Strategic design lead jobs in Manchester

One in 20 adults in the UK has never learnt to read at all. This can have a serious impact on their confidence and wellbeing, limiting access to training, employment, and everyday opportunities that many take for granted. Being unable to read as an adult can be isolating and dangerous, reinforces social inequality, restricts economic growth, and worsens intergenerational disadvantage - but it is never too late to learn.

Read Easy helps adults transform their lives by learning to read. It does this by supporting its growing network of locally run, volunteer-led affiliated groups that offer free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching—both in person and online to adults - aged from 18-88. 

With its free, flexible, confidential approach, Read Easy encourages people who are too embarrassed to join a class to come forward for one-to-one support. Each new reader is provided with their own personal Reading Coach, so that they can learn in private and at their own pace. Learning to read transforms their lives in many other ways as well, including enabling them to support their children’s and grandchildren’s reading, and so transfers the benefits to the next generation.

There are currently 80 affiliated Read Easy groups across England, together involving more than a thousand volunteers. Read Easy UK is the registered charity and umbrella organisation which supports this network of affiliated volunteer groups and provides the structure, training and support to enable volunteers to establish groups in new areas.

As our Central Regional Adviser, your role would be to provide strategic leadership, guidance, and oversight to ensure that all volunteer groups consistently deliver high-quality services aligned with Read Easy UK’s strategy.

You will support local volunteer leaders to strengthen group performance, and foster collaboration across affiliated groups, so that that they deliver coaching to Readers with consistent quality, and a positive and worthwhile experience is had by all.

You will also find volunteers to ‘pioneer’ three new groups in the counties where there is no Read Easy presence in the East and West Midlands and East of England and provide them and our 29 existing groups and pioneers in the region, with high-quality support. Your quality support will ensure that they provide the same for their volunteers and new Readers. From meeting (mostly online) with Team Leaders to provide one to one support, and hosting online and annual in-person volunteer forums, to delivering presentations and occasional training for small groups of volunteers, this is a dynamic and rewarding role.

This is a home-based post requiring flexibility, some early evening working and occasional travel to visit groups. The role is available on either a full or part time basis (min 32 hours p/w, 85% of 37.5 hours p/w FTE).

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Live within one of the following areas: West Midlands (Defined as the 7 metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton), Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire or Rutland;
• have been employed to work with volunteers for at least two years;
• have strong people management and interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills; and the confidence to run meetings and deliver presentations.

Salary & Benefits 

• Annual Salary £25,973 (85% FTE) - £30,385 (100% FTE)
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and Christmas closing and 2 days volunteering leave – pro-rata for part time roles
• Company sick pay to financially support you when you are unwell (above statutory upon completion of probationary period) 
• Support when extending your family – company parental and adoption pay (above statutory after 12 months service) 
• Access to RewardHub – which gives retail discounts and has a ‘Wellbeing Centre’ with tools, tips, recipes, workout videos and guides which will help you to reach your own wellbeing goals 
• Training and Development opportunities and resources – we are developing personal plans in this area to enhance employee experience and opportunity 
• A collaborative, creative and inspiring working environment full of committed and passionate employees and inspirational volunteers 

We strive to ensure our recruitment practices are fair, open, easy to access and as inclusive as possible. We aim to recruit a team which broadly reflect the local communities which we serve; to work with and learn from each other to continually improve the service we deliver to our Readers. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Group is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion, ensuring a culture where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We welcome you to apply and be your authentic self.

When applying for a job with us, if an applicant has a disability covered by the definition outlined within the Equality Act 2010 and can show that they meet the ‘essential criteria’ described in the person specification for the role being applied for, they are guaranteed an interview for the job for which they are applying through our Disability Confident scheme.

If you need any support with your application, please contact us,

The closing date for this post is 10:00 Tuesday 3rd March 2026. Should you be shortlisted, the first round of interviews will take place online on Tuesday 10th March, with in-person interviews, being held in Birmingham, on Tuesday 17th March 2026. 

The successful candidate will be invited to meet the team on 15th April in Birmingham, should they be able to do so.

About Parenting for Lifelong Health:

Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) aims to empower parents to improve child development, reduce family violence, and promote mental health. We give parents the support they need, the skills that work, and trusted advice they can count on to protect and support their children’s health, safety and development. Our parenting courses are developed with families, powered by low-cost and accessible technology, backed by rigorous evidence, and delivered within systems. Originally founded as an initiative in 2012 in collaboration with UNICEF and the WHO, Parenting for Lifelong Health was established as a UK charity in 2022 and since then has reached over 8 million families in more than 35 countries. 

PLH Values

• Courage

We have the courage to design for the big picture and complex problems with a commitment to creating sustainable solutions that last.

• Evidence

We believe our work transforms the lives of children, families, and communities. Evidence of impact guides every decision, and we are relentless in pursuing the greatest impact with the least investment of time and resources required for parents and providers.

• Playfulness

Parenting and child wellbeing thrives on play — and so do we. We experiment, learn from each other, as well as from parents and children, and create playful and engaging products and programmes that inspire joy, curiosity, and connection.

• Respect

Everyone brings something essential. We show kindness in our team, honesty with our partners, and deep respect and empathy for parents and children, and those who are on the frontline of providing services for them.

PLH has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in how we work, who we work with, and what we do. Candidates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

PLH also has a strong commitment to the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). All candidates considered for the role will be subject to background and reference checks in their country of residence. 

Benefits: Flexible remote-working, home office set-up, unlimited annual leave, professional development opportunities, enhanced pension contributions, enhanced statutory leave provisions including maternity and paternity leave.

About the role:

The Senior Director of Finance is the most senior finance professional at Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH). The role provides strategic financial leadership and ensures the organisation meets its fiduciary, regulatory, and governance obligations as a UK charity, while enabling responsible growth and global scale.

Acting as the organisation’s senior finance lead, the postholder will support the CEO and Board of Trustees to meet their statutory duties under UK charity law, including duties of care, prudence, and accountability, while building robust financial systems aligned to PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model.

The role ensures that PLH’s resources are used exclusively to further its charitable purposes, safeguarded appropriately, and managed transparently in the public interest.

Responsibilities:

Charity Governance, Fiduciary Oversight, and Trustee Support

• Act as the primary source of financial advice to the CEO and Board of Trustees, supporting trustees to fulfil their legal and fiduciary duties under UK charity law.

• Support the effective functioning of the Board Finance Committee, including preparation of high-quality financial papers, scenario options, and risk analyses.

• Ensure trustees have clear oversight of:

  • Financial performance against approved budgets

  • Liquidity, reserves, and solvency

  • Financial risks and mitigations

  • Long-term sustainability and going-concern considerations

• Ensure financial decision-making aligns with PLH’s charitable objects, governing documents, and public benefit obligations.

• Support compliance with Charity Commission guidance, including SORP (Standard Operating Procedures), CC3 (The Essential Trustee), CC12 (Managing a Charity’s Finances), and CC19 (Charity Reserves).

• Support trustees in understanding and exercising oversight of charity-wide financial risk, including downside and stress-test scenarios.

Financial Strategy, Planning, and Sustainability

• Lead the costing and financial modelling of PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model, ensuring affordability, sustainability, and strategic coherence.

• Design, implement, and institutionalise a three-tier scenario planning framework (base, growth, and downside cases) to support prudent and adaptive decision-making.

• Develop a long-term (3-5 year) financial sustainability model projecting:

  • Revenue by source (restricted and unrestricted)

  • Expenditure and staffing growth

  • Enterprise risk management (ERM) contributions

  • Reserves, liquidity, and risk exposure

• Develop, maintain, and regularly review PLH’s reserves policy, including target levels, rationale, and planned use, in line with Charity Commission expectations.

• Advise senior leadership and trustees on the financial implications of growth, innovation, and funding opportunities.

• Provide forward-looking financial insight to support organisational decision-making under uncertainty and changing funding conditions.

Financial Management, Reporting, and Controls

• Work closely with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate, complete, and timely accounting records in accordance with UK charity accounting standards (SORP FRS 102).

• Provide strategic oversight and assurance over organisation-wide financial reporting, using management accounts and dashboards prepared by the Finance Manager to inform executive and trustee decision-making.

• Ensure proportionate internal controls, segregation of duties, and approval frameworks are current and implemented by the Finance Manager.

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive financial risk management framework covering:

  • Liquidity and cash-flow risk

  • Donor concentration and funding dependency

  • Currency and foreign exchange exposure

  • Contractual and grant compliance risk

  • Contingency and downside planning

• Ensure effective coordination between in-house finance staff and outsourced accounting and payroll providers, maintaining clear accountability and quality assurance.

Audit, External Reporting, and Transparency

• Oversee the annual audit process, supporting the Finance Manager’s role as primary liaison with external auditors and ensuring timely completion of statutory accounts.

• Support trustees in reviewing and approving:

  • Statutory financial statements

  • Trustees’ Annual Report

  • Financial disclosures to regulators

• Ensure high standards of financial transparency and accountability to donors, partners, regulators, and the public.

• Oversee statutory filings and financial reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House.

• Contribute to narrative financial reporting on sustainability, risk, and reserves where appropriate.

Organisational Financial Capability and Culture

• Develop and maintain clear financial policies, procedures, and approval workflows to support consistency, compliance, and accountability.

• Embed a culture of financial stewardship, prudence, and shared accountability across the organisation.

• Promote ethical financial practice and safeguarding of charitable assets in line with PLH’s values and public-interest obligations.

Team Leadership and Management

• Lead and develop PLH’s finance function, including line management of the Finance Manager and oversight of external bookkeeping and accounting partners.

• Ensure the finance function is appropriately resourced, scalable, and fit for a growing, multi-country organisation.

• Set clear objectives, performance standards, and professional development pathways for finance staff.

• Promote ethical practice, professionalism, and continuous improvement within the finance team.

• Provide mentoring and strategic development support to mid-career finance staff as the organisation grows.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Senior-level financial leadership experience.

• Strong understanding of UK charity governance, trustee responsibilities, and Charity Commission expectations.

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic financial planning, scenario modelling, and reserves management.

• Proven experience establishing robust financial controls, reporting systems, and audit processes.

• Experience working directly with Boards and Board Committees in a governance context.

• Demonstrated experience embedding or overseeing organisational-wide financial risk management frameworks.

• Ability to translate complex financial analysis into clear, decision-ready advice for trustees and senior leaders.

• Experience operating in organisations with a mix of restricted, unrestricted, and partially recoverable income streams.

• Comfort working in an evidence-driven, analytically rigorous organisational environment.

• Strong people leadership and management capability.

• High levels of integrity, sound judgement, and commitment to PLH’s charitable aims.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Financial leadership experience within a UK charity, international NGO, or comparable not-for-profit organisation.

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA) or equivalent experience.

• Experience with multi-country, multi-currency operations and restricted funding environments.

• Familiarity with UK charity accounting (SORP FRS 102).

• Experience working closely with trustee Finance or Audit & Risk Committees.

• Familiarity with donor concentration risk analysis and income diversification strategies.

• Exposure to safeguarding or PSEA considerations from a financial governance perspective.

• Experience supporting organisational growth and scale within regulated charity contexts.

Funders In Good is looking for a Programme Officer to join our programmes team and help deliver initiatives that support and grow social ventures.

Funders In Good provides capacity-building support, including training, diagnostics, tailored grants, and strategic support, to help social ventures enhance their growth and impact. By 2035, our goal is to help build 10 best-in-class community organisations serving Islam and Muslims in the UK. We back ventures and leaders who are contributing to our vision of a society in which commitment to God is flourishing.

As a Programme Officer, you will work closely with the existing team to develop and deliver high-quality interventions. You will support key areas of work within our programme framework, contribute to the delivery of ongoing projects, and assist in other important areas of the organisation, such as our Funder Community and core operations.

We are looking for an organised, experienced, and confident Programme Officer who is committed to our vision.

To apply for the role, please submit your CV and prepare a supporting statement (maximum 200 words per question), answering the following questions:

1. What resonates with you about Funders In Good’s God-centred mission and long-term approach?

2. How you would plan, deliver, and evaluate a cohort-based capacity-building programme.

3. How you would handle a disengaged venture leader while managing competing programme priorities.

Please read the Job Description for full details or to arrange an informal chat with the team.

The Food Ethics Council's mission is to put people, animals and planet at the heart of every food decision. We're looking for a part-time Communications lead to take the lead on designing and delivering communications that support us to engage with our key audiences and tell strong authentic stories about the work we do in the food system.

Duties: include supporting the Executive Director in developing and delivering the communications strategy, providing strategic input on framing and language of our work, using social media to develop communities of interest, website management, designing social media assets, liaising with comms teams in organisations we partner with, writing and coordinating blogs and/ or video content. See job description for list of main duties.

Employee benefits: We offer flexible working. We will pay a pension contribution of 4% of your basic pay per month (minimum employee contributions required in line with pensions law, unless you choose to opt out). Annual leave - 25 days per year + public holidays FTE 

#Communications Lead #Flexible Working #Remote Working #Engagement #Storytelling #Digital

Strategic Development & Growth Lead

Autistic Parents UK (APUK)
Part-time – 12 hours per week | Remote (UK-based) | Fixed-term (3 years) 

Autistic Parents UK (APUK) is a national Disabled People’s Organisation led by and for autistic parents. We are entering an exciting new phase of development and are looking for a Strategic Development & Growth Lead to help shape and strengthen our future.

This is a senior, strategic role within a small but ambitious charity. Working closely with our Board of Trustees and Services Lead, you will drive organisational growth, secure sustainable funding, and build partnerships that expand our reach and impact. You will play a key role in ensuring APUK continues to support autistic parents  across the UK while remaining firmly rooted in autistic-led, neuro-affirming values.

About the Role

You will lead on developing and delivering APUK’s organisational strategy, identifying opportunities for sustainable growth, and strengthening systems and infrastructure. A key focus of the role will be developing and implementing income generation strategies, including securing grants, building partnerships, and exploring new funding opportunities such as training and commissioned services.

You will also oversee marketing and communications strategy, helping raise APUK’s profile and engagement with communities, partners, and stakeholders. Alongside this, you will support internal development, including governance, monitoring and evaluation systems, and supporting the charity’s expansion as it grows.
The role is subject to a basic DBS check. 

About You

We are looking for someone with strong experience in strategic development, organisational growth, or income generation within the charity or not-for-profit sector. You will be a confident communicator with a proven track record of securing funding, building partnerships, and delivering strategic initiatives.

You will understand and be committed to Disabled People’s Organisation principles, neurodiversity, and the social model of disability. 

You will be comfortable working collaboratively in a remote, values-led organisation and able to manage priorities strategically within a part-time role.

Why Join Us?

APUK offers a supportive, autistic-led working environment with flexible working arrangements and opportunities for professional development. This is a unique opportunity to play a central role in shaping the future of a growing national organisation and making a direct difference to autistic parents and their families.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment and particularly welcome applications from autistic, neurodivergent and disabled people, individuals from racially minoritised communities, and LGBTQ+ applicants. We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

 

Cardiomyopathy UK is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by cardiomyopathy. We provide clinical information, emotional support, and work to influence policy and practice so that everyone affected by cardiomyopathy receives timely diagnosis, high-quality care, and support.

Our established Change Maker volunteer network brings together people with lived experience of cardiomyopathy who share their stories and the expertise it provides to advocate for meaningful policy and practice change. Change Makers contribute in a range of ways, from running awareness raising activities and supporting social media campaigns to engaging with MPs. Their work helps drive improvements in care pathways, raise public understanding of cardiomyopathy and provide valuable input into Cardiomyopathy UK’s policy development.

As the network enters its next phase, we are seeking a skilled and passionate Freelance Senior Advocacy Officer to help take it forward.

Role Purpose

The Freelance Senior Advocacy Officer will lead the growth and development of our Change Maker network, ensuring volunteers are supported, empowered, and equipped to influence change at local, regional, and national levels. In this role, you will work closely with the Policy Manager to design and implement a strategic plan for the network, and provide the training, tools and resources our volunteers need to advocate effectively. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in advocacy, campaigns or volunteer engagement, along with strong project management skills.

As a 0.4 FTE freelance role, responsibilities will be phased and prioritised over the course of the contract. 

Please see the job description and person specification for further details.

High Value Relationships Lead

Are you a senior fundraiser who thrives on building deep, meaningful relationships, understanding what motivates people, earning trust, and working collaboratively to make real change? Do you want your work to help create a world where people with a learning disability are valued equally, heard, and included in every part of society? If so, we want to hear from you.

At Mencap, we’re proud of the long-term partnerships we’ve built with organisations like Sport England, British Gas Energy Trust, and Pears. These are thoughtful, values-led relationships that have already delivered significant impact, and we know there’s even more potential to unlock. 

This is an exciting moment to join us. Our new strategy, Mencap 2030, sets out a bold vision for the organisation, and high-value fundraising is central to making it real. We’re investing in our fundraising capability, with an engaged and supportive Executive team, and an active CEO and Board who understand the power of transformational partnerships and are committed to backing this work. 

We’re looking for a High Value Relationship Lead, a strategic, relationship-driven fundraiser who can take our high-value fundraising to the next level – securing multi-year, transformational support and deepening engagement across major donors, trusts and foundations, and statutory funders. You’ll lead a talented, committed team, shape our high-value approach, and build strong, credible pipelines that turn ambition into real, lasting impact. Equally importantly, you’ll ensure our fundraising feels authentic, keeping people with a learning disability at the heart of every conversation, proposal, and partnership. 

This is a full-time (37.5 hours/week), permanent role with flexibility on location.

If you are passionate about transforming lives through the power of high‑value partnerships, we encourage you to apply now with an updated CV. Applications close on 1st of March with interviews to be held shortly afterward.

Benefits

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.

Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.

For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.

At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.

Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

·Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.

· Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes

· Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

Operations Lead

Salary: £32-£36k/year, depending on circumstances (5-day week equivalent is £40-45k/year)

Location: Remote

Working hours: 4-day week (30 hours), flexible, includes some evening and weekends

Contract: Fixed term - one year with intention to extend indefinitely, funding permitting

Closing date: 9am, Monday 2nd March

Interviews: Monday 9th March, Tuesday 10th March

Start date: April 2026

Overview

High energy costs are a nightmare for millions of UK households, while huge profits are made at our expense. Poor housing and heating systems are a key part of the problem, along with dependence on polluting, climate-changing fossil fuels. FPA is a campaigning organisation that sets out to attack the root causes of fuel poverty along with the specific injustices facing people and communities. We want to see the UK’s energy system decarbonised as rapidly as possible, with a just transition for communities and workers that includes affordability. 

Working closely with pensioners groups, trades unions, disabled campaigners, tenants’ organisations and others on the frontline of fuel poverty, we’re using protest and direct action to fight for real, sustainable solutions to the cold homes crisis. We are looking for a committed operations person and fundraiser who shares our passion and values, to oversee systems and processes which support our strategy and core team to do their best work.

About the role

Fuel Poverty Action (FPA) was started in 2011 by climate activists who wanted to ensure that the green energy transition doesn’t happen at the expense of those with less social and economic power. Rather, they saw the break with fossil fuels as an opportunity to end the scourge of fuel poverty in the UK - a chance to rethink priorities and design inequality out of the energy system.

We are seeking a new, well-organised Operations Lead to slot into this structure, to take care of administrative and operational functions and support the Directors with fundraising: bids, budgets and reports, managing relationships with funders and cultivating a donor pipeline.

This role would suit someone familiar with the operational and HR elements of running a company or organisation, somebody with management experience who is caring and collaborative and comfortable juggling a varied workload.

Critically, we are seeking someone who shares our political vision, as reflected in the Energy For All manifesto (link in attachment). 

Key responsibilities

• Administration: Managing the email inbox; maintaining up to date contacts and mailing lists; developing and refining systems, processes and platforms to support internal and campaign activities.
• Information management: Ensuring high standards of record keeping, data protection and secure information storage across the organisation, enabling staff and members to share and access resources and know-how. 
• Fundraising: Creating and implementing a three-year fundraising plan; managing existing donor relationships and completing reports; working with directors/fundraising volunteers on grant bids and budgets.
• Line management: Providing light touch management for at least one colleague.
• HR functions: Overseeing recruitment and onboarding of new staff and freelancers, overseeing HR policies and contracts, identifying training needs and opportunities.
• Strategic thinking: Inputting into FPA’s long and short term strategic plans, with an eye to the setting and monitoring of appropriate targets.
• Writing and editing: Including overseeing the production of our Annual Report.
• Events: Organising online and in-person events and meetings, including annual strategy days and a 2026 conference.

For the full person spec and further information, please refer to the attachment below.

Compensation Policy 

We’ll compensate team members on the following basis:

• All salaried team members are contracted on the same terms and conditions

• We have a 30 hour week maximum for all team members - most commonly worked as 4 x 7.5 hour days

• Team members are paid an equitable and sustainable compensation rate which is the pro rate equivalent to a full-time (5 day) salary of £40-45,000, regardless of role or level of experience

• Our compensation rates have been set following Platform’s best practice Social Justice Waging System:

Annual salary (30 hours per week):

• Band 1 - No dependents or children and inherited wealth: £32,000 

• Band 2 - One or more children or dependents and inherited wealth OR No inherited wealth but no children or dependents: £34,000

• Band 3 - One or more more children or dependents and no inherited wealth: £36,000 

Further details

• 4-day full time week

• 3% employer-matched pension

• Genuinely flexible working

• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays

• £15 / month working-from-home broadband stipend 

We have no central office or shared office budget, so it is imperative that you are comfortable working from home and that you are based in the UK.

Some costs-paid travel and monthly evening and occasional weekend working will be required.

The appointment will be for one year with a hope of extension, funding permitting, and a four month probationary period.

Please take a look at our website for a deeper understanding of what we do: fuelpovertyaction(dot)org(dot)uk

We particularly welcome applications from marginalised groups, especially people of colour and other ethnic minorities, people who identify as LGBTQIA, disabled people and those who identify as working class or have done so in the past. 

#Operations Lead #Operations #Operations Strategy #Strategic Operations #Fundraising #Fundraiser #Campaigns #Fundraising Campaigns #Fundraising Strategy #Social Justice #Climate

Income and Engagement Specialist

Are you a senior engagement specialist or fundraising leader who can see the big picture and also knows how to make things work brilliantly day to day? Do you believe that great systems and smart data only matter if they help you build more meaningful relationships with real people?

At Mencap, we’re at a genuinely exciting point in our journey. Our new strategy, Mencap 2030, sets out a bold ambition for the future, and engaging and growing our supporter base is central to making it happen. We’ve made significant investment in our engagement capability, including a state-of-the-art CRM, alongside face-to-face fundraising and digital innovation.

We’re now looking for an experienced leader to step into a senior interim role, providing stability, leadership and momentum across our engagement activity during a period of transition.

This role will lead all of our mass fundraising and engagement activity, including Individual Giving, Legacies, Community & Events Fundraising, and Supporter Care. It is a senior, influential role shaping how supporters experience Mencap, how we grow income sustainably, and how we build long-term relationships rooted in trust and shared values.

As part of the interim remit, the role will also provide operational oversight and support to our High Value Relationships team, working closely with the interim Executive Director of Fundraising and other colleagues to ensure continuity, strong performance management and clear oversight of income and KPIs during this period.

You’ll bring strategic vision and clarity, alongside strong operational judgement. You’ll know how to turn insight into action, how to use data intelligently (without losing the human touch), and how to lead teams through change with confidence and care. You’ll be comfortable holding performance, using financial and KPI information to support delivery and decision-making.

Just as importantly, you’ll recognise that our supporters aren’t just numbers or segments – they’re individuals who care deeply about our work and want to feel connected to the difference they’re helping to make.

You’ll lead the place where Mencap’s fundraising brand, proposition, and voice really come to life, designing experiences, appeals, campaigns and supporter journeys that reflect the voices and lived experiences of people with a learning disability and show the world why our work matters.

This is a full‑time role (37.5 hours per week), offered on a 9‑month fixed‑term contract, with flexibility on location.

If you’re excited by the opportunity to step into a senior interim leadership role, make the most of significant investment, and guide large, complex fundraising and engagement functions through an important period of transition, we’d love to hear from you! 

Apply now with an updated CV, applications close on 25th February, with interviews taking place shortly afterwards.

Benefits

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.

Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.

For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.

At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.

Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

· Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.

· Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes

· Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

PMRGCAuk is a small national charity dedicated to supporting people affected by polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA). We have a big impact, supporting patients with our small staff team and with the help of a proactive team of volunteers and working closely with leading rheumatologists and researchers to improve diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. As we continue to grow, we are looking for a passionate and dynamic Fundraising Officer.

Key focus of the role

This is a newly created role designed to develop and support our fundraising activities, particularly in the areas of legacy fundraising and grants and trusts, as well as increasing our membership, working alongside our small team. We are a small charity with big ambitions and this role is designed to help us grow and become sustainable in the future.

Key Responsibilities

Legacies:

· To develop a comprehensive legacy fundraising strategy and workflow, in collaboration with the Director and the Fundraising Committee.

· To work with colleagues to raise the profile of legacy fundraising, including production of materials, social media content, website development, etc.

· Work across the charity to ensure legacies are integrated across relevant channels to reach key audiences

· Build a portfolio of case studies in conjunction with the Deputy Director to showcase how legacy giving has impacted the community

Trust and Grants

· Identify and research a pipeline of potential Trust and Grant funders to secure financial support for the charity

· Work with the Director, trustees and other colleagues to develop fundraising applications for new and existing projects

· Develop compelling funding applications with service-user insight to Trust and Grant funders

· Manage and track existing funding received and complete appropriate reporting protocols to the relevant funders

· Produce timely and engaging project reports to inspire future funders and clearly measure impact of any funding received.

Membership

· To develop a strategy to increase membership, including professional membership

· To increase membership, including professional membership in conjunction with the wider PMRGCA team of staff and volunteers

General

· To lead on the development and establishment of a ‘shop’ on our website to generate additional funds.

· Support with other fundraising initiatives within the organisation, for example, Marathon in a Month, Big Give.

· Achieve agreed income targets, with a focus on securing funding from Trusts and Grants, as well as an increase in legacy donations and increased membership

Who We're Looking For:

• A proactive self-starter with experience of legacy and trusts and grants fundraising
• Someone with experience of working in a small voluntary organisation who recognises the needs to be flexible and adaptable
• Someone with knowledge of the UK voluntary sector and a passion for improving health outcomes.
• A strong communicator with excellent writing, project management, and financial skills.
• Someone who is confident with IT systems

Part time – 22.5 hours per week (equivalent to 3 days)

Salary range £27,000-£30,000 FTE (pro-rata 0.6 £16,200- £18,000)

Fixed term contract – 2 years

Location: Home based with occasional travel to meetings in London

This is a fixed-term contract for a period of two years. The fixed-term nature of the post reflects the charity’s current operational and financial planning cycle. Any extension beyond this date will be at the charity’s discretion based on organisational need and affordability.

Closing date: 5th March 2026

Please apply by sending a copy of your CV and a cover letter (no more than 2 sides) outlining why you feel you would be the perfect fit for this role and what you could bring to the organization.

Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier if we receive sufficient applications so, please submit your application as soon as possible.

The opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and values-led Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead East London Waterworks Park in this next phase of our development. This is a rare opportunity to shape the first paid executive leadership role in a pioneering environmental charity.

The CEO role is wide-ranging and dynamic, and will evolve as East London Waterworks Park grows. The CEO will provide strategic leadership to help realise our ambition to purchase the Thames Water depot site in East London, while strengthening our capacity to deliver community-led rewilding and nature-recovery projects across London in partnership with landowners, local authorities and other stakeholders.

An important aspect of the role will involve introducing a sustainable staffing model that complements and develops East London Waterworks Park’s existing volunteer ecosystem, and strengthens our culture, vision and values. The CEO will be supported in this work by long-standing volunteers at both trustee board and operational level, who believe in the benefits this organisational change will bring.

About East London Waterworks Park

East London Waterworks Park is a community-led charity working to reconnect people and nature. Starting from nature-first principles, and with inclusivity at the heart of everything we do, we work with communities to co-design spaces to unlock a chain of positive changes that culminate in the long-term transformation of people and place.

Our work includes:

• co-designing East London Waterworks Park with the East London community, working towards purchasing a 14-acre Thames Water depot in Waltham Forest and transforming it into a biodiverse urban park with free, accessible wild swimming and welcoming community spaces

• co-designing other nature-first spaces on disused or brownfield land in London, returning land to nature in collaboration with local communities to encourage long–term community stewardship

• hosting engagement, education, and empowerment activities that build skills, confidence and deeper connections to nature.

East London Waterworks Park is a sociocratic organisation, with a decentralised organisational structure and a transparent and collaborative approach to decision making. We have grown organically since 2019, responding flexibly to the challenges we have encountered but always committed to our core vision: creating a new kind of urban green and blue space: one that is ecologically rich, inclusive, and shaped by the people and wildlife who use it.

East London Waterworks Park is currently entirely run by volunteers but we recognise the need to transition to a more sustainable structure. We want to introduce paid employees to ensure we can deliver the exciting projects planned in 2026 and beyond, while retaining our strong community-led ethos.

More information

If this sounds exciting, please review the attached recruitment package.

We are recruiting a Head of Income and Engagement to provide strategic leadership and vision for two critical functions—Fundraising and Marketing & Communications—bringing them together into a unified, high-performing team. This role focuses on shaping strategy, building external relationships, and driving organisational growth through income generation and brand engagement, rather than day-to-day operational management.

You will set the direction for attracting significant funding, particularly through corporate partnerships, while strengthening what PAPYRUS already does well:

• Securing grants and trusts funding
• Harnessing the passion of our large, committed supporter base - including bereaved families and others who raise voluntary income for us

In a challenging financial climate, you will lead efforts to grow these income streams and maintain a strong, values-driven presence across press, social media, and broadcast channels. The role requires influence, innovation, and the ability to inspire all managers and staff, as well as external stakeholders.

Please visit the careers site for the full job description and person specification for the role.

Salary: £58,523 per annum (Scale SCP 46) progressing by increments to £62,852 per annum (Scale SCP 49)

Hours: 36 hours per week Location: Remote with regular travel across the UK

Contract: Permanent 

Benefits: You will receive 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time workers), hybrid and flexible working arrangements, an attractive pension scheme, Simply Health membership, enhanced sick pay and enhanced parental pay. Please visit our website for more details.

Closing date: midnight on 22nd February 2026

We reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier if we receive sufficient applications so, please submit your application as soon as possible.

PAPYRUS is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment, and its recruitment policies are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

PAPYRUS is committed to safeguarding all children, young people and adults at risk that interact with the organisation. The organisation recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of these vulnerable groups by a commitment to procedures to protect them. The charity expects all staff and volunteers to fully support and promote these commitments.

LGBT Foundation is an impactful, vibrant charity with a wide portfolio of well-established services and rapidly developing new initiatives aimed at meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people.  The Fundraising & Marketing Team at LGBT Foundation is a small yet collaborative group of professionals. They are dedicated to advancing the visibility and impact of the UK’s leading health and wellbeing charity. The team is responsible for implementing wide-ranging fundraising, communication, and marketing strategies. By leveraging various channels such as email marketing, the organisation’s website, video, social media, OOH advertising and traditional media, the team strives to support the national visibility, brand awareness, impact storytelling and income generation of the charity by attracting, engaging and stewarding a growing supporter base.   LGBT Foundation’s Partnerships & Philanthropy Advisor will work with fundraising & marketing colleagues to deliver against strategic objectives and achieve in-year financial targets, significantly increasing income and support, specifically from corporates, individual giving (donations), legacies and fundraising events. In this role as a Partnerships & Philanthropy Advisor, corporate partnerships (attraction, engagement, and retention) will be a priority, ensuring members see the value in our offer.   

You will also work with the Director of Fundraising & Marketing to shape four individual giving campaigns a year and two legacy awareness campaigns a year. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with the Marketing Manager to keep fundraising information on webpages and social channels active, ensuring regular promotion of charity challenges and shaping digital mobilisation efforts which will build the charity’s supporter base, attracting more new donors.   

You will support regular reporting on performance towards financial targets, working closely with colleagues to reconcile income, ensure Salesforce records and reports are up-to-date and that integrations support automated data flows.

We are taking positive action to encourage applications from people of colour (PoC) and other racially minoritised communities, trans*, non-binary, and/or older people (aged 50+), to improve the representation of colleagues from these communities in our staff team.

*Trans is an umbrella & inclusive term used to describe people whose gender identity differs from that which they were assigned at birth; including non-binary people, and those who partially or incompletely identify with their sex assigned at birth.

Chief Executive - Help & Care
Location: Home-based within easy reach of Dorset (regular travel across the region)
Salary: circa £85,000 per annum
Contract: permanent, either full-time basis (37 hours per week) or part-time (30 hours per week). We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements for part-time hours, including how these are worked across the working week.

Are you an innovative leader who will put communities and social justice at the heart of transforming how health and social care is delivered in Dorset and the south of England?

Help & Care has been supporting communities across Dorset and the south coast since 1985. We deliver person-centred services that promote dignity, independence and connection - from dementia coordination and health coaching to our award-winning Roots gardening programme and social prescribing partnerships. Working with over 25 partners across health, housing and the voluntary sector, we co-produce services that make a real difference to older people, those with long-term conditions, carers and people at risk of isolation.

As our new Chief Executive, you will collaborate with a dedicated Board and a strong, highly motivated team focusing on the following key areas of responsibility:

• Strategic leadership: Define an ambitious, values-led strategy and deliver it, securing long-term impact alongside sustainable financial growth.
• Values leadership: Place Help & Care’s values - social justice, innovation, personal and collaborative - at the heart of decision-making and model them through visible leadership.
• Growth & income diversification: Lead business development to diversify income streams, winning commissioned contracts and developing social-enterprise opportunities to reduce reliance on public commissioning.
• Partnerships & advocacy: Strengthen and sustain senior-level relationships across the NHS, local authorities, commissioners and the voluntary sector; represent Help & Care across systems, media and stakeholder networks.
• Service quality & impact: Embed rigorous monitoring and evaluation so outcome evidence drives commissioning decisions, improves financial performance and enhances the organisation’s reputation.

• People leadership: Inspire, retain and develop a high-performing, compassionate leadership team and workforce, focused on talent development, wellbeing and accountability.
• Governance & financial stewardship: Provide the Board with timely, high-quality reporting, oversee financial recovery or sustainability plans as required, and ensure robust risk, compliance and governance arrangements.

Who you are:

• An experienced CEO or senior director from complex, multi-service health, social care or community organisations, with experience of developing and delivering multi-agency contracts.
• Proven track record of securing commissioned contracts, leading tendering and contract oversight, and developing income diversification, including social-enterprise opportunities.
• Comfortable driving strategic transformation and financial sustainability, with demonstrable expertise in strategic financial management.
• A values-led, collaborative and visible leader with high emotional intelligence and resilience, committed to social justice, person-centred practice and co-production; an effective public representative and mentor.

Why Help & Care?

• Lead a highly respected regional provider with an outstanding track record of co-production and innovation.
• Shape an organisation poised for growth and greater regional influence.
• Hybrid, home-based working, regular travel across Dorset, and the chance to safeguard vital services for local communities.

For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 23rd February 2026. Interviews and assessments on 3rd, 4th and 5th March.

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.