Partnerships manager for foundations and institutions jobs

Employment Details: 

• Location: Haringey (N17), London, UK. (This is an In-Person role with optional one day working remotely) 
• Job Title:  Director of Operations 
• Reporting to: CEO, with accountability to the Board of Trustees 
• Line Manages: Operations Co-ordinator and Finance Officer
• Employment Type: Full-Time (40hrs Per Week)
• Start date: October 2026 (Ideally, or later if you have a notice period) 

Benefits:

• Annual Leave: 25 days (Exclusive of Bank Holiday)
• 1 x WFH/flexi working as per policy
• CPD Budget: £1000
• Group Life Insurance
• Discount on Food (Specific Restaurants)
• Free Brunch every Thursday
• Company Well-being Events
• Pension Contribution

Summary of the role:
The Director of Operations is a pivotal senior leadership role at Sister System, responsible for strengthening the people, culture, systems and organisational foundations that enable our mission to thrive. Working closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees, the postholder will play a central role in delivering our current strategic priorities and shaping the next chapter of Sister System as we develop our future strategy beyond September 2027. 

This is a significant opportunity to help shape a growing, values-led organisation founded on co-curation, sisterhood, race & gender equity and the belief that girls and young women should be active architects of the services, systems and opportunities designed for them. With oversight of financial management, people and culture, compliance, risk and organisational infrastructure, the Director of Operations will lead on empowering & ensuring that our internal culture and ways of working reflect the same care, accountability, ambition and empowerment that sit at the heart of our model. 

The role will be instrumental in translating our founding vision into strong, sustainable practice, ensuring Sister System is equipped to grow its impact while remaining deeply connected to the voices, experiences and leadership of the girls and young women we exist to serve. 

Our Charity:
Sister System exists to ensure that care-affected girls and young women are not defined by the systems they have experienced, but are supported to recognise their strengths, shape their futures and access the same opportunities as their peers. 

Our culturally competent, co-curated model works alongside girls and young women aged 13–24 through a long-term journey of support, progression and leadership. Across three interconnected stages, we provide trusted relationships, mentoring, therapeutic support, education, leadership development and pathways into employment. Our approach recognises that meaningful change takes time, consistency and a community that continues to believe in her. 

Founded with girls and young women, not simply for them, Sister System places their voices, experiences and ambitions at the heart of everything we do. Through our growing hub-and-spoke model, we are expanding our reach while also influencing the wider systems, services and institutions that shape their lives. 

Our ambition is not only to improve individual outcomes, but to demonstrate a better way of working with care-affected girls and young women—one that is relational, culturally responsive, asset-based and built around what they tell us they need to thrive. 

As Sister System enters its next phase of growth and prepares to shape its future strategy, we are seeking an experienced and values-led Director of Operations to join our Senior Leadership Team. This is an exciting opportunity to strengthen the people, culture, systems and infrastructure that will enable our organisation—and the girls and young women alongside us—to achieve even more. 

Our Vision: 
A world where empowered girls reach their potential through equitable opportunities.

Our Mission: 
To bridge the gap between care-affected girls and young women within mainstream society by working alongside them to ensure they have the same opportunities that everyone else has – at home, school, work and within our communities. 

Our Values: 

• COLLABORATIVE 
  We co-curate programmes with our Sis-Stars. We seek powerful partnerships. 
• EVIDENCE-BASED 
  We build trust and respect within our sector. 
• MASTERFUL 
  We aim for excellence as standard and share our learning. 
• SOLUTION-FOCUSED 
  We innovate to overcome challenges with a long-term goal in mind. 
• TENACIOUS 
  We are not afraid to take a stand and push for change. 

