Job title: Navigator
Hours: 37.5 hours per week full time (part time or flexible working options available)
Location: Birmingham/Midlands
Contract: Two years fixed term (with possibility of extension)
At The Poppy Factory, we believe that everyone who has served our country deserves the opportunity to build a fulfilling life beyond the armed forces. For over a century, we have stood alongside veterans and their families, evolving our services to support veterans and adult family members to overcome barriers to employment and transform their lives.
We are now seeking a passionate and person-centred Navigator to join our team. This is a role for someone who believes in potential, not limitations – someone who can walk alongside clients with empathy and determination, empowering them to take ownership of their employment journey.
As a Navigator, you will support veterans furthest from employment to engage in meaningful activity and take gradual steps towards work. This non-clinical role focuses on helping veterans with mental or physical health challenges overcome barriers affecting their lives, improve wellbeing and reduce social isolation.
Clients of the service may present with issues around housing, accessing relevant health care services, substance misuse, education and training, financial concerns, and benefits, amongst others. Using coaching, mentoring and strengths-based approaches, you will help individuals identify their goals, build resilience and move confidently towards lasting employment outcomes.
Collaboration is at the heart of this role. You will develop strong partnerships with regional organisations to generate referrals and address wider barriers such as mental health, housing or addiction, and share best practice with your colleagues in the team.
With a strong understanding of local labour markets and safeguarding practices, you’ll maintain high-quality case records, contribute to continuous improvement, and actively participate in team development. Adaptability, initiative and resilience are key, as we respond to the evolving needs of our clients and the communities we serve.
For more insight into the role, view our video highlighting how the Navigator service works and read our colleague Paul’s account of a day in the life of a Navigator.
For further information, including the full job description for the role, please refer to the candidate pack
How to apply
To apply for this position please