Supporter services officer jobs

Support charities. Strengthen communities. Tackle inequality across Oxfordshire.
Join OCVA as a Community Development Officer and be the first point of contact for organisations making real change.

This is a hands-on, people-focussed role at the heart of Oxfordshire’s voluntary and community sector. You will work directly with charities, community groups and social enterprises, offering practical advice and support on governance, funding, sustainability and organisational development. You will combine office and home working with regular travel across the county, building trusted relationships and helping organisations tell the story of their impact.

If you enjoy supporting others to succeed, working collaboratively, and making a tangible difference to communities, this role offers variety, autonomy and purpose in equal measure.

About the role
This role is promote Healthwatch to local residents and stakeholders, and support people to get involved in our work. You’ll be a skilled communicator, comfortable networking and engaging with a diverse range of local residents. This role is primarily based in Westminster, and we’re looking for someone who can understand and relate to the diverse local population.
Your role will involve finding innovative ways to present the information the team gathers to key audiences. This will range from face-to-face conversations with partners and funders through to producing imaginative materials. This includes producing accessible reports and presentations to make sure we can maximise the impact of people’s feedback.
You’ll be responsible for a variety of internal and external communications for the Healthwatch Westminster producing impactful communications across all platforms including our website, social media channels and newsletter. You’ll also produce informative and engaging content for our websites, keeping it fresh and relevant for our diverse audiences.

As well as developing our online presence, you’ll own the Westminster engagement plan. This will involve identifying engagement opportunities, working with the Volunteer Coordinator to ensure we have good coverage at events across the borough, and getting out into the local community to promote our service and hear from local residents.
Working as part of a small team, you’ll be involved in many aspects of the organisation. You’ll need to be flexible, with a ‘can do’ attitude to meet the evolving needs of the service. You will need to work in close collaboration with our other Healthwatch services in Kensington & Chelsea and Brent, and occasionally support communications and engagement in those areas when the need arises.

Key responsibilities

Engagement

• Develop a vibrant engagement plan for Healthwatch Westminster, ensuring that we are reaching a wide range of residents a
• Develop effective relationships with local groups to promote the Healthwatch service and share platforms to capture people’s views and experiences.
• Keep abreast of good engagement practice and actively seek out innovative ways to capture and express people’s views/experiences, including engagement techniques appropriate to different audiences.
• Work in partnership with key stakeholders from the grassroots network to support engagement in projects, including coproduction and joint communications.
• Take a lead role in making sure all Healthwatch Brent activities involve people from all sections of the community, including seldom-heard communities.

Communications (Healthwatch Brent, Westminster, RBKC)

• Create engaging and up-to-date digital media content across all social media channels, including web content, Twitter and Facebook.
• Create regular newsletters and e-bulletins, circulating these to key stakeholders to support engagement.
• Design reports, presentations and stationary templates for the Healthwatch service, making sure all materials keep to the Healthwatch brand guidelines.
• Answer and respond appropriately to calls about the service, collaborating with the team to give signposting support via phone and email.
• Keep up to date with best practice from Healthwatch England, by reading, attending courses and networking.
• Carry out any other tasks needed for the service to run smoothly, as directed by the Healthwatch Manager. 

General responsibilities

• Participate in team meetings, training and organisational development.
• Contribute to monitoring reports.
• Keep to our policies, including health & safety, safeguarding and risk regulations.
• Work to our mission, vision, and values.
• Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service, in line with the changing local and national landscape and carry out other projects and tasks as needed.

Person specification
Essential

• Good understanding of the NHS / social care, in particular the role of user/citizen involvement in developing services.
• Experience of promoting user empowerment and user choice.
• Experience producing communication materials for a variety of channels and audiences.
• Experience of working with diverse communities, particularly in Brent, Westminster or Kensington & Chelsea.
• Good understanding of health inequality and the role Healthwatch can play in helping local people to address this.
• Experience of project management; ability to manage multiple projects effectively and meet deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders ranging from local residents, colleagues, partners, trustees and commissioners.
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to take initiative and plan your own workload.
• Commitment to working within The Advocacy Project and Healthwatch code of conduct, equality and safeguarding policies.
• Willingness to attend further training and to adopt new procedures.
• Willingness to promote Healthwatch and The Advocacy Project in line with our mission, vision and values.

