Outdoor learning leader jobs
Purpose of the job
This role is responsible for the design of UK Youth’s support to young people, youth organisations and youth workers. This could include structured youth work programmes, funding and grants+ programmes, professional development programmes, and campaigns.
You will lead and oversee end-to-end design processes, ensuring that UK Youth develops fully packaged offers that respond to the evidence base and people’s needs, drive forward our strategy and achieve incredible impact. You will work across UK Youth teams, with external design partners, and meaningfully involving young people and the professionals who support them in the design process.
You will be experienced in developing high quality funding propositions (proactively and in response to new business opportunities). You will be confident in taking a human-centred design approach to tackle some of the youth sector’s knottiest problems. You will design solutions to important problems, ensuring that they are feasible, equitable, impactful and scalable.
In 2026, our priority topics for youth work programmes and network development are: mental health and wellbeing, employability, social cohesion and community safety.
As a leader, you will work closely with research, evaluation, policy, service delivery, network development, and fundraising teams. You will help to improve the skills and confidence of colleagues across UK Youth to apply design methods in their own work and collaborate effectively with the Design team.
Why work at UK Youth?
UK Youth wants all young people to be equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. Youth work can be life changing (and even life saving.) In 2026, we will be launching our new strategy, positioning UK Youth to unlock youth work so that every young person in the UK can benefit. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed, and delivers high-quality outcomes.
UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference, and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. Come and be part of this change in a driven and supportive team that puts evidence at the heart of our work.
Role Responsibilities
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Designing Solutions
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Developing new business and funding propositions
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Embedding Human Centred Design
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Building a strong external network to support the Design team’s work
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Operations
Experience we're after
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Significant experience of leading and overseeing the development of new business propositions and proposals to time-limited funding opportunities
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Significant experience of designing interventions (digital and/or physical) for young people and/or those who support them
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Experience using human-centred-design methods and mindsets; managing projects across the end-to-end design process
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Proven track record of inspiring and motivating diverse teams and improving collaborative ways of working across teams and departments
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Experience of developing high quality programme content and curricula for young people, youth workers and/or outdoor learning instructors (desirable)
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Experience of commissioning and managing external design freelancers and consultants (desirable)
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Experience of designing and/or delivering professional development programmes (desirable)
What we can offer you
We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:
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Flexible/Agile Working
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27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)
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Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity
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Other training available in support of your personal and professional development
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Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)
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Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary
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Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally
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20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.
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IT equipment provided for the duration of contract
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CycleScheme and TechScheme
How to apply
If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.
Closing date: Sunday 4th January 2026 at 23:59pm
Provisional Interview Dates: 12th and 13th January 2026
As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
If you’re a passionate and visionary leader who is committed to making a difference to London’s natural environment, we’d love to hear from you!
The City of London Corporation is the Trustee of 11,000 acres of iconic greenspaces in London and the Home Counties. We deliver multidisciplinary work on nature conservation, climate resilience, heritage, access and recreation, and community engagement. Our Natural Environment Division has an annual budget of over £30m, 350 staff and welcomes more than 20 million visitors to its sites every year.
We’re looking for an innovative, results-driven Deputy Director to play a leading role in supporting the transformation of the Division and its 8 environmental charities, delivering key projects and continuous improvement. You’ll lead the Division's work on heritage and outdoor learning and will support the development and delivery of major projects including the Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy.
You’ll use your business acumen and financial skills to develop and support the long-term sustainability of the Division’s charities. You’ll also lead on developing strong external partnerships and income generation plans and will use your leadership, organisational and change management skills to develop and embed new ways of working. Working closely with the Natural Environment Director, you’ll lead on key initiatives across the Corporation’s greenspaces, including the development and resourcing of multi-million-pound projects.
You’ll be an accomplished leader with experience of leading and managing complex operations, projects and programmes. You’ll have expertise in planning and managing major projects, building high-performing teams, and forging strategic partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, local authorities, and businesses. Excellent leadership and communication skills are critical as you’ll engage with and influence a wide range of stakeholders to shape and implement strategies, policies and key delivery mechanisms such as business plans.
The City of London Corporation offers a unique opportunity to work alongside world-class teams in an environment which respects and celebrates historic traditions and cultures, whilst providing access to leading innovators and disruptors across our global economic hub. We operate a flexible working policy with the opportunity to work from home up to two days per week.
Closing date: 12 Noon on Monday 12th January 2026
1st Interview - 2nd February
2nd Interview: 12th February
To apply online please click the apply button.
The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
We reserve the right to close the advert earlier should we receive a high number of applications.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and as part of the selection process the successful applicant will be required to obtain a standard / an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.
Because our roles are so varied, we don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ policy for workplace attendance. How many days a week you’ll be required to attend your workplace will depend on the requirements of your role. It’s important that you understand the requirements before applying to ensure you are able to meet them. We are committed to considering requests to work flexibly and job share. Requests will be considered by the recruiting manager in line with our policies and business needs.
Thank you!
About the Role
2026 marks 100 years since Gunnersbury Park was opened as a public park, and Gunnersbury Museum and Park Development Trust are looking to hire a freelance development manager to help us make the most of our centenary year.
We are looking for an experienced development professional to join our team on a freelance basis as part of an Arts Council funded project. This role will be a real opportunity to become embedded in an organisation at the beginning of a transformative period, as we focus our energies on raising awareness of the great work of GMPDT.
The successful candidate will lead GMPDT towards increased financial resilience by identifying new funding opportunities and managing the development of a new fundraising campaign.
They will work with staff and volunteers to develop a ‘project bank’ of fundable projects across the Museum and Park and identify appropriate funding streams for each.
They will also identify one key project to launch Gunnersbury’s first fundraising campaign, working with freelancers/subcontractors to create supporting materials for the chosen campaign.
About You
Experience
- Experience of fundraising and donor engagement in museum/heritage sector and/or environmental sector
- Proven ability to create and deliver successful fundraising campaigns
- Experience of writing compelling cause messaging, or managing the delivery of cause messaging
- Experience of working with small organisations
- Experienced in CRM databases including Beacon
- Confident in managing projects to tight deadlines
- Extensive knowledge of grant writing and reporting
- Experience in writing and producing impact reports
Skills:
- Self-starter with the confidence to work alone as well as within a small, busy team
- Excellent communication skills to reach a wide range of audiences
- A strong leader and trainer of others
- Comfortable working with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders
- Creative thinker with new ideas for donor engagement and fundraising campaigns.
- Attention to de reporting requirements and compliance for successful grants.
Key Responsibilities
- Audit the existing fundraising/development functions of the organisation, and identify any gaps or missed opportunities
- Working with the Project Board hold workshops with staff and volunteers to develop a ‘project bank’ of fundable ideas, which will include detail of the ideas, potential funding sources and timeline for completion
- Develop new cause messaging, and help to foster a culture of identifying key stories to share with our audiences
- Work with the project team to identify a single project to anchor a new fundraising campaign
- Develop a suite of digital and print content to support the fundraising campaign, and train existing team on the best way to deliver messaging around the campaign
- Report regularly to the project board on the progress of the work stream, and identify any project delivery risks
