Volunteer research assistant volunteer jobs in Epping forest, west sussex

Job Title - Head of Legal Aid and Billing

Contract - Permanent

Hours - Part Time, 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE) with some flexibility around working hours

Salary Range - £38,400 to £46,400 per annum (£48,000 to £58,000 FTE)

Location - London office - Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ

About Coram

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

One of the twelve members of the Coram group, Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) is the UK’s specialist centre for children’s rights in education, immigration, community care and family law, and provides significant international legal systems consultancy. The centre is located on the Coram Campus in central London with a base in Colchester. We champion access to justice through information and advice, legal practice and representation, policy and strategic litigation. Our Legal Practice Unit provides advice and representation primarily under legal aid contract. Our Policy and Practice Change team promotes practice change through training and capacity building to professionals and secures systems change through research, policy and advocacy.

About the role

This role will provide leadership and management for CCLC particularly focused on the Legal Practice Unit’s legal aid billing operations. Through systematic and efficient management, the post-holder will play a pivotal role in CCLC’s financial and operational sustainability. The role will be accountable for maximising the unit’s legal aid billing in controlled work, certificated work and inter partes costs and will hold responsibility for the unit’s billing systems. It will also be responsible for private fees billing. The post-holder will oversee the smooth running of legal aid billing including through line management of the billing team. The post-holder will work very closely with legal, operations and administrative staff. The role will act as a key point of contact for a range of internal and external stakeholders including Coram’s central finance team who will support the role with grant fund management and overall accounting functions for CCLC. The post-holder will support the Managing Director of Legal Practice and Children’s Rights and department heads in the successful maintenance of our relationship with the Legal Aid Agency. Where appropriate they will be deputising for the Managing Director on legal aid and financial matters.

The role would suit a highly organised and efficient legal, or a finance or billing professional with solid experience of legal practice and a deep understanding of the challenges of legal aid. Whilst candidates with direct experience of legal billing (and more specifically civil legal aid billing) are welcomed, we recognise that this is a highly specialised and niche field. As such, this role could suit a highly experienced solicitor who appreciates the important role developing sustainable businesses plays in ensuring access to justice and who therefore wishes to move into practice and financial management. They will need an aptitude for processing large amounts of data, developing and managing spreadsheets and improving organisational systems. However, they will be well supported through training, an enthusiastic and competent junior billing team, the central finance team and an outsourced legal cashiering company, as well as a friendly and collaborative management team including the Managing Director and the Heads of Education Law, Community Care Law and Immigration and Asylum Law.

This is a largely office-based role in order to fully provide support to the billing team. However, some remote / hybrid working may be possible depending the experience of the candidate after the initial settling in period and there will be flexibility over how the four days will be spread across the week (within working hours). The team are mostly based in the London office and with one billing team member in Colchester so the post holder may require some occasional travel.   

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing date: Wednesday 29th April 2026 at 23.59pm

Test and Interview date: W/C Tuesday 5th May 2026

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

What if your financial insight and partnership could help one of the UK's largest charities direct its resources where they make the greatest difference for people affected by dementia?

About the opportunity

As a Finance Business Partner, you'll work alongside budget holders across Alzheimer's Society, turning complex financial information into clear insights that support better decision-making. In a role where every pound matters in the fight against dementia, you'll help ensure our resources reach the places they can have the most impact, whether that's funding groundbreaking research, delivering vital support services, or campaigning for systemic change.

You'll build trusted relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, providing the financial analysis, challenge and support they need to navigate complexity with confidence. Through coaching and partnership, you'll help budget holders strengthen their own financial capability, so that sound financial thinking becomes part of how the Society operates, not something that sits only within Finance.

You'll be part of our Finance and Assurance directorate, where our vision is to be the Society's single point of truth. Working within the Financial Partnering, Planning and Analysis function, you'll be the dedicated finance partner for our Income and Engagement directorate, connecting Finance with the teams responsible for growing and protecting the Society's income. You'll translate their plans into sound financial frameworks that enable our mission rather than hold it back.

