About the Role
Working hours: Full time
Location: UK wide with regular travel across England and Wales
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £65,000-£70,000
You will lead Belong’s programme portfolio, ensuring quality, consistency, and impact. You will work closely with the CEO and senior colleagues to shape strategy and contribute to organisational growth.
You can download the full Director of Programmes job pack in English.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Programme Leadership
- Lead the strategic development and delivery of Belong’s place-based programmes
- Ensure programmes are aligned with Belong’s mission, values and strategic objectives
- Oversee programme design, delivery, evaluation and learning
- Line manage Assistant Director, Programme Leads and Programme Coordinators, providing support, supervision and development
- Experience applying systems thinking to understand the interconnected nature of community, policy and service ecosystems
- Ensure programme quality, consistency and impact across all delivery areas
- Ensure close alignment with the Policy & Research team so that Belong’s programme delivery is shaped by research insights, while delivery experience in turn informs ongoing policy and research priorities.
Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain relationships with funders, commissioners, local authorities and community organisations in the places Belong is working
- Oversee the management of challenging and politically sensitive work in place with a range of stakeholders
Represent Belong at national forums, events and networks - Lead on co-design and collaborative approaches with partners and stakeholders
- Identify and pursue new opportunities for programme development and funding
Organisational Development
- Contribute to Belong’s strategic planning and organisational growth
- Work closely with the CEO and senior colleagues to develop new programme models and approaches
- Play an active role supporting income generation through proposal development and funder identification and engagement
- Share learning and insights across the organisation to inform future strategy
Note: This list is indicative and not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake additional duties in line with the role.
About You
We are seeking a visionary and experienced leader with:
- Proven experience in leading complex programme portfolios
- Strong insights and/or experience in delivering programmes in a related field
- Experience working at a senior level in the charity, NGO or public sector
- Strong leadership and line management skills
- Familiarity with systems change and participatory approaches
- Experience managing a range of stakeholders from senior strategic level to communities, and ability to build and maintain high-level partnerships and engage confidently with both policy (decision-makers) and practice (frontline professionals)
- Excellent strategic thinking and planning abilities
- Experience in income generation and bid development
- Understanding of social cohesion and integration issues
- Strong communication and influencing skills
- Experience in impact measurement and evaluation
- Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities
- Project and risk management skills
Desirable: experience in work relating to Prevent, PCVE, community tensions/ hate crime/ mis and disinformation
Personal Qualities:
- Passionate about improving cohesion and integration in the UK
- Strategic and visionary thinker
- Collaborative and inclusive leader
- Diplomatic and politically astute
- Practical, focused and reliable
- Committed to personal and professional development
The Application Process
Deadline: 23:59pm, Monday 12th January 2026
First interviews: 22nd & 23rd January, online
Second interviews: 9th February, in-person
How to apply
To apply, please submit your CV and a word document containing answers to the following questions with the email subject line ‘Application to role of Director of Programmes’ to recruitment@belongnetwork.co.uk:
- Why are you interested in applying and how do you feel your personal values align with our mission?
- What are the key achievements and outcomes within your career that make you a strong candidate for the role?
- How does your leadership style support others in their growth and create a positive environment for empowerment?
Please respond to each of the questions with a maximum of 400 words per answer. If you have any questions or would like to arrange an initial, informal discussion about the role, please contact recruitment@belongnetwork.co.uk.