 
Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Leadership and Implementation 

• Work closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees to translate Sister System’s strategy, theory of change, operational model and financial plans into clear organisational priorities and coordinated action. 
• Play a central role in shaping Sister System’s next strategy ahead of the September 2027 refresh, ensuring it reflects our founding commitment to co-curation, the voices of girls and young women, our evolving three-stage model and our future growth ambitions. 
• Lead the development of proportionate planning, monitoring and review processes that enable the Senior Leadership Team to track progress, reflect on performance, identify barriers and remain accountable for delivery. 
• Monitor progress against agreed strategic goals and KPIs, ensuring that risks, dependencies and areas requiring leadership attention are clearly identified and addressed. 
• Support senior leaders to turn strategic priorities into realistic plans, with clear ownership, timescales and measurable outcomes. 
• Ensure that learning from delivery, impact data, staff experience and the voices of girls and young women inform strategic decision-making and organisational improvement. 
• Cultivate a strong shared sense of purpose across Sister System, helping colleagues understand how their roles contribute to our mission, values and long-term ambitions. 

Financial Strategy and Audit 

• Work closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees to shape, implement and regularly evaluate Sister System’s financial strategy, ensuring it supports our mission, strategic ambitions and long-term sustainability. 
• Provide clear, financial recommendations to the CEO, helping the organisation navigate the balance between delivering high-quality, meaningful impact for girls and young women, achieving value for money and maintaining financial resilience. 
• Translate Sister System’s strategic priorities, delivery model and growth ambitions into realistic financial plans, forecasts and scenarios that support timely and well-informed decision-making. 
• Lead financial scenario planning and ensure that the CEO and Board have a clear understanding of the financial implications, risks and trade-offs associated with key organisational decisions. 
• Lead and oversee the annual audit process, working effectively with external auditors, the finance team, senior leaders and the Board to ensure a robust, timely and transparent process. 
• Ensure that learning and recommendations arising from audits, financial reviews and assurance activity are translated into clear improvements and strengthened organisational practice. 

Financial Management 

• Lead the development, monitoring and management of annual budgets, reforecasts and longer-term financial plans, ensuring resources are aligned with Sister System’s strategic priorities. 
• Hold and actively manage the tension between quality, impact, affordability and value for money, ensuring financial decisions protect the integrity of Sister System’s model and the experience of the girls and young women we serve. 
• Provide the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board with clear, accessible and timely financial information, insight and recommendations to support effective leadership and governance. 
• Produce high-level financial reports and analysis covering budgets, cash flow, reserves, forecasts, strategic KPIs and other relevant performance indicators. 
• Maintain and continuously strengthen proportionate financial systems, controls and processes that reflect Sister System’s size, stage of growth and evolving operating model. 
• Ensure that robust financial and performance-reporting infrastructure is in place, with clear accountability, reliable data and appropriate oversight across the organisation. 
• Support Directors and budget holders to understand their financial responsibilities, manage resources effectively and make informed decisions within agreed parameters. 
• Identify emerging financial risks, pressures and opportunities for greater efficiency, advising the CEO on appropriate actions and ensuring these are monitored and addressed. 
• Oversee high quality bookkeeping practice to ensure reporting is accurate and up to date. 
• Work with the fundraising team to develop budgets for proposals and create timely financial reports for funders and donors 

Culture and Operational Effectiveness 

• Work closely with our People and Culture consultant, CEO and Senior Leadership Team to shape and embed a progressive, inclusive and high-performing organisational culture aligned with Sister System’s values: Collaborative, Evidence-based, Masterful, Solution-focused and Tenacious. 
• Champion a culture of regular, honest and constructive feedback, helping managers and colleagues to hold crucial conversations with clarity, care and accountability. 
• Ensure that Sister System’s internal culture reflects the relational, empowering and values-led approach that sits at the heart of our work with girls and young women. 
• Review existing organisational processes and workflows, identifying practical opportunities to improve clarity, consistency, collaboration and efficiency. 
• Develop and embed proportionate ways of working that support Sister System’s current size, evolving operating model and future growth. 

