Policy research officer jobs in london, greater london

Philanthropy Officer
Permanent 
Full time (34.5 hours)
Split between home and our London Office (a split of 2 days in our office and 3 working from home)
Salary Range -£33,000 - £36,000

About the Role

At Macmillan, we do whatever it takes to ensure everyone affected by cancer gets the best possible support today—and we’re committed to driving a revolution in cancer care for the future.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our ambitious Philanthropy team, a major growth area within the charity. In this role, you’ll play a pivotal role in bringing philanthropists into the heart of Macmillan, unlocking significant support to drive our ambitions for growth and impact - enabling us to tackle some of the most complex challenges facing people living with cancer, and reshaping the wider cancer care system for generations to come.

The role sits within our newly formed Partnerships Directorate, created to build impactful, long-term relationships with philanthropists, corporate partners and healthcare leaders.

Join us at a pivotal moment – with a bold new strategy, exciting funding opportunities and a renewed sense of purpose, there’s never been a better time to make an impact.

As Philanthropy Officer, you’ll manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, cultivating long-term relationships and securing 5-figure donations to support Macmillan’s vital work. You’ll play a key role in engaging new donors through flagship initiatives like the Frontier Funders Club, which fuels innovation in cancer care.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Cultivating and stewarding relationships with high-net-worth individuals to secure and grow 5-figure gifts.
• Developing personalised engagement plans and delivering exceptional donor experiences.
• Identifying and researching new prospects, and collaborating across teams to diversify funding.
• Managing relationships with intermediaries such as CAF and NPT, ensuring smooth gift processing.
• Supporting senior volunteers and colleagues to uncover new donor opportunities.
• Contributing ideas and best practices to strengthen our philanthropy programme.
• Using insights and data to shape cultivation strategies and track progress via Raiser’s Edge CRM.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation including GDPR and tax-efficient giving.

What We’re Looking For

• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders.
• Strong written skills and the ability to craft compelling donor narratives.
• A results-driven mindset with a track record of meeting income targets.
• Creative, flexible, and entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving.
• Team player with a desire to grow and contribute to Macmillan’s success.
• Experience with CRM systems (ideally Raiser’s Edge) and strong IT skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Understanding of the philanthropic landscape or a curiosity to learn.

Who You’ll Work With

You’ll collaborate with:

• Major gift supporters and prospects
• Philanthropy and High Value Events team
• Prospect Development and Insight Lead
• Corporate Partnerships and Relationship Fundraising teams
• Senior Leadership and Macmillan Board members
• Service Delivery Teams

What You’ll Achieve

• Build trusted relationships with donors aligned to Macmillan’s mission and needs.
• Deliver personal KPIs and income targets.
• Contribute to a thriving philanthropy programme that drives innovation in cancer care.

In return, we offer a range of benefits including:

• 25 days holiday plus flexible bank holiday options, increasing by 1 day every year of service up to 30 days 
• Pension matched up to 7.5%
• 120+ learning and development offers, with access to external professional qualifications
• Flexible working patterns, such as compressed hours, flexibility to work earlier or later around our core working hours of 10am-4pm
• Holiday buying and selling scheme, life insurance, free wills, retail discounts and much more

Recruitment Process
Application deadline: 24th Sept 2025
First interview dates: Early Oct (TBC)

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed.

As a lawyer at The Animal Law Foundation, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to protect animals through legal interventions. You will work closely with the Executive Director and supervise members of the legal team to identify and develop legal opportunities, you will also work closely with the Advocacy and Communications Officer to raise awareness of the legal interventions.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of a ground-breaking new charity and create meaningful change in the animal protection landscape in the UK.

Position: Lawyer

Contract Term: 1-year fixed term with a view of renewing

Organisation: The Animal Law Foundation

Location: London (On-site) 

Salary: £32,000 to £45,000

mary Duties and Responsibilities

• Legal Strategy: Collaborate with our Executive Director to develop and implement effective legal strategies to advance our objectives. Conduct research and analysis to identify key issues and tactics to drive impactful change.

