Strategic design lead jobs in manchester

This is a fantastic opportunity to build and grow Molly Rose Foundation's lived engagement and youth programmes, and to push for a safer online world driven by the needs and perspectives of lived experience.

Working at the intersect of tech accountability, online safety and suicide prevention, Molly Rose Foundation was founded following the death of 14-year old Molly Russell.

Today we’re committed to building and amplifying the voices of those with lived experiences of online harm – and to challenging government, regulators and tech firms to listen to and act decisively on what they have to say.

MRF is grounded in youth and lived experience, and we will always ensure the lessons of Molly's death act as a catalyst for positive change. You’ll help us maintain and grow our networks to build and amplify the voices of youth, bereaved parents and young people directly impacted by harms, and have a track record in working in partnership across the sector.

As Lived Engagement and Youth Manager you'll build strong internal and external relationships and ensure lived experience and youth runs through everything we do.

You'll manage day-to-day relationships with youth and lived experience advocates and have a strong focus on safeguarding and trauma-informed practice.

This is a rare opportunity to build a lived experience programme that really counts. We’re looking for an exceptional individual who’s motivated by the chance to really make a difference. Your work will help to ensure that tomorrow’s young people live long and stay strong.

MRF is committed to flexible working and we know that a diverse team makes us stronger. While we are recruiting for a full-time position, we will actively consider part-time and flexible working requests.

Please submit your CV and a cover letter, no more than two sides each, to apply for this role. Please refrain from overly relying on AI in your application. 

White Ribbon is the leading organisation in the UK working to engage men and boys in ending violence against women and girls. Our mission is to prevent men’s violence against women through addressing its root causes, gender inequality and harmful gender norms and stereotypes. We do this by working with individual men and boys, organisations, and the community, helping them to understand the scale of the problem, and how they can be part of the solution.

This is an exciting time to join White Ribbon as our work and profile has grown significantly over recent years as the importance of engaging men in ending violence has become more apparent. We have an increasing public presence, through campaigning activities, policy influence, in the media and online.

Location: This post can be fully remote or hybrid working at our offices in Hebden Bridge, but you must be willing and able to travel to meet with colleagues and attend events and meetings throughout England and Wales.

You will be working closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to develop and implement an Engagement Strategy, developing our brand, updating our website and growing our social media channels.  You will be helping to deliver our flagship campaign White Ribbon Day and the following 16 days of activism.

Role

The Events Manager will lead the planning and delivery of Degrees’ international events, including workshops that bring together funded researchers and the biennial Degrees Global Forum conference. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, they will design and manage high-quality events that strengthen collaboration, showcase research outcomes, and advance Degrees’ mission to support equitable SRM research in the Global South. This role requires strategic oversight, attention to detail, and the ability to deliver complex international events from concept to completion. 

Key responsibilities

Lead planning and delivery of events 

• Be responsible for the planning, coordination, and successful delivery of Degrees’ international events, including the biennial Degrees Global Forum and—in cooperation with the programmes team—quarterly regional research workshops.
• Support the delivery of policy engagement and fundraising events.
• Develop event concepts, agendas, and formats that align with organisational priorities. 
• Work closely with colleagues across other workstreams—particularly the Fundraising and Policy Engagement teams—to ensure that events are aligned with strategic priorities, that logistical planning complements programme content and policy objectives, and that participants and speakers are appropriately supported.
• Be responsible for end-to-end event budgets, forecasting, variance reporting; lead procurement;

Operational and logistical management 

• Ensure the smooth delivery of all event logistics, including venue selection, letters of contribution to participants, travel and lodging arrangements, visas, supplier contracting, budget management, insurances and risk assessments.
• Ensure events run smoothly, on schedule, and within budget, whilst maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and participant experience.

Collaboration and stakeholder engagement 

• Work closely with colleagues across Degrees’ teams (programmes, policy engagement, communications, fundraising, and operations) to ensure events support strategic goals.
• Liaise with external partners, funders, and speakers to build strong relationships and deliver impactful, collaborative events.

Monitoring, learning, and continuous improvement 

• Capture lessons learned from each event and contribute to refining Degrees’ event strategy and processes.
• Support post-event communications, reporting, and knowledge sharing to maximise the impact and visibility of Degrees’ work.

Key relationships

• Within the Programmes team forge close working relations with the Programmes Manager and the three Programme Officers.
• Develop strong working relations with colleagues from the following teams i) Operations, ii) Policy & Engagement and iii) Communications
• Depending on future organisational growth, the role may require managing an Events Officer

Director of Communications – EMMS International (Remote, Scotland-based)

EMMS International is creating a new Director of Communications role following an organisational review, separating fundraising and communications into two Director posts. Reporting to and working closely with the CEO, the Director of Communications will lead all internal and external communications, raise the charity’s profile and influence, and provide strong strategic support to income-generating functions, especially fundraising. You will develop and deliver a multi-layered communications and external affairs strategy, lead a small Communications Team (including a new Head of Communications), and play a key role on the Executive Leadership Team.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing and implementing an organisational communications and external affairs strategy

• Leading EMMS’ rebrand in partnership with an external agency

• Growing and engaging core and new audiences across multiple channels

• Supporting fundraising colleagues with compelling campaigns

• Managing a small team, setting objectives/KPIs and overseeing performance and development

• Budget planning and financial oversight for the Communications function

• Representing EMMS at senior level, including Board meetings and sector bodies such as SIDA

What they’re looking for:
An experienced communications leader with a strong track record in strategic comms, audience growth, media engagement and campaign delivery. You’ll bring creative thinking, excellent written and verbal skills, experience managing and developing teams, and confidence operating at both strategic and hands-on levels. Familiarity with the Scottish charity, political and social landscape is essential, as is the ability to communicate effectively with both Christian and secular audiences in line with EMMS’ faith-based origins and healthcare mission. Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience is required.

Terms and benefits:

• Salary: £63,313 – £70,347 (depending on experience), with annual inflationary rise

• Remote role with monthly meetings in central Edinburgh (more frequent in first three months)

• 25–30 days annual leave depending on length of service + 10 public holidays

• 8% employer pension contribution (with salary sacrifice)

• Salary sacrifice scheme for electric vehicle lease

• Flexible working, travel expenses to office, access to Edinburgh office, some international travel

• Life assurance (three times annual salary) and Aviva Digi-Care app

Application:
Apply by CV and covering letter (each up to 2 pages) by Monday 12 January 2026. Interviews will be held in Edinburgh, with two stages. You must live in Scotland and have the right to work in the UK.

Bid Writer

Service: Business Development Team

Salary: £32,635 - £36,158 + £480 homeworking allowance FTE per annum (£26,108 - £28,926.40 per annum for part time, 29.6 hours per week + £384 homeworking allowance)

Location: Homebased

Hours: 29.6 hours per week (part-time, 4 days) to be agreed upon successful appointment

Contract: Permanent

Family Action & the Role’s Impact:

At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.

We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the

importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.

Main Responsibilities:

The Business Development Team provides a specialist support function to enable the organisation to achieve its growth objectives. We promote the strategic growth of the organisation by supporting the retention of existing work and securing new contracts via competitive tender, trusts, grants and statutory fundraising.

This is an exciting opportunity for a Bid Writer or someone with equivalent writing experience/knowledge to join us and write applications that fully articulate Family Action’s offer.  The post works closely with other organisational functions and the rest of the Business Development team to convey service models and content to funders.

Main Requirements (for details check the job description and person specification):

• Produce quality written material in easy-to-understand ways; convey ideas graphically and tailor documents to specific audiences
• Ability to establish effective working relationships at all levels, both internally and externally
• Experience relevant for your effectiveness in the role might be from various sectors and disciplines.  If you are passionate about supporting us to submit high-quality tenders and applications, achieving success rates whilst engaging with our services to contribute and evidence the impact of their work for inclusion in submissions then we would like to hear from you

Benefits:

- an annual paid leave entitlement of 30 working days plus bank holidays pro-rata

- up to 6% matched-pension contributions

- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions

- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers

- cycle to work scheme

- investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities

We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect.

To Apply:

·       Apply via our website by following the link and clicking the ‘Apply’ link to fill out our digital application form

· Closing Date: Monday 5th January at 9am

Interviews are scheduled to take place w/c 12th January virtually

All appointments with Family Action are subject to satisfactory Safer Recruitment checks.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process and you will be asked whether you require any adjustments if shortlisted for interview. We also make reasonable adjustments on the job, where required.

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Intersectionality is important to us and we welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates. We are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action because we know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and we strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support.

All candidates with a disability are welcome to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and request priority consideration for an interview, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role.

To help remove financial barriers to working with us, we will reimburse travel costs if you are invited to attend an interview in person.

*Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary scale (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary scale or there are any other exceptional reasons.

Dancers’ Career Development (DCD), the national charity that enables and empowers dancers to thrive professionally and personally leading up to and beyond their performance careers, seek a Fundraiser.

DCD’s Fundraiser will work closely with the Executive Director and be instrumental in increasing fundraised and revenue income. 

Our ideal candidate will be a creative thinker with an open mindset to propose and explore new avenues of fundraising and income streams.

This role is ideally suited to a self-starter with a passion for the performing arts, who is motivated to make a tangible difference to the quality of dancers’ lives.

If you are excited by this opportunity and resonate with DCD’s values, please get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

Contract: Full-time permanent role

Salary: £35,000 per annum, pro-rata

Start date: As early as possible

Location: This is a remote working role, with monthly in-person team meetings which take place in London or Birmingham. Due to additional in-person events and meetings, as appropriate to the role and usually in London, the Fundraiser should be either based in London or within commutable distance.

Benefits: 23 days holiday pro-rata plus Bank Holidays (increasing to 28 days with length of service), 5% Employers contribution to pension scheme, Health & Wellbeing package, Professional Development opportunities.

Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 9am, Thursday 22 January 2026

Info: Download job application pack from our website for full job spec and how to apply.

We’re looking for a dynamic Head of Governance & Business Administration to play a pivotal role in ensuring our organisation runs with integrity, transparency, and impact. This is an exciting opportunity to influence how one of the UK’s most ambitious cultural organisations operates as we grow and evolve.

In this role, you’ll lead on governance, risk management, and compliance, acting as Company Secretary and Data Protection Officer. You’ll oversee business planning and reporting, legal and insurance matters, procurement, and organisational policies – ensuring everything we do meets the highest standards.

You’ll work closely with our Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership team, building strong relationships and driving change that supports our vision for equality, inclusion, and sustainability.

JOB SUMMARY

To ensure that efficient governance, operational systems and controls are in place to manage Factory International’s Governance and Business Administration function.

This includes governance and acting as Company secretariat, data protection and acting as Data Protection Officer, accountable for Business Plan Reporting, internal communication, oversight of Legal & Compliance, Risk Management, Insurance, Policies & Procedures and Procurement

The key responsibilities for the Head of Governance & Business Administration include;

Governance & Risk

• Ensure robust governance frameworks and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements
• Coordinate Board and Committee meetings, including scheduling, agenda preparation, and distribution of papers
• Maintain statutory registers and ensure timely filing of returns and documents with regulatory bodies
• Support FI Executive and Board in proactively managing risk, and accurately reflecting via the Company Risk register, working closely with Directors to ensure quarterly updates are shared with the Executive Leadership and Board of Trustees (including relevant sub-committees)
• Maintain consistency and compliance for all internal communication channels

Business Planning & Reporting

• Act as the organisational lead for Business Plan Reporting, ensuring alignment across all key grant funding agreements and business plan KPIs
• Oversee the annual cycle of statutory reporting to both public sector funders and trustees including all ad-hoc reporting requests across the business
• Attend key external stakeholder meetings with the Executive Director (e.g. MCC, ACE, GMCA) relating to reporting against grant agreements etc
• Work closely with key Directors, Commercial Leads (including the Trusts & Foundations Manager) on funding bids ensuring that commitments are consistent with our agreed internal Business Plan targets and objectives

Legal, Insurance, Data Protection & Compliance

• Ensure legislative and regulatory compliance in all systems and procedures around business administration
• Acting as lead organisational contact and budget holder for external legal support ensuring consistent processes are followed and value for money is achieved to meet the strategic needs of the business
• Ensure adequate data protection in place, devise and implement any additional process and/or training, and act as DPO, accessing external advice as appropriate
• Where required, support the achievement of essential consents such as Planning, Licence variations, Building Control, etc
• Manage the relationship with FI’s insurance broker, working with the Executive Director and Finance Director to ensure appropriate cover and regularly review policies. Overseeing the appropriate claiming of all losses

Procurement

• Acting as lead organisational contact for all Procurement Activity – working closely with the Executive Director to ensure consistent processes are followed and value for money is achieved to meet the strategic needs of the business
• Maintain oversight of the register of planned Procurement as well as responding to un-planned procurement requirements – working closely with relevant Directors and Executives

Policies & Procedures

• Overall responsibility for control and oversight of the organisation’s suite of policies and procedures, including requests for new procedures
• Ensure that key policies are updated by business owners and renewed as per the agreed schedule – ensuring a consistency of tone, content and that relevant checks/approvals have been managed at the appropriate level (Exec, Trustees etc)

UnLtd is a vibrant, ambitious organisation at the heart of the UK’s social enterprise sector. As a key stakeholder and leading funder and supporter of social entrepreneurs, we continuously learn and adapt to better meet their needs and maximise their impact.

We are seeking a talented Communications Manager to amplify UnLtd’s voice and influence within the sector while shining a spotlight on the incredible work of social entrepreneurs. This role is about balance: telling inspiring stories that bring their journeys to life, while also demonstrating measurable outcomes, addressing challenges, and showcasing how our unique funding and support model drives impact.

As a core member of a small, collaborative team, you will create and deliver high-quality communications across multiple channels. Your work will include managing media relations, overseeing day-to-day digital communications and social media, updating and optimising website content, producing marketing and campaign materials, managing communications projects, and supporting events.

We are looking for someone with experience in a broad communications role, including press office expertise, who thrives in a dynamic environment and brings a proactive, learning mindset. The potential for impact is significant: your work will strengthen UnLtd’s positioning as the UK’s leading organisation backing social entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, while engaging funders, partners, and communities to build a fairer, brighter future together.

Harris Hill is proud to be partnering with the Community Land Trust Network to recruit a New Business, Partnerships and Innovation Manager — an exciting opportunity to join a highly respected national charity championing land justice, community ownership and social equity.

About the Role

Accountable to: Chief Executive Officer

Salary: £45,200–£55,200 (depending on skills and experience)

Contract: 12-month fixed-term contract, with potential to become permanent

Working Hours:

· 3 days / 21 hours per week (with reduced duties), or

· 4 days / 28 hours per week
Working pattern negotiable

Location: Remote/home-based

This newly created role will play a pivotal part in expanding the charity’s income and influence. You will:

• Lead on new business development, nurturing existing supporters and securing new partnerships with developers, housing associations, local authorities, funders and other stakeholders.
• Shape and grow their consultancy and service offer, helping reduce reliance on grant funding.
• Support the roll-out of their Growth Lab, working with practitioners and community groups to develop innovative models, products and services for Community Land Trusts.
• Capture insights, impact and learning to strengthen the case for scaling these innovations.
• Work closely with the CEO on funding proposals, partnership development and strategic initiatives.

This role offers variety, influence and the chance to help shape a major area of the charity’s future work. The team operates fully remotely, with a warm, collaborative culture and a strong focus on wellbeing.

About You

They are looking for someone who:

• Has experience in partnerships, business development, philanthropy or account management — and enjoys turning opportunities into long-term relationships.
• Communicates with clarity, confidence and professionalism across sectors including business, charity, local government and community groups.
• Is entrepreneurial, proactive and excited by innovation and co-creation.
• Shares a commitment to social justice, equity and community-led change.

Key Dates

• Closing date: Monday 5th January 2026
• Interviews: Week commencing 12th January 2026

How to Apply

Please email Hannah Laking at Harris Hill to request the full job pack, or you can download it directly from this advert. If you’d like to learn more about the role, you’re welcome to book a call with Hannah. Alternatively, you can simply send your CV and supporting statement which must follow the structure outlined in the job pack before the closing date, and Hannah will get in touch.

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.

Are you an experienced Digital Product Manager looking for an exciting opportunity to help develop digital products and services? If so, join Shelter and you could soon be supporting our income generation, advocacy campaigns and advice services.

About the role

Reporting to the Digital Product and Delivery Lead, you’ll be at the centre of a multidisciplinary digital team, developing products and services to support Shelter’s income generation, advocacy campaigns and advice services.

As part of the Digital Team, you’ll work with disciplines including front and back-end development and user-centred designers, as well as with adjacent teams of specialists in marketing, creative, and campaigning teams.

You’ll develop Shelter’s ability to be user and data-led, leading on the planning, delivery, maintenance, and optimisation of a range of digital products.

Role specifics

A passionate champion of agile product design, you are used to being flexible within a range of business settings and constraints. Through extensive experience collaborating with experts in cross-functional teams, you’ll understand how to successfully bring together different technical specialists and business stakeholders, enabling them to work together towards a common aim.

You’ll have a solid knowledge of product design and development, including facilitating, ideation, and scoping. You will have worked on complex projects with a range of technologies and understand how strategic requirements, business analysis, systems thinking and user insight can be translated into full-stack solutions.

 An excellent communicator, you can advocate for a particular approach while building constructive relationships. Able to balance dependencies and priorities, we’ll look to you to develop a clear roadmap, that everyone can get behind, to deliver on time and budget.

Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Benefits 

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About the team

The Digital team sit alongside our Content and User Experience team, our Strategic Evaluation, Learning and Insight team and our CRM team, within Shelter’s Digital and Audience Engagement (DAE) sub-directorate. DAE is one of three sub-directorates that make up our wider Communications, Policy and Campaigns (CPC) department.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

Safeguarding statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies. 

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Senior New Business Development Officer

12 month Fixed Term Contract. Full Time. Hybrid working, (2 days in the office per week)

Location: This role can be based in any of our UK offices, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, or Warrington

Salary: London £50,614 per annum (including London allowance). Cardiff, Edinburgh & Warrington £45,732 per annum

About us

Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. The Christian Aid Resilient Futures Fund is key to delivering this vision. We are a global movement of people, churches and local organisations who passionately champion dignity, equality and justice worldwide. We are the changemakers, the peacemakers, the mighty of heart.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and recognise the value this brings in forming strong, creative and high performing teams. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, and from those with experience from outside of the voluntary sector. And no, you don’t have to be Christian to work here – we encourage people of all faiths and none to apply. We just ask that everyone lives out our values of dignity, equality, justice and love. We value a good work-life balance, so we’re open to part-time and flexible working. We also offer hybrid working for our office-based colleagues.

About the Role

Christian Aid’s Resilient Futures Fund (CARFF) is an ambitious new initiative mobilising capital for climate adaptation and resilience across the Global South. We are building a pipeline of innovative enterprises supporting communities on the frontline of the climate crisis, and we are now seeking a Senior New Business Development Officer to help drive this mission.

This role sits at the heart of CARFF’s growth. You will shape and deliver a dynamic fundraising and partnership strategy, working closely with the Head of CARFF to cultivate high-value supporters, deepen relationships across the philanthropic and impact investment worlds, and help establish CARFF as one of Christian Aid’s most exciting emerging ventures. You will design compelling donor experiences, use insight and analysis to guide your approach, and work collaboratively across Christian Aid to embed CARFF into wider fundraising efforts.

About You

You will bring a strong track record in securing major gifts or high-value partnerships, confidence in developing fundraising strategies across diverse audiences, and an instinct for building meaningful, long-term relationships. You will be comfortable working in a fast-moving environment, able to translate insight into action, and motivated by the opportunity to shape a new initiative with global reach. A passion for climate resilience, impact investment, or international development would be an advantage.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working at the intersection of philanthropy and innovation, and who wants to contribute to a fund with the potential to deliver significant and lasting impact.

Find Out More

For full details of responsibilities, requirements, and impact, please see the Role Profile.

Travel

Occasional UK travel and limited international travel may be required.

Why Join CARFF?

This is a rare opportunity to join Christian Aid at a genuinely transformative moment. CARFF is not just another funding mechanism; it is a strategic investment in long-term resilience, creative climate solutions, and economic dignity. Your work will directly enable enterprises to scale climate-resilient innovations where they are needed most.

Further information

At Christian Aid we strive to be an inclusive and diverse employer and recognise the value that this brings in helping to build strong, creative and high performing teams.

We are actively encouraging racialised minorities, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people with caring responsibilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, women, and older workers to apply. This is because these groups are under-represented within our teams, especially at senior level, and we recognise and value the contributions members of these groups make to strong, creative and high performing teams. 

We have a strong Christian ethos and we encourage applications from all faiths. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and sympathy with Christian Aid’s faith identity. 

All successful candidates will require a DBS/police check appropriate to the role and location and a Counter Terrorism Sanction check as part of your clearance for commencing your role with us. We also participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, we will request information as part of the referencing process from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

This role requires applicants to have the right to live and work in the country where this position is based and undertake the role that you have been offered. If you are successful and we make you an offer for the role, we will be required to conduct a right to work check on your immigration status in the UK. We will contact you regarding the documentation you will need to provide to evidence this. 

Location – Remote, with occasional travel required

Salary – Circa £55k per annum (pro rata)

Contract – Part-time 14-21 hours per week (flexible across the week), Permanent

Farms for City Children offers children and young people a week in the heart of the British countryside staying on one of our farms, where they are immersed in the natural world of food, farming, and country life.  During their stay, they participate in the seasonal tasks of the day: sowing, growing and harvesting in our kitchen gardens, caring for livestock and looking after the land, and a variety of tasks designed to build greater connection with the natural world.

We are looking for a Head of Finance to join our friendly team.

About the Role

The Head of Finance forms part of our Senior Leadership Team and leads the financial management of our charity. This is the most senior finance role in the organisation, responsible for ensuring robust financial oversight, compliance, and governance. The role also encompasses broader corporate responsibilities, including supporting the Board, strengthening governance frameworks, and overseeing data protection and information governance.

For full details about the role, please see the Job Description and Job Information Pack.

What we Offer

In return you will receive a salary circa £55k per annum (pro rata) and a range of benefits, which include:

· 25 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (pro rata)

· 6% employer contribution to NEST pension scheme

· Employee Assistance Programme

How to Apply

To apply, please download and fill out our application form that is located at the bottom of the page. Once completed, click on the Apply button, fill in your details and upload the application form. You may also wish to fill out and upload our equal opportunities monitoring form. 

We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis starting from 9th December 2025; as such we reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applications.

Please note that first interviews will be held online, second interviews will be held in person.

We are unable to accept just cover letters and CVs.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE – DIRECT RECRUITMENT ONLY

About EMMS International

EMMS International is Scotland’s longest-serving international healthcare charity, founded in 1841. From its Scottish base, it works with partners in India, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Scotland and Zambia to improve healthcare for people in some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities.

Its work focuses on four strategic priorities:

• Non-Communicable Disease: Improving access to care and quality of life for people with NCDs and life-limiting conditions.

• Global Healthcare Workforce: Training and empowering healthcare workers, especially women from low-income backgrounds, to address workforce shortages.

• Health Emergency Response: Supporting health systems to prepare for and respond to disasters and crises such as floods, earthquakes and food shortages.

• Sustainable Healthcare: Strengthening healthcare facilities and services, including infrastructure such as solar power, so they can withstand economic and environmental pressures.

EMMS works through local partners, takes a rights-based and inclusive approach, and designs sustainable programmes that respect the environment and promote human rights. Its origins lie in the Christian faith, and it serves people of all faiths and none.

Following an organisational review, EMMS is creating a new Director of Fundraising role, separating fundraising and communications into two Director posts. EMMS is financially stable with healthy reserves, currently raising around £400,000 per year in fundraised income, plus a significant time-limited major donor gift ending in 2028.

The Director of Fundraising will:

• Lead the development of a diverse, sustainable fundraising strategy across multiple income streams (trusts and foundations, major donors, individual giving, community, corporates, legacies).

• Be hands-on in delivering this strategy, supported by an experienced Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy and a Stewardship Manager.

• Manage and grow relationships with donors and stakeholders, meeting ambitious income targets.

• Oversee budgets, forecasting and reporting, and contribute to organisational strategic and business planning.

• Line manage fundraising staff, setting objectives/KPIs and supporting their development.

• Sit on the Executive Leadership Team and play a proactive role in the wider management and development of the charity, including reporting to the CEO and attending some Board meetings.

What they’re looking for:
An experienced senior fundraiser with a strong track record of strategic income growth across multiple channels, excellent relationship-building skills, strong leadership and team management experience, and knowledge of the Scottish charity and fundraising landscape. You should be confident operating strategically and operationally, familiar with fundraising regulation and good practice, and able to communicate effectively with both Christian and secular audiences in line with EMMS’ faith-based heritage and health mission. Degree-level education or equivalent experience is required; membership of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (or willingness to join) is expected.

Terms and benefits:

• Salary: £63,313 – £70,347 (depending on experience) with annual inflationary rise

• Remote role with monthly meetings in central Edinburgh (more frequently in first three months)

• 25–30 days annual leave (depending on length of service) + 10 public holidays

• 8% employer pension contribution with salary sacrifice

• Salary sacrifice scheme for electric vehicle lease

• Flexible working, travel expenses to office, access to Edinburgh office, some international travel

• Life assurance (three times salary) and Aviva Digi-Care app

Application:
Apply by CV and covering letter (each up to 2 pages) by Monday 12 January 2026.
Interviews in Edinburgh: First stage – Thursday 29 January 2026; second stage – Tuesday 3 February 2026.
You must live in Scotland and have the right to work in the UK.

Summary

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-orientated UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips grassroots voluntary educators (named ‘Catalysts’) to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of a world in which communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 400 local voluntary community educators and actors – named ‘Catalysts’ – who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. 

Our Ghana-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for Catalysts which are increasingly facilitated by the EduSpots app: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead EduKidz (early years education), DigLit (digital literacy), EcoSTEM (STEM and environmental education) and Ignite Equity (gender equity) clubs for learners typically aged 3-16, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 learners of all ages annually. 

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last two years, with a recent independent evaluation by Expectation State offering further evidence in support of our model’s outcomes. We have been recently selected for two accelerator programmes, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model. In the period, we are aiming to double our network reach, bringing an additional 50 Spots into the network.

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the 2023 Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in the UNESCO-backed $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. 

About this role 

The Global Head of Operations is a new role being introduced in 2026 with the core purpose of strengthening systems, processes and strategic delivery across both EduSpots Global and EduSpots Ghana, offering hands-on support to the CEO and wider staff across a range of areas.

In this senior role, you will work closely alongside the CEO, offering her the advice and skills needed to move EduSpots successfully through a complex period of growth in a challenging fundraising context, enabling more learners and Catalysts to participate in a unique community-led model of education, whilst sharing our practice more widely.

We are looking for an organised and empathetic strategic leader, ideally with strong or developing skills across project management, finance, HR and MEL skills and an ability to work independently in a fast moving work environment.

This role has the potential to grow into a Director of Global Operations or Deputy CEO role in time for outstanding candidates, and carries significant organisation-wide responsibility.

Candidates should hold a genuine passion for educational equity, a strong belief in the power of community-led models to transform lives at scale and a high level of flexibility in a fast-changing yet friendly and playful work environment.

Whilst this role is remote, and open to all global candidates, you will need to have understanding and experience of UK law, accounting and policy development, or a strong appetite to build experience in this area quickly.

Main duties and responsibilities 

Systems

• Work with the CEO and staff to proactively strengthen systems and processes across the organisation, including monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks and operations. 
• Support the wider team with IT, including general skill development, leading the Google Space system. 
• Monitor compliance to organisational policies and lead the quarterly review of the organisational risk register, working with the Ghana Head of Operations. 

Finance 

• Work with the Finance and Admin Officer to produce monthly and quarterly global management accounts, cash flow analysis and to complete the annual audit. 
• Lead the financial planning of the organisation, working with the CEO and the Ghana Head of Operations to create the annual budget. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to strengthen financial systems, processes, and training across the organisation. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to prepare budgets for funding bids as needed.
• Work with the grants team to track grant spending and produce consolidated financial reports (including expenditure from the UK and Ghana) for donors. 
• Ensure EduSpots’ new accounting software (QuickBooks) is fully embedded and utilised.
• Oversee bank account management, including payments, checking bank statements, and reviewing bank reconciliations for UK and Ghana.
• Ensure staff payroll (likely to be outsourced) and payments to freelancers / consultants are done accurately and in a timely manner.

HR

• Work alongside the CEO, Head of Operations, Safeguarding and Inclusion Managers  and wider staff to develop strategies to sustain and strengthen a high performing and friendly work culture. 
• Work across the team to strengthen HR and performance management structures, informed by best practice and legal frameworks. 
• Lead the recruitment of staff, consultants and volunteers in the UK (advertising roles, drafting contracts, contacting referees and completing all filing and administration relating to recruitment).
• Onboard new staff, provide training on policies and procedures, and track key information (leave, appraisals, etc) for UK staff. 
• Regularly review and keep the Staff Handbook up to date.
• Depending on skill-set, work with the CEO to lead professional development for staff across the organisation, liaising with trustees and advisory group members.

Administration & Governance

• Manage and maintain databases and our Google Drive system. 
• Ensure compliance with GDPR and adherence to our child safeguarding and protection policy. 
• Maintain insurance renewals, tracking and filing.
• Review and keep up to date all organisational policies in line with current legislation, working with the Trustees and Directors. 
• Assist the CEO in the administration relating to EduSpots’ governance, including board meeting arrangements and minute taking.
• Support the CEO in all ad-hoc tasks that arise, working closely alongside her to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. 

Strategic insight 

• Work closely with the CEO and staff/Catalysts across the organisation to ensure all EduSpots’ decision-making is strategic and in the best interests of the Catalysts, Sparks and Communities we partner with. 

Other areas 

• Depending on experience, you may in time take on management responsibilities for some staff, but this role is principally a systems strengthening and quality improvement role, working closely with the CEO to offer advice and additional capacity. 
• Depending on experience, you may support with grants writing / management and/or community fundraising. Experience of fundraising would be of significant benefit to the organisation in this key leadership role. 

Personal Specification 

Essential 

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience of operations in a small/medium charity context. 
• Self-starter with the ability to hit the ground running and work with minimal supervision with high levels of flexibility.
• Self-motivated, with an ability to motivate and energise others.
• High level strategic understanding, critical thinking and the ability to strengthen systems in a fast-paced high performance environment.
• Excellent communication, both oral and written.
• The ability to thrive and adapt in a fast-paced, creative and impact-driven culture. 
• Strong administrative skills with a high level of attention to detail. 
• Experience in creating user-friendly tools and processes to support project and quality management.
• Experience using Google Suite, with strong Excel skills.
• Tech savvy – ability to learn new tech tools efficiently.
• Experience coordinating others. 
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills with strong empathy and cultural sensitivity 
• Strong personal alignment with the mission, vision and values of EduSpots. 

Highly desirable 

• Experience supporting charity Boards, and working with external bodies including auditors, tax authorities, and other official bodies is highly desirable.
• Experience complying and strong familiarity with UK charity regulations and requirements.
• Experience preparing budgets and financial reports for donors/grants. 
• Experience of working in a cross-cultural team.
• Experience of working with an international charity would be advantageous. 

Please send a tailored covering letter and CV addressed to the CEO Miss Cat Davison by Wednesday 31st December with a hope to meet shortlisted candidates for a first-round interview in the week starting Monday 12th January.