Regional Manager Jobs in Reading, West Berkshire
Role: Communities Coordinator
Hours: 37.5 per week Monday to Friday
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £25,000-£33,000
Holiday: 25 days per year plus Bank Holidays
Based: Home Based with travel to London and across the UK
Probationary Period: 3 months
Reports to: Head of Campaigns
Benefits: An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year / Flexitime policy / 5% pension contribution
We are River Action
We are a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue Britain’s rivers from a toxic cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution. We support community action, galvanise and mobilise public opinion, influence government policy, and call out destructive industrial practices to incentivise changes that end pollution.
We are building a talented team of positive disrupters and community mobilisers to deliver our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of community and wildlife.
Britain’s rivers are our life support system and they are dying. We need urgent action to bring them back to life.
Who we are looking for:
We are looking for highly engaged people who share our passion for rivers, wildlife and people who bring a creative, collaborative and investigative approach to campaigning. For this role we are looking for a confident and resilient community organiser who can build strong relationships to support communities to create change locally.
What you’ll be doing:
The Communities Coordinator will support community groups to campaign for clean rivers at a local level. By facilitating grass roots action you’ll be galvanising a strong and powerful network of community activists that have the power to create change both locally and nationally. You’ll be responsible for taking River Action’s national campaign strategy to a local level. You’ll work closely with the Campaigns Manager and the wider team to develop a Community Toolkit (including advice for activists, and guidance and services for communications, fundraising, legal support and citizen science projects) to support communities as well as provide strategic support to empower community activists to campaign for clean rivers. You’ll work closely with the Campaigns Manager and wider team to amplify the stories of those taking action at a local level and connect campaign groups to the wider national agenda. You’ll be working collaboratively with the River Action team to devise, develop and deliver our strategy ensuring our programme of community engagement is equitable, diverse and inclusive. You’ll be working closely with other organisations to ensure our community support compliments the work of others and meets the needs of community groups we work with.
Main Duties
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Contribute to the development and implementation of River Action’s campaign strategy.
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Develop River Action’s Community Toolkit as a package of support for local campaign groups.
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Identify community groups within river catchments areas River Action is working and build positive and impactful relationships..
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Organise site visits to develop good relationships and in-depth understanding of local issues impacting river health.
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Convene and align local stakeholders around river catchment and regional campaigns.
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Facilitate local community groups’ campaigns and provide support in line with our toolkit’s support package.
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Facilitate the creation of community group citizen science projects, integrated within a national system for gathering and sharing evidence of pollution.
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Organise community crowdfunding for citizen science and communications.
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Plan and host webinars, training sessions and online and in person events.
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Develop good working relationships with regulators including Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and Scottish Environment and Protection Agency.
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Support the CEO and Campaigns Manager to identify and deliver legal challenges at a local level.
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Maintain and develop partnerships and working relationships with other key groups and stakeholders working in similar areas of work to River Action.
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Identify opportunities to engage, empower and expand River Action’s network of supporters.
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Support the Communications Coordinator to create inspiring and engaging digital media content and news stories, including taking photographs and videos and conducting interviews.
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Support the Campaigns Manager and Communication Coordinator in responding to the reactive news agenda.
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Contribute to the Monitoring and Evaluation system for demonstrating impact of River Action’s community engagement work, reporting against KPIs.
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Contribute to fundraising efforts particularly crowdfunding and drafting of funding proposals to support Campaigns and Fundraising Teams and the charity’s mission.
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Work as a motivated and collaborative team player within a fast-paced team.
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Carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the post as requested by your line manager or any other member of the River Action team.
Other Duties & Responsibilities
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Adopt a positive approach to personal and professional development; engaging in one to one meetings and relevant training.
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Be aware of, and act on, relevant health and safety responsibilities as an employee of River Action and adhere to these wherever you are working.
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To maintain confidentiality in all areas of work at River Action.
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UK travel will be required. Training & operational activities may require overnight stays away from home, in which case standard River Action procedures apply.
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Demonstrate a strong commitment to creating an inclusive, equal and diverse workplace.
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Work collaboratively with colleagues across River Action to collectively deliver our ethos and mission.
What you’ll bring
The position will suit an energetic, collaborative, resilient community organiser with a passion for aligning and mobilising communities to drive environmental change. The ideal person will be an excellent communicator, a natural convener, well-organised, and thrive within a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The person will have a passion to protect and renew our waterways and hold those responsible for environmental destruction to account.
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Experience in working with and supporting community groups.
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Experience in developing guidance documents and toolkits.
