Professional services administrator jobs in belfast

Position title: Communications Manager

Reports to: Director of Operations

Direct reports: None currently

Key stakeholders: UKMSA staff, members and volunteers, Board of Trustees, Sheds and Shedders, the public

Location: Remote (with occasional UK travel)

Salary: Level 4 – £35,000-£45,000

The Communications Manager plays a vital role in shaping how UK Men’s Sheds Association (UKMSA) communicates, both internally and externally, and with the community at its heart. Operating with a high degree of autonomy and professional expertise, the postholder leads the development and delivery of communication strategies that connect, inform, and inspire.

This is not just a messaging role. Rather, it’s about building trust, clarity, and connection across UKMSA communities. Internally, the Communications Manager helps staff feel informed, included, and united across a remote-working environment. The post holder will coordinate internal communications, shape the tone and culture of how information flows, and ensure the brand is consistently and professionally represented.

With volunteers, especially UKMSA’s Ambassadors, the Communications Manager plays a key part in ensuring people feel heard, valued, and kept in the loop, especially during moments of change or challenge. They will work closely with the Head of Volunteering and the wider team to keep the voices and experiences of Shedders, Sheds and Shed Networks at the centre of UKMSA’s communications.

Externally, the postholder curates and amplifies the stories, impact, and energy of the Shedding movement. They manage the website and social media channels, support the CEO and Chair in their digital visibility, and respond to external enquiries with professionalism and purpose.

This is a mission-driven role that sits at the heart of how UKMSA connects with the world. It requires emotional intelligence, editorial judgement, and a deep appreciation for the unique volunteer-led spirit of the movement. The postholder will be confident working across staff, volunteers, trustees, and media, joining the dots, finding the story, and ensuring communications always reflect UKMSA’s values and community.

Key responsibilities:

1. Internal communications

· Develop and deliver internal communication approaches that ensure staff across a remote-working environment are kept informed, connected, and engaged.

· Coordinate and facilitate regular team meetings, updates, and communications, including all-staff briefings, newsletters, and shared messaging.

· Work with the CEO and senior team to plan in-person staff meetings, designing the content, format and approach so the sessions align with staff and organisational requirements.

· Design and implement mechanisms that foster internal cohesion and trust, drawing on ideas and good practice for remote working teams.

· Work closely with the senior team to ensure that important updates - strategic, operational, or cultural - are communicated in a timely, consistent, and accessible way.

· Uphold and promote a consistent tone of voice across all internal messaging, ensuring that staff understand and reflect UKMSA’s values and identity in how they communicate.

· Working with the Operations Officer, support the creation and internal rollout of branded materials and ensure consistency in logo use, templates, formatting, and professional standards across the organisation.

2. Community and organisational communications

· Act as a key link between staff, trustees, volunteers (particularly Ambassadors), and other internal stakeholders to ensure information is shared clearly, consistently, and inclusively.

· Collaborate with the Head of Volunteering to ensure that UKMSA’s volunteers are kept informed and involved, particularly during organisational updates, change, or key moments.

· Help embed a culture of openness and two-way communication, ensuring volunteers and trustees feel heard, recognised, and informed, and that their contributions are visible and valued.

· Coordinate messaging across staff and teams so that different groups across UKMSA receive the right information, in the right way, at the right time.

· Support senior leaders in maintaining effective communication with the Board of Trustees, including updates, briefings, and key documents.

3. External communications

· Manage and maintain the UKMSA website and social media channels, working with our external web designer to ensure content is accurate, up to date, and aligned with the organisation’s values and tone.

· Source, shape, and share stories from Shedders, volunteers, and communities to celebrate and amplify the impact of the Shedding movement.

· Lead on the production of UKMSA’s regular newsletter Shoulder2Shoulder, Review and develop the newsletter on a regular basis, in collaboration with staff and volunteers.

· Collaborate with staff and volunteers to collect and develop case studies and lived experience content and ensure these are shared meaningfully and respectfully.

· Support the Membership Manager and Director of Income and Investments to ensure any promotional activity for external partners is aligned with UKMSA’s communications strategy, delivers clear value, and is proportionate.

· Support Director of Income and Investments to shape and deliver marketing campaigns and communications aimed at generating income and supporter engagement

· Support the CEO and Chair in their digital communications - drafting content, advising on tone and timing, and increasing the visibility of their leadership voices, in the service of UKMSA.

