Policy lead jobs in woodberry down, greater london

Executive and Finance Officer

We’re looking for a proactive and highly organised Executive and Finance Officer to play a vital role in the operations of Centre for Mental Health.

This varied and interesting role supports our CEO and Board, managing day-to-day operations and taking on key finance and HR responsibilities. This will include financial support: reconciling accounts, processing invoices, supporting our Board by organising meetings and helping with many aspects of recruitment, onboarding and assisting our staff team. In this role, you will be at the heart of our team’s success.

You will need to bring outstanding organisational skills, strong IT ability, and experience in financial processes (with knowledge of Sage 50). Experience of working in a charity is desirable.

About us
We’re Centre for Mental Health. We take the lead in challenging policies, systems and society, so that everyone can have better mental health. We do this by building research evidence to create fairer mental health policy.

By joining our small, friendly and dedicated team, you’ll help us create a fairer society and drive forward sustainable policy change, pursue equality, social justice and good mental health for all. 

The closing date for applications is 7th October 23:59.

Interviews will be held in person at our office in Elephant and Castle, on Tuesday 21 October between 10am and 5pm.

The FEA are recruiting a fixed term Director of Operations and Impact (maternity cover), who will have responsibility for FEA’s operations, culture, governance and impact and evaluation over the coming year.

Working closely with the co-CEOs and Senior Leadership Team, you will oversee the FEA's core operational functions while ensuring seamless continuity and momentum in this strategic direction. You will line manage key staff, steward relationships with external partners, and ensure that the FEA's culture and systems enable the whole organisation to thrive during this important transition.

This is a strategic leadership role that combines operational expertise with a strong focus on learning and impact, perfect for a leader who values the unique contribution that skilled interim leadership can make at key organisational moments.

Key dates

• Applications close: Monday 13 October (9am)

• First round interviews: Wednesday 29 October (online)

• Final interviews: Wednesday 5 November (in person at the Fair Education Alliance office in London)

• Start date: early January 2026

ImpactEd Consulting is acting as recruitment advisor to FEA on this appointment. 

About the role:

Are you ready to take the reins of a service that is already making a difference and help shape its next chapter? The Gray’s Inn Road supported accommodation project in Camden offers 16 short-stay places for people moving away from the streets and has quickly become a vital part of our mission to make rough sleeping in London rare, brief and not repeated. Funded by the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities and the Greater London Authority, and delivered in partnership with One Housing Group and Camden Council, this service is still in its early years, giving the next Service Manager the chance to build on strong foundations and lead it into the future.

As Service Manager you will ensure the project continues to meet specification while remaining agile to local authority and organisational priorities. You will oversee referrals, move-on pathways and personalised support planning, making sure each resident receives tailored guidance that promotes independence. By leading and inspiring your team you will embed consistency, quality and responsiveness in everything from day-to-day keywork and coaching to group sessions and links with external agencies, while also managing outcomes, commissioning requirements and policy adherence to maintain the highest standards.

This is more than just a management role – it is a chance to shape the development of a young and ambitious service while growing your own career within SHP. The leadership you bring will strengthen our impact on the lives of Londoners experiencing homelessness and influence the way we respond to this challenge as an organisation.

About you:

• You will have proven experience in leading and directing teams effectively, ensuring a consistent, high-quality, and responsive service.
• Demonstrated capability in building and maintaining strong partnerships with key organisations and stakeholders in the sector.
• Experience of leading teams to deliver client focused support, including detailed assessments, onward referrals, and tailored interventions for individuals facing multiple disadvantages.
• Dedication to safeguarding vulnerable adults, ensuring the quality of risk management plans to reduce and manage risk, whilst creating opportunities to promote independence.
• Experience of embedding and managing continuous improvement in Health & Safety and Housing Management processes to maintain a safe and compliant environment for residents and staff.

About us:

Single Homeless Project is a London-wide charity. Our vision is of a society where everyone has a place to call home and the chance to live a fulfilling life.

We help single Londoners by preventing homelessness, providing support and accommodation, promoting wellbeing, enhancing opportunity, and being a voice for change. From supporting people in crisis to helping people take the final steps towards independence and employment, we make a difference to 12,000 lives every year across all 32 boroughs.