• Supervise: Supervise the legal caseworkers in their legal strategy and research. 

• Advocacy opportunities: Communicate legal strategy with the Advocacy and Communications Officer to ensure opportunities to advocate and communicate are not missed. 

• Public Relations: Represent The Animal Law Foundation at events, conferences, and public forums to raise awareness of animal law and policy issues. Collaborate with partner organisations and stakeholders to amplify our legal strategy and build strategic alliances.

• Project Evaluation: Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of legal initiatives. Analyse data and feedback to inform future strategies and improve outcomes.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with key stakeholders, including lawmakers, government agencies, NGOs, and the public, to build support for our objectives. Coordinate advocacy efforts, coalition-building, and public consultations.

More information can be found in the job pack. 

What does The Animal Law Foundation do? 

The Animal Law Foundation was registered with the Charity Commission in August 2022. It is primarily a legal research charity that looks into neglected areas of animal law and where appropriate will instruct lawyers to bring legal challenges to secure any systems in place to protect animals function as they should.

Groups like this exist in the environmental and the human rights space in the UK and in the animal protection space in other countries. There is a desperate need for such work to exist for animals in the UK. 

The UK still has some of the best animal welfare laws in the world, yet the opportunity for vast change contained within these laws is rarely explored. Through exploring these opportunities the whole system for animals can be improved and set global examples. 

It is of vital importance that laws that exist to protect animals are understood and applied. The Animal Law Foundation will work alongside stakeholders to ensure that this happens. 

Main responsibilities:

• Managing & taking ownership of safeguarding incident cases categorised as 1 or 2 (lower severity) supporting teams, those raising issues, liaison with the appropriate statutory authorities as necessary. 

• Managing safeguarding incidents classified at a higher severity under the supervision and guidance of the Global Safeguarding Lead. 

• Maintaining accurate and confidential records pertaining to safeguarding case management.

• Weekly proactive and reactive reporting and chasing, to ensure that safeguarding requirements are all fulfilled.

• Reporting disclosures or suspicions of harm to children to the authorities and providing information to assist the investigation as necessary.

• Responding to general safeguarding questions as received via the support desk.

• Responding to complex safeguarding questions as received via the support desk under the supervision and guidance of the Global Safeguarding Lead

• Have awareness of new or emerging policies, studies, legislation that impact SG for the UK.

• Developing, managing and delivering safeguarding training.

• Update safeguarding policies at the direction of the Global Safeguarding Lead.

• Developing communication materials to promote SG policies and procedures to all participants and event teams.

Essential experience requirements:

• Experience of successfully managing a busy safeguarding caseload.

• Experience working within both child protection and safeguarding environments (child and/or adult).

• Experience of developing and maintaining multiple and complex accurate, and confidential, records.

• Experience of assessing risk in a safeguarding context.

• Experience of working with statutory authorities. 

• Experience of researching, writing, and updating safeguarding policies and processes.

Desirable experience requirements:

• Delivering training

• Thorough understanding of parkrun and parkrun juniors operating model.

• Knowledge of, and empathy for, the nuances of event delivery across a broad range of communities, and how to apply safeguarding to it practically. 

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 role will lead training for Lifelites 25, our exciting expansion programme, which will take Lifelites’ services to the wider children’s palliative care sector.

You will also be the key point of contact for all Lifelites’ Service Partners, including Children’s Hospices, specialist education and other community services, helping to build strong relationships and maximise the use of assistive technology across children’s palliative care.

The role will design, develop and deliver the multi-channel Lifelites Learning programme by providing training for staff across children’s palliative care in person, online and through e-learning. 

In this role, you will:
✨ Design, develop and deliver engaging training in collaboration with our training team – in person, online and via e-learning – to children’s hospices, specialist schools, and other community partners.
✨ Act as the key point of engagement for our partners, supporting them to use Lifelites’ assistive technology to enrich the lives of children.
✨ Travel across the UK and Ireland, building strong relationships and ensuring partners have the skills and confidence to make the most of our services.

