Youth education officer jobs

We are looking for a Skills Development and Engagement Coordinator who will be involved in supporting the programme journey of a young person from when they have a confirmed place on our programmes to the point when they start their expedition or adventure with us. The successful candidate will also coordinate the delivery of our Expedition Workshops and manage our Workshop Facilitators.

If you are an energetic, mature, and motivated self-starter keen to take on new challenge come and help us prepare young people for adventure and to achieve their fundraising targets.  You will need to be hard working, proactive, practical and organised, and have the self belief to be a confident communicator and empathetic to the different starting points of young people. You’ll be motivated by targets, and able to identify opportunities and foster relationships with young people and other stakeholders as part of our wider British Exploring Society community.  

We welcome applications from individuals returning to work, looking to change sectors or to apply their skills in a new context. British Exploring Society is committed to equal opportunity and to building a team that represents a diverse variety of backgrounds, skills and perspectives. The more inclusive we are, the better we think we’ll be at delivering our charitable aims.  We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender identity, sexual orientation, martial or civil partnership status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, or age.

If you are interested in applying and require any accessibility adjustments to the interview process, please do let us know when you apply. Thank you.

This is a really exciting time to join Money Ready as we continue to shape our Fundraising and Communications Directorate. Following a successful rebrand and merger in 2025, we are continuing to invest in our Fundraising team.

The Fundraising team is a small (7) but mighty team driving fundraising efforts across the UK. The team currently raises over £5m predominantly through multi-year strategic partnerships.

As Fundraising Officer, you will play a key role in driving income generation at Money Ready by managing a portfolio of corporate partnerships, delivering engaging challenge events, leading on fundraising products, and supporting the growing individual giving income stream. Your work will help ensure the sustainability and growth of our mission to empower young people through financial education.

The Role

If you are passionate about the outdoors, have a "roll up your sleeves" attitude and are looking for a role where your event management skills will make a lasting impact on young lives, then this is the job for you. We’re seeking a dynamic individual who can lead our exciting portfolio of outdoor challenge events and help us take our fundraising to the next level.

The Youth Adventure Trust's outdoor challenge events are a vital source of funding for the charity, and the relationships we build with our participants and corporate partners are more important than ever. This is where you come in.

As our Challenge Events Manager, you'll be the driving force behind our exciting challenge events portfolio.You'll work on bespoke corporate team-building challenges, high-energy industry networking events like the Hike Bike Paddle for the sports and outdoor sector and the Housebuilders Challenge, and our popular open events like the Wiltshire 3 Peaks Challenge and the Somerset Cycle. 

Challenge events not only enable people to raise amazing sums for the charity, but are also a fantastic way to engage supporters with our work, giving them the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, embrace the outdoors and achieve things they never thought possible - similar to our work with the young people on our programmes.

The Challenge Events Manager role is a varied position which would be perfect for somebody who has event management experience. You will be responsible for the full event cycle, from the initial planning, participant recruitment and stewardship to on the day event delivery and post event follow ups. You will be somebody who can spot opportunities, take on a project and run with it. You’ll be an excellent communicator, happy to pick up the phone to chat to event participants, deliver pre-event webinars or create engaging participant emails. You’re self-motivated, well organised, able to multi-task, a strong administrator, a fantastic team player, have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy being outdoors.

You'll work closely with the Corporate Partnership Manager, who is highly experienced in delivering our challenge events, but needs time to develop new corporate partnerships which is why we have created this new role. You'll also line-manage our Events Fundraising Officer who plays a key support role on the events.

About You

You’re a people-person, self-motivated and highly organised. You are as comfortable managing a budget and a CRM database as you are standing on a mountain side in your waterproofs! You’ll have:

• Event Expertise: A proven track record in delivering successful fundraising or challenge events.

• Agility: The ability to think on your feet and adapt plans dynamically when situations change on the ground.

• Leadership Skills: Experience managing staff or volunteers and the ability to motivate a team.

• A Passion for Adventure: A genuine love for the outdoors, comfortable in wellies and waterproofs with an understanding of 'the power of the outdoors'.

The Charity

At the Youth Adventure Trust, we use outdoor adventure to empower vulnerable young people from Swindon, Wiltshire and Somerset to fulfil their potential and lead positive lives in the future. We work with them to build resilience, develop confidence and learn skills that will last a lifetime, helping them to face the challenges in their lives. Dedicated support, guidance and mentoring from our staff and volunteers ensures young people receive the maximum benefit from our long-term intervention. Our aim is to make a lasting improvement to the lives of vulnerable young people. All our services are provided completely free of charge to the young people who are nominated by schools and other youth organisations to take part.

