Service administrator jobs in oxford, oxfordshire
Title: Legal Coordinator
Reports to: Head of Legal
Salary: £30,000-40,000 (depending on experience)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37.5 per week over 5 days (Monday to Friday)
Holiday: 25 days per year plus bank holidays
Location: Remote with regular travel to London and across the UK
Probationary period: 3 months
Benefits: An additional 3 days holiday between Christmas and New Year, Flexitime policy, 5% pension contribution, Cycle to Work scheme
Start date: As soon as possible
We are River Action
We are a campaign organisation on a mission to rescue Britain's rivers from the impacts of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution. We take a creative and bold approach to campaigning, blending sharp strategy with positively disruptive tactics to inspire real action. We support grassroots movements, galvanise public opinion, influence government policy and drive industry change.
We are a small, dedicated and talented team of positive disrupters and community mobilisers who work collaboratively to deliver our strategy to urgently protect and restore our rivers for the benefit of people and nature.
Find out more about our mission and our team on our website.
Who we’re looking for
Do you want to be part of a movement making waves to clean up the UK’s rivers? Are you passionate about using the law as a tool for change? Do you have the legal and research skills to amplify our impact? If so, we want you to join our team.
We are looking for a highly capable, ambitious, well-organised, energetic, proactive and diligent individual with legal experience (academic or professional) to play an integral role in developing and delivering our growing legal, policy and advocacy work.
You don’t need to be a qualified or practising lawyer, but you do need to have a law degree or equivalent and familiarity with environmental law. You’ll understand the importance of winning in both courts of law and of public opinion. You’ll be passionate, eager to learn and committed to making change happen quickly.
If you’re committed to River Action’s mission and want to be at the forefront of environmental law, policy and advocacy, we’d love to hear from you.
Essential experience and skills
-
Demonstrable UK legal experience (academic and/or professional), ideally including environmental, public and administrative law. A law degree or equivalent is required.
-
Excellent legal research, drafting and communication skills.
-
Ability to translate complex legal issues into accessible and impactful messaging.
-
Strong organisational and interpersonal skills with demonstrable experience of coordinating multiple projects, working flexibly and at a fast pace.
-
Good understanding of strategic litigation and using the law as a tool for change.
-
Proven ability to produce high quality work under pressure.
-
Excellent IT skills.
-
Commitment to River Action’s mission and to working collaboratively across the sector.
Desirable experience and skills
-
Qualification as a solicitor or barrister.
-
Experience working in a similar role.
-
Experience working in the UK’s environmental sector.
-
Experience with strategic litigation and using the law as a tool for change.
-
Experience with instructing and managing external lawyers.
-
Experience working with parliamentarians and of UK parliamentary procedures.
-
Media/spokesperson experience.
What you’ll be doing
As Legal Coordinator, you will play a crucial role in shaping River Action’s fight for cleaner rivers by acting as the link between legal expertise provided by external lawyers and River Action’s day-to-day campaigning, policy, advocacy and operational work.
The role will involve working closely with River Action’s Head of Legal to use the law and legal strategies to strengthen and improve environmental protection of the UK’s rivers. This exciting role will include scoping, developing and managing strategic litigation to achieve systemic change as well as supporting River Action’s policy and advocacy work. You’ll also support the River Action team to build successful campaigns to challenge polluters, hold government and regulators accountable, and push for policy reform.
Key duties and responsibilities
-
Support the Head of Legal in scoping, developing and managing River Action’s legal work, including commissioning legal services from external lawyers and providing instructions on legal matters.
-
Produce legal research and analysis to inform and support River Action’s strategic litigation, policy and advocacy work.
-
Work with the campaigns team to develop impactful legal actions as part of creative and positively disruptive campaigns to deliver organisational goals.
-
Work with the communities team to identify opportunities for River Action to support communities through legal action, including by developing the River Rescue Kit and other initiatives to extend impact.
-
Engage with and obtain information and evidence from claimants, complainants, expert witnesses and other sources to support legal actions and campaigns.
-
Develop an in-depth understanding of UK legal and policy frameworks relating to rivers and ensure colleagues are kept up to date with changes.
-
Monitor legal developments including caselaw and legislative proposals, working closely with the Head of Legal to understand the implications and opportunities for River Action’s work.