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Expertise in convening and galvanising people around a common cause, using a diplomatic and sympathetic approach combined with urgency.
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A head for organisation and excellent time management working in a calm and logical way.
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An understanding of the issues that are impacting our rivers.
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The ability to establish and maintain effective contacts and relationships with senior and influential external individuals and bodies.
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The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide range of people both verbally and in writing including the media, community groups, other NGO representatives, supporters and followers on social media.
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Great IT literacy.
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Ability to work independently and take initiative to solve problems.
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Ability to work flexible hours as necessary.
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Ability to travel to remote locations not necessarily well-served by public transport.
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A good team player with a willingness to muck in as and where required.
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Ability to think clearly even when working under pressure.
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A passion for River Action’s mission and vision.
Diversity and Inclusion
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single criteria. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. So if you like the look of this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we would still like to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this or other roles.
How to apply
To apply, please submit your CV, a cover letter explaining how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role and a written submission as described below to jobs at riveractionuk dot com. Only applications including all three documents will be accepted.
Written Submission:
This year, River Action will be developing its Communities Toolkit aimed at local campaign groups and activists seeking to develop their own local campaigns to rescue their rivers locally. As part of your application, we would like you to put together a one page document outlining a plan for the toolkit, mapping out the main structure and content of the toolkit and how you would deliver it to communities. We will particularly be looking at your style of communication and creative skills. Should you be successful in being invited to interview, you may be asked to present this idea.
Closing Date: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 23:00 Friday 24 May. Screening calls and first-round interviews may be conducted with short-listed candidates before the application deadline. The deadline may be closed early if the right candidate is found.
Interview Date: Interviews expected to be held from 24 May via video conference.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Job Title: Ecologist
Advertised Salary: £32,427
Base Location: Home-based with requirements for national travel.
We're the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, because we believe that life is better by water. Every role across the Trust plays its part in transforming our canals and rivers into spaces where local people want to spend time and feel better, bringing wellbeing benefits to millions.
We currently have an opportunity for an experienced Ecologist to join our Environment and Climate action team within the S&I Directorate and is responsible for delivering the Trust’s strategy and policy on all environment and climate related sustainability issues, including environmental compliance as a minimum, improvement of our protected sites and achieving a net gain in biodiversity across our canal network.
The Ecologist will be responsible for providing professional technical input into the Trust’s strategic activities around nature recovery. This includes collecting and analysing information and data to support a long-term action plan to move more of our protected sites towards favourable condition and support projects that increase biodiversity and the abundance of protected species across the network.
The Canal & River Trust is in an ideal position, as a large landowner with blue and green corridors connecting habitats across the landscape, to carry out environmental enhancements using our local volunteer workforce to ensure that we improve habitats and support biodiversity. Planting the right trees in the right places, reconnecting old hedgerows and restoring or creating wildflower meadows and linear species-rich grasslands to provide a safe haven for wildlife and a destination for people to retreat to from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Reconnecting people with the nature on their doorstep and offering them opportunities to get involved in looking after ‘their patch’ through guided walks and talks.
Our aim is to support the work of the Trust as a whole, while conserving and enhancing the environment of the inland waterway network. Finding simple and innovative solutions/methods of work to ensure that the modern-day use of the waterways, their historical importance, the Trust’s legal obligations and strategic priorities are met through sustainable development, conservation and enhancement of the natural environment.
Location
The role will be based working from home, with the expectation to attend main regional hubs either at Milton Keynes, Birmingham, or Little Venice (Paddington), for collaborative working. This is a national role, requiring collaboration with teams in all six of the Trust’s regions. There will be an expectation that the successful candidate will be able travel to attend meetings or fieldwork throughout the regional waterway network.
Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience
Key accountabilities:
- Provide ecological technical advice as requested. This includes input into Trust EMS standards and tools and nature recovery projects.
- Contribute to the Trust’s Nature Recovery Strategy and associated sustainability initiatives, with a view to increasing biodiversity across the Trust’s network
- Contribute to national programmes of engagement with customers, volunteers, stakeholders and the general public to promote the value of waterways and the work of the Trust to increase the Trust’s reputation and influence and secure additional resources for our work, focusing on our key sustainability priorities.
- Work with regional ecology teams to implement relevant inspection/monitoring and maintenance programmes for environmental/soft estate assets within their geographical remit, (re-)prioritising work to suit available resources and within delegated authority levels.