We’re proud to offer our programmes completely free of charge to participants, and with ambitious plans to help more young people over the coming years, our fundraising challenge events are more important than ever.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to make a direct and lasting impact on young lives through your passion for the outdoors. You’ll be part of a small fundraising team with a big heart, with plenty of opportunities to visit our camps and see the tangible impact of your work. 

If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, please download the full Job Pack for more details, including the job description and person specification. All applicants must complete an application form and refer to the job description and person specification in their application.

The Youth Adventure Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all employees to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. Full details can be found in the Job Pack.

Are you ready to shape the future of young people at a national scale?

Join Young Enterprise at a pivotal moment of change. As our Assistant Director of Partnerships and Delivery, you’ll play a leading role in strengthening how we work, how we partner, and how we deliver life-changing opportunities for young people across the UK, working across regions to maximise impact.

This is a senior, strategic role with real influence, combining vision, collaboration, and operational excellence to ensure Young Enterprise is set up for long-term impact.

Who We Are

We’re Young Enterprise, a national charity with a bold mission: to give every young person the skills, confidence, and mindset to thrive in a changing world of work.

For over 60 years, we’ve reached more than 7 million young people through hands-on enterprise and financial education programmes. From launching student businesses to building financial confidence, our work helps young people develop essential life skills like teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and resilience.

We’re a passionate, people-centred organisation made up of 90+ colleagues and 2,000+ volunteers, united by a belief that every young person, whatever their background, deserves a fair start in life.

Why Join Us?
We think Young Enterprise is a great place to work and we’re proud of our people-first culture. Here’s what you can expect:

• A friendly and supportive team where your voice is heard
• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion—we want everyone to feel they belong
• Generous holiday allowance and flexible working
• Cycle-to-work scheme, life assurance, and NHS top-up plan
• Ongoing learning and mentoring opportunities
• A chance to directly impact the lives of young people every single day

About the Role

This is a senior, strategic role for a collaborative leader who enjoys turning insight into action. As Assistant Director of Partnerships and Delivery, you will:

• Work with the senior leadership team to design and embed a future-ready Target Operating Model (TOM) that supports high quality, impactful delivery across the UK.
• Lead Young Enterprise’s partnership and delivery activity during a key period of organisational change and renewal, helping to shape our future impact.
• Build strong, purposeful partnerships and delivery models that bring our Transforming Futures Strategy to life.
• Foster a strong “one team” culture across programmes, delivery, and volunteering.
• Champion safeguarding, inclusivity, and evidence-based practice across all areas of work.

You’ll Love This Role If You Are…

• a strategic systems-thinker who enjoys improving how organisations work and delivering impact at scale
• a collaborative and credible leader who brings people with them through change, building trust and momentum
• passionate about impact and using evidence to drive better outcomes for young people
• confident working with partners and stakeholders across sectors to create shared value
• values-led, with a strong commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and high-quality delivery
• motivated by mission, and excited by the opportunity to shape the future of a national charity at a pivotal moment

Key Responsibilities

• Lead partnership and delivery activity aligned to the Transforming Futures Strategy.
• Co-design and implement a future-focused Target Operating Model (TOM) that supports effective, high quality delivery.
• Build, grow and manage strategic relationships with schools, funders, and partners to maximise impact and reach.
• Represent Young Enterprise externally and support partnership growth across sectors.
• Ensure programmes are delivered to a consistently high standard, with safeguarding, inclusion and quality at the core.
• Use data, evidence and insight to drive performance, learning and continuous improvement.
• Connect national strategy with regional delivery, ensuring local insight informs planning and decision making.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture and support the development of high performing teams.
• Contribute actively to organisational leadership as a member of the senior leadership team.

 A few practical things

• This role will require regular travel across the UK and monthly travel to London for leadership meetings and events.

Keeping Young People Safe 

We are committed to keeping young people safe. All successful applicants will undergo an enhanced DBS check and receive ongoing safeguarding training.

At Young Enterprise, safeguarding is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. All successful applicants will receive ongoing safeguarding training throughout their employment and be expected to uphold excellent safeguarding practice at all times.