People Planning and Management 

• Lead the development of a clear and forward-looking people plan that ensures Sister System has the right structure, capacity, capabilities and leadership in place to deliver its strategic ambitions. 
• Support managers to build high-performing teams through effective objective-setting, regular feedback, performance management and professional development. 
• Foster an environment in which people are supported to grow, appropriately challenged and held accountable for delivering against agreed expectations. 
• Facilitate professional learning, career development and progression across the organisation, ensuring that opportunities are transparent, equitable and aligned with organisational need. 
• Oversee workforce and succession planning, ensuring that the organisational structure remains appropriate, affordable and responsive to Sister System’s development. 
• Work with the CEO and relevant advisers to ensure fair and appropriate pay, benefits and working conditions. 
• Oversee recruitment and the end-to-end employee experience, from attraction and onboarding through to development, retention and exit. 
• Ensure that people policies, practices and management approaches are legally compliant, consistently applied and reflective of Sister System’s values. 

Compliance and Risk Management 

• Ensure that Sister System meets its legal, regulatory and governance responsibilities as a charity and employer. 
• Lead the development and maintenance of a proportionate organisational risk-management framework that protects Sister System’s people, assets, reputation and ability to deliver its mission. 
• Ensure that key organisational risks are clearly identified, owned, monitored and reported to the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees. 
• Promote a culture in which risk is understood and actively managed without limiting thoughtful innovation, learning or ambition.

Governance, Communications and Facilities 

• Facilitate clear, timely and effective communication and cooperation between the Board of Trustees, CEO and Senior Leadership Team. 
• Support the development of strong governance systems, ensuring that trustees receive the information, insight and assurance required to fulfil their responsibilities effectively. 
• Work closely with trustees through the Finance and Audit committee 
• Oversee the organisation’s IT infrastructure and digital systems through external providers, ensuring that they remain secure, reliable and appropriate for Sister System’s needs. 
• Oversee the effective operation of Sister System’s physical workspace within a fully managed office environment, working with building management and relevant external providers where required. 
• Ensure that Sister System provides a safe, welcoming and accessible environment for girls and young women, staff, volunteers, visitors and partners across its hub, spoke locations and external activities. 
• Ensure that appropriate health and safety systems, procedures and responsibilities are understood, implemented and regularly reviewed. 

Person Specification 
We are seeking an experienced, dynamic and values-led operational leader to join Sister System’s Senior Leadership Team. You will combine sound judgement and strong organisational skills with a warm, collaborative leadership style and a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for care-affected girls and young women. 

You do not need to be a specialist in every area of the role. You will, however, need the confidence and experience to lead across a broad operational portfolio, work effectively with professional advisers and external providers, and provide clear, practical advice to the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees. 

Essential Experience and Knowledge 

• Significant experience in a senior operations, finance, people, governance or organisational leadership role within a charity, social enterprise or similarly values-led organisation. 
• Experience of translating organisational strategy into clear priorities, plans, systems and measurable outcomes. 
• Experience of developing and managing organisational budgets, forecasts and financial reporting, with the ability to balance quality, impact, affordability and value for money. 
• Experience of supervising or coordinating an external audit process, working effectively with auditors, finance colleagues and the Board. 
• Experience of people planning, performance management and supporting managers to build capable, accountable and high-performing teams. 
• Experience of developing or improving organisational systems, processes and ways of working during a period of growth or change. 
• A sound understanding of charity governance, organisational risk, compliance and the responsibilities of senior leaders and trustees. 
• Experience of working collaboratively with a CEO, senior leadership colleagues, trustees, consultants and external professional advisers. 
• A strong understanding of equity, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice, and the ability to embed these principles within organisational culture and decision-making. 

Skills and Leadership Approach 

• An approachable, emotionally intelligent and credible leader who can build trust, motivate others and develop effective working relationships across an organisation. 
• The ability to lead with both care and accountability, supporting open feedback and helping colleagues to hold constructive and sometimes crucial conversations. 
• Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to understand the wider organisational picture while maintaining oversight of important operational detail. 
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial, people or operational information clearly and accessibly. 
• Strong organisational and project-management skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands, meet deadlines and maintain momentum. 
• Sound judgement and the confidence to provide constructive challenge, identify risks and offer clear recommendations to the CEO and Board. 
• A practical and solution-focused approach, with the ability to move from discussion and planning into coordinated action. 
• The ability to handle sensitive, confidential and personal information professionally and in accordance with Sister System’s policies, data-protection responsibilities and GDPR. 
• Energy, curiosity and enthusiasm for strengthening an ambitious organisation as it prepares to shape and deliver its next strategy. 

