Programme officer jobs in Watford, hertfordshire

We are the only environmental charity working across the entire length of the River Severn. Our work is bold, ambitious, and rooted in science and community action. From urban streams to remote upland headwaters, we are tackling the biggest challenges facing our rivers through restoration, education, and collaboration. 

Your Role 

As Senior River Engagement Officer, you’ll take a leading role in our Community Engagement team – designing and delivering creative programmes that connect people with rivers and inspire action for nature. You’ll manage and mentor a growing team, develop exciting new projects, and secure funding to make them happen. 

Working in one of our operational catchments, you’ll build partnerships with schools, businesses, and communities, while delivering hands-on engagement activities – from citizen science and volunteering to wellbeing initiatives and outdoor learning. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of community engagement at Severn Rivers Trust. 

What you will do 

• Lead ambitious engagement programmes – from school learning and family events to volunteering and river health monitoring. 

• Manage and mentor River Engagement Officers and freelancers, fostering an inclusive and supportive team culture. 

• Develop new projects and secure funding, turning bold ideas into real-world impact. 

• Champion nature-based solutions and river wellbeing, helping communities understand how rivers support climate resilience and biodiversity. 

• Build partnerships across sectors, working with schools, businesses, and community groups to create shared benefits for rivers and people. 

• Act as the local lead for your catchment, delivering engagement that reflects local priorities and inspires action. 

Who We Are Looking For 

This is a senior role requiring proven experience in community engagement and project management. You’ll need: 

• A strong passion for rivers, wildlife, and nature conservation. 

• Experience leading engagement programmes such as citizen science, volunteering, education, or wellbeing initiatives. 

• Confidence in managing and mentoring staff or volunteers. 

• Excellent communication skills – able to engage, inspire, and influence a wide range of audiences. 

• Strong project management skills, including planning, delivery, and monitoring of multi-strand programmes. 

• Ability to build partnerships and work collaboratively across sectors. 

• Willingness to travel regularly within your catchment and work occasional evenings/weekends. 

A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle insured for business use is essential. 

Join BBS UK and help deliver compassionate support within NHS highly specialised clinics, supporting children and families living with Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

At Bardet-Biedl Syndrome UK (BBS UK), we are dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by this rare genetic condition. Our charity provides specialist support services that help children, young people and families feel informed, supported and able to navigate complex health and care systems, working in partnership with NHS Highly Specialised BBS Clinics.

We are seeking a compassionate and organised individual to join our Clinics Support Team as a Patient Liaison Officer (PLO). This role offers a unique opportunity to deliver charity-led support within specialist paediatric clinics at Great Ormond Street Hospital, working alongside NHS multi-disciplinary teams while remaining part of a close-knit and supportive charity team.

About the Role

As a Patient Liaison Officer, you will play a vital role in ensuring families feel prepared, supported and heard before, during and after their clinic appointments. You will provide emotional and practical support, advocacy and system navigation, helping families to understand their care and access appropriate support, while referring more complex casework to BBS UK’s specialist Advice Service.

You will:

• Support families before, during and after NHS Highly Specialised BBS clinic appointments

• Facilitate clinic attendance by preparing families for appointments, addressing concerns and helping to reduce “Did Not Attend” rates

• Attend specialist BBS clinics at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and St Thomas' Hospital, providing on-the-day support to families and clinicians (Approximately 2-4 days per month)

• Act as a key point of contact between families and clinical teams, supporting communication and information-sharing

• Provide light-touch advocacy, information and signposting in relation to health, education, social care and local authority support

• Identify unmet needs or emerging issues during clinic interactions and refer families to the BBS UK Advice Service for specialist advocacy and follow-up

• Support families during key transition points, particularly the move from paediatric to adult services

• Maintain accurate and confidential records using BBS UK’s CRM system (CharityLog)

• Contribute to service evaluation, quality improvement and the wider work of BBS UK

This is a home-based role with attendance at clinics in central London and occasional travel to other clinic sites and BBS UK events. Travel expenses will be reimbursed in line with BBS UK policies.

Who We’re Looking For

We are looking for an experienced individual with a background in supporting children and families, who can work confidently in a clinic-based, people-facing role.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Experience working with children, young people and families, ideally within health, social care, education or the voluntary sector

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage sensitively with families experiencing distress or uncertainty

• Experience providing emotional and practical support to individuals with complex or long-term conditions

• Ability to organise and manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively and work independently

• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and case management/CRM systems (e.g. CharityLog)

• Understanding of safeguarding principles and professional boundaries

• A strong commitment to improving outcomes for people living with rare or complex conditions

Desirable Experience & Skills

• Knowledge of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome or other rare or genetic conditions

• Experience working alongside or within NHS services or multi-disciplinary teams

• Understanding of education, health and social care systems in England

• Experience supporting families affected by disability or visual impairment

• Ability to travel for work, including clinic attendance (travel expenses reimbursed)

Why Join BBS UK?

BBS UK is a small, dedicated charity making a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families affected by Bardet-Biedl Syndrome. Our Clinics Support Team is widely recognised by families and clinicians as an essential part of the specialist BBS service.

