Technical lead web developer jobs

Ensuring those who served are always supported.

Founded in 1681, the Royal Hospital Chelsea is home to the Chelsea Pensioners and exists to support Army veterans. Today, that mission continues through care, community, and public engagement.

We are looking for a technically capable and detail-driven Digital Platforms Officer to manage our website and digital platforms day to day. If you are confident working in Drupal, comfortable using tools like Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, and take pride in keeping systems accurate, structured and reliable, this role will suit you.

Where you’ll fit in

You will join an ambitious Marketing and Communications team focused on raising the Royal Hospital's profile, supporting fundraising, and engaging new audiences. Reporting to the Digital Product Manager, you will play a central role in maintaining the Royal Hospital's digital presence - working closely with colleagues across the organisation to manage platforms in a way that reflects its standards and distinctive character.

What you’ll be doing

You will manage the Royal Hospital Chelsea website and its associated digital platforms, ensuring they remain accurate, accessible, and well maintained.

You will:

• Manage and maintain website content, structure and assets in Drupal
• Act as the first point of contact for website updates and internal requests
• Support digital platforms including ecommerce and ticketing systems
• Support the implementation and ongoing administration of a Digital Asset Management System, ensuring assets are well organised, tagged and used consistently across the organisation
• Monitor website performance using Google Analytics and Tag Manager, supporting campaign tracking, reporting and SEO performance. Experience with Google Ads would be an advantage.
• Coordinate with external suppliers to deliver updates and improvements
• Ensure digital platforms remain compliant with accessibility standards, GDPR and organisational governance requirements

We are looking for someone who:

• Has hands-on experience managing websites in Drupal or a comparable CMS
• Is technically confident, proactively identifies issues and opportunities, and knows when to resolve them independently and when to escalate
• Is organised and methodical, able to manage multiple priorities
• Communicates clearly with both technical and non-technical colleagues
• Takes ownership of day-to-day platform operation, maintaining high standards consistently over time
• Is comfortable working within a structured, heritage-led organisation

It would be desirable if you also have:

• HTML and CSS knowledge
• Experience with ecommerce, ticketing or other transactional platforms
• Prior experience working with a Digital Asset Management System
• Familiarity with Google Ads Manager
• Familiarity with Linux-based or self-hosted web environments, or experience working alongside developers in open-source or managed hosting contexts
• Experience in a charity, public sector or heritage environment

Working at the Royal Hospital Chelsea

This is a historic organisation with a strong sense of identity, standards and community.  We are looking for someone who values that environment and wants to contribute to it.

If you take pride in running reliable, well-structured digital platforms and want to apply that expertise somewhere it matters, this is a chance to do meaningful work at a nationally significant institution - one whose digital presence directly supports how it communicates, engages and delivers impact.

To apply

Early applications are encouraged as we will be reviewing candidates on a rolling basis.

Your covering letter should explain how you approach the day-to-day management of digital platforms, including how you handle competing priorities, maintain standards and work with others. We’re also keen for you to tell us why the Royal Hospital Chelsea and this role appeal to you.

We expect applications to reflect your own experience, judgement and understanding of the role and organisation. Given the nature of this position, we will be looking for evidence of genuine familiarity with the platforms, tools and challenges involved. Applications that appear heavily reliant on AI-generated content are unlikely to progress.

This is a UK-based role requiring regular on-site presence. Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

We are seeking a creative and conscientious communications leader with exceptional attention to detail and demonstrable expertise in developing and delivering high-impact strategic communications outputs in the international development or third sector. We are a relatively small team and are therefore looking for someone who is both highly strategic and able to see the ‘big picture’, while also being happy getting stuck in at an operational level to ensure timely, on-budget delivery of outputs. Experience of working with or within networks or membership organisations would be a particular asset in this role. It is also important that you are comfortable working across all areas – from digital, to design, to publishing, to events – as well as being an exceptional project manager, confident liaising with a range of partners and stakeholders at different levels, and an experienced line manager.

The Global Distributors Collective (GDC) is in an excellent position, with a strong track record of delivery and impact, a solid funding pipeline, and a clear 2026-30 strategy. High-impact communication crosscuts the entire GDC programme and is essential to ensuring that beneficial products can be made affordable and available to all. As Communications Manager (maternity cover), you will therefore need to both hit the ground running to deliver our ambitious schedule of upcoming communications activities – from in-person and online events, to high-profile research, publications, and digital outputs – as well as to work proactively with the Head of GDC, Bopinc team, GDC strategic advisors, and fellow communications colleagues to shape and embed communication activities across a range of new projects that are kicking off in 2026-27.

About Practical Action and the GDC

Practical Action is an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world. For the past eight years, Practical Action has been hosting and building the Global Distributors Collective (GDC): a collective of 300 last mile distribution companies that cumulatively reach millions of the poorest consumers in the world with beneficial products like solar lanterns, water filters and improved cookstoves. GDC activities are delivered in collaboration with strategic and implementing partner Bopinc.

The GDC provides a collective voice for distributors to ensure their priorities are heard; drives research and innovation across the sector; facilitates the exchange of information, insight, and expertise; and provides critical services that leverage economies of scale.

Moving into our 2026-30 strategy phase, we are proactively shifting from creating and setting up advisory services and tools that support last mile distributors to embedding and scaling these initiatives. Specifically, we will focus on four key strategic pillars:

· Unlocking finance: Prepare more last mile distributors (LMDs) for investment and help to unlock country-level financing mechanisms and create LMD-focussed debt facilities. 

· Strengthening business performance: Deliver training, shared services, and data tools that reduce business costs and improve efficiency, in scalable formats.

· Scaling innovation: Identify, test, and replicate high-value business innovations and remove eco-system barriers.

· Shaping systems and local leadership: Build local chapters and influence global and national agendas so LMDs are visible, valued and represented. 

About you

We are looking for a go-getting, ambitious and proactive communications specialist who is ready to lead the GDC communications team to deliver a range of high-impact, top-quality, communications activities over the next 12 months. To succeed in this role, you must be a communications all-rounder, an experienced line manager, and an excellent written and verbal communicator with exceptional attention to detail, robust project management and interpersonal skills. You will be a strategic thinker with the ability to multitask, work independently and adapt in a fast-paced environment, while also being willing to “muck in” in our relatively small team. Depending on where you are based, demonstrable experience of managing remote staff will be important; as will the ability to thoughtfully support and coach team members to achieve their full potential.

Why join us?

This is the opportunity to lead a globally recognised initiative driving innovation and impact in last mile distribution. At Practical Action, you will be part of a values-driven organisation committed to reducing poverty and inequality through sustainable, practical solutions. You will work alongside passionate colleagues and partners, contributing to meaningful change for communities around the world. We offer a collaborative and inclusive working environment that supports learning, innovation, and personal growth.

We treat all applications for employment on their merits and do not take into consideration any factors that are not relevant to the job such as disability, race, age, religion, gender, gender reassignment or sexual orientation. Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including criminal checks and terrorist financing.

Additional information

We are seeking candidates based in ether Kenya or the UK. The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in the country in which they will be based. Please note this is being recruited as a 12-month fixed term contract. Hybrid working pattern; if UK-based, the role could be predominantly home based

To apply please submit a copy of your CV and supporting that includes the answers to the following questions:

1. Why do you consider yourself a strong candidate for the role of GDC Communications Manager at Practical Action?

2. What most excites you about working on the Global Distributors Collective programme?

3. What do you think would be your biggest strength and steepest learning curve in this role?