Application Pack Embrace. Empower. Educate. Role: Hours: Salary: Reports to: Support Officer Full Time (32 hours per week) £26k to £28k Operations Manager We are committed to ensuring an accessible and inclusive recruitment process. If you would prefer to apply using an alternative format - such as a video application or another method that better suits your needs, please contact recruit@mermaidsuk.org.uk. We will be happy to support you and make suitable adjustments. Mermaidsuk.org.uk Recruitment enquiries: recruit@mermaidsuk.org.uk This job description is in Arial size 12 font. Should you require this description to be sent in a larger size or read out to you, please contact 0800 801 0400 or email info@mermaidsuk.org 1 Contents Page Item 3 4 5 7 9 10 A little bit about us... Message from the CEO Role Profile Person Specification Key Terms The Selection Process 2 A little bit about us… ‘We use ‘trans’ as an umbrella term for people that are binary trans, non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, agender or of other non-cisgender genders, including those of non-Western origin.’ The Charity Mermaids has been supporting trans children, young people, and their families since 1995. Mermaids has evolved into one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charities, empowering thousands of people with its secure online communities, local community groups, helpline services, web resources, events, training, policy and stakeholder engagement and residential weekends. We also seek to educate and inform wider society on gender identity by helping professionals accommodate and reassure gender diverse young people. Over the years, we’ve seen many changes in the language and understanding surrounding gender issues, but one thing remains the same: trans children deserve the freedom and confidence to explore their gender identity wherever their journey takes them, free from fear, isolation and discrimination. What You Can Expect In supporting our mission to create lasting, positive change for trans people, now and for generations to come, you will receive our full support to thrive in your role. This includes comprehensive training, opportunities for professional development, a contributory pension, generous holiday entitlement, access to external supervision, and a range of additional benefits. 3 Message from the CEO Thank you for your interest in the role of Support Officer with Mermaids. This is a truly exciting time to join the charity; there’s no other organisation like Mermaids. Whatever you do here you will be supporting our work to achieve our mission and make positive change for transgender, non-binary, gender diverse children and young people for generations to come. Given the challenges facing young transgender people on numerous fronts, it is more important than ever for the charity to step up. If you want to be involved in one of the most significant civil rights movements of our time, then this is where you need to be. This role will be central to ensuring the organisation can continue delivering exceptional, high-quality services efficiently and sustainably. Reporting to the Operations Manager, the Support Officer will provide vital operational, administrative, and coordination support that enables frontline teams to focus on delivering impact to the communities we serve. I joined the organisation as Chief Executive Officer in November 2025, bringing with me a long-standing commitment to youth advocacy and inclusive leadership. Supporting trans, non-binary and gender-diverse young people is central to my work. Throughout my career, I have championed policies that promote safety, dignity and equal access to opportunities, and I continue to listen closely to the communities we serve to ensure their experiences guide our direction. I am dedicated to fostering a culture of respect, belonging, and meaningful change for all young people. If you have the passion and drive to help us achieve our vision. I look forward to hearing from you and, hopefully, joining us soon. Yours, Jo Hardy CEO 4 Role Profile Support Officer The young people, children and families that we support are at the heart of everything we do at Mermaids. We have ambitions to expand the work that we do and to achieve that we need a highly effective and experienced Support Officer to increase organisational capacity by taking on essential support functions that free up specialist staff to focus on direct service delivery. Mermaids is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from those with lived experiences (directly or indirectly) and/or close ties to the LGBTQ+ community. We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to join us and shape what we do. We are particularly keen to receive applications from BPOC (black and people of colour) and/or disabled and trans candidates. Key Objectives The Support Officer’s key objective is to enable Mermaids to deliver exceptional, high- quality services by providing effective operational, administrative and coordination support. Working closely with the Operations Manager and across the Communities, Youth, Support Line and Training teams, the role will ensure smooth day-to-day operations, strong communication, accurate systems and consistent quality standards. By increasing organisational capacity and supporting continuous improvement, the Support Officer will allow frontline teams to focus on what matters most; delivering positive impact for the people and communities we serve. Key Responsibilities ● Enable high-quality service delivery – provide practical, responsive support to our Operations/Volunteers, Communities, Youth, Support Line and Training teams so that they can focus on delivering exceptional services to those we support. ● Support effective