School programme leader jobs in Manchester

About Overcoming MS:

Every five minutes, someone, somewhere in the world is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). For many, those words are followed by fear, uncertainty and unanswered questions. Too often, people leave appointments without knowing how nutrition, exercise, stress management and other evidence-based lifestyle changes can play an important role alongside medical treatment.

Overcoming MS is the leading global charity dedicated to helping everyone with MS live well. We turn the best available evidence into practical support people can use every day. Together with our global community and healthcare professionals, we're working to make healthy lifestyle support part of everyday MS care.

We're entering an exciting new chapter. Over the next three years, we're investing in growing philanthropy to diversify income, build long-term sustainability and reach more people living with MS than ever before. This newly created role will play a pivotal part in making that ambition a reality.

Job summary:
As our Philanthropy Manager, you'll lead our trusts and foundations fundraising while building meaningful relationships with major donors who share our vision. Working closely with the Director of Fundraising & Communications, CEO and Trustees, you'll help build and grow our philanthropy programme, securing significant gifts and developing long-term partnerships that enable more people living with MS to access trusted information, evidence-based lifestyle guidance and a supportive community.

This is a rare opportunity for an ambitious fundraiser who enjoys building something new. You'll have the freedom to shape a growing philanthropy programme, develop new opportunities and play a central role in delivering our fundraising strategy.

About you

You're an experienced relationship fundraiser with a successful track record in trusts and foundations and/or major donor fundraising.

You'll bring:

• A proven track record of securing significant five-figure gifts and grants, with experience developing or securing six-figure funding opportunities.
• Excellent proposal and bid writing skills.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management experience.
• Confidence working with philanthropists, senior decision-makers and trustees.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with delivering ambitious income targets.
• Excellent communication, organisation and influencing skills.

Most importantly, you'll share our belief that everyone living with MS deserves access to trusted information, practical support and hope for the future.

Key responsibilities and duties:
The role comprises of the following key areas of responsibility:

Trusts and Foundations

• Lead and develop our trusts and foundations fundraising programme.
• Build and manage a strong pipeline of prospective charitable trusts and foundations.
• Research and identify new funding opportunities aligned to Overcoming MS' strategic priorities.
• Develop compelling funding applications, reports and proposals.
• Deliver excellent stewardship and timely reporting to existing funders.

Major Donors

• Develop and manage relationships with existing and prospective major donors.
• Work with the Director of Fundraising & Communications, CEO and Trustees to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospective philanthropists.
• Develop tailored cultivation and stewardship plans aligned to supporters' interests and motivations.
• Prepare personalised proposals, presentations and impact reports.
• Secure significant five-figure gifts while developing and progressing opportunities capable of generating transformational six-figure support.

Philanthropy development

• Research and identify opportunities to grow both restricted and unrestricted income.
• Develop compelling cases for support that communicate the impact and ambition of Overcoming MS.
• Collaborate with colleagues across fundraising, communications and services to translate our evidence, insight and organisational priorities into inspiring funding propositions.
• Contribute to philanthropy strategy, pipeline development, income forecasting and long-term fundraising growth.
• Maintain accurate fundraising records, prospect pipelines and reporting through our CRM system.
• Support donor cultivation events and opportunities to deepen supporter engagement.

Compliance and representation

• Act as an ambassador for Overcoming MS, building relationships that increase awareness and support for our work.
• Ensure fundraising activity complies with the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice, GDPR and organisational policies.
• Keep up to date with fundraising best practice and sector developments.

Person Specification

We're looking for someone who is excited by the opportunity to build, grow and shape a philanthropy programme that will help more people live well with MS.

Essential

• Proven experience securing significant five-figure gifts and grants from trusts and foundations and/or major donors, with experience developing or securing six-figure funding opportunities.
• An excellent track record of developing successful funding applications, compelling proposals and persuasive cases for support.
• Experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding high-value supporters.
• Outstanding written communication skills, with the ability to translate evidence and impact into compelling fundraising propositions.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with confidence engaging philanthropists, trustees and senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing fundraising pipelines and using CRM systems.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
• A proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused approach.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• A commitment to the mission and values of Overcoming MS.

