Senior researcher jobs in Cardiff

Macular disease is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, with around 300 people diagnosed every day. The Macular Society is the only charity determined to beat the fear and isolation of macular disease with world class research, and the best advice and support.

To support people affected by macular disease now, the Macular Society provides a range of support, information and services. Our research programme is focused on finding new treatments and a cure to beat macular disease forever.

We’re looking for an experienced and strategic individual to lead our community engagement work in Northern Ireland and manage our UK-wide team of Community Engagement Managers. You’ll oversee peer support development, build strong partnerships, and ensure consistent delivery across regions. This role requires excellent leadership skills, the ability to manage complex relationships, and a strong understanding of how to engage and empower communities. If you feel you have the attributes above, we would love to hear from you.

In return, we provide a great working culture and offer flexible working options, 26 days annual leave, the ability to buy or sell annual leave, supportive family policies, and a 6% pension contribution.

We are an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.

This role is predominantly home-based; however, travel will be required across NI and occasionally to Andover in Hampshire.

Head of Development and Communications

Job Description

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

£46,200 - £50,200 per annum FTE

The Head of Development and Communications plays a pivotal role in driving In2scienceUK’s mission to change lives by opening doors to STEM degrees and careers for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. 

As a senior leader, you will shape and deliver a bold, integrated development and communications strategy that brings our mission to life, tells powerful stories of change, and inspires confidence and commitment from donors, partners, and key stakeholders that unlocks new opportunities for innovation and expansion.

In this role, you will manage a small, high-performing team and oversee the creation of compelling narratives and effective engagement strategies that inspire donors, partners, alumni, and key stakeholders, supporting a resilient and diversified income portfolio.

Working closely with programme teams, you will ensure that development and communications activity amplifies the impact of existing programmes, while identifying and developing new opportunities that deliver meaningful outcomes for young people across the UK.

You will drive the development of strategic partnerships and funding relationships to expand the reach and influence of In2science’s work. Combining strategic vision with operational expertise, you will take a proactive, entrepreneurial approach to growth, shaping how the organisation connects with its audiences, builds its reputation, and communicates the impact of its work in support of long-term strategic goals.

In2scienceUK operates on a remote basis, with necessary UK-wide travel for partner and funder meetings, events, and staff co-working days. 

Direct Reports

Development Team: Development Manager, Development Officer, External Fundraising Consultancy.

Comms Team : Senior Communications Officer.

Responsibilities 

Development

• To collaborate with the senior leadership team and trustees in setting organisational strategy and building strategic partnerships to support In2science’s vision for 2026 and beyond.

• Lead on planning, implementation and delivery of segmented fundraising and stewardship campaigns across programmes and audiences with a 2026 income target of £1.5m. 

• Lead and manage a diverse fundraising portfolio, including corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, research grants (e.g., UKRI), government funding, and individual giving.

• To lead a small but effective development team, including an external fundraising contractor to build upon our success to date to achieve funding targets and foster strategic relationships with funding and delivery partners.

• Budget and resource all aspects of development and communications, including engaging with external contractors to maximise our output and upskill our teams.

• Work closely with the Head of Operations to oversee our CRM, ensuring accurate pipeline reporting and forecasting, as well as utilising the system for tailored stewardship opportunities.

• Work closely with our programmes team to ensure that deliverables are met and in line with our mission and objectives.

• Explore opportunities for partnership to launch new programmes and initiatives, working with the Data and Impact manager to use national data to ensure we deliver the greatest possible impact to those most in need.

Communications

• Oversee the organisation’s external communications, ensuring all messaging is on-brand, reflects our values, meets high standards, and effectively tells the story of our impact on young people.

• Oversee resourcing of the communications function, balancing 70% development and brand engagement with 30% programme-focused activity.

• Identify opportunities to maximise brand presence through strategic partnerships, policy engagement, and media activity.

• Work closely with the SMT and Trustees to respond to media, speaking, and event requests, ensuring consistent and impactful messaging.

• Ensure digital and web platforms effectively showcase our impact and support compelling storytelling.

• Manage the Senior Communications Officer to deliver campaigns that drive organisational growth and engagement with donors, partners, volunteers, and beneficiaries.

Governance

• To work with the SMT, CEO, and Trustees to ensure strong charity governance, including leading the Growth Subcommittee and preparing reports for quarterly board meetings.

