Vacancies

Join us

We believe that people are our most valuable asset. We are focussed on staff development; it is important to us to nurture expertise, talent and passion within the staff team.

What we are looking for

We are looking for people who share our commitment to fair and just trade; people who can help us to achieve our vision and mission.

Work life balance

The work life balance of staff is of upmost importance to us. We operate a hybrid policy which aims to provide employees the flexibility to effectively manage their work and personal commitments. We also offer benefits packages such as a Life Assurance scheme and an attractive 9% pension contribution, which is applied regardless of staff contributions.

Equality and diversity

We believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to the development of policies and procedures to promote equal opportunities in employment, personnel practices and any services for which we are responsible.

Please find below a list of our current vacancies.

Head of Membership Engagement

Based in Newcastle upon Tyne within the UK

Head of Membership Engagement

We have an exciting opportunity to join Shared Interest, as a member of the senior management team, you will lead on the investment growth strategy, ensuring Share Capital is maintained at a level to fulfil the Society’s lending commitments. You will lead the Member Engagement Team, providing excellent customer service to existing and new investors/donors.

Shared Interest is a UK based co-operative that lends to fair trade businesses in the developing world. We use the investments of our members to make loans to organisations of farmers and craftspeople as well as some fair-trade buyers

Responsibilities Include:

Develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive strategies to drive membership growth and investment across Sterling, Euro, and USD
Organise and ensure maximum member participation, engagement and satisfaction during the year in mailings, events and the Annual General Meeting through clear communication and effective voting systems
Lead on the development and management of member online portal and CRM system to manage and maximise member engagement and meet governance obligations
Implement robust processes, procedures and metrics to ensure MET provides excellent customer service for existing and potential members and donors in line with relevant legislation and ensure all communication materials comply with our Rules
Direct marketing and communications strategy across Society and Foundation to maximise ROI, ensuring investment levels are both developed and maintained, to fulfil our mission
Establish and maintain brand consistency across all touchpoints while developing engaging multilingual content for digital platforms
Build and nurture strategic partnerships with media and key stakeholders to enhance visibility
Lead content strategy across all social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and website to drive engagement and growth
Develop and implement metrics to measure the effectiveness of all marketing and communication initiatives
Contribute to the strategic direction of the Society and the Foundation as a member of the Senior Team.

About You:

You will be a strong communicator, able to speak confidently with internal and external senior stakeholders at all levels, able to build strong working relationships.
You will have a proven track record of developing and implementing multi-channel communication strategies with measurable lead generation outcomes.
You can demonstrate how you have previously delivered and maximised the impact of content, planning and digital engagement.
The ability to work manage your workload and work to tight timeframes is essential, as well as being able to problem solve and take calm, and accurate action to ensure effective resolutions.
Ideally you understand the membership business model and member engagement strategies, also experience of investment management and growth strategies, would be preferrable.
You will have strong social motivation – commitment to, and empathy with, the aims, objectives and values of Shared Interest.

About Us:

We believe that people are our most valuable asset. We are focussed on colleague development; it is important to us to nurture expertise, talent and passion within the colleague team.

What do you get in return? As well as receiving a competitive annual salary including additional benefits which include,

Pension scheme (up to 9% employer contribution)
Annual pay reviews
Life assurance (3x salary) and income protection
Access to a range of high street and online discounts
Work/Life Balance – Flexible approach to the working day
A 37.5-hour weekly contract
25 days’ annual leave + bank holidays (rises to 30 with length of service)
Hybrid working (3 days’ home based, 2 days based in our Newcastle office)
Above statutory family leave entitlement
Health and Wellbeing
Access to Aviva Digi Care

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and carry out a fair and transparent process. Recognising there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to recruitment, we’re committed to ensuring every candidate has the opportunity to showcase their full potential throughout the recruitment process. We strive to make our processes as accessible as possible, if there are any ways in which we can provide support or make adjustments, we would love to discuss this with you.