Desirable

• Experience working within a health, disability or medical charity.
• Experience working with volunteer leaders, ambassadors or Boards.
• Experience using Dynamics 365 or a similar CRM system.
• An understanding of multiple sclerosis or an interest in evidence-based lifestyle approaches to long-term health.

This job description outlines the main responsibilities of the role but is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties may evolve over time, and the post-holder may be required to undertake other reasonable tasks consistent with the level of the role. 

Why join us?

You'll join an ambitious, evidence-led charity with a global reach, where you'll have the opportunity to shape a growing philanthropy programme from the ground up.

We offer:

• Fully remote working within the UK.
• 28 days annual leave (FTE - pro rata for part-time) plus a day off for your birthday and bank holidays. 
• 5% pension scheme. 
• Genuine flexibility around how your 22.5 hours are worked across the week.
• Employee Assistance Programme. 
• Opportunities for professional development and growth.
• The opportunity to work closely with the CEO, Trustees and senior colleagues to build a sustainable philanthropy programme.
• The chance to make a lasting difference for people living with MS.

How to apply 

Please click on the ‘apply now’ button and send your CV and a covering letter.

In your covering letter, please let us know: 

• Your motivation for applying for the role.
• Your notice period. 
• Your current location.

Application timeline:

• Closing date: 9am on Thursday 13th August. 
• First round interviews: Tuesday 18th August online via Microsoft Teams.
• Second round interviews: TBC.

Please respond ASAP, as we will start screening candidates as soon as we receive applications. 

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:

We want Overcoming MS to be a welcoming, inclusive and supportive place to work, where people feel valued and able to thrive. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and communities, particularly those currently underrepresented in the charity sector.

We know that people sometimes hesitate to apply unless they meet every requirement listed. If this role feels like a good fit for you, we’d still encourage you to apply.

If you need reasonable adjustments or information in a different format during the recruitment process, please contact us.

Right now, Gaza is one of the hardest places in the world to be a child. As of July 2026, UNICEF reported that more than 21,000 children had been killed and around 44,500 injured since October 2023. Over 58,000 have lost one or both parents or primary caregivers, while around 700,000 have missed almost three years of formal education.

Established in 2024, Children Not Numbers (CNN) is a medico-legal charity committed to the health, safety, education and rehabilitation of Gaza’s children. Working alongside colleagues in Gaza and more than 100 volunteers worldwide, including surgeons, medics and lawyers, the charity provides medical care, medical evacuations, education, psychological support and international advocacy. Within its first year, CNN evacuated more than 300 children and their companions, supported over 650 children through its multidisciplinary clinical team, delivered maternal healthcare to more than 600 women, educated over 350 pupils through its primary school, provided holistic care for 71 orphans and distributed more than 1,000 food aid baskets.

Reporting to a Co-Founder and Director, the Senior Communications Manager will lead Children Not Numbers’ social media strategy and day-to-day digital communications, using ethical storytelling to grow audiences, strengthen supporter engagement and help drive fundraising. Building on the charity’s established communications strategy, the postholder will also support website content, campaigns and brand development, working closely with colleagues in Gaza, the fundraising team and external creative partners to ensure the charity’s work is communicated with accuracy, sensitivity and dignity.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to help shape the next phase of Children Not Numbers’ growth, bringing fresh ideas, creativity and strategic thinking to a charity where communications plays a central role in fundraising and advocacy. With a collaborative ‘yes’ culture, the freedom to think differently and the autonomy to turn ideas into action, the successful candidate will have real influence over campaigns and storytelling.

As Senior Communications Manager you will:

• Lead Children Not Numbers’ social media strategy and day-to-day digital communications, creating compelling, ethical content that grows audiences, strengthens supporter engagement and helps drive fundraising
• Line manage the Marketing & Communications Officer and Gaza-based Video Journalist, while overseeing relationships with external creative and PR partners
• Work closely with colleagues in Gaza, the fundraising team and senior leaders to develop content and campaigns that communicate the charity’s work with accuracy, sensitivity and dignity
• Support digital content creation across the charity’s website, working with an external website agency, supporting the development of campaign landing pages and ensuring consistency of messaging and brand
• Create and/or review written content, including thought leadership pieces, fundraising materials, impact reports and organisational publications
• Monitor performance and emerging opportunities, using insight and creativity to continually strengthen the charity’s communications and digital presence

About you

This role will suit a strategic doer who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is motivated by seeing the impact of their work. While hugely rewarding, the role is also highly reactive and, at times, harrowing, requiring sound judgement, resilience and the ability to adapt quickly as priorities change. The organisation has an embedded mental health and wellbeing programme in place to support staff – please ask for details.

