Office manager jobs in plumstead, greater london

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple has an exciting opportunity for a Head of Development and Fundraising to join their dedicated team.

Location: London, EC4Y 9BT
Salary: £35,000 - £40,000 gross per annum

Job Type: Part Time, Permanent
Working Hours: 22.5 hrs per week, 3 days per week

Closing date: 10am on 28th July 2025

About Middle Temple:

As one of the four Inns of Court, we are proud to provide support, education and accommodation to barristers at every stage of their careers. The Inn awards just over a million pounds in scholarships each year, with the majority going to students commencing the bar vocational training course, some to students doing a post-graduate law conversion course, plus smaller amounts for ad hoc overseas placements, essay prizes etc.

The Inn’s mission is to support the rule of law in the UK and overseas, especially Common Law jurisdictions, and carries this out by providing extensive education opportunities and support to its members across the world.

Head of Development and Fundraising – The Role:

In this part-time role (22.5 hrs p/w) you will be responsible for all aspects of fund raising for The Middle Temple and for the associated activity. You will generate the strategy, annual fundraising plan and then enact activity to achieve the objectives set in the plan.

We’d love to hear from you if you are an experienced fundraising practitioner who has built strategies and plans with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Head of Development and Fundraising – Key Responsibilities:

- To write the Middle Temple fundraising strategy and annual plan. Then, to enact the plan to achieve fundraising objectives

- To organise and run the annual calendar of fundraising activities, including appeals

- To manage the oversight of the Trustees of the Middle Temple charity and fund through regular meetings of these groups

- To manage, and keep updated, the fundraising databases and information sources required to enable the Inn’s fundraising

- Identify, cultivate and then apply to various funding sources, both internally and externally including grants and trusts

- Write funding applications where appropriate, monitor and track donations and keep financial records up to date

Head of Development and Fundraising – You:

- An experienced fundraising practitioner used to both creating strategies and plans as well as operating as a ‘hands on’ operator

- Experience of a similar working environment and/or understanding of the workings of other not-for-profit organisations

- Strong administrative experience, ideally in a fundraising role, dealing with the legal and administrative requirements of fundraising including the relationship management of donors

- Experience in managing the requirements of a charity including accounting, reporting and attending meetings of the Charity’s Trustees

- IT literate with experience of using databases (Salesforce and CiviCRM), Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel)

- Excellent communications skills (verbally and in writing) at all levels

Head of Development and Fundraising – Benefits:

- Generous Annual Leave Entitlements

- Life Assurance

- Employee Assistance Programme (online resources and access to confidential counselling services)

- Private Medical Insurance (including gym membership)

- Medical Cashback Scheme (e.g. for dental, optical)

- Generous Pension (12% employer contribution)

- Season Ticket Loans

- Access to a Range of Learning & Development Opportunities

- Opportunity to join our dedicated team and work in a beautiful, unique, and historical setting in central London

Application Process:

Middle Temple is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

Closing date: 10am on 28th July 2025

To submit your application for this exciting Head of Development and Fundraising opportunity, please click ‘Apply’ now.

A Finance Officer is required within our vital and growing community organisation to; manage financial systems, create and report on finance to the trustee board and stakeholders of the Loughborough Community Centre.

What you would do:

Oversight and day to day management of the organisational financial systems, including:

• Using Quick Books, spreadsheets to track expenses and company spending.
• Company payroll, tax and financial auditing.
• Keeping well-organised files and records of business financial activity.
• Archive of reports, receipts, and other financial evidence.
• Keeping financial databases up to date.
• Interacting with customers either on the phone or in person.
• Following up on business financial communications, billing, and ordering.
• Communicating with funders, suppliers and vendors.
• Company Invoicing.
• Using Quick Books, spreadsheets to track expenses and company spending.
• Collecting and inputting company data within the financial systems.
• Learning about the company's mission and available products/services.
• Assist with financial technical support.
• Acting as a personal assistant to the Director and/or board of LCC for financial matters.
• Giving feedback on finance efficiency and suggesting possible improvements.

Working Well Trust is a specialist employment charity in London.  All of our projects share the aim of improving the lives of people with mental health support needs, learning disabilities and/or complex issues through training and employment. This role will be working with clients who have mental health support needs, wanting to gain paid employment.

We are recruiting for a Peer Employment Worker to join the Tower Hamlets Mental Health Employment Service.

Experience of employment support is not essential, it is more important that you share our passion and commitment to supporting people to find the right job for them. You will receive training around employment support and in supporting people with mental health issues.  As this is a Peer role applicants must have lived experience of mental health, either personally or through a close contact. 

