Project development and grants coordinator jobs

Be part of a team that is driving change in East London through creative and inclusive participation. 

Barking & Dagenham Giving (BD Giving), an independent grant-making charity, is looking for a new Programme & Engagement Coordinator. 

We are a small and highly passionate team with the ambition to revolutionise the way funding works. Our work is about shifting decision-making power into the hands of local people who are disadvantaged and disenfranchised. We believe people should be involved in decisions that impact their lives and given the opportunity to create meaningful change for themselves, their family, and their Neighbourhood.

We’re actively leading a movement within our borough’s social sector, among funders in London, and national charities. Over the past five years we have facilitated over £1 million in grant distribution and social investments and piloted an innovative £1.5m community-led investment fund through radical participatory approaches that have inspired other London boroughs, trusts and foundations.

You will work within the Programmes team and wider organisation to support people to make decisions that affect their lives by creating spaces where they can explore new ways of working together, and by equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to inform decision-making. This includes supporting innovative participatory programmes through delivery and administrative support.

We have a superb office space in central Barking and regularly deliver programmes across the borough, brining in residents and organisations as a hub of community activity. 

Job Description

What experience is needed?

• Someone with experience, knowledge or interest of working with local communities, with a focus on people-centred delivery and fostering collaboration

• Some experience and understanding of what it takes to manage a project on time and to a high standard

• Prior experience in community development, youth work, grant making, or facilitation to support inclusive programme design

• Understanding of how to work with community groups, people and organisations from different cultures and backgrounds

• We are particularly interested in candidates from Barking and Dagenham and global majority backgrounds

The kind of person we're looking to work with

• Effective communicator – ability to maintain and develop relationships with local communities, partners, organisations, and businesses
• Ability to learn and use creative methods to engage local communities and organisations, harnessing new technology, AI tools and community development approaches
• A people-person with a positive attitude who conducts themselves professionally, confidently and with an ability to listen and negotiate
• A proactive, motivated, self-starter who is flexible and quick-thinking - ready to pitch in and take initiative where appropriate 
• Experience in managing and prioritising varied and busy work loads 
• A curious approach in how things work - flexible, and adaptable with an openness to personal development and a willingness to learn and take feedback on board

 How to apply

Write a covering letter (of no more than two sides) detailing your suitability to the role with specific reference to the person specification included above, with clear evidence and examples of how you meet this and your suitability of experience. And provide a CV stating your work history. 

Click on the apply button now to learn more on how. 

Timeline 

Closing date is: 28 June 2026 at 23:59. Any submissions received after this time will not be reviewed. 

Interviews will be held on the 14 and 15 July 2026, in-person at our office in central Barking, London. 

Due to anticipated demand we may only be able to respond to applicants that are invited for an interview. 

Good luck! You'll smash it. Don't be shy in telling us how you really are and what you bring!

Job Title:Programme Coordinator (Scotland)

Salary: £32,000 pro rata (depending on experience)

Location: Home-based, within Scotland.  The postholder will be required to attend in-person meetings or events as needed across the UK.

Responsible To: Programme Manager

Contract: Part-time (3 days per week), Fixed Term, 2 years, with possibility of extension

Probation Period: 6 months

Annual Leave: 25 days p/a (pro-rata), plus office closure days between Christmas & New Year, and your birthday.

Pension: WMUK offers a pension scheme, with a current employer contribution of 6%

About Wikimedia UK

A registered charity, Wikimedia UK is the national chapter of the global Wikimedia movement. We work with volunteers, communities and partners across the UK to build and improve Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, so that everyone can access and contribute to reliable, open knowledge. We empower people to find, use, evaluate, and communicate information online and we advocate for a digital ecosystem that is open, equitable and democratic.

Background:

Programme Coordinators at Wikimedia UK lead on partnership work, relationship development, training delivery and volunteer support, usually within particular geographic or topic areas.  We are looking to recruit for a fixed-term, two-year role to deliver and develop our activities in Scotland, and support the wider Programmes team in delivering UK-wide work. For example in 2026, we are planning celebration events across the country for Wikipedia’s 25th, and the post-holder may be involved in their delivery. Apart from the delivery focus on Scotland, there will be scope to get involved with other areas of Wikimedia UK’s programmatic work such as delivering training in other parts of the UK, or supporting minoritised languages (particularly the indigenous languages of the UK), depending on programmatic needs. 

We have had dedicated staff support for activity in Scotland for nearly a decade, and have several successful and ongoing partnerships with a number of educational and cultural institutions, as well as community organisations.  Whilst the focus of this role is primarily on Scotland, Wikimedia UK delivers work both nationally and internationally, and the post holder would be expected to hold a portfolio which contributes to and supports this.

This is a part time post and can be based anywhere in Scotland, and there is an expectation of travel, including quarterly meetings at our office in London.  Some evening and weekend work should also be expected, for which Time Off In Lieu can be taken.  Successful post holders of similar roles in the organisation are skilled in advocacy, creative thinking, and project planning.

