Youth leadership programme jobs

At TLG, we’re passionate about building an exceptional staff team that’s committed to making a difference in the lives of struggling children across the UK. We’re always on the lookout for great people to journey with us towards our vision, and we’re excited to offer a unique opportunity for a mission-driven individual to join our Graduate Programme.

An opportunity...

This programme offers an exciting opportunity to gain hands‑on experience in the non‑profit sector, develop essential professional skills, and play a meaningful part in transforming the lives of children and young people. What sets our graduate programme apart is the real responsibility and purposeful work we release our graduates into - our relational culture and approach to leadership brings significant opportunities for influence. You’ll build on your passions, strengths and interests as you get involved in key areas of TLG’s work, contributing to impact that truly matters.

This Role’s Impact:

As CRM and Systems Specialist (Graduate Programme), you’ll play an important role in supporting the development and ongoing improvement of TLG’s digital systems, particularly across the Power Platform. You’ll gain hands-on experience working with Dynamics 365, Power BI reporting, and Power Automate workflows, gradually building your confidence and capability in designing user-friendly, scalable solutions. This role is designed to help you grow, bridging user needs with technical delivery as you learn, with support, how to create tools that are intuitive and aligned with organisational goals. You’ll work closely with colleagues across TLG, contributing to the development of user-centred digital solutions and supporting our wider data and digital ambitions as we continue to grow and innovate.

If you’re curious, collaborative, and excited to learn how technology can enable meaningful impact, this is a great opportunity to begin shaping your career while contributing to TLG’s next chapter.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

We reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date.

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week)

Closing Date: Wednesday 1st July

Initial Interviews: Tuesday 7th July – Online

Final Interviews: Wednesday 22nd July – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

Are you passionate about helping young people around the world to access decent, sustainable work? The King’s Trust International is looking for a Senior Global Advisor, Decent Work to provide strategic and technical leadership across our global employment and self-employment portfolio. This is an exciting opportunity to shape how we support young people to build skills, confidence and livelihoods, while influencing high-quality programme design across diverse international contexts. 

In this role, you will lead the review and improvement of KTI’s priority employability and enterprise programme models, ensuring they are evidence-led, locally relevant and aligned with emerging best practice in youth employment and decent work. You will work closely with regional delivery, impact, fundraising and programme teams to strengthen quality, support localisation and help grow programmes that deliver meaningful outcomes for young people. 

What you’ll do 

• Lead a comprehensive review of employment and self-employment programmes, identifying strengths, gaps and opportunities to increase impact. 

• Translate learning into practical improvements, including new programme content, delivery tools, processes and global quality standards. 

• Provide expert technical support to regional teams on programme design, employer engagement, localisation and proposal development. 

• Collaborate with the Impact team to strengthen monitoring, evaluation and evidence-informed decision-making. 

• Work with Fundraising colleagues to scope opportunities, engage partners, support design workshops and contribute to project plans and budgets. 

• Co-lead KTI’s employability Community of Practice, championing learning and sharing insight across the organisation and wider sector. 

• Represent KTI externally with donors, peer organisations and global networks, helping position us as a thought leader in youth employability and self-employment. 

We are looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with hands-on programme expertise, strong relationship-building skills and a commitment to inclusive, youth-centred impact. If you want to help shape global approaches to decent work and support young people to learn, earn and thrive, we would love to hear from you. 

Assistant Head of Fundraising (Public Fundraising)

Salary £57,574.79 per annum

LocationLondon/Hybrid

Weekly Hours35

The Vacancy

Job Title: Assistant Head of Fundraising (Public Fundraising)

Location: London/Hybrid

Salary: £57,574.79 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1212513

An exciting moment to join us

YMCA England & Wales is entering one of the most exciting chapters in its fundraising history, launching our ambition to create 10,000 new homes for young people. Working alongside local YMCAs, we will support the development of new accommodation across the federation, helping young people move towards independence.

This role sits at the heart of that ambition.

You will lead the fundraising behind two critical components of the 10,000 Homes programme:
• Securing income from the public to build and sustain a central Centre of Expertise (mobilisation team), supporting local YMCAs to develop and deliver housing projects.
• Raising capital from individual supporters, mid-level donors and major donors to grow a replenishing national fund that provides upfront investment to unlock housing developments across the federation.

At the centre of this is the 10,000 Homes Fund: a bold, housing-focused proposition that offers the public a clear and tangible way to support young people into safe, stable accommodation. You will be responsible for growing this proposition, ensuring it resonates strongly with supporters and inspires giving at all levels.

You will lead an integrated public fundraising approach, bringing together individual giving, mid-level and major donors into one compelling, housing-led narrative. A key part of the role will be translating a complex, federated model into a simple, emotional and compelling case for support that connects with people’s motivations to give.

We’ve established strong early foundations and are now ready to scale. This role offers the opportunity to take a high-potential public fundraising proposition to the next level -expanding its reach, deepening supporter engagement, and unlocking significant new income.

We are looking for someone who is creative, data-driven and passionate about engaging the public to drive meaningful change for young people. We’re looking for someone comfortable working in a federated environment, with the ability to simplify complex ideas into compelling messages for the public.

The role

As Assistant Head of Fundraising (Public Fundraising), you will lead and inspire a team of talented fundraisers, deputising for the Head of Fundraising and taking ownership of our most ambitious programmes:

The 10,000 Homes Fund driving forward our flagship proposition across individual giving, cash appeals and mid-level audiences.

Major Donors shaping the strategy for high-net-worth relationships, new giving circles and development boards.

RoomSponsor, YMCA’s flagship regular giving product, now in its third year of an ambitious growth strategy. You will oversee a unique partnership model across 45 local YMCAs, support the income distribution process, and see first-hand the impact of your work through a programme that directly supports young people with safe accommodation.

Legacies working with the Senior Fundraising Manager and Head of Fundraising to define and grow what is set to become a landmark legacy programme.

