Livelihood advisor jobs
How's your job search on our site?
Purpose of the Role
The Director of External Affairs and Growth is an SLT role responsible for leveraging the voice and power of the eoa's network to influence and accelerate the growth of the employee owned sector.
The role leads the eoa’s external affairs, policy and insights, marcomms and events, shaping the external environment for employee ownership and securing the funding and commercial income needed to support sustainable sector growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead external affairs strategy, building the relationships and influence needed to shape policy, remove barriers and expand EO.
- Build strategic relationships and secure grant funding and commercial partnerships, generating income to support advocacy, events and sector growth initiatives, including the UK EO Growth Strategy.
- Oversee our policy and insights work, engaging key stakeholders to co-produce content that influences EO practice and policy and strengthens the eoa’s voice in public affairs.
- Oversee the delivery of a mar-comms strategy that delivers commercial objectives and positions the eoa as the leading authority on EO.
- Oversee our events programmes, ensuring they drive knowledge-sharing, sector development
- and commercial sustainability.
- Represent the eoa at industry forums, policy roundtables and public affairs events,
- championing the employee ownership model.
- Collaborate with the Director of Membership and Operations to align advocacy and external
- engagement with member needs and priorities.
- Lead and develop high-performing teams, fostering innovation and delivering measurable impact across income generation, advocacy, policy, events and mar-comms activities
Knowledge, Experience, and Attributes
- Proven expertise in external affairs, advocacy, or policy leadership, ideally within a business, trade body, or membership association.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience influencing government, media, and corporate partners.
- Demonstrated ability to drive sectoral or policy change, leading successful advocacy initiatives.
- Strong commercial acumen, with experience in sponsorship acquisition, revenue generation, grant funding and developing financially sustainable initiatives.
- Exceptional strategic communication and storytelling skills, able to engage and mobilise diverse audiences.
- Experience in event programming, ensuring high engagement and sector impact.
- Passion for employee ownership and economic models that promote shared prosperity.
- Innovative, creative, and proactive in problem-solving and strategy execution.
- A confident and transparent leader who fosters collaboration and inclusivity.
- Self-aware with emotional intelligence, resilience, and integrity.
What Constitutes Success in This Role?
Success in this role means having a positive impact on the growth of the employee-owned sector, strengthening the eoa’s influence and increasing the adoption of “great EO”. Stronger stakeholder relationships, greater advocacy impact and improved commercial sustainability through a diverse mix of grant funding, sponsorships and strategic partnerships will also be key indicators of success.
Key outcomes for the role
- Outcome - Growth of the employee ownership sector
- Measure - Increased number of EO businesses, heightened sector awareness
- Outcome - Strengthened corporate engagement
- Measure - Growth in strategic partnerships, corporate and government engagement
- Outcome - Strong Commercial Sustainability
- Measure - Increased sponsorship revenue, secured long-term commercial partnerships
- Outcome -Increased policy influence
- Measure - Policy recommendations adopted, increased government engagement
- Outcome - Enhanced sector insight and intelligence
- Measure - Utilisation of high quality data and insights for regular sector related content outputs
- Outcome - Development and adoption of best practice
- Measure - Creation, adoption and promotion of best practice across the EO network.
- Outcome - Successful events programmes
- Measure - Increased participation, sponsorship growth, positive feedback.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit:
- A two-page CV
- And one of either:
- Cover letter setting out your motivation, approach, and what you will bring to the role
- Video (maximum 10 minutes) setting out your motivation, approach, and what you will bring to the role
Applications should be submitted before 9:00am 17 August 2026. We will close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. If you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Interviews will be in two stages. The first stage will be a virtual interview via teams on
26 August. For those who successfully move to stage 2 there will be an in-person
discussion w.c. 31 August.
The eoa welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those
who are under-represented. We recruit based on values, skills, and contribution to our
purpose.
Non Charity Employer
11 - 20
We exist to grow and strengthen employee ownership as a force for powering fairer livelihoods, stronger businesses, and a more resilient economy.
Thank you!
Founded in 1985, our client is a UK-based, faith-driven international humanitarian and development organisation. The organisation works to serve communities affected by conflict, disasters, poverty, and inequality, providing both life-saving assistance and longer-term support to help build resilience and self-sufficiency. Delivering programmes across emergency response, sustainable livelihoods, health, education, and dignified housing, it operates through a global network of country offices, partners, and affiliates.
Our client is currently executing a phased organisational transformation designed to secure its long-term future and maximise its global impact. Guided by its core values of dignity, compassion, service, justice, and excellence, the organisation is strengthening its financial foundations and sharpening its organisational focus to respond effectively to a fast-changing global landscape.
Our client is seeking a Chief Executive Officer who combines values-driven leadership with strategic depth to lead the organisation forward with clarity, purpose, and conviction. The successful candidate will act as its chief ambassador, forging powerful strategic partnerships across government, institutional, and private sectors while promoting the impact of its work.
Key priorities for the incoming CEO include embedding the organisation's recent transformation and securing long-term financial sustainability. You will refine and execute its long-term strategy, strengthening diversified income streams and forging powerful strategic partnerships. Crucially, you will be tasked with building and empowering a high-performing, values-led culture, cultivating a highly collaborative relationship with the Board of Trustees to drive robust governance and organisational impact.
Chief Executive Officer
Salary: Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
Location: London, with hybrid working
About you
We are seeking a leader who brings fresh thinking, is willing to challenge convention where needed, and possesses:
-
Significant executive leadership experience driving complex organisational transformation and strategic change, ideally with exposure within the NGO, humanitarian, or international development sectors, though commercial leaders with highly transferable skills are actively encouraged to apply.
-
Demonstrable success in securing financial sustainability, diversifying income streams, and driving innovative revenue generation or funding opportunities.
-
Extensive experience acting as a senior ambassador, building powerful strategic partnerships with institutional donors, media, corporate partners, and other key external stakeholders.
-
A strong grasp of robust governance, risk, and regulatory requirements, with the strategic agility to adapt quickly within a complex international operating environment.
-
An understanding of faith-based values and principles relating to charity and social justice.
-
Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills to direct, unite, and inspire multidisciplinary teams through periods of change.
How to Apply
For further information, to access the appointment brief, and for how to apply for this opportunity, please click on the 'appointment brief' button located at the bottom of the advert on the Prospectus website.
If you have any queries or wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisor via email with a copy of your CV.
Recruitment Timeline
Deadline for applications:
9th August
First interviews with Prospectus:
w/c 17th and w/c 24th August
First-stage interviews with the organisation (online):
w/c 7th September
Second-stage interviews with the organisation (in person):
w/c 14th September