Essential skills and experience:

• Experience developing and/or implementing social media strategy within a charity or NGO settings
• Track record of creating engaging digital content and using ethical storytelling to build audiences and strengthen supporter engagement
• Strong understanding of the role communications and social media play in successful fundraising, with experience developing and delivering integrated digital campaigns that support fundraising, advocacy or wider organisational objectives
• Experience managing people, or demonstrating equivalent leadership experience, with the ability to motivate, develop and support others
• Excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills, with exceptional attention to tone, accuracy and detail
• Strong understanding of social media platforms, digital trends, audience engagement and analytics, with experience using insight and data to inform strategy and optimise performance
• A confident, collaborative leader, with the ability to work at pace, respond to changing priorities and make sound judgements under pressure
• An understanding of, or genuine interest in, the Gaza and broader Palestine context, humanitarian issues, and the importance of ethical storytelling
• Strong content creation and visual design skills, including experience using Canva or similar design tools

Desirable:

• Experience in the humanitarian or international development sector
• Experience working with photographers, videographers or content creators in international or complex operating environments
• Experience of influencer engagement, partnership development or community-building campaigns
• Knowledge of Google Analytics, Buffer (or similar social media management platforms), SEO and digital performance reporting

Interviews will take place on a rolling basis, therefore please apply ASAP.

To apply, please upload a copy of your CV ensuring alignment with the person specification. A cover letter is not required, however if you wish to include notes to help clarify alignment between your experience and the person specification, please do so.

While this role is primarily aimed at candidates based in the UK, CNN will consider exceptional applicants based in countries with a time difference of no more than one hour from the UK. If you are applying from outside the UK, you will need to clearly specify your location and the time difference in the Notes section of your application to be considered for the role.

Please note that we will only be able to reply to suitable applicants. 

Future First is looking for an engaging and organised Senior School Membership Coordinator to build strong relationships with our member schools and help ensure more young people benefit from the power of alumni networks.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a mission-driven charity working to ensure every state school and college is supported by a thriving alumni community. You'll manage a portfolio of schools, deliver engaging workshops to young people, support employer partnerships and help grow our membership so we can reach even more students.

We're looking for someone with excellent relationship-building and communication skills, who is confident delivering in school settings, highly organised and motivated by making a difference. Experience using a CRM (ideally Salesforce) is desirable, and you'll be comfortable balancing a varied workload in a fast-paced, collaborative team.

Although the role is remote first, due to travel requirements to our member schools, we are looking for someone ideally located in London, Birmingham or Manchester. 

You must also have a full driving licence and access to a vehicle that you can use for work travel. Unfortunately, if you don't have both of these you will not be suitable for this opportunity.

To find out more and for full instructions on how to apply, please download the job pack.

We are looking for someone who cares deeply about our ambitious plans, and who has the skills to manage large scale programmes, whilst also being able to independently take action to deliver operational tasks. 

Your work will be central to enabling our continued growth, directly supporting the development of strong partner relationships and shaping the experience they have across our programmes, so that they can deliver excellent outcomes for babies, children and young people.

Role Overview

We are looking to appoint three Programme Officers, who will be responsible for supporting programme delivery and programme operations at the Reach Foundation. 

We have 3 vacancies across our portfolios of work:

Role 1: Programme Officer (Leadership)

This includes our x100 programmes across the West, East, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, our leadership programme with A Million Realities, and newly established place based leadership programmes for heads and executive leaders.

Role 2: Programme Officer (Cradle-to-Career)

This includes our Cradle-to-Career catalyst, foundations and leadership programmes (which are each distinct phases of our Cradle-to-Career core offer), our Accelerator programme, and a number of bespoke Cradle-to-Career catalyst programmes run directly for partner organisations. 