This is a hands-on leadership role: you will set direction, manage budgets, develop your team, while also being prepared to step into delivery when it matters most. You will balance strategic oversight with practical execution, ensuring programmes are both ambitious and deliverable.

About you

You are an experienced public fundraising professional with a strong track record in individual giving or direct marketing, alongside a well-developed understanding of major donor fundraising. You know how to bring different disciplines together behind a single proposition and deliver results.

You are an effective and confident leader, able to build, motivate and develop high-performing teams. You create clarity, set high standards, and support others to do their best work, stepping in when needed and leading from the front.

You are at your best when driving a clear proposition forward. You are excited by the opportunity to take a compelling idea and translate it into something that engages the public, inspires generosity and delivers sustainable income.

You are energised by a challenge, comfortable with complexity and working in a federated environment, where success depends on strong relationships and shared ownership. You are skilled at working with partners, whether agencies, internal stakeholders or local YMCAs, and know how to align people around a common goal.

You combine strategic thinking with operational delivery. You are data-driven, using insight and performance to shape your decisions, and confident working with (and occasionally building) financial models to plan, test and scale activity. You bring both creativity and discipline, generating new ideas while ensuring they are grounded, deliverable and effective.

Above all, you are a strong communicator and influencer. You can simplify complex ideas into clear, compelling messages, build confidence with colleagues and stakeholders, and position fundraising as a critical enabler of impact.

Why join us now

YMCA is the oldest and largest youth charity in the world, serving communities across England and Wales every day. The fundraising team is geared up for success, the strategy is set, the proposition is proven, and the results are already coming in. What we need now is a leader ready to take this momentum to the next level.

YMCA England & Wales is committed to equality and valuing diversity. We welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.

Location: Any UK Trust office (40-60% of your week in the office)

Interviews: 13/07 and 14/07

For more information or to apply, please click 'apply now' to be directed to our website.

Be part of a team transforming futures for young women across the UK.

As a Commercial Executive – Change a Girl’s Life, you will play a pivotal role in one of The King’s Trust’s flagship campaigns, driving the income that empowers young women to build confidence, gain vital skills, and create brighter, more independent futures. This is more than a role—it’s an opportunity to help unlock life-changing potential at scale.

At the heart of our Corporate Partnerships team, you’ll turn ambition into action—shaping and delivering high-impact fundraising initiatives that make a tangible difference. You’ll work collaboratively across fundraising, marketing and philanthropy, ensuring partnerships are not only successful but truly transformative, delivering measurable outcomes for the young people we support.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, purpose-driven environment—someone highly organised, proactive, and energised by bringing multiple workstreams together. From managing campaign delivery end-to-end to nurturing relationships with corporate partners and identifying new opportunities, you will be instrumental in driving the success and growth of the Change a Girl’s Life campaign.

You will thrive in this role if you are:

• Highly organised and confident managing a busy, varied workload with competing deadlines
• A strong communicator who enjoys selling and working with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Proactive and detail-focused, with a passion for delivering high-quality work.

To hit the ground running, you will bring:

• Experience using CRM systems and managing data such as prospect lists
• Exposure to business development, partnerships or marketing, ideally in a charity or purpose-led environment
• Confidence supporting proposals, presentations or campaign materials, with strong written and verbal communication skills

What happens next?  

Please submit a CV, and Cover Letter that includes your experience, transferrable skills and motivation to work for The King's Trust! The Team will be in touch about the next steps shortly after the closing date. 

Why do we need a Commercial Executive - Change a Girl's Life? 

Last year, we helped more than 40,000 Young People, with three in four young people on our programmes moving into a positive outcome in work, education or training. The young people we help face a range of challenges, such as unemployment, mental health issues or some who have been in trouble with the law. We believe all young people should have the chance to succeed, and that young people are the key to a positive and prosperous future for all of us. We want to continue having a positive impact on young people’s lives and we couldn’t do this without the important work of our Commercial Executives! 

Perks for working at The Trust! 

• Great holiday package! 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays. Office closure on the days between Christmas and New Year 
• Flexible working! Where operationally possible, our roles require a combination of office days and working from home (please speak to the hiring manager about this particular role)
• You can volunteer for and/or attend events – The King's Trust Awards, Pride, active events etc. 
• In-house learning platform! Develop your skills for your career and your role 
• Benefits platform! Everything from health and financial well-being support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas. 
• Personal development opportunities through our Networks – KT CAN (Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network), and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network). 
• Fantastic Family leave! Receive 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks of half pay for maternity and adoption leave. Receive 8 weeks of full pay for paternity leave. 
• Interest-free season ticket loans 
• The Trust will contribute 5% of your salary to the Trust Pension Scheme 
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary) 

Equal Opportunities 

Here at The King's Trust, we're committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We want to be an organisation that's representative of the communities we serve, which is why we strive for diversity of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion and sex. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, from any background, can be themselves and do the best work of their lives. 

We are looking for people that can bring different perspectives and experiences and especially welcome applications from those who are underrepresented in our organisation and sector, such as candidates from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.  

We’re a Stonewall Top 100 Employer and we are an employer that is Disability Confident. Our staff, volunteers and young people are supported by KT CAN (our Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network) and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network). 

Safeguarding 

The King's Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of this commitment, we undertake basic disclosure checks in accordance with the Codes of Practice for all roles within the Trust, and for our roles working directly with young people, at an enhanced level. Having a criminal record will not automatically exclude applicants. 

A NOTE FOR RECRUITMENT AGENCIES:

We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a preferred supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!

Req ID: 4064 

We are looking for a Head of Operations & Development to play a key leadership role in a creative, community-focused Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

This is a hands-on role combining leadership of day-to-day operations with responsibility for income generation through funding applications, grants, and tenders.

You will play a central role in strengthening how we work and ensuring we have the systems, resources, and funding needed to deliver our programmes and grow sustainably.

About Gazebo

Gazebo is a diverse arts organisation based in Wolverhampton and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

We have a fantastic programme of Theatre in Education, community arts, out-of-school activities, professional touring theatre, and creative training. Our work supports children, young people, and communities to build skills, confidence, and creativity.

