Senior researcher jobs in belfast

IPSEA is the leading charity in the field of special educational needs and disability (SEND) law in England, and we provide free and independent legal advice and support to families of children and young people with SEND. We also provide training on the SEND legal framework, and we influence policy at both a local and national level.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Trusts and Philanthropy Officer to join our small, ambitious fundraising team. IPSEA has a proven track record of successfully securing grants, and this is a new role designed to help strengthen and grow IPSEA’s income from charitable Trusts and Foundations. You will be responsible for researching new funding opportunities, preparing and submitting tailored applications and reports, and managing relationships with existing funders through thoughtful and timely stewardship. You will also support the early development of strategies in major gifts and wider philanthropy. 

This role is an opportunity to play a key role in our future fundraising strategy and help secure long-term financial sustainability for our services. 

You will work remotely, with occasional travel required for essential meetings approximately 4-5 times per year. 

If you share our commitment to protecting, promoting and upholding the rights of children and young people with SEND and would like to use your fundraising skills at IPSEA, we would love to hear from you. 

To apply

• Download our ‘Trusts and Philanthropy Officer Recruitment Pack’
• Visit our website to download an application form
• Submit your completed application form via our website

Please note that we do not accept CVs as applications.

Closing date for applications: 9am on Monday 12 May 2025 
First-round interviews: 21 or 22 May in central Birmingham

We’re looking for a self-directed and talented technologist who is passionate about tech for good and how AI can support civil society organisations to achieve their missions.

• 4 days per week
• £52,000 salary FTE
• Remote location
• 1 year fixed term with possibility to extend

We are also recruiting for a Head of Design for AI, and we expect these roles to work closely together alongside our wider CAST team and partners.

Application deadline - Tuesday 6th May 12pm

About CAST

CAST helps people use digital for social good. We're on a mission to create a more responsive, resilient and digitally-enabled social sector by supporting nonprofits to embed digital and design across their services, strategy and governance and working with sector leaders, funders and government to make this happen.

CAST is a ten-year old charity made up of incredibly dedicated designers, technologists, activists and entrepreneurs. Collectively we have deep experience and a great reputation across charity and civil society, design, digital and innovation. 

The past decade has proven how vital digital is to charities, and with it, how important CAST’s work and mission is.

About the role

One of the core areas of CAST’s work is building the capacity of the social sector to respond to the rapid scale advances in AI. The evidence from the Charity Digital Skills Report; Joseph Rowntree's Grassroots and Nonprofits research and our own AI survey shows that charities are unlikely to benefit from - or respond to the challenges of - AI without intentional support and capacity building. To support charities’ (critical) adoption of AI we need to invest in supporting sector-experiments that create demonstrable impact (acting as showcases), working alongside the peer groups, charities and working groups to help move conversations into practical action.

To achieve that, we are looking to recruit a Head of Technical AI Experiments to focus on driving forward this work in a number of different ways:

• Providing direct support to organisations and specific technical advice;
• Building a range of experiments and tools alongside the sector;
• Supporting the design and development of specific programmes, training and interventions that will help shift the sector on AI

Whilst there is a lot of work underway and in the pipeline on AI this role will be expected to shape this work based on their deep experience and knowledge of AI, and support the wider team at CAST to upskill in this area. 

You can find more information about CAST on our website.

What you'll achieve

• Create simple to use AI products and prototypes that meet the needs of the charity sector and their communities; being transparent about how the tools work to build understanding and confidence
• Contribute to the development of an ongoing AI strategy that aligns with CAST's mission and supports the digital transformation of social sector organisations;
• Alongside the Head of Design for AI, lead the design, development, and deployment of AI experiments, tools and resources tailored to the needs of the social sector;
• Provide training, resources and expertise to social sector organisations to build their AI literacy and empower them to leverage AI technologies effectively through both direct coaching and via networks;
• Working with the wider CAST team, contribute to the ongoing development of ethical guidelines for AI use, ensuring compliance with legal standards and promoting responsible AI practices within the sector; 
• Foster partnerships with technology experts, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to advance AI initiatives and share best practices for the sector;
• Stay abreast of emerging AI trends and technologies, assessing their potential impact on the social sector and identifying opportunities for innovation;
• Support the wider CAST team in developing their knowledge and skills on AI, and how we can use AI to best effect within our own work.

Skills and capabilities required

• Proven experience in a senior AI or technology leadership role, ideally with experience of the social sector;
• In-depth knowledge of AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and data analytics.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic initiatives that drive technological adoption and innovation.
• Strong understanding of ethical considerations and regulatory requirements related to AI technology.
• High levels of autonomy with extraordinary organisation and communication skills.
• Able to thrive in a distributed team that changes and responds to the needs of the network and charity sector
• A strong commitment to the aims and objectives of CAST.

