Policy and research assistant jobs

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 
We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.

Job Title - Research Assistant

Contract - 1 year Fixed Term

Hours - Full Time, 35 hours per week

Salary - £30,000 to £32,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Location - This position is based at our Bloomsbury office on the Coram Campus, with some flexibility to work from home up to 2 days per week, depending on business need.

Additional information - Applicants must currently hold the right to work in the UK, as no sponsorship is available for this role. An Enhanced and Child Barred DBS is also required for this role.

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About Coram International

Coram International is a research and consultancy team based at the Coram Children’s Legal Centre in London. Our team works with UN agencies, international charities and governments around the world to promote and protect children’s rights.

Our work involves designing and implementing research on a broad range of thematic areas relating to children. We also provide technical expertise to support the development of laws, policies and programmes to protect children’s rights as well as training for professionals and practitioners who work with children. Our thematic areas of focus include: the treatment of children within criminal justice systems; violence against children and child protection; protecting the rights of children in the context of migration and asylum; child marriage; adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health rights; the rights of children in the context of armed conflict and terrorism; and many others. We work in countries throughout the world.

About the role

We are seeking a committed, organised and flexible International Research Assistant to join our team. The Research Assistant will be line-managed by the Research Manager and work closely with team and partners to develop and implement research and consultancy projects. Please refer to the Job Description for details of the main duties and responsibilities and person specification.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing Date: 22nd February 2026 at 23:59pm

Interview Dates: 23rd February to 6th March 2026

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 281222.

Help power life-changing support through excellent financial operations

Future Dreams is a pioneering UK charity providing psychological, practical, and emotional support to people diagnosed with breast cancer. We also champion early detection through breast health masterclasses and fund vital research into secondary breast cancer.

Based at Future Dreams House in King’s Cross — our welcoming breast cancer support centre — we deliver a vibrant programme of in-person and online services, community activities, and one-to-one support with specialist nurses, counsellors, and therapists. Everything we do is driven by one clear belief: nobody should face breast cancer alone, or without hope.

We are now looking for a Finance Assistant to join our growing team and play a key role in strengthening our in-house finance function.

About the role

This is a fantastic opportunity for an organised, detail-driven finance professional who wants to develop their career within a purpose-led charity.

Working closely with the Finance Manager, you will support the smooth day-to-day running of our finance operations, ensuring transactions are processed accurately and on time, records are well maintained, and financial controls are consistently applied. You’ll contribute to reliable reporting, support audit and compliance activity, and help build efficient processes that enable the charity to operate effectively.

You will also work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation and liaise with suppliers and external stakeholders, becoming a trusted part of a friendly, supportive team that values accuracy, integrity, and continuous improvement.

What we offer

• Salary of £30,000 – £35,000 per annum (depending on experience)
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Additional one-week paid shutdown over Christmas and New Year
• Hybrid working (a mix of office-based and remote working)
• Free weekly yoga sessions
• A warm, inclusive working environment in a mission-driven organisation

This is an exciting opportunity to get experience with a large and growing charity with an engaged and fun team. You will be a key part of our mission to ​find a cure for all types of brain tumours.​

​Our Systems Manager is being seconded to an internal project for the next 6-9 months and so we are seeking an experienced IT professional to join our team for an interim basis for six months with the possibility of a three month extension.​​​​

In this role you will you lead a team of three people in supporting our staff team of 70 by providing reliable, effective and efficient IT systems and equipment. This include ​the monitoring and maintenance of our IT software and, with external support, our IT hardware. ​​

You will line manage the Database Assistant ​and Data Processing Assistant.

​

​If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack provided in the advert.

​

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome your application. ​ We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!​​​

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.​

​

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

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.

