Policy communications manager jobs in bristol, bristol city

Are you a confident public speaker who’s passionate about inspiring others and promoting online safety?

The Breck Foundation is expanding our Freelance Speaker Team to deliver powerful, thought-provoking presentations to students, parents, carers, and corporate audiences across the UK.

At this time, we are only recruiting applicants based in:

North East England • North West England • Wales (North & South) • East of England • Devon/Dorset • West Sussex • Essex • Kent • The Midlands • Leeds • Lincolnshire • Northern Ireland • Scotland

About the Role

As a Breck Foundation Speaker, you’ll help share Breck’s story and empower communities to use the internet safely and positively. You’ll deliver both in-person and virtual talks, engage with schools and organisations, and play a vital role in raising awareness of online safety nationwide.

Generating your own leads and bookings is a key part of this role, with additional commission available for each successful booking.

What We’re Looking For

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Have strong public speaking or presenting experience.
• Are passionate about safeguarding and supporting young people.
• Are confident using PowerPoint, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Outlook.
• Hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle.
• Ideally DBS checked or are happy to undergo a DBS check.

What We Offer

• Flexible freelance working arrangements.
• Payment for each session delivered (both online and face-to-face).
• Commission for generating new bookings.
• Full training, guidance and ongoing support from our team.

Important Information

Successful applicants will be required to complete a DBS check and complete training, which is fully online.

Recruitment will take place in two stages:

1️⃣ Submit your CV for initial review.
2️⃣ If shortlisted, complete a short video task lasting 2-3 minutes so we can see your presentation style in action.

If a speaker withdraws from the role or leaves within six months of starting, the Foundation reserves the right to reclaim the cost of the DBS check and any training expenses incurred.

How to Apply

Please complete the pre-application questions and upload your CV via CharityJob.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an informal online interview.

If you’re ready to make a real difference by helping protect young people online — we’d love to hear from you.

Join us in our mission to make a positive impact and bring the Foundation's message to life.

Salary: £28,639.85 per annum, pro-rated

Location: Remote, homeworking

Contract: Permanent, part time working 24 hours per week over 4-5 days, occasional travel to London 2-3 times a year may also be required.

Closing Date: Monday 5th January 2026. Please note we will not be shortlisting until after the vacancy is closed.

Please note this role is being advertised as a Retail Team Administrator, however on appointment your job title will be Shop Support Team Administrator.

Do you understand administrative support processes and good practice with a real desire to develop as part of an inclusive and supportive team at one of Britain’s leading housing charities? If so, then join Shelter as an Administrator in our Shop Support Team and you could soon be fulfilling your ambition and contribute towards our fight for home.

About the Role

The role will involve providing essential day-to-day support to our Shops and Retail function, acting as the first point of contact for staff, customers and supporters. A key part of your role will be managing the shop supplies order process, including price checking and placing orders to ensure our shops have what they need to operate smoothly.

It will also involve supporting a range of finance and new goods admin tasks including processing invoices, raising product codes and assisting with stock takes. You’ll play a vital role in ensuring our retail operations run efficiently, with coordinating supplies and signage for our new shop openings, maintaining till number records, updating spreadsheets and managing our online shop handbook.

About you

To succeed, you’ll need a background in admin, excellent communication and time management skills and a proven ability to work across a range of tasks simultaneously while maintaining strong attention to detail. You’ll also need a proactive approach, lots of initiative and a flair for solving problems, completing tasks and overcoming obstacles. The ability to respond quickly and positively to change is important too, as is a willingness to challenge the status quo and introduce new ideas, methods or processes where appropriate. Commercially aware, customer focused and happy to work collaboratively for the good of a business, it goes without saying that you’re proficient using Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel, SharePoint, Outlook and the internet.

Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

How to Apply

Please click ‘Apply for Job’ below. You are required to submit a CV and a supporting statement. Please provide specific examples of how you meet the criteria in the 'About you' section of this advert, following the STAR format, and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviours below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Location: Home Based with regular national travel

Since 1962 the National Autistic Society has been campaigning to transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people. In National Programmes we champion the rights and interests of autistic people and their families, making sure national policy and legislation to reflect their needs. We provide autism training and best practice services and want all autistic people to have access to services and support that fully meet their needs. We provide diagnostic services, training, accreditation, consultancy and conferences, designed to support all professionals and organisations.  

