National director jobs

This is a demanding role where you will support the Fundraising Director in effective management of the fundraising teams across our UK centres and the central expertise in Trusts, Major Gifts and Partnerships.

You will assist the Fundraising Director to plan and organise a broad range of fundraising activities; formulating and adjusting plans as required.  Additionally, the Fundraising Director will depend on you to lead or assist on specific projects.   
 

You will act as gatekeeper regarding access for fundraising teams to the Fundraising Director which will involve utilising strong understanding and sound judgement skills across a number of activities.

At Croydon Community Energy, we bring community-owned renewable energy to Croydon - developing solar PV on community buildings and reinvesting the benefits locally to cut carbon and support communities.

Want to help turn rooftops into local power?

The role and its impact

This is a part-time CEO role providing hands-on leadership so CCE can deliver projects well, support volunteers, and build strong partnerships. Working with the Board, you will help move projects from early-stage development through to installation and reporting.

Key details

• Salary: £45,000 FTE pro rata (2 days/week = £18,000 per year)

• Hours: 2 days per week (flexible working pattern by agreement - evenings and weekends may be required)

• Contract: Fixed term for 12 months (with ambition to extend subject to funding)

• Location: Hybrid/home-based with regular presence in Croydon and occasional London travel

• Start date: 1 April 2026 (flexible)

• Reporting to: Chair of the Board (accountable to the Board of Directors)

• Contract basis: Self-employed contractor. You will manage your own tax and National Insurance and invoice CCE monthly.

What you'll be working on

• Deliver CCE's strategy and Board priorities, turning plans into clear actions, timelines and decisions.

• Coordinate the solar project pipeline with the Projects Director and delivery partners (from feasibility to commissioning and post-install monitoring).

• Oversee budgets, cashflow tracking and financial reporting with the Finance Director; keep risks visible and managed.

• Develop and deliver fundraising plans (grants, sponsorship, partnerships and, where relevant, community share offers).

• Enable good governance: board papers and updates, decisions logs, AGMs and member communications where relevant.

• Support and coordinate volunteers, fostering an inclusive, motivated culture and making it easy for people to contribute.

• Build relationships with key local stakeholders and represent CCE externally when needed.

This job is for you if...

• you are motivated by community energy, climate action and community benefit

• you can set direction, organise delivery and bring people with you (in paid or unpaid roles)

• you are confident planning and delivering projects, prioritising well and managing risks

• you can build trust with stakeholders across communities, funders, delivery partners and local government

• you are financially literate and comfortable with budgets and responsible spending decisions

• you can support good governance and work well with a Board or committee

• you communicate clearly, stay organised, and can work independently in a small organisation

It helps if you have...

• renewable energy and/or community solar project development experience

• fundraising, grant management and/or community share offer experience

• experience in co-operatives, social enterprises, charities, or volunteer-led organisations

• knowledge of Croydon and its communities, or experience working in a diverse urban borough

• experience in policy, advocacy or sector collaboration

If you do not meet every point, please still consider applying - we care about potential and values as well as experience.

Equal opportunities and accessibility

CCE is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from groups under-represented in the community energy sector.

If you are disabled (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) and meet the minimum criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. Please tell us what reasonable adjustments would help you take part. Information can be provided in alternative formats on request.

Funding for this role

CCE has been awarded £20,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund to deliver this role. The incoming CEO will help secure further funding to increase days worked and extend the role.

How to apply

Apply via CharityJob with:

• Your CV

• A cover letter (max 2 pages) explaining how you meet the essential criteria and why you want the role

• Closing date: Friday 27 February 2026 at 5pm

• Shortlisting: w/c 2 March 2026

• Interviews: w/c 9 March 2026 (online / in person in Croydon)

• Task: Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a short task in advance (questions shared ahead of time)

• Second stage (if required): w/c 16 March 2026

Data protection: We handle applicant data confidentially and retain it only as long as necessary.

Director of Finance and Commercial Services

Help shape the future of a values-led consultancy transforming public services.

