Operation executive jobs in milton keynes

Do you have experience of providing high-quality administrative and governance support in a complex organisation?

We are recruiting a Governance Co-ordinator to join our Governance Team at the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association. This is a key role providing essential company secretariat support to the Board of Trustees, Committees, the CEO Office and the Head of Governance & Compliance. As Governance Co-ordinator, you will help to ensure the Association maintains the highest standards of governance through efficient administration, effective meeting support and accurate record keeping.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the Head of Governance & Compliance to provide efficient and effective administration for Board and Committee meetings, including maintaining the meeting calendar and timetables.
• Organise logistics for meetings, including dates, venues, travel and accommodation.
• Provide full secretariat support to the Board and Committees, including preparing Chair briefings, attending meetings, drafting minutes and actions.
• Collate and distribute papers and presentations in line with agreed timescales, ensuring accuracy and clarity.
• Liaising with senior leadership, Trustees and others at senior levels on all aspects of Board and Committee meetings.
• Prepare, proofread, collate and distribute Board and Committee papers and presentations on time.
• Provide administrative and planning support for the Annual General Meeting and Trustee elections.
• Assist the Head of Governance and Compliance with implementing recommendations from governance reviews, including updating templates, policies and processes.
• Maintain accurate statutory records with Companies House and the Charity Commission.
• Manage the Board of Trustees SharePoint page.

About You:

• Experience of Board or Committee administration, including minute taking and organisation of Board/Committee meetings.
• Experience of working with meticulous attention to detail accuracy in all aspects of work.
• Experience managing confidential information with discretion and diplomacy.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Strong communication skills, with experience of building effective relationships at all levels.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, with a flexible approach.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, SharePoint and MS Teams, including experience of supporting hybrid meetings.
• Awareness of the principles of good governance.

About Us:

Our vision is a world free from MND. Our mission is to improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. We fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments and brings us closer to a cure for MND. The Association also campaigns and raises awareness so the needs of people with MND, and everyone who cares for them, are recognised, and addressed by wider society.

What We Offer:

• 28 days holiday, increasing to 33 days after 5 years, plus Bank Holidays.
• Access to UK Healthcare, including dental, eyecare, health screenings, and therapies.
• 24/7 GP access via phone and video.
• Life assurance and confidential counselling helplines.
• Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to Work, Buy/Sell Annual Leave).
• Access to Benefit Hub for discounts on everyday shopping.
• Enhanced pension scheme.
• Opportunities for training and personal development.
• Hybrid working.

The full job description and further information about working for the MND Association is available in the candidate pack.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We work to remove barriers for everyone affected by MND, employees, volunteers, and stakeholders.

As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the role's requirements.

This role is home-based, with attendance once a week in either Northampton or London.

The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Chief Operating Officer to join our Executive Leadership Team.

Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £85,000 per annum
Remote: This role is homebased (within the UK) with occasional to meetings, events and conferences.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

Responsibilities will include:

• The COO leads the day-to-day functioning of the organisation to ensure smooth, efficient, and effective delivery of services. This is vital for maintaining operational stability and achieving strategic outcomes.
• They design and execute strategies that align with the organisation’s mission and long-term goals ensuring resources are used effectively and priorities are clear.
• They promote a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement through supporting employee engagement, productivity, and organisational success.
• The COO collaborates closely with the CEO/CFO and other senior leaders to drive strategic initiatives and business growth, ensuring unified leadership and coherent decision-making.
• They partner with the CFO to manage budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation. Financial oversight ensures sustainability and supports informed investment in strategic priorities.
• Strengthen governance and risk management frameworks, aligned to regulatory expectations and best practice while proactively managing reputational and operational risks.
• The COO cultivates strong relationships with partners, clients, and stakeholders to enhance service delivery and reputation. These relationships are key to influence, collaboration, and impact.
• They lead efforts to improve processes and adopt best practices across the charity to enhance efficiency and keeps the organisation competitive and responsive.
• They ensure that daily activities support the charities long-term objectives.
• The COO mentors other directors and departmental heads and fosters leadership capabilities across teams.
• They establish and track KPIs to identify inefficiencies and guide improvements through data-driven decision-making to enhance accountability and results.
• They evaluate and refine workflows to boost productivity developing efficient processes to reduce waste and improve service quality.
• They act as a bridge between departments and the CEO to ensure cohesive execution of strategic plans preventing silos and promoting organisational synergy.
• The COO serves as a senior figure in national and cross-sector forums, conferences, and strategic partnerships to strengthens the organisation’s voice and influence.
• They demonstrate commitment to Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in both internal culture and external programmes to foster a fair and inclusive organisation.
• They work with the CEO, CFO and Director of Growth to identify and pursue new revenue streams and strategic partnerships. This expands the organisation’s reach and sustainability.
• They engage in public speaking, media interactions, and external representation demonstrating clear communication, credibility, and stakeholder engagement.
• They develop and embed evaluation frameworks to assess progress against strategic goals. The measuring of our impact ensures accountability and informs future planning.
• They promote the organisation’s brand at events and through networking.