You'll already have or be open to developing a deep understanding of how fundraised, legacy and restricted income flows through the Society, and you'll use that specialism to add real value to the teams responsible for growing and stewarding our income.

About you

You're a finance professional with proven business partnering experience who understands that effective partnering means combining accurate numbers with clear communication, constructive challenge and a genuine interest in helping others see the bigger picture. You're comfortable working across boundaries, building relationships at all levels, and coaching colleagues to develop their financial confidence.

You'll have:

- A relevant professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), either fully or part qualified, or qualified by experience.
- Experience supporting business teams with budgeting, forecasting and month-end processes, including ensuring appropriate controls are in place and financial performance is communicated effectively and on time.
- A track record of applying analytical skills to provide financial advice that supports strategic decision-making.
- Experience of identifying and collecting feedback and other data to inform quality improvement and to monitor the performance of processes or tools.
- Good communication skills, with the ability to interpret financial information and present it in a way that tells a clear story.
- The confidence to challenge, negotiate and influence, while taking a balanced view that incorporates different perspectives.
- Experience working with ERP systems. Experience with Unit4 would be particularly valuable, though it is not essential.
- The ability to work independently and manage competing priorities, while knowing when to consult and when to ask for support.

It would be particularly valuable if you also bring:

- Experience partnering with income-generating, fundraising, marketing or engagement functions within a non-profit or charity setting.
- An understanding of restricted fund accounting and the financial management of legacy income.

What you'll focus on

- Partnering with budget holders across your assigned directorate to provide analysis, insight and recommendations that support effective, informed decision-making.
- Preparing financial reports, budgets, forecasts and business plans, and modelling financial data to support operational and strategic priorities.
- Supporting and challenging budget holders to identify risks and opportunities early, escalating appropriately and agreeing remedial action where needed.
- Strengthening financial knowledge and confidence across your stakeholder group through coaching, training and a partnership-based approach.
- Working collaboratively across the Finance team to design intuitive reports and analysis that meet the needs of colleagues across the Society.
- Advocating good accounting principles and helping to educate, inform and develop others within your directorate and the wider Finance team.
- Identifying cost saving or optimisation opportunities, working closely with colleagues in Procurement and Sustainability to realise these.
- Supporting Senior Business Partners in identifying key performance metrics and collecting routine feedback from partners across the Society to drive constant quality improvement.

You may also line manage a Finance Business Partnering Assistant, role-modelling a high challenge, high support culture where accountability, performance and development go hand in hand.

Are you ready to be a trusted financial partner, bringing both challenge and practical solutions to the people working to make life better for everyone affected by dementia?

Important Dates:

- Deadline for applications is Sunday 12th April 2026
- Interview invites issued Friday 17th April 2026
- Interviews taking place across W/C 20th April 2026

About Alzheimer's Society

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.

At Ambitious about Autism, we are looking for a Programme Director – Service Development to join our team. You'll develop Ambitious about Autism's and the Trust's education and care services for autistic children and young people.

You'll lead on key strategic projects to extend existing or develop new education and care services for autistic children and young people, providing strong project leadership, strategic integration and managing project-related governance. You'll identify and pursue new business opportunities to drive growth and expansion of our educational settings, including school bids.

You'll be involved in new service development, conducting thorough assessment to identify gaps and opportunities for new provisions or products, whilst developing innovative concepts for new services and seeking approval through business cases. You'll also provide leadership to the Service Development team, with line management of 3 direct reports, whilst upholding Ambitious about Autism's core values.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Extensive business development and project planning knowledge
• Working knowledge of the education, health or social care of children/young people with SEND
• Working knowledge of: The social, policy, regulatory issues affecting children and young people with special educational needs or Commissioning and service delivery for children, young people and their families
• Proven experience of leading the development and delivery of new services for children, young people and/or adults with special educational needs or disabilities either from a third sector, educational, health or local authority background
• Experience of developing strategic and business plans

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.