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This is a unique opportunity to join Practical Action at an exciting and pivotal point in our journey. We are seeking an exceptional Executive Assistant to provide dedicated support to our Interim CEO during a period of transformation, growth and strategic development, while we recruit and appoint our permanent CEO.
Working at the heart of the organisation, you will play a key role in ensuring continuity, maintaining momentum and supporting the successful transition to new leadership. This highly visible position offers the opportunity to contribute directly to the next chapter of Practical Action's impact and ambition.
We are looking for an experienced, highly organised and proactive Executive Assistant who can provide outstanding strategic and operational support to the CEO of a respected international development organisation. Acting as a trusted partner, you will enable the CEO to focus on organisational leadership, external engagement, fundraising and the delivery of strategic priorities.
The role encompasses complex diary and inbox management, preparation of high-quality briefings and correspondence, Board and governance support, and coordination with senior stakeholders across the organisation and internationally. You will work closely with colleagues, partners and supporters across multiple countries, cultures and time zones, ensuring the smooth and effective operation of the Executive Office.
This is a demanding and rewarding role that requires exceptional judgement, discretion and attention to detail. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in a fast-paced, complex environment, able to manage competing priorities with confidence, and skilled at building effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, trustees, partners and external representatives.
If you thrive on enabling others to succeed, enjoy working at the centre of decision-making, and are motivated by the opportunity to support an organisation delivering meaningful global impact, we would love to hear from you.
Accountabilities:
Executive and CEO Office Support
• Proactively manage the CEO's diary, inbox and correspondence, exercising independent judgement in prioritising requests and protecting time for strategic priorities.
• Prepare and commission high-quality briefings, background notes, talking points and presentation materials to ensure the CEO is fully prepared for all meetings and engagements.
• Draft, review and quality-assure outgoing correspondence, reports and communications on behalf of the CEO.
• Coordinate and manage complex domestic and international travel arrangements, itineraries, visas and logistics for the CEO and COO, ensuring efficiency and value for money.
• Manage the CEO and COO’s expense reporting and the Executive Office budget, maintaining accurate records and flagging issues proactively.
• Serve as the first point of contact for the CEO's office, managing enquiries from staff, partners, donors and stakeholders with professionalism and discretion.
• Work closely with the Internal Communications and Social Media team lead to ensure CEO internal and external communications are delivered well.
Board and Governance Administration
• Lead the end-to-end administration of Board of Trustee meetings and sub-committees, including scheduling, preparation of Board papers, agenda coordination and minute-taking, utilising AI. The majority are virtual due to the international nature of the board. In-person meetings take place approx. every 18 months.
• Maintain the governance calendar and ensure all regulatory and statutory reporting deadlines are met in coordination with the Company Secretary, CEO and COO.
• Support the onboarding of new Trustees and maintain up-to-date records of Board membership, terms of office and declarations of interest.
• Build strong working relationships with Trustees, acting as a responsive and reliable point of contact between Board meetings.
• Assist with the organisation of the Annual General Meeting and other governance events.
Leadership Team Coordination
• Coordinate the Global Leadership Team (GLT) meeting cycle, including agenda-setting, papers, actions and follow-up, working closely with the CEO and members of GLT.
• Support the CEO in tracking GLT action items, strategic priorities and key commitments, flagging issues and ensuring accountability.
• Co-ordinate with Regional and Country Directors on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) meetings, including agenda-setting, papers, actions and follow-up,
• Assist with the preparation of materials for all-staff communications, leadership away-days and organisational events.
• Build effective working relationships across Practical Action's global offices, navigating time-zone differences and cultural contexts with sensitivity.
Stakeholder and Partnership Support
• Support the CEO's engagement with major institutional donors, trusts and foundations, bilateral agencies and high-value partners, including managing contact records and briefing materials, liaising closely with the business development and philanthropy teams.
• Coordinate logistics for high-level external visits, delegations, conferences and events involving the CEO.
• Assist with donor stewardship activities and the preparation of materials for fundraising and partnership development.
• Represent the CEO's office professionally in interactions with government officials, international organisations and peer NGOs.
Project and Research Support
• Take on research and project management tasks as directed by the CEO
• Continue to test and utilise AI tools to increase efficiency and effectiveness and share learnings with other members of Practical Action
• Support the delivery of special initiatives and cross-organisational projects led from the Executive Office.
• Maintain confidential files and records management systems for the CEO's office, ensuring compliance with GDPR and information governance policies.
