Volunteer development officer jobs in Lambeth, greater london

Resonance is an artist-led community radio station supporting experimental arts and under-represented voices. We’re looking for a Development Manager to take ownership of fundraising activity and help secure the income that sustains this work.

This is a hands-on role focused on trusts & foundations, donor communications and impact reporting. You’ll develop and manage a pipeline of funding applications, translate creative activity into clear and compelling narratives for funders, and contribute to growing individual giving.

Working within a small team, you’ll be expected to take responsibility for defined areas of fundraising activity, manage your own workflow and see work through to completion. You’ll work independently day-to-day, while collaborating with the CEO on priorities, positioning and key opportunities.

The role will suit someone with experience of developing or contributing to funding applications, strong writing skills, and the ability to interpret artistic or community activity and communicate its value clearly to external audiences.

Resonance broadcasts 24/7 on FM, DAB and online, working with hundreds of volunteer broadcasters and artists each year. As an independent charity, our work is sustained through listener support and grant funding.

This is a 4-day per week role (0.8 FTE), with a full-time equivalent salary of £43-45k, initially offered on a 12 month contract, offering a balance of autonomy, flexibility and meaningful work within a distinctive cultural organisation.

This is a a unique opportunity has arisen within a national breastfeeding charity to support the organisation through an exciting new phase of development. 

The ABM is a small but growing national charity. To support our expanding activity, we are creating a new role that provides comprehensive administrative and operational support across the organisation. The Team Support Officer will ensure the smooth running of core processes while also assisting colleagues working across all functions, including but not limited to, fundraising, communications, training, governance, and events.

This new post integrates and expands on previous administrative functions, providing flexible operational support across all areas of ABM’s work. It replaces the former Administrator and Admin Assistant roles, bringing together core administrative functions with additional capacity to support ABM’s strategic growth.

Are you an outstanding leader, fundraiser and a natural networker? Do you want to help local communities to take practical action to make a difference to UK seas and shores? 

Sea-Changers is looking for a motivated leader to make a step change at a key point in the organisation’s journey. Sea-Changers’ vision is a future where the UK’s seas and shores are clean and healthy and marine species and habitats are protected. Our grants seek to support communities of Sea-Changers – people who care about the seas and want to take practical action to make a difference. Through our grants we enable diverse, grassroots and community-led marine conservation across the UK.

Doubling our income to over £300,000 in 2025 has catalysed Sea-Changers to move from a volunteer-led charity to a sustainable organisation with a dedicated staff team. To enable this, we are seeking to appoint our first Executive Director. This new role will work alongside the Co-Founders and our Board of Trustees and lead the transition from a volunteer-led operation to a staff-led organisation.

As a driven individual, you will build on our success — strengthen partnerships, expand our impact, and help more communities to protect the ocean. Supported by a strong group of volunteers and an impressive Board, the Executive Director will be comfortable working at both a strategic and operation level, and ‘hands on’. By the end of 2027 it is our expectation you will take full responsibility for the strategic leadership and overall operational delivery of Sea-Changers.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for the right individual. It is a chance to build on our success to date, to forge new partnerships with our funders, to motivate and inspire our inspiring volunteer team and to engage with our wide community of applicants. Through Sea-Changers, the Executive Director has the rare chance to deliver a lasting legacy for UK marine conservation.

Strategic leadership, increasing organisational income and managing a motivated team of volunteers are essential aspects to the role. A passion for the marine environment is key, as is a working understanding of UK marine policy. We want someone who passionately advocates for Sea-Changers, who can communicate confidently and credibly at all levels. You will champion our oceans and galvanise others. 

The Royal Parks (TRP) is a charity created in March 2017. We manage over 5,000 acres of diverse parkland, rare habitats and historic buildings and monuments in eight Royal Parks across London. These are Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Green Park, St James’s Park, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park.

We also manage other important public spaces including Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens. Our eight Royal Parks and other iconic green spaces are among the most visited attractions in the UK with tens of millions of visits every year.

Help Nature Thrive (HNT) is an initiative aimed at tackling the global biodiversity crisis by making The Royal Parks more resilient, more biodiverse and more connected to the visitor. It is supported by £900k of annual funding thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and seeks to deliver park conservation improvements, enhance the learning journey of visitors and collect data to inform management practices.

