Working Group Manager Jobs

About Us

Inspire is a charity based in East London. We inspire children and young people across London and beyond, using data to understand the barriers they face and connecting them with a range of employers and opportunities to open doors to their success.

We have over 30 years of experience in delivering high quality services and programmes to children, young people, schools, local authorities and employers. Working alongside our large network of employer volunteers, our programmes inspire and support children and young people to create a positive future for themselves in their journey from the classroom to workplace.  We provide them with independent careers guidance, high aspirations and strong employability skills.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Programme Officer to join our Work Experience Team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an organised, enthusiastic and confident individual to join us in a role which has responsibility for ensuring suitable and safe work experience placements are sourced, managed and available for students. Our Work Experience programme provides a taster of the ‘World of Work’ helping to raise career aspirations and support academic progression.  Our team work with local and central London employers and education providers and provide placements for over 5,000 young people each academic year. 

Key Responsibilities of the role include:

• To secure, update and manage work experience placements.
• To handle telephone enquiries about the work experience programme, communicating with teachers, employers, parents and schools.
• To be a key point of contact for schools/educational establishments managing and overseeing the work experience process.
• To produce information and provide support to the Head of Work Experience and other team members.
• Completing one-to-one interviews with students with additional needs to ensure suitable placements are secured.
• Managing placements using a bespoke IT system.

Benefits

29 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays

3 volunteering days per year

Family friendly policies

Hybrid working arrangements

If you have the skills and desire to join our team, please see our job description and person specification for further details about the role.

Inspire is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Successful candidates will be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

How to Apply

If you wish to apply for this role, please provide your CV and include a covering letter outlining why you are suitable for the role, clearly addressing the requirements of the person specification.

Closing date

This position is available immediately. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis. We will review applications as we receive them and aim to appoint as soon as we meet the right person.  We reserve the right to close the application process early if we find a suitable candidate.

Unfortunately, due to the number of applications we receive we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Retail Sales Manager to join our Retail Fundraising Team. This role will require the successful candidate to work with the Head of Retail, the Retail Sales Manager and be responsible for supporting the development and delivery of a retail strategy, as well as agreed income and expenditure budgets for the charity’s retail operations.

Staff benefits include, shuttle bus, and more… Read more below

Role Requirements

The post holder will line manage the charity’s Shop Managers, supporting them to achieve agreed income targets. Working with colleagues, this role will also be responsible for proposing and then implementing new business initiatives, such as pop-up opportunities, niche offers and promoting online sales within the team as well as monitoring expenditure in line with budget expectations.

With experience of working in a complex environment, across a large and diverse workforce, you will be exceptionally organised with a high-level of attention to detail. You will naturally possess excellent inter-personal skills, and an ability to consult and positively engage with key stakeholders across the organisation.

Interview Date:  To be confirmed.

Strictly no agencies, please.

About Us

The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providing expert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via our Brain Injury Community Service.

Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, we are located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction 8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of: Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom.

Staff Benefits

The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits, including, Zest; our staff flexible benefits platform, on-site nursery, free eye tests, enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay, time out days for those experiencing menopause symptoms and time off for gender reassignment.

We also offer additional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlements ranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your length of service.

Other benefits include free on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton train stations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable), Teacher’s pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and the opportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Rehabilitation of Offenders

Many roles at The Children’s Trust are exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020) and as such, are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.  Successful applicants will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which will disclose all unspent convictions and adult cautions and any spent convictions or adult cautions that would not be protected.  The exceptions to this are our retail roles within The Children’s Trust shops, which are subject to Basic DBS checks which will disclose unspent convictions or adult cautions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

To help us achieve our ambition to give children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability the opportunity to live the best life possible, we want to accurately reflect the UK’s diverse population. We want equity, diversity, and inclusion to be at the heart of everything we do, and our people, services, and culture to reflect the diverse needs of all. Through our diversity and inclusion strategy, we have made a commitment to increase the diversity of our charity and create an inclusive culture. We have networks across the organisation working to ensure that these aims are met - including an LGBTQIA2S+ group, Ethnic Diversity Group, and Spark – our broad EDI group. Read more about our EDI work here. We welcome applications from all who share our ambition regardless of background. We will strive to ensure that any reasonable adjustments are made in respect of interview and working arrangements.

