Join Our Team!
General Information
Shaping Our Lives is embarking on an exciting period of growth and development. Having recently received a four-year grant through the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF), we will be focusing on renewing the role of Disabled people in the age of change, further solidifying our role as experts in the field of inclusion, and strengthening our current practices.
We are looking for two people to join our team and help us deliver this exciting new project, a Head of Operations and a Communications and Marketing Officer.
Below, we have first included information about accessibility and inclusion in the recruitment process, as well as our view on the use of artificial intelligence.
Next, you can find the following information for each of the two roles we are recruiting for, namely Head of Projects and Communications and Marketing Officer:
- Job Pack (which includes the job description and person specification)
- Applicant Details Form (which needs to be completed and returned to us)
- Supporting Information From (which also needs to be completed and returned to us)
- Recruitment Diversity Monitoring Form (optional)
Lastly, we have included relevant contacts and a Questions and Answers (Q&A) section which we will be updating regularly, based on questions we receive from individuals, for the benefit of all.
For both roles, the deadline to apply is 23:59 on 13th July 2026.
If you have any questions about the roles, please contact our Head of Projects via email at ana@shapingourlives.org.uk or via telephone at 07904 532939.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Shaping Our Lives actively seeks to work with people with a wide range of professional, voluntary, and lived experiences. We encourage applications from individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including those who have experienced barriers to finding or staying in employment or non-traditional work histories.
We highly value lived, life, and voluntary experience. We do not expect candidates to have specific education or university degrees.
We actively welcome applications from Disabled candidates.
We ensure that the application stage is accessible and flexible by avoiding rigid expectations and formats. Candidates are encouraged to submit applications in the format that enables them to best showcase their skills and experience.
We recognise that asking for adjustments during the application process can be daunting for people, especially those who have had previous negative experiences getting their access needs met.
What we do for everyone by default:
- Flexible application formats
- Flexible interview times
- Interview questions sent in advance
- All recruitment-related documents are sent in multiple formats and checked for accessibility
- Information and joining instructions about the virtual or in-person interview environment
- Permission to bring notes to interviews
While we design for inclusivity by design, we remain fully committed to making specific, tailored adjustments when individual needs arise. This may include but is not limited to:
- Requesting an alternative format (i.e., Large Print, Easy Read)
- Communication support such as a British Sign Language interpreter or speech-to-text reporters
- Involving a support worker or companion in the interview process
- Extended time
- Sensory adjustments
If you need support to apply, please contact our Recruitment and Access Coordinator via email at roxane@shapingourlives.org.uk or via telephone at 02080 885628.
Some examples of what you can ask for are:
- Help to write or format your application
- Support to understand the information in this document
- Request this document in an alternative format
Check out our Recruitment Process page to find out more about the steps we are taking to make our recruitment process inclusive and accessible.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence
A core pillar of our approach to recruitment is human-led decision-making. We endeavour to honour the time and effort you invest when applying for a role at Shaping Our Lives. We will not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to filter, rank, or reject applications.
We understand that you may choose to use AI-powered assistive technology or generative AI when filling out your application. However, we want to discourage overreliance on AI as, in many cases, applications can end up being generic and fail to showcase candidates’ unique voices and experiences.
We ask that you think about how you may use AI tools as responsibly as possible and what value they will add. You can find further advice on AI use in the recruitment process and examples of what we consider to be acceptable and unacceptable uses in our statement on the use of AI in recruitment.
Please note that, should we determine that you have irresponsibly used AI to, for example, pass on others’ experiences and ideas as your own, or greatly overstate your experiences and skills, your application may be withdrawn.
Head of Operations
21 hours per week, salary FTE £40,000 per annum (£24,000 pro rata)
The Head of Operations will lead on the internal running of the organisation, including its infrastructure and management. Their focus will be to ensure our governance, finance, systems, and processes are robust, compliant, and effective, with an emphasis on long-term impact and sustainability. They will enable the successful delivery of our projects by leading on our internal affairs and ensuring we operate efficiently.
The postholder will be actively collaborating with other staff members and our Management Board to ensure that external work aligns with our internal values and expectations, all whilst working to establish long-term sustainability for the organisation.
Download the Job Pack below:
Download the Applicant Details Form below:
Download the Supporting Information Form below:
We would also like to ask you to complete our Recruitment Diversity Monitoring Form, although this is optional. If the online form is not accessible to you, please get in touch so that we can provide it in an alternative format.
Communications and Marketing Officer
21 hours per week, salary FTE £30,000 per annum (£18,000 pro rata)
The Communications and Marketing Officer will be critical to the future growth of Shaping Our Lives. They will ensure we maintain a strong national profile with a range of audiences and a close working relationship with our network members.
This post requires someone with a year’s experience (paid or voluntary) of the following aspects:
- Knowledge of accessibility best practice and how to make content accessible
- Short and long campaign planning,
- Writing email bulletins, newsletters, marketing communications, and social media posts,
- Writing website content and managing websites,
- A strong understanding of the role and application of social media to raise an organisations profile,
- An ability to be both proactive and reactive to opportunities.
Download the Job Pack below:
Download the Applicant Details Form below:
Download the Supporting Information Form below:
We would also like to ask you to complete our Recruitment Diversity Monitoring Form, although this is optional. If the online form is not accessible to you, please get in touch so that we can provide it in an alternative format.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the roles, please contact our Head of Projects via email at ana@shapingourlives.org.uk or via telephone at 07904 532939.
If you need support to apply, please contact our Recruitment and Access Coordinator via email at roxane@shapingourlives.org.uk or via telephone at 02080 885628.
Q&A
We will be updating this section on a regular basis with answers to any questions that we receive from individuals as and when they come through, for the benefit of all.