Role 3: Programme Officer (Educational Breakthroughs)

Helping to launch our newest strand of work, developing and growing ‘educational breakthroughs’ that enable all children to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. This will include delivery of existing elements of our ‘breakthrough portfolio’ (Languages for All, developing mapping/ data tools to support local breakthroughs, re-imagining key stage 3 for Lift Schools) and supporting new clients as we begin partnerships with them. 

Each role has a distinct portfolio of programmes you will support, but the duties, skills and capabilities required for each role are aligned. We expect the three Programme Officers to work together closely to ensure consistency of delivery across our work, to share learning and to develop a community of practice. 

You will work closely with the Directors responsible for each programme, alongside our Events and Operations Officers, who work across all programmes,  to ensure our programmes are planned and delivered to a high standard. 

The role of the Programme Officer has three core areas of responsibility:

1. Programme Planning and Project Management

• Project manage multiple, simultaneous programmes across the portfolio with rigour. Work with other programme managers to embed consistent programme management across our organisation. 

• Work with the Events and Operations Officers to complete the annual calendar-setting process, setting event dates and key programme milestones. Ensure all events are appropriately staffed. 

• Utilise Asana to monitor project milestones, proactively identify off-track delivery risks, and lead status updates during programme meetings to ensure timely intervention.

• Champion the use of HubSpot (CRM) and set up progress dashboards alongside evaluation colleagues.

2. Programme Delivery

• Improve (or establish) processes that ensure that every participant on our programmes has a great experience from the moment they find out about us, to when they exit working with us. 

• Manage the main programme inbox, serving as the responsive, warm, and professional first point of contact for routine enquiries from participants and external partners

• Coordinate regular, high-quality programmatic communications (e.g. programme blasts or event invites) to keep participants informed and engaged throughout the year. You may author these, or work with others to ensure they are circulated in a timely manner.

• Ensure all programmatic data collection is in line with GDPR guidelines.

• Support in programme administration tasks, such as preparing papers for steering group meetings, taking minutes and circulating actions. 

• Actively participate in cross-organisational reviews, sharing delivery insights in order to improve the quality of our work. 

• Programme-Specific Deliverables: 

Participant Recruitment & Onboarding: Lead the end-to-end application and onboarding journey for new programme cohorts, including coordinating assessment or sign up windows, distributing welcome materials, and managing intake data. 

Coaching Offer Management: Act as the end-to-end operational lead for the leadership coaching offer, managing coach-matching logistics, scheduling, and tracking completion rates.

Contract and Agreement Tracking: Administer the distribution and tracking of Service Level Agreements (SLAs), ensuring signed copies are received prior to delivery. 

3. Stakeholder and Relationship Management

• Coordinate the operational onboarding of new bespoke partners, guiding both internal and external senior stakeholders through this initial phase

• Invest deeply in building strong, warm, and respectful relationships with senior external stakeholders across identified bespoke partnerships, acting as a point of contact for any queries and ensuring excellent customer service

• Develop strong relationships internally, particularly with Regional Directors or Breakthrough Project Leads , providing them with regular progress updates, risk assessments, and actionable recommendations ahead of key delivery milestones.

• Actively collaborate with fellow Programme Officers to share operational learnings, standardise delivery templates, and build a supportive internal community of practice.

Please review the attached Job Description for more details.

This is a new role at a genuine moment of growth for SSE - we expect to recruit over 600 social entrepreneurs across our learning programmes next year and every one of them starts with a good assessment. 

Our assessment work spans a large pool of staff, freelancers and partners, and this role exists to bring it all together: clear frameworks, consistent data, and a process that's welcoming to people who don't always find application processes easy.

We're looking for an assessment lead to design and embed the systems, training and guidance that help our wider team assess applicants fairly, consistently and efficiently - and to carry out assessments and interviews directly. You'll work closely with the Head of Grants and Assessment, our Tech Team, and Programme Managers across the organisation.

You’ll will need to have a rare combinations of skills – a good understanding of a wide range of social enterprises and charities, gained through experience of training, business consultancy or development support, combined with the ability to design systems to support data collection and assessment, and the ability to support others to use those systems. Are you up for the challenge?

