Scholarship officer jobs
Martingale Postgraduate Foundation (Martingale) exists to fund and support the next generation of talented researchers. We believe that family income should not be a barrier to the pursuit of excellence, and our mission is to enable and nurture talented individuals from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive within world-leading postgraduate research.
Martingale’s flagship programme is the Martingale Postgraduate Scholarship, which supports students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue and excel in postgraduate degrees, by providing:
- A fully-funded Living Wage Scholarship to pursue a one-year Masters degree or a four-year PhD.
- All tuition fees and research expenses, including a tax-free stipend for living costs.
- Tailored support to apply for Martingale courses at our partner universities.
- Access to Martingale programmes, including leadership training and connections with top academic and industry professionals.
- Membership of a pioneering community of talented researchers.
In the three years since Martingale launched, we are now supporting over 100 Scholars to undertake postgraduate degrees across our ten partner universities and have committed over £7.7m in Scholarships. We are continuing to expand our offer, bringing on new partners each year.
We are seeking an experienced communications lead to join our external engagement team and play a key role in shaping Martingale’s external profile and scholar recruitment.
As Communications Manager, you will lead on several critical aspects of Martingale’s work including all external communications from social media to PR, and brand management. Crucially, you will lead on the annual recruitment campaign for Martingale’s Postgraduate Scholarships. This three-month campaign each autumn is a fundamental part of Martingales work, ensuring we are finding and supporting as many talented people to apply as possible. Working closely with the Head of Communications and External Engagement, you will lead on all Martingale’s external communications.
A key responsibility will be ensuring that Martingale’s messaging is consistent, with a bold brand presence and strong collaboration with various external stakeholders including funders, universities, media, and government. You will also line manage the Events and Communications Officer who leads on all Martingale events and social media.
We are looking for a strong communicator with some leadership experience including line management, partnership management and external relations. You will bring excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail, a proactive mindset, and a strong alignment with Martingale’s mission. We welcome applicants from a range of career paths who are excited to be part of a growing, fast-paced charity delivering meaningful impact.
Martingale Foundation is incubated by Purposeful Ventures who provide operational and strategic support. The Communications Manager will be employed by Purposeful Ventures.
About Purposeful Ventures
Our vision is for a fairer society where all young people thrive. We work with social entrepreneurs, organisations and philanthropists that share our vision. Through our work with these partners, young people are given opportunities in education and beyond, helping them reach their true potential.
Purposeful Ventures offers philanthropists and funders bespoke advice, using an evidence-based approach to help them to identify high-impact opportunities to fund. We then partner with visionary individuals and mission-driven organisations with strong theories of change. We help them turn great ideas into sustainable and successful ventures by offering fully individualised and very hands-on support, access to funding and a ‘high-challenge, high-support’ home. We do the minimum necessary and whatever it takes to succeed.
Key Responsibilities:
Working with the Head of Communications and External Engagement, you will lead on the design and implementation of end-to-end marketing for the recruitment campaign for Martingale Scholars:
- Ensure widespread marketing of the Martingale Scholarship opportunity across the UK, including in media (e.g., student newspapers), on university campuses and on graduate job boards.
- Coordinate an effective paid advertising campaign across multiple channels.
- Directly engage prospective scholars to increase interest and convince them to apply for Martingale opportunities. For example, leading email campaigns, visiting university campuses, or hosting webinars.
- Build relationships with university academics, careers departments, student societies, graduate careers platforms, and other organisations who work with Martingale’s target audience. Encourage them to share Martingale opportunities to relevant people.
- Develop marketing materials and coordinate circulation: leaflets, brochures, social media content, video, email and newsletters, case studies and interviews with relevant people incl. current scholars.
- Procure and coordinate any relevant external providers: e.g., paid digital advertising agencies.
- Manage the Applicant Tracking System, embed and manage a CRM system for enrolled scholars.
Manage brand and increase brand awareness:
- Manage and develop Martingale Foundation’s brand identity, and the identity of our programmes: visual identity, communication style, digital presence, in-person style and feel of events.
- Design and manage a creative and innovative social media campaign across multiple channels, incl. paid ads.
- Manage the website, including maintenance, development, and SEO – with agency support.
- Lead engagement with media outlets and relevant press, including student newspapers. Write engaging press releases and generate interest in Martingale.
