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Policy and Communications Manager

Job Description and Person Specification

Job title Policy and Communications Manager

Hours 28 hours per week (can be flexible on work pattern)

Salary £42,000 FTE Actual for this role £33,600 pro rata

Location Hybrid work between home and our Vauxhall office – please read more about our approach to hybrid working in the relevant section below. Please note that our offices are fully wheelchair accessible and that we are committed to making our workplace fully inclusive

Reports to Director of Policy and External Affairs

National Voices

Making what matters to people matter in health and care

National Voices is the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. We have more than 200 members covering a diverse range of health conditions and communities, connecting us with the experiences of millions of people. We work together to strengthen the voice of people: patients, service users, carers, their families, and the voluntary organisations that work for them.

Our Vision:

People shaping their health and care.

Our Mission:

We advocate for more inclusive and person centred health and care, shaped by the people who use and need it the most.

We do this by:

· Understanding and advocating for what matters to people especially those living with health conditions and groups who experience inequalities.

· Finding common cause across communities and conditions by working with member charities and those they support.

· Connecting and convening charities, decision makers and citizens to work together to change health and care for good.

The Role

The purpose of the Policy and Communications Manager role is to:

• Deliver against our National Voices’ policy and project work through a programme’s life cycle, from inception to delivery and evaluation, and within budget
• Manage our communications work to our members and external stakeholders to successfully communicate all relevant organisational output including policy, improvement, lived experience and insight work.
• Work with voluntary sector organisations and people with the greatest health and care needs to develop National Voices’ deliver our policy and communications positions in line with our strategy and members priorities.

The role will be a mix of policy and communications, with 75% of the role likely focused on policy.

Responsibilities

Management oversight

· Manage projects or programmes which are significant in terms of income, profile or risk, and which are often delivered in partnership with others.

· Identify possible future partnerships, follow-on work and funding opportunities that arise from our policy and external affairs work, including from stakeholder relationships, and proactively work to secure income

· Line-manage staff, in the first instance our Communications and Events Officer, to include appraisals, setting objectives, monitoring performance and supporting development.

· Support the policy and external affairs team to deliver against our priorities and projects, including deputising for the Director of Policy and External Affairs, working in sync with other team managers and holistically supporting junior staff members

Deliver against our policy priorities and projects

· Identify, monitor and evaluate policy issues to formulate new policy positions, taking responsibility and action for our position on specific policy areas. This may include developing policy briefings, position papers, consultation responses, blogs, reports, letters and other policy and public affairs documents that capture our policy positions.

· Lead on policy projects from inception to delivery and evaluation including keeping to a set budget where appropriate.

· Develop and collate qualitative and quantitative policy evidence, from analysing previous reports and external stakeholder guidance to developing and delivering against workshops, focus groups, round tables, engagement events and in-depth interviews.

· Work with voluntary sector organisations and people with the greatest health and care needs to understand their experiences, perspectives and ambition using methods laid out above but with a willingness to adapt and flex where needed.

· Connect with policy and comms stakeholders both within our membership and in the wider policy landscape, to spot and make connections among members and to deliver against our five-year strategy objectives

· Work with the wider team to consider how our we evaluate and monitor the success of our project work and our wider influencing wins

· Represent National Voices at external events and conferences where required

Deliver on our communications work

· Work with the Communications and Events officer to help them develop engaging content that conveys National Voices messages to members, external stakeholders, and media to maximise the reach and impact of the organisation’s policy messages and funded project work

· With the support of Communications and Events Officer support media relations activity by drafting media statements, liaising with journalists and other media activity as required

· Manage the sign-off of relevant comms materials including social media, member newsletter, blogs, articles and media statements

· Liaise with senior external stakeholders such as from the Department of Health and Social Care, including attending relevant briefings, and supporting larger joint press activity with other stakeholders when required.

· Oversee management of comms and events calendar, which will be proactively compiled by the Policy and Communications officer, especially where there are conflicts or competing needs

· Along with other managers provide a second review of reports we produce including ensuring adherence to brand guidelines

General

• Take a pro-active approach to including our members and people with lived experience in all areas of our work.
• Support the senior team in identifying potential new members and funding opportunities where possible, as well as costing and drafting bids or supporting others to do so.
• Follow processes set out to measure, monitor and communicate the impact of our work.
• Support good project, financial and data management.
• Contribute to the team’s planning activities and undertake other relevant duties as appropriate.
• Deputise for other members of the team when needed.

• Be prepared to take part in full day events, including providing planning and support
• Be prepared to take part in events outside of core hours, when sufficient notice has been given

Person Specification

Values, attitudes and behaviours

• Passionate about National Voices’ mission and work.
• Proactive, flexible and responsive
• Comfortable working in a team, as well as under own initiative
• Calm under pressure and able to work to tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy.
• Committed to reducing inequality and embracing diversity.
• Comfortable with a range of views and perspectives and keen to make connections and build relationships.
• Willing and confident to assert views, constructively challenge others and receive constructive feedback.