We’re looking for someone who is:
✔ Experienced in delivering training and engaging adult learners.
✔ Skilled at designing clear, accessible resources and training content.
✔ Passionate about children’s services, ideally with experience in disability or palliative care settings.
✔ Organised, self-motivated, personable, and a strong communicator.

Before applying, please sign into your CharityJob candidate account to access and review the Recruitment Pack for the full Job Description and Person Specification.

Are you passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives and delivering an outstanding service?  

We’re excited to recruit for a Supporter Care Officer, and you will join our collaborative and solutions focused Supporter Care team! 

You will play a vital role in ensuring every supporter feels valued and appreciated and have a key part in enhancing the supporter experience and ensuring donations and data are handled with care and precision, contributing directly to the success of our life-saving work. 

Some of the things you will be responsible for are: 

• Delivering an exceptional supporter care service and you'll be the first point of contact for our supporters, ensuring every interaction is professional and aligned with our values. 
• Supporting the Senior Supporter Care manager with fine-tuning processes, handle queries escalated to you, and drive onward improvement by meeting team performance goals and championing innovation. 
• You will process gifts to maintain accurate records and financial reconciliation. Your attention to detail will directly support our fundraising success. 

About You  

• Proven experience in Supporter Care and income processing, ideally within a charity environment, with confidence in handling sensitive or escalated supporter interactions. 
• Strong working knowledge of CRM systems (ideally Raiser’s Edge), with a solid understanding of data accuracy, Gift Aid, and Data Protection legislation. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a proactive, solutions-focused approach and the ability to manage multiple tasks while working collaboratively across teams. 
• Team-oriented and values-driven, with a passion for delivering great supporter experiences, a positive attitude, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

If this sounds like you – we’d love to hear from you! 

About working for us  

This is a fast-paced and growing organisation that is really committed to making a difference. Being a part of our team is being part of a thriving, positive, dynamic, successful, and welcoming community that is making an impact. We will support you and develop you should you wish this, and you get the opportunity to be involved in activities outside the scope of your immediate role. We care about your health and well-being and your work-life balance, and you will feel that your contribution is valued and matters. 

About us   

Pancreatic cancer is a tough one but we're taking it on. It is tough to diagnose, tough to treat, and tough to research. For too long this disease has been side-lined. We want to make sure that everyone affected by it gets all the help they need. Together we are taking on pancreatic cancer. Underpinning this vision are our three values:  

• Courageous 
• Collaborative  
• Compassion 

We cannot achieve our vision without employing people who are committed to our vision, strategy, and values.  

At Pancreatic Cancer UK (PCUK) our ambition is to create an inclusive working environment that reflects the communities and audiences that we engage with and where everyone can be their true selves, where they feel respected, championed, heard, and supported.  We want our workforce to achieve their potential, understand their contribution and feel proud of their impact by creating a culture and organisation that is genuinely inclusive by advancing equality, diversity, inclusion, and belonging through our policies and practices.  

We believe diversity drives great outcomes by encouraging the different points of view that come from a diverse workforce. We want to hear from and engage with people whose experience of dealing with this disease may be very different depending on their individual circumstances and background. We can think of no better way to do this than by making sure this role fully represents our intent; therefore, we are especially keen to consider applications from suitable applicants who consider themselves to be in areas that appear underrepresented within the charity sector.  

Safeguarding 

PCUK is committed to safe and fair recruitment processes that safeguard and protect those we work with, support and serve. We make sure all our staff are selected, vetted (DBS/Criminal record checks where appropriate), trained, and supervised fairly and to a high standard so that they can provide safe, effective and compassionate care. Where we work with volunteers, we extend the same support in order to ensure that they are working within our ethos and standards. 