We are rooted in our values of creativity, inclusion, and collaboration, with a strong commitment to diversity, social justice, and community engagement.

What you’ll do

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the organisation
• Develop and maintain effective systems and processes
• Lead on funding applications, bids, and tenders
• Identify and develop new income streams and partnerships
• Oversee financial processes, budgets, and reporting (with support)
• Support governance, compliance, and reporting
• Line manage staff and support effective organisational delivery

About you

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience in a senior operational or management role
• Has experience writing funding applications or bids
• Is confident managing a broad range of responsibilities
• Is proactive, organised, and able to take ownership
• Is approachable and able to build strong working relationships

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in the arts, cultural, or voluntary and community sector. However, we also welcome applications from those with transferable skills and experience from other sectors.

Why join us

This is a key leadership role within a small, ambitious organisation.

You will play a central part in shaping how we operate, securing funding, and supporting the delivery of creative work with communities.

For full details, including the full job description and person specification, please visit: linktr.ee/gazebotheatreuk

How to apply

Please send:

• A CV (maximum 2–3 pages)
• A supporting statement (maximum 2 pages)
• A completed equalities monitoring form

Your supporting statement should:

• Set out how you meet the requirements of the role, as outlined in the full person specification (in candidate pack available on our link tree)
• Highlight your experience of operational management and funding
• Include an example of a funding application or similar work
• Explain why you are interested in the role and why you would be a good fit

 Please include “Head of Operations & Development” in the subject line of your email

 Closing date: Friday 19 June 2026
 Interviews: Friday 3 July 2026, Gazebo Theatre, Wolverhampton

If you need any support with your application, please get in touch and we will do our best to meet your needs.

Equality & inclusion

We particularly welcome applications from people of the Global Majority and those currently underrepresented in the arts and cultural sector.

The National Youth Agency is looking for an Events Manager.

Events Manager
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £35,000 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Location: Home-based in England with occasional travel for meetings, workshops, and team activities. Head Office is in Leicester.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work.

Role Purpose

To manage the planning, delivery and continuous improvement of our most high-profile annual events, including, but not limited to, UKYP, Peer Network Conference and a number of our annual policy events. The postholder will deliver multi-stakeholder events to high standards, on time and in budget, identifying opportunities to develop and improve events year on year.

The Event Manager plays a pivotal role in organising the events and activities that will provide young people, from across the United Kingdom, the opportunity to collaboratively engage in the democratic process through the UK Youth Parliament Programme.

This role involves working closely with the UK Youth Parliament team and our partners to support the effective organisation, communication and delivery of the UK wide events and activities.

The Event Manager will work closely with the Policy team, Communications team and Programme Management teams.

Key Responsibilities

As our Events Manager, you will:

• Plan, organisation and on-site delivery of regional and national events, including residential and single-day conferences, networking events and a House of Commons sitting.
• Project management of all event elements including budgets, logistics, health and safety, safeguarding, attendees, AV and delegate communications.
• Be responsible for selection and management of all event suppliers including accommodation, equipment, AV and logistics.
• Oversee venue and supplier management
• Act as first point of contact for all delegates where appropriate to the event
• First point of contact for internal and external stakeholders
• Work with our finance team to ensure event budgets are managed closely and events are delivered in budget
• Report for each event during event planning phase and developing comprehensive post-event reports which
• Any other reasonable duties to support the successful deliver of the events.

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-focused organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

Closing date: 23:59 Friday 26th June 2026.
N.B. We would encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may close the vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications.
Interviews: Week commencing 13th July (subject to change)

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Please note: We use AI detector software, so applications or CV’s with high levels of AI generated content may be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance.

No agencies please.

Be Part of Meaningful Change

Rape Crisis South London (RCSL) is entering an exciting new chapter. With a new CEO, refreshed Senior Leadership Team, and an ambitious vision for the future, we are laying the foundations for a bold new organisational strategy.
 

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. 

This role is offered on a consultancy/project basis rather than as a salaried position. Renumeration will be agreed as a total project budget, not a salary, and will reflect the scope and deliverables of the assignment.
 

There are no fixed weekly working hours. The consultant will have up to three months to complete the agreed deliverables and may determine how and when the work is undertaken within this timeframe (for example, delivering the work in a shorter period if preferred).
 

The role is not office-based. Meetings will take place as required with the Director of Programmes, either virtually or in person, to support progress and delivery.
 

About the Role

We are now seeking a Frontline Programme SOP Freelance Writer to join our Programmes Department on a temporary basis at this pivotal time for the organisation.
 

The successful candidate will be a highly skilled and sensitive Programme SOP Writer, responsible for developing clear, ethical, and trauma‑informed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across our services, ensuring consistency, safeguarding, and best practice in service delivery.
 

This role is critical to ensuring safe, consistent, and high-quality support for survivors, while strengthening safeguarding, compliance, and operational excellence.

You will work closely with frontline staff, safeguarding leads, and leadership to document and improve processes across support services, ensuring all procedures reflect feminist principles and survivor-centred care.

Interview Process

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview, conducted via MS Teams.

Stage one: MS Teams with the Director of Programmes and two other panel members.

The whole process from advertisement to appointment, may take up to 1 - 3 weeks.

Due to the urgent need for support, applications will be reviewed and interviews arranged on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged.

Our vision:
A world free from sexual violence, where survivors are believed, respected and supported.
 

Our mission:
To provide high‑quality, specialist support and to challenge the structures that enable sexual violence.
 