Values and Commitment 

• A demonstrable commitment to Sister System’s mission and to improving the opportunities, experiences and outcomes of care-affected girls and young women. 
• The ability to model and champion Sister System’s values: Collaborative, Evidence-based, Masterful, Solution-focused and Tenacious. 
• A commitment to co-curation and to ensuring that the voices, experiences and leadership of girls and young women inform organisational planning and decision-making. 
• A commitment to continuous learning, reflective practice and personal and professional development. 

Desirable 

• Lived experience of the care system, or a strong professional understanding of the experiences of care-affected girls and young women. 
• Experience of working within a founder-led organisation or alongside a founder CEO. 
• Experience of supporting an organisation through growth, restructuring or the development of a new strategy. 
• Knowledge of culturally competent, trauma-informed or relational approaches to working with young people. 
• A relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience in operations, finance, human resources, governance or organisational leadership. 
• Experience working with social care and educational service providers (statutory and third sector). 
• Knowledge of the Charity SORP, Charity Commission reporting requirements, and other third-sector financial regulation. 

Sister System is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This post is subject to two satisfactory reference checks and DBS enhanced disclosure.

How to apply

Please apply via our recruitment platform Breathe by 31st August 2026. You will be asked to upload your CV and answer the following questions:

Values alignment 
Sister System's model is built on co-curation (working with girls and young women, not simply for them) and on being Collaborative, Evidence-based, Masterful, Solution-focused and Tenacious. Which of these values do you feel most aligned with, and which do you find hardest to live up to in practice?
 
People & Culture
Sister System is a founder-led organisation, underpinned by race and gender equity and a culturally competent, trauma-informed approach to working with girls and young women. Tell us about a time you strengthened internal culture of this nature within a team. What resistance did you meet, and what was different a year later?

Finance 
A key element of the role is monitoring income against budget for current and future years. Charity income can provide additional complexities, particularly with different types of grants. Please explain your understanding of these complexities, and how they impact on recording and reporting, including examples from your own experience if relevant. 

Timeline
Deadline for applications: End of day Monday 31st August 2026 
First round interviews: w/c 7th September 
Second round interviews: w/c 14th September
Decisions made: by 22nd September 

Thank you for your interest in joining Sister System in our mission to inspire and empower young women. 

PIN is an international non-governmental organisation providing humanitarian assistance, supporting human rights, and driving sustainable development in more than 30 countries worldwide.  

In the UK, we are planning to launch the One World Film Festival as well as our flagship education programme, One World in Schools. Through this programme, young people develop greater awareness of global issues, build empathy and understanding of different lived experiences, and strengthen their ability to question information, bias, and narratives.Through innovative educational resources, school partnerships, and film-based learning, One World connects students with real-world challenges and solutions from around the globe. 

About the Role 

We are seeking an ambitious, entrepreneurial and relationship-focused Partnerships & Engagement Manager to lead the development of new income streams from philanthropists and the wider public. 

This is an exciting opportunity to build and grow a fundraising portfolio that will support One World in Schools in the UK, while also generating funding for PIN’s broader humanitarian and development programmes internationally. 

The successful candidate will cultivate and steward major donors, develop compelling fundraising propositions, and identify innovative ways to engage supporters with the impact of our work. They will also play a leading role in establishing and delivering the organisation’s One World engagement strategy, leveraging film screenings, festivals, partnerships, and events to strengthen stakeholder engagement and create new fundraising opportunities. 

We welcome applications from candidates both within and outside the charity sector. If you have experience in sales, business development, marketing, client relationship management, partnerships, or other commercial roles and believe you have transferable skills relevant to fundraising and stakeholder engagement, we encourage you to apply. We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate a track record of building relationships, influencing decision-makers, and generating income or support for a cause, product, or service. 