Online Searches

In accordance with statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance, online searches will be conducted for shortlisted candidates before interview. The online searches will be conducted by a person who is independent of the interview and selection process and will focus on relevant information returned via searches of the candidate’s name (and variations thereof). Social media searches will be limited to professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Any concerns relating to suitability for work with children and young people will be forwarded to the interview panel, for discussion during the interview.

About us

REMAP is a unique national charity. It brings together two groups of people: volunteers skilled at making things and disabled people who need specialist equipment. Each year, around 3,000 pieces of custom-made equipment help transform the lives of disabled people.

REMAP’s army of ingenious inventors designs and makes equipment for young and old alike and then provides it free of charge. The aim is always to help people achieve quality of life, filling the gap where no suitable equipment is available commercially.

With an exciting new strategy that will continue to place the client at the heart of our work, we seek an experienced charity sector Operations Manager to help us deliver on our mission and vision.

REMAP is an organisation that encourages its team members to contribute their thoughts and ideas actively and work together to achieve its aims and ambitions. You will be given the space to work autonomously but with the support of your colleagues and line manager when you need us. You can work to your strengths and share your successes and learning with the broader team, who will, in turn, look to share their experiences and learning.

The Role

The Operations Manager's role is critical to the charity's long-term sustainability and is pivotal in ensuring that we remain relevant and necessary.

This is an internally focused role in our service delivery, covering clients' and volunteers' journeys. You will be part of the management team, ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of our central team's support to our network of branches.

We seek someone passionate about providing a quality service to everyone and who is not afraid to drive change and improvement. Experience in being part of a team delivering a change programme that involves volunteers is essential. You must demonstrate that you are a resilient, strong team player with an eye for detail and excellent people skills. You will thrive in a busy environment and have a positive ‘can do’ attitude.

As a small charity, the role will require balancing practical tasks with strategic planning and management. Building on what has already been done, you will work directly with the CEO and the Strategic Programme & Change Manager to help develop REMAP's operational structure and support its day-to-day operations.

About You

We want you to bring relevant experience, passion, dedication, creativity, and flair to our work.

To be considered for this role, you will have demonstrable experience in a similar position and be comfortable working with a diverse range of volunteers/people. As a self-starter, you can work at pace and quickly assess and deliver to changing priorities in a busy remote team. You will have excellent interpersonal skills, be able to coordinate multiple tasks/activities and have the flexibility to respond to changing demands.

You will be proactive, enthusiastic, and excited about joining an organisation with ambitious plans to future-proof its services and reach more disabled people. Experience working in a remote environment is highly desirable.

Terms & Conditions

Place of work: Fully remote, with occasional 2/3 nights away for year-round events.

Working Hours: 37 hrs—a minimum of core hours from 10 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday must be met.

Salary: £35,000 – 40,000, dependent on experience

Holiday entitlement: Begins at 25 days per annum, in addition to public holidays.

To apply, please send your CV and a separate cover letter of no more than two A4 sides, setting out how you meet the person's specifications. 

• Do you want to help build a world where everyone feels part of a community? 
• Do you have a track record of business and operations in the third sector?
• Are you an inspiring and experienced senior manager?

If you answered yes to all of the above, this could be the role for you!

We’re looking for a part-time Senior Operations Manager with extensive operational, business, Health & Safety, IT and HR experience. A member of the Senior Management Team, this person will play a vital role in enabling Time & Talents to deliver our strategy, maintain best practice and develop robust long-term plans.

What we do

Time & Talents is a lively, busy community centre in the heart of Rotherhithe, SE16.  Set in a leafy heritage building, and ‘T&T2’, our second venue in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, we offer something for everyone. With a history of 137 years of supporting people of all ages in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, we bring people together for mutual support, fun and friendship with a wide range of services and activities for older people and other adults, along with volunteering and children and families’ projects.