​​We are really excited to have welcomed our new Director of Income Generation and Development to Brain Tumour Research this month, a great new start for the new year!​

This is a fantastic time to be joining our ambitious and growing charity and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals. We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser, to be based in the East Anglia region.​

As the Community Fundraiser covering East Anglia you will play a crucial role in helping the charity meet its strategic plans and objectives, which include campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.  Your role will be to generate and grow our income through community fundraising activities, contributing to a regional team target of more than £1.5 million.​

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• Do you live in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk?
• Do you have at least one years' experience of working in a professional Community Fundraising position?​

​

Have you answered Yes to these questions?

Does this sound like the opportunity to really get 2026 off to an amazing start? ​

If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack which is attached in this advert.​​

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

​

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.​​

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

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.

​

We are really excited to have welcomed our new Director of Income Generation and Development to Brain Tumour Research this month, a great new start for the new year!​

​​This is a fantastic time to be joining our ambitious and growing charity and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals.​

We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser, to be based in the Mid-North Wales and West Midlands region.​​

​As the Community Fundraiser covering Mid-North Wales and West Midlands, you will play a crucial role in helping the charity meet its strategic plans and objectives, which include campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.​

​​Your role will be to generate and grow our income through community fundraising activities, contributing to a regional team target of more than £1 million.​​

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• ​​Do you live in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire,​Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire or Mid-North Wales?​
• Do you have at least one years' experience of working in a professional Community Fundraising position?​​Have you answered Yes to these questions?​
• Does this sound like the opportunity to really get 2026 off to an amazing start? ​​​

If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack provided with this advert.​​

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

​

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.​

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

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.

The Bishop of Gloucester, The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, is seeking a highly organised, discreet and proactive Personal Assistant to support a busy episcopal ministry and the smooth day-to-day running of the Bishop’s Office.

Working as part of a small, welcoming team (alongside the Chaplain and Administrative Assistant), you will manager her diary, provide excellent administrative support, handle a wide range of enquiries and correspondence, and help coordinate meetings and specific events. You will bring strong discernment, a systematic approach, exceptional confidentiality, and the ability to remain calm and professional at all times, along with a positive attitude and sense of humour.

We expect that those who support the ministry of the Bishop of Gloucester are sympathetic to the Diocese’s mission to share the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so people may know life in all its fullness.

We do this by supporting, enabling and equipping the Church of England in and around Gloucestershire.

 

Recruitment information.

The closing date for applications is Monday 16 February at 9.00am. Shortlisted Candidates will need to be available for interview on
Friday 27 February

The Diocese of Gloucester is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
This post is subject to the usual Church of England required safer recruitment and DBS checking processes.

About us

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) is a UK-wide charity that exists to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation. We’re here for everyone who needs us. We protect children by working with people who pose a risk and diverting them from causing harm. We support individuals and families who have been affected by abuse. And we help professionals who work with families to create safer environments for children through delivering risk assessments, interventions, training and consultancy.

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About the role and you

We are looking for a data professional to support and manage significant changes in the way our charity uses, processes and manages data. Our teams pride themselves on evidence-informed practice, using research and data to enhance their work at every stage. There are elements of our charity’s work which are unique to our field, making our data highly valuable in contributing to the future of preventing child sexual abuse. We collect data all the time: on the individual progress of our clients, the reach of our campaigns and the demand for our support. As part of our new Tech and Data Strategy, we are taking the next stage in our use of data analysis and data science, ensuring that we use our data more effectively and efficiently to support our teams in preventing child sexual abuse.

We are looking for a Data Scientist/Analyst to help us make this change. You will be based in the LFF Research Team, reporting to our Director of Research and Impact.

This role will facilitate better use, processing and management of data across the organisation. It will focus on four areas:

• Data systems and structures
• Data analysis
• Data visualisation
• Data security and compliance

The postholder will work alongside experienced researchers to develop a new portfolio of priority projects to enhance our work. With no fixed task list or assigned service, this role offers the freedom to explore and innovate, identifying where data, data science, and data systems can drive real change.