Purpose of job: To lead the delivery of Wikimedia UK’s activities in Scotland, by developing and running projects with partner institutions, involving and empowering volunteers, and delivering training, as well as supporting programmatic work outwith Scotland.

Main Duties

Programme Development & Delivery:

• Lead on the development and delivery of Wikimedia UK’s programme in Scotland, in collaboration with the Programme Manager, including seeking new potential opportunities.

• Support other aspects of Wikimedia UK’s programme outwith Scotland as appropriate

• Work with other staff to identify funding opportunities for existing or potential projects, as appropriate

Relationship Management (Particularly in relation to Scotland):

• Act as the main point of contact for partner organisations and volunteers and ensure proactive, effective and regular communications with these stakeholders

• Actively pursue, set up and manage relationships with partner organisations

• Provide support to Wikimedians in Residence 

• Develop, deliver or support a range of activities, such as Wikipedia editing events, Wiki Loves campaigns, editor meetups and content donations, in partnership with other staff and external stakeholders

Community Engagement and Development (Particularly in relation to Scotland):

• Encourage the involvement of volunteers in activities, grow the volunteer base, and provide support for community-led activities

• Design and delivery of training to partner organisations and volunteers

• Support the volunteer grants programme 

Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact:

• Report regularly on programme plans, outputs and outcomes, in collaboration with other staff in the Programmes team

• Handle documentation and record all programme metrics relevant to the role’s portfolio, including updating CRM records for partnerships, volunteers and activities

Communication and Dissemination:

• Contribute to the promotion and dissemination of our work and impact, in collaboration with the Communications team, and including for example blog posts and conference presentations.

• Manage and update the Scotland mailing list, and Scotland pages on WMUK’s Wiki and website. 

• Contribute to knowledge exchange with the international Wikimedia movement 

Travel:

• Attend and contribute to regular team meetings, generally held in London (for which costs will be reimbursed)

• Regular travel across Scotland will be required, and occasionally further afield in the UK (for which costs will be reimbursed)

Person Specification

Essential:

• Experience in the cultural, education or open knowledge sectors, with a demonstrable understanding of how organisations in at least one of these sectors operate and what they might value in a partnership.

• Proven track record of managing external relationships or partnerships, including initiating and sustaining productive working relationships with a range of stakeholders over time.

• Experience planning and delivering public-facing events or programmes, such as training sessions, workshops, community events, or editing/contribution events, from inception through to evaluation.

• Strong communication skills across multiple formats, including the ability to write clearly and engagingly for different audiences (e.g. blog posts, partner communications, reports) and to represent an organisation in public-facing contexts.

• Experience engaging and supporting volunteers or community contributors, including growing participation and sustaining involvement over time.

• Self-motivated and able to manage a varied workload independently, with strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise across multiple projects without close supervision.

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly across Scotland and to London quarterly, with flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as required by the programme.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects, whether as a reader, editor, contributor, or through previous work with the Wikimedia movement.

• Experience of working with or supporting minoritised or indigenous languages, particularly in a Scottish or UK context (e.g. Scottish Gaelic, Scots).

• Experience using a CRM system to manage contacts, activities, or relationship records.

Job Title: Grants and Learning Manager
Reporting to: Head of Grants
Responsible for: No direct reports
Based: Our Head Office is based in Kensington, London SW7, but we have an agile working policy enabling people to work at another UK location up to 4 days/week. Requests for permanent remote working will be considered and we welcome applications from people based in other parts of the UK. Some UK travel will be required.
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week. Requests for part-time (0.8FTE minimum) or flexible working will be considered
Contract: Fixed term contract to the end of December 2027
Salary: £35,457 - £46,811 FTE per annum

About Us

The British Science Association (BSA) was founded in 1831 and is a registered charity.

We are creating a future where science is more relevant, representative, and connected to society.

We have ambitious goals to put people at the heart of science.

About the role

We are seeking to appoint someone on a fixed term contract to the end of December 2027, to join our Grants Team in delivering The Ideas Fund, an exciting programme which looks to connect communities with researchers in order to develop and try out ideas related to mental wellbeing. The Fund is delivered in four areas of the UK – Oldham, Hull, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and North West Northern Ireland, although this role can be remote, based anywhere in the UK.

With support from the Head of Grants, we expect that you will have lead responsibility for grant management across these areas, building strong relationships with our Development Co-ordinators and contributing to the successful delivery of the overall programme.

You will oversee the support for grant holders to learn from what is working and feed this learning into our overall approach with the Fund, as well as sharing insights externally. It’s an exciting time for the Fund as we work to build partnerships with others who are interested in community-led approaches to working with research and researchers. You can read more about our emerging findings around ‘Reimagining Research’ at the next stage when you make your final application.

You will work with our existing Grants & Learning Manager to ensure that our due diligence and grant reporting requirements are met, responding flexibly and creatively to issues that arise. Importantly, you will consistently focus on how our learning can influence long term change in funding and research practice.

As noted in the job description, we also expect this role to include supporting the Head of Grants with developing the BSA’s strategy around future grants programmes. This may include working across funding programmes other than The Ideas Fund as they are developed and funding secured.