The Supporter Fundraising team is responsible for managing and growing all supporter-led fundraising activity, including third-party challenge events, community fundraising, and our own portfolio of fundraising events. Together, our work generates over £1 million in income each year—vital funds that help the National Autistic Society achieve its mission: a society that works for autistic people.

Visit our website to find out more about who we are and what we do:  

Who we are looking for: 

We are seeking a proactive and creative Senior Events Fundraising Officer to join our dynamic team on a permanent basis.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about events fundraising and eager to take ownership of a diverse portfolio. You’ll play a key role in developing new fundraising events, supporting and inspiring colleagues, and delivering excellent supporter experiences that maximise income and impact.

The role will involve:

• Leading on a portfolio of owned and third-party fundraising events, including feasibility research, planning, marketing, participant recruitment, logistics, budgeting, and evaluation.
• Taking a lead role in the development of new fundraising events in collaboration with the Innovation Team, from research and proposals through to approval, delivery and evaluation.
• Providing first-class supporter care, ensuring participants feel valued and engaged, and that income and expenditure targets are met or exceeded.
• Working closely with marketing, press and PR colleagues to create and implement event promotion and communications plans, across both traditional and digital channels.
• Line managing and supporting Events Officers where appropriate, and deputising for the Events Fundraising Manager when required.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and event providers to ensure effective delivery and the best possible experience for supporters.
• Overseeing volunteer recruitment and stewardship plans to increase engagement and retention.

The successful candidate will bring:

• Experience of planning and delivering fundraising events, with proven ability to meet financial targets.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with confidence in working with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• A creative, innovative mindset and a passion for developing new fundraising opportunities.
• A commitment to delivering outstanding supporter care and improving supporter journeys.

This is a full-time, permanent role, for 35 hours per week. The salary for this position is £32,577 per year.

To view the full job description please click  

 What we can offer you: 

• Auto-enrolled Pension Scheme 

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays 

• Excellent induction, training and development programme including training about autism and opportunities to attend our conferences 

• Online staff discount scheme for a range of benefits such as cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan & shopping discounts for places such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Halfords, Nike, Apple and loads more! 

• Healthcare Cash Plan 

• Life Assurance at 2 x base salary 

• A portfolio of fantastic new salary sacrifices benefits and other flexible benefits private health, dental insurance, car salary sacrifice scheme, activity pass, holiday trading, enhanced pension & salary deduct loans (eligibility criteria may apply) 

• Access to a 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme & counselling programme

• Free access to the Headspace App – a global leader in mindfulness and you can enrol up to three friends or family for free! 

• Eligibility for a Blue Light Card 

Where you will be working: 

City Road, London / Homeworking / Hybrid

(Up to 20% national travel, including some evenings and weekends, as required.)

About our application process: 

When providing a supporting statement, please refer to the job description and person specification and include any information that shows your suitability for the role. 

For more information about this job, please contact Jonathan Littledale – Events Fundraising Manager ( ########### )

We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. 

For some roles, successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant safeguarding checks which will include additional references and criminal background checks. 

Applications for this job are sought from anyone who is suitably qualified and experienced for the role but particularly welcome from those with a diagnosis of autism. 

The National Autistic Society is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and adults who use our services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant safeguarding checks. 

We are an equal opportunities employer

Join the Learning with Parents team to develop the content for our ambitious young charity, so that one day every child is supported at home to fulfil their potential.

About Us

Learning with Parents supports all families to have positive learning interactions together. We drive inclusive parental engagement by partnering with schools and leading the sector through learning what works.

By partnering with primary schools, we support thousands of families across the UK to enjoy learning together at home. Our child-led videos and hands-on family activities replace traditional homework. Through behavioural insight research, innovative technology and teacher training we ensure that as many families as possible are supported effectively.

We are working to improve parental engagement across the sector, by producing evidence of parents’ impact and generating insights into how schools can best support them. Learnings are disseminated through the Parental Engagement Forum and amplified through the Fair Education Alliance.

About the Role

The Curriculum Leads are responsible for developing new content and updating existing content to ensure that it is accessible, curriculum-aligned and fun to help promote positive parent-child interactions. The Early Years role will continue the development of our school readiness programme, Ready Teddy beyond its pilot phase to ensure that it has the greatest impact on the schools and families that use it.

