Volunteer support administrator jobs in south east london, greater london

This is an exciting opportunity to steer Asylum Aid at an important time in its 30-year existence. As Executive Director you will be responsible for delivering on our strategy for impact. You will oversee our work to increase access to expert, trauma-informed legal representation to those in the asylum, trafficking and statelessness systems and lead our policy and strategic legal work to achieve systemic change that contributes towards our vision.

You will line manage the Director of Legal Casework to oversee the provision of supportive and enabling leadership to Asylum Aid caseworkers so that they can continue to deliver high quality expert advice in complex cases, while being supported in their professional development and wellbeing. You will also manage and develop the work of our welfare advice team within the Westminster Advice Services Partnership and beyond, and work collaboratively with colleagues in the sector to build capacity and increase our impact. 

The ideal candidate, who may be legally qualified, will have experience of leadership in the charity/NGO sector and a sound understanding of the asylum, human rights and trafficking processes in the UK and the legal frameworks which govern the protection of refugees, survivors of trafficking and stateless people, and of the role of law in achieving system change.

We are looking for someone who is strategically minded and passionate about providing supportive and inclusive leadership to our expert team. You will be committed to our objectives and to the role which expert legal representation plays in enabling people in need of protection in the UK to obtain it.

As is the nature of this sector, the role may be exposed to a high volume of traumatic and distressing material and, whilst they will be supported by the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and surrounding team, the candidate should also be able to demonstrate knowledge of good self-care principles in an intense work environment and dissemination of those principles to junior members of the team.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

·Be responsible, with the support of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO, for the development, implementation and monitoring of Asylum Aid’s organisational strategy

·Provide leadership and strategic direction at Asylum Aid in accordance with its aims and objectives, with the support of the Director of Legal Casework

·Act as external spokesperson for Asylum Aid, maintaining and strengthening Asylum Aid’s position as a leader in the refugee rights, statelessness and legal aid sectors;

·Work collaboratively with others in the sector to promote and strengthen Asylum Aid’s work, identify and establish potential partnerships, with the support of the Director of Legal Casework;

·Work collaboratively with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and Executive Leadership team to drive the implementation of the Group strategic framework;

·Ensure that all reporting and monitoring requirements are met to support fundraising, contract compliance and monitoring strategic impact;

·Support the cross collaboration of the Asylum Aid team with the Helen Bamber Foundation team and play an active part in the management of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group.

Governance  

·Act as the Data Protection Supervisor with responsibility for data protection and cyber security within Asylum Aid

·Together with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group CEO and designated safeguarding leads, be responsible for child and adult safeguarding within Asylum Aid

·In collaboration with the Director of Legal Casework, ensure compliance by Asylum Aid with all legal and regulatory obligations, including the Legal Aid Agency contract, the Immigration Advice Authority and Solicitors Regulation Authority;

·Lead on the preparation and presentation of quarterly reports on Asylum Aid’s activities, strategy and risks to the Asylum Aid Board, the Finance and Fundraising Committee and the People and Governance Committee;

·Lead on the preparation of the Trustees’ annual report and ensure that monitoring and evaluation systems are adequate to enable reporting on Asylum Aid’s activities and impact.

Management and Supervision 

·Responsible for line management of the Director of Legal Casework and Welfare Advice service coordinator, and other team supervisors as required;

·Together with the Group Director of People, responsible for Human Resources and implementation of the People Strategy within Asylum Aid, including development and implementation of HR policies and procedures;

·Together with the Director of Legal Casework and team supervisors, drive the effective management and supervision of the Asylum Aid team and ensure that they comply with relevant professional standards and accreditation;

·Foster a supportive and inclusive team culture at Asylum Aid in which each member feels valued and supported to develop professionally and to perform to the best of their ability;

·Ensure the team’s well-being and that self-care practices are established and work in tandem with the Director of Legal Casework and supervisors to ensure trauma-informed ways of working.

Policy & Strategic Legal Work

·Together with the Group Director of Policy, identify policy priorities and coordinate the preparation of evidence and briefings drawing on Asylum Aid’s experience and expertise to influence system change;

·Build and maintain relationships and partnerships with sector colleagues to support joint strategic engagement including policy advocacy and strategic legal work;

·Work closely with the Director of Legal Casework and team supervisors to drive changes in the UK asylum, trafficking and statelessness systems through strategic legal work.