· Respond to media and external communications queries, draft press releases where appropriate, and act as the first point of contact for general communications enquiries.

· Monitor UKMSA’s external presence and ensure consistency in messaging, tone and branding, across platforms and partners.

Key expertise required:

· Professional communications experience, with a strong track record in planning and delivering internal and external communications in a mission-led or purpose-driven organisation.

· Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to tailor tone, structure, and content for different audiences: from staff and volunteers to trustees, partners, and the wider public.

· Confidence leading internal communications across a remote or distributed team, including experience developing engaging formats, regular updates, and a shared organisational voice.

· Experience working with or alongside volunteers, trustees, or community stakeholders, and a strong appreciation for the importance of inclusive, two-way communication.

· Brand and tone-of-voice awareness, with the ability to maintain consistency and quality across channels, platforms, and contributors.

· Digital confidence, with experience managing websites (e.g. WordPress), social media channels, and email communications tools (e.g. Mailchimp), and using them strategically to reach different audiences.

· Storytelling and content development skills, with the ability to source, sensitively shape, and amplify stories that reflect lived experience and community impact.

· Strong organisational and planning skills, able to manage multiple priorities, coordinate with colleagues across teams, and deliver work to deadline with attention to detail.

· Collaborative mindset, with the confidence to influence tone, content, and strategy while also being hands-on in delivery and responsive to others’ needs and input.

· Judgement and discretion, with experience handling sensitive information, managing risk in communications, and supporting senior leaders with professional external representation.

· Genuine connection to UKMSA’s mission, with a respectful, values-led approach that centres the role of volunteers and champions the voice of the Shedding movement.

What success looks like:

· Staff feel informed, connected, and part of a shared organisational culture, even while working remotely. Internal updates are timely, engaging, and reflect a consistent tone that supports clarity, trust, and inclusion.

· Volunteers and trustees feel included and valued; they know what’s happening, understand UKMSA’s direction, and feel that communication is a two-way conversation, not a broadcast.

· The organisation’s public-facing communications are professional, values-led, and consistent. Social media, the website, and external content reflect the tone, mission, and energy of the Shedding movement.

· The CEO and Chair have visible, coherent digital profiles, supported with high-quality content and strategic messaging that reflects the voice and values of UKMSA.

· Good news stories from Shedders and communities are regularly shared, boosting the visibility of the movement and building pride and momentum across the network.

· Communications activity is intentional and well-prioritised. There is a clear rhythm to communications, and reactive work is handled without pulling focus from core messaging and strategy.

· The Communications Manager is seen as a trusted and thoughtful voice, able to advise colleagues, manage sensitive messaging, and champion quality and consistency in how UKMSA speaks.

· Volunteers remain central, not just as recipients of messages, but as contributors to and shapers of UKMSA’s communication story.

This job is not:

· This is not a campaigning or advocacy role. The Communications Manager will not be responsible for policy development, public affairs, political engagement, or influencing strategy.

· This is not a research or insight role. While storytelling and community voice are central to this role, the postholder will not be responsible for conducting research, writing reports (although the post-holder will support staff to get their reports right), or managing evaluation processes.

· This is not a marketing or income generation role. Although the postholder will support the visibility and professionalism of UKMSA’s public-facing presence, they will not lead fundraising, product marketing, or commercial campaigns. They will work with the Membership Manager and Director of Income and Investment if this is required.

· This is not a senior strategic leadership role. While the postholder contributes to strategy within their area and works closely with senior colleagues, they are not expected to set or lead cross-organisational strategy.

· This is not a purely reactive or administrative role. The Communications Manager is expected to take initiative, bring ideas, and shape how UKMSA communicates - internally and externally - in proactive and creative ways.

Closing date:-9th October 1200hrs
Interview: 22nd October

WHO WE ARE

Animal Equality is an international animal protection organisation working with society, governments and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals. Animal Equality has offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and India.

Animal Equality releases investigative materials captured from inside factory farms and slaughterhouses, exposing the conditions that farmed animals face around the world. We publish our findings on television, in newspapers and online. We routinely secure mainstream media coverage, including on the BBC, ITV, Sky News, The Times, The Guardian, The New York Times and many more.