T&T has grown substantially over the last 5 years, and we are in an exciting time for the charity. We are reviewing our long-term aims and changing local needs to ensure  programme delivery continues our extensive track record of positive outcomes. We also need to review our current contracted provision and best practices in the charity’s business and operations.

We are strengthening our offer whilst staying focused on our aims: ensuring that everyone feels part of a community and that no one is isolated or lonely. We are looking for a fresh pair of eyes to help us maintain best practice in our work.

The role

In this role, you’ll:

• Hold responsibility for T&T’s internal business and operations functions
• Motivate and manage the operations team
• Contribute to the wider organisation as a member of the Senior Management Team
• Act as Deputy Safeguarding Lead for the organisation

About you

You are passionate about the power of community to connect and support people.  You have a track record in driving the excellent delivery of grant-funded community programmes in the third sector.  You have demonstrable experience in charity finance, leadership and internal operations.  You’re an emotionally resilient and experienced leader with a growth mindset and plenty of grit.  You’re flexible, accountable, take responsibility, are highly organised and skilled in multitasking and balancing priorities. 

About us

We are an energetic, experienced, and passionate team of 18, with a strong sense of shared purpose and a lively sense of humour. You’ll have the chance to make a big contribution to a growing, ambitious and innovative organisation which has doubled its reach and impact in recent years.

This role is part-time, with flexibility for regular evening and occasional weekend working.

Time & Talents is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity, and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person that they are. We actively encourage applications from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

If you would like an informal chat about the job, please get in touch and we will be happy to speak with you.

The closing date is 09:00 Tuesday 28th May.

TO APPLY: All applications to be submitted online through CharityJob. Send a CV and a cover letter of no more than two sides of A4, explaining why you want the job and how your experience relates to the job description and person specification.

IMPORTANT: We’ll use cover letters to assess applications alongside CVs. Please ensure you take the time to include a well-written cover letter as detailed above.  We won’t assess applications without a cover letter.

INTERVIEWS: First round interviews will take place on Thursday and Friday 12th and 13th June.  Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a second interview on Thursday 20th June.

£42,000 per annum

Fixed term – 12 months

Part home/Part office (London) based

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a better place for every child.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as an Account Manager in the Creative Team.

The mission of the Creative team is to collaboratively plan, produce and deliver creative content across editorial, design, video and photography, that results in greater income, influence, and the growth of the UNICEF brand in the UK.

As an Account Manager, you will work with teams across the organisation to collaborate on creative briefs and develop creative project management best practices, tools and documents to facilitate efficient workflow on the creative processes. You will also represent the UNICEF brand and the Creative team’s skills, processes, and ways of working to the rest of the organisation.

We are looking for someone with expert account management skills, who is adept at collaborating with commissioning teams to produce effective creative briefs to deliver to the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Act now and visit the website via the apply button to apply online.

Closing date: Thursday, 23rd May 2024.

Interview date: Thursday, 13th June 2024 (via video conferencing (MS Teams).

In return, we offer:

· excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

· outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

· impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

· an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

· the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

We are gradually moving back to our offices on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and we anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office and the rest of the time from home.  We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact the Supporter Care line during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)

The Ripple Pond is a charity that supports adult family members of physically and/or psychologically injured British Armed Forces personnel and veterans. Many of these individuals and family members are hard to reach and often isolated.

Your role will be to ensure that more and more of the military community, professionals and other interested parties know who we are and how to access our support.

You will also help to organise our exciting programme of online talks and activities for our Members (service-users) to help ensure they are well-informed, involved and feel part of a supportive community. Making sure that Members are always involved in generating ideas and production.

We are looking for someone who is dynamic and determined, but you also need to be invested in our mission as a charity and care about people.