-
Ensure team members are well-briefed on the latest legal developments (both River Action’s work and wider developments) to support their external engagement.
-
Prepare and contribute to legal and policy briefings for River Action and its eNGO partners and for public and political audiences.
-
Contribute to River Action’s policy and advocacy work, ensuring our positions are considered and evidenced.
-
Contribute to shaping River Action’s positions and key messaging so they are relevant and accurate.
-
Provide legal support for River Action’s campaigning and operational activities, including by researching relevant laws and by commissioning external legal advice on non-contentious matters.
-
Support colleagues to ensure River Action’s campaigning and communication activities and outputs are legally compliant and help to protect the charity from defamation, copyright infringement or other claims.
-
Write articles and act as spokesperson for River Action in owned and earned media.
-
Work across the team to track, record and report impact.
-
Support River Action’s fundraising activities including contributing towards funding proposals, pitching and reporting.
-
Review and respond to legal queries that come to River Action, escalating to the Head of Legal or other colleagues as appropriate.
-
Administrative duties including developing and maintaining River Action’s legal documentation, processes and systems on the organisation’s shared drive.
-
Build relationships and partnerships across the legal sector and environmental sector to inform River Action’s work and contribute to the wider movement.
General duties and responsibilities
-
Follow all charity policies and procedures.
-
Actively participate as part of the team.
-
Help to promote a positive, healthy and happy work environment and team culture.
-
Actively engage in professional development and training.
-
Work collaboratively with colleagues across River Action, external lawyers and stakeholders to deliver our mission.
-
Undertake any other duties as reasonably required.
As a small and agile team, we value flexibility. While these are the core responsibilities, staff may be asked to take on additional tasks as needed. If any task becomes a regular duty, the job description will be updated in consultation with the staff member.
Location
You will work from home with some travel required to London and across the UK.
The full team meets in person at least four times per year. These are multi-day meetings held in different locations in the UK. Additional UK travel will also be required. The fast-paced nature of our work and small size of our organisation means we are in very regular contact, ensuring a strong connection across the team.
Diversity and inclusion
We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in the environment sector.
Don’t meet every single requirement? We know that long lists can be daunting and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you like the look of this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with everything in the job description, we’d still love to hear from you. You may be just the right person for this role.
How to apply
To apply, please submit to jobs at riveractionuk dot com with the subject ‘Legal Coordinator’:
-
your CV (2 pages), and
-
a cover letter (2 pages) explaining why you want to work for River Action and how your experience and skills meet the requirements of the role.
Only applications including both documents will be accepted. Please provide your documents in pdf format.
Application process
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 23:59 on Monday 29 September 2025.
Should your application be selected during sift, the next stage will involve an initial 15-minute interview. You may then be invited to attend a second interview with a panel.
Initial interviews will be held on 1 and 2 October 2025 and panel interviews will be held in w/c 6 October 2025, all via video conference. For panel interviews, some questions will be provided in advance for equity and to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and experience most effectively.
Please indicate in your covering letter or in a covering email your availability for interviews.
If you have any questions about the role or your application, please contact us on jobs at riveractionuk dot com.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Charity Support Officer
Location: Remote, with regular meetings in London, applicants must be based in or around London
Salary: £27,700 - £29,000 per year
Contract: Full-time with opportunities to work flexibly over 4 days
Reporting to: CEO
About AWN
All Ways Network (AWN) is a UK-registered charity dedicated to empowering non-profits that support diverse Muslim communities across the UK, particularly those with an annual income under £1 million towards becoming fundable.
We provide grassroots organisations with vital services from bid-writing and application reviews to webinars, training, and tailored charity support. This helps them access funding, strengthen governance, build capacity, and adopt best practices in a challenging funding landscape.
Committed to equitable grant-making and a stronger civil society, AWN champions the vision of: “Thriving non-profits empowering Muslim communities to enrich UK society.”
Role Overview: Knowledge in grant-funding, capacity building, organisational support
We are seeking a proactive and collaborative Charity Support Officer to help deliver AWN’s mission. You will be the first point of contact for grassroots charities, supporting them to strengthen their organisations and improve their chances of securing grant funding by offering practical guidance, signposting, and building trusted relationships that help them grow in confidence and resilience. The role includes helping organisations strengthen governance and compliance, sharing information on grant-funding opportunities, and supporting them to identify challenges and develop practical solutions.
