Outdoor learning leader jobs

About the Role

Are you a skilled co-ordinator with a passion for creative education and climate justice? Development Education Centre South Yorkshire (DECSY) is seeking a Project Manager to lead an innovative project.

This role involves co-ordinating a high-impact programme that uses drama-based pedagogy and Philosophy for Children (P4C) to engage primary teachers and pupils in Climate Change Education (CCE). You will be the primary link between DECSY, our arts partners (Growtheatre and Voz Theatre) and the Senior Leadership Teams of seven participating schools.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Delivery: Oversee the logistics of a professional learning model including three residentials, training sessions and intensive in-school support (co-planning and mentoring).
• Pedagogical Support: Support teachers in integrating techniques such as P4C, Mantle of the Expert, Theatre of the Oppressed and Creative Outdoor Learning.
• Leadership & Equity: Ensure anti-racism and climate justice remain central to all project delivery.
• Administration & Finance: Manage the project budget (including teacher supply cover payments), oversee GDPR compliance and handle safeguarding procedures.
• Evaluation: Co-ordinate the project’s reflective practice framework, facilitating the use of Gibbs’ reflective cycle and collecting evidence such as audio and written diaries.

About You

We are looking for a reflective and strategically minded individual who brings:

• Experience: Proven project management in the education, arts, or charity sectors.
• Education Knowledge: Experience working with primary schools and an understanding of the National Curriculum.
• Specialist Skills: Experience delivering P4C in primary schools (essential) and knowledge of drama-based pedagogies (desirable).
• Values: A deep-seated commitment to anti-racist practice, social justice and emotional literacy regarding the climate emergency.
• Collaboration: The ability to foster ‘caring collaboration’ among diverse stakeholders and manage complex timelines.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays (pro rata).
• Contributions to a personal pension scheme.
• Flexible working arrangements in an inclusive environment.

This is one of the most important leadership roles at Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre as we reopen in 2026. Based at our seaside centre in Skegness, you’ll lead life-changing residential experiences for children who need them most.

For over 135 years, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre has given children the chance to experience the seaside — often for the very first time. For many, it’s far more than a holiday. It’s a moment of safety, joy, confidence and belonging that stays with them for life.

As Holiday Centre Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operation of our Skegness centre, ensuring every child experiences a safe, welcoming and inspiring environment. You’ll oversee residential programme delivery, manage staff and volunteers, and take responsibility for safeguarding, health & safety and site operations.

This is a hands-on leadership role where no two days are the same. You’ll design and oversee engaging activity programmes, support and develop your team, and ensure the highest standards of care and compliance. You’ll also play a key role in building relationships with schools and partners, helping us grow our reach and impact.

This is a full-time, permanent role offered on an annualised hours contract, reflecting the seasonal nature of our work — with busier periods during holiday delivery and quieter times for planning, development and preparing the centre.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• A confident, practical leader who enjoys being hands-on

• Passionate about children’s wellbeing and development

• Experienced in managing teams, operations or residential settings

• Strong in safeguarding, organisation and decision-making

In return, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Make a genuine, measurable difference to children’s lives

• Lead a small committed team of staff and volunteers

• Shape and grow a unique and historic charity

• Take pride in a role with real purpose and impact

If you’re ready to lead with energy, care and purpose — and help children experience the joy of the seaside — we would love to hear from you.

Lead the future of youth opportunity in Bristol.
Drive income, build partnerships, and change young lives every day.

Young Bristol is looking for an ambitious and passionate Head of Fundraising & Communications to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our charity and the thousands of young people we support.

This is more than a fundraising role. It’s a unique opportunity to take ownership of income generation at one of Bristol’s leading youth charities, working at a time of exciting growth as we approach our 100-year anniversary. You’ll lead our fundraising strategy, grow a diverse income portfolio, and build meaningful partnerships that directly enable young people to thrive.

Working closely with our Chief Executive, Senior Leadership Team and Trustees, you will drive sustainable income across trusts, corporates, major donors and events, while also leading communications that bring our impact to life. From powerful storytelling to strategic relationship-building, your work will ensure more young people have access to safe spaces, trusted adults, inspiring activities, and life-changing opportunities.

We’re looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with a hands-on approach — a confident communicator, relationship builder and leader who is motivated by purpose and driven to make a difference.

In return, you’ll join a values-driven, supportive team who truly believe in every young person and are committed to helping them discover what they are capable of.

If you’re ready to lead, inspire and create lasting impact across Bristol’s communities, we’d love to hear from you.