We see this person being our Early Years Lead initially focussed on the development of Ready Teddy as a full programme, in the future they will have the opportunity to explore other early years programmes we may seek to undertake.

Core areas of responsibility

Ready Teddy Programme Design

• Use existing evaluation findings to expand on the current Ready teddy programme content.
• Build on the programme structure from the pilot to create a full programme design
• Ensure the Ready Teddy Programme links well with our other programme to maintain coverage beyond it
• Design and implement the logistic elements of the Ready Teddy Programme

Content development

• Plan scope of content required, both in terms of creating new content and updating existing content.
• Use subject and pedagogical knowledge to design and create new activities for the website which align to the curriculum for Early Years.
• Ensure that all activities promote fun parent-child interactions and will be accessible to and engage disadvantaged families.
• Maintain and update the content database.
• Review existing topics and activities to identify areas for improvement on an ongoing basis.
• Develop new supporting materials, including PDFs and imagery, and update existing materials as required.
• Write or contribute to external programmatic materials that explain our pedagogical approach.
• Work with the wider teams, for example tech or schools, to ensure the programmes are delivered to all users in a consistent way.
• Keep up to date with sector developments and changes in curriculum.
• Feed into and support evaluation of our programmes.

Filming content

• Manage the logistics of filming, including agreeing dates with schools, securing appropriate permissions, booking travel and follow up communications.
• Plan and script videos and create or provide resources needed for filming.
• Work with school age children and their parents to film the videos and lead the filming day(s) within the school environment.
• Own the relationship with the videographer to film all videos and ensure the completed videos are delivered within agreed timescales.
• Oversee the editing and subtitling of new videos
• Quality assure videos

Organisational input

• Feed into or lead on partnership discussions where relevant based on content and curriculum expertise.
• Based on content and curriculum expertise, feed into strategic discussions as required.
• Contribute to organisational conversations outside of the programme content when required.

Represent the charity externally

• Represent the charity at external events such as conferences or forums where there is opportunity.
• Network and build relationships that are placed to support our work and share knowledge around parental engagement.
• Present at events such as webinars where relevant based on content and curriculum expertise.
• Write external facing materials for example reports or blogs where relevant.

About You

A successful Curriculum Lead – Early Years will be eager to work in a small team, have a can-do attitude, and be keen to get stuck in to support the charity’s growth and impact.

Our ideal candidate would also be able to provide examples of when they have used the following skills and experience:

• Knowledge of the Early Years curricula
• Creative thinking about different ways of teaching and learning subjects
• Excellent communication skills and confidence working with a range of stakeholders
• Strong organisational and planning skills
• A belief in your life-long learning, including in areas such as the curriculum, technology and pedagogy.
• A desire to champion and uphold our organisation’s vision, mission and values

Our ideal candidate might also be able to provide examples of when they have used  some of the following skills and experience, although these are not essential:

• Teaching primary school-aged pupils in UK state schools
• An understanding of education inequality or experience of supporting disadvantaged families in the UK
• Ability to build relationships quickly to enable the filming of children and families
• Lived experience of some of the barriers that families from disadvantaged communities face in engaging with children’s learning.

Our values

Our Learning with Parents values are key to how we work and inform our strategy, programme, and how we collaborate.

Ambition

We strive do more for the families, schools and organisations we work with

Collaboration

We value the voices of others and achieve more by working together

Exploration

We are curious and seek evidence to inform our work

Innovation

We test, learn, adapt and embrace failure in our pursuit of progress

Integrity

We act responsibly and honestly, and default to transparency

Supportive environment

We work to create an environment which supports growth, belonging and wellbeing for everyone

Benefits

We have a passionate team and supportive culture. We have supportive policies and offer a number of benefits including:

• Generous annual leave allowance (35 days, including bank holidays)
• Your birthday off and additional holiday reward for every year employed with us (up to five days pro rata)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and family-related leave policy from day one
• Income protection in case of sickness
• Flexible working times
• Social events
• Environmental (Net Zero) Pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Benefit Hub, including virtual GP and discount scheme

We are looking for someone who:

• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust with key stakeholders
• Has experience of supporting the wellbeing of caring professionals, ideally with those in Christian ministry
• Is familiar with the Anglican diocesan structures and culture
• Is a strategic thinker with experience in partnership development
• Shares our vision to see flouishing clergy

This newly created role within St Luke's is supported by a generous grant from the Henry Smith Foundation to develop our wellbeing programmes over the next three years. The Associate Director will engage with dioceses and individual clergy as they explore and embed our wellbeing programmes. 

