Research administrator jobs in birmingham, west midlands

Income & Communications Officer

Salary £23k per annum (review after 6 months)

35 hours per week (flexible)

25 days A/L + contributory pension scheme

Since 1899, Birmingham Settlement has been working to create opportunity and choice – connecting and empowering people through action, activities, and shared learning to build and sustain wellbeing for all.

Birmingham Settlement is looking for a proactive, creative, and committed individual who can support us in the development and delivery of our income and communications strategy as we continue to invest and develop the charities assets to ensure we provide the services and activities our people want, deserve, and expect.

This is a versatile role, encompassing skills across fundraising and internal and external communications. The role will suit someone with strong written skills along with a good working knowledge of digital communications channels who is comfortable multi-tasking with a willingness to learn and take on new challenges.

To succeed, you will be highly organised with an interest and passion for our cause, you will pay close attention to detail as standard, have a passion for identifying and developing stories that further the Settlement’s objectives, have excellent design and written communication skills with an ability to adapt your tone and voice to engage specific audiences.

A very busy but rewarding and hands on role that cuts across all aspects of the charity as we continue to grow and develop, this is a great opportunity to join one of Birmingham’s oldest charities; to drive participation, support and, ultimately, income at a unique and exciting time.

For an informal chat please call Lizzie Forrester 

No agencies please.

For an application pack visit our website or email us or write to Human Resources, Birmingham Settlement Sports & Community Centre, 600 Kingstanding Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, B44 9SH.

Closing date: 12 noon, Wednesday 15 October 2025

Interviews:  Wednesday 22 or Thursday 23 October 2025

Birmingham Settlement is committed to Equality of Opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Registered charity number 517303

Charity Support Officer 

Location: Remote, with regular meetings in London, applicants must be based in or around London 

Salary: £27,700 - £29,000 per year 

Contract: Full-time with opportunities to work flexibly over 4 days 

Reporting to: CEO 

About AWN 

All Ways Network (AWN) is a UK-registered charity dedicated to empowering non-profits that support diverse Muslim communities across the UK, particularly those with an annual income under £1 million towards becoming fundable. 
 
We provide grassroots organisations with vital services from bid-writing and application reviews to webinars, training, and tailored charity support. This helps them access funding, strengthen governance, build capacity, and adopt best practices in a challenging funding landscape. 
 
Committed to equitable grant-making and a stronger civil society, AWN champions the vision of: “Thriving non-profits empowering Muslim communities to enrich UK society.” 

Role Overview: Knowledge in grant-funding, capacity building, organisational support

We are seeking a proactive and collaborative Charity Support Officer to help deliver AWN’s mission. You will be the first point of contact for grassroots charities, supporting them to strengthen their organisations and improve their chances of securing grant funding by offering practical guidance, signposting, and building trusted relationships that help them grow in confidence and resilience. The role includes helping organisations strengthen governance and compliance, sharing information on grant-funding opportunities, and supporting them to identify challenges and develop practical solutions.
 
The non-profits you will support work across a wide range of areas for example: women, health and wellbeing, youth, homelessness and poverty, family services, sports, faith groups, crime and gangs, prisoners and ex-offenders, refugees and asylum seekers, drug addiction, older people and rehabilitation, and many more. 
 
Bringing a strong awareness of the barriers facing small charities particularly Muslim-led groups, will be key to helping them build long-term sustainability and impact. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the first point of contact for charities and community groups, managing a varied caseload and balancing priorities. 

• Carry out needs assessments to understand organisations strengths, challenges, and funding needs, and develop clear action plans. 

• Provide tailored support, including health checks on governance, compliance, finances, and funding readiness, offering recommendations and signposting to specialist services (e.g., Cranfield Trust, CVS, Charity Excellence etc). 

• Advise on funding opportunities, strategy, and application readiness, with referrals to bid-writing support where needed. 

• Deliver workshops, webinars, events, and one-to-one sessions to build skills, knowledge, and confidence of UK grassroots organisations. 

• Work collaboratively with organisations and AWN colleagues (including via the triage and referral system) to identify challenges and develop practical, sustainable solutions. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with charities, funders, and sector partners across the voluntary, public, and charity sectors. 

• Represent AWN at external events, conferences, and meetings, helping to organise and deliver events linked to your work. 

• Keep accurate records on the CRM, gather feedback, write case studies, and contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and service development. 

• Support AWN’s communications by contributing updates for the website and social media. 

What We’re Looking For 

We’re looking for someone who is approachable, empathetic, and motivated to make a difference. You’ll have a natural ability to listen, build trust, and meet people where they are, while offering constructive and practical support. Patience, curiosity, and cultural awareness will help you understand the diverse realities of grassroots charities and the communities they serve. 
 