We offer you more than a job; we offer you a chance to be part of a compassionate, driven team that's committed to making a real difference in people's lives. You'll have the opportunity to lead, co-create, and inspire change while enjoying a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.

Join us in creating a brighter, more hopeful future for individuals in need. 

Important info:

Closing Date: Sunday 5th October at midnight

Interview Date: Wednesday 15th October at SHP Head Office in Kings Cross

This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed for the successful applicant. 

Please note applications are reviewed for AI use in application questions. Applications requiring sponsorship will not be accepted for this role. 

Salary Scale: Grade PO5/6/7 £50,568 - £58,692

Location: Copthall House 9, The Pavement, Grove Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1DA (Hybrid - office/home working)

Hours: Full-time 36 hrs per week all year round

Department: Development Team

Reports to: Executive Director of Development

Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust (OHC&AT) is a family of specialist education providers for over 2000 pupils and students from nursery to further education across 13 academies and 9 college centres in London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire.

Pupils and students within the OHC&AT family have a wide range of learning abilities and additional needs including autistic spectrum disorder; speech, language and communication difficulties; social, emotional and mental health; profound and multiple disabilities; and physical disabilities including multi-sensory impairment and complex health needs.

Supporting our academies and college, OHC&AT also operates learning support, such as nursing and therapy, and a central business team which includes HR, finance and IT.

We are seeking a strategic and forward-thinking Head of Development to join our senior leadership team. This pivotal role will drive our growth agenda, ensuring new opportunities are identified, developed and delivered to support the continued success and impact of OHC&AT.

Key Responsibilities:

• Research and identify opportunities for growth, including expansion of existing provisions, acquiring schools/college centres and developing new service models

• Lead on feasibility assessments and the development of strategic business cases for agreed projects.

• Lead on statutory consultations and Equality Impact Assessments as required

• Lead on the submission of bids and proposals to external partners and agencies as required.

• Undertake due diligence for new schools and college centres joining OHC&AT.

• Manage the integration process for new schools and college centres joining OHC&AT.

• Oversee all aspects of development projects, including planning, budgets, timelines, risk management, and reporting.

• Monitor progress of development projects, manage risks, and resolve issues as they arise to ensure successful completion at development stage.

Key Requirements:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent

• Significant experience in a strategic development, or a programme leadership role within education or a related public sector environment

• Demonstrable experience of managing successful expansions, acquisitions, or capital projects

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to write clear and persuasive business cases and proposals.

• Proven project and programme management expertise, with a track record of delivering complex initiatives on time and to budget

• A strong personal commitment to inclusive education and improving outcomes for children and young people with special needs

Rewards & Benefits:

• Comprehensive training and development

• Opportunities to engage with internal professional networks

• Access to counselling advice and support via Health Assured (our employee assistance programme)

• Commitment to wellbeing supported by our occupational health service and mental-health first aiders

• Scope for career progression across nine college centres, 13 academy schools and Central Teams

• Generous annual leave and flexible working schemes in addition to bank and public holidays and a Christmas closure period

• As part of your contract of employment you will enrolled into the Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS) which has life cover and financial protection for your family

• Enhanced parental leave schemes

• Cycle to work scheme

• Season ticket loans

• Employee referral scheme

• Discounted gym membership subscription including digital fitness

• Home electronics scheme

Working together to transform lives is what we do and across the whole organisation we have a range of experts and practitioners who advocate for children and young people with SEND to ensure they receive the best possible opportunities to achieve their full potential.

OHC&AT is a rewarding and inspirational place to work, where everyone works together to create the best possible outcomes for pupils and students.

To apply for this role, please click ‘Fast Apply’, you will then be directed to a ‘Login’ page, once signed in please complete and submit the Application Form - via the blue button above.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details on the role and the skills, experience and knowledge we are looking for.

Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.

Please note that CV applications cannot be considered.

Closing Date: 12th October 2025

Interview Dates: 22nd and 23rd October 2025

Safeguarding Statement

Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Appointments made will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace for all.