Closing date for applications is 17:00 on Wednesday 22nd April

Interviews will take place on the Wednesday 29th April, in person at our main offices. BS14 Youth Centre, Stockwood Lane, Bristol. BS14 8SJ

Context and Purpose of the Role

After five years of dedicated leadership, GROW’s Managing Director is moving on. We are now seeking an exceptional, values-led leader to guide GROW through the next phase of our 2030 strategy and help realise our ambition to become a movement-shaping force within agroecology.

GROW is entering a pivotal stage of growth. Our focus now is on strengthening team capacity, centring community voice, developing pathways to leadership and employment, deepening hyper-local networks, and contributing more visibly to the agroecology sector.

With strong financial foundations, a committed team, and a long-standing partnership with a progressive secondary school, this is a rare opportunity to lead an organisation uniquely positioned at the intersection of farming, education, and community action.

The Managing Director will provide clear strategic direction and overall leadership, ensuring GROW remains responsibly-governed, financially resilient, and grounded in its agroecological values. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, they will nurture and inspire a multidisciplinary team of 16 employees and freelancers, strengthen key partnerships, and guide the organisation’s continued development and impact.

Job Title: Managing Director
Reports to: Board of Trustees
Salary: £48,000-£53,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time, 40 hours per week (9am-5pm with 1-hour paid lunch break)
Location: Hybrid. Minimum 3 days a week on site at The Totteridge Academy, Barnet Lane, N20 8AZ (more days on site expected for the first 3-6 months)
Pension: GROW participates in the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme and contributes 3%.
Benefits: 30% off all GROW Farm produce, annual training budget, subsidised lunches, and a generous holiday allowance of 28 days plus bank holidays.
Probation period: 6 months

GROW is a site-based organisation, and our farm sits at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for a Managing Director who is as comfortable talking with students, volunteers and visitors as they are shaping strategy and leading the organisation’s future. This is a role for a thoughtful, adaptable and hands-on leader who can hold the big picture while staying closely connected to our farm, outdoor programmes and the communities we work alongside.

Leadership at GROW is practical, relational and rooted in place. One day you might be gathering feedback from our Student Board of Advisors, listening to how our programmes are working for the young people who shape them. The next, you might be at the farm stall chatting with local community members selling jars of GROW’s homemade pickles. The Managing Director helps ensure that these everyday moments remain central to the organisation.

The successful candidate will lead a small, committed team of 16 staff, nurturing a culture that is collaborative, knowledgeable and grounded in our values. They will guide GROW’s strategic direction while staying attentive to the daily rhythms of farm and school life that make it a vibrant place for learning, growing and connection. 

Trustees recognise the breadth of this role and are committed to strengthening the organisation’s operational capacity. An early priority for the new Managing Director will be to shape and secure support for an additional capacity-building role that complements their leadership and enables GROW to thrive in the years ahead.

1. Strategy, Governance & Risk

• Provide overall leadership and strategic development of the charity.
• Oversee and report on organisational performance to the Board of Trustees quarterly.
• Ensure charity policies and legal guidelines are up to date, clearly communicated, and embedded in everyday culture.
• Ensure statutory filings (e.g. Charity Commission, Companies House) are accurate and timely.
• Maintain and regularly review the organisational Risk Register and report key risks and mitigations to the Board.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, including charity law, employment law, data protection, health & safety, safeguarding, and environmental regulations.
• Lead on crisis management and serious incident reporting.
• Prepare high-quality written reports for Board and sub-committee meetings.
• Advise Trustees on strategic opportunities, risks, and sector trends. Support Trustee recruitment, induction, and development.
• Enable Trustees to fulfil their governance responsibilities effectively.
• Engage relevant professional expertise where appropriate to support decision making. 

2. Operations, Education & Farm

• Ensure operational resilience, deputising and covering critical functions during staff absence.
• Work closely with Education Leads to develop the quality of our educational
• programmes, ensuring they align with agroecological principles.
• Ensure thorough Risk Assessments are completed, communicated, and
• implemented for all activities and programmes.
• Support the income generation strategy for the Farm.
• Support the Farm Manager with infrastructure development, including planning permission applications.

3. Finance & Fundraising

• Act as the main point of contact for the charity’s accountants.
• Develop and oversee organisational budgets, leading annual budget-setting and ongoing monthly, quarterly, and forecast reviews.
• Develop and deliver the annual income generation and fundraising strategy with the Head of Fundraising.
• Oversee effective impact reporting with the Head of Fundraising.
• Develop and implement plans to improve cost-efficiency.
• Support the completion of large and complex fundraising bids.