This role will be remote or hybrid - we have offices in Bromsgrove, Epsom and Edinburgh.

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Q&A webinar

Our Director of Research and Impact, Tom Fisher, will be hosting a Meet & Greet webinar for 1 hour on 3rd February between 12-1pm.

Tom will talk through the role, the team and the wider data/research context. He will also take questions from attendees.

Those thinking about applying can join the call and ask questions using the below Microsoft Teams link.

Microsoft Teams meeting
Meeting ID: 320 188 935 120 24
Passcode: ax69zf2N

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What you’ll get from us

We offer the following benefits:

• Hybrid working (with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week; we ask for 3 days in the office per week for the first month)
• NEST pension
• 33 days’ annual leave rising to 38 days (inclusive of statutory bank holidays following qualifying period)
• Up to 5 days’ learning and development per year
• Flu jabs & eye tests
• Season ticket loans
• Charity discounts
• Employee assistance programme
• Option of private healthcare with Benenden

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How to apply

We really welcome informal conversations with prospective candidates about the role and the charity in advance of the deadline.

To apply, please download the job pack and return your completed documents to us by 10th February 2026. Stage 1 interviews are scheduled to take place on 25th and 27th February 2026 and stage 2 interviews are scheduled to take place on 5th March 2026 for shortlisted candidates.

If you have not been contacted within 2 weeks of the closing date you have been unsuccessful with your application. Please note the successful candidate will be required to undergo a DBS check for this position.

Please avoid using AI generated responses as these will automatically be discarded – we want to hear from the real you.  Please note that only applications with all sections completed will be reviewed during shortlisting.

Previous applicants for this role need not reapply.

#data #research #datascientist #dataanalyst #dataanalysis #datasecurity #datacompliance #datavisulisation

This is a rewarding and varied part-time role at the heart of a national organisation working to improve life for the one in six people in England affected by a neurological condition.

As Administration and Membership Officer, you will play a key role in ensuring the Neurological Alliance runs smoothly, efficiently and professionally. You will support strong governance, effective membership engagement and well-run meetings and events, helping to ensure that lived experience, evidence and collective expertise shape health and care policy.

This is a practical, admin-led role with real responsibility and autonomy. You will manage day-to-day administration, support the Board and members, maintain accurate records and systems, and ensure financial and membership processes run effectively. In doing so, you will help amplify the voices of people affected by neurological conditions and our member organisations.

This role would suit someone looking for a meaningful, flexible part-time position where their work directly supports collaboration, influence and change. The role is home-based, with occasional travel for team meetings (around once every two months) and infrequent external meetings.

About you

You will be an experienced administrator who is highly organised, reliable and detail-focused, and who enjoys keeping things running well behind the scenes.

You will be comfortable working independently, juggling multiple tasks, and supporting colleagues, trustees and members. You’ll be confident using IT systems and databases, open to learning new digital tools, and interested in improving administrative processes over time.

You will bring a friendly, professional and collaborative approach, and share our commitment to inclusion, partnership working and improving outcomes for people affected by neurological conditions.

About us

The Neurological Alliance is the only collective national voice for more than 100 organisations working together to improve treatment, care and support for people affected by neurological conditions across England.

Our vision is a world where everyone affected by a neurological condition is supported to live life to the fullest.

Our mission is to unite and empower people affected by neurological conditions and our member organisations to influence health and care policy in England, so it reflects real-life experiences and ensures everyone can access the support they need.

We are a small, collaborative organisation with a strong focus on evidence, lived experience and impact. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and to supporting staff wellbeing through flexible working, regular 1:1s, and opportunities for learning and development.

