Literacy project manager jobs in Milton keynes

Lead a national charity at a pivotal moment of change and make a life‑changing impact for individuals and families affected by rare craniofacial conditions. 

Headlines Craniofacial Support is a UK-based charity providing information, advice and support to individuals and families affected by craniosynostosis and other rare craniofacial conditions.  The charity works closely with professional partners, including the 5 NHS Designated Specialist Craniofacial Units across the UK.

Craniosynostosis is a condition where two or more of the plates in the skull fuse prematurely, requiring medical support from a young age. Around 350 children are born with craniosynostosis each year in the UK.

Established by group of parents in 1993, Headlines now has over 2,500 members.  Within our charity offer we send out regular newsletters and an annual magazine, Headline News.  We also support families to connect through events such as an annual Family Weekend, conferences and Days Out, and provide information through our helpline and access to psychological support.  We have private social media groups and specific groups within our membership who meet regularly including Cranio Dads, Young Persons Network and a Teens Group.

After 8 successful years, our current Director will be retiring in 2026 and we are now seeking an enthusiastic, inspirational and proactive individual to take up the reins.This is a rare opportunity to lead a well-established, respected national charity at an important moment of transition.

Strategic priorities for us, moving forward, include increasing our fundraising activities to ensure sustainability of the charity alongside the smooth running of our core activities in providing support, facilitating research and raising awareness.

Key responsibilities

The Executive Director will hold day-to-day responsibilities, working closely with the Chair and Trustee Board to provide effective leadership and operational management of the charity. Specifically, they will:

• Act as an ambassador for the charity, liaising with members, health professionals and with wider community and provide day-to-day management of Headlines staff and activities, setting objectives in line with the operational plan.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection and other legal, statutory and regulatory requirements and responsibilities.
• Work on behalf of and with the Trustees to deliver the charity’s mission, goals, operational plans and long-term strategy,  and act as a positive leader and role model, managing and motivating Headlines staff,
• Ensure effective financial management of Headlines working closely with trustees and the treasurer to ensure financial security and appropriate allocation of funds.
• Manage and enhance the event programme to meet charity objectives, including identifying and meeting members’ priorities and raising awareness of craniofacial conditions.
• Develop opportunities for collaborative working and partnerships with other organisations for the benefit of people with craniosynostosis and rare craniofacial conditions.  This also includes work overseas, predominantly in Europe with our medical and charity partners.
• Oversee communications and marketing activities to raise the profile of Headlines, its work and the needs of its members.
• Identify opportunities for growth, developing projects and keeping policies relevant, to enhance and expand the work of Headlines.
• Be responsible for generating funds through innovative and cost-effective fundraising activities and grant applications to maintain the long-term success of the charity.

Person specification 

Essential criteria

• An understanding of the importance of the charity’s values and priorities.
• Evidence of inclusive, innovative and proactive leadership, with demonstrable experience of fundraising and income generation.
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills with experience organising events and activities.
• Experience of successfully managing budgets and developing new and sustainable funding streams.
• Excellent organisational, presentation and communication skills and the ability to write reports for public consumption and for statutory obligations.
• A high level of digital literacy skills with an understanding of online technology and the application of social media.
• Proven track record in managing, leading and motivating staff and volunteers.
• Willingness to operate a hybrid model of working with most work taking place from home, working remotely with stakeholders and across the UK/ internationally for specific events.
• Experience of working within the charity sector, ideally at a management level and/or within  financial management of the charitable sector, with sound knowledge of the relevant legal requirements and regulations applicable to a charitable organisation.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working effectively with a Chair and Board of Trustees.
• Experience of working for a health-related organisation.
• An awareness of the principles of inclusivity, accessibility or experience of working with individuals with visible differences.
• Degree or equivalent.
• Experience of commissioning research and liaising with research bodies.