The COO takes on other responsibilities as needed to support the organisation’s mission.

About You

Essential competencies of the Chief Operating Officer:

• Extensive experience in senior leadership with a proven track record in operations, financial and risk management, and delivering high-performing teams, ideally in the charity sector.
• Strong understanding of business functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think strategically and execute effectively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Commercially astute, process-driven, and highly pragmatic in approach.
• Experience in driving performance and fostering a collaborative culture.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field; MBA preferred

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 29th September 2025:

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.

Please note: The covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 80% AI generated content will be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-223747

Community Fundraiser - Home Counties

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Are you ready to take on a new challenge with a leading charity making a real difference in brain tumour research? ​

Brain Tumour Research is seeking an experienced and motivated fundraiser to join our team. As a key part of our fundraising efforts in our high-performing East region, you will have the opportunity to drive income generation through a variety of initiatives, including challenge events, fundraising groups, and corporate partnerships such as charity of the year. You will also be responsible for driving initiatives to increase our profile and supporter base within Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Essex. 

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Key Responsibilities: ​

• ​Generate income across a range of community fundraising initiatives and events, with the opportunity to lead on key projects 
• Steward supporters to help drive the charity’s fundraising activities and growth 
• ​Work with the fundraising team to develop and maintain strong relationships with fundraisers, donors, partners, and key stakeholders ​
• Contribute towards the growth and success of fundraising efforts, ensuring a sustainable income stream for the vital ongoing funding of brain tumour research ​

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Requirements: ​​

• At least one year of fundraising experience, with a proven track record in income generation 
• Strong experience in supporter stewardship  
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire supporters and partners alike ​
• Passion for Brain Tumour Research and its mission to fund research and ultimately find a cure 

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If you are looking for a fulfilling and impactful role and have the level of experience and skill we are looking for, we welcome your application.

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​We will give preference to those candidates living in the Bucks, Beds and Northants areas of this region.​​​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.​

We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.

Closing Date: 26th September 2025

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We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

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Head of Communications
Salary: £51,780.00 per annum
Location: SIA House, Oldbrook, Milton Keynes MK6 (Some hybrid working possible)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week

About Us

The Spinal Injuries Association is committed to a singular vision: a fulfilled life for everyone affected by spinal cord injury.

Everyone has a right to live a fulfilled life and that means the life they choose, a life that has the same opportunities as everyone else. We are the expert guiding voice for life after spinal cord injury.

About the Role

Strengthen the voice, influence and impact of thousands of people affected by spinal cord injury

We are looking for a dynamic individual to take on a pivotal leadership role at a transformative moment in our journey.

Over the past four years, our communications and campaigns team has grown in reach, impact and ambition. With a strong media presence, a network of influential ambassadors and a fully implemented CRM system, we've built a powerful platform for change. Our outgoing Head of Communications and Campaigns has played a vital role in this success and now we are ready to take the next step.