You need to have a desire to support people to achieve their employment goals, and the ability to multitask and manage your workload effectively. You must be willing to share your experience of mental health and employment to support clients to address their concerns about employment and to support them to develop strategies to support them sustaining work.  Good organisation skills are essential for this role, in addition to an interest in mental health, and the role it plays in the workplace.  Experience of pre-employment support such as CV and application writing, and interview practice is desirable.

The role we are recruiting for is as follows: 

One Full Time: 35 hours per week - we offer flexible working which for this role is three days on site in our office in Bethnal Green and two days working from home.

You will work with clients (managing a caseload) who have mental health support needs, to assist them in securing sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences, to access training, education and volunteering opportunities. You will use a client led/person centred support approach.

You will also be working to targets whilst maintaining a high-quality service. 

If you would to discuss this role please see the Job Description for contact details.

Please click apply to send your CV after answering the screening questions. 

Candidates need to clearly outline how they meet the person specification points in their personal statement.

Staff benefits include an employer contribution to a personal or workplace pension equivalent to 6% of gross salary. 30 days annual leave plus paid public holidays (FTE). 

Working Well Trust is an equal opportunities and Confident about Disabilities.

Closing date:  9am Friday 1 August

Telephone interviews: These will be scheduled in as applicants come through so please apply early, if we get enough applicants we may close the advert early

Final Stage interviews: TBC

Application Instructions

Please complete the screening questions and press apply to send your CV.

Centre for Mental Health is seeking a dynamic and experienced communications professional to join our team as Associate Director of Communications (Maternity Cover), starting in September 2025 for 12 months. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to lead our communications work, ensuring all of our written and visual outputs support our mission to drive mental health equality.

About the role

• As the lead on our media, publications, website, social media and marketing work, you’ll manage the development and delivery of impactful content that engages our key audiences and supports our influencing, marketing and fundraising goals.
• You’ll oversee the production of high-quality publications, infographics, and multimedia materials.
• You will coordinate our publications and content schedules, overseeing the launch of a range of content to maximise impact and meet the needs of funders and partners.
• You’ll be part of the Centre’s Leadership Team, helping to shape the organisation’s strategic direction, working on organisation-wide improvements and championing equality and anti-racism.
• The role will supervise a small communications team, providing support and leadership to ensure excellence across our communications.
• The role involves liaising with a broad range of stakeholders including funders, partners, people with lived experience, suppliers and wider sector colleagues.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone with outstanding communication skills, a strong track record in media and digital communications, and a deep understanding of the mental health landscape.

You will have a breadth of experience across digital and traditional communication channels and a keen eye for detail. We’re looking for someone with strong project management skills, capable of balancing competing priorities and deadlines to deliver the high-quality resources and analysis which define the Centre’s reputation.

If you’re passionate about mental health and skilled in strategic communications, we want to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the conversation around mental health and drive change for those who need it most.

Centre for Mental Health wishes to increase our diversity and we particularly welcome applications from people from racialised communities and LGBTQ+ applicants. All our shortlisting is done without reference to personal details.

What we offer

We offer excellent benefits, including:

• 31 days annual leave per annum
• Flexible working 
• A comprehensive employee assistance programme.
• Relevant training
• Up to 12% employer pension contributions.

Location (UK): Office Hybrid* - London
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Benefits: Read more about the excellent benefits we offer
Travel: Occasional travel to Versus Arthritis offices (London, Chesterfield, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow)

Join us and use your skills, knowledge, passion and energy to help us achieve a future free from arthritis.

We’re looking for a Policy Officer who will make a difference to health and social care policy for people with arthritis.  

Within the Chief Executive’s Office, the UK Advocacy and Health Intelligence Department are focused on creating lasting change. We identify creative policy solutions in response to the challenges people with arthritis face. We influence decision-makers through stakeholder engagement, public affairs activity and by campaigning alongside people with arthritis. We have expertise across health and care services, public health, and employment policy. We also work in collaboration to influence medical research and data policy and play an active role in several cross-sector groups. 

About the role

The purpose of this role is to drive policy development across our policy priority areas. The Policy Officer will lead on specific policy projects, commissioning research, developing policy positions, and producing reports and consultation responses.

This role will cover a broad range of issues across one of our strategic goals – prevention and diagnosis; access to treatment; and living well with arthritis. Our approach considers the needs of people of all ages who have arthritis.

