Senior head of operations jobs

Role purpose

The Head of Finance is a key member of the Charity’s senior management team, working closely with the chief executive, directors, and trustees. The head of finance will lead the day-to-day financial operations of the Charity, including budgeting, reporting, audit, payroll, and pensions. Managing the finance manager and management accountant, the Head of Finance will ensure the effective running of the finance department and smooth day-to-day processes. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will be a key advisor on strategic financial decisions, balancing meticulous operational control with strategic planning.

As the Head of Finance, you will:

• Proactively contribute to the development and delivery of the Charity’s strategy through developing long-term financial planning to underpin our objectives.
• Act as senior finance business partner to the senior leadership team, supporting strategic and operational decision-making.
• Lead on the annual audit and production of statutory accounts, ensuring effective management of the audit process.
• Support the rest of the Charity team to become financially informed and comfortable understanding financial performance, control, and accountability.

Main responsibilities

Financial controls, reporting, and operational finance

• Lead the finance function of the Charity, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant financial management and reporting.
• Ensure that appropriately robust internal financial and operational controls are in place.
• Ensure that our unrestricted and restricted funds and accounting records are maintained in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements and best practice.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly management accounts and other reports are produced by the finance team and distributed to members of the senior management team, encouraging ownership of departmental budgets.
• Manage and oversee accounts receivable and payable, ensuring strong cash management.
• Ensure all banking facilities, financial systems, and internal processes function to a high standard and enable the Charity to carry out its transactional and operational financial functions.
• Lead financial risk identification and mitigation, working closely with the chief executive and leadership team, and reporting to the board of trustees.

Financial administration and governance

• Manage the production of statutory accounts in line with the Charity SORP and lead the annual external audit process.
• Oversee our tax affairs, including PAYE, national insurance, corporation tax, VAT, and gift aid.
• Responsible for our payroll and pensions functions.
• Maintain and continuously improve financial policies, procedures, and controls, working closely with the fundraising and operations teams to ensure organisational efficiency.
• Identify and escalate financial risks to the chief executive and board
• Line manage and support the management accountant and finance manager, ensuring professional development and high-quality output.

Person specification

Knowledge and experience

We are looking for candidates with demonstrable strategic financial leadership spanning organisational planning, budgeting, risk, and reporting. You will have:

• You must be a fully qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, OR CIMA)
• Excellent knowledge of charity financial management, SORP, and audit is essential.
• Experience of effective budget setting and implementing controls and processes to manage and monitoring budgets
• Firm understanding of risk management
• Experience of improving policies and processes in comparable organisations
• Success in delivering increased cost effectiveness
• Evidence of building financial impact and performance metrics and reporting
• Understanding of the requirements of legislation, Charity Commission and professional body guidance on a being a well-run and financially accountable Charity
• Considerable experience of management and development of staff

Skills, abilities, and behaviours

• A strategic thinker with the ability to see the bigger picture and make decisions in line with the charity’s needs as part of a team
• Strong change management skills with experience of managing teams through change
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interpret and communicate financial information to a non-specialist audience
• Strong organisational development skills, able to identify and act on opportunities to drive performance in business
• Experience of the charity or not-for-profit environment (this could be gained as a trustee) preferably with some understanding of charity funding and investment management
• Collaborative working style with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Resilient with a flexible, creative and solutions-focused approach to problem-solving

The Senior Evidence & Evaluation Manager will sit within the Impact & Evidence directorate at the heart of Youth Futures Foundation.

Working with three Heads of Evaluation, the Deputy Director and the Director, you will help ensure our evaluations are designed to generate credible evidence of what works.

You will:

• lead the design, commissioning and management of impact evaluations, including RCTs and QEDs. This will include feasibility or developmental work where interventions are not yet ready for full impact evaluation.

• work closely with independent evaluators and delivery partners and colleagues in our Programmes & Grants and Policy & Communications directorates to assess the evaluability of interventions, and lead the design and delivery of large-scale, complex impact evaluations.

• contribute to strengthening our ‘evaluation architecture’, leading projects that enhance data infrastructure and access to administrative datasets, and set standards for methodological rigour in the sector.

In addition, you will lead other aspects of the team’s commissioning. This may include developing policies and processes, supporting the Heads of Evaluation to strengthen commissioning practice.

This role can be based at our Birmingham, Leeds or London hub. We currently operate a hybrid model of two-days per week in the office and three-days from home.

For more information on this role, please download our job recruitment pack.

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

ARUK Advert

 

The Research & Partnerships Directorate is a fast-paced, collaborative team committed to achieving Alzheimer’s Research UK’s vision. The Directorate has responsibility for delivering on the charity’s principal remit: funding world-class research to ultimately defeat dementia. Alzheimer’s Research UK funds dementia research through a large portfolio of investigator-led grant awards, research fellowships and strategic initiatives within the UK and increasingly internationally.

The Senior Research Funding Manager will work closely with the Head of Research Funding, leading a team focused on delivering our core grants management processes. This role is vital in advancing ARUK's research objectives and promoting engagement within the ARUK-funded research community. They will work collaboratively within the Research & Partnerships directorate and with other teams, including the Communications and Philanthropy teams.

We’re looking for someone with strong research management experience and a good eye for detail who is excited by the opportunities in the dementia research landscape.

Key Responsibilities:

 

Research Operations Leadership

· Foster and deepen relationships with the global dementia research community, with support of the Research Engagement team, ensuring ARUK remains a trusted leader in funding excellence.

· Provide oversight and functional leadership for research operations across distinctive functions: pre-award, post-award (including invoicing and reporting), and grant system management, ensuring clear ownership, robust processes and alignment with organisational goals and long-term impact.

· Oversee the delivery and continuous improvement of grants review, awarding and management processes, ensuring a high-quality applicant and award-holder experience and timely, accurate, audit-ready outputs aligned with best practice, funding policies and ARUK values.

· Lead research funding governance and policy, ensuring clear decision-making, robust guidance (including due diligence and risk management where appropriate), and consistent application of funding requirements across the end-to-end grant lifecycle.

 

Scientific Strategy and Innovation

· Provide strategic advice on research funding through horizon scanning and analysis of ARUK’s funding portfolio, identifying gaps/opportunities and shaping options for future funding strategies and schemes.

· Develop and implement new grant schemes and funding initiatives, ensuring alignment with ARUK’s research strategy and the evolving needs of the dementia research community (including early career researchers).

· Build collaborations with leading funding organisations and strategic partners (e.g., AMRC), representing ARUK externally and identifying opportunities to address shared research priorities and drive collective impact.

 

People Leadership

· Line management of three Research Managers, effectively delegating work to support delivery of their objectives.