- Develop innovative opportunities to grow Martingale’s brand awareness including opportunities for you or the CEO to showcase Martingale’s work.
Stakeholder management and communications:
- Produce and coordinate engaging communications and events for scholars and applicants, alongside the Programme’s team.
- Manage relationships with partner universities Marketing and External Relations teams, ensuring they are consulted and pleased with progress, while also delivering on their commitments.
- Develop collaborative relationships with charity partners or organisations with similar missions to Martingale, as well as potential employers of Martingale Scholars, and ensure they are aware of Martingale’s mission and progress whilst supporting recruitment and brand building efforts.
- Build productive relationships with funders relevant communications teams.
Organisation and team:
- Line manage the Events and Communications Officer, ensuring they are supported, clear on responsibilities and how they fit into the wider strategy of Martingale.
- Work across all departments in the organisation, ensuring that staff are supported to produce communications and that all Martingale’s work is being promoted effectively.
Monitor and report on the progress of the Martingale Foundation:
- Lead the production of impact reports.
- Collect and analyse data from applications, and annually review and refine the Martingale Scholarship’s recruitment campaign to make appropriate adjustments in future years.
- Assess, evidence and communicate the impact of the Martingale Foundation Scholarship in innovative ways.
General
- As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder.
- The post holder will carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the role as requested by the line manager.
Key Requirements:
Essential Criteria
- Right to work in the UK
Experience and skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences including senior stakeholders.
- Strong experience in communications within a mission-driven organisation.
- Good track record of developing and delivering highly effective communications campaigns.
- Strategic thinking combined with hands-on content expertise.
- Experience managing and cultivating partnerships.
- Understanding of UK education, social mobility, or research funding landscapes.
- Experience in managing an organisation’s social media and website (including wordpress or similar).
- Able to assimilate complex information quickly, identifying the pertinent points and making them accessible for a wider audience.
- Advanced IT proficiency: Spreadsheet, Word Processing, CRM or Databases, Email, Web-based applications.
- Experience managing multiple projects/workstream and priorities simultaneously, while maintaining attention to detail, prioritising, and meeting deadlines.
Desirable
- Experience working with or within higher education or research organisations.
- Graphic design experience in Adobe.
- Proven experience line managing staff.
- Familiarity with charity fundraising or philanthropic communications.
- Experience delivering communications in a startup or scale-up environment.
- Experience in working with governance boards and/or trustees.
- Experience delivering ambitious recruitment campaigns.
Personal Characteristics
- Excellent interpersonal skills: able to build rapport and trusting relationships and able to work co-operatively in a multidisciplinary setting.
- A commitment to Martingale’s mission to support postgraduate students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Comfortable working in a rapidly growing and changing organisation with a degree of ambiguity – confident to create processes and ways forward where they might not yet exist.
- Creative and innovative: willing to think outside the box to maximise reach.
- Resourceful, able to act on initiative, hardworking, detail-oriented, and systematic.
Benefits
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising to 29 days after two years of service and to 30 days after three years of service. This entitlement is pro rata for part-time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays.
- Full office closure between Christmas and New Year.
- A flexible approach to working with understanding and consideration for work-life balance and personal commitments.
- As a Purposeful Ventures employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme, where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to.
- Access to Charlie Perks, offering discounts and rewards at over 30,000 brands and retailers.
Our mission is to enable and nurture talented individuals from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to become a new generation of STEM leaders.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you passionate about building meaningful relationships and creating lasting impact through philanthropy? The University of Strathclyde is seeking a dynamic and experienced Donor Experience and Legacies Officer to lead stewardship and engagement for our major donors, scholarship supporters, and legacy pledgers.
This is a unique opportunity to shape donor journeys across multiple giving areas - from transformative scholarships and legacy gifts to major donations supporting research and teaching. You’ll work closely with inspiring students, academics, and colleagues across the University to deliver compelling donor communications, events, and impact reports that celebrate generosity and deepen engagement.
Brief Outline of Job:
To lead and deliver donor stewardship and engagement strategies for major gifts (donor gifts of £100k+), scholarships (UG and PG), and legacy giving. This includes creating compelling donor communications, managing cultivation events, and developing stewardship plans that support repeat giving and long-term relationships.
