Co-Director – Strategy, Operations & Growth
Interculture CIC is a Bristol‑based Community Interest Company celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026. Founded by Lisa Whitehouse, its mission is to reduce 'othering' by building transferable allyship skills across all forms of difference – race, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, class, faith, migration status and more.
We work across corporates, public sector, universities, NHS trusts and grassroots community organisations. Our pay‑it‑forward model means that contracts with larger organisations fund free workshops for refugee charities and community groups. We have trained over 1,000 people and built a decade of trusted relationships across Bristol and beyond.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Leadership
* Co‑lead organisational strategy alongside the CEO, contributing to Interculture's 10th anniversary growth plan
* Help develop and implement a sustainability financial strategy
* Represent Interculture externally with corporate clients, funders, statutory bodies and community partners
* Bring business acumen and sector insight
Fundraising & Income Generation
* Lead on identifying and applying for grants from trusts, foundations and public bodies (National Lottery, local authority, NHS, etc.)
* Develop and manage relationships with corporate clients and training commissioners
* Explore and build additional income streams including online learning, licensing and consultancy
* Maintain an overview of the funding landscape and pipeline
Operations & Back Office
* Oversee and improve core operational systems including CRM, project management tools and financial tracking
* Ensure compliance with CIC governance requirements, Companies House filing and reporting obligations
* Manage contracts and partnerships
* Develop and document organisational policies and procedures to support growth
* Leverage AI tools to improve efficiency across operations and communications
Business Development & Partnerships
* Build partnerships with anchor institutions and community organisations across Bristol
* Contribute to proposals, tenders and service design conversations
* Support the development of our online presence, including website and LinkedIn strategy
Person Specification
Essential
* A person of colour (Global Majority) with lived experience of racism (Genuine Occupational Requirement under the Equality Act 2010)
* Based in or with strong connections to Bristol
Experience and Skills
* Experience working across both the corporate/private sector and the voluntary, community or social enterprise sector
* Demonstrable experience of fundraising – grant writing, trust and foundation applications or corporate income generation
* Strong strategic and business development skills, with the ability to identify opportunities and build relationships
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
* Comfortable with financial management at an organisational level – budgeting, forecasting, reporting
* Proficient in or enthusiastic about adopting AI tools as a genuine productivity multiplier
* An interest in and some experience of digital marketing and social media – helping us grow our visibility and reach
* Access to and willingness to actively leverage diverse networks – across marginalised communities, faith groups, business networks and the third sector
* Ability to work with high autonomy and initiative – this is a start‑up environment in many ways
* Understanding of and comfort working with neurodivergent colleagues – you will be working directly with our CEO and her assistant, who are both neurodivergent. We are looking for someone who can embrace different working styles and help us harness each other's strengths
Desirable
* Experience working with or within institutions such as the NHS, housing associations or universities
* Knowledge of the Bristol community and social enterprise landscape
* Experience of social impact measurement and reporting
* Understanding of governance structures for CICs, charities or social enterprises
* Existing connections to networks of people of colour in Bristol's business or third sector communities
* Experience developing online learning or training products
* Digital marketing skills beyond social media – email campaigns, SEO, content strategy
What We Offer
* A genuine Co‑Director title and role – not a coordinator or assistant
* Strategic influence over an organisation with 10 years of hard‑won credibility
* A committed path to paid employment as funding is secured
* Flexible, autonomous working – we trust you
* Access to the NatWest Accelerator Hub in Bristol (office space, mentors, events)
* Access to Interculture's extensive diverse networks – spanning marginalised communities, faith groups, grassroots organisations and business networks across Bristol and beyond
* The opportunity to build on a decade of relationships with clients including Bristol City Council and other local councils, housing associations, universities, NHS trusts and community organisations
* All training is bespoke – you will be part of an organisation known for quality and genuine co‑design, not off‑the‑shelf packages
* A co‑leadership model where your voice, experience and perspective shapes everything
* Meaningful work that directly reduces harm and builds community
Our Commitment to You
Interculture was founded on the principle that the people most affected by injustice should be at the centre of the work to address it. This role exists because we mean that – not as a statement but as an organisational structure.
We are a Disability Confident employer. We welcome applications from people with intersectional identities. We particularly encourage applications from people with experience of migration, asylum, or refugee status; disabled and/or neurodivergent people; and people from working class backgrounds.
At Interculture, we encourage everyone in our team to be unapologetically themselves. We mean that – not as a line in a document, but as how we actually work.
We are committed to making our process accessible. Please tell us what you need.
Genuine Occupational Requirement: Being a person of colour is a Genuine Occupational Requirement for this role under the Equality Act 2010. Co‑leadership with lived experience of racialisation is central to Interculture's model and methodology; it is not a preference, it is structural.
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