4. Partnerships

• Act as the main point of contact for GROW’s key partner, The Totteridge Academy (TTA), and the Academy Trust, United Learning, to ensure the partnership is effective and positive.
• Build and develop partnerships with schools, youth services, local authority, community growing networks and organisations to support the long-term development of educational programmes and participant recruitment and local environmental impact.

5. Marketing & Profile

• Oversee the charity’s overall marketing and communications strategy.
• Retain strategic oversight of all core marketing and communications, including the press opportunities, charity’s website, printed materials, and promotional content, ensuring that GROW’s voice, values, and impact are communicated clearly and consistently.
• Build and enhance the charity’s public profile through events, speaking engagements, and external representation.

6. People, HR & Safeguarding

• Manage and support the team to effectively perform their roles and develop within GROW, ensuring staff are fully trained and confident with organisational policies.
• Lead the recruitment and onboarding of all staff in line with Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Safeguarding policies, and Safer Recruitment best practice.
• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead and ensure compliance with any safeguarding requirements set by partner school, The Totteridge Academy.
• Be rigorously mindful of child safeguarding at all times, embedding safeguarding policies in everyday culture and remain up to date with relevant legislation and training.
• Oversee HR processes including appraisals, performance management, and professional development.
• Develop progressive internal systems, policies, and training that promote a fair, inclusive, and supportive workplace, grounded in our agroecological principles.
• Ensuring the organisation is GDPR compliant and acts as the Data Protection Lead.

7. Values & Culture

• Act as a role model for GROW’s guiding agroecological principles and organisational values in all internal and external relationships.
• Create a supportive, nurturing, high-trust culture in which staff and freelancers can thrive.
• Champion a culture of reflection, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Centre community voice in decision making, governance, and organisational strategy

Direct reports:
Farm Manager
TTA Education Lead
Senior Facilitator
Head of Fundraising
Freelance Programme Leads

This job description is not exhaustive; as a small and evolving charity, flexibility is essential and all staff are expected to take a hands-on approach and support wider organisational needs where required.
 

Person Specification

Essential Personal Qualities

• Strong alignment with GROW’s mission, agroecological principles, and organisational values.
• Ability to lead and nurture a strong, cohesive, and collaborative team intuitively
• and with empathy.
• Resilient and adaptable.
• Calm under pressure.
• Collaborative by nature and solution-focussed in approach.
• Strong commitment to inclusive working practices and social justice.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience working in a Senior Leadership role within a not-for-profit,
• education, and/or environmental sectors.
• Experience of building and maintaining successful partnership work, for example
• with farms, schools, local authorities, funders, and/or community organisations.
• Significant experience of managing and developing staff and freelancers in a
• small team.
• Proven ability to lead organisational strategy and translate it into operational plans.
• Experience working with, and reporting to, a Board or governing body.
• Experience of financial management, including budgets, forecasting, and working with accountants.
• Track record in contributing to fundraising, including securing major bids.
• Strong understanding of governance, compliance, and risk in a regulated environment.
• Experience of safeguarding within an education, youth, or community context.
• Understanding of legal, progressive and inclusive HR systems and policies.
• Ability to develop and oversee marketing and communications that clearly articulate organisational mission, build community engagement and support financial sustainability.
• Demonstrable experience handling and reviewing legal documentation, including contracts, leases, and formal agreements.

Essential Skills & Abilities

• Strategic thinker, able to see and drive forward the “big picture” while managing operational detail.
• Skilled and inclusive people manager, able to motivate, develop, and challenge others.
• Excellent, adaptable and confident communication skills.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a broad and competing workload.
• Effective decision-making and ability to work independently with accountability.
• Strong relationship-builder with credibility across diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to lead teams through change and uncertainty.
• Strong organisational and administrative capability.
• Sound judgement and a high level of discretion when handling confidential or sensitive matters.

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of agroecological farming.
• Experience working with local councils, schools, academy trusts, and authorities.
• Knowledge of charity and regulatory frameworks.
• Knowledge of the local Barnet area.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

At GROW we’re committed to creating an inclusive workplace. All qualified and eligible applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, gender identity or expression, race, national origin, religion or belief,
disability, age, sexual orientation or pregnancy and maternity. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and identities, especially those who are under-represented in the charity and food growing sectors. This includes, but is not limited to, people from the global majority, neurodivergent individuals, and those with a range of lived experiences. 

We’re committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of our community and brings a rich mix of perspectives, skills, cultures, and ways of thinking.