Major Gifts: Support the cultivation and stewardship of donors giving £100k–£1M+, including designing and delivering bespoke impact reports for major donors, organizing donor meetings, campus visits and events in collaboration with the Major Gifts team.
Scholarships: Support the development of and delivery of our scholarship fundraising strategy, including producing promotional materials and annual donor reports. Liaise with colleagues across the University to ensure effective scholarship delivery and reporting.
Legacy Giving: Lead the development of a new legacy stewardship strategy, including the introduction of a new giving circle for legacy pledgers, conducting face-to-face meetings with potential legacy donors and creating promotional content and opportunities.
Alumni Fund: Contributing to Giving Day and Alumni Fund Board activities. Support mass donor communications and stewardship initiatives.
Team Leadership: Line management of the Development Assistant and deputising for the Individual Giving Manager when required.
If you’re a creative communicator, strategic thinker, and relationship builder with a flair for storytelling and donor cultivation, we’d love to hear from you.
In September 2025 Oxford opened its new home for humanities, the state-of-the-art Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Building on our successes in recent years, we are growing the team with a new senior fundraising role that will work with world-class academics and artists in our faculties and in the Centre’s cultural programming.
In addition to housing a Humanities Library and 7 academic faculties, the Schwarzman Centre includes a world-class, purpose-built concert hall space, theatre, cinema and ‘black box’ performance space, creating a new home for music, film, performing arts and visual arts in Oxford and transforming the experience for students, academics and the local community. The building will create a step change in the visual and performing arts in Oxford, establishing a central base for the Music faculty and History of Art department while offering exciting potential for collaboration with the Ruskin School of Art.
The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. We are looking for a new senior fundraiser to join our energetic team to raise major gifts for a range of posts, scholarships and other priorities across the Humanities Division. Oxford is the world’s leading university for humanities teaching and research. The University’s scholarship in languages, literature, history, philosophy, religion, and the arts – from the earliest civilisation to the present day – enriches our understanding of humankind. Our research informs how we engage with historic issues and contemporary concerns, and contributes to our understanding of – and solutions to – some of the most complex global challenges, from climate change to the impacts of Artificial Intelligence.
About the Role
This fundraiser will work closely with senior academics in the Humanities Division. The post will focus primarily on funding for posts and scholarships in the academic faculties as well as securing support for the activities of the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, including the programme of public events that will start taking place in the building from spring 2026. An interest and appreciation for the arts and humanities is essential.
To Be Successful You’ll Need:
· To be an experienced development professional with a strong track record of securing major gifts and the ability to secure gifts in the range of £100k-£1m+
· Confidence to work with people from a range of backgrounds, both internally and externally
· The ability to think creatively in prospecting, cultivation and stewardship by identifying and maximising opportunities
· To work well as part of a team, with the capacity to work independently on projects and priorities
· A passion for the arts and humanities, and an awareness of the funding landscape in the UK and internationally
What We Offer
As an employer, we value the wellbeing and development of all our employees. We offer a comprehensive range of benefits, including:
· 38 days annual leave (including public holidays)
· Hybrid working arrangements for a healthy work-life balance
· Extensive personal and professional development opportunities
· Membership to CASE to support your professional development as an educational advancement professional
· Supportive childcare services and other family-friendly leave schemes for working parents, guardians and those with caring responsibilities
· Generous family leave for maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave
· Excellent contributory pension scheme for your financial future
· Salary sacrifice scheme for additional savings
· Subsidised sports centre membership to promote well-being
· Cycle loan scheme to encourage sustainable commuting
· Discounted bus and transit travel
In addition, you will have access to a vibrant community with social groups and sports clubs fostering an inclusive atmosphere.
Application process:
· Click the link to ‘Apply’ and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be taken to our online Applicant portal.
· Applications should consist of a full CV and a letter of application in your own words, in PDF format (maximum of 2 pages; no AI-written applications, please) outlining your motivations to apply for this role, your relevant experience and how you meet the criteria of the person specification.
Only applications received before 12.00 noon on Monday 19 January 2026 can be considered.
Interviews are currently scheduled to take place on Tuesday 27 January 2026, in person in Oxford.
Development and Alumni Engagement is committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences. We encourage applicants from all sectors of the community and are especially keen to encourage candidates from under-represented groups to apply.