Key Responsibilities 

Fundraising Strategy & Income Generation 

• Develop and implement a fundraising strategy focused on securing support from philanthropists, trusts, and members of the public. 

• Build and manage a pipeline of prospective major donors and philanthropic partners. 

• Create meaningful supporter journeys that deepen engagement and encourage long-term giving. 

• Develop compelling cases for support and fundraising materials that communicate the impact of One World in Schools and PIN’s global programmes. 

• Work closely with programme colleagues to translate programme outcomes into engaging donor propositions. 

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships 

• Build and maintain relationships with influential stakeholders, ambassadors, supporters, and partners who can advance fundraising objectives. 

• Represent PIN at networking events, donor meetings, conferences, and public engagements. 

• Develop opportunities for strategic partnerships with organisations, institutions, and individuals aligned with One World’s mission. 

One World Engagement Strategy 

• Lead the development and implementation of the fundraising stakeholder engagement strategy for One World engagement strategy in the UK. 

• Identify opportunities to use documentary film and storytelling as tools for audience engagement, awareness raising, donor cultivation, and fundraising. 

• Support OWIS UK Coordinator to build relationships with filmmakers, cultural institutions, schools, venues, and festival partners. 

• Plan and deliver film screenings, events, and related engagement activities that support fundraising and stakeholder development goals. 

Communications & Collaboration 

• Work closely with staff from PIN UK staff as well as PIN’s international offices to develop engaging fundraising campaigns and donor communications. 

• Build partnerships with marketing and media channels. 

• Monitor fundraising performance, analyse results, and identify opportunities for improvement. 

• Maintain accurate donor records and ensure compliance with fundraising regulations and GDPR requirements. 

Person Specification 

Essential 

• Excellent communication, presentation, and networking skills. 

• Demonstrated success in cultivating and managing stakeholder relationships. 

• Ability to develop compelling fundraising or sales propositions and cases for support. 

• Experience managing multiple projects and priorities in a dynamic environment. 

• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail. 

• Commitment to humanitarian, development, education, and social justice values. 

Desirable 

• Experience working with philanthropic and corporate networks in the UK. 

• Experience of fundraising for international development, humanitarian, education, or cultural organisations. 

• Understanding of fundraising principles and good practice in the UK. 

• Experience using storytelling, events, cultural engagement, or creative content to build relationships with supporters and drive fundraising outcomes. 

• Knowledge of documentary film, film festivals, cultural engagement, or arts-based fundraising. 

• Familiarity with CRM systems and fundraising data management. 

• Based in London. 

What We Offer 

• The opportunity to help shape and grow an innovative fundraising function with significant potential for impact. 

• A chance to support transformative educational programmes in the UK and life-changing humanitarian and development work globally. 

• A collaborative and mission-driven international organisation. 

• Professional development opportunities and engagement with global programmes and partners. 

• Work from home and flexible working hours. 

The Philanthropy Manager is responsible for the effective delivery of high value philanthropy activity, with a particular focus on major donors and high net worth individuals, including individuals engaged through the World Fellowship and other senior donor networks. The role delivers to agreed income targets across a defined donor portfolio, including securing multi-year commitments and progressing donors to higher giving levels.

Working closely with the Head of Philanthropy, the role manages a defined portfolio of donors and prospects, delivering high‑quality cultivation, stewardship and solicitation activity, predominantly focused on 5‑ and 6‑figure gifts. The Philanthropy Manager ensures that donor relationships are well managed, compliant, and supported by strong data, communications and engagement planning, contributing to sustainable income growth and world-class donor experience. The Manager also plays a key role in leading and supporting the major fundraising events – including concept development and design through to execution and follow-up.

Sheffield Cathedral is inviting applications for the role of Community Organiser, a new post within the Cathedral Resourcing Project, at an exciting moment in the Cathedral’s mission, civic life and partnership with communities across Sheffield.

