Head of Partnerships and Programmes

Design in Mental Health Network

Hours
21 hours per week

About the Organisation

Design in Mental Health Network (DiMHN) is a UK-based charity dedicated to improving mental health outcomes through better design. Since 2006, DiMHN has convened a cross-sector community spanning mental healthcare, design, research, industry, and people with lived experience. Together, this community works to shape safer, more therapeutic environments that support better mental health outcomes.

We achieve this by sharing best practices, promoting inclusive approaches, and disseminating evidence-based research to inform the design of mental health environments. Rooted in lived experience and real-world evidence, our work raises awareness of how good design can improve mental wellbeing.

About the role

We are looking for a strategic and entrepreneurial Head of Partnerships & Programmes to lead the development and delivery of DiMHN’s programmes, partnerships, membership growth, and income generation. This is a senior role at the intersection of mental health, design, research, and industry. It requires someone who can build trusted relationships across sectors, develop and secure sustainable income, and turn strategic opportunities into high-quality programmes and measurable impact.

The postholder will:

• Develop, lead, and manage commercial and strategic partnerships
• Lead the strategic development, delivery, implementation, and evaluation of all programmes of work
• Drive membership growth and engagement across both commercial and sector stakeholders
• Embed robust monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems
• Drive sustainable income generation through a mix of commercial partnerships, membership growth, and charitable funding

Responsibilities

Design & Delivery:

• Lead the strategic design, delivery, and evaluation of programmes across research/education, partnerships, membership, and events.
• Identify and secure opportunities for programmes and workstream growth, including expansion into new geographic or thematic areas.
• Develop robust business cases for new initiatives, including financial modelling, risk assessment, and resource planning.
• Oversee programme budgets, ensuring effective financial management, value for money, and alignment with organisational priorities.
• Design and implement proportionate monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks to measure impact and inform continuous improvement.

Strategic & Commercial Partnerships:

• Identify, evaluate, and pursue new commercial and strategic partnership opportunities aligned with DiMHN’s purpose and income targets.
• Develop and implement a partnership approach that supports income growth, sector influence, and member value.
• Draft and oversee partnership agreements, contributing to business case development and financial modelling where required.
• Assess and shape appropriate partnership models, balancing commercial opportunity with governance, ethical, and reputational considerations.
• Represent DiMHN at high-level meetings, negotiations, and sector events.
• Monitor partnership performance, KPIs, and contractual delivery, reporting regularly to the CEO and Board.

Membership Growth & Engagement:

• Develop and execute strategies to attract new members across NHS/HSE independent providers, industry academia, design, and lived experience communities.
• Enhance the value of membership by delivering clear benefits, structured engagement opportunities, and a high-quality member experience.
• Work closely with marketing and conference delivery to align membership growth with wider sector engagement activity.
• Use data and insight to continuously refine and strengthen the membership offer and demonstrate value.

Impact, Performance & Learning

• Develop and embed operational policies, systems, and processes that strengthen delivery and organisational resilience.
• Establish and maintain clear performance reporting and impact measurement frameworks across programmes, partnerships, and membership.
• Identify and implement appropriate AI-enabled approaches to enhance delivery, operational efficiency, and performance insight, ensuring responsible use.
• Embed lived experience learning across programmes of work.
• Strategically develop and maximise the contribution of DiMHN’s volunteer, lived experience community and associates, leveraging their expertise and networks through regular engagement, and roles across delivery.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Knowledge & Experience Essential:

• Demonstrable experience developing and securing income through partnerships, sponsorship, membership, and a range of charitable funding.
• Experience designing, developing, and delivering programmes or initiatives involving multiple sectors and geographical stakeholders.
• Experience developing and managing commercial partnerships, including identifying opportunities, negotiating agreements, and maintaining long-term relationships.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with diverse stakeholders across sectors, including industry, research, public sector, and community partners.
• Experience working in multi-sector stakeholder environments such as health, design, research, industry, or membership organisations.
• Experience implementing monitoring, evaluation, and learning approaches to demonstrate impact and improve delivery.
• Experience developing business cases or new initiatives, including assessing opportunities, risks, and resource requirements.
• Experience overseeing programme budgets, financial performance, and reporting against organisational objectives or KPIs.
• Strong organisational and programme management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality work to deadlines.

Desirable:

• Experience growing and engaging professional networks, memberships, and cross-sector communities.
• Interest in how digital tools and emerging technologies, including AI, can support programme delivery and organisational effectiveness.
• Knowledge of the mental health, healthcare, design, or built environment sectors.

Personal Attributes:

• Passionate about improving mental health outcomes and interested in how design can improve people’s lives.
• Collaborative and empathetic, with the ability to engage diverse perspectives.
• Creative and entrepreneurial mindset, able to translate opportunities into impact and income.
• Resilient and adaptable, comfortable working in a fast-moving, changing environment.
• Strong judgment and diplomacy when navigating partnerships and stakeholder relationships.
• Highly self-motivated with a proactive approach and strong attention to detail.
• Willing and able to travel across the UK and beyond

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual leave: 28 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• In-person meetings with partners and members will be expected to build strong working relationships.

Working locations

• Remote (UK-based) with some national and international travel

How to apply

• To apply for this role, please submit the following:
• Your CV, setting out your career history, qualifications, and relevant experience/skills to the role in relation to this job description and person specification outlined in the candidate pack.
• A covering letter that includes:
  • Responses to the three questions on the following page.
  • The contact details of two references, one of whom should be your most recent employer, where applicable.
• Applications should be sent by email to [email protected] with the subject line "Application - Head of Partnerships & Programmes"
• Covering Letter Questions:
• Please label each answer clearly. Each answer should be no more than 300 words. We are particularly interested in evidence of your personal contribution, decision-making, and measurable outcomes.
  • What is motivating you to apply for the role of Head of Partnerships & Programmes at the Design in Mental Health Network? Please tell us why this role, why DiMHN, and why now.
• Please describe your experience developing and managing commercial and strategic partnerships.
  • Explain your role, the practical steps you took (for example: opportunity identification, negotiation, contracting, governance and performance monitoring), and the concrete outcomes achieved, including any income generated and impact delivered.
• Please describe a programme that you led involving multiple sectors, disciplines or geographies.
  • Explain how you approached the design and delivery of the work, how you managed complexity and competing priorities, how you measured progress and impact, and what outcomes were achieved.
• Use of AI in Applications & Cover Letters: We recognise that candidates may use AI tools when preparing their applications. We are interested in your own experience and judgement, so please ensure that any use of AI still results in answers that clearly reflect your personal contribution, decision-making and outcomes.

Interviews

• First interview Thursday, 18th June, a Teams interview with the CEO and board members
• Second interview on Wednesday, 1st July, in-person interview in Bristol with the CEO and Chair of the Board

Policies

The Design in Mental Health Network is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in both our organisation and our work. We believe that a wider range of backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences strengthens decision-making, deepens insight and improves impact. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented and minoritised groups, including people with lived experience relevant to our purpose.

Upon submitting an application, you will be sent our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. Completing this form is voluntary. This information is collected anonymously, stored separately from your application, and is used solely to help us monitor and improve the inclusivity of our recruitment processes.

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