Finance & Fundraising

·Work closely with the CEO and the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Finance Team to set and manage budget(s) and general financial matters for Asylum Aid

·Together with the Director of Legal Casework and the Group Finance Team, establish systems for monitoring legal aid Work In Progress and billing, and securing casework income including legal aid, and inter partes income from judicial review cases;

·Work closely with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Fundraising and Communications Team to secure funding for Asylum Aid from a range of sources including trusts and foundations, corporate philanthropy and major donors;

·Ensure that Legal Aid and other income is maximised, and targets are achieved.

Other duties

·Manage the recruitment and supervision of volunteers where necessary in collaboration with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Volunteers Coordinator;

·Support the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Facilities team to ensure the smooth running of the office and that the facilities meet the needs of Asylum Aid;

·Work outside normal office hours as required and travel in order to carry out the responsibilities of the post.

·To undertake any task that may be requested from time to time that may be consistent with the nature and scope of this post.

Essential Experience, Skills and Knowledge

•Experience of running a small to medium sized charity/legal NGO and/or legal department within the NGO sector (or other equivalent senior management role);

•Demonstrable experience of managing and leading a successful team and the ability to manage a growing team with mixed roles from team supervisors to administrative support staff, working co-operatively with colleagues to maintain transparency and effective working relationships within the team;

•Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds

•Strong understanding of good governance including legal, regulatory and financial responsibilities;

•Ability to work with a range of stakeholders from trustees to external partners;

•Experience of leading and/or participating in organisational strategic planning;

·Experience of legal policy work within the human rights field and /or of strategic litigation, whether as an NGO claimant or legal representative;

•Experience of managing diverse funding sources and setting and implementing budgets;

•Experience of working in a service delivery partnership with other organisations;

•Experience of fundraising, especially grants from trusts and foundations;

•Sound working knowledge of the law and policy as it relates to immigration,  asylum, human rights and modern slavery/trafficking;

•Demonstrable understanding of the asylum and human rights sector in the UK;

•An understanding of the barriers migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers face regarding access to legal advice, reasons why they may become destitute and why this makes it more difficult to access advice and support; and

•The passion for working empathetically and supportively with migrants, refugees, stateless people and asylum seekers.

Desirable Experience

·Experience of managing the delivery of frontline casework with people in the asylum or trafficking systems

·Experience of tendering for and delivering publicly funded contracts e.g. LAA or local authority funding;

·Working knowledge of Legal Aid Agency contracts, including the delivery of casework and billing under a legal aid contract in the immigration and asylum category and/or the public law category;

How to apply 

The first stage is to complete on our online application form on our website by 9am on 23 June 2025.

The website form will ask you to:

1.Upload a short covering letter. Please tell us why the position appeals to you, and how your relevant skills and experience, including any voluntary experience and lived experience, matches the listed responsibilities and person specification. Please also state in your covering letter when you would be available to start the role.

2.Upload your current CV

3.Complete an online Equal Opportunities monitoring form – completion of this form will help us ensure that our recruitment procedures operate in such a way as to provide genuine equality of opportunity. The questions are entirely optional, and this information will not be available to members of the selection panel.

For an informal conversation about the post before applying, please contact Alison Pickup, the current Executive Director.

Selection Process

We anticipate that we will invite candidates to an initial online interview on Wednesday 3rd July 2025, followed by shortlisted candidates attending in-person interviews at our office in Old Street on Wednesday 9 July 2025.

We regret that we can only respond to applicants who make it to the interview stage.

We offer a guaranteed initial interview for refugees, stateless people and others with lived experience of forced migration, provided that they meet at least 50% of the essential criteria.

Eligibility

Please note that the successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK (as a small charity we do not have the capacity to sponsor work visas).

Successful candidates will also be subject to a basic DBS check. If appointed, you will also be required to give your consent to the charity to receive regular updates on your criminal records status throughout your employment and to disclose any relevant convictions incurred during your time with us.

Adjustments

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. If you require a different format of the application form, such as large print or Word format, or if you would like to discuss any specific requirements, please get in touch with us.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Our commitment to principles of equity, diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our approach to our clients, our volunteers and our staff, and we are an equal opportunities and Living Wage employer.

We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates because we are keen to make sure that our staff, trustees, volunteers and ambassadors reflect the communities we serve and the wider community we work in.