How to Apply
If you’re ready to help shape the futures of young people, we want to hear from you!

Please send your CV and instead of a traditional cover letter, please send us a separate document answering the three questions below, up to 250 words per answer. Please note, applications without answers to the three questions will not be considered. Applications must be received by 23:30 on 4 February 2026.  

Interviews will be held in person at our London Office and shortlisted candidates will be invited to be interviewed either on 10 or 11 February 2026.

1. What are the top three strengths, skills, or experiences you bring to the Assistant Director of Partnerships and Delivery role?  

 2. If appointed, what would you most want to achieve within your first 12 months in the role, and why are these priorities important to you and to Young Enterprise? 

 3. Why does leading the delivery and partnerships at Young Enterprise matter to you personally? How does your motivation and approach align with our transforming Futures Strategy and our values of unlocking potential, one team, enterprising and resilient, and creating great impact? 

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While these can be a helpful resource, we want to hear about your personal skills, experiences and insights that highlight your unique strengths and perspective in your own words.

Full details can be found in the Job Description.

At YE we are passionate and committed to keeping your data safe and secure.  Full details can be found in the YE People’s Privacy Notice.

Join us – and help us give every young person the chance to thrive. Apply today!

About this Internship

The Youth Voice Development Officer is a 12-month internship starting in March 2026. It is part of the Rank Foundation’s Time 2 Shine Leadership programme, and the successful candidate will need to commit to attending a range of training events throughout the year which are delivered by the Rank Foundation. Travel and accommodation will be provided.

Main Purpose of this Role:

The role’s main purpose is to support the delivery and monitoring of Reaching Higher’s Youth Voice strategy by working closely with the Head of Contextual Youth Work (Community) and empowering young people to meaningfully shape and share their voices. This includes supporting young people to co-develop and co-deliver Youth Voice training for a range of stakeholders, preparing and accompanying them to facilitated meetings with key leaders across Croydon’s schools, statutory services and community organisations, and ensuring their perspectives are heard and valued. The role also involves planning and delivering regular training and development opportunities for Youth Board members, supporting youth-led events such as the annual community meal, and mentoring a small cohort of young people to build their confidence, skills and leadership capacity.

We’re offering an opportunity to support the delivery of the Trust’s flagship Lessons from Auschwitz Project, and the Trust’s Youth Advocacy Programme (AKA Ambassador Programme), including all content and quality assurance related to the delivery of a portfolio of activity that falls within these programmes. Ensuring that the young people we work with, through these programmes, understand what the Holocaust was, inspiring them to be part of ensuring this history is remembered, and empowering them to recognise and address antisemitism when they see it today. Driving our youth engagement strategy, developing high quality and empowering content, and advocating for youth engagement and youth advocacy.

About the Role
The Senior Programme Development Lead (Lessons from Auschwitz Project and Ambassador Programme) Maternity Cover is accountable for the delivery of the Trust’s flagship Lessons from Auschwitz Project, and the Trust’s Youth Advocacy Programme (AKA Ambassador Programme), including all content and quality assurance related to the delivery of a portfolio of activity that falls within these programmes. The remit of the Senior Programme Development Lead (Lessons from Auschwitz Project and Ambassador Programme) Maternity Cover will include two areas of leadership:

1. The continued development and delivery of our Youth Advocacy/Ambassador Programme – the Trust’s youth engagement initiative. The SPDL is responsible for ensuring that through this programme the Trust engages young people across the country, ensuring they understand what the Holocaust was, inspiring them to be part of ensuring this history is remembered, and empowering them to recognise and address antisemitism when they see it today. The SPDL is responsible for driving a youth engagement strategy, which actively scales up the reach of the programme – bringing it to new audiences. They will be responsible for developing high quality, inspiring, engaging and empowering content to young people in England, Scotland and Wales – quality assuring the programme and all associated initiatives. The SPDL will be an advocate, internally and externally, for youth engagement and youth advocacy, ensuring the Trust’s voice and reputation plays a role in leading and shaping the sector and a future where young people play an active role in Holocaust remembrance and tackling antisemitism today.