The post holder will represent St Luke's and our Christian ethos within senior diocesan teams and help shape and deliver our strategic vision for flourishing clergy. This role will support the advancing clergy reflection programme and support dioceses, other networks and communities and Theological Educational Institutions in establishing wellbeing practices.

The role is home based with travel around the UK as required. There will be a requirement to be in London at least once a month for team meetings. 

This role carries an occupational requirement for the postholder to be a practicing Christian, in accordance with Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. The role involves representing and upholding the Christian ethos of St Luke’s in both internal leadership and external engagement.

Please note the closing date is 5th January 2026 (as per job pack and St Luke's website)

Please see job pack for more information.

The Royal Meteorological Society is the UK’s professional and learned Society for Weather and Climate and is respected around the world for its contribution to meteorology.  The Society is a charity and its programmes of work include providing professional accreditation, developing educational resources and skills, producing scientific publications, holding public and professional meetings and events, giving advice to Government and policy makers, and a growing role in providing information to the public on the science of weather and climate change.

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Research Assistant to support an exciting project called the State of the Climate for the Agri-Food Sector, which we are delivering in partnership with the Met Office. This project aims to contribute to the evidence base of current impacts of climate change on the agri-food sector in the UK. This role is ideal for someone with strong research skills and an interest in weather and climate and the influence on the agri-food sector.

Roles and Responsibilities

The candidate will be responsible for the following but will be expected to meet with the project team once a month and come to the kick-off meeting and launch event. There is also scope for involvement in the communication and dissemination of the work throughout the program.

The responsibilities and timeline are set out as follows:

• Update the research protocol with the project team (Q1)
• Evidence and Data Synthesis from publicly available data sources and data provided by project partners (Q1):
  •  Carry out evidence synthesis
  •  Compile results from synthesis
  •  Share results with stakeholders
• Indicator co-production workshop (Q1)
  •  With the project team identify key stakeholders for an indicator workshop
  •  Share results from evidence and data synthesis to support the discussion
  •  Co-deliver the running of the workshop
  •  Write a draft report of the outcomes and agreed indicators
• Develop Agri-Food Case Studies which will form part of a resource hub (Q2/Q3)
  •  Run online focus groups
  •  Develop case studies of transformative adaptation taking place in the UK
  •  Share case studies with stakeholders
• Final Report and Roadmap (Q2/Q3)
  •  Lead the write up of the final technical report
  •  Develop roadmap of the annual process
• Project wrap up feeding into planning for 2027 cycle (Q4)

Required Skills and Competencies

The required skills and competencies that the Society view as important for this role are:

Essential:

• Hold or carrying out a research degree and be either a student or an early career researcher/professional (i.e. MPhil, MSc, PhD); Background or strong interest in agri-food, weather and climate is highly preferred.
• Experience in academic or applied research including with quantitative analysis. Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce clear, professional documentation for external stakeholders
• Self-starter with excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently and manage time effectively
• Confidence to chair and organise focus groups and workshop with stakeholders
• A friendly and open-minded approach, with strong interpersonal skills
• Familiarity with indicator development
• Skilled in programming in R and/or Python
• All applicants are required to demonstrate the right to work in the UK.

Desired:

• Experience working on a project with multiple stakeholders

Recruitment information and timetable

Funding: The salary range is £30,000 - £35,000 per annum depending on experience. This is advertised as a full-time position; however, we are open to flexible arrangements. For example, the role could be structured as a secondment from industry or academia; or offered on a part-time basis for a set number of days per week.

Closing date: The deadline for applications is 3pm, Tuesday 6th January. Interviews are expected to take place w/c 19th January 2026 with some flexibility for interview times outside of core working hours.

Start Date: February 1st, 2026

Duration: 12 months, with the possibility of extension dependant on funding.