We are now looking for a Help Nature Thrive Marketing & Communications Officer to join us on a full-time basis, until September 2026, subject to funding. This role is funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery.

The Benefits

• Salary of £34,743- £37,500 per annum, depending on experience
• 26 days' annual leave plus public holidays
• Pension scheme (3% employee contribution; up to 10% employer contribution)
• Hybrid/agile working options
• Private medical insurance and healthcare cash plan
• Employee assistance programme and access to mental health first aiders
• Learning and development opportunities
• Cycle to work scheme
• Offices in a beautiful location

This is an outstanding opportunity for a marketing, communications and media professional with experience researching and developing engaging content to join our prestigious organisation.

Parks and green spaces have never been more important, particularly in London where access to nature is at a premium. That’s why we need your knowledge and skill set to play a pivotal part within our HNT project, helping us to preserve and enhance these historic green spaces.

So, if you want to join a supportive and innovative team where you’ll have access to a whole host of fantastic benefits, then apply today!

The Role

As a Marketing and Communications Officer, you will play a key role in bringing Help Nature Thrive to life for our audiences, translating complex biodiversity and research work into engaging, accessible stories and campaigns.

Working closely with our marketing, digital and communications teams, you’ll ensure this work is not only communicated clearly but also integrated into wider campaigns and the overall Royal Parks narrative.

Generating and creative, audience-first campaigns that inspire people to connect with and care about nature in the parks. You will deliver these in a variety of areas, including family activities, school assemblies, community outreach and volunteer opportunities.

You will also share the outcomes of research projects and habitat enhancement works with a range of stakeholders through various communication channels.

Additionally, you will:

• Translate scientific research and biodiversity projects into engaging, audience-friendly content and campaigns
• Work collaboratively with internal teams to align HNT activity with wider organisational campaigns and storytelling
• Integrate funder recognition into campaigns and storytelling in a way that feels natural and meaningful
• Respond to reactive media enquiries
• Write briefs, award tenders and manage contracts with contractors
• Ensure digital communication platforms are legally compliant
• Keep up to date with digital trends and relevant legislation

About You

To be considered as a Marketing and Communications Officer, you will need:

• An interest in nature, conservation or environmental topics, and a curiosity to learn more
• Experience developing and supporting marketing, communications and media campaigns
• Experience researching and developing engaging content for a variety of audiences, using a range of different channels
• Confidence working with complex or technical information and turning it into engaging content
• A creative approach to engaging different audiences, including those who may not traditionally connect with nature
• Excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communications skills
• Proficiency in IT, including Microsoft Office

Please note, this role may involve some out-of-hours work, especially during events, to be reclaimed as time off in lieu.

We want to put everyone in the best possible position to succeed and use Recite-me accessibility software. At the top of the application page, there is an “Accessibility Tools” button which you can use to complete the application form in a way that works for you. If you think that you may need more support to complete our application process, please do get in touch.

Other organisations may call this role Marketing Officer, Communications Officer, Marketing Executive, Marcoms Executive, Marketing Communications Officer, Marketing & Events Executive, Marketing Campaign Executive, or Communications Executive.

The Royal Parks is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

So, if you are interested in this unique opportunity as an HNT Marketing & Communications Officer, please apply via the button shown. Successful candidates will be appointed on merit.

Hours: 35 per week (full time)

Location: Home-based with regular travel across London.

Contract: Fixed term (until 31 March 2027)

About us

Housing Justice brings together communities and finds solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system. We train and support volunteers to offer various accommodation options while building a network of local support. This includes providing personalised assistance to help individuals access relevant local services and address their other needs. Through compassionate, courageous, and collaborative action, we implement innovative solutions to tackle housing injustice, enhance the quality of housing, and elevate the voices and experiences of groups affected by housing injustice to both local and national governments.

About Citadel

Citadel is a volunteer-powered homelessness prevention project that supports people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, to find a place to live, settle into a home, and feel part of a welcoming and supportive community. Coordinators recruit and train volunteers before matching them with a person referred for support. Coordinators and volunteers work closely with people who have been referred, to establish what matters to them and how best they can support them.