About Us

We are an environmental charity with science at our heart. We help people to take action to protect the nature around them; by connecting them with it and giving them the tools they need to do so. We passionately believe in citizen science and are leaders in it. Our current focus areas include helping to create nature-friendly urban spaces, growing the impact of internationally known citizen science programmes such as Freshwater Watch, developing early career scientists and sharing learning internationally, and working with partners to advance the science, tools and thinking behind citizen science.

What we are looking for

Earthwatch Europe is recruiting a Director of Science and Impact. We are looking for someone with a deep understanding of the pressures facing our natural world and how citizen science and community action can help address these challenges, using high quality data, knowledge and practical demonstration to influence governments and corporations.

You will have a background in citizen science and an in depth understanding of current and future environmental policy trends and priorities.  You will be an experienced leader with excellent interpersonal skills and a track record of successful relationship and partnership development at all levels. You will have strong project and budget management experience, and you will be an exceptional strategic thinker with the ability to create and deliver effective strategies and action plans

Please see the full job description attached.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; Earthwatch is unable to support visa applications. 

Earthwatch is committed to making any adjustments we can for short-listed candidates, to facilitate participation in our interview process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a DBS check and other due diligence checks, given the nature of this position within the charity.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. 

Company Description

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all 4 nations, delivering community nursing and hospice care across the country, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end-of-life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness, they’re likely to die from.

Job Description

This is an exciting leadership opportunity for an experienced people manager who is passionate about developing high-performing teams and delivering sustainable income growth. Working alongside the Head of Fundraising, who provides regional strategic leadership, you'll take the lead on the day-to-day management, coaching and development of a team of Community Fundraisers, creating an environment where people can thrive, perform at their best and deliver exceptional supporter experiences.

You'll play a key role in translating strategy into action, empowering your team to grow income, deepen supporter engagement and maximise opportunities across communities throughout Scotland. Combining strong people leadership with commercial awareness and relationship-building skills, you'll help drive performance while ensuring supporters, volunteers and partners receive an outstanding experience.

In this role, you'll:

• Lead, coach and develop a team of five Community Fundraisers, providing clear direction, support and motivation to help them achieve their goals.
• Embed a high-performance, collaborative and supporter-focused culture across the team.
• Support the Head of Fundraising in delivering regional fundraising plans and priorities across Scotland.
• Monitor team performance against targets, using data and insight to identify opportunities and address challenges.
• Drive income growth by supporting your team to maximise fundraising opportunities and build strong supporter pipelines.
• Manage budgets, resources and workloads effectively to ensure activity delivers strong return on investment.
• Support the delivery of fundraising campaigns, events and community fundraising activity.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, volunteers, community groups, schools, faith organisations, corporate partners and internal stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Philanthropy, Partnerships, Legacy and In Memory to maximise fundraising opportunities and supporter engagement.

What we're looking for

• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing teams to achieve ambitious goals.
• A passion for people leadership, with the ability to inspire, motivate and bring out the best in others.
• Experience of driving income growth, sales performance or commercial results through a team.
• Strong performance management skills, with confidence using data, KPIs and insight to inform decisions.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing budgets, resources and competing priorities.
• Strong communication and influencing skills.
• A supporter, customer or donor-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering excellent experiences.

This version makes it very clear that the Head is the strategic leader, while this role is the operational people leader responsible for leading and developing the team.

Please see full job description here 

Application & Interview Process

As part of your online application, you will be asked for a CV. Please review both the advert and job description and outline your most relevant skills, experience and knowledge for the role.

Close date for applications: Sunday 16th August 2026

Salary:£38,007 - £42,230

Contract: Permanent, Full time

Based: Homebased role in Scotland with occasional travel for team meetings. 

Benefits you’ll LOVE:

• Flexible working. We’re happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage.
• 25 days annual leave (exclusive of Bank Holidays)
• Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme (we will match your contribution up to 7.5%)
• Loan schemes for bikes; computers and season tickets
• Continuous professional development opportunities.
• Industry-leading training programmes
• Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programmes
• Enhanced bereavement, family friendly and sickness benefits
• Access to Blue Light Card membership
• Subsidised Eye Care

Additional Information

At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for people, how we work together, and how we make decisions every day. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe for everyone — staff and volunteers alike — supportive, inclusive and rewarding.  We take stringent steps to ensure that anyone who joins our organisation are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. We actively consider our impact on the planet, embedding sustainability into everyday decisions to create a lasting, positive difference for the individuals we care for and the world we share.

