We're looking for someone who is genuinely good with people, who enjoys being curious and can relate to others’ points of view and who takes the time to really listen. You'll be meeting and working with individuals who care deeply about their communities, so a real motivation to support that kind of commitment matters.
Experience of working within the VCSE sector is useful but transferrable skills are valued too. We are looking for someone who can bring practical skills, knowledge and experience to help support local groups to strengthen and develop their sustainability. Whether that's governance, funding, or other areas of organisational development and training, you'll need to be confident offering guidance that makes a real difference.
You’ll need to be able to proactive in finding solutions and helping others, confident to provide honest professional challenge when necessary (constructive critical friend approaches), as well as able to adapt solutions and approaches to meet individual needs.
The right candidate will be open to growing in the role. We don’t expect candidates to have all the answers and technical knowledge from day one in the role, but they will need to be willing to learn, reflect and develop with the support available to them.
You'll need to be comfortable working in a role that's fast-paced and varied. No two weeks will look the same, and the ability to adapt, stay organised and keep on top of a mixed workload is important. A collaborative and supportive style of working is essential and be willing and able to develop a wide range of relationships and to share information and knowledge with others.
You need to be willing and able to travel around Manchester - though driving ability is not essential as we encourage use of public transport and ’active travel’ (such as walking or cycling)
Salary: £25,573 – £31,174 (Pro-rata)
Hours: 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE) Monday-Friday. Flexible with core hours 10am-3pm
Location: St Thomas Centre but job offers some delivery at local community venues and some working from home flexibility
Contract: Permanent (subject to funding)
Reporting to: Capacity Building Manager
Deadline: 6th July 2026, 12pm
Key responsibilities
The sector: Manchester’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector is made of thousands of organisations and individuals who use their time, skills, creativity and energy to improve the quality of life in the city. Manchester Community Central brings together VCSE organisations from across the city to provide support, encourage collaboration and build the sector’s influence.
Capacity Building: The organisational development worker role is to work with and develop a diverse range of local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations, assessing their needs for group development support. The role entails delivering information, advice, guidance and bespoke support interventions along with peer learning and training as appropriate and through a mixture of in-person and online support delivery
Purpose: To help VCSE groups become stronger, safer, more effective and more sustainable, contributing to improved outcomes for the people of Manchester. Our VCSE strategy takes this as a key feature of Manchester Community Central’s role to support local VCSE organisations to set up, develop and thrive.
Team: The post-holder will be one of three development workers in the team, assisting the Capacity Building Manager in the development and delivery of group development, information, advice and guidance.
How to apply
If you’re excited by this role and believe you can bring to it the skills and passion we’re looking for, we’d love to hear from you! Here’s how our recruitment process works:
On our website is a short application form in which we ask you for some basic details and a few questions about your skills, knowledge and relevant experience. There is also an equalities monitoring form with simple questions and a privacy statement which we ask you to confirm you have read. Once you’ve completed the form, please email it to: michaux@macc.org.uk
What Manchester Community Central offers
At Manchester Community Central, we are committed to being an inclusive and supportive employer. We believe in creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, and we offer:
- Flexible working: We value flexible working and offer options such as adjusted working hours, hybrid or home working. We have office space at our St Thomas Centre base in Ardwick but our approach balances personal choice, building teamwork and the needs of the people we work with.
- Wellbeing support: Our dedicated Health and Wellbeing team works to create a culture that supports everyone’s health and wellbeing at Manchester Community Central. This includes access to confidential, in-house mental health first aiders and regular team social activities. We also offer ‘Re-energise Afternoons’ – monthly sessions where staff can take time away from work to rest and recharge.
- Carers support: We are committed to supporting carers in the workplace, and we offer five days paid carers' leave per year for those with ongoing caring responsibilities, along with other support.
- Menstrual Health and Menopause friendly workplace: We are proud to be Menstruation and Menopause Friendly employers, providing a range of support to help staff to manage symptoms, as well as educating employees on these topics.
- Professional development: Personal Development Plans (PDPs) and dedicated budgets for external training and growth.
- Volunteering leave: Staff are entitled to up to 2 days per year (pro rata) with pay to engage in voluntary activities.
- Active travel incentives: Support for public transport season tickets, a Cycle to Work scheme, and travel expenses for cyclists.
These benefits reflect our commitment to supporting staff while working together to strengthen Manchester's communities.
If you have specific needs or requests (e.g. related to accessibility, caregiving, flexible working, or something else), we encourage you to let us know during the application process.
£25,573 – £31,174 (Pro-rata)