About you

We are seeking to hire an outgoing, confident leader who is skilled and comfortable in building relationships and influencing people. You will be a dedicated, diligent person with experience of leading teams in the homelessness, housing or voluntary and community sectors and passionate about the role of the community in ending homelessness.

About the role

The successful candidate will provide supportive line management to six Coordinators working in North-East and South-East London. They will be responsible for overseeing and developing our London projects: building our partnerships, supporting the teams to grow the support we offer and supporting the projects’ continuous improvement and sustainability.

Engagement Officer

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the Engagement Team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with stroke survivors and their families to support them following a stroke.

Position: 000007 Engagement Officer

Location: Home-based South West, Hampshire and Isle of Wight. However, extensive travel will be required as part of this role across Hampshire, isle of Wight, BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire and frequent travel across the wider South west locality (may include team meetings or other work-related meetings)

Hours: Part-time, 21 hours per week

Salary: Circa £17,800 per annum (FTE circa £29,813.07)

Contract: This is a fixed-term until 30 April 2027

Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (this will increase with service up to 30 days, full time equivalent) cashback and discount scheme, employee assistance programme, learning and development, pension scheme, Life Assurance, Eye Care vouchers, Long Service Award, Tax-free childcare, Health Cash Plan, Working Pattern Agreement, flexible working opportunities available.

Closing Date: Sunday 26 April 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

Interview Date: Thursday 7 and Friday 8 May

The Role

Reporting to the Engagement Lead, the Engagement Officer helps strengthen local stroke communities by bringing people together, championing lived experience voices, and building warm, trusted relationships with volunteers, partners, and healthcare professionals. By supporting local groups, gathering insight, and sparking meaningful conversations, the role ensures stroke survivors and carers feel heard, connected, and supported to reduce the devastation of stroke.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Working with people affected by stroke to ensure the voice of lived experience is central to this work
• Building and maintaining strong relationships across the charity and with external stakeholders
• Confident with public speaking
• Supporting stroke support groups and volunteers

About You

You will be:

• Warm
• Friendly
• Approachable
• Enthusiastic

With experience of

• Being adaptive to best meet the needs of the people we support
• Working with and supporting a wide range of stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills, including confident public speaking skills
• Working in partnerships with other organisations including those in the voluntary sector, health and social care

This role requires extensive travel across a large geographical locality to attend a variety of meetings and events in health and community settings. Candidates must be able to demonstrate how they can meet this requirement of the role

Please state any preferences for flexible options in your covering letter.

When you click to apply, you will be able to see the full responsibilities and person specification for further information on the role. Please submit your CV, (including details of your current address), and a supporting statement of no more than two pages, demonstrating how you meet the person specification and what you bring to the role in terms of your skills and experience.

Finding strength through support

The organisation is the only charity in the UK providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families. Providing tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year. This support includes one-to-one and group support, funding vital scientific research into stroke prevention, acute treatment, recovery and long-term care, and campaigning to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke. 

They are here for stroke survivors and their loved ones, from the moment they enter the new and frightening post-stroke world, supporting them every step of the way as they find their strength and their way back to life.

It’s only thanks to the generosity of supporters and donors that they can provide vital support. 

The Association is driven by an ambition to improve the lives of everyone affected by stroke. This means they’re determined to create an equitable and inclusive workplace that benefits from the difference, and thrives on the diversity, of our people. Guided by an approach to solving inequity in stroke, the team are prioritising listening to, and learning from, lived experience across the charity.

The charity are working to improve the representation of this lived experience at all levels within the Association and are eager to recruit applicants from a variety of communities and backgrounds. We are keen to receive applications from people affected by stroke, people of colour, members of LGBT+ communities, and disabled people because these identities and experiences are underrepresented and would add enormous value to how the organisation work.

A Disability Confident employer, the organisation is making great progress focusing on flexible working, reasonable adjustments and access to work.

You may also have experience in areas such as Engagement, Community Engagement, Volunteer Engagement, Advocate, Advocacy, Health, Social Care, Engagement Officer, Community Engagement Officer, Volunteer Engagement Officer.

