Volunteer officer jobs in Milton keynes

Job Purpose

Sequence ME & Long Covid is one of the most ambitious whole-genome sequencing studies ever undertaken into ME and Long Covid, co-led by Action for ME. Building on the success of DecodeME, this proposed £20 million study will use large-scale, long-read whole-genome sequencing to analyse the entire genetic code of 9,000 people with ME and 9,000 people with Long Covid - making it the world's largest 'long-read' whole-genome sequencing study of any disease.

Current funding supports project mobilisation, partnership development, and the development of the Long Covid arm of the study, including agreeing case definitions and gathering expressions of interest from people with Long Covid. Phase 2 has recently been confirmed, backed by £4.75m from the UK government and a further £174,414 from the WE&ME Foundation, and will focus on sequencing 6,000 ME/CFS samples previously collected through DecodeME using Oxford Nanopore's long-read sequencing technology, running alongside Phase 1.

You will play a pivotal role supporting the Sequence ME & Long Covid project in several different ways. Working closely with the project's management team and other team members, you will help ensure the smooth day-to-day running of this landmark study, providing administrative support to the various people and partners involved in delivering it.

As a self-starter, you will manage a range of tasks including meeting scheduling, taking meeting minutes, preparing governance documents, event administration, and broader project support - no two days will be the same.

You will need to maintain a high level of confidentiality at all times, particularly when supporting governance meetings and handling sensitive project documentation.

As a team player, you will provide comprehensive, confidential and organised administrative support, developing a deep understanding of the project and building strong, effective working relationships with colleagues, researchers and external partners.

Remote working at home can be challenging for some and works incredibly well for others. You will need to be able to work independently, use your own initiative, and remain proactive in maintaining good levels of communication with colleagues.

Key Duties

• Help monitor inboxes and respond to routine project enquiries in a timely and sensitive manner, escalating more complex matters as appropriate
• Assist the project's management team and other team members with meeting scheduling and diary coordination
• Take accurate minutes at project, management and other project-related meetings, and follow up and track resulting actions to completion
• Prepare, format and proof-read governance documents and papers
• Maintain and update project databases including the Teams channel, ensuring documents are saved correctly, other management information/recording systems to ensure accurate and timely record-keeping. Help with the tracking of expressions of interest from potential study participants.
• Provide administrative support for project events - from planning and logistics through to on-the-day support
• Help prepare presentations, slide decks and briefing materials for internal meetings, funders, partners and participant-facing communications
• Support the drafting, formatting and coordination of project communications, such as updates for partners, funders or the wider ME and Long Covid community
• Support coordination between internal teams and external partners, including research and funding partners
• Maintain project files and documentation in line with agreed communication operating procedures with internal and external partners ensuring information is well organised, up to date and easy for the team to access
• Maintain confidentiality at all times and in line with relevant policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with GDPR and that all data consent processes have been followed in relation to data protection
• Positively promote the work of the Sequence ME & Long Covid project and Action for ME at all times
• Undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post, as requested by the CEO, Business Development & Partnerships Manager, Senior Research Manager or the project's Management Team

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

• Organisational skills - Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks across a fast-moving research project, with attention to detail and accuracy maintained under pressure
• Communication - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with diverse audiences including researchers, funders and people affected by ME and Long Covid
• IT literacy - Proficient with common office software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint), and able to quickly learn relevant project management, database or communications systems as needed
• Problem-solving - A creative and solution-focused mindset to address challenges and find innovative ways to improve processes
• Adaptability - Capable of managing changing priorities, working flexibly, and adapting to the needs of a fast-paced, ambitious research programme
• Initiative - A proactive approach, with the ability to work independently and take initiative, while also following clear instructions when given
• Teamwork - A collaborative team player with a proven ability to work effectively as part of a team, including a remote-working team spanning multiple partners and stakeholders
• Interest in the sector - A genuine interest in health research, the Third Sector, and a desire to take action to improve the lives of people with ME and Long Covid
• Experience - Demonstrable ability to be an effective administrator, ideally within a charity, research, or project environment. Experience supporting governance processes, events, or communications would be an advantage but is not essential

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience providing administrative support for scientific or research-related projects
• Experience writing and communicating with non-specialist or general audiences

Are you a bold and courageous marketing leader passionate about using your strategic talents to help ensure everyone can know Jesus through the Bible?

