Senior programme manager jobs in Leeds, west yorkshire

This is a brilliant time to join our Research and Impact team. We are at the start of a new strategy which has learning and development at its heart. We have embedded a strong monitoring, evaluation and learning culture within the organisation and have a highly evolved theory of change. We have a learning plan for the year ahead and a 5-year vision for where we want our learning culture to get to in the next strategy period. Our work is central to BookTrust’s ambition to deepen our impact for children and families, and build our profile, public affairs and income generation work in support of our overall mission.

We are looking for someone committed to and excited by the potential for research and insight to strengthen our impact for children and families, with a specific focus on our work with primary and secondary schools.

The role will suit a mixed methods researcher, with experience of data led problem solving – i.e. analysing and presenting data from a range of sources to develop and test hypotheses, generate insights and help others apply these to shape and inform decisions or drive change. It requires excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, and a keen eye for detail. The role requires someone who is happy to work collaboratively and flexibly in a changing environment, potentially changing focus and approaches in line with evolving organisational priorities. It requires high levels of organisation and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.

This is an early career position, but we are looking for candidates with one or two years’ relevant experience outside academia.

Please apply through our Career’s portal with your CV and a covering letter showing how you meet the person specification and your motivations for applying for the role. Your covering letter should not be longer than two sides.

Please also answer this question in your cover letter:

BookTrust sees good data, and good use of data as key to delivering our strategy. In your application, please tell us: what are some of the principles of good use of data that BookTrust should incorporate into our work? (Even if you use AI for a little help, please focus your answer on the principles that you personally feel are most important.)

Please also attach one or two examples of written outputs (reports, blogs etc) you have produced and also specify if you are applying to be based from our Leeds of London office.

Employer: Community Rail Network 

Salary: £43k-£51.5k pa, full time 

Location: Home based / flexible or Huddersfield 

We are seeking a dynamic director of policy and communications, to lead and develop our increasingly impactful external affairs activity. You’ll be sharing community insights and evidence with policy and decision-makers at national and devolved level, supporting a shift towards more inclusive and sustainable transport and mobility, while overseeing high-quality, inspiring member communications and thought-leadership, drawing on grassroots experiences.  
  

About us 

Community Rail Network is a national not-for-profit organisation supporting a growing ‘community rail’ movement, which helps communities get the most from their railways, promotes sustainable and inclusive travel, coordinates volunteering and place-making, and brings people together.

Community rail is made up of 76 community-based partnership organisations, and c.1,300 station friends volunteer groups and other community-led initiatives around Britain. Their activities range from creative projects for young people, to advising train operators on service improvements, to building travel confidence among marginalised groups, to biodiversity projects at stations, to promoting greener tourism by rail.

Our enthusiastic team of 24 works from home in different locations, but we come together regularly in person and online. We work collaboratively to support our members, provide training, events and resources, run campaigns, and champion community rail and its insights. We believe in developing our team and helping everyone reach their potential while having a good work-life balance.

About this role 

This role is crucial for us, our members and their communities, especially at the current time, with our need to seize on the opportunities of rail reform and devolution, promote wider use of sustainable transport, and bring communities together. You will spearhead our external affairs strategy and plans, building political relationships, influencing decision-making and raising awareness of community rail and its insights, while ensuring effective communications with our members and helping them to have a voice locally and regionally. You’ll be striving to put community rail at the forefront of a shift towards more inclusive and sustainable mobility.

As a member of our senior leadership team, reporting to and working closely with our chief executive, you will manage a passionate team of four, ensuring collaboration with our other teams, partners and funders, and drawing on members’ insights.

 
Main responsibilities 

• Lead the review, development and delivery of our communications, policy and insights strategy, working to position the community rail movement effectively, use its insights to influence policy change, and ensure our members are well-informed and have a voice; 

• Further strengthen our advisory and influencing work with national, devolved and regional government, transport bodies, parliamentarians and other decision-makers, especially around rail reform, transport devolution and integrated, inclusive, sustainable transport; 

• Ensure we’re engaging effectively with policy developments and opportunities, taking forward a programme of relationship-building, and identifying and engaging in relevant consultations, events and speaking opportunities, enabling community rail’s insights and experiences to be shared; 

• Collaborate with partners in rail, government and the third sector to feed in our expertise on community engagement with rail, amplify our campaigns, and build opportunities for joined-up communications and policy work;

• Continually develop and disseminate our evidence base and insights on the social, environmental and economic value community rail delivers, and opportunities to create greater benefits for communities from rail and transport; 

• Oversee high-quality, coherent and inspiring communications with our members and partners, promoting our work, and sharing news, opportunities, and good practice across the movement; 

• Manage production of high-quality resources, case studies and reports that our members can use to enhance their impact and which showcase community rail’s impact; 

• Lead and develop our media relations and awareness-raising PR, championing community rail and its messages on sustainable, inclusive travel and communities at national and regional level, while supporting members on local PR; 

• Develop our online presence and reach, making full use of our website, social media, our Scenic Rail Britain campaign, and partners’ channels to celebrate and position community rail and grow its reach and impact; 

• Oversee a calendar of creative and impactful campaigns that involve and empower our members, creating PR and engagement opportunities, including Community Rail Week;

• Play a key role in collective leadership, strategic focus and organisational development as a member of our senior leadership team, including through internal communications and cross-team working, annual planning, funder liaison and reporting, upholding our strategies and policies, and pursuing opportunities for continuous improvement. 

 
Skills and competencies 

1. Strong leadership and management skills, including experience managing, developing and drawing on a multi-faceted team delivering complex campaigns or projects, and budget management; 
2. Excellent communication and external leadership skills; articulate, assertive, and with the ability to work diplomatically and persuasively with stakeholders at all levels; 
3. An understanding of public affairs, ideally in relation to community development, sustainability and/or transport, and a demonstrable ability to identify influencing opportunities, deliver thought-leadership, and engage with policy-makers, including sharing community insights; 
4. Politically astute, with awareness of and commitment to social inclusion, social justice and sustainability, and a good grasp of the importance of public transport sustainable travel, and community-led action, to these agendas; 
5. Understanding of political processes and experience of engaging with policy and decision-making, ideally at national, devolved and local levels; 
6. Sound knowledge of communication and marketing methods and channels, and ability to oversee messaging and targeting of public and professional audiences, and to align content across multiple channels; 
7. A demonstrable ability to think analytically and draw on statistical and qualitative research to construct robust, evidence-based arguments; 
8. Experience of working with the media and achieving coverage at national, regional and local level; 
9. Experience working collaboratively with partners and ideally funders to deliver communications and policy activity and forming professional networks; 
10. Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while dealing with competing priorities, and to support team members to do so; 
11. IT literate with a good working knowledge of Office, the internet and social media; 
12. Appropriate qualifications and professional development demonstrating knowledge and skills in line with the above, and a commitment to ongoing learning and development.

