Head of Youth

Job Title: Head of Youth

Salary: £45,000

Hours:  37.5 hours per week (Full Time). The role is based around young people, so will entail some planned or occasional evening and weekend work.

Contract: Permanent

Accountable to: Chief Operating Officer/Chief Executive Officer

Start Date: 01 June 2026

Location: Based at 21 Winchester Road, Camden, London, NW3 3NR

The Head of Youth will lead our work with, by and for young people, aged 11-25. They will manage the design and effective delivery of high quality services,  secure funding for those services and convene impactful partnerships, which enable the Winch to achieve its strategic goals. They will act as the Programme Lead for the Inspiring Inclusion initiative, a seven-year multi-agency partnership committed to changing the school system for Black and racially minoritised students, with adverse childhood experiences. As part of the Winch senior management team, they will help realise our mission to create communities in which all children and young people can thrive.

The Head of Youth will be an experienced leader, with a track record of working with young people using strengths-based, participatory approaches, rooted in equity and inclusion. They will be dedicated to improving the quality of young people’s provision. As a result, they will know how to organise and develop teams, and deliver improvements to the enabling infrastructure and administrative practices underpinning their work. They will have built team cultures that embrace and affirm learning, innovation and growth. They will be skilled at orchestrating and navigating complex networks and partnerships. They can demonstrate well-developed insight into and critiques of the systems, policies, practices and issues that affect young people’s communities, often disproportionately.

 

 Job Description:

Strategy:

• Develop and lead our youth strategy; informing, influencing and ensuring alignment with the Winch’s overarching strategy.
• Deliver the outcomes and objectives of the Winch strategy, so that we achieve our mission and  goals.
• Maximise the reach and engagement of young people (aged 11-25), creating opportunities to hear and respond to their experience, so that they can meaningfully contribute to our work and together we change the systems that under-serve or fail them.

Leadership:

• As part of the Winch’s senior leadership team, provide authentic, values-led leadership and line management support, modelling joy, care and courage.
• Lead the Inspiring Inclusion initiative; agreeing and setting direction, convening partnerships and designing governance and learning structures, managing funder and stakeholder relationships, and delivering the programmer outcomes.
• Create effective team structures, develop and codify ways of working, and manage planning, monitoring, training and support systems, so that staff can make an effective contribution.
• Demonstrate creativity, initiative and thought -leadership in planning, piloting and developing the Winch’s offer
• Act as a champion for young people internally and externally to partners
• Help lead an effective and comprehensive safeguarding culture and practices  

Programmes: 

• Develop, manage and deliver services for 11 to 25-year-olds taking responsibility for the experiences, wellbeing and safety of young people and partners at the Winch.
• Commit to the principles of asset and place-based practice, participation and co-production, and relational-working.
• Ensure that funded activity for young people is compatible with internal and external programme targets, and organisational values and goals.
• Support direct delivery and outreach working and incident management, where needed.
• Stay up to date and engaged with the external context, and draw on your professional networks, resources and connections to enrich, direct and support programme development and delivery.

Development:

• Establish and meet fundraising and growth targets, to ensure the sustainability and  continuous development of the Winch’s youth offer.
• Lead work with young people, partners and fundraising teams to research, develop and submit bids to enhance and enrich our youth and community offer.
• Deliver our ‘Test and Learn’ approach to improve the school and safeguarding experiences of young people from Black and racialised communities.
• Develop programmes and ways of working that align with our JEDI principles, and which reflect our positionality and contribute toward securing policy, practice and systems change.
• Ensure programme design and delivery takes account of interdependencies with other teams in the Winch and ensure we operate in a joined-up way to maximise our impact and strengthen our collective capabilities.

Finance & Resourcing

• Lead, develop, manage and monitor project budgets and resources, working alongside the Chief Operating Officer, Finance Manager and fundraising team.

• Lead, manage and monitor the Inspiring Inclusion programme budget, ensuring effective contracting and commissioning arrangements with partners and service providers.
• Support the youth team in developing and managing budgets and ensure value for money
• Manage and monitor the mobilisation, coordination, development and effective deployment of staff, volunteers and partners to create value for the Winch and the communities we serve

Partnership

• Proactively identify and build new relationships and partnerships to develop opportunities for wider youth service delivery
• Strengthen and build on our current partnerships with youth services providers, community organisations, schools, the local authority and our donor community
• Engage constructively with funders and policy makers, supporting their ambition to effect change, influencing their priorities and contributing to their learning systems and processes
• Promote, represent and champion the Winch in external settings through influencing,  networking, engagement in key fora, and marketing

Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation:

• Commission and manage a Learning Partner on behalf of the Inspiring Inclusion programme; developing a robust theory of change, effective monitoring and impact measurement processes, and surfacing actionable next steps
• Establish learning practices and rituals, developing accurate and timely recording, using effective project management approaches; and applying appropriate evidential and theoretical frameworks
• Help to drive impact, quality and improvement through monitoring and evaluation, with a focus on learning and pursuing better practice
• Work with the  fundraising  and Winch team to meet the funding objectives, and ensure the integrity and sustainability of youth programmes
• Meet reporting deadlines to funders, trustees and senior managers 
• Effectively adopt and embed quality assurance, safeguarding and risk management frameworks

Shared Responsibilities:

• Help lead effective and comprehensive safeguarding culture and practices, contributing to the development of Winch policies and practices.
• Model and embed professional  conduct and boundaries
• Champion the beneficiary experience- including feedback, complaints and insight
• Maintain oversight of learning & development- including shaping core practice skills and professional development, and identifying and embedding models of practice.
• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety and Data Protection legislation
• Maintain oversight of risk management

General Duties:

• Attend and participate in individual, staff, trustee and team meetings, team away days, supervision and appraisals, as required
• Help organise and lead Winch staff away days and planning events
• Work collaboratively with and provide cover where necessary to other Winch programmes, including attending trips and residentials during school holidays
• Exhibit the Winch’s values and positive behaviours at all times
• Demonstrate commitment to, and take responsibility for, safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk, in the context of your role
• Take responsibility for your professional development and learning
• Adhere to and help develop the policies, guidelines and processes of the Winch
• Make a significant contribution to the Winch’s strategy, ethos and development, and wider fundraising efforts
• Demonstrate and model commitment to the principles of justice, equality, diversity and inclusion (JEDI)
• Act as an ambassador for and champion of the Winch, deputising for senior managers, where required

 

Person Specification

To be considered for the role, you must have and provide evidence of the following in your application:

Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant work experience, including at least 3 years managing high-performing teams in a challenging non-profit, social enterprise, start-up or statutory environment
• Experience of managing a complex portfolio of projects, with a minimum budget of £200k per year
• Significant experience of managing complex and emergent safeguarding issues
• Excellent facilitation skills and experience of leading complex, multi-agency partnerships to achieve change
• Experience of successfully developing and delivering youth-led solutions, using participatory methods and techniques 
• Experience of leading and supporting fundraising and managing funder relationships

Skills

• Strategy and planning skills, including ability to work strategically on both organisational and systems levels over the long-term 
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build authentic collaborations with a diverse set of high profile stakeholders
• Excellent team management skills, with a commitment to people’s individual and collective growth.

Knowledge

• Good grasp of and commitment to data and impact measurement principles and learning practices 
• Working knowledge of contemporary children and young people’s policy environment, with significant insight into how racism and inequality impinge on young people’s life chances.

To succeed in this role  you must be:

Able to: 

• develop effective working relationships with young people, parents, staff, volunteers and partners to envision, motivate and achieve shared goals
• create and manage budgets and resourcing plans to maximise our impact
• manage and lead safeguarding practice for children and adults facing risk
• catalyse and lead a culture of continuous improvement and innovation
• organise and focus self and others, across competing priorities, including the ability to effectively use technology to support the work 
• work in a busy and complex environment which is regularly accessed by the wider public 
• work sensitively and respectfully with underserved communities, representing their lives, their ambitions and the challenges they face with dignity, respect and care
• think on your feet and demonstrate high levels of initiative

You will be:

• Highly motivated, self-starting and resourceful
• Flexible and able to respond to the emerging needs of the community
• Confident in the use of Microsoft Office packages, Google docs and other online platforms to support shared online working

Committed to:

• own learning and development
• Winch’s goals and values
• safeguarding children and adults at risk
• enacting the principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion 

 

The following skills and experiences are also desirable:

• Experience of leading work with, by and for Black and racially minoritised communities. 
• Awareness of service design methodologies and a ‘test and learn’ approach
• Systems thinker

What else do I need to know?

The Winch is based at 21 Winchester Road, London NW3 3NR, just a minute’s walk from Swiss Cottage underground station and within walking distance of multiple bus routes.

This full-time  role includes occasional evening work or weekends, and an annual residential. We are open to the possibility of a potential job share and can be flexible about the working pattern.

The Benefits

We offer a training budget. You will also be asked to complete mandatory accredited training, which counts towards your continuing professional development. 

The Winch has an Employee Assistance Programme with Health Assured. This includes access to a wealth of services including counselling, legal information, bereavement support, medical information and CBT online. There is also access to a virtual library of wellbeing information. 

We offer new employees 30 days holiday pro rata per year (including Bank Holidays) and three compulsory closure dates in December. You will have the opportunity to join a contributory pension scheme. 

Important Note

The Winch is committed to keeping children, young people and vulnerable adults safe from harm. The successful candidate will be subject to Enhanced DBS checks and an online check.and be required to undertake safeguarding training

The Winch is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its employment policies for recruitment are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability or gender reassignment.

You can read more about The Winch on our website at https://thewinch.org/

How to apply?

Please apply by sending in a comprehensive CV (maximum 3 pages) and a personal statement outlining how you meet the person specification. Your personal statement must be no longer than 2 pages of A4, with a minimum font size 12. We will not consider applications that do not include a personal statement. 

You will be asked to provide the names, positions, organisations and telephone contact numbers of two referees, one of whom should be your current/most recent employer. References will only be taken once your permission has been granted. In addition, a complete enhanced DBS check is required for new employees at The Winch. 

Please apply by charity jobs at the link below. The deadline for submission is Sunday 26th April 2026 at midnight and shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on Wednesday 13th April 2026

If you would like to speak to someone to find out more about the role then contact soye@thewinch.org 

Use of AI Statement

We accept that some applicants will use AI to help plan and submit their job applications. We ask that if you find it helpful to use AI, that you use it with care.

We are interested in your specific experiences, your perspectives and your personal potential to contribute to growing our work. Where it is apparent that your application is entirely written by AI, or  that your application is simply a recycled composite of other people’s experiences or views, we may not consider it. 

The Winch is primarily an ‘in place and in person’ community. We believe that young people deserve authentic supportive relationships, from people who try to be fully present and who can model and lead critical thinking. This is not a role that you can short cut your way through, by over-relying on ChatGPT, OpenAI or other such tools.

We are  aware that AI can entrench, amplify and advance biases, prejudices and disinformation. An important part of our mission is to dismantle the structures, systems and beliefs that hold young people back. As a result, where you do use AI, we expect you to consider, engage with and actively manage these significant issues and risks and be transparent about your AI use.

It is never appropriate to upload people’s personal data or confidential information to open-to-all LLM/AI systems. Please do not use AI to create case studies based on young people’s individual experiences, which may compromise their privacy or consent.