Benefits

• Working in a dynamic and creative team with an open and supportive culture
• Opportunity to make a positive social impact
• 30 days holiday a year pro rata, plus bank holidays
• Flexible and remote working
• Family Friendly Benefits: we are committed to supporting staff in achieving a sensible work-life balance
• Group personal pension scheme

Position Title: Trust & Grants Manager

Responsible to: Head of Income Generation and Fundraising

Salary: Up to £36,000, pro rata

Hours: 0.8 FTE (4 days a week)

Benefits include: Flexible work environment, 23 days annual leave (pro-rata) which increases after 2 years, 3 Volunteering Days (pro-rata), 3 Trust Days, Death in Service, Employee Assistance Programme, Auto Enrolment Pension, paid agreed expenses.  

Location: Home-based with the ability to travel nationally (including small number of overnight stays)  

Term: 0.8FTE, permanent    

Closing Date: 14 May 2025 at 5pm 

Interview Dates: 21 & 22 May2025 (via teams) 

About Dame Kelly Holmes Trust  

Dame Kelly Holmes Trust puts world-class athletes shoulder to shoulder with young people. Equipping them with a winning mindset and shaping their futures - it's a teammate like no other.   

Whether that’s building relationship skills, improving self-esteem or learning to stay focused, our sporting champions help the next generation move forward with confidence.  

Application Process:
Please send your application of a CV and Cover Letter of no more than 2 pages. Your Cover Letter should demonstrate how you meet the key responsibilities of the role and job criteria detailed below.

We actively encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, perspectives and lived experiences. To ensure an inclusive recruitment process, all cover letters and CVs are anonymised before shortlisting.

Job Description  

Reporting to the Head of Income Generation and Fundraising, we are looking for someone with a passion for helping vulnerable young people to achieve their potential and who is excited by playing their part in raising funds towards our £1 million target. Working in our small Income Generation Team, you will have responsibility for writing compelling proposals and reports that showcase the impact of our work. You will have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with current and potential funders, building and stewarding our restricted income pipeline which you will own.

We are looking for someone with a strong track record of securing funding, preferably within the youth, sport for development or health & wellbeing sector. Strong attention to detail is essential, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently.

We are a home working charity which is committed to flexible working.  We are open to considering different working patterns for this role.

Key responsibilities  

Fundraising and business development  

• Write compelling funding proposals and cases for support, from £5000 to £100,000s

• Own and grow Trusts and Grants pipeline, identifying and researching new funding opportunities 

• Cultivate and steward relationships with new and existing funders

• Represent Trust at programmes, events, funder meetings

Relationship Management 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with current and potential funders

• Ensure effective communication with funders, providing high quality reports and updates 

• Work collaboratively with internal teams to ensure funded projects deliver maximum, demonstratable impact in line with funder expectations

Managing systems and processes 

• Create a calendar of opportunities for grant submissions, ensure application deadlines are met

• Maintain accurate and up to date funder records in Trust’s CRM system, Salesforce 

• Maintain efficient systems for tracking applications and reporting

• Work closely with Senior Finance Manager to ensure restricted income is accurately forecasted and updated accordingly 

General responsibilities 

• To ensure Data Protection procedures are followed at all times 

• Role model the Trust’s values and behaviours and encourage individuals to do the same 

• To ensure that a positive image of Dame Kelly Holmes Trust is projected at all times 

• To contribute to other activities undertaken by Dame Kelly Holmes Trust 

• To contribute to organisational effectiveness through positive team working 

• To adhere to Dame Kelly Holmes Trust Health and Safety & Safeguarding Procedures. 

Criteria: Essential/Desirable

How Evidenced & Assessed: Interview/Application 

Proven experience in trust and grants fundraising, securing five and six-figure and multi- year funding partnerships - E (Interview/ Application) 

Demonstrable success in developing compelling proposals and reports for funders - E (Interview/ Application) 

Strong relationship management skills  - E (Interview/ Application) 

Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to convey impact effectively - E (Interview/ Application) 

Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines - E (Interview/ Application) 

Knowledge of youth, sport for development or health & wellbeing sectors - D (Interview/ Application) 

Experience of using CRM systems, ideally Salesforce - E (Interview/ Application) 

Ability to work effectively with colleagues to establish a collaborative working environment - E (Interview/ Application) 

Able to handle significant confidential material and information - E (Interview/ Application) 

Dame Kelly Holmes Trust recognises the value that a diverse workforce can bring to our organisation and strives to reflect this among our employees, athletes, volunteers and other stakeholders.  