The Policy Officer will also contribute to the wider work of the team, working closely with colleagues in the Nations Teams, the Research Directorate and the wider charity, including by representing us on cross-sector policy groups, drafting briefings, and participating in events and conferences.

We’ll give you autonomy, variety and challenge with opportunities to work with inspirational campaigners, attend events in Parliament and meet senior stakeholders in Government. We’re a supportive team who will value your well-being and professional development.

About you

If your knowledge, skills and experience include the following then we’d love to hear from you:

• Understanding of policy issues relevant to people with long-term conditions or disability.
• Experience of working in a policy team.
• Experience of developing and influencing health and social care policy.
• An ability to think creatively and communicate effectively.
• An enthusiastic, adaptive and flexible approach.

*As a hybrid worker the expectation is that you will spend around 40% of your working time in our office spaces or working in community settings. As an inclusive employer we will consider home-based working for anyone where office-based hybrid working would be a barrier to being able to work for us, for example for someone living with a long-term health condition or disability.

We're the UK's specialist blood cancer charity and our vision is clear: we’re here to beat blood cancer. We fund world-class research; provide information and support to patients and their loved ones; and raise awareness of blood cancer.

This role is responsible for leading the Mass Participation team to achieve ambitious fundraising and supporter acquisition targets, through a portfolio of third-party events (such as London Marathon and Great North Run), expanding the growth of our flagship Walk of Light campaign and delivering new mass participation products.  

As our Mass Participation Lead, you will be an accomplished fundraiser with a proven track record of delivering and growing large-scale third-party and Blood Cancer UK owned mass participation events. You will be ambitious in achieving income and supporter acquisition targets, but also a risk-taker who will design innovative products.

Whilst there is no fixed number of days per week required to attend the office, the successful candidate will be required to travel to meet internal and external stakeholders, attend monthly and quarterly team days in the London office and travel nationally to away days and fundraising events.

We are committed to actively promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity. In line with our strategy we welcome approaches from individuals from underrepresented groups, including minority communities, and applicants with a disability, to better reflect the community we serve and help broaden our perspectives.

Are you passionate about community, creativity, and professional development? Join the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth) and help shape the future of dramatherapy in the UK.

We’re looking for a dynamic and driven Membership Engagement & Development Coordinator to lead on member communications, grow our professional community, and deliver impactful CPD programmes. This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference in a creative and caring sector, supporting dramatherapists across the UK and beyond.

In this pivotal role, you’ll:

• Enhance member satisfaction and engagement through strategic communication and outreach.
• Coordinate a diverse and profitable CPD programme, including our annual conference.
• Drive membership growth and diversification, with a focus on inclusion and innovation.
• Support and celebrate our vibrant volunteer network.
• Work flexibly from home, with a supportive and collaborative team.

Whether you're experienced in membership development, event coordination, or communications—and especially if you’re excited by the arts therapies—we’d love to hear from you.

�� Apply by: Sunday 20 July 2025
�� Interviews: Week commencing 4 August 2025
�� Location: Remote (UK-based)
�� Salary: £30,000 per annum (pro-rata if part-time)

The Richmond Project 

Job title: Head of Finance & Compliance – Part Time
Salary: £65,000pa - £75,000pa FTE
Hours: Part time - 3 days per week
Hybrid Working: 2-3 days a week is required at their office based in Central London

About Us

We believe that building confidence with numbers can change lives. The Richmond Project, created and led by Akshata Murty and Rishi Sunak, identifies and supports innovative initiatives that drive social mobility by helping families break down barriers to numeracy. Our organisation is brand new, and we are looking to build out the founding team with exceptional talent from across all sectors.

Role description

As we begin to grow, we’re looking for a highly experienced Head of Finance & Compliance to ensure best-in-class financial governance, statutory obligations, and operational compliance.

This is a senior, hands-on role ideal for someone who has worked in a similar capacity within the charity or social enterprise sector. You’ll take ownership of our financial reporting, charity and company filings, risk management processes, and ensure we’re meeting all regulatory requirements — so our team can focus on delivery with confidence.

Key responsibilities

Finance

• Oversee day-to-day financial processes, working closely with external accountants.

• Lead budgeting and forecasting processes alongside the CEO.

• Monitor cash flow, manage financial risk, and prepare internal finance reports for the Board.

• Ensure timely and accurate preparation of annual accounts and external audit process.

• Support fundraising by preparing financial inputs for grant proposals and reports.

Governance & Compliance

• Act as Company Secretary: manage Board meetings, minutes, filings, and statutory record-keeping.