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, Not For Profit People. #INDNFP

Contract:  Part time, one-year contract, 2.5 days per week (18.75 hours) 

Salary:  £14,000-£16,000 per annum (£28,000-£32,000 FTE (depending on experience))

The Brent Centre for Young People 

The Brent Centre for Young People (BCYP) is the leading mental health charity for young people in Northwest London, helping over 800 young people a year with a wide range of issues. We offer specialised treatment in the areas of depression, suicide prevention, self-harm, eating disorders, exam anxiety and more. Our approach is rooted in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. We aim to reach significantly more young people in the years ahead, drawing on our heritage that combines specialist treatment in-house and outreach into communities. The Brent Centre is also an important Research Centre on Adolescent Breakdown and Psychotherapy. 

The Role

As HR Officer, you will play a role in bringing structure, consistency and clarity to Brent Centre’s HR processes. You will deliver practical, people-focused support across the employee lifecycle, from recruitment, onboarding to contract changes, developing and updating organisational policies, helping to strengthen and develop how HR supports colleagues across the organisation.

Working closely with the Administration and Finance Manager, you will act as the first point of contact for day-to-day HR queries, ensuring they are handled promptly, accurately and in line with Brent Centre’s values. You will support colleagues and managers to use HR systems effectively, interpret and apply policies correctly, and follow clear, consistent processes. You will maintain accurate information across our HR systems (Bright HR and SharePoint HR Intranet) and ensure HR data is complete, compliant and up to date.

Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) is looking for an experienced, passionate and enthusiastic person for our Peer Mentoring Officer role. If you feel like this is you, we would love to hear from you!

The successful post holder will work with our peer mentoring team to empower young people to co-produce and deliver peer support programmes which draw on their own knowledge and lived-experience to help others.

The post holder will train youth facilitators to deliver our peer mentoring service through one-to-one peer mentoring and peer support group work. The post holder will also support the wider FYA peer mentoring team in training professionals working with young people around good practice in mentoring and mental health support work.

We are particularly keen to hear from candidates with experience of supporting participatory, youth-led group work, youth mental health programmes or peer support programmes.

You can find the role description and personal specification below. 

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter (no more than two sides of A4) explaining your experience and why you are suited for this role.

Polka Theatre in Wimbledon seeks a Development & Events Manager to join our successful and welcoming team.

This is the role for you, if you:

· Would like to work for a pioneering national theatre for children.

· Enjoy planning and delivering fundraising events, which leverage immediate and ongoing support for the charity.

· Want to help a charity inspire supporters and build quality relationships with them, by telling the story of our impact.

· Are creative, personable, dynamic and great at communicating.

Polka is seeking a Development and Events Manager to coordinate Polka’s regular giving programmes, manage an established programme of events and oversee a committed portfolio of corporate supporters. As a key member of the Development Team, this is an exciting and rewarding opportunity to help shape Polka's future as a leading children's theatre. 

The Development and Events Manager will help donors feel inspired, appreciated, and compelled to support Polka. You will do this through high-quality communications and events for Polka’s donors, potential donors and corporate partners. The postholder will devise and coordinate a varied annual programme of stewardship and cultivation events and take a proactive role in attracting new supporters.

This is a permanent, full-time role. More details are in the recruitment pack on our website.

This role will suit candidates with fundraising experience, particularly with individual giving and events. We also welcome applications from people with transferable skills who can draw on their experience in other sectors. 

The role is primarily on site at Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, with up to 2 days working from home per week.

Polka's commitment as an equal opportunities employer means we are keen to encourage applications from people from the Global Majority, people across the gender spectrum and people who self-identify as disabled, who are underrepresented in our sector.

Polka is funded by Arts Council England, London, registered charity number 256979.

Help shape services that reduce loneliness and support older people to stay connected to their communities.
A leadership role with real purpose, autonomy, and the opportunity to make a lasting difference.

Evergreen Care UK is a values-driven charity with a Christian ethos, supporting older people to live independently, reduce loneliness, and remain part of the communities around them.

We are looking for a Community Services Lead to oversee and develop our home support and community services across Bexley, Dartford and surrounding areas.

This is a varied and people-focused leadership role where you will lead through others—supporting Home Support Coordinators and the Events & Community Lead to deliver safe, high-quality, and person-centred services.

You will play an important role in shaping and strengthening services, ensuring they are consistent, responsive, and rooted in meaningful relationships with the people we support.

As a small organisation, we offer real responsibility and autonomy. You will have the opportunity to influence how services are delivered and developed, working closely with the CEO while maintaining clear ownership of your area.