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Marie Curie is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising both the social justice imperative and the strength a diverse workforce brings.  We actively encourage applications from people of all cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.

We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you require any support, please contact us

Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and in return, we ask that your application authentically reflects you — your experience, perspective and voice.

We’re looking for a collaborative, highly organised Youth Engagement Project Officer, who is passionate about building opportunities for children and young people in libraries.

You’ll have great communication skills and enthusiasm for platforming young people’s voices. You’ll also know how to manage priorities, keep projects within deadline and budget, and accurately collect and compile data. As a natural people-person, you’ll feel confident supporting library teams, partners and colleagues and be happy taking initiative.

We’d especially love to hear from you if you have created opportunities for children and young people to be heard and involved in decisions that affect them, and if you’ve been involved in supporting the delivery of projects. Experience of libraries is not required as you’ll have lots of opportunities to learn about our sector in this role.

About the work

Our focus is on creating libraries of tomorrow with children and young people today.

We want all children and young people to feel at home at the library, to be understood, empowered and inspired. Our collaborative national network is made up of members from library services, partners and supporters. We believe in the need for safe spaces and real-life connections to support the demands of modern life. Together, we’recreating change, and you can be a part of it.

We are an Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation. Our members are leaders in children and young people’s public libraries and school library services.

Libraries Rising and The Reading Agency were recently successful in securing funding from the Arts Council to deliver a two-year programme, to place young people at the heart of shaping the future library reading experience. The two-year project forms part of the legacy of the National Year of Reading 2026 and will work with young people and library services across nine regions of England to co-create new approaches, resources and digital innovations that build on the strengths of libraries and inspire more young people to read for pleasure. 

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who lives our values - progressive, collaborative, kind, aspirational and inclusive. 

What’s important to us needs to be important to you too. We want to focus on impact, to work openly, to collaborate with and learn from others, to take the time to care for ourselves and each other, and to have fun together. We are building an environmentally sustainable charity, and we want to be celebrated as an inclusion changemaker in the sector. 

Our application process is open to everyone and anyone with the experience we’re looking for. We have a diverse board of trustees, and we are developing the diversity of our staff team. We particularly welcome applications from people from racialised communities, trans or non-binary individuals, and those with hidden or visible disabilities. 

Please note - a Candidate Pack for this role is available on the application page. 

Job purpose 

As Youth Engagement Project Officer, you’ll work closely with the Programme Manager, the wider Libraries Rising team, The Reading Agency, library services and young people to support the delivery of this project, and to develop our wider support of libraries with their youth engagement work.

What you’ll bring to the role 

You’ll be: 

• A strong communicator, confident with building relationships and keeping everyone on track. 
• Experienced in working with young people and partner organisations. 
• Committed to platforming young people’s voices, especially those who are underserved by their communities, marginalised, or experiencing deprivation. 
• Committed to co-creative practice and working with, not doing to. 
• Experienced in creating, developing and implementing effective systems and procedures. 
• Experienced in providing operational, administrative and project support, with digital skills including use of Microsoft Office and supporting remote teams. 
• Experienced in providing in person and online event planning and support. 
• Aware of GDPR implications and requirements. 
• Committed to your own professional development. 

Employee benefits 

• 25 days annual leave (pro rata) plus Bank Holidays 
• 5% employer pension contribution 
• Employee Assist Programme – including 24/7 counselling, health support and legal helpline. 
• A range of discounts on retail, entertainment, travel and wellbeing. 

Additional information

If you have any questions about the role, please get in touch. 

All applicants must have an existing Right to Work in the UK.

Please also note that appointment will be made subject to collection of two references and a satisfactory DBS check or evidence of a current DBS certificate. 

Full Time – 35 hours per week

The Diocese of Chester is seeking to recruit a Diocesan Secretary who will be:

1) A senior member of the Bishop of Chester's core staff team,

2) The chief officer of the charitable business that undergirds the Diocese of Chester, and

3) The most senior, 'lay' officer of the Diocese of Chester.