Key responsibilities

• Work with the Head of Grants and our existing Grants and Learning Manager to continue to deliver an innovative programme that constantly evolves based on what we learn.
• Ensure excellent grant-making using relational, flexible and participatory approaches with high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Champion innovation in supporting community/researcher collaboration, community-led research, systems change and grant making across relevant sectors including:
  • Developing and delivering strategies for sharing learning, practice and ideas with a broad range of stakeholders through a range of approaches
  • Representing the British Science Association at external events to share innovation and learning
  • Developing and delivering events and/or content to showcase practice and share learning with a broad range of stakeholders using a range of approaches
• Support the implementation of our learning and evaluation strategies and processes, reviewing and refining as needed. Manage relationships and/or contracts with learning partners where appropriate
• Oversee the smooth delivery of the programme, including budget management, payment processing, due diligence activity etc.
• Support local Development Co-ordinators to:
  • Work with grant holders, collaborating researchers and project partners to overcome challenges they might face in delivering their projects
  • Collate and share local learning as part of wider learning strategies
• Develop and manage a small pipeline of discretionary grants to add value to the portfolio and/or make systemic impact at local or national level, if necessary. Develop bespoke application and grant management and learning processes as appropriate
• Engage a network of key existing stakeholders, and build further external relationships, to ensure successful delivery of the programme
• Support the Head of Grants with developing the BSA’s strategy around future grants programmes. In addition, the post-holder will be expected to:
  • Support colleagues across the organisation, especially at busy times or on specific areas of expertise
  • Other duties as reasonably required by the line manager

About you

The Grants & Learning Manager role would suit someone who has strong stakeholder management skills and experience in curating and sharing learning. Good attention to detail, experience of grant-making, and an understanding of the benefits and risks involved in delivering innovative grant-making approaches would all be beneficial.

The role would suit someone who is comfortable using their judgement and working with an evolving programme, and who can confidently communicate with a variety of stakeholders. We are particularly interested to hear from people who have experience in supporting and influencing wider systems change.

Your experience in terms of the person specification could come from either a personal or professional background. You may not have experience of everything listed in the person specification, but will be open to challenging yourself and developing in the role.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 5th July 2026.
Interviews are due to take place during the week of 20th July 2026.

You will be informed as soon as possible after the application deadline whether you have been selected for interview.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

As part of the British Science Association’s commitment to being a Disability Confident employer, all disabled applicants who meet the ‘essential criteria’ for this vacancy will be offered an interview under our guaranteed interview scheme.

No agencies please.

Movement Support Coordinator

Salary: £48,396-£55,644 pa + benefits (We normally offer a starting salary at the start of the range)

Based: Islington, London – hybrid working

Closing date: 9am on 2nd July 2026

Location: Islington, London. We aim to create an environment where everyone can contribute to the best of their abilities. Our hybrid working approach brings together the benefits of both office-based and remote working in an inclusive way. For this role, you’ll be expected to work from our Islington office at least 40% of the time each week. Reasonable adjustments will be made to support individual needs.

Greenpeace UK is an independent national/regional organisation within the global Greenpeace campaigning network, which acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. The global network of Greenpeace organisations comprises 26 independent national/regional Greenpeace organisations with presence in over 55 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, as well as a coordinating and supporting organisation, Greenpeace International.

The Movement Support Coordinator at Greenpeace UK plays a key role in strengthening relationships with grassroots movements and community organisations working on climate and social justice issues. Based within the Allyship Team, the post focuses on building collective power by supporting frontline groups, managing community resources, and embedding solidarity practices across the organisation.

A central responsibility is overseeing the Open Workshop Community Space -our hub for movement organising. This includes coordinating bookings, maintaining a welcoming and accessible environment, managing volunteers and freelancers, and expanding the space’s reach through outreach, events, and strategic development. The role also involves fostering strong relationships with grassroots organisers.

The coordinator will help deliver the Movement Support Fund, supporting the fair distribution of micro-grants to grassroots groups, monitoring impact, and assisting with fundraising resources. The ideal candidate will have experience in community organising, volunteer management, event facilitation, and relationship-building with grassroots or marginalised communities, whether through work, volunteer opportunities or activism. Strong communication, project management, and collaboration skills are essential, alongside a commitment to anti-oppression, solidarity, and climate or social justice activism.

You will achieve this by:

Managing the Open Workshop Community Space

• Process, organise and respond to requests from grassroots groups looking to book the space. 
• Manage a team of freelancers and volunteers who will oversee groups when they use the space, including recruitment, training, allocating shifts, receiving / giving feedback and processing invoices.
• Support and contribute to the development of a three year strategy to increase the reach and impact of the community space. 
• Promote the Community Space through proactive outreach, continually growing its list of users and ensuring a marketing strategy is in place.
• Bring the diverse groups using the space together through organising events and skillshares that serve the needs of the movement.
• Cultivate and sustain relationships with the lead organisers of grassroots groups and other stakeholders. Continually seek to better understand their goals and how the community space can best serve them. 
• Build and maintain relationships with grassroots groups within the UK.
• Maintain the space to a high standard of safety, cleanliness and organisation, including maintaining equipment and managing stock levels, to ensure it is safe, useful and welcoming for groups.
• Maintaining and, where necessary, implement new systems (such as booking systems, signage, briefing documents) to ensure the community runs smoothly and efficiently.
• Enable other Greenpeace offices to replicate this model by creating resources, sharing learning and acting as a spokesperson within the international Greenpeace community.