We raise funds in support of the University’s academic priorities, securing donations for all aspects of academic and student endeavour.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you a creative and curious relationship builder with an interest in science and technology, and its ability to change the world?
University of Oxford’s world-leading Mathematical Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Development team is looking for their next aspiring fundraising professional, offering the chance to learn, grow and hone their skills in the role of Development Officer.
Offering an exceptional salary and benefits package along with unrivalled opportunities for professional development, this is a unique early-career opportunity for a driven individual with fundraising, marketing or transferable relationship skills looking for a stimulating and nurturing learning environment.
About the role:
From climate science and robotics, to drug discovery and surveying and conserving tropical rainforests, Oxford scientists are at the forefront of international research and their work has global impact. You’ll join the country’s most successful higher education Development team working closely with academics and researchers with an international reputation for excellence.
You will help to raise funds for cutting-edge, innovative and life-changing research, scholarships, access and outreach, and a number of key capital projects.
You’ll also develop your skills and experience across a range of income streams: regular giving, stewardship, legacies and major gifts, including gaining experience facilitating gifts up to six figures.
About you:
You’ll already have some fundraising, business development, alumni relations, or marketing experience. We’re looking for you to be able to positively and confidently engage and build rapport, both in conversation and writing.
You’re naturally curious and keen to learn more about the potential for scientific developments impact world issues, and change people’s lives.
We’d also love to see you demonstrate the following skills and qualities:
Think strategically and tactically about the relations between potential donors and fundraising goals.
· Be creative in producing materials, with an understanding of how to articulate projects for donors.
· Able to manage, prioritise and adapt to a diverse workload, meet deadlines, and work calmly under pressure.
In return for your passion and commitment, you’ll receive a generous salary and benefits package, joining a supportive team that will encourage and nurture you to thrive.
What we offer:
Your happiness and wellbeing at work matters to us, so we offer a range of family friendly and financial benefits including:
· Flexible hybrid working
· An excellent contributory pension scheme
· 38 days annual leave
· Membership to CASE
· Training and development opportunities
· A comprehensive range of childcare services
· Family leave schemes
· Cycle loan scheme
· Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
· Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
Application process
· Click the link to ‘Apply’ and follow the on-screen instructions on our Application portal.
· Applications must include of a CV and a letter of application, in your own words (in PDF format), outlining your motivations to apply for this role, your relevant experience and how you meet the criteria of the person specification.
Only applications received before 12.00 noon on 14 January 2026 can be considered.
Interviews are currently scheduled to take place 22 January 2026, in person in Oxford.
Development and Alumni Engagement is committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences. We encourage applicants from all sectors of the community and are especially keen to encourage candidates from under-represented groups to apply.
The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. Our research plays a key role in tackling many global challenges, from reducing our carbon emissions to developing vaccines during a pandemic.
We raise funds in support of the University’s academic priorities, securing donations for all aspects of academic and student endeavour.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Location: Homebased or Southwest Area Office, BS3 2NS
Contract: Part time, two days/14 hours per week, fixed term until 31 December 2026
Salary: £10,600 per annum, pro rata (£26,500 full time equivalent)
Closing Date: 18 January 2026
Interview: w/c 26 January 2026
Are you a Training Support Officer looking for a new opportunity?
The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure and enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development. Working with our employees, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a strong vision and five-year Future Ready strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide, both for young people, seafarers and maritime professionals – and the thousands who aspire to be the sea cadets and marine professionals of the future. It is also about equipping them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world, while growing our charity to benefit even more people – including those from under-represented or marginalised groups.
We are currently looking for a Training Support Officer to join our team.
About the role
This role provides tactical and targeted support to our District teams as we seek to enable our volunteers to deliver training to both cadets and volunteers in line with the Sea Cadets Learning Strategy. This post is responsible for supporting the delivery of the district training, including Royal Marine Cadet (RMC) training activity at Troop level. The work location can be flexible (home or office-based) requiring regular evening and weekend working supporting our volunteers by attending virtual meetings and delivering online training.
Responsibilities
- To provide functional support to our area Training Managers and District and RMC Troop Teams, ensure the district training plans are delivered, amended as necessary throughout the year, to the training plan and in line with identified training needed to best support the delivery of the Sea Cadet Experience.