• Identify organisation-wide opportunities to streamline and improve performance across the organisation.

• Working with SMT and trustees to ensure charity compliance. Including the charity commission, funding regulator, ICO.

• Identify and manage organisational/operational risk and ensure that all measures are in place to mitigate this.

As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder. The postholder will carry out any other duties that are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager. All staff must undertake all mandatory training, checks and compliance as instructed by the organisation.

Person Specification

Essential:

• A passionate advocate for social mobility in STEM.

• An inspiring leader who can inspire and collaborate across the organisation to achieve our collective goals.

• Three years experience of leading a development team to generate a seven-figure annual income from a diverse range of donors, ideally in a charitable organisation.

• Knowledge of all streams of fundraising, with direct experience in at least two of the following: corporate fundraising, trust and foundations, research grants e.g. UKRI, government grants or individual giving (incl. high-net worth donors).

• A target driven individual with a proven track record of personal six-figure income generation and achieving or exceeding personal targets.

• Excellent relationship management skills to steward existing and potential partners and donors.

• Experience of line management including developing personal development plans and setting KPIs.

• Proven experience of managing a brand, ensuring consistent and impactful communications that maximise reach amongst our target audiences.

• Superb written and verbal communication skills with the ability to persuade and influence at all levels.

• Proven experience of overseeing communication campaigns to engage new prospects across a variety of audiences.

• Evidence of efficient and accurate management of budgets and resources.

• Willingness to work flexibly and attend occasional events or meetings on evenings/weekends when required.

• Working collaboratively and supporting fostering a collegiate workplace environment.

• Upholds the values of our code of conduct and is respectful to all.

Desirable:

• Direct knowledge and/or experience of the barriers young people face in accessing STEM degrees or careers.

• Direct knowledge and/or experience of working with education organisations or STEM sector employers, incl. knowledge of current trends.

• Experience of working in collaboration with across teams to deliver new initiatives that maximise outcomes for young people and attract relevant funding.

• Evidence of delivering highly impactful events.

• Prior experience of public speaking, thought leadership and engaging with the press.

• Experience of governance in a small charitable organisation and utilising Trustees to support the organisation's goals and objectives.

Benefits: 

At In2scienceUK we practise what we preach by giving all staff opportunities to progress in their careers. You will have the opportunity to develop your career with your line manager to get you to the next level from day one. 

Although we take our career development seriously we also value work-life balance. You will have the opportunity to work flexibly from home, balancing your caring responsibilities, volunteer commitments, hobbies and anything else that makes you happy. 

You will have 28 days of annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays. 

Commitment to Safeguarding: 

In2scienceUK is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children. We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment. 

The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken as applicable:

• References 

• DBS check and/or Overseas criminal records check where applicable

• Self-Disclosure 

• Identity check 

• Right to work in the UK 

• Evidence of qualifications applicable to the role 

• Confirmation of registration with applicable registered body where applicable 

Many of our roles involve working with children and we will therefore take up references prior to your appointment. You should provide details of referees including your current and previous employers, covering the last 5 years. Your current or previous employer will be asked about disciplinary offences relating to children, if the role involved working with children, including any in which the penalty is time expired. We will also ask if you have been the subject of any child protection concerns and if so, the outcome of any enquiry or disciplinary procedure. 

Diversity and Inclusion:

In2scienceUK is committed to being an inclusive and diverse organisation where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who are underrepresented in STEM and the charity sector, including but not limited to people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We recognise that talent and potential come in many forms, and we welcome applicants with different experiences, perspectives, and ways of thinking. We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and working environment, and we will make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. If you require any adjustments, please let us know.

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that strengthens the capacity of the Global South to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM), 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 their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. The initiative has been working in different forms for over a decade, and our work receives worldwide coverage and widespread acclaim. 

This is a unique opportunity to inform conversations on SRM in Africa. Rather than lobbying for outcomes, Degrees aims to support informed, independent policymaking by fostering connections between researchers and policymakers and strengthening institutional expertise. Degrees promotes regional research, creates spaces for policy-science dialogue, and supports the dissemination of Global South research.