Our values

• Inclusive – we listen deeply, value every voice and welcome diversity
• Bold – we speak truth to power, grounded in lived experience
• Together – we achieve more through collaboration
• Leading – we champion the rights and needs of people affected by neurological conditions
• Insightful – we connect voices, data and evidence to guide better decisions

Key responsibilities

The role includes:

• Day-to-day administration and office management
• Supporting Board, committee and member meetings (scheduling, papers, minutes)
• Membership administration, renewals and fee collection
• Financial administration, including invoicing and use of Xero
• Managing shared inboxes and responding to routine enquiries
• Supporting the AGM, member meetings and events
• Maintaining accurate records, databases and systems
• Supporting website updates, communications and surveys

The salary for this role is £28,000 per year, pro rata.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are a Disability Confident employer and are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We actively encourage applications from disabled people and from people with lived experience of neurological conditions.

We will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace to support you to do your best work.

We may close the application window early if we receive a high volume of quality applications.

Job Title - Events Officer

Contract - Permanent, Full Time

Hours - 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Salary - £32,158 per annum

Location - Based at Coram Campus, Bloomsbury, London and hybrid of office and home working (at least one day a week in the office)

About CoramBAAF

We are the UK’s leading membership organisation for professionals working across adoption, fostering and kinship care. We provide information, best practice guidance, advice, training and resources to support our members and influence policy to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Our corporate members in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland represent 94% of all local authorities as well as regional adoption agencies, health and social care trusts, independent fostering providers and voluntary adoption agencies, and cover 88% of all children and family social workers.

Our 650+ individual and associate members - comprising lawyers, health professionals, educational institutions, therapeutic and family support services, and more - reflect the multidisciplinary nature of our work.

Together, our members make up the largest network of organisations and individuals involved with children in their journey through the care system.

About the Coram Group

CoramBAAF is part of the Coram Group. Our mission is to develop, deliver and promote best practice in the support of children and young people. Our vision is that every child has the best possible chance to lead a fulfilling life. We champion what matters most for children, creating better chances, and a brighter, happier future.

About the role

CoramBAAF has a long-standing reputation as a provider of high-quality webinars, training, conference and consultancy services aimed at social work, health care and legal professionals. CoramBAAF runs a workshop, events and conference programme and offers bespoke training services to agencies. We run a mix of face-to-face and remote delivery. Consultancy services typically include responding to specific commissions to review aspects of services.

We are looking for someone to join our small, dedicated team as Events Officer. This role is pivotal in organising and co-ordinating our webinar programmes, dissemination events and conferences. As part of the Training, Consultancy and Events team, they work in close collaboration with staff across CoramBAAF including colleagues with roles in policy and development and membership services. The successful candidate will be able to work on their own initiative; be good at managing priorities and meeting deadlines as well as being able to work with a wide range of external stakeholders.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Please ensure you include information to show where you meet all the essential criteria.

Closing date: 24th February 2026 at 5pm, applications may close early depending on the volume of applicants

Interview date: 4th March 2026, please keep the date free. You will be notified by Friday 27th February if you are invited to interview. Interviews will take up to 1.5 hours and include a presentation and skills test.

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

Location: Barnstaple – Little Bridge House
Hours: 37 hours per week, Full Time, Permanent
Salary: £25,017 - £27,700 per annum
 
We are an established and successful charity providing hospice care for children with life limiting conditions and their families in the South West of England.
 
We aim to recruit passionate, friendly and enthusiastic staff who are motivated to really make a difference to the lives of the children and families who visit us.
 
Join our team for a rewarding career move where 98% of staff agree that they are proud to work for CHSW.
 
What you will be doing:
 
You will be providing support and assistance to the Little Bridge House and Regional Fundraising teams. You will be helping to research opportunities for new relationships and speaker engagement within the community, helping to maintain the existing fundraising groups, key fundraising opportunities and supporter donor care and development.
 
Working alongside members of the fundraising team, you will gain a better understanding of the various fundraising roles, including undertaking speaker training and assisting fundraisers, where needed, with giving appropriate talks and attending cheque presentations.
 
You will be required to support the area fundraisers in the research, approach and development of community partnerships.
 