Skills and abilities

• Excellent communication skills, including written and oral, including stakeholder engagement
• Demonstrable experience in delivering against a policy influencing agenda
• Able to synthesise complex information and present it in simple and impactful ways.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including demonstrable ability to prioritise workload and maintain quality.
• Excellent people skills, able to work collaboratively and flexibly in a small, friendly team, and communicate and collaborate with a wide range of external stakeholders at all levels
• Experience in Identifying and developing funding opportunities, ideally including costing and drafting bids
• Ability to embed clear and reliable processes amongst a team of creative and busy people
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office programmes, CRM systems, online conference/meeting software and other programmes where required.
• Able to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines while maintaining attention to detail
• Previous line management experience is preferred

Our approach to hybrid working

We recognise the importance of coming together regularly, in-person, as a team, so we can share learnings and spend social time with each other. We also recognise that people need flexibility, and that homeworking enables focused work and can fit well in people’s lives.

We ask all staff to take part in pre-arranged team meetings which take place every six weeks in our office space. We also might ask you to meet in-person with members of your team from time to time, or to be available for face-to- face meetings with clients and partners where this enhances the work.

We assume that this would usually not amount to more than one day per fortnight for people who work full time. We are happy to discuss how this sits in your life. This can be agreed by your line manager.

Equality and Inclusion

As reflected in our Equality Action Plan, we are committed to being a truly diverse organisation. We want to ensure that our trustees, staff members, lived experience partners and volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing their own unique perspectives and experiences. We want to ensure that everyone feels heard and is fully able to participate and thrive.

We are committed to diversifying our team in order to broaden the insight and experiences we can draw on, and to do our work more credibly. So we strongly encourage people from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, and people who live with health conditions or disability to apply. Our offices are fully accessible and we are an LGBT+ friendly employer. Men are currently underrepresented in our team so we would welcome applications from men and non-binary people.

We welcome applications from people who have been in contact with the criminal justice system. For some roles, you may be asked to undergo a basic or enhanced DBS check, but you will only be deemed ineligible for roles which relate to any offences on your criminal record.

We have a range of benefits in place to ensure everyone can thrive, for example:

· We are a Disability Confident employer

· We offer enhanced parental and sickness leave

· We offer flexible working wherever possible

· We provide our employees with an annual wellbeing allowance

· And much more

Application guidance

Please submit a cover letter along with a CV to apply.

Applications should be addressed to our Director of Policy and External Affairs, Sharon Brennan, and submitted through CharityJob.

Please apply by Monday the 5th May 2025

We will let you know the outcome of your application by Friday 9th May 2025  

Interviews will be held on 22nd May 2025 on Teams

Please note, we will be blind shortlisting all applications, so we ask you not to include your name in your application.

If you are invited to interview, we will ask you about any reasonable adjustments you will need to be able to participate. We will share interview questions in advance of the interview. If you require any adjustments at any stage of your application, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Matthew Haslehurst Director of Finance and Operations

Please specify any access or other requirements of which we need to be aware for the online interview.

The focus of parkrun’s Communications Team is to make sure that parkrun’s communications are ‘always on’, accessible, inclusive and reaching those that too often are under-represented. The team also provides first-class support and guidance to the entire charity, working closely with outreach, and with our commercial team, which covers fundraising, partnerships and retail.

Working closely with the junior parkrun Impact and Engagement Manager, the Senior Communications Officer will proactively lead and shape the marketing communications activity for junior parkrun. They will provide expert communications project management to plan, deliver and report on a variety of internal and external campaigns. The role has a particular focus on junior parkrun, with the aim of increasing participation amongst groups that are marginalised from opportunities to take part in social, physical activity, and who may be inactive/less active or in lower states of health.

We are recruiting an experienced horticultural consultant who is passionate about involving the community in growing plants and seasonal produce. The Community Gardener will support with the planting and harvesting of fresh, seasonal and organic produce over the busy growing season over the Summer months. The consultant will support with providing volunteers, residents and families to understand the practicalities of gardening and horticultural practices.

You will be responsible for planning and facilitating educational workshops, leading volunteers, coordinating the weekly garden market and helping to maintain the garden over the summer period. These workshops and sessions will focus on teaching basic gardening skills, with an emphasis on plant cultivation and habitat development. Additionally, you are encouraged to incorporate creative elements from your expertise, such as foraging or making seasonal jams and chutneys.

About Us
The Microbiology Society is a membership charity for scientists interested in microbes, their effects and their practical uses. It is one of the largest microbiology societies in Europe with a worldwide membership based in universities, industry, hospitals, research institutes and schools.

Our members have a unique depth and breadth of knowledge about the discipline. The Society’s role is to help unlock and harness the potential of that knowledge.