To be successful in this role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Essential
• Significant experience (typically five or more years) as an Executive Assistant or Personal Assistant supporting a Chief Executive or equivalent senior leaders in a complex and or charitable organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of Board and governance administration, including minuting meetings and managing trustee or director-level relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft high-quality correspondence, briefing papers and presentations to Board or senior stakeholder standard.
• Outstanding organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and maintain quality under pressure.
• High degree of discretion, confidentiality and professional judgement in handling sensitive information about people, partners and organisational matters.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to build trust and credibility with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of coordinating complex international travel and managing logistics across multiple time zones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams), AI tools and the ability to learn new digital tools quickly.
Desirable
• Experience working in an international NGO, development organisation or comparable mission-driven environment.
• Familiarity with funder relationships
• Experience supporting or working in an organisation with offices or programmes in the Global South.
• Knowledge of charity law and UK charity governance, including Charity Commission requirements.
• A second language relevant to Practical Action's programme geographies (e.g. French, Spanish, Arabic).
• Experience with CRM or stakeholder management systems.
Skills, Abilities and Competencies
· Problem-Solving
· Strong Communication & Diplomacy
· Adaptability
· Proactive organisation skills
To apply please submit a copy of your CV (no more than 3 pages) and a supporting statement/letter that includes the answers to the following questions:
- Tell me how you build relationships in fast-paced environments taking into account those stakeholders being located in different countries and having different cultural background?
- Practical Action has a very experienced and diverse board of trustees. Can you give an example of when you have had to build relationships with these types of people. Please describe your approach to having the most effective interactions?
- Tell us about the most complex project, event, or initiative you have coordinated?
- Describe a situation where you made a significant decision on behalf of a senior executive. What was your thought process and outcome?
Closing date for applications: 17th June 2026. Should we recruit a suitable candidate before the closing date, we will close applications earlier than the specified date.
Interviews: It is anticipated that interviews will take place W/C 22nd June 2026
If you do not hear from us within five weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Our vision is for a world that works better for everyone. We believe where there’s action, there’s hope.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
JOB TITLE:
Fundraising & Partnerships Manager
RESPONSIBLE TO:
Director of Fundraising
LOCATION:
Home based
DURATION:
30-35 Hours Per Week - Permanent
SALARY/GRADE:
Grade 6.4 (£36,043) PA FTE
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
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Fundraising Team
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Nation Directors
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Public Affairs and Communications Team
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Membership Team
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Donors, Volunteers and families
ABOUT YOU
You will have proven experience in fundraising, business development, or partnership management, with a track record of generating income and building strong external relationships. Ideally, you will have experience developing fundraising plans, pipelines, or income streams from an early stage, and will be comfortable working in an environment where processes, opportunities, and supporter journeys are still evolving.
You will be confident identifying and pursuing new opportunities, developing compelling proposals and cases for support, and managing relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including corporate partners, community fundraisers, volunteers, and individual supporters.
We are looking for someone who is proactive, self-motivated, and creative, with strong communication and relationship-building skills. You should be comfortable working independently while also collaborating effectively with colleagues across fundraising, marketing, and operational teams.
Most importantly, you will be motivated by the opportunity to help grow sustainable income that supports children, young people, and families across the UK.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
We are looking for a confident, ambitious, and entrepreneurial Fundraising Manager to help grow sustainable income for Adoption UK by building and developing strong relationships with corporate partners, supporters, volunteers, and local communities.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys creating fundraising plans from the ground up, developing new partnerships, and turning ideas into sustainable income. The role is ideally suited to someone who thrives in a developing fundraising environment and is motivated by the opportunity to shape and grow underdeveloped income streams into long-term success.
This is an opportunity to help shape the development of a strategic and sustainable approach to fundraising, while continuing to deliver hands-on income across a diverse portfolio.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Supported by the Director of Fundraising, take ownership of developing, delivering and monitoring fundraising events and activities in line with our fundraising strategy.
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Lead on key income streams to maximise net income and develop sustainable income streams for short, medium and long-term growth.
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Monitor and evaluate progress against plans using management information and budgets to produce reports and forecasts as required
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Deliver effective supporter journeys to improve supporter experience, retention, and long-term engagement.
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Work alongside the Director of Fundraising to develop and implement processes and policies.
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Grow and diversify income across corporate partnerships, community fundraising, events, individual giving and digital activity.