Other information

As you will be home-based, we are flexible about your location. However, you will be expected to travel to in-person full team meetings quarterly (usually in West Yorkshire), and you will need to bring your team together (currently all West Yorkshire based) with similar regularity in between. Attendance at in-person events and meetings is also important. We therefore welcome applications from those with decent public transport links, not too far from a railway station, to enable journeys to be made sustainably.   

This is a full-time position, 37 hours per week. We use a flexi-time system with core hours 10am-3pm, and are committed to being a flexible, supportive and understanding employer. This is a permanent position with a probationary period of six months.   

Community Rail Network is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and Black, Asian and other minoritised groups, who meet with the skills and competencies for this role. We will provide reasonable adjustments for interviews as required.  

Your role

We are seeking a Digital Communication & Events Coordinator to support Design for Good’s programmes and initiatives. You will bring energy, ownership, and initiative to strengthen existing work and deliver new activities, working closely with our Communications & PR lead, programme staff, and senior management to execute our digital communications and events strategy.

The working environment is informal, multilingual, team-oriented, and encourages individual input, learning, and an entrepreneurial mindset. You will have the opportunity to showcase our international scope, activate a global network, and support the delivery of impact-driven programmes to improve life through design. This role reports to the Managing Director of Design for Good.

Key requirements

• 3+ years’ experience in Business, Communications, Marketing, Design, or a related field, with a strong interest in digital communications and events.

• Excellent written and spoken English; additional languages a plus.

• Highly organised, detail-oriented, able to structure, prioritise, and meet deadlines consistently.

• Comfortable working independently in a remote, international team.

• Able to manage multiple priorities and support planning and coordination of digital and in-person events.

• Creative and confident using design skills for social content, presentations, and basic animations (a strong plus).

• Proactive, with strong ownership, follow-through, and a practical “can-do” mindset.

• Curious and people-oriented, motivated to build and nurture relationships across partners, volunteers, and collaborators.

• Passion for social and environmental impact; non-profit experience is a plus.

Key responsibilities

Digital Communications & Social Media

• Support development and execution of social media strategies to expand reach and impact.

• Schedule, publish, and manage content across social and email channels.

• Create social media assets (graphics, animations, reels, videos).

• Monitor, analyse, and report monthly on performance.

• Ensure consistency across all digital communication channels.

• Support creation of the Annual Review, including content coordination and internal reviews.

• Develop and adapt presentations for partners, funders, events, and internal use.

• Prepare briefings and communication materials for stakeholders and events.

Website Development & Maintenance

• Manage website content via CMS (Squarespace experience a plus).

• Gather, create, and post relevant content.

• Analyse and report key platform metrics monthly.

Online and In-person Events

• Support planning and delivery of webinars, Q&A sessions, and other online events.

• Moderate live chats and Q&A sessions, including Slack and Teams.

• Upload and manage event recordings on YouTube.

• Assist coordination of in-person events, including the annual global gathering and CDO roundtables.

Preferred skills and qualifications

• Ability to translate complex topics into clear, engaging content.

• Experience supporting events beyond logistics, including participant engagement and follow-up.

• Interest in ethical, person-first, inclusive storytelling across cultures and regions.

• Confidence experimenting with new digital formats (carousels, short videos, interactive presentations).

• Experience working with volunteers, pro bono partners, or multi-stakeholder collaborations.

• Exposure to or experience in international culture, creativity, or sustainability initiatives.

• Comfortable using engagement metrics to improve communications.

• Proactive, accountable, and able to follow through on commitments.

• Ensure all communications reflect Design for Good’s tone, values, and visual identity.

Role Purpose:

The Clinical Director will provide strategic clinical leadership to the Restraint Reduction Network, ensuring that all initiatives, standards, and practices align with evidence-based approaches, human rights principles, and the goal of reducing restrictive practices across education health and social care settings. This role will champion best practice, influence policy, and support the implementation of RRN Training Standards nationally and internationally.

This role will also include delivering training, audits, working on projects that reflect areas of expertise and supporting organisations to restrictive practices through six core strategies.

Role Summary

· To be the clinical lead for RRN including leading our work supporting providers to improve via the six core strategies.

· To provide clinical leadership for the RRN  Partners Programme through acting as lead RRN consultant and delivering programmes.

· Working with the Director of Organisational and Workforce development to ensure programmes are effective and contemporary and evolves as practice evolves and improves with feedback

· Providing collaborative leadership of RRN in leading a restraint reduction movement across the British Isles and leading our RRN members community.

· Work with members of RRN Senior leadership team and board of trustees to ensure RRN is both sustainable and impactful in line with charities purpose

· Support RRN manager and associates to develop a range of resources ensuring that all RRN resources are:

o evidence based (linking with academics and universities)

o co-produced (with people with lived experience of restraint)

o protects human rights (linking with human rights organisations)

· Support and contribute to the continuous improvement of the RRN training standards and RRN Practice Leadership Diploma

· Act as an ambassador and spokesperson for the RRN, ensuring positive relationships with key stakeholders including charities, civil servants, professionals, academics and people with lived experience

· Ensure RRN develops its reputation as leaders in restraint reduction nationally and internationally and ensure internal culture reflects trauma informed practice we promote

· Work collaboratively with CEO to ensure clear strategy and internal culture reflects trauma informed practice we promote

· Ensure all resources and work undertaken by RRN reflect best practice in co-production with people with lived experience of restraint

· Supporting RRN associates with lived experience with clear expectations of their role and putting in person centred processes to minimise the impact of trauma through the direct work they do  for RRN and the interaction with the organisation.

· Contribute to the development of a Community of Practice

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the clinical vision for restraint reduction across education, health and social care, ensuring alignment with RRN’s mission and values.
• Provide clinical leadership in ensuring all RRN activities are trauma informed and people with lived experience are provided with support then need to minimise risk of retraumatising.

Policy & Standards

• Ensure RRN Training Standards and resources are co-produced, remain current, evidence-based, and compliant with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to national and international policy development on restraint reduction and restrictive practices.