- To support specific District Teams including the District Training Officer (DTO), District Recreational Officer/ Deputy District Officer (DRO/DDO), District Staff Officers (DSO), and RMC Troop Commanders (Trp Cdr) identified as requiring support under our change management process.
- To work closely with all District Officers to increase the number of certificated, current and competent instructors, and develop the capability and capacity of District Instructors to deliver training to cadets and volunteers across all Districts.
- To support the ATOs/DTOs/RMC Troops in all training matters (including uniformed and unit management teams) with a specific focus on Districts/Troops that need support.
- Support our Programmes and Virtual Training Manager with the co-ordination the of delivery of appropriate MSSC and other approved training packages (including BTEC, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award) appropriate to the age and experience of cadets across the organisation.
- Work under the leadership of our Assistant Director Sea Cadet Learning monitor performance against set targets set by the National Support Centre to ensure equitable access for cadets and adults to the Sea Cadet Experience.
Requirements
-
- Experience in working with youth groups and awareness and understanding on the challenges young people face.
- Experience in coordinating and supporting a programme of training activity.
- Experience in coaching and mentoring volunteers.
- Experience of drawing data to create support plans for delivery of activity.
- Experienced trainer with the ability to deliver engaging and impactful training.
Benefits
-
- 25 days annual leave per annum, pro rata for part time employees, increasing with length of service
- Hybrid working for many roles
- Volunteering Leave
- Life assurance (4x salary)
- Private medical insurance
- Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
- Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
- Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.
Additional Information
MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.
We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.
All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The University of Oxford aims to lead the world in research and education for the benefit of society both in the UK and globally. Philanthropy plays a critical role in enabling Oxford to maintain and build on its status as a world-class centre of learning. The Development and Alumni Engagement Office (DAE) at the University of Oxford has been successful in raising funds from a broad, international range of donors. All support enables the University to achieve its key aims of advancing excellence in research and teaching.
Within DAE, the Foundations and Corporations team is a pan-University fundraising team focused on building and maintaining successful philanthropic relationships for the University’s priorities. Funding secured supports posts and key research areas such as the environment, health and societal challenges, as well as scholarship support for postgraduate students. We work closely with our colleagues in specialist fundraising teams as well as those in business partnerships, innovation teams and research services.
This is an exciting time to join our Development and Alumni engagement team. The role of Senior Development Executive – Foundations and Corporations will support the University to establish and grow new philanthropic relationships with charitable trusts, foundations and corporations across a range of subject areas and themes, from global health and climate change, to civil society and the role of AI. Funding secured will support capital projects, academic posts, innovative research and enable talented students to undertake further studies at Oxford. To achieve this, you will have the support of excellent colleagues across DAE as well as wider academic, departmental and professional service staff at Oxford.
About you
You are an experienced philanthropic fundraiser with a strong track record of securing major gifts, a confident approach and the ability to think creatively. Your ability to build rapport and relationships swiftly will enable you to lead on major gift fundraising (securing donations of £500k-£1m+), working with a range of donors (corporates, trusts and foundations). Your ability to establish credibility and foster trust across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders will be key to your success. Your strong experience of building philanthropic partnerships with organisation donors will be key. Experience of work in higher education is desirable. Above all, you will share Oxford’s mission and be driven to create meaningful impact through philanthropy.
What We Offer
Your happiness and wellbeing at work matters to us, so we offer a range of family friendly and financial benefits including:
· Flexible hybrid working
· An excellent contributory pension scheme
· 38 days annual leave
· Membership to CASE
· Training and development opportunities
· A comprehensive range of childcare services
· Family leave schemes
· Cycle loan scheme
· Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
· Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loan
You could be helping to deliver philanthropic support that funds breakthroughs in science and health, enables new public policy and interventions, or facilitates education for the next generation of leaders in their fields. If this sounds like the kind of challenge you’ve been looking for, we’d love to hear from you.
Application process:
· Click the link to ‘Apply’ and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be taken to our online Applicant portal.
· Applications should consist of a full CV and a letter of application in your own words, in PDF format (maximum of 2 pages; no AI-written applications, please) outlining your motivations to apply for this role, your relevant experience and how you meet the criteria of the person specification.
Only applications received before 12.00 noon on Tuesday 13 January 2026 can be considered.
