decisions in complex or ambiguous situations.
· Comfortable operating across strategic leadership and hands-on problem solving, particularly within refurbishment and conversion projects.
· Highly organised, with the ability to prioritise effectively across multiple concurrent workstreams, sites and geographies.
· Confident and collaborative communicator, able to work productively with internal teams, partners, volunteers, contractors and external stakeholders.
· Willing and able to travel extensively across Great Britain in support of project development and delivery.
To apply for the role, please send us your CV and a supporting statement (max two sides of A4) telling us about the skills and experience you would bring to the role and your motivation for applying, using the link on our website. Closing date is Monday 25th May 2026.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
Habitat for Humanity Great Britain (Habitat GB) is part of the international Habitat for Humanity network, tackling housing poverty around the world.
Thank you!
Position: Senior Philanthropy Officer – Trusts and Foundations Maternity cover up to 1-year.
Salary: £36,000-38,000 per annum
Reports to: Senior Trusts & Foundations Manager
Location: Shoreditch, East London (Hybrid Model)
Key relationships: UK for UNHCR Head of Philanthropy and Philanthropy Team, Individual Giving Team, UNHCR Private Sector Partnerships division
JOB PURPOSE
UK for UNHCR is looking for an ambitious and proactive fundraiser to work in a Senior Philanthropy Officer role for up to one year’s maternity cover. This role will manage its own portfolio of low to mid-level trusts and foundations and will play a key role in supporting the Senior Trusts & Foundations Manager on the engagement and stewardship of our high-level partnerships, as well as supporting on the delivery of a high-quality supporter experience.
You will be joining the charity at an exciting moment, becoming part of a small but high performing team with big ambitions. This role is integral to the development of our Trusts and Foundations Programme.
We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and determined and who enjoys working collaboratively within and across teams, building relationships and inspiring people to support UNHCR’s lifesaving work. You’ll have strong problem solving and communication skills, both written and oral. You’ll be passionate about the refugee cause and UK for UNHCR’s role in supporting refugees around the globe.
Working with our international colleagues, this role will gather information for reports, donor communications and proposals on UNHCR’s key areas of work.
This role will also work across the team to support on growing the trusts and foundations pipeline, through identifying and then building relationships with trusts and foundations aligned with our cause.
Some international travel may be required.
If you think you have the relevant skills and crucially, the passion to support the refugee cause, please apply.
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
United Kingdom for UNHCR is the United Nations Refugee Agency’s national charity partner for the United Kingdom. We generate public awareness of the plight of refugees and raise funds to help protect them through UNHCR’s humanitarian operations across the world.
Our supporters include UK private individuals, communities, corporate partners, trusts and foundations. The funds we raise help UNHCR deliver emergency relief such as shelter, medical care and basic supplies to people fleeing conflict and persecution, as well as healthcare, education and livelihoods opportunities for those who remain displaced over the long term.
Nobody chooses to be a refugee, but we can all play a part in their protection, and we want those who work with us to share our values and passion for the cause.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING
We strongly value diversity and recognise that it is critical to our success and the cause that we serve. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment for all who work with us and strongly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds, particularly those with lived experience of being a refugee, asylum seeker, internally displaced person, or a stateless person.
UK for UNHCR is proud to have Diversity & Inclusion Working Group. The Diversity & Inclusion Working Group is a group of colleagues focusing on tasks that drive action in the implementation of our D&I Approach. The group also works to create safe spaces that brings colleagues together for events, discussions and learning experiences that celebrate and support diversity and tackle barriers to inclusion.
We are also open to flexibility in many ways, including an element of working from home and flexible hours. Please don’t be afraid to speak to us about this at the interview stage, so we can explore what’s possible.
Role Responsibilities
- Work as part of the Private Partnerships and Philanthropy Team (PPH) to develop new opportunities with trusts and foundations in line with UK for UNHCR’s fundraising strategy. This will include supporting and leading initiatives to approach potential supporters.
- Support the development and management of a robust trusts & foundations pipeline and a calendar of opportunities for grant submissions to trusts and foundations.
- Undertake detailed prospect research and identify the most appropriate funding and fundraising opportunities for trusts and foundations.
- Support the development of high-quality concept notes, proposals, reports, and other fundraising products.
- Ensure current partners are stewarded to a high standard
- Support, and at times lead, on cultivation and stewardship events across the PPH team. This could be anything from a webinar to an in-person event for 50+ people.
- Support and lead on the development and execution of strong cultivation and stewardship plans, taking responsibility for keeping these updated and reviewed.
- Help establish an appropriate strategic and tactical response to trust and foundation prospects and supporters in the event of humanitarian emergencies.
- Maintain the Salesforce database with up-to-date and accurate information on trust and foundation prospects and partners.
- Help to raise awareness of, and build vital support for, UK for UNHCR’s unique position to protect refugees and displaced people.
- Work within UK for UNHCR’s due diligence and GDPR policies and processes.
- Ensure accurate income recording and earmarking procedures to facilitate financial reporting.
- Support the PPH team in other activities as requested.
- The above list is not exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to perform duties that are not detailed above.
Personal Attributes and Experience
Essential Experience
- Experience of working in a fundraising capacity with an NGO or INGO to identify, approach, secure and steward trusts & foundations and/or major donors.
- Experience of devising and delivering impactful and engaging proposals and communications to generate income and build relationships.
- Experience of working across a busy team and managing a busy workload.
Essential Skills/Knowledge
- Ability to analyse reports and communicate complex themes and subjects to a variety of audiences, written and verbal.
- Ability to act proactively to identify new prospects and fundraising opportunities.
- Ability to juggle and prioritise multiple tasks and meet deadlines within a collaborative team environment.
- Good attention to detail and ability to proof-read.
- Able to demonstrate flexibility, with a willingness to respond quickly, particularly at times of humanitarian crisis.
- Excellent stakeholder and relationship management skills.
- Proficient in using Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Working knowledge of fundraising databases.
Desirable Skills/Experience (not compulsory)
- Experience of working in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
- Experience of fundraising at an international development, human rights, or humanitarian NGO.
- Experience organising events
WHY JOIN UNITED KINGDOM FOR UNHCR?
You will be part of a high performing agile team of talented people; all committed to build solidarity and raise funds for refugees and displaced people worldwide. You will be working in a flexible, supportive, and inclusive environment, where your work will be recognised and appraised.
What else?
Wellbeing
- 28 days’ leave per annum plus bank holidays (pro-rata).
- Employee Assistance programme providing 24/7 access to online GP, mental health support and virtual wellbeing.
- Access to 100s of perks with discounts on everyday purchases.
- Office wellness perks.
- Discount on gym memberships.
- Hybrid and Flexible Working.
- Staff socials.
Financial
- Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8%.
- Non-contributory group life assurance scheme
- Non-contributory Income protection scheme.
- One-off contribution towards homeworking set up.
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay.
- Enhanced sick pay scheme.
Development
- Comprehensive training and continuing development opportunities.
- Individual training budget.
HOW TO APPLY
If you have the relevant skills and the passion to use them to support refugees, please apply by completing our application form which is available in the documents section.
Closing date: midday Monday 18th May
Interviews date: Weeks commencing 18th and 25th May
If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to the application or hiring process that may better facilitate your participation, please contact us. We will make every effort to respond to your request for assistance as soon as possible.
United Kingdom for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is registered with the Charity Commission (England & Wales), charity no. 1183415. It is the UK national partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We stand with refugees – will you join us?
