Senior research advisor jobs in Belfast

Policy and Public Affairs Manager (England)

Reporting to: Head of Policy and Public Affairs

Line Management: 1 Policy and Public Affairs Officer England

Location of work: Remote but role holder will ideally be London-based to be able to frequently commute for meetings/ events at Westminster. The role may involve also some infrequent travel across the UK.

Contract type: Full-time, 35 hours per week, although flexible/ compressed hours will be considered. The role will require occasional evening and weekend work.

Contract Length: Permanent

Salary: £42,000

BACKGROUND

Magic Breakfast is the UK’s leading school breakfast charity and makes a difference to over 350,000 children and young people every day by offering breakfasts and expert advice to tackle child morning hunger in schools across England and Scotland.

This is an exciting time for Magic Breakfast as the benefits of school breakfast provision are increasingly recognised by policymakers, educators and the public. The Policy and Public Affairs (PPA) Team is central to this work. And through our new organisational strategy, Nourishing Futures, the work of the PPA Team is growing to meet our advocacy ambition to expand school breakfast provision and deliver our vision which would see every child in the UK nourished, empowered and thriving.

JOB PURPOSE

The role of the Policy and Public Affairs Manager is a high-impact role, central to designing and delivering Magic Breakfast’s national policy and public affairs strategy in England. The role holder will lead the development of evidence-based policy positions and work collaboratively to drive forward strategic, integrated and impactful advocacy campaigns to successfully influence decision-makers, policy change, and funding frameworks aligned with our key objectives. Specifically, you will also lead the design and implementation of our new workstream to expand school breakfast provision to secondary schools and early years settings, alongside our work to ensure the effective implementation of the Free Breakfast Club Programme.

More broadly, you will keep abreast of political developments relevant to Magic Breakfast - proactively identifying opportunities to respond, influence and shape the debate across the school food system and provide strategic, analytical and timely advice to the Senior Leadership Team.

Using your excellent communication skills, you will be able to translate complex policy into tailored and effective communications, policy briefings, positions and submissions, and will play a lead role in confidently engaging external stakeholders including UK Government Ministers, Parliamentarians, special advisers, officials and sector partners.

We are looking for someone who enjoys collaboration, who shares our passion for driving systematic change, and who can use their experience to navigate, respond to, and influence the fast-moving political environment to deliver lasting and meaningful change. You’ll be part of a collaborative and ambitious organisation, working at the intersection of policy, practice and impact – putting children and young people at the heart of everything we do and helping to ensure every child starts their day nourished, empowered and ready to thrive.

KEY RESPONSOBILITIES

• Lead the policy development process in consultation with cross-organisational teams and external organisations to develop clear, evidence-based policy recommendations and positions.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with UK Government Ministers, Parliamentarians, Special Advisers, officials and sector organisations, including conducting stakeholder mapping and power analysis to identify key routes to influence.

• Design, lead and implement integrated advocacy campaigns to deliver maximum impact in collaboration with cross-organisational teams.

• Work closely with colleagues to share expertise and intelligence, inform and shape research areas, support campaign activities aligned with advocacy objectives, and respond proactively to live developments across the organisation.

• Line manage and support the development of the Public Affairs Officer.

• Strong ability to translate complex policy into clear, persuasive communications tailored to specific audiences to deliver maximum impact.

Please read the full job description attached below. 

WHAT WE OFFER

At Magic Breakfast we value our employees and work hard to develop offer a supportive, respectful culture which enables everyone to thrive.

Please see our job pack below

Please see our website

APPLICATION PROCCESS

Should you wish to discuss the role before applying please email our People and Culture Team, HR @ magicbreakfast .com

Shortlisting: w/c 25th and 26th May

Interview 1: w/c 1st and 2nd June

Interview 2: w/c 8th and 11th June

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately, once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.

The role

 We are seeking an experienced Manager of Philanthropic Giving with a strong track record in securing major gifts. The ideal candidate will excel at building trusted, long-term relationships with donors and feel confident leading conversations that result in significant philanthropic support. This role will also contribute to the development and delivery of a trusts and foundations strategy, helping to grow and strengthen our portfolio.

Working closely with the CEO, senior leadership and trustees, you will develop compelling funding propositions, steward donors and funders through excellent reporting and engagement, and represent myaware at meetings, events and networking opportunities. You will also maintain accurate records through our CRM system, track performance against targets, and contribute to income planning and reporting. This is a strategic and hands-on role with real impact for people affected by myasthenia.