Wycliffe Bible Translators exists so everyone can know Jesus through the Bible, yet one in five people worldwide still cannot access Scripture in a language they understand. We are accelerating rapidly, with active donors up 24% and new donors up 63% on last year. This enables us to support more Bible translators, transforming local communities. To expand this impact, we have set an ambitious goal to grow our donor base from 6,000 to 27,000 by 2032.We are making bold, long-term investments in top-of-funnel marketing today to make fundraising easier tomorrow.

In this new Director of Marketing role, you will lead us to invest significant resources with courage and conviction – spending money on top-of-funnel marketing today to make fundraising easier tomorrow. You will bring a campaign mindset, emotional excellence, and exquisite storytelling to move audiences to act. You will help us connect with new audiences in a deeply personal way to drive growth.  If you want to deploy your skills to help say ‘Yes!’ to supporting more translators, we would love to hear from you.

• Salary: £70,000-75,000 + benefits
• Location: Home based or the option of a desk at our office in Oxford
• Terms of appointment: Full-time (37.5 hours per week). Permanent
• Closing date: Friday 21 August at 9am
• Interview date: Interviews will be held in Birmingham on Wednesday 2 September

Key responsibilities:

• Accelerate donor acquisition to grow our donor base from 6,000 to 27,000 people by 2032, with a focus on regular giving
• Make Wycliffe an easier charity to support by making our cause visible, emotive and trusted in the spaces where our audiences are
• Bring a campaign mindset to Wycliffe, marrying deep audience insights with emotional excellence and exquisite storytelling to deliver disciplined, high-impact messaging at scale
• Lead and empower a talented team and collaborate closely with colleagues to deliver high performance

Benefits include:

• 33 days’ annual leave, including bank holidays
• Up to 5 days’ extra leave to serve on the Board of an external organisation
• Competitive contributory pension scheme
• Employer pension contributions up to 7.5%
• Fully employer-funded life assurance
• 24/7 employee assistance programme for emotional and practical support
• Family-friendly employer
• Monthly in-person team days in Oxfordshire or the Chilterns (expenses covered)
• Hot-desking facility at Oxford office
• Fully paid-for professional development opportunities.

It is an occupational requirement of this role that you have a clear, personal commitment to the beliefs set out in our Statement of Faith and Doctrinal Position Statement.

To apply, visit our careers site and complete the short online application, attaching your CV and a covering letter (no more than two pages) summarising why you’re applying, how you meet the person specification, and telling us about your personal Christian journey and church involvement.

Lead change. Shape policy. Amplify the voices of bereaved families.

Child Bereavement UK is looking for an accomplished Head of Policy & Research to lead our evidence and policy agenda at a pivotal time for the charity.

You'll bring a strong track record of leading policy and research activity, developing influential partnerships, and translating evidence into meaningful change. With an established understanding of the policy landscape and the credibility to engage senior stakeholders across health, social care, government and the voluntary sector, you'll play a key role in shaping policy and practice for bereaved families across the UK.

You'll lead our research programme, develop evidence-based positions, build strategic partnerships, and ensure the experiences of bereaved children, young people and parents bereaved of a baby or child are reflected in policy and practice across the UK.

We're looking for someone who:

• Has experience and established networks in policy and research.
• Can translate complex evidence into compelling recommendations for change.
• Is an exceptional relationship-builder, communicator and strategic thinker.
• Is passionate about improving outcomes for bereaved children, young people and parents.

This is a rare opportunity to shape national conversations, influence decision-makers and ensure lived experience is at the heart of policy and practice.

Please note, the role will involve regular travel to London based conferences, events and network meetings as required, plus occasional travel to team meetings in Birmingham.

Join us and help create lasting change for bereaved families across the UK.