Purpose of the job
This role is responsible for the design of UK Youth’s support to young people, youth organisations and youth workers. This could include structured youth work programmes, funding and grants+ programmes, professional development programmes, and campaigns.
You will lead and oversee end-to-end design processes, ensuring that UK Youth develops fully packaged offers that respond to the evidence base and people’s needs, drive forward our strategy and achieve incredible impact. You will work across UK Youth teams, with external design partners, and meaningfully involving young people and the professionals who support them in the design process.
You will be experienced in developing high quality funding propositions (proactively and in response to new business opportunities). You will be confident in taking a human-centred design approach to tackle some of the youth sector’s knottiest problems. You will design solutions to important problems, ensuring that they are feasible, equitable, impactful and scalable.
In 2026, our priority topics for youth work programmes and network development are: mental health and wellbeing, employability, social cohesion and community safety.
As a leader, you will work closely with research, evaluation, policy, service delivery, network development, and fundraising teams. You will help to improve the skills and confidence of colleagues across UK Youth to apply design methods in their own work and collaborate effectively with the Design team.
Why work at UK Youth?
UK Youth wants all young people to be equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. Youth work can be life changing (and even life saving.) In 2026, we will be launching our new strategy, positioning UK Youth to unlock youth work so that every young person in the UK can benefit. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed, and delivers high-quality outcomes.
UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference, and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. Come and be part of this change in a driven and supportive team that puts evidence at the heart of our work.
Role Responsibilities
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Designing Solutions
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Developing new business and funding propositions
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Embedding Human Centred Design
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Building a strong external network to support the Design team’s work
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Operations
Experience we're after
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Significant experience of leading and overseeing the development of new business propositions and proposals to time-limited funding opportunities
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Significant experience of designing interventions (digital and/or physical) for young people and/or those who support them
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Experience using human-centred-design methods and mindsets; managing projects across the end-to-end design process
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Proven track record of inspiring and motivating diverse teams and improving collaborative ways of working across teams and departments
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Experience of developing high quality programme content and curricula for young people, youth workers and/or outdoor learning instructors (desirable)
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Experience of commissioning and managing external design freelancers and consultants (desirable)
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Experience of designing and/or delivering professional development programmes (desirable)
What we can offer you
We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:
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Flexible/Agile Working
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27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)
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Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity
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Other training available in support of your personal and professional development
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Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)
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Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary
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Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally
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20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.
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IT equipment provided for the duration of contract
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CycleScheme and TechScheme
How to apply
If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.
Closing date: Sunday 4th January 2026 at 23:59pm
Provisional Interview Dates: 12th and 13th January 2026
As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
We want a world where no one dies from hunger. Life-threatening hunger is predictable, preventable and treatable. Join Action Against Hunger and together we will stop it in its tracks.
Action Against Hunger is an optimistic, inspiring place to work. We want passionate and dedicated people to help build a better world. We’re a creative team made up of people with a wide range of talents, styles and expertise. But we are united in our relentless dedication to end world hunger. No challenge is too big. With you we can do it. Join us.
In this role you’ll help the Action Against Hunger International Network to access, secure and manage institutional funding from UK donors. You won’t be alone; you’ll support the Head of Programme Funding and manage members of the programme funding team.
You’ll play a key role in helping Action Against Hunger to achieve our vision of a world free from hunger by maintaining the funding from key UK institutional donors and making sure we deliver high quality programmes. You’ll be in the exciting and important position of working with country, regional and global funds, and collaborating with colleagues both inside the international network and beyond. You’ll help raise Action Against Hunger’s profile and engagement with the UK Government and UK sector to inform, influence and collaborate on all areas of our work.
You’ll work closely with our Network HQs and country teams to develop opportunities, increase the number and value of new grants and contracts, and ensure effective delivery. But you’ll also be a key person in engaging with institutional funders too. So how will you do this? You will work at an operational, tactical, and strategic level – making the most of the links between funders strategies and the Action Against Hunger’s network own strategy and trends we observe. You’ll be proactive, bring a fresh perspective and innovative ideas, and bring a positive, ‘can do’ attitude.
We would love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining us. For more detailed information on the role – and to see whether you have the necessary experience - please download the attached pdf Job description.
Closing Date: 29-Dec-2025 23:30
Planned date to begin interviews: 14th January 2026.
Please read the following carefully before making your application: then all you need to do is send your CV and write a supporting statement explaining why you want the job and how your skills and experience make you the right person for the role and where you saw this vacancy.
- As a UK based position, candidates must have the right to work in the UK
- We welcome applications from all sections of the community and we encourage as broad a range of candidates as possible. If you need any additional support to help you through this process, please let us know (contact details in the job pack)
- Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we will only contact shortlisted candidates, within two weeks of the closing date Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual feedback
- If you experience any technical difficulties in submitting your application, please contact the charityjob helpdesk
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.