Responsibilities

The Policy and Engagement Manager, Africa will strengthen the voice of the Global South in discussions and potential negotiations on SRM research and governance with relevance to Africa by connecting experts to policy processes. Accordingly, the successful candidate will: 

• Identify and engage key policy actors (e.g. national delegates and legislators, scientific advisors, intergovernmental officials) in Africa, connecting them to local SRM experts and providing them with information, where appropriate, while remaining neutral regarding the potential use and governance of SRM;
• Work with SRM researchers from the region to support the ongoing development of a coordinated community of experts; 
• Build informal and formal partnerships with like-minded organisations, helping to inform discussions and counter misinformation about climate and SRM.
• Share expertise and experience gained from Africa with staff and researchers and participate, as appropriate, in activities in Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean to gain similar expertise;
• Identify the most impactful international forums and regional SRM discussions, and work to connect local experts into these; 
• Identify a core group of researchers interested in policy engagement, and facilitate and join their participation in governance fora such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNFCCC COP, UN Environment Assembly, and meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
• Support the execution and coordination of the Degrees policy engagement strategy in collaboration with other policy and programmatic staff; 
• Contribute to budgeting and alignment with programmes;
• Support monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) activities by contributing to tracking, documentation, and reporting of policy engagement outcomes;
• In cooperation with the communications staff, ensure the development of clear, contextualised briefing materials for policy makers and other audiences. 

Who we are

Grassroots Suicide Prevention (GSP) is a national charity committed to the timely intervention and prevention of suicide. We work to empower people to help save lives through connecting, educating, and campaigning nationally. Our vision is a future where more lives are saved from suicide.

About the role

We’re looking for a highly creative, organised, and experienced Marketing and Content Executive to support the delivery of engaging, high-impact marketing across our growing, purpose-led organisation.

Working closely with the Senior Marketing and Campaigns Manager, you’ll play a key role in producing and managing digital content, with a strong focus on social media, web design, and copywriting.

In this fast-paced role, you’ll drive our social media strategy, produce engaging content and blogs, and manage the design and research for our online Suicide Prevention Hubs. You’ll create compelling copy and visuals across multiple platforms and develop email campaigns and marketing strategies to boost our training course sales and sign-ups.

You’ll have hands-on experience with tools such as Mailchimp, Canva, WordPress, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, and Adobe Creative Suite.

We’re looking for someone who is self-assured, able to manage multiple priorities, and deliver high-quality work consistently. You should be comfortable working independently, making informed decisions, and taking ownership of your workload, while receiving guidance, input, and support from your line manager and the Head of Marketing and Communications.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the creation and delivery of engaging, on-brand content across social media channels, collaborating with the Senior Marketing and Campaigns Manager to enhance reach and visibility.
• Keep our accounts a safe space by taking swift action on abusive or harmful comments, with full support from the team and training in our Social Media policies.
• Oversee the creation, design, and research of our Suicide Prevention Hubs, collaborating with charity partners, writing compelling copy, and coordinating podcasts and blog content.
• Play a key role in driving awareness, sales, and sign-ups for our training courses through effective marketing and promotion.
• Write and edit high-quality copy for blogs, website pages, emails, social posts, and other marketing materials.
• Design on-brand visual assets using Canva to support social, web, email, and print materials.
• Support the creation of award entries, press releases, and promotional materials as needed.
• Help maintain and update our WordPress website and landing pages, ensuring content is up to date, accessible, and optimised for SEO and user experience.
• Support the setup and delivery of email marketing campaigns, including building emails, managing lists, and reviewing performance.
• Contribute to ongoing audience and campaign research, including SEO keyword research, to inform marketing strategies and content planning.
• Assist with campaign reporting and provide administrative support to ensure smooth delivery of projects.

For this role, you will need

• Proven experience in creating and managing engaging social media content across platforms such as Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• Experience producing high-quality content, including social posts, web copy, blogs, visuals, and email campaigns.
• Experience using design tools like Canva and Adobe InDesign.
• Excellent copywriting and proofreading skills with an adaptable writing style.
• Experience using WordPress, ideally with Elementor.
• Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects.
• Willingness to learn and take direction and feedback from the Senior Marketing and Campaigns Manager and Head of Marketing, while contributing your own ideas.
• A genuine commitment to supporting vulnerable individuals and a passion for life-saving work.

Bonus points for

• Experience working at the fast pace of a charity.
• Proven experience working remotely in a small team with strong independence and resilience.
• Experience with video creation.
• Experience managing PR enquiries and writing press releases.
• Experience in sales, particularly course sales.