Alongside these personal qualities, you’ll bring a good understanding of the charity sector and the challenges facing small non-profits across the UK, for UK Muslim-led organisations. You’ll have exceptional knowledge of governance, compliance, and funding pathways, and the confidence to guide organisations towards growth, resilience, and long-term impact. 

Essential Criteria 

• 3+ years’ experience within the UK charity sector (domestic, not solely international). 

• Strong understanding of charity governance, compliance, and the UK funding and grant-making landscape. 

• Insight into the needs and challenges of small and grassroots non-profits, with awareness of the systemic barriers affecting Muslim-led organisations. 

• Experience supporting or advising charities, community groups, or local networks to build capacity and resilience. 

• Ability to work collaboratively with organisations, offering constructive and practical guidance. 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with confidence in public speaking and engaging a wide range of stakeholders. 

• Strong organisational and administrative skills with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities. 

• Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.  

• Comfortable working autonomously and as part of a small team, with minimal supervision. 

• Confident using technology to deliver support and manage work effectively, including CRM systems, Microsoft Teams, and other digital tools. 

• Experience in one or more of the following areas: 
  - Community engagement and outreach 
  - Event or project coordination (online and in-person) 
  - Delivering presentations, workshops, or training sessions 
  - Monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities 

Recruitment Process 

Interviews will take place early October 2025. 

The process will include two stages: one online and one in-person (to be held in the City of London). 

Exact dates will be confirmed before the application deadline. 

The role of Head of Legal reports to the Director of Legal & Governance and you will assist them in ensuring the legal function of the organisation runs efficiently, smoothly and that we proactively identify and address legal risk and development needs.

You will be responsible for overseeing and managing the day to day legal affairs of the organisation.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Identify legal risk and propose mitigations and solutions.
• Proactively identifying issues and resolving problems efficiently.
• Providing guidance and advice to colleagues
• Developing and managing the suite of legal templates in use across the organisation, proactively identifying areas for improvement and / or development and working collaboratively to develop new templates as needed
• Ensuring internal legal requirements are well designed and understood and are aligned to delivery of strategy
• Ensure that internal legal processes run smoothly
• Make sound, timely decisions that support sustainable, long-term strategic outcomes.

This is a part time, fixed term role and can be based at any of our hubs located in Birmingham, Leeds or London.

For more information, please download the Job Recruitment Pack.

Due to receiving high volumes of interest in our opportunities, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.

The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Chief Operating Officer to join our Executive Leadership Team.

Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £85,000 per annum
Remote: This role is homebased (within the UK) with occasional to meetings, events and conferences.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

Responsibilities will include:

• The COO leads the day-to-day functioning of the organisation to ensure smooth, efficient, and effective delivery of services. This is vital for maintaining operational stability and achieving strategic outcomes.
• They design and execute strategies that align with the organisation’s mission and long-term goals ensuring resources are used effectively and priorities are clear.
• They promote a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement through supporting employee engagement, productivity, and organisational success.
• The COO collaborates closely with the CEO/CFO and other senior leaders to drive strategic initiatives and business growth, ensuring unified leadership and coherent decision-making.
• They partner with the CFO to manage budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation. Financial oversight ensures sustainability and supports informed investment in strategic priorities.
• Strengthen governance and risk management frameworks, aligned to regulatory expectations and best practice while proactively managing reputational and operational risks.
• The COO cultivates strong relationships with partners, clients, and stakeholders to enhance service delivery and reputation. These relationships are key to influence, collaboration, and impact.
• They lead efforts to improve processes and adopt best practices across the charity to enhance efficiency and keeps the organisation competitive and responsive.
• They ensure that daily activities support the charities long-term objectives.
• The COO mentors other directors and departmental heads and fosters leadership capabilities across teams.
• They establish and track KPIs to identify inefficiencies and guide improvements through data-driven decision-making to enhance accountability and results.
• They evaluate and refine workflows to boost productivity developing efficient processes to reduce waste and improve service quality.
• They act as a bridge between departments and the CEO to ensure cohesive execution of strategic plans preventing silos and promoting organisational synergy.
• The COO serves as a senior figure in national and cross-sector forums, conferences, and strategic partnerships to strengthens the organisation’s voice and influence.
• They demonstrate commitment to Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in both internal culture and external programmes to foster a fair and inclusive organisation.
• They work with the CEO, CFO and Director of Growth to identify and pursue new revenue streams and strategic partnerships. This expands the organisation’s reach and sustainability.
• They engage in public speaking, media interactions, and external representation demonstrating clear communication, credibility, and stakeholder engagement.
• They develop and embed evaluation frameworks to assess progress against strategic goals. The measuring of our impact ensures accountability and informs future planning.
• They promote the organisation’s brand at events and through networking.