2. Oversight of the Trust’s Government funded Lessons from Auschwitz Project, ensuring that the programme continues to reach students across the country each year; that it continues to be regarded as a globally recognised site-based learning initiative; that we are delivering in line with all associated KPIs; and importantly that the content continues to educate in-line with objectives, and continues to inspire young people to continue to engage with the Trust’s cause. This role will work closely with the Chief Programmes and Outreach Officer to drive delivery across programmes in line with the Trust’s strategic vision and strategic plans. The SPDL will work closely with the Senior Logistics Manager who will be accountable for schools marketing; engagement with and registration for all Trust programmes; all associated logistics for schools’ programmes; and ticketing and logistical support for the Ambassador Programme.

For information on the key responsibilities of the role and the person specification, please see the full application pack on our website. This also contains information on how to apply. 

We are looking for an exceptional, value-driven candidate who can hit the ground running as our Legal Education Officer, working closely with the Director and the rest of our small and dynamic Right to Remain team.

The person must be someone who understands the Right to Remain ethos and is prepared to bring their whole self to our organisation. Needless to say, the role requires an impeccable grasp of the asylum and immigration system and its operation on the ground, including how it impacts our community of people seeking asylum, refugees, migrants, their families, friends and allies. It requires an ability to help and guide our community to navigate the complex and hostile asylum and immigration system.

You will be working closely with the Director and the rest of our small and dynamic Right to Remain staff team: another Legal Education Officer based in Leeds (generally) covering the North, the Organiser based in Manchester leading our mighty These Walls Must Fall, and the Engagement Officer based in London. In particular, the post holder will be closely coordinating their work with another Legal Education Officer in Leeds. The post holder is also expected to be already embedded in the local and regional asylum and migration field, familiar with its dynamics and able to tap into their existing relationships and connections with local groups and actors. 

We are proud of Right to Remain’s unique and bold approach that really believes in collective power. We are focused on building knowledge, radical solidarity and the power of our community. We show up authentically at work and for our community, always giving our 100%. We are determined and calm amidst the crisis and chaos of the world. We know that now is not a ‘business as usual’ time, and we need to meet the moment as the anchor organisation for the migration justice movement. That comes with a lot of responsibility but we also carry it with lightness. We want our new team members to be similarly passionate, ambitious and compassionate. 

With the rest of the team, you will be responsible for maintaining, developing, and increasing usage of our highly popular and accessible resources about the asylum and immigration system, most notably the Right to Remain Toolkit. You will deliver interactive workshops on the legal system for people navigating that system as well as professionals and volunteers. You will engage with our network of community groups to ensure that we are apprised of developments on the ground and we are communicating important changes to these support groups. You will also work with the Director and other colleagues to develop and deliver specific public legal education projects, when necessary. You must have outstanding communication skills and the ability to engage with a wide range of audiences, in a manner that reflects Right to Remain’s mission and values. 

Youth Delivery Mentoring Officer

We are looking for a skilled, committed, and passionate individual with experience within the youth work sector (this could be in a voluntary capacity). Whilst developing our focus around youth engagement and early intervention techniques, we recognise the importance of having individuals who really want to make a difference in the lives of young people. The successful applicant will understand our values, ethos and principles as an organisation and will demonstrate a strong desire to contribute to and deliver meaningful and effective youth work. 

Main Purpose of this Role

This is an exciting role at Reaching Higher and demonstrates our uncompromising commitment to playing our part to positive impact the lives of young people and their families. This role has been designed to lead on the delivery of our work and play a central role in creating meaningful experiences for young people via school and community-based youth projects.The purpose of this role is help ensure high-quality support for young people across our various programmes, in line with our mentoring ethos, helping to build an even stronger rapport with those we currently serve and improving accessibility for new young people being referred to us. 

About Reaching Higher 

Reaching Higher is a youth organisation which works with almost 2000 young people aged 10 - 18 each year across Croydon and surrounding boroughs. Developed in partnership with local churches, we are a youth-led charity with a Christian ethos.We place particular emphasis on providing mentoring support to young people and facilitating their development as leaders. We have established strong links with key local, London and UK-wide organisations and our approach leads us into regular working contact with partner schools, community groups and churches. 

Breck Foundation

Breck Foundation is at the forefront of efforts to safeguard children and young people online. Our organisation was founded in 2014 in response to the tragic loss of Breck Bednar, a 14-year-old boy who was groomed and murdered by someone he met online. Our work aims to prevent this from ever happening again. Our work saves lives.  We reach thousands of children and young people in schools and other community settings with Breck's story every year. Our talks and educational materials fill a gap in the current UK curriculum that otherwise leaves children vulnerable to online grooming and exploitation.