Supporting the Allyship Lead to manage the Movement Support Fund 

• With the Allyship Lead, set up and implement an equitable and effective method to distribute micro-grants to grassroots groups tackling specific social justice issues. 
• Carry out regular reviews of the programme to assess impact and equity.
• Support the Fundraising Team in the creation of resources for grassroots groups that enable them to apply for external funding opportunities.
• Supporting the allyship work across the organisation as directed by the Allyship Lead
• Collate a list of Community Space users who may be interested in future collaborations with teams or attending events.

Provide Internal communications to Greenpeace UK staff

• Assist the Allyship Lead with regular updates to Greenpeace UK staff in support of intersectional movement building, helping to develop clear and compelling talking points informed by our solidarity work.

We give you: 

You’ll be encouraged to develop both personally and professionally, taking advantage of the wide range of learning and development opportunities available to our staff. We offer great benefits such as a generous pension scheme, subsidised lunches, free yoga and a wealth of well-being resources, just to name a few. Take a look at our Work for Greenpeace pages to find out more about what it’s like to work for us and why you should apply.

Our commitment to diversity:

We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in environmental and campaigning organisations and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this.

One of our Anti Racism Plan objectives is to proactively achieve stronger representation of people of colour, particularly within leadership positions, and we have recently published ambitious race representation targets. 

To Apply

For further information including the job description, please download the applicant information pack. Please ensure to save this file to your computer for future reference. Once the job listing has closed you will no longer be able to access it online.

We recommend taking a look at this document that contains top tips for filling out your application, complied by our recruitment team.

If you have any questions, please email us. Please note that this email address is only for information. All applications have to be filled out on the website and cannot be submitted via email.

Greenpeace UK is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age or any other category protected by law

Closing date: 2nd July 2026 at 9am.

About Barnabas Aid

Barnabas International is a large family of Christian ministries and charities focused on giving practical support to suffering, abandoned and persecuted Christians around the world. The ministry was founded in 1993, and since then, it has funded projects in more than 100 countries, providing hope and help to millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Some of our key projects include supplying food aid, medical supplies, educational and vocational training, Bibles, micro-enterprise, disaster relief, help for victims of violence, and support for pastors and church leaders. Barnabas Aid also provides advocacy for religious freedom, especially for persecuted and suffering Christians.

Barnabas is a Christian ministry and a charity. Employees are expected to subscribe to the Vision, Mission, Value and Statement of Faith, and their work may be viewed as being vocational.

There is an occupational requirement for applicants to be practising Christians, who are engaged in their local church, in order to be able to carry out our roles.

Overview

The role will provide high-quality administrative, systems, and research support to the Quality Team, enabling consistent quality assurance across the grant-making cycle. The postholder will administer and improve the team’s Salesforce processes and data standards, coordinate key workflows and information management, support the Director of Quality, Quality Assurance Specialist and Impact (MEAL) Coordinator with scheduling and documentation, and deliver defined research tasks and short projects (e.g., into quality assurance approaches, MEAL frameworks, tools and best practice) to strengthen the team’s work.

Key internal relationships: Director of Quality; Quality Assurance Specialist; Impact (MEAL) Specialist; Regional Directors, Programme Managers and Project Officers; ICPO; Finance; Data/Systems owners.
 

Key Responsibilities

Salesforce administration and systems support

• Administer the Quality/Projects components of Salesforce (and associated tools), including user support, data standards, fields/picklists, basic configuration tasks within delegated permissions, and documentation of processes.
• Maintain data quality rules and routines (validation, required fields, definitions, and guidance) and run regular data quality checks, working with colleagues to resolve issues.
• Produce and maintain reports/dashboards for the Quality Team (e.g., pipeline status, stage-gate progress, approvals, conditions, timeliness, data completeness, and quality metrics).
• Log, triage, and coordinate Salesforce improvement requests, liaising with system owners/IT and supporting user testing and roll-out of updates.
• Create and maintain user guidance (how-to notes, short training materials) to support consistent use of Salesforce and associated quality workflows

Administrative support to the Quality Director and team coordination

• Support the Quality Assurance and Impact (MEAL) Specialists with planning timetables, collating papers, maintaining decision/action logs, and following up actions with stakeholders.
• Prepare and format documents to agreed standards (templates, document control, version control) and maintain an audit-ready filing system in SharePoint (or equivalent).

·Coordinate team processes, including shared calendars, team meetings, process documentation, and communications that help the Quality Team operate consistently.

