Head of Governance, Compliance, and Risk
Permanent, Full Time, Hybrid working (2 days per week in the office)
Location: The role can be based in our Cardiff, London, or Warrington office
Salary: £76,432 per annum for Cardiff, and Warrington. £81,314 per annum for London (including London allowance)
About us
Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We are a global movement of people, churches and local organisations who passionately champion dignity, equality and justice worldwide. We are the changemakers, the peacemakers, the mighty of heart.
We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and recognise the value this brings in forming strong, creative and high performing teams. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, and from those with experience from outside of the voluntary sector. And no, you don’t have to be Christian to work here – we encourage people of all faiths and none to apply. We just ask that everyone lives out our values of dignity, equality, justice and love. We value a good work-life balance, so we’re open to part-time and flexible working. We also offer hybrid working for our office-based colleagues.
About the role
Reporting in to the Director of Finance and Corporate Governance, the Head of Governance, Compliance, and Risk will ensure robust governance, compliance, and risk management across Christian Aid and its subsidiaries which enables effective decision making.
The post-holder will be the the trusted advisor and subject matter expert in corporate governance on behalf of the Board, overseeing legal and regulatory compliance, develops and implementing a comprehensive risk management framework, and leading an internal audit programme that fosters organisational learning. The role will enhance and protect Christian Aid’s reputation and financial integrity while embedding best practices in governance and compliance.
Some of the main areas of responsibility for the Head of Governance, Compliance, and Risk include:
- Support effective trustee succession planning, effective Board meetings, and support for the Governance and Nominations Committee to ensure effective Board Governance.
- Provide expert advice on legal structures for subsidiaries, including Christian Aid Ireland.
- Provide high quality briefings with suggested solutions having sought professional advice where more specialist knowledge is required
- Establish and implement a comprehensive risk management framework including registers and appetite statements to guide directorate-level risk management.
- Develop a compliance culture covering data protection, money laundering, counter-terrorism, sanctions management, fraud prevention, and misuse of funds.
- Complete all regulatory filings (Charity Commission, OSCR, Companies House, ICO) within deadlines to avoid penalties.
- Implement an agreed internal audit plan reviewed by the Audit and Risk Committee to ensure assurance over key controls.
- Evaluate key contracts to ensure compliance and provide legal advice using external panels when necessary.
- Lead a team empowering others to drive progress and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
- Define team's responsibilities and drive the team to promote the exchange of ideas and knowledge to maximise impact and achieve outstanding results.
About you
Who we are looking for:
Essential:
- Professional qualification in law, accountancy, Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), or corporate governance (ICSA).
- Extensive experience (5+ years) in UK Charity and corporate governance, compliance, and risk management within complex organisations.
- Demonstrable expertise in managing legislative changes and interpreting regulations.
- Advanced understanding of legal frameworks (e.g. data protection laws), regulatory requirements, risk management principles, and internal audit processes.
- Exceptional analytical skills for interpreting legislation; ability to communicate technical information effectively to non-specialist audiences; negotiation skills for resolving disputes.
Desirable:
- Experience acting as legal counsel
- Informed on legal, regulatory and sector developments
- Experience of working in global contexts
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Experience of working within changing political regimes and understanding the implications for sanctions and other compliance elements
- Data protection experience
Further information
At Christian Aid we strive to be an inclusive and diverse employer and recognise the value that this brings in helping to build strong, creative and high performing teams.
We are actively encouraging racialised minorities, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people with caring responsibilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, women, and older workers to apply. This is because these groups are under-represented within our teams, especially at senior level, and we recognise and value the contributions members of these groups make to strong, creative and high performing teams.
We have a strong Christian ethos and we encourage applications from all faiths. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and sympathy with Christian Aid’s faith identity.
