Senior engagement advisor jobs in Manchester

Purpose of the Role

The Director of External Affairs and Growth is an SLT role responsible for leveraging the voice and power of the eoa's network to influence and accelerate the growth of the employee owned sector.

The role leads the eoa’s external affairs, policy and insights, marcomms and events, shaping the external environment for employee ownership and securing the funding and commercial income needed to support sustainable sector growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead external affairs strategy, building the relationships and influence needed to shape policy, remove barriers and expand EO.
• Build strategic relationships and secure grant funding and commercial partnerships, generating income to support advocacy, events and sector growth initiatives, including the UK EO Growth Strategy.
• Oversee our policy and insights work, engaging key stakeholders to co-produce content that influences EO practice and policy and strengthens the eoa’s voice in public affairs.
• Oversee the delivery of a mar-comms strategy that delivers commercial objectives and positions the eoa as the leading authority on EO.
• Oversee our events programmes, ensuring they drive knowledge-sharing, sector development
• and commercial sustainability.
• Represent the eoa at industry forums, policy roundtables and public affairs events,
• championing the employee ownership model.
• Collaborate with the Director of Membership and Operations to align advocacy and external
• engagement with member needs and priorities.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams, fostering innovation and delivering measurable impact across income generation, advocacy, policy, events and mar-comms activities

Knowledge, Experience, and Attributes

• Proven expertise in external affairs, advocacy, or policy leadership, ideally within a business, trade body, or membership association.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience influencing government, media, and corporate partners.
• Demonstrated ability to drive sectoral or policy change, leading successful advocacy initiatives.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience in sponsorship acquisition, revenue generation, grant funding and developing financially sustainable initiatives.
• Exceptional strategic communication and storytelling skills, able to engage and mobilise diverse audiences.
• Experience in event programming, ensuring high engagement and sector impact.
• Passion for employee ownership and economic models that promote shared prosperity.
• Innovative, creative, and proactive in problem-solving and strategy execution.
• A confident and transparent leader who fosters collaboration and inclusivity.
• Self-aware with emotional intelligence, resilience, and integrity.

What Constitutes Success in This Role?

Success in this role means having a positive impact on the growth of the employee-owned sector, strengthening the eoa’s influence and increasing the adoption of “great EO”. Stronger stakeholder relationships, greater advocacy impact and improved commercial sustainability through a diverse mix of grant funding, sponsorships and strategic partnerships will also be key indicators of success.

Key outcomes for the role 

• Outcome - Growth of the employee ownership sector
  • Measure - Increased number of EO businesses, heightened sector awareness

• Outcome - Strengthened corporate engagement
  • Measure - Growth in strategic partnerships, corporate and government engagement

• Outcome - Strong Commercial Sustainability
  • Measure - Increased sponsorship revenue, secured long-term commercial partnerships

• Outcome -Increased policy influence
  • Measure - Policy recommendations adopted, increased government engagement

• Outcome - Enhanced sector insight and intelligence
  • Measure - Utilisation of high quality data and insights for regular sector related content outputs

• Outcome - Development and adoption of best practice
  • Measure - Creation, adoption and promotion of best practice across the EO network.

• Outcome - Successful events programmes
  • Measure - Increased participation, sponsorship growth, positive feedback.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit:

• A two-page CV
• And one of either:
  • Cover letter setting out your motivation, approach, and what you will bring to the role
  • Video (maximum 10 minutes) setting out your motivation, approach, and what you will bring to the role

Applications should be submitted before 9:00am 17 August 2026. We will close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. If you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Interviews will be in two stages. The first stage will be a virtual interview via teams on
26 August. For those who successfully move to stage 2 there will be an in-person
discussion w.c. 31 August.

The eoa welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those
who are under-represented. We recruit based on values, skills, and contribution to our
purpose.

ProVeg International is one of the leading international NGOs working to transform the global food system, and is represented in 16 countries with over 270 staff members (a federated network of 15 legal entities). ProVeg faces major opportunities and challenges – empowering our highly dedicated and experienced long-term staff and new talent development and acquisition, the integration of AI, changing funding landscapes, and the growth of our global network, to name but a few. In our work, we are guided by our global TRUe values:

• Transformative: We aim high and design for lasting impact. We prioritise evidence over intuition, pivoting when data demands it, and embracing bold experimentation to create systemic change.

• Reliable: We build trust through accountability. We do what we say we will, or we communicate early and transparently when we can’t, always focusing on quality and respect.

• United: We win together. We actively break down silos, co-create across borders, and share knowledge freely because collective success is our only success.

The role as Head of International People & Culture combines strategic leadership with hands-on operational excellence. Together with the International Senior Talent Acquisition Manager and, when required, specialised external support, you will serve as a vital operational anchor and a trusted advisor to senior leadership. You will shape a united, inclusive, and thriving organisational culture while ensuring our people processes, international compliance frameworks, and global HR systems are robust, efficient, and employee-centred.