· Leadership and development of a wider core team of six, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment.

· Help to promote an inspiring team culture where personal development is prioritised.

 

Knowledge, skills and experience needed:

· Strong science background, educated to degree level in a relevant subject (preferably with a postgraduate qualification or equivalent work experience).​ 

· Good working knowledge of grant management systems (e.g., Flexigrant).

· Experience of research grant funding/management.

· Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills, with experience of building and managing relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, at all levels of seniority.​ 

· Experience of developing and delivering strategies, ability to spot opportunities and translate these into operational plans, thinking beyond the immediate issue to look at broader topics or themes.

· Proven ability of planning, managing and delivering projects; ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, showing adaptability to meet challenging targets and deadlines.​ 

· Experience of line management, including supporting and developing colleagues and, ideally, managing through others (e.g., managing managers or team leads).

· Strong communication skills with the ability to convey complex information to diverse audiences

· A team player who can collaborate effectively with a range of stakeholders internally and externally to deliver.

· Excellent eye for detail with a focus on continuous improvement.

· Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritise competing demands.

· Ability to work independently.

· Willingness to travel, including occasional overnight travel.

· Commitment to ARUK’s vision, mission and values.

Additional Information:

Ways of working:

As part of our Agile ways of working, you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals.  This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD. 

Salary: Circa £53,000 per annum, plus benefits.

Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 17th May 2026, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, particularly from those in the global majority, those with disabilities, men and those from the LGBTQIA+ community. Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us via our website.

How to apply: Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK: Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure.  Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope. 

There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure. 

In 2024, we were incredibly proud to be awarded a 3-star accreditation by Best Companies which recognises ‘World Class’ levels of workplace engagement. This is the second consecutive time; we have been awarded a Best Companies 3-star accreditation.

We were also listed in the prestigious Best Companies lists:

· 18th in the 100 Best Large Companies to Work For in the UK.

· 10th in the 50 Best Companies to Work For in the East of England.

· 2nd in the 30 Best Companies to Work For in the Charity Sector.

ARUK really does look after its people, where you will be able to add value and make a difference. 

To view further details about working for us and the benefits we offer, please visit Alzheimer’s Research UK

Head of Operations
Salary: Up to £61,600 (dependent on experience)
Location: Home-based or hybrid London-based co-working
Contract: Full-time (flexible working requests welcome)

Suicide is preventable. That’s why we are working to create a safer online world and to connect young people with the help and support they need to stay safe and well.

We’re Molly Rose Foundation, founded following the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell. At Molly’s inquest, a coroner ruled harmful online content contributed to her death. In her name, we’ve now got big plans to create change and save young lives.

We’re looking for a Head of Operations who can ensure we grow effectively and focus our energies on helping young people live long and stay strong. You’ll lead and develop our finance, governance, HR, and IT operations, ensuring we can deliver with impact and grow and scale smoothly.

You’ll play a leading role in shaping and delivering our organisational strategy, monitoring our progress and budgets, and leading the process to design and develop our next Strategy to 2030. You’ll be adept at designing effective and robust policies and committed to developing a high functioning, high-impact organisation.

As a member of our Leadership Team, you’ll have the vision, strategy, and entrepreneurial zeal to help us thrive.

But you’ll also relish the opportunity to build a small organisation from scratch with the drive and passion to really get stuck in and help us to fulfil our potential.

We offer a comprehensive package that includes:

- 27 days annual leave plus 1 volunteering day, rising to 30 days holiday after three years’ service;

- annual leave buyback scheme, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days;

- employee pension scheme;

- £500 employee wellbeing budget;

- we welcome applications from diverse range of applicants in circumstances, and actively welcome flexible working requests.
 

Application Process
To apply, please send a CV (maximum 2 sides of A4) and cover letter (maximum 2 sides of A4) via the Charity Jobs website.

Application closing date: Friday 22 May 2026

There will be a 2-stage interview process with first interviews held online between 11 - 12 June 2026.
Second interviews will be held in-person in London.

Keychange is a Christian charity with a proud history of supporting people by providing community for over a century. We believe that everyone has dignity and worth, and that people thrive best in communities where they are known, valued and supported. Across our care homes and housing communities, we seek to provide support that goes beyond compliance and is rooted in compassion, excellence and Christian values.

We are now seeking a Housing Operations Manager to play a pivotal role in overseeing our supported housing delivery.

The role

As Housing Operations Manager you will oversee both the ongoing supported housing operations and be tasked to bring improvement and consistency of delivery. We have a vision to grow our women’s housing provision over the next five years and this role will be key in developing an impacting and financially sustainable supported housing model.

The focus of the role includes:

• Building high quality, financially sustainable and well-led housing communities
• Ensuring smooth daily running of Keychange supported housing operations, led by sector compliance
• Managing community managers and building relationships for collaborative impact with internal and external stakeholders
• Building a model of support for housing to increase best practice and consistency
• Creating partnerships with other organisations to enable the delivery of support
• Contributing to a hard-working, open and transparent culture which supports continuous improvement
• Liaising with local authorities and statutory agencies to ensure the appropriate interactions with communities

This is a management role with real impact – both within Keychange and in the lives of people we support.

About you

We are looking for a values-led manager who brings:

• Experience in managing supported housing provisions, with good knowledge of Supported Housing and Ofsted regulations and sector best practice
• Experience of managing people, providing leadership and empowering development to a team delivering housing support
• Proven ability to build positive relationships effectively with internal stakeholders, external partner agencies and local authorities
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and find solutions to operational challenges
• Ability to travel up to 40 days per year
• Sympathetic to Keychange’s Christian values, vision and mission

You will be someone who combines operational management with high standards of support, and who leads with integrity, humility and purpose. This is a management role where you can make a lasting and meaningful difference.

The role involves regular travel across our sites in the south of England.

What we offer

• Flexible hybrid working, generally at least one day in London Central Office, with family friendly working arrangements available
• Employee assistance programme (EAP) and life insurance
• Contributory pension scheme, up to 5%, with matched employer’s contribution up to 5%
• Enhanced sick pay for up to four weeks, in accordance with our sickness procedure

Please see the attached job pack for a full job description and person specification, and more information about how to apply.  Please note that we will be interviewing on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close applications early, so we recommend that you apply at your earliest opportunity.

Senior Administrator / Personal Assistant

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Senior Administrator to join our Central Service team located at our head office in Islington.

£26,936.00- £35,000.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week.

Want to feel valued? You'll feel at home here.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• Fully paid induction programme and further training

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

To provide an exceptional standard of organisational, administrative and project support to Directors within the Commercial & Growth and Operations Directorates, enabling them to operate effectively and efficiently.