Location: This will be a remote working role, with opportunities to visit Society headquarters and attend relevant RMetS events. There may also be an occasional requirement for in person meetings with the Met Office and our funding partner.

Support: The role will be supervised by the RMetS Science Engagement Business Development Manager. Expenses will be reimbursed in line with the RMetS Expenses Policy.

The Royal Meteorological Society values diversity of background and perspective and is committed to treating all people equally and with respect irrespective of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We value diversity of background and perspective.

We are particularly committed to the employment and career development of disabled people. As part of this commitment, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role they have applied for and we will proactively consider all reasonable adjustments to facilitate employment with us. If you wish to apply under this scheme, please indicate this in your covering letter.

Senior Software Engineer

Remote (UK-based) | Full-time | Flexible working | Competitive salary + excellent benefits

Do your best work, for the right reasons.

We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help us build beautifully simple, high-impact digital products that support teachers and improve outcomes for pupils across the UK.

Oak is a fully remote, mission-driven organisation offering high levels of flexibility, autonomy, and purpose. We’re a national not-for-profit working in partnership with teachers to create high-quality, sequenced curriculum and lesson resources for pupils across all subjects and age groups.

Our culture has been independently recognised through:

• Flexa verified (93% overall score, including 95% for working hours and 97% for role modelling)

• Escape the City's Top 1% Employers – based on anonymous colleague reviews of culture, development, and impact

• Investors in People Gold - through external accreditation and colleague feedback

�� About the Role

You’ll join our AI-Enablement team to build and improve the digital platforms that teachers and pupils rely on every day. Working closely with product managers, designers, researchers, and curriculum specialists, you will develop user-facing applications with AI features utilising technologies such as TypeScript and Next.js. You’ll also interact with our backend systems using PostgreSQL databases and GraphQL APIs. You'll stay ahead of the curve in AI developments across the industry and gain hands-on experience building user-facing AI tools in production.

This is a hands-on role with plenty of scope for technical leadership and mentoring, alongside the opportunity to shape our engineering practices and culture. You'll be part of a supportive and collaborative team that cares deeply about accessibility, usability, and delivering tools that genuinely enhance learning.

�� What You’ll Be Doing

• Development of highly-responsive, accessible web-based AI features

• Designing and writing clean, well-tested code that’s easy to maintain and scale

• Be the expert authority within the engineering team on several important aspects of the code base and maintain a good working knowledge of large parts of the technology stack

• Championing new tools or practices that improve the developer experience

• Supporting and mentoring colleagues across the team

• Taking part in our on-call rota to help keep our products reliable and available

• Collaborating with others across the organisation in multi-disciplinary squads

• Contributing to planning, retros, and the wider culture of Oak

�� What We’re Looking For

• Proven professional experience building AI features with TypeScript and React frameworks (ideally Next.js)

• An understanding of how generative AI works and the ability to balance experimentation on new tools and techniques with building production-ready AI features

• Experience working on cross-functional product teams in agile environments

• Experience building automated test suites and understanding the value of different types of testing (e.g. unit vs integration)

• Desire to build beautiful, easy-to-use digital products with an understanding of the importance of accessibility in all its forms

• Strong collaboration and communication skills

• Comfortable working independently in a remote setup, managing your time and relationships effectively

• A proactive, growth-oriented mindset and a desire to help others thrive

�� Our Benefits

• 25 days annual leave, plus one extra day for each year of service (up to 28)

• Additional Oak closure days over Christmas/New Year

• 11% employer pension contribution (with no minimum employee contribution)

• A 36-hour working week, with half-days on Fridays or every other Friday off

• Fully remote working — we’ll support your home set-up and offer coworking options if preferred

• Twice-yearly in-person offsites to collaborate, connect, and have fun

• A culture that genuinely supports flexibility, autonomy, and trust

  The successful candidate will have a desire to contribute in all areas to ensure Oak's success. You will be comfortable working at pace, with a range of digital systems (including proprietary ones as required), and you will continuously look at ways that the team can keep getting better. You will excel at working as part of a remote team, building relationships and managing your time effectively.

�� Inclusion and Belonging

We believe diverse teams build better products. We warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those who are underrepresented in the tech and education sectors.

We use the Applied recruitment platform to help reduce bias in our hiring process. 