As we move toward our Strategy 2030, we are evolving. The Campaigns team has matured into a distinct force and we are now creating the foundations for a separate Public Affairs function. This transition opens up an exciting opportunity for a new Head of Communications to lead a focused, high-performing team and shape the voice of the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) for the future.

We represent a diverse community of over 21,000 members, but we know that more than 100,000 people across the UK are living with spinal cord injury. We want to reach them all. Communications will be central to how we equitably mobilise our members, engage our partners and overcome barriers of poverty, geography and services. To help deliver our promise: a fulfilled life for everyone affected by spinal cord injury.

If you're a strategic thinker, a compelling communicator and a collaborative leader ready to make a lasting impact - we'd love to hear from you.

Benefits

• Annual leave: 28 days per holiday year plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after two years of service (pro-rated for part time employees)
• Access to Group pension scheme (6% employer contribution)
• Access to Group life assurance scheme
• Access to Healthcare cash plan
• Access to discounted gym membership
• Access to Employee assistance programme (EAP)
• Employee volunteer days
• Free car parking at Milton Keynes, Head Office
• Investing in our people - all members of staff are encouraged to discuss their development plans and aspirations with their line manager. A budget is available for talent development.

Thank you for your interest in joining our special charity!

This post will play a critical role in achieving our ambitions. We hope that the role inspires you and we look forward to receiving your application.

Closing date: 29 September 2025, 9am
Interview dates: Thursday 9 & 10 October 2025 at SIA House, Milton Keynes

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.

At SIA, we value diversity. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment as we believe diversity fosters a more innovative, creative, and caring culture.

We are striving to create a culture that fully represents all the communities we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, family or parental status, or disability status.

Disabled candidates who meet the standard job criteria will be offered a guaranteed interview.

No agencies please.

UK-based/ Colchester or Home-based with monthly travel to Colchester office. Overseas travel with trips lasting from 10-14 days. 

This post requires the candidates to have independent rights to live and work in the UK

Background

Lepra is dedicated to addressing leprosy and lymphatic filariasis (LF) and their consequences through direct support, advocacy, and the promotion of inclusive communities. We work in Bangladesh and in India, through our sister organisation, LEPRA Society. We work in partnership with people affected by leprosy and LF to improve detection, ensure access to treatment and care, and promote inclusion and wellbeing. Last year we finalised our new Global Strategy for 2024-30, which will guide us in our efforts to accelerate progress towards global targets for leprosy and LF, and towards our vision of a world free from leprosy and LF.

Job Context

Our Global Strategy marks a significant evolution in our organisational direction, introducing innovative approaches and renewed priorities. This includes our first-ever global Theory of Change (ToC), our most comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework to date, a Research and Innovation strategy, and a dedicated Advocacy sub-strategy to guide our influencing efforts.

With the Lepra Advocacy Strategy, we will be working over the next 6 years to strengthen our approaches to our advocacy efforts. The post holder will play a key role in supporting the roll out of the Advocacy strategy working closely with the Director of Programmes and Advocacy, the Head of Research, the Senior Programme Manager, the Programme Officer and the teams where we work.

Job Purpose

This role is an exciting role within the programmes team in response to evolving needs. The incoming post holder will work within the 5 person UK’s Programme and Advocacy team and will drive, advise and support the team in relation to Lepra’s advocacy profile. We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated, strategic and creative person who has outstanding skills to engage and work with a diverse team. We are looking for someone to work with a clear strategy and then develop, grow and successfully shape the future of Lepra’s advocacy efforts.

Working Relationships

Reports to Lepra UK’s Director of Programmes and Advocacy (DPA)

Works closely with the Programmes and Advocacy Team

Close working links with colleagues in India and in Bangladesh and the UK’s communications team

International travel as needed for programmes oversight and support, and external representation.

Key responsibilities

Advocacy Delivery (50%)

Under the supervision of the DPA implement Lepra’s global Advocacy strategy and coordinate advocacy initiatives.

Serve as the driver of advocacy efforts, facilitating the transitional year of implementation including coordinating the Advocacy Steering Group; advocacy toolkit development; action planning.

