Rural partnerships development manager jobs

An exciting opportunity to play an important role in transforming the lives of young people at Jamie’s Farm.We are looking for someone to lead and deliver impactful therapeutic support, helping young people build resilience and thrive. 

What is Jamie’s Farm?Jamie’s Farm is a charity that supports young people by combining therapeutic work, farming, and purposeful activities to help them thrive. Through residential visits to our working farms, we provide a nurturing environment where young people can reflect, build confidence, and develop the resilience they need to overcome personal challenges. 

Known within the organisation as ‘Therapeutic Coordinator’ 

More about the role:This is not a formal therapy or counselling position.As Therapeutic Coordinator, you will be at the heart of our programme delivery.You will oversee the therapeutic aspects of up to four visits from schools and similar organisations per month, providing one-on-one support to young people facing significant challenges. Your expertise will guide both individual sessions and group discussions, fostering a safe space for personal growth. Collaborating with visiting staff, you will ensure each young person receives the care they need, both during and after their time on the farm.

Beyond therapeutic sessions, you will create detailed progress reports and contribute to the immersive farm experience, leading walks, evening activities, and mealtime conversations. This hands-on approach will help strengthen relationships with young people, allowing them to feel supported and empowered throughout their journey with us. 

About you:We are looking for someone who brings strong lived experience and relational practice to their work with young people, using everyday interactions and shared activity as the basis for support. This is a unique opportunity to join a purpose-driven charity, working in a beautiful rural setting where your impact will be deeply felt.

Please see the full job description, desired experience and employee benefits by exploring our recruitment pack below. Don’t meet every single requirement? We’d still love to hear from you – your unique skills and experience could be just what we’re looking for. 

Role: Community Development Manager 

Salary: £37,296 (pro rata)

Hours: 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)

Location: Remote, with frequent travel across the West of England region

Managed by: Chief Executive

Term: Fixed term, 16 months

Deadline for applications: Noon 23 Monday 23 March

Following the appointment of our current Chief Executive in 2025, we are embarking on an exciting new chapter and developing a strategy that aims to extend our impact by addressing key rural issues facing communities locally, namely; access to jobs and services, affordable housing, and health and wellbeing.

Over the next 18 months, and thanks to funding from the National Lottery, we will be undertaking research, engaging stakeholders from across the region, and working with several rural communities to pilot local initiatives. We are confident this activity will catalyse interest in the challenges faced by people in rural communities, demonstrate the value of community-led responses, and lever in longer-term support and resource.

To help us take this ambitious programme of work forward, we are looking to recruit a Community Development Manager.

Reporting to our Chief Executive, key responsibilities will include project management, stakeholder engagement, and drawing on best practice to inspire, facilitate and offer support to groups to help them get going with projects that address local needs.

We are looking for a dynamic and highly motivated individual who’s passion for community development will cut through and help us demonstrate the potential of supporting people locally to have greater agency over the circumstances that affect their lives. 

For more information and details how to apply, please download a copy of the Job Description and Person Specification available from our website.

This role will lead the delivery of Radnorshire Wildlife Trust’s new three-year Pentwyn Food, Farming & Nature Project, Cylch Bwyd, an initiative designed to strengthen the local food system while enhancing biodiversity and community resilience across Radnorshire.

The project focuses on two interconnected priorities:

1. Increasing education on food growing, with a strong emphasis on environmental impact, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

2. Supporting, connecting and promoting the local food economy.

Working from Pentwyn, the Project Manager will oversee the creation of a community growing space, enhancement of habitat demonstrating nature-friendly food production, and delivery of an ambitious programme of school visits, workshops, and outreach activities. The role will build strong relationships between farmers, growers, schools, local food businesses and community members, helping to bridge divides and create long-term collaboration.

This position requires a confident leader with experience in community engagement, and partnership working - particularly within a farming context in Wales. The successful candidate will combine strategic oversight with hands-on delivery, ensuring measurable ecological gains alongside meaningful educational and social impact. As part of the role, the Project Manager will also take on responsibility for managing other RWT community projects, and be expected to contribute to the long term ambition of the site, and that will include contributing to fundraising and generating ideas for future projects.