Desirable

• Evidence of ongoing personal development and training related to the role.
• Previous experience of working within a Healthwatch service.
• Experience coordinating and working with volunteers.

Benefits of working for us

We’re committed to providing an empowering, flexible and supportive working environment for all our staff. Our employee benefits include 30 days annual leave (including up to 3 days between Christmas and New Year), participation in a pension scheme with 6% employer contribution, access to a free confidential counselling service, and an interest-free travel/bike loan. All our staff are supported to learn and develop in a variety of ways, including a monthly lecture series where we invite sector experts to talk to our staff on topical issues.

Dimensions is proud to be one of very few social care organisations that are accredited by the Great Places To Work programme in 2025 – now 6 years in a row!

The HR Officer will provide expert support and advice to operational management in all areas of HR whilst consistently demonstrating HR best practice. The HR Officer will be the initial point of contact for all operational HR related matters. 

Occasional travel to team meetings across the region.

Interviews will take place via Microsoft teams.

About the role 

Your main duties will include: 

• Providing first level advice and guidance on HR Policies and procedures, employment law and employee relations issues with the guidance of the HR Services Manager as required
• Advising and supporting Business Support Managers with disciplinary, grievance, absence management, and performance improvement cases.
• Ensure the provision of appropriate, timely and accurate management information to support strategy development, management decision making and improve the effectiveness of HR Services as and when required.
• Review sickness absence and undertake relevant interventions, including referrals to Occupational Health and advice to Managers on phased return.

About you

The successful applicant will have: 

• Qualified or working towards CIPD
• Experienced in developing metrics and reports with data analysis ability
• Excellent working knowledge of Excel, Word and Outlook
• Experienced in supporting managers with ER cases

The rewards

• Up to 35 days’ annual leave entitlement (including bank holidays)
• Staff discount shopping scheme ‘Rewarding Dimensions’
• We offer a salary advance scheme where you can access up to 50% of the money you've earned before payday. 
• Employee Assistance Programme 
• Pension scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Qualification scheme
• Employee recognition scheme 'Inspiring People' 
• Discounted health and dental cover 
• Life Assurance 
• Bike to Work Scheme 
• Season Ticket Loan

Apply now

• We welcome applications from everyone who has the right to work in the UK, and value diversity in our workforce
• As Disability Confident Leaders , we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy - Dimensions has been awarded this symbol by Jobcentre Plus to recognise our commitment towards the employment, retention, training and career development of disabled employees
• We now have British Sign Language (BSL) translated videos for all of our recruitment communications.

The International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation (IPWSO) is seeking a talented and motivated CEO who will deliver our organisational strategy which aims to improve the lives of all those affected by a rare genetically determined disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). 

The role of CEO at IPWSO is both challenging and rewarding. You can help deliver change for people affected by PWS from across the globe by helping us build solidarity, promoting scientific reasoning and research, helping to foster new relationships, supporting our members, and striving for equality for everyone affected by the syndrome.

You will work alongside passionate volunteers and experts in PWS from across all continents and with a skilled and small staff team based in the UK. We are all dedicated to making a tangible difference!

For the full person specification and the JD, please refer to the attachment below.

#CEO #Chief Executive #Chief Executive Officer 

About Muscular Dystrophy Support Centre (MDSC)

Muscular Dystrophy Support Centre (MDSC) is a regional charity supporting people affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions. We deliver a growing portfolio of health, wellbeing and community-based services, underpinned by strong values, lived experience and a commitment to quality.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Head of Delivery to provide inspirational operational leadership across our services. This is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring high-quality, compliant and sustainable delivery, while supporting growth, innovation and continuous improvement.

Working closely with the CEO and Senior Team, the postholder will embed a strong performance culture, champion service-user involvement, and ensure services meet regulatory, contractual and organisational requirements.

Head of Delivery JD

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for MDSC’s service delivery portfolio
• Lead and manage delivery teams, ensuring consistent, high-quality performance
• Oversee safeguarding, risk management, health & safety and regulatory compliance
• Develop and maintain quality systems, audits and performance frameworks
• Champion meaningful service-user involvement and co-production
• Lead service development, mobilisation and change management initiatives
• Build productive relationships with commissioners, funders and partners
• Oversee service budgets, financial planning and sustainability
• Support staff development, supervision and performance management

About You

You will be a confident operational leader with significant experience in health, care or disability services. You will bring strong people management skills, financial acumen and a clear understanding of quality, compliance and performance management in regulated environments.