All successful candidates will require a DBS/police check appropriate to the role and location and a Counter Terrorism Sanction check as part of your clearance for commencing your role with us. We also participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information as part of the referencing process from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
This role requires applicants to have the right to live and work in the country where this position is based and undertake the role that you have been offered. If you are successful and we make you an offer for the role, we will be required to conduct a right to work check on your immigration status in the UK. We will contact you regarding the documentation you will need to provide to evidence this.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
- Directorate: Innovation, Policy & Systems Change
- Reporting into: Associate Director of Research, Learning and Systems Change
- Colleagues reporting into role: No direct reports at present. However, coaching and managing of volunteers and/or consultants is expected.
- Location: You can be home-based anywhere in the UK, with travel for meetings. You can also choose to work from our Bristol or London offices.
- Closing date: Monday 8 June at 12 midday
- Interview dates: Monday 15 June and Tuesday 16 June (please tell us in your application if you cannot attend interview on one of these days)
Change lives in a life-changing career
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.
The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. And that impact can be felt by entire family. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer.
We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise well-being. And we stop at nothing to make their voices heard and their unique needs understood, so they can get the right care and support at the right time.
About the role
We’re looking for a Head of Research & Evidence to join our ambitious Research, Learning & Systems Change Team.
Young Lives vs Cancer has a strong and growing commitment to changing the system for children and young people with cancer, and their loved ones. Our North Star vision and Time is Now Strategy focus on influencing how the wider system works – from services and policy to practice on the ground – so that families get the support they need.
The Head of Research and Evidence sits in the Research, Learning & Systems Change team, within our Innovation, Policy & Systems Change Directorate. The role is responsible for ensuring our work is grounded in strong, credible and useful evidence, and that learning is actively used to shape decisions, practice and change across the system.
This is a leadership role within a small but ambitious team. You will set direction and provide thought leadership, but you will also be hands on – designing, commissioning, managing and using research alongside colleagues and partners.
Building trusted relationships and using evidence to influence thinking and action are central. You will work with colleagues, children and young people, families, and partner organisations (such as the North Star Cancer Collective) to learn, strengthen credibility and create change.
This role is subject to a Criminal Record Check. In the event of a successful application, a Basic Criminal Record Check will be completed. A previous conviction is not necessarily a barrier to employment. We encourage qualified applicants to apply, and we will consider each case individually.
What will I be doing?
No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. You’ll work as part of a strong internal team, collaborating closely with colleagues across the organisation and with key external partners to generate, use and apply evidence that supports learning, influence and system change. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description and pack:
-
You’ll be setting the direction for research and learning, leading a clear and purposeful research programme focused on the psychosocial experiences of children and young people with cancer. You’ll ensure research is high‑quality, ethical and impactful, including commissioning work with partners and contributing to research funding bids.
-
You’ll be understanding needs and experiences to grow a strong, credible evidence base, building and using robust evidence on need, inequality, impact and progress to inform strategy, services, policy and system change. You’ll ensure children, young people and families meaningfully shape research and that insight is shared in clear, practical ways.
-
You’ll be providing system insight and leadership, analysing how the system works, identifying trends and pressures, and using evidence to guide where change is most needed. You’ll build trusted relationships across the voluntary sector, NHS and research community, sharing learning and strengthening our credibility and influence.
-
You’ll be turning learning into action and influence, helping teams apply research to real‑world practice and supporting testing, learning and improvement over time. You’ll put feedback and learning loops in place and assess how research‑informed change is affecting practice and outcomes.
What do I need?
Diverse perspectives and unique skill sets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.
The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:
-
Experience leading and delivering research, including setting direction, choosing methods, commissioning or carrying out research, analysing data, and ensuring high quality and ethical practice.
-
Strong research and analytical skills, with confidence working with both qualitative and quantitative data and evidence, and turning insight into practical action.
-
Experience using evidence to support change, such as shaping strategy, influencing policy, improving services or supporting system change.
-
Experience working across organisations, building trusted relationships with colleagues, partners, and where appropriate, children, young people and families.
-
Ability to communicate complex research clearly and accessibly to different audiences, in writing and in conversation.