With 98% of young people now active internet users, current and future generations grow up having to navigate new and evolving digital dangers. We are committed to making the internet a place where children can live, play and thrive in safety. We are helping young people reclaim the internet.

The Role

Children’s online safety is both an important and an urgent issue and the need for our unique work here at Breck Foundation is greater now than ever. The primary purpose of this role is to help children and young people take practical steps to become more digitally resilient and be safer online. Our East of England Education Programme Officer will introduce the highly impactful Breck’s story into schools and other youth and community spaces and deliver inspiring, educational talks to students, parents and guardians, teachers and other groups in a ‘whole community’ approach.

The role is fully remote, but post holder will be willing and able to easily travel to various locations within the East of England as and when necessary to fulfil the requirements of the role as well as to engage with colleagues virtually and in person in London four times a year.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Delivery

• Coordinate all practical arrangements necessary for successful delivery and post-delivery activities in schools, including the timely transmission of digital files; and liaising with relevant colleagues to ensure timely delivery of materials and promotional merchandise to schools.
• Responsibility for delivering sessions tailored to educate/inform children/parents and teachers as well as carrying out all pre- and post-delivery engagements.
• Respond to any questions, disclosures or safeguarding concerns raised during sessions and follow up where necessary with the school safeguarding team or, where consent is secured, make onward referrals for additional support in specific cases.
• Contribute to the continuous development of all aspects of the programme, sharing new ideas and using best practice, including keeping programme presentations up to date or, when applicable, working on this together with relevant colleagues, ensuring that presentations used in schools across the organisation are always uniform and consistent.
• Maintain accurate records of programme activities, including record of input, output, and impact as well as demographics data, and monitor and periodically evaluate and report on impact.

Stakeholder Development/Management

• Seek and maximise opportunities for building relationships with groups of schools (primary and secondary) and relevant education/teaching groups, unions and networks, with a view to raising the profile of the programme and generating interest in it.
• Develop and manage ongoing relationships with individual schools to secure their repeat, annual participation in the programme or repeat bookings for paid presentations.

Publicity/Marketing/Communications

• Promote the offer to all types of schools (state and private), working with relevant colleagues to create impactful publicity/marketing assets and to make contact and register schools’ interests. 
• Maximise opportunities for generating communication assets and publicity during delivery in schools, including through video recordings, photographs, testimonials, Vox Pops, collection of social media handles for mentions etc., ensuring to follow school guidance and secure necessary permissions.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Objectively review the successes and achievements against agreed objectives, identifying strengths, weaknesses and risks, as well as suggesting improvement.
• Depending on experience and qualifications of post-holder, to be receptive to any other duties as required, in line with the needs of Breck Foundation.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues and other professionals, and to participate in team meetings.
• To participate in personal supervision in accordance with Breck Foundation’s supervision and performance appraisal policy and attend agreed training as relevant.
• At all times to carry out the responsibilities of the post in a manner consistent with promoting equalities and diversity and demonstrate respect for colleagues and Breck Foundation’s aims and values.
• To maintain an awareness of own and others’ health and safety, comply with Breck Foundation’s Health and Safety policies and procedures and lone working policy.
• Some evenings and weekend are involved with time recovered flexibly or time off in lieu taken where agreed with the line manager.

KCBNA is an outstanding organisation that exists to tackle inequality, create opportunities and transform lives. Our award winning youth provision needs an outstanding youth service manager with excetional skills.

Role Overview

As the Youth Service Manager, you will lead KCBNA’s youth provision for young people within the KCBNA youth centre, King’s Cross and surrounding areas. You will oversee the delivery of funded programmes, develop new initiatives, and ensure high-quality workshops, training, and mentoring. This role also involves managing teams, budgets, safeguarding responsibilities, and building partnerships to support the charity’s mission of empowering young people and creating stronger communities.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Management:

· Lead the design and delivery of KCBNA’s diverse range of youth provision.

· Ensure all evaluation reports required by the funder is completed in a timely manner liaising with the dedicated Grants officers.

· Develop and deliver engaging workshops, training sessions, and mentoring opportunities for young people.

· Ensure a seamless transition for young people.

· Take the lead on specific projects to grow and evolve youth work in line with the organisation’s strategy.

Team Leadership:

· Line manages the Youth workers.

· Recruit, train, and manage young volunteers.