We believe in the importance and value of our colleagues. Our Colleague Experience Manager is a vital role at Starlight, prioritising our colleagues, their experience at work, their wellbeing, health & safety, and aspirations. We listen carefully to our colleagues to understand what matters to them at work and are committed to developing and growing the environment that will enable our colleagues to be their best. You will thrive on responsibilities from policy, process and administration to supporting Learning & Development and our Moments That Matter people strategy.

Are you a talented HR professional with an interest in international development and global affairs?

Do you want to work with one of the largest and most innovative NGOs in the world, one which is was born in, and is led from, the Global South?

Part of the global BRAC family, BRAC Europe is looking for an experienced HR business partner to join our team of approx. 20 staff as we embark on a new growth strategy in Europe.

This newly created role will be responsible for all aspects of HR, reporting to the Director of Finance and Operations.

The role will suit a self-starter who is as equally at home handling strategic issues such as compensation and benefits or organisational culture, for example, as they are managing the details of, say, a recruitment process or ensuring our HR policies remain legally compliant.

Please note this role is being offered on a part-time (0.6 FTE) basis.

JUSTICE is looking to recruit an interim Trust and Foundation Fundraiser to join our friendly, values-led team. This is a fixed term post for 15 months (maternity cover) and provides an exciting opportunity for someone who has experience of raising income from trusts and foundations. 

We are looking for an individual who has an interest in the purpose of the charity (to improve the UK justice system so that it is fair and within everyone’s reach), as well as a keen interest in taking responsibility for raising income from new and existing trusts and foundations and stewarding grants. This is an exciting time to join JUSTICE as we focus on a period of growth, looking to expand our reach out of London and internationally.  This role will really suit someone who enjoys identifying and then building relationships with funders, has great writing skills, has experience of securing five to six figure grants, is comfortable with a degree of autonomy and who thrives in this competitive fundraising environment. 

Around one-third of JUSTICE’s £1.5 million income currently comes from grants, with active partnerships including major funders. Sustaining and growing this income will require proactive research, strategic outreach, and a highly organised, detail-focused approach to both applications and stewardship. 

This role sits within an enthusiastic and supportive Development Team. The role works closely with the Director of Development and Policy Team, who are committed to leveraging their time and networks to support fundraising success, to put together engaging applications and grant reports. The post-holder will also collaborate with other fundraising colleagues, while enjoying a high level of autonomy in contributing to the long-term direction of JUSTICE’s Strategy.

JUSTICE is a law reform and human rights organisation, working to improve processes and policies to support everyone, particularly marginalised groups, be able to seek justice or a remedy when their rights have been breached or the law has been broken. We also seek to improve the justice system as a whole, ensuring that laws are clear and consistent and that the government and other key decisionmakers are held to account.

We are a founding member of The Justice Hub, which is situated next to St Paul’s Cathedral. in London. We also have staff based in other locations including in Manchester, Sheffield and Edinburgh. As a UK wide organisation, we are keen to support team members from all over the UK and this is a role that can be fulfilled in a hybrid way. Our London base has a number of hot desks dedicated to JUSTICE and access to meeting rooms and other spaces and we work alongside other like-minded charities in the justice sector as part of the Hub. 

All team members are expected to join the ‘in-person’ days in the office (roughly 5 days a year) but otherwise we encourage and support flexible working. Alongside flexible working conditions, every member of staff is entitled to 27 days annual leave plus an additional two days of leave to look after your wellbeing and to celebrate your birthday. We also close the office between 25 December and 1 January (inclusive), which is addition to the annual leave mentioned above. We review salaries according to inflationary changes on an annual basis, contribute 8% to your pension for the first 2yrs, rising to a 10.5% contribution thereafter and offer generous parental and dependency-related leave. As part of looking after your wellbeing, we also provide access to an Employee Assistance Programme. 

The candidate pack including the Job Description for the role and details of how to apply can be found on our website.  

The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 22 September 

Sifting will be completed by Friday 26 September. 

Interviews will be held on the week commencing 6 October. Candidates may be required to complete a test as part of the interview process.

JUSTICE is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and welcome everyone who shares our values and purpose regardless of age, gender, race, region, socio-economic background, education, sexuality, identity, disability and neurodiversity.

Due to the high number of applications we receive we are unable to provide individual feedback to applicants who are not interviewed.

Please note that we will not respond to any enquiries from recruitment agencies. 