Interviews are currently scheduled to take place on Wednesday 21 January 2026, in person in Oxford.
Development and Alumni Engagement is committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences. We encourage applicants from all sectors of the community and are especially keen to encourage candidates from under-represented groups to apply.
We raise funds in support of the University’s academic priorities, securing donations for all aspects of academic and student endeavour.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Opportunity:
As Operations and Impact Manager, you will provide the operational stability and strategic insight that enables our team to fight for equality for young migrants. By ensuring strong systems, financial health, and data-driven impact evaluation, you will help us deliver campaigns, advocacy, and support that change lives. Your work will empower We Belong to grow sustainably, remain accountable, and amplify the voices of young migrants across the UK.
Key Responsibilities:
·Lead organisational systems and operations to ensure smooth, efficient processes across finance, compliance, and team workflows.
·Drive impact and learning frameworks, embedding data-driven insights into strategy and reporting.
·Manage cross-team projects and fundraising pipelines, supporting timely delivery of proposals and reports.
·Support governance and strategic planning, preparing board papers and ensuring compliance.
·Line manage communications, ensuring campaigns and content reflect We Belong’s mission and values.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Location: MSSC NSC, 200B Lambeth Road, London, SE1 7JY (Hybrid Working)
Contract: Full time, permanent
Salary: £40,000 to £42,000 gross per annum, depending on experience
Closing Date: 8 February 2026
Assessment Day: 16 February 2026
Are you looking for a new opportunity supporting volunteers to give their best?
The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is a vibrant and growing charity delivering life changing nautical adventure for young people through the Sea Cadets to give them the best possible head start in life. We also provide personal and professional development opportunities for seafarers with the Marine Society. Working with our staff, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a vision and five-year strategy to take us forward and further improve the astounding contribution already made through our work to the lives of thousands of young people and seafarers, while fully supporting our volunteers who are vital to our success.
About the role
We are currently looking for a Volunteer Support Manager to join our innovative Young People, Volunteer and Business Support Directorate. You will manage the Volunteer Support Team and develop and maintain efficient volunteering systems used by our volunteers. This is a key role focussed on supporting the charity’s volunteering strategy and championing best practice in volunteering.
This is an exciting time to join the Sea Cadets with the opportunity to make a real difference to the way volunteers are supported and recognised. The Volunteer Support Manager will be responsible for the effective and efficient administration of the volunteer processes via Microsoft Forms and Power Automate, as well as reviewing existing and implementing new systems to make them as effective and as volunteer friendly as possible.
Responsibilities
- To maintain, review and update volunteering systems, processes and approaches ensuring that they are efficient, up-to-date and as volunteer friendly as possible
- To line manage and support the Volunteer Support Team based at the MSSC Support Centre to ensure the delivery of effective and timely support to the volunteers
- To functionally manage and support the Area Volunteer Support Team based across the 6 Area Offices to deliver effective and consistent support to the volunteers
- To work with the Head of Volunteering to review MSSC volunteering policies, monitoring their appropriateness and effectiveness, making recommendations for changes as necessary
- To work with Volunteer Support Officers to develop systems and processes for managing the volunteer support workload and monitoring delivery standards
- To develop guidance and associated resources for the support of volunteers
- To manage the Volunteer Support elements of the Training and Admin website ensuring that the information is relevant, accurate and up to date
Requirements
- Experience of managing and motivating a large team
- Experience of managing, reviewing and refining complex administrative processes
- Experience of running effective CRM systems including the use of Microsoft Forms and Power Automate or similar products
- Experience developing processes which are targeted at both internal and external audiences
- Experience of delivering a first-class service to clients or customers
- An understanding of the voluntary and community sector, ideally within the youth field
Desirable
- Experience of managing or supervising a team based remotely
- Experience of being a volunteer
- Experience of managing an onboarding process with the understanding of the importance of safer recruitment
- Experience of empowering a team to deliver a first class customer service
- Experience of leading projects manging change with various stakeholders
- Experience of working with volunteers and the knowledge of how to ensure they are supported
Benefits
- 25 days annual leave per annum, increasing with length of service
- Hybrid working for many roles
- Volunteering Leave
- Life assurance (4x salary)
- Private medical insurance
- Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
- Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
- Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.
Additional Information
MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.
We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.
All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.