National services director jobs

Location: Reading, Hybrid 
Hours: 37 per week 
Salary: £66,000
Contract Type: Permanent
Campaign Closes: 11th November 2025

First Stage Interviews: 17th & 19th November 2025

Second Stage Interviews: 24th November 2025

Make-A-Wish UK is entering a bold new chapter. With an ambitious five-year strategy to scale the number of wishes we grant and reach every eligible child, we’re looking for a visionary leader to help us tell our story like never before.

As our Head of Brand, Communications & Entertainment, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping how the nation sees, hears, and connects with Make-A-Wish UK. You’ll lead a talented team of creatives, communicators, and digital experts to build a brand that inspires action, deepens engagement, and drives transformational impact.

This is more than a communications role, it’s a chance to lead a movement. You’ll develop and deliver a powerful brand and communications strategy, forge high-impact partnerships with media and entertainment leaders, and ensure our message resonates across every channel and audience. From internal culture to national campaigns, your leadership will help us reach more children, faster.

We’re looking for someone who brings strategic vision, creative flair, and an understanding of how to lead change and embed new delivery models. If you’re passionate about storytelling, brand building, and making a real difference in children’s lives, we’d love to hear from you.

Core Purpose

This leadership role is part of the Make-A-Wish UK Extended Leadership Team (ExLT) and is responsible for shaping and driving Make-A-Wish UK’s brand, communications and entertainment strategy. Ensuring the charity is powerfully positioned in the hearts and minds of the public as an organisation to support and donate to.
 
Leading a team of expert communications, content and digital specialists, the role will champion a strategic and scalable approach to brand, content, and communications. It will ensure our messaging cuts through across all internal and external touchpoints, consistently reflecting our mission to grant a wish for every eligible child.
 
The Head of Brand, Communications and Entertainment will also oversee the strategic development of key entertainment relationships, including celebrity talent, influencers, media partners, and broadcasters, to amplify our brand presence and support wider organisational objectives.
As a key member of the ExLT, this role will collaborate across departments to strengthen Make-A-Wish UK’s profile, build meaningful connections with stakeholders, and inspire audiences to engage with and support our cause.

Essential Criteria 

• Proven experience (5+ years) within senior level brand role including Head of Department or communications/strategy roles, ideally within the charity or not for profit sector.
• Demonstrated success in developing and delivering integrated communications strategies that drive awareness, engagement, and support. 
• Proven experience leading organisations through change and successfully embedding new delivery models to improve impact, efficiency, or engagement
• Knowledge of how to develop a consistent brand voice and style. 
• Ability to conduct market research, competitive analyses and research on potential target audiences.
• Strong understanding of digital communications, including social media, email marketing, and website content strategy.
• Experience managing crisis communications and safeguarding organisational reputation.
• Understanding of how marketing strategies relate to charity and income targets.
• Expertise in project management and ensuring teams meet timeline and budget objectives 
• Demonstrable experience of leading and managing high-performing teams. 
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire, coach, and develop others.
• Ability to pivot between project details and big-picture goals.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate insights and data into actionable plans
• Collaborative mentality and openness to work with different stakeholders, internally & externally.
• Analytical mindset well-versed in quickly spotting trends 
• Exceptional stakeholder management experience and proven track record of working strategically with media, influencers, and entertainment partners to amplify brand messaging.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating flexibility and resilience. 
• Strong understanding of the charity sector and Make-A-Wish’s mission. 
• Proficiency in analytics and data-driven decision making. 
• Excellent networking and relationship building skills to meet strategic objectives

Key Responsibilities

Brand Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of Make-A-Wish UK’s brand strategy, ensuring it reflects our mission, values, and commitment to children and families.
• Act as brand guardian, maintaining consistency and integrity across all communications and channels, and ensuring alignment with Make-A-Wish International guidelines.
• Use audience insights and market trends to evolve brand positioning, ensuring it remains relevant, compelling, and inclusive.
• Champion brand understanding across the organisation, enabling teams, volunteers, and partners to represent Make-A-Wish UK authentically and effectively.
• Identify and cultivate strategic relationships with media and brand partners, that amplify brand visibility and engagement. Leverage these collaborations to enhance brand equity, reach new audiences, and support long-term brand development goals.