Represent Lepra in specific fora and advocacy networks and within the broader leprosy and NTD community in close coordination with the DPA.

Produce quarterly advocacy newsletters

Maintain quarterly reports on flagging areas of concern and actioning steering committee advice.

Assist in the preparation of policy documents and the presentation of papers for publication, conferences, or specific institutions and/or individuals - identifying and targeting the most appropriate audiences.

Support and contribute to the development and implementation of initiatives that foster an inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment across organisational programmes, policies, and advocacy efforts.

Support and contribute to initiatives that promote inclusion and equity, with a strong focus on developing the leadership and advocacy capacity of people with lived experience of leprosy, ensuring their voices are central in decision-making and programme design.

Knowledge management / Learning and Development (20%)

Support the preparation of Lepra advocacy and policy documents.

Disseminate knowledge so that it is integrated into Lepra’s portfolio to amplify the impact for target audiences and improve their outcomes.

Facilitate the new knowledge and learning hub and forge a clear path for its evolution.

Facilitate knowledge sharing through updating the communications team with relevant materials for the new programme folder on the website.

Organise and develop advocacy training.

Develop and take ownership of the new programme’ s team knowledge sharing approaches.

Develop a workplan of knowledge sharing events. 

Support annual review meetings.

Communications (10%)

Assist the programmes team with the documentation of Lepra examples and models of best practice, at the same time identifying and developing mechanisms and avenues for the effective dissemination of this knowledge – internally and externally.

Assist the programmes team, DPO, Chief Executive and Country Programme staff in the synthesis of complex technical/scientific information adapting it to language and formats easily used by target audiences.

Contribute to content development of community engagement materials (public information, brochures, leaflets) that help explain the operations and impact of Lepra’s work to LF and/or leprosy affected communities.

Maintain good working links with Lepra’s UK Fundraising and Communications Team, contributing towards UK facing communications materials as and when required.

Prepare updates, papers, and reports for trustee meetings, funding partners, and wherever else applicable.

External representation (10%)

Support the Chief Executive, DPA and programmes team to maintain and expand existing strategic relationships with key international stakeholders to further Lepra’s advocacy strategy and advance Lepra’s agenda.

Ensure Lepra’s external profile is raised and become the go-to organisation for the leprosy community in terms of advocacy and policy briefings.

Support the preparation of documents for presentation, publication or dissemination at international fora.

Develop/support the development of country specific briefing notes/press kits with the communications team.

Represent Lepra at key events, conferences, and meetings to enhance our visibility and opportunity for impact.

Safeguarding (5%)

Promote a culture of respect, transparency, and accountability within Lepra’s implemented projects.

Ensuring that safeguarding mechanisms are in place and remain at the heart of all activities.

Support the integration of strong safeguarding and PSEA practices into project design and delivery.

Monitoring, evaluation, and impact (5%)

Ensure that all advocacy and knowledge transfer efforts are captured and embedded in appropriate results frameworks, objectives, outputs, indicators and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Provide inputs to Lepra’s reports, according to Lepra’s needs.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Relevant degree level of education in Public Health, Social Sciences, Global Health, Human Rights, Political Sciences or equivalent experience.

Desirable

Relevant post-graduate qualification

Relevant professional health-related qualification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

Minimum of 2 yrs experience of advocacy/campaigning/policy work with an overseas development organisation

Experience of working to advance the rights of excluded populations

Extensive knowledge of global health issues and an up-to-date familiarity with issues and practice in the international development sector

Experience in planning and implementing successful strategies/campaigns/advocacy in Asia.

Experience in programme/project planning, budgeting, M&E and reporting, within a non-governmental organisation, including the preparation of reports for institutional donors.

Ability to analyse and act on data.

Experience of working on issues in relation to disability, mental health, gender, human rights and social inclusion.

Experience in project coordination and management.

Desirable

At least two years’ experience as an advocacy manager, preferably gained with an overseas development organisation or in academia, in a similar health focused role.

Familiarity with data visualisation tools and packages.

