Support worker jobs in chessington, greater london
Your new company
A high-profile government-affiliated organisation is seeking an experienced HR Business Partner to join on a short-term basis and help drive progress across a busy employee relations caseload. This is a hands-on role requiring someone who's confident in navigating complex ER issues, including senior civil service (SCS) performance management, and who's comfortable rolling up their sleeves to deliver results.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage a varied ER caseload, including complex and high-risk cases
- Provide expert guidance on SCS performance management and related processes
- Partner with senior stakeholders to deliver pragmatic, compliant HR solutions
- Support policy interpretation and ensure consistent application across teams
- Contribute to strategic workforce planning and organisational effectiveness
Ideal Candidate
- Strong HR generalist or business partnering background within the Civil Service or wider public sector
- Proven experience managing complex ER cases and performance frameworks
- Comfortable working at a pace and adapting to shifting priorities
- Collaborative, pragmatic, and confident in influencing senior stakeholders
- Immediately available and ready to make an impact from day one
- This is a fantastic opportunity for a seasoned HR professional to contribute meaningfully to a high-performing team during a critical period. If you're ready to get stuck in and bring your public sector expertise to the table, we'd love to hear from you.
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk
The Organisation
We're recruiting on behalf of a prominent UK charity in the health and social care sector, with an annual income exceeding £100 million. Funded through a mix of voluntary donations and grants, as well as NHS and local authority contracts, the organisation delivers nationwide services, campaigns for change, and invests in research to improve lives and drive long-term impact.
The Finance & Assurance directorate is entering a transformative phase - redefining its structure, culture, and leadership expectations. Finance is evolving into a strategic corporate function, focused on insight, process excellence, and enabling impact through effective resource planning and control.
The Role
This is a pivotal leadership role, reporting to the Associate Director of Finance and managing the Financial Accounting Team. As part of the Finance & Assurance Leadership Team, you'll play a central role in shaping the organisation's financial control, compliance, and reporting strategy.
You'll lead the development of a robust financial control environment, ensure the delivery of high-quality statutory accounts, and build strong relationships across the organisation and with external partners. This role is about defining what financial accounting means in a modern, impact-driven charity - establishing clear standards, tools, and expectations that underpin trust, transparency, and performance.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading the preparation of statutory accounts and annual reporting in line with regulatory requirements.
- Ensuring a single point of credible, reliable, data-driven financial truth across the organisation.
- Developing and maintaining effective internal controls and risk mitigation strategies.
- Building strategic relationships with auditors, tax advisors, and banks.
- Driving continuous improvement in financial systems, processes, and reporting tools.
- Leading a team through change with clarity, compassion, and ambition.
The Person
We're looking for a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIPFA, ACMA or equivalent) with significant post-qualification experience at a senior level. You'll bring:
- Proven leadership of high-performing teams through change.
- Deep experience in financial control, statutory reporting, and compliance.
- A track record of building collaborative relationships across finance and wider organisational boundaries.
- Strong communication, influencing, and engagement skills - including with senior executives and board members.
- Experience working with ERP systems (Unit4 ERPx or similar).
- A passion for continuous improvement and innovation.
- The ability to foster a high support, high challenge culture.
You'll be a finance expert - but first and foremost, a leader. Someone who can drive consistency, clarity, and excellence in financial accounting across a diverse organisation.
What's in it for you?
This role offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and work-life balance, including:
- Double-matching pension scheme (up to 8%)
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (rising to 30)
- Flexible working options, including condensed hours and a 9-day fortnight
- Health and wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
- Employee recognition and discounts platform
If you're ready to lead a strategic finance function through transformation - and help shape the future of a high-impact organisation - we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now to be part of a team that's making a real difference.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk
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!
Grade: Manager
Job Title: Grants Programme Manager, Europe
Type: Fixed Term Contract until 31st December 2026
Location: This job is open to candidates living in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Please note that we currently do not have the infrastructure to support visa sponsorship and you must have the relevant right to live and work in your country of residence.
Reports to: Senior Programme Manager, Europe
Direct reports: Grants Officer (Associate)
Hours per week: 35 - 40 hours/week (depending on local labour laws)
Compensation: Salaries are benchmarked to the country of residence and mapped to years of experience. Please note that to counter inequity, salaries at CPI are non-negotiable.
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France: €74,482 - €86,896
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Germany: €86,395 - €100,794
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Spain: €76,766 - €89,560
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Sweden: 860,190 kr - 1,003,555 kr
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UK: £68,770 - £80,231
Closing Date: Sunday 24th August 2025, 23:59 (11:59pm) British Summer Time
About the Centre for Public Impact (CPI):
At the Centre for Public Impact, we believe in the transformative potential of government to improve lives and create better outcomes for all. Yet, we recognize that many of today’s government systems, structures, and processes are not yet designed to address the complex challenges of our time. That’s why we are committed to reimagining government- working towards systems that truly serve everyone, equitably, and effectively.
As a not-for-profit organization founded by the Boston Consulting Group, we act as a learning partner for governments, public servants, and a diverse network of change makers. Though we are a small organisation, our global footprint is expansive. We have dedicated and innovative teams in Asia, Australia/ Aotearoa New Zealand, Europe and North America. We are all aligned by our Global Hub operational team who provide people & culture, operational, finance, and communications partnership across the regions.
CPIE was founded in 2020 and our culture is founded on the values and principles within our vision for government. So in everything we do we aim to be humble, open, empathetic, authentic, trusting and trustworthy, curious and to champion diversity and inclusion. We continually experiment with ways to embody our values, striving to share power and devolve decision-making to those best placed to make the decision. We challenge traditional hierarchies, adopt a strengths-based approach, and prioritise mutual support.
Our Values:
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Curiosity - We champion exploration and creativity.
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Courage - We are authentic and brave in our decisions and actions.
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Collaboration - We share power and work together.
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Empathy - We embrace others’ perspectives and experiences.
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Equity - We disrupt systemic barriers to shift power.
The AI Opportunity Fund:
The AI Opportunity Fund, led by the Centre for Public Impact with support from Google . org, is currently a €16 million initiative aimed at empowering underserved workers across Europe with essential AI skills. The programme has selected 73 organisations from hundreds of applications to provide tailored AI training to at least 20,000 workers across 24 European countries. These organisations focus on diverse communities, including rural job seekers, underemployed women, and public sector workers, aiming to bridge the digital divide and promote economic resilience. The initiative underscores AI's potential to drive social mobility and equitable growth across the continent. We are also hoping to scale our work in this area in the future.
Position Overview:
We are seeking an experienced Grants Programme Manager to ensure the successful delivery of the AI Opportunity Fund. This role is responsible for the operational leadership of the programme, ensuring that it is planned and executed effectively on time, on budget and within scope. A key focus of the role is ensuring that the grant-giving component of the programme is designed and stewarded diligently.
This is a middle management role that is primarily operational with some elements of strategic leadership. It requires strong project management skills, good grant-making practice and the ability to manage relationships with diverse partners. We’re looking for someone who is comfortable working with considerable scope and complexity; and who embraces the challenges and opportunities of a startup environment where learning, adaptability, and building the plane as we fly it are central!
Responsibilities and Competencies:
Programme Development and Delivery
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Lead on shaping the design and execution of the AI Opportunity Fund utilising appropriate project management frameworks.
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Coordinate high quality project deliverables including implementing an AI training programme at scale and convening peer learning and knowledge sharing workshops.
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Collaborate closely with Finance and Senior Leadership to manage and monitor the programme budget and expenditure.
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Identify, escalate and contribute to addressing programmatic risks to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory and donor requirements.
Grant Making and Management
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Lead the design and implementation of the AI Opportunity Fund grant making function, embedding good grant making practice whilst adhering to donor expectations.
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Develop and implement robust grant-making systems, processes and structures to successfully execute each stage of the grant lifecycle.
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Provide excellent stewardship of a large portfolio of grants, providing technical support and effectively managing escalated issues to ensure the programme achieves its strategic objectives.
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Build the capacity of the wider AI Opportunity Fund team in grant making skills and capabilities.
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Manage and coach the Grants Officer, ensuring they deliver their grants administration responsibilities effectively.
Partnerships and Stakeholder Management
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Provide excellent donor stewardship of Google . org, securing their confidence in CPIE as a thought and delivery partner.
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Cultivate, maintain and oversee strong relationships with wider stakeholders on the programme including service providers and evaluation partners.
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Support senior leadership to position the programme strategically internally and externally in order to advance CPIE’s reputation and offer.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
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Ensure that CPIE prepares and submits accurate, timely and high quality programme and grant reports to Google, CPI’s Board and other key audiences.
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Collaborate closely with the Communications Team, Senior Leadership and external providers to ensure robust impact measurement of the AI Opportunity Fund.
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Identify and leverage opportunities to share insights from the AI Opportunity Fund to a range of stakeholders including broader CPI teams, wider civil society and current and potential clients.
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Embed a culture of learning and reflexivity in the team, utilising insights from the Programme to shape project management in an iterative way.
DEIB & Collaborative Working
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Actively contribute to a diverse, equitable, inclusive and belonging (DEIB) culture by embracing different perspectives and fostering an environment of respect.
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Dedicate time to continuous learning about DEIB and how it informs our mission, and commit to disrupting white supremacy in the workplace.
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Demonstrate empathy for government and the communities they serve to advance DEIB within systems that government influences
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Embed DEIB within the AI Opportunity Fund design approach and team.
This job profile isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list of your duties, rather it gives an outline of what your role will involve.
Skills & Qualifications:
We expect applicants for this role will generally have 5-8 years work experience.
Essential
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Significant project management knowledge and experience, with demonstrable application of project management methodologies and frameworks.
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Proven grant making experience including designing, developing, implementing and monitoring sizable portfolios, and maintaining good grant making practice.
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Proven experience of identifying, assessing, prioritising, and managing risks when executing programmes.
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Proven experience of building productive relationships with external parties, including in convening stakeholders for learning or wider objectives.
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Intercultural competence, experience of managing high performing teams. and proven commitment to advancing DEIB.
Desirable
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A recognised project management qualification e.g. PRINCE2, Agile Certifications etc.
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Experience of successfully delivering complex contracts for high value donors/clients e.g. third party grant programmes.
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Experience or understanding of AI or related technologies.
Salary, benefits, and how to apply
At the Centre for Public Impact, we are committed to countering pay inequality and have conducted a global compensation benchmarking process to ensure that we're paying our staff fairly and well for the roles that they hold. Therefore, salaries at CPI are non-negotiable.
CPIE offers comprehensive benefits to its employees including a range of high-quality health, dental, and vision plans; employer’s contribution to pension/retirement as applicable; dedicated professional development funds; generous paid leave and public holidays; short/long term disability, paid parental leave and extended illness leave; and a year-end organisation-wide closure. We anticipate this position will require approximately 10 - 15% domestic and international travel.
We use a structured review process to ensure fairness in our hiring. Please note that we are collecting CVs and cover letters.We understand applicants may use tools like ChatGPT as thought partners; however, we are looking for original work that reflects your unique perspective, skills and reflections. Please do not submit content that is directly copied or heavily reliant on AI as these will be flagged and marked down. We have a team of real people who review and score your CV and cover letter and a system that helps us ensure applications maintain authenticity. Please apply by Sunday 24th August 2025, 23:59 (11:59pm) British Summer Time, the portal closes automatically and we will not be able to reopen it. Please note: We may close the application window early if we receive a high volume of applications.
To advance our purpose of reimagining government so that it works for everyone, CPI seeks to attract and support a diversity of backgrounds, experience, talent and thought. For this reason, we encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. You can read our full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy here. CPI is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, colour, caste, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.
We're a learning partner for governments, public servants, and the changemakers leading the charge to reimagine government.
ShareAction is an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle the climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.
What you’ll do
Since 2019, we have been building a cross-cutting thematic programme using our investor accountability, corporate engagement and public policy toolkit to build a movement to harness the power of the investment system to address commercial determinants of health.
In 2022, we launched Long-Term Investors in People’s Health (LIPH), a cross-cutting programme of work leveraging our toolkit of investor accountability, corporate engagement and policy advocacy. It is one of ShareAction’s largest programmes. Since the launch of LIPH, we have run high-profile campaigns to get large food manufacturers and retailers to improve their health disclosures and sell healthier products via our Healthy Markets Initiative (HMI); recently set up a Clean Air Initiative (CAI); mobilised investors to engage with corporates, the UK government, and standard-setting bodies on issues such as clean air and sick leave policies; and partnered with academics to grow the evidence base on the financial materiality of health. We have ambitious plans to take this work forward and are looking for a new Head of the team to help us do so.
As Head of Health, you will:
- Oversee and contribute to the successful implementation of ShareAction’s strategy to tackle poor health via its LIPH programme, a cross-cutting programme of work leveraging our toolkit of investor accountability, corporate engagement and policy advocacy.
- Lead and motivate a team of 10 staff members and directly line manage at least three of them.
- Ensure adequate risk management and monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes are in place.
- Together with the Fundraising team and Co-Director of Corporate Engagement, be responsible for securing funding for the LIPH programme, including writing funding bids, supporting with relationship management, supporting the coordination of our Funders’ Governance Group, and helping produce update reports.
- Plan, manage and report on budget for the LIPH programme, delegating workstream and campaign budgets where there are appropriate leads.
- Develop and nurture strategic relationships with senior external stakeholders, including funders, journalists, investors, and civil society organisations.
- Act as one of ShareAction’s subject matter experts on commercial determinants of health, keeping your knowledge up to date with developments across academia, civil society, and public policy.
- Act as a media spokesperson for the team and represent it in internal and external forums.
- Work with peers at the “Head of” level to play a leadership role across ShareAction.
If this role sounds like something that would build on your current skill set and engage you, we’d love to hear from you!
What you’ll bring to the team
- Passionate about harnessing the power of the financial system to address poor health across the commercial determinants of health.
- Excellent organisation and project management skills, with demonstrable experience leading ambitious programmes of work.
- Great team player with experience of building, managing and leading a high-performing team based on mutual trust, respect and inclusion and providing mentoring support to more junior members of staff.
- A strategic mindset.
- Comfortable with working autonomously, setting priorities, managing workload and driving delivery against objectives for yourself and your team.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to flex style according to your audience.
- Experience building relationships at a senior level with stakeholders across the private and public sectors, with the ability to understand a range of perspectives and to influence with respect and diplomacy.
- Strong professional knowledge and understanding of the commercial determinants of health and/or of responsible investment.
It would be desirable for you to have:
- Substantial experience leading and/or feeding into an advocacy campaign.
- Previous experience securing philanthropic funding for programmes of work.
- Experience managing budgets.
- Experience speaking directly to the media and representing an organisational position.
- Proficiency with common office software, including Microsoft Office, Outlook, SharePoint, Cascade, and Salesforce.
What we will do for you
We are a fast-paced organisation that has grown substantially over the past few years. We recognise that our people work hard to advocate for responsible investment and drive meaningful engagement with those who have the power to create a brighter future. Every day, they bring their expertise, passion and persistence to build a world where the financial system serves our people and planet. We want to ensure we provide an environment for our colleagues to thrive.
Currently, we are pleased to offer:
- A commitment to flexible working: over 60% of our employees have some sort of flexible working arrangement in place, well above the average for UK workplaces.
- Hybrid working: we are committed to supporting our staff to work in a way that suits their lifestyle and meets the requirements of their role.
- Internal promotion and development opportunities: we offer a range of ways to improve your skills and focus on what you love, including promotion, secondment, or sideways development opportunities. For some levels of roles, we also offer direct progression.
- A unionised work environment: our staff have the opportunity to join the union and are supported by our recognised union, Unite. We regularly consult and negotiate with our employees on workplace matters ranging from working conditions to pay.
- Regular in-person meetings, including all-staff away days, retreats and directorate strategy days to create connected teams.
- An 8% non-contributory pension invested with NEST, who make a range of options available.
- A healthcare cash plan that gives you money back on your healthcare costs.
- An employee assistance programme: advice and support, lifestyle discounts and short-term counselling.
- 25 days’ annual leave plus office closure at the end of the year, ensuring everyone gets time to switch off together.
- Enhanced family leave pay: up to 18 weeks paid at 90% for either parent.
- Enhanced sick pay starting at 5 weeks’ full pay from day 1.
- Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.
We have a formal hybrid working policy in place. As Head of the team, we expect that you will work from the office at least every Tuesday if you are based in London and at least two Tuesdays a month if you are based outside of London. The team holds its weekly meetings on Tuesday morning.
ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities, and we are working hard to provide an environment where all can bring their authentic selves to work. We know that some people won’t apply for a role unless they meet all the requirements listed in the job description. If this is the case for you, but you think you would excel in this role, we want to hear from you!
For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.
Closing date: 9am on Monday, 18 August 2025.
First-round interviews: w/c 25 August 2025.
Second-round interviews: w/c 8 September 2025.
Informal meeting with the team: w/c 15 September 2025.
To be considered for this post, you must be legally eligible to work in the UK; unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.
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!
ShareAction is an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle the climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.
What you’ll do
ShareAction’s Banking Standards team works towards holding financial institutions accountable for their impact on climate change. We have a history of campaigning on key aspects of banks’ climate strategies – such as their emission reduction targets or fossil fuel policies – and we are gradually expanding our work to include other sustainability themes and banking regulation. We have achieved significant wins, such as contributing to HSBC becoming the world’s largest bank to cease financing for new oil and gas fields, Barclays dramatically reducing its oil sands financing, and mobilising investors to call on Societe Generale to set a renewable energy target.
The team is structured around two main pillars: our campaigning and our research pillar. The research pillar ensures that the team’s campaigning and advocacy work is based on sound analysis and facts. The Senior Research Manager oversees the research pillar, currently composed of three more junior researchers. The Senior Research Manager is responsible for developing and implementing a research strategy that underpins campaign needs for analysis and insight in line with campaign timelines and available resources. You will oversee and contribute to the delivery of high-quality research outputs, including thematic reports, investor briefings, and surveys of Europe’s largest banks, and ensure that they are underpinned by clear and robust research methodologies. Alongside the Head of Banking Programme and the Senior Campaign Manager, you’ll act as an ambassador for the team in external forums, the media, and when meeting with and presenting to external stakeholders, including banks, civil society organisations, and investors.
If this role sounds like something that would build on your current skill set and engage you, we’d love to hear from you!
What you’ll bring to the team
To be successful, you will:
- Have a good understanding of how banks work and how they can help address climate change, developed through experience working in or with banks.
- Be a strategic thinker.
- Have excellent project management and organisational skills, with a proven ability to autonomously manage research projects, allocate tasks, and handle multiple competing priorities to meet deadlines.
- Have extensive experience carrying out research and an ability to summarise complex issues and datasets for others in a clear and concise way.
- Have advanced Excel skills.
- Have experience managing a team of research professionals and/or providing direct line management support.
- Have a proven ability to handle relationships with multiple external stakeholders in the private and public sectors.
- Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to flex your style according to your audience.
- Be a collaborative team player who is comfortable receiving feedback and ideas from more junior staff, seeks opportunities to support colleagues and is willing to support other areas of work as needed.
- Be passionate about the issues ShareAction advocates for and be comfortable working in a campaigning environment.
It would also be great – but not essential – if you meet the following criteria:
- Experience in conducting surveys and/or carrying out qualitative or quantitative research on financial institutions.
- A good understanding of responsible investment.
- Experience integrating innovative tools and approaches into research processes, such as AI tools.
- Subject matter knowledge in climate change, biodiversity and/or human rights.
- Experience using the Salesforce CRM system and/or Cascade and/or Eikon.
We have a formal hybrid working policy in place, and the Banking team meets in the office every Tuesday for a team meeting and team lunch. We also aim to organise additional team-specific meetings on those days. We expect candidates who live in London to come to the office every Tuesday and those who live outside London to come to the office two Tuesdays a month.
What we will do for you
We are a fast-paced organisation that has grown substantially over the past few years. We recognise that our people work hard to advocate for responsible investment and drive meaningful engagement with those who have the power to create a brighter future. Every day, they bring their expertise, passion and persistence to build a world where the financial system serves our people and planet. We want to ensure we provide the right environment for our colleagues to thrive, and we are committed to improving our employee offer where possible.
Currently, we are pleased to offer:
- A commitment to flexible working: over 60% of our employees have some sort of flexible working arrangement in place.
- Hybrid working: we are committed to supporting our staff to work in a way that suits their lifestyle and meets the requirements of their role.
- Internal promotion and development opportunities: we offer a range of ways to improve your skills and focus on what you love, including promotion, secondment, or sideways development opportunities. For some levels of roles, we also offer direct progression.
- The opportunity to help make a difference: we tackle some of the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges. We offer opportunities for you to develop your skills and experience in a friendly, flexible and supportive working environment.
- A unionised work environment: our staff have the opportunity to join the union and are supported by our recognised union, Unite. We regularly consult and negotiate with our employees on workplace matters ranging from working conditions to pay.
- Regular in-person meetings, including all-staff away days, retreats and directorate strategy days to create connected teams.
- An 8% non-contributory pension invested with NEST and their green funds.
- A healthcare plan with Bupa.
- An employee assistance programme: advice and support, lifestyle discounts and short-term counselling.
- Death in service cover of 3x salary.
- 25 days’ annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus office closure at the end of the year, ensuring everyone gets time to switch off together.
- Enhanced family leave pay: up to 18 weeks paid at 90% for either parent.
- Enhanced sick pay: starting at 5 weeks’ full pay from day 1.
- Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.
ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities, and we are working hard to provide an environment where all can bring their authentic selves to work. We know that some people won’t apply for a role unless they meet all the requirements listed in the job description. If this is the case for you, but you think you would excel in this role, we want to hear from you!
For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.
Closing date: 9.00 am on Monday, 29th September 2025.
Applications will be reviewed regularly, and this advert may close earlier than stated if a suitable candidate is identified. You are therefore encouraged to apply as soon as you can. Previous applicants should not reapply.
Interview dates: There will be two rounds of online interviews for selected candidates.
To be considered for this post, you must be legally eligible to work in the UK; unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.
Principal Research Officer – Ecosystem Health & Social Dimensions
Location: London Wetland Centre, London SW13 9WT - The role supports hybrid working, with travel to both Slough and Richmond as required to carry out the research
Salary: £38,119.00 per annum
Contract: Fixed Term Contract until 30th March 2027
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
About The Role
WWT has successfully partnered with Richmond Borough and Slough Councils to deliver an innovative, nature-based flood alleviation scheme that is already underway, aiming to future-proof neighbourhoods against the impacts of climate change. A landscape scale network of wetland interventions will help build flood resilient communities in two river catchments and unlock their multiple benefits for people. Key interventions are being developed through an inclusive process of co-production with the diverse communities living in these catchments.
WWT’s Conservation Evidence Department is seeking a scientist to deliver social research that examines the effectiveness of these nature-based solutions in building flood resilience and generating social and health and wellbeing benefits for local communities.
About You
The role will involve working closely with WWT colleagues across the Conservation Directorate, as well as project partners and local communities. Strong communication (written and oral) and coordination skills are essential.
The successful candidate will have:
- strong social research skills, both in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
- an understanding of sound scientific methods as well as excellent paper-writing and data management skills
- will have worked with a diverse range of communities and be aware of cultural sensitivities and what is needed to achieve high ethical standards when working with people
- will be an excellent team worker, hold a PhD in a social science, geography or environmental psychology subject, and be familiar with leading, designing and delivering scientific research projects
The role will sit within the Conservation Evidence department, which is a vibrant, multidisciplinary team of passionate scientists. Above all, we have impact: our research diagnoses problems and identifies solutions, and in doing so we shape policy and action for global wetland conservation. We work in collaboration with government, NGOs and academic partners, and a number of PhD students, across the UK and overseas.
About Us
We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.
Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.
Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?
Why you’ll love working at WWT
- Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
- Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
- 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) – this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
- Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
- Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
- Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
- Cycle to work scheme
- Contributory pension scheme
- Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
- Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme
Closing Date: 22nd August 2025
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.
No agencies please.
Restore Wetlands and Unlock their Power