Communications Strategy

• Develop and deliver a communications strategy that builds public awareness, deepens understanding of our mission, and inspires support.
• Lead the creation of impactful campaigns and storytelling that highlight the transformative power of a wish and the voices of children, families, and supporters.
• Lead on providing expert guidance to teams on integrated communications planning and execution, ensuring alignment across all public-facing activity.
• Manage crisis communications, safeguarding the charity’s reputation and ensuring clear, compassionate responses.
• Lead the development of a scalable and strategic framework for the delivery of organisational campaigns including service delivery, volunteering, fundraising and internal communications.
• Lead the development and implementation of a cohesive internal communications strategy and framework that fosters alignment, engagement, and a strong organisational culture

Entertainment & Talent Engagement

• Strategically manage relationships with entertainment partners, influencers, and public figures to amplify our message and support wish granting, fundraising, and events.
• Oversee entertainment-related activity, working with the team to develop consistent processes and high standards of engagement.
• Support the Talent Manager to cultivate new strategic partnerships with agencies and representatives to expand opportunities and increase visibility, ensuring alignment with our values and goals.

Digital & Media Engagement

• Lead the charity’s digital communications strategy, ensuring a vibrant, engaging presence across all platforms.
• Oversee the integration of digital marketing to support fundraising, awareness, and community building,
• Build and maintain relationships with media outlets, influencers, and partners to maximise positive exposure and advocacy.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide inspiring leadership and development for the Brand, Communications & Entertainment team, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture.
• Support and role-model cross-functional collaboration, ensuring communications activity aligns with organisational priorities and supports other teams effectively.
• Represent Brand, Communication and Entertainment at the Extended Leadership Team (ExLT), contributing to cross-charity strategy, insight sharing and project delivery.
• Represent Make-A-Wish UK and nurture key relationships as required.

Measurement & Insight

• Work with the Head of Insights and Innovation to develop and apply insights to inform strategic planning.
• Define and track key performance indicators to assess the effectiveness of brand and communications activity, presenting to the senior Leadership Team and Board as required. 
• Capture and report on data and learnings, embedding continuous improvement and sharing best practice across the organisation.

Location: Remote UK

Closing Date: November 13th, 2025 (12PM GMT)

Work summary

• Full time - 5 days per week

• The candidate must understand and have familiarity with US 501(c)3 finances and reporting requirements.

About The Role

Climate Catalyst  is dedicated to galvanising the collective power of business, investors and civil society to influence and accelerate policy change in Asia and Europe. Our vision is a just, prosperous world in which global warming is limited to 1.5C. We are looking for a Finance & Operations Manager, to join our People + Operations team. This role is a full time position and reports to the Director of People + Operations. 

This is a mission critical role that helps us build seamless, smart, and compliant operations for our organisation. The overall remit of this role is to:

1. Support on key aspects of financial management across budget development and forecasting, monthly reporting, and managing our external finance partners.

2. Managing domestic and international payroll via our employment partners, and managing vendors and contracting. 

3. Support on general operations across systems and software administration, and compliance practices.

Financial Management + Forecasting

• Support work on annual and multi-year budget forecasts, based on programming needs and organizational trajectory 

• Develop and maintain budget forecasting tools for departments to manage their annual budgets, to help inform strategic decision-making

• Manage organization’s cash flow to ensure financial stability across restricted and unrestricted funding

• Allocate staff, program, and operational costs to appropriate grants and work with finance partners to create budget systems to assign and track that spend

• Oversee work of our external bookkeeping and accounting partner–Jitasa–and serve as their main point person

• Develop cost types and appropriate coding for all expenses, and manage correct use of them

• Ensure all expense policies and internal controls are in line with best practices, up to date, clear and accessible to staff, and consistently referenced

Payroll + Vendor Payment

• Oversee and execute payroll cycles for all employees and contractors, through our domestic and international PEO, and vendor management platform

• Oversee  relevant local and state taxes and reporting, in line with US PEO requirements