Quality & Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including audits, research, and evaluation of restraint reduction strategies.
• Monitor and report on clinical outcomes and impact measures related to restraint reduction.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with NHS Trusts, social care providers, special schools, regulators, and self-advocacy groups.
• Promote co-production with people with lived experience of restraint and their families.

Education & Workforce Development

• Support the development and delivery of RRN Diploma
• Provide clinical leadership for webinars, conferences, and professional development initiatives.

Research & Evidence

• Collaborate with academic partners to advance research on restraint reduction and disseminate findings.
• Ensure all RRN resources are evidenced based reflecting best practice from both research and people with lived experience.

Build something new. Shape the future. Make a real impact.

The Infection Prevention Society (IPS) is a leading professional charity for infection prevention and control in the UK and Ireland. With 2,100 members across health and care professions, we exist to advance education in infection prevention for the benefit of the community. And we're at a pivotal moment.

We've built the foundations – modern infrastructure, professional team working alongside our volunteer leadership, strong governance – and now we're ready to scale our impact. We need someone to help us unlock new opportunities and expand what we can offer our members and the communities they serve. That's where you come in.

As our first Commercial Director, you'll have the autonomy to establish commercial capability from the ground up. You'll build partnerships with health and care organisations, create revenue streams that strengthen our mission including leading the development of training courses that reach new audiences: supporting our members to prevent infections and save lives.

This is a unique opportunity to combine commercial expertise with charitable purpose. You'll have the freedom to develop innovative strategies, build partnerships that matter, and create revenue streams that strengthen our capacity to serve our members and prevent infections. The role offers flexibility (four days per week, home-based) and genuine autonomy to shape your approach.

What You'll Do

• Build corporate partnerships: Build relationships and partnerships with businesses that have an interest in infection prevention
• Enhance events revenue: Enhance and develop sponsorship opportunities across our annual conference, events, and webinar programmes
• Explore new opportunities: Identify emerging revenue streams from consultancy, publications, and membership growth into new professional sectors
• Shape training course development: Scope and develop infection prevention courses that generate income whilst advancing our educational mission

Who We're Looking For

You're an experienced commercial professional with a proven track record of generating revenue through partnerships, training programmes, or business development. You might come from membership organisations, professional bodies, charities, education or healthcare settings, or from B2B commercial roles with clear transferable skills.

You have the entrepreneurial confidence to build something new, the strategic thinking to identify opportunities, and the relationship skills to turn those opportunities into sustainable partnerships. You're equally comfortable developing pricing models and financial projections as you are crafting compelling partnership proposals.

Most importantly, you understand that commercial success and charitable purpose aren't opposing forces – they're complementary. You want your commercial expertise to strengthen a charity's capacity to serve its members and achieve its mission.

What We Offer

• Build something new: Establish new commercial capability in a respected healthcare organisation
• Autonomy and influence: Freedom to develop your own strategies with CEO mentorship and Board support
• Meaningful work: Direct contribution to preventing infections and protecting public health
• Senior leadership role: Strategic responsibility and genuine influence on organisational direction
• Flexibility: Four days per week (£42,400 per annum / £53,000 FTE), home-based with regular UK travel
• Growth potential: 12-month fixed-term contract with potential for extension or permanent conversion

Why Now?

As a charity, IPS exists to advance education in infection prevention for the benefit of the community. We're at an exciting stage of development, having evolved from a volunteer-led organisation to a professional operation with dedicated staff working alongside our expert volunteer leadership. We've modernised our infrastructure, enhanced our conference programme, and strengthened governance. The foundations are in place.

Now we need dedicated commercial expertise to unlock our full potential and accelerate our growth. This role will genuinely shape the future of the charity – the partnerships you build, the courses you develop, and the strategies you implement will determine our capacity to expand our reach and deepen our impact over the coming years.

Key Details

• Role: Commercial Director
• Contract: 12-month fixed-term (potential for extension/permanent conversion)
• Hours: Four days per week (0.8 FTE)
• Salary: £42,400 per annum (£53,000 FTE)
• Location: Home-based with regular UK travel

How to Apply

Download the full recruitment pack for detailed role responsibilities and person specification.

To apply, please submit your your CV (maximum 3 pages) and covering letter (maximum 2 pages). Applications close 10pm on Sunday 11th January 2026.

Your covering letter should address:

• Your relevant experience in commercial/business development
• Your track record of revenue generation with specific examples
• Why you're interested in this role and IPS
• How your skills match the person specification

CEO

We are seeking an experienced and motivated leader to guide a purposeful organisation through its next chapter.

Location: Fully remote within the UK with occasional national travel
Salary: £55,000 to £65,000
Contract: Full time, permanent
Benefits: Pension, generous annual leave, Christmas closure, family leave and sickness policies available on request
Closing date: Monday 9th February

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for a new CEO! Can you uphold the thoughtful shaping and delivery of an impactful charity? Do you have senior experience in a purpose-led organisation with financial and business skills you can bring? Then you might be the right person to guide this team.

This is a great opportunity to make a life-changing difference to people living with disability!

If this is something you are passionate about, then a CEO role is a great way to use your professional experience to be a nationwide change-maker.

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

Whether it’s mobility, daily living, or hobbies and sports, the charity creates solutions that change lives. At the heart of their work is designing and building custom made equipment, tailored to each person’s unique needs.

Volunteers bring together creativity, technical skills, and problem-solving expertise, including metalwork, carpentry, electronics, computer programming, and 3D printing, to deliver solutions that can’t be found anywhere else.

IF YOU JOIN THE TEAM…

You’ll have the rare chance to take the helm of a charity with a powerful social mission and build on their proud 60-year history, stewarding them into a new era of growth. A vibrant, passionate community of innovators and problem solvers will be right there with you.

You’ll join the vision for the charity to be a place where people of all ethnicities and backgrounds feel welcomed to work, volunteer or seek help. The organisation encourages flexible working and a culture that prioritises people, wellbeing, and collaboration.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We are searching for a CEO who can help ensure REMAP remains resilient, relevant, and well-prepared to respond to emerging pressures and opportunities.

We are particularly seeking someone:

• Who will strengthen financial sustainability and income generation
• Has a proven track record of senior responsibility
• Energise and support a nationwide volunteer community – strengthening relationships between central staff and locally rooted branches

You do not need to meet every requirement to be considered. If you can demonstrate the experience, passion, and capability to lead with purpose, we encourage you to apply.