What You Will Do

• Map and document end-to-end processes across all four frontline support services (e.g., intake, risk assessment, case management, referrals, crisis response)
• Develop trauma-informed, survivor-centred SOPs that prioritise safety, dignity, and confidentiality
• Collaborate with frontline practitioners to capture real-world workflows and best practices
• Ensure SOPs align with safeguarding policies, legal requirements, and ethical standards (e.g., data protection, confidentiality, consent)
• Standardise documentation formats, language, and terminology across programmes
• Identify gaps, risks, and inconsistencies in current processes and recommend improvements
• Support the integration of feminist principles into operational procedures
• Produce practical guidance documents to support staff training and onboarding
• Create processes for regular reviews and updates of SOPs to reflect evolving best practice and legislation

About You

Person Specification - Essential

• Proven experience writing SOPs, operational manuals, or process documentation in sensitive service environments
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice and survivor-centred approaches
• Experience working with or within services supporting survivors of sexual violence, domestic abuse, or similar contexts
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to handle sensitive subject matter appropriately
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, particularly with frontline practitioners
• High attention to detail and ability to maintain confidentiality and ethical standards
   

Desirable

• Comprehensive, trauma-informed SOPs for all key programme areas
• Process maps and workflows for service delivery pathways
• SOP templates and documentation standards
• Recommendations for strengthening safeguarding, consistency, and service quality
   

What You Bring

• Commitment to feminist, survivor‑led practice
• Anti‑racist and anti‑discriminatory values
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Commitment to learning, reflection and self‑care

Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment

Rape Crisis South London is committed to safeguarding survivors, children, young people and adults at risk. All staff have a shared responsibility for promoting safety and wellbeing.
 

This includes:

• Promoting the safety and wellbeing of service users
• Identifying and reporting safeguarding concerns
• Following organisational safeguarding policies and procedures
• Supporting a culture where everyone feels safe, respected and supported

Our safer recruitment processes include:

• Values‑based interviews
• Verification of identity, qualifications and employment history
• Reference checks
• DBS checks (enhanced or basic, depending on the role)

Safeguarding training and ongoing supervision

Equality, Feminism and Inclusion

RCSL is an equal opportunities employer. Our work is rooted in feminist principles that recognise sexual violence as both a cause and consequence of gender inequality. We centre survivor voices and prioritise empowerment, inclusivity and intersectionality.
 

We particularly welcome applications from women who are under‑represented in roles within the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), charity, social impact sector.
 

Intersectionality and Reasonable Adjustments

We recognise that experiences of sexual violence are shaped by intersecting factors including:
 

• Race and ethnicity
• Disability
• Sexuality and gender identity
• Socio‑economic background
• Immigration status
• Faith and culture

We are committed to removing barriers and creating an inclusive workplace.
 

Applicants are encouraged to tell us if they require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, such as:

• Alternative interview timings
• Additional time for written tasks
• Support relating to disability, neurodivergence or health needs

Learning and Development

As a charity undergoing growth and transformation, we welcome colleagues who are committed to ongoing learning and professional development. We provide induction, supervision, and development opportunities appropriate to the role.
 

The interview will explore experience and approach to:

• Safeguarding
• Equality, diversity and inclusion
• Feminist and trauma‑informed practice
• Role‑specific responsibilities
• Role‑specific assessment details 

Post holder will be required to undertake either Enhanced or Basic DBS
 

This post is open to women only and is a Genuine Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010 (where applicable). 

How to Apply 

Please submit:  

• Your CV 
• A cover letter outlining your suitability for the role Applications should be sent in PDF format to (no more than a 1000 words)
• Closing date: until filled 
• Interview date(s): on a rolling basis

Thank you for your interest in RCSL. If you have not heard from us within one month of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.
 We encourage you to follow us on LinkedIn @rapecrisissouthlondon for future opportunities and updates.

AI in Job Applications

We understand that some candidates use AI tools when applying. While we welcome technology to support clear communication, your application should reflect your own skills, knowledge and experience. 

The National Youth Agency is looking for a Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager
Contract: 12-month fixed term (Maternity leave cover)
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £43,054 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Location: Home-based in England with occasional travel for meetings, workshops, and team activities. Head Office is in Leicester.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

We are looking for an entrepreneurial and proactive Business Development Manager to develop relationships and opportunities with new clients, drive income generation and to grow the reach of the charity.

This role leads on securing new business opportunities across tenders, grants, consultancy, training, and government contracts, managing the process from initial research through to submission and handover. It focuses on building and maintaining relationships with partners across the public, voluntary, and private sectors, while promoting the NYA’s services and quality framework.

Key Responsibilities

As a Business Development Manager, you will:

• Seeking and attracting new opportunities for the NYA to work with public sector, voluntary sector, and private sector partners.
• Identifying and assessing prospects across tenders, grants, commercial proposals and government frameworks/contracts.
• Developing win themes, evidence, pricing assumptions (where applicable) and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders to develop bids.
• Managing clarifications, presentations/interviews and negotiation stages with commissioners/funders/clients.
• Keeping pipeline and plans up to date and reporting progress/risks against targets.
• Developing relationships with and maintaining existing relationships with clients and funders.
• Taking bids through to close including final agreements and contract sign off.
• Promoting NYA products, resources, consultancy services and training offer.
• Delivering market research, developing business strategies and pitches, managing projects, and identifying new business opportunities.
• Working as part of the wider Business Development Team to achieve income targets
• Working with our youth work specialists and Programmes and Research teams and reporting to the Head of Business Development.

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-focused organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

Closing date: 5pm Friday 26th June 2026
Please note: we reserve the right to close this vacancy early
Interviews: Week commencing 6th July 2026 (subject to change)

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer. 

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Please note: We use AI detector software, so applications or CV’s with high levels of AI generated content may be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance.

No agencies please.

Making The Leap is an innovative societal change charity that aims to make a big difference. From direct delivery, to advocacy and leadership, we refuse to stay in our lane and believe passionately that those we exist to serve have the right to be anything they want to be. To say that this is an exciting time for the organisation would be an understatement, as our incredible funders, donors, partners and supporters have given us the chance to move to the next level, and have further influence and delivery nationally.

We provide skills training, school and mentoring programmes, and partner with businesses who want to drive forward social mobility via learning programmes, internships, job opportunities and more.

Our aim is to ensure everyone has access to a good standard of living and equality of opportunity, no matter what their or their parents’ occupation or background is.

