Senior new business lead jobs in purfleet, thurrock

Location: London (hybrid)

Hours: Full-Time 

Remuneration: £80,000 -£87,000 per annum, depending on experience

Contract: 13 months fixed-term contract (Parental Leave Cover)

About FILE

The Foundation for International Law for the Environment (FILE) is a not-for-profit philanthropic organisation working to accelerate legal action on climate change. 

Through grant-making and in-house legal expertise, we empower our partners to deliver strategic, innovative legal interventions and we support lawyers in their own countries to bring their own cases. 

Legal action can unlock the systemic changes in finance, policy and social systems needed to protect all of us from climate change. The power of the law is both direct (changing policy and practice) and indirect (signalling the wider shifts taking place across these systems).

FILE is a ‘regrantor’ - this means we do not bring legal action in our own name. We receive grants from our philanthropic donors and make onwards grants to partners who align with FILE’s charitable aims and purposes. We do not seek to make any profit from our activities either in a relevant financial year or in the longer term.

Role overview

The Head of Financial Planning and Analysis is a key leadership role within the Finance Team at FILE, responsible for the financial planning cycle and management information, business partnering support across the organisation, and financial reporting to donors.

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Lead the FP&A team at FILE, including setting team vision, annual team planning and objectives
• Lead annual planning process across income, granting plans and operational expenditure, developing innovative approaches
• Ensure robust quarterly forecasting process supports resource planning, strategic operational expenditure investment decisions and guides the allocation of unrestricted and flexible funding to highest impact
• Ensure prompt monthly Management Information, implementing reporting tools, dashboards and  automation where possible
• Ensure key stakeholders across the Grants Team, Donor Relations Team and across FILE receive high value business partner support to enable strategic decision-making, in addition to support on individual donor proposals, grants and operational expenditure decisions
• Develop and implement a new donor proposal budgeting process
• Ensure financial reporting to donors is on time, accurate and high quality
• Oversee Grant Assurance, support finance colleagues with statutory and donor audits as required, and collaborate with the Legal Counsel and Head of Grants on grant risk reporting
• Ensure Grant Management System has strong controls and user administration and collaborate with Finance Team colleagues on data reconciliations
• Drive process improvement, and develop best practice guidance, training and induction materials for budget holders, tools and templates for grantmaking and donor management.
• Any other responsibilities required to support the success of the Finance Team

Key Outcomes

• The FP&A team has a clear vision, with ambitious but resilient annual planning
• The FP&A team has a strong culture of collaboration, trust, integrity and empowerment, and individual team members have clear objectives and development plans
• Robust annual organisational financial planning and quarterly forecasting processes support the delivery of FILE’s strategic objectives, high impact grantmaking and value for money
• Prompt, high quality Management Information supports senior stakeholders including SLT and FILE’s Boards in strategic decision making
• FILE’s full operational cost structure is modelled and well understood, to support resourcing and expenditure decisions to scale, flex or respond to risk as needed
• FILE budget holders and portfolio teams understand their budgets, financial risks and opportunities, and are supported to take good financial decisions
• FILE’s donors view FILE’s financial management and reporting as accurate and reliable
• FILE’s grantmaking has good internal and external financial processes, tools and guidance and is supported by a risk based assurance approach
• The FP&A team has a continuous improvement mindset, with best practice processes and moving towards automation and self-service reporting

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Relevant accountancy qualification or equivalent by experience
• Inclusive team leader, able to set a clear vision and navigate the team through growth and change
• Ability to develop and coach a high performing team
• Demonstrable influencing and presenting skills, up to Board level
• Good attention to detail and strong organisational, analytical and project management skills, with the              ability to be flexible as priorities and needs change
• A problem-solver, excels at financial modelling
• Highly collaborative

Location

FILE has offices in London and the Netherlands. We are advertising this role for candidates based (and with the right to work) in the UK, or the Netherlands.

