Programme director jobs in Croydon, greater london

Summer Program Director 

Reports to: Operations Manager 

Hours: 8.00 am - 4.00 pm M-F (times may vary during the 10 weeks of summer)

Contract: November 2026 - September 2027

Salary: Grade 7 on the support staff scales, £45,934 - 48,732 depending on experience

Overall purpose 

To have overall responsibility for the successful planning and delivery of the ASL Summer Program. The selected candidate will be accountable for designing, budgeting, recruiting, promoting and supervising the day-to-day operations of the program, providing a safe, enjoyable, and age-appropriate experience for campers that is culturally aligned and similar to the day program at ASL. This leadership position is charged with the long-term objective of evolving and changing the program to improve offerings, and experiences and ensure sustainable financial performance. 

Responsibilities 

Program oversight

• Work with school administration to set strategy and goals for the summer program, in alignment with the overall goals of the school

• Develop and monitor budgets and KPIs 

• Design and create the program of offerings (before the portal opens in March)

• Actively enhance and grow all aspects of the summer program  

• Create or enhance program policies and procedures

• Conduct a post-summer debrief, incorporating surveys, performance data analysis and a report to management

People

• Ensure appropriate staffing for all programs, including the recruitment and ongoing management of staff

• Hire and schedule teachers, coaches, assistants, and counsellors with the assistance of the Canons Park Manager (s) and other team members. 

• Ensure counsellors are interviewed, trained and supported to work in the program.

• Hire supporting staff when needed.

• Support HR to ensure all summer program hires are correctly DBS checked and complete necessary training materials before starting work. 

Planning / Operations

• Conduct advance planning for all aspects of the program during the school year 

• Coordinate between various departments to ensure the summer program and facilities are adequately prepared 

• Work with the Transport Manager to ensure appropriate busing is arranged for offerings. Also, manage buses during the summer weeks..

• Supervise the morning drop-off and collections during the summer weeks. 

• Support the Canons Park Manager and other program leads with any challenging parent communications or interactions during the summer weeks. 

• Support the coordinator(s) with any issues related to parent registrations or refunds. 

• Respond to messages from the summer email inbox from December.

• Supervise the careful release of campers by counsellors, coaches and teachers to their parents at Waverley Park.

• Manage any possible parent complaints, including but not limited to refunds, camp swapping etc

• Manage and support any child safeguarding concerns that may arise during the summer.

• Work with the Facilities Manager to organize room locations and spaces

Other

• Update and test the employment pages and forms, the summer web pages, and the Veracross portal listings. 

• Manage and confirm the weekly payroll and submit it for processing. 

• Work with the Accounts department on payroll, purchasing (Soldo cards), budgeting and abiding by the ASL financial procedures. 

• Work with the Advancement department (ASL communications/website team) to set up / update the webpage and advertise the programs internally and externally through school announcements, emails and local magazines

Selection criteria

Essential qualifications/experience:

• Experience working with children of the ages 5 to 14 years old

• A positive and flexible attitude towards working in and leading a team

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• A demonstrable awareness of and commitment to diversity and inclusion and to safeguarding in education

• Comfort with using a variety of technology platforms 

• Previous experience managing/leading teams 

• A professional approach and experience with customer service 

Desirable qualifications/experience:

• Previous teaching or assistant teaching experience with children 

• Previous experience with hiring extracurricular teachers and assistants

• Previous experience with designing and managing activities for children

• Experience with managing budgets and meeting financial or performance targets

This position description is current at the date shown but following consultation may be changed to reflect or anticipate changes in the role that are commensurate with the job title and salary.

The American School in London is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all trustees, employees and volunteers to share this commitment. All new appointments will be subject to appropriate checks: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS enhanced), Disqualification by Association Self-Declaration, Declaration of Criminal Record, checks against the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) Prohibition List (Teacher Status Checks) including Identity, Address, Date of Birth, a Full Employment History, Right to Work in the UK, overseas checks where applicable, at least 2 references (one with current or most recent employer, where appropriate) and original documentation of Qualifications (where appropriate). For positions into Senior Management a Prohibition from Management Check (s128 Directive) will also be undertaken.

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. You may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed.

ASL is dedicated to fostering courageous global citizenship in a diverse and inclusive school environment. In our international community, we aspire for the cultures and backgrounds of our employees to mirror those of our families and student body, and we enthusiastically welcome applications from candidates who bring diverse life experiences, perspectives and skills. Educators with knowledge of global education and prospective applicants for any position who are committed to diversity and inclusion are particularly welcome to apply. The American School in London will not discriminate against an applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, maternity or parental status, or any other legally recognised protected basis under local law. Read our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement here.

Lead CARE International UK’s impact in a rapidly changing world.

Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy

CARE International UK

Salary: £88,800 - £91,761 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing date: 31 August 2026 at 11pm

Interviews from w/c 7 September 2026

Why work for CARE International UK?

CARE International is a global humanitarian organisation leading the fight to end poverty in the world’s most challenging situations. Women and girls are at the centre of our work, because we cannot overcome poverty and inequality until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We know that when a crisis erupts, women are often the first to pick up the pieces, so we work alongside women, so they have the power to make change where it’s needed most. Founded in 1945, CARE currently works in over 100 countries and last year alone reached 53.4 million people through nearly 1,500 projects.

About the role

This is a unique opportunity to shape CARE International UK’s international development and humanitarian action at a time of shrinking aid budgets, growing humanitarian need, increasing attacks on women's rights and rising pressure on civic space. Like a challenge?

As a member of CARE International UK’s Senior Leadership Team, you will lead our programmes, policy, advocacy and institutional funding portfolio, driving impactful change for women and girls worldwide. With passionate and highly capable teams you will play a critical role in securing major institutional funding, advancing locally led and gender-transformative approaches, and ensuring CARE remains at the forefront of development and humanitarian innovation. You will oversee a powerful UK influencing agenda, using CARE’s evidence and expertise to shape government policy, donor priorities and public debate, while serving as a senior ambassador for our work with donors and policy targets. You will also help shape strategic priorities across the global CARE Confederation and provide leadership to our humanitarian portfolio.

About you

We're looking for an inspiring and strategic leader with significant experience in the international NGO sector, a strong track record of securing and managing institutional funding, and experience delivering impact through local partners and complex federated networks.

You will be an accomplished leader of organisational change, able to lead with empathy and authenticity through periods of uncertainty, while maintaining a clear focus on mission, performance and results. You will build high-performing teams, influence senior stakeholders and translate ambitious strategy into meaningful impact.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative and strategic leader, committed to fostering an inclusive, anti-racist and feminist organisational culture. If you have the experience we need, are passionate about gender equality, local leadership and creating lasting impact for women and girls, we'd love to hear from you.

Right to Work in the UK

All applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom at the time of appointment. Proof of right to work will be required as part of the recruitment process. For more information, please visit the UK Government's guidance on right to work.

Where you do not have current right to work in the UK, then this will be discussed with you as part of the recruitment process. Please note that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship and further information (should you require sponsorship to work in the UK) on eligibility can be found  here.

Safeguarding 

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

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

· Satisfactory references. CARE International UK participates in theInter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (link here).In line with this Scheme, we willrequest information from successful applicants’ previous employersabout any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment,or incidents under investigationwhen the applicant left employment.

· Appropriate criminal record checks (including a Bridger check, link here).

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

Equality and Diversity

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

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from people of underrepresented backgrounds, including those from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities, and individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

About the role

The Academy runs some of the most valued grant schemes and development programmes in UK biomedical and health research. Springboard Awards help researchers establish their independence. Starter Grants keep talented clinicians in research alongside their clinical work. Leadership programmes like FLIER develop people who can work across academia, healthcare and industry to tackle real-world challenges, and alongside these sit opportunities to spend time working in industry, the NHS or government. Moving between sectors should be a normal part of a medical research career (it is not yet), and much of our work is built with that belief: a more connected and mobile workforce is better able to turn discovery into benefit. Between them, these schemes change the course of people's careers, and the research they enable reaches patients across the UK and beyond.

This role leads that portfolio. The heart of the job is excellent delivery: schemes that are well designed and well run, and that make a real difference to the people they reach. You will work closely with the Fellowship, whose expertise and generosity run through the whole portfolio, and you will make sure the schemes serve the whole of the medical sciences community (across the devolved nations and the regions, in industry as much as academia), not just those already inside the most established institutions. And science is global, so this work is too: the portfolio draws on evidence and partnerships from around the world, and the mentoring and networks around the people we support reach well beyond the UK.

Today much of the portfolio's focus is research talent and careers. That will always be a substantial part of the portfolio, but over time we plan to expand it further. That expansion could go in several directions, and what matters is that we are taking an evidence-based approach to ensure that our efforts are responding to what the medical sciences sector needs. Whatever we launch next, the same principles apply; good design, sound funding, proper governance and solid evaluation, with our effort concentrated where it delivers the most impact. So, the job is twofold: run today's portfolio brilliantly and build the future portfolio. It is a role where you can see your work land in people's lives, with real scope to shape what comes next. And none of it stands alone: what we learn from the people we fund sharpens our policy voice, the community our programmes build strengthens our engagement and public trust work, and insight flows back the other way to shape what we design next.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will share in the leadership of the Academy as a whole, working closely with the other directors: the Chief Operating Officer and the Directors of Policy, Communications and Engagement, and Translation and Enterprise. The relationship with Translation and Enterprise matters especially. That team will shape new partnerships and initiatives that your team is best placed to deliver, so the two of you will work in very close partnership.

What we are looking for

These are the six areas we will explore with candidates. They match the six parts of the role above, so you can read straight across — and your supporting statement can follow the same structure if that helps. We do not expect anyone to arrive with every part fully formed, but the strongest candidates will be convincing across most of them.

1. Excellent delivery

A strong track record of running grant schemes or of significant programmatic delivery. Much of this is operational: holding an annual cycle to time and budget, catching problems early and getting stuck things moving again. It is also about making sure the portfolio adds up to a coherent whole rather than a collection of separate schemes, with the governance discipline — sound contracts, clean compliance, rigorous oversight — that sits behind delivery done well.

2. Building partnerships and negotiating well

A track record of building and sustaining partnerships with funders, delivery organisations and industry, and the skill and pace to turn them into agreements where appropriate. We will want to hear how you have handled a complex negotiation and brought it to a close. The Chief Operating Officer leads the Academy’s income strategy, so we will also explore how you develop partners in concert with colleagues.

3. Range and credibility across the community

This role runs from Fellows (some of the most eminent scientists in the country) to researchers at the very start of their careers, and from government and funders to industry partners. We are looking for someone with the range to work well across all of them, and the credibility to be taken seriously at every level. We will also explore how you have widened access and drawn talent in from beyond the usual places.

4. A focus on impact

A commitment to looking at what difference the portfolio you lead makes. We are looking for someone who treats evaluation as a source of learning and uses what it shows to decide what the Academy should do next, keeping sight of the people and patients the work is for.

5. Leading and empowering people

A brilliant leader of people: someone who gets the best from a talented team by giving them space and ownership, backing them with real support and coaching, and building a culture where people thrive and develop.

6. Collective leadership

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you would share responsibility for the Academy as a whole, not only your own directorate. We want someone who takes that seriously, brings challenge where it is needed, backs colleagues when it counts, and helps make the Academy a brilliant place to work.

Benefits

We offer a competitive and evolving benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, development and work–life balance, including:

• Competitive salary and pension
• 26 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Option to buy or sell annual leave 
• Additional paid closure between Christmas and New Year
• Hybrid and flexible working
• Health, wellbeing and employee support programmes
• Cycle-to-work scheme and everyday benefits
• Structured learning and development
• Enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity leave
• Enhanced occupational sick pay

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button.

Closing date for completed applications: Midday on Monday 17 August 2026.

First interviews will be held 25-26 August 2026 with the CEO, Roz Campion, and the COO, James Lawrence, and focused on two competencies – leadership and delivery.

Second interviews will be held on 1 September 2026 with an external panel.