GGi is a leading independent management consultancy dedicated to improving governance across public services, third-sector organisations and mission-driven entities. We work with boards and leaders of some of the UK’s most interesting public purpose organisations to deliver lasting societal impact, and we pride ourselves on our ethical approach, collaborative culture and commitment to better governance.

Our clients are making a big difference to people’s lives throughout the UK. They include the NHS, local authorities, charities, housing associations, sports and arts bodies, regulators and community interest companies. Our work is interesting and diverse, and we have built a values-driven team who enjoy the work we do. We are very committed to individual development and properly budget time for learning together. Have a look through our website and it will give you a picture of the work we do and the type of team we have put together.

Following significant growth in 2025, GGi is now scaling rapidly, with ambitions to double in size by 2028. We are seeking a Finance and Commercial Services Director to join our senior leadership team at a pivotal moment in our journey.

The opportunity

This is a newly created, senior leadership role reporting directly to the Chief Executive. You will take ownership of GGi’s four year business plan, commercial performance and operational insight, while leading the adoption of modern digital systems to support growth.

This role offers genuine influence, autonomy and variety. You will work closely with the CEO, Board and senior team to professionalise systems, improve visibility of performance and ensure the organisation scales in a financially robust, values-aligned way.

GGI is committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Key responsibilities

· Lead financial strategy, governance, budgeting, forecasting and cash flow

· Oversee outsourced finance operations and embed audit-ready processes

· Drive pricing strategy, commercial input to bids and margin improvement

· Develop KPIs and dashboards to support high performance and decision-making

· Lead adoption of a unified digital platform (finance, CRM, project tools)

· Provide clear insight to the Board on growth, risks and opportunities

About you

· Values driven professional with an interest in making a difference

· Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

· Senior finance leadership experience in consultancy, professional services or a mission-driven organisation

· Strong commercial, pricing and performance management skills

· Confident working with data, dashboards and financial models

· Interest in digital transformation and efficiency through technology

· Collaborative, ethical leadership style aligned with a flat structure

What we offer

· Salary: £80,000 plus generous company bonus

·       Genuine work/life balance with remote working and regular in-person leadership meetings with occasional client travel

·    Benefits: Contributory pension

· Impact: Opportunity to shape a growing consultancy with real social impact

· Culture: Supportive, learning, values-driven and collaborative

Closing date: 27 February 2026

The Operations Director is a  senior leadership role at St Stephen’s, helping turn vision and strategy into effective day-to-day delivery. A highly relational role, combining strong operational leadership with collaboration, trust-building and a genuine care for people. The person we are looking for will lead across people, finance, systems, buildings and operations helping the church respond to the Holy Spirit and deliver our mission well.

Horatio’s Garden charity is looking for an experienced fundraising leader to develop this newly created role within the fundraising and events directorate. We are a growing, award winning, national charity delivering garden-based support to improve the mental health of people with spinal injuries across the UK. 

You will be joining the charity in an incredibly exciting year, as we launch our new 5 year strategy and head into a Capital Appeal for our tenth garden in Wakefield.

Our newly created role of Head of Philanthropy & Partnerships will play a critical part in this next chapter, leading the development of our existing high value fundraising portfolio to support our growth ambitions. This is both a strategic and hands-on role, operating in a small team environment and requiring the postholder to work with the Director of Income Generation and CEO to shape strategy, build relationships, and deliver income directly. 

The role will work across major donors, trusts & foundations and corporate partnerships, supporting a talented team of four fundraisers: Senior Philanthropy Manager (Trusts & MD), Senior Regional Partnerships Manager, Trust & Foundations Fundraiser and Trusts & Foundations Assistant.

The charity has a history of building successful high value relationships, and we are looking for someone with the experience and ambition to help us build on this solid foundation to deliver our 5-year strategy and complete our core capital appeal programme. 

You will need to have significant fundraising experience gained in a charitable environment across major donors, trusts and foundations and corporate partnerships. You will work with the team to develop compelling case for supports, identify and cultivate prospects and build partnerships to secure high value gifts.

Remote (UK-based) | Full-time | £123,969 + benefits

Oak is a fully remote, mission-driven organisation offering high levels of flexibility, autonomy, and purpose. We’re a national not-for-profit organisation working in partnership with teachers to create high-quality, sequenced curriculum and lesson resources for pupils across all subjects and age groups.

Our culture has been independently recognised through:

• Flexa verified (93% overall score, including 95% for working hours and 97% for role modelling)

• Escape the City's Top 1% Employers – based on anonymous colleague reviews of culture, development, and impact

• Investors in People Gold - through external accreditation and colleague feedback

 About the Role

Oak is entering a critical new phase. Over the next three years, we will support the implementation of a revised national curriculum, deepen adoption of our digital products across schools, and play a leading role in shaping the safe and ethical use of AI in education.

We are now seeking a Director of Engineering to lead the technology that underpins this work.

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for Oak’s engineering strategy, technical architecture and platform delivery. You will lead engineering teams to build and operate reliable, secure and scalable systems that support teachers at scale and enable innovation across the education sector.

You’ll work closely with product, design, data, teachers and content leaders to ensure our technology choices are grounded in real classroom needs, strong pedagogy and value for money, while also pushing forward what’s possible with the latest approaches and tools. You’ll empower teams to get solutions built and products and features shipped.

We welcome applications from candidates with senior engineering leadership experience across technology, digital or public service environments, including those who have not previously worked in education.

If you’re excited by the challenge of building dependable systems that quietly do the heavy lifting for teachers, and shaping how safe AI is used across the sector, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop and manage a high-performing Engineering department, leveraging internal and/or external relationships

• Manage the Engineering department budget (minimum of 6-figures)

• Accountable for the department's delivery against division and organisation-wide KPIs.

• Set and lead Oak’s technical direction, ensuring secure, scalable and high-performing platforms aligned with organisational and product priorities and public sector digital standards.

• Oversee software engineering, architecture, embedding engineering excellence, operational reliability, strong SDLC practice and continuous improvement, and ensuring compliance with relevant digital, security and data standards (including GDS and GDPR).

• Lead the implementation of data-intensive and emerging technologies (including AI/ML), ensuring production-ready systems and compliance with Oak’s technical and safety requirements.

• Member of the Senior Leadership Team.

• Lead the strategy and planning, and model the culture of the organisation.

• Work in cross-functional and product-oriented squads with colleagues from across the organisation, as required.

• Deputise for the CEO and take on other general responsibilities as required.

What We’re Looking For

• 3+ years’ experience overseeing engineering or technical capabilities of a department or division.

• Experience of being part of a senior or wider leadership team.

• Experience of recruiting, developing and managing a high-performing department

• Experience of managing a 6-figure budget and ensuring value for money.

• Extensive experience delivering secure, scalable, high-quality digital services in production environments.

• Experience implementing and operating data-intensive or emerging technologies (e.g., AI/ML), ensuring safe, reliable and responsible deployment.

• Experience leading the evolution of engineering systems over time, including evaluating new technologies, scaling cloud-based services, and ensuring high availability, CI/CD maturity and long-term platform resilience.

• Experience having deployed production ready AI technology (desirable).

• You will be comfortable working at pace, with a range of digital systems (including proprietary ones as required) and you will continuously look at ways that the team can keep getting better. You will be excellent at working as part of a remote team, building relationships and managing your time effectively.

Our Benefits

• 25 days annual leave, plus one extra day for each year of service (up to 28)

• Additional Oak closure days over Christmas/New Year

• 11% employer pension contribution (with no minimum employee contribution)

• A 36-hour working week, with half-days on Fridays or every other Friday off

• Fully remote working — we’ll support your home set-up and offer coworking options if preferred

• Twice-yearly in-person offsites to collaborate, connect, and have fun

• A culture that genuinely supports flexibility, autonomy, and trust

Inclusion and Belonging

We believe diverse teams build better products. We warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those who are underrepresented in the tech and education sectors.

We use the Applied recruitment platform to help reduce bias in our hiring process.

Key Info

• Location: Remote, but you must be based in the UK with the legal right to work here

• Sponsorship: Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time

• Closing date: 23:59 on Wednesday, 4 February 2026. We’ll be reviewing applications as they come in, and may close the role early

If this sounds like the kind of role and team where you could do your life’s best work, we’d love to hear from you.

Next Steps

We aim to run a fair, inclusive process that helps people show what they can really do.

Stage 1: Apply (via Applied)

You’ll apply through the Applied platform. Your application will be scored anonymously against the published criteria and reviewed by more than one assessor.

Stage 2: Short practical exercise (video)

If you progress, we’ll send you a short brief and a few suggested technologies you could use. You’ll then have time to go away, create a simple prototype or generate an insight in response to the brief, and record a short video walking us through what you have produced and why.

For this role, we will be looking for evidence of technical judgement and engineering thinking, for example, how you approach system design, reliability, security, data or AI safety, rather than production quality or polished demos. The exercise is designed to be accessible to candidates who lead engineering teams and may not code day to day.

Videos will be scored by a small group of assessors using clear criteria.

Stage 3: Interview

A shortlist of candidates will be invited to a competency-based interview, assessed against the criteria set out in the job description.

We’ll share full details, timelines and support as you progress. We’re happy to make reasonable adjustments at any stage.

Use of AI in applications

You can use AI to help draft your answers, but remember, we are looking for your experiences and insights, not generic or AI-generated responses.

We score for specific, real examples and your own judgement. If your answers read like AI output or could describe anyone’s experience, they will score poorly.

We are receiving excellent responses to our job advertisements. This may lead us to close the role early, so if you are considering applying, then please get your application in early to avoid missing out.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is now seeking an exceptional and visionary Director of Development to lead its fundraising at a pivotal moment in its evolution. This newly created senior role reflects a step change in ambition as the organisation embarks on an exciting new chapter of growth, partnership and global profile. Reporting to the Chief Executive and sitting on the Executive Team, the Director of Development will inspire and lead a talented development team while playing a central role in shaping the organisation’s future direction. You will spearhead major fundraising initiatives, including a landmark capital campaign to realise plans for a new recording, rehearsal and creative centre — envisaged as an “Abbey Road of the North” — designed to support future talent, innovation and the wider creative economy of the Liverpool City Region. Alongside this, you will help secure the long-term success of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s award-winning artistic, learning and community programmes.

The successful candidate will be a dynamic, relationship-driven leader with a strong track record of securing transformational income within complex, mission-led organisations. You will bring strategic vision, deep knowledge of the philanthropic landscape, and the confidence to unlock new sources of support from individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate partners. Crucially, you will play a leading role in articulating a clear, compelling and cohesive external narrative for Royal Liverpool Philharmonic — one that brings together its heritage, ambition, social impact and future aspirations — and ensure this story resonates powerfully with funders, partners, civic leaders and audiences. Passionate about music and culture, you will be an inspiring leader, a trusted advisor to the Board and Executive, and a persuasive ambassador for an organisation that exists to enhance and transform lives through music.

Do you want to make a difference to local lives?

We are an independent local charity based in Bosham, Chichester offering exceptional end of life care to our patients and support to their loved ones. The work we do makes a real difference to the lives of local people and we support over 330 patients at any one time, in our In Patient, Community, Living Well and Family Services teams.  We generate the majority of our funding through fundraising and our eleven charity shops.

With operating resources of around £10.5 million per year and a workforce of around 270 employees and c.500 volunteers, we provide our services and seek to live our values of Compassion, Excellence, Integrity, Responsibility, and Collaboration in all that we do.

We believe that the best care is delivered when people work together with openness, respect, and shared purpose. As we look to the future, we are focused on sustainability, and effective, visible leadership across the organisation so that we can continue to provide our vital services for years to come.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and values-driven Director of Finance  to join our Senior Management Team (SMT) and help lead the hospice as a whole. Click on redirect to recruiter to view full job details.

This is far more than a technical finance role. As a key member of the SMT, the Director of Finance will hold collective responsibility for the overall leadership, culture, performance, and strategic direction of the organisation, working collaboratively with fellow senior leaders to ensure our values shape decision-making at every level.

Alongside strategic financial leadership, the role includes senior oversight of Facilities and IT, recognising the vital role these services play in the provision of safe and effective services.  The role also operates as Company Secretary and takes responsibility for information governance.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Director of Finance will work closely with Trustees, senior colleagues, and external partners to ensure the hospice remains financially sustainable, well-governed, and resilient. 

About You

You will be a senior finance leader who combines professional expertise with strong interpersonal skills and a clear commitment to values-based leadership. You will bring:

• A recognised accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, or equivalent).
• Significant senior-level financial leadership experience, ideally within a charity, healthcare, public sector, or complex not-for-profit environment.
• Experience of working closely with Boards or Trustees and contributing at a strategic level.
• The ability to lead collaboratively beyond finance, with credibility and interest in areas such as Facilities and IT.
• A genuine commitment to leading with Compassion, Excellence, Integrity, Responsibility, and Collaboration.

We offer our employees:

• Generous annual leave starting at 27 days, rising to 33, plus Bank Holidays, and an opportunity to buy / sell annual leave days
• Continuation of NHS Pension Scheme membership or membership of our workplace pension with 7.5% employer contribution
• Life Assurance Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, contributory Health Cash Plan, and a range of discounts.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at St Wilfrid's

We value diversity and are committed to being a place where people feel their differences are recognised and welcomed, and their needs are heard and respected. Creating an inclusive workplace is a core part of our aim to ensure St Wilfrid’s is a great place to work and a compassionate and caring place to be.

We want to hire talented people and to make sure our processes don’t exclude or disadvantage people with disabilities or different needs. Please let us know what would help you apply for our role – we’re happy to be flexible with our process to help you showcase your skills and abilities. 

We guarantee an interview for candidates with disabilities who meet the essential criteria for the role. As a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant and member of the Defence Employer Recognitions Scheme, we’re also keen to support applications from members of the Armed Forces family. If your Armed Forces-related circumstances mean that a conventional application and interview process might be difficult, let us know.

Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Ipswich, IP1 1UQ

Diocesan Director of Education

£75k-£79k per annum

Full-time – 35 hours per week

Permanent appointment from September 2026

Our mission is to support the 87 Church of England schools throughout Suffolk. As a diocese, we work closely with our schools which, together, educate 14,000 pupils. We are looking for an experienced education professional with successful senior leadership experience to lead our team from September, following the retirement of the current postholder. Based in Ipswich, but with travel throughout Suffolk, this post is both rewarding and varied and involves:

· Providing a range of support, training and advice to Headteachers and Governors

· Leading a small and highly effective team

· Leading the work of the Diocesan Board of Education, developing policy as the national education landscape changes

· Promoting education in Suffolk and representing the diocese as the lead on education

· Working across the diocese more widely as a senior member of diocesan staff

· Working with the Department for Education and local authority on a range of school issues

· Working as part of a strong and supportive network of national and regional Directors of Education and with the Church of England’s National Society for Education on policy development and issues

If you love schools and can demonstrate the following criteria we would love to hear from you:

· Successful experience as a senior leader in education

· Collaborative leadership and management skills

· The ability to think strategically and solve problems creatively

· A deep commitment to Church of England schools

We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Closing date: 9th February 2026 at 5pm

Interview date: 2nd March 2026

Are you ready to shape the future of young people at a national scale?