operations – ensure the smooth running of key day-to-day operations by providing high-quality administrative support to the Operations 5 Manager and wider team. ● Maintain accurate systems and records - ensure our systems, databases and records are kept up to date, accurate and compliant. ● Support quality, compliance and governance – assist with maintaining policies, procedures and documentation to ensure services meet internal and external requirements. ● Contribute to continuous improvement – identify opportunities to improve processes, systems and ways of working, supporting service development across teams. ● Enhance organisational capacity – increase team capacity by managing essential support tasks, enabling service leads to prioritise frontline work. ● Provide reliable and professional support – be a trusted, collaborative, approachable and dependable source of support for colleagues, contributing to a positive, values led culture. General Responsibilities ● Maintain good working relationships with all staff members, volunteers, and stakeholders. ● Manage own time effectively and ensure attention to detail at all times. ● Conduct the duties of the job description in accordance with the operational policies of Mermaids, including, but not limited to, the confidentiality and code of conduct policies. ● Adhere to all Mermaids policies and procedures. ● Undertake any other reasonable duties as may be required such as attending events and residential weekends when requested. 6 Person Specification Support Officer You should be able to demonstrate that you meet the following criteria: Measured by: E = Essential D = Desirable A = Application Form I = Interview KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & RELEVANT EXPERIENCE E E E E Experience providing administrative, operational and coordination support across multiple teams. Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively. Excellent communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively across different teams. Confident using systems and databases such as SharePoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Forms and Communication Platforms such as Slack. D Experience with use of Eventbrite and Charitylog. E E Ability to maintain accurate records and handle information sensitively and confidentially. Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to working in a values led organisation. A/I A/I A/I A/I A A A/I 7 E Proactive, reliable and well-organised, with strong attention to detail. D Experience working in a not for profit organisation. I A E Able to work independently as well as part of a team. A/I D Experience supporting volunteer coordination particularly in relation to volunteer recruitment. A/I 8 Key terms Place of Work: We operate as a fully remote organisation; this role is home-based with occasional travel for in-person meetings. Contract Type: Subject to 6 months’ probation, this is a full time permanent position, 32 hours per week, 4 days a week. We are happy to discuss and explore flexible options and job share opportunities. Salary: £26k to £28k depending on experience. Annual Leave: The full-time core holiday entitlement is 26.5 working days. Pension: Mermaids will contribute 6% of salary to the Mermaids pension scheme, 2% will be automatically taken from your salary as the employee contribution unless you choose to opt out. Benefits: All staff members receive the following benefits: • 4-day week (32 hours) • Remote working • Increased annual leave based on length of service (an additional 1 day per year up to a maximum of 4 days) • Bank holiday flexibility (can be worked if preferred) • Christmas closure • Birthday leave • Access to a GP 24/7, an employee assistance programme and external supervisors • Health cash plan (the ability to claim back medical and dental costs) Probation & notice: The post is subject to a six-month probationary period. During this period, you will be entitled to receive, and are required to give, at least one weeks’ notice of termination, which must be in writing. After successful completion of your probationary period you are entitled to receive, and are required to give, one months’ notice of termination, which must be in writing. 9 The selection process How to apply Send your completed application form and CV to recruit@mermaidsuk.org.uk with Support Officer in the subject title. Please include hyperlinks in the letter to relevant material and add all social media accounts to the body of the email. Deadline for applications: The final day for applications to be sent to us is 9pm Monday 12th January 2026. Please note that the charity reserves the right to offer the position to an individual before the deadline has lapsed, so we would recommend that you do not wait for the deadline to apply if you are interested in this role. Interview dates: Week commencing 19th January 2026. Start date for the role: subject to when you can start. Due to the high volume of applications that Mermaids receives per position we are unable to provide feedback on individual applications or answer questions from applicants. If applicants have not been contacted by 26th January 2026 then they should assume their application has not been successful on this occasion. Safeguarding Mermaids is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and this is a responsibility that is shared by all members of staff and volunteers across the Charity. The successful candidate will be subject to reference requests, safer recruitment checks and will be required to pass a Basic or an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (criminal records) check. Data Collection and Protection We treat personal data collected during the recruitment process in accordance with Data Protection legislation. 10