Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Who we are

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is working to speed up and support the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, in which people and planet can flourish. Inspired by the work of our founder over a century ago, today we are an independent, social change organisation, with an endowment, working across all nations of the UK. For us, ending poverty in the UK is a moral cause: to ensure dignity and respect for everyone, and to address exclusion and powerlessness.  Our work is supported by about 150 permanent staff across York, London and Glasgow.

Our culture and values

We are passionate about our mission and believe that meaningful work drives engagement. JRF is a place where people are proud to work, collaborate, and support one another. We foster an inclusive environment where curiosity is encouraged, and different perspectives are valued. We know that some communities are disproportionately affected by economic inequalities, and we are committed to learning, advocating for change, and becoming a more equitable organisation ourselves. We believe in trust and accountability. Our people have autonomy in their roles while working within broad organisational frameworks that keep us aligned with our values. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work.

While we can’t guarantee lifelong career paths for every role we are committed to helping our people grow and develop. We offer plenty of opportunities for learning, progression, and professional development during your time with us.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where diverse talents and perspectives are valued.

We welcome applications from all people irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or social economic background. We positively encourage applications from people with experience of living in poverty, which we know exists at higher rates for people from a range of marginalised backgrounds. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed organisation, supporting the recruitment, progression, and retention of disabled colleagues through flexible working and reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability, you can request an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme if you meet the minimum job criteria.

As part of our anti-racism commitment, we use an anonymised recruitment process to remove bias from shortlisting.