Why Grassroots Suicide Prevention?

At Grassroots Suicide Prevention, we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive community and workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We value the unique experiences and skills each person brings and actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Our recruitment decisions are made based on skills, experience, and knowledge.

Our employee benefits include:
• Health Cash Plan and Employee Assistance Programme
• Learning and development opportunities
• A creative, friendly, and collaborative culture

Before applying

This role requires grit and resilience due to the remote working environment, sensitive subject matter, fast pace, and the need for flexible multitasking. If you’ve recently been affected by suicide, please consider whether this role is right for you, as some content may be emotionally triggering.

Key dates

Interviews will take place on an ongoing basis. Please note, our team will be taking a short break from 16 December to 5 January. Applications are still welcome, and we will resume shortlisting in early January.

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to offer individual feedback at the initial stage. If you do not hear from us, please assume you have not been shortlisted.

Additional information

Grassroots Suicide Prevention is in a period of transition and development, and the post-holder should be aware that their responsibilities may evolve to meet the organisation’s future needs.

Our client funds pioneering solutions and robust research to inform and improve humanitarian response. We partner with a global community of humanitarian actors, researchers, and innovators to improve the quality of humanitarian action and deliver better outcomes for people affected by crises.

Prospectus are proud to be supporting this charity with their search for an Interim HR Manager at a time of change for the organisation. The HR Manager is responsible for delivering high-quality people management across the organisation in a standalone role. They manage an HR Officer to provide responsive advice, efficient processes and a positive employee experience throughout the lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to development, performance and exit. Working closely with the Director of Finance & Operations, the postholder ensures policies, systems and procedures are legally compliant, well-communicated and fit for purpose, and that managers and staff have access to clear guidance and practical support. They ensure HR decisions are informed by accurate data and sector good practice, escalating complex or high-risk matters for senior oversight.

The successful candidate will be CIPD level 7 or equivalent with demonstrable experience of delivering efficient and positive employee lifecycle processes, including recruitment, onboarding and induction, contract changes, performance management, development and exits. You will be able to demonstrate effective change management, and ensuring practical advice and support to staff and managers on HR issues, ensuring fair, consistent application of policies and escalation of sensitive or complex employee relations matters.

Other responsibilities include ensuring that data including payroll-related information is processed accurately and on time, liaising with teams to resolve issues and maintain secure data flow and supporting staff wellbeing, engagement and inclusion by helping managers access relevant guidance, tools and external support where required.

The organisation are a remote first organisation and as such this role can be based from home, anywhere within the UK.  There are also offices available for those who would like to spend time in the office. This role is part time, 0.8 FTE (28 hours per week) and initially on an interim basis, funded until September 2026.

To apply for this role, please submit an up to date CV, along with a cover letter to detail your relevant experience for the role by using the job description. 

At Prospectus, we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, or pregnancy/maternity.

The charity is rapidly scaling up, recently doubling its annual support 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. Fundraising for the organisation has been led by the Founder and CEO, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief of Staff, and the Chair of the Trustees with the support of an experienced Senior Philanthropy Advisor.

We now seek a full-time team member to build on this base. Reporting to the COO, and working closely with senior staff and the Chair, the Development Manager will support high‑performing fundraising that secures multi‑year, diversified funding. He / she will also introduce robust processes for pipeline management and donor stewardship and manage 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 identify and 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, Chief of Staff, COO, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, programme staff and the Chair of the Trustees to help develop and implement a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organisational objectives;

Pipeline development & new opportunities 

• Manage the fundraising pipeline, guiding the ongoing fundraising activities of senior staff and the Chair;
• Research and identify 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 donor advisors and established relationships for referrals;
• Initiate and 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 formal grant reporting on behalf of the organisation;

Events & engagement 

• Often working with partners, plan 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

• Create and implement 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.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to join Belong’s Senior Leadership Team as Director of Programmes, a pivotal role at the heart of our mission. You will lead the design, delivery, and impact of Belong’s programmes across England and Wales, ensuring they are strategic, inclusive, and evidence-based. Working closely with the CEO and senior colleagues, you will shape programme strategy, oversee complex portfolios, and drive systemic change that strengthens social cohesion nationwide.