WHAT’S NEXT

If you are excited by this opportunity and ready to bring energy and expertise to a mission-driven organisation, we would love to hear from you.

Other roles you may have experience of could include: Chief Executive, Executive Director, Managing Director, Head of Operations, Director of Services, Director of Strategy, Director of Programmes, Operations Director, Charity Director, Social Impact Director, Senior Leader, Development Director, Leadership Consultant, Transformation Lead, Governance and Strategy Lead  #INDNFP

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

To move social entrepreneurs from the margins to the mainstream will require us to amplify the voices, stories and impact of our social entrepreneurs, working with them in an equitable and inclusive way. It will require us to deepen our work around impact, be open to the learning opportunities failure creates and seek out opportunities to share insights in new and powerful ways to influence stakeholders to make the changes needed for social entrepreneurs to flourish. 

As a Researcher at UnLtd, you will be responsible for a range of research and evaluation activities on key programmes and projects. You will work across the project lifecycle, developing new work, as well as collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to produce insights and reports that inform and influence internal and external stakeholders.  

Alongside this, you will contribute to developing a culture of learning, ensuring that insights and evidence generated by our research and evaluation activity feed back into the organisation, allowing UnLtd to iterate our work and be an impact-driven, agile, learning organisation. This is an independent role within a dynamic delivery organisation, so we are looking for an implementation researcher to help elevate our research to the next level.

Who we’re looking for 

We’re looking for an exceptional Director of Fundraising and Communication who will lead our fundraising and communications with vision and purpose, helping us grow our reach, deepen our impact and amplify our voice. You’ll be joining a people-centred, mission-driven team, united by a shared commitment to making a meaningful difference. At a time when vulnerable young people face increasing challenges, our work has never been more urgent. If you’re motivated by impact and driven by purpose, this is a good opportunity to contribute to lasting change. 

You will be stepping into a well-established and highly effective organisation, but one that remains energised by innovation and continuous improvement. We actively welcome fresh thinking and new approaches that help us evolve and enhance our work. 

What will you do? 

This is a pivotal moment to join JET as we build on fourteen years of impact and enter a new chapter in our journey. We have ambitious plans to expand our reach and influence, and we’re seeking someone who can help us strengthen our funding base and sharpen our message. 

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will lead and develop our fundraising team, shaping a cross-stream strategy and an integrated communications plan. You’ll be responsible for setting the strategic direction for fundraising, communications and events across the organisation. By doing so you will raise JET’s national profile, grow our supporter base and significantly increase income to support programme expansion. 

You’ll bring strong experience across multiple fundraising streams, with a proven track record of securing significant multi-year funding and building lasting relationships with funders—both individuals and organisations. Alongside leading our fundraising efforts, you’ll take ownership of our brand, ensuring clarity and consistency in our messaging, helping partners tell our story, and securing positive media coverage. 

You’ll lead the development of campaigns, fundraising and marketing activities, and digital engagement that not only enhance our national profile but also drive supporter engagement and income growth.

This is a home-based role, with travel required to and within the regions where we operate, including attendance at key events. 

About you 

You will provide strategic leadership across fundraising, communications, marketing and events. Your work will be closely aligned with JET’s five-year strategy, enabling continued growth in funding and programme delivery. 

You’ll bring a wealth of experience in leading fundraising and communications at a strategic level, with a strong understanding of the sector and a track record of securing and sustaining major gifts and partnerships. You’ll be adept at managing integrated campaigns across multiple channels and growing income through sustainable funding models. 

Your leadership style will be collaborative and empowering, with the ability to build high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability and innovation. You’ll be a confident communicator, able to inspire and influence, with excellent relationship-building skills and a strategic mindset. 

Above all, you’ll be passionate about JET’s mission to empower young people facing adversity. You’ll be a credible ambassador, committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and driven by the desire to make a meaningful difference. 

Across the JET team we cultivate a culture of inclusion that respects individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe that our differences enable us to be a better team – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation, and delivers better outcomes for our young people. We welcome applicants whatever your background and whatever your stage in life, so if you are returning to the workforce after a period away, or even seeking a change of pace, please get in touch.  

About the Jon Egging Trust (JET)

At JET, we support vulnerable young people to get back on track and realise their potential; more than 45,000 young people right across the UK to date, and there’s so much more we can do. We’re an organisation that really values its people and we’re immensely proud that our team culture is based on caring and raising each other up.

Our benefits package includes:

• Flexible working

• Enhanced annual leave

• Homeworking allowance 

• Occupational pension scheme

• Occupational sickness scheme

• Special paid leave provision

• Enhanced family leave 

Download the Candidate Information Pack

Read our Applicant Privacy Notice 

Child and adult at risk protection policy statement 

The Jon Egging Trust is committed to providing a safe and positive environment for everyone involved in its services and activities. The Trust takes its extended moral and legal duty of care very seriously in relation to children, young people, staff and volunteers. We seek to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children and to protect them from harm or abuse when they engage in any of our activities. JET expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective employees or volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. 

To apply

Please complete our online application form. 

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. The advert will close on Friday 16 January 2026 at [23:30] but may close earlier if a suitable candidate is found, so we encourage early applications. 

Provisional Interview Process

Stage 1 

• First interview: Online interview 

Stage 2 

• Online Workshop and fireside chat 

• Face-to-face interview with presentation in London

Questions?

Contact us through our website.

Please note:

Due to our anonymised recruitment process, if your application is not shortlisted, we are unable to provide personalised feedback.

To become an employee at JET, you must be able to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK and a satisfactory DBS check – enhanced with children's barred is required for this role.

As part of our recruitment process, we want to make clear that we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this position. 

Please note that the interview process outlined above is provisional and may be subject to change. 

Role Description

The purpose of the Executive Assistant role is to provide administrative, organisational and coordination support to the Executive Team, ensuring their time and attention are aligned with organisational priorities, goals, and objectives. The role covers executive coordination, governance administration and project support.  The Executive Assistant enables effective decision making across the Leadership Team, supports the smooth delivery of priorities, and contributes to the execution of long-term strategic goals.

The Executive Team comprises the Chief Executive, Operations Director and Business Development Director.  They work together as part of the Leadership Team, comprising key leaders from across the charity.

Excellent attention to detail is crucial, as is the ability to operate with discretion and flexibility. A high standard of written and verbal communication is essential. The role requires collaboration across Finance, HR, Trustees, and external stakeholders, and an understanding of effective charity governance would be desirable.