- Contribute to the implementation of an environmental management system (EMS; including associated processes & standards) especially with responsibility for monitoring national uptake
- Collaboration with regional teams to maintain ecology and nature recovery performance data (e.g. GIS layers, ecological baseline and species location data)
- Assist in the development of environmental training & competency
- Contribute to corporate targets on raising public awareness of and support for the Trust especially through interest in our environmental assets.
- Contribute to external engagement and fundraising nationally to secure additional resources for the Trust, especially through interest in our environmental assets
- Displaying the Trust values and behaviours at all times
- Ensuring that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life and promoting inclusion by challenging behaviour, practices, actions, or decisions that are counter to the objectives of the Trust’s policies and values
Knowledge, Skills & experience
- Degree or equivalent in relevant discipline.
- Associate member of relevant professional institution, e.g. CIEEM, CIWEM, CIWM, IEMA, etc
- Proven postgraduate experience in application of technical knowledge within a business environment.
- Able to negotiate effectively with internal and external contacts to achieve desired outcomes for the Trust.
- Able to support other areas of the Trust’s business in an appropriate manner, taking account of overall business priorities.
- Knowledge of, and practical experience of operating within, UK & European environmental policy and regulatory frameworks
- Experience of operating within a customer service environment
- Understanding of Trust governance, financial controls and systems of compliance
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
What We Offer
Compensation is made up as follows: £32,427. Additionally, we also offer a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, great holiday entitlement (increasing with years of service) and numerous other employee benefits.
- 25 days paid holiday, increasing to 27 days after 3 years.
- Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%.
- Annual £200 personal learning & growth award to spend on any learning related activity – hobbies; aspirations etc.
- Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues – health; financial; lifestyle; well-being; domestic & neighbourly matters.
- Access to a range of employee benefits including – store discounts; boating holiday discounts; holiday purchase scheme.
- Expansive maternity/paternity provisions.
- Progressive access to learning tools and CPD.
- 2 days paid volunteering leave, volunteering for local community project work.
At the Trust we care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do as a Trust. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of. All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job.
We believe that continuous personal & professional development are important, and through many Trust internal & externally supported development programmes we are pleased to support your ongoing growth and development in this role.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Internews seeks an experienced Project Director for a four-year European Commission (EC)-funded project to advance the global response to increasing the resilience of at-risk independent media. The Project Director will lead and manage a consortium of four international NGO and academic implementing partners, overseeing and coordinating the design and implementation of a diverse portfolio of activities in multiple countries worldwide, as well as project monitoring and evaluation and a robust learning agenda. Strong skills in project financial management and communications are required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
· Lead the Inception Phase of the project, working closely with consortium members, the EC, and other awardees to finalize target country selection, select research initiatives, draft the project workplan and monitoring and evaluation plan, and determine country-based activities.
· Serve as Internews’ primary point of contact with the European Commission, establishing and managing strong partnerships and dialogue with EC representatives in Brussels as well as country-level delegations.
· Effectively manage the project consortium, ensuring transparent communication processes and protocols.
· Pro-actively coordinate activity design and management with Internews Regional and Thematic Directors who manage Internews programming in key geographic regions and technical areas.
· Provide strategic, operational and representational assistance to ensure that activities are meeting their goals and targets, recommending program adjustments when necessary to keep the project on track;
· Regularly travel to London and Brussels, as well as target countries, for project and donor management purposes;
· Cultivate and strengthen relationships with local partner organizations and ensure that implementation is responsive to the needs of partners and beneficiaries;
· Track and report project progress and activities monthly against work plans;
· Oversee program monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective implementation and to measure activity impact;
· Working with the Monitoring and Evaluations specialist and team, ensure a robust learning agenda and deliver a learning symposium at project’s end with the consortium and EC.
· Maintain a thorough knowledge of key issues affecting independent media (print, broadcast, digital), and a general understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing independent media globally;
· Ensure the project is in compliance with all grant and cooperative agreement rules, requirements and regulations as well as with Internews internal policies and procedures;
· Serve as the primary budget authority over the project, responsible for ensuring all costs charged to the project are allowable, reasonable and correctly allocated;
· Accept fiduciary responsibility for all funds advanced for the purpose of the project;
· Understanding of and demonstrated commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
Manage and oversee all project staff.Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
QUALIFICATIONS
· At least 10 years of experience in media and program development, including senior-level management of personnel and financial administration;
· Donor grant management experience with EU funding and wider donor experience is essential;
· Professional experience in the media sector is an asset; experience managing assistance programs supporting media and/or civil society required.
· Experience as a manager or trainer with professional capacity-building programs for journalists and media outlets an asset.