As Director of Programmes, you will:

• Lead strategic development and delivery of Belong’s place-based programmes, ensuring alignment with our mission and values.
• Oversee programme design, implementation, evaluation, and learning to guarantee quality and measurable impact.
• Line manage a talented team of Programme Leads and Coordinators, fostering a culture of collaboration and empowerment.
• Apply systems thinking to understand the interconnected nature of community, policy, and service ecosystems.
• Build and maintain high-level partnerships with funders, commissioners, local authorities, and community organisations.
• Represent Belong at national forums, events, and networks, championing our work and influence.
• Identify and pursue new opportunities for programme development and funding, supporting organisational growth.

This is a senior leadership position that combines strategic vision with hands-on delivery. You will play a key role in shaping Belong’s future and ensuring our programmes make a lasting difference to communities across the UK.

About You
We are seeking a visionary and experienced leader with:

• Proven experience in leading complex programme portfolios and delivering impactful initiatives.
• Strong strategic thinking and planning abilities, with a track record of shaping programme strategy.
• Excellent leadership and line management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop teams.
• Experience managing diverse stakeholders, from senior decision-makers to community partners.
• Familiarity with systems change and participatory approaches.
• Understanding of social cohesion, integration, and related social policy issues.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, able to translate complex ideas into accessible messages.
• Highly organised, diplomatic, and politically astute, with experience in income generation and bid development.

Desirable: Experience in areas such as Prevent, PCVE, community tensions, hate crime, or tackling misinformation.

Personal qualities matter too: we’re looking for someone passionate about improving cohesion and integration in the UK, collaborative and inclusive in their leadership style, and committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

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
• Opportunities for professional development and growth

Salary: £65,000–£70,000
Location: UK-wide (regular travel across England and Wales)
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Closing Date: 12 January 2026

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. We work with communities, local authorities, and national partners to strengthen trust, belonging, and resilience. Through innovative place-based programmes, research, policy influence, and thought leadership, we help create stronger, kinder, and more connected communities. Our growing membership spans local authorities, charities, civil society, and businesses, and we are proud to champion collaboration, diversity, and evidence-led approaches.

*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.*

Director of Technology
£78,000 - £82,000 pa plus excellent benefits
Remote working
Permanent, 35 hours per week 

Our newly created role of Director of Technology will join our Senior Leadership Team, and will be responsible for our technology strategy. This includes leading the Full Stack and IT teams to develop the technology infrastructure that supports RNID’s work, and to develop tools that directly support our communities. It’s an exciting time to be joining, as you will lead our AI programme, ensuring the charity takes full advantage of emerging opportunities to increase our efficiency and effectiveness.  

You will: 

1. Lead and develop a high performing team of technology experts, developers and IT specialists.

2. Lead the technical delivery of our digital product roadmaps (like our online hearing check).

3. Ensure our technology infrastructure is resilient, secure, and meets our needs.

4. Ensure that RNID understands the opportunities and threats posed by AI, leading our AI programme

5. Be an active member of our Senior Leadership Team supporting the overall delivery of our strategic plans and driving performance.

We are looking for someone who:

1. Has presence and credibility as a senior leader, able to inspire confidence with deep technology expertise.

2. Builds relationships internally, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of business objectives and requirements.

3. Has proven experience leading full stack development and overseeing business critical technologies, as well as experience of leveraging AI to meet business objectives.

4. Is passionate about RNID, what we do and the role of technology in creating impact for our communities. 

We are RNID: the national charity supporting the 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. 

Together, we will end the discrimination faced by our communities, help people hear better now and fund world-class research to restore hearing and silence tinnitus. We work with our communities and partners across industry, government, charity, education and more to change life for the better. 

RNID has a proud history and big ambitions. We’re focused on making the greatest impact possible across the whole of the UK. We champion the latest technology and the opportunities it brings. We also know the value of a friendly face in local communities to support people where they need it most.

We champion the value of difference and equality and celebrate our diverse and inclusive workforce. We actively encourage applications from eligible candidates from BAME backgrounds or who are deaf or hard of hearing. With almost 20% of our employees having a disability we proudly hold Disability Confident Leader status and guarantee an interview for disabled applicants meeting the minimum essential criteria.

Closing date: 5 January 2026
Interviews: 12 January 2026 (first round), 19 January 2026 (second round)

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)

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.

