Strategic design lead jobs in Manchester
Role outline and purpose
The Head of External Relations leads strategic engagement and influencing activities to ensure hunger and hardship remain a priority for key external audiences, to build the breadth and depth of support needed to help end the need for food banks. This role engages and influences target stakeholders in government, business, civil society and faith communities to prioritise hunger and hardship in their decisions and actions.
This role is part of Trussell’s Prioritising Hunger and Hardship programme, the goal of which is to keep hunger and hardship at the forefront of conversations and decision making – both amongst the public and key individuals and organisations relevant to our cause. This role is focused on the successful delivery of the overall programme outcomes, contributing to the fulfilment of our long-term vision of a UK without the need for food banks.
Role responsibilities
· Leading the organisation’s external influencing strategy to shape key conversations, decisions, and activities among target audiences to ensure hunger and hardship remain a national priority. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation focused on influencing and advocacy with relevant stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, advice sector, local authorities).
· Develop and maintain high-impact senior relationships with key parliamentarians, civil servants, faith leaders, youth organisations, the wider charitable food sector and other partners to build strategic support and unlock change.
· Oversee targeted engagement programmes that deepen collaboration with, and activate, key stakeholders and organisations to build and amplify the long-term wide-ranging support needed to end the need for food banks – including youth and wider civil society organisations, charitable food providers and faith communities.
· Shape and support coalitions that align around shared priorities, build a unified narrative, and strengthen the collective voice of organisations working to support people facing hunger and hardship.
· Act as an external spokesperson representing the organisation in media, at external events and high-level meetings and through written commentary.
· Provide team leadership, direction, support and line management. This will include regular 1:1s and reviews to ensure object and targets are met.
Person Specification
Technical skills and minimum knowledge:
· Proven track record of developing and delivering successful influencing strategies, focused on wide-ranging and high-profile external audiences
· Extensive experience in senior stakeholder engagement, coalition building, and influencing with impact across a wide range of partners, including a strong understanding of the UK political landscape and policy processes
· An understanding and appreciation for faith communities, particularly the role churches play in mobilising communities to end the need for food banks
· Knowledge of issues related to hunger and hardship, with an ability to translate complex policy into accessible messaging
Behaviours and competencies:
· Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate and respond to changing political and social environments
· Role model inclusive behaviour, values and leadership including empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially excluded backgrounds
· Comfortable working in a fast-paced and high-performing organisation, combining problem-solving with collaborative interpersonal skills
· Effective communications and influencing skills: diplomatic, builds rapport, accessible and audience-appropriate presentation, and highly persuasive
Key Stakeholders
· Programme Leadership Team, particularly Heads withing Prioritising Hunger and Hardship (Head of Programme, Communications, and Research)
· Key influencing stakeholders within Making Social Security Work, Sustainable Holistic Advice, and Supportive Communities programmes (including Heads of Policy, Advice Advocacy, Community Building, and Community Design)
· Senior Audience messaging specialist (in programme)
· Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland leads
· Assistant Director of Income Generation
· UK parliamentarians and officials
· Senior sector partners
· Senior Church leaders
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Campaigns and Public Affairs Officer
We’re looking for a Campaigns and Public Affairs Officer to help turn insight, lived experience and evidence into powerful public campaigns that drive change for people affected by bowel cancer. You’ll play a hands-on role in delivering creative, inclusive campaigns that mobilise supporters, grow engagement and help people take meaningful action across the UK. Working closely with colleagues across policy, communications and fundraising, you’ll support the design and delivery of campaign actions, digital activity and events, while also contributing to our wider influencing work with decision-makers. This is a UK-wide role, with an initial focus on devolved nations, ideal for someone who’s passionate about campaigning, motivated by impact and excited to be part of a team pushing for earlier diagnosis and better care.
About Us
We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. We support and fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.
We currently have around 95 staff based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’re in a privileged position to be able to grow our staff team to deliver our ambitious strategy, On a mission. There are huge challenges facing bowel cancer patients across the UK and our community needs us now more than ever. We’re building a strong and united team to bring us closer to a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and at Bowel Cancer UK we are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Successful candidates may be subject to either a satisfactory basic, standard or enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) dependent upon the role.
We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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 Engagement and Communications Coordinator.
Key focus of the role
PMR and GCA are often unknown by the public and among health professionals and this newly created role is designed to support the charity in raising awareness of the condition, in order to improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for those affected.
Key responsibilities
· Be an ambassador for the organisation and for PMR/GCA - making opportunities to raise the profile of both PMRGCAuk and PMR/GCA more broadly
· To work with medical trustees and patrons to develop a network of health professionals who will advocate for good treatment of PMR/GCA
· To work at a national level to promote good practice and lobby government, influencing government policy where possible
· Support the development of a network of volunteer ambassadors who can deliver information talks and awareness-raising activities
· To support the Deputy Director to develop a strong social media presence and support with specific campaigns
· To ensure the website is fit-for-purpose and updated regularly, working with trustees, staff members and volunteers to develop content that is up-to-date and useful to all that visit the website
· To manage the external voice of the charity, including ensuring our information and resources are current and relevant and producing external communications when appropriate.
· To attend professional events and develop strong networks with health professionals and the wider general public
· To support the membership strategy, taking every opportunity to encourage membership uptake, including professional membership
· To support trustees with research, campaigns and awareness raising, including participation on working groups, policy campaigns, lobbying, etc.
Who We're Looking For:
- A proactive self-starter with experience of communicating with a range of different stakeholders and building networks
- Someone with experience of creating and communicating information in a range of different formats, including public speaking, development of written/video materials and managing the digital presence of an organisation.
- 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 and has strong digital skills.
Full time – 37.5 hours per week
Salary range £34-36,000 FTE
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.
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.
Closing date: 5th March 2026
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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 Outreach Development Coordinator
This is a newly created role designed to develop and support our volunteer network within the organisation. We currently have more than 50 volunteers working for us on our helpline, running local groups, administration and our online forum, HealthUnlocked and they are a crucial part of our service delivery.
Working closely with our small staff team and trustees, this role is intended to provide a solid framework for the volunteers within the organisation, as well as developing a strategy for continuing to grow our volunteer pipeline and expand our services.
Key Responsibilities
· Develop and manage a volunteer strategy for the organisation
· Recruit, induct, support and manage a range of volunteer roles within the organisation, including our local group organisers, helpline volunteers and HealthUnlocked volunteers
· Support existing local groups and develop the establishment of new groups, with a particular focus on areas where we are limited in terms of numbers of groups, ie the Midlands and North of England
· Provide ongoing day-to-day support to volunteers
· Provide ongoing training and development opportunities for volunteers
· Network and liaise with local health professionals to raise the profile of the organisation and services and encourage group participation.
· Update volunteers on the latest developments within the charity and within the wider PMR/GCA community, including latest research and news
· Working alongside the Director, support the fundraising strategy to ensure sustainability of the charity and support fundraising initiatives within the community
· To support the membership strategy, taking every opportunity to encourage membership uptake, including professional membership
· Other responsibilities commensurate with the general scope and purpose of the post.
Who We're Looking For:
- A proactive self-starter with experience of working with volunteers.
- 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 – 30 hours per week (equivalent to four days)
Salary range £34-36,000 FTE (pro-rata 0.8 £27,200- £28,000)
Fixed term contract – 2 years
Location: Home based with travel to meetings in London and in support of setting up new local groups.
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.
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.
Closing date: 5th March 2026
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Senior Policy Officer
We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. We support and fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.
We currently have around 95 staff based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’re in a privileged position to be able to grow our staff team to deliver our ambitious strategy, On a mission. There are huge challenges facing bowel cancer patients across the UK and our community needs us now more than ever. We’re building a strong and united team to bring us closer to a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer.
Senior Policy Officer Job Description
Do you want your policy work to genuinely change lives? As a Senior Policy Officer, you’ll lead a defined area of our UK-wide policy work, shaping evidence-based positions that influence decisions across health systems and government. You’ll have the autonomy to own your brief, the space to think strategically, and the support of an expert, collaborative team who care deeply about impact. Your work will directly affect people living with bowel cancer.
This role is ideal if you’re an experienced policy professional who enjoys tackling complex problems, building trusted relationships, and turning evidence into action. You’ll work closely with policymakers, clinicians and sector partners, represent us in high-level forums, and help steer how we respond to fast-moving health policy developments. In return, we offer flexibility, trust, and a strong values-led culture and the chance to be part of a growing organisation delivering an ambitious strategy at a critical moment.
If you’re motivated by purpose, confident in your judgement, and ready to step into a role with real responsibility and influence, we’d love to hear from you.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and at Bowel Cancer UK we are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Successful candidates may be subject to either a satisfactory basic, standard or enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) dependent upon the role.
We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
A rare chance to join an incredibly supportive and inclusive employer that values hard work, flexiblity and employee well-being, and recognised by the GM Good Employment Charter! We are a small but vastly experienced team of family support/volunteer Coordinators, delivering highly respected volunteer-led home visiting support to families in the early years.
We are looking for someone to provide direct support to families and also recruit, train and support a team of local parent/carer volunteers who will provide weekly home visiting and community support to families.
You will work with other professionals from universal and specialist services to provide a coordinated response to families’ needs. You will assess need and risk prior to carefully matching volunteers with families or offering direct support, working as part of multi agency support, ensuring information sharing and safeguarding is at the forefront of your work. This will include instigating Early Help assessments, preparing for and attending Child in Need and Child Protection meetings.
You will have an understanding of recruiting, carefully selecting and managing volunteers to ensure they feel supported and fully trained to offer effective support to families in order to get the best outcomes for the family and in particular the children.
You will be experienced in working with families in their own home - skilled in recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns, be apt in completing strengths-based assessments and conversations and have a deep understanding of the issues families can face and the link with childhood development and difficulties they may experience later in life.
Supporting families to give their children the best possible start in life, because we believe childhood can't wait

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are recruiting for the new role of Communications & Marketing Manager. This year we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the founding of ABCD. It’s an important and exciting point in ABCD’s development, when we seek to develop our profile and supporter base, particularly among younger people in the UK. Over recent years we have been gradually extending the scope of our work in the refugee camps in the West Bank. As we grow, and the demand for our services grows, so have our ambitions to raise much needed funds as we develop. We seek a committed individual to join us on a one-year contract with a vewi to becoming permanent if all goes well.
ABCD improves the lives of children with disabilities across Palestine regardless of faith, race or gender