This role offers the chance to work with a global NGO, providing valuable experience in tackling key global development challenges, along with hands-on involvement with project and partnership management systems, grant tracking processes, and an opportunity to contribute to the development of impactful programmes. It provides deep exposure to the operations of an International NGO, invested in community-led holistic solutions to some of the most pressing problems of our times. You would enhance your knowledge and experience of the charity sector funding landscape in the UK and internationally. You would significantly expand your practical knowledge of project delivery and monitoring in diverse areas of international development such as water and sanitation, prevention of violence against women, food security and nutrition, rural livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, community disaster resilience, to name a few. You would have opportunity for creative writing about our projects for funding applications and project reports, and with scope to develop the role you might find yourself writing blog posts, newsletters and so on. You would have the chance to network with other NGOs and funders at events and international development conferences. You may have the opportunity to travel to south Asia or Africa for project evaluation or conferences / networking, subject to funding. As you gain experience, there may be scope for you to contribute to project design. 

You will be working in a friendly, professional environment in a building that acts as a hub for social justice organisations, with many opportunities to participate in activities offered by the building’s community. 

Role description / person specification:

You would undertake research to identify new potential funding partners, write grant applications, and manage successful partnerships. You would write project funding proposals primarily to trusts and foundations, corporate foundations, and statutory sources. Some charity-sector fundraising experience is desirable. Experience in fundraising from trusts / foundations in particular would be an advantage. The ability to draft inspiring narratives for different audiences is a crucial aspect of this role. You must also be comfortable using spreadsheets and have strong attention to detail, as you would be working with project budgets. You would research and attend relevant events and identify other such opportunities to promote Pragya’s work, to network, and to learn about the latest research and trends in international development. You would contribute to Pragya’s social media posts and campaigns. A basic level of knowledge about video editing and media tools like Canva would be an advantage.

The UK branch of Pragya is a small team, and so you must be capable of using your initiative and managing your own workload. You would need to prioritise your commitments and work to deadlines as needed. You would contribute to the charity’s administrative needs.

This is a role that demands commitment and offers strong career development in the international development sector. Those passionate about working in international development are encouraged to apply. We are looking for candidates who would anticipate being able to make at least a two-year commitment. 

Key specifications:

Essential

·A degree qualification with at least 2:1 or equivalent

·Fluent English with excellent writing skills

·Strong verbal communication and ability to represent Pragya at public events

·Basic knowledge of on-line communication platforms and media tools 

·Proactive approach, ability to manage own workload, happy to work alone

·Excellent organisational skills and strong attention to detail

·Competent in the use of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and good internet research skills

·Demonstrable interest in International Development

·Work experience of two years.

Desirable

·A degree in a relevant, essay-based discipline

·Fundraising experience from trusts / foundations / corporates

·Exposure to foundations and trusts based in the UK and in Europe, mainly Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland.

·Experience of using cloud-based donor management software (Salesforce, Oracle, CRM)

·Understanding of the issues Pragya works to address

·Prior travel to any of Pragya’s project-delivery countries 

Community Development & Health Programme Manager - to cover Maternity Leave

Full Time - 37 hrs per week (largely office/community based with some limited work at home permitted)

Salary range - £41,363 - £47,513 per annum, dependant on qualification, skills & previous experience

Fixed term for 12-months covering a period of maternity leave

Based Newhaven with some travel to outreach and delivery locations across E. Sussex

You will be an experienced people, project, and services manager with a track record and flair for developing and delivering community-based services to contract, and which meet identified community needs, in a consistently high quality way. With strong financial acumen and the ability to develop and monitor budgets, you will analyse and explain variances, manage complex and time-limited funding streams, and collaborate regularly with the finance team. The role also involves developing and supporting project staff in effective budget management.

With responsibility for the strategic development of the community development & health work area; which incorporates community infrastructure support & development, youth & families, environmental and active travel initiatives; you will lead, direct & support a multi-disciplinary team who manage the contracts, services and day-to-day delivery of this broad work area.