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Develop compelling proposals and pitches for corporate partners, clearly articulating social value, impact and return on investment.
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Build and manage a strong corporate prospect pipeline using research, data and structured follow-up to convert opportunities. Identify opportunities to sponsor projects and activities.
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Collaborate with marketing colleagues to develop assets and digital campaigns to support fundraising appeals and events.
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Work with all Adoption UK teams to support local fundraising activities in each of the four nations including membership and community teams.
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To ensure good working practices in line with Equality and Diversity policies and a pro-active approach is taken to equality, diversity and inclusion issues.
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In compliance with the Code of Conduct, demonstrate high standards of personal conduct, courtesy and integrity.
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Ensure full compliance with Adoption UK’s Safeguarding policies and procedures, reporting concerns in line with internal policies.
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Any other duty as required by the line manager commensurate with the post.
Person Specification criteria
Knowledge And Experience
- Experience of a fundraising, marketing, or event management role (E)
- Experience of delivering multiple projects on time and to budget (E)
- Ability to devise operational plans and deliver them effectively, and proven experience of planning and managing income generating activities and events (E)
Qualificationsand Education
- Professional fundraising qualifications (D)
- Marketing qualifications (D)
- Event Management qualifications (D)
- CIOF Diploma in Fundraising Management/equivalent professional experience/membership of CIOF (D)
Skills and Abilities
- Delivers high quality work with minimal supervision and direction (E)
- Able to demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, be competent with Microsoft Office (E)
- Ability to assimilate and analyze financial and statistical information, including budget monitoring, management, and financial control (E)
- An exceptional administrator and coordinator with excellent organisation and writing skills (E)
- Communicate, engage and secure positive external relationships with stakeholders and supporters (E)
- Has the capacity to deal with complex issues and is good at problem solving (D)
- Self-starter, used to working to deadlines and delivering against KPIs (E)
- Able to work communicate and engage with internal senior stakeholders effectively (E)
Accountability
- Developing fundraising opportunities (E)
- Event administration (D)
- Stewardship and relationship management (E)
- Contribute to departmental strategic goals, in liaison with the Director of Fundraising (E)
Behaviours
- Takes pride in Adoption UK and promotes its values and mission in all interactions with external stakeholders.
- Demonstrates commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of role at all times.
- Contributes to an open and honest culture
- Encourages challenge and creativity, transparency and consistency.
- Leads by example.
- Offers outstanding service to members.
- Promotes cross functional team working, sharing skills and knowledge
- Communicates clearly, seeking clarity when unclear and valuing the opinion of others.
- Valuing the opinion of other. Treating colleagues and other stakeholders with respect.
- Takes pride in own development, committed to achieving high standards and agreed objectives.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
Adoption UK is the leading charity for adopted and care experienced people and adoptive families.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Kaleidoscope Health and Care is looking for a chief executive to lead our consultancy business into its next decade.
Hello, we're Kaleidoscope. We are a consultancy of a different kind. We bring people together to create change that works, and over the past decade, we've helped hundreds of organisations do harder things than they thought possible. Our founder is moving on this summer and we’re looking for the person to lead our next chapter - someone who understands that how you build matters as much as what you build. We're employee-owned, and committed to being the kind of organisation we help others become. That's not a tagline. It shapes how we work every day.
A bit about the role
This is not a caretaker role. Over the past decade we’ve built something truly special: a kind, commercially serious, employee-owned consultancy that does exceptional work in health and care.
This role combines strategic leadership of the organisation with hands-on responsibility for its commercial sustainability, culture, and external relationships. You'll work alongside a talented, committed team, in a self-managing organisation to build our consultancy business aligned to our purpose and values as an organisation.
The salary is £95,882 to £106,010. Our preference is for full-time, but we will consider part-time at 30+ hours / week.
A bit about you
You'll know health, care and the public sector. Not just as a sector to work in, but one you care about. You'll be comfortable with the commercial realities of running a consultancy - P&L, resource allocation, business development. And you'll have the kind of presence and credibility that makes clients want to work with you and colleagues want to follow you.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented in senior health and care leadership.
The application deadline is 8am on Friday, 12 June 2026.
Get in touch with us…
If you need any reasonable adjustments for the application process or have any specific questions.
There's a full candidate pack available, and an Ask Me Anything session at midday (12.00pm BST) on Thursday 21 May, open to anyone considering applying.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.