Our commitment to anyone who studies microbes is “whoever you are, wherever you are, we will amplify your voice”.

Read more about our Mission and Values on our website.

“We are interested in every candidate who is eligible to work in the United Kingdom. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.”

About You
The Policy and Engagement Manager is responsible for the development, delivery and evaluation of the Society’s growing policy and engagement programme.

This role will report to the Head of Engagement and Storytelling, with managerial responsibilties for the Policy and Engagement Officer, and will have responsibility for leading the development and coordination of key strategic policy and engagement activities, including progressing external scientific and higher education policy for the Society and promoting the importance of engaging in policy-making to members of the Society.

Suitable candidates will have experience in developing evidence-based policy, including in research, innovation and higher education policy. They will also have excellent communication and organisational skills, and the ability to manage and build effective relationships with key stakeholders engaging in the Society’s activities.

Please note that the organisation operates a hybrid working policy.

For more information about the Society, please visit our website.

Our generous benefits package includes;
• Flexible working hours
• Highly competitive salaries with an annual cost of living increase
• 23 days holiday + eight bank holidays and three additional days over the Christmas break
• 10% employer pension contribution
• Life insurance including free (health and wellbeing) employee support services
• Enhanced maternity pay to include 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and 13 weeks of statutory maternity pay
• Enhanced Adoption pay to include 26 weeks of fully paid adoption leave and 13 weeks of statutory adoption pay
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• £50 contribution towards eye care

To Apply

Please attach your CV and Cover Letter.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Closing date: 1st May 2025.

It is important that you DO NOT include your Personal Information i.e. name and contact details in your CV or Cover Letter. This is because the Microbiology Society is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. We value, promote, and seek diversity.

The Society also takes the security of your data seriously. It has internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused, or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our employees in the proper performance of their duties.

Please note that due to limited resources it is not possible for the Society to acknowledge receipt of applications. If you do not hear from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Job Title: Senior Social Work Practitioner at CoramIAC

Contract: Full time, Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Salary: £42,000 per annum

Location: Coram Campus, Bloomsbury, London, with homeworking

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About CoramIAC

CoramIAC is a Voluntary Adoption Agency which specialises in Intercountry Adoptions.

CoramIAC - Intercountry Adoption Centre - now part of the Coram Group of children's charities have been working with families adopting from across the world for over 26 years. CoramIAC is a charity, not-for-profit and an accredited, legally registered adoption agency. We run outstanding services to support children and families affected by adoption. With the majority of our adopters being from the global majority, adopting from countries where they have connections. We have a diverse staff team. We have had four consecutive outstanding judgements from Ofsted.

About the role

We are currently advertising for two positions, one within our Assessment team, and one within our Post-Approval team.

1. Assessment Senior Practitioner - To provide Coram IAC’s Intercountry assessment and support services in accordance with adoption guidance and regulations. To help coordinate intercountry adoption assessments, quality assuring and overseeing the work of sessional social workers.

1. Post-Approval Senior Practitioner - To provide Coram IAC’s Post Approval Services and Country Programmes in accordance with adoption guidance and regulations. Supporting and advising families through the post approval/post placement period and ensuring smooth progress through liaison with the Adoption Manager and Post Approval Administration Team.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing Date: Friday 2nd May 2025 at 9am 

Interview Date: TBC

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

Our Finance Manager is an essential part of the LRMN team. You will work with colleagues to set and manage budgets, maintain accurate financial records, manage all donor management activities, oversee our banking and ensure all financial and compliance requirements are met. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to be part of a committed and passionate organisation.

LRMN is a thriving organisation and one of the most established refugee and migrants’ organisations providing services in London but focusing on south and southeast London boroughs. Our services include provision of specialist legal advice and information on immigration, housing and welfare, therapeutic and practical support to women who survived trauma, helping our service users access employment, training and volunteering opportunities, prevention of mental health problems, and helping our clients integrate and engage in their community.

We are currently working in a hybrid model. You would be expected to work at least one to two days/week from our office in Deptford.

For further information, please refer to our Job Pack.

To apply, please submit your CV and answer the application questions on Charity Job.

Deadline: 9am Monday 6 May 2025

LRMN is an equal opportunity employer and committed to safeguarding and fulfilling its duty of care to people working and volunteering in the organisation and to those we come into contact with. The successful candidate will be required to complete a Basic DBS check.