Macular disease is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, with around 300 people diagnosed every day. The Macular Society is the only charity determined to beat the fear and isolation of macular disease with world class research, and the best advice and support.

To support people affected by macular disease now, the Macular Society provides a range of support, information and services. Our research programme is focused on finding new treatments and a cure to beat macular disease forever.

We’re looking for someone who can lead on community engagement across the North of England – helping to grow and strengthen our local peer support services. You’ll work collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers, develop partnerships, and help us reach more people affected by macular disease. You’ll need to be organised, adaptable, and confident managing multiple projects at once. If you feel you have the attributes above, we would love to hear from you.

In return, we provide a great working culture and offer flexible working options, 26 days annual leave, the ability to buy or sell annual leave, supportive family policies, and a 6% pension contribution.

We are an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.

This role is predominantly home-based; however, travel will be required across the North of England and occasionally to Andover in Hampshire. 

Role

We seek a Finance Manager to lead the day to day running of the charity’s finances including overseeing the work of our outsourced financial provider. As a grant giving organisation, there will be regular interaction with the programmatic workstreams in this position, offering a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to increase the capacity of a field-leading charity, help empower researchers in the Global South, and contribute to one of the world’s most important climate debates. If you are an ambitious qualified finance professional, this is an opportunity to step into a role with purpose, international influence, and real impact.  

Working with the COO, you will undertake organisational financial planning, budgeting and forecasting so that the senior staff and trustees have comprehensive information for decision making. Furthermore, in cooperation with the Development Manager, this role will support the submission of funding bids and reporting to funders to ensure the continued growth of the charity.

Responsibilities

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

• Financial Oversight: Overseeing the outsourced finance provider, ensuring service delivery meets organisational needs and deadlines. You will be the primary liaison between our financial services provider and the staff, ensuring that they make payments on behalf of the organisation, runs payroll, completes the bookkeeping via QuickBooks, the monthly management accounts, and the annual statutory accounts. 
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Preparing and monitoring annual organisational budgets including a mid-year adjustment, cash flow forecasts, financial models and annual accounts to support the annual business cycle and fundraising bids.
• Reporting: Finalising monthly management accounts prepared by outsourced financial provider, deliver financial reports for the COO, senior leadership, and trustees, and preparing donor financial reporting.
• Financial Strategy and Investment Oversight: Working with the COO to manage financial resources and reserves including developing the investment policy to support the long-term goals of the charity.
• Audit & Compliance: Leading on annual audits, maintain compliance with UK charity finance regulations, and ensure adherence to funder requirements.
• Programmatic financial support: Working closely with the programmes teams to ensure their payments processes run smoothly with the outsourced financial provider, and regularly reviewing their grant and event expenditure is in line with their own managed budgets.
• Process Improvement: Identifying opportunities to streamline financial processes and implement best practices, such as working with Operations to improve payments & expenses software, opening new bank accounts, or finding new platforms to reduce international payment fees.

Key relationships:

• Supervised by COO 
• Primary liaison with our outsourced financial provider (including a management accountant, payments officer and bookkeeper)
• Works with the Development Manager
• Grants Manager
• Operations team

Join us and help create opportunities that change young lives.

Career Ready is a UK-wide social mobility charity, working to empower young people with the skills, confidence, and networks they need to succeed. We’re looking for a proactive and strategic Corporate New Business Development Lead to drive growth in our corporate and partnerships income, unlocking innovative collaborations that deliver real impact.

In this pivotal role, you’ll identify and secure high-value corporate partnerships, craft compelling proposals, and lead pitches to senior decision-makers. You’ll work closely with colleagues across Communications, Programmes, and Operations to create multi-year partnerships that combine funding, programme support, and brand alignment—helping us reach more young people than ever before. The role is home-based, but you’ll have opportunities to travel across the UK (primarily London, Manchester, and Edinburgh) for meetings, events, and networking opportunities (expenses covered), giving you variety and the chance to build relationships face-to-face.

We’re seeking someone with a proven track record of winning significant corporate partnerships (five-figure or ideally six-figure), excellent communication and influencing skills, and a strong understanding of CSR/ESG trends. If you’re entrepreneurial, creative, and thrive on building relationships from scratch, we’d love to hear from you.

For full information view our candidate pack, which is available when you click on Apply.