What you'll do:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead .

• Provide high-quality support to Directors, ensuring the smooth and effective day-to-day running.
• Proactively manage multiple complex diaries, correspondence and priorities, exercising sound judgement on when to support, challenge or hold the line as appropriate.
• Coordinate and provide full administrative support for Directorates and corporate meetings, including the Performance Review meetings, providing end-to-end support, including scheduling, agenda management, paper collation, accurate note-taking, and follow-up of agreed actions and outcomes, reviewing and preparation of papers.

About you:

• An experienced and confident, senior level administrator/personal assistant, with enthusiasm to deliver a high quality and effective service
• Able to immerse yourself within the business, understanding the work of the directorate and the organisational structures and personalities in place.
• Able to work with gravitas, courage and be calm under pressure, building credibility and respect with internal and external stakeholders.

What you'll bring:

Essential:

• Experience in a similar role.
• A qualification to degree level (or equivalent) in Business Administration would be beneficial but not essential.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting Directors or senior leaders in a complex or regulated organisation.
• Experience of supporting formal governance or performance review forums, including minute-taking and action tracking.
• Experience of working in housing, social care, health, or a similar public-facing or not-for-profit sector.

About us

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year.

The Head of Operations is a key senior leadership role at the heart of HTL Church.

As Head of Operations, you will take ownership of how the church runs day-to-day – ensuring that our people, systems, buildings, and processes operate smoothly, sustainably, and with excellence as we pursue our mission and vision.

You will be part of the Senior Leadership Team, line managed by the Vicar and working with the staff team to shape and support the operational life of the church, creating the environment in which our ministries, services, and communities can flourish and grow.

The role is both relational and organisational, requiring strong communication, attention to detail, and the ability to develop and implement effective systems and processes. It is a broad and varied role, involving close collaboration with staff, volunteers, and external partners.

Head of Fundraising & Partnerships

Salary band: c. £60,000 per annum, negotiable based on experience

Reporting to: CEO

Key leadership role in a dynamic, friendly charity transforming young people’s lives in London.

Construction Youth Trust is an ambitious, impact-led organisation pushing the boundaries of how charities work in partnership with business to create social change. We are seeking a dynamic and motivated fundraising leader to join our Senior Leadership team as Head of Fundraising and Partnerships. A genuine passion for social mobility is essential, as well as a deep commitment to creating effective charity-industry partnerships that drive social impact. This is a key external facing role with responsibility for fostering strong partnerships with our funders and supporters.

Social mobility is at the heart of Construction Youth Trust, and our mission is to enable young people achieve their full career potential through meaningful early engagement with employers in an important growth industry. We prioritise young people from low-income backgrounds and under-represented groups and those facing significant barriers to employment. Through our long-standing partnerships with employers in the built environment sector (over 200+ across London), we connect young people to relatable role models, world of work experiences and ultimately rewarding jobs and apprenticeships. The built environment sector is at the forefront of achieving net zero and future economic growth, offering young people substantial opportunity for career progression.

The role

Construction Youth Trust is in a strong financial position with an excellent Fundraising & Partnership team, supported by well-established systems. We already have a strong pipeline in place to meet our fundraising targets (£2M - £2.5M p.a.) This is an opportunity for a Senior Fundraising Leader with the skills and experience to consolidate and build on this success. We are looking for someone with the drive and experience to help the Trust meet our ambition to significantly increase opportunity for disadvantaged young people within the build environment.

We are seeking a Head of Fundraising & Partnerships with a strong desire to play an active Senior Leadership role and contribute to the Trust’s wider strategy, governance and day-to-day charity management. There is the opportunity to play a significant role shaping and steering the Trust’s next business planning cycle. Ideally, the post-holder would be willing/able to deputise for the CEO and the salary offered to the successful candidate will be dependent on experience and level of responsibility.  There is significant headroom at the Trust for a fundraising leader who is looking to take on a more strategic role within this dynamic charity, either immediately or with structured development and support.

How do I apply?

If you are an ambitious fundraising leader and are passionate about transforming the life chances of young people, please send your CV and your supporting statement (no more than 500 words) explaining why the role interests you and how/where you meet the person specification. Short-listed candidates will be asked to complete our application form in due course, but if you are interested in this role we are keen to hear from you as soon as possible.

Closing date: 5pm 14th May. However, we strongly recommend that you send your CV as soon as possible as we will reach out to potential candidates as we receive suitable applications and could close the application deadline earlier if a successful candidate is found.

We will hold 2-stage interview process with first interviews planned for week commencing 18th May.

You can access Job Description, and Person Specification for this role directly via this Charity Jobs page.

We strongly believe that a diverse and inclusive team is vital to our work. We are especially interested in hearing from individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds and/or those with a lived experience of the young people we support.

If you have not heard from us 2 weeks after the application closing date your application has been unsuccessful at this time.

Benefits and entitlements:

You’ll be eligible for many of our benefits including:

• 25 days annual leave per year (pro rata for part-time or any period less than 1 year) which increases by a day each year after 2 years’ service up to a maximum annual leave entitlement of 30 days per year

• Discretionary “Day for You” as an additional well-being day

• Opportunity to take a 6-week sabbatical after 3 years of service

• The Trust’s contributory pension scheme after three months – The charity will match your employee contribution up to 7%

• All travel expenses covered over and above your regular commute to and from work. Any extra travel for  work purposes will be reimbursed.

• Access to Workplace Options EAP (a provider of employee support services)

• Opportunity to Work from Home (in line with Trust policy)

• Opportunity to take part in the wider team’s wellbeing and social activities

• A supportive Training and Development policy which encourages colleagues to develop as professionals and achieve relevant qualifications (e.g. CIOF’s Certificate in Fundraising).

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We will only consider candidates for employment that share this commitment. All roles are subject to safer recruitment practices, and this position will require an Enhanced Disclosure with Barred list check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Location: Home based within commuting distance of either Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast 

Salary: £32,750 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week 

Closing date: Monday 19 May 2026 at midnight 

Interview date: week commencing 25 May 2026 over video with possible second stage in person week commencing 1 June 2026 

This is a full time fixed-term position for one year (with possible extension subject to funding). 

Who we are looking for  

Breakthrough T1D is the UK’s leading type 1 diabetes charity, dedicated to funding research, advocating for change, and supporting the T1D community. A year into our exciting rebrand from JDRF to Breakthrough T1D, we’re looking for a Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer – Devolved Nations to help us build on this momentum. 

The role of the Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer - Devolved Nations is vital to achieving our UK-wide advocacy mission: to reduce health inequalities in type 1 diabetes, to widen access to type 1 diabetes treatments and technologies and to ensure that people with type 1 get access to emerging new treatments and future cures in the devolved nations.  