This role is about;

• working with a wide range of groups and individuals to help raise awareness of the charity and to create opportunities to identify new Members (service users);

• being responsible for networking, identifying, and establishing partnerships with key individuals and organisations and nurturing existing relationships;

• developing and rolling out strategies to engage with hard-to-reach and isolated military carers and families;

• coordinating a range of activities (mainly online) to deliver information to Members, potential Members, referrers, and other stakeholders. These will include online talks from staff, Members and other “subject matter experts”; and

• helping to ensure the charity continues to understand the developing needs of its Members.

Although the role is home-based, you will not be working in isolation; you will be supported by the managers and workforce.

All our staff are home-based, and we maintain a strong caring culture of teamwork, mutual support and promoting wellbeing at work.

You may be exposed to traumatic narratives from our Membership, for many this is a reality in their lives. We do provide an extensive framework of clinical and managerial support but you do need to be an emotionally and psychologically resilient individual.

The selection process:

• Applications close: Sunday 19th May 2024

• Long-listing:

• Selection Task sent to Long-Listed candidates: Wednesday 22nd May

• Deadline for return of Selection Task: Sunday 29th May

• Short-Listing

• Online Interviews (via MS Teams): Friday 7th June

As you can see above, if you are shortlisted, you will be sent a selection task.

This task will involve you preparing a plan to engage with a hard-to-reach sector of the UK Military Communities. The identity of this community will be provided with the tasking briefing.

The Intention of engaging with this community will be to:

• Raise awareness of The Ripple Pond and its services with this community.

• Increase our understanding of this community’s needs.

• Increase the charity's Membership (service users) from this community.

We wish you luck in your application

About Smart Works 

Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses and coaches unemployed women for success at their job interview. We empower each woman by giving her the clothes and the confidence she needs to succeed. After visiting Smart Works, 69% of clients secure a job within a month, gaining financial independence and transforming their lives.

More information about who we are can be found on our website.

About the role  

Across the UK, over 400 organisations refer women for a Smart Works appointment, including job centres, refuges, prisons, working programme providers and other charities. The team in each centre supports clients to access their appointment.

We are recruiting for a Service Delivery Assistant based in our Reading centre to lead on the smooth running of our service, and create a welcoming atmosphere for all clients, volunteers and visitors. Our team is friendly and professional, and we work closely together to make sure every client has an outstanding experience when they visit us.

The Service Delivery Assistant will be the first point of contact a client will have with Smart Works. Therefore, we are looking for a friendly, organised and hard-working individual. The role requires strong administrative skills, excellent communication skills and a drive to ensure all women who visit us have the best possible experience. If you’re passionate about supporting women, then this is an ideal opportunity for you.

The role would be based in Reading city centre, and there will be occasional evening and weekend work as the role holder may be asked to provide key events support. 

Smart Works Reading is part of Smart Works Charity, with Smart Works centres across the UK. There will therefore be some travel and frequent liaison with local centres across the UK and HQ in London, to support induction and training, as well as the day-to-day role. 

Duties and responsibilities

• Being the first point of contact for all clients, volunteers and visitors of the centre, in person, via email and on the phone. 
• Managing the central inbox, responding to clients, referral partners, volunteers, donors and potential supporters.
• Day to day coordination of the Smart Works service, including booking all client appointments, answering the phone and all related service administration.
• Maintaining an up to date and accurate client data base.
• Generating volunteer rotas and day to day volunteer communications relating to service delivery.
• Ensuring the dressing room and stockroom is organised and tidy to a high standard.
• Ensuring all operational policies and procedures including Safeguarding are maintained, communicated, and adhered to on service days.
• Supporting the team with ad hoc administration tasks.

Personal Specification 

• Friendly, enthusiastic and engaging with a variety of stakeholders.
• A good team player with a strong work ethic whilst able to make decisions independently.
• Curious with an enjoyment for learning and trying new ways of working.
• A creative problem solver who is proactive.
• Strong organisational skills with good attention to detail.
• A confident IT user, with excellent understanding of Microsoft packages including Word, Outlook and Excel. 
• Experience working in a customer service, receptionist or administration role previously would be advantageous, but is not required.