Other information

Headlines hosts events and fundraising activities throughout the whole of the UK. All Headlines staff are expected to work flexibly to support those activities as required, e.g. attendance at Annual Family Weekend, conferences, member events, supporter receptions and other related scientific meetings and conferences. This may occasionally require travel and overnight stays. In addition, all staff are expected to be self-servicing in terms of administration and basic digital skills. Please note that the list of duties is not exhaustive and additional responsibilities might occasionally arise and the workload can vary across the year

Supporter Engagement & Fundraising Communications Manager — Go Beyond £35,000–£37,000 | Fully Remote | Permanent | Full-time

Go Beyond has given over 21,000 vulnerable children life-changing residential breaks since 1994. Young carers who spend their days looking after parents. Children living in poverty for whom a school holiday means hunger, not adventure. Children who've been bullied or bereaved and need a week away from their ordinary life.

The charity is entirely self-funded. £1.8 million a year, every penny raised by supporters. No government money. Which means the work this fundraising team does is directly and specifically what makes those breaks possible.

This is the role that sits at the heart of that.

What makes this moment unusual:

Go Beyond's flagship campaign, Ice Cream Moments, launches this summer — backed by Louis Theroux, James Acaster, David Gower and Jenny Agutter. The trustees want to go viral. A legacy programme is built and ready to launch. An alumni programme connecting with 21,000+ former beneficiaries is research-complete and waiting for someone to open the door. And a loyal supporter base of 200–300 regular givers — many of whom have been giving for over a decade — is generating £90,000 a year with almost no stewardship behind it.

Sara, the Director of Fundraising, describes what's needed like this: "Think of this as your own company. Think of this income stream as your domain — you could make it something amazing."

What the role involves:

The Supporter Engagement & Fundraising Communications Manager will own the supporter communications function end to end. This is a project management and strategy role — not an execution role. The doing sits with two direct reports and a network of freelancers. Your job is to build the plan, manage the team, deliver the campaigns and make sure the data tells you what's working.

In practice that means:

• Building and managing proper supporter journeys for regular givers, challenge event runners and Ice Cream Moments donors
• Project managing the full campaigns calendar — four annual appeals, Ice Cream Moments, challenge events, and a growing digital communications programme
• Developing and implementing a data strategy, setting up income dashboards and overseeing the CRM
• Launching the legacy programme and, in time, the alumni programme
• Managing two direct reports: a Digital Marketing Officer and a Data & Admin / Challenge Events Officer
• Writing an 18-month strategy with proper pipelines and income forecasts

What we're looking for:

This is not a pure fundraiser role or a pure marketing role. It's a hybrid — and the right person will see that as a feature, not a confusion.

• A track record of owning campaigns end to end — not being part of them, owning them. Specific examples, with dates, outputs and results
• Genuine data literacy — comfortable in a CRM, able to run queries, understand segmentation. Not expert-level, but curious enough that you're never caught out
• Financial awareness — you ask what the target is before anything else. You work backwards from an income number
• Hands-on as well as strategic — you can delegate and direct, but you can also do
• Strong project management — multiple workstreams, freelancers, deadlines you can't move

Charity sector experience is welcome but not essential. Commercial direct marketing, agency-side or individual giving backgrounds are all genuinely considered.

What Go Beyond offers:

• £35,000–£37,000 with annual pay review benchmarked to sector
• Fully remote — with the option to use Go Beyond's centres in Cornwall and Derbyshire
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Flexible working pattern that can include an early finish on Friday
• Management training through the British Growth Fund's six-week programme
• A collaborative, supportive team culture in a genuinely mission-driven organisation

This role will suit you if:

You're energised by building rather than maintaining. You want to own a function, not just a job title. You think in income as well as engagement. And you want to be part of something where the work — the campaigns, the supporter journeys, the data — is directly connected to a child getting a break they wouldn't otherwise have had.

This role is being recruited exclusively through Raise + Recruit, an independent executive search adviser specialising in the charity sector. All enquiries are handled in complete confidence — including from your current employer.

To find out more or to express interest, contact John Austin. No lengthy application process at this stage — a conversation is all it takes.