�� Key Info

• Location: Remote, but you must be based in the UK with the legal right to work here

• Sponsorship: Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time

• Closing date: We’ll be reviewing applications as they come in and may close the role early

If this sounds like the kind of role and team where you could do your life’s best work, we’d love to hear from you.

Next steps

You’ll answer some questions related to your day-to-day job. After the advert closes, your answers will go through our sift process: all answers will be anonymised, randomised, and then reviewed by a panel of reviewers (real humans).

If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you to the next stage, which will consist of a remote technical interview and a technical pairing session conducted over Zoom. This will last approximately two hours.

We love giving feedback, so at the end of the application process, we'll share our assessment of your performance.

We are aiming to start interviews in January 2026.

We are receiving excellent responses to our job advertisements. This may lead us to close the role early, so if you are considering applying, then please get your application in early to avoid missing out.

We are an equal opportunities employer.

We are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

Family Support Worker

£24,000 pa + Company Car and benefits (including 25 days annual leave, reward scheme and pension)

South West Team - Bristol and surrounding areas

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.

About the role:

This Best Companies Top 100 mid-sized organisation and Top 20 Charity is looking to appoint a Family Support Worker to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of our South West Care Team.

Reporting to the Family Support Manager of the South West Care Team and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness.

Having worked in a stressful and emotional environment you have a genuine interest in building supportive relationships and helping people; and having provided bereavement support to families, you understand processes of grief, loss and change - and how best to help others deal with its impact.

Location:

This post will cover the South West of England, with this position focusing on Bristol and the surrounding area.

What we’re looking for:

· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care.

· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly.

· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines.

· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)

· A persuasive and open communicator, you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates

· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people, and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.

What we offer:

We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, including:

• Flexible working hours to balance home and working life
• Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand
• Company car for front line care posts
• 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)
• Time off in Lieu
• Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts
• Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes
• A recommend a friend recruitment bonus scheme
• Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year
• Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%
• The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping
• Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth

We also have a fantastic learning and development programme - the Anne Harris skills development programme - in which we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be the best they can be, and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.

Our Family Support Workers are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, counselling skills, and Introduction to Play.

The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs, with all family support workers having a foundation level of skills within their first year.

About us:

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of time together, providing expert, practical and emotional support, where they need it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.

How to apply:

To apply please visit our website via the link.Please disclose on your application form if you have used AI for any part of your job application.

Interview dates: Interview Dates to be confirmed.

Interviews will take place at our South West Care Team office with the dates to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful.

There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate the team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.

Rainbow Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.

Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and a Best Companies One-Star rated organisation. Registered Charity No: 1070532

Contract: 1.0 FTE (37.5 hours per week), permanent with 6-month probation period

Salary: £56,650-70,000 per annum, depending on experience

Location: Remote working, with option to use co-working space

Start Date: As soon as possible

Reports to: Executive Director

Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK.

How to Apply

Closing Date: 4th January 2026 (23:59 GMT)

To apply, please submit the following: 

• Cover letter (maximum 2 pages)

• CV

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, your application has not been successful on this occasion.

About BASIC

BASIC is an independent, non-profit think tank working to safeguard humanity and Earth's ecosystem from nuclear risks and interconnected security threats, for generations to come. Our vision is for a global security consensus founded on multilateralism, the recognition of the indivisibility of security, adherence to Earth's planetary boundaries, and consideration of future generations.

For nearly 40 years, we have built a global reputation for groundbreaking dialogue and incisive thought leadership to strengthen international peace and security. We are an intellectually and culturally diverse team of 20 expert-practitioners with deep institutional experience, headquartered in London with additional presences in Berlin and Rome. We are independent, receive no core funding from any state, and our project work is funded transparently.

BASIC's approach to resolving contemporary nuclear dynamics is centred on dialogue as both a practice and a philosophy. We interpret dialogue broadly, recognising that meaningful engagement takes many forms: from facilitating direct strategic conversations between adversaries grounded in conflict resolution principles, to developing networks and diplomatic initiatives that build consensus around shared objectives, to shaping the intellectual foundations of policy discourse through rigorous research and thought leadership.