How to Apply  

Please visit our website or click "Apply Now" to find out more information - we can't wait to hear from you.

CVAA UK is a membership organisation supporting not-for-profit adoption agencies across the UK who specialise in finding homes for children in care. Over 3000 children in the UK need adoption each year because they cannot remain at home or with family members. The CVAA Practice Programme delivers 30 or more online courses each year to those working in the sector, primarily social workers. The programme has developed a strong reputation for attracting a range of subject experts to deliver cost effective, engaging and useful training. The full programme is listed on the CVAA UK website and inlcudes topics such as LGBTQ+ parenting; therapy for children; identity formation; racism and anti-racism; parenting courses; theraplay and many more.

Due to a restructure of the team, we are now looking for a Training Manager who can oversee the administration and delivery of the programme. Initially fixed term, it is anticipated that this post will become permanent. We are keen to have someone joiun us as soon as possible.

The Training Manager will work with the Head of Practice Development to ensure that the courses are full, supported, delivered effectively and evaluated. Part of the role will also be to source new trainers and support the creation of the programme into 2025.

The CVAA team work remotely across the UK so location of the postholder is not a barrier to recruitment as long as long as they can travel occasionally and come into London for team days. The team is small, diverse and dynamic. Experience of project management or delivery of training or events is more important than knowledge of adoption or children's social care. We would warmly welcome an application from people who have lived experience of adoption or fostering, and candidates from the Global Majority. 

Benefits include:

• Flexible working
• Pension
• Personal training budget
• Generous holiday allowance
• Office closure during festive break each December

Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK and will need to undertake a DBS due to the sensitive nature of the work of CVAA. We require three references, one of whom can be personal. To apply please prepare a comprehensive CV with a covering letter in English which address all the requirements of the Person Specification by providing evidence and examples to back up statements.

Petra Jodlova, Head of Practice Development, is available to arrange informal conversations about the post. 

The closing date for applications is 11.59pm 16th May 2024. Interviews will be week commencing 27th May 2024.

Join us in the ambitious ‘Birmingham In Action’ campaign, which commits to raising over £600 million of charitable funding and 1.25 million volunteer hours positioning the University as one of the world leaders in University development. To fulfil our exciting campaign ambitions, we are recruiting a Philanthropy Manager (12 month contract) to help grow our philanthropic funding and to take our campaign to the next level. 

Our world has many challenges that will deeply affect our generation and the next. As a Philanthropy Manager, you will cultivate significant gifts for amazing education and charitable research projects, you will provide funding for scholarships to support students from underrepresented backgrounds and will raise philanthropic funds for priority research areas including cancer, other global health issues and climate change. You will encourage and inspire donors to make long-term, sustainable gifts.

You will be joining an established team of fundraisers made up of Senior Philanthropy Managers, Philanthropy Managers and Philanthropy Officers. You will have experience of delivering against financial targets, along with the ability to translate complex information into a compelling ask in both verbal and written form. As a Philanthropy Manager in DARO, you will be innovative, self-motivated, and take ownership of fundraising opportunities in this area and generate significant gifts for amazing philanthropic projects. You will have an enthusiasm for building relationships, the skill to interact with high-level donors and supporters, and the ability to showcase the sector-leading academic research to a range of audiences. 

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. 

Health and healthcare policy are complex matters which are constantly evolving. With so many cross-specialty issues affecting the whole of the medical profession, it is the Academy’s role to ensure a united voice is heard by policy makers and key decision makers. We are seeking a project manager to join our friendly, diverse and talented team working at the heart of national healthcare policy. The National Clinical Assurance Group provides independent advice and assurance to NHSE on developments around the clinical content used for NHS pathways, ensuring that patients receive the best care for their condition. As project manager, you will lead the project to ensure that NHS pathways are independently assured by clinicians who are leaders in their field.

We are looking to recruit an experienced Fundraising manager to take on the well established fundraising of our organisation and further drive the growth of our donations and income base. The role will manage our communications, website and social media channels increasing engagement with key audience groups.

