National services director jobs

The Difference is seeking a Director of Engagement and School Partnerships to grow our traded relationships with schools and sector partners, and build the systems and team to deepen impact at scale.

This senior role ensures partnerships, delivery and learning work as one coherent cycle from first contact to long-term partnership.

Key Responsibilities

• Grow traded relationships : build and convert a pipeline of trusts and LAs into our programmes
• Build a sequenced pipeline :turn engagements from press and events into a journey towards deeper work
• Design the partner journey :map and improve from first contact through onboarding and renewal
• Develop CRM and systems :track relationships and income with discipline
• Org-wide leadership :senior ambassador and leadership team member

About The Difference Every day, 5,500 children are suspended from England's schools, doubling their NEET likelihood by 24. The Difference tackles this through whole school inclusion  training leaders, researching what works and turning insights into policy. Our vision: lost learning falling nationally by 2030.

About You: Essential

• Shared values and commitment to the children most affected by lost learning
• Credibility with schools, trusts and local authorities
• Experience designing end-to-end partner journeys
• Hitting income targets while staying honest about quality
• Knowledge of school improvement or inclusion to work with programme experts
• Building routines that help a team deliver consistently
• CRM or pipeline experience to drive decisions
• Managing relationships :expectations, risks and progression
• Strategic judgement :balancing delivery against long-term value
• Managing people and building a culture of clarity, care and accountability
• Critical friend in a senior team

Desired

• Background in partnerships, engagement, account management or business development
• Experience scaling a programme while protecting quality
• Experience building business cases for school-sector audiences
• Experience designing renewal or progression models
• Experience with schools, trusts, LAs or education charities
• Insight into children affected by exclusion, poverty or SEN

Please see the attached Job Description for full details. We are committed to building a diverse team and encourage applications from under-represented groups. All applications assessed with names and protected characteristics redacted.

This is a Senior Operational Management role within Family Action.

The post holder will provide both strategic and operational support to Family Action’s adult mental health services in Bolton and Wigan:
• Bolton Listening Lounge and Wigan Crisis Space: operating from 3pm to 10pm, 7 days a week. These services form part of the Greater Manchester VCSE Crisis Pathway, a non-clinical alternative to A&E offering support to people experiencing mental and emotional distress and suicidal ideation
• Sub-contracted to TOGS Mind, Family Action is a VCSE delivery partner for the 111 press 2 / Mental Health Urgent Triage team located within the Northwest Ambulance Service call centres.

Listening Lounge Services in Bolton and Wigan operate between the hours of 3pm and 10pm 7 days a week. There is an expectation that the post holder will work to a flexible rota to meet the needs of the service and to provide onsite management support. Typically, this will include at least 2 weekend days per month from 2pm to 10pm on site – one in Bolton and one in Wigan, and two evenings per month during the week from 2pm to 10pm. These to be arranged in collaboration with the Service Managers from Bolton Listening Lounge and Wigan Crisis Space.

The Operational Manager will also be a member of the North Operational Management team that reports to the Deputy Director of Services & Innovation.

The postholder will share Family Action’s vision and ethos – which is a vision that society understands the importance and power of family as a foundation for individual futures and connected, resilient communities. 

At Pilgrims Hospices, clinical volunteers are a vital part of how we care for patients and families. Working alongside our clinical teams, they support everything from ward-based care to therapy services, bereavement groups and community programmes. Their time, compassion and presence help shape the experience of care in very real and meaningful ways.

We are now looking for a Clinical Volunteer Lead to provide leadership to this work across our services.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a large and diverse group of clinical volunteers, working across inpatient, therapy, psychosocial and community settings. You will ensure volunteers are well supported, appropriately trained and able to make a meaningful contribution, while working closely with clinical teams to maintain a consistent and effective approach across the organisation.

This is not a desk-based role. It is a visible, hands-on leadership position, working alongside teams and volunteers in practice, building relationships, supporting people day to day and understanding what is happening across services.

It’s an exciting time to be joining Pilgrims Hospices, with a clear focus on strengthening how we support our workforce and deliver high quality, person-centred care. This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference, both in the experience of patients and families, and in how we work across services.

We are looking for someone who brings clinical credibility and strong relational leadership skills, and who is confident working across teams, supporting others and leading through presence, judgement and practical involvement.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Medical Admin Clinic Co-Ordinator to join our Medical Team. This role will require the successful candidate to ensure that all internal and external clinics run smoothly, providing doctors and MDT with relevant documentation ensuring that this service is reliable, efficient, timely, accurate and confidential.