Hybrid-working: 

Our London office is a place to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. We are currently working hybrid with a minimum of 2-3 days in the office. This is an office based role where you may be required to be in the office more frequently to attend activities and meetings depending on the needs of the role.  

How to apply  

• Please download the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role on our website's advert. If you have any questions about this role that we’ve not answered, please get in touch with Alex (contact details are on our website's advert).
• To apply, please complete the online application form, setting out why you are interested in the role and how you meet the person specification criteria. This information will be used to select candidates for interviews.  We're looking for candidates who can seamlessly integrate into the team and therefore, must meet all the essential criteria to be considered for this role.
• You will need to have the right to work in the UK as we are not able to provide sponsorship for this role. 
• Interviews will be held in person at our office, on 1st and 2nd October. Our address is Queen Elizabeth House, 4 St Dunstan’s Hill, EC3R 8AD. 
• Please note: If you have applied for this position since July 2025, we are unable to consider a further application at this time.

No agencies/sales call please – as a charity we work hard to keep our costs down and therefore will not be engaging agencies to support this recruitment.  

Job Title: Policy and Impact Officer

Location: Home working with some travel 

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Salary: £24,000pa 

DBS/PVG: Not required

Job Family: 3

Line Manager: Head of Policy and Impact

Closing Date:  30th September 2025 We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications

Start Date: asap

Interview Dates: 23 October 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications

Who we are

At Volunteering Matters, we believe people have the power to create change. Whether through volunteering by helping others and giving time, or through social action such as speaking up, campaigning, or leading change, everyone can make a difference. We bring people together to build stronger communities across England, Scotland and Wales, making sure everyone has the chance to get involved and create real change.

What we do

We help people of all ages and backgrounds get involved in volunteering and social action. We focus on making sure that everyone, no matter their situation, has the chance to take part. 

How we do this

We support people to share their time and skills to help others and tackle big challenges in their communities.

• We remove barriers to volunteering and social action, making it easier for people who don’t always get the chance to take part.

• We listen to and amplify voices that aren’t always heard, helping volunteers and communities influence change.

• We help volunteers beyond their first experience, offering training, support, and pathways to new opportunities.

• We connect businesses with communities, creating meaningful employee volunteering projects.

• We show the impact of volunteering and social action, proving how it changes lives for the better.

Our promise to volunteers

We are always looking for new ways for volunteers to make a difference. We bring people together across generations and backgrounds to learn from each other and create change. At the same time, we make sure that all our volunteers are trained, supported, and valued, so they feel confident in what they do.

Role Purpose

The Policy and Impact Team sits at the heart of Volunteering Matters. We play a vital role in demonstrating the impact of our work connecting data, qualitative insight, and lived experience to the policy agendas shaping communities across the UK. Through storytelling, analysis, and evidence, we make sure volunteering is recognised as a driving force for social change.

We are a small, hands-on team. You will be involved in every aspect of our work from desk-based research and writing briefings to organising external meetings and working directly in communities alongside our volunteers. This variety allows you to connect national policy with local realities and help volunteers share their voices where it matters most.

 You will help bring our five-year strategy to life by linking project outcomes to broader societal developments and showcasing the impact of volunteers and communities.

Key Duties Responsibilities

· Support the Head of Policy and Impact to coordinate Volunteering Matters’ policy and public affairs work.

· Support people involved with our volunteering projects to engage with local politicians, e.g. by organising visits to projects or meetings with volunteers. 

· Monitor and respond to opportunities (e.g. relevant government consultations, All-Party Parliamentary Group inquiries or Select Committee inquiries) that are relevant to Volunteering Matters’ priorities.

· Support mapping and research exercises to inform our policy positioning. Writing summary reports as needed.

· Collaborate with the National Volunteer Engagement Manager to support the inclusion of volunteer and community voices in our policy and public affairs work.

· Assist with collecting impact and activity data from across the charity and work with the Data Analyst to undertake analysis.

· Support with routine collection of quarterly data from projects - ensuring responses are timely and accurate, providing guidance to project managers as needed.