• Ensure full compliance with Companies House, Charity Commission, HMRC, and other statutory bodies.

• Maintain and update key internal policies (e.g. safeguarding, data protection, finance policy).

• Support risk register maintenance and ensure appropriate insurance coverage.

• Work closely with the CEO on contract management and legal compliance.

What we're looking for

• Significant experience in a senior finance, governance, or company secretarial role in the charity or non-profit sector.

• Strong working knowledge of UK charity finance and regulatory obligations. The organisation will be making grants from an early stage, so experience with grant-giving will be highly valuable.

• Excellent attention to detail, reliability, and professional integrity.

• Confident managing external advisers and auditors.

• Comfort with ambiguity and excitement at the prospect of an entrepreneurial, mission-driven organisation

• Passion for improving numeracy, providing opportunity, and social impact.

• Relevant qualifications (e.g. ICSA, ACCA, ACA, or CIPFA) are desirable but not essential if equivalent experience is demonstrated.

How to apply

If you would like to apply, please send an up-to-date CV to Simon Bascombe from Harris Hill via the apply button. 

We are looking for an experienced professional to join us whilst a team member is on maternity leave. Linked Minds is a successful project providing support for people with diagnosed mental health problems who have become isolated. It has been operational since Oct 2018 and works exclusively to support people with a diagnosis of mental health problems through volunteer befriending.  

You will have experience in supporting people with mental health problems and be committed to the Recovery Approach. You will:

• Manage a caseload of clients with diagnosed mental health problems and ensure they establish and maintain a supportive and safe befriending relationship with their volunteers
• Manage a team of volunteers to ensure they maintain a supportive and safe befriending relationship with their clients
• To ensure that Equal Opportunities, Safeguarding and other organisational policies and procedures are actively developed and implemented throughout the work
• Liaise with external organisations to establish good professional working relationships in order to access appropriate referrals and risk assessments for the project.

BEfriend recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented ethnic and cultural communities.

Interviews will be held on either 29th or 30th July in our Ealing office.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive and organised Administrator to join us at The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) as the Membership Operations Administrator. 

This is an exciting and stimulating opportunity for a talented Administrator who is keen to develop their skills and customer service experience to make a positive impact on our members. In this role you will have responsibility for completing administration activities, work within service level agreements to respond to queries and complete membership processes. You will be efficient, responding promptly to data requests and deliver strong data integrity for membership.

If you have a passion for delivering an excellent service, driving member satisfaction and developing your career in the membership space this could be the role for you. 

What you will do: 

• Deliver exceptional customer service with every interaction, to ensure every member or potential member receives a positive experience.
• Respond to member queries and complete key membership administration processes throughout the membership lifecycle. 
• Provide support to ensure relevant documentation on membership processes are current and user friendly.
• Develop and implement data and quality checks and robust processes, to deliver reliable and current data on our members. 
• Work with the Membership Events Coordinator to deliver outstanding membership engagement events and assistance with administration. 

What you need:

• Experience of managing administration processes efficiently.
• Demonstrable experience of providing exceptional customer service.
• Experience of using and maintaining a database or equivalent to store and retrieve data.
• A quick learner, able to adapt existing knowledge and experience, to tackle new queries as they arise.
• Ability to prioritise and anticipate competing demands.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft packages.

If you’d like to grow in this challenging and exciting Membership Operations Administrator position, as well as work with a charity that focusses on supporting doctors who deliver medical imaging and cancer care, please find out more about the role, the RCR and instructions on how to apply in the candidate pack.

Why join us?

• Make a difference to the lives of Doctors and the specialities they work in every day!
• Hybrid working (60% working week can be done remotely)
• Modern working environment
• Equipment provided to work from home
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Excellent pension scheme
• Interest free season ticket loan and cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

The role: We’re looking for a talented and driven writer to tell compelling stories that touch hearts, change minds, communicate the importance of our work and inspire people to get involved.

With a proven track record of crafting inspiring narratives, you will gather and share the lived experience of road victims, to demonstrate the impact of road crashes and the difference Brake makes to families affected.  You will source, research and write for different audiences to raise awareness of the solutions that we know can prevent road crashes and reduce death and injury.

You will write effective and powerful content to meet the needs of different functions, including fundraising materials, news and marketing bulletins, research reports, website features, and other publications.

About Brake: Brake is a renowned and respected road safety charity with a 30-year history dedicated to supporting people affected by road crashes and advocating for safer streets.