By joining us, you will:

• Have a direct and positive impact on families at critical points in their care journey

• Be part of a supportive, values-driven charity team

• Work flexibly from home while delivering face-to-face support in specialist clinics

• Receive training, supervision and ongoing professional development

• Contribute to a nationally recognised rare disease support service

Additional Information

• DBS Check: An enhanced DBS check is required for this role

• Safeguarding: Completion of safeguarding training within the first month of employment

• Flexible Working: Occasional evening or weekend work may be required, with time off in lieu provided

• Hours: This is a permanent, part-time role (20 hours per week)

How to Apply

If you’re passionate about supporting children and families living with a rare condition and would like to be part of a dedicated charity team, we’d love to hear from you.

If you would like to discuss the role before applying, details can be found in the application pack.

Application Deadline: 8th February 2026

About SPANA

SPANA (The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) is the global charity for the working animals of the world. Since our foundation in 1923, we have worked where they work, to support the welfare of working animals, including horses, donkeys, mules, oxen, dogs and camels.

About this role

The Programmes Quality and Delivery department is a key unit within SPANA’s Global Programmes Directorate (GPD). The team ensures effective oversight of the design and delivery of working animal health and welfare interventions in collaboration with a range of national NGO partners across more than 20 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Central and South America. SPANA is strengthening the GPD to support partners to develop and deliver transformational and sustainable improvements in working animal welfare. 

Reporting to a Senior Programmes Manager, the Programmes Officer provides essential grant administration and project management support to a portfolio of partners, ensuring effective oversight across the lifecycle of grants. This involves developing effective working partnerships remotely and identifying risks and issues that need to be escalated. The Programmes Officer works closely with technical colleagues responsible for Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL), animal health and welfare, education and behaviour change and the wider organisation (e.g., communications, fundraising, advocacy and policy). 

Contract, location and salary

This role is a full-time (34.5 hours per week), permanent role. This is a UK based position, with 1-2 days per month (or more if preferred) worked from SPANA's office in London. 

The salary for this role is c.£32,000 subject to skills and experience. Applicants must have the current right to work in the UK.

Further information and how to apply

Please review the job description for full details including a person specification and information on how to apply. The deadline for applications is 23:59 GTM on Sunday 8 February 2026. 

Breck Foundation

Breck Foundation is at the forefront of efforts to safeguard children and young people online. Our organisation was founded in 2014 in response to the tragic loss of Breck Bednar, a 14-year-old boy who was groomed and murdered by someone he met online. Our work aims to prevent this from ever happening again. Our work saves lives.  We reach thousands of children and young people in schools and other community settings with Breck's story every year. Our talks and educational materials fill a gap in the current UK curriculum that otherwise leaves children vulnerable to online grooming and exploitation.

With 98% of young people now active internet users, current and future generations grow up having to navigate new and evolving digital dangers. We are committed to making the internet a place where children can live, play and thrive in safety. We are helping young people reclaim the internet.

The Role

Children’s online safety is both an important and an urgent issue and the need for our unique work here at Breck Foundation is greater now than ever. The primary purpose of this role is to help children and young people take practical steps to become more digitally resilient and be safer online. Our East of England Education Programme Officer will introduce the highly impactful Breck’s story into schools and other youth and community spaces and deliver inspiring, educational talks to students, parents and guardians, teachers and other groups in a ‘whole community’ approach.

The role is fully remote, but post holder will be willing and able to easily travel to various locations within the East of England as and when necessary to fulfil the requirements of the role as well as to engage with colleagues virtually and in person in London four times a year.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Delivery

• Coordinate all practical arrangements necessary for successful delivery and post-delivery activities in schools, including the timely transmission of digital files; and liaising with relevant colleagues to ensure timely delivery of materials and promotional merchandise to schools.
• Responsibility for delivering sessions tailored to educate/inform children/parents and teachers as well as carrying out all pre- and post-delivery engagements.
• Respond to any questions, disclosures or safeguarding concerns raised during sessions and follow up where necessary with the school safeguarding team or, where consent is secured, make onward referrals for additional support in specific cases.
• Contribute to the continuous development of all aspects of the programme, sharing new ideas and using best practice, including keeping programme presentations up to date or, when applicable, working on this together with relevant colleagues, ensuring that presentations used in schools across the organisation are always uniform and consistent.
• Maintain accurate records of programme activities, including record of input, output, and impact as well as demographics data, and monitor and periodically evaluate and report on impact.

Stakeholder Development/Management

• Seek and maximise opportunities for building relationships with groups of schools (primary and secondary) and relevant education/teaching groups, unions and networks, with a view to raising the profile of the programme and generating interest in it.
• Develop and manage ongoing relationships with individual schools to secure their repeat, annual participation in the programme or repeat bookings for paid presentations.

Publicity/Marketing/Communications

• Promote the offer to all types of schools (state and private), working with relevant colleagues to create impactful publicity/marketing assets and to make contact and register schools’ interests. 
• Maximise opportunities for generating communication assets and publicity during delivery in schools, including through video recordings, photographs, testimonials, Vox Pops, collection of social media handles for mentions etc., ensuring to follow school guidance and secure necessary permissions.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Objectively review the successes and achievements against agreed objectives, identifying strengths, weaknesses and risks, as well as suggesting improvement.
• Depending on experience and qualifications of post-holder, to be receptive to any other duties as required, in line with the needs of Breck Foundation.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues and other professionals, and to participate in team meetings.
• To participate in personal supervision in accordance with Breck Foundation’s supervision and performance appraisal policy and attend agreed training as relevant.
• At all times to carry out the responsibilities of the post in a manner consistent with promoting equalities and diversity and demonstrate respect for colleagues and Breck Foundation’s aims and values.
• To maintain an awareness of own and others’ health and safety, comply with Breck Foundation’s Health and Safety policies and procedures and lone working policy.
• Some evenings and weekend are involved with time recovered flexibly or time off in lieu taken where agreed with the line manager.

Civis Foundation (UK) has partnered with AEA Consulting for the recruitment of the Programme Officer.

Civis Foundation invests in arts and letters, cultural preservation, and community development initiatives. Initially established in the US, the foundation is launching a UK-based charitable entity in 2026 to expand its mission across Commonwealth countries, with a particular focus on the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Barbados, and cities such as London and Liverpool.

The work of the Foundation is rooted in the belief that understanding "the other", both within ourselves and in our communities, is essential to personal fulfilment and social transformation. Through partnerships with artists, cultural institutions, municipalities, and community organisations, the Foundation creates opportunities for engagement that transcend boundaries, cultivating compassion and advancing justice.

The newly formed London office will serve as a hub for adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, artistic commissioning, and community investment throughout the Commonwealth. We view artistic expression as a starting point for rekindling democracy - work that urges us to consider the needs of the other, their lived experience, and perspective. We champion projects that address complex historical narratives and create space for genuine dialogue, helping us imagine how we might live together.

The UK charitable foundation will serve purposes including the advancement of education, cultural preservation, and the advancement of citizenship and community development.

Programme Officer (UK) – Role Description

Working closely with and reporting to the President and CEO of Civis Foundation (US and UK), the UK Programme Officer will support the Foundation with the launch and scaling up of its operations in the UK.

The Programme Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the UK Foundation, relationship development, and project management. The management of the initial activity of the Foundation in the UK will include:

• Relationship building: Extensive outreach to potential partners across arts, preservation, municipal, and community sectors in London, Liverpool, Jamaica, and Barbados. Secure introductions and meetings for the President and CEO, and explore potential programme collaborations.

• Partner collaboration: Work with strategic consulting partners to support business planning and programme development.

• Operating budget and core grant application development: Prepare a comprehensive grant request to Civis Foundation New York for initial capitalization, including a three-year operational budget.

• Financial management and reporting: Support preparation of annual accounts, supplier management and payments, and monitor budgets and cash flow.

• Operational and administrative support: Work with the President and CEO of Civis Foundation and other relevant staff and consultants on ad-hoc administrative support, meetings and diary coordination, and to put in place systems and processes for the full launch of the UK operations.

• Evaluation and monitoring: Develop a "light-touch" but effective framework for measuring impact and tracking relevant metrics.

Key competencies and required skillset to succeed in this role include:

• Demonstrate understanding of the UK non-profit landscape, specifically within social justice, arts, or community/urban development context, with at least 7-10 years of project and programme management experience in one or more of these fields.

• Bring a strong network in one or more relevant fields in the UK: social justice, arts, or community/urban development.

• Excellent project management skills, including fluency with software packages (MS Office, project management) and relevant AI tools.

• Financial literacy (including budgeting and cash flow management).

• Working knowledge of the governance and legal regulation in the UK charitable sector.

• Knowledge of and interest in the current agenda around civic and social development, education, and the role of arts and culture in social change, heritage preservation, and urban development.

• Comfortable working independently and across time zones.

• Clear and respectful communicator with excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills.

• Detail-oriented, proactive, and accountable.

• Self-motivating and willing to balance strategy with daily administration.

We expect this to be a part-time role for the initial 12 months of operations, with potential to scale up to a full-time role in 2027.

Compensation & Benefits:

Compensation: £60,000-£67,000 a year (Full-Time Equivalent), dependent on experience.

Actual Salary: £42,000-£47,600 a year for 25 hours per week (0.7 FTE) pro rata.

Working hours: 25 hours per week. Flexible, with some adjustment to both UK and US time zones.

Annual leave: 22 days (28 days including bank holidays, pro rata.)

Pension: 8% employer contribution.

Hybrid working: remote/working from home, with regular access to a coworking/office space in London and for attendance of in-person meetings in London.

Training and development: Annual budget for professional development, conference attendance, etc.

Application Process:

To apply, please submit your CV and complete three questions on the Applied platform.

Application deadline: 10:00am (GMT) on 2 February 2026

Provisional interview dates with shortlisted candidates: 16-27 February 2026

The selection process will follow three stages: 1. Online interview 2. Technical interview 3. Final presentation and interview with CEO.

Indicative start date: March 2026

We believe a diverse workforce is a stronger workforce. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, ensuring fair treatment and opportunity for everyone. Selection is based solely on merit, ability, and fitness for the role.