The role is complex as well as important. You will need an open heart and deep courage, patience, kindness, humility, determination, and constantly reflective practice. We value competence founded on transparent good character, grounded deeply in Christian faith. You will need to be able to see over the horizon without missing the personal needs of team members, enabling both with persistent grace and strategic focus.

The successful candidate will be inspirational, humble, skilled and experienced in leadership in both ‘first-’ and ‘second-chairs’, a change manager, relational and the technical ability to fulfil the role.

This role is based in Church House, Daresbury, Warrington which is a key operational centre for the life of the Diocese.

For informal conversation, contact the Bishop of Chester - contact details in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button. 

The recruitment pack, including job description, person specification and application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan website: Please see website address in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button.

Completed application forms should be returned by email - contact details in the attached documents or via the apply/redirect to recruiter button 

Closing date:  Sunday 23rd August 2026

Interviews: Tuesday 8th September 2026

The Diocese of Chester is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

An Enhanced DBS Disclosure will be required for the successful candidate.

An Occupational Requirement exists for the postholder to be a practising Christian, in accordance with the Equality Act, 2010.

Corporate Partnerships (Fundraising) Senior Lead 

Salary: £47,463 to £51,090 FTE (offer dependent on experience) pro rated at 0.6 FTE, plus £312 p.a working from home allowance (see below for more details on remuneration)

Contract: Part-time (0.6 FTE), permanent, remote first/home-based. 

Location: Remote, but with the expectation of flexibility to travel regularly to London and occasionally to other locations in the UK. (Applicants residing outside mainland UK will not be considered.)

About Voice 21 

Oracy is our ability to articulate our ideas, develop understanding, and engage with others through speaking, listening and communication. Like reading, writing and maths, oracy is fundamental for learning and life. Every child should be taught how to use their voice to thrive in education and beyond. Voice 21 is the national charity on a mission to secure high quality oracy education for every child. We know that teaching oracy skills improves children’s confidence, wellbeing, engagement and attainment. We support teachers and school leaders to weave oracy into everyday teaching and whole-school culture, to transform learning and outcomes for their pupils. We focus where we can make the most difference, in state schools that serve economically disadvantaged pupils. We also work to influence national policy and champion oracy across the education system. Follow the links to find out more about why oracy is so vital and the impact Voice 21 has. 

About this role 

Voice 21 is a rapidly growing national charity with a bold new strategy to 2030 and ambitious plans to double its fundraised income over the strategic period. We see significant potential for the corporate sector to engage with our work and support our mission to transform education and outcomes for young people. We are looking for an experienced corporate fundraising specialist to drive growth of our burgeoning Corporate Partnerships programme, unlock exciting new opportunities for support, and lead on developing new voluntary income from corporate partnerships. 

In this role, you will champion creative, insight-driven new business development and account management, ensuring partnerships are meaningful, mutually beneficial, and aligned with our mission. The role will encompass research and qualification, engagement of potential corporate partners, developing propositions and proposals, pitching and securing new partners, and relationship building and stewardship. This opportunity will suit someone proactive and self-motivated, with demonstrable experience of developing new corporate partnerships income from scratch, who is comfortable working independently, skilled in building relationships at all levels, and driven by Voice 21’s mission.

Main responsibilities 

• Working collaboratively across the organisation to build trusted relationships internally, maximise opportunities, and ensure corporate partnerships support our strategic objectives.

• Identifying and delivering opportunities to develop new partnerships, securing and onboarding new corporate partners through targeted engagement.

• Building and maintaining sustainable relationships with corporate contacts, ensuring excellent engagement and stewardship.

• Building and managing a robust pipeline of prospective partners, ensuring a strategic and targeted approach to new business.

• Collaborating across teams to shape and deliver high-value, mutually beneficial partnership proposals that align with organisational priorities. 

• Providing strategic support to the Head of Fundraising and Senior Leadership Team, ensuring where appropriate that senior colleagues are fully briefed and prepared.

• Contributing your sector knowledge, expertise and specialist insights to inform strategy and innovation and assist decision-making.

Your progression 

 Within 1 month, you’ll:

• Learn about the organisation, our mission, impact and case for support; understand our supporters, our fundraising strategy and activities; connect with colleagues and start to build key relationships. 