We're looking for someone with a passion for volunteering and who has experience and understanding of the value volunteers can bring to supporting end of life care for people and their families and carers
- Title: Volunteer Services Coordinator
- Salary: £26,370 - £29,297 per annum
- Hours/Contract: Permanent - 35 hours per week
- Based: Home based - anywhere in the UK
- Closing date: 9th May 2025
- Interview date: Week commencing 19th May 2025
Marie Curie Benefits Package:
- Season ticket loan for travelling to and from work
- Defined contribution schemes for Pension
- Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme
- Loan schemes for bikes; computers and satellite navigation systems
- Introduce a friend scheme
- Help with childcare cost (T & C's apply)
- Entitled to Marie Curie Blue Light Card
- Entitled to Benefit-Hub Discount Scheme
- Life assurance - for all employees
- Eye care- (under Display Screen Equipment (DSE) regulations, Marie Curie will pay towards sight tests if you use computer screens and other displays as part of your job)
'What's in it for you?'
- Annual leave allowance - 25 days plus 8 public holidays (pro rata)
- Competitive Policy for parental/sick Leave
- Continuous Professional development - (Marie Curie supports and encourages personal and professional development)
- Industry leading training programmes
- Work anywhere in the UK
- Free DBS

What we are looking for:
- Experience of working with and managing volunteers
- Strong planning and operational service delivery skills
- An understanding of the needs of different communities, including people with protected characteristics
- Excellent communication skills
- Proven ability to monitor and ensure the quality of services provided by volunteers
- Experience in supportive environments, particularly within healthcare settings, including palliative and bereavement care
- Demonstrated training experience, with a preference for delivering online-based training sessions
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Knowledge and experience of end-of-life care
The successful candidate will support the delivery and coordination of the volunteer services including the management and supervision of volunteers, receiving referrals and matching volunteers with terminally ill people and/or their carers. Volunteer services could include our Companion Service; bereavement support; Advance Care Planning and supporting care homes, people with dementia and vulnerable groups.
The role will also be responsible for developing strong partnership networks with the community, community groups and organisations in the area in order to develop better end of life care for all.
To view the job description please click here
For an informal discussion, please contact Lauren PhillipsBrighouse, Peer Support Team Leader information & Support - [email protected]

To apply, please send us your most recent CV and a cover letter detailing your experience, how you meet the person specification and why you would like to work for Marie Curie.
Marie Curie is committed to its values, which underpin our work. We take stringent steps to ensure that the people who join our organisation through employment or volunteering, are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. This includes our staff, volunteers and all those who use or come into contact with our services. We are dedicated to creating not just a safe place to work but also a supportive and rewarding one.
We believe that diversity makes us stronger. Join Marie Curie and be part of an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone's unique perspectives and experiences are valued. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Apply today to bring your talents to our diverse and inclusive charity.
We're committed to making reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the application and selection process. You can request support via [email protected]
This role will be subject to receiving an Enhanced criminal record check.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Agencies need not apply.

Ambitious, professional, committed and friendly.  That describes us.  If it also describes you and you have a passion for corporate fundraising, then we’re keen to hear from you.

We have 600 volunteers supporting unrepresented litigants in the civil and family courts in England and Wales, helping over 50,000 times last year.  At a time when legal support is increasingly limited, we have a vision that no one should have to go to court alone.  To make this vision a reality we have a focused fundraising strategy to ensure the charity has the resources it needs and our corporate partnerships are key.

We’re looking for a Corporate Partnerships Manager (Maternity Cover) to join our team, to steward existing partnerships and grow new connections, especially with those in the legal sector.  As well as running our Guardians’ network, you’ll arrange key supporter events and develop bespoke partnerships.

It’s a busy role and you’ll be supported by an assistant and a close working fundraising team. You’ll also be able to build on the firm foundations we already have in place. 

We’re open to applications from experienced corporate fundraisers, as well as corporate fundraisers ready to step up into managing the corporate income streams.

Interviews will be held on the 12th and 13th May 2025

Harris Hill are delighted to be working with a national charity to recruit for the Fundraiser (Direct Fundraising) in order tosupport the growth and development of direct fundraising activities, including face to face recruitment and telephone fundraising campaigns.

As a Fundraiser you will:

• Support the Senior Fundraisers in growing direct fundraising activities.
• Assist in the planning and execution of direct fundraising campaigns, including the setup of new fundraising agencies and campaigns.
• Conduct mystery shopping and call listening to monitor the quality and compliance of fundraising activities carried out by external agencies, ensuring they meet expected ethical and regulatory standards.
• Ensure campaigns adhere to compliance standards and best practices.
• Monitor performance metrics, income, and expenditure.
• Advocate for the mission, ensuring that fundraising activities align with values.
• Collaborate with other departments and external agencies to drive success.

To be successful, you must have experience:

• Highly developed written communication skills to understand, interpret and present complex information in a clear and persuasive way for a range of audience
• Have strong ability to record, analyse, and present financial data in an accurate and impactful way.
• Have experience using Windows based software like Excel, Word, and email, to carry out tasks and projects.
• Willingness to travel across the UK for mystery shopping and engage with external agencies to ensure high standards of fundraising.
• A collaborative spirit and the ability to work effectively within a dynamic team.
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and well organised professional

Salary: £28,337 - £31,485 + allowances

Contract type:Full-time, permanent

Location- London, hybrid  (1-2 days in the office) or home based

 Closing date: 16th May at 8am

Interview: TBC

Recruitment process: Cv and Supporting Statement 

If this sounds like you, then please do get in touch ASAP!