The Successful Candidate:
 
You will be highly motivated and enthusiastic, with good organisation and communication skills and able to work to deadlines. You will be positive and solution focused and able to engage and be confident in social situations. A good working knowledge of Microsoft (Word, Excel and Outlook) is required for this role. A flexible approach to work is required as working hours will include evenings and weekends.
 
What we offer:
 
We value our staff and offer an excellent working environment with an enthusiastic and committed team, you will also benefit from:
 
• 33 days (plus bank holidays) holiday entitlement, which increases with service
• enhanced sick pay scheme rising up to 6 months full and 6 months half pay*
• personal pension scheme with 7% employer contribution
• family friendly policies, with enhanced maternity/adoption pay
• occupational health, wellbeing and counselling services and employee assistance programme
• group life insurance scheme
• training and development opportunities
• environmental and green agenda
• a supportive and inclusive environment
• a chance to make a real difference
 
Closing date: 09/02/2026
Interview date: 16/02/2026
 
Please note: We may close this vacancy early if sufficient suitable applications are received; therefore we recommend you apply early
 
If you have any questions, please visit our website to find our more, or use our email to contact us and speak to one of our HR team today
 
CHSW Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
 
CHSW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and all employees must apply for an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.
 
Charity Registration Number 1003314
 
You may have experience of the following: Fundraising Officer, Development Assistant, Charity Fundraising Coordinator, Community Fundraising Assistant, Donor Relations Assistant, Fundraising Support Officer, Fundraising Administrator, Events & Fundraising Assistant, etc.
 
REF-226 040

Overview

We’re looking for an Assistant Business Development Officer (Bid Writer) to join our national Business Development Team. This is a great opportunity for an excellent writer to start or grow your bid writing career in a successful team with progression opportunities. 

Location: London, Brighton, Manchester or Leeds. 

Salary: £27,861.26 − £32,002.35 per year. If you’re based in London, you’ll receive an additional £4,133.14 per year as Inner London Weighing. 

Contract: 12 months fixed term. 

Responsibilities

About the role 

Change Grow Live is a health and social care charity. Across the country, we support people to make positive changes in their lives, including around drug and alcohol use, smoking, homelessness and criminal justice. 

As an Assistant Business Development Officer, you’ll play a key part in helping us secure new contracts and deliver high quality services for adults, children and young people. You’ll support the development of bids and proposals by writing, researching and collaborating with colleagues across the organisation. 

Your day-to-day will include: 

• Writing and editing bid responses 
• Working with colleagues across the organisation and our partner agencies 
• Completing online research, analysing data and collating evidence 
• Creating presentations, diagrams and reports 
• Helping improve how we do things. 

This is a developmental role, and you’ll receive ongoing support, guidance and training to help you progress. 

About you 

We’re looking for excellent writers who share our passion for supporting people to make positive changes in their lives. You don’t need previous experience in business development, but experience in health and social care, writing, sales, research, or data is beneficial. 

You are: 

• A clear, concise and engaging writer 
• Motivated to learn and develop, welcoming feedback 
• Collaborative and contribute to a positive culture team 
• Curious and analytical 
• Solution-focused, creative and proactive 
• Ready to work hard to deliver on CGL’s values and mission. 

What we offer 

You’ll be able to access structured training, development and mentoring as part of a supportive team. There’s a clear progression pathway within the team. We have a great record of people quickly progressing to Business Development Officer and Senior Business Development Officer roles as they take on increased volume, complexity, and leadership across proposals. 

We also offer: 

• The option to work from home for some of the week 
• Wellbeing support, including an employee assistance programme and an hour each week for wellbeing activities of your choice (find out more here). 

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we work with. We pride ourselves on an inclusive and supportive workplace, evidenced through our Investors in People silver status. 

We’re happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that you need to be successful. Please let us know in your application or at any stage of the process if you would like to discuss this. 