Staff benefits include, shuttle bus, and more… Read more below

Role Requirements

Working closely with the Medical Secretaries & Medical Business & Revalidation Manager you will provide a high quality and professional support to the Medical Team.

· Have excellent communication and organisational skills and manage a varied workload.

· Be forward thinking and flexible approach.

· Have the ability to work under pressure while remaining calm.

· Have a sympathetic and diplomatic telephone manner and maintain confidentiality at all times.

With experience of working in a complex environment, across a large and diverse workforce, you will be exceptionally organised with a high-level of attention to detail. You will naturally possess excellent inter-personal skills, and an ability to consult and positively engage with key stakeholders across the organisation.

Interview Dates: Monday 27th or Tuesday 28th July 2026

AI Statement

We recognise the value of AI tools, particularly in supporting individuals who may benefit from assistance with writing. However, applications created mainly by AI can often appear generic and may not fully reflect an applicant’s, skills, knowledge, and experience.

We’d really like to hear from you so please use your own words and personal experiences when completing the application form to give us the best chance of understanding what you can bring to the role.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY – ‘How to Apply’

PLEASE NOTE: The Children's Trust Application Form MUST be completed and submitted, for your application to be considered. As part of the shortlisting process, gaps in employment will be examined and further explored during the interview process. 

Terms and Conditions

As a charity organisation independent of the NHS, we do not follow Agenda for Change terms and conditions. Consequently, we are unable to take into account NHS incremental dates or continuous service for salary, annual leave, or related entitlements such as absence pay at the point of recruitment. Whilst we do not directly match NHS terms, we offer a competitive salary and a range of staff benefits.

 About Us

The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providing expert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via our Brain Injury Community Service.

Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, we are located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction 8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of: Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom.

Staff Benefits

The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits, including our staff flexible benefits platform, on-site nursery, free eye tests, enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay, time out days for those experiencing menopause symptoms and time off for gender reassignment.

We also offer additional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlements ranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your length of service.

Other benefits include free on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton train stations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable), Teacher’s pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and the opportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Rehabilitation of Offenders

Many roles at The Children’s Trust are exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020) and as such, are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.  Successful applicants will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which will disclose all unspent convictions and adult cautions and any spent convictions or adult cautions that would not be protected.  The exceptions to this are our retail roles within The Children’s Trust shops, which are subject to Basic DBS checks which will disclose unspent convictions or adult cautions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

To help us achieve our ambition to give children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability the opportunity to live the best life possible, we want to accurately reflect the UK’s diverse population. We want equity, diversity, and inclusion to be at the heart of everything we do, and our people, services, and culture to reflect the diverse needs of all. Through our diversity and inclusion strategy, we have made a commitment to increase the diversity of our charity and create an inclusive culture. We have networks across the organisation working to ensure that these aims are met - including an LGBTQIA2S+ group, Ethnic Diversity Group, and Spark – our broad EDI group. Read more about our EDI work here. We welcome applications from all who share our ambition regardless of background. We will strive to ensure that any reasonable adjustments are made in respect of interview and working arrangements.

Online Searches

In accordance with statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance, online searches will be conducted for shortlisted candidates before interview. The online searches will be conducted by a person who is independent of the interview and selection process and will focus on relevant information returned via searches of the candidate’s name (and variations thereof). Social media searches will be limited to professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Any concerns relating to suitability for work with children and young people will be forwarded to the interview panel, for discussion during the interview.

Director of Community Services
£80,000 pa plus excellent benefits
Remote working
Permanent, 35 hours per week

This is a key senior leadership role, responsible for shaping and leading RNID’s community services so that we change lives one by one. The Director of Community Services will lead our flagship RNID Near You services and Contact RNID, with responsibility for business development, operational delivery, service quality, safeguarding, volunteer management and continuous improvement.

As Director of Community Services you will:

• Provide strategic leadership for RNID’s community services, setting a clear direction, maintaining strong delivery discipline and maximising impact for our service-users.  

• Set and maintain high standards for service quality and assurance, ensuring consistent practice, effective compliance arrangements and a culture of learning and continuous improvement.  

• Grow RNID’s community services by maximising opportunities to establish new RNID Near You services and maintaining a strong future services roadmap.  

• Strengthen safeguarding across RNID, ensuring systems and processes are proportionate, robust and effective in protecting service users, staff and volunteers.  

• Lead volunteer management across RNID, ensuring services have the volunteer capacity they need and that volunteers are well trained, supported and recognised.  

• Drive continuous improvement and further modernisation of services, ensuring they meet community needs. Improve the efficiency of services, helping RNID reach more people.  

• Foster a culture of strong performance management across all services, using insight into demand, quality, risk and impact to support effective decision-making and delivery.  

• Build and strengthen partnerships, particularly with NHS trusts, commissioners and other funders, to grow and improve services.  

• Play an active role in collective leadership and decision-making as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, modelling values-led, inclusive leadership and creating a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement.  

You are ready to work for a home-working organisation and have good IT skills, particularly with Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Excel, Word.

We are RNID: the national charity supporting the 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. Together, we will end the discrimination faced by our communities, help people hear better now and fund world-class research to restore hearing and silence tinnitus. We work with our communities and partners across industry, government, charity, education and more to change life for the better. 

RNID has a proud history and big ambitions. We’re focused on making the greatest impact possible across the whole of the UK. We champion the latest technology and the opportunities it brings. We also know the value of a friendly face in local communities to support people where they need it most.

We champion the value of difference and equality and celebrate our diverse and inclusive workforce. We actively encourage applications from eligible candidates from BAME backgrounds or who are deaf or hard of hearing. With almost 20% of our employees having a disability we proudly hold Disability Confident Leader status and guarantee an interview for disabled applicants meeting the minimum essential criteria.

Closing date: 12 July 2026

Interview dates as below:

1. Stakeholder sessions: 20th & 21st July 2026
2. Final panel interviews: 27th & 28th July 2026

Associate Director of People
Salary: £75,000 per annum
Hours: Full time
Contract: Permanent
Location: King’s Cross, London. Hybrid

Who are we?

Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. With over 148,000 members, we are leading the way in pioneering support for an inclusive and welcoming museum and gallery sector across the UK.

We work closely with a network of over 1000 museums and respond to their needs and aspirations. We're excited to see how they want to develop: to expand and diversify their collections and workforce, develop curatorial skills, make ambitious acquisitions, and create a welcoming, inclusive space for communities. With the support of over 148,000 members who buy a National Art Pass, patrons, and donors we can provide grants, encourage visiting and advocate for museums' essential role and value.

We have diversity, inclusion, and sustainability central to our thinking and the opportunity to be a force for good, galvanise support and help change things for the better inspires our team.

About the role

This is an exciting time to join Art Fund. As the organisation prepares to deliver a new five-year strategy from 2027, the Associate Director of People will play a key role in shaping the organisation's people agenda, ensuring it has the culture, leadership capability, organisational design and workforce plans required to achieve its ambitions.

The Associate Director of People provides leadership of the People function, ensuring the delivery of an effective, compliant and customer-focused service across the organisation. The role acts as a trusted adviser to the SMT, Heads of Department and Managers, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on operational delivery in a collaborative and purpose-led environment.

The postholder will lead the development and implementation of Art Fund's People Strategy, strengthen management capability, champion inclusion and wellbeing, and help evolve the organisation's people practices to support future growth, change and organisational effectiveness.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to shape the people agenda at one of the UK's most influential cultural charities. Working closely with senior leaders, you will help build the capabilities, culture and organisational effectiveness needed to support Art Fund's next chapter, while leading a People function that is highly valued across the organisation.

Key Employee Benefits

• Generous Annual leave – 25 days annual leave and bank holidays, with additional non-contractual office closure dates at Christmas.
• Free National Art Pass (NAP) – for yourself and another person of your choice.
• Free Entry to Exhibitions
• Life Assurance – cover for up to three times your basic salary.
• Season Ticket Loan
• Pensions – Eligible employees are enrolled into the scheme with the exception of those who have contracts of three months or less. Art Fund contributes 8% of the basic annual salary during the first six months of employment or until probation is successfully completed, whichever is the later. At that point the contribution is increased to 10%.

Closing deadline: 23.59pm on Thursday 16th July 2026

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are committed to building our team and trustees from the broad range of backgrounds and experiences across the UK, valuing difference and diversity, and building a workplace based on shared values of equality and mutual respect.

We have ambitious plans for the future and will be holding ourselves to account and putting our principles into action, as we all work together to help bring about positive change and a fairer future for everyone. We therefore want to encourage applications from all races, ages, religions and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with any kind of disabilities and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our organisation.

No agencies please.