Skilled at managing relationships with existing funders and commissioners, you will broker new partnerships, write bids and collaborate on funding tenders, ensuring sustained funding for services which support people with complex challenges in our communities. With excellent organisation, communication, finance and project management skills, you will demonstrate sensitivity to the ambitions of this work area and to SCDA’s vision.

We are looking for people to join our team who have the qualities and skills we feel would most benefit our service users; professionalism, empathy, kindness and understanding. In return, we recognise people want to work in a supportive environment with friendly colleagues. We offer a flexible approach to delivery where possible, annual leave of 23 days per year pro rata plus bank holidays and sick pay from the start (increasing with service), additional sick pay for necessary operations and recovery, a pension scheme, bereavement leave, and managers who are available to you… plus a day off for your birthday!

Based Newhaven with travel across E. Sussex, car driver and owner preferred as many delivery locations are rural and not served well by public transport. Post subject to DBS check.

Closing date:  5pm Sunday 22nd March 2026

1st stage interviews: 1st April 2026 in Newhaven

For the job description and to apply, please visit our website.

You may think that you’re not a 100% match to what we’re looking for, but we recognise that some skills and experience may be transferable rather than an exact match. If you’re unsure about whether to apply, please do contact the HR team and we would be happy to arrange an informal discussion with the recruiting manager.

Starting Date: ASAP

Contract type: Full-time and open-ended

Salary: If based in London - £62,707, Delhi - INR 3,350,997, Lahore - PKR 8,697,613, Abidjan - €3,636 per month

Location: London, Lahore, Delhi, Côte d'Ivoire

Application closing date: 25th March 2026

About the Job 

The Grant Programme Manager is responsible for overseeing a portfolio of grant-funded projects across multiple sub-funds and geographies. Working closely with programme partners, this role ensures that funded projects not only produce certified Better Cotton but also deliver measurable impact aligned with BCI’s strategic targets. The role includes stewardship and oversight of significant donor funding and accountability for strong financial, performance and compliance standards across the portfolio.

Are you purpose-led and ready to embark on a journey to shape the future of sustainable cotton? Join us at Better Cotton Initiative as Grant Programme Manager and play a key role in delivering high-impact funding programmes for the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative. We support more sustainable farming practices and farm livelihoods for nearly 1.6 million farmers across 15 countries.

The Challenge

Looking ahead to 2030, BCI is targeting a 50 percent reduction in GHG emissions from cotton production, significant reductions in synthetic pesticide use, improved soil health across our network, increased farm income and stronger support for women’s empowerment among farmers and farm workers.

As a Grant Programme Manager, you will oversee a multi-country grant portfolio, ensure strong financial stewardship, drive performance against strategic targets and strengthen partnerships with programme partners and donors.

Responsibilities

We are seeking a motivated Grant Programme Manager to join our Global Programmes team within GIF. In this role, you will be responsible for managing a complex grant portfolio and ensuring effective delivery, financial oversight and strategic alignment.

1. Oversee and manage a portfolio of Small Farm Fund projects across multiple countries, ensuring delivery against BCI strategy and BCSS targets.
2. Lead grant application and assessment processes, including reviewing proposals, analysing organisational viability and contributing to funding recommendations.
3. Ensure effective financial stewardship of donor funds, reviewing budgets, tracking expenditure and identifying risks or corrective actions where required.
4. Monitor and evaluate portfolio performance, ensuring robust data quality, learning integration and continuous improvement.
5. Represent GIF in internal governance forums, including the Field Investment and Innovation Committee, contributing to funding decisions and strategic discussions.
6. Engage with donors and external stakeholders, supporting reporting, relationship management and future funding opportunities.
7. Support Large Farm Fund and Knowledge Partner Fund rounds, including assessment, monitoring and stakeholder engagement.
8. Strengthen grant management systems and processes, identifying and implementing improvements to enhance efficiency, compliance and transparency.
9. Collaborate closely with country programme teams, MEL colleagues and finance teams to ensure coordinated delivery and alignment across functions.
10. Contribute to annual reporting, portfolio analysis and strategic planning for the GIF and wider Global Programmes function.