You will be credible with commissioners and partners, comfortable leading change, and committed to ensuring services are shaped by the people who use them.

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role with real influence and responsibility
• The opportunity to shape and grow impactful services
• Supportive, values-driven organisational culture
• Pension contribution
• Annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays
• Ongoing professional development

Safeguarding

This role is subject to a probationary period and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

For over 100 years, we have been the central fundraiser and grant maker for maritime welfare. As a truly independent charity, we always put seafarer welfare first.

We’re looking for someone who genuinely cares about people, someone who lights up at the idea of looking after supporters and understands just how important thoughtful donor care is to meaningful fundraising. If you’re enthusiastic, detail‑driven, and love building relationships, you’ll feel right at home with us.

As our Fundraising Officer, you’ll play a vital role in keeping our fundraising engine running smoothly. This isn’t a marketing job, this is real, hands‑on fundraising. You’ll be the person who ensures our donors feel valued, seen, and appreciated. You’ll work across multiple income streams, supporting everything from donation processing to stewardship journeys, helping us maintain the high standards our supporters deserve.

You’ll be joining a small, ambitious, and incredibly committed Development team. A team that truly believes in the work we do and the people we do it for. You’ll need to be comfortable talking to supporters, nurturing relationships, managing details accurately, and getting stuck in wherever needed. If you have a natural warmth, a positive mindset, and pride in doing things well, you’ll thrive here.

Most importantly, you’ll be part of a charity with a unique role in the maritime world, one with a long history, a strong reputation, and a real, measurable impact on the lives of seafarers. This is a brilliant opportunity to grow, learn, and take meaningful steps forward in your fundraising career, surrounded by people who are just as dedicated and driven as you are.

If you’re ready to bring your passion, energy, and commitment to a role where every interaction matters, we’d love to hear from you.

You'll be joining a diverse, friendly, committed team of about 20 staff. We work on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office. There are regular organisation-wide staff meetings at the office to ensure opportunities for people to get to know each other face-to-face, plus smaller departmental team meetings, and cross-organisational working groups.

Our client is a leading Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and Counselling training organisation and therapeutic services provider based in North London. They provide high quality, low-cost psychotherapy and counselling to children, young people, parents and families in over 35 schools and organisations in London and the South East as well as from their London-based therapeutic and training centre ‘The Bothy’. At an exciting time of change, the organisation are now looking to recruit a dynamic new Head of Services to oversee the efficient delivery and development of their therapeutic services.

As Head of Services you will be responsible for leading on the delivery, development and growth of the organisation's therapeutic services. You will oversee a small, tight-knit team (comprising of office staff, as well as a Clinical Lead and a School Liaison Coordinator), leading on administrative, marketing and budgeting for the entire service.  You will update and implement policies across the organisation to meet standards in the field of therapeutic provision and mental health services. You will also liaise with external agencies, statutory and non-statutory organisations and schools, nurturing relationships, identifying new clients and securing new contracts in order to develop additional revenue streams and ensure the financial sustainability of the Centre.

To apply for this role you will be a supportive leader with significant experience of overseeing staff and service operations previously. You will have an awareness of children mental health services (CAMHS) and related settings such as education, social care, health, public sector, and will be confident working in partnership and building relationships with a variety of external agencies. You will have the ability to think strategically and creatively with a solutions-focused attitude and will have knowledge of safeguarding processes. A recognised child psychotherapy qualification with UKCP or ACP training organisation would be an advantage.

In order to apply please initially submit your CV in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will then arrange a suitable time to fully brief you on the role.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity. If you have any disability and require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the process then please contact Victoria Savva at Prospectus.

Please note this is a full-time role and will be based on-site at the organisation's offices in North Finchley.

Advert

People Services Officer

Fixed term contract until August 2027

17.5 hours per week (Wednesday to Friday).

£13,134.87 per annum

Location

The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need

This role sits within our People and Culture Domain.

We're looking for a proactive and customer-focused People Services Officer to join our People (HR) Team. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys delivering high-quality operational HR support.

In this role, you will help ensure our HR processes run smoothly, efficiently and in line with policy, while working collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation. You'll be a key point of contact for employees, volunteers and managers, supporting the full employee lifecycle and helping drive continuous improvement across our HR service.