Before you apply 

In the application portal, there’s a section called ‘how you meet the criteria for the role’. This is your chance to tell us about why you’re a good fit for this job – we won’t be able to consider your application unless it’s filled in. Please explain how you meet each of the person specification criteria (listed at the end of the job description). Use clear examples of your experience (this link contains some useful guidance). As guidance, written statements should not exceed 1,000 words. You can address multiple criteria together where you think it makes sense. 

Interviews will be held 16th – 23rd February 2026 via MS Teams. We’ll also ask shortlisted candidates to complete a written task online during this timeframe, at a time of your choice. We may hold a pre-qualification stage task (e.g. presentation) depending on the number of applicants. 

We encourage applications from individuals who may not meet every requirement but are excited about the role. We value lived experience of substance use, homelessness, and/or multiple disadvantages. 

We’re a Disability Confident Committed employer. Under our Disability Confident interview scheme, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates where they meet our selection criteria in their application. Some of our roles attract a high volume of applications and in some circumstances where it is not practicable or appropriate, we may limit the number of interviews offered to disabled and non-disabled candidates. Please confirm in the ‘how you meet the criteria for the role’ part of the application if you are applying under this scheme. We will provide reasonable adjustments as needed. 

Check the job description and team explainer for more information. You can contact Yasmin Gilders to discuss this role further. 

What our people say 

George, who progressed from Assistant Business Development Officer to Business Development Officer last year: 

“What was your route into the team? I came into Business Development after starting out in frontline roles in local authorities and then a housing charity, where I realised I wanted to continue having an impact on people’s lives, but on a bigger scale. The Assistant Business Development Officer role was a perfect progression, and after about a year I successfully applied for a Business Development Officer role. This felt really manageable given the space for development as an Assistant Business Development Officer. 

What are your favourite parts of the job? Winning contracts is a really great feeling, especially when I know they’ve been shaped with service users and colleague to make sure we’re designing services that offer the best support to the most people. I also value the constant opportunities to learn, feeling supported in my development, and seeing the decisions I’m involved in having a real impact on people’s lives.

What were your highlights from last year? Our team away day in Liverpool, which was great fun as well as chance to hear from the managers of our new Liverpool service. It was one of the first bids I worked on as an Assistant Business Development Officer, and it was amazing to see our bid come to life, being delivered by a passionate group of people.

What would you say to someone thinking of applying? I’d definitely say go for it, and once you start, embrace how much there is to learn! Make the most of a really knowledgeable and supportive team, of managers who genuinely want you to succeed, and of all the opportunities to try new things and develop new skills.” 

Holly, who has progressed from Assistant Business Development Officer to Senior Business Development Officer: 

“What was your route into the team? I was a psychology graduate and teacher training drop out! With my experience of working in schools and academic research into young people’s substance use, I started working as an Education Lead for one of CGL’s young person’s services. After a year I applied to join the Business Development Team, wanting to utilise my experience of working frontline and my love of research and writing. I’ve progressed from Assistant to Officer and then Senior Officer since joining the team in 2022.  

How would you describe the team? Helpful, real and full of knowledge. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and is happy to share their skills, knowledge and learning. I’ve never felt like I’ve asked a silly question, and I don’t feel like I must put a on ‘work mask’.

What would you say to someone thinking of applying? Not to think they can’t do it just because they don’t have experience in bid writing or business development. It’s more important to be able to demonstrate that they’re a confident professional writer and are really passionate about working in the drug and alcohol support sector.” 