Experience

We are looking for candidates with the following skills, knowledge and experience:

1. Degree in Agronomy, International Development, Anthropology or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
2. Demonstrated experience managing complex grant or project portfolios within rural development or sustainability contexts.
3. Experience working with commercial and institutional donors, including proposal development and reporting.
4. Strong financial oversight experience, including reviewing budgets and financial performance.
5. Experience using MEL frameworks, logframes and performance monitoring tools.
6. Willingness to travel for project visits twice a year (trips of between 7-10 days), and up to 2 trips per year for team/organisational meetings in Europe. If the successful applicant is based in one of our programme countries ie. CDI, India or Pakistan, the number of project visits would be greater.

Desirable

1. Expertise in smallholder agriculture.
2. Experience supporting organisational development of partners.
3. Experience communicating with donors and representing programmes externally.
4. Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.
5. Additional language skills relevant to programme geographies.

What we offer

- Hybrid working – 2-3 days per week in our London, Delhi, or Lahore offices. Fully Remote in Côte d'Ivoire

- The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year

- Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time

- Continuous learning and development

- Pension scheme

- A generous annual leave package, including paid holiday, public holidays, additional paid days off during the festive season, study and exam days, and extra discretionary leave for life events such as family weddings or moving home

- Enhanced parental benefits

- The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based either in London, Delhi, Lahore or Côte d'Ivoire. Better Cotton Initiative offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm.  The position will require limited travel.

Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 25/03/2026 via the application link. 

In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton Initiative. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.

Better Cotton Initiative does not use artificial intelligence or automated screening tools in its hiring process. Every application is reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team and relevant hiring managers to ensure a fair and human-led assessment experience.

Our hiring process

Initial Screening:

Applicant screening is a crucial step in our recruitment process. This stage may involve a brief phone interview or video call to evaluate your suitability for the position. During this screening, we review resumes and cover letters, and may conduct initial background checks to narrow down the pool of applicant. Internal candidates are encouraged to inform their line manager about their application to promote transparency and help facilitate a smooth transition if selected.

Interviews:

If you successfully pass the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview process at Better Cotton Initiative may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management. As an internal candidate, you may have discussions regarding your current responsibilities and how they will transition to the new position.

Assessment and Testing: 

Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position. Internal candidates may have the option to demonstrate their existing skills through current job performance or past project outcomes.

Reference Checks: 

Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history. Internal candidates may be asked for references from current or previous supervisors within Better Cotton Initiative to provide insights into their performance and capabilities.

Offer stage:

After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment, compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details. For internal candidates, the offer process may include a discussion about how your transition to the new role will be managed and any support needed for a smooth handover.

About Better Cotton Initiative

Better Cotton Initiative is a global not-for-profit organisation supporting the production of more equitable and sustainable cotton at farm level. We exist to catalyse the cotton farming community with partners, governments and others to continuously drive positive impact by setting standards and facilitating the supply and demand of more sustainable cotton from farm to brand. In just 15 years we have aligned more than a fifth of the world’s cotton with our standard and helped farmers and farming communities thrive. Join us in building a better, more sustainable future for cotton worldwide.

About our Values

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:  

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible) 
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic) 
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic) 
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic) 
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)  

Being you @ Better Cotton Initiative

Better Cotton Initiative is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.

An exciting opportunity to lead a dedicated team supporting young people to build resilience and thrive.At an exciting time of growth for our charity, we are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated leader to manage programmes and daily operations at our farm near Skipton, nestled in the sweeping countryside south of the Yorkshire Dales.You will play a key role in ensuring our young people have a meaningful, inclusive, and memorable experience with Jamie’s Farm, feeling the positive impact long after their visit. 

What is Jamie’s Farm?Jamie’s Farm is a charity that supports young people by combining therapeutic work, farming, and purposeful activities to help them thrive. Through residential visits to our working farms, we provide a nurturing environment where young people can reflect, build confidence, and develop the resilience they need to overcome personal challenges. 