Animal Equality also advocates for political change. Our current campaigns include a UK ban on foie gras imports, increased enforcement of existing animal protection laws, legal protections for farmed fish, and Government subsidies for transitioning towards a plant-based food system.

We focus on farmed animals because of the scale and severity of the issue. More than a billion animals are confined and killed for human consumption every year in the UK. Farmed animals also often suffer in some of the worst ways: pigs typically endure painful mutilations, many chickens die of heart attacks, fish are confined in underwater cages, and some farmed animals are victims of deliberate abuse and neglect. But the problem is solvable! By utilising effective campaigning strategies, Animal Equality is having an impact for animals around the world and building a future where all animals are respected and protected and are no longer exploited for human consumption.

Animal Equality UK’s current key campaigns include:

• Strengthening enforcement of animal protection laws.
• Halting the expansion of Scotland’s salmon farming industry.
• Achieving a ban on foie gras imports.
• Securing species-specific slaughter legislation for fish.
• Inspiring the public to eat plants, not animals.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a highly organised, detail-oriented Operations Officer to play a central role in ensuring the smooth running of Animal Equality UK’s internal operations and supporter services.

This is a varied role covering administration, finance, data management, supporter care, and event coordination. You will be the first point of contact for many of our supporters and stakeholders, providing excellent service while supporting team members across all departments.

The ideal candidate will be proactive, solutions-focused, and comfortable balancing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. You will have a ‘can-do’ attitude and a calm and professional demeanour, thrive on problem-solving, and take pride in ensuring that systems and processes run efficiently behind the scenes.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Culture and internal support: Act as a culture ambassador, upholding Animal Equality’s values of professionalism, resilience, accountability, and compassion. Strengthen communication between teams and ensure effective use of project management tools. Identify and lead process improvements with guidance from the Operations Manager.
• Supporter and donor care: Serve as the first point of contact for supporter queries via phone, email, post, and social media. Provide excellent donor support, including thanking donors, resolving payment issues, and sending mailings. Maintain supporter and volunteer records accurately in CRM systems and ensure compliance with GDPR.
• Finance and reporting: Process expenses, supplier payments, and support budget forecasting. Assist with Gift Aid claims, monthly data uploads, and finance reports. Prepare scheduled reports and presentations to track progress against objectives.
• Team processes: Support recruitment processes, including application handling, interview coordination, and onboarding/offboarding schedules. Ensure smooth induction for new staff and manage equipment, training resources, and access.
• Events and operations: Assist with the organisation of internal training, team meet-ups, and supporter events. Support health and safety measures for team members and volunteers at peaceful protests, undertaking risk assessments and first aid training. Manage stock and campaign materials, fulfil supporter requests, and oversee mailing logistics.
• Data and systems: Conduct database cleansing and maintain accurate supporter, volunteer, and executive records.
• Represent Animal Equality’s culture: Support Animal Equality’s life-saving work by producing high-quality output, embracing and representing the organisation’s culture principles proudly at all times, and supporting our philanthropic efforts.
• Support with other ad hoc duties, as requested by your line manager.

ABOUT YOU

You are a reliable, proactive, and solutions-focused team player who takes pride in creating order and efficiency. Embracing Animal Equality’s culture principles and reinforcing them proudly, you balance meticulous attention to detail with a flexible, positive, level-headed approach and are motivated by helping the organisation succeed for farmed animals.

You actively seek constructive feedback and use it to continuously improve your work. You show ownership and a growth mindset that is focused on improving the world for farmed animals. Knowledge of farmed animal issues and alignment with Animal Equality’s mission is a must, as is professionalism, adaptability, and discretion.

You must have a minimum of one year’s experience in operations, administration, project management, or a related role. With exceptional communicational and time-management skills, you are comfortable balancing competing priorities and will bring a friendly, professional attitude at all times. Adaptable and solutions-focused, you are confident when learning new technologies.

You will be based remotely in the UK. In addition to monthly meet-ups, some travel within the UK may be required for demonstrations, meetings, and events. While not common, occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary to support campaigning activities. Any additional hours worked and agreed with your Manager can be reclaimed as TOIL.