Research and special projects (Quality assurance, MEAL and learning)

• Undertake defined research tasks to support the Quality Team’s priorities (e.g., QA approaches in grant-making, MEAL frameworks and tools, file review methodologies, sampling approaches, learning loops, and good practice in documentation and audit trails).
• Produce short research summaries/briefings with practical recommendations for the Director of Quality and Specialists, including options, pros/cons, and implications for Barnabas processes.
• Support discreet improvement projects (e.g., updating templates/checklists, improving guidance, piloting a new dashboard or QA tool) and track actions to implementation.

·Maintain a small library of standards, templates, guidance, and reference materials (including MEAL and QA resources) for the team.

Pre-Committee Proposal Scrutiny

·Formal review of all project proposals before submission to the projects subcommittee to improve quality by ensuring:

oProposals are internally consistent;

oProposed solutions credibly meet the identified needs;

oThe response is proportionate and broadly consistent with other Barnabas Aid projects of a similar nature;

oBeneficiary selection is conducted appropriately and can be justified;

oThe proposal is strategically aligned, represents good value-for-money and meets all of Barnabas Aid’s project policies;

oRelevant harms have been considered and mitigated;

oA proportionate M&E approach is in place;

oPrudent but pragmatic financial arrangements (e.g. split into tranches, use of intermediaries) are adopted and justified.

·In conjunction with regional teams, undertake light editing of proposals to improve clarity and correct inconsistencies and typographical errors.

·Document checks to ensure all due diligence activities have been conducted before proposal is put to the subcommittee.

Post-Committee Follow-up

·Track actions provided by committee to ensure projects fully implement committee decisions (e.g. splitting into tranches, reporting requirements, risk management, etc)

·Draft, for regional team’s approval, project approval/project rejection letters to partners, including all relevant provisions for management of the grants.

Compliance, confidentiality, and continuous improvement

• Handle sensitive information responsibly, ensuring appropriate confidentiality, data protection, and information security practices are applied.

·Support the Quality Team to evidence required checks and maintain consistent records across systems and files, raising risks or gaps as appropriate.

Other duties

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties. From time to time, the employee may be asked or required to carry out other additional tasks, or duties, over and above their usual day to day activities. Employees are expected to work collaboratively across the regional team, including providing flexible support and surge cover as needed.
 

Person Requirement

Essential

·Bible-believing follower of Jesus: Demonstrates a personal commitment to discipleship and growing in faith. In good standing with their Church, actively

participating in its life and community. Committed to affirming and signing Barnabas Aid’s Statement of Faith.

·Educated to degree-level or equivalent, with strong administrative and systems experience.

·Evidence of continuous professional development relevant to administration, data/systems, quality, research, MEAL, or project/grants work

·Experience in a busy administrative role, supporting multiple stakeholders, scheduling meetings, and coordinating actions to deadlines.

·Experience administering or providing ‘super-user’ support for a CRM/database (preferably Salesforce), including maintaining data standards and producing reports/dashboards.

·Experience with document control and shared filing systems (e.g SharePoint), including version control and maintaining audit-ready records.

·Experience undertaking structured research tasks and producing clear summaries/recommendations for non-specialist audiences.

·Highly organised with strong attention to detail; able to manage multiple deadlines and stakeholders.

·Strong systems aptitude: able to document processes, apply data standards, run checks, and support colleagues to use systems consistently.

·Ability to produce clear reports/briefings and summarise research into practical recommendations.

·Confident with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint) and comfortable learning new systems.

·Discretion and good judgement when handling confidential/sensitive information.

Desirable

·Experience working in the charity, international development, or faith-based sector.

·Salesforce administration training/qualification (or equivalent CRM certification).

·Training in research methods, MEAL, data analysis, or quality/process improvement

·Experience in grants administration, governance support, programme/project support, or compliance-focused roles.

·Experience supporting QA, audit, MEAL, or learning processes (e.g., file reviews, indicator tracking, learning events).

·Ability to build and maintain Salesforce reports/dashboards and/or familiarity with basic Salesforce admin concepts (profiles/permissions within delegated scope).

·Familiarity with MEAL concepts (monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning) and how they support quality and learning in programmes.

·Understanding of grants governance, restricted funds, and/or donor intent in a charity setting.

·Experience working in a distributed/remote team environment.

Personal Qualities

·Service-minded and collaborative; enjoys enabling others to do their work effectively.

·Proactive and solutions-focused; comfortable addressing issues, prompting actions and following up with colleagues.

·Curious and methodical; able to work independently on research tasks and present findings clearly.
 

How to Apply

Please apply by submitting your CV and a cover letter demonstrating how your skills and experience make you a good fit for this role and for the mission of Barnabas Aid.

Manchester Central Foodbank is a busy Trussell Trust-affiliated food bank, with centres in Central, North, and East Manchester. We were established in Ardwick in 2013 by students at the Manchester Universities’ Catholic Chaplaincy, making us the first student-led food bank in the country. Since then we have grown significantly, expanding our weekly sessions into Harpurhey and Openshaw.

Our core aims are to deliver the best quality support that we can to the largest number of our neighbours in need, while working with partners and influencing and organising at a neighbourhood and citywide level to reduce and end the need for food banks in Manchester.