This role requires a high level of emotional intelligence, sound judgement, and the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation. Success in this role depends on a proactive mindset, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to remain calm and resourceful under pressure. The Executive Assistant must be highly dependable, detail-oriented, and capable of managing sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

Responsibilities

Executive Coordination

• Manage calendars, inboxes, travel and meeting preparation for Executive Team
• Coordinate agendas and logistics for internal and external meetings
• Liaise with stakeholders, clients and partners to ensure smooth engagement

Governance Support

• Own the established governance timetable, board meeting scheduling, and trustee communications
• Draft and distribute board packs, take minutes, and track actions
• Support governance processes in collaboration with the Operations Director
• Support trustee onboarding, training, and engagement
• Ensure timely completion of Charity Commission and Companies House submissions
• Leverage AI tools and platforms to enhance business processes

Strategic communications

• Communicate with external stakeholders on behalf of the Executive Team
• Coordinate staff events and meetings
• Work with marketing and communities & projects teams for conferences and external events

Project support

• Support ongoing transformation projects in collaboration with Head of Business Functions
• Support recruitment and onboarding for senior roles led by the Head of Business Operations
• Support strategic planning and performance tracking led by the Operations Director and Business Development Director
• Support handover and re-onboarding of Executive Assistant on her return April 2027

Role Requirements

Required:

• Minimum of four years’ experience in a similar role.
• Experience supporting senior leaders in a fast paced and changing environment, taking initiative and managing competing deadlines calmly and flexibly.
• Confident communicating with the executive and leadership team, trustees and external partners in a professional and timely way.
• Able to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and good judgment.
• Confident coordinating meetings, preparing papers and taking accurate minutes.
• Ability to research, digest, analyse and present material clearly and concisely.
• Ability to identify and apply AI-driven tools to enhance business activities and using AI to streamline workflows and personalise business engagement.
• Comfortable stepping into an established role quickly and maintaining continuity during the maternity leave period.

Desirable:

• Experience in charity governance
• Experience in project support/management

Employees are also expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties that are consistent with the grade, responsibilities, and typical scope of the role. Any additional tasks should remain appropriate to the nature of the post and not extend into unrelated functions or specialisms.

All employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s values and behavioural standards, which include being supportive, transparent, respectful, kind, honest, and collaborative. This means fostering a culture of empathy, openness, integrity, and teamwork in all interactions, and contributing positively to the organisation’s mission and strategic objectives.

We are committed to flexible working and are open to requests for different working patterns. This includes part time arrangements and four day working week requests, which we will always consider as part of the recruitment process.

To apply for this role, please share your CV with a one-page cover letter setting out why this role appeals to you and how your skills and experiences meet the key skills points in the job description.

Interviews expected to take place on week commencing the 2nd of February 2026.

Director of Fundraising and Development (Maternity cover)

Reporting to: CEO as part of the Senior Leadership team
Direct reports: Head of Business Development, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Head of Individual Giving and Engagement, Head of Major Giving, Department Coordinator Location of work: Remote/ Home based with travel to London and occasional UK travel.
Contract Length: 18 months Maternity Cover
Contract Type: Proposed full-time, 35 hours per week; 28 hours per week or 35 hours compressed may be considered. The role may require occasional evening and weekend work.

Salary: £80,000 - £85,000

BACKGROUND
Magic Breakfast’s mission is to end child morning hunger in the UK now and for good. The latest research suggests that the number of children and young people at risk of hunger has rocketed to 2.7 million, meaning that one in five children don’t have enough to eat. When a child is too hungry to learn, they struggle to concentrate, absorb information, and manage big emotions, causing them to fall behind in their studies.
Magic Breakfast provides a nutritious and filling breakfast to over 300,000 children and young people every school day. We work with schools in areas of high disadvantage, helping staff target the children most in need without barrier or stigma. We are now at an exciting point in our journey as we launch Nourishing Futures, our long-term strategy, which capitalises on market changes and government commitments to scale our work, while redefining breakfast spaces not just as places to eat, but as places to thrive.

JOB PURPOSE
The Director of Fundraising and Development (Maternity Cover) will provide strategic leadership and direction across all fundraising and income-generating activities, ensuring the charity continues to deliver against its financial objectives and accelerates long-term, sustainable growth across our philanthropic, public, and commercial income streams.
You will bring strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills to equip, support, and empower the team through a period of organisational change. You will help the team optimise and make the most of the new organisational strategy, embedding strategic focus, effective decision-making, and collaborative leadership practices across the fundraising leadership group.

You will use your commercial acumen and fundraising expertise to identify opportunities and support the team to recognise, shape, and pursue them confidently and effectively, enabling them to take ownership and drive progress across all income streams. A key part of the role will be ensuring that new commercial and public sector income streams are recognised, understood, and capitalised on across the organisation, working closely with the newly established Head of Business Development to embed this focus and enable them to succeed in driving this work forward.
Working closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will play a crucial role in maintaining momentum, ensuring continuity, and supporting the organisation to deliver the new strategy and business plan, helping to realise opportunities, navigate challenges, and ensure long-term sustainability during this maternity cover period.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Driving income growth: establishing high-performing income pipelines across all income streams, with a strong multi-year focus, supported by robust data, reporting, and pipeline management.
• Integrating and accelerating public sector and commercial income streams: Ensuring newly integrated income areas are understood, valued and operational across the organisation.
• Embedding and executing a unified, co-owned fundraising and development strategy: Partnering with the CEO, SLT and Board to embed strategic focus, ensure integration, and alignment with organisational goals.
• Strengthening leadership, culture and team performance: Providing coaching-based leadership, direction, support and empowerment, helping the team thrive and achieve ambitious income targets across philanthropic, public sector and commercial streams.
• Advance cross-organisational impact, insight and influence: ensuring fundraising and development is tightly integrated with organisational strategy, marketing/engagement, service delivery and external influencing.

For more information on the role or to apply please contact:

Katie Booth | peridot partners| email and phone number can be found on the website link 

Simon Callaghan | peridot partners | email and phone number can be found on the website link 

Timetable

Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 12th January 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: By 5 p.m. Tuesday 13th January 2026
First stage interviews: Friday 16th January 2026 (Online)
Second stage interviews: Tuesday 20th January 2026 (In person, London)

Philanthropy Lead

CAP celebrates the value of diversity and our aim is for our workforce to be as inclusive as possible as well as representing the communities we serve. With this in mind, we welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from black and ethnic minority backgrounds. We are committed to continue building an environment that embraces diversity and includes all.