The non-profits you will support work across a wide range of areas for example: women, health and wellbeing, youth, homelessness and poverty, family services, sports, faith groups, crime and gangs, prisoners and ex-offenders, refugees and asylum seekers, drug addiction, older people and rehabilitation, and many more.
Bringing a strong awareness of the barriers facing small charities particularly Muslim-led groups, will be key to helping them build long-term sustainability and impact.
Key Responsibilities:
-
Act as the first point of contact for charities and community groups, managing a varied caseload and balancing priorities.
-
Carry out needs assessments to understand organisations strengths, challenges, and funding needs, and develop clear action plans.
-
Provide tailored support, including health checks on governance, compliance, finances, and funding readiness, offering recommendations and signposting to specialist services (e.g., Cranfield Trust, CVS, Charity Excellence etc).
-
Advise on funding opportunities, strategy, and application readiness, with referrals to bid-writing support where needed.
-
Deliver workshops, webinars, events, and one-to-one sessions to build skills, knowledge, and confidence of UK grassroots organisations.
-
Work collaboratively with organisations and AWN colleagues (including via the triage and referral system) to identify challenges and develop practical, sustainable solutions.
-
Build and maintain strong relationships with charities, funders, and sector partners across the voluntary, public, and charity sectors.
-
Represent AWN at external events, conferences, and meetings, helping to organise and deliver events linked to your work.
-
Keep accurate records on the CRM, gather feedback, write case studies, and contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and service development.
-
Support AWN’s communications by contributing updates for the website and social media.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for someone who is approachable, empathetic, and motivated to make a difference. You’ll have a natural ability to listen, build trust, and meet people where they are, while offering constructive and practical support. Patience, curiosity, and cultural awareness will help you understand the diverse realities of grassroots charities and the communities they serve.
Alongside these personal qualities, you’ll bring a good understanding of the charity sector and the challenges facing small non-profits across the UK, for UK Muslim-led organisations. You’ll have exceptional knowledge of governance, compliance, and funding pathways, and the confidence to guide organisations towards growth, resilience, and long-term impact.
Essential Criteria
-
3+ years’ experience within the UK charity sector (domestic, not solely international).
-
Strong understanding of charity governance, compliance, and the UK funding and grant-making landscape.
-
Insight into the needs and challenges of small and grassroots non-profits, with awareness of the systemic barriers affecting Muslim-led organisations.
-
Experience supporting or advising charities, community groups, or local networks to build capacity and resilience.
-
Ability to work collaboratively with organisations, offering constructive and practical guidance.
-
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with confidence in public speaking and engaging a wide range of stakeholders.
-
Strong organisational and administrative skills with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
-
Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
-
Comfortable working autonomously and as part of a small team, with minimal supervision.
-
Confident using technology to deliver support and manage work effectively, including CRM systems, Microsoft Teams, and other digital tools.
-
Experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Community engagement and outreach
- Event or project coordination (online and in-person)
- Delivering presentations, workshops, or training sessions
- Monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities
Recruitment Process
Interviews will take place early October 2025.
The process will include two stages: one online and one in-person (to be held in the City of London).
Exact dates will be confirmed before the application deadline.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About UKCF
At UK Community Foundations (UKCF), we put inclusivity at the forefront of all we do, we put relationships first and we are ambitious for our members and the communities they serve.
Everyone should have the opportunity to have a fulfilling life and to feel they belong. This can’t be mandated by government, or done to people, only with them. Change needs to be driven by people who understand the local situation and our support makes this possible.
UKCF is a national network of community foundations based all over the UK. Community foundations connect philanthropic people with local causes that matter to them. They are charitable organisations focused on supporting a defined geographical area by leveraging funds to support community needs and local organisations making a difference. As well as supporting our members, at UKCF we explore social challenges, we provide national funding and we work with those who have the solutions to improve lives.
Benefits of working at UKCF include 30 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays, up to two days paid leave for volunteer days, enhanced pension and a flexible working plan. As a disability confident employer, we encourage applications irrespective of your age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender reassignment, sex or sexual orientation.
About the role
This is an exciting opportunity to join UKCF at a time of growth, ambition and innovation. We are looking for an interim Partnerships Officer to help us build and deliver impactful national partnerships that bring real, measurable benefits to communities across the UK.
Initially for a period of six months, you will hit the ground running to pick up an existing portfolio of national programmes currently under delivery. You’ll lead on programme administration including design and delivery, as well as collaborating with UKCF finance and membership colleagues to collate and disseminate programme data for funders and internal stakeholders.
In this client facing role, you will be responsible for administration and operational support in the development, delivery, and evaluation of high-value, strategic partnerships, whether with government departments, major trusts and foundations, corporate partners, or other longstanding partners.
You’ll work closely with the Director of Partnerships & Insight and community foundations to deliver an existing portfolio of programmes and to shape strong proposals and administer the end-to-end implementation of new partnerships.
You’ll also play a key role in helping UKCF and the wider network become more insight-led and data-driven, strengthening our approach to programme design, learning, and impact evaluation.
This role requires exceptional organisational, programme and project management skills. Experience in a trust or foundation, grantmaking, especially within programme design, is a bonus.
You will report to the Director of Partnerships & Insight and also work closely with the wider team including finance, membership and communications staff.
Key responsibilities
-
Programme delivery and administration – Support the smooth running of national partnerships and programmes, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high standard. Maintain accurate financial and programme records, track deadlines, and make sure monitoring and reporting requirements are met.
-
Reporting and insight – Analyse programme data and contribute to clear, high-quality reports for funders, partners, and internal teams. Capture learning and examples of good practice to strengthen future programmes.
-
Collaboration and communication – Work closely with colleagues across UKCF, including communications, finance and membership, to ensure effective programme delivery. Provide timely advice and support to team members, community foundations, and funders, resolving queries quickly and accurately.
-
Relationships and improvement – Build and maintain strong, positive working relationships with funders, community foundations, and delivery partners. Identify opportunities to refine and improve processes to make delivery more efficient and impactful.
Who we’re looking for:
We’re seeking someone who is proactive, highly organised, confident with data, and comfortable juggling competing priorities while building strong relationships. You’ll bring experience in programme administration, accurate record-keeping, and reporting, with the ability to translate information into clear insights. Strong digital and technology skills are important, as is the ability to work collaboratively across teams and with external partners. Ideally, you’ll also have some experience in grant-making, process improvement, or using systems like Salesforce, but above all we’re looking for someone who is adaptable, curious, and motivated by UKCF’s values of inclusivity, collaboration, and ambition for communities.
ROLE SUMMARY
Reporting to the Director of Partnerships & Insight, this role is central to the effective day-to-day running of UKCF’s national partnerships and grant programmes. You will play a key role in keeping programmes on schedule and within budget, with strong administration and attention to detail at the heart of the position. At the same time, you will build and maintain positive working relationships with funders, community foundations, and colleagues across UKCF, acting as a reliable point of contact and ensuring information flows smoothly. This role is well suited to someone who enjoys balancing deadlines and detail with the opportunity to work alongside a wide range of people.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
-
Under the supervision of the Director of Partnerships & Insight ensure the partnerships and programmes are delivered on time and in budget.
-
Administer the partnerships and programmes, keeping accurate records of funding allocated, spending by Community Foundations, and collating monitoring reports etc.
-
Analyse partnership and programme data and contribute to reports for funders and internal teams.
-
Write and/or support with production of internal and external reports on delivery and impact.
-
Work closely with the UKCF Communications, Finance and Membership teams to deliver programmes.
-
Develop and maintain quality relationships with delivery partners, including Community Foundations and funders.
-
Provide appropriate advice, guidance and support for grant applicants, Community Foundations or funders.
-
Capture good practice and learning from grant recipients, Community Foundations and funders.
-
Identify refinements and improvements to our programmes
EXPERIENCE/SKILLS REQUIRED
Essential:
-
Support and administration – accuracy/record keeping/ working to deadlines across multiple programmes and/or priorities
-
Customer service/relationship management
-
Analysing information and producing or contributing to reports
-
Working as part of a team
-
Experienced with Microsoft Office, with strong excel skills
Desirable:
-
Implementing new processes to streamline and improve delivery
-
Grant making
-
Experience of community foundations
-
Experience with Salesforce or other similar CRM system
-
Analytical experience – used to working with large data sets
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
-
Effective verbal and written communication skills
-
Persuasion and interpersonal skills; diplomatic, and confident with people from all backgrounds
-
Ability to manage competing deadlines and priorities
-
Ability to problem solve and act on initiative
-
Committed to learning and developing skills and experience
-
Willingness to learn and take on a variety of tasks
-
Creative, thorough & organised, flexible, and intuitive
This is initially a 6 month contract, full time 35 hours per week, remote working but with the opportunity to work flexibly from the London office if desired.
A rapid start is required - please state notice period on application.
Every UK community should have access to an agile community foundation, known for identifying local need and providing resources that empower change.




The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Chief Operating Officer to join our Executive Leadership Team.
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £85,000 per annum
Remote: This role is homebased (within the UK) with occasional to meetings, events and conferences.
What we do
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
About the Role
Responsibilities will include:
- The COO leads the day-to-day functioning of the organisation to ensure smooth, efficient, and effective delivery of services. This is vital for maintaining operational stability and achieving strategic outcomes.
- They design and execute strategies that align with the organisation’s mission and long-term goals ensuring resources are used effectively and priorities are clear.
- They promote a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement through supporting employee engagement, productivity, and organisational success.
- The COO collaborates closely with the CEO/CFO and other senior leaders to drive strategic initiatives and business growth, ensuring unified leadership and coherent decision-making.
- They partner with the CFO to manage budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation. Financial oversight ensures sustainability and supports informed investment in strategic priorities.
- Strengthen governance and risk management frameworks, aligned to regulatory expectations and best practice while proactively managing reputational and operational risks.
- The COO cultivates strong relationships with partners, clients, and stakeholders to enhance service delivery and reputation. These relationships are key to influence, collaboration, and impact.
- They lead efforts to improve processes and adopt best practices across the charity to enhance efficiency and keeps the organisation competitive and responsive.
- They ensure that daily activities support the charities long-term objectives.
- The COO mentors other directors and departmental heads and fosters leadership capabilities across teams.
- They establish and track KPIs to identify inefficiencies and guide improvements through data-driven decision-making to enhance accountability and results.
- They evaluate and refine workflows to boost productivity developing efficient processes to reduce waste and improve service quality.
- They act as a bridge between departments and the CEO to ensure cohesive execution of strategic plans preventing silos and promoting organisational synergy.
- The COO serves as a senior figure in national and cross-sector forums, conferences, and strategic partnerships to strengthens the organisation’s voice and influence.
- They demonstrate commitment to Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in both internal culture and external programmes to foster a fair and inclusive organisation.
- They work with the CEO, CFO and Director of Growth to identify and pursue new revenue streams and strategic partnerships. This expands the organisation’s reach and sustainability.
- They engage in public speaking, media interactions, and external representation demonstrating clear communication, credibility, and stakeholder engagement.
- They develop and embed evaluation frameworks to assess progress against strategic goals. The measuring of our impact ensures accountability and informs future planning.
- They promote the organisation’s brand at events and through networking.
The COO takes on other responsibilities as needed to support the organisation’s mission.
About You
Essential competencies of the Chief Operating Officer:
- Extensive experience in senior leadership with a proven track record in operations, financial and risk management, and delivering high-performing teams, ideally in the charity sector.
- Strong understanding of business functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to think strategically and execute effectively.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Commercially astute, process-driven, and highly pragmatic in approach.
- Experience in driving performance and fostering a collaborative culture.
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field; MBA preferred
Why Work for NYA?
- NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
- NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
- A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
- NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
- We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.
How to Apply:
To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 29th September 2025:
A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.
Please note: The covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 80% AI generated content will be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
Youth Work changes lives
Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.
We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.
REF-223747
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Step into a transformative journey with Working Options
We're on a mission to empower young people aged 14-19 across England and Wales, and you can help make a real difference.
Following our successful Wales pilot supporting 15,000 young people since launching in 2024, we're scaling regionally. In 2025 we're focusing on Bedfordshire, and that is where we need you, while also responding to needs across England and Wales, aiming to reach 90,000+ young people in-person and 2.5 million+ online across both nations.