Context and Background

The NSPCC’s commitment to fight for every childhood is only made possible through the support of people across the UK. Over 80% of the NSPCC’s vital work is funded by public support. We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our supporters and ensuring that a supporter centric approach is taken in all the work we do.

The Individual Supporters department is responsible for the largest single source of income for the NSPCC and we are committed to recruiting new supporters to help grow our income. The Direct Fundraising team has been established to ensure best practice and a high quality supporter experience through one-to-one fundraising channels.

We are looking for a self-motivated, enthusiastic and well-organised professional to join the team.

Candidates for this position should have experience  and skills that cover:

• Highly developed written communication skills to understand, interpret and present complex information in a clear and persuasive way for a range of audience
• Well-developed ability to apply effective numeracy skills in entering and recording financial data, interpreting, analysing, and presenting financial data in clear and accurate format to meet desired outcomes
• Experience in using Windows based software packages including word processing, excel spreadsheets, e-mail and the internet, in order to deliver tasks and projects.
• Willingness to travel within the UK via car or public transport to conduct mystery shopping. 
• Being dynamic and a team player is essential.

Join us at this exciting time and you’ll become part of a team that cares about the work they do and the people they work with. You’ll discover opportunities to grow, along with challenges and a shared purpose that’ll bring the best out in you. And you’ll get to find your own way to make a difference that means more, and that impacts millions of young lives. We want to ensure roles are accessible and inclusive of everyone, which is why the NSPCC offers a high degree of flexibility around ways of working.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of what we do. At the NSPCC, we understand how important it is that our workforce is representative of the people we support and who support us. We believe that every individual has the right to be their true self and to live a full life without prejudice, fear or barriers. This is the starting point for all our commitments and actions and underpins our commitment to be there for all children.

Job purpose

This role sits in our Direct fundraising Team within the Individual Giving department. The key purpose of the job is to:

•  Support the Associate Head and Senior Fundraisers to continue to grow and develop face-to-face direct recruitment and telephone fundraising activity at the NSPCC.
• To work with Senior Fundraisers and Associate Head within the Direct fundraising team to deliver agreed campaigns in line with business requirements.
• Advocate and reinforce the team’s ethics and values across compliance, safeguarding, supporter experience and best practice fundraising.
• Enhance the supporter experience and protect the NSPCC’s reputation when working with professional fundraising agencies.
• Through mystery shopping, call listening and other activities, ensure all activity, by agency partners and relevant internal teams, is compliant with regulation, codes of practice and NSPCC policies.
• Monitor campaign performance and income, ensuring that campaign KPIs and metrics are reported accurately and consistently.
• Monitor expenditure, including financial processes such as raising POs, checking invoices and reporting against budgeted expenditure figures.
• Work with data, including checking data selections for telephone activity.
• Work effectively with other departments within Individual Giving, Communications and Fundraising Directorates and other functions within the NSPCC to maximise income for children. Also working with external agencies to deliver large scale campaigns.
• Work as part of a larger team to meet the same objectives and work effectively with other teams within the NSPCC to maximise income for children.
• Working on behalf of stakeholders and representing brand values in the work that you produce. Being dynamic and a team player is essential.

Main duties and responsibilities

1. With the Associate Head of Direct Fundraising, agree and deliver face-to-face and telephone  direct fundraising activities in line with the Individual Supporters department’s annual business plan and budget to enable the NSPCC to plan its activity and services.
2. Work with the Associate Head to maximise the opportunities by which the fundraising activity can contribute to the NSPCC’s mission of fighting for every childhood over and above fundraising objectives.
3. Be responsible for the development of relationships and delivery of income from potential supporters engaged through face-to-face activity
4. Work with internal NSPCC support teams to set up new agencies and campaigns.
5. Keep up to date on best practice and developments within the charity sector generally and particularly changes to fundraising regulations, compliance and codes of practice relating to direct dialogue fundraising. Updating existing or creating new processes and working with agencies to implement changes in activity.
6. Work with internal compliance teams and external agencies to plan and implement a monitoring schedule in line with the most up to date codes of practice, guidance and regulations.  This should include regular mystery shopping and call listening.
7. To work with the Associate Head to maximise the opportunities by which the fundraising activity of the Direct Fundraising team can contribute to the NSPCC’s mission of ending cruelty to children over and above fundraising objectives.
8. To carry out research through a range of sources, including the Internet, Intranet, publications and other external contacts, including other charities, in order to obtain relevant information that can contribute to the fundraising activities of the Direct fundraising team.
9. To work cross-functionally to ensure that fundraising activities are managed and developed in a way that maximises income for the NSPCC.
10. To undertake specific fundraising projects and activities as necessary or as required to support the department’s fundraising as a whole.

Responsibilities for all staff within the Income Generation directorate

• A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
• To update databases and supporter information systems on a regular basis in line with Data Protection legislation and NSPCC policy and procedures.
• To actively participate in regular department and team meetings, contributing to strategy, discussions and decisions which will be beneficial to the Directorate and wider NSPCC activities.
• To adhere to all the NSPCC’S service standards, policies and procedures.
• To evidence an understanding of and commitment to the demonstration of NSPCC’s values.
• To maintain an awareness of and comply with NSPPC data protection regulations and to ensure currency of changing GDPR regulations.
• To be responsible for personal learning and development, to support the learning and development of others and the whole organisation.
• To work in a manner that facilitates and encourages inclusion.
• To be pro-active in identifying ways to improve personal and team performance.
• To maintain an awareness of own and others’ Health and Safety and comply with the NSPCC’s Health and Safety policy and procedures.
• To take personal responsibility for keeping up to date with NSPCC work to end cruelty to children, including securing updates on project and service developments and general NSPCC news.

Key Relationships - Internal

• Reports to Associate Head – Direct Fundraising.
• A member of staff in the Direct Fundraising team, within the wider Individual Supporters department.
• Work with Compliance Team to mitigate risk and ensure compliance in face-to-face activity.
• Work with Finance Department to assist with reporting budget and reforecast all activity.
• Engage with staff in other NSPCC functions, as necessary to increase engagement between potential supporters and professional fundraisers to further fundraising relationships. 

Key Relationships – External

•  Work with a range of agreed agencies to engage the public through a supporter centric approach to fundraising, providing engaging content and materials, and ensuring that professional fundraisers align with our values and cause whilst maintaining high levels of compliance.

Person Specification

Skills and abilities

1. Highly developed written and verbal communication skills to understand, interpret and present complex information in a clear and persuasive way for a range of audiences.
2. Ability to collect data from various sources, analyse findings, identify opportunities, evaluate their viability and present findings clearly in a way that meets desired outcomes.
3. Well-developed ability to build, manage and develop relationships with individuals within an organisation and externally and achieve objectives through these relationships.
4. The ability to plan, monitor and implement projects/events/initiatives to agreed deadlines often with conflicting priorities.
5. An ability to organise and plan own work, identifying conflicting demands and establishing clear priorities in order to meet agreed objectives.
6. Well-developed ability to apply effective numeracy skills in entering and recording financial data, interpreting, analysing, and presenting financial data in clear and accurate format to meet desired outcomes.

Knowledge and experience

1. Experience in using Windows based software packages including word processing, excel spreadsheets, e-mail and the internet, in order to deliver tasks and projects.
2. A personal commitment to ending cruelty to children.

Personal characteristics

1. Commitment to apply NSPCC’s values and behaviours to all aspects of work.
2. Willingness to travel within the UK via car or public transport to conduct mystery shopping and to work flexibly in approach to work and/or work time requirements.

Safer Recruitment

As an organisation, we are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk.

Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with our children and adults.

The recruitment and selection of our people will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.

Our principles:

•  Always seek to recruit the best candidate for the role based on merit including their skills, experience, motivation and competencies. Our robust recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the role and the organisation.
• Committed to diversity and equality of opportunity and will interview all applicants (internal and external) who self-declare at application as having a disability and who meet the minimum requirements in the person specification of the vacancy they are applying for.
• We will make reasonable adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process in order to enable successful candidates who declare disabilities to start working or volunteering their time with us.
• Any current member of staff or volunteer who wishes to apply for vacancies and is suitably qualified will be considered and addressed fairly and objectively based on their merit.
• As an organisation committed to safeguarding, we will ensure all under 18’s joining the organisation will have ongoing risk assessments to ensure their role and activities are safe and appropriate
• All documentation relating to candidates will be treated confidentially in accordance with the GDPR legislation.

DFN Project SEARCH offer an evidence-based supported internship model which takes place entirely in the workplace.  The programmes provide continuous support to young adults with a learning disability, and autistic people who are aged between 16 – 24 with an Education Health and Care Plan, or equivalent, in their final year of education.

You will be required to identify opportunities to develop and grow DFN Project SEARCH programmes across a geographical area with the aim of supporting the organisation to ensure that as many people as need it have access to DFN Project SEARCH programmes.

In addition, you will be required to develop strategies to ensure that the operational programmes in your area are achieving at least the average outcomes expected for young people in our programmes and so you must be committed to continuous improvement.

You will be specifically required to develop strong partnerships and train and support colleagues within your area. You may also be required to support colleagues promoting DFN Project SEARCH in other areas, further European projects as required and contribute to the development of relevant UK focussed materials.

As a Programme Specialist you will be expected to:

• Demonstrate effective project planning and preparation so that each project delivers achieves the highest quality programme possible and outstanding employment outcomes for the interns.
• Establish effective working relationships with schools, colleges, local authorities, employers and the project professional staff to promote the building of excellent, high quality partnerships at each site to ensure the effective running of programmes and promote sustainability in a volatile environment.
• Take an active part in decision making, planning and audit processes of each project
• Ensure that you implement DFN Project SEARCH policy and have a clear understanding of required quality standards and criteria which constitute effective teaching and learning
   

Are you an experienced product manager with excellent people leadership skills, seeking a challenge where you can make a real difference?

�� Location: Hybrid (expectation to travel for team days/as business requires)

⌚ Contract Type: Permanent, 35 hours per week

�� Salary: Starting from £64,866.26 - £71,352.88 dependant on experience

What is the Head of Product?

The Head of Product Management is a newly established role at MSI UK, responsible for driving product management through strategic business analysis and leadership. You will have extensive experience in this, or a similar role applying your product leadership experience to shape digital strategy, develop impactful healthcare products, and guide a team of 6 Product Owners.

The vision for Product Management in MSI UK as a healthcare organisation ensures digital, data, and technology solutions are strategically aligned, user-centric, and drive operational efficiency. This is a unique opportunity to apply your product expertise in a growing and critical healthcare organisation, driving the strategy and development of core digital products. In this role, you will shape impactful solutions that support over 110,000 clients annually.

The Head of Product Management will lead the Product Function with an iterative and agile approach, optimising operations by streamlining manual and complex processes. This role focuses on delivering intuitive, user-friendly digital platforms that enhance the client experience and drive business efficiency.

What can we offer you?

• �� Expenses incurred while traveling outside your base location will be reimbursed.
• �� Birthday Bonus with an additional day of annual leave dedicated to celebrating your birthday and long service recognition rewards programme
• �� Perks and discounts at over 4000 retail and hospitality outlets through the Blue Light Card

In addition to the perks outlined above, there are many more benefits alongside what is written above for you to enjoy. Find out more during your interview!

What you’ll be doing:

The Head of Product Management will drive the growth and maturity of a newly established team, ensuring digital products and services support healthcare delivery. This role shapes and executes a product strategy aligned with MSI UK's mission to enhance client care through innovative, user-centered, and data-driven digital solutions.

Responsibilities include:

• Define and communicate a product vision that aligns with strategic healthcare objectives.
• Lead the development, launch, and continuous improvement of digital solutions.
• Build partnerships, negotiate terms, and ensure vendors meet expectations and legal standards.
• Partner with internal and external teams to ensure alignment and adoption of digital products.
• Develop, motivate, and mentor a cross-functional team of product owners.
• Lead user research and leverage health industry trends and emerging technologies.
• Use data analytics to monitor performance and derive actionable insights.
• Provide clear reporting on product progress and outcomes to key stakeholders.
• Work with stakeholders to understand strategies and lead the development of digital roadmaps.
• Stay updated with health industry and technology innovations.
• Reporting: Implement and deliver regular reporting on product development progress and performance metrics.
• Support demand management and technical project management to ensure successful delivery of digital products and enhancements.

What we’re looking for:

• Extensive experience in product management and business analysis in agile environments, ideally in healthcare or charity sectors.
• Strong collaboration skills to foster cross-functional teamwork and a culture of test-and-learn innovation.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to engage stakeholders at all levels and translate complex problems into digital/data solutions.
• User-centric mindset with the ability to balance diverse stakeholder needs (e.g., clients, clinicians, operations).
• Proven leadership of cross-functional teams, with hands-on capability when needed.
• Experienced line manager with a focus on coaching, performance management, and team development.
• Strategic and analytical thinker with a passion for innovation and problem solving.
• Skilled in vendor and partner management and experienced in driving digital/product frameworks and continuous improvement.
• Strong prioritisation skills across diverse workstreams, with financial acumen and stakeholder management.
• Proven ability to measure and improve product performance (e.g., SLA, usage, scalability).
• Deep understanding of agile product lifecycle and technical concepts, able to communicate effectively with non-technical audiences.
• Knowledgeable in current/emerging digital tech, particularly AI, and how it supports strategic goals.
• Willingness to work flexibly, including occasional weekends and national travel.