You will lead on projects with key stakeholders and high-level Parliamentarians, such as our access to treatments and early detection work, as well as people with type 1 diabetes, policy makers and researchers. You will help to deliver Breakthrough T1D’s influencing plans, improving access to and choice of type 1 diabetes treatments and technology in the devolved nations.  

Experience required 

• Experience of working successfully with politicians, their offices, Government departments, and other public affairs audiences to influence policy and to influence public/stakeholder discourse  

• Experience of leading public affairs delivery in one of more of the devolved nations  

• Experience in analysing Government policy in-depth and creating policy briefings   

• Experience of drafting briefings, reports and policy submissions   

• Experience of communicating across a range of parliamentary and professional stakeholders at all levels  

• Demonstrable knowledge, interest and experience of working in a public affairs and policy-based environment  

• Experience of organising stakeholder events  

About Breakthrough T1D 

Breakthrough T1D is the world’s leading charitable research funder into type 1 diabetes, improving lives until we find the cure. We are dedicated to our 400,000 strong type 1 community in the UK and work closely with our international affiliates across the world, including the US, Canada and Australia. 

You will find a vibrant atmosphere and spirited team at Breakthrough T1D, always striving to make a difference to people living with type 1. 

Employee benefits 

As an employer we offer: 

• Hybrid working arrangements 

• Flexible working and will consider compressed hours 

• Generous annual leave entitlement – 25 days per year plus bank holidays for full-time staff with leave increasing after three and five years’ service 

• Health cash plan that allows you to claim for some treatments such as dental, optical and physiotherapy treatment 

• Season ticket and cycle loan 

• Pension scheme 

• Family-friendly policies – maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave at enhanced rates 

• Personalised training to suit your career aspirations and professional development 

Breakthrough T1D is an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation or age. 

About Police Care UK

Police Care UK is the national, independent charity supporting serving and veteran members of the police community, and their families, when they’ve been physically or psychologically harmed through policing.
Demand for our services has grown by more than 400% in the last decade. This reflects the increasing impact of trauma in modern policing – from major incidents and serious violence to cumulative and vicarious trauma. We understand that harm doesn’t end with a shift, and that families are often affected too.

We’ve evolved from a traditional benevolent fund into a sector-leading organisation delivering evidence-informed support, trauma-focused recovery services and practical prevention programmes across UK policing. Our work is grounded in compassion, clarity and evidence, and we’re fiercely independent so we can focus on what people really need.

Our vision is simple: a future where every member of the police community has access to the care and support they need, and nobody faces the impact of harm alone. Based in Woking and working nationally, we’re committed to strengthening the people behind the force – and we’re looking for those who want to be a part of that work.

Role Purpose

Reporting to the Director of Development and working closely with the Executive Leadership Team, the Head of Insight and Innovation will lead the Charity’s research, data, evaluation and innovation functions. This is a strategic leadership role responsible for embedding a culture of evidence-informed practice, continuous improvement and sector-leading innovation across the Charity. 

The postholder will ensure that our insight drives decision-making, strengthens fundraising, informs service design and positions Police Care UK as a thought leader within the policing and blue light sectors. This will involve leading a multi-disciplinary team, with responsibility for future growth of the Insight and Innovation function as organisational needs evolve.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the development of our long-term insight and innovation strategy.
• Ensure data, evidence and evaluation meaningfully influence strategic planning and resource allocation.
• Drive horizon scanning across policing, mental health and the charity sector to inform organisational priorities.

Research and Academic Development

• Oversee our research portfolio, including academic collaborations and commissioned studies.
• Translate research findings into actionable recommendations that strengthen our services, policy influence and fundraising.
• Ensure our understanding of unmet need across the policing family remains current and robust.

Data, CRM and Impact Intelligence

• Lead the strategic development of our CRM and data systems.
• Embed strong KPI frameworks, dashboards and impact reporting across the charity.
• Ensure high standards of data governance, integrity and compliance.

Innovation and Service Development

• Lead our innovation pipeline, from discovery and prototyping to pilot evaluation and scaling.
• Embed co-production with beneficiaries and policing partners.
• Develop business cases and secure funding for new initiatives. 

Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact

• Oversee our success measurement framework and ensure outcomes are evidenced and clearly articulated.
• Produce high-value insight for funders, trustees and external stakeholders.

Governance and External Representation

• Provide high-quality insight and reporting to the Board of Trustees.
• Represent the charity externally across academic, sector and policy forums.
• Uphold the highest standards of safeguarding, ethics and data protection.

Person Specification

Essential

• Degree-level education and ongoing professional development.
• Significant senior experience in research, insight, evaluation or organisational development.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insight.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and driving data-informed decision-making.
• Excellent communication skills, including presenting to senior stakeholders and Boards.
• Strong understanding of mental health, trauma or wellbeing in a public-sector or charity context.
• Knowledge of evaluation methodologies, data governance and ethical research standards.

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field.
• Experience within policing, emergency services or the wider blue-light sector.
• Experience securing research or innovation funding.
• Knowledge of innovation methodologies (e.g. design thinking, co-production, agile).

Why work with us

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking, committed and values driven team making a real difference to the people who keep our communities safe.  We offer:

• Enhanced wellbeing support
• Pension scheme with up to 8% employer contributions
• Development opportunities
• A 35-hour working week
• A supportive, collaborative culture
• The chance to make a meaningful impact on the lives of police officers, staff, volunteers, and their families

How to Apply:  Please submit your CV and a detailed cover letter explaining why you’re the right fit for this role. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as you are able. 

Limitations: This job description is neither exclusive nor exhaustive. The duties and responsibilities may vary from time to time in the light of changing circumstances in consultation with the jobholder. The jobholder will be required to work within the rules and regulations of the Charity and accept the authority of the Chief Executive, who has the discretion to delegate authority to the jobholder and to withdraw it.

Equal Opportunities Policy: The Charity is committed to eliminating any discrimination and promoting diversity and equality of opportunity in all it does.

The Charity is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, and we will not unlawfully discriminate against job applicants, employees of the Charity, volunteers, workers, or contract workers on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins) religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

REF-228 334

​SUMMARY​

​Position Title: ​Head of Spacemaking and Operations

Level: Level 6

Pay: £40, 000 -46, 000 (FTE yearly)

Reports to: Director of Finance, HR and Operations

Location: Liberation centre Brixton, London (New office in Brixton)/ Remote working within the UK with at least 3 days’ work from our office (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)

Contract: Full time (40hrs/weekly), 2-year Fixed Term contract.