The successful candidate will be motivated, creative, highly organised and a confident and effective communicator and strong team player.

The Welcome Centre is an independent charity providing crisis support in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. We run a large food bank operation providing practical support. We also have an in-house Advice, Guidance & Support team who work with the people accessing our food bank to help improve their longer term circumstances. Each year we support thousands of people in crisis in our community.  As Fundraising Manager, you will play a vital role in ensuring we can provide the resources required.

We have a small staff team working across two sites in Huddersfield, supported by more than 100 volunteers. We rely on the generosity of our community and partners to support our work.

The Task Ahead: Finance Manager

As The Difference moves from its early start-up phase into the delivery of our 2025-30 strategy, our programmes and sector-influencing work are expanding to reach more schools and to deepen our impact. Alongside this growth, our team - and the operational function which supports them - is also growing.

As Finance Manager, you will be a key member of the Finance & Operations team. You will hold end-to-end responsibility for the finance function, from reconciliations to budgeting. You will decide where and how our existing processes could be improved, as well as developing new systems that will underpin our work as a larger and more established charity. You will be supported by the Director of People, Finance & Operations, as well as our external auditors.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

Areas of Responsibility

The Difference is looking for a Finance Manager to lead our finance function in the following ways:

• Oversee our internal bookkeeping, payment, and accounting processes, and improve these systems ongoingly.

• Lead on budgeting and forecasting across the organisation, supporting teams to predict income and expenditure and make sound financial decisions.

• Lead on the production of management accounting information, including internal monthly management accounts, quarterly reports for Trustees, and financial reports for investors.

• Lead on The Difference’s audit process, with external auditors.

• Work with the Development & Impact Manager to update fundraising pipelines, and ensure the availability of high quality income projections for Trustees.

• Support accurate budgeting and reporting for grant funding, including tracking spend of restricted funds.

• Support business planning by working with teams to model potential future work - e.g. costs of expansion of an existing programme; modelling potential new programmes.

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for the following skills, aptitude and experience; though you may be stronger in some areas than others:

• Values – Your experience evidences shared values with The Difference (see below) and a personal commitment to our mission to improve life outcomes for vulnerable people.

• Finance experience, operational and strategic – Experience across all areas of finance, from accurate invoicing, payments and record-keeping, through to setting and managing budgets, financial modelling and forecasting, and working with external accountants or auditors.

• Finance process development – Experience of developing finance systems; the ability to recognise how processes could be continuously improved, and enact this improvement.

• Leadership of self and others – Confident in identifying skills or information gaps within your team, and drawing on the expertise of others to address these gaps. Able to show how you've continually grown your own skills and those of your team members so that together you can efficiently cover workload and plan ahead.

• Proactive problem-solving – Ability to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment and to problem-solve: from rolling sleeves up and diving into detail to working collaboratively to build capacity.

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following additional experiences: 

• Accounting qualification and experience - Some form of accounting qualification and post-qualification experience.

• Early-stage charity/social enterprise experience – You may have specific experience growing charities or businesses for social good at the early or start-up phase.

• Experience of charity finances – You may have worked for or supported other charities, and have experience of working with philanthropic grants, charity accounting, and governance.

• Insight into schools – You may have experience working in the education sector, whether that’s through working for a business or charities that partnered with schools, or through working in a school yourself. 

Why Work for The Difference?

Schooling isn’t working for the children who need it most. Every week in England 109 children – equivalent to three full classrooms – are permanently excluded. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Since the pandemic, school suspensions have risen significantly, as has persistent absenteeism. 1 in 5 children are missing more than 10% of their time in school. Children who are excluded or persistently absent are much more likely to already be experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage. They are more likely to live in poverty, have additional learning needs, suffer mental health challenges, or experience a lack of safety outside school. Certain ethnicities are also disproportionately affected, notably Gypsy Roma Traveller and black Caribbean children. 

Exclusion and high rates of absence can have a dramatic effect on life chances. These young people are more likely to drop out of education or employment, become vulnerable to long-term mental ill health, or be at risk of criminal exploitation. The Difference believes that children and young people deserve better and that the education system has to change.