We are looking for a Communications Manager to play a key role in shaping and delivering communications and marketing activity across supporter and corporate audiences.

We are based in London and support young people via our direct delivery programmes. We take what we learn from our work and use it to inspire businesses across the UK to do more to improve social mobility (making sure people from all backgrounds get fair opportunities).

We do this by:

· Running large events like The UK Social Mobility Awards to celebrate companies doing it well.

· Organising Social Mobility Day to raise awareness.

· Publishing The Social Mobility Podcast and Social Mobility List to share ideas and highlight role models.

This role sits within the Marketing Communications team and supports the Head of Communications to deliver audience-centred communications and marketing that increases visibility, engagement and impact.

You will lead day-to-day marketing and communications activity, developing audience journeys and delivering targeted, campaigns, with a strong focus on email, digital content and social media.

You will work closely with colleagues across the charity to ensure marketing effectively supports organisational priorities.

You will contribute to several key priorities, including the 10th UK Social Mobility Awards, the development of our email marketing, and a strengthened storytelling approach centred on impact.

**Please note we will consider exceptional applicants without the required experience for an executive role.

We’re looking for someone to build missionally on the existing foundations of our youth project which has been running for around 8 years. You will be an important part of an innovative youth project, with opportunities for vibrant missional outreach, making use of our excellent facilities including a fully equipped youth centre (details are available in the accompanying booklet). Building on our excellent relationships with local primary and secondary schools you will have the opportunity to engage with hundreds of children and young people each week.  As a Greenhouse Hub for the Church of England’s Greenhouse programme, St Peter’s uses The Missional Journey to develop new missional communities across the church and within the local area.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Overall responsibility of the job:

Duties will vary from week to week, but essentially responsibilities will include the following:

●  Oversee all areas of ministry to the rising generation (0-18 year olds) within the church and local community, including holding the overall vision of vibrant missional outreach, making innovative use of our excellent facilities.

●  Manage and support our youth team including Pais Apprentices, Ministry Exchange Scheme students and volunteers.

●  Engage with local secondary and primary schools through assemblies, Youth Alpha sessions and pastoral visits, building on strong existing relationships.

●  Oversee the rising generation budget and engage with the
fundraising team to seek funding opportunities to enable an excellent youth provision.

●  Undertake any other duties that may reasonably be requested by the Rector.

General Duties:

●  Find and initiate innovative ways of engaging with children, young people and their families both within the local community and those already engaged with church.

●  Work with the Rector, PCC and rising generation team in growing the St Peter’s vision and strategy for reaching children and young people in our local community and helping them grow as followers of Jesus.

●  Plan and run a range of different activities and projects for children and young people in the St Peter’s Community and Youth Hub.

●  Use Churchsuite to maintain accurate records of children and young people who participate in youth activities.

● Work with our Activate and Scripture Union Sports Minister to integrate sports and activities into the rising generation programme. Also work alongside our mission partners which include PAIS, Guildford Diocese Ministry Exchange Scheme and Scripture Union.

Schools Work

●  Building on our excellent relationships with local schools, visit local primary and secondary schools regularly and lead acts of worship within them, liasing with the Rector and the schools directly.

●  Lead lunchtime and/or after school activities in schools, including expanding the use of our bespoke Youth Alpha materials.

●  Assist in providing chaplaincy as requested within the local schools and seek opportunities to grow mission.

●  Work collaboratively with the Children’s and Youth Team, including Pais Apprentices and Guildford Diocese Ministry Exchange Scheme team members when applicable.

Safeguarding

●  Oversee the Children’s and Youth Ministry in a way that follows National Safeguarding Guidelines.

●  Respond effectively and appropriately to any safeguarding concerns, as they arise, following the safeguarding protocol.

●  Build and maintain consistent appropriate relationships with children and young people in person (Employed staff or volunteer team members must not engage in exclusive or romantic relationships with young people under the age of 18 or vulnerable adults as this is against the law and could result in prosecution).

Our Christian culture
We believe that prayer and discernment are fundamental to St Peter’s achieving its mission of restoring relationships and transforming lives. As a staff member you are expected to:

•  Actively seek to build positive relationships within the staff team and with the local community
• Attend meetings involving prayer and worship
• Be committed to SPWM’s Mission, Values and Beliefs and to be actively working and living in accordance with our Christian beliefs.
• Maintain your own spiritual development, discover your gifts/callings and grow in discipleship.
• Live out Christian values as you represent SPWM externally.

Training and Development

As a church we are committed to the appropriate development of every team member. Funding will be provided for appropriate training and development.

Application Details

This role carries a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) that the successful applicant is a committed Christian and part of the church family.

Person Specification

Key Skills

• Leadership qualities with the ability to manage a team and work with volunteer leaders
• Clear and effective communicator with people of varying ages and in particular children, young people and parents
• Ability to work missionally within the local community
• Ability to develop creative ideas for engaging with children and young people
• Developed organisational skills
• The ability to work using own initiative when required, as well as to work with a team
• Good pastoral skills with the ability to relate easily and sensitively to a wide range of different people
• Ability to show resilience and robustness when dealing with challenges and maintain a positive attitude to problem solving.
• Ability to troubleshoot in high pressure situations.
• Computer literate and able to engage with new technologies.
• Ability to work in sympathy with the aims and ethos of the Church of England.

Personal attributes

• A vibrant faith and love of Jesus which you are excited about sharing
• Reliability
• Flexibility
• Willingness to receive feedback and seek to learn from it
• Honesty and integrity
• Ability to deal sensitively with confidential information

An exciting opportunity for a dynamic communications lead to shape and deliver impactful communications, marketing, and engagement strategies that amplify the charity’s brand, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and advance its mission to improve social mobility for young people.

Communications and Marketing Manager

The Charity

We're on a mission to help 50,000 young people aged 9-24 years increase their social mobility by 2027. We've already supported 43,000, and we need your expertise to help us to do more. Our proven programmes inspire and mentor young people to increase their fi nancial independence, social mobility and create happier, safer communities. We believe in a world where no-one’s background ever holds them back.

Main Purpose of the Role (Sole Lead)

Strategy & Leadership

- Lead all communications activities, marketing, and engagement strategies.

- Monitor and evaluate strategy effectiveness with KPIs, ensuring brand consistency and report to the leadership team and Board of Trustees.

Marketing & PR

- Drive brand visibility and profi le-raising initiatives by establishing deep-rooted connections with key media influencers and journalists.

- Prepare charity spokespeople for media appearances.

- Create marketing assets that attract, engage, and retain new business.

- Social Media: Create and execute dynamic strategies to grow engagement.

Stakeholder Engagement & Events

- Draft and publish Quarterly board reports, annual reports and other documents.

- Oversee and deliver high-quality event communications.

- Plan and create engaging newsletters and appeals.

- Source and develop compelling stories from stakeholders.

Digital Campaigns & Management

- Website: Develop and update produce high-quality, engaging content.

- Create SEO Strategy, tracking performance and updating website content.

Skills Required

- Ability to think strategically, manage goals, and develop and implement Communications and Marketing strategies.

- Creative fl air and strong communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to draft high-quality documents for a range of audiences

- Strong interpersonal and infl uencing skills, with the ability to form positive relationships at board level and people from a range of backgrounds

- Enthusiastic and self-driven, able to think quickly, plan and act independently

- DE&I understanding an advantage

Benefits

Hybrid Working

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people who are life limited or life threatened. Supporting over 750 children and nearly 1,000 families annually, Acorns is a vital lifeline for families across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire during unimaginably difficult times.

Philanthropy is a core pillar of Acorns income strategy, delivering transformational income through Major Donors, high-level Family Trusts and Foundations, alongside their Celebrity Ambassador Programme.

Reporting to the Head of Philanthropy, the role will be responsible for securing gifts from high-net-worth-individuals and family foundations. Contributing to a team income target of £1.5m, you will drive the stewardship of existing relationships and cultivation of new prospects, building a robust pipeline of future supporters.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity with a clear fundraising strategy, ambitious future appeals and a compelling case for support. Working closely with senior leaders, trustees and ambassadors, the successful candidate will help inspire transformational investment in Acorns’ work while representing the organisation with professionalism, warmth and credibility.

Working arrangements: Hybrid, 2 days per week at preferred location (Birmingham, Worcester or Walsall)

As Philanthropy Manager, you will:

• Report to the Head of Philanthropy and manage a portfolio of existing (4- to 6-figure) and prospective major donors and family foundations, taking time to understand their motivations, interests and capacity to give
• Support a team major giving income target of c.£1.5m through securing five- and six-figure donations and multi-year commitments
• Shape and drive new business activity to secure new high-value prospects and strengthen the philanthropy pipeline
• Leverage networks across trustees, senior leadership and ambassadors
• Develop compelling, high-quality proposals, cases for support and tailored communications that clearly articulate Acorns’ impact and funding priorities
• Deliver an exceptional donor experience and stewardship journey, ensuring supporters feel valued, informed and inspired
• Feed into pipelines, budgets and forecasts, providing regular reporting on activity, performance against targets and KPIs
• Work collaboratively across Fundraising and the wider organisation to maximise philanthropic opportunities and supporter engagement

Essential skills and experience:

• Major donor fundraising experience is necessary to be considered for this role, with a track record of managing the full donor journey from research and identification through cultivation, solicitation and long-term stewardship
• Track record of personally securing 5-figure gifts, including some from self-generated prospects and new donor relationships
• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility and rapport with HNWIs and senior internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of developing and managing donor pipelines and maintaining accurate prospect plans
• Experience of writing compelling funding proposals and impact reports
• Ability to travel independently across the Acorns region
• A proactive, self-motivated and organised approach, with the confidence to represent Acorns externally and engage effectively with senior stakeholders

Desirable, but not essential:

• Experience of securing six-figure gifts from major donors and/or family foundations through relationship-led fundraising rather than application-led approaches
• Strong track record of identifying, cultivating and converting prospective donors, with experience building and developing major donor pipelines
• Experience of working with, managing or developing celebrity ambassador relationships and engagement programmes

Employee benefits include:

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• 5 days holiday buyback scheme
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Life assurance scheme (2 x annual salary)
• Retail discounts (including the Blue Light card)
• Discounted gym membership

About the Investment team

The Investment team is responsible for selecting portfolio partners, managing our charity investments and supporting our portfolio partners to improve and scale their impact. 

The Investment team also leads the Impetus Leadership Academy, a leadership development programme to support talent from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK youth sector to progress into senior leadership roles. 

The team is made up of 18 people, including former teachers, charity chief executives, charity impact leads, management consultants, social investment portfolio managers and impact consultants.   

The team is led by a Portfolio Director who sits on the Senior Management Team. The Portfolio Director has 5 direct reports: a Deputy Portfolio Director, three Sector Leads (who lead our work in school engagement, school attainment and employment sectors) and an Impact Lead. Sector Leads line manage 6 Investment Directors between them. Investment Directors line manage Investment Managers (currently 7). Investment Directors and Investment Managers tend to primarily focus on a sector but might have mixed portfolios, depending on need, experience and interest. 

The Investment team has a good track record of role progression. All four Leads and a number of our Investment Directors were promoted from within the team. 

About this role

We believe that all young people deserve to succeed in school and in work, whatever their background. As we enter a challenging time with rising inflation and a likely recession, our work feels more vital than ever before. The role of Investment Director presents an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the charities portfolio partners we serve, the team itself and the whole of Impetus.   

We support a portfolio of 23 high potential charity and non-profit partners in the youth sector, helping them deliver benchmark-beating employment and education outcomes for young people, and to grow. 

We believe the strength of our approach resides in three things: 

​

• ​Building deep, trust-based, sustainable relationships with charity leaders by, investing time, kindness, integrity and honesty.
• ​Providing our charities multi-year, unrestricted funding to help them become sector-leading organisations and scale their impact.
• ​Offering tailored advice to charity leaders’ most pressing and strategic questions, including their mission, programme design, performance management, growth planning, and financial resilience.

