Director of Soccer Aid (Interim)

This job is with UNICEF UK, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

Circa £105,000 per annum

Fixed term (ends 30/6/27)

Part home/Part office (London) based

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as interim Director of Soccer Aid.

The role provides strategic leadership for Soccer Aid for UNICEF, bringing together UNICEF UK, Soccer Aid Productions, ITV, Initial and commercial partners to grow the campaign’s income, reach and impact for children. The role leads the campaign team, owns financial performance and partner relationships, and drives the successful delivery and continued development of the annual fundraising event.

You will need substantial senior strategic leadership experience, including Board-level exposure and a strong track record of leading multidisciplinary teams and complex programmes. You will be an effective relationship builder and negotiator, with excellent communication skills and experience of developing high-profile partnerships and delivering broadcast or large-scale public-facing fundraising campaigns.

Act now and visit www.unicef.org.uk/jobs to apply online.

Closing date: 8am, Monday 9 November 2026.

Interview date: Tuesday, 17 and 18 November 2026 via video conferencing (MS Teams).

In return, we offer:

·       excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

·       outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

·       impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

·       an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

·       the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

Our application process: We use a system called "Applied" that anonymises your responses and focuses on your actual skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

We anticipate most colleagues will work two days a week in the office on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and the rest of the time from home.  We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact Supporter Care on 0300 330 5580 during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)