Closing date for applications: 9am on Monday 12 January 2026

First stage interviews: expected to take place w/c 19 January 2026 

We are recruiting three Funding Strategy Development Managers, two Permanent roles and one Fixed-term for 12 months. Please state clearly in your supporting statement if you wish to be considered for the Fixed Term or Permanent role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the National Lottery Community Fund’s, Funding Strategy, Innovation and UK Directorate at a key moment in the delivery of our strategy. If you are up for playing a central role in a new team, which will be vital in enabling the Fund to deliver for communities in the years ahead, then this role could be for you.

We are approaching the midpoint of implementation of our strategy “It starts with community”. Over the last few years our funding portfolios in each of the nations of the UK and corporate functions have worked hard to embed the strategic ambitions we set ourselves. We are looking to take stock of our progress, understand how a changing world may impact our work and explore how we can grow our ambition to address the issues that will impact communities over the years ahead. Building on what we have achieved so far, we want to make greater progress including:

• Ensuring the fund has a thorough and live understanding of its collective response to the strategy, where our successes are and where there are opportunities to go further.
• Supporting our senior management team to come together to understand and explore our progress and shape the strategic direction for the organisation together
• Supporting greater engagement and collaboration between funding portfolios to enable sharing and learning, to build a better collective understanding of our missions and commitments and grow our impact
• ​Delivering ambitious and impactful projects to address common opportunities and challenges, for example to support the embedding of partnership working across the Fund, or to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies.
• Supporting ongoing strategy development, including horizon scanning to maintain a collective picture of key developments related to our missions, cross cutting commitments and wider factors impacting communities.

Your day will be a blend of strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement, and practical execution, with plenty of opportunities to collaborate, influence, and drive change across the Fund. You will be one of two permanent managers in a small new team led by the Head of Strategy Development.

As this is a new team roles and responsibilities will be defined as the Team comes together. However, responsibilities may include:

• Drafting Senior Management Team (SMT) and Board reports on strategy implementation to update on progress and promote discussions on areas for development.
• Monitoring of funding portfolio strategy development and delivery activity, including maintaining regular engagement with portfolio representatives.
• Reviewing progress reports, identifying risks and issues and shaping recommendations to meet challenges and opportunities to go further in meeting strategic ambitions.
• Working closely with the Fund’s Governance Team to ensure the appropriate use of governance fora to provide oversight of strategy implementation and development work and maintaining an effective forward look of key priorities.
• Leading on engagement with key corporate functions, such as analytical, communications, legal and Human Resources, to support alignment with strategic ambitions.
• Engaging with funding teams across the Fund to support strong alignment between strategic ambition and operational realities.
• Leading discreet projects to explore emerging shared opportunities and challenges, undertaking desk research, engaging internal and external stakeholders and shaping proposals.
• Identifying opportunities for further alignment, internal partnerships and new ways of working.

Interview Details:

• Interview Date: TBC - 22 and 23 of January
• Format: Virtual
• Location: UK-Wide

Location: We have a hybrid approach to working, work pattern and location will be agreed with the successful candidate. The role can be based at any of our UK offices, these are Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Newcastle and Newtown.

Briefing session: We will be hosting a briefing session to further outline the role and answer questions on the following date: 15 December 2025, 3:15- 4:00pm. To register or ask any questions about the recruitment process, please contact the recruitment team.

​How to apply:

Upload your CV in word format and write a supporting statement (1000 words) with the following criteria, we will use this to score your application.

Essential criteria:

• Experience of working with civil society, either working in a civil society organisation or in a supporting function (e.g. in a funding, consultancy or policy making body) with a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
• Experience of managing competing priorities to ensure successful delivery of key pieces of work.
• Strong collaboration skills, able to work with a range of people at different levels within an organisation to shape plans and projects that reflect the interests of the organisation.
• Strong external engagement skills, able to proactively identify a range of relevant stakeholders, build and maintain relationships, and draw on knowledge and expertise to inform proposals and projects.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to draw on data and qualitative evidence to understand complex topics and shape evidence led proposals. 
• Strong communication skills, able to present complex topics clearly using a range of communication tools, in particular, able to write clear and succinct formal papers for senior leaders. 
• Strong project management skills, able to use a range of tools to set out clear and timely delivery plans, identifying appropriate milestones, risks and issues.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of working in a policy or strategy team, helping to set direction for an organisation or major programme of work

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.  

We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition).