Special project manager jobs in belfast, northern ireland
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!
Job TitleHead of Communications
LocationHome based (Home working with regular meetings in London)
Salary£45,000 - £55,000
HoursFull Time, permanent
Reports to Chief Policy Officer
About Parentkind
As one of the largest federated charities in the UK, with arguably greater reach into the lives of families and educational settings than any other non-Government organisation, Parentkind is on a bold and urgent mission: to support, champion, and empower parents to be partners in their children’s education and wellbeing.
Although best known for our support of almost 24,000 Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), Parent Councils, and Schools, helping them build strong school communities whilst they raise approaching £140 million each year to enhance children’s education, our work stretches far beyond the school gates. Parentkind is building a powerful movement that recognises parental engagement not as a nicety, but a necessity.
Supporting parents beyond the school gate
In recent years, families have faced a series of compounding challenges: the cost-of-living crisis, rising child poverty, and deepening educational inequality. These pressures have left many parents struggling to meet basic needs—let alone feel confident engaging in their child’s learning journey. Parentkind has responded to this moment with compassion, agility and purpose, through a series of transformative campaigns, resources, and partnerships.
Our No Cold Child initiative with FatFace stepped in to address a stark statistic: over 150,000 children in the UK do not own a winter coat due to poverty. Through our trusted relationships with schools we distributed 10,000 warm, high-quality coats worth £600,000 to the children who needed them most. Winning the Business Charity Awards ‘Fashion & Retail’ Award, and shortlisted for two further awards, the campaign has been praised not just for providing warmth, but for restoring dignity, inclusion, and school readiness to thousands of children.
The All Dressed Up campaign—developed with World Book Day and Rubies Masquerade—confronted the often-overlooked issue of financial exclusion on key celebration days. More than 100,000 free dressing up costumes worth £1.34 million were delivered to children from low-income families. By enabling participation in events like World Book Day, we helped spark imagination, joy, and belonging for children who might otherwise feel left out—boosting self-esteem and supporting a positive connection to learning.Furthermore, helping attract children into school on a day which often sees struggling parents keep their children at home.
Alongside these national campaigns, Parentkind supports families year-round through a growing suite of programmes designed to inform, prepare and empower parents. Our Be School Ready programme offers crucial guidance and confidence to parents preparing their children for the leap into primary education. With a mix of practical advice, developmental tips, and reassurance, through the distribution of 150,000 copies of Be School Ready and an online campaign, it supports families at one of the most formative moments in their child’s life.
We also deliver a wide-ranging series of live expert webinars and parent-friendly resources, covering topics such as managing anxiety, supporting special educational needs, navigating school transitions, and building home-school partnerships. These resources, developed in consultation with experts and rooted in lived parent experience, equip families to feel informed and empowered, no matter what challenges arise.
Our direct support of schools
Our collaboration with Asda on Cashpot for Schools is another example of unlocking support at scale. This innovative community-led funding model allowed shoppers to nominate and fund their local schools simply through everyday spending. This campaign has generated £5.78 million for schools during the past twelve months, supporting everything from basic classroom supplies to vital extracurricular programmes and pupil wellbeing initiatives. Also shortlisted for a Business Charity Award, it is already a model for community-driven philanthropy.
In April, we launched our Parent-Friendly Schools Accreditation Programme, designed to formally recognise schools that go above and beyond in fostering positive, inclusive relationships with parents. The accreditation celebrates schools that actively listen to parent voices, make engagement easy and accessible, and embed family partnership in their culture. It is a practical and inspiring tool to drive long-term change in the sector and offers a roadmap for schools wanting to strengthen their community.
Our focus on Policy & Research
Our work is grounded in evidence. Since 2023, we have conducted the UK’s largest annual parent survey: the National Parent Survey. With approaching 6,000 participants providing 130,000 bits of data to provide invaluable insights into the struggles, concerns, hopes and fears of parents. The findings are fed directly into government consultations and have already informed national debates on school funding, attendance, mental health support, SEND provision, and curriculum reform.
In each of the past two years the number of policymakers, educators, parents and researchers accessing the National Parent Survey exceeded seven thousand, and the survey featured in more than two hundred media outlets each year.Excitingly, the Times & Sunday Times are partnering with Parentkind to raise the profile even further in September 2025 and the survey will be launched at a lighthouse event featuring the Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson), the Ofsted Chief Inspector of Schools (Sir Martyn Oliver), the CEO of Mumsnet (Justine Roberts), the Children’s Commissioner (Dame Rachel De Souza), and our own Chief Executive (Jason Elsom).