This is a visible, community-based role, with a regular presence across services. You will build strong connections with staff, volunteers, and partners, helping to create services that are both impactful and sustainable.

This role would suit someone ready to step into a broader management role, further develop their leadership, or bring existing experience into a purposeful, community-based setting.

Key aspects of the role include:

• Leading and supporting coordinators to deliver safe, consistent, and high-quality services
• Ensuring strong safeguarding practice and overall service quality
• Building relationships with community partners to strengthen and grow services
• Supporting the effective integration of volunteers across services
• Using insight, feedback, and experience to improve and develop services over time

Why join Evergreen?

• Make a genuine and visible difference to people’s lives
• Work in a values-led organisation with a clear sense of purpose
• Have real ownership and autonomy in your role
• Be part of a supportive and committed team
• Benefit from flexible working within a 30-hour week (typically 10am–4pm)

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds who are able to work in line with our values.

If you are looking for a role where you can combine leadership, purpose, and community impact, we would love to hear from you.

Are you a brilliant communicator who loves writing copy and supporting donors? Join a passionate team working to end education inequality through the power of Classics.

We're looking for a Fundraising and Communications Officer to create and distribute newsletters and emails and be the first port of call for new and existing donors. You will enjoy collating case studies and reports, learning about our impact in schools and ensuring that donors and funders have a positive and meaningful relationship with Classics for All. You’ll play a vital role in enabling our programmes to reach schools and students across the UK. This is a varied and rewarding role at the heart of a small, friendly team making a big impact.

Diversity and inclusion

As a social mobility charity, being inclusive is a fundamental value of Classics for All. We welcome applications from all eligible people and are particularly keen to receive applications from those who are from communities that are less represented within the Classics community, such as those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and those with disabilities.

It does not matter if Classics was offered at your own school, and you do not need to be a Classicist to join our team – there are no Latin tests!

Youth and Community Leader

Oasis Knights (Streatham/Brixton Hill, South London)

40 hours per week (1.0FTE)

Permanent

Salary: £38,794 per annum

Want to lead a Youth Centre offering a diverse range of activities for the local community?

Want to enable young people to thrive?

Want to be lead a dynamic, passionate and impactful team?

Knights Youth Centre (KYC) was established in 1936 as an independent Christian Charity. The centre provides a range of universal and targeted youth work programmes in partnership with a number of statutory and voluntary organisations and is located on the boundary of the Clapham Park Estate (the largest estate in the Borough of Lambeth) in an area of high social need. In 2025 KYC joined the Oasis family of charities and is now known as Oasis Knights. Oasis’ vision is for community, a place where everyone is included, making a contribution and reaching their God-given potential. There is also the exciting opportunity to collaborate with the Oasis St Martins Village in nearby Tulse Hill, our new village that works with local partners to provide a welcoming inclusive space to provide opportunities for young people and tackle issues such as school attendance and exclusions.

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Youth and Community Leader to manage and develop the work at Oasis Knights. This is an opportunity to lead a team committed to making a tangible difference in the lives young people, their families and the broader community. The successful candidate will be responsible for strategic leadership and operational management, which includes overseeing a range of youth and community activities. A critical aspect of this role involves fundraising, business development, and monitoring the impact of all initiatives.

Key responsibilities include:

· Overseeing youth provision, including mentoring, youth clubs and targeted interventions.

· Ensuring effective financial management and income generation to sustain and expand services.

· Managing and growing a team of staff and volunteers, ensuring alignment with Oasis’ ethos and values.

· Building strong partnerships with local stakeholders to support the delivery of impactful youth projects.

· Developing and maintaining monitoring and evaluation frameworks to demonstrate the impact of activities.

· Working with the building narrative to ensure compliance with health and safety, safeguarding, and other statutory requirements.

The successful post holder must have:

· A degree-level qualification or equivalent in youth work, community development or a related field.

· Proven experience in leading youth projects and managing diverse teams.

· Strong fundraising and income generation skills, with the ability to create and implement successful strategies.

· Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships.

· Knowledge of safeguarding practices and experience working with young people in challenging environments.

· A track record of developing and implementing strategic plans in partnership with stakeholders.