Proficiency in one or more Indian languages (e.g., Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, etc.) is an asset.

Skills, Attitudes and Personal Qualities

Highly motivated individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal to build strong relationships, negotiate and persuade a wide range of audiences, with confidence at presenting and representing.

Proven strength in both written and verbal communication

Able to reach, network with and communicate to a wide range of stakeholders and potential stakeholders.

Excellent attention to detail, and organisational and time management skills

Ability to manipulate and analyse data to draw useful conclusions to improve programme delivery.

Ability to use databases, Word, excel, PowerPoint and other Office packages

Ability to work independently, be flexible and prioritise workload.

Ability to travel within the UK and overseas.

The right to work in the UK.

We operate a non-bias recruitment process and run our job advertisements through anonymous recruitment methods.

We offer a lot of flexibility in working practices and there is free reserved parking available at our Colchester office. We also offer 26 days annual leave plus public holidays (pro-rated), pension, Employee Assistance Programme and support from an in-house well-being team.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for interview. Please check your email inbox and spam/junk mail folder for any email correspondence for this vacancy.

If you require any reasonable considerations such as access or information in an alternative format, please inform us soon as you are able so that we can make the appropriate adjustments.

Please do not use AI to help you write cover letters, CVs and responses to any screening questions.  We want to hear your original voice.

Why work for Kids Matter?

• Generous annual leave – 25 days (plus bank holidays) per year pro rata, with time off between Christmas and New Year's additional to this allowance.
• Remote working contribution – receive £26/month pro rata towards the costs of working from home and/or using a co-working space.
• Access to coaching sessions, training opportunities and our Employee Assistance Programme (a confidential support service for staff).
• Flexible working across weekdays to suit your schedule.

About us

Kids Matter is one of the UK’s fastest growing children’s charities.

Our vision is to see every child in need raised in a strong family. Our mission is to reduce the impact of poverty on children through community-based parenting programmes.

Research shows that group-based early intervention parenting groups are the most effective way to support children in need. We train peer facilitators in local churches - the largest voluntary body in the country - to run our affordable, accessible and highly effective parenting programmes, written by Clinical Psychologists. They come alongside parents and carers, building long-lasting community in addition to encouraging confidence and learning positive parenting skills.

We value difference and diversity, and we want our workplace to be built on shared values of equality and mutual trust, with team members representing the wide range of backgrounds and experiences that exist within the UK. We therefore actively encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds and varied experiences, particularly those who are African, Afro-Caribbean, Asian or part of other minority ethnic communities, who have lived experience of the impact of low-income/low-support circumstances, and who are living with a disability or identify as being neurodivergent.

About the role

The Research and Programmes Coordinator role involves:

• Overseeing administrative tasks for all research projects
• Supporting the Programme Development Team Lead in management of all research projects
• Liaising with the Support Coach team to connect with facilitators/parents for data collection e.g. supporting with the running of focus groups
• Using Kids Matter’s CRM to confidently record communication with consultants and Research Assistants
• Supporting the data gathering process for all our evaluation data including maintaining data integrity by performing regular data audits and cleaning parent data ready for the Research Assistants to analyse

About you

Are you organised with good attention to detail? Do you enjoy supporting others and having a varied workload? Can you prioritise and manage your time effectively? Are you a Christian with an active faith in Jesus? Do you have a passion for Kids Matter’s vision of seeing every child in need raised in a strong family?

Then we would love to hear from you!

How to apply

You can apply for the Research and Programmes Coordinator position by clicking ‘Apply via Website’ and completing a copy of our online application form.

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday 29th September 2025. All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

We also ask for all applicants to submit an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, which will be sent to you to complete following the submission of your application. This form will be used for anonymous analysis to ensure our overall recruitment procedures are fair and transparent. It will never be viewed or used as part of the selection process. It is optional to submit this form.

If you would like any application/interview support or you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the application process, or if you would like an informal phone call to ask questions or discuss the role, please contact Katie Washington (HR & Systems Manager).

Please see the job pack for more details on the role and application process.