· Oversee induction, training, development, and performance management of team members.

Safeguarding and Risk Management:

· Manage day-to-day safeguarding responsibilities and report to the lead safeguarding manager.

· Conduct health and safety risk assessments to ensure safe programme delivery.

· Enhanced DBS check is required

Budget and Resource Management:

· Oversee six-figure budgets, develop management accounts and collaborate with the Finance officer.

· Ensure the effective management, maintenance and up keep of the youth centre in liaison with the KCBNA admin support officer.

Partnership Development and Fundraising:

· Write funding bids and develop partnerships with corporates and stakeholders in Camden working collaboratively with the Chief Executive and Fundraising support member.

· Design and create engaging resources.

· Lead focus groups and identify opportunities for new programmes.

· Work with the youth team and KCBNA team to create content for social media and the website.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

· Use impact feedback and evaluation data to drive programme improvement.

· Produce clear, insightful reports for internal use, stakeholders, funders, and the Trustee Board.

General Duties:

· Maintain high standards across all programmes, ensuring alignment with London Youth quality assurance.

· Be prepared to deliver services across weekends, evenings, and during Holiday periods.

· Review and improve youth programmes using feedback surveys from young people and service users.

· Carry out other reasonable duties as requested by the line manager to support the smooth running of the charity.

About this Internship

The Youth-Led Digital Campaigns Internship role is a twelve-month paid internship beginning in March 2026.

The Jack Petchey Internship development programme is designed for young people who are leaving further or higher education and starting out in the youth/charity sector - or young people who are looking to transfer into, or take their next career step in, the youth/charity sector.

The funding provides support to young people in London and Essex. We would therefore expect applicants to have a strong connection with London and ideally be currently living in or close to Croydon where our work is located.

Main purpose of this role:

We are looking for someone creative, confident and passionate about empowering young people. You will play a hands-on role in both the delivery and development of digital and media-based opportunities for young people, while helping to shape and deliver Reaching Higher’s youth-led digital fundraising and media strategy.

This internship will give you the chance to gain valuable experience across media, marketing, and youth work-alongside training, mentoring, and networking opportunities with other interns from youth organisations across London and Essex.

We are looking for applicants with some experience in the youth work sector (this could be in a voluntary capacity). The successful applicant will understand our organisational values and culture and demonstrate a strong desire to contribute to Reaching Higher’s vision to empower young people to be leaders of their own lives.

This role will take the lead in creating and developing an exciting, safe, fun and vibrant young people’s ministry at St. Andrew’s Church that sees young people come to faith and grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus.

Benefits: 39 days annual leave (including bank holidays), company pension

Lead. Inspire. Serve. Transform Lives.

Are you a Christian leader with a heart for young people and a passion for community transformation?

Do you believe in the God-given value and potential of every person?

Are you ready to guide one of the country’s oldest and most trusted Christian youth movements into its next chapter?

YMCA North Staffordshire is seeking an exceptional Christian Chief Executive Officer to lead our mission, embody our values, and continue shaping a movement that is transforming the lives of thousands of young people and families.

With a proud 160-year history and an award-winning campus at the heart of Stoke-on-Trent, this is a rare opportunity to lead a charity that is deeply rooted in Christian faith, committed to radical inclusion, and driven by a vision where all young people can belong, contribute and thrive.

Our Christian Vision and Values

YMCA North Staffordshire is an inclusive Christian movement.

Our mission flows directly from our faith and is grounded in four core values:

PROTECT

We provide sanctuary and safety, ensuring every young person feels seen, valued, and respected.

HOPE

We see young people not through the lens of their past, but their God-given potential.

PERSEVERE

We walk with young people through challenges, setbacks, and breakthroughs.

TRUST

We act with integrity, accountability, and belief in the dignity of every human being.

Because these values are Christian in origin and practice, and because the CEO is the guardian of our mission, this role has a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) for the postholder to be a practising Christian.

 About the Role

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the CEO will lead an organisation of 130 staff, a £5m+ budget, and a £35m estate, helping strengthen community through youth development, education, housing, healthy living, and social responsibility.

The next CEO will:

• Provide strategic leadership to deliver the 2026–2029 Business Plan
• Champion youth voice and empowerment in all areas of work
• Sustain and grow financial strength, partnerships, and social enterprise
• Uphold and deepen our Christian identity, ensuring values-led practice
• Drive innovation, digital transformation, and organisational development
• Represent YMCA NS locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally
• Be a visible advocate for young people in Stoke-on-Trent
• Strengthen our “village” culture: welcoming, relational, rooted in Ubuntu and Asset-Based Community Development principles (ABCD).