Working with our portfolio partners is a privilege. The leaders we support are incredibly talented, passionate and keen for external advice, and the issues we work through with them are stimulating and stretching. Our senior management relationships are some of the most fulfilling relationships many of us have had in our careers, while the growth and impact performance of our partners are testament to charities’ commitment to disadvantaged young people and the influence we have on their development. 

Charities and funders often comment on the quality of our people. Our team is analytical and data driven; we are deeply relational, low-ego and collaborative. We actively invest in our colleagues holding regular training and community of practice sessions, and use skills-based assessments to tailor development. 

As an organisation we seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work and actively challenge our assumptions to better deliver change. Over the past two years we have taken action to help reduce racial inequality in the youth sector. In 2021 we launched our Connect Fund to support diverse leaders and their robust solutions to the entrenched employment gap faced by young people from ethnic minority backgrounds compared with their white peers. We have also built a highly regarded Leadership Academy for emerging youth sector leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds, with generous funding from State Street Foundation. 

If you are looking for a role combining strategic thinking, analytical insight and influencing emerging leaders, as well as the opportunity to work with a supportive team to transform young lives, I hope you will apply to work with us. 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sebastien Ergas 
Portfolio Director 

​Key responsibilities
Finding high potential charities and non-profit partners for our portfolio 

• Identifying potential charitable organisations for investment.
• Leading and delivering in-depth due diligence process within the scope of a grant round, to assess and build partnership foundations with potential partners – covering leadership and governance, and their impact, scale, and partnership potential.
• Modelling from first contact of origination, our approach to engaged and trust-based investment management support.
• Developing and presenting high quality investment propositions to our Investment Committee.

Managing partnerships with portfolio partners​

• ​Managing relationships with partner Chairs and CEOs. 
• Agreeing Service Funding Agreements, including appropriate annual investment milestones to allow for a clear assessment of re-investment potential at end of phase. 
• Regularly monitoring and assessing partner progress / risks against milestones and making evidence-based recommendations on progression or exit to Leads, Portfolio Director and the Investment Committee.
• Escalating key risks on performance, leadership and safeguarding.   
• Conducting annual partnership reviews with Sector Leads and partner CEOs.
• Working with Impetus finance colleagues to ensure timely distribution of grant payments, in line with Service Funding Agreements.  

Supporting portfolio partners  ​

• ​Providing high quality advisory support to CEOs and senior colleagues on key strategic topics, using a mix of at least monthly one-to-one meetings and group facilitation to: 

• clarify theory of change
• ​define long term ambition
• ​develop growth strategy 
• ​achieve a step change in the delivery and performance management of outcomes 
• ​strengthen leadership (individual and collective) and governance capabilities
• ​develop path to scale
• ​build financial resilience

• ​Scoping and project managing pro bono capacity-building projects (in addition to providing direct management support). Ensure projects are delivered to a high standard and contribute to charity progression.
• Identifying engagement opportunities for our donors and supporters with portfolio partners that are aligned with the partner’s activities and do not distract or undermine their core work.
• Collaborating with the Impetus Philanthropy team to support the development of additional funding opportunities for portfolio partners, enhancing their ability to deliver impact at scale.
• Effectively leveraging the support of investment managers to advance the objectives developed for each portfolio partner that is managed by an Investment Director.

Support to Impetus

• Developing expertise about “what works” in the sector through cultivation and use of expert input and engagement as well as investigation into key research and evaluative literature.
• Contributing insights and learning from portfolio work to inform Impetus’ strategy, model and delivery, providing evidence based recommendations to senior colleagues
• Contributing to internal priorities and working groups, bringing expertise and insight from portfolio work (e.g. team strategy discussions, digital improvement initiatives, or equity, diversity, and inclusion).
• Contribute towards Impetus’ public affairs and philanthropy objectives through input into case studies, research and policy campaigns, donor reports and fundraising events.
• Sharing the learning from our work across the team, across the organisation and externally working within Impetus strategy and agreed forums.
• Engaging in Impetus pro bono, communications, and advocacy events, and engage portfolio partners appropriately in these events. 
• Line-manage and support one or more Investment Managers, setting clear objectives and providing coaching, feedback and development opportunities to enable them to deliver high quality work and achieve their individual, project and team goals
• Embedding inclusive and equitable practices in portfolio work, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered and barriers to participation are identified and addressed

​Person specification

Essential​

• A commitment to Impetus’ mission. 
• ​Senior level responsibility and a strong track record of building trust-based relationships with senior stakeholders, advising them on key strategic decisions, and challenging them in a respectful and collaborative manner. 
• ​A talent for strategic thinking around complex issues. 
• ​Strong financial acumen and analytical skills. 
• Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation fundamentals. 
• ​Resilience, tenacity and initiative. 
• ​Ability to adapt personal style to different leadership contexts, working inclusively and effectively with diverse leaders and organisations.
• ​Growth mind-set to seek out and act on feedback and a commitment to continuous learning and development. 
• ​Proven ability to work independently, and to exercise good judgment. 
• ​Strong planning and time management skills. 
• ​Experience contributing expertise to team or organisational priorities, including sharing learning and supporting others’ development. 
• ​Interest in partnering closely with charities that are doing what it takes to get better. 
• ​A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Desirable​

• Experience in the non-profit (charity or social enterprise) sector, through work, as a pro-bono volunteer or Trustee capacity.
• ​Experience in consulting, investment management, senior charity management, or other in-depth grant making and advisory work. 
• ​Knowledge and expertise in UK education or youth employability sectors. 
• ​Board experience in private, public or third sector. 
• ​Understanding of or experience with commissioning impact evaluations. 

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.

​

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.​

​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.​

How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button at the top of the page. ​

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 2026, Sunday 21st June 2026, 11:59pm.​

Interviews:​

1st Interviews will take place on w/c 29th June 2026.​

2nd Interviews will take place on w/c 6th July 2026.​

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

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.