· Work with project staff to help create impactful and engaging reports.

· Represent Volunteering Matters at charity and volunteering policy-related groups. 

 Essential Skills

· Understanding of UK political systems and policy-making processes across national, devolved, and local levels.

· Understanding of policy, public affairs, or influencing, ideally within the voluntary or community sector.

· Confident communicator, able to engage with policymakers, sector partners, and community representatives.

· Familiarity with both qualitative and quantitative data analysis to inform narrative reporting and strategic insight.

· Excellent writing skills, with the ability to craft clear, persuasive documents based on data and lived experience.

· Alignment with Volunteering Matters’ values and a commitment to amplifying community voice.

· Must adhere to the organisation’s Code of Conduct and uphold its values at all times.

· Proficient in Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel, with the ability to manage email communications and collaborate digitally.

· Able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, managing time and priorities in a busy environment.

· For remote roles, candidates must be self-starters who can work with minimal supervision, stay organised, and remain motivated to meet deadlines and deliver quality outcomes.

· Attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving and information sharing.

Experience Required

No specific experience is required.

Qualifications

Relevant skills and values alignment is more important for this role than specific qualifications.

Our Values & Way of Working

In all that we do we are guided by our values: Empowering, Inclusive, Compassionate, Positive & Straightforward.

Disability Confident & Reasonable Adjustments

We guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role. Please provide evidence in your application, which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required in the Job Description under skill and experience. To be considered for a guaranteed interview or to discuss any reasonable adjustments during the process, please state this in your cover letter.

GDPR Statement

If you apply for a role with us, we will retain your contact details including your name, address, email address and phone number to help us manage your application for up to six months.  We will not use your personal data for any other purpose or share it with any third party. You can contact us at any point to update your personal information or ask us to delete it from our records.

Policy on AI-Generated Applications 

Applications are accepted on trust, and we expect all submissions to reflect the applicant’s own words, experiences, and motivations. While tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) may support the application process, applications should not be generated wholly by AI. 

To Apply

Please send an updated, complete CV and cover letter via the Charity Job Apply button above. In your application clearly state which role you are applying for. In the cover letter please demonstrate how you would fulfil the role requirements, what previous relevant achievements you have (both in life and at work), what skills & experience you can offer, and what you believe you can contribute to Volunteering Matters.

Please note that all applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to progress applications that don’t meet this requirement. 

If you have any questions about current vacancies, the recruitment process, or need support, our team is here to help. Whether you're a candidate looking for more information or with an HR query, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Together, the charities Sands and Tommy’s have formed a Joint Policy Unit (JPU) focussed on achieving policy change that will save more babies’ lives during pregnancy and the neonatal period and on tackling inequalities in loss, so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes.

The JPU’s mission is to secure policy change that will reduce rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term birth and neonatal death, and to work to eliminate inequalities in these outcomes.

While there is widespread agreement on the need for change to improve the safety of maternity and neonatal services, what that change looks like is not clear.  To save more babies’ lives we believe that a continued focus is required, and that governments should set new commitments to reduce perinatal mortality and preterm births, focused on matching the best-performing countries in Europe.

This role will be crucial to the continued success of the JPU unit; leading, shaping and coordinating all the unit’s work. 

We are looking for an independent and assertive problem-solver, a policy expert who can manage multiple priorities, take the initiative, lead the national conversation and is as excited as we are about taking the helm of this venture for both of our organisations.

The successful candidate will need to have a substantial track record of effectively leading and implementing national policy and influencing programmes, driving change and achieving the desired impact.

You will have considerable experience across research, data analysis, policy development, public affairs and communications.  Additionally, you will be well-versed in research and data management, including analysing complex data and evaluating policy developments.

Experience of being a member of a senior management team with successful, significant and relevant management and leadership experience is also essential.