More about the role:As Head of Farm, you will help deliver our transition from Day visits to Residential visits at our Skipton farm, working alongside and managing a team to deliver an impactful programme. Your responsibilities will include leading up to four visits per month, ensuring the smooth delivery of residential visits, representing Jamie’s Farm with partner organisations, funders, volunteers and other stakeholders; and fostering a culture of empowerment and collaboration within the team. You will help achieve key performance goals including high visitor retention and staff satisfaction rates, while also leading professional development and team-building activities for your team. 

You will participate in all aspects of farm life - leading walks, guiding young people through meaningful output-based jobs like gardening or log chopping, and creating meaningful connections during shared meals and evening programmes. You will also contribute to broader Jamie’s Farm strategy as a key member of the Leadership team. 

About you:  We are looking for an experienced and passionate leader who embodies Jamie’s Farm core values of positivity, passion, generosity, collaboration, and professionalism. You will have experience in relational leadership and practice with young people. Prior management experience is preferred, showing your ability to support and motivate teams effectively. You will bring exceptional communication, teamwork, and organisational skills to the role. 

You will excel at developing meaningful relationships with diverse individuals and organisations, using positivity and empathy to inspire and motivate others. Your dedication to helping young people thrive, especially those in challenging circumstances, will drive the success of your team and the programme. 

Please see the full job description, desired experience and employee benefits by exploring our recruitment pack below.Don’t meet every single requirement? We’d still love to hear from you – your unique skills and experience could be just what we’re looking for. 

The Woodland Trust is looking for an Engaging Communities Officer to join our exciting Sherwood’s Living Legends project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. A development grant has been awarded by Heritage Fund to help the Woodland Trust progress the project over 18-months to apply for a 5-year delivery stage grant. If this application is successful, the project will safeguard the future of ancient and veteran trees in Sherwood Forest and reconnect communities with this iconic landscape. This is a fixed term contract for 18-months, with the potential for an extension. 

The Role: 

• Lead the community-focused development of Sherwood’s Living Legends, shaping how people connect with the cultural, historical and ecological significance of ancient and veteran trees. 
• Co-create imaginative engagement approaches with consultants, using storytelling, heritage and local myth to inspire urban and rural communities. 
• Define target audiences and craft compelling key messages that will underpin the project’s delivery-stage communications. 
• Promote the project across the Sherwood NCA through social media, local press, PR events and creative outreach activity. 
• Ensure engagement plans are inclusive, accessible and responsive to the needs of diverse communities and participants. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, community groups, landowners and Woodland Trust teams to support joined-up project development. 
• Monitor and evaluate engagement activity, gathering insight and data to inform project design and future delivery. 
• Represent the project internally and externally, sharing successes and supporting alignment with wider Woodland Trust communications. 

The Candidate: 

• Experienced in coordinating and delivering varied community events, including consultations tailored to different audiences and locations. 
• Confident leading groups outdoors, with experience engaging children, schools and community participants in nature-based activities. 
• Skilled in partnership working, able to collaborate with volunteers, community groups and external organisations to achieve shared outcomes. 
• Strong communicator with excellent written, verbal and digital skills, including social media content creation and public-facing representation. 
• Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, with an understanding of how to design accessible and welcoming engagement. 
• Organised and proactive, able to manage multiple workstreams, prioritise effectively and work independently within a dispersed team. 
• Competent with IT systems, particularly MS Office and collaborative platforms such as Teams. 
• Professional, positive and adaptable, able to represent the Woodland Trust and partners with confidence and clarity. 
• The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Basic DBS Check, as part of our pre-employment screening. 

Benefits and Wellbeing: 

Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer: 

• Enhanced Employer Pension 
• Life Assurance 
• Flexible & Hybrid Working Options 
• Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time) 
• Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme 
• Enhanced Parental Pay 
• Employee Assistance Programme 

About Us: 

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity.  We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees. 

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: 

To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees.

People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.  

Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application. 

Application Advice: 

For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and CVs are redacted until after shortlisting is complete. Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role. Even if you don't meet every requirement of the role, we would encourage you to apply.

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI): 

We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.

Apply Now: 

If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete. 

Interviews to be held on April 21st 2026.