Salary Range (pro rata if part time)

CGL points 23 to 28 (£27,861.26 - £32,002.35)

Interview Date

16/2/2026

Closing Date

8/2/2026

Job title: Programme Assistant, Enquiries 

Line manager: Team Leader, Enquiries (Senior Officer, Enquiries in Team Leader’s absence) 

Salary: £30,000 

Type of contract: Permanent 

Start date: 16th February 2026 or shortly thereafter 

Benefits: 

• Challenging and rewarding work, always life-changing, sometimes lifesaving 

• Competitive salary 

• Team and individual training opportunities 

• Commitment to performance and personal development 

• Hybrid working, home and office (minimum 2 days each week in the office) 

• Eight hours each day Monday – Friday, with flexible working by arrangement around core hours of 10am – 4pm 

• 25 days plus Bank Holidays annual leave entitlement 

• 8% employer pension contribution 

• Convenient office location at Elephant and Castle, close to Tube (Bakerloo and Northern lines) and bus routes 

Role purpose statement: The Programme Assistant, Enquiries plays a vital role in the Fellowship Programme working directly with academics facing immediate risk in their home countries to carry out due diligence or signposting. This includes managing an individual caseload, dealing with prospective applications and general enquiries, providing administrative support to the Enquiries team as well as support across the Fellowship Programme when needed. 

Organisational Background 

The Council for At-Risk Academics is a UK-registered charity founded in 1933 under the leadership of William Beveridge, to rescue academics suffering persecution under the rise of Nazism and facilitate their continued work in safety. Sixteen Cara Fellows from the 1930s and 1940s became Nobel Laureates, and many more innovators in their fields, including, Nikolaus Pevsner, Lise Meitner and Karl Popper. A number of Cara’s founders and Council members also personally provided places and/or funds to help individual academics; and Cara, known in the 1930s as the AAC, later the SPSL, was closely involved in the successful effort in 1933 to bring to London the Warburg Institute art library, which had been prohibited by the Nazis, and six of its staff. The Fellowship Programme is the continuation of the rescue mission operation started in 1933. 

Cara has been a lifeline to academics at risk for over 90 years, as and when world events have placed them in the line of fire: Hungarian Uprising, Cold War, Apartheid South Africa, Iran, Latin American Juntas, Vietnam, Kosovo, DRC, Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc. and, more recently Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Cara support is typically framed as temporary sanctuary offered at times of heightened risk. 

Cara Objectives ‘To assist academics who have been, or are, or are at risk of being, subject to discrimination, persecution, suffering or violence on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, to relieve needs among them and their dependants and ensure that their specialist knowledge and abilities can continue to be used for the benefit of the public.’ 

‘To advance education by supporting academics and their educational institutions in countries where their continuing work is at risk or compromised, to ensure that such academics and institutions can continue to fulfil their critical role as educators for the public benefit.’ 

This is a critical time to join our dedicated and friendly Fellowship Programme team as we expand our capacity to support at-risk academics from the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia and many other countries. 

Role & Responsibilities  

Casework  

• Signposting prospective applicants to the application form. 

• Manage own caseload, preparing cases for eligibility review, including arranging calls to speak with applicants, booking English language tests, and gathering all relevant documentation.

• Escalating complex cases to the Team Leader as required. 

• Maintain accurate and GDPR-Compliant records of casework activity. 

• Researching international affairs to develop understanding about risks applicants face. 

• Researching potential hosts for academic placements and liaising with external stakeholders in relation to applicants. 

• Attend weekly case review meetings with the team. 

Administration   

• Provide general administrative and logistical support, including answering phone enquiries. 

• Manage the general enquiries inbox, alongside another colleague, answering emails about the enquiries’ process, the Fellowship Programme and Cara. 

• Signpost enquiries to relevant colleagues internally and to other organisations where applicable. 

• Contribute to report writing. 

• Present and collect data on general enquiries and applications to the Programme. 

• Ensure safekeeping of confidential information. 

• Maintain excellent detailed records of correspondence, documents, and activities. 

• Provide administrative support to colleagues on projects as required.

Managerial Support  

• Contributing to Fellowship Programme policy changes and decision-making. 

• Provide advice and guidance to colleagues. 

Ad Hoc Responsibilities  

• Show adaptability and willingness to take on additional work when necessary. 

