Families Employment Specialist (12 months Maternity Cover)

Job Title: Families Employment Specialist - Maternity Cover

Location: Home-based with regular travel

Salary: £32,208

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week (part time or flexible working options considered)

Contract: 12 months fixed term with possibility of extension

Would you like to be inspired every day in a highly rewarding role? Whether it's the family members we support, your colleagues or the other services that we collaborate with, you will be working with an exceptional group of people. The successful candidate will be helping the families and carers of veterans with health conditions to gain and retain employment and develop their careers.

Launched two years ago with pilot funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund this service has expanded with additional funding secured until 2027.

We are looking for people who place importance in values such as empathy, collaboration and adaptability and are especially interested in applicants who have lived-experience within the armed forces community as a spouse or family member.

We believe in second chances and the transformative power of compassionate care. We are committed to providing comprehensive support to all individuals, regardless of their criminal record or background.

This role will be home-based with all necessary IT equipment provided therefore applicants will need an appropriate space to work at home. The families services is delivered mainly online with flexibility required for occasional evening / weekend working to meet the needs of the families we support.

Regular travel will be required to attend events and visit partners to spread the word about the service and build referral pathways nationwide. There will be occasional travel required for national team meetings in Richmond. These currently take place 3 times a year and require an overnight stay. There will also be periodic in-person meetings with colleagues which can take place at a convenient location locally.

What do we need from you?

• Lived experience of being a family member of serving military or veterans.
• Empathetic and effective communicator: You will be comfortable building rapport and trust with people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• A collaborative mindset: You will enjoy working as part of a team with colleagues based across the UK who support each other in what can sometimes be a challenging role. You will also work closely with many other organisations for the benefit of the veterans you will be supporting.
• Motivation and commitment: It takes hard work, tenacity and time to help people reach their employment goals. You will sometimes be helping people in challenging circumstances who need intensive support to move forwards.
• Adaptability: This is hugely varied role and no two days are the same. You will often need to balance competing priorities or quickly shift focus depending on the needs of the people you will be supporting.
• Experience of and confidence in supporting people with complex challenges such as, health issues, substance use, insecure housing, criminal records, or other barriers to employment.
• You will be an emotionally resilient individual who can effectively navigate challenging circumstances and provide unwavering support to those in need.
• Strong sense of shared purpose with The Poppy Factory's mission and values.

Why should you apply?

• A chance to give back to our armed forces community and make a positive and lasting impact to the lives of veterans and their families.
• Competitive salary and benefits package including generous holiday and pension contributions.
• A welcoming and empowering culture, with regular opportunities for team connecting and shared learning throughout the year.
• Variety in the role, a mix of travelling in your area, home working and occasional visits to the historic Poppy Factory in Richmond, London
• The opportunity to develop the families service and build relationships with employers and other support services that best meet the needs of the people you're supporting.
• Be part of an iconic charity with a 100+ year history

For more insight into the role, read our colleague Emma's account of a 'day in the life' of a Families Employment Specialist.

For further information, including the full job description for the role, please refer to the candidate pack.

How to apply

To apply for this position please prepare your CV and a covering letter clearly outlining how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification as set out above and submit via the online application process. Please address your covering letter to Kirsty Gronow, Services Manager.

For an informal conversation to find out more about this role, please call Kirsty Gronow on 07387 107209.

The closing date for this vacancy will be 1 June 2025. Please note, we cannot accept late or incomplete applications. Only applications submitted through the online process will be considered.

Interviews will take place week commencing 9 June 2025.

No agencies please.

Equality & Diversity

We are committed to equality, valuing diversity, and promoting inclusion within our workforce, including the volunteers who give their time to us. We work to maintain an environment where the needs and aspirations of all employees are met, irrespective of characteristics protected under the legislative framework of the Equality Act 2010. We expect everyone to understand and accept their personal responsibility to recognise and value differences and the unique contributions that people make to the way we deliver our work.

As an equal opportunities employer our commitment is to take positive measures to recruit people from underrepresented groups, and we actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds.

As a Disability Confident employer, we offer a guaranteed interview for any job applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria for the role. Please indicate in your covering letter if you wish to be considered under this scheme. We are also happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process to accommodate disabled candidates.

Additionally, we offer a guaranteed interview to veterans of the UK armed forces or members of the Reservist forces who meet the essential role criteria. Please make it clear in your application if you wish to be considered on this basis. Please note, to be eligible for consideration under this scheme your application must demonstrate that you meet the essential role criteria as set out in the person specification.

We are a family friendly employer and happy to discuss flexible working.

About The Poppy Factory

The Poppy Factory aims to be an exemplar employer. We recognise the impact that working with a challenging cohort can have on our staff, which is why we prioritise work/life balance and support mechanisms including training, supervision and EAP provision.

The Poppy Factory provides competitive terms and conditions of employment, including:

• Opportunity for home-based/hybrid and flexible working
• 28 days' basic leave entitlement per year (including a day in lieu of Armistice Day, and 3 days' Christmas closure), rising to 32 days with long service, plus bank holidays
• Double-matched pension contributions up to 10% employer contribution

The Poppy Factory supports veterans with health conditions into employment through training, wellbeing services and specialist advice.