We genuinely welcome and encourage applications from candidates from a range of backgrounds, especially people of colour, people with disabilities, people from low socio-economic backgrounds, refugees, stateless people and others with lived experience of forced migration or trauma and of the housing and welfare system, who are under-represented in our organisation.

We recognise and value the role of lived experience in meeting the needs of our clients and acknowledge the under-representation of people with lived experience of forced migration and statelessness in the advice sector. We value experience gained overseas as well as in the UK.

We are also proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector.

If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network and access other information and resources which may help in preparing your job application.

Please complete the form on their website to request support and they will confirm if they can match you with a mentor to support your application.

Epic at a Glance:

At Epic, we strive to build a world where children and youth - no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation or place of birth - have access to a future full of promise and opportunity. We are a global foundation backing groundbreaking non-profits around the world - the changemakers and innovators that are transforming the lives of children and youth and protecting our planet for generations to come. 

Groundbreaking charities often struggle to secure smart money to drive impact. Donors want to give more, but are held back because they lack trust, time, and knowledge. Epic bridges the gap between the social entrepreneurs forging solutions to today’s pressing challenges, and the individuals and businesses who want to pool their resources to drive positive change. We curate and monitor highly-vetted portfolios of organisations that we back in order to foster lasting change. We operate strictly on a pro bono basis: 100% of donations received go directly to the organizations in our portfolio. 

Now in our 10th year, we have mobilised over $91 million and supported 57 organizations in 11 countries across 4 continents, since 2015. In the UK, we raise between US$2-2.5 million annually, and there is potential and aspiration to grow this to US$3 million by the end of 2027.

For more information: https://epic.foundation

Summary of the position

Epic is looking for a Development Manager to support the activities of the UK Development Team to help us ‘make giving the norm’.

The Development Manager will work with the UK Director in our small team in the UK, as well as working closely with colleagues in Paris and Brussels. 

This position offers candidates the opportunity to develop their skills across a range of fundraising disciplines including corporate fundraising, major donor engagement, events, and philanthropy. 

This position will work with a deeply engaged team in an international environment. Given the versatile nature of the responsibilities and the small team size, candidates will need to show demonstrable flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to take ownership and work independently.

Epic offers an enriching and supportive work environment with opportunities for professional growth and network development. This is an exciting opportunity to join an innovative organisation that places social impact at the heart of its mission.

Key Responsibilities :

With support from the UK Director, the Development Manager will work collaboratively with the Director and wider UK team and Development colleagues in Paris and Brussels to execute the fundraising strategy in the UK. The Development Manager is a key role in a small team, and will contribute new ideas, networks and results to help us meet our income targets and therefore create more positive impact for children and young people globally. More specifically, the key responsibilities of this role are outlined below.

1. Business Development (65%)

• Lead prospect research and outreach efforts to expand Epic’s prospect donor pool in the UK: monitor the fundraising ecosystem, conduct in-depth prospect research and engage in proactive outreach campaigns through LinkedIn, emailing, digital networking and in-person events. This will include attending early morning and evening events as required.
• Set conversion objectives and support conversion from leads to donations
• Identify and secure lead opportunities within networks and events
• Pitch Epic and its various Giving Solutions to potential donors, and build tailored proposals when needed
• Maintain high discipline and consistency in follow-up with leads and donors: use Epic’s CRM to build a consistent pipeline of prospects, as well as maintaining the database with accurate and up to date donor information
• Evaluate and monitor the return on investment (ROI) of events and fundraising campaigns
• Prepare compelling fundraising communications, materials and presentations for donor meetings and events

2. Nurturing & engaging the UK Community (20%)

• Contribute to Epic’s engagement strategy for current donors to ensure an 80% renewal rate
• Maintain regular touchpoints with a subgroup of donors through activities such as sharing monitoring reports, organising project visits and volunteering opportunities in the UK, and scheduling regular calls and face to face meetings. 
• Act as the main point of contact for a subset of donors and answer their enquiries in a timely manner
• Craft and manage engagement opportunities such as UK events and webinars, including drinks, talks, breakfast events, and provide support to the organisation for the annual gala nights. Support will be provided for certain events by our in-house dedicated Events team.

3. Fundraising-related administration (15%)

• Manage donor-related administrative tasks, such as regular use of Epic’s CRM (Salesforce), donation forms, meeting preparation, minutes (where applicable), and 
• Process all donations, using Salesforce and related donation platforms, in a timely manner each month
• Liaise with international fund vehicles, such as Myriad USA, to ensure all international donation commitments are fulfilled. 

