Location: UK-wide with regular travel across England and Wales
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £65,000–£70,000
Welcome
Thank you for your interest in joining Belong – The Cohesion and Integration Network as our next Director of Programmes. This is an exciting time for Belong as we strengthen our national impact and expand our programme delivery across England and Wales. We are looking for a strategic leader who is passionate about building a more united and less divided society and wants to make a lasting difference to communities.
With a strengthened national profile, a bold strategy for the years ahead, and an ambitious Senior Leadership Team, this is an extraordinary time to join us. As Belong enters its next phase of growth, we are determined to deepen our impact, strengthen our resilience, and champion cohesion and integration at scale.
The Director of Programmes role is a senior leadership position at the heart of Belong’s mission to build a more integrated and less divided society. As Director of Programmes, you will hold overall responsibility for the design, delivery and impact of Belong’s programmes across the UK. You will lead a team of Programme Leads and Associates, ensuring that our work is strategic, inclusive and evidence-based. You will work closely with the CEO and senior colleagues to shape Belong’s programme strategy and contribute to organisational growth.
This role is ideal for someone with a strong track record in programme leadership, partnership development and social impact. We are seeking a visionary and experienced programme leader with a deep understanding of social cohesion, social policy and systems change. The ideal candidate will be confident in leading teams, managing complex portfolios and building strategic partnerships, bring a collaborative and inclusive leadership style and be passionate about creating lasting change. You will also be highly organised, politically astute and able to translate insights into action, as well as possessing intellectual curiosity, strong political awareness and a commitment to equity and inclusion. A compelling communicator, you will be able to translate complex ideas into accessible messages and build trusted relationships across sectors.
If this sounds like you, and you are excited to help shape Belong’s future while driving positive change across the UK, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Kelly Fowler
Chief Executive Officer, Belong
About Belong
Belong is the UK’s leading not-for-profit network focused on social cohesion. We work with communities, local authorities, and national partners to strengthen trust, belonging, and resilience through innovative programmes, research, and policy influence. Our growing membership spans local authorities, charities, civil society, and business.
Belong Delivers:
Place-based cohesion and intercultural work with local authorities, communities and partners
Research and policy to build the evidence base and influence national change
Training, consultancy and leadership development
Knowledge sharing, networks, learning events and thought leadership
Belong is collaborative, evidence-led and learning-driven, celebrating the benefits of diversity and operating within an equalities framework. Belong is independent, professional, transparent and committed to convening bold conversations to move beyond differences, strengthen social bonds and build common ground.
About the Role and You
We are seeking a strategic and insightful leader with:
Proven experience in leading complex programme portfolios
Senior-level experience in charity, NGO or public sector
Strong leadership and line management skills
Familiarity with systems change and participatory approaches
Ability to manage diverse stakeholders and build high-level partnerships
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 with project and risk management skills
Desirable: Experience in Prevent, PCVE, community tensions, hate crime, misinformation/disinformation
Personal Qualities:
Passionate about improving cohesion and integration
Strategic and visionary thinker
Collaborative and inclusive leader
Diplomatic and politically astute
Practical, focused and reliable
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
Apply systems thinking to understand interconnected community, policy and service ecosystems
Ensure programme quality, consistency and impact
Align programme delivery with Policy & Research team insights
Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement
Build and maintain relationships with funders, commissioners, local authorities and community organisations
Manage challenging and politically sensitive work
Represent Belong at national forums and networks
Lead co-design and collaborative approaches
Identify and pursue new programme development and funding opportunities
Organisational Development
Contribute to strategic planning and organisational growth
Support income generation through proposals and funder engagement
Share learning and insights across the organisation
Our Team Benefits
At Belong, our team is united by a shared commitment to creating a more inclusive and connected society. We bring together a diverse group of professionals with backgrounds in research, community engagement, communications, facilitation and policy.
Benefits include:
30 days’ annual leave per year
3% pension contribution
Hybrid working (typical pattern of 3 days in the office)
Enhanced Sick Pay
Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
To Apply
To apply, please submit your CV and a Word document answering the following questions (max 400 words per answer) to recruitment@belongnetwork.co.uk with the subject line: Application to role of Director of Programmes:
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?
Deadline: 23:59, Monday 12 January 2026
First interviews: 22 & 23 January (online)
Second interviews: 9 February (in-person)
For informal discussions, contact: recruitment@belongnetwork.co.uk
