Senior project manager jobs in aston, west midlands

Contract:9 - 12 month fixed term contract (maternity cover) 

Salary:£57,500 – £71,000 per annum 

Plus £3,954 London Weighting Allowance if based from our London offices. 

Location:Hybrid from our London offices, with occasional travel to Blue Cross sites as required. Remote working will also be considered. 

Closing date:Sunday 13 July 2025   

Interview dates: See below 

We’re recruiting a strategic, innovative, and commercially minded Head of Veterinary Strategy to lead the design and delivery of sustainable veterinary service models. This pivotal maternity cover role will help shape the future of affordable veterinary care at Blue Cross. 

More about the role

You’ll lead transformational projects across the veterinary directorate, collaborating with internal teams and external partners to expand the reach of our services. From scoping emerging technologies and business growth opportunities to developing flexible pricing models and influencing national strategy, you’ll play a critical part in achieving our ambition to be leaders in pragmatic and efficient veterinary services. 

You’ll develop strategic partnerships and oversee the implementation of innovative digital solutions, ensuring our services are future-ready and accessible to more people and pets. As a key member of the Veterinary Leadership team and wider Blue Cross Leadership team, you'll also nurture a healthy, high-performing culture across the organisation. 

This role offers a rare opportunity to contribute to a truly purpose-led organisation, working at the intersection of animal welfare, healthcare, and innovation. 

This is a full-time position, working 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, on a 9 to 12-month fixed-term contract to cover maternity leave. The role follows a hybrid working pattern, with a minimum of two days per week in the office and the remainder working from home. Some travel to other sites will be required. We are open to considering remote working arrangements. 

About you

You’re a strategic thinker with experience of leading large-scale service development in a veterinary or healthcare setting. You're confident working at pace and with autonomy, turning insight into action and engaging stakeholders at all levels to bring your vision to life. 

You’re commercially astute, data-led and always thinking one step ahead – driven by a passion for improving access to veterinary care and a deep belief in our mission. With proven leadership experience, you know how to build high-performing teams and implement change across complex structures while staying grounded in compassion, courage, and inclusivity – our Blue Cross values. 

Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience 

• Extensive leadership experience across diverse, multidisciplinary teams 
• Deep understanding of large-scale service delivery in a veterinary or healthcare setting 
• Experience of successfully designing and delivering strategic plans  
• Experience of leading change initiatives at scale across complex organisational structures or services  
• Experience of providing high level stakeholder management leading to growth through new business development opportunities 
• Experience of working as part of a senior leadership or strategy team 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with experience at presenting to boards, public and professional audiences  
• Experience of implementing new technologies or digital developments in service delivery settings 
• Experience with financial modelling and pricing strategies 
• The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values 

Desirable Qualifications, Skills, and Experience 

• Qualification in business or strategy management  
• Certified in programme and/or project management methodology (e.g.  MSP, PRINCE2, APMG) 
• Experience in the social sector 

How to apply

Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Sunday 13 July 2025. The interview process will consist of two stages. The first stage will be a competency-based interview held via MS Teams, scheduled between 23 and 25 July 2025. The second stage will take place in person in London on 31 July or 1 August 2025 and will include a presentation task.  

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.

The Youth Endowment Fund 

Research Lead –Local Violence Prevention

Reports to: Head of Guidance and Reporting

Salary: £55,000

Contract: 2 years fixed term 

Location: Central London, Hybrid* 

Closing date: Tuesday 15th July at 12pm

Interviews: Week commencing 28th July 2025

About the Youth Endowment Fund 

We exist to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

Last year, 244 people in England and Wales tragically died after being assaulted with a knife. Of these, 32 were children. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them. Even when violence doesn’t strike directly, we know that the fear of violence has a terrible effect on children’s lives.

At the Youth Endowment Fund, we are working to create lasting change. To succeed, we must build a world-leading body of knowledge on the violence that affects young people and how it can be stopped. This means producing rigorous, relevant evidence — through synthesis, data analysis and in-depth research into young people’s lives. But knowledge alone isn’t enough. We must make it accessible and actionable: showing what works, how services need to change, and how the systems around them must adapt. And we must partner with the people who can make change happen — across policy, practice and local systems — to turn evidence into impact.

About the role

The Research Lead will lead the development of YEF’s research, resources and recommendations in our neighbourhood focus sector.

We focus our efforts on seven essential sectors: education, policing, youth justice, youth sector, children’s services, health, and neighbourhood. “Neighbourhood” refers to our work supporting local partnerships – such as Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), community safety partnerships or the new Prevention Partnerships - and hyper-local approaches like our neighbourhood fund. 

Their primary responsibility will be to develop a series of actionable and evidence-informed guidance and resources for use by local violence prevention partnerships. This will include self-assessment tools for partnerships to assess their effectiveness, tools for understanding the nature of local violence problems and how they could be solved, and resources to support partnerships to identify and safeguard vulnerable children. Creating these resources will require the Research Lead to collect insights and evidence from across YEF’s work and develop YEF positions on fundamental questions about violence prevention. If successful, the Research Lead could have an outsized impact on YEF’s strategy and mission.  

These resources will support YEF colleagues to deliver our new ‘Area Leaders Programme’ (ALP). This is a new programme which you will help form. It helps local multi-agency partnerships to find and implement the best ways to prevent violence. YEF is working directly with partnerships, providing high-quality professional development, tailored advice and support, system mapping, and a national community of practice. The ALP focuses on strengthening five key elements of effective violence reduction:

1. Building strong and accountable partnerships
2. Understanding local patterns of violence
3. Identifying and supporting children most at risk
4. Improving safety in high-risk places
5. Sharing best practice across agencies

Following a pilot in four areas in 2024/25, the programme will expand to 20 more areas over the next two years. This will lay the groundwork for wider national initiatives, such as the Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, and support implementation of the Serious Violence Duty. The Research Lead will develop resources and guidance for the ALP. As the programme is delivered iteratively, they will work closely with YEF programme leads and local partnerships to test, refine, and improve materials before wider rollout.