We currently support 16,000 people per year with nutritionally balanced 3-day food parcels. This is double the number of people we supported in the first year following the Covid-19 pandemic, and four times the number supported in 2019. We also provide financial inclusion support with advice workers in public sessions, access to energy vouchers, SIM cards, and other voucher or material support. We coordinate across a network of 200 active front-line referral agencies with the aim of ensuring everyone who accesses our service has appropriate, specialised, and ongoing support alongside the material provision that we provide.

We are active leaders in anti-poverty organising and community development, as convenors of the citywide Building an Anti-Poverty Community collective and aim to be key shapers and influencers of new strategies and policies, working closely to support and influence local government, NHS, education and research agendas in Manchester and more widely building upon our track record of successful anti-poverty partnership work, social value impact and Parliamentary influencing. Our core values are: care, partnership, dignity, partnership, anti-stigma and rights-based.

Key responsibilities
As Chief Executive Officer you will be the key senior staff leader for the charity. You will lead the team to ensure they have the resources, frameworks, and support to effect smooth day-to-day running of our frontline support service. You will provide a strong business management focus, through supporting the financial process, overall metrics and reporting, day to day HR and input for the external Payroll Team, Health and Safety, appropriate working conditions, and strategic planning and communications. 

As the senior lead you will also facilitate and support the Board of Trustees to develop and lead strategic development objectives and plans for transformation, and ensure the delivery and implementation of the charity’s overall strategy and specific focused strategies. You will develop and manage strategic relationships with stakeholders including Council, NHS, and other statutory partners and funders, corporate and social value funders and partners, and high-value and donors. You will also plan and lead fundraising strategies. 

You will be a key external interface for our community and partners.  You will do this by:

Staff/Board Leadership and Governance:

• Line managing a current team of operations staff, including those supporting the recruitment, training, and management of a large team of volunteers. 

• Building team spirit and employee engagement and offer.

• Leading and delivering regular staff performance and development reviews.

• Developing and delivering robust metrics and reporting to the board and staff team, through consistent monthly and quarterly reporting packs to the board of trustees.

• Ensuring all staff and volunteers are familiar and engaged with the charity’s long-term goals and objectives, and know how their work helps to implement these on the ground. Leading the development of induction packages and ongoing offers for staff and volunteers. You will be responsible for writing, implementation, and update of institutional policies as needed to staff and volunteers.

• Leading targeted volunteer recruitment strategies to maximise core delivery capacity through volunteer roles and prioritise staffing capacity to core charity operations.

• Ensure policies are kept current.

• Ensure recording and management of absence/leave.

• Ensure Health and Safety aspects of all organisational operations are compliant, in collaboration with the Board sponsor.

• Manage day to day financial input, through the Xero app, and ensure accurate and up-to-date financial reporting for the Board/Treasurer. This includes administering monthly payroll requests.

• Oversee training and personal development plans for staff and volunteers, as appropriate.

• Working with the Chair of Trustees to implement the charity’s strategic plan and structural development objectives.

• Develop and implement ongoing plans and actions to ensure operationally-appropriate and safe office, warehouse, and working spaces.

• Lead on development, modelling, and maintenance of service delivery standards, quality control, and ensuring frontline teams have the appropriate resources, support, and frameworks to deliver high quality and consistent support offers.

Foodbank Management:

• Support the Operations and Project Lead to deliver the smooth running of food bank sessions across multiple centres, ensuring an excellent standard of service across all centres, and seeking to continually develop our service in line with our goals to support the largest number of people with the best support we can while working to reduce and end the need for food banks in Manchester.

• Develop and build a new Delivery Strategy with the Chair of Trustees and Operations and Project Lead.

• Support the Operations and Project Lead and Warehouse and Logistics Coordinator to safely store and maintain optimal stock levels, maximise food donation levels and reduce food spend, develop and maintain relationships with community donors, and record incoming and outgoing stock, with the aim of ensuring that all centres are well stocked to provide as many varied, balanced, and nutritious and culturally-appropriate food parcels as necessary.

• Ensure compliance with the procedures set out in Manchester Central Foodbank’s policies, the Trussell Trust’s Operating Manual, and relevant statutory requirements at all times.

• Ensure our food bank centres provide a safe and dignified environment for clients, free from discrimination, judgement, and stigma.

Strategy and External Relationships:

• Working with the Chair of Trustees on development, monitoring, and implementation of the core charity strategy and sub-strategies. Ensuring the involvement and participation of the food bank’s staff, volunteers, external partners, and service users in all strategic planning and decision making, where appropriate.

• Support the Operations and Project Lead to work build strong relationships with referral partners and wider community and statutory networks of collaborators and support to ensure that our service users are able to access the maximum amount of support before, during, and after accessing our service to minimise the length and severity of financial crisis, maximise their incomes, and provide pathways to ongoing and longer-term support.

• Play an active role in strategic and convening spaces around our city and neighbourhoods to present the foodbank’s approach, bring more partners into our network, and influence policy and funding frameworks.

• Develop and manage a Corporate Relationships and Social Value strategy, including communications, networking, and relationship management.

• Lead on directing the charity’s external communications, including social media, in person, newsletters, company visits, and other content.

• Manage internal communications, including developing and delivering two-way team briefings with the board and staff/volunteers, biannual town halls or away days with board members and staff/volunteers, newsletters, and an open and collaborative, person-focused, and developmental culture within the organisation.

About you

Essential Experience and Knowledge:

• 5 years’ experience of leading a similar profiled charity or organisation and successful Board interaction.

• Experience of leading successful transformation and change for a charity and a strong developmental mindset and focus.

• Have led a team of 5 or more staff members to successful performance, demonstrating experience of coaching and individual development skills.

• Experience in developing and leading successful and engaged volunteering programmes and support.

• Full valid driving licence. 

• Proven experience of leading the development and delivery of strategy and sub-strategies to successful conclusion and fashioning evidenced business cases for current and new development projects.

• Leading multiple complex projects or services, balancing the needs and interests of a range of stakeholders.

• Experience of implementing rigorous reporting and evaluation practices on operations.

• Experience of managing day-to-day financial administration and reporting.

• Evidence of delivering clear metric dashboards and reports.

• Experience of high-quality implementation of Health and Safety and Safeguarding policies and a leadership practice that centres care for staff, volunteers, and service users. Safeguarding lead qualification is desirable but will provide training if not.

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in HR processes and management.

• Experience in building and delivering strategic plans.

• Proven experience of effective problem solving and responding to crisis situations.

• A good working knowledge of the social welfare and political landscape in Manchester – or demonstrable experience in similar expertise and networking and an openness to learn and develop sector-specific knowledge.

• A nuanced and sensitive understanding of the complex reasons people attend food banks.

Desirable Experience and Knowledge:

• Partnering with and building relationships with Council, NHS, and other statutory partners and funders, corporate and social value partners and funders, high net worth donors, and fundraising through grant applications and individual/community donors.

• Experience of working collaboratively with stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, faiths, and views. 

• Experience of handling safeguarding incidents, follow-ups, and debriefs with staff, volunteers, and service users.

• Demonstrated success in delivering communications strategies for internal and external stakeholders, including social media and press content and campaigns.

Personal Skills and Attributes:

• An individual who embodies the values of Manchester Central Foodbank in their core professional practice and personal approach to their work.

• An empathetic and care-centred approach and the ability to centre the experience and outcomes of people from marginalised or socially-excluded backgrounds in core decision-making and prioritisation.

• A leader who takes ownership, accountability, and responsibility to drive an organisation and team forward with a developmental mindset.

• A highly self-motivated and proactive person who centres collaboration and consensus with the staff team, volunteers and Board of Trustees in their approach.

• Able to develop strategy and plans and translate strategy to actionable delivery and developmental projects.

• A high level of literacy and communication.

• A high level of numeracy and ability to analyse data.

• Strong leadership attributes to build engagement and performance with the team.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate, persuade, and coach staff and volunteers.

• Excellent personal organisation skills and the ability to manage multiple conflicting priorities and deadlines.

Demand for our specialist tutoring programmes for Children Looked After, those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) continues to increase and we are seeking a dedicated and effective Partnerships Account Manager to join our team and support the increased demand for our provision and the continued scaling of our organisation.

The Organisation

Equal Education is a social enterprise working to improve outcomes and narrow the attainment gap for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, including Children Looked After, those with SEND, and unaccompanied asylum seeking children. We have over 13 years’ experience delivering 1:1 tuition, working with hundreds of Schools and Local Authority partners across the country, reaching hundreds of pupils annually. 

As a member of the Fair Education Alliance, we believe in providing meaningful educational provision to students whose needs may not be best met within a traditional classroom environment, those who aren’t currently accessing education, or who benefit from additional 1:1 support. We work with over 200 qualified teachers to provide academic, subject specialised and individual tutoring and mentoring for children of all ages. Tutors provide pastoral care and work with pupils to increase engagement and attainment. Our programmes will help the students to overcome barriers to learning, help them build trusted relationships, increase their aspirations, and fulfil their potential. We are passionate about our cause and are looking for people who are motivated by a strong desire to address educational inequality and improve outcomes. 

What is the Role?
In this role, you will drive business growth by securing new partnerships and managing key client accounts across designated regions. With a focus on building and sustaining long-term local council and school relationships, you will work closely with clients to understand their needs, expand our service offerings, and ensure the highest levels of satisfaction. As the majority of our key client relationships are with local councils, we are looking for someone with knowledge of how they operate.

The post holder will have the opportunity to line manage junior member(s) of the team, who provide essential bid-writing and administrative support to facilitate efficient and effective client management.

This role would suit someone with proven ability to operate effectively in scaling organisations where processes are still being defined. This role suits someone who is adaptable, resilient, and confident working at pace amid change.

The role will be suited to those who have worked within an education setting and held the title: SENCO, Head of Department, Advisory Teacher, Inclusion Coordinator or Designated Teacher. The role will also be suited to those who have worked within a Local Authority setting and held the title: Commissioning Officer, Senior Case Officer, Case Officer. Whilst the role is also suited for an experienced (key) account/client manager, we are looking for an individual who has experience and/or knowledge of the UK education system.

