At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative projects to create fundraising products that meet user needs.
- Company: Join one of the UK's largest children's charities, making a difference for over 150 years.
- Benefits: Enjoy 29 days annual leave, flexible working, and discounts with 15,000 retailers.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission-driven team focused on user-led design and social impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in product optimisation, project management, and user research is essential.
- Other info: Interviews via Microsoft Teams; diversity and inclusion are core values.
The predicted salary is between 38000 - 42000 £ per year.
Salary:£38,000 per annum pro rata.
Location:Homebased.
Contract/Hours:12-month fixed term contract (with possible extension – 17.5 hours per week (2.5 days per week).
Closing Date: 2nd September 2025.
Benefits:
- 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays and options to buy or sell leave.
- Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages.
- Pension with up to 7%matched employer contribution with included life assurance cover.
- Staff discounts and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailer’s discounts.
We are one of the largest children’s charities in the UK and have been making a difference to the lives of the UK’s vulnerable children for over 150 years.
Find out more about Action for Children here:Action for Childrenand on X, LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.
About the role
This opportunity is for an experienced Innovation Manager to join our team on a job share basis. You’ll support the creation and development of fundraising products based on user needs and research, to deliver on the growth plan and organisational priorities.
How you’ll create brighter futures
- Leading on multi team projects to design income generating products based on user needs and research. Define, explain, and iterate a product vision that is compelling to your users, team, and stakeholders.
- Engaging with users and stakeholders through a range of channels to encourage take-up and use of products and develop an expert understanding of the users\’ needs. Testing a range of products with users to understand their behaviours and actioning this insight into the development and optimisation of products.
- Supporting the continued development of the product development process and ensure products developed meet the required standards and apply best practice principles that help to maximise value and ensure a good user experience.
- Improving product uptake and engagement of existing supporters by using personal knowledge of best practice, results at Action for Children and other qualitative data to ensure enhanced supporter stewardship, working with the loyalty team to understand the needs of our existing supporters.
- Working closely with the Insight Manager to champion user needs across the entire fundraising department, ensuring the user is always at the heart of all our work. Being an advocate for user-led design and iterative testing.
- Leading small test products within the innovation team, as well as leading on key integrated projects by following the new product development process.
- Working alongside the Innovation Strategy Lead in developing and delivering large-scale products that are a key part of the fundraising strategy, generating income from multiple audiences.
Let’s talk about you
- Experience of optimising existing products, project managing optimisation cycles including user testing and stakeholder management.
- Experience of working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver income generating products or services.
- Engaging with users and using qualitative and quantitative research techniques to produce personas, user stories and user insights.
- Experience of idea generation tools.
- Experience of iterative testing or prototyping of ideas to quickly and cheaply determine if the idea has legs.
- Fundraising experience and/or marketing knowledge.
Good to know
Interviews to be held week commencing 15th September via Microsoft Teams
We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role
For more information about the role, please review our full job description by clickinghere.
If, for any reason, you need support with your application, please contact David Simpson atrecruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.ukquoting reference 11792 and we\’ll be happy to give you any support you require.
Diversity, equality, and inclusion
At Action for Children, we\’re dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.
Useful Documents:
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Innovation Manager employer: Action for Children
Contact Detail:
Action for Children Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Innovation Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in fundraising and innovation within the charity sector. Understanding what works and what doesn't can give you a significant edge when discussing your ideas during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the charity and fundraising sectors. Attend relevant events or webinars to connect with others who may provide insights or even referrals for the Innovation Manager role.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully led multi-disciplinary teams in the past. Highlight your experience in user testing and stakeholder management, as these are crucial for this role.
✨Tip Number 4
Research Action for Children thoroughly. Understand their mission, values, and recent projects to demonstrate your genuine interest in the organisation and how you can contribute to their goals.
We think you need these skills to ace Innovation Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description thoroughly to grasp the key responsibilities and required skills for the Innovation Manager position. Tailor your application to highlight how your experience aligns with these requirements.
Showcase Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise your experience in optimising products, project management, and user engagement. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and deliver income-generating products.
Highlight User-Centric Approach: Make sure to illustrate your understanding of user needs and how you have applied qualitative and quantitative research techniques in previous roles. This will show that you can advocate for user-led design effectively.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that not only outlines your qualifications but also conveys your passion for the mission of Action for Children. Explain why you want to work with them and how you can contribute to their goals.
How to prepare for a job interview at Action for Children
✨Understand the Role and Its Impact
Before your interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the responsibilities of the Innovation Manager role. Familiarise yourself with how this position contributes to the overall mission of Action for Children, especially in terms of creating fundraising products that meet user needs.
✨Showcase Your Collaborative Skills
Since the role involves working with multi-disciplinary teams, be prepared to discuss your experience in collaboration. Share specific examples of how you've successfully worked with different teams to deliver income-generating products or services.
✨Demonstrate User-Centric Thinking
Highlight your experience in engaging with users and using research techniques to gather insights. Be ready to discuss how you've applied user feedback to optimise products and ensure a good user experience, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to iterate on ideas. Prepare to discuss past projects where you used iterative testing or prototyping to refine concepts, demonstrating your ability to quickly determine the viability of ideas.