In addition to the National Parent Survey, Parentkind undertakes representative polling of parents throughout the year on a variety of important topics, which increasingly find exposure in the media and policy discussion.
Parentkind provides the secretariat for the Westminster APPG for Parents and the Stormont APG for Parental Participation in Education. Two very successful parliamentary groups bringing together policymakers and a variety of stakeholders to consider the challenges faced by parents and act as a voice for them through a variety of policymakers.
Our Media Engagement
Since becoming recognised as the UK’s largest parent charity, with likely more groups and frontline volunteers than the Scouts or Girlguiding, Parentkind has gained increasing prominence in the media.Beyond the reach of the National Parent Survey and our regular polling, Parentkind receives frequent requests for quotes of reflection and input by media in relation to their journalism and from Government and non-Government entities in support of policy announcements.
Beyond this, the Parentkind community of volunteers and PTAs share local or regional media announcements of their own.Whether or not it celebrating the completion of large projects they have invested countless hours and thousands of pounds into realising, or the community event they have worked into the night to deliver for their school communities.
It will be your role to take this much further, gaining increasing exposure for the work of Parentkind, its community, and parents more broadly.
If you believe, like we do, that when parents matter, children succeed, we’d love to hear from you.
The role will involve:
· Promoting our parent polling data and work across social media platforms with eye catching content.
· Providing comment on topical issues for social media so that we are part of the conversation.
· Build the right relationships to dramatically increase the number of of media organisations seeking input and thought leadership from Parentkind.
· Build relationships with broadcast media so we get asked to appear on broadcast media more often. There’s a chance for you to be a talking head too.
· Help to draft parent polls and reports with a focus on compelling questions that will hit the front page. We need a brilliant writer, able to turn facts and figures into engaging narratives with bold headlines and strong messages that catch the eye. Boring writers need not apply…
· Draft eye catching press releases with bold headlines and a compelling narrative to promote the work we do across the charity. You’ll also place the press releases with national journalists leading to high profile coverage.
· Support the authoring of articles, op-eds and blog posts by members of the Executive Leadership Team.
· Be responsible for media monitoring, measuring our media hits, and reporting on coverage and interesting themes for the Executive Leadership.
Your mission is to massively increase our online, in print and social media presence to make us the highest profile parent charity in the UK. We don’t need you to be an education expert, we need someone to get us on the front page.
We have a huge amount of data on what parents think and we need you to get it seen. This is a great job for someone who wants to grab hold of a “comms” function and make it their own.
Parentkind is a UK wide charity, you will be expected to support our work in other parts of the UK where necessary.
For 'Person Specification' please see the job description
UK-based applications only will be considered.
Thank you!
Job title: Professional Communities Manager
Reporting to: Director of Membership
Line Manager Responsibility for: Professional Communities Co-ordinator
Location: This is a remote UK-based role with regular travel to CST’s national and regional events, mainly in Birmingham and London. Candidates within reasonable travel distance to these locations are preferred.
Salary: £41,603 - £45,470 a year.
Pension: We offer a workplace pension and life assurance scheme. CST makes contributions equivalent to 10% of your gross salary.
Annual leave: Initially 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with an additional two days leave after three years’ service.
Working hours: Full-time 37.5 hours.
Application Closing Date: Wednesday 27th August 2025, 12 noon.
Interview Date: First stage interviews will be conducted on Tuesday 9th September 2025, second stage interviews will be conducted on Thursday 11th September 2025.
Job overview
The Professional Communities Manager leads the development, content curation, and operational delivery of CST’s 11 Professional Communities. These networks, events, and forums are a core benefit of CST membership and are provided free of charge to members.
This is a proactive, member-focused role that blends operational excellence with strategic content oversight. The postholder will work directly with community chairs, subject experts, community supporters, CST platinum partners and members to ensure that all communities are vibrant, professionally hosted, and deliver high-quality, relevant content.
The role also plays a key part in ensuring a joined-up approach to content across CST’s full range of activities, working closely with the professional learning and conference teams and partnerships to ensure alignment and maximise value for members.
Key responsibilities
Strategic Development and Continuous Improvement
- Develop and implement strategic plans to strengthen the value, engagement, and content of CST Professional Communities.
- Set clear objectives and KPIs to monitor success and drive continuous improvement of community services.