· Demonstrated knowledge and experience in some or all of the following areas:traditional, digital, and social media; media and internet law and policy; information disorders/ disinformation; and/or sustainability models for media;
· Excellent soft skills, including diplomacy, interpersonal and communication skills, with a problem-solving attitude and as a self-starter who works both independently and as a collaborative team player;
· Willingness to travel regularly to London and Brussels, as well as target country visits;
· Additional language skills are a plus;
· University degree or equivalent experience.
Vacancy Timeframe:
Deadline for applications: 09 May 2024
Candidates must submit a succinct cover letter of no more than 2 pages explaining how they satisfy the requirements of the role, and a CV highlighting relevant experience. Successful candidate will also be asked to provide three professional referees, one of whom must be from their most recent employer.
The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the associate a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of their position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.
This position will be located in the United Kingdom and therefore a successful applicant must both be present in the UK for the duration of the assignment and be able to demonstrate their Right to Work in the UK in order to commence employment.
This role is the first point of contact for journalists getting in touch with the Trussell Trust. The role is accountable for handling media enquiries; checking and responding to the press inbox; media monitoring and securing press coverage. The Press Officer will assist with media work through print, online and broadcast news to help build understanding, awareness and consideration of the organisation’s mission and goal. The Press Officer will support and advise colleagues, food banks in the network and external stakeholders to ensure they receive media coverage of strategically important projects.
Role responsibilities
· Handle incoming enquiries and provide accurate, timely and appropriate responses, briefing journalists in line with the Trussell Trust’s key messages and priorities.
· Build relationships across the organisation, within the food bank network, with external stakeholders such as corporate partners, and with journalists to assist with securing coverage across national, regional and local media to reach new audiences and build cause awareness
· Horizon scan for media opportunities and develop innovative integrated communication plans, overseeing advice, statements, timelines, and key messaging to engage specific audience segments.
· Arrange spokespeople for interviews and support with organising and managing press visits to food banks, as well as photo calls, to support the organisation’s communications priorities and campaigns
· Circulate regular coverage updates across the organisation and help maintain and develop media databases, key performance indicator reports and other admin systems and processes to ensure continuous improvement
· Act as the media lead on proactive projects that help build understanding and awareness of both Trussell Trust and the food bank network’s strategic objectives.
· Participate in regular 1:1s and annual reviews, contributing to the identification of objectives and targets, and monitoring of progress towards them
· Participate in an out-of-hours rota for media enquiries.
Person Specification
Technical skills and minimum knowledge:
· Experience of working within a press office environment/PR
agency with a track record of securing high-impact coverage.
· A confident communicator who demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills.
· Demonstrates experience of tailoring communication for different audiences and circumstances.
· Knowledge of UK national, regional and local media and how to leverage them to get key messages out to the public. Some experience of handling media enquiries and speaking to journalists.
· Has a clear idea of priorities and manages own time appropriately while delivering key outputs and replying to requests in a timely fashion
Behaviours and competencies:
· Demonstrate dedication to the values of the Trussell Trust
· Demonstrates empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially excluded backgrounds
· Commit to occasional need to work outside of normal working hours and to travel throughout the UK
· Passionate about the work of the Trussell Trust and able to represent it and its values effectively
· Demonstrates resilience, resourcefulness, flexibility and perseverance
Role models inclusive behaviours and values
People living with Parkinson's value the services and opportunities Parkinson’s UK provides, delivered by committed and skilled colleagues, volunteers and partner organisations. Following an investment of 1.5 million we have the opportunity to build on the quality and reach of our community services.
From this investment we’re looking for someone to provide a high quality, local volunteer support service in region. Volunteers are vital to Parkinson’s UK; they provide highly valued support and services through local branches, groups, and cafes. This rewarding role provides the opportunity to work directly with volunteers, together making a positive difference to the lives of people affected by Parkinson’s.
About the role:
You’ll act as the main point of contact and support for volunteers in local branches, groups, and cafes. As part of an integrated regional team you’ll contribute to shared plans and priorities.
Working remotely and in person, you’ll provide the highest quality customer care and support volunteers in line with the charity’s governance requirements, as well as our policies and procedures. You’ll provide high quality business support to colleagues to promote volunteering opportunities and bring volunteers together in the local community.
What you’ll bring:
- Strong volunteer support skills and an ability to work in a user-focused and inclusive way
- Experience of volunteer recruitment, induction and training
- Ability to manage and prioritise own workload whilst working collaboratively across a dispersed team of colleagues and volunteers
- Proven ability to take a solution focused approach, supporting with queries raised by volunteers
- Ability to confidently support group volunteers with budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting
This is an exciting time for Parkinson’s UK and we would love you to join us!