The COO takes on other responsibilities as needed to support the organisation’s mission.

About You

Essential competencies of the Chief Operating Officer:

• Extensive experience in senior leadership with a proven track record in operations, financial and risk management, and delivering high-performing teams, ideally in the charity sector.
• Strong understanding of business functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think strategically and execute effectively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Commercially astute, process-driven, and highly pragmatic in approach.
• Experience in driving performance and fostering a collaborative culture.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field; MBA preferred

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 29th September 2025:

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.

Please note: The covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 80% AI generated content will be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-223747

International Programmes & Partnerships Support Co-ordinator 

Reports to: Programme Development & Partnerships Manager 

Status: Full-time (40 hours per week) 

Terms of Employment: Permanent 

Salary: £26k-£30k p.a. gross (dependent on experience) 

Location: Birmingham/London 

Deadline for Applications: 26th September 2025 

PLEASE NOTE: Interviews are expected to take place on an ongoing basis until the vacancy is filled. The vacancy, therefore, may close sooner than the deadline date. 

Islamic Help is a non-profit organisation working across the globe to strengthen humanity’s struggle against poverty, social injustice and natural disasters. Through the provision of immediate relief and establishment of sustainable development programmes, we aim to invest in real effective solutions. 

Role summary: 

We’re looking for an International Programmes & Partnerships Support Co-ordinator to support the growth of our programmes team and provide brilliant stewardship to all of our current funders. 

We are looking for someone ambitious, who enjoys building relationships, has excellent writing skills, and loves working as part of a busy team.   

You will bring your enthusiasm and creativity to help us: 

• Grow our grant income to support our range of exciting new projects 

• Develop new ways to articulate our ‘case for support’ to funders, as well as to show them the impact of their support on the lives of communities we serve; 

• Support the wider Islamic Help team to understand and engage with programmes, partnerships and fundraising, embedding it in the culture of the organisation. 

What We Offer 

Islamic Help acknowledges that our employees are our most valuable resource. Therefore, we provide a variety of benefits aimed at promoting their professional growth, as well as supporting their mental and physical well-being, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 

• Holiday entitlement of 30 days per financial year (for full-time employees; includes bank holidays entitlement – due to the nature of the role, you may be required to work on bank holidays) 

• Personal learning and development opportunities. 

• Automatic enrolment into our workplace Pension Plan (option to opt out). 

• Employee Assistance Programme for support with health & wellbeing, financial matters, and any other assistance. 

• Free office car park for staff (Birmingham office). 

 The Team: 

We have a Birmingham office and a London office. This role could be based in either office. If London-based, regular travel to Birmingham would be expected. 

The Role 

Key Responsibilities 

Grants Administration and Co-ordination 

• Support the Programme Development & Partnerships Manager in preparing, reviewing and documenting memoranda of understanding, agreements, agreement modifications according to the needs of Islamic Help. 

• Coordination of the due diligence process with partners. 

• Support the Programme Development & Partnerships Manager to develop, finalise and monitor partner funding. 

• Support the preparation and follow-up of grants opening meetings, monthly review meetings, and grant closing meetings. 

• Ensure that office grants are processed in a timely and effective manner in accordance with our policies, procedures and standards. 

• Provide support to approved projects and ensure there is continuous oversight and support throughout the project management cycle including financial and periodic reporting. 

• Be self-administering including maintaining fundraising pipeline spreadsheets and monitoring progress against activities. 

• Maintenance of records and files in line with IH document management and IT policies. 

• Liaise with the  finance team to ensure grants have been received and are allocated / restricted as appropriate.  

• Support the programmes team in grants management, programme development, monitoring and evaluation, and external relations activities as requested. 

Compliance and Reporting 

• Support donor reporting processes, co-ordinating with the field staff to ensure the timely submission of high-quality programmatic reports and co-ordinate with Finance to ensure timely submission of financial reports. 

• Ensure quality information management through regular maintenance of grant files, reporting calendars, timely submission and updating of internal documentation and other grants tools. 

• Support compliance of programmes with donor and Islamic Help requirements and raise issues affecting external/internal compliance to management staff. 

Researching Funding Opportunities  

• Maintain a thorough understanding of the profile of current funders and Islamic Help’s relationship with them, including the need for reports and updates. 

• Grow the support of current funders, identifying opportunities for them to continue their support.  

• Maintain and update the database and tracker sheet with details of projects and relevant funding streams. 

 Proposals and Funding Applications  

• Develop a comprehensive knowledge of the organisation and its work. 