Start date: As soon as possible

Benefits: TAA laptop and phone, (employee assistance and health cash package including staff supervision, counselling, dental, optical care and more.)

The Advocacy Academy is an activist youth movement. We serve as the political home for grassroots youth organising and the catalyst for collective action. The lives of the young people we work alongside have been directly shaped by living in an unjust world, and we exist to turn their anger into action.​​

Young people are often the catalysts for major social change, from the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, to the Soweto Uprising mobilising young people to resist the apartheid regime's education policies, to the Sunrise Movement redrawing the electoral map across America, and more recently encampments and protests across the world protesting the genocide in Palestine. How successfully they achieve real and lasting change depends on whether they are organised and whether they have the right strategy and tactics to be effective.​

We are now looking for a Head of Spacemaking & Operations who believes in this vision and can ensure that TAA’s Liberation Centre is safe, fully operational, and intentionally designed as a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environment. This role bridges operational delivery and spatial experience, ensuring that the Centre not only functions effectively behind the scenes, but also reflects TAA’s values in how people experience, move through, and use the space. You will combine operational oversight, facilities management, and space experience design, working across teams to ensure the Centre is safe, compliant, efficient, accessible and welcoming for staff, young people, and the wider community. 

Before you skim the job description, please remember you don’t have to tick all the boxes to apply. We all experience a bit of imposter syndrome, including staff here at The Advocacy Academy. If this role pulls you in and you believe you could make a meaningful difference, we encourage you to apply or reach out to us to discuss further. We are especially interested in people who bring lived experiences, perspectives, and ways of working.​​

​AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY​​​

​1.You will become a key member of the Finance, HR & Operations Team, including but not limited to:

• Supporting the Director of Finance, HR and Operations in maintaining and improving operational systems and processes
•  Supporting the delivery of the Liberation Centre strategy, working across teams to ensure the Centre provides a functional, welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for staff, young people, and the wider community
• Building relationships across departments, understanding their needs, and communicating operational updates to the Director
• Ensure escalations to the Director of Finance, HR and Operations are timely, well-prepared, clearly articulated, and supported by relevant information to enable effective decision-making. ​

2.​You will ensure that your responsibilities run like well-oiled machines by supporting TAA’s facilities, ensuring the Liberation Centre operates safely, efficiently, and in full compliance with relevant regulations by:

• Acting as the main operational liaison for the Liberation Centre, including council, building management, and external contractors
• Managing relationships with facilities providers, maintenance contractors, cleaners, and IT vendors
• Overseeing health & safety compliance, including staff training, evacuation procedures, drills, and statutory checks
• Supporting the development and implementation of risk assessments (fire, general, wellbeing, incidents, remote work, etc.)
• Ensuring procurement, supplies, and stock levels are managed effectively and responsibly
• Coordinating first aiders and fire marshals as required
• Ensuring operational cost-efficiency across facilities and space-related services​

3.You will help shape the Liberation Centre as a purposeful, accessible, and welcoming environment by:

• Supporting the ongoing development of the Liberation Centre as a safe, inclusive, and values-aligned space
• Leading on accessibility improvements across the physical environment, ensuring equitable access for disabled community members
• Shaping improvements to layout, usability, and overall experience of the space
• Ensuring the space reflects TAA’s values of care, inclusion, and liberation in its physical design and use
• Working with internal teams to understand spatial needs and translating them into practical and experience-led improvements
• Supporting a positive, caring, and community-centred environment across all users of the space​

4.You will support reliable and secure operational infrastructure by:

• Acting as liaison for IT and facilities providers
• Supporting setup, maintenance, and improvement of workplace systems and equipment
• Ensuring infrastructure supports accessibility, inclusion, and ease of use
• Identifying improvements to systems that enhance operational efficiency and user experience
• Supporting secure onboarding and offboarding of staff from a systems and access perspective

​5.You will act as a key connector between operations and delivery teams by:

• Work with the Working closely with programmes, Organising & Campaigns, community, and communications teams to ensure smooth operational delivery
• Supporting logistics for events, residentials, camps, and programmes, including venue sourcing, bookings, and on-site coordination
• Providing operational and administrative support for space usage, scheduling, and bookings
• Supporting onboarding and offboarding processes from a space, systems, and logistics perspective
• Supporting new staff inductions and ensuring new starters are equipped to use the space effectively
• Supporting internal communication of operational updates across teams​

6.You will support the Director in embedding safety, wellbeing, and care into how the space is used and experienced by:

• ​Ensuring health & safety processes are embedded and consistently followed
• Coordinating safety training and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of regulations
• Supporting a culture of shared responsibility for safety within the Liberation Centre
• Working with the community team to ensure safety practices are values-aligned 
• Supporting emergency preparedness and incident response processes
• FMaintaining a safe and functional environment by ensuring the space is kept clear, organised, and free from unnecessary clutter or hazards.​

7.Culture, values and wider strategy and mission. Provide senior functional leadership for Spacemaking and Operations, ensuring delivery of organisational strategy through effective planning, coordination, and implementation across your area. Contribute to shaping organisational priorities through insight, delivery experience, and cross-departmental collaboration. To include but not limited to:

• Embodying and championing our commitment to social and economic justice, ensuring this is consistently reflected in organisational strategy, decision-making, delivery and partnerships
• Champion the organisation’s commitment to social and economic justice, ensuring this is embedded in the design and delivery of spacemaking and operational activity, and reflected in partnerships and ways of working within your remit.
• Act as a role model for organisational culture and values, setting expectations within your teams and supporting colleagues to apply these consistently in day-to-day practice.
• Work closely with leaders across the organisation to identify opportunities to improve organisational impact and efficiency, contributing operational insight to strategic planning and decision-making.
• Identify, assess and escalate risks related to operational delivery, organisational culture, and alignment with stated values and principles, ensuring timely mitigation within your area of responsibility.
• Lead and enable effective cross-departmental collaboration within your remit, ensuring teams are aligned, appropriately resourced, and working effectively towards shared organisational goals.
• Foster a culture of openness, care, accountability and continuous improvement within your area, contributing to wider organisational wellbeing practices.
• Take responsibility for your own ongoing leadership development, and actively support the development of others, building capability and leadership within the Spacemaking and Operations function.
• IEngage in organisational wellbeing practices by communicating needs appropriately, participating in feedback processes, and contributing constructively to living the TAA transformative culture​