Therefore, please note that this role will be advertised in multiple locations, but we are only hiring for one position. Please apply to the job post for your preferred location.

Working for FILE

FILE is a collaborative community of individuals who share a passion for climate, nature, and justice. We bring together knowledge and experience to support our mission.

Our people are empowered to lead their work both individually and as part of a wider team in order to make impactful change. As a relatively young organisation with the ambitious mission to change global systems, our roles are ideally suited to those who are highly strategic, flexible and adaptable, and open to growing in line with the Foundation.

FILE is committed to challenging inequality and values diversity, equity and justice in all areas of life. Our mission, work and impact is global, with staff and partners from across the world and a range of lived experiences. We firmly believe that we are strengthened by the diversity of our partners and staff.

At FILE, we actively work to create an inclusive culture where colleagues feel welcomed, heard and supported to succeed and thrive.

How FILE supports its staff

FILE is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. FILE offer a generous annual leave policy and additional time-off work to support wellbeing. Amongst other benefits, FILE offers private healthcare and a contribution to a pension scheme.

FILE is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and encourage candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our team to apply.
Join us in making a tangible difference in the fight against climate change by creating spaces where diverse voices come together to drive impactful solutions.

Applications

Please apply on our website and upload your CV. This role is open for applications immediately and we accept applications on a rolling basis. If you are interested, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. The role will close on the 15th of June.

Diversity & Inclusion

As an equal opportunities employer, FILE is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join FILE.

Unifrog’s mission
 

We’re on a mission to level the playing field when it comes to young people finding and applying for their next step after school. We're achieving this by bringing all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. We also empower teachers and counsellors to manage the progression process effectively.
 

Our outlook is global - we work with schools and universities all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and from Italy to Hong Kong. We want to make it so that young people can compare every opportunity taught in English, wherever it is in the world, and have all the support they need to make successful applications.
 

We have a clear social purpose, and we’re hugely ambitious. We already work with over half of UK secondary schools, and hundreds of international schools. We are growing rapidly in terms of the number of our customers, in terms of how much they use our platform, and in terms of the breadth of products we offer.
 

Our team is at the heart of our business and is integral to our success. We work hard to foster a culture of openness, happiness and innovation, and we commit to helping every individual learn and grow so that they can reach their full potential. We want to hire talented people, whatever their background. If you are excited by our mission and are ready to work hard, please don’t hesitate to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
 

We believe in the power of diversity. If you are from an ethnic minority background, we would like to strongly encourage you to apply. In advance of applying, if you have any questions about working at Unifrog, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (contact details on our website). 

 

The role and your key responsibilities
 

As an Account Manager, your role is to make sure that all partners in your area make the most out of the Unifrog platform. You’ll build and maintain excellent working relationships with your partner schools and colleges, and provide expert guidance on how to embed the platform across all year groups.

You will cover your own area of the country with occasional travel to your partner schools and colleges (on average 1-2 days per week). Please note you will need to be based in Newcastle (or surrounding areas) for this role.
 

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Work with schools and colleges to provide resources and strategies which maximise staff and student engagement with Unifrog, identifying and promoting best practice across partner schools.

• Deliver targeted training sessions to staff within our partner schools and colleges via workshops and presentations, delivered remotely or in person.

• Work with your partner Area Manager to improve Unifrog engagement and achieve a sky high resubscription rate.

• Monitor and analyse usage across partner schools and colleges; identifying partners that need additional support to use the platform effectively.

• Listen to teachers and students about how we can improve our customer service and the Unifrog platform.

• Attend conferences and run CPD events on behalf of Unifrog.

What we’re looking for

• Strong communication skills – written, over the phone and on video calls.

• Track record of excellent relationship management.

• Extremely well organised.

• Keen attention to detail.

• Active listening and objection handling skills.

• A background and interest in education would be an advantage.

• Proactive attitude and willingness to get stuck in.

You will be joining a team of highly motivated people who are passionate about our mission of helping students to find the best next step for them after school. If this excites you and you’re an energetic person who is willing to learn, then we’d love to hear from you.
 

Working together

You’ll work closely alongside an Area Manager in your region, and with our Partner Success team to provide the best service to your schools and colleges. You will be part of a fantastic team of Account Managers, and line-managed by a Senior Account Manager. 

 

Benefits

Head to our jobs page for a full list of the excellent benefits we offer our team.

• Join one of ‘the best organisations to escape to’ and help transform careers and destinations in schools. We’re also a certified Great Place to Work.

• Become part of a committed, dynamic and growing team. We want to build the team at Unifrog for the long term – if you do well, we will do our best to make you want to stay at the company for a long time.

• Professional development is important at Unifrog. You will define your own 6-month objectives and will be supported by your line manager and the rest of the team to achieve them. You will have an annual training allowance to spend on what you need to grow and progress.

• Influence the company’s direction: we love to promote great ideas, wherever they come from.

Key details
 

• £37,306 per annum pro rata (Grade B), plus commission, car allowance, and a share in a company-wide performance bonus. 

• OTE £43,000.

• Permanent and full-time

• 28 days paid holiday per year (plus bank holidays).

• Working hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 4:30pm on Friday.

• Full UK driving licence and access to a car is essential.

• All travel expenses covered.

• Candidate must be based in Newcastle (or surrounding areas).

• Home based with some travel to schools and colleges in your region.

• Start date: as soon as possible, though we will be flexible for the right candidates.

• To discuss any details about the role before applying, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (details on our website).

• We can only consider candidates who have the right to work in the UK.

 

Application process

Deadline: 10:00AM (BST) on Monday 9th June 2025.
 

Stage 1: Application form (~1 hour) 

• Visit our website to upload your CV and complete the questions and tasks below. Please note that we do not review CVs at this stage of the application process so please be as specific as possible about your experience.
   

i. With reference to examples of your recent experience, what would make you an excellent candidate for this role? (250 words)

ii. Tell us about a time when you have had to build a relationship with someone when it was particularly challenging. What was your approach? (250 words)

iii. You notice that one of your partner schools is not engaging with Unifrog across the whole school. How would you approach the situation to maximise staff and student engagement with the platform and resources? (250 words)

Stage 2: Phone task (15 minutes) 

• A short role play task over the phone. We will schedule these tasks throughout the application window.

Stage 3: Video call interview (1 hour) 

• Short demonstration of a Unifrog tool (resources will be provided) (20 mins)

• Standard Q&A from a panel of three, including questions about your experiences and how these relate to the role, and scenario questions based on common situations you might face (plus time for your questions) (40 mins).
   

• Video call interviews will be held on w/c 16th June 2025.

Your answers are an opportunity to let us know more about your motivations and experience. While we understand that candidates might want to use AI to improve parts of their application, we strongly encourage you to write your answers independently. 

Please note, we compare all answers to an AI generated answer. Where we suspect AI has been used to write the majority of the answer, this will be taken into consideration when scoring.

 

Inclusion and diversity at Unifrog

• Within the company we try to foster a culture of innovation, and a happy working environment, both because this is the right thing to do, and because we think this results in the most effective team. To this end we believe in open communication, celebrating successes, supporting each other, not being afraid to be wrong or to fail, and promoting good ideas wherever they come from.

• As a platform that supports teachers and students from a huge variety of backgrounds it’s important that our team and leadership reflects this diversity. This is something we are actively working towards and prioritising. We want to embed diversity, equity and inclusion across everything we do, continually evaluating policies and practices to make sure they are inclusive and equitable.

• To make sure everyone’s voice is heard and people have the opportunities to learn to be better allies in the workplace, we encourage the team to share what they’re celebrating, facilitate training and group discussions, and seek regular feedback about what more the company could do to help people feel included.

• To ensure that our recruitment process is consistent and fair, we anonymise your application and therefore do not see your name, personal, educational or professional background. We also randomise the order of responses so that it’s less likely that a candidate is advantaged or disadvantaged by where their answers appear compared to other candidates. 

Unifrog’s mission
 

We’re on a mission to level the playing field when it comes to young people finding and applying for their next step after school. We're achieving this by bringing all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. We also empower teachers and counsellors to manage the progression process effectively.
 

Our outlook is global - we work with schools and universities all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and from Italy to Hong Kong. We want to make it so that young people can compare every opportunity taught in English, wherever it is in the world, and have all the support they need to make successful applications.
 

We have a clear social purpose, and we’re hugely ambitious. We already work with over half of UK secondary schools, and hundreds of international schools. We are growing rapidly in terms of the number of our customers, in terms of how much they use our platform, and in terms of the breadth of products we offer.
 

Our team is at the heart of our business and is integral to our success. We work hard to foster a culture of openness, happiness and innovation, and we commit to helping every individual learn and grow so that they can reach their full potential. We want to hire talented people, whatever their background. If you are excited by our mission and are ready to work hard, please don’t hesitate to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
 

We believe in the power of diversity. If you are from an ethnic minority background, we would like to strongly encourage you to apply. In advance of applying, if you have any questions about working at Unifrog, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (contact details on our website). 

 

The role and your key responsibilities
 

As an Account Manager, your role is to make sure that all partners in your area make the most out of the Unifrog platform. You’ll build and maintain excellent working relationships with your partner schools and colleges, and provide expert guidance on how to embed the platform across all year groups.

You will cover your own area of the country with occasional travel to your partner schools and colleges (on average 1-2 days per week). Please note you will need to be based in Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, or Wiltshire for this role.
 

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Work with schools and colleges to provide resources and strategies which maximise staff and student engagement with Unifrog, identifying and promoting best practice across partner schools.
   

• Deliver targeted training sessions to staff within our partner schools and colleges via workshops and presentations, delivered remotely or in person.
   

• Work with your partner Area Manager to improve Unifrog engagement and achieve a sky high resubscription rate.
   

• Monitor and analyse usage across partner schools and colleges; identifying partners that need additional support to use the platform effectively.
   

• Listen to teachers and students about how we can improve our customer service and the Unifrog platform.
   

• Attend conferences and run CPD events on behalf of Unifrog.

What we’re looking for

• Strong communication skills – written, over the phone and on video calls.
   

• Track record of excellent relationship management.
   

• Extremely well organised.
   

• Keen attention to detail.
   

• Active listening and objection handling skills.
   

• A background and interest in education would be an advantage.

• Proactive attitude and willingness to get stuck in.

You will be joining a team of highly motivated people who are passionate about our mission of helping students to find the best next step for them after school. If this excites you and you’re an energetic person who is willing to learn, then we’d love to hear from you.
 

Working together

You’ll work closely alongside an Area Manager in your region, and with our Partner Success team to provide the best service to your schools and colleges. You will be part of a fantastic team of Account Managers, and line-managed by a Senior Account Manager. 

 

Benefits

Head to our jobs page for a full list of the excellent benefits we offer our team.

• Join one of ‘the best organisations to escape to’ and help transform careers and destinations in schools. We’re also a certified Great Place to Work.

• Become part of a committed, dynamic and growing team. We want to build the team at Unifrog for the long term – if you do well, we will do our best to make you want to stay at the company for a long time.
   

• Professional development is important at Unifrog. You will define your own 6-month objectives and will be supported by your line manager and the rest of the team to achieve them. You will have an annual training allowance to spend on what you need to grow and progress.
   

• Influence the company’s direction: we love to promote great ideas, wherever they come from.

Key details
 

• £37,306 per annum pro rata (Grade B), plus commission, car allowance, and a share in a company-wide performance bonus. 

• OTE £43,000.

• Permanent and full-time

• 28 days paid holiday per year (plus bank holidays).

• Working hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 4:30pm on Friday.
   

• Full UK driving licence and access to a car is essential.
   

• All travel expenses covered.
   

• Candidate must be based in one of the following counties: Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, or Wiltshire.
   

• Home based with some travel to schools and colleges in your region.

• Start date: as soon as possible, though we will be flexible for the right candidates.
   

• To discuss any details about the role before applying, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (details on our website).
   

• We can only consider candidates who have the right to work in the UK.

 

Application process

Deadline: 10:00AM (BST) on Monday 9th June 2025.
 

Stage 1: Application form (~1 hour) 

• Visit our website to upload your CV and complete the questions and tasks below. Please note that we do not review CVs at this stage of the application process so please be as specific as possible about your experience.
   

i. With reference to examples of your recent experience, what would make you an excellent candidate for this role? (250 words)

ii. Tell us about a time when you have had to build a relationship with someone when it was particularly challenging. What was your approach? (250 words)

iii. You notice that one of your partner schools is not engaging with Unifrog across the whole school. How would you approach the situation to maximise staff and student engagement with the platform and resources? (250 words)

Stage 2: Phone task (15 minutes) 

• A short role play task over the phone. We will schedule these tasks throughout the application window.

Stage 3: Video call interview (1 hour) 

• Short demonstration of a Unifrog tool (resources will be provided) (20 mins)

• Standard Q&A from a panel of three, including questions about your experiences and how these relate to the role, and scenario questions based on common situations you might face (plus time for your questions) (40 mins).
   

• Video call interviews will be held on w/c 16th June 2025.

Your answers are an opportunity to let us know more about your motivations and experience. While we understand that candidates might want to use AI to improve parts of their application, we strongly encourage you to write your answers independently. 

Please note, we compare all answers to an AI generated answer. Where we suspect AI has been used to write the majority of the answer, this will be taken into consideration when scoring.

 

Inclusion and diversity at Unifrog

Within the company we try to foster a culture of innovation, and a happy working environment, both because this is the right thing to do, and because we think this results in the most effective team. To this end we believe in open communication, celebrating successes, supporting each other, not being afraid to be wrong or to fail, and promoting good ideas wherever they come from.

As a platform that supports teachers and students from a huge variety of backgrounds it’s important that our team and leadership reflects this diversity. This is something we are actively working towards and prioritising. We want to embed diversity, equity and inclusion across everything we do, continually evaluating policies and practices to make sure they are inclusive and equitable.

To make sure everyone’s voice is heard and people have the opportunities to learn to be better allies in the workplace, we encourage the team to share what they’re celebrating, facilitate training and group discussions, and seek regular feedback about what more the company could do to help people feel included.

To ensure that our recruitment process is consistent and fair, we anonymise your application and therefore do not see your name, personal, educational or professional background. We also randomise the order of responses so that it’s less likely that a candidate is advantaged or disadvantaged by where their answers appear compared to other candidates. 

Head of Policy Insights

Hours: 0.8 FTE (four days a week) 

Location: Hybrid, with a focus on London. You’ll need to be in London to work from our office (near Victoria) one day a week and have about two other days per week to attend meetings with policy makers and our members. On other days you can work remotely or come into our office. Some nationwide travel expected for meetings and events. 

After passing probation, you’ll have up to six weeks ‘super remote’ working per year, where you can work anywhere in the world as long as you’re online for four hours of the UK workday.  

Holidays: 38 days per year, including our 3-day winter shut down and eight flexible bank holidays pro rata.

About the Fair Education Alliance

The Fair Education Alliance (FEA) unites 300 member organisations under a shared vision that no child’s success is limited by their socioeconomic background.  

Our members (charities and social enterprises, think tanks, businesses and foundations, youth organisations, unions, universities and schools) are working collectively to create an inclusive system. We exist to close the gap in educational outcomes between children from low-income households and their wealthier peers. 

This autumn, we’re kicking off our next strategic phase, which will take our work from neighbourhood to national, building a movement for systems change towards a fairer future for children and young people. 

Why we need you 

The gaps in educational outcomes between children from low-income households and their wealthier peers are staggering at every stage of education. This goes on to increase the likelihood that young people from low-income households will be out of employment, education, or training. We take a systems change approach to shifting the conditions that hold these inequities in place. With the next phase of our strategy underway—building a movement from neighbourhood to national—we need someone who can help us influence policy and practice with insight, evidence and urgency.  

We aim to bring insights from our diverse and expert membership to policymakers, ensuring that local, regional and national policies best serve children and young people from low-income backgrounds. We support members to organise around themes through our collective action working groups, which have advised Government on topics such as Family Hubs, the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and will continue to contribute expertise to upcoming policy moments related to SEND, Skills England and Ofsted. We also support youth voice in policymaking through our Youth Steering Group, which has contributed independently to major policy developments, bringing valuable lived experience to decision-making. From September, we’ll also support members, young people and government bodies to craft regional policy and practice that benefits children and young people from low-income backgrounds.  

Our Digital Membership Tools (Member Directory and interactive Ecosystem Map) have the potential to play a crucial role in our policy work. These tools help members, funders, and policymakers target their work to where it is most needed. There is a wealth of data in these tools: the Ecosystem Map is the only place that marries up publicly available information about pupil demographics and outcomes with information about all 22,000 schools where our members are working. It shows where there is strong or weak provision related to different types of support, at a school, local authority, constituency, MAT or regional level, together with the outcomes pupils are achieving.  

We now need someone who can harness these assets to produce compelling insights and engage policymakers—from local authorities and combined authorities to central government and funders. This role will turn data into impact: creating clear, targeted reports that support decision-making, identifying gaps and opportunities, and helping us tell the story of how education can—and must—be fairer. 

What we’re asking of you

Develop a strategy to influence policy from neighbourhood to national  

You’ll lead our approach to turning insights into influence—connecting our data, member knowledge and youth voice to shape policy that improves outcomes for children and young people. That means designing a strategy that engages decision-makers at all levels, from civil servants and funders to combined authorities and Parliament. You’ll identify the right stakeholders and entry points, use our Ecosystem Map and Member Directory to generate targeted insights, and align our regional and national work for maximum impact.  

Translate data into insight—and insight into action  

You’ll be responsible for developing reports and briefings that tell powerful stories with data. Working closely with our Data Officer, you’ll design templates and processes to produce timely, high-quality outputs that are tailored to different audiences, and that enable the wider team to do so. You’ll complement our datasets with wider research and trends, and ensure our insights are used by both internal colleagues and external stakeholders to inform programmes, policy and funding decisions.  

Engage senior stakeholders and building meaningful relationships  

You’ll represent the Alliance in meetings, roundtables, and events—sharing evidence and building trusted relationships with policymakers, civil servants, and funders. You’ll understand their priorities, and tailor our insights accordingly. This is a two-way relationship: you’ll also feed what you learn, ensuring that our influencing work is responsive and grounded in both national priorities and lived experience.  

Manage projects and continuously improve our tools  

You’ll oversee the systems and processes that make our insights work possible—ensuring reporting cycles are efficient, quality is consistent, and new datasets are brought into our tools where they add value. You’ll help embed insights across the FEA team, supporting colleagues to use data from the Tools in their work and helping to identify emerging opportunities. You will evaluate the impact of your approaches and strategise for the future of the Tools and our influencing work. You’ll also work with our funders to report on the impact of the tools and shape their future development.  

Commitment to equity and systems change  

We’re looking for someone who cares deeply about improving the lives of children and young people from low-income backgrounds. You’ll understand how education intersects with wider social systems—and bring a clear-eyed view of what needs to change. While direct policy or public affairs experience is a bonus, what matters most is that you’re motivated by impact, passionate about equity, and excited by the opportunity to work collaboratively to shift the system. 

See the job description attached for a full job specification and application instructions.