Unfortunately, due to resource capacity, we will only contact candidates that are shortlisted for interview. Therefore if you do not hear from us within 2 weeks of the closing date please note your application has been unsuccessful.

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp™, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.

Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) restores the buildings and monuments that tell the story of the city and the people who live within it. Founded over 40 years ago, our mission is to rescue characterful and neglected historic sites all across the city. We focus on sites at risk in areas of least investment - in local communities that most need our help - ensuring a sustainable future for every project we work on. To date, we have restored 850 sites across London.

About the Role:

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and proactive project manager with a passion for London’s built heritage. The Head of Projects will oversee the delivery of our restoration projects across the capital, ensuring they meet our high standards and achieve maximum public benefit.

The role involves overseeing the full lifecycle of restoration projects, from initial research and site identification to overseeing conservation work and successful project completion. Importantly, you will work closely with local authorities, conservation experts and community organisations to influence and build local commitment to conservation projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee heritage restoration projects from inception to completion.
• Identify at-risk historic sites and develop a pipeline of new projects.
•  Manage budgets and project timelines, ensuring successful and efficient delivery.
• Build strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders to support project success.
• Select and collaborate with contractors, conservators, and heritage specialists.
• Conduct regular site visits to assess progress and adherence to project specifications.
• Report on project outcomes and key learnings to the Director and Board of Trustees.

About you:

We are looking for a candidate with the following skills and experience:

• Demonstrated project management experience in the built environment, heritage, or construction sectors.
• Highly organised with the ability to handle multiple projects and meet deadlines efficiently.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• A detail-oriented approach.
• Highly collaborative whilst being equally comfortable working autonomously.
• A problem-solving mindset with a proactive attitude.
• A passion for community engagement, inclusivity, and maximising public benefit.
• A willingness to travel frequently across London for site visits and meetings.

Why Join Us?

This is an incredibly fun, engaging and rewarding role, working alongside committed colleagues, overseeing a range of projects that have the power to make a significant social impact in communities across London.

We currently work a hybrid model from our fantastic co-working offices at Fivefields in Victoria, however as this role project manages a portfolio of up to 40 projects at different stages, with circa 15 active projects at any given time, the Head of Projects will be out and about visiting our projects and programmes across London on a regular basis. This role should plan to be working in our office 3 days per week, with site visits out across London throughout the week.

To learn more about the organisation and role and what we are looking for, please download the full appointment brief below.

Closing Date: 21 April 2025

People Beyond Profit Conversations: 24-29 April 2025

HOLT First Interview: 6 May 2025

HOLT Second Stage Conversations: 12 May 2025

Kentish Town Community Centre (KTCC) is looking for a Projects and Admin Coordinator for exciting new community projects here at KTCC. This is a very rewarding position working a wide variety of members of the community centre. This role will enable the We are looking for someone who is committed to providing an amazing standard of service for our the community. This includes spending time getting to know our members, committing to outreach and community engagement, recording feedback, facilitating sessions and importantly including that all sessions are engaging, interesting and meet the needs of local people. This is a one year fixed-term contract, subject to a three month probationary period. The post holder will be required to work 16-20 hours a week, Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the year with the possibility of adding in a Wednesday. The post holder will be based at Kentish Town Community Centre, 17 Busby Place, NW5 2SP Rate of Pay- London Living Wage (currently £13.85 per hour).

Having begun as a two-person part time project with the modest goal to development of some resources to support listening practices, the School for Synodality has grown to become a hub of encouragement and support around synodal practices within the Church in England and Wales and an important voice in the international conversation about the implementation of synodality. This growth has necessitated stronger working partnerships, growing our capacity and systems. To ensure the limited capacity of our directors is best utilised we’re looking for an operations manager to join are team to support smooth running of the project and development of its vision. 

The School for Synodality Operations Manager will be central to the operational and administrative functions of the School for Synodality, including overseeing the work of the Administrator and Communications Specialist and supporting projects and partnerships with diocese, local church communities and other stakeholders across the Church. The role requires someone who understands the Catholic Church and is committed to fostering collaboration for the vision of the School for Synodality. 

The successful candidate will need to be comfortable working in a remote, flexible context and working alongside part time staff and volunteers with limited capacity. 

The employer of this role will be Northampton Diocese.

About Open Cages

Open Cages is a UK-registered charity fighting animal suffering. We are part of an international organisation, Anima International. To achieve our goal we use scientific evidence, careful reasoning, and draw upon decades of collective experience. Just in the last few years, we have successfully helped improve the lives of hundreds of millions of farmed animals in the UK.

We are impact-oriented and use a wide array of tools to make the world a better place. Our current toolkit includes:

• Investigations which reveal the reality hidden behind the walls of factory farms
• Negotiations with companies to encourage them to eliminate cruel practices from their policies
• Advocacy to secure legal milestones for animals

At Open Cages we won’t stop until we end animal suffering. We would like to invite you to join us and help us achieve this goal.

