Regional fundraising manager jobs

Events and Communications Officer - TechFirst (London and South East)

Salary: £32,000

Help bring TechFirst to life through inspiring events and engaging communications

Are you an organised and creative communicator who enjoys bringing people together? Do you have experience supporting events, creating engaging content, and ensuring stakeholders have a great experience?

We're looking for an Events and Communications Officer to support the successful delivery of the Tech First programme across the region.

Working alongside the Education Engagement Coordinator and Partnerships Coordinator, you will play a key role in coordinating events, promoting opportunities, communicating with stakeholders, and showcasing the impact of the programme.

About Us

STEM Learning’s vision is a world-leading STEM education for all young people across the UK. We are dedicated to improving young people’s lives through the power of STEM and believe great STEM education builds knowledge and skills that are vital for everyone.

To achieve this, we provide a range of support to formal and informal education, including subject-specific professional development for teachers and other educators, quality assured resources, support for STEM Clubs, and student-facing experiences. We also lead the STEM Ambassadors programme, which enables 28,000 volunteers to share their enthusiasm and expertise with young people and teachers throughout the UK via classroom activities, career talks, etc.

TechFirst is a new national, government funded programme helping young people develop technology skills, explore future careers, and connect with employers and industry professionals.

By bringing together schools, employers, volunteers, and community partners, we create inspiring opportunities that help young people develop the confidence, knowledge, and aspirations needed for the future workforce.

The Role

This varied and exciting role combines event coordination, stakeholder communications, and programme promotion.

You will support the planning and delivery of events, workshops, careers activities, and employer engagement opportunities across the region. You will also develop communications that encourage participation, celebrate success, and raise the profile of the programme amongst schools, employers, volunteers, and partners.

From coordinating event logistics and participant communications to producing newsletters, case studies, and social media content, you will help ensure that all stakeholders have a positive and engaging experience of the programme.

Our Ideal Candidate

You will have experience supporting events, communications, stakeholder engagement, or programme delivery activities.

You will be highly organised with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

You will have strong written and verbal communication skills and be confident creating content for a variety of audiences and channels.

A proactive and collaborative approach is essential, as you will work closely with colleagues across the regional team to maximise engagement and programme impact.

Most importantly, you will be enthusiastic about helping young people access opportunities that can inspire their future education and career choices.

The role holder will be required to undertake travel across the region and occasional evening work to support events and stakeholder engagement activities.

By joining us, you’ll:

Contribute to exciting, high-profile STEM initiatives that have a lasting impact on students and employers alike.

Work alongside passionate colleagues dedicated to shaping the future of STEM careers.

Be supported by a collaborative and dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and creativity.

Gain the opportunity to grow professionally.

Our Benefits

30 days holidays plus bank holidays (plus your birthday)

Access to an attractive pension scheme

Our full-time hours are 37 hours per week

Up to 3 paid volunteering leave days per year

A comprehensive employee assistance programme

Access to a voluntary staff benefits scheme including cycle to work loan scheme; health cash back plans; free eye tests; discounted vouchers and much more

Location

Home-based within the region, with regular travel to schools, colleges, partner organisations, and programme events.

Team meetings will take place in our London office and the postholder should expect occasional travel to our HQ at the National STEM Learning Centre in York.

Next Steps

Click to apply and you will be directed to our website.

You will be asked to submit your CV and a cover letter explaining what interested you in the role and why you think you are our ideal candidate. Please indicate which location you are applying for (London or South East).

Closing date: Midnight on 21st June 2026

1st stage interviews: 29th June 2026 (online)

2nd stage: Full day assessment centre - Thursday 9th July 2026 (in person in London)

We are seeking an Assistant Director – Digital and Innovation to play a central role in shaping how Villiers Park delivers and develops its programmes at a pivotal point in the implementation of our 2025-30 strategy. This role represents an exciting opportunity to lead on the development of our digital education offer and innovation work, ensuring it enhances both the reach and depth of our programmes for young people across the UK.