• Support the Fellowship Programme and Cara as a whole with ad hoc responsibilities.

Responsibilities also include related activities that might arise in relation to the Fellowship Programme as required by the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive & Fellowship Programme Manager, and other senior colleagues. 

Person Specification 

Essential:  

• Bachelor’s degree 

• Fluent English (spoken and written) 

• Proactive with a willingness to learn 

• Confident and empathetic with strong interpersonal and communication skills 

• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment 

• Keen team player who is ready to support and help colleagues 

• Excellent record keeping and attention to detail 

• Ability to work independently and in a team 

• Good time management with ability to prioritise and independently work to deadlines 

• Understanding of issues of confidentiality

• Interest in and commitment to the work of Cara 

• Confident use of Microsoft package 

• Awareness of current global issues

• Ability to handle difficult conversations with sensitivity and resilience 

Desirable 

• Master’s or equivalent experience 

• Casework experience 

• Arabic language skills are desirable. Other foreign languages (such as Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Ukrainian and Russian) will also be considered 

• Salesforce/CRM software experience 

• Experience in a supporting role with people with lived experience of forced migration or other forms of severe adversity 

Assistant Director of Operations
Salary: £72,000 per annum
Work Pattern: This is a permanent contract, working full time, Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours a week.
Location: Your base can be at any of the 6 mainland UK Discovery Sites: Arundel BN18, Llanelli SA14, London SW13, Martin Mere L40, Slimbridge GL2 or Washington NE38. The 7th site is Castle Espie.
For this role we can offer the opportunity for hybrid working. It is expected the role will need you to be present at each of your sites on a regular basis, at least once per month.

About The Role

WWT is the charity for wetlands.

This is a critical role in the recently restructured Operations Directorate at WWT. As Assistant Director, you will be directly responsible for the performance of our 7 Wetland Discovery sites. You will provide inspiring and professional leadership to your teams, whilst proactively collaborating cross organisation and externally.

Your focus will be on driving meaningful improvements at sites across our three ambitions of Restore, Inspire and Thrive, with emphasis on financial performance driven by visitor experiences. Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will directly manage two Heads of Operations, a Head of Retail and Head of Catering. You will indirectly lead more than 400 staff and volunteers across Living Collections, Reserve Management, Visitor Experience, Trading, Marketing, Facilities and Grounds.

You will work closely with Health & Safety and Sustainability leads to ensure good governance and compliance at sites and across the Operations Directorate.

You will have a background working in visitor attractions or a very similar sector, coupled with a passion for purpose-led organisations and a keen interest in the environment. You will be an inspiring leader with high levels of emotional intelligence and values & behaviours that align with WWT.

About You

To join as our Assistant Director of Operations, you will need to evidence:

• Experience in a senior position(s) held in the visitor attraction/events management sectors, directly accountable for site operations and visitor experience throughout the visitor journey.
• Strong skills in leading business planning, financial analysis, budget development and management, and delivery of significant capital projects across £multi-million business unit(s).
• Demonstrable ability to recruit, performance manage and motivate large (>100) diverse multi-disciplinary teams.
• The ability to develop, communicate and implement strategic change, turning organisational vision into improvements at scale.
• An inspirational and empathetic leadership style, able to role model an organisation’s values and behaviours, and to evidence strong emotional intelligence. Able to prioritise effectively, to collaborate, network and influence internally and externally at a senior level.
• A highly creative and inquisitive mindset, able to spot and exploit potential opportunities, keen to explore, test and learn as a means of driving continual improvement and excellence in the visitor experience.
• Experience of working collaboratively with insight, marketing and communications teams to deliver strong brand and marketing campaigns which drive footfall.

About Us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you’ll love working at WWT

• Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
• 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) – this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
• Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
• Cycle to work scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
• Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme

Closing Date: 23rd February 2026

N.B. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications from candidates who meet the required skills and experience. We therefore encourage early applications.

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.

WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.

No agencies please.