What do you gain by working at Open Cages?

• Meaningful work – you will help build a world free from animal suffering
• Time – you will be able to focus full-time on helping animals
• High degree of flexibility – the work is almost totally remote and you will organise your working hours and workflow yourself
• Trust – we expect you to make mistakes as a given and learn from them
• Autonomy – you will experience freedom and independence in your decision-making
• Transparency – you will have access to the work and decisions of others
• Honest work culture – you will know what your colleagues are doing and what they really think
• Knowledge – you will learn and receive support from people who have been fighting for animals for many years
• Opportunity to grow – you will learn every day and be encouraged to experiment beyond your skill set
• Ability to influence the organisation – we encourage our people to openly speak their mind and thus you will be able to impact what kind of organisation we are
• A laugh – animal advocacy can be dark at times, we think that having a fun atmosphere is key to balance this
• Transparently set compensation – Our salaries are not negotiable and are based on a transparent algorithm that is the same for each role

Following a 3-month probation period, you will transition to a fixed-term contract. Upon successful completion of this term, you will be offered a permanent employment contract. A minimum salary of £39,695.24 gross (our salary base for people resident in the UK) will apply from the beginning of the probationary period. The salary base may change due to your previous experience related to the position, or your experience in animal advocacy (+3% for each year). In addition, the salary increases with your seniority in Open Cages according to the following model:

+ 7% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the first 5 years of work

+ 5% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work

+ 3% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work

+ 2% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next years of work

About your role

We are a small and ambitious early-stage organisation with two full-time team members. Our current objective: to help the 1 billion chickens raised annually in the UK. By joining us as our first employee focussed on operations, you will help lay the foundations of the organisation as it prepares for rapid scaling, not only increasing our impact for animals now but by also helping to shape the organisation we want to become. If you have an engineering mindset, like to organise things (ideally in spreadsheets), and navigate through novel problems, it’s time to use your strengths for animals. Whilst it may sound challenging, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of making a historic change for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Someone has to pick up that challenge, and we hope it will be You.

To help the billions of animals trapped on factory farms, we need an organisation that is expertly designed and not weighed down by inefficiencies. In this role your first task will be to help us manage, monitor and speed up our internal processes such as accounting, finances, payments, staff operations, donor management and event planning.

We can accommodate to you

Due to the broad scope of our work, there is no simple description of the perfect employee. There may also be certain areas where you are stronger than others, and we are open to fitting the role around you. We are looking for a generalist rather than a specialist. However, you do need to have some particular strengths such as conscientiousness and an analytical mind. Ideally, some day, you will be able to lead a team of your own and transfer your knowledge to them.

No previous experience is required for this role. While experience will be valued (and reflected in the salary), we welcome applications from both seasoned professionals and passionate newcomers who align with our organisational culture.

What do we require from you?

• Strong belief in the mission of our organisation. Working for us should not be thought of as a ‘career step’. We want people who are motivated by our mission above all.

• Flexible availability. We think of ourselves as a small startup. The fate of the organisation rests on a handful of highly motivated advocates who want to do something ambitious with their lives. We want to maintain the intensity of our current operating culture, so you should expect to work the occasional weekends and late evenings.

• Not being an asshole. We expect you to treat others with respect, decency and compassion – even the occasional adversaries.

• A preference for hard work. Activism is our passion and one of the main motivations in life. To fit our culture, you have to be a person that is proactive and enjoys work.

• Growth mindset. Nobody knows how to fix the world, so we need you to keep learning. We constantly strive to be better at our activism, but also as people.

• Strong interest in a high-feedback culture. We have a culture of honest and direct communication. We talk openly about our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis because we want to be the best. You will know what your colleagues really think of you and be encouraged to speak your mind.

• Ability to reason and communicate your thinking, especially in written form. In order to thrive in our organisation you must be able to think carefully, try to back up your ideas with reasonable evidence, and above all be open to being proven wrong and changing your mind.

• Fluency in English. You will be working in a UK-based organisation which will require constant communication with English speakers.

• Ability to work in the UK. This offer is open to candidates who are either currently UK-based, or are willing to move to the UK for the job. We are happy to do whatever we can to help you in relocating, depending on your needs and our ability. If you have any questions about what we can help with, don’t hesitate to write to us!

You do not need to be vegan or vegetarian. While all of our events provide only plant-based meals, we are open to anyone who wants to fight for a world that is free from animal suffering. We won’t turn down any help.

What will you do?

• Build culture – you will help build and reinforce our culture, so we never lose what makes up the strength of Open Cages.

• Embrace reality – you will make it your mission to understand the world as it is rather than as you would like it to be.

• Manage activists – you will manage and work with teams of both employed and voluntary activists.