· A commitment to the Oasis ethos and values, including inclusion, equality, and perseverance.

As part of the package, Oasis offers:

· A pension scheme, offering 7% employer contribution.

· A generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year (plus 8 Bank Holidays).

· Policies which promote well-being and are family friendly.

To apply, please apply via Charity Jobs or refer to our website for further information.

Please expand on your CV to tell us about relevant skills, experience and qualification you have, that relate to the job description and person specification.

We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. If you require assistance or adjustments to overcome potential barriers during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Completed applications should be returned by 9am on Friday 17th April 2026.

Stage 1 Interviews will take place online on Wednesday 22nd April 2026.

We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers during the recruitment process, please let us know. 

Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks. 

The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK.  Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.

Oasis supports Equal Opportunities.  Registered Charity No. 1163889

There when it matters

About the role:

This role supports the delivery of stories and campaigns that achieve media coverage nationally and in regional media that fall outside of our hospice catchment areas.

You will lead on PR support for some key areas of the charity, including retail and volunteering.
You’ll also gain exposure to all the teams that the press office supports, which includes writing press assets for fundraising, healthcare, bereavement and influencing/campaigning stories.
You will ensure enquiries from the media are actioned efficiently (including when on-call) and be skilled at spotting media opportunities based on the news agenda, as well as pitching Sue Ryder stories to the media and liaising with journalists.
In this role you will be required to lead on some PR activities/projects with minimal supervision and support the PR officer with their projects, as required

About you:

• Have good attention to detail
• Be excited to learn about Sue Ryder and how we engage with the media
• Be curious about the care and support we offer
• Have a good understanding of the media and how it works

Essential Criteria
• Have previous experience of media monitoring and evaluation platforms
• Be able to write stories for the media in different formats (press release, comments, op-eds) to a good standard
• Be able to communicate clearly (written and verbal) with colleagues, journalists and other members of the media
• Have a basic understanding of crisis and reputation management PR

Sue Ryder is here to make sure everyone approaching the end of their life or living with grief can access the support they need. There is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need, but with our support, no one has to face dying or grief alone.

Closing date: 20th April 2026
Interviews: CV’s reviewed as received

We reserve the right to close this advert prior to the closing date should we feel we have a sufficient number of suitable applications.

Benefits
• Company pension scheme
• 27 days holiday - rising to 33 with length of service plus bank holidays
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Enhanced sick pay
• Employee Networks - LGBTQ+, Ethnic Diversity and Equality, People with Disabilities, and Women and Non Binary Individuals
• Staff discount of 10% on new goods online at shop
• Structured induction programme and learning and development opportunities.

We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds to help us to provide the best possible experience for the people who use our services and continue to make Sue Ryder a great place to work, and attract and recruit the best, most diverse workforce possible.
We are particularly interested in increasing applications from the global majority, LGBTQIA+ and people with disabilities as they are currently underrepresented in our organisation.

For more information on our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work, please visit our website.

Please let us know if you have any feedback to make our recruitment processes more accessible and inclusive or if you require any adjustments made to your application or interview process.

If you want more than just a job, we want you.
Join the team and be there when it matters.

Who we are and why we are needed

The Fore is creating a society that solves its own problems. Each year we provide funding and skills to the best grassroots charities and social enterprises in the UK and we are growing. 

Across the UK, talented people within communities are building practical solutions to our most complex challenges – from poverty and mental health to education, exclusion and sustainability. However, the vast majority of these solutions do not achieve their potential to drive wider change across society because of failures in how the funding system works. 

The Fore is the UK’s only venture philanthropy fund that has cracked the code in how to identify and distribute funding to turbocharge grassroots innovation and catalyse change. Since 2017, The Fore has been backing the best small charities and social enterprises with astonishing results. So far over 50% of local organisations supported eight years ago have gone on to influence policy, shape national conversations and change lives at scale.

Currently The Fore is funding around 50 of the best charities per year and supporting hundreds of others with skills. However, as an organisation we need to do more. We are looking to scale our impact through two routes. Firstly, by increasing our work backing the best charities and convening and educating donors, and secondly by leading change in the broader funding system.