Context

We are building a church-based movement against poverty, delivering the right messages at the right times to inspire action and support. Our goal is to strengthen the CAP supporter and church movement as we roll out our 2026 messaging: Poverty stops with us.

As a directorate, we call people to action. We invite members of the movement to:

• Get help

  • Access the help they need when they are facing or vulnerable to financial crisis.

• Give financially

  • Have abundant lives which generously share with others.

• Partner with us

  • Be actively involved in the end to UK poverty as a partner, coach, volunteer or client.

• Advocate for those in poverty

  • Belong to a shared vision that advocates for those most in need: a local and national movement.

• Prayerful discipleship

  • Become followers of Jesus, living a life of discipleship where we pray for those in need.

We are driven to raise the necessary funds and partnerships needed to achieve CAP's vision of transformed lives, thriving churches, and an end to UK poverty. We collaborate with other fundraising and communications teams to provide a fantastic and rewarding supporter experience.

Purpose

The Philanthropy Leads, reporting to the Head of Philanthropy, are responsible for inspiring new prospective, cultivating and stewarding high-value donors into greater involvement with Christians Against Poverty. They aim to draw supporters closer to the work we do, deepening their relationship and support of CAP. Income from CAP’s major donors is vital for the future expansion of CAP in the UK.

Each Philanthropy Lead may be allocated one or more area of Philanthropy engagement in order to specialise in, but will be expected to support in any area as required. Such areas include:

• Principle gifts

• Philanthropy prospecting and development

• Trusts and Foundations

Along with seeking direct support for the organisation Christians Against Poverty, there is also an expectation for the postholders to support the raising of funds for the wider movement, particularly for local Church frontline partners.

They themselves will be an experienced and confident relationship builder, communicator and fundraiser, cultivating relationships with high-value donors and partners to achieve ambitious targets.

Passion

Our supporters are more than donors, they are a crucial part of the work we do. We are passionate about ensuring our supporters feel connected, engaged, inspired and committed to tackling poverty in the UK through CAP. We want to give our supporters the best experience of Christians Against Poverty.

Role

Accountabilities:

Strategic Implementation & Fundraising

• Implementation of a strategic plan to significantly increase major donor income.

• Implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy for major donor income, aligned with CAP's overall strategic priorities.

• Execution of market research and competitor analysis to identify new funding opportunities and best practice in Philanthropic fundraising.

• Build strong relationships with key internal stakeholders, in order to identify points of engagement  and draft appropriate funding bids.

• Represent CAP at high-level events and conferences to build relationships with potential donors and partners.

Major Donor Development

• Manage a designated caseload of high-net-worth individuals or trusts, cultivating deep and meaningful relationships.

• Conduct face-to-face meetings, personalised communications, and bespoke stewardship plans to cultivate and steward major donors.

• Develop compelling restricted funding projects to attract major donor investment.

• Implement a donor recognition program to acknowledge and celebrate major donor support.

Philanthropy Team Membership

• A member of the Philanthropy Team of our Mission and Movement Directorate.

• Providing peer support and development with other members of the Philanthropy Team, fostering a high-performing and collaborative environment.

• Work with the Head of Philanthropy to set ambitious targets and KPIs for the postholder, ensuring they are aligned with overall fundraising goals.

• Ensure the timely submission of funding applications and effective stewardship of grant and donor relationships.

• Implement robust systems and processes for donor relationship management, data analysis, and performance tracking.

Impact & Reporting

• Ensure that the CRM is updated with engagements, proposal submissions and engagement plans in a timely fashion.

• Develop compelling narratives and impact reports that effectively communicate the impact of major donor support.

• Track and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of fundraising efforts and identify areas for improvement.

• Provide regular updates on fundraising progress to the Head of Philanthropy.

Innovation & Best Practices

• Stay abreast of current trends and best practices in major donor fundraising.

• Implement innovative fundraising strategies, such as engaging new philanthropists, digital engagement, corporate engagement and high-impact events.

• Evaluate philanthropy activities with the rest of the team and the Fundraising Insight & Innovation team to develop a deeper understanding of supporters and identify new prospects, making data-informed decisions.

• Champion a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the Philanthropy Team.

• Create opportunities for supporters to engage at a senior level and deepen their relationship with CAP, working with the CEO and other senior staff.

Communications & Campaign Management:

• Plan philanthropy initiatives that in order to produce excellent bids, proposals, events, and reports, delivered on time and within budget.

• Coordinate with the Brand and Digital Engagement teams to align messaging and campaigns.

• Ensure philanthropy plans align with brand guidelines and fundraising regulations.

Measurable Outputs:

• Implementation of an annual philanthropy plan that contributes to the wider long-term fundraising strategy.

• Deliver assigned agreed annual income targets for philanthropy which may include:

  • Major Donor income

  • Trusts & foundations income

  • Corporate income

• Deliver key philanthropy targets including:

  • Number of major donor prospects engaged and converted to a managed relationship

  • % of major donor caseload met

  • Number of trusts applied to

  • Average gift size from major donors

Culture:

• Clearly live out and embrace the cultural values of CAP.

• Clearly demonstrate a heart and passion for the charity.

• Sincere acceptance, understanding and practice of the Christian ethos and purpose of the charity.

Other responsibilities include:
Being willing to pray with staff and fully engaged with our Christ-centred culture.

• Encouraging friends, family and other contacts to support the charity through the Life Changer program, and other fundraising initiatives.

• Attendance at CAP staff conferences.

• Completing all compulsory CAP training within given timescales.

• This role falls within the scope of the FCA’s conduct rules, and you will be provided with training as to how these apply to the role.  It is your responsibility to ensure that you follow these conduct rules.

The above job profile is a guide to the work you may be required to undertake but does not form part of your contract of employment. It may change from time to time to reflect changing circumstances.

Person

Education:

Essential:

• HND level or equivalent experience of critical thinking

Desirable:

• A relevant qualification in fundraising/marketing or equivalent in a relevant discipline (communications, sales).

Experience:

Essential:

• Proven track record of success in securing significant major gifts (5-6 figures) from high-net-worth individuals.

• Minimum 3 years of experience in high-value fundraising.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with high-net-worth individuals.

• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.

• Strong strategic planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Strong understanding of fundraising best practices and regulatory requirements.

Desirable:

• Experience of managing budgets for projects and campaigns.

• Knowledge of fundraising databases and CRM systems and Salesforce in particular.