Our Organisation 

The Difference is a young education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning.  By 2030, we want rates of exclusion and absence to be falling nationally and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, including those who may be vulnerable. The Difference was born out of a year of research into school exclusions with think-tank IPPR. This research identified a lack of inclusion expertise in schools and proposed a new leadership development programme to fill this gap. In 2018, Difference founder Kiran hired the team who took this idea from concept to reality, beginning work with our first schools.

The Difference is now a 22-strong team delivering multiple school leadership programmes, alongside a growing research and policy arm. The team is supported by our Youth Advisory Board, made up of young people who have experienced exclusion and who provide their expertise and insights on how school inclusion work should be done. This work is needed more than ever. Effects of COVID-19, coupled with the spiralling cost of living, have substantially increased levels of vulnerability. Schools serving excluded pupils face under-funding. The Difference has had excellent early impact but there is work ahead to capture this, share learning with schools and policy-makers, and grow our capacity to lower exclusions across England.

Our Values

• High Expectations - We are ambitious for excellence from young people, colleagues and ourselves.  We don’t believe in writing off someone’s potential because of their identity or experience of crisis. 

• Strong Relationships - We prioritise genuine relationships over transactional interactions, and know that this requires deliberate relational practice. We see colleagues and partners as people first and their roles second; and know this greater trust allows us to take more risks, gain more feedback and have greater impact.

• Internalised Locus of Control - We work hard to reframe difficult situations to discover what we have within our power in terms of solutions. We take it upon ourselves to walk towards challenges and can take a high level of ownership and agency in our work/

• Pragmatism - We believe leadership means recognising current limitations and striving for improvements within and beyond them.  We develop consensus and chart new ways forward, challenging false and extreme positions like “zero exclusions” or “no excuses”.

• Scientific approach - We take a diagnostic approach to unpicking causes of problems. We are loud and proud of our failures, recognising failing fast and often is key to finding the best solutions. We test solutions and are willing to use data and feedback to make adjustments and choose new directions. 

• Not Squeamish about Structural Inequality - We believe patterns of inequality can and should be disrupted. We strive to be clear-eyed about these inequalities, and both the individual practice and system-changes required to address them. We push ourselves to overcome awkwardness in talking about this; and begin by acknowledging our own biases and blind spots.

• Asset-based - We work hard to avoid deficit thinking and aim to start with what’s strong, not what’s wrong. We are careful not to frame our colleagues and stakeholders - particularly young people and families – as victims but instead to recognise their agency.

• Wise selves - To both enjoy work and do their best, we want to make decisions and work with others in our “wise” - or regulated - selves. We also want to bring our compassionate self to those we work with, externally and internally, to support one another through challenging times. 

How To Apply 

To apply, please complete all sections of the application form by midnight on Sunday 19th May.

First round interviews will be held during the week beginning 27th May, over video call. Please indicate if you would not be available to attend an interview during this week.

If successful in this stage, second round interviews (including a task to be completed the same day) will take place on the week beginning 3rd June, at our office in Bethnal Green. 

We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector such as people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the care system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates. 

As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and any protected characteristics redacted.

Recommended Reading 

If you’d like to understand more about The Difference and what we are trying to achieve, we would recommend the following:

• The research which underpins our organisation.

• Our latest Impact Report, sharing our work in 2023

The Partnership Manager role will report to the CEO and sit within the Business Development Team.

The Partnership Manager will be responsible for identifying new business opportunities in order to generate revenue, improve profitability and help the business grow. You will have a clear ability to tailor the way we sell our services to potential clients.

You will lead and support others across the company to communicate our service offering to external stakeholders that will directly contribute to the company’s growth strategy and impact.

The Partnership Manager will also be a key member of the department and contribute to, departmental strategies, systems and maximising efficiency, and communicating our brand values and services that attracts a wide range of clients.

In this role, you will work closely with the Digital Communications and Marketing, Monitoring and Evaluation, Programme and Finance teams.