Why this role is important: Every 20 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads. For families affected, the emotional and practical challenges are immense. Brake provides trauma-informed care to individuals and families suffering from the sudden bereavement or life-altering injury of a loved one and campaigns tirelessly for positive change to prevent future collisions and save lives. This role will play a vital part in raising the profile of our work and effecting positive change for a safer future on our roads.

What we offer:

-  A generous 35 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and 3-day end of year shutdown)

-  Birthday day off

-  Flexible working (choose a working pattern to suit you between the hours of 8am-6pm Mon-Fri)

- Enhanced sick pay and compassionate leave

- Death in service benefit

- Pension

- Employee Assistance Programme

- A rewarding role with purpose

- Be part of a skilled, friendly team with an engaged Board of Trustees

- Opportunity to attend prestigious events such as the Brake annual reception and awards (if you want to)

Who we're looking for

You will be a qualified journalist, a skilled and talented writer, with a minimum of four years of professional experience of working in a fast-paced newsroom or equivalent. You will be well-organised, interested in the UK charity sector and keen to work as part of a dedicated and creative team.

Essential Requirements:

· Excellent writing skills, with the ability to write engaging copy that conveys complex ideas to a range of diverse audiences.

· Skilled in interviewing with sensitivity, supporting the welfare of people sharing their stories with us, including those who have experienced trauma.

· Meticulous attention to detail and collaborative approach, helping us develop and deliver bold, compelling copy and connect with our audiences.

· Qualified journalist with a minimum of 4 years of experience working in a fast-paced newsroom or equivalent, writing a broad variety of engaging copy, working to tight deadlines.

· You will have a strong portfolio showcasing versatile writing skills across different formats. You’ll be able to demonstrate how you have adapted and nuanced copy for different audiences, across a range of content formats and subjects.

· Excellent organisational and project-management skills with the ability to prioritise a varied workload, working both proactively and reactively when required.

· Ability to work independently and in a team with a positive, problem-solving approach.

· Confidence and competence in utilising modern office, communications and IT skills in the Microsoft Office Suite as well as knowledge and skills to use content management systems and databases.

Desirable Experience:

· Experience working in the transport sector with a broad awareness of the political landscape relating to road safety and victim support and how it relates in practice

· Good knowledge of GDPR compliance and data protection best practice. 

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Brake is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We’re committed to supporting employees to achieve a good work/life balance and flexible around caring commitments. We welcome your application whatever your background or situation. We particularly welcome applications from those who are part of the global majority, the LGBTQIA+ community or disabled. We are proud to be a disability confident employer. We don’t want you to ‘fit’ our culture, we want you to enrich it. So, if you have a passion for making a difference and share in our vision for a world where no one is killed on our roads, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now: If you're up for a new challenge and have the skills, apply now by sending your CV and cover letter. We'd like to get to know the real you through your application, not an AI version. If you do use AI to write your cover letter, please check it and make sure it reflects who you are. We encourage cover letters in alternative formats such as videos or presentations. 

Not for traffic offenders: Due to the nature of our work we can't accept applications from traffic offenders. Candidates will be asked to disclose whether they have any unspent points on their licence at screening/interview.

Questions? If you would like to discuss the role further, please get in touch, we'd love to chat.

My client is a very well established name in the charity sector, supporting people facing homelessness. Working with local communities and partners, the group works in more than 70 different countries, providing support to the most vulnerable of individuals.

At present they are looking to appoint an interim Chief Finance Officer to oversee the group accounting function and lead on a number of key projects:

• Oversight of the finance department, providing strategic and operational support, ensuring sound and prudent financial management and compliance.
• Lead on the delivery of the annual budgeting cycle and presentation to the board.
• Support the senior leadership team in the design and delivery of a company wide transformation programme.

The successful candidate will be a fully qualified accountant who has previously held the number one finance position within an international charitable organisation. Comfortable with change management you will have an eye for best practice and strong team building skills.

With flexible working arrangements, my client would be looking for 1 day a week in the office. This role has been assessed as inside of IR35. 

Students’ Union UCL is an organisation that exists to make more happen. We are the representative body for University College London’s (UCL) students, one of the most diverse student communities in the world. UCL students have the potential to do anything, and the Union plays an essential role in helping them to achieve things they may have never thought possible. As a charity we employ over 130 career staff and over 250 part-time student staff, and deliver a wide range of services and representative functions for students. We work in partnership with UCL towards a fantastic experience for all of our 50,000 students and to ensure that university life enables them to develop the skills, experience and confidence to become the leaders of the future.