Villiers Park is a national social mobility charity with a strong track record of delivering impactful programmes that support young people from under-represented backgrounds to fulfil their potential. As we continue to grow, digital provision and innovation are increasingly important in enabling us to reach more students, and to do so in engaging and inclusive ways.

Digital learning and programme innovation will be critical to the next phase in our strategy, building on the foundations we have already established, including the development of our learning platform and programme model. Alongside this, Leadership Challenge continues to expand as a key national outreach and social action programme, and this role will be instrumental in ensuring its quality and impact.

Our work is possible because of a brilliant team of staff, trustees and volunteers and committed funders and partners who believe in what we do and want to make the greatest possible difference. The Assistant Director – Digital and Innovation will work closely with colleagues across programmes, partnerships, communications and fundraising, as well as external partners, to ensure our digital and programme offer is coherent, forward-thinking and aligned with our mission.

This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic leadership with practical delivery, helping to translate ambition into impact for the young people we serve.

Sarah Chick

Head of Programmes 

Job purpose

The Assistant Director - Digital and Innovation leads the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of Villiers Park’s digital education provision. This includes the design and delivery of online learning experiences, the development of digital and physical resources for use across programmes, and ensuring that digital delivery is accessible, safeguarded and aligned with the organisation’s mission.

The role also provides strategic and operational leadership for Leadership Challenge, Villiers Park’s national student outreach and social action programme. This includes programme design, partner engagement, monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring the programme is effectively resourced and financially sustainable.

Working closely with the Head of Programmes, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Communications and Fundraising teams, and external partners, the postholder supports the development of digital innovation, programme resourcing and Leadership Challenge activity to enhance reach, impact and quality. 

Key responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership for the development, implementation and continuous improvement of Villiers Park’s digital education provision, ensuring alignment with our Theory of Change, priorities and values
• Lead the design and evolution of high-quality digital learning experiences, content and pathways for students, schools, parents/carers and volunteers
• Oversee the adoption and integration of digital platforms and tools, ensuring accessibility, safeguarding, GDPR compliance and scalability
• Drive innovation in digital delivery by monitoring sector trends and embedding relevant approaches to enhance reach and impact
• Ensure digital provision complements and strengthens face-to-face delivery across programmes, working closely with the Head of Programmes and Assistant Directors
• Provide strategic oversight of the use of AI within programmes, ensuring its application enhances learning experiences while maintaining safeguarding and ethical standards
• Provide strategic oversight of the development and ongoing review of physical resources, ensuring consistency, quality and alignment across programmes
• Ensure all resources are inclusive, engaging, curriculum-aligned and reflect organisational standards and brand expectations
• Maintain a coherent approach to resource development, ensuring materials support programme delivery and learning outcomes effectively
• Lead the strategic and operational development of the Leadership Challenge programme, ensuring it is high-quality, sustainable and aligned with organisational priorities
• In collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team, develop and strengthen partnerships with charities, corporates and universities to support programme growth and delivery
• Oversee the development of an appropriate recognition or award framework for participants
• Establish and oversee robust quality assurance and evaluation processes for digital and physical content and delivery
• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to strategic planning, budgeting and risk management, and provide quarterly updates to the Board of Trustees.
• Work collaboratively with Fundraising and Communications teams to support income generation, bid development and programme promotion

This list is not exhaustive, and the post-holder will be required to undertake other tasks relevant to the role and within their capability.

Skills and experience:

• Significant leadership experience in education, youth or social mobility sectors
• Knowledge of school and college curricula and the needs of learners aged 13–19
• Proven experience in designing and/or delivering digital learning
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, digital accessibility standards and inclusive design
• Experience developing high‑quality educational resources (digital and physical)
• Ability to lead programmes, manage projects and deliver to deadlines
• Ability to build relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders to further organisational aims and fundraising objectives

Personal attributes:

• A genuine commitment to and care for social mobility and young people’s futures
• Organised and proactive, effectively, prioritising workload and delivering outcomes independently
• Strategic and forward-thinking, with an ability to see the bigger picture
• Collaborative and able to work effectively with colleagues, partners and stakeholders across different functions
• Willingness to learn and develop your own practice and experience