8.Governance and Compliance

• Provide strategic leadership on governance and risk management within your portfolio, working in close partnership with the Finance, HR and Operations team.
• Lead and hold accountability for risk identification, analysis and mitigation, ensuring risks to strategic objectives are anticipated, escalated and managed effectively
• Maintain oversight of risk across your area, ensuring robust systems, controls and practices are in place and consistently applied
• Ensure strong organisational compliance with TAA policies and practices, taking responsibility for their effective implementation, continuous improvement and alignment with wider organisational standards
• ​You will support Programmes, Campaigns and Community Departments by ensuring that the operations, structures, processes, and practices align with and support TAA's campaigning and organising goals, activating new allies' goals, and community goals​

WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK ​

• The Liberation Centre runs smoothly, safely, and reliably day-to-day
• Staff and community members experience the space as welcoming, accessible, and well cared for
• Operational systems are efficient, compliant, and low-friction
• Space improvements are intentional, values-led, and responsive to user needs
• Teams can focus on delivery, supported by strong operational and spatial infrastructure​

A BIT ABOUT YOU​

• You are passionate about, and committed to, creating a more fair, just and equal world.
• You believe in the potential of young people to challenge the status quo and are dedicated to helping them become more powerful citizens.
• You’ve got a deep understanding of, and a personal relationship with, issues of social justice. From racism to the housing crisis to climate justice, you’ll be aware of how systemic injustice operates in our society, clued-up and well-informed on the big issues of our time, and committed to changing them.
• You’ll be comfortable managing a “to-do” list of competing priorities and balancing your workload to meet competing deadlines.
• You’re a sensitive and thoughtful relationship-builder who is interested in building a network of relationships to support the Advocacy Academy’s work. You’re a great listener, and remember people’s names, faces, and stories.
• You’re a confident written and verbal communicator, who is comfortable with tailoring communication to reach a diverse range of audiences and stakeholders.
• You’re proactive, organised, and eager to learn, whether that’s chatting with potential funders, researching new opportunities or collaborating with teammates.​

​IDEAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE​

• 3-5+ years’ experience in operations management, ideally including leadership responsibility for teams, workflows, or service delivery.
• Comfortable operating as the senior operational lead on site when required, maintaining full delivery responsibility and ensuring clear communication and escalation pathways.
• Demonstrated experience in facilities management and/or IT systems coordination, with an understanding of how operational infrastructure supports organisational effectiveness.
• Working knowledge of operational tools and systems (e.g. Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets, Canva, and similar platforms), with willingness to learn and adapt to new systems as needed.
• Experience supporting or developing operational processes, with an interest in improving efficiency, clarity, and user experience across systems and teams. 
• Proven ability Experience working with diverse audiences and stakeholders, with an understanding of access needs and inclusive practice to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously, prioritise effectively, and maintain delivery in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience designing and delivering spaces, services, or operations with a strong understanding of access needs, ensuring inclusive and equitable participation.

This is an outline of the responsibilities and duties of the Head of Spacemaking & Operations role, it is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of the Liberation Centre and our young people. Any changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.​

HOW TO APPLY​

​Candidates will be asked to provide a CV and a Cover Letter OR a supporting video application addressing the following questions (no more than 1000 words or 10 minutes for all questions).

• Tell us about a social justice issue that makes you angry and why it matters to you?
• Our Head of Spacemaking & Operations role entails working and building relationships with different stakeholders. Tell us about a time when you successfully cultivated a relationship with someone when working towards a shared goal - What did you do and what did you learn?
• Include anything else you would like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the​ Head of Spacemaking & Operations role.

In addition, please also provide information on your notice period and your availability for interview. You may also attach any other content that would be relevant for us to have in order to showcase interest and experience. The content can come in any form of media, including but not limited to - a mind map of ideas, a timeline or portfolio of your work, life or experiences; a recording; a Powerpoint or other form of presentation; a song, article, poem or other writing samples.​

DATES​

• Closing Date: The deadline for applications 8th June 2026 by 10am.
• First Round of Interviews: will be scheduled for w/c 15th June 2026 (Dates are subject to change).
• Second Round of Interviews: will be scheduled for w/c 29th June 2026 (Dates are subject to change).

Please be aware that we will be interviewing as we receive applications. The application date might be brought forward if we find the right person.​

A NOTE ON USING AI TOOLS IN YOUR APPLICATION​

We understand that AI tools like ChatGPT can be helpful when preparing an application, and you’re welcome to use them as a support. However, we’re most interested in hearing directly from you. Please ensure your application reflects your own voice, experiences, and perspective.

We value the unique insights, lived experiences, and ways of thinking that each candidate brings. These are what help us understand who you are and what you would bring to the role, and they are an important part of how we assess applications.

If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please don’t hesitate to let us know. we’re committed to making our recruitment process as accessible and inclusive as possible.​​

NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US​

​We aim to be representative of the community we are working with. We encourage applications from people of colour, those who identify as LGBTQIA, working class as well as disabled people, those living with mental health conditions, refugees and migrants. We welcome people from all identities who are made to feel marginalised.​

We’re not just committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we actively celebrate diversity in all its forms. Let us know if we can do anything to make the application or interview process more accessible. If you are invited to interview, we will at that point ask you for any accessibility requirements or preferences.​

As an employer we make all reasonable adjustments to support employees in their work if they are disabled or have a health condition. We support the Access to Work scheme which could provide you with financial support to get the help you need to do all tasks successfully. We are happy to facilitate Access to Work assessments and reclaims and would actively welcome applicants who would need this in order to do the job.​

All staff who work on our programme must have, prior to starting work, a returned satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) dated no earlier than 1st January 2021. The Advocacy Academy will assist the application for, and pay for the processing of, a new DBS for staff members where required.​

We welcome applications from people with convictions. Please disclose in your applications if you have any convictions, cautions, reprimand or final warnings that are not "protected" (as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). We consider each person on their own merits, taking into account all the circumstances.

​

Leukaemia UK – Our Charity

We are a ‘small but mighty’ charity with one big ambition: to stop leukaemia devastating lives. Despite decades of incredible progress, only half of leukaemia patients live longer than five years after their diagnosis. We won't stop until we change this. 

We accelerate progress through the life-changing research, awareness and advocacy that matter most to people affected by leukaemia, doing everything we can to make sure that the next person with leukaemia has the best possible experience of diagnosis, treatment and care. 

We are looking for an experienced, driven and resourceful Head of HR and Operations, reporting to our Director of Finance and Resources. The role brings together delegated leadership for HR, Governance, Operations (Facilities, H&S, IT) and Risk management, working within the strategic direction set by the Director of Finance and Resources and CEO. We are transitioning from a historically outsourced HR model to a strengthened, inhouse HR and Operations function, to support delivery of our new five-year strategy.

Team  

We are a close-knit team, who are all passionate about Leukaemia UK and putting those affected by the disease at the heart of everything we do. We are all focused on ‘keeping it real’ with pragmatic, practical solutions, as well as ensuring that our charity gets the funding it needs to continue to help those diagnosed with leukaemia.