As a Project Coordinator you'll connect volunteers with schools and foster impactful relationships within our dynamic, entrepreneurial environment. We believe in inclusivity, trying new things, setting high expectations, and creating real opportunities for young people.
Working from home with occasional team meet-ups, events, and school visits, you'll join a dedicated team that values high expectations and individual contributions to help young people achieve positive outcomes.
If you're passionate, self-motivated, and eager to contribute to a great mission, this is your chance to join a team that's helping young people to transform their career and life chances.
Don't just take our word for it, here's what one of our young people had to say: "My personal experience has been exceptional. There is a collaborative atmosphere, and it is truly empowering to be part of a charity that values student input and involves us in decisions that directly affect our lives." – Working Options Alumnae.
Find out more about the role, and hear from our Chief Executive about our charity's ambitions, via the applicant pack linked below.
Person specification
We are looking for someone who:
• Has a genuine interest in our work and in the greater Bedfordshire area and/or South of England in easy reach of Bedfordshire.
• Is fully committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Is self-motivated.
• Has excellent attention to detail.
• Can juggle multiple priorities, sticking to deadlines and flagging when priorities need reviewing.
• Has a flair for developing great relationships, particularly with schools and colleges.
• Is proactive and tenacious, able to seek out new opportunities and remain resilient.
• Is creative and likes coming up with new ideas.
• Is ambitious for themselves and for the charity.
• Has high computer literacy.
While we don't specify this in our person specification, we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who have experienced some of the challenges that young people across England and Wales face today.
If you like the sound of this environment, we would love to hear from you.
Good luck with your application!
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking for an experienced Finance Director to join our team of nearly 100 staff, ideally before the end of 2025.
This is a full-time, home-based, permanent position. You can be based anywhere in mainland UK or Ireland, with some travel and occasional overnight stays to meeting and conferences mainly in England and Wales.
We offer flexibility around working hours, including the option of a 9 day fortnight - time off in lieu is also available. We offer 25 days holiday pro rata (rising to 28 days) plus statutory public holidays. We are happy to make adjustments for people with disabilities and/or caring responsibilities, and we welcome applications from all communities.
The role is a grade 7 position with a starting salary circa £75,000 plus benefits including 9% employer pension contribution.
The Finance Director (“FD”) works alongside the Chief Executive and Operations Director to manage the finances and governance of The Rivers Trust, a leading conservation charity with three associated trading subsidiaries operating across the UK and Ireland, with a collective annual income approaching £10m.
Given the prospective retirement of the current postholder at the end of 2025, we are seeking a well-qualified and experienced individual to take on this senior leadership role as soon as possible to enable handover to occur.
The role is very varied and wide-ranging, including presenting financial information to the Trustees and senior management on a quarterly basis, reviewing monthly management accounts, leading on annual budgeting, appraising internal project concepts and contracts, statutory compliance administration and liaising with auditors.
The postholder will lead a team of eight in the Finance department and join a very welcoming team of 95 highly engaged and passionate staff at The Rivers Trust.
Main duties and responsibilities:
Working alongside the CEO, the Finance Director will provide commercial, financial and governance management and leadership for The Rivers Trust ("the Charity") and its associated subsidiaries (“The Companies”). The FD will not only be an exceptional accountant, with executive oversight of the finance function, but will be commercially astute and have the confidence to represent robustly the best interests of The Companies. The FD will also be an experienced manager of people.
Key Accountabilities:
- Act as a business partner to support and constructively challenge the CEO in the general management of the Charity and the Companies, reporting to the board.
- Lead all aspects of the finance function (including maintaining and developing the financial control environment; robust financial accounting; cashflow management; incisive management information; clear and concise reporting to Board) to ensure that the Charity and the Companies’ assets are secured, risks are managed, and the Board of Trustees, subsidiary boards and committees can make well-informed decisions.
- Manage relationships with auditors, funders, IT specialists, banks, investment platforms and other external organisations.
- Provide support to project bids and the development of other commercial opportunities to ensure that bids/opportunities are optimised for the Charity and the Companies as a whole.
- Provide input to project and programme delivery from time to time, to ensure that performance is maximised for the Charity and the Companies.
- Attend Board meetings and Business Audit and Risk Committee meetings to guide the Board and the Senior Management Team on financial, commercial and governance issues.
- Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission and Companies House and, from time to time, provide guidance to members of the Rivers Trust movement on good governance practice.
- Maintain the finance department operational manual for business continuity.
- Serve as the Company Secretary for the Charity and Companies.
Staff Management:
- Lead, manage and develop the finance team (who work remotely) and ensure the team understands their respective and collective contribution to achieving the Charity's and the Companies’ objectives.
- Support the team in their professional development.
- Ensure the team delivers a high-quality service focused on internal and external customers and funders.
Knowledge, skills, experience, and personal qualities:
Essential
- Significant experience in financial management and senior leadership roles, ideally gained in a range of organisations.
- A strategic thinker, able to see the big-picture, shape long-term direction and balance this with attention to detail.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills combined with creativity and openness to innovate.
- Strong IT and digital skills, with experience of using technology to improve efficiency and automate processes.
- Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of managing, developing, and inspiring teams and creating a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative culture.
- Excellent relationship builder, with the interpersonal skills to influence, collaborate, and provide constructive challenge while maintaining positive relationships across the organisation, including with trustees and senior stakeholders.
- Experience reporting to boards of trustees and/or directors, with the confidence to contribute to board-level discussions as a trusted adviser.
- Strong written and verbal communications skills, able to distil complexity into pertinent, concise and understandable messages tailored to diverse audiences.
- The courage to make and communicate tough decisions and be open about risks and setbacks.
- Resilient and calm under pressure, with the ability to maintain focus and steady leadership in challenging circumstances.
- Impeccable standards of integrity and personal ethics, acting as a role model for the organisation values.
- Knowledge of Sage financial software packages.
- Work to a good standard in Microsoft 365, especially Excel, Word, Outlook and Teams.
Desirable
- Experience of working in the charitable sector.
- Experience of being a Company Secretary.
- Understanding of the environmental sector or a passion for making a positive impact.
- Familiarity in using Sharepoint, Sage and Slack.
- Knowledge of Partial Exemption VAT rules.
- A basic understanding of Irish tax law, Irish and UK payroll taxes and corporate governance.
Qualifications/ Education
- Qualified Accountant, preferably ICAEW or ACCA.
Additional information
Everyone who works for us is expected to contribute to a respectful and inclusive working culture and follow our policies and procedures including Health & Safety, EDI, Cybersecurity and GDPR.
Please note we can only accept applications made through this site, and not sent by email or other methods.
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you through the process, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
To apply please send your CV and a covering letter.
Closing date: Wednesday 24th September 2025
We may close this vacancy early if we receive a strong pool of applications, so we encourage early submission
A leading environmental charity, and umbrella body for the Rivers Trust Movement, our vision is for wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Role Summary
Join our team and help us improve public sector food across the UK with our School Plates and new Hospital Plates programmes. We're looking for a passionate and driven Chef Trainer to support schools and hospitals in delivering healthier and more sustainable menus.
The programmes continue to go from strength to strength. Through School Plates, we currently support over a third of all UK local authorities, catering for more than 12,000 schools and feeding over 1.25 million children daily. To date, we have been responsible for swapping over 50 million school meals from meat-based to meat-free or plant-based. We're now expanding our successful model into the health sector with our new Hospital Plates programme, bringing the same positive change to patient and staff menus.
Are you a skilled chef trainer with a passion for improving public food? Can you match our ambition? You'll be using your culinary expertise to train catering teams in both schools and hospitals, provide menu advice, and get involved with recipe development and culinary education. You will also run cooking workshops for pupils in secondary schools, inspiring the next generation to get excited about plant-based food. You will also build and manage relationships with our catering partners, helping them deliver delicious and sustainable meals. This is a UK-wide role and will require travel to different sites.
We’re looking for someone to join our team for 3 days a week but are open to applicants looking for flexible working hours, including, potentially, 4 days a week.
Job Details
Job Title: Chef Trainer - School Plates & Hospital Plates
Reporting to: Programme Manager, UK
Location: Remote (home-based with travel across UK)
Hours: 21-28 hours per week (0.6-0.8 FTE)
Salary: £32,000 per annum pro rata (based on 1.0 FTE)
Responsibilities
As our Chef Trainer & Programme Support, you'll be a key player in developing and delivering our School Plates and Hospital Plates programmes. You'll use your culinary expertise and passion for food system change to create resources, train professionals, and engage with our partners.