�� Are You the Candidate We’re Looking For? ��

At Shaftesbury, we’re looking for a Director of Accommodation Based Services to join our passionate and purpose-driven team. If you’re organised, detail-focused, and want to be part of something meaningful, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

You must hold a full current driving licence and the ability to travel to services and stay away from home overnight when required.

We’re not just hiring skills—we’re looking for people who genuinely care. People who want to make a difference. People who believe, as we do, that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a full, independent, and flourishing life.

Guided by our core values—Open, Enabling, Inclusive and Courageous—we are proud to deliver outstanding support across our adult care, children’s services, and education settings. Every member of our team plays a vital role in helping the people we support thrive.

�� About the Role

The Director of Accommodation Based Services will be responsible for ensuring the operation of high quality, financially sustainable services across the country that are sustainable both now and in the future.

This role is home based with national travel as and when required.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Promoting the vision and values of Shaftesbury within the residential services.
• Leading by example and ensuring that you demonstrate the values in your leadership behaviours and how you support our teams and deliver our services.
• Ensuring you meet all targets and KPIs.
• To participate in Shaftesbury’s national on call rota.
• Develop key relationships and create strategic alliances with all commissioners.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a team that directly impacts the quality and safety of the services we provide.

�� Why Join Shaftesbury?

We know our people are our greatest asset, so we make sure you feel valued, supported, and rewarded:

✨ Recognition & Rewards – Be recognised by senior leaders and receive vouchers of up to £50 for going above and beyond
�� Professional Development – Access to an excellent training and development programme
��️ Generous Annual Leave – 25 days + bank holidays, rising to 28 days after 5 years
�� Pension Scheme – Helping you plan for the future
�� Wellbeing Support – Access to a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme

�� Why You?

You’ll bring:

• Strong organisational and administrative skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• The ability to manage multiple priorities
• A proactive, team-focused mindset
• Diploma level (Level 5) or equivalent level qualification
• Evidence of continued professional and personal development
• Experience within a senior management position previously
• Track record of service improvement and operational achievement

As Senior Manager: Community Wellbeing Services, you will hold leadership responsibility for key services including Community Connections, Safe Haven and Counselling, ensuring they are safe, effective, high-quality and aligned within a coherent organisational approach. This is a senior leadership role accountable for the strategic direction, operational performance and integration of Catalyst’s community-based services and partnerships across Surrey.

Beyond service oversight, you will lead the development of a connected and responsive community offer, ensuring Catalyst’s services operate as part of a wider network of provision across Surrey. You will play a central role in shaping how services connect with each other and with external partners to create clear, accessible and holistic pathways for clients.

You will lead the development of a coherent community wellbeing operating model, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities and pathways across services.

You will define and drive what partnership working means at Catalyst, building strong, visible relationships across the VCSE sector, statutory services and local networks, and ensuring Catalyst is a trusted, active and vibrant presence within local communities.

A key focus of the role is ensuring consistent quality, strong safeguarding practice and effective performance across diverse community settings, supported by clear standards, oversight and continuous improvement.

You will be expected to be highly visible and present across services and partnerships, maintaining close connection to delivery, staff, communities and stakeholders.

Location: Nankeville Court, Woking (hybrid), with regular presence across community sites, partner organisations and Catalyst locations
Salary: £41,000-£45,000
Hours: 35 hours
Contract type: Permanent

About the organisation

Through Community, Specialist and Outreach services, we support recovery, mental health, and wellbeing—together, every step of the way.

About you

We are looking for an experienced, values-led leader with a strong background in community-based mental health, wellbeing, social care, counselling, community development or a related field. You will bring significant experience of leading staff and services in complex community settings, with the ability to balance strategic oversight with close connection to frontline delivery.

You will have strong safeguarding knowledge, sound professional judgement and experience of managing risk within multi-agency and community contexts. Confident working in partnership, you will be able to build trusted relationships across the VCSE sector, statutory services and local networks, influencing others and supporting joined-up, accessible pathways for clients.

You will be emotionally intelligent, resilient and inclusive in your leadership style, able to lead teams through change while maintaining clarity, professional boundaries and a strong focus on quality. You will be comfortable using data and insight to inform service improvement, performance and decision-making, and will be able to maintain a visible presence across services, partnerships and community settings.

A commitment to equality, diversity, inclusive practice and trauma-responsive services is essential, along with the ability to travel regularly across Surrey and work flexibly across multiple sites.

Please refer to the job description for a full breakdown of the key responsibilities and person specification.