Within 3 months, you’ll:

• Review corporate partnerships strategy; build targeted list of new corporate prospects; develop partnerships propositions with colleagues. 

 Within 6 months, you’ll:

• own and start to execute corporate partnership strategy; drive pipeline development and prospect engagement; set longer term objectives and KPIs for the programme. 

Person specification 

• Demonstrable experience of setting up a corporate fundraising programme, with a track record of securing five-figure+ relationships and raising income to target.

• Knowledge and/or experience of a wide range of corporate income streams, from strategic partnerships and sponsorships, to cause-related marketing, employee engagement, gifts in kind, etc.

• Strong commercial awareness, with ability to identify and prioritise high-value opportunities. 

• Proactivity and assertiveness, with the ability to recognise and act on new opportunities, along with the tenacity to secure meetings. 

• Experience of building a portfolio of corporate sector prospects and managing a pipeline of opportunities. Ideally with experience of using Salesforce (or another CRM system) to manage pipelines, track performance, and report on outcomes.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships at all levels, negotiating and influencing to achieve successful outcomes. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confident and engaging presentation abilities.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

• Knowledge of fundraising legislation, ethics, compliance, and data protection requirements.

• Self-motivated, comfortable working autonomously, and able to take ownership of own performance. Comfortable in a fast-paced, iterative culture.

Who you’ll work with: Your line manager will be the Head of Fundraising. There is also a full-time Fundraising Officer in the team who will provide some support for this role. The postholder should expect to work regularly with the CEO and wider leadership team. Fundraising sits within Voice 21’s Operations Directorate.

Where you’ll work: All Voice 21 staff work remotely and this is a home-based role, with some travel expected to our London office (near Victoria station) and elsewhere for meetings. Occasional overnight stays may be required. Voice 21 pays all travel and accommodation expenses.

Why work for Voice 21?

Tackle a vital challenge, with great people. Voice 21 exists to transform children's learning and life chances through talk and we are aiming to be working with 2000 schools a year by 2025. To reach this goal we recruit great people and give them real responsibility, training and support. 

Output focused culture, with flexible working opportunities. We have an agile and flexible approach; our team can work when and wherever works best to deliver the requirements of their role. For staff working at home, we support them to create a workspace and provide technology that enables them to work effectively. 

Real development opportunities. We believe in supporting people to develop the skills they need to be excellent - whether this means funding external training, finding a mentor to support them or giving them the time to learn from others in the organisations through our regular CPD sessions. We also offer paid study leave for team members taking part in formal studies outside of work.

Great benefits. 36 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays and a 3 day Christmas closure period). Holiday entitlement increases linked to length of service, 5% employer contribution to pension, interest-free season ticket, cycle and technology loans, employee assistance scheme. 

Remuneration. Our pay is a band and spine point approach, whereby up to 7 years (depending on starting point) annual pay progression is automatically available.

How to apply

Please submit your C.V. clearly summarising your work experience and achievements, along with a written statement (max. length 1,000 words / 2 sides of A4) that addresses these three questions: 

1. Please tell us about the highest value corporate partnership you have personally secured and which you developed from start to finish:

• How did you go about identifying the prospect and opportunity?

• How did you go about developing the relationship before you secured the partnership?

• What were the features of the partnership and what was the value for the charity and the company?

• What was your role in developing the pitch and how did you go about landing the deal?

• What was the outcome and/or impact of securing this partnership?

1. Reflecting on the example you have shared, what did you learn from this experience? And how does that learning show up in your approach to corporate partnerships fundraising? 

1. What interests you about Voice 21, and about undertaking this role specifically? What do you anticipate will be the challenges and opportunities in this role? 

Closing date:  9am Monday 24th August. (We reserve the right to close applications before the stated closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications is received.)

Interview dates: 1st stage virtual interviews (via Zoom) expected to be held on Thursday 27th August. Candidates progressing to 2nd stage will be invited to interview in person at our central London office, expected to be on Wednesday 2nd September.

Valuing every voice

Voice 21 believes that every voice should be heard and valued. We are committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. 

Voice 21 is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us. By offering a salary range, we demonstrate our commitment to considering a wide range of applicants who may bring different perspectives and levels of experience.