Join Young Enterprise at a pivotal moment of change. As our Assistant Director of Partnerships and Delivery, you’ll play a leading role in strengthening how we work, how we partner, and how we deliver life-changing opportunities for young people across the UK, working across regions to maximise impact.

This is a senior, strategic role with real influence, combining vision, collaboration, and operational excellence to ensure Young Enterprise is set up for long-term impact.

Who We Are

We’re Young Enterprise, a national charity with a bold mission: to give every young person the skills, confidence, and mindset to thrive in a changing world of work.

For over 60 years, we’ve reached more than 7 million young people through hands-on enterprise and financial education programmes. From launching student businesses to building financial confidence, our work helps young people develop essential life skills like teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and resilience.

We’re a passionate, people-centred organisation made up of 90+ colleagues and 2,000+ volunteers, united by a belief that every young person, whatever their background, deserves a fair start in life.

Why Join Us?
We think Young Enterprise is a great place to work and we’re proud of our people-first culture. Here’s what you can expect:

• A friendly and supportive team where your voice is heard
• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion—we want everyone to feel they belong
• Generous holiday allowance and flexible working
• Cycle-to-work scheme, life assurance, and NHS top-up plan
• Ongoing learning and mentoring opportunities
• A chance to directly impact the lives of young people every single day

About the Role

This is a senior, strategic role for a collaborative leader who enjoys turning insight into action. As Assistant Director of Partnerships and Delivery, you will:

• Work with the senior leadership team to design and embed a future-ready Target Operating Model (TOM) that supports high quality, impactful delivery across the UK.
• Lead Young Enterprise’s partnership and delivery activity during a key period of organisational change and renewal, helping to shape our future impact.
• Build strong, purposeful partnerships and delivery models that bring our Transforming Futures Strategy to life.
• Foster a strong “one team” culture across programmes, delivery, and volunteering.
• Champion safeguarding, inclusivity, and evidence-based practice across all areas of work.

You’ll Love This Role If You Are…

• a strategic systems-thinker who enjoys improving how organisations work and delivering impact at scale
• a collaborative and credible leader who brings people with them through change, building trust and momentum
• passionate about impact and using evidence to drive better outcomes for young people
• confident working with partners and stakeholders across sectors to create shared value
• values-led, with a strong commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and high-quality delivery
• motivated by mission, and excited by the opportunity to shape the future of a national charity at a pivotal moment

Key Responsibilities

• Lead partnership and delivery activity aligned to the Transforming Futures Strategy.
• Co-design and implement a future-focused Target Operating Model (TOM) that supports effective, high quality delivery.
• Build, grow and manage strategic relationships with schools, funders, and partners to maximise impact and reach.
• Represent Young Enterprise externally and support partnership growth across sectors.
• Ensure programmes are delivered to a consistently high standard, with safeguarding, inclusion and quality at the core.
• Use data, evidence and insight to drive performance, learning and continuous improvement.
• Connect national strategy with regional delivery, ensuring local insight informs planning and decision making.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture and support the development of high performing teams.
• Contribute actively to organisational leadership as a member of the senior leadership team.

 A few practical things

• This role will require regular travel across the UK and monthly travel to London for leadership meetings and events.

Keeping Young People Safe 

We are committed to keeping young people safe. All successful applicants will undergo an enhanced DBS check and receive ongoing safeguarding training.

At Young Enterprise, safeguarding is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. All successful applicants will receive ongoing safeguarding training throughout their employment and be expected to uphold excellent safeguarding practice at all times.

How to Apply
If you’re ready to help shape the futures of young people, we want to hear from you!

Please send your CV and instead of a traditional cover letter, please send us a separate document answering the three questions below, up to 250 words per answer. Please note, applications without answers to the three questions will not be considered. Applications must be received by 23:30 on 4 February 2026.  

Interviews will be held in person at our London Office and shortlisted candidates will be invited to be interviewed either on 10 or 11 February 2026.

1. What are the top three strengths, skills, or experiences you bring to the Assistant Director of Partnerships and Delivery role?  

 2. If appointed, what would you most want to achieve within your first 12 months in the role, and why are these priorities important to you and to Young Enterprise? 

 3. Why does leading the delivery and partnerships at Young Enterprise matter to you personally? How does your motivation and approach align with our transforming Futures Strategy and our values of unlocking potential, one team, enterprising and resilient, and creating great impact? 

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While these can be a helpful resource, we want to hear about your personal skills, experiences and insights that highlight your unique strengths and perspective in your own words.

Full details can be found in the Job Description.

At YE we are passionate and committed to keeping your data safe and secure.  Full details can be found in the YE People’s Privacy Notice.

Join us – and help us give every young person the chance to thrive. Apply today!

Lead the growing national charity, Rackets Cubed, as their next Charity Director, helping children thrive through sport, education and nutrition.

Location: London with national travel

Applications close: 9 a.m. Monday 23rd February 2026

About Racket Cubed

Racket Cubed is a charity with momentum, purpose and heart. What began as a small local initiative has grown into a national charity supporting children and families in communities that need it most.

Founded in 2016, Rackets Cubed has grown steadily and purposefully. Today, it supports over 1,000 children every week, working across schools, community hubs and partnerships in multiple cities. The work is rooted in collaboration, with schools, universities, sports bodies, food charities and local organisations.

Looking ahead, Rackets Cubed is focused on controlled consolidation, strengthening systems, people and funding while continuing to grow responsibly.

Rackets Cubed creates happy, resilient learners by bringing together sport, education and nutrition in a simple but powerful way. 

About the role

Rackets Cubed is now seeking a Charity Director to lead the next stage of its journey. This is an opportunity to combine strategic leadership with real-world impact, working closely with an engaged Chair and Board, an experienced team and a wide network of partners.

You will help shape how Rackets Cubed consolidates its growth, strengthens financial sustainability and deepens impact, while staying true to what makes it distinctive: a practical, evidence-led approach and a belief in the potential of every child.

Who we are looking for

Rackets Cubed is looking for a values-driven leader who brings warmth, clarity and confidence — someone who enjoys building relationships as much as shaping strategy.

You will bring:

• Senior leadership experience (CEO, Director or similar)
• Experience working with a Board and supporting good governance
• Financial understanding and experience of income generation
• The ability to lead teams through growth, change or consolidation
• Strong communication skills and a natural, credible presence
• A genuine commitment to equity, inclusion and social impact

Experience in education, youth development, sport, health or food poverty is welcome but above all, you will share the charity’s belief in what children can achieve when given the right support.

Rackets Cubed is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 23rd February 2026.

You will provide day-to-day leadership of the finance function, bringing your accounting expertise to the team, and work collaboratively with me in my role as Director of Finance and Services, and from March with the incoming Chief Operating Officer, to ensure our strategy is translated into effective financial systems, budgeting, financial management and reporting.

Longer working lives and ongoing economic transitions are reshaping careers: how we start them, and how we move through them. But too many people remain paid in low-paid, low-quality work – with damaging consequences for them personally, and our economy as a whole. We’re seeking a senior, policy-oriented research leader to help us and our partners generate insights that enable more people to move into and progress through better work.

You’ll have a proven track record in scoping and securing funding for research and influencing activity, with significant autonomy to lead your own programme at L&W. You’ll be supported by committed researchers and managers whom you will coach, lead, and develop—alongside a peer group of Deputy Directors working across other key pillars. We welcome quantitative expertise, but most important are the skills to design and deliver high-quality, impactful research programmes.

You’ll join an organisation with a national reputation for driving policy change—and a friendly, highly capable, delivery-focused team. 

Location: Hybrid working: 40-60% in an L&W office. Our offices for this role are currently in Leicester and London, but if you are based elsewhere, please contact us to talk about how the role could work for you.

Team:Research and Development

Salary:£64,450 -£77,880 per annum (pro rata), dependent on experience and location

Duration:Permanent

Working hours:0.8 to 1 FTE, with flexible working supported (e.g. condensed hours, flexible start and finish times)

Main Purpose

The Deputy Director, Policy and Research (Better Work and Progression) will have overall ownership of the ‘Better Work’ pillar of our strategic plan at L&W: overseeing all projects and activity in this area and generating new work (including developing project ideas and securing funding).

While there is significant scope to shape the ongoing programme of research and impact work, we anticipate that key areas of focus in this area going forward will be: understanding & better supporting career change; understanding and improving policy to increase employer investment in skills; high quality and fair access apprenticeships and technical education; understanding how to better support progression from low pay.

They will be a senior leader for the organization – helping to continuously shape our strategy and the plans we are implementing to deliver it.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and management

• Intellectual leadership of the Better Work pillar: developing and owning policy positions, messages, theory of change and research priorities, and supporting the wider team to feed into and understand them
• Line management of senior and mid-level staff
• Act as a senior leader at L&W – including taking on specific organization-level responsibilities where appropriate

Income

• Write and/or co-ordinate responses to reactive research and evaluation tenders in the areas of employment, better work and progression
• Develop pro-active proposals that will drive change in your area, and respond to the interests of funders and partners
• Build relationships with current and potential funders and research partners

Impact

• Act as an external expert on the issues of better work and progression: writing press quotes, articles and blogs;speaking on platforms
• Building relationships with practitioners, policymakers and partners to improve our insights, and get our recommendations implemented
• Develop appropriate means of tracking impact towards our better work goals, and monitor against them. 

Delivery

• Deputy Director/Project Director-level oversight of projects being delivered in your and related areas: supporting project team to shape research plans, deliver sharp insights and manage funder relationships
• Quality Assurance of research proposals and outputs
• Use your research skills and experience to support the wider development of the Learning and Work team

Person Specification

Experience

Experience of developing, overseeing and delivering programmes of policy-relevant research at a high level - Essential

Experience of business development in a policy/research context: developing ideas, writing bids and building relationships with funders- Essential

Experience of building senior-level relationships with external stakeholders for impact and influence -Essential

Track record of delivering national and/or local policy change - Essential

Experience of senior organisational leadership as part of a team - Desirable 

Experience of responding to tenders- Desirable 

Skills

Advanced research skills (qualitative of quantitative) -Essential

Quantitative skills: experience of using key national research and administrative data sets to generate insights into the labour market -Desirable 

Clear and direct written communication style - Essential

Knowledge

Knowledge of, and commitment to, L&W’s charitable aims and purpose.- Essential

Demonstrable knowledge of employment and/or skills policy in the UK - Essential

Demonstrable knowledge in the specific areas of Better Work and/or progression -Desirable 

Learning and Work Institute works across the UK. Our work in Wales is led by a Cardiff based team, but all staff are required to follow the guidance set out in our Welsh language scheme when working in Wales.

Founded in 1927, the University of Hull has a long and proud history. Through our teaching, research and civic engagement, we are helping to shape and deliver the future prosperity of our region and far beyond. 

Leading the Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement team, the Director will drive the design and implementation of the University’s inaugural comprehensive fundraising campaign, launching it at the culmination of our centenary celebrations in summer 2028. Building on progress made to date, the Director will leverage the centenary to elevate the roles of philanthropy and alumni engagement in support of the University’s future ambitions. 

Person specification: 
- Extensive knowledge of philanthropy, preferably within higher education, including fundraising best practice
- Extensive knowledge of alumni engagement and its role in building connections and supporting wider institutional priorities
- Demonstrable track record of building relationships and working with prospects to secure gifts at the six-figure level and above
- Experience of leading philanthropic campaigns and exceeding fundraising targets
- Experience of leading and managing teams carrying out philanthropic and/or engagement activities 
- Experience of strategic and data-driven operational planning and performance management

Dixon Walter is leading the candidate search on behalf of the University. For more information and details of how to apply by 15 February, please see the candidate brief.

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