Benefits

• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing with service)
• Pension scheme and access to Simply Health (including optical, dental, counselling sessions)
• Birthday leave, employee discounts, and flexible working where possible
• Supportive probation, sick pay after probation, and wellbeing/EAP resources

Safeguarding & Checks

• This role is subject to a basic DBS check.
• A past history of drug/alcohol issues or criminality will not necessarily exclude you from this role; we encourage applications from people with lived experience where appropriate.
• All applicants must have a valid right to work in the UK.

Catalyst Support is an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate difference and are committed to fairness, accessibility, and inclusion throughout recruitment and employment.

We welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

This role offers a unique opportunity to make this role your own and take the charity to the next level, with the full support of a dedicated, experienced team.

The successful candidate will ensure that the charity remains resilient and able to deliver on its commitment to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the people we serve.

The role is a mix of operational activity, day to day management and strategic thinking; with the continuous building and nurturing of external relationships with our NHS, public sector and not-for-profit stakeholders.

Working alongside a committed trustee board, skilled staff and volunteers, you will bring drive, experience and passion to the team. You’ll get terrific support from the outgoing postholder as needed, with the space to act and bring your own ideas to the forefront.

Internal title: Executive and Governance Administrator

Location: Home (most meetings are online and we are largely a remote working organisation, however travel will be expected to central events at  least 1-2 times a year which will be paid for by the charity)

Salary: £34,453 Full Time

Hours: 35 per week (full time)

Closing Date: Sunday 19 July - 23.30

Contract: Permanent

About the role

This is a key support role at the heart of Housing Justice, providing high-quality, proactive and highly organised executive support to the CEO and senior leadership team in a fast-moving national charity environment. The postholder plays a critical role in enabling the CEO and Directors to operate effectively, requiring excellent diary management, strong judgement, discretion, and the ability to manage competing priorities and anticipate organisational needs. The role also involves coordinating meetings end-to-end, ensuring they are well-structured and outcome-focused, including preparing agendas, capturing accurate notes, maintaining action logs, and proactively following up to ensure timely completion.

About you

We are looking for someone with:

· Significant experience supporting senior leaders in a PA, Executive Assistant, or equivalent role

· Experience managing complex diaries across multiple senior stakeholders

· Experience of agenda setting and action tracking for a variety of senior management and trustee meetings

· Experience working in a fast paced, often changing environment

About us

Housing Justice brings together communities and finds solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system. We train and support volunteers to offer various accommodation options while building a network of local support. This includes providing personalised assistance to help individuals access relevant local services and address their other needs. Through compassionate, courageous, and collaborative action, we implement innovative solutions to tackle housing injustice, enhance the quality of housing, and elevate the voices and experiences of groups affected by housing injustice to both local and national governments.

Contract: Full-time, permanent
Hours: Full-time
Reports to: Chair; Board of Directors 
Location: Hackney
Salary: £50,000-60,000 depending on experience.
Pension: HSoF participates in the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme and contributes 3%.
Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, free onsite lunches .
Probation period: Six months.

About Hackney School of Food

Hackney School of Food is an award-winning food education hub based in the grounds of Mandeville Primary School in Clapton, East London. Through our teaching kitchen and educational garden, we help children, families and communities build the skills, confidence and knowledge to grow, cook and eat good food.

Each year, we welcome more than 10,000 visits to our kitchen and garden, delivering curriculum programmes for schools alongside community cooking courses, gardening projects, holiday clubs, corporate volunteering and public events. Since becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2023, we have expanded our facilities, strengthened our governance and built a strong reputation as a leader in food education.

We're now looking for an exceptional Managing Director to build on these strong foundations and lead Hackney School of Food through its next phase of growth and impact.

About the role

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Managing Director (MD) will provide both strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the organisation delivers its mission while remaining financially resilient, well-governed and responsive to the needs of the communities it serves.

The Managing Director is responsible for all aspects of the organisation, including strategy, income generation, finance, governance, partnerships, programme delivery and people leadership. Working closely with a small, committed team and an engaged Board, they will build on strong foundations to grow Hackney School of Food's impact, reach and long-term sustainability.

This is a varied, hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys balancing big-picture thinking with practical delivery. One day you may be developing a new partnership, meeting a prospective funder or working with the Board on future strategy; the next you could be supporting the team, welcoming visitors to the garden or solving day-to-day operational challenges.

Key priorities

In your first 12 months you will:

• Build on Hackney School of Food's strong foundations to deliver the next phase of our strategy and growth.