Full candidate brief: https://go-beyond-roan.vercel.app/

This is an exciting new opportunity to shape the future of technology and digital capability across five South West charities. We are seeking an exceptional Regional Chief Technology Officer who is motivated by both challenge and purpose; someone who can harness technology to make a tangible difference to how our faith-based charities support church communities.

Working across Bath & Wells, Bristol, Exeter, Salisbury and Truro, this role offers a rare platform to influence at scale. The successful candidate will lead a region-wide programme of digital transformation and process optimisation, helping modernise systems, strengthen cyber resilience and unlock efficiencies that release resources for mission and ministry.

This is not technology for its own sake. We are looking for someone who combines strategic insight with practical delivery; a leader who can translate complex technical possibilities into real-world improvements for staff, clergy and volunteers. You will play a key role in shaping the responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including AI, while ensuring strong governance, security and compliance.

Please note that, whilst the role will be primarily home-based, the post-holder will be required to travel regularly across the Southwest region, with an onsite presence in each organisation at least once per month.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop, articulate, and implement a shared digital transformation and technology strategy that is directly aligned with the overarching mission and strategic goals of the five dioceses.
• Act as the principal technology advisor to the Diocesan Secretaries and their senior leadership teams.

Process Mapping & Optimisation:

• Lead a comprehensive, collaborative review of key administrative and operational processes within the Diocesan Boards of Finance (DBFs) and in parishes where appropriate.
• Use process mapping techniques to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement, and then design and implement optimised workflows.

AI & Responsible Innovation:

• Actively research, evaluate, pilot, and implement appropriate AI and automation tools to enhance efficiency, support fundraising, and improve service delivery.
• Ensure all innovation is undertaken responsibly, ethically, and with a clear focus on tangible benefits.

Stakeholder Management & Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders across all five dioceses, including clergy, staff, and volunteers.
• Foster a culture of digital literacy and champion the benefits of change in a clear, accessible, and empathetic manner.

Project & Change Management:

• Oversee the full lifecycle of technology and process improvement projects, from initial conception and business case development through to delivery, user training, and final handover.
• Employ robust project management methodologies to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Qualifications, Training & Experience:

• Proven and extensive senior technology leadership experience (e.g., CTO, Head of IT, Director of Digital Transformation) with clear evidence of strategic impact.
• Relevant degree (or equivalent) in a technology-related discipline, with appropriate professional certifications in technology, architecture, project or change management, and membership of a relevant professional body.
• Strong track record in business process mapping, analysis and re-engineering delivering measurable efficiency gains.
• Practical experience evaluating, procuring and implementing modern technology solutions, including cloud platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365), CRM systems and data analytics tools.
• Experience in the charity, non-profit or similarly complex, values-driven sector is highly desirable. Demonstrable experience of, or well-informed and practical interest in, the responsible and ethical application of AI and automation in an organisational context.
• Significant experience in technology strategy, budget management, vendor negotiation and delivery of complex, multi-stakeholder programmes.

Competencies & Behavioural requirements:

• Exceptional communicator and translator: Able to convey complex technical concepts in clear, accessible language and influence a wide range of non-technical stakeholders with confidence.
• Strategic yet pragmatic thinker: Sees the big picture and aligns technology with organisational priorities, while remaining hands-on and focused on practical, value adding solutions.
• Collaborative and emotionally intelligent leader: Builds trust and consensus across diverse stakeholders and cultures, leading change with empathy, credibility and sensitivity.
• Resilient and delivery-focused: Proactive and self-motivated, with the drive and discipline to deliver complex, multi-year programmes and achieve measurable outcomes.
• Culturally astute and values-aware: Demonstrates understanding of, and respect for, the Church of England’s context, governance and ethos, navigating the environment with diplomacy and good judgement.

Our benefits include:

• Generous company pension
• A comprehensive health & wellbeing programme, inlcuding an Employee Assistance Programme 
• Paid volunteering & study leave allowace
• Company events
• Home working