Purpose of the Role

To lead YMCA North Staffordshire in fulfilling its Christian mission, as described in the Associations charitable objectives 

We develop young people; they develop their world.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership in alignment with Board governance
• Upholding Christian ethos, values, and culture across the organisation
• Financial stewardship, compliance, and sustainability
• Community development and partnership building
• Youth advocacy and empowerment
• Oversight of housing, programmes, and impact measurement
• Staff leadership, pastoral care, and organisational culture
• External representation and communications

 Person Specification – Summary

Knowledge

• Housing, youth services, and community development
• Charity law, governance, safeguarding
• Understanding of Christian ministry, mission, and values
• Organisational development and change leadership

Experience

• Senior leadership in values-led or Christian settings
• Track record of strategic development and organisational growth
• Experience working with young people, housing, or community sectors
• Experience nurturing Christian ethos across a diverse organisation

Skills & Abilities

• Inspirational leadership and people development
• Strategic planning and delivery
• Excellent communicator and ambassador
• Partnership building and stakeholder engagement
• Ability to articulate and embody Christian faith
• Deep commitment to Christian values and the Aims & Purposes of the YMCA

 The Leader We Are Looking For

The landscape for young people is changing — and so must we.

We need a CEO who is:

• Faith-filled and prayerful
• Values-driven and courageous
• Relational, compassionate, and community-minded
• A champion of excellence, innovation, and good governance
• Grounded in Christian mission and committed to radical inclusion
• Able to inspire hope, build trust, and persevere through challenge

As George Williams, YMCA’s founder, said:

“You are not alone, and you can be more.”

Our next CEO must believe this not only for themselves — but for every young person we serve.

How to apply

An application pack can be found at the YMCA North Staffordshire website. This role is subject to enhanced DBS and reference checks.

Key Recruitment Dates

• Closing Date: 18th January 2026
• Interviews: Week commencing 9th February 2026

We are a safe recruitment Organisation and an Equal Opportunities Employer, we run the disability confident guaranteed interview scheme.

We are an organisation with Christian values, committed to Equality and Diversity in the Workplace. YMCA is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

About the team

The Philanthropy & Partnerships Team at Impetus is high performing, experienced and ambitious, united by a shared commitment to achieving lasting change for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We combine deep fundraising expertise, strong sector insight and a clear focus on impact, working collaboratively to build partnerships that enable Impetus and our charity partners to succeed.

We are brave and curious in our pursuit of better outcomes, open to new perspectives and supportive of taking considered risks that help us learn and improve. We set high standards for ourselves and are evidence-led and results-driven for young people, with rigour and excellent execution underpinning our work across the full fundraising cycle.

We bring high trust and high challenge, building strong relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity and respect, while creating a safe environment for constructive challenge and accountability. We thrive through diversity, valuing difference in background, experience and thought, and we always seek collaboration, knowing that we will not achieve our mission alone.

Team members are trusted with responsibility and encouraged to take ownership of their work. You will be supported by skilled, engaged colleagues and challenged to grow in a team that values learning, reflection and continuous improvement.

Why work with us?

Working at Impetus means joining an organisation that is serious about impact and serious about people. Our values actively guide how we make decisions, how we work together and how we deliver change.

In the Philanthropy & Partnerships Team, you will:

• Be part of a high-performing and respected fundraising team
• Build meaningful, long-term relationships with thoughtful, impact-driven donors
• Develop your skills across the full fundraising cycle, supported by strong leadership
• Work on some of the charity sector’s most exciting and long-term partnerships
• See a clear connection between your work and improved outcomes for young people

If you are motivated by purpose, enjoy working to a high standard, and want to be part of a team that is ambitious about both impact and excellence, we would be delighted to hear from you.​

Harbi Jama,

Director of Philanthropy & Partnerships

About this role

The Philanthropy Manager will own an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors at five to six figure level and act as the day-to-day relationship manager within that portfolio.

The role plans and delivers cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activity to agreed KPIs, makes timely operational decisions within scope, and escalates risks/opportunities early.

The post holder contributes evidence and insight into team planning, supports senior colleagues on major/strategic accounts, and collaborates across teams to ensure high quality, inclusive delivery.