• Responsible for payroll administration such as new hire documentation and processing standard payroll on a monthly basis and any payroll changes

• Manage contracting process, liaising with outside legal counsel when required

• Get vendors, contractors and new contracts set up in our contract management system

• Run due diligence processes in accordance with our due diligence policy

• Ensure and execute reimbursements for all employees in line with expense policies

• Prepare and issue any relevant tax documents for vendors and contractors

Funder Engagement + Reporting

• Work with the fundraising team to develop programme budgets for proposals 

• Manage financial reporting requirements during and at the end of each grant cycle

• Review draft donor agreements prior to legal, and set up grants in Climate Catalyst systems to allocate staff time and expenses accordingly

Annual Reporting + Compliance

• Support the Board Treasurer, CEO, and Jitasa in coordination of annual reporting to relevant authorities 

• Support annual audit preparation by serving as the internal coordinator for all requirements and documents as requested by auditors

Business Operations + Additional Support

• Manage all software and team systems, including access, permissions, and renewals

• Ensure all systems and data are managed in compliance with GDPR and other data protection legislation

• Ensure team data protection policies are up to date, relevant and adhered to

• Serve as the main point of contact to Climate Catalyst’s insurance broker and manage insurance policies – ensuring all policies are clearly accessible and paid in a timely fashion.

• Fill out and maintain all relevant lobbying documentation for the US, Europe, and any other relevant jurisdictions

• Ensure that all policies, trademarking, and terms of service are up to date on our website

• Support in material development for Board budget presentations

• Manage existing technology and equipment inventory and procure new equipment for all new hires and support in onboarding and offboarding as required

• Identify and implement systems and process improvements to enhance operational efficiency

What You Would Bring

• Strong budgeting, expense management, forecasting and financial planning & reporting skills 

• Experience in vendor and contract management as well as efficiency improvements 

• An understanding of compliance and regulatory requirements including but not limited to tax regulations and contract and legal risk management 

• Proficiency in managing financial and operational software

How You Work

• Ability to manage work streams independently

• Cross-functional collaboration across various departments 

• Clear and precise communication 

• Ability to navigate organizational change 

• Eager to collaborate and solve challenges

• Team player and true champion of your colleagues

Applications

To apply, please upload a brief cover letter outlining interest in the role and your CV to this application page. The deadline for applications is November 13th, 2025. We are keen to fill this position soon and will start reviewing applications on a rolling basis and may begin interviewing before the application deadline. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

We value authenticity! Please prepare your application and interview responses yourself, without using AI tools.

Compensation + Benefits

The starting salary for this role is £53,900.

Benefits include: health insurance, stipends for wellness and phone/Wi-Fi, professional development fund, co-working space coverage, generous pension contribution and more. For more information about working with us at Climate Catalyst, visit our website.

Diversity at Climate Catalyst

Climate Catalyst aims to design inclusive strategies to meet our objectives. We recognise that the only way to deliver on that is to build a diverse team made up of people with varying backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We encourage people from historically marginalised and currently under-represented groups in the climate movement, to apply to work with us.

Equal Employment Opportunities

Climate Catalyst is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable employment opportunity laws prohibiting discrimination against all qualified applicants and employees based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, genetic information, veterans' status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

Job title: Head of Development, Faculty of Medicine 
Salary: £69,365 to £79,257
Location: White City (Hybrid)

Are you passionate about advancing world-changing medical research? Do you thrive on building relationships that inspire transformational philanthropy?

Here at Imperial, we are looking for our new Head of Development for the Faculty of Medicine. This is a rare opportunity to connect visionary donors, grateful patients, and world-leading academics to make a tangible difference in healthcare and patient outcomes.

At Imperial, innovation is part of who we are. Our scientists and clinicians are turning breakthroughs into real-world impact — improving lives across the globe. As we prepare to launch the university’s most ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign, you will play a central role in shaping and driving its success.

As Head of Development, Faculty of Medicine, you will have the opportunity to work at the most senior levels, securing gifts at the high six-figure level and above for multi-disciplinary research such as public health, cancer and surgery, neurology, paediatrics, immunology, and infectious disease.