The role

In the next phase of The Fore’s development, it is a priority for the CEO to be able to concentrate on building the external profile and influence of The Fore’s work. Therefore, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) will play a central role in leadership as the organisation develops. The role translates strategy into delivery, providing oversight across grant making, partnerships, people, and governance, and ensuring the organisation can deliver on its ambitions while managing risk and capacity. We’re a small, agile charity so you’ll work across both high-level direction and day-to-day organisational delivery. In the next eighteen months, the COO will have responsibility for designing and delivering on a number of key strategic priorities, such as:

• ensuring the continued excellence of the grant and skills support we provide to the charities and social enterprises we back
• building out and refining existing activities and processes to ensure exceptional relationship management for our growing number of corporate and private philanthropic partners
• working with the CEO to develop the Partnerships Team to set it up for scaling and to meet the needs of new partnership models
• incorporating the use of AI into our systems and processes to streamline operations wherever possible while safeguarding the personalised experience we pride ourselves on offering all our partners.

Key responsibilities

Grant making and programme delivery

• Provides strategic oversight of the grant-making model, ensuring alignment with The Fore’s overall mission and priorities
• Acts as a senior advisor and escalation point for the Programme Team on complex decisions and delivery challenges
• Ensures that operational delivery reflects agreed strategy, including any shifts in focus, criteria, or approach

Partnerships and income

• Provides strategic oversight of funder relationships and income streams, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and capacity
• Supports colleagues to shape high-quality proposals, renewals, and reporting
• Ensures the organisation delivers on all funding commitments, maintaining credibility and trust with funders
• Ensures that The Fore’s external messaging and positioning are clear, compelling and aligned with partner priorities
• Acts as a senior escalation point for complex funder relationships or delivery challenges
• Supports the ongoing development of The Fore’s Pro Bono (skilled volunteering) offer, ensuring it delivers meaningful value to charities while remaining a compelling and well-structured proposition for corporate partners
• Leads the commercialisation and rollout of the Fore Index (a tool that allows organisations to put a £ value on their impact), securing partners and funding to support its expansion beyond The Fore’s portfolio

Impact, data and systems

• Holds responsibility for the organisation’s impact framework, ensuring it is credible, proportionate, and aligned with strategic priorities
• Ensures data and insight are used effectively to inform decision-making, reporting, and external positioning
• Ensures that insight and impact are translated into clear, compelling external communications to support The Fore’s positioning and influence

People and internal operations

• Holds responsibility for the effective functioning and integration of programme delivery and partnerships activity, ensuring teams are well supported and operating efficiently
• Leads and manages core operational staff, including the Head of Programmes and Impact, Partnerships and Programme Managers, and Partnerships and Programme Officers
• Manages performance, wellbeing, and retention, fostering a high-performing and sustainable team culture
• Works closely with the CEO and trustees to support the development and delivery of strategic initiatives, ensuring these are operationally viable and effectively implemented
• Holds oversight responsibility for The Fore’s physical office space and equipment, managing lease and facilities contracts
• Oversees IT and systems, managing contracts for IT support, Salesforce, and other platforms

Governance, compliance, risk and finance

• Oversees the organisation’s financial management, risk management, and operational governance, ensuring robust and proportionate processes are in place
• Working with the external finance team, provides oversight of budgeting and financial performance, ensuring alignment between income, grant commitments, and operational capacity
• Contributes to the development of board and committee papers, leading on operational, financial, and risk-related content to ensure clear reporting
• Ensures appropriate compliance and governance frameworks are in place across grants, partnerships, and operations (including charity insurance, policies, health and safety, safeguarding, GDPR and cyber security)

Experience and attributes

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a senior operations or programme oversight role
• Track record of translating strategy into operational plans and delivery
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Track record of developing and sustaining excellent relationships with stakeholders
• Exceptional people management skills
• Strong prioritisation skills and highly organised
• Demonstrable self-starter with excellent follow-through
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment with the ability to move between board-level thinking and day-to-day execution
• Takes pride in fostering a friendly, inclusive and productive working environment, with a positive and approachable style

Key details​

• Annual leave: 25 days leave, rising by 1 day for each year of service up to a total of 30 days, plus bank holidays and an additional 4 days during our Christmas closure.
• Location: Our office is based at Vox Studios in Vauxhall, London. We have a hybrid working pattern (three days in the office and two days at home).
• Reports to: CEO