This role is ideal for an ambitious, client-focused individual, passionate about creating positive outcomes for vulnerable students. If you’re ready to contribute to a growing organisation that’s making a difference, we’d love to hear from you! We expect that the successful candidate will be able to swiftly absorb our ways of working and contribute to the ongoing growth and success of the organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Client Acquisition and Relationship Management

   • Proactively seek new business opportunities within assigned regions to grow the client base.

   • Develop and maintain strong, positive relationships with key clients, ensuring their evolving needs are met and service offerings are aligned.

   • Lead regular client review meetings to discuss progress, gather feedback, and identify additional service opportunities.

   • Manage internal relationships to ensure what matters to clients is communicated internally using the proper channels, to allow for effective delivery by our Service Delivery team

   • Maintain good internal stakeholder relationships with our Service Delivery team to ensure client demands are balanced with our processes and team capacity. 

2. Strategic Planning and Development

   • Collaborate with Senior Leaders to develop strategies for client retention and growth.

   • Work closely within the Partnerships team to align on strategic objectives and ensure seamless service delivery across functions.

   • Participate in client and industry events to represent the organisation, expand networks, and identify new business opportunities.

3. Performance Monitoring and Reporting

   • Monitor client engagement, satisfaction levels, and service outcomes; produce regular progress reports for management.

   • Oversee tracking and analysis of client-related statistics to ensure targets are met and clients receive impactful, value-driven service.

   • Manage and track client data and prospect pipelines using CRM systems, ensuring accuracy and up-to-date information.

   • Report to the the Partnerships Director on accounts, Tenders, Bids, client meetings on a regular basis.

   • Be curious to explore our Salesforce system data, understanding and interpreting delivery and impact data. 

4. Line Management and Support Coordination

   • Lead, mentor, and manage junior member(s) of the team focused on bid/application writing, tender management, and client-related administration.

   • Support junior member(s) in producing and reviewing high-quality application documents and responses that align with client requirements and enhance our partnership outcomes.

   • Provide oversight to ensure that administrative tasks are completed efficiently, supporting smooth client interactions and consistent follow-through.

   • Work with other area leaders, to ensure strong delivery of services.

   • Contribute to, and foster strong internal working relationships to successfully delivery against strategy and objectives.. 

5. Bid Management and Process Improvement

   • Oversee the preparation and submission of tenders and bid applications, working closely with junior member(s) to ensure high-quality and timely submissions.

   • Continuously review and improve internal processes to optimise bid management, client onboarding, and service delivery.

   • Report on bid submission performance, review bidfeedback to continuously improve. 

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Detailed knowledge of the UK education sector. 

• Experience working in the education sector or with local authorities, particularly in roles involving SEND or children’s services.

• Proven track record in client relationship management, with experience in sales or partnership development roles.

• Strong communication skills, particularly in face-to-face and telephone interactions, with the ability to build rapport quickly and maintain long-lasting relationships.

• Experience managing a small team, providing leadership, direction, and support to ensure high-performance standards.

• High level of empathy and commitment to supporting vulnerable and underserved communities.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet both short- and long-term deadlines effectively.

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) for tracking client data, leads, and progress.

• Proactive, problem-solving mindset, able to address issues independently and provide client-focused solutions.

• Able to work in a high pressure environment, whilst taking initiative, we would want the postholder to ask for support when needed.

Desirable:

• Exceptional written communication skills, with proven confidence in drafting, editing, and refining persuasive content across a variety of formats.

• Experience in bid and tender writing or grant applications is advantageous, though a background in producing compelling written materials for diverse purposes is equally valued.

General
The job is subject to having the right to work in the UK, two professional references and a basic DBS check.

Why Equal Education?

• Competitive salary

• Investment in you - we believe in developing from within and offer our team training opportunities and personalised development plans, as well as the chance to get involved with lots of projects across the organisation.

• Flexible, hybrid work environment with regular opportunities for in-person client engagement.

• Working alongside a passionate team working to make a positive impact in the lives of under-resourced children and young people across the UK.

• Staff wellbeing benefits such as ClassPass membership, access to discounts via Perks at Work, eyecare vouchers, regular wellbeing sessions and team social events.

At Equal Education, you are the expert. We give you the space, the support and the technology to be your best. The rest is up to you.

Being you at Equal Education 

Every young person we support is unique and our team isn’t any different. Our differences are our strength when it comes to providing a tailored, human approach to education. We are proud of our people and provide an environment where everyone can bring their most authentic self to work. 

Our recruitment practices are carried out in line with equal opportunities and all candidates will be reviewed fairly regardless of age, gender reassignment, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. 

Next steps

If you feel inspired and you think you have the right motivation and experience for the role, we would love to receive your application.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and interviews will be arranged accordingly. We reserve the right to close this application early, for example if we receive an unprecedented number of applications, so please apply promptly to ensure you are considered for this role.