The Research Team is pivotal to ensuring that research funded by Children with Cancer UK is at the
forefront of the children and young person’s cancer research area. You will have the opportunity to be at
the cutting edge of cancer research in children and young people and work closely with members of the
scientific community, surrounded by people working towards the same mission.
The post-holder will be responsible for line managing 2-3 members of the Research Team, providing them
with support and identifying areas and opportunities for them to expand and develop their experience
and skillset.

Are you organised, detail-focused, and passionate about making a difference?

Join the Race Equality Foundation, a national charity working to tackle racism and improve the lives of Black, Asian, and ethnically minoritised communities. We produce cutting-edge research, influence policy, and deliver innovative programmes that create real change.

We are looking for someone who wants to use their developing administrative and research skills to tackle racism and inequality. Organised, methodical and curious, you will support the research and policy related work of the Race Equality Foundation.

From organising interviews and roundtable discussions, to facilitating online and in person meetings, and ensuring high quality record keeping and data management; you will be crucial to the Foundation’s work in exploring the persistence of racial inequalities and their consequences and developing solutions.

Key to the way we work are both intersectionality and participatory approaches that centre the voices of those with lived experience, and you will facilitate this in the projects you work on. You will support our dissemination activities to a range of audiences, and our relationships with stakeholders, including central and local government and our voluntary and community sector partners.

This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills and be part of a collaborative, supportive team committed to tackling racial inequality.

Why work with us?
At the Race Equality Foundation, you’ll join a passionate team that values inclusion and wellbeing. We offer:

• Generous annual leave – 25 days rising to 31 after five years, plus bank holidays

• Above-statutory employer pension contributions

• Employee Assistance Scheme (EAS) for health and wellbeing support

• Ongoing training and development opportunities

• A friendly, flexible, and collaborative working environment

How to apply
Apply via our online recruitment portal, submitting your application form and supporting statement.

Closing date: Wednesday 24th September 2025 5pm
Interview date: Friday 3rd October 2025

Do you want to use your research skills to influence real change?

The Race Equality Foundation is an evidence-based charity working to dismantle systemic racism and improve outcomes for Black, Asian, and ethnically minoritised communities across the UK. We generate and share knowledge, influence policy and practice, and deliver programmes that make a tangible impact.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Researcher or Senior Researcher who is passionate about using evidence to tackle racism and inequality. Organised, reflective, and inquisitive, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering the Foundation’s research and policy work.

You will develop and lead projects exploring the persistence of racial inequalities and their consequences, identifying and sharing good practice, and developing potential solutions. Central to the way we work are intersectional and participatory approaches that place the voices of those with lived experience at the heart of our research, and you will be instrumental in embedding these principles in the projects you manage.

As part of the role, you’ll also take a leading role in disseminating findings to diverse audiences, influencing policy and practice, and developing and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders, including central and local government, funders, and voluntary and community sector partners.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to impactful research, inform systemic change, and be part of a collaborative, values-driven organisation dedicated to tackling racial inequality.

Why work with us?
You’ll join a values-driven organisation where your work directly contributes to racial justice. We offer:

• Generous annual leave – 25 days rising to 31 after five years, plus bank holidays

• Above-statutory employer pension contributions

• Employee Assistance Scheme (EAS) to support your wellbeing

• Opportunities to work on impactful, high-profile research projects

• A collaborative, supportive, and inclusive working environment

How to apply
Apply via our online recruitment portal, submitting your application form and supporting statement.

Closing date: Monday 29th September 2025
Interview date: Monday 13th October 2025

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)

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Senior Philanthropy and Research Officer to work as part of our Fundraising Team.

Imagine being part of an organisation whose common purpose is to help those who are severely impacted by mental illness. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity – and that’s why equity is one of our core values. We draw on the expertise, unique perspectives and lived experience of our people – regardless of who they are or their background – to help us become inclusive and anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider that reflect the diverse communities we support as a mental health charity.