As a People Services Officer, you will:

-Ensure smooth and accurate processing of pay and contractual changes, working closely with Payroll and confirming all changes in writing.

-Manage and respond to internal and external queries via shared inboxes, ensuring accuracy and timely resolution.

-Lead, plan, and provide guidance on family leave processes, and offer first-line advice on low-level employee matters (e.g. sick pay entitlement, volunteering/positive disclosures).

-Support continuous improvement by identifying opportunities, contributing to HR projects, and helping implement new processes and initiatives.

-Provide administrative and system support to the People Partnering team, including preparing HR documentation, generating data reports, and supporting compliance with key people processes.

-Maintain a customer-focused approach while ensuring data accuracy, attention to detail, and adherence to HR policies and procedures.

The Children's Society runs over 100 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children's lives happier and safer.

Every day we're changing the lives of children in this country for the better - and with your help, tomorrow we can be there for even more.

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, which includes the disclosure of criminal records, vetting checks, and the provision of appropriate references. The number and type of references required may vary depending on the nature and responsibilities of the role, ensuring that each appointment is carefully assessed. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.

Please note we will be shortlisting an interviewing as and when applications comes in.

Liberty is seeking an ambitious, values‑driven fundraiser to oversee and deliver our trust and foundation, legacy, and major giving fundraising. As the Fundraising Manager for Philanthropy, this role requires proven experience of building, sustaining and growing significant income from philanthropic sources.

Liberty is a small organisation, which punches above its weight. The Fundraising Manager will combine strong leadership with hands on day-to-day delivery. As a key member of the Management Team, the role will oversee a talented team comprising a Philanthropy Officer and two Grants Officers. You will combine strategic oversight with hands‑on delivery, shaping compelling funding propositions and building strong, lasting relationships with funders and supporters. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will ensure our complex and multifaceted work is translated into inspirational cases for support that resonate with funders.

This is a critical role in a vital organisation. Success will see the maintenance and development of a diverse range of income generation streams, and Liberty being better able to achieve its mission of challenging injustice, defending freedom and campaigning to make sure everyone in the UK is treated fairly.

You will have a strong commitment to Liberty’s anti-oppression values and strategy.

Liberty fully embraces flexible working and is committed to employee development. We aim to encourage people from all backgrounds to work with us and are particularly interested in hearing from people from minority backgrounds and all socio-economic sections of society. Liberty supports hybrid working, with a minimum of two days per week in the Westminster office.

The deadline for applications is 9am Monday 2 March 2026

Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.

Please be aware that we do not accept CVs for this role. All applicants must complete the application form to apply.

First round interviews will be held online on Tuesday 17th March

Second round interview will be held in person on Tuesday 24th March

For more information and details on how to apply, please visit our website.

Age International is dedicated to supporting older people living in the most challenging circumstances. As part of the Age UK Group and the UK member of the HelpAge global network, we champion healthy ageing, tackle ageism, deliver age inclusive humanitarian aid, and advocate for income security later in life.

We're looking for a driven Direct Marketing Manager - Acquisition on a 12-month fixed term contract to lead our donor recruitment programme and inspire the UK public to support our life changing work for the first time.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the full acquisition journey across multiple channels while contributing directly to major emergency responses through Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeals.

This is a hands on role in a small, passionate team, with the space to innovate and directly influence our future supporter programme.

We offer hybrid working, with a minimum of one day a week in our London office (including one Thursday of the month for our Age International 'all-staff' days).

Please note that our core working days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Must haves:

The below competencies will be assessed at the indicated stage of the recruitment process: Application = A, Interview = I, Test = T, Presentation = P

Experience
* Proven successful experience in a direct marketing role. (A, I)
* Delivered and managed effective direct marketing campaigns. (A, I)
* Worked across a variety of offline and online direct marketing channels. (A, I)
* Experience working with a supporter or customer database (A, I)
* Experience of managing internal and external stakeholders to deliver campaigns including copy and artwork sign off. (A, I)
* Experience of following internal processes, recognising potential improvements and implementing them. (I)
* Experience of line management and performance management (A, I)