The successful candidates will be required to
- have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check; if you don’t have a current DBS check, you will be required to apply for one - refusal to do so will result in the offer being withdrawn
- live in the area covered by the post and be able to travel when needed within the area and occasionally further afield
Anyone can get Parkinson’s. It’s vital that the people who work for Parkinson’s UK are representative of our diverse community. We actively encourage people from all sections of the community to apply, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, or religion.
Main responsibilities will include:
Administration
- Be responsible for securing contracts by confirming booking information and working with the Head of Budgets, Contracts & Policy to ensure freelance trainer contracts and Service Agreements are in place
- Oversee the general administration of all APD functions including responding to customer queries and feedback
- Process course bookings made via Thinkific and other platforms, ensuring all requirements are noted and passed on appropriately
- Regularly review policies and procedures which relate to sales and bookings Artswork Limited Registered Charity No: 800143 Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England No: 2150619
- Ensure effective contribution of accurate and timely data required by Artswork and its funders / stakeholders
Finance
- Be responsible for APD budgets including raising sales invoices, reconciling payments and managing deferred income
- Follow anti-money laundering procedures to ensure APD sales are compliant with legislation
- Ensure all finance and operations processes and procedures are rigorously implemented in collaboration with the Finance & Operations team
- Produce budget forecasts for APD and provide monthly updates on current financial position to the Deputy CEO and Head of Budgets, Contracts & Policy
- Chase debtors and regularly report any overdue payments to the Finance team
Strategy
- Contribute to the APD growth strategy through ideas and practical solutions
- Work with the APD team and Deputy CEO in the development of new programmes, routes to market and audience development
Communications
- Help to maintain strong communication channels with all partner organisations and customers
- Provide administrative support in developing regional networks, contacts and partners
- Assist with the engagement of employers and partners for projects and programmes
Administration and Legal Compliance
- Maintain positive professional relationships with our participants, partners and stakeholders •
- Adhere to Artswork’s values and its policies and procedures, i.e. Equalities, Health and Safety, Data Protection, Safeguarding and Environmental policies
- Be a committed champion for Artswork’s Anti-Discrimination Charter
- Maintain and develop personal skills and knowledge through appropriate training
- Perform own administrative duties
- Maintaining positive professional relationships with our participants, partners and stakeholders.
Transition Together is seeking to continue the work of deepening connection and growing the voice of the Transition Movement in England and Wales through the freelance engagement of three Network Weavers. This exciting project will see this team, supported by Transition Together staff, co-design an in person Transition Assembly early next year to guide the future of our Movement in the UK as well as build relationships with Transitioners across Wales and England and connect to emerging and established networks across the UK. These roles will be around two days a week for 10 months and the deadline to apply is 13 May.
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Start date: beginning of June 2024
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Contract period: June 2024 to March 2025
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Fee: £15k with £2k budget to support role activities
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Core working day: Tuesdays
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This is a remote working position including substantial travel to visit Transition groups and events
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The post-holder needs to be England or Wales based as there will be travel required to visit UK Transition groups, and experience of UK communities is essential
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This role will require evenings and weekends working at specific points.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are currently seeking an enthusiastic Press and Campaigns Officer to raise the profile of Carers First, building our brand awareness and engagement levels to reach new carers. The successful candidate will also help to raise awareness of the issues affecting carers and be responsible for our press and media activity, helping us to secure national and local coverage.
You will work to increase the charity’s local presence improving visibility and helping to increase engagement with Carers First across all the areas in which we work, supporting with the development and delivery of our campaigns and projects.
To be successful you will require 1-2 years of experience in a public relations or communications position, ideally within the charity or public sectors, excellent IT skills including ability to use Microsoft Office suite, along with superb organisational skills with a proven ability to prioritise work to meet deadlines and show attention to detail.
In return you will benefit from working for a not-for-profit organisation that delivers a service which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives. We offer training and development to help you grow your career, a good annual leave entitlement, flexible working options, access to our workplace pension, employee assistance programme and a Benenden Healthcare package.
If you are interested in becoming part of the team and have the skills and experience that we are looking for and are passionate about making a real difference, then please read the Job Description and Person Specification.
Appointments are subject to Carers First receiving suitable references and an appropriate disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
We encourage and welcome applications regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age.
If you would like to discuss this role confidentially, please contact us and we will be happy to organise for one of the Team to contact you. Please note that if you have not been contacted within one week of submitting your online application, that your application has not been successful. Carers First is an Equal Opportunities Employer