​Key responsibilities

• Own and manage an assigned portfolio of prospects and donors at the five to six figure level, delivering agreed income and engagement targets.
• Build and maintain professional, long-term relationships within the portfolio, escalating strategic issues or risks promptly.
• Act as the day-to-day relationship manager for donors in your portfolio, adapting style to audience and context and ensuring clear, timely communications; seek support for major strategic relationships.
• Maintain structured cultivation plans with milestones, update stakeholders proactively, and adjust plans based on learning.
• Develop clear, evidence-led proposals and reports using agreed templates, definitions and KPIs; quality check data before submission.
• Support senior colleagues on major prospects with briefings, meeting notes, and follow ups.
• Supporting Senior Philanthropy Managers, Development Directors and the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships on key accounts (typically £500k–£1m+), preparing high quality materials and inputs and maintaining accurate records of progress through the fundraising cycle in Salesforce.
• Contribute insights to identify and prioritise new grant opportunities and themes; share relevant sector updates with the team.
• Co-develop stewardship plans tailored to donor priorities in collaboration with Engagement, Pro Bono and Events teams.
• Maintain accurate, complete records in Salesforce; apply definitions consistently and quality check data before reporting.
• Maintain Salesforce and contribute inputs for SMT/committee reporting via the Senior Philanthropy Manager; propose lightweight improvements to existing processes.
• Keep professional knowledge current; share useful updates/resources and ensure compliance with relevant standards and legislation.
• Support delivery of major fundraising, cultivation and stewardship events, and ad-hoc Philanthropy Team activities.
• Demonstrate professionalism and best practice in all duties, complying with organisational policies and procedures, and proactively supporting the wider team.
• Model inclusive, professional behaviours; design inclusive meetings/interactions, act as an ally and challenge bias constructively while supporting the wider team.
• Share know‑how and peer‑coach officers/assistants, offering constructive feedback and supporting onboarding for new colleagues.
• ​Attend Impetus events to provide support to Philanthropy team.

​Person specification

​Essential​

• Demonstrable experience generating gifts at five to six figures from UK trusts, corporate partnerships and/or foundations.
• Ability to work through the fundraising cycle with donors to initiate, renew and grow gifts.
• Experience developing partnerships and managing an allocated portfolio of donor relationships.
• Excellent research and prospecting skills.
• Strong experience using Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint, and substantive experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
• Strong planning and organisation skills – build structured plans with milestones/dependencies and track portfolio income/expenditure, highlighting variances early.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong bid-writing and storytelling ability.
• Ability to grasp and convey complex ideas, including Impetus’ model and the private equity industry.
• Able to engage confidently and professionally with senior stakeholders, adapting style and seeking support where appropriate.
• Ability to work well under pressure, meet tight deadlines, manage multiple projects and maintain excellent attention to detail.
• A commitment to Impetus’ mission
• Demonstrated inclusive practice in meetings/interactions, challenges bias constructively and acts as an ally to colleagues and young people.   

Desirable​

• Knowledge of the youth, education or employment sectors.
• Experience fundraising for grant makers, infrastructure organisations or intermediaries.
• Digital fundraising skills.
• Ability to think innovatively.

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​About Impetus

At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.

We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:  ​​

• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school  

• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths 

• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment  ​

We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve.

Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life. ​​

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.​

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.​

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

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Our Values​

In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are brave and curious

We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.

We bring high trust, high challenge

We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.

We are evidence led and results driven for young people

We pursue excellence for the young people we work with, are wholly committed to better outcomes, unapologetically results driven, and accountable for our actions.

We thrive through diversity

We seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work. We are open, thoughtful and proactive in better understanding and challenging our assumptions to better deliver the change we seek.

We always seek collaboration

We will not succeed alone. We seek meaningful, productive partnerships with others to achieve our mission and drive systems change for young people.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results.​

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.​

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.​

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.​

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

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​Our employee benefits ​

Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers. For more information on these, please download the job information pack from our website.

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How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button.​

You will need to:​

• Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form)
• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.​

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.​

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.​

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.​

The deadline for applications is Sunday 1st February 2026, 11:59pm.​

Interviews:​

1st Interviews will take place on Monday 9th - Tuesday 10th February 2026.​

2nd Interviews will take place on Tuesday 17th February 2026.​

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

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Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.