The Manager of Philanthropic Giving will be predominantly home based within the UK (with occasional working and meetings at Derby HQ) and will work in co-operation with the fundraising team and all myaware colleagues to deliver agreed fundraising targets and campaigns. Own transport is essential for this role as occasional travel throughout the UK will be required to attend donor meetings, events and networking opportunities, as well as the ability to travel to the Derby office. There may be the need to occasionally work during weekends and evenings and therefore there is a need to work flexibly when required.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for an experienced and motivated fundraising professional with a strong track record in major donor fundraising along with experience in Trusts and Foundations fundraising. You will have experience in personal communication in asking for high level funds, and experience of stewarding high net worth individuals to maintain high levels of engagement over a significant period. You will have experience of Trusts and Foundations fundraising including pipeline management and stewardship, writing compelling funding applications and impact reports.

You will be a strategic thinker with excellent interpersonal, research and organisational skills, confident managing a complex pipeline and working collaboratively across teams. You will be comfortable working independently, using CRM systems, and engaging senior stakeholders, including trustees and high-level donors. Most importantly, you will share myaware’s values, demonstrate empathy with our cause, and be committed to making a meaningful difference through philanthropy.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.

Who are we?

Myaware is the only charity in the UK dedicated solely to the care and support of people affected by myasthenia. 

We are working hard to raise awareness of myasthenia, as it is a little-known condition. We provide support for people with myasthenia and their families, whilst offering advice and tips for living with the condition. 

We also fund the research that brings us closer to finding a cure as well as funding specialists nurses and advisors. 

Members of myaware have full access to a wide range of support services and events including our specialist benefits and welfare advisor. 

Myaware supports people with myasthenia and their families.  We campaign for better medical services for people with myasthenia and work to inform medical professionals. 

The myasthenias are a group of neuromuscular conditions. They are rare but also manageable and can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or nationality. Myasthenia gravis, ocular myasthenia and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome are autoimmune conditions whereas congenital myasthenic syndrome is caused by an inherited genetic fault. It is thought that there are approximately 20,000 people currently living with myasthenia in the UK. 

Benefits

• Generous holiday allowance
• Perkbox account (global benefits and rewards platform)
• Group Life Assurance after 6 months of service 
• NEST workplace pension scheme
• Free inhouse staff benefits and welfare advice 
• Investment in your personal and professional development
• Annual salary review

Application instructions

Candidates should submit their CV and tailored covering letter by: 11:30pm on Monday 25th May 2026.

Provisional interview date will be week commencing: 01.06.2026

Interviews will be held over Microsoft Teams.

Applications submitted without a tailored cover letter will not be considered.

This post, due to its nature, duties and responsibilities, will be subject to an enhanced check by the DBS. This is funded by Myaware.

This organisation supports anonymous recruitment. That means hiding your personal identifying information, removing bias from the hiring process.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.

About Degrees

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of the Global South to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM) geoengineering, a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that the Global South should be empowered to conduct its own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. The initiative has been working in different forms for fifteen years, and our work receives worldwide coverage and widespread acclaim. 

We seek a Fundraising / Development Manager to manage relationships with our existing funders and to help bring in new donors and partners to diversify our funding base. This position offers a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to increase the capacity of a field-leading charity, help empower the Global South, and contribute to one of the world’s most important climate-change debates. If you are an ambitious, relationship-driven fundraising leader with an interest in climate policy, science or global development, this is an opportunity to step into a role with purpose, international influence, and real impact.  

The charity is rapidly scaling up, recently doubling its annual budget to £6 million. Degrees has partnered with leading climate change funders and research partners including the Quadrature Climate Foundation, Open Philanthropy, Crankstart, Navigation Fund, Outlier Projects, LAD Climate Fund and UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). Transparency of funding is essential to our work. We do not accept support from anonymous donors or funding from the fossil fuel industry.

Role

We now seek a full-time team member to build on this base. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and working closely with the Founder & CEO and the Chair of the Trustees, the Fundraising / Development Manager will support and coordinate fundraising efforts aimed at securing multi‑year, diversified funding. He / she will also introduce robust processes for pipeline management and donor stewardship, and will support and coordinate the complete donor lifecycle (from identification to cultivation to solicitation and stewardship) of a portfolio of top prospects. The post holder will receive initial onboarding support from the Senior Philanthropy Advisor. As fundraising grows, the team may expand in the future.

Initial priorities include expansion beyond the current donor pool, with a strong push to engage new funders, and putting in place the systems (CRM, reporting cadence, key performance indicators) to support growth at scale.