Position Requirements :

• Candidate must have the right to work in the United Kingdom
• Excellent level of English (both spoken and written) required
• Proficiency in French (written and spoken) highly desirable 
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a sales, fundraising or business development role, with demonstrable experience of securing 5- and 6-figure gifts
• Experience within the charity sector is desirable but not required
• Experience using software packages such as Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Canva and other applications
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Commitment to attend external events (including evening events) and comfortable networking with a variety of people across different communities
• Experience with a CRM is required and preferably some experience of using Salesforce 
• Strong self-discipline and project management skills
• Excellent organisational skills and a strong eye for detail

The Epic UK team is a small but dedicated team. The role requires flexibility and a start-up attitude. This is a full time, permanent position, based in the London office with the opportunity for two remote working days each week. This role reports to the UK Director and will involve closely working with Epic’s global development team, as well as with the Engagement, Programs, Marketing and Communications, and Operations teams.

Contract Details

• Position based in central London (Mayfair), UK (with option to work from home 2 days per week).
• Contract type: Permanent, full-time
• Salary range: £35,000-£40,000 gross annual (depending on experience) 
• Start date: As soon as possible but within 3 months of the offer

Employee Benefits 

• Flexible Work Arrangements: Up to 2 days remote working per week.
• 5 weeks (25 days) of paid holiday annually, not including bank holidays, with additional office closure between Christmas and New Year. 
• Access to private healthcare coverage through our healthcare partner, BUPA, fully covered by Epic for the employee and 50% coverage for partner and/or dependents. 
• Retirement Savings Plan: Enrolling in a company-sponsored retirement savings plan with employer contributions.
• £150 culture/sport allowance per year for all eligible staff on a permanent contract and who have successfully completed their trial period.
• Epic subsidizes 50% of the cost of weekly, monthly, or annual local transportation passes (London Underground and London Buses).
• A monthly tax-free homeworking contribution in the amount of £26 per month for all eligible staff on a permanent contract and who have successfully completed their trial period.
• Workplace Amenities: Access to modern workplace amenities: onsite kitchen and snacks, and recreational facilities.

Trees for Cities is the only national charity dedicated to improve lives by planting, protecting and promoting urban trees. We do this by working closely with communities, landowners, partners and funders to deliver transformational change in towns and cities across the UK and overseas. We plant trees in schools, streets, estates, parks and open spaces to create nature-rich urban woodland, hedgerows, orchards, avenues and playgrounds.

Benefitting people and the environment lies at the heart of what we do and this role comes at an exciting time for our organisation. As we enter a critical decade for environmental action, we’re looking for a strategic, ambitious, and collaborative Head of Corporate Fundraising to lead our corporate partnerships programme and secure the vital income needed to power our mission.

This is a unique opportunity to join a passionate, high-performing team at a pivotal moment. With our current strategy, The Turn of Trees (2022–25), coming to a close, and a bold new plan launching later this year, we’re scaling our efforts to drive a movement for tree equity—a future where everyone can enjoy the benefits of trees, no matter where they live. We already work with a range of leading businesses and foundations including BUPA Foundation, CBRE, and Bauer Media, and are seeking a leader who can deepen these partnerships while unlocking ambitious new opportunities.

As Head of Corporate Fundraising, you’ll help shape a bold and proactive fundraising approach, and personally drive high-value partnerships of £100,000+. You’ll combine strategic vision with hands-on leadership—crafting compelling propositions, nurturing long-term collaborations, and ensuring excellence in delivery. You’ll play a critical role in shaping our next phase of income growth, aligned closely with the wider organisational strategy and impact goals.

Trees for Cities is a fantastic place to work. We have a warm, inclusive and vibrant culture, where you will work collaboratively to witness the impact of your work to make a tangible difference in urban communities. If you’re an experienced and passionate corporate fundraiser ready to help build greener, healthier, more resilient cities—this is your moment.

Apply now and join us in growing a future where every street, every school, and every city is alive with trees and the benefit they bring.

For full details on the role and organisation, please download the Appointment Brief, where you will also find contact details of who to speak to should you have questions about the role and recruitment process and details on how to apply.

Closing Date: 29 June 2025

People Beyond Profit conversations: 2-7 July 2025

Panel Interview Dates: 8 & 15 July 2025