• Experience frustration – you will feel frustrated about things you could do better or things that are not working in the organisation or your team, and use this frustration as an opportunity to refine and elevate our organisation.

• Question ideas – you will question common knowledge, especially your own ideas, so that our results are always as good as they can be.

• Optimise your performance – you will continuously deepen your knowledge – both about particular areas of animal advocacy and about how the world works – and enjoy this process.

• Prioritise action – you will act even when there is not sufficient data.

• Abandon projects – you will change your objectives when it makes sense, no matter the time already invested.

• Respect and trust others – you will be there for others and trust their intentions. You will support them when they succeed and when they fail.

• Seek information independently – you will be responsible for acting very independently which will require you to obtain and verify data.

• Make mistakes – you will embrace your mistakes without being ashamed with the desire to learn from them.

• Oversee employment – you will oversee payroll, staff contracts, and employment matters and payments.

• Manage and optimise finances – you will be in charge of our income and expenses. This will include making sure that we have efficient and accurate accounting, and that we have enough income to achieve our goals.

• Help ensure legal governance – you will help submit our annual accounts to the charity commission and ensure compliance with all legal duties, such as making tax payments.

• Manage supporters – you will handle communication with our supporter base and manage donors, primarily through email.

• Improve team coordination – you will worry about how to make the team more effective and help us work better together by improving structure, tools, and internal processes.

• Build and improve tools – you will spot inefficiencies and opportunities in our processes – such as our newsletter and payments software – and improve them, for example by building automation tools.

• Plan events – you will handle logistics and planning for internal and external events such as recruitments, training, and team building activities.

• Obsess over speed – your job will not be to simply manage internal operations, but to reduce the organisation’s time spent on them so that it becomes faster and more efficient.

Do you think this role is too challenging and you're not fit for it?

You may be thinking that this role would be interesting for you, but you won’t make the cut. 

We encourage you not to worry and fill out the application nonetheless, especially if you meet our requirements (even on a basic level) and you think this position could bring you a lot of joy. Leave the judgment about your competence to us. You may even learn something useful along the way.

We prepared support materials to help you through the application process. We'll also be hosting informational webinars about this role and our recruitment process – click ‘Redirect to recruiter’ to see the website for more details.

About Open Cages

Open Cages is a UK-registered charity fighting animal suffering. We are part of an international organisation, Anima International. To achieve our goal we use scientific evidence, careful reasoning, and draw upon decades of collective experience. Just in the last few years, we have successfully helped improve the lives of hundreds of millions of farmed animals in the UK.

We are impact-oriented and use a wide array of tools to make the world a better place. Our current toolkit includes:

• Investigations which reveal the reality hidden behind the walls of factory farms
• Negotiations with companies to encourage them to eliminate cruel practices from their policies
• Advocacy to secure legal milestones for animals

At Open Cages we won’t stop until we end animal suffering. We would like to invite you to join us and help us achieve this goal.

What do you gain by working at Open Cages?

• Meaningful work – you will help build a world free from animal suffering.
• Time – you will be able to focus full-time on helping animals.
• High degree of flexibility – the work is almost totally remote and you will organise your working hours and workflow yourself.
• Trust – we expect you to make mistakes as a given and learn from them.
• Autonomy – you will experience freedom and independence in your decision-making.
• Transparency – you will have access to the work and decisions of others.
• Honest work culture – you will know what your colleagues are doing and what they really think.
• Knowledge – you will learn and receive support from people who have been fighting for animals for many years.
• Opportunity to grow – you will learn every day and be encouraged to experiment beyond your skill set.
• Ability to influence the organisation – we encourage our people to openly speak their mind and thus you will be able to impact what kind of organisation we are.
• A laugh – animal advocacy can be dark at times, we think that having a fun atmosphere is key to balance this.
• Transparently set compensation – Our salaries are not negotiable and are based on a transparent algorithm that is the same for each role.

Following a 3-month probation period, you will transition to a fixed-term contract. Upon successful completion of this term, you will be offered a permanent employment contract. A minimum salary of £39,695.24 gross (our salary base for people resident in the UK) will apply from the beginning of the probationary period. The salary base may change due to your previous experience related to the position, or your experience in animal advocacy (+3% for each year). In addition, the salary increases with your seniority in Open Cages according to the following model:

+ 7% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the first 5 years of work

+ 5% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work

+ 3% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next 5 years of work

+ 2% – for every year worked at Open Cages during the next years of work

About your role

We are a small and ambitious early-stage organisation with two full-time team members. Our current objective: to help the 1 billion chickens raised annually in the UK. By joining us as a campaigner you will be both strategising and spending time on the frontlines, by talking to the biggest companies, producing investigative reports and giving media interviews. Your first task will be to help us convince the UK’s largest food businesses to improve their chicken welfare policies through public and behind-the-scenes advocacy. While this may sound challenging, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a historic change for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Someone has to pick up the fight, and we hope it will be You.