Essential Experience

• Have a minimum 5 years sales and client relationship experience

• Proven success in a similar role, with a track record of securing income through multi-year partnerships

• Strong relationship management skills, particularly within the education and/or corporate sector.

• Ability to manage a heavy and varied workload effectively and maintain high levels of both accuracy and output

• Ability to think strategically and identify new opportunities and initiatives to grow the business

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience of producing high quality written materials that are tailored to the needs of specific internal or external audiences.

• Experience managing a CRM system, sales systems flow and executing sales campaigns/funnels

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment and working independently to find solutions to problems

Position: Philanthropy Manager
Contract: 18 months fixed term contract
Hours: Full-time (35 hours a week)
Location: Office-based in London, N4 with flexibility to work remotely.
Salary: £41,260 - £43,735 per annum, plus excellent benefits  
Salary Band: Band F2

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.  

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

Are you an experienced, confident, and articulate philanthropy fundraiser?

We have a fantastic opportunity for you to develop and build upon your fundraising prowess and management skills.

We’re looking to appoint a talented Philanthropy Manager to join our ambitious team. You’ll have a proven track record of securing major gifts and line management experience.

We’re delivering some of the most exciting major gift fundraising in the UK. Our philanthropy team has grown significantly over the past few years, and we’re focused on raising over £1.8m in 2024.

In this role, you’ll have three direct line reports and alongside the Head of the team be responsible for the budgeting and planning for various work streams.

Working with the team you’ll be securing significant gifts to help us deliver services to people living with MS. We work hand-in-hand with our Research team to raise funds for our pioneering research programme.

You’ll also have your own portfolio, identifying, engaging and stewarding a mix of cold and warm philanthropists, senior volunteers and prospects. We’re looking for a dynamic and confident major donor fundraiser to maximise income growth from HNWIs.

Managers across Philanthropy and Partnerships work together very closely support the overarching approach to high value fundraising.

We have a highly committed Appeal Board, which brings together high profile, engaged and well-connected individuals passionate about the cause and our ambitious plans for the future.

Now is an exciting time to join us at the MS Society. Our investment in research is to double over a decade and we have developed a research-focused national appeal, the Stop MS Appeal.

Our Stop MS appeal is well underway, with over £80 million of our £100 million target achieved, and is a major focus of our work. This will allow us to invest millions in ground breaking research, all with the goal of stopping MS as we know it.

We recognise the significant and excellent contributions; experience; and skills our employees bring to the MS Society.

Working with external pay and reward consultants, we’re taking active steps this year to review our employees’ pay and benefits package. Ensuring we’re aligned with the most accurate and up-to-date benchmarks for the UK charity sector.

Please note this is a fixed term contracted role for 18 months.

Closing date for applications: 9am on Thursday 16 May 2024

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We are a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity. 

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes. 

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us to discuss.

You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

More about our recruitment and selection process

• The HR team will anonymise your CV and supporting statement before forwarding to the shortlisting panel. This is done as part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• The first round of our recruitment and selection process includes an interview with competency-based questions. 
• Our recruitment and selection process might also include extra tasks. For example, a written or Microsoft Excel test or making a presentation.
• We’ll let you know what the selection process will include when we invite you to interview. You can ask for any more reasonable adjustments for the interview as part of the invitation. 
• You might also be invited for a second interview. We’ll let you know about this during the selection process. 

More about our employee benefits:

We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to):

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us)
• Flexible working options

 Caring for you and your family

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis
• Enhanced leave for new parents
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • in the event of miscarriage or still birth
  • to support fertility treatments
  • for antenatal appointments for both parents
• Cycle to work scheme
• Death in service scheme
• Health cash plans to help offset the cost of health care for you and your family

Thinking about your finances

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax 
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing 

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities 
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups)
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community)
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal working hours

Safeguarding

We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of:

• gender
• race
• disability
• sexual orientation
• religion or belief
• pregnancy
• gender reassignment

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

No agencies please.