Skills and knowledge
* Confident in using databases and digital reporting tools such as Google Analytics. (A, I)
* Strong numerical and analytical skills. (A, I)
* Creative process management, from creative briefing through to production. (I, T)
* Excellent project management and prioritisation skills; able to work to tight deadlines and under pressure. (I)
* Excellent written English skills with good attention to detail, including ability to review copy for accuracy and compliance. (A, I, P, T)

Personal attributes
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with people at all levels. (I)
* Share the charity's values. (I)
* Flexible team player, willing to get stuck in. (I)
* Willingness to learn new skills and implement them within your role. (I)

Great to Have's:
The below competencies will be assessed at the indicated stage of the recruitment process: Application = A, Interview = I, Test = T, Presentation = P

Experience

* Experience of working in a direct marketing role within a charity. (A, I)
* Experience of working through an innovation process. (A, I)

Skills and Knowledge

* Working knowledge of email and CMS platforms (DotDigital, Episerver). (A, I)
* Used collaborative digital platforms such as MS Teams, Trello. (I)

Personal attributes

* An interest in international development and humanitarian work. (I)

What we offer in return

• Competitive salary, 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + annual leave purchase scheme
• Excellent pension scheme, life assurance, Health cashback plan and EAP
• Car Benefit Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loan
• Techscheme - buy any tech from Apple or Currys, up to £1000, and spread the cost over 12 months, interest free
• Blue Light Card Scheme
• You Did It Awards - recognition awards from £100-250.

Additional Information

Supporting statements and anonymisation

Candidates are expected to provide a supporting statement that explains how they meet the competencies annotated with an 'A' in the job description, to assess suitability for the position. Age UK acknowledges and accepts that AI may be used to support the application; we do expect candidates to personalise experience, knowledge and skills and failure to do so, may result in your application being rejected.

Please submit a Word version of your CV as it will be anonymised by our recruitment system when you apply for a role. Our system is unable to anonymise supporting statements and heavily formatted CVs. Please could you remove any personal information including your name before you upload to support our inclusive recruitment process. All equalities monitoring information is also anonymised and not shared with the hiring panel. Your name and address will only be known to us if invited for interview.

Equal opportunities & Disability Confident Scheme

Age UK is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. Age UK is a Disability Confident Scheme employer. Due to high numbers of applications received, Age UK reserves the right to limit the overall number of interviews offered, and therefore, it may not always be practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job.

Reasonable adjustments

Disabled job seekers can access reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. All requests for reasonable adjustments are considered on a case-by-case basis, in collaboration with the disabled job seeker to best meet their needs, by contacting the Recruitment Team. Disability disclosures will be kept confidential and only shared on a need-to-know basis to support the implementation of adjustments. Disclosures will not be used to inform hiring decisions.

Age UK is committed to safeguarding adults at risk, and children, from abuse and neglect. We expect everyone who works with us to share this commitment.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert at any time.

Age UK politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

For a full list of benefits please visit our website.

Job Title: Children's Support Worker

Location: Warwickshire - Travel required across Warwickshire, predominantly North Warwickshire and Rugby. Use of a car is essential to the role. 
Salary: £25,857.12 per annum 

Contract type: Full Time, Permanent 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

We are recruiting for a Children’s Support Worker who will be working closely with children and their parents who are living in our dispersed accommodation refuges escaping domestic violence and other forms of violence and abuse, to provide personal welfare support and ensure that our clients are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment.

A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment. The post holder will support children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence and plan and provide stimulating, safe, and appropriate play opportunities.

Please note that post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

A driving license and access to a car is essential to the role. 

Closing Date: 09:00 am 12 February 2026

Interview Date: 27 February 2026

We are looking for a dynamic Senior Research & Analysis Officer to manage and deliver information, data, and analysis to help Youth Futures build evidence for impact.

This is an opportunity for a researcher with excellent data analysis, trial design and data skills to work widely across a busy and ambitious directorate, helping us understand and address youth unemployment in England.

Working with two teams in the Impact and Evidence Directorate, you will gain experience and contribute meaningfully across a range of research and evaluation activities.

• You will work with the Head of Evaluation and Principal Economist to support the design, delivery and management of data systems; scope, commission and manage high-quality evaluations; and conduct data analysis and quantitative social and economic research.
• You will also use your analytical expertise to extract insights from data, identify trends, and liaise with policy and communication teams to prepare outputs for external use.
• You will support the work of YFF’s evaluation team in generating new evidence for employment support programmes and Employer Practice through impact evaluations, including Randomised Controlled Trials.
• The role also offers opportunities to work on data visualisations for effective communication of data and research insights.

This role can be based at our Birmingham, Leeds or London hub. We currently operate a hybrid model of two-days per week in the office and three-days from home.

For more information on this role, please download our recruitment pack.

Due to receiving high volumes of interest in our opportunities, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with excellent strategic, analytical and leadership skills to join Impetus as an Investment Director and support us in our mission to transform the lives of young people.

The Investment Director (ID) is a key member of the Investment Team, playing a leading role in identifying, assessing, and supporting portfolio partner charities and other non-profit organisations to deepen their impact and scale their outcomes. This role works closely with other Investment Directors and Investment Managers to deliver external facing support to portfolio partners as well as internal projects to support the development of the investment model and portfolio strategy.

Investment Directors use strategic thinking, analytical rigour, and senior relationship skills to support a portfolio of amazing organisations that, together, will help shift the life chances and outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK.

About the Investment Team

The Investment Team is responsible for selecting portfolio partners, managing our charity investments and supporting our portfolio partners to improve and scale their impact.

The Investment Team also leads the Impetus Leadership Academy, a leadership development programme to support talent from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK youth sector to progress into senior leadership roles.

The team is made up of 18 people, including former teachers, charity chief executives, charity impact leads, management consultants, social investment portfolio managers and impact consultants.  

The team is led by a Portfolio Director who sits on the Senior Management Team. The Portfolio Director has 5 direct reports: a Deputy Portfolio Director, three Sector Leads (who lead our work in School engagement, School attainment and Employment Sectors) and an Impact Lead. Sector Leads line manage 6 Investment Directors. Investment Directors line manage Investment Managers (currently 5). Investment Directors and Investment Managers tend to primarily focus on a sector but might have mixed portfolios, depending on need, experience and interest.

The Investment Team has a good track record of role progression. All four Leads and a number of our Investment Directors were promoted from within the team.

The team is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We come from a range of backgrounds and bring a broad mix of perspectives.  We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.

About this role

We believe that all young people deserve to succeed in school and in work, whatever their background. As we enter a challenging time with rising inflation and a likely recession, our work feels more vital than ever before. We are pleased to be able to expand our team to support our growing portfolio of charity and non-profit partners, in order to reach and impact more lives. The role of Investment Director presents an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the charities we serve, the team itself and the whole of Impetus.  

Key responsibilities

Finding high potential charities and non-profit partners for our portfolio

• Identifying potential charitable organisations for investment 
• Leading in-depth due diligence process within the scope of a grant round, to assess and build partnership foundations with potential partners – covering leadership and governance, and their impact, scale, and partnership potential; 
• Modelling from first contact of origination, our approach to engaged and trust-based investment management support;
• Developing and presenting high quality investment propositions to our Investment Committee.

Managing partnerships with portfolio partners

• Managing relationships with partner Chairs and CEOs 
• Agreeing Service Funding Agreements, including appropriate annual investment milestones to allow for a clear assessment of re-investment potential at end of phase 
• Regularly monitoring and assessing partner progress / risks against milestones and making evidence-based recommendations on progression or exit to Leads, Portfolio Director and the Investment Committee
• Escalating key risks on performance, leadership and safeguarding 
• Conducting annual partnership review with Sector Leads and partner CEOs
• Working with Impetus Finance colleagues to ensure timely distribution of grant payments, in line with Service Funding Agreements. 

Supporting portfolio partners 

• Providing direct support to CEOs and senior colleagues on key strategic topics, using a mix of at least monthly one-to-one meetings and group facilitation to:
  • clarify theory of change,
  • define long term ambition,
  • develop growth strategy
  • achieve a step change in the delivery and performance management of outcomes,
  • strengthen leadership (individual and collective) and governance capabilities,
  • develop path to scale,
  • build financial resilience;
• Scoping and project managing pro bono capacity-building projects (in addition to providing direct management support). Ensure projects are delivered to a high standard and contribute to charity progression;
• Identifying engagement opportunities for our donors and supporters with portfolio partners that are aligned with the partner’s activities and do not distract or undermine their core work;
• Collaborating with the Impetus Philanthropy team to support the development of additional funding opportunities for portfolio partners, enhancing their ability to deliver impact at scale;
• Effectively leveraging the support of investment managers to advance the objectives developed for each portfolio partner that is managed by an Investment Director.

Support to Impetus

• Developing expertise about “what works” in the sector through cultivation and use of expert input and engagement as well as investigation into key research and evaluative literature;
• Contributing insights and learning from portfolio work to inform Impetus’ strategy, model and delivery;
• Contributing to internal priorities and working groups (e.g. team strategy discussions, digital improvement initiatives, or equity, diversity, and inclusion)
• Contribute towards Impetus’ public affairs and philanthropy objectives through input into case studies, research and policy campaigns, donor reports and fundraising events
• Sharing the learning from our work across the team, across the organisation and externally working within Impetus strategy and agreed forums
• Engaging in Impetus pro bono, communications, and advocacy events, and engage portfolio partners appropriately in these events.
• Where appropriate, line-managing and supporting Investment Managers on the team to grow and develop, and achieve their project, role and team objectives.

Person specification

Essential

• A commitment to Impetus’ mission.
• Senior level responsibility and a strong track record of building trust-based relationships with senior stakeholders, advising them on key strategic decisions, and challenging them in a respectful and collaborative manner.
• A talent for strategic thinking around complex issues.
• Strong financial acumen and analytical skills.
• Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation fundamentals.
• Tenacity and initiative.
• Ability to flex personal style to needs of charity and leadership.
• Growth mind-set to seek out and act on feedback.
• Proven ability to work independently, and to exercise good judgment.
• Strong planning and time management skills.
• Interest in partnering closely with charities that are doing what it takes to get better.
• A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

If you don't tick all these boxes, but still feel that you fit the profile, please apply anyway.

Desirable

• Experience in the non-profit (charity or social enterprise) sector, through work, as a pro-bono volunteer or Trustee capacity.
• Experience in consulting, investment management, senior charity management, or other in-depth grant making and advisory work.
• Knowledge and expertise in UK education or youth employability sectors.
• Board experience in private, public or third sector.
• Understanding of or experience with commissioning impact evaluations.

Carers First is a charity that works directly with, and for unpaid carers, providing personalised information, advice and tailored support making it easier for those caring for someone else to continue living their lives to the fullest.

We have a committed, dedicated staff team and you could be just the person we are looking for to join us to make that valuable difference in carer’s lives. We live and work through our values in all that we achieve by being positive, collaborative and ambitious and we have clear plans to scale our reach, support and impact for carers.

About this role

• The Service Manager will provide strategic leadership in the development and delivery of an innovative, high-quality service for carers across Croydon. 

• Work collaboratively with carers and colleagues, the role will drive continuous learning, service improvements, and strong partnership engagement to ensure that carers receive meaningful and responsive support.

About you

• A dedicated and experienced leader with a passion for making a tangible difference in the lives of carers.
• Proven ability to manage and inspire teams, you thrive in a dynamic environment where innovation and collaboration are key.
• Strong communication skills enable you to build strategic partnerships and work effectively with stakeholders to drive positive change.
• A commitment to continuous learning and service excellence, you ensure that carers receive the support they need to lead fulfilling lives.

We are looking for passionate people who are committed to the overall aims and objectives of the Charity. Carers First is committed to providing a supportive, vibrant, diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

Carers First Can Offer You  

In return for your contribution, we have an amazing package of staff benefits including 26 days annual leave entitlement which increases with length of service, flexible working options, paid carers leave, access to our work-place pension, staff discount scheme, employee assistance programme and a Benenden Healthcare package. 

Whatever you are aiming to achieve in your career, we are here to encourage, help and support you grow, through our excellent training and development programmes.

How to apply

To apply for our exciting opportunity and make a real difference to the lives of carers, please download our Candidate Pack and click on the ‘Apply Now’ button to begin your application.

Applications can only be assessed if they clearly state how you meet each of the requirements in the Personal Specification.

Appointments are subject to Carers First receiving an appropriate disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service that we consider acceptable.

Interview Process:

With a closing date of 15 February 2025 all successfully shortlisted candidates will be invited to a face-to-face meeting with an interview panel, on 24 February 2026

During the interview, candidates will also be required to give a 15-minute presentation, and details will be provided in advance. 

Please allow one hour for the interview process.

Carers First is an Equal Opportunities Employer   

Positive      Collaborative      Ambitious