As this is a new role, responsibilities are expected to evolve but some key items will include: 

Strategy & planning

• Work with the CEO, COO, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, the Chair of the Trustees, and other senior staff to support the development and implementation of a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organisational objectives; 

Pipeline development & new opportunities 

• Maintain and coordinate the fundraising pipeline, supporting the fundraising activities of senior staff and the Chair; 

• Support the identification and development of new funding opportunities from trusts and foundations, government funders, and multilateral donors in the development and climate sectors on an ongoing basis; 

• Reach out to networks of climate philanthropy advisors for referrals; 

• Manage contact with funding opportunities; 

Grant writing 

• Draft and coordinate the preparation and submission of grant proposals; 

Donor stewardship & reporting 

• Maintain excellent relations with existing funders by keeping them informed on charity and sector updates, inviting them to events, and ensuring the delivery of annual reports and notices; 

• Ensure and manage ongoing reporting; 

Events & engagement 

• Working with the Events Manager, help design and deliver fundraising events for existing and potential funders, particularly in the UK and US; 

• Manage invitation lists, track attendance and ensure bespoke follow-up to attendees; 

• Assist in the design of events that will inspire and engage funders while involving Southern experts in the Degrees research community; 

• Coordinate all fundraising outreach and related programming for the Degrees Global Forum (a conference to be held in 2027); 

Processes, systems & administration 

• Support the development and implementation of structured processes across the entire fundraising and donor lifecycle; 

• Develop and track KPIs, providing regular reports to senior staff and the Trustees; 

• Be responsible for fundraising data, contacts and administrative records. 

Qualifications 

Essential 

• At least ten years’ experience in fundraising or transferrable relevant experience;

• Track record of helping secure six- and seven-figure grants income from foundations, major individual donors, and/or public agencies; 

• Strong organisational and project management skills; 

• Experience and comfort with Microsoft 365, fundraising CRMs and other common software tools; 

• Experience organising events; 

• Ability to write clearly and communicate effectively in English with a keen attention to detail; 

• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills, including an ability to work with people of all levels and backgrounds; 

• Experience creating and maintaining fundraising processes; 

• Ability to adapt and remain comfortable in a dynamic, remote start-up environment in a small organisation; 

• Ability to travel internationally; 

• Legal right to work in the UK. 

Desired

• Experience successfully fundraising from climate donors; 

• Experience with a strong network of international funders; 

• Experience building and scaling a fundraising effort; 

• Experience supervising staff (as we expect the team to grow in future); 

• Tech savvy and eager to work with new software solutions; 

• Knowledge of climate science, policy and SRM. 

Benefits of working at Degrees 

• You will join a growing and dynamic charity operating at the intersection of climate change and global development.

• You will have the opportunity to contribute to a potentially high-impact issue by helping shape global conversations on climate science, empowering researchers in the Global South, and collaborating with some of the world’s leading SRM experts.

• The role is fully remote, allowing you to live anywhere within the United Kingdom. The charity has no central office and offers each employee up to £250 per month (including VAT) to cover co-working space costs. The team meets face-to-face at quarterly ‘awaydays’ in the UK, which are organised and paid for by the charity.

• Degrees provides an 8% employer pension contribution with no required employee contribution, which is generous by the standards of the UK third sector.

• The role includes opportunities for international travel.

• You will receive 36 days of annual leave per year, including UK public holidays.

• Personal development budget of £1,000 per year.

A senior role that sits at the heart of our mission, turning empty and underused buildings into safe, dignified places to live through our Empty Spaces to Homes programme.

 Habitat for Humanity Great Britain (Habitat GB) is part of the global Habitat for Humanity Federation fighting global poverty and homelessness. We believe that a decent home helps to permanently break the cycle of poverty and allows families to achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance.

Job Purpose

The Head of Construction (Feasibility & Delivery) is a leadership and technical role responsible for the end-to-end development, delivery and stewardship of Habitat GB’s construction and property portfolio.

Key responsibilities include strategic planning and technical leadership for core aspects of Habitat GB’s domestic programme, such as the construction project pipeline associated with our Empty Spaces to Homes (ES2H) programme. The postholder will lead the feasibility, design, costing, procurement and delivery of demonstration construction projects, primarily the conversion of empty commercial and retail buildings into high-quality, affordable homes, while also ensuring the safe, compliant operation and maintenance of HFHGB-owned, leased and operated properties, including ReStore sites.

The Head of Construction (Feasibility & Delivery) is also responsible for the people management of staff, contractors and consultants and (where relevant) volunteers. Key areas of risk management that sit within the portfolio of this role include project and site health & safety, compliance and asset maintenance.

This role is central to translating Habitat GB’s mission and strategy into high-quality, buildable, scalable projects that maximise social impact.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities

Construction & Programme Delivery

• Lead the planning, design and delivery of Habitat GB’s demonstration construction projects within the ES2H programme.

• Contribute technical leadership to programme strategy, performance monitoring, evaluation and learning.