You might have worked with senior volunteers before, opening their networks to guide successful relationship building, or have a track record of successful medical fundraising and/or work with grateful patients.

If you’re ready to play a defining role in medical advancement at one of the world’s most influential universities, we’d love to hear from you.

About Imperial
Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact. 

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact. 

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network. 

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial.

Our culture
We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination and creating an inclusive working environment. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities

Our values are at the heart of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity and innovation.

Further Information

This is one of three exceptional opportunities to join our dynamic team. As we continue to expand our international presence, we are recruiting for the following roles:

• Head of Global Development, North America
• Head of Principal Gifts

Each of these roles offers a unique opportunity to shape our strategic direction and build impactful partnerships.

Closing date: Midnight on Wednesday 12 November 2025.

Interested?

Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.

Imperial is partnering with Constellate Global Talent on this search. No agencies please.

About Demos

Demos is a highly respected cross-party think tank with a unique approach to making policy to solve our long term problems. Building on nearly 30 years of creativity, ideas and impact, Demos’s mission is to upgrade democracy: rebuilding the relationship between citizen and state. Our work explores the elements of a ‘New Deal’, in which power is devolved, citizens participate in policy making, and together as a nation we find answers to the challenges of our century.

About Waves

Demos is leading the largest trial of digital democracy in Britain. 

Trust in politics and politicians is in crisis. Only 24% of people trust politicians to make decisions in the best interests of the country. Polarisation is increasing. At the same time, people want to be involved in the public policy decisions that affect them. 

Waves is a €1 million project trialling new technology in local democracy, launched to bring people together to tackle contentious local issues and strengthen trust in local government. Thousands of local people will have the opportunity to shape local government policy on an issue affecting their area.

New AI-powered technology is intended to make it easier, cheaper and quicker for participants to have their say, identify areas of consensus, discuss difficult issues and work through trade-offs together. 

We are working in partnership with two trailblazing councils who are both embracing the opportunity to put the public at the heart of their policy making. The trial will begin in the London Borough of Camden to co-develop an approach to adult social care. The trial will then move on to South Staffordshire District Council as they develop an inclusive engagement process to prepare for their next local plan. The partners will also support a further 25 councils to observe and learn from the process so that they too can use the tools in the future.

About the role 

We are looking for an experienced programme manager who can steer Waves from now until it completes in December 2026. 

You would be joining the programme at a pivotal time as we move from the ‘set-up’ and ‘co-design’ phases of the first 6-months, to the start of the first of our two trials running sequentially over the next 11 months, before moving to a final ‘impact phase’ of dissemination of our toolkits, technology and learning in the final 6 months.

Programme management of Waves means ensuring that the whole project stays on track – on time and on budget – throughout its delivery. There are 5 partners, a number of suppliers and many moving parts, so it is critical that we find someone who can work across the whole programme, anticipating who needs to do what and by when, and ensuring that the programme is delivered successfully so we can draw learnings from it to share widely across the local government, democracy, and tech sectors. 

It is worth bearing in mind that Waves is a ‘test and learn’ trial of a new deliberative democratic process using existing and new technology. Therefore, the team is committed to learning from the project and being comfortable with the uncertainty of not knowing exactly what the outcomes are going to be. 

What you'll need to be sucessful

The types of knowledge, skills and experience we are looking for are below. We welcome a range of applications which include at least some of these attributes.

• Demonstrable experience managing an equivalent programme in terms of complexity, scale and partners with a solid understanding of project management methods.
• Understanding and commitment to the mission of the programme – motivated to tackle issues of low trust in democracy among UK citizens with digital democratic platforms and deliberative processes a crucial part of the solution.
• Team management, interpersonal and communication skills – ability to lead and motivate a team with diverse skills and priorities to deliver a programme of great complexity and uncertainty, including fostering collaboration and trust, managing conflicts, maintaining transparency and empowering different partners to perform effectively.
• Strong strategic thinking and decision-making skills – the ability to align activities with overall programme objectives, making informed decisions based on programme lead and partner inputs and, where possible, data and analysis, and drive the programme towards successful outcomes. 
• Ability to identify potential risks, develop mitigation strategies and manage issues that may arise during the programme lifecycle – ideally in an innovation context, one working with diverse partners with different ways of working or when using technology/ conducting trials with the public.
• An interest in, and comfort working with, innovative technologies that utilise AI and collect data, as well as an understanding of the risks and sensitivities surrounding the use of AI, among the public and within the public sector.
• Experience of owning and managing a large-scale budget, conducting calculations when there are changes from the plan, and maintaining clear and robust tracking of expenditure to ensure financial accountability.
• Demonstrable ability to adapt to changing circumstances, solve problems creatively and maintain momentum and energy during challenging situations.
• Highly collaborative, with a commitment to teamwork and inclusivity.

Application and selection process

To apply, please provide the following through our application form:

• an anonymised CV (with any references to your name and personal details removed)
• answers to four screening questions (up to 250 words each) 
• a completed copy of our diversity monitoring form (optional)

All applications will be evaluated and graded anonymously to minimise bias in our screening process.

Questions?

If you have any further questions or aren’t sure if the role is right for you, please feel free to reach out to us and we would be happy to answer any queries. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Working within the Development and Outreach Department, (responsible for fundraising, marketing and communications) the Partnerships Team crafts and steward collaborations with companies and brands, in the UK and globally, to generate significant income, raise awareness of WDC brand and work and advocate for positive action.

The Partnerships manager:

- is responsible for developing and implementing a strategy, alongside the corporate engagement lead, to deliver an agreed annual income target, across charitable and trading activities and facilitate valuable in-kind support for WDC.

- is required to expertly research, develop, manage, and enhance relationships with new and existing partners across a diverse range of sectors.

- will be an adept communicator, capable of thinking on their feet, delivering inspiring pitches with authority and securing buy in from colleagues across WDC, and external stakeholders.

- will lead a varied and exciting area of fundraising, covering a diverse range of activities and opportunities which involves balancing the needs of WDC colleagues with external partners.

Job title: Head of Global Development, North America
Salary: £69,365 to £79,257 per annum
Location: White City (Hybrid)

Passionate about major gifts fundraising and looking for your next big challenge? Or perhaps you are considering a purposeful pivot in your career, using hard won skills from a relevant context?

Here at Imperial College, we are recruiting our Head of Global Development, North America, to join our growing team. This is an opportunity to help drive Imperial’s ambitious fundraising efforts in North America as we embark on our first comprehensive campaign.

You will drive growth in philanthropic support from high-net-worth individuals, build strong relationships with alumni and volunteer leaders, and deliver transformational gifts in support of our campaign goals. You will work closely with the Imperial Global USA Hub - Imperial’s first permanent presence in the US and a cornerstone of our global engagement strategy.

Imperial stands among the world’s top universities, ranked 2nd globally and 1st across the UK and Europe. Our research leads the field, with real-world impact woven into everything we do. From advancing climate solutions and artificial intelligence to breakthroughs in medicine and sustainable engineering, our work is helping to shape a better future and tackle society’s most pressing issues.

Our global recognition reflects more than just rankings; it’s the result of fostering a community where staff and students are empowered to excel. At Imperial, we’re dedicated to delivering an exceptional education, driving world-class research, and turning innovation into positive change.

You will have strong track record in securing major gifts or in income generation with the ability to navigate complex institutional relationships with professionalism and diplomacy. The role requires regular travel to North America.

If you are inspired by the chance to help deliver lasting global impact through education and research leading positive change and believe in the power of STEMB to shape a better world, we would love to hear from you.

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
• Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial.

Our culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination and creating an inclusive working environment. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity and innovation.

Further Information

This is one of three exceptional opportunities to join our dynamic team. As we continue to expand our international presence, we are recruiting for the following roles:

• Head of Development, Faculty of Medicine
• Head of Principal Gifts

Each of these roles offers a unique opportunity to shape our strategic direction and build impactful partnerships.

Closing date: Midnight on Wednesday 19 November 2025.

Interested?

Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.

Imperial is partnering with Constellate Global Talent on this search. No agencies please.