As a small organisation with just over 30 employees, every role counts. We have ambitious plans and we rely on individuals being self-starters, resilient and working at pace to maximise our collective impact. We may not be about the corporate life here, but we are all about delivering exceptional expertise and making a real change to people’s lives.

Leukaemia UK and You 

You will lead the development and delivery of People, Governance & Operations frameworks, aligned to the organisation’s strategy and under the direction of the Director of Finance and Resources. As a Head Of, you will contribute strategically as a specialist in your field, combining hands‑on operational delivery with a strong focus on continuous improvement. You will have the opportunity to help shape and embed new ways of working, improve processes and systems, and develop an important function that is fit to support an ambitious and growing charity. Delivery will be a team effort, with operational coordination and administrative delivery carried out by the Governance & Operations direct report, under your leadership.

Whilst the accountability is broad, we seek first and foremost a qualified and experienced HR professional, with a track record in a wide range of HR disciplines, working across a variety of stakeholders and managing a busy workload to deliver programmes of work. As part of this, we would expect a level of exposure and competence with regards to operations, governance and risk management. You will line‑manage and develop the Governance and Operations direct report, who provides administrative and coordination support across HR, governance, health & safety, facilities and IT activity.

In return, you will gain exposure to a broad range of organisational activity, work closely with senior leaders and teams, and play a key role in supporting Leukaemia UK’s next phase of strategic development.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Experience in managing a broad range of HR activities in a small or medium-sized charitable organisation.
• CIPD Qualified
• Proven experience of shaping HR strategy and implementation, with tangible outcomes.
• Business partner experience, to tailor HR support to the needs of different teams.
• Proven experience in shaping the culture and internal ways of working of an organisation, including expertise in EDIB and Wellbeing.
• Proven experience in organisational design and change management
• Excellent knowledge of UK Employment Law and how to embed this into HR policy.
• Proven experience in advising on Employee Relations to reach fair and just outcomes.
• Sufficient knowledge to oversee and review the Comp and Benefits framework.
• Proven experience in providing learning and development solutions to meet internal needs.
• Experience of line managing staff and supporting their development.
• Effective communication skills (written and oral), ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills.
• Effective planning and work prioritision skills to balance strategic and project work with hands on delivery and line management.
• Comfortable working in a part time role with clear priorities and boundaries.
• Resilient and resourceful to navigate through and embed organisational and process change
• Able to demonstrate our charities values of being bold, collaborative and curious.
• Discrete and trustworthy with high levels of integrity.
• Strong IT skills, including Office 365 and SharePoint.

Desirable:

• Governance experience
• Risk management experience
• Level of exposure to Health and Safety obligations
• Management of outsourced service providers.
• Willingness to identify, test and apply appropriate technology and AI tools to streamline processes.

Role Specifics

• 22.5  hours per week (0.6 FTE) worked over 4-5 days, Monday to Friday.

• Location: We are very flexible! Our offices are based in Central London, and we operate hybrid working.  In this role you are required to work from the office at least 1 day per week.
• FTE Salary range £60,000 dependent on experience (pro-rata for part time)
• We are proud of our benefits – see a summary on our website Work with us - Leukaemia UK

 

Benefits 

• 36 days holiday per year, including bank holidays- pro rata for part time employees
• Pension – default is 4% employee and 4% employer and we match up to 6%
• Life Assurance – x 4 cover
• Critical Illness Cover
• Cash back healthcare scheme & Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Hybrid Working- 1 day in the office per week
• Company sick pay

Applications and interview timings  

If you feel you have the passion for our work and the right mix of experience, skills, energy, and flair, then we would love you to apply. Please also see the full job description attached to the advert. 

To minimise unconscious bias, we use anonymous recruitment and are unable to consider direct applications. Please apply via the CharityJob website with your CV and covering letter.

Closing Date: Midnight Tuesday 12th May 2026

- First interviews will be held via Teams on Thursday 21st May 2026

- Second interviews will be face to face in our London Offices – at 26 Great Queen St, London WC2B 5BL on Wednesday 27th May 2026 

I look forward to hearing from you! 

Azra

Azra Karaselimovic

Director of Finance and Resources

Leukaemia UK

About Action Tutoring
At Action Tutoring, we believe every child should be given the opportunity to succeed in school. But in the UK today, young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to 

achieve the grades they need to progress in life. This isn't because they are any less able; they have less access to the tools to help them reach their potential. 
 

We don't think this is fair. We know tutoring is an effective way of improving academic attainment and so we harness the power of volunteer tutors to bridge the gap and ensure this help can be accessed by every pupil who needs it, not just those who can afford it. 
 

We specifically help pupils facing socio-economic disadvantage and who are at risk of leaving primary or secondary school without reaching national standards in their exams. We work in partnership with schools in different cities and regions across the UK, delivering weekly tutoring in English or maths to those pupils who need it most. 
 

About the opportunity
The Director of Finance and Operations works closely with the CEO to build the organisation, operations and systems to enable us to scale and respond to emerging opportunities. A critical strategic role, they are a hands-on financial leader that brings strategic insight and challenge. Passionate about our mission, they lead a small team and use their experience and expertise to make our strategy a practical reality.

Closing date: Sunday, 17th May 2026
Interviews:Thursday, 28th and Friday, 29th May 2026, in our London office. There will be a second round of interviews.
Start date: Ideal start date is asap. However, we’re happy to wait for the ideal candidate.
Contract and hours: Permanent. Full time. We offer flexible hours with 9.30-4 as core hours. A full working week is 37.5 hours. 
Place of work:  Hybrid/flexible. This role requires 6 days a month in our London Office, Fivefields, Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH.

Duties and responsibilities
 
Finance

Lead financial strategy and long-term planning to support the development of the organisation, as well as holding overall responsibility for finance processes and controls. 
 

Operations

Drive continuous improvement of operations to increase productivity, quality of delivery and value for money. With the operations team, provide oversight of all operational matters to ensure compliance and the smooth running of the organisation.
 

HR and team development

Action Tutoring has a Head of People & Culture who oversees day-to-day HR operations. However, with a permanent staff team of around 60, this role holds strategic responsibility for talent development and HR processes. This includes training and development strategy, effective diversity and inclusion policies and regular reviews of performance and reward systems.
 

Senior Leadership 

As one of the four members of the Senior Leadership Team of Action Tutoring, you will contribute to leadership decision-making, representing your own areas of expertise but also advocating for the best strategic options for the charity as a whole. 
 

Legal compliance, risk management and governance

This role ensures legal compliance of the organisation.
 

