Business Support Manager (Maternity Cover)

Young Lives vs Cancer; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Wellbeing & Growth Days

27 days annual leave

Paid/unpaid leave

Job summary

Young Lives vs Cancer is seeking a Business Support Manager on maternity cover in London. This hybrid, 35-hour-per-week role sits in the Fundraising and Engagement Team and requires at least one day in the office each week.

You will partner with FELT to prioritise strategic objectives, coordinate planning and governance, produce board and income reporting, support month‑end budgeting, and help unblock delivery for high‑priority programmes.

Qualifications

• Experience of working in a fundraising charity.
• Experience of providing operational business support to a leadership team.
• Experience of managing programmes of work that consistently deliver objectives.
• Proven ability to develop reports, manage corporate documentation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience of collaborative work across multi-disciplines.
• Understanding of digital capability in fundraising and commitment to anti-oppressive practices.

Responsibilities

• Partner with FELT to prioritise strategic objectives, shape key initiatives and support effective decision-making.
• Coordinate strategic planning, priority projects and operational programmes, translating learning into practical action.
• Produce and coordinate directorate, Board and corporate reporting, including income, KPI and performance reporting.
• Work with FELT and Finance to coordinate month-end reporting, budgeting and reforecasting.
• Oversee programme governance, risks, issues and dependencies, removing barriers to delivery.
• Lead continuous improvement of systems and processes, including maximising the use of Copilot, Teams and other technology.
• Coordinate cross-directorate collaboration and communications, supporting transparency and a One Team culture.
• Ensure leaders and teams are well briefed, prepared and supported through effective meetings and resources.

Skills

Fundraising charity

Leadership support

Programme management

Reporting & analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Anti-oppressive practice

Tools

Copilot

Teams

Job description

Business Support Manager (Maternity Cover)

• 35 hours a week
• Maternity cover - up to 14 months
• London Hybrid Fixed working – at least one day a week in the office with some working from home

Change lives in a life-changing career

When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.

The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. And that impact can be felt by entire family. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer.

We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make their voices heard and their unique needs understood, so they can get the right care and support at the right time

About the role

We’re looking for a Business Support Manager with experience of working across disciplines in a fundraising charity to join our Fundraising and Engagement Team.

The postholder is going on maternity leave. The person appointed to this maternity cover opportunity will build on the strong work already done to create foundations and ways of working They will move forward playing a pivotal part in helping the Fundraising and Engagement directorate focus on the priorities that will have the greatest impact, bringing structure, insight and creative problem-solving to the work of the Fundraising & Engagement Leadership Team (FELT) and key initiatives.

The postholder will support FELT (Director, Associate Directors and Heads) to define, shape and sequence priorities, translate them into clear plans, and creatively support implementation so that key initiatives move forward at pace. The role will help ensure FELT’s time is focused on the most critical activities, with clear ownership, timely follow-up and practical support to unblock delivery.

This role will foster credible and trusted relationships with key stakeholders across directorates, helping to build visibility, momentum and engagement around high-priority programmes and the changes needed to deliver them.

This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application a basic criminal record check will be completed. A previous conviction is not necessarily a barrier to employment. We encourage qualified applicants to apply, and we will consider each case individually.

What will I be doing?

No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description.

• Partner with FELT to prioritise strategic objectives, shape key initiatives and support effective decision‑making.
• Coordinate strategic planning, priority projects and operational programmes, translating learning and opportunities into practical action.
• Produce and coordinate directorate, Board and corporate reporting, including meaningful income, KPI and performance reporting.
• Work with FELT and Finance to coordinate month‑end reporting, budgeting and reforecasting.
• Oversee programme governance, risks, issues and dependencies, identifying and addressing barriers to successful delivery.
• Lead continuous improvement of systems, tools and processes, including maximising the effective use of Copilot, Teams and other technology.
• Coordinate cross-directorate collaboration and communications, supporting transparency, alignment and a strong ‘One Team’ culture.
• Ensure leaders and teams are well briefed, prepared and supported through effective meetings, documentation, communications and programme resources.

What do I need?

Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.

The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:

• Experience of working in a fundraising charity.
• Experience of providing operational business support to a leadership team
• Experience of managing programmes of work that consistently deliver objectives
• Proven ability to develop reports, manage corporate documentation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience of collaborative work across multi-disciplines
• Understanding of role of digital capability in contributing to the delivery of effective fundraising
  Understanding of oppression and the barriers that marginalised people face, and strong commitment to deliver anti-oppressive practices

What will I gain?

For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:

• Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 – 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
• Wellbeing, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development
• 27 days of annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Generous paid and unpaid leave allowance

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.

We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti‑oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.

We are committed to a fair and inclusive recruitment process. All applications are shortlisted by people, not AI or automated screening tools. To help reduce unconscious bias, applications are anonymised before shortlisting and assessed against the experience, skills and behaviours outlined in the job description.

We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value AI adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to tell us about your skills and experiences in your own voice.

Accessibility

We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.