At the heart of a changing and creative city, Sheffield Cathedral is both an ancient holy place and a living centre of worship, welcome, culture and public engagement. We are seeking to grow as a civic, relational and faith-rooted institution: not acting for communities from a distance, but acting with communities through trust, shared leadership and common action.

This new role is for a relational, disciplined and justice-minded organiser who can listen deeply, build trust across difference, identify and develop local leaders, and help people move from shared concern to collective action. Working in the Citizens UK tradition of broad-based community organising, the Community Organiser will help embed organising across the Cathedral, its parish partnerships and its civic relationships, contributing to the co-creation of Sheffield Citizens Alliance.

We are looking for someone who understands that lasting change is built through relationships, local leadership, patient listening, strategic action and negotiated public wins. The successful candidate will work confidently within the life and values of Sheffield Cathedral, while helping churches, communities and civic institutions build the power to act together for justice and the common good.

This post is open to people of all faiths and of none. There is no requirement to be a practising Christian, but the postholder will need to work sympathetically within the public mission and inclusive Christian values of Sheffield Cathedral.

Salary: £36,000 p.a. plus pension

Contract & Working Pattern

• 37.5 hours per week, with some evening and weekend work

• Fixed-term until 31 December 2028, starting as soon as possible

• Working at Sheffield Cathedral, partner parishes and civic institutions across Sheffield, with some hybrid working possible by agreement

Final application closing date: Wednesday 7 October 2026, 2.00pm

Shortlisting: Thursday 8 October 2026

Interviews/Tasks: Thursday 15 October 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the advertised closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received. We therefore encourage interested applicants to apply as early as possible.

For more information, or to download an application form, please visit the vacancy page on Sheffield Cathedral's website.

Associate Vice-Principal (Development)
Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
CAN$200,000 to CAN$250,000

Are you Queen’s University’s next Associate Vice-Principal (Development)? This is an opportunity at one of Canada's most prestigious universities at a time of real ambition and momentum.

This role is central to Queen's University's ability to grow its philanthropic income across major gifts, corporate partnerships, foundations, and leadership giving.

Queen’s University is one of Canada’s oldest and most distinctive institutions – a university known not just for academic excellence, but for the depth of connection its community feels. Our alumni are among the most loyal, most engaged, and most passionate in the country, and it is that extraordinary foundation on which our philanthropic ambitions are built.

You will lead a talented team of fundraisers, directing our major and leadership giving, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, and prospect development programs as well as managing a key portfolio of high-value prospects. Key to success will shaping and implementing plans that advance fundraising performance.

Reporting to the Vice Principal (Advancement) and a member of her Leadership Team, you will work at the most senior levels of the institution, acting as a key source of strategic guidance and support for university leaders, academics, and fundraising colleagues across the University.

This is a chance to build transformational programmes and partnerships that will deliver to the mission and strategic priorities of this ambitious university.

If you have a proven track record in leading multifaceted fundraising teams and managing complex relationships within a large organisation along with substantive philanthropic fundraising experience, we’d love to hear from you!

Queen’s University is partnering with Erin Hall-Westfall and Joanna Logan of Constellate Global Talent on this search. Please see the attached Candidate Pack for more information.

Closing date: 11:59pm EST on August 9, 2026
N.B. The posting will remain open, and applications received after this date may be considered until the position is filled.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). We seek to provide an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, beginning with the recruitment process and provide accommodations as needed for applicants with disabilities.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our CareerQ employment portal to complete your application for this position.

No agencies please.

As our Head of Belonging (Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion), you will lead the development and implementation of BUCS' Belonging Strategy and Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), ensuring EEDI is embedded throughout our organisation, programmes and culture.

Working closely with colleagues across BUCS and a wide range of external stakeholders, you will provide strategic leadership and expert guidance to influence positive change. From reviewing competitions and events through an EEDI lens to supporting governance, people practices and organisational policy, you'll play a key role in helping us deliver our mission of placing sport and active wellbeing at the heart of the student experience.

Reporting to the Director of Business Operations, you will be a member of the Management Team and will lead organisation-wide initiatives that create lasting impact.