The Centre for Progressive Change is looking for a Safe Sick Pay Campaign Director that will be part of the newly formed Executive Team. This is an exciting time to be joining the campaign, as we capitalise on our successes so far and plan for our next big policy gain - increasing the rate of Statutory Sick Pay.

The Centre for Progressive Change (CPC) is an organisation that builds campaigns for national policy change in the UK. Our focus is on making progressive gains that improve the lives of low- and middle-income communities. We want the UK to be a place where everyone has the financial resources they need, where people are treated as equals and are free to be who they are without persecution, and where we look after our environment.

To achieve this vision, our mission is to build proactive campaigns for progressive legislative change, do research on what works when campaigning for national policy change and offer training and consultancy to support other organisations to build effective campaigns. Our campaigns use an inter-disciplinary approach including community organising, mobilising, advocacy, business engagement, campaign research and press work.

The Campaign Director will be in charge of our campaign for Safe Sick Pay, so that everyone has the Statutory Sick Pay they need. The Campaign Director will form the campaign strategy to see an increase in the rate of Statutory Sick Pay, fundraise to implement the strategy, hire campaign team members, support the team to implement the strategy, hold the key stakeholder relationships, drive the campaign, and deliver parts of the campaign where needed.

As a member of the Executive Team, the Campaign Director will be part of the team responsible for the strategy, structure, team, culture and finances of the organisation.

Why work for us?

This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in helping transform digital fundraising and engagement at CARE International UK as we begin implementing our five-year fundraising strategy. CIUK has significantly scaled and improved our digital programme in recent years. However, the way we are setup means the individuals and teams leading digital activity face challenges due to processes, capacity and silos that make transformative growth difficult. Taking a holistic view of our digital programme and with your expertise and experience, you’ll help us build on the activity that’s working well, while identifying areas of lower potential to scale back. At its core, the role is about using digital to deliver greater income, influence, and impact for the women and communities we work alongside around the world.

At CARE International UK we affirm the dignity, potential and contribution of participants, donors, partners and staff. Our actions are consistent with our mission. We are honest and transparent in what we do and say and accept responsibility for our collective and individual actions. We work together effectively to serve the larger community. We constantly challenge ourselves to the highest levels of learning and performance to achieve greater impact. We understand that everyone has commitments and welcome flexible working arrangements.

About you

You’ll be a strategic, collaborative, creative facilitator who can spark innovative thinking across teams. You can convene the right people and support CIUK to develop bold, audience-focused digital ideas. You’ll be motivated by the opportunity to help us rapidly scale up our digital programme and a keen self-starter with lots of enthusiasm.

About the role

You will work cross-functionally to break down silos, develop an integrated digital strategy, and rapidly scale up our digital activity to meet our fundraising growth ambitions. You’ll set the bar for digital best practice and champion this across the organisation; sharing learning, helping outline a roadmap to becoming a digital-first organisation. You’ll support across teams with testing and innovating new products and propositions.

This role will require a digital strategist with experience across the mix – from mobilisation and campaigning to fundraising and supporter experience. A keen eye for analysis and an audience-led approach, enables you to look beyond any one function or objective to drive growth; be that income, impact or engagement. You’ll have ample experience and/or knowledge of a wide variety of digital platforms and tools including CMS systems, Google Analytics, PowerBi, Impact Stack/Engaging Networks, MailChimp, social media and Adwords.

This is a part-time role but we are open to flexible working arrangements and a discussion around hours.

About CARE

CARE International is one of the world’s leading humanitarian and development charities. We fight poverty and injustice in the world’s most vulnerable places.  We save lives in disasters and conflicts. We stand with women, girls and their communities to achieve lasting change for a better future.

Safeguarding

CARE International UK has a zero-tolerance approach to any abuse to, sexual harassment of or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives or partners. CARE International UK expects all staff to share this commitment through our Safeguarding Policy and our Code of Conduct. They are responsible for ensuring they understand and work within the remit of these policies throughout their time at CARE International UK.

Safeguarding our beneficiaries is our top priority in everything we do, including recruitment. All offers of employment at CARE International UK are subject to:

- satisfactory references. CARE International UK participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. 