The Fundraising team is a dynamic group of fundraisers who are passionately committed to raising money for our life-changing work in the mental health and mental illness space. We have a diverse portfolio of income streams spanning Events, Community, Individual Giving, Legacies, In-Memoriam, Philanthropy, Trusts & Grants, and Partnerships.

Trusts & Grants have a strong track record at Rethink Mental Illness and a growing portfolio of supporters at Mental Health UK. The team is well-positioned to develop innovative funding propositions that support the future ambitions of both charities, working to achieve both in-year cornerstone grants and long-term, transformational funding. As a newly established programme, Philanthropy demonstrates exciting potential for both Rethink and MHUK, with initiatives spanning major donor and mid-value engagement. Corporate Partnerships have launched several exciting partnerships across both charities and that portfolio and team continues to grow.

How you will make a difference

Reporting to the Prospect Research Manager, you will identify and qualify new prospects across Philanthropy, Trusts & Grants, and Corporate Partnerships. You will carry out in-depth research using a wide range of sources, manage due diligence processes and ensure accurate data is maintained on our CRM systems. You will also work closely with the Interim Head of Trusts and Philanthropy to steward donors and deliver exceptional supporter experiences.

To be successful in this role, you will be an inquisitive, proactive and data-driven fundraiser who enjoys uncovering insights through research and crafting compelling communications that make a meaningful difference to donors.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. 

We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation 

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation. You can read more about our progress here. 

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation: Executive Director of Charities

Location: Office based at Southwark
Salary: £120,000 per annum
Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Because everyone deserves a fair chance at a long, healthy life, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation works to tackle health inequalities and support outstanding NHS care. We’re now seeking an ambitious, senior leader in fundraising and marketing for a unique opportunity to become our new Executive Director of Charities. The role will be responsible for shaping the future of our three NHS charities - Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Evelina London Children’s Charity, and Guy’s Cancer Charity and deliver impact that changes lives every day.

About Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation

At Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation our vision is to build a society where everyone stays healthier for longer. Every day, people across our communities face health challenges that shape their lives and futures. We are one of the UK’s oldest and largest health Foundations, with over 500 years of history. Rooted across Lambeth, Southwark and beyond, we work with the NHS, communities and partners across sectors to tackle health inequity, support innovation and back bold ideas that can transform society.

Now, we’re scaling our ambition. With Board backing for long-term investment in fundraising growth, and a new capital project at Evelina London Children’s Hospital on the horizon, this is a career-defining opportunity to lead that transformation.

What you’ll do

Reporting directly to our CEO, you will lead the Charities Team – overseeing directors across fundraising, marketing, funding & impact, strategy and innovation, and business and play a key role on the Foundation’s Executive Team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leadership & culture – uniting teams behind a shared vision, fostering high performance, and embedding diversity and inclusion.
• Strategy & fundraising – driving ambitious income growth, shaping large-scale propositions, and championing a culture of philanthropy across the Foundation and the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
• Funding & impact – ensuring we invest strategically in health and equity, while strengthening how we measure and demonstrate impact.
• Partnerships – building deep, collaborative relationships with the Trust’s Executive team, senior clinical leaders, donors and partners.
• Governance & oversight – ensuring robust structures, efficiency and capability for long-term growth and success.

Who you are:

• A vision and mission driven leader, encouraging diverse, positive and collaborative cultures; and developing inclusive processes.
• A proven track record in strategic fundraising and marketing leadership and income growth.
• Experience building and leading high-performing teams in complex organisations, including leading leaders.
• Skill in strategy development and delivery, with the commercial acumen to drive results.
• The ability to inspire diverse stakeholders from senior NHS leaders to high-value donors.
• A confident communicator with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 

This is more than a leadership role, it’s a chance to redefine what philanthropy can achieve in healthcare. You’ll have the platform, resources and partnerships to deliver lasting impact at scale.

Ready to Learn More?
If you share our vision and are ready to inspire change, click below to view our full Candidate Pack for everything you need to know – including how to apply.

Closing date: Monday 13th October, 9am