We are seeking an Assistant Director – Digital and Innovation to play a central role in shaping how Villiers Park delivers and develops its programmes at a pivotal point in the implementation of our 2025-30 strategy. This role represents an exciting opportunity to lead on the development of our digital education offer and innovation work, ensuring it enhances both the reach and depth of our programmes for young people across the UK.

Villiers Park is a national social mobility charity with a strong track record of delivering impactful programmes that support young people from under-represented backgrounds to fulfil their potential. As we continue to grow, digital provision and innovation are increasingly important in enabling us to reach more students, and to do so in engaging and inclusive ways.

Digital learning and programme innovation will be critical to the next phase in our strategy, building on the foundations we have already established, including the development of our learning platform and programme model. Alongside this, Leadership Challenge continues to expand as a key national outreach and social action programme, and this role will be instrumental in ensuring its quality and impact.

Our work is possible because of a brilliant team of staff, trustees and volunteers and committed funders and partners who believe in what we do and want to make the greatest possible difference. The Assistant Director – Digital and Innovation will work closely with colleagues across programmes, partnerships, communications and fundraising, as well as external partners, to ensure our digital and programme offer is coherent, forward-thinking and aligned with our mission.

This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic leadership with practical delivery, helping to translate ambition into impact for the young people we serve.

Sarah Chick

Head of Programmes 

Job purpose

The Assistant Director - Digital and Innovation leads the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of Villiers Park’s digital education provision. This includes the design and delivery of online learning experiences, the development of digital and physical resources for use across programmes, and ensuring that digital delivery is accessible, safeguarded and aligned with the organisation’s mission.

The role also provides strategic and operational leadership for Leadership Challenge, Villiers Park’s national student outreach and social action programme. This includes programme design, partner engagement, monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring the programme is effectively resourced and financially sustainable.

Working closely with the Head of Programmes, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Communications and Fundraising teams, and external partners, the postholder supports the development of digital innovation, programme resourcing and Leadership Challenge activity to enhance reach, impact and quality. 

Key responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership for the development, implementation and continuous improvement of Villiers Park’s digital education provision, ensuring alignment with our Theory of Change, priorities and values
• Lead the design and evolution of high-quality digital learning experiences, content and pathways for students, schools, parents/carers and volunteers
• Oversee the adoption and integration of digital platforms and tools, ensuring accessibility, safeguarding, GDPR compliance and scalability
• Drive innovation in digital delivery by monitoring sector trends and embedding relevant approaches to enhance reach and impact
• Ensure digital provision complements and strengthens face-to-face delivery across programmes, working closely with the Head of Programmes and Assistant Directors
• Provide strategic oversight of the use of AI within programmes, ensuring its application enhances learning experiences while maintaining safeguarding and ethical standards
• Provide strategic oversight of the development and ongoing review of physical resources, ensuring consistency, quality and alignment across programmes
• Ensure all resources are inclusive, engaging, curriculum-aligned and reflect organisational standards and brand expectations
• Maintain a coherent approach to resource development, ensuring materials support programme delivery and learning outcomes effectively
• Lead the strategic and operational development of the Leadership Challenge programme, ensuring it is high-quality, sustainable and aligned with organisational priorities
• In collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team, develop and strengthen partnerships with charities, corporates and universities to support programme growth and delivery
• Oversee the development of an appropriate recognition or award framework for participants
• Establish and oversee robust quality assurance and evaluation processes for digital and physical content and delivery
• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to strategic planning, budgeting and risk management, and provide quarterly updates to the Board of Trustees.
• Work collaboratively with Fundraising and Communications teams to support income generation, bid development and programme promotion

This list is not exhaustive, and the post-holder will be required to undertake other tasks relevant to the role and within their capability.

Skills and experience:

• Significant leadership experience in education, youth or social mobility sectors
• Knowledge of school and college curricula and the needs of learners aged 13–19
• Proven experience in designing and/or delivering digital learning
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, digital accessibility standards and inclusive design
• Experience developing high‑quality educational resources (digital and physical)
• Ability to lead programmes, manage projects and deliver to deadlines
• Ability to build relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders to further organisational aims and fundraising objectives

Personal attributes:

• A genuine commitment to and care for social mobility and young people’s futures
• Organised and proactive, effectively, prioritising workload and delivering outcomes independently
• Strategic and forward-thinking, with an ability to see the bigger picture
• Collaborative and able to work effectively with colleagues, partners and stakeholders across different functions
• Willingness to learn and develop your own practice and experience

Additional Information:

• The postholder will be required to travel regularly to schools, events and partner organisations
• An enhanced DBS check will be required
• The postholder will hold responsibility to be one of the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads
• The postholder will require a full UK driving licence
• Evening work and overnight stays may be required
• Hybrid – location local to our Cambridge office or near to one of our Regional Hubs

Employee Benefits

• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rated) and additional leave over Christmas.
• A dedicated wellbeing day for you to take at any time and three days (pro-rated) paid leave for volunteering or study each year.
• Training and professional development, including termly staff development days.
• Support from our wellbeing working group and access to an employee assistance programme.
• Opportunity to join working groups with other colleagues from across the organisation as well as wider networks such as the Fair Education Alliance.
• Flexibility in working hours.
• Additional sick pay and compassionate leave policies. 

Safeguarding

Villiers Park Educational Trust is committed to safeguarding and to providing a safe and supportive environment, which secures the well-being and best outcomes for the young people with whom we work.

Safeguarding is embedded in all aspects of Villiers Park's work and integral to the commitment we make to our schools, partners and the young people and communities we serve and work with. All employees and volunteers are expected to share this commitment by adhering to our organisational safeguarding procedures, attending regular in-house training and keeping up to date with developments in policies and legislation.

All employees and volunteers will also agree to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services check and successfully complete our mandatory online training courses including NSPCC Safeguarding in Schools and PREVENT training.