Line management

Overseeing a small team, this role has direct line management responsibility for the Head of People & Culture, the Operations Manager, and the Senior Finance Officer. You will also, with support from your team, manage relationships with external support agencies, including the outsourced management accountant, IT support company, and HR and employment law consultancy.
 

This role also plays a key part in a number of internal working groups, including leading the Digital Systems working group and serving as a member of both the Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion working groups.
 

A full list of duties and responsibilities can be found in the job description attached to the BreatheHR advert.

Person specification
 
Qualifications criteria: 

• The right to work in the UK.

We are looking for some of the following attributes, though you might be more experienced in some areas than others:

• Deep finance and operations experience as well as a track record of strategy development. You will have significant experience overseeing finances and managing budgets and be able to demonstrate a high level of understanding of financial management and forecasting within a fundraising setting. Familiarity with charity accounting and SORP will be essential. 
• Someone with the ability to see the big picture and lead long-term strategy while being able to zoom into the detail and set high-expectations for the team and wider organisation. 
• An excellent eye for detail and an experienced project manager who relishes delivering long-term projects through to completion, you will be a self-starter with a strong ability to take initiative to drive change.
• An ability to identify areas for organisational development and growth. You are someone who leads change and development. Alert to reputational risk, proactively preventing errors.
• An established track record in delivering results in a growing environment at the management level.
• Experience with a range of business functions and systems, including budgeting, finance, legal, IT and human resources or a willingness to build expertise in these areas.
• Understanding of developing policies and procedures; experience in good governance practices, including:
  • Familiarity with routine HR legislation and processes.
  • A good understanding of GDPR compliance and processes.
  • Familiarity with reporting at Trustee level (or equivalent). 
• Excellent team leadership skills. 
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. 
• A commitment to the mission and values of Action Tutoring.
• A commitment to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children.
• Always aiming to help more pupils and have a bigger impact, we continually seek ways to improve tasks, processes and culture.

You will likely be more successful in this role if you have: 

• Additional formal qualifications relevant to the role (e.g. qualified accountant, MBA, CIPD Level 7).
• Experience or knowledge of safeguarding procedures.
• Digital transformation project management.
• Experience in the charity sector or the education sector, particularly in charity legislation and accounting.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation processes and/or school data.
• Experience in improving systems and processes.

This is a new role to stabilise, diversify and grow income in a financially constrained environment, reducing reliance on statutory funding, increasing unrestricted income, and strengthening Catalyst Support’s credibility with all sources of non statutory funding, including trusts, foundations, corporates, individuals and communities. The postholder holds clear accountability for income performance, return on investment and risk management, and plays a critical role in the organisation’s financial recovery and long-term sustainability. The role is designed as a strategic investment, with the expectation that income generated will move the function towards break-even and net contribution over time, supported by clear targets and Board oversight.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Income Delivery

• Lead and deliver a multi-year income and engagement strategy covering trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, major donors, community fundraising and individual giving.
• Take ownership of income targets, pipelines and forecasts, including break-even requirements and risk exposure.
• Actively manage income risk, developing scenario plans and mitigation actions where delivery falls below expectation.
• Work with the Executive and Senior Leadership Teams to align income activity with organisational strategy and service priorities.

Funding Applications & Grant Management

• Provide strategic oversight, delivery and quality assurance of all high-value bids, tenders and funding applications.
• Ensure bids are evidence-led, outcome-focused, accurately costed and aligned to service capacity.
• Taking direct responsibility for bid and tender preparation and submission.
• Maintain strong relationships with funders, and foundations, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements and effective stewardship.
• Maintain strong relationships with funders, and foundations, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements and effective stewardship.
• Contribute approximately 20% of working time towards partner applications and collaborative projects with key partners, supporting joint funding and shared objectives.

Communications, Marketing & Engagement

• Lead communications and engagement functions to directly support income generation, funder confidence and organisational reputation.
• Ensure all external messaging demonstrates impact, value for money and strategic coherence.
• Grow individual giving, community fundraising and supporter engagement where there is clear return on investment.
• Oversee brand consistency and visibility across digital and offline channels.

Internal Collaboration & Income Culture

• Work closely with service and enabling teams to strengthen funding evidence, case studies and impact data.
• Build organisational understanding that income generation is a shared responsibility.
• Working with services and enabling teams to develop compelling cases for support.
• Equip teams with clarity on how funding, impact and delivery are connected.

Performance, Impact & Governance

• Establish and monitor KPIs covering income performance, ROI, cost-per-£ raised, engagement metrics and pipeline health.
• Report regularly to the Executive team and Trustees, providing transparent assessment of progress, risks and corrective action.
• Support Board assurance through disciplined performance monitoring and review points.

Team Leadership

• Provide line management, development and performance oversight for income generation and communications staff. Head of Income Generation Feb 2026
• Recruit, develop and retain high-quality team capability aligned to organisational needs.

Leadership Contribution

• Contribute as a senior operational leader to organisational planning, change and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with the Director of Services on future service design, positioning and sustainability.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the seniority of the role and Catalyst Support’s mission.
• Strengthen partnership development with Mary Frances Trust to enhance county-wide support, with particular emphasis on provision for mental health services across both East and West regions.

Person Specification

Essential Experience

• Proven experience securing trust, grant and philanthropic income at scale, with clear evidence of income conversion and delivery.
• Track record of leading income strategies that generate net financial contribution, including roles where income targets were explicitly expected to cover or exceed post costs or programme investment.
• Experience operating in financially constrained, recovery-focused or turnaround environments, with responsibility for balancing income ambition against organisational risk.
• Experience of Board-level reporting, accountability and scrutiny, including transparent reporting of income performance against targets.
• Demonstrated ability to build senior relationships with funders, partners and individuals that translate into sustained or repeat income.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in mental health, wellbeing or community services.
• Experience overseeing communications and marketing functions.
• Experience operating within multi-stream or system-based service environments.

Skills & Competencies

• Commercially and financially astute.
• Strong analytical, forecasting and risk-management capability, including income pipeline assessment and contribution modelling.
• Confident influencer with credibility at senior and external levels. • Strategic thinker with a strong bias towards delivery, outcomes and financial impact.
• Resilient, solutions-focused and adaptable in high-pressure, performance-driven environments.

Values & Behaviours

• Commitment to Catalyst Support’s values: Kindness, Integrity and Commitment.
• Collaborative, inclusive and trauma-informed approach.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and lived-experience leadership

Equal Opportunities Statement

We acknowledge the unique contribution that all Catalyst employees, volunteers and clients can bring to our organisation in terms of their culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, nationality, age, religion or belief and any physical disability or history of mental health or additional problems.