-
A collaborative way of working, with strong people skills, curiosity and a learning mindset, and a clear commitment to equity, inclusion and anti‑oppressive practice.
What will I gain?
For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:
- Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
- Well-being, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Great family/caring leave entitlements
- Enhanced pension
- Access to our employee savings scheme
To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.
We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.
To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value AI adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to tell us about your skills and experiences in your own voice.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.
To hear more about this role, please sign up to one of our informal drop in sessions taking place at 12:30pm on Tuesday 26th May and 17:30pm on Monday 01st June.
#ShowTheSalary #NonGraduatesWelcome
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
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!
Help shape the future of a national charity making a difference across the UK
At Volunteering Matters, we believe stronger communities start with people. Every day, we bring people together through volunteering to reduce loneliness, improve wellbeing and create lasting social change in communities across the UK.
As we deliver an ambitious new five-year strategy, we are looking for an exceptional Director of Financial Assurance with significant senior finance leadership experience to help shape our future sustainability, strengthen financial resilience and provide the strategic insight that enables confident, impactful decision-making.
This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior leadership role with genuine influence across a national charity at a pivotal point in its journey.
A strategic leadership role with real impact
This new role is about providing the organisation with a clear, forward-looking financial picture, strengthening financial assurance, improving forecasting and helping ensure long-term sustainability in an increasingly complex funding environment.
Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Board and Finance & Audit Committee, you will play a central role in helping the organisation navigate growth, investment, risk and opportunity.
This role line manages the Finance Manager, ensuring strong operational finance while maintaining clear separation between operational delivery and independent oversight.
Most importantly, you will be excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of a national charity that creates real impact in communities every day. A
Why join Volunteering Matters?
This is an opportunity to join an organisation with a clear social purpose, ambitious plans and a culture built around flexibility, inclusion and collaboration.
We offer:
-
Flexible home-based working across the UK
-
A senior leadership role with genuine strategic influence
-
The chance to shape organisational sustainability and future growth
-
A supportive and values-led culture
-
Meaningful work that positively impacts communities across the UK
Our Values
Everything we do is guided by our values:
Empowering | Inclusive | Compassionate | Positive | Straightforward
Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.
Diversity & Inclusion
Volunteering Matters welcomes all applicants and are keen to ensure our team reflects the diversity of the UK and the communities we serve. We encourage applications from disabled, LGBT and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, along with candidates with any protected characteristics and from disadvantaged groups.
Benefits
Our employee benefits reflect our culture which is built on an approach of full flexibility with accountability, and designed to let you make your most positive contribution; we offer:
-
Flexible Working by Default (re hours & place of work)
-
Unlimited Annual Leave
-
Employee Pension scheme
-
Life Assurance
-
Cycle to Work Scheme
-
Season Ticket Loan
-
Employee Assistance Programme
-
Enhanced sick and family leave.
-
Lifestyle Discount Scheme
We are also open to discussing job share applications.
GDPR Statement
If you apply for a role with us, we will retain your contact details including your name, address, email address and phone number to help us manage your application for up to six months. We will not use your personal data for any other purpose or share it with any third party. You can contact us at any point to update your personal information or ask us to delete it from our records.
Policy on AI-Generated Applications
Applications are accepted on trust, and we expect all submissions to reflect the applicant’s own words, experiences, and motivations. While tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) may support the application process, applications should not be generated wholly by AI.
Interested?
Please send an updated, complete CV and cover letter via the Charity Job Apply button above. In your application clearly state which role you are applying for. In the cover letter please demonstrate how you would fulfil the role requirements, what previous relevant achievements you have (both in life and at work), what skills & experience you can offer, and what you believe you can contribute to Volunteering Matters.
Right to Work in the UK
Please note that while we hold a license to sponsor employees on a skilled worker visa, the number of applications we can make each year is very limited. Unfortunately, this role does not meet the criteria for sponsorship, therefore, you must already have the right to work in the UK to be considered for this position.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
We turn local knowledge into action by working with volunteers and partners across the UK to build stronger communities for all.