Additional Information:

• The postholder will be required to travel regularly to schools, events and partner organisations
• An enhanced DBS check will be required
• The postholder will hold responsibility to be one of the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads
• The postholder will require a full UK driving licence
• Evening work and overnight stays may be required
• Hybrid – location local to our Cambridge office or near to one of our Regional Hubs

Employee Benefits

• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rated) and additional leave over Christmas.
• A dedicated wellbeing day for you to take at any time and three days (pro-rated) paid leave for volunteering or study each year.
• Training and professional development, including termly staff development days.
• Support from our wellbeing working group and access to an employee assistance programme.
• Opportunity to join working groups with other colleagues from across the organisation as well as wider networks such as the Fair Education Alliance.
• Flexibility in working hours.
• Additional sick pay and compassionate leave policies. 

Safeguarding

Villiers Park Educational Trust is committed to safeguarding and to providing a safe and supportive environment, which secures the well-being and best outcomes for the young people with whom we work.

Safeguarding is embedded in all aspects of Villiers Park's work and integral to the commitment we make to our schools, partners and the young people and communities we serve and work with. All employees and volunteers are expected to share this commitment by adhering to our organisational safeguarding procedures, attending regular in-house training and keeping up to date with developments in policies and legislation.

All employees and volunteers will also agree to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services check and successfully complete our mandatory online training courses including NSPCC Safeguarding in Schools and PREVENT training.

12 Month Fixed Term Contract | Full Time | Circa £33,000+

Excellent Benefits

Location: London

Make a Difference Every Day

For more than 100 years, the RAF Benevolent Fund has been supporting the RAF Family. We are a key partner in the Royal Air Force’s mission to look after its people during and after service, ensuring that this service is valued, recognised, and people are supported even when uniforms are eventually shed. We are a national charity with international reach, delivering emotional, financial and practical support wherever and whenever it is needed. Each year, our vital services and support continued to help those serving, families, veterans, and the bereaved, in 30 other countries and in 2024 more than 64,000 people benefitted from the charity’s work.

As an organisation, we encourage learning and development and there will be ample opportunity to learn more about the Royal Air Force, the broad impact of the Fund’s work as well as developing your own skillset. 

Do you want to play a part in what we do?

People are at the heart of everything we do. Together, we:

• Provide personalised support to members of the RAF Family – listening carefully, offering guidance, and tailoring our services to individual circumstances so no one is left behind.
• Improve quality of life for serving and former RAF personnel and their families through life-changing financial assistance, housing support, and help with essential living costs.
• Increase independence by enabling members of the RAF Family to live life on their own terms, whether through mobility equipment or housing adaptations.
• Enhance wellbeing for those who serve and have served, and their families, through mental health and emotional support, youth programmes, and restorative respite and holiday breaks.

About the Role

We are looking for a driven PR Officer to positively promote the visibility, awareness and reputation of the RAF Benevolent Fund through proactive public relations and communications activity. The postholder will help raise the profile of the organisation among key audiences by delivering media relations, content creation, stakeholder communications and wider communications activity that supports the Fund’s strategic objectives.

Additional Information

· Standard DBS check

· Must have the right to work in the UK.

How to Apply
Click [here] to submit your CV and a cover letter explaining why you’re the perfect fit, including examples of how you meet the job profile.

Closing Date: Wednesday 1st July 2026, 5:00pm.

A copy of the Fund’s Candidate Privacy Notice can be found on our website. As an equal opportunities employer, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. The Fund takes safeguarding seriously, and appropriate background checks will be completed. You can find out more about our commitment to safeguarding on our website.

The RAF Benevolent Fund follows Safer Recruitment practices as it strives to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with the Fund will be protected from harm. The successful candidate for this role will need to be Standard DBS checked and prove they have the right to work in the UK. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join the Fund.

The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is a Registered Charity (No. 1081009).