• Work closely with the Programme Development & Partnerships Manager to identify and pursue fundraising opportunities. 

• Assist, when required, the Programme Development & Partnerships Manager in the development and co-ordination of high-quality proposals and concept papers for submission to donors. 

• Build strong and effectve relatiionships with Islamic Help teams in the UK and overseas. 

• Support the programmes team in the on-going development of departmental strategy.  

 Partner and Donor Relationships 

• Develop and strengthen relationships with current partners and identify and cultivate relationships with potential new partners/donors through a range of communications including by phone, in writing and face to face meetings as appropriate.  

• Assist in co-ordination of existing relationships through professional account management and communicating the impact of our work to partners in a compelling way.  

• Maintain accurate partner and donor records in order to monitor, evaluate and report on fundraising activity. 

 Other Responsibilities:  

• Support the Programme Development & Partnerships Manager on the management of the department including development of departmental calendar, coordinating meetings with agendas and record keeping, oversight and development of departmental workplan. 

• Communicate with offices and partners as and when necessary and communicate progress or queries to colleagues. 

• Support the programmes team in the analysis of budgets and reports to determine impact, achievements and outputs. 

• Prepare feedback reports for donors and other stakeholders within appropriate timeframes. 

• Provide marketing colleagues with appropriate beneficiary data and case study material etc. 

• Verify budgets, invoices and financial liquidation reports to ensure that money is being spent according to the approved operational budget, plan and conduct appropriate desk reviews. 

• Review budgets and communicate any changes where needed. 

• Ensure the prioritisation of the most vulnerable within the communities Islamic Help serves by adopting a pro-active, holistic approach to safeguarding. 

• Contribute to department workplans, help set budgets and manage programme funds. 

• Support the programmes team on Emergency Response including – development of Emergency Response process, first response, setting up Emergency Panel, development of surge capacity and the development of proposals and reporting 

• To participate and actively engage, under the supervision of the Director of International Programmes, as part of Islamic Help’s first response to an emergency, including but not limited to travelling to emergency response locations, planning and implementing emergency response projects and liaising with partners and others to ensure successful implementation 

• Support the partnerships department with partner care – accompanying partners on field visits wherever needed to ensure the smooth coordination of operations and projects 

• Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.   

*The job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time. You may, from time to time, be required to work evenings, Saturdays or on a Sunday. 

Person Specification 

Qualifications  

Educated to degree level or equivalent. 

Skills and Experience 

Essential 

• Familiarity with humanitarian programming; 

• Prior experience working in non-profits/charities and familiarity with partner/donor requirements; 

• Excellent writing skills in English; 

• Excellent interpersonal skills.  Able to communicate with a wide range of people both internally and externally in person, by phone and email. 

• Excellent organisational skills and ability to meet multiple deadlines in a busy office environment; 

• Detail-oriented with good multi-tasking abilities and communication skills, both oral and written; 

• Able to work well both within a team and independently in a challenging and fast-moving multicultural environment; 

• Sound IT skills in MS Office and experience of using databases; 

• Right to work in the UK. 

Desirable

Knowledge of Arabic and/or Urdu language (speaking, reading, editing) 

Competencies 

Goal Orientation: 

• Pursues tasks / goals with energy, drive and need for completion 

• Pre-empts problems by seeking guidance or taking action an issue, task or project within their role 

• Is customer focused 

Innovation and Creativity 

• Does not assume the usual way of doing something is the best way 

• Volunteers ideas and suggestions for improvement 

• Accepts mistakes and is willing to learn from them 

Self-Management  

• Plans and prioritises work effectively 

• Is solution rather than problem focused 

• Takes responsibility for own workload 

Communication and Relationship Management 

• Clearly identifies and articulates the key messages to be conveyed 

• Understands the impact of their communication 

• Takes time to build and maintain contacts and partners. 

Teamwork & Collaboration 

• Understands the benefits of teamwork and contributes willingly 

• Listens to the views of others 

• Understands the impact of their behaviour on others and adapts behaviour where appropriate. 

 Flexibility 

The job description is a general outline of the job duties and responsibilities and may be amended as the scope of programmes department develops. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties as may reasonably be required from time to time. 

How to Apply 

It would be great if you have a qualification in a relevant discipline, but we're more interested in your experience, your values and your attitude than we are your qualifications. 

It's a really exciting time to join Islamic Help, if you're successful in joining our team you'll not only have the opportunity to further your career, you'll be improving the lives of people through the work that you do. 

To apply, please email your CV and covering letter to us detailing how you meet the requirements.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

You must have proof that you have the right to work in the UK. 

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, faith or disability.