Job details:
 

• Reports to: Global CEO (might change to COO once that role is filled in 2027)

• Department: INT People and Culture

• Direct reports: International Senior Talent Acquisition Manager

• Key contacts: Senior Leadership Team, ProVeg Country Directors/leadership teams, International Heads of Departments, P&C leads in ProVeg Countries

• Working hours: 40 hours per week

• Location: Remote (We welcome candidates globally who hold permanent residency and can adhere to a working schedule that includes core collaboration hours of 10 am to 4 pm CET)

• Salary: Depending on location and experience (e.g. NL: €54-64k, UK: £46-60k, PL: zł 140-170k)

• Application deadline: open until filled

• Start date: preferably 01.10.2026

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Culture:

• Develop and implement comprehensive people strategies aligned with our global mission.

• Lead the strategic workforce planning, scaling and organisational growth and expansion of team and talent.

• Provide clear, operational, and strategic advice to executives, country directors, and department heads aimed at high performance, growth, development and progression opportunities, and talent retention.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, offering insights, reports, and data for informed decision-making.

• Work with Finance on annual staff budgeting and the Development department on funding applications and other people-related requests.

• Shape, sustain, and champion an inclusive, diverse, and open organisational culture.

• Collaborate with the Dutch works council of our European Regional Office to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
   

Operational Excellence and Systems:

• Own and continuously improve the day-to-day administration of our international employee lifecycle, ensuring smooth contract management, payroll preparation, and data accuracy.

• Lead the development of a scalable people operations infrastructure through effective use of technology, automation, and process design.

• Oversee and optimise our global HR systems landscape, with primary ownership of platforms such as Deel, Personio, and Leapsome.

• Manage and maintain compliant employment frameworks across relevant jurisdictions, supporting international entity operations and coordinating with external legal partners.

• Set and oversee the departmental budget.
   

Talent and Team Leadership:

• Lead, develop, and inspire our International Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, fostering a collaborative, supportive, and high-impact environment.

• Guide our international recruitment framework and employer branding efforts to attract purpose-driven talent.

• Execute strategies for employee engagement, workplace satisfaction, and global well-being initiatives.

• Lead and support employee relations efforts and strategic reviews.

Qualifications:
 

You bring:

• Extensive international leadership experience in a senior HR or generalist role, with a track record of driving success in mission-driven non-profit organizations of 50+ employees.

• Deep expertise in people operations, international employment practices, and cross-border labour law compliance.

• Hands-on experience implementing and managing global HRIS, payroll, or employer-of-record platforms, ideally including Deel, Personio, or Teamtailor.

• Clear capability to turn operational complexity into simple, structured, and scalable processes.

• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to foster trust and inclusivity across distributed, multicultural teams.

• Fluency in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• University degree in human resources management, business administration, psychology, law, or an equivalent educational background.
   

Preferred:

• Practical experience working with European legal entities or works councils.

• Familiarity with AI tools and understanding of how AI can be used responsibly to increase efficiency and scale systems.

• Professional language skills in Dutch, providing the confidence to interface directly with regional authorities or local legal advisors.

• Familiarity with project management tools (we use Wrike).

Benefits of working with ProVeg:
 

• A strong organisational focus on personal development, with a designated training budget.

• Provision of a work laptop.

• Flexible, trust-based working arrangements and home-office arrangements.

• Career development support.

• Mental health & wellbeing support via access to the OpenUp platform and a free Headspace subscription

• We are a workplace that encourages everyone to bring their whole selves to work. We are an inclusive workplace for our diverse employees around the world.

• Generous annual leave entitlement - 25 days increasing by one day a year to a maximum of 30 days (plus bank holidays)

• And, last but not least, become part of a great team and work with us towards a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet!

• Depending on your location, there might be additional benefits.

Further Information

Please apply with your CV and a cover letter explaining why you are motivated to join ProVeg and describe how you can bring in your experience to this role. Even if you do not meet all the requirements, we still encourage you to apply. Our tasks are diverse, and we are flexible in how we distribute them. We are happy to support your growth and development.
We also encourage all applicants to apply without a photo or disclosing their date or place of birth.

If you are living with a disability, health condition and/or neurodiversity, please feel free to let us know how we can adjust and support your application process. For example, we can offer alternative tools, different interview formats, or additional time for tasks.

Important: Please make sure to use your own words and ideas in the cover letter. The goal is for us to know you better in order to assess if this role and your motivation are a good fit. Letters written with AI, or written in a language other than English, will be disregarded.

Application process:

1. Screening of your application

2. Interview with People & Culture (30-40mins)

3. Job related trial task (~ 2 hrs.)

4. Second interview with the team (60mins)