Senior legal advisor jobs in Oxford, oxfordshire
How's your job search on our site?
The governance and policy manager is a senior strategic and operational role responsible for leading, coordinating, and strengthening all governance-related functions across World Physiotherapy. Reporting directly to the CEO, the role ensures the organisation consistently meets the highest standards of governance, compliance, transparency, and accountability, in line with its global mission and constitutional framework.
The postholder serves as a key advisor to the CEO, board, and leadership structures, ensuring governance systems are robust, efficient, and appropriate for an international membership organisation. The role works closely with member organisations (MOs), regions, and speciality groups to enhance governance practices, ensure policy alignment, and support coherent decision-making across the global network.
The role also contributes to organisational direction by actively participating in the development and implementation of the World Physiotherapy strategic plan and supporting alignment with regional and other strategic plans.
1. Governance leadership and oversight
- Lead, coordinate, and oversee all governance functions and activities across World Physiotherapy.
- Monitor and ensure compliance with the constitution, bylaws, policies, and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
- Regularly review and update governance frameworks, systems, and processes to align with international best practices.
- Provide authoritative advice and interpretation on governance matters to the CEO, board, and leadership structures.
- Develop and implement governance improvement initiatives to enhance organisational effectiveness and accountability.
- Work collaboratively with the World Physiotherapy development and membership divisions to ensure organisational cohesion and effective delivery of the global mission.
2. Board and executive support
- Support and coordinate the development of high-quality board papers, briefings, and decision-support materials.
- Support the full lifecycle of board meetings, including agenda setting, documentation, logistics, and action tracking.
- Ensure timely circulation of clear, accurate, and structured information to support informed decision-making.
- Maintain and manage official governance records, including minutes, resolutions, and statutory documentation.
- Monitor follow-up actions and ensure implementation of board decisions.
3. General meeting (GM) management
- Plan, coordinate, and deliver all World Physiotherapy global and regional general meetings in accordance with constitutional requirements.
- Develop and manage timelines for GM preparation, including submission, review, and distribution of papers.
- Oversee the drafting and quality assurance of reports, motions, and official documentation.
- Ensure accurate recording of proceedings, decisions, and outcomes.
- Verify compliance with all procedural and constitutional requirements for general meetings.
4. Regional elections coordination
- Plan and oversee regional election processes, ensuring alignment with organisational rules, timelines, and standards.
- Develop and implement clear election procedures and guidance for regions in line with the constitution.
- Ensure elections are conducted transparently, fairly, and consistently across all regions.
- Provide advisory support to regional executive committees on governance and election matters.
- Maintain comprehensive records of election processes, results, and compliance.
5. Policy development and management
- Lead the drafting, review, and implementation of governance and organisational policies.
- Ensure policies are consistent, up to date, and aligned with strategic priorities and international standards.
- Provide expert policy advice and interpretation to the CEO, board, MOs, regions, and speciality groups.
- Establish and maintain systems to monitor policy implementation, compliance, and effectiveness.
6. Strategic planning and alignment
- Contribute to the development, implementation, and monitoring of the World Physiotherapy strategic plan.
- Support alignment between global strategy and regional and other relevant strategic plans.
- Provide governance input into strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with constitutional and policy frameworks.
- Monitor and report on governance-related strategic objectives and outcomes.
7. Support to member organisations, regions, and specialty groups
- Provide expert governance and policy advice to MOs, regions, and speciality groups.
- Develop practical tools, templates, and guidance to strengthen governance capacity across the network.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and promote best practices in governance globally.
- Respond to governance queries and provide timely, solution-oriented support.
8. Stakeholder engagement and communication
- Act as a central liaison on governance matters between the CEO, board, committees, and membership.
- Ensure consistent and transparent communication of governance processes, decisions, and requirements.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Work closely with the communications and marketing team for the delivery of all key communications.
9. Continuous improvement and risk management
- Identify governance risks and develop mitigation strategies.
- Lead initiatives to enhance governance maturity and organisational performance.
- Monitor global trends in governance and advise on relevant improvements.
- Support organisational risk management processes related to governance and compliance.
Person specification
Education and qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in law, public administration, governance, business administration, international relations, or a related field.
- Postgraduate qualification (eg master’s degree) in governance, public policy, law, MBA, or related discipline (desirable).
- Professional certification in governance, compliance, or company secretariat (eg Chartered Governance Institute or equivalent) is an advantage.
- Commitment to ongoing professional development in governance or non-profit management.
Essential experience and skills
- Extensive experience in governance, policy, or organisational management, preferably in an international or membership-based organisation.
- Strong knowledge of non-profit governance frameworks and best practices.
- Proven experience supporting boards and senior leadership.
- Experience managing complex governance processes (eg elections, general meetings).
- Excellent organisational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong written communication skills with the ability to produce high quality formal documentation.
- Ability to work effectively across diverse cultural and geographic contexts.
Desirable
- Experience working with global professional associations or health related organisations.
- Familiarity with constitutional frameworks and regulatory environments in international organisations.
- Experience engaging with stakeholders across multiple regions.
Personal attributes
- Highly organised, proactive, and detail oriented.
- Strong integrity and commitment to transparency and accountability.
- Collaborative, diplomatic, and skilled in stakeholder management.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strategic thinker with a practical, solution oriented mindset.
Impact of the role
This role is critical to ensuring World Physiotherapy operates with excellence in governance and policy. The governance and policy manager supports effective decision-making at the highest level, strengthens organisational credibility, and contributes to a cohesive, well-governed global network aligned with its strategic objectives.
Only candidates invited for interview will be contacted.
Registered Charity
11 - 20
To represent physiotherapy across the globe, advancing our profession and advocating access for all, to improve health and wellbeing.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
About Kinship
We are Kinship. The leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We’re here for kinship carers – friends or family who step up to raise a child when their parents aren’t able to.
Together, let’s commit to change for kinship families.
About the role
The Senior Advice Worker – SEND will be the specialist and subject expert in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and kinship care. You’ll provide 1:1 advice directly to kinship carers on all issues that impact on their caring role.
You will often be supporting kinship carers in high crisis. It will be part of your job to calm a situation quickly and support people to communicate what they need so you can provide personalised in-depth advice.
You’ll provide advice by phone, video calls and email, but you’ll also need to be able to respond to text, WhatsApp and online chat and other channels as we develop the service.
You’ll specialise in providing advice and information to enable kinship carers to support children with SEND needs, including speech, language and communication difficulties, social, emotional and mental health challenges, specific learning difficulties, and autism.
This will include advice and casework to support kinship carers to navigate the education system, understand Education, Health and Care Plan processes and access support from schools, children’s services and CAMHS.
As subject expert, you’ll provide expert input to the development of written information and resources and the development and delivery of specialist training for kinship carers.
Key responsibilities include:
- Respond to enquiries through a range of incoming channels. This includes taking calls on our advice line, as well as responding to enquiries submitted through our website, via internal referral or other channels.
- Provide high quality advice and information to kinship carers on their rights, entitlements and responsibilities in relation to welfare benefits, local authority allowances, support from children’s services, relevant legal orders, sources of educational, parenting and legal support and other issues that may be required.
- Assess vulnerability and risk to prioritise and respond to kinship carers’ issues in a timely manner.
- Research individual cases and identify possible courses of action.
- Address all safeguarding concerns in line with policy.
- Facilitate access to our advice service for people with diverse needs, e.g. by using appropriate translation services or assistive technology.
- Adapt communication style to respond appropriately to differing needs.
- Provide advice in a format that is manageable and understandable for the individual kinship carer.
- Apply agreed Kinship models of practice as appropriate, e.g. taking a trauma-informed approach.
- Provide specialist advice and casework on SEND-related issues. This may involve:
- providing additional advice or support to enable a client to take action
- undertaking follow-up action on behalf of the client to move the case on, e.g. negotiating with third parties
- taking on complex casework to pursue significant outcomes for the client or strategic impact for all kinship carers
-
Proactively update colleagues across Kinship on relevant updates in the SEND landscape, providing guidance to teams.
-
Work closely with training colleagues to develop, create and occasionally lead training sessions to support kinship carers to navigate the SEND system.
Essential requirements include:
-
Minimum of 2 years’ recent experience of delivering in-depth advice work on complex social welfare legal issues (e.g. benefits, housing, education or social care) to members of the public.
-
Experience of giving both telephone and written advice.
-
Either significant knowledge of and expertise in the SEND system and SEND-related issues, with the ability to develop expertise in kinship care advice; or, Significant knowledge of and expertise in kinship care advice, with substantial knowledge of SEND-related advice issues and the ability to become an expert in SEND advice for kinship carers.
-
A demonstrable knowledge of relevant sources of advice and information.
-
Knowledge and evidence of good understanding of safeguarding issues and good practice.
-
Proven understanding of the importance of confidentiality and a non-judgmental approach.
-
Experience and confidence in development of resources
-
Experience of effective management and supervision of staff, projects and/or services.
-
Experience using Case Management Systems and/or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms.
What we offer you:
- Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
- 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
- Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
- Charity Worker Discounts.
Key dates:
- Application deadline: Monday 20 April 2026, 12pm
- First interview: w/c 4 May 2026 (online)
- Second interview: w/c 11 May 2026 (if required)
How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Senior Advice Worker - SEND by sending a CV and answering the questions below. The deadline is 12pm on Monday 20 April 2026. Any applications arriving after the closing date will not be considered for shortlisting unless there are exceptional reasons. Please ensure you have read the application timelines.
Please provide a cover letter answering the following 4 questions (up to 250 words per answer):
- Give an overview of how your experience, qualifications and training equip you for the role of Senior Advice Worker - SEND.
- Explain why you want to work for Kinship.
- What are the key skills and personal attributes that you would bring to the role?
- What do you see as the most significant advice issues confronting kinship families navigating the SEND system?
Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion. We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams. We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us.
Some tips for your application:
• Make sure you’ve read the job description and the essential requirements – make sure your application reflects those points in the requirements very clearly.
• Tell us why you want to work for Kinship. We’re interested in working with people who share our values. You can read about our values in the job pack.
• Keep your response clear – use bullets points and short paragraphs if that helps. It will help the recruitment team to focus on your knowledge, skills and experience.
• Don’t go over 2 pages on your covering letter and ensure you answer all the questions
• Please do not use AI tools like ChatGPT to produce your answers. We use software to check, and your application will be rejected if you do.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We support kinship carers in their homes and communities, giving advice and helping them work through problems to find the best way forward.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Us
Global Canopy is a data-driven not for profit delivering real transparency and accountability for market impacts on nature and people. Our special focus is on ending deforestation – an essential step in achieving urgent global goals on climate, nature and human rights. We deliver our work by building and maintaining open-data platforms, creating stronger voluntary and compliance frameworks, and accelerating accountability and action in the finance sector with nature-positive guidance to help achieve deforestation-free portfolios.
We work globally, with a focus on both forested regions (particularly across Latin America and South East Asia), and major consumer and financial markets (with a focus on Europe, the US, Singapore and China). We have a distributed team of around 70 people worldwide, with a main office in Oxford (UK). We work via close and deep partnerships, including with institutions like the Stockholm Environment Institute, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, UNEP Finance Initiative, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the Zoological Society of London, and many many others.
About the Role
As People and Culture Lead, reporting to the Director of Execution & Planning, you will be responsible for the delivery and development of the People function at Global Canopy. Providing advice and support to the Leadership Team and colleagues across the organisation, you will lead on people and culture initiatives that enable our team to maximise their potential, resulting in greater impact as an organisation.
You will bring excellent relationship-building and influencing skills as well as strong technical expertise to ensure that we can recruit, retain, develop, support and engage the people we rely on to deliver our vital work for forests, nature and human rights. You will manage all aspects of team members’ journey with the organisation, including recruitment, performance and development, employee relations and pay and benefits.
This is a great role for an experienced People professional who believes in the power of a people-centred organisation, has had previous success in delivering people and culture change projects and working in a business-partnering role. You will be comfortable managing upwards, acting as a trusted advisor, and confident being the face of People and Culture at an organisational level. You will thrive in a dynamic non-profit environment, delivering on complex and impactful projects around the world. We are looking for someone who leads with empathy and wisdom, putting individuals at the heart of their work.
Responsibilities
Employee life cycle management
- Be responsible for the creation, maintenance, evolution and operation of all HR policies, processes and systems
- Work closely with the leadership team and internal boards on areas such as recruitment, performance, learning and development, absence, salaries/benefits, job grading and employee engagement
- Ensure the ongoing development of our P&C offering is aligned with our culture
Support & advice to leaders and managers
- Build strong working relationships with senior team leaders in order to support them directly
- Provide coaching, guidance and support to people managers ensuring that our people are supported to thrive and develop
- Advise on people issues and managing cases, to ensure that processes are followed in line with Global Canopy’s policy, best practice and employment legislation
Support delivery of Global Canopy’s People plan
- Alongside the Director of Execution & Planning, drive the implementation of people initiatives and be responsible for the successful embedding of changes
- Lead on connection and collaboration initiatives to build a cohesive, highly motivated team in line with Global Canopy’s culture and in the context of hybrid working
- Provide and present reports and maintain KPIs related to our people.
Management
- Line management of People and Recruitment Advisor, supporting them in their management of recruitment for Global Canopy, and providing coaching and mentoring to support their ongoing development
- Manage the relationship with our EOR providers
- Alongside the Director of Execution & Planning and Operations Coordinator, provide leadership on data protection across the organisation
About You
To be successful in this role, these are the things that will matter the most:
- People-first and positive approach to HR management
- Broad experience of managing human resources work across organisations, with a good understanding of HR procedures and legislation in the UK
- Alignment with our values and our mission and a commitment to collaboration and a passion for developing an organisational culture in which people thrive
Essential behavioural competencies:
- Leading with warmth
- Demonstrates credibility and emotional intelligence
- Structured and effective in communications
- Able to handle difficult situations sensitively and confidentially
- Initiative and ability to manage and prioritise own workload, working to deadlines
- Creativity
Skills and experience:
Required:
- CIPD level 5 or equivalent experience
- Experience managing all aspects of employee lifecycle
- Strong understanding of UK employment law and best practice
- Experience and expertise to support in the areas of diversity and inclusion, learning and development, and employee wellbeing and engagement in a hybrid context
- Experience of working in an advisory capacity and regularly reporting to senior leaders
- Experience of working across different departments/functions in a matrixed and int’l organisation
- Line management experience
Desirable
- Ability to take a leadership role in change projects
- Experience of working internationally with employees based outside the UK – and covered by non-UK law
- Experience or understanding of the context for a charity / not for profit organisation
Salary & Benefits
Salary: £55,000- £60,000 full time equivalent. This role sits within Band C on Global Canopy’s remuneration framework.
Nature of contract: Full time or 0.8 FTE. Permanent. This is a hybrid role working from home and our office in Oxford. There is a requirement to attend the office once a week and for other meetings/work as required.
Holidays: 36 days (including bank/public holidays) for discretionary use across the annual leave year. Option to purchase up to an additional 5 days or equivalent of one week’s leave.
Pension: Employer pension contribution of 8%.
Healthcare cashback plan: Covering dental fees, eye-care, wellbeing, physiotherapy, chiropody and much more – for you and any children.
Employee Assistance Programme: Which provides free, confidential advice on personal and legal matters.
Other: Huge range of discounts and cashback deals at gyms, restaurants, holidays, and much more.
How to Apply
To apply for the position, please follow the instructions and submit an up-to date CV and covering letter. The covering letter should explain your motivation for the role, and how your skills and experience fit the person specification. (Please no more than 1 side of A4).
Right-to-work in the UK is required for this role.
All candidates are asked to complete an anonymous diversity monitoring form when they apply.
The closing date for applications is 27 April 2026 at 9 am GMT. We will be conducting rolling interviews after the Easter bank holidays. Early application is encouraged, as we may close the position early if suitable candidates are identified.
First-round interviews will be held online. We plan to conduct second-round interviews in Oxford when possible (we will reimburse reasonable travel expenses for candidates). A written task and key colleague meeting will also form part of the selection process.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.