Full Job Description
Please apply with an up-to-date CV to recruitment@shared-interest.com by Monday 6th October 2025

Grants and Trusts Fundraiser

Based in Newcastle upon Tyne within the UK

Grants and Trusts Fundraiser

We have a unique and exciting opportunity to join the Shared Interest Foundation team, we are continuing to expand our reach and enhance our impact and are now seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual

Shared Interest Foundation is a dynamic and mission-driven charity dedicated to the development of sustainable enterprises, empowering women and youth, and building climate resilience in remote communities within Africa and Latin America.

You will support our fundraising efforts by researching and preparing funding applications to secure grants from a range of trusts, foundations, and grant-making bodies. We are looking for someone with experience working in international development who is keen to learn and develop a career in fundraising.

Responsibilities Include:

Contribute to the fundraising strategy by researching potential trusts and grants to identify new opportunities.
Draft and prepare funding applications and cases for support.
Assist in managing existing relationships with trusts and foundations.
Research new funding opportunities and proactively identify potential new grant-making bodies.
Work with the Foundation's team to gather information and develop project ideas for funding applications.
Maintain accurate records of applications and outcomes.

About You:

You will be a strong communicator, able to speak confidently with internal and external senior stakeholders at all levels, able to build strong working relationships.
The ability to work manage your workload and work to tight timeframes is essential, as well as being able to problem solve and take calm, and accurate action to ensure effective resolutions.
You will be able to produce detailed reports and fundraising applications, which reflect financial literacy that will be used internally and external to influence decision making.
You will have strong social motivation – commitment to, and empathy with, the aims, objectives and values of Shared Interest.

About Us:

We believe that people are our most valuable asset. We are focussed on colleague development; it is important to us to nurture expertise, talent and passion within the colleague team.

What do you get in return? As well as receiving a competitive annual salary including additional benefits which include,

Pension scheme (up to 9% employer contribution)
Annual pay reviews
Life assurance (3x salary) and income protection
Access to a range of high street and online discounts
Work/Life Balance – Flexible approach to the working day
A 37.5-hour weekly contract
25 days’ annual leave + bank holidays (rises to 30 with length of service)
Hybrid working (3 days’ home based, 2 days based in our Newcastle office)
Above statutory family leave entitlement
Health and Wellbeing
Access to Aviva Digi Care

Full Job Description
Please apply with an up-to-date CV to recruitment@shared-interest.com by Monday 6th October 2025

Volunteer Ambassador

Flexible location within the UK

About our Ambassadors

Our network of Ambassadors represent Shared Interest in their local area. They inspire others to support us and invest by seeking opportunities to increase awareness of Shared Interest such as delivering talks and running information stalls. Supporting, and supported by, our Member Engagement Team, Ambassadors contribute their knowledge and passion to enable us to reach potential investors.

About the role

This volunteer home-based role is for UK residents only and carried out within your local area. You will receive remote support from a dedicated staff member. Email, phone and online video communication will be required. The role is ongoing and the time commitment depends on your capacity to generate opportunities. We are looking for volunteers who would aim to fulfil four or more activities per year.

You will have the opportunity to utilise and develop your networking and communication skills and you will be helping us raise even more investment so we can enable disadvantaged communities to trade their way out of poverty.

‘Being an Ambassador is rewarding in that not only is the cause worthy but the message is almost always received with courtesy and intrigue’

~ Feedback from one of our Ambassadors

We would love to hear from you if you:

Are pro-active and self-motivated
Have existing networks locally and strong research skills to build on these
Are an effective and confident communicator with a variety of audiences
Feel confident at public speaking and are comfortable presenting to audience
Can inspire others and have good people skills
Have empathy with the mission and values of Shared Interest
Can confidently use email and are computer literate (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, online video tools i.e. Zoom)

We will support you with the following:

Orientation and Induction training
Ongoing support with a staff contact
Volunteer e-newsletter and other communications
Opportunity to network with other volunteers including occasional meet up events
Materials and resources to support you in your role including out of pocket expenses

For more information, visit: www.shared-interest.com/get-involved
Apply now by emailing: volunteers@shared-interest.com