Skills/ Abilities:

• A proven fundraiser who can inspire, influence and deliver results

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills, particularly in securing philanthropic support and building partnerships

• Excellent interpersonal skills to build strong and collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders

• Excellent and passionate written and verbal communication skills

• Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities

• Strong financial literacy, including experience managing budgets, tracking performance and forecasting income

• Able to analyse complex situations, identify challenges, and make sound, data-driven decisions

• A high level of emotional intelligence

Christian Commitment:

• The candidate must be able to give both verbal assent to and practical demonstration of Christians Against Poverty’s Statement of Faith and Core Values.

• Must be able to actively participate in prayer and worship, whether individual, small group or corporately, as an expression of their own personal faith and in line with CAP’s Statement of Faith.

All adults working in or on behalf of CAP have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults. This includes: 

• A responsibility to ensure a safe environment in which CAP services can be delivered. 

• Identifying children and adults where there may be safeguarding concerns.

• Following the CAP Safeguarding policy in addressing any concerns appropriately.

Digital and Communications Delivery Lead 

We are partnered with a fantastic charity who are seeking a dedicated and experienced Digital and Communications Delivery Lead to manage the digital and communications elements of its largest corporate partnership. This role is critical to helping the partnership raise a significant target their service user. 

Key responsibilities

• Programme managing both the digital delivery and communications aspects of the charity’s largest corporate partnership.
• Matrix managing relevant colleagues across different teams to achieve shared goals.
• Maintaining a critical relationship with the corporate partner at an operational level and reporting with confidence to their senior management/leadership.
• Providing direct delivery of relevant national and regional media activity and social media engagement aimed at adult audiences.
• Directly delivering relevant communications targeted at the corporate partner’s members, partners, and wider adult audiences.
• Oversight of organic and paid social media content and delivery.
• Oversight of the production of content for younger audiences.
• Ensuring the voices and experiences of children and young people are central to all work produced.
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships both internally and with the corporate partner to deliver agreed objectives.
• Regularly reporting progress against agreed plans and KPIs to senior colleagues both internally and externally.

Person Specifications

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate equivalent professional expertise gained in a digital, PR, social media, or a related discipline.

• Demonstrable experience holding a relationship with a corporate partner on behalf of a charity.
• Proven experience of matrix and programme management, successfully delivering shared goals by working across multiple teams.
• Demonstrable experience working in media, including generating positive coverage and holding relationships with journalists.
• Demonstrable experience in digital content production and communications, including liaising with external agencies.
• Experience in co-producing content with children and young people, coupled with an understanding of safeguarding.
• Proven ability to work effectively within a complex organisation and closely with senior leadership in a large organisation.
• Possesses excellent written, oral, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts to varied audiences.
• Comfortable working in fast-changing environments and capable of adapting plans as needed.
• Must be able to attend meetings in central London at least once a month, with occasional travel to other UK locations.

What’s on Offer:

• An 18 months FTC 
• A January start date 
• Flexible working, 1 day a month in London
• c. £45,000

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit your CV demonstrating your suitability for this role by clicking the “apply now” button.

The process: If your experience aligns with what we're looking for, a member of our team will be in contact to discuss the role with you in more detail before presenting your profile to the client. We will also ensure that all applicants receive an email to inform them of the outcome of their application.
To avoid any potential delays or your application being missed, please apply solely via the 'Apply Now' button.

Commitment to Diversity:

The Talent Set and our partner organisation are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, age, or gender. We actively encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds and are always happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair recruitment process.

Summary

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-orientated UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips grassroots voluntary educators (named ‘Catalysts’) to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of a world in which communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 400 local voluntary community educators and actors – named ‘Catalysts’ – who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. 

Our Ghana-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for Catalysts which are increasingly facilitated by the EduSpots app: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead EduKidz (early years education), DigLit (digital literacy), EcoSTEM (STEM and environmental education) and Ignite Equity (gender equity) clubs for learners typically aged 3-16, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 learners of all ages annually. 

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last two years, with a recent independent evaluation by Expectation State offering further evidence in support of our model’s outcomes. We have been recently selected for two accelerator programmes, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model. In the period, we are aiming to double our network reach, bringing an additional 50 Spots into the network.

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the 2023 Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in the UNESCO-backed $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. 

About this role 

The Global Head of Operations is a new role being introduced in 2026 with the core purpose of strengthening systems, processes and strategic delivery across both EduSpots Global and EduSpots Ghana, offering hands-on support to the CEO and wider staff across a range of areas.

In this senior role, you will work closely alongside the CEO, offering her the advice and skills needed to move EduSpots successfully through a complex period of growth in a challenging fundraising context, enabling more learners and Catalysts to participate in a unique community-led model of education, whilst sharing our practice more widely.

We are looking for an organised and empathetic strategic leader, ideally with strong or developing skills across project management, finance, HR and MEL skills and an ability to work independently in a fast moving work environment.

This role has the potential to grow into a Director of Global Operations or Deputy CEO role in time for outstanding candidates, and carries significant organisation-wide responsibility.

Candidates should hold a genuine passion for educational equity, a strong belief in the power of community-led models to transform lives at scale and a high level of flexibility in a fast-changing yet friendly and playful work environment.

Whilst this role is remote, and open to all global candidates, you will need to have understanding and experience of UK law, accounting and policy development, or a strong appetite to build experience in this area quickly.

Main duties and responsibilities 

Systems

• Work with the CEO and staff to proactively strengthen systems and processes across the organisation, including monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks and operations. 
• Support the wider team with IT, including general skill development, leading the Google Space system. 
• Monitor compliance to organisational policies and lead the quarterly review of the organisational risk register, working with the Ghana Head of Operations. 

Finance 

• Work with the Finance and Admin Officer to produce monthly and quarterly global management accounts, cash flow analysis and to complete the annual audit. 
• Lead the financial planning of the organisation, working with the CEO and the Ghana Head of Operations to create the annual budget. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to strengthen financial systems, processes, and training across the organisation. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to prepare budgets for funding bids as needed.
• Work with the grants team to track grant spending and produce consolidated financial reports (including expenditure from the UK and Ghana) for donors. 
• Ensure EduSpots’ new accounting software (QuickBooks) is fully embedded and utilised.
• Oversee bank account management, including payments, checking bank statements, and reviewing bank reconciliations for UK and Ghana.
• Ensure staff payroll (likely to be outsourced) and payments to freelancers / consultants are done accurately and in a timely manner.

HR

• Work alongside the CEO, Head of Operations, Safeguarding and Inclusion Managers  and wider staff to develop strategies to sustain and strengthen a high performing and friendly work culture. 
• Work across the team to strengthen HR and performance management structures, informed by best practice and legal frameworks. 
• Lead the recruitment of staff, consultants and volunteers in the UK (advertising roles, drafting contracts, contacting referees and completing all filing and administration relating to recruitment).
• Onboard new staff, provide training on policies and procedures, and track key information (leave, appraisals, etc) for UK staff. 
• Regularly review and keep the Staff Handbook up to date.
• Depending on skill-set, work with the CEO to lead professional development for staff across the organisation, liaising with trustees and advisory group members.

Administration & Governance

• Manage and maintain databases and our Google Drive system. 
• Ensure compliance with GDPR and adherence to our child safeguarding and protection policy. 
• Maintain insurance renewals, tracking and filing.
• Review and keep up to date all organisational policies in line with current legislation, working with the Trustees and Directors. 
• Assist the CEO in the administration relating to EduSpots’ governance, including board meeting arrangements and minute taking.
• Support the CEO in all ad-hoc tasks that arise, working closely alongside her to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. 

Strategic insight 

• Work closely with the CEO and staff/Catalysts across the organisation to ensure all EduSpots’ decision-making is strategic and in the best interests of the Catalysts, Sparks and Communities we partner with. 

Other areas 

• Depending on experience, you may in time take on management responsibilities for some staff, but this role is principally a systems strengthening and quality improvement role, working closely with the CEO to offer advice and additional capacity. 
• Depending on experience, you may support with grants writing / management and/or community fundraising. Experience of fundraising would be of significant benefit to the organisation in this key leadership role. 

Personal Specification 

Essential 

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience of operations in a small/medium charity context. 
• Self-starter with the ability to hit the ground running and work with minimal supervision with high levels of flexibility.
• Self-motivated, with an ability to motivate and energise others.
• High level strategic understanding, critical thinking and the ability to strengthen systems in a fast-paced high performance environment.
• Excellent communication, both oral and written.
• The ability to thrive and adapt in a fast-paced, creative and impact-driven culture. 
• Strong administrative skills with a high level of attention to detail. 
• Experience in creating user-friendly tools and processes to support project and quality management.
• Experience using Google Suite, with strong Excel skills.
• Tech savvy – ability to learn new tech tools efficiently.
• Experience coordinating others. 
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills with strong empathy and cultural sensitivity 
• Strong personal alignment with the mission, vision and values of EduSpots. 

Highly desirable 

• Experience supporting charity Boards, and working with external bodies including auditors, tax authorities, and other official bodies is highly desirable.
• Experience complying and strong familiarity with UK charity regulations and requirements.
• Experience preparing budgets and financial reports for donors/grants. 
• Experience of working in a cross-cultural team.
• Experience of working with an international charity would be advantageous. 

Please send a tailored covering letter and CV addressed to the CEO Miss Cat Davison by Wednesday 31st December with a hope to meet shortlisted candidates for a first-round interview in the week starting Monday 12th January. 

This is an exceptional opportunity to join Belong’s Senior Leadership Team as Director of Policy & Research, a role that sits at the heart of our mission to shape national conversations on cohesion and integration. You will lead Belong’s policy development, research strategy, and national partnerships, ensuring our work is grounded in robust evidence and lived experience. This position offers the chance to influence systemic change, amplify Belong’s voice with policymakers and opinion formers, and ensure our insights drive real-world impact.

As Director of Policy & Research, you will:

• Lead the development of Belong’s policy and research agenda, aligning it with organisational strategy and national priorities.
• Produce high-quality policy outputs, including reports, briefings, consultation responses, and thought leadership pieces.
• Oversee the design and delivery of research projects, including commissioning and partnership work, ensuring rigor and inclusivity.
• Translate research findings into actionable policy recommendations and advocacy strategies.
• Foster strong collaboration between the Policy & Research team and Programme Delivery team, ensuring insights inform both policy and practice.
• Build and maintain relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, journalists, and opinion formers.
• Represent Belong externally at high-level meetings, events, and in the media, amplifying our impact and reach.
• Develop strategic messaging and narratives that position Belong as a thought leader in social cohesion.
• Support campaigns and public engagement initiatives that promote Belong’s policy goals.
• Contribute to organisational development, strategic planning, and income generation through proposal development and funder engagement.
• Line manage policy and research staff, providing leadership, support, and professional development.

This is a senior leadership role for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and wants to drive systemic change at scale.

About You
We are seeking a strategic and insightful leader with:

• Proven experience in policy development and research leadership.
• Experience working in or with government, think tanks, or advocacy organisations.
• Strong understanding of social policy and influencing processes.
• Knowledge of cohesion, integration, and community relations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including media engagement and public speaking.
• Ability to translate complex research into accessible policy messages.
• Familiarity with participatory and applied research methods.
• Strong strategic thinking and planning abilities.
• Relevant qualification in public policy, social research, or a related field.
• Experience managing teams and budgets, and supporting income generation through fundraising and proposal development.

Personal Qualities

• Passionate about improving cohesion and integration in the UK.
• Strategic and visionary thinker.
• Collaborative and inclusive leader.
• Politically astute and intellectually curious.
• Practical, focused, and reliable.
• Committed to personal and professional development.

Why Join Us?
At Belong, you’ll be part of a dynamic, values-driven team united by a shared commitment to creating a more inclusive and connected society. We offer:

• 30 days’ annual leave
• Hybrid working (typically 3 days in the office)
• Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly policies
• 3% pension contribution
• Opportunities for professional development and growth

Join us and help shape national policy and research that builds stronger, kinder, and more connected communities across the UK.

Salary: £65,000–£70,000
Location: UK-wide (regular travel across England and Wales)
Contract: Permanent, Full-time

About Belong
Belong – The Cohesion and Integration Network is the UK’s leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to building a more united and less divided society. Established in 2019, we work across sectors to strengthen trust, belonging, and resilience in communities. Through research, policy influence, and place-based programmes, we connect people, places, and organisations to share learning and drive systemic change. Our growing membership spans local authorities, charities, civil society, and businesses. Belong is collaborative, evidence-led, and committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Our office is based in Manchester and we offer hybrid working for those able to travel there. However, this role is open UK-wide and can be worked remotely, with regular travel across England and Wales required.