The Research Lead will be part of YEF’s Research team. The Research team is at the heart of our efforts to learn what works and put it into practice. We do this by developing the YEF’s funding strategy and creating free, highly accessible research summaries and actionable recommendations for policy makers, commissioners and practitioners. We’re a high-performing team which values intellectual rigour and getting to the truth, compassion for children, ambition about what we can achieve and humility about what we know. We love to discuss the latest developments in research methods, but we’re not just interested in research for its own sake. We want research to lead to actual changes in outcomes for children.

Key responsibilities

The Research Lead will develop a portfolio of impactful projects.

· You’ll lead the research team’s work in our local neighbourhoods and partnerships priority sector. You’ll become the YEF’s expert in this area. You’ll make sure we understand the key issues, stay on top of the latest research and are connected to the right people.

· You’ll ensure we produce accessible, evidence-based resources and guidance that local partnerships can use to develop more effective strategies. You’ll work with YEF colleagues to test, refine, and improve materials before wider rollout

· You’ll set the YEF’s research agenda for your sector. You’ll make sure we invest in research that fills important gaps in knowledge and leads to important changes. You’ll ensure that our strategy and decision-making are informed by the best available research. This is a great opportunity to influence large amounts of funding and direct it towards the most impactful projects.

· You’ll develop great relationships with experts and represent YEF in external meetings and events. You’ll promote evidence-based policy and practice by speaking at conferences and events.

· You’ll lead the development of evidence-based recommendations in your focus area. You’ll draw on research and expert insight to identify potential changes to policy and practice. You’ll design and develop innovative and impactful resources which support the application of your recommendations.

· You’ll take on other responsibilities appropriate to your role. This could include leading the publication of YEF’s evaluation reports or writing ad hoc briefings and evidence summaries for the Government and other partners.

About You

You are this sort of person:

· You want to play a significant part in reducing the level of violence affecting young people. You care about having an impact. This might mean you’ve worked directly with young people at risk of becoming involved in crime, for organisations that fund or deliver relevant programmes, or have conducted research on this topic.

· You share our belief that an evidence-based approach is our best hope of preventing violence. You’re fascinated by research, but you’re not just interested in research for its own sake. You want to achieve actual changes in outcomes for children.

· You know a lot about violence prevention, especially local partnerships and structures like VRUs or Community Safety Partnerships. You know the key ideas and debates, recent policy developments and key people. You’re comfortable talking about this topic with experts.  There are many ways to acquire this knowledge. You might have worked in a local authority or local violence prevention organisation, conducted research on them or learnt about them during a degree.

· You’re a confident reader of research and have strong critical appraisal skills. You know when research can be trusted and when it can’t and can confidently articulate your views on the strength of research. You might have gained this expertise through your academic studies, research or professional experience.

· You have at least three years’ experience working in a role that required you to think about research. This could include a range of roles in policy, academia, funding or practice.

· You write in a way that people easily understand. You have that rare skill of writing in plain English. You have experience of translating complex research findings into plain writing that everyone can understand.

· You have excellent project and time management skills. You can work independently, quickly and to a high standard. You have experience of managing contractors or budgets.

· You are good with people. You’re comfortable working with a wide range of people, including senior academics and other research experts, children and their families, practitioners and policy makers. You’re able to provide constructive challenges when required.

· You learn fast but remain humble. You like learning. You’re very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know and that you can always learn more.

· You work well in a team. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You support your colleagues to produce excellent work.

· You’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. You believe and act in a way that celebrates and encourages a range of experiences, views and values.

While it’s not a criterion, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of youth violence. 

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background. 

Hybrid Working Details  

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.

As part of our commitment to flexible working, we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

To Apply 

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter, and complete the monitoring form click on "Apply for this" button by 12:00pm Tuesday 15th July 2025. 

When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter, within a maximum of 1000 words, covers the following questions below:

1. A clear example of a situation where you have translated research into actionable resources or recommendations.

2. A clear example of a situation where you’ve supported an external partner or colleague to apply research evidence to an important decision.

Interview Process 

Interviews will take place in the week commencing the 28th July 2025. 

There will be a task to prepare for in advance. 

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. 

Benefits Include 

• £1,000 professional development budget annually 

• 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

• Four half days for volunteering activities

• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support • Volunteering days - 4 half days per year

• Death in service - 4 times annual salary

• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm

• Financial support including travel and hardship loans

• Employer contributed pension of 5% 

Personal Data   

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.   

The Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) is the national charity for people affected by cleft lip and palate in the United Kingdom. 

We are looking for a Digital Communications Coordinator to cover maternity leave and to support our busy Communications team.

The Digital Communications Coordinator is a key role within CLAPA, responsible for implementing our digital communications strategy to engage and inspire the UK cleft community. This role moves beyond content creation to take ownership of CLAPA’s digital communications across social and email platforms, ensuring online communications are strategic and data-driven. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, this role supports the planning, delivery, and monitoring of campaigns that inform, support, and connect the cleft community in the UK. 

This is a hands-on role suited to someone with a good understanding of digital communications and a passion for community engagement. The Coordinator will manage day-to-day digital content, respond to online enquiries, and support internal teams with their communications needs. They will also play an important part in maintaining CLAPA’s brand and voice across all channels, ensuring our communications are accessible, on-brand, and effective. 

NB - We reserve the right to close applications early if we receive a high volume of strong candidates.