We can accommodate to you

Due to the broad scope of our work, there is no simple description of the perfect campaigner. There may also be certain areas where you are stronger than others, and we are open to fitting the role around you. We are looking for a generalist rather than a specialist. However, you do need to have some particular strengths such as resilience, persistence, creativity, and critical thinking. Ideally, some day, you will be able to lead a big team and transfer your knowledge to them.

No previous experience is required for this role. While experience will be valued (and reflected in the salary), we welcome applications from both seasoned professionals and passionate newcomers who align with our organisational culture.

What do we require from you?

• Strong belief in the mission of our organisation. Working for us should not be thought of as a ‘career step’. We want people who are motivated by our mission above all.
• Flexible availability. We think of ourselves as a small startup. The fate of the organisation rests on a handful of highly motivated advocates who want to do something ambitious with their lives. We want to maintain the intensity of our current operating culture, so you should expect to work the occasional weekends and late evenings.
• Not being an asshole. We expect you to treat others with respect, decency and compassion – even the occasional adversaries.
• A preference for hard work. Activism is our passion and one of the main motivations in life. To fit our culture, you have to be a person that is proactive and enjoys work.
• Growth mindset. Nobody knows how to fix the world, so we need you to keep learning. We constantly strive to be better at our activism, but also as people.
• Strong interest in a high-feedback culture. We have a culture of honest and direct communication. We talk openly about our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis because we want to be the best. You will know what your colleagues really think of you and be encouraged to speak your mind.
• Ability to reason and communicate your thinking, especially in written form. In order to thrive in our organisation you must be able to think carefully, try to back up your ideas with reasonable evidence, and above all be open to being proven wrong and changing your mind.
• Fluency in English. You will be working in a UK-based organisation which will require constant communication with English speakers.
• Ability to work in the UK. This offer is open to candidates who are either currently UK-based, or are willing to move to the UK for the job. We are happy to do whatever we can to help you in relocating, depending on your needs and our ability. If you have any questions about what we can help with, don’t hesitate to write to us!

You do not need to be vegan or vegetarian. While all of our events provide only plant-based meals, we are open to anyone who wants to fight for a world that is free from animal suffering. We won’t turn down any help.

What will you do?

• Build culture – you will help build and reinforce our culture, so we never lose what makes up the strength of Open Cages.
• Embrace reality – you will make it your mission to understand the world as it is rather than as you would like it to be.
• Manage activists – you will manage and work with teams of both employed and voluntary activists.
• Experience frustration – you will feel frustrated about things you could do better or things that are not working in the organisation or your team, and use this frustration as an opportunity to refine and elevate our organisation.
• Question ideas – you will question common knowledge, especially your own ideas, so that our results are always as good as they can be.
• Optimise your performance – you will continuously deepen your knowledge – both about particular areas of animal advocacy and about how the world works – and enjoy this process.
• Prioritise action – you will act even when there is not sufficient data.
• Abandon projects – you will change your objectives when it makes sense, no matter the time already invested.
• Respect and trust others – you will be there for others and trust their intentions. You will support them when they succeed and when they fail.
• Seek information independently – you will be responsible for acting very independently which will require you to obtain and verify data.
• Make mistakes – you will embrace your mistakes without being ashamed with the desire to learn from them.
• Try again and again and again – the decision makers we want to reach often don’t want to improve animal welfare, others may simply not have time for you. In this role you will need extreme persistence in order to gain traction with companies.
• Build relationships – you will need social competence as you try to build trust and work with company executives to make progress for animals.
• Strategise – it is not easy to change the world. As a campaigner you will ask yourself endless questions. You will be responsible for campaign strategy which requires careful planning and the ability to think ahead.
• Take risks – negotiating in a high stakes meeting, attending a farming conference, organising a protest, taking 500 videos of a retailer’s chicken products for a BBC story (yes, we did this!) – in this role you will need to be comfortable with stepping out of your comfort zone.
• Conduct research – you will spend many hours online gathering information, working with investigators and lawyers, or delivering 50 chicken products to a lab in Germany (we did this too).
• Create engaging content – you will produce emotive graphics and videos for social media, factual reports and data-driven briefings for journalists and politicians.
• Work with the media – you will engage with journalists, write press releases, and give the odd interview.
• Mobilise advocates – you will write emails to our supporters and motivate them to take action with us. You will also organise and run street actions like protests and stunts.

Do you think this role is too challenging and you're not fit for it?

You may be thinking that this role would be interesting for you, but you won’t make the cut. 

We encourage you not to worry and fill out the application nonetheless, especially if you meet our requirements (even on a basic level) and you think this position could bring you a lot of joy. Leave the judgment about your competence to us. You may even learn something useful along the way.

We prepared support materials to help you through the application process. We'll also be hosting informational webinars about this role and our recruitment process – click ‘Redirect to recruiter’ to see the website for more details.