BASIC is a fast-paced and rewarding environment with an exceptionally positive and inclusive team culture. We have experienced rapid growth over the past decade and are well-suited to people who are motivated by our mission, able to work at a sustained pace, keen to develop professionally, and enjoy being part of a collaborative team working on consequential issues.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary with room for growth

• 30 days annual leave (pro rata), plus bank holidays and closure days over the December festive period

• Employer pension contributions of 5% (above the national minimum)

• Flexible working arrangements, with set days (Wednesdays required) but flexibility on hours

• Remote working with option to use co-working space

• 1-2 all-staff in-person team away day per year, as well as other in-person working opportunities

• Opportunities for professional growth and development

• Excellent team culture built on respect, openness, and inclusion

The Role

BASIC is seeking a hands-on Financial Controller to lead our finance function during a period of sustained growth. The Financial Controller will work across Programme teams ensuring strong financial management and reporting to funding partners, maintain strong financial controls, ensure compliance with charity finance regulations, and provide accurate financial reporting to our Directors and Board of Trustees.

The Financial Controller will oversee the small finance team, including line management of a Finance Assistant and management of an external bookkeeper consultant. This team will be responsible for the majority of financial accounting, processing payroll, and accurate bookkeeping, for which the Financial Controller will be ultimately accountable.

The role includes managing restricted and unrestricted funds in accordance with funder requirements and programme needs, preparing statutory accounts for external audit, and overseeing payroll processing. This role reports directly to the Executive Director to prepare annual budgets and financial strategy, and works closely with the Board's Financial Development Committee to present its implementation.

The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with strong technical accounting skills, experience in charity finance, and a proven track record of effective financial management of a growing organisation. You should be comfortable both managing a small team and working hands-on when needed, building collaborative relationships across the organisation. You will need to be a multitasker with the ability to work at pace, and be willing to develop the finance function and best practices to enable the organisation to grow further.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting and Reporting

• Oversee the maintenance of accurate financial records and bookkeeping in accordance with charity accounting standards (SORP)

• Prepare monthly management accounts including variance reporting and rolling forecasts

• Prepare annual statutory accounts and manage the annual independent audit process in its entirety

• Manage restricted and unrestricted funds in accordance with funder requirements

• Provide accurate and timely financial reporting to the Board of Trustees, Executive Director, and funding partners

Financial Operations

• Oversee day-to-day finance operations including payment processing, staff expenses, and cost allocation (including staff costs)

• Oversee monthly payroll using QuickBooks (led by Finance Assistant)

• Manage treasury functions including bank and cash management

• Oversee procurement of key assets such as IT equipment

• Cashflow management

Grant and Budget Management

• Support budget development for funding bids and proposals

• Monitor spend against grants and projects, working towards full cost recovery

• Prepare financial reports for donors and funding partners

• Lead annual budget-setting and forecasting processes in collaboration with the Board and Executive Director

Financial Systems and Controls

• Develop and maintain robust financial systems, processes, and controls

• Continuously improve finance processes and identify efficiencies

• Advise on financial governance and best practice

• Manage financial risks and opportunities (e.g., insurance, foreign exchange)

Team Management and Stakeholder Relations

• Line manage the Finance Assistant and oversee external bookkeeper consultant

• Build collaborative relationships across the organisation

• Manage relationships with key external stakeholders including banks, international transfer services, and audit partners

• Work closely with the Board's Financial Development Committee and BASIC's Treasurer

Please note: This list is not exhaustive. Other tasks may be required as they arise.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• Qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) or part-qualified with significant relevant experience
• Proven experience in a mid-level to senior finance role, with responsibility for financial accounting and reporting
• Experience managing restricted and unrestricted funds
• Experience preparing statutory accounts and managing audit processes
• Experience in a growing organisation, implementing and improving financial systems and controls
• Strong technical accounting skills and understanding of financial controls
• Excellent numeracy and attention to detail
• Proficiency with accounting software (experience with QuickBooks highly desirable)
• Strong Excel/spreadsheet skills
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain financial information to non-finance colleagues
• Highly organised with ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines
• Proactive and solutions-oriented, with ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Comfortable working hands-on when needed while also providing strategic oversight
• Ability to work at pace in a fast-growing organisation
• Commitment to BASIC's mission and values

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in charity finance and understanding of charity accounting standards (SORP)
• Experience line managing finance staff
• Experience in an international organisation or with international funding
• Understanding of charity governance and regulatory requirements