- Regularly evaluate community activity, identifying ways to increase engagement, relevance, and impact for members.
Community Content Curation and Management
- Oversee the quality, consistency, and relevance of content across all 11 Professional Communities, ensuring alignment with member priorities and organisational objectives.
- Work in partnership with community chairs, subject experts, community supporters and CST’s platinum partnerships to proactively commission, curate, and quality-assure community content (e.g., webinars, blogs, resources, discussions).
- Work closely with the professional learning and conference teams to ensure a joined-up, coherent approach to content across CST activity, avoiding duplication and enhancing overall member value.
- Identify content gaps and work creatively, including drawing upon resources and contacts within the policy and partnership team to address them, ensuring a balanced and evolving programme across the communities.
Community Engagement and Facilitation
- Lead and facilitate virtual and in-person community events, ensuring professional delivery and high-quality member interaction.
- Support and brief speakers, chairs, and contributors to ensure a consistently excellent experience for members.
- Actively promote member engagement through community platforms and other channels, driving participation and interaction.
Stakeholder Relationships
- Build and maintain strong relationships with CST members, community chairs, speakers, and supporters.
- Collaborate with internal colleagues across membership, communications, professional learning, policy, and conference teams to maximise the impact of community activities.
- Manage relationships with sponsors where appropriate, ensuring alignment with CST values.
Digital Platform and Event Management
- Oversee the effective use of digital and platforms (including CiviCRM and Hivebrite,) to host communities, deliver events, and share content.
- Manage operational aspects of events and online communities, ensuring smooth logistics and excellent user experience.
Data, Insight, and Reporting
- Monitor and report on community engagement, content performance, and member feedback, using data to guide improvements.
- Lead the ongoing development of data processes for the communities, ensuring accurate insights are captured and shared.
Team Leadership and Development
- Manage, develop, and support the Professional Communities Coordinator, fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
- Encourage learning and development across the team to ensure consistently excellent member service.
Adaptability and Wider Contribution
- Contribute to broader membership engagement strategies and initiatives.
- Undertake any other duties as required by the Director of Membership to support CST’s mission
Thank you!
We are a small but mighty team, with huge ambitions to transform more lives of those who live with an intellectual disability, through the power of sport.
If you are just looking for a job, then we are probably not for you. However, if you are an experienced Corporate Partnerships Manager with a track record of driving high-value, purpose-driven partnerships that create lasting impact and you are looking for a challenge, a chance to make a huge difference and you want to be part of a high performing team which gets things done, then we would like to hear from you.
We continue to be focused on our vision to create an inclusive world for all, driven by the power of sport, through which people with intellectual disabilities live active, healthy and fulfilling lives. We are a small, but growing, team with huge ambitions, and applicants must be comfortable operating in an environment where working under your own initiative is expected and encouraged.
We are looking for people who are passionate about Special Olympics and are completely aligned with our values. We are authentic. We act with honesty, integrity and respect. We are creative and innovative. We love to embrace difference and doing things differently. We are brave, courageous, resilient and determined. We listen and are led by the voice of our athletes. We are always kind. We are Inclusion in Action.
We are continuing to build a high-performing team who care for each other and care about our cause. Our athletes are incredibly inspirational, courageous and insightful people, and they deserve a team who are equally committed and passionate about our mission.
How to Apply
For Job Role specifics please see the Job Description attached. The role is a fixed term contract to 31st March 2027, with the possibility of this being extended. The role will require travel, with 3 days per week traveling to Fuller, Smith and Turner sites. Previous applicants need not apply.
To apply, please send a covering letter (maximum 2 pages) explaining why you wish to work for Special Olympics GB. It is important that all prospective employees understand our mission and are driven by our cause. Please be specific about how your skills and experience will help you undertake this role. Generic letters and agency approaches will not be considered. Please also include your CV.
Closing date for applications is 04/08/25. First stage interviews will be held w/c 11/08/25.
Special Olympics GB is committed to equality and diversity and encourages all sections of the community, particularly those living with a disability, who meet the job requirements to apply. We are a Disability Confident Employer.
The job holder will need to provide evidence of their ability to live and work in the UK and will be required to undertake a DBS check.
We will only contact those who have been selected for interview.
We request no contact from agencies.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We are Special Olympics GB. We are Inclusion in Action.
Thank you!
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!
Cord is an international charity working to make peace a reality where people don’t have the freedom to exercise their rights. We work to build the relationship between those in power and local communities.
We believe that people flourish when all parts of society work together. Peaceful relationships make that possible. The simple act of talking begins a journey of growth which transforms mistrust, includes the excluded and turns adversaries into allies.
Cord operates in eight countries and implements programmes in the following areas:
- Empowering Women & Girls
- Accessing Fundamental Freedoms
- Climate & the Environment
- Economic Empowerment
- Supporting Stronger Societies
We are a small, committed team who love working together to make a huge impact. If you like the sound of us, then take a look at the recruitment pack and come and join our team!
About the Role
Are you someone who is passionate about seeing positive change in our world? Can you bring knowledge and creativity in designing innovative and effective peacebuilding programmes?
We are looking for someone to support our programmes and institutional fundraising with excellent writing skills, who is passionate about addressing the root causes of and inequalities caused by conflict. You will be someone passionate about the work Cord does and who can bring technical institutional funding expertise alongside peacebuilding knowledge to our small and committed team.
In this role you will lead the development of new programmes and institutional funding bids in line with Cord’s peacebuilding approach and 5 main programme areas. You will manage proposal submissions to Cord's key donors such as the EU, US State Department, GIZ, SDC, UN Peacebuilding Fund etc. You will be working closely with country teams to design and write proposals based on strong project designs developed in partnership with our local partners.
The role will also operate at a strategic level by managing Cord’s relationships with key donors and shaping how Cord communicates about its programmes and the added-value that Cord brings.
If you like what you read and are passionate about real and lasting change, come and join us and be part of the Cord story.
Application Instructions
To apply please send you CV and a covering letter that explains your interest in Cord and the role, and details how you fulfil the requirements of the role.
Please note: Funding for this position is contingent upon the successful award of external funding that is currently in process and expected to be finalised in Autumn 2025. Whilst the recruitment selection process will run concurrently, the official appointment of this role will take place after funding is officially secured.
This is a UK based remote role and applicants must have the right to work in the UK and the ability to travel to Coventry for team meetings.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
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!
Job Title: Policy and Influencing Manager
Organisation: Kids
Location: Remote (with travel to London up to once a week for meetings)
Salary: £33,000–£35,000
Contract: Full-time or 4 days/week (Flexible working available)
Make change happen – for every child.
At Kids, we believe every child should have the opportunity to thrive – regardless of disability or circumstance. As our Policy and Influencing Manager, you’ll play a vital role in making this a reality. You’ll help shape policies that amplify the voices and experiences of disabled children and young people, turning insight into influence and ideas into action.
This is a unique opportunity to lead bold, evidence-based policy work that reflects the lived experiences of the families we support. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation and sector, you’ll inform decision-makers, respond to developments in the SEND landscape, and ensure that young people’s voices are at the heart of the change we seek.
We’re looking for a passionate and proactive policy professional who’s ready to help build something powerful – and lasting – at a critical time for SEND reform in the UK.
What you'll do
Policy & Influencing
- Develop accessible and compelling policy briefings, consultation responses, reports, speeches, and presentations for a range of stakeholders, including MPs, government officials, and sector partners.
- Translate complex ideas into clear, persuasive communications that support positive change.
- Collaborate with our Youth Voice Manager to ensure our policy positions reflect the real experiences of the young people and families we support.
- Help deliver and monitor our policy and influencing strategy in collaboration with the Head of Policy, Voice and Influencing.
Research & Evidence
- Carry out high-quality research and analysis from both internal and external sources.
- Centre the experiences and insights of disabled children, young people, and their families in policy solutions
- Monitor policy developments across the SEND landscape and lead on timely, evidence-led responses.
- Track progress against our influencing goals and ensure our actions remain targeted and impactful.
Engagement & Relationship Building
- Build strong relationships with decision-makers across government and the public sector.
- Support the Head of Policy, Voice and Influencing to plan and deliver our strategic external engagement plan in order to focus and drive our wider influencing work
- Represent Kids at meetings and events, including engaging MPs, civil servants, and other key influencers.
- Work closely with internal teams and front-line colleagues to ensure our influencing work is grounded in practice and informed by those delivering services.
Collaboration & Strategic Partnerships
- Work alongside the Head of Policy, Voice and Influencing and Youth Voice Manager to deliver our external engagement strategy including deputising at meetings when required.
- Support collaboration across teams to bring in parent, carer, and young person voices.
- Contribute to external coalitions and alliances – attending meetings, aligning with others’ work, and championing Kids' policy priorities.
What you'll bring
Essential Skills & Experience
- Proven experience in a policy role and demonstrable experience of using policy and evidence to influence outcomes– ideally within the disability sector.
- Strong understanding of the SEND system and related policies and legislation (through lived or professional experience).
- Excellent writing skills – able to craft persuasive policy briefings, consultation responses, and reports with clarity and purpose.
- Confident communicator, able to engage a range of audiences in person and in writing.
- Strong research and analytical skills – able to sift through evidence and develop insight-driven policy recommendations.
- Ability to build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders and external partners.
- Highly organised, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- Passionate about inclusion, equity, and social justice – with a strong motivation to elevate the voices of disabled children and young people.
Why work at Kids?
We’re a mission-driven organisation, building a fairer world where all children have the opportunity to flourish. You’ll join a growing team in a pivotal role, helping to shape the future of policy and advocacy at Kids.
We’re committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We’re especially keen to hear from people with lived experience of disability or SEND, either personally or within your family or community.
Ready to create change that counts?
Apply now and help us influence a better, more inclusive future for disabled children and young people.
Note: We may close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please apply promptly
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
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 the role:
We’re searching for an experienced and ambitious corporate fundraising professional, to drive Back Up’s corporate partnerships programme.
In this pivotal role, you’ll develop and deliver a strategy to secure and grow mid and high-value, long-term partnerships that support our mission to support people affected by spinal cord injury. You’ll build strong relationships with new and existing partners and collaborate across teams to create impactful projects that align with our values. We pride ourselves in the strength of our partnerships and the difference we make together.
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with a strong track record in partnerships and sponsorships who is passionate about creating social impact and building meaningful, long-term relationships.
For full details please see our job description.
About us:
At Back Up, we have big ambitions. We launch our bold new strategy in April 2025 and together we’ll be working hard to make sure everyone affected by spinal cord injury has access to the support they need. We have a unique portfolio of high-impact services, and we are the only spinal cord injury charity in the UK providing dedicated services to children and young people.
At Back Up, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all our employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from those from black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds or those with higher level spinal cord injuries.
In 2024 Back Up won The Times and The Sunday Times Spotlight Award for Best place to work for disabled employees. Previously, Back Up was voted one of the top ten charities to work for (Third Sector Best Charities 2020). The enthusiastic, inclusive and supportive spirit of our very skilled staff ensure excellence in the services we deliver.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
At Back Up, we inspire people affected by spinal cord injury to get the most out of life.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Join Our Team as our Apprenticeship Onboarding Specialist
Lift Schools is a growing provider of high-quality, learner-focused apprenticeships in the education sector. We’re looking for a proactive and organised Apprenticeship Onboarding Specialist to guide new apprentices from enquiry to programme start, ensuring a smooth, compliant, and engaging onboarding journey.
About the Role
You’ll be the first point of contact for future apprentices, responsible for managing applications, conducting enrolment calls, supporting initial assessments, and ensuring all compliance documentation is complete and funding-ready.
What You’ll Need
- Experience in admin or customer service roles, working with multiple stakeholders
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; essential for stakeholder management
- Strong organisational skills with high attention to detail
- Determination and tenacity to ensure timely onboarding
- A learner-focused mindset and ability to manage multiple onboarding journeys
- Confidence and experience using digital systems (Google Suite; learning or CRM platforms)
- Knowledge or experience of apprenticeship funding rules and compliance
As our apprenticeship provision grows it may become a possibility to offer this role as full time at a later stage.
Who are Lift Schools?
Lift Schools is made up of 57 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 33,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential.
Our mission:
We will provide an excellent education to every child, in every classroom, every day.
With excellent leadership and teaching in every school, we will help children go on to lead successful and happy lives.
We will work with others beyond our network to benefit more children and communities.
How we support you
At Lift Schools, we believe talent drives performance. We offer you:
Comprehensive training: We offer bespoke training to help you hone your skills and progress your career.
Generous benefits: From your pension plan to healthcare and financial support, we've got you covered.
Lifestyle savings: Enjoy discounted gym memberships, travel deals, and even electric vehicle incentives.
The role is due to commence: September 2025
Closing date: 3rd August 2025
Interview dates: 14th and 15th of August (online)
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.
Lift Schools is committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.
Lift Schools embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and there is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Non Charity Employer
More than 1000
An excellent education for every child, in every classroom, everyday.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.