Key Responsibilities
-
Recipe Development & Training: You'll co-lead the creation, testing, and development of new plant-based recipes for our school and hospital programmes, and lead on developing ‘grab-and-go’ and internationally inspired options for secondary schools. You'll also plan and deliver training sessions, including in-person and online workshops, and create e-learning courses for caterers.
-
Programme Development & Support: Work closely with programme managers to develop and refine the strategy for our initiatives. This includes supporting pilot programmes, measuring their impact, and creating bespoke catering resources for our partners.
-
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Represent our organisation at events and in meetings, providing expert catering advice and information on our programmes. Collaborate with our communications manager to create engaging content, including recipes and videos for our website, e-learning platform and social media.
-
Education & Outreach: Partner with our education manager to plan and co-deliver secondary school cooking workshops. These sessions will teach pupils basic plant-based culinary skills that align with the National Curriculum as well as inspire the next generation to choose plant-forward options and learn about the impact of their food choices in a positive way.
-
Inspire Catering Teams: Your role is to build and maintain relationships with catering partners, providing expert catering advice and practical recipe suggestions. You'll work with them directly on pilot programmes, offering bespoke support to inspire positive menu changes. You'll also provide essential administrative support for our programmes and help create and deliver presentations to promote our work to a wider audience.
Qualifications
Essential
-
Experienced in planning and delivering cooking workshops to groups.
-
Experience of working in a culinary setting and developing recipes with a strong interest in plant-based recipes.
-
Excellent communication skills and be a confident and engaging educator.
-
Flexible and agile approach, with a willingness to be a true team player and fill gaps as needed.
-
Proactive with initiative and drive.
-
Strong organisational skills.
-
Attention to detail.
-
Solution-focused and resilient.
-
Confident in creating basic spreadsheets and slide decks.
-
Ability to work well under pressure and manage time effectively in a fast-paced and small but fast-growing non-profit work environment.
-
Ability to work well unsupervised with experience of working in remote teams with a reliable internet connection.
-
Passionate about food systems change.
-
Alignment with our vision and mission.
-
Based in the UK and able to attend meetings, events, and training to represent the team and programme across the UK.
-
Willing to travel across the UK for workshops and events.
Desirable
-
Experience of working within school and/or hospital food.
-
Experience of food photography and creating recipe content for social platforms or online courses.
-
Experience of managing projects.
-
Experience of liaising with local authorities, schools, or other public sector bodies.
-
Experience in the field of nutrition, including an interest in plant-based nutrition.
-
Experience of working in the food, health or environmental sector.
-
Experience of using customer relationship management (CRM) systems (training will be provided).
Benefits of working with us
-
Generous annual leave entitlement - 25 days per year, with an additional day granted at the start of each calendar up to a maximum of 30 days (plus bank holidays)
-
A strong organisational focus on personal development, with a designated training budget.
-
Provision of a work laptop.
-
Flexible, trust-based working arrangements and home-office arrangements.
-
Career development support
-
Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay
-
Compassionate animal companion leave
-
Employee Assistance Programme including counselling
-
Access to 24/7 virtual GP Service
-
Mindfulness support via a free Headspace account for you and up to 5 friends or family members
-
Access to the Wisdom app with exclusive perks and discounts
-
Membership to the OpenUp platform
-
We are a workplace that encourages everyone to bring their whole selves to work. We are an inclusive workplace for our diverse employees around the world.
-
And, last but not least, become part of a great team and work with us towards a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet!
When?
Application deadline: 5th October 2025
Start date: November 2025
Application process and timeline
Please submit your application using our online form including your CV and cover letter. By submitting your application you agree that your personal data will be processed by and shared with our UK entity (ProVeg C.I.C.) and German entity (ProVeg e.V.).
The recruitment process consists of two rounds: 1): an online trial task; 2): an interview with the Programme Manager and Director.
-
Application deadline: 5th October 2025
-
Online trial task: sent to longlisted candidates by 10th October 5pm, to be completed by 12 October at 5pm
-
Interviews: take place on 21st and 22nd October 2025
-
Start date: November 2025
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.