- appropriate criminal record checks (including a Bridger check).

By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Equality and Diversity

We are committed to Equality and value Diversity.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and particularly welcome applications from disabled people. We guarantee interviews to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role (see person specification). If you require the candidate brief or need to submit your application in an alternative format, because of a disability, please do get in touch by sending an email to the HR Team.

We also encourage people from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds or LGBT+ to apply for roles at CARE International UK.

Please note that in compliance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, all job offers at Care International UK are conditional on eligibility to work in the UK.

Closing date: 1 October 2025 at 11pm

Interview date: 9/10 October 2025

Venn Group is delighted to be supporting a leading international cultural and educational charity in their search for an experienced Group Financial Controller. In this pivotal role, the successful candidate will take responsibility for all aspects of financial accounting, statutory reporting, and finance policy, ensuring robust financial management across the organisation’s global operations.

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Lead statutory accounting, group consolidations, and UK Group financial reporting
• Manage month-end close processes and ensure accuracy in management information
• Oversee financial reporting and compliance for subsidiaries, branches, and other legal entities worldwide
• Develop and maintain robust financial policies, internal controls, and compliance frameworks
• Lead cash flow forecasting, working capital management, and intercompany arrangements
• Partner with the Director of Finance Transformation to manage ERP-based processes and the Managed Service Provider
• Drive continuous improvement in financial processes, reporting, and compliance metrics
• Support talent development and high-performance culture within the global finance community
• Act as a key change agent for finance transformation initiatives
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, including auditors and company secretariat

Ideal candidate profile:

• CCAB-qualified accountant with extensive post-qualification experience in senior finance roles
• Proven experience leading multi-location finance teams in international, multicultural organisations
• Expertise in statutory reporting (UK GAAP, Charities SORP), financial control, and compliance
• Strong analytical, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
• Experience with ERP systems, particularly SAP, and shared service operations
• Strategic thinker with the ability to deliver large-scale change and improvements
• Flexible, proactive, and able to perform effectively in a rapidly changing environment

Agency reference number: J90912
Location: London
Duration: Permanent
Salary: £97,000 - £109,000 per annum
Working hours: Full time
Working pattern: Hybrid (3 days per week on-site)

This vacancy will be actively shortlisted so early applications are encouraged to avoid missing out.

Venn Group is an equal opportunities employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates.

About us

The launched in May 2022. The Lab is now a well-recognised university-based think tank, running major projects including the Ecosystem Project, supporting leaders from across civil society to build their capacity and connect to government; This Place Matters, a major investigation into policies that might promote social cohesion; and Ordinary Hope, a project building new narratives and ideas around how Britain can be renewed from the ground-up.

About the role

The Lab is now working with Demos, a leading cross-party think tank and the Lloyds Bank Foundation on a collaborative project to celebrate community-led change across the country. The project will seek: (1) to connect an array of brilliant organisations creating new forms of public services and (2) write a narrative that puts this community-led innovation at the centre of broader efforts at rethinking how the state delivers for its citizens. The project will work with leaders across civil society, academia and the highest levels of politics to demonstrate the potential for community-led change to generate national renewal.

We are seeking a motivated individual to take on the role of Project Network Coordinator. They will report to the Director of the UCL Policy Lab and work closely with the team. The post is fixed term for the duration of nine months either full or part time with the possibility to be extended.

The post holder will be expected to work both at UCL but also on ad hoc occasions from the offices of our partner organisation, Demos.

The salary for this role is between £36,433 and £39,807 per anum dependent on experience and includes the London Allowance.

We encourage applications from those who are underrepresented in the sector and at UCL including but, not exclusive, to non-graduates, disabled, D/deaf and neurodiverse people, LGBTQ+ people, people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, especially women.

About you

The UCL Policy Lab wishes to appoint a Project Network Coordinator to help draw together representatives of a vast array of community-based organisations currently innovating in public service reform. The Coordinator will support the project team to develop a core coalition to drive forward the work. The individual will work closely with both the UCL Policy Lab team, Demos and other project partners in the oversight and delivery of events that bring these organisations together so that they can share their experiences and expertise. The individual will also help oversee and coordinate the programme of high-level private workshops exploring the policy implications of these organisations' activities, providing extensive service support to attendees as well as supporting the project to build up a wide network of key stakeholders.

The individual will be crucial to designing and delivering a high-quality experience for the participants as well as ensuring that the dialogue builds overtime and its richness is fully captured and shared with senior stakeholders. The individual will also run the sessions and assist the Lab with both research and administrative support in the run up to the events.

The post holder will report directly to the Lab's Director but also work closely with the Policy Lab team.

The post holder must be able to work flexibly, independently and proactively.

Duties and responsibilities

• Work with Lab leadership to recruit members for a new network of community-led public service innovators from across the UK
• Support Lab and Demos leaders engagement with senior stakeholders in the national government and the opposition, as well as the local movement, to help share findings and drive political impact.
• Build relationships with the key individuals in this sector to understand their contributions and concerns and be able to share them with others
• Assist with the delivery of engaging collaborative workshops for members of this network and the project team.
• Conduct interviews with network members and draft policy briefs and memos for circulation to the broader network and the policy team.
• Track and report impact from the network for internal purposes, marketing and various evaluation processes (e.g., writing website content, newsletters and contributing to final reports)
• Work with the UCL Policy Lab team to help deliver operational support for the activities of the project, including: contributing to shared infrastructure and tools; working with the Communications and Engagement manager to deliver wider impact; working with the Team to co-ordinate delivering of world class policy events, including our party conference programme.
• Manage a front of house team at events including PhD students or equivalent on short term placements.
• Follow and promote UCL policies, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and maintain an awareness and observation of fire and health and safety regulations.

The above reflects the initial and longer-term requirements of the post, but are not exclusive and are subject to change following consultation.

What we offer

We also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

See UCL job advert for full details.

At Ambitious about Autism we're currently looking for a Senior Prospect Researcher to join our team.

You will be critical in strategically driving our growth, improving practices and increasing efficiency, through guiding and supporting colleagues across the fundraising department. You will work particularly closely with the Major Donor, Trusts and Foundations and Corporate Teams to help grow pipelines and bring to the forefront the most exciting opportunities.

You'll develop processes and tools relating to prospect research, such as pipeline management and prospect propensity evaluations. You'll also lead regular pipeline review meetings to support, guide and motivate fundraisers to drive movement through pipelines.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Proven experience of identifying and qualifying potential new major donors, trusts, senior volunteers and corporates, resulting in further income for the organisation
• Proven experience in communicating effectively and presenting data, information, trends and recommendations effectively with a wide range of audiences
• Experience of forming, maintaining and growing working relationships and ability to influence and persuade
• An understanding of trends and developments across the high value fundraising sector, as well as prospect research

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

Job Title: Senior Programme Officer, Active Fellows

Line Manager: Team Leader, Active Fellows (Deputy Fellowship Programme Manager in Team Leader’s absence)

Salary: £36,062

Start date: 1 November 2025

Contract type: Permanent

Application deadline: 16 October 2025. Please note we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis

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 Senior Officer, Active Fellows plays a key role in delivering high-quality support to Cara Fellows. This includes leading casework, coordinating Cara’s mentoring scheme to support Fellows’ placements, and contributing to strategic improvements across the Fellowship Programme. The role combines direct support to Fellows, operational oversight and delivery of casework, and collaborative leadership to support Cara to uphold its mission.

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 and Russia and many other countries.

Key Responsibilities

Fellowships

Casework

· Manage a caseload of up to 50 Cara Fellows, providing tailored support.

· Maintain accurate and GDPR-compliant records of casework activity.

· Liaise with Fellows to coordinate support and escalate complex cases to the Team Leader as required.

· Monitor, research and update visa guidance to reflect changes in complex immigration regulation.

· Keep up to date with relevant information regarding immigration laws, e.g. visas, legal procedures, etc.

· Liaise with independent legal advisors where necessary.

Finance

· Work with colleagues in finance to ensure accurate and timely payments to Cara Fellows and non-Fellowship related payments.

· Promptly issue relevant invoices.

· Understand financial processes – on Salesforce and Pleo – and update systems appropriately.

· Contribute to robust financial processes.

Support Mechanisms

Mentoring Scheme

· Project Lead for the Cara Mentoring Scheme.

· Coordinate rounds, delegate tasks to the team as required, and oversee delivery.

· Recruit mentors and mentees, and decide on a cap on number of participants if required.

· Lead on partnerships with organisations working in the mentoring world.

· Monitor the relevant budget and flag issues to the Team Leader.

· Lead on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for the Scheme, suggesting improvements to this, and ensuring accurate data collection and reporting.

Webinars and Workshops

· Lead on developing ideas for webinar topics relevant to the needs of Cara Fellows.

· Organise these webinars, contacting speakers and attendees, all with the close support of the Programme Assistant.

· Monitor and evaluate the success of these events, through clear feedback mechanisms.

· Aim to deliver approximately three webinars per year, subject to team capacity.

· Lead on the delivery of workshops for Cara Fellows with external partners, managing Fellow participation.

· Contribute to the development of accessible resources to share openly within the Cara network.

Strategic Development

Alumni Engagement and Impact Reporting

· Play a key supporting role to the Team Leader in improving Cara’s alumni engagement.

· Contribute to developing Cara’s alumni network, with involvement in strategic discussions on interacting with alumni.

· Keep track of Cara Fellows’ media preferences and support the Team Leader in inviting relevant Fellows to participate in public events and media engagements.

Monitoring and Evaluation

· Support M&E activities across the Fellowship Programme, suggesting improvements to data quality and reporting.

· Ensure accurate data entry on Salesforce and flag inconsistencies to relevant team members.

· Assist with compilation of required information, statistics and reporting to Cara’s Council & F&GPC meetings.

Management Responsibilities

Deputise for Team Leader

· Cover for the Team Leader when required – lead team meetings, make decisions on cases for the team, provide general guidance and leadership.

· Assist the Team Leader with line management within the team, mentoring junior staff and contributing to continued team development.

· Approve the Active Fellows team’s working hours.

· Provide input on policy and process improvements.

· Show adaptability and willingness to take on additional work when needed.

Training/Inductions

· Play a leading role on inducting new staff to the Active Fellows and wider Cara team.

· Train new staff on key processes and offer continued guidance on difficult/complex cases and tasks.

Partnerships

· Support key strategic partnerships in Cara’s Universities and Research Network.

· Support the Team Leader in organising webinars and events for Cara’s network representatives at host institutions across the UK.

Ad Hoc Responsibilities

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

· Support Fellowship Programme 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, Deputy Fellowship Programme Manager, or Team Leader, Active Fellows.

Person Specification – Senior Programme Officer, Active Fellows:

Qualifications

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Strong analytical and numeracy skills

Desirable:

• Master’s degree or equivalent

Knowledge & Experience

Essential:

• Understanding of UK immigration options for displaced academics
• Experience managing sensitive casework and maintaining accurate records
• Experience coordinating projects, events, or support schemes
• Familiarity with basic financial processes (e.g. payments, budget tracking)
• Confident use of Microsoft Office and Salesforce or other CRM systems

Desirable:

• Awareness of global issues affecting at-risk academics
• Experience coordinating mentoring programmes or similar initiatives

Skills & Attributes

Essential:

• Cultural sensitivity and commitment to Cara’s mission
• Ability to supervise and mentor junior staff
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong attention to detail and time management
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Adaptability, integrity, and problem-solving ability

Desirable:

• Foreign language skills (e.g. Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Ukrainian, Russian)

You’ll be at the heart of ensuring families caring for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions receive the best possible support.

About the Role

As Lead Kentown Family Service Co-ordinator, you will:

• Oversee and support Family Service Co-ordinators across Lancashire, Cumbria, and Greater Manchester.
• Ensure families receive consistent, high-quality support through home visits, events, and online services.
• Co-ordinate complex referrals and help families access financial and practical assistance.
• Build partnerships with health, education, and voluntary sector organisations to widen support for families.
• Support data collection, reporting, and service improvement to strengthen our work and measure impact.

About You

You will bring:

• Experience working with children, young people, or families with complex needs in health, social care or voluntary settings.
• Strong organisational skills to co-ordinate services across multiple regions.
• Experience supporting or supervising staff or volunteers.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships with families and professionals.
• A commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and delivering family-centred support.