• Increase and diversify income through fundraising, partnerships and commercial opportunities to strengthen long-term sustainability.

• Lead, support and develop a small, ambitious team, fostering a positive and inclusive culture where people can thrive.

• Strengthen relationships with funders, partners and local businesses, helping Hackney School of Food deepen its impact.

• Work closely with the Board to embed strong governance, organisational systems and long-term planning for the future.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership 

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for Hackney School of Food, ensuring delivery of its mission, vision and long-term objectives. 

• Lead the development and implementation of Hackney School of Food's annual business plan and organisational priorities.

• Work with the Board to evolve organisational strategy, identify opportunities, manage risks and support sustainable growth.

• Monitor, report on and respond to organisational performance against agreed objectives and impact measures. 

• Champion Hackney School of Food externally, strengthening its profile and influence.
   

Financial sustainability and income generation 

• Oversee organisational budgeting, financial planning, forecasting and cashflow management, working closely with the Treasurer and accountant.

• Lead income generation across the organisation, including trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, sponsorship and earned income.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with funders, sponsors and strategic partners.

• Ensure all funding commitments are met, including grant reporting, monitoring and evaluation requirements.

• Identify new opportunities to diversify income and strengthen long-term financial sustainability.

Partnerships & External Relations

• Act as the main point of contact for HSoF’s key partners, LEAP Federation and Chefs in Schools to ensure the partnerships are effective and positive.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with other key stakeholders, including local authorities, funders and sponsors.

• Represent Hackney School of Food at meetings, events, and public forums.

• Champion the value of food education and contribute to wider local and national conversations. 

• Ensure programmes remain responsive to community needs through ongoing engagement and consultation. 

Governance and public benefit 

• Ensure the organisation operates in line with its CIC objectives and delivers clear public benefit. 

• Support the Board of Directors to fulfil its governance responsibilities through high-quality reporting, planning and decision-making.

• Prepare Board papers, reports and agendas, ensuring timely and accurate information is available to support effective governance.

• Oversee and report on organisational performance to the Board of Directors quarterly.

• Act as the primary link between the Board and the operational team.

• Maintain effective governance, delegated authority and accountability frameworks. 

• Support the Board in meeting all statutory and regulatory obligations relating to the CIC.

People, Culture and safeguarding

• Provide leadership to a small core team (currently c.4 employees), directly managing staff and fostering a positive, inclusive culture. 

• Provide oversight and support for a wider network of approx. 15 freelance contractors to ensure consistently high-quality delivery.

• Lead recruitment, induction, performance management and professional development in line with safer recruitment and equality principles. 

• Ensure effective organisational structures, clear roles, and performance accountability.

• Oversee HR processes including appraisals, performance management, and professional development.

• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, embedding safeguarding throughout the organisation maintaining compliance with all relevant requirements. 

• Develop organisational systems, policies and practices that support an inclusive, high-performing workplace.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Maintain and regularly review the organisational Risk Register and report key risks and mitigations to the Board.

• Oversee organisational policies, procedures and continuous improvement, ensuring policies and legal requirements are up to date, clearly communicated and embedded across the organisation. 

• Ensure compliance with employment law, health and safety, safeguarding, GDPR and other relevant legislation. 

Personal specification

Essential experience 

• Senior leadership experience with responsibility for organisational performance and accountability. 

• Experience securing income through fundraising, partnerships and/or commercial activity.

• Experience of financial leadership, including budget setting, forecasting and cashflow oversight.

• Experience working closely with a Board, Trustees or governing body to translate strategic vision into operational delivery. 

• Experience building and managing successful partnerships with funders, businesses and community stakeholders. 

• Experience in managing and motivating a team, creating a positive and inclusive workplace culture. 

• Experience of governance, compliance and organisational risk management.

• Experience of safeguarding within an education, youth or community context.

• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, make sound decisions and remain resilient in a resource-constrained environment.

Essential skills and attributes

• Passion for Hackney School of Food's mission and the role of food education in improving health, wellbeing and community connection. 

• Strategic thinker who is equally comfortable with hands-on operational leadership. 

• Entrepreneurial, resourceful and committed to building long-term financial sustainability and identifying growth opportunities.

• Ability to lead a team through change with sensitivity, clarity and kindness.

• Strong communicator with excellent relationship-building skills. 

• Confident decision-maker with a high level of personal accountability. 

• Committed to equity, inclusion and community-led practice.

Desirable 

• Experience working within a Community Interest Company (CIC), social enterprise or charity.

• Knowledge of Hackney, its communities and local stakeholder landscape.

• Experience of working in food education, community food, gardening, environmental education or a related field.

• Experience reviewing and managing contracts, service agreements or other legal documentation.

An inclusive workplace

We know that diverse teams make stronger organisations and are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment and will consider all qualified applicants regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

We particularly encourage applications from people who are under-represented in our sector and in leadership roles, including people from the global majority and those whose lived experience brings valuable perspectives from the communities we serve. We also welcome applications from people who live in Hackney or East London.

How to apply

The deadline to apply is Monday 20 July at 9am. Please apply by filling out this application form.

You'll find the link to the application form on our Recruitment Pack which provides more information. 

Stage 1: A one-hour online interview with the Senior Team and Board (24 July) 

Stage 2: On-site interview at Hackney School of Food (30 July), including a short presentation. 

We may also invite the preferred candidate to an informal meeting with the wider team and Board before making a final appointment. 

The successful applicant will need to pass an enhanced DBS check and provide two suitable references. 

We may close the application window earlier if we are inundated with applications, so please don't wait to apply.

If you have any questions about the role or your suitability, please feel free to get in touch with us. You will find a Recruitment pack and email address to contact via our website.

Do your best work, for the right reasons.

The government's Curriculum and Assessment Review means change is coming to what schools will teach. A revised national curriculum is due to be published in 2027 for first teaching in 2028, with updated GCSEs following from 2029. Technology and AI can help schools navigate all this, but only if they're built on foundations teachers can trust.

At Oak, we want to use our high-quality, openly licensed curriculum to help every school and teacher access tools and resources that make a real difference to pupils. This role is central to making that change happen quickly, safely and reliably. Not just at Oak, but right across the education sector.

You'll work with our curriculum and product teams here at Oak, and with partners across government, education and technology. Together you'll help shape the tools, products and systems that put strong, evidence-informed curriculum data and thinking at the heart of the latest tech and AI.

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

�� In this role, you'll:

• Maintain specialist expertise at the intersection of curriculum and edtech and be an authority across Oak and more widely across the sector. 

• Take an active and exemplary role in the ongoing development of the Oak curriculum products, prioritising support on challenging areas of curriculum or product development as required

• Responsible for the continuous improvement of curriculum and related products across the education sector, ensuring research, evidence and pedagogical standards are prioritised.

• Represent Oak externally as an authority on curriculum, working with sector and government stakeholders where required, and growing our credibility and influence across the sector.

• Contribute to the strategy, 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 Director of Education and take on other general responsibilities as required.

�� We’re looking for

• 5+ years holding responsibility for curriculum development and continuous improvement aligned to delivery of the national curriculum in England.

• Extensive knowledge of the latest research and practice in curriculum design.

• Demonstrable success in building curriculum credibility and influence across the sector, with government, schools or edtech.

• Expert knowledge of the wider education system in England, including knowledge and experience of the edtech sector.

• Have qualified teacher status (QTS).

The successful candidate will have a desire to contribute across all areas to ensure Oak is successful. 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, which can be varied). Please note this is a workplace pension rather than the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

• A 36-hour working week, with half-days on Fridays or every other Friday off. This is a full-year role rather than a term-time role.

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

• Twice-yearly in-person whole Oak offsites to collaborate, connect, and have fun (with other occasional team events in person)

• 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: 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

You’ll answer some questions related to your day-to-day job. Your answers will go through our sift process: all answers will be anonymised, randomised, and then reviewed by a panel of reviewers (real humans).

If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you to the next stage, which will consist of a remote interview conducted over Zoom.

We love giving feedback, so at the end of the application process, we'll share how well you performed.

We aim to hold interviews 15/16 July 2026.

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

We are an equal opportunities employer.

We are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

About the role

Cardiomyopathy UK's Director of Research and External Affairs leads the charity's research, policy and advocacy, and communications and marketing functions, with a team of four staff. The post-holder sets the strategic direction of the directorate, drives high-quality delivery,  upholds the charity's values, and represents the charity externally. The Director is a member of the charity's Leadership Team, working closely with the CEO to steer the charity forward. 

For the right person, this is an opportunity with real strategic scope. We want to build on our strong policy positions and evidence base and translate them into more proactive campaigning and influencing, moving from good policy thinking to concerted public affairs activity, strategic stakeholder engagement, and campaigns that achieve real change. 

The Director will also lead the next phase of our research work, following our inaugural research grant-funding activity and James Lind Alliance top ten work. They will work with the Research Manager and our clinical and academic partners to better define and deliver our ambitions.

Raising awareness of cardiomyopathy, its signs, symptoms and genetic risk, is also within the team's scope. Too many people are still diagnosed late because neither they nor their GP knew what to look for. The Director will drive our communications and marketing agenda purposefully, equally ensuring the charity’s external profile is actively managed and enhanced.

About you

We're looking for a leader who is a collaborative and inclusive, able to build trust with staff, colleagues, external partners and the Board. They will have strong strategic, analytical and planning skills, with the ability to develop coherent strategies. They will have experience as a senior leader/ manager in a charity, health, research or patient-focused organisation. See the Person Specification for further details.
 
Why join us?

Cardiomyopathy UK is the national charity for people affected by cardiomyopathy. We provide specialist nurse support, peer support, wellbeing services and trusted information to thousands of people each year, as well as influencing policy, supporting advocacy, and funding and enabling better research.

We are ambitious about our future. We are committed to quality, accountability and continuous improvement. Most importantly, we are committed to ensuring that everyone affected by cardiomyopathy can live well with the condition.

We are a family friendly employer with flexible and hybrid working. We offer an enhanced Employee Assistance Programme, additional annual leave linked to length of service, and an extra special occasion day each year.

We are midway through our five-year strategic plan, at a genuinely exciting moment, both for the charity and for cardiomyopathy more broadly. If you are excited by the opportunity to shape our Research and External Affairs work, lead a strong team and ensure we can clearly demonstrate the impact of our work, we would love to hear from you.

About Depaul International

Our vision is of a society in which everyone has a place to call home and a stake in their community. We aim to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it. Depaul International, made up internationally of eight member organisations, exists because we believe everyone deserves the dignity and security of a place to call home. We are committed to ending homelessness and improving the lives of the people affected by it.

Depaul International’s current six-year strategy is focussed on four key areas:

• Service: Developing evidence-based solutions to develop services to prevent and end homelessness on a local, national and global scale
• Reach: Empowering member organisations to lead services in their own countries, establishing partnerships and cross-sector working globally to strengthen capacity and scale.
• Voice: Advocating for local, national, and global responses to end homelessness
• Values: Working to strengthen client involvement and enabling our clients to influence decision making to ensure our services are welcoming, accessible and just.

The incoming Director of Finance will play a key role in delivering this strategy, providing the financial leadership needed to support international growth, strengthen resilience, and ensure sustainable impact worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead financial management across Depaul Group, supporting National Members, this includes consolidated reporting, budgeting, cashflow and audits.
• Develop and implement financial strategy, controls, policies and best practice across the charity
• Act as principal financial adviser to the CEO, Executive Team, Board and Committees.
• Provide insightful financial reporting, forecasting and risk analysis to support decision-making.
• Oversee governance, compliance, company secretarial duties and data protection.
• Lead group-wide internal audit processes and financial due diligence activities.
• Support and strengthen finance capacity across international member organisations.
• Manage key external relationships including auditors, bankers, legal advisers, investment portfolio managers, insurers and regulators.
• Pivotal member of the Executive Team, which leads the development of organisational strategy, performance and culture.
• Lead and develop the finance function.

About You

• You will be a qualified accountant (CCAB qualified or equivalent),
• You will have experience in senior leadership roles (Head of Finance, Director of Finance or similar) within the charity or wider non-profit sector
• You will have the ability to balance strategic leadership with operational delivery in a small, collaborative organisation
• You will be pragmatic and collaborative, and passionate about social justice and the work Depaul International undertakes to end homelessness.

We welcome applications from ambitious senior finance leaders who are ready to take their first step into a Director of Finance position and can demonstrate the strategic capability, leadership skills and values alignment required for the role.

Further Information

• Hybrid working of 3 days per week of central London based office
• This role will require occasional international travel to member organisation countries
• Interviews will be held w/c 13th July and w/c 20th July for first and second stage interviews respectively
• Ivy Rock Partners is working exclusively with Depaul International for this appointment.

Depaul International is a faith-inspired charity rooted in St Vincent de Paul's tradition of dignity and compassion. We welcome people of all backgrounds, faiths, beliefs and non-beliefs, working together towards a shared goal of ending homelessness and creating positive social change.

If you are looking for an opportunity to use your financial leadership skills to drive meaningful social impact on a global scale, we would love to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Holly Arrowsmith at Ivy Rock Partners.