Our vision is of an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s ground-breaking Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We are looking for a Head of Intercultural Engagement (Maternity Cover) to lead our work to create a truly global experience for all students at UCL, harnessing the diversity of our student body, creating opportunities for international mobility, and working to ensure every UCL student is internationally aware, culturally inquisitive, and a true global citizen ready to change the world for the better.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.
 

The role is a full time and fixed term contract for 12 months. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

As the Head of Intercultural Engagement, you will be responsible for leading the Intercultural Engagement strand of UCL’s Student Life Strategy. By building relationships across UCL harnessing the rich diversity of UCL’s student community and creating new and investing in existing relationships with international partners, you will work to increase the number and range of opportunities for students to gain intercultural exposure on and off campus, managing a small team to support the expansion of our global engagement work. 

You will lead the Union’s work on Freedom of Speech at a time of change, increasing complexity and opportunity for the sector. Your team will support the organisation to deliver over 1500 external speaker events each year. You will be responsible for leading innovative programmes aimed at enabling students to disagree well at a global university as we tackle challenging issues in an uncertain world. 

Do you have experience in leading global engagement or intercultural engagement programmes? Do you have a detailed understanding of contemporary global conflicts and culturally significant global events? Are you passionate about supporting students developing intercultural competence? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.

‘Communication is one of the most important things, and I feel the ESU has set us up for life.’ Schools’ Mace 2024 participant  

 Oracy gives young people the skills and confidence to shape their lives and to build a more connected and cooperative world   

Both nationally and internationally, public discussion and political debate are increasingly polarised and divided. Social media, fake news and new technologies such as AI can create echo chambers, where claims pass unchallenged, and different views are hard to find. The English-Speaking Union shows that there is a more constructive and collaborative path.  The ESU was founded in 1918 to build greater understanding and friendships between people and nations. We are an educational charity with international reach, with an ESU in over 50 countries. Today our work is focussed on training young people in oracy – speaking and listening skills, in critical thinking and self-expression - to build skilful communicators and engaged citizens and leaders.  

The English-Speaking Union and our work is more important now than ever.  

Overview of the Team  

The Corporate Services team provides essential strategic and operational support across the organisation. Our governance function oversees compliance, risk management, and performance frameworks. The finance team manages budgets, financial planning, and reporting. All of this contributes to effective decision making. We are also responsible for looking after our properties, which includes maintaining oversight of two commercial leases, and maintaining Dartmouth House which is a grade II* listed events venue and our Head Office in Mayfair.

 Purpose of this role  

The Senior Governance Officer will provide high quality support to the Board of Trustees and its sub-Committees, and the Chief Operating Officer. This role will work closely with the Executive Assistant to the Director General. 

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys being at the heart of an organisation’s operations—helping to keep the corporate services running smoothly, so that our Education and Supporter teams can focus on delivering impact through our programmes. 

Responsibilities and Expectations  

• Provide governance support including the preparation and timely circulation of agendas, papers, minutes and action logs for Board and Committee meetings. 
• Monitor and report on progress against Board and Committee actions, ensuring timely follow-up and delivery. 
• Ensure the charity complies with statutory, regulatory and sector best practice, including maintenance of key registers including the risk register, gift & hospitality register, declarations of interest, and compliance trackers. 
• Maintain the organisation’s contract register, tracking review dates and supporting internal contract reviews and renewals. 
• Provide high-quality administrative and organisational support to the Chief Operating Officer, helping to ensure smooth day-to-day operations. 
• Assist with the planning and delivery of the annual external audit, working with colleagues and auditors to meet key deadlines. 
• Support the delivery of the annual Board effectiveness review, gathering feedback and helping to implement improvements. 
• Facilitate due diligence checks as needed, liaising with legal advisors to ensure accuracy and compliance. 
• Deliver one-off projects and provide flexible support across the Corporate Services team as required. 

Skills and Experience  

• A good understanding of Charities Act and Charity Governance Code. 
• A track record of providing secretariat support, including minute taking. 
• Excellent administrative skills, highly organised with very good attention to detail. 
• A tactful and conscientious individual who can navigate through complex situations 
• Understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality
• Strong written and oral communication skills. 
• A motivated self-starter who can quickly translate issues into solutions. 
• A team player who can quickly build trusted relationships at all levels. 
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Can confidently and professionally challenge and hold people to account. 
• The ability to manage several projects simultaneously whilst working at a high standard.
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office. 

• 28 Days Annul leave plus bank holidays
• Enhanced pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Group life cover
• Employee Assistance
• Virtual GP
• Season Ticket Loan