BENEFITS

• Holiday entitlement equal to 33 days per year (including standard public holidays).
• Personalised employee assistance programme (EAP): An Animal Equality-funded benefit that offers employees confidential counselling and advice on a wide range of work and personal issues. The programme offers several services, such as a 24/7 confidential helpline and expert cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Flexible hours, with the option to start between 8am and 10am and finish between 4pm and 6pm.
• Able Futures Support: The service is a nine-month, practical and confidential support service for employees whose circumstances or mental health may impact their wellbeing or work. Employees can work with a mental health professional to deepen their understanding of how their mental health may impact them and build coping skills and resilience to thrive at work.
• Yearly stipend to access learning and development resources to help employees further grow their personal and professional skills.
• A free vegan lunch every month at the Animal Equality monthly meetups.

APPLY NOW

For more information and to apply, please visit our vacancies page.

Closing date: 5.00pm on Friday 19th September 2025.

Title:  Legal Coordinator

Reports to:  Head of Legal 

Salary:  £30,000-40,000 (depending on experience) 

Contract:  Permanent

Hours:  37.5 per week over 5 days (Monday to Friday) 

Holiday:  25 days per year plus bank holidays 

Location:  Remote with regular travel to London and across the UK

Probationary period:  3 months

Benefits:  An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year, Flexitime policy, 5% pension contribution, Cycle to Work scheme

Start date:  As soon as possible

We are River Action

We are a campaign organisation on a mission to rescue Britain's rivers from the impacts of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution. We take a creative and bold approach to campaigning, blending sharp strategy with positively disruptive tactics to inspire real action. We support grassroots movements, galvanise public opinion, influence government policy and drive industry change.

We are a small, dedicated and talented team of positive disrupters and community mobilisers who work collaboratively to deliver our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of people and nature.

Find out more about our mission and our team on our website. 

Who we’re looking for

Do you want to be part of a movement making waves to clean up the UK’s rivers? Are you passionate about using the law as a tool for change? Do you have the legal and research skills to amplify our impact? If so, we want you to join our team. 

We are looking for a highly capable, ambitious, well-organised, energetic, proactive and diligent individual with legal experience (academic or professional) to play an integral role in developing and delivering our growing legal, policy and advocacy work.

You don’t need to be a qualified or practising lawyer, but you do need to have a law degree or equivalent and familiarity with environmental law. You’ll understand the importance of winning in both courts of law and of public opinion. You’ll be passionate, eager to learn and committed to making change happen quickly. 

If you’re committed to River Action’s mission and want to be at the forefront of environmental law, policy and advocacy, we’d love to hear from you.

Essential experience and skills

• Demonstrable UK legal experience (academic and/or professional), ideally including environmental, public and administrative law. A law degree or equivalent is required.

• Excellent legal research, drafting and communication skills.

• Ability to translate complex legal issues into accessible and impactful messaging.

• Strong organisational and interpersonal skills with demonstrable experience of coordinating multiple projects, working flexibly and at a fast pace.

• Good understanding of strategic litigation and using the law as a tool for change.

• Proven ability to produce high quality work under pressure.

• Excellent IT skills. 

• Commitment to River Action’s mission and to working collaboratively across the sector.

Desirable experience and skills

• Qualification as a solicitor or barrister.

• Experience working in a similar role.

• Experience working in the UK’s environmental sector.

• Experience with strategic litigation and using the law as a tool for change.

• Experience with instructing and managing external lawyers. 

• Experience working with parliamentarians and of UK parliamentary procedures. 

• Media/spokesperson experience.

What you’ll be doing

As Legal Coordinator, you will play a crucial role in shaping River Action’s fight for cleaner rivers by acting as the link between legal expertise provided by external lawyers and River Action’s day-to-day campaigning, policy, advocacy and operational work. 

The role will involve working closely with River Action’s Head of Legal to use the law and legal strategies to strengthen and improve environmental protection of the UK’s rivers. This exciting role will include scoping, developing and managing strategic litigation to achieve systemic change as well as supporting River Action’s policy and advocacy work. You’ll also support the River Action team to build successful campaigns to challenge polluters, hold government and regulators accountable, and push for policy reform.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Support the Head of Legal in scoping, developing and managing River Action’s legal work, including commissioning legal services from external lawyers and providing instructions on legal matters. 

• Produce legal research and analysis to inform and support River Action’s strategic litigation, policy and advocacy work.

• Work with the campaigns team to develop impactful legal actions as part of creative and positively disruptive campaigns to deliver organisational goals.

• Work with the communities team to identify opportunities for River Action to support communities through legal action, including by developing the River Rescue Kit and other initiatives to extend impact.

• Engage with and obtain information and evidence from claimants, complainants, expert witnesses and other sources to support legal actions and campaigns.

• Develop an in-depth understanding of UK legal and policy frameworks relating to rivers and ensure colleagues are kept up to date with changes. 

• Monitor legal developments including caselaw and legislative proposals, working closely with the Head of Legal to understand the implications and opportunities for River Action’s work. 

• Ensure team members are well-briefed on the latest legal developments (both River Action’s work and wider developments) to support their external engagement. 

• Prepare and contribute to legal and policy briefings for River Action and its eNGO partners and for public and political audiences.

• Contribute to River Action’s policy and advocacy work, ensuring our positions are considered and evidenced. 

• Contribute to shaping River Action’s positions and key messaging so they are relevant and accurate. 

• Provide legal support for River Action’s campaigning and operational activities, including by researching relevant laws and by commissioning external legal advice on non-contentious matters. 

• Support colleagues to ensure River Action’s campaigning and communication activities and outputs are legally compliant and help to protect the charity from defamation, copyright infringement or other claims. 

• Write articles and act as spokesperson for River Action in owned and earned media.

• Work across the team to track, record and report impact.

• Support River Action’s fundraising activities including contributing towards funding proposals, pitching and reporting.

• Review and respond to legal queries that come to River Action, escalating to the Head of Legal or other colleagues as appropriate.

• Administrative duties including developing and maintaining River Action’s legal documentation, processes and systems on the organisation’s shared drive. 

• Build relationships and partnerships across the legal sector and environmental sector to inform River Action’s work and contribute to the wider movement. 

General duties and responsibilities

• Follow all charity policies and procedures.

• Actively participate as part of the team.

• Help to promote a positive, healthy and happy work environment and team culture.

• Actively engage in professional development and training.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across River Action, external lawyers and stakeholders to deliver our mission.

• Undertake any other duties as reasonably required. 

As a small and agile team, we value flexibility. While these are the core responsibilities, staff may be asked to take on additional tasks as needed. If any task becomes a regular duty, the job description will be updated in consultation with the staff member. 

Location

You will work from home with some travel required to London and across the UK. 

The full team meets in person at least four times per year. These are multi-day meetings held in different locations in the UK. Additional UK travel will also be required. The fast-paced nature of our work and small size of our organisation means we are in very regular contact, ensuring a strong connection across the team. 

Diversity and inclusion

We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in the environment sector. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? We know that long lists can be daunting and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you like the look of this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we’d still love to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this role.

How to apply

To apply, please submit to jobs at riveractionuk dot com with the subject ‘Legal Coordinator’:

• your CV (2 pages), and 

• a cover letter (2 pages) explaining why you want to work for River Action and how your experience and skills meet the requirements of the role.

Only applications including both documents will be accepted. Please provide your documents in pdf format. 

Application process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 23:59 on Monday 29 September 2025.

Should your application be selected during sift, the next stage will involve an initial 15-minute interview. You may then be invited to attend a second interview with a panel. 

Initial interviews will be held on 1 and 2 October 2025 and panel interviews will be held in w/c 6 October 2025, all via video conference. For panel interviews, some questions will be provided in advance for equity and to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and experience most effectively. 

Please indicate in your covering letter or in a covering email your availability for interviews.

If you have any questions about the role or your application, please contact us on jobs at riveractionuk dot com.

The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Chief Operating Officer to join our Executive Leadership Team.

Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £85,000 per annum
Remote: This role is homebased (within the UK) with occasional to meetings, events and conferences.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

Responsibilities will include:

• The COO leads the day-to-day functioning of the organisation to ensure smooth, efficient, and effective delivery of services. This is vital for maintaining operational stability and achieving strategic outcomes.
• They design and execute strategies that align with the organisation’s mission and long-term goals ensuring resources are used effectively and priorities are clear.
• They promote a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement through supporting employee engagement, productivity, and organisational success.
• The COO collaborates closely with the CEO/CFO and other senior leaders to drive strategic initiatives and business growth, ensuring unified leadership and coherent decision-making.
• They partner with the CFO to manage budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation. Financial oversight ensures sustainability and supports informed investment in strategic priorities.
• Strengthen governance and risk management frameworks, aligned to regulatory expectations and best practice while proactively managing reputational and operational risks.
• The COO cultivates strong relationships with partners, clients, and stakeholders to enhance service delivery and reputation. These relationships are key to influence, collaboration, and impact.
• They lead efforts to improve processes and adopt best practices across the charity to enhance efficiency and keeps the organisation competitive and responsive.
• They ensure that daily activities support the charities long-term objectives.
• The COO mentors other directors and departmental heads and fosters leadership capabilities across teams.
• They establish and track KPIs to identify inefficiencies and guide improvements through data-driven decision-making to enhance accountability and results.
• They evaluate and refine workflows to boost productivity developing efficient processes to reduce waste and improve service quality.
• They act as a bridge between departments and the CEO to ensure cohesive execution of strategic plans preventing silos and promoting organisational synergy.
• The COO serves as a senior figure in national and cross-sector forums, conferences, and strategic partnerships to strengthens the organisation’s voice and influence.
• They demonstrate commitment to Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in both internal culture and external programmes to foster a fair and inclusive organisation.
• They work with the CEO, CFO and Director of Growth to identify and pursue new revenue streams and strategic partnerships. This expands the organisation’s reach and sustainability.
• They engage in public speaking, media interactions, and external representation demonstrating clear communication, credibility, and stakeholder engagement.
• They develop and embed evaluation frameworks to assess progress against strategic goals. The measuring of our impact ensures accountability and informs future planning.
• They promote the organisation’s brand at events and through networking.

The COO takes on other responsibilities as needed to support the organisation’s mission.

About You

Essential competencies of the Chief Operating Officer:

• Extensive experience in senior leadership with a proven track record in operations, financial and risk management, and delivering high-performing teams, ideally in the charity sector.
• Strong understanding of business functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think strategically and execute effectively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Commercially astute, process-driven, and highly pragmatic in approach.
• Experience in driving performance and fostering a collaborative culture.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field; MBA preferred

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 29th September 2025:

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.

Please note: The covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 80% AI generated content will be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-223747

We are looking for an experienced Finance Director to join our team of nearly 100 staff, ideally before the end of 2025.

This is a full-time, home-based, permanent position. You can be based anywhere in mainland UK or Ireland, with some travel and occasional overnight stays to meeting and conferences mainly in England and Wales.

We offer flexibility around working hours, including the option of a 9 day fortnight - time off in lieu is also available. We offer 25 days holiday pro rata (rising to 28 days) plus statutory public holidays. We are happy to make adjustments for people with disabilities and/or caring responsibilities, and we welcome applications from all communities.

The role is a grade 7 position with a starting salary circa £75,000 plus benefits including 9% employer pension contribution.

The Finance Director (“FD”) works alongside the Chief Executive and Operations Director to manage the finances and governance of The Rivers Trust, a leading conservation charity with three associated trading subsidiaries operating across the UK and Ireland, with a collective annual income approaching £10m.

Given the prospective retirement of the current postholder at the end of 2025, we are seeking a well-qualified and experienced individual to take on this senior leadership role as soon as possible to enable handover to occur.

The role is very varied and wide-ranging, including presenting financial information to the Trustees and senior management on a quarterly basis, reviewing monthly management accounts, leading on annual budgeting, appraising internal project concepts and contracts, statutory compliance administration and liaising with auditors.

The postholder will lead a team of eight in the Finance department and join a very welcoming team of 95 highly engaged and passionate staff at The Rivers Trust.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Working alongside the CEO, the Finance Director will provide commercial, financial and governance management and leadership for The Rivers Trust ("the Charity") and its associated subsidiaries (“The Companies”). The FD will not only be an exceptional accountant, with executive oversight of the finance function, but will be commercially astute and have the confidence to represent robustly the best interests of The Companies. The FD will also be an experienced manager of people.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Act as a business partner to support and constructively challenge the CEO in the general management of the Charity and the Companies, reporting to the board.
2. Lead all aspects of the finance function (including maintaining and developing the financial control environment; robust financial accounting; cashflow management; incisive management information; clear and concise reporting to Board) to ensure that the Charity and the Companies’ assets are secured, risks are managed, and the Board of Trustees, subsidiary boards and committees can make well-informed decisions.
3. Manage relationships with auditors, funders, IT specialists, banks, investment platforms and other external organisations.
4. Provide support to project bids and the development of other commercial opportunities to ensure that bids/opportunities are optimised for the Charity and the Companies as a whole.
5. Provide input to project and programme delivery from time to time, to ensure that performance is maximised for the Charity and the Companies.
6. Attend Board meetings and Business Audit and Risk Committee meetings to guide the Board and the Senior Management Team on financial, commercial and governance issues.
7. Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission and Companies House and, from time to time, provide guidance to members of the Rivers Trust movement on good governance practice.
8. Maintain the finance department operational manual for business continuity.
9. Serve as the Company Secretary for the Charity and Companies.

Staff Management:

1. Lead, manage and develop the finance team (who work remotely) and ensure the team understands their respective and collective contribution to achieving the Charity's and the Companies’ objectives.
2. Support the team in their professional development.
3. Ensure the team delivers a high-quality service focused on internal and external customers and funders.

Knowledge, skills, experience, and personal qualities:

Essential

• Significant experience in financial management and senior leadership roles, ideally gained in a range of organisations.
• A strategic thinker, able to see the big-picture, shape long-term direction and balance this with attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills combined with creativity and openness to innovate.
• Strong IT and digital skills, with experience of using technology to improve efficiency and automate processes.
• Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of managing, developing, and inspiring teams and creating a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative culture.
• Excellent relationship builder, with the interpersonal skills to influence, collaborate, and provide constructive challenge while maintaining positive relationships across the organisation, including with trustees and senior stakeholders.
• Experience reporting to boards of trustees and/or directors, with the confidence to contribute to board-level discussions as a trusted adviser.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills, able to distil complexity into pertinent, concise and understandable messages tailored to diverse audiences.
• The courage to make and communicate tough decisions and be open about risks and setbacks.
• Resilient and calm under pressure, with the ability to maintain focus and steady leadership in challenging circumstances.
• Impeccable standards of integrity and personal ethics, acting as a role model for the organisation values.
• Knowledge of Sage financial software packages.
• Work to a good standard in Microsoft 365, especially Excel, Word, Outlook and Teams.

Desirable

• Experience of working in the charitable sector.
• Experience of being a Company Secretary.
• Understanding of the environmental sector or a passion for making a positive impact.
• Familiarity in using Sharepoint, Sage and Slack.
• Knowledge of Partial Exemption VAT rules.
• A basic understanding of Irish tax law, Irish and UK payroll taxes and corporate governance.

Qualifications/ Education

• Qualified Accountant, preferably ICAEW or ACCA.

Additional information

Everyone who works for us is expected to contribute to a respectful and inclusive working culture and follow our policies and procedures including Health & Safety, EDI, Cybersecurity and GDPR.

Please note we can only accept applications made through this site, and not sent by email or other methods.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you through the process, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter.

Closing date: Wednesday 24th September 2025

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a strong pool of applications, so we encourage early submission

Role Summary

Join our team and help us improve public sector food across the UK with our School Plates and new Hospital Plates programmes. We're looking for a passionate and driven Chef Trainer to support schools and hospitals in delivering healthier and more sustainable menus.

The programmes continue to go from strength to strength. Through School Plates, we currently support over a third of all UK local authorities, catering for more than 12,000 schools and feeding over 1.25 million children daily. To date, we have been responsible for swapping over 50 million school meals from meat-based to meat-free or plant-based. We're now expanding our successful model into the health sector with our new Hospital Plates programme, bringing the same positive change to patient and staff menus.

Are you a skilled chef trainer with a passion for improving public food? Can you match our ambition? You'll be using your culinary expertise to train catering teams in both schools and hospitals, provide menu advice, and get involved with recipe development and culinary education. You will also run cooking workshops for pupils in secondary schools, inspiring the next generation to get excited about plant-based food. You will also build and manage relationships with our catering partners, helping them deliver delicious and sustainable meals. This is a UK-wide role and will require travel to different sites.

We’re looking for someone to join our team for 3 days a week but are open to applicants looking for flexible working hours, including, potentially, 4 days a week.

Job Details

Job Title: Chef Trainer - School Plates & Hospital Plates 
Reporting to: Programme Manager, UK
Location: Remote (home-based with travel across UK) 
Hours: 21-28 hours per week (0.6-0.8 FTE)
Salary: £32,000 per annum pro rata (based on 1.0 FTE) 

 

Responsibilities

As our Chef Trainer & Programme Support, you'll be a key player in developing and delivering our School Plates and Hospital Plates programmes. You'll use your culinary expertise and passion for food system change to create resources, train professionals, and engage with our partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Recipe Development & Training: You'll co-lead the creation, testing, and development of new plant-based recipes for our school and hospital programmes, and lead on developing ‘grab-and-go’ and internationally inspired options for secondary schools. You'll also plan and deliver training sessions, including in-person and online workshops, and create e-learning courses for caterers.

• Programme Development & Support: Work closely with programme managers to develop and refine the strategy for our initiatives. This includes supporting pilot programmes, measuring their impact, and creating bespoke catering resources for our partners.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Represent our organisation at events and in meetings, providing expert catering advice and information on our programmes. Collaborate with our communications manager to create engaging content, including recipes and videos for our website, e-learning platform and social media.

• Education & Outreach: Partner with our education manager to plan and co-deliver secondary school cooking workshops. These sessions will teach pupils basic plant-based culinary skills that align with the National Curriculum as well as inspire the next generation to choose plant-forward options and learn about the impact of their food choices in a positive way.

• Inspire Catering Teams: Your role is to build and maintain relationships with catering partners, providing expert catering advice and practical recipe suggestions. You'll work with them directly on pilot programmes, offering bespoke support to inspire positive menu changes. You'll also provide essential administrative support for our programmes and help create and deliver presentations to promote our work to a wider audience.

Qualifications

    Essential

• Experienced in planning and delivering cooking workshops to groups.

• Experience of working in a culinary setting and developing recipes with a strong interest in plant-based recipes.

• Excellent communication skills and be a confident and engaging educator.

• Flexible and agile approach, with a willingness to be a true team player and fill gaps as needed.

• Proactive with initiative and drive.

• Strong organisational skills.

• Attention to detail.

• Solution-focused and resilient.

• Confident in creating basic spreadsheets and slide decks.

• Ability to work well under pressure and manage time effectively in a fast-paced and small but fast-growing non-profit work environment.

• Ability to work well unsupervised with experience of working in remote teams with a reliable internet connection.

• Passionate about food systems change.

• Alignment with our vision and mission.

• Based in the UK and able to attend meetings, events, and training to represent the team and programme across the UK.

• Willing to travel across the UK for workshops and events. 

Desirable

• Experience of working within school and/or hospital food. 

• Experience of food photography and creating recipe content for social platforms or online courses. 

• Experience of managing projects.

• Experience of liaising with local authorities, schools, or other public sector bodies.

• Experience in the field of nutrition, including an interest in plant-based nutrition.

• Experience of working in the food, health or environmental sector.

• Experience of using customer relationship management (CRM) systems (training will be provided).

Benefits of working with us

• Generous annual leave entitlement - 25 days per year, with an additional day granted at the start of each calendar up to a maximum of 30 days (plus bank holidays)

• A strong organisational focus on personal development, with a designated training budget.

• Provision of a work laptop.

• Flexible, trust-based working arrangements and home-office arrangements.

• Career development support

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay

• Compassionate animal companion leave

• Employee Assistance Programme including counselling

• Access to 24/7 virtual GP Service

• Mindfulness support via a free Headspace account for you and up to 5 friends or family members

• Access to the Wisdom app with exclusive perks and discounts

• Membership to the OpenUp platform

• We are a workplace that encourages everyone to bring their whole selves to work. We are an inclusive workplace for our diverse employees around the world.

• And, last but not least, become part of a great team and work with us towards a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet!

When?

Application deadline: 5th October 2025
Start date: November 2025

Application process and timeline 

Please submit your application using our online form including your CV and cover letter. By submitting your application you agree that your personal data will be processed by and shared with our UK entity (ProVeg C.I.C.) and German entity (ProVeg e.V.). 

The recruitment process consists of two rounds: 1): an online trial task; 2): an interview with the Programme Manager and Director. 
 

• Application deadline: 5th October 2025

• Online trial task: sent to longlisted candidates by 10th October 5pm, to be completed by 12 October at 5pm 

• Interviews: take place on 21st and 22nd October 2025

• Start date: November 2025