• Work collaboratively with other ES2H workstreams (Advocacy, Research, Scalability) to ensure projects inform and support wider systems change.

• Provide expert construction input into organisational decision-making, risk management, and strategy implementation.

Building Pipeline Development & Feasibility

• Lead the identification, assessment and prioritisation of potential conversion opportunities across Great Britain.
• Conduct frequent site visits to assess empty or underutilised commercial buildings.
• Undertake and/or oversee:
  • Building diagnostics and technical surveys
  • Early identification of structural, asbestos, planning, fire and compliance risks
  • Location-based risk profiling (logistics, supply chains, neighbourhood constraints)
• Act as the organisation’s technical authority on building viability and conversion risk.

Design, Specification & Cost Leadership

• Develop initial design concepts, spatial layouts and performance specifications that balance cost‑efficiency, compliance, buildability and the dignity of residents.
• Ensure all designs meet relevant statutory and organisational requirements, including:
  • UK Building Regulations
  • Fire safety and CDM 2015
  • Sustainability and environmental standards
• Provide client side cost leadership and quantity surveying oversight across projects, including:
  • Preparing feasibility cost models, early stage estimates and robust construction budgets
  • Assessing and benchmarking contractor quotations and negotiating best value outcomes aligned with charitable objectives
  • Maintaining effective cost control and financial visibility throughout delivery
• Lead the appointment and management of architects, planning consultants and specialist technical advisors as required.

Construction Delivery, Contractor & Site Management

• Identify, appoint and manage contractors, subcontractors and consultants on a project-by-project basis.
• Ensure projects are delivered: safely; to specification; on time and within approved budgets
• Combine on-site leadership with remote project management, using digital tools, dashboards and reporting systems.
• Maintain a national overview of live and pipeline projects, providing the Executive Team with clear, real-time updates on milestones, risks, spend and cashflow, and delivery confidence.

Health, Safety & Risk Management

• Be responsible for Health & Safety across Habitat GB’s construction and property portfolio.
• Ensure full compliance with relevant legislation, including CDM 2015.
• Oversee:
  • Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS)
  • Training and inductions
  • Incident reporting and corrective actions
• Ensure a strong safety culture across construction sites and property sites, working closely with the Site & Property Maintenance Officer to delivery their responsibilities successfully and safely.
• Work with colleagues to ensure appropriate insurances are in place.

Financial Management & Reporting

· Own construction and maintenance budgets, ensuring strong financial control and value for money.

· Lead procurement processes for works, materials, and equipment.

· Work closely with Finance to ensure accurate forecasting, cost tracking, and timely payment of invoices.

· Maintain robust project management tools, trackers, schedules, and cost sheets.

· Provide regular input into organisational performance reporting, risk registers, and assurance processes.

People Leadership & Culture

· Line-manage and support direct reports, setting clear objectives, and providing regular supervision and development.

· Lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing, values-driven team and contractor network.

· Ensure good practice management of consultants, contractors and volunteers.

· Role model Habitat GB’s values, including commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and safeguarding.

Person profile:

· Extensive experience in UK construction project management, particularly refurbishment and conversion projects, with responsibility spanning early feasibility through to delivery.

· Strong technical understanding of:

• UK Building Regulations and fire safety requirements

• Permitted Development rights and planning constraints

• Health & Safety management, including CDM 2015

· Strong client‑side commercial judgement, with proven ability to develop feasibility cost models, set and manage construction budgets, and maintain effective cost control across projects.

· Demonstrated experience appointing and managing contractors, consultants and procurement processes to deliver best‑value outcomes.

· Strong leadership and people management experience, including the ability to lead teams, contractors and consultants with credibility and clarity.

· Relevant construction or built‑environment qualification, or equivalent senior professional experience (e.g. MCIOB, MRICS or similar).

· Valid CSCS card.

· Recognised Health & Safety qualification (e.g. IOSH or SMSTS).

· Full UK driving licence.

Skills and competencies:

· Technically confident and commercially astute, with the ability to exercise sound professional judgement and make high-quality decisions in complex or ambiguous situations.

· Comfortable operating across strategic leadership and hands-on problem solving, particularly within refurbishment and conversion projects.

· Highly organised, with the ability to prioritise effectively across multiple concurrent workstreams, sites and geographies.

· Confident and collaborative communicator, able to work productively with internal teams, partners, volunteers, contractors and external stakeholders.

· Willing and able to travel extensively across Great Britain in support of project development and delivery.

To apply for the role, please send us your CV and a supporting statement (max two sides of A4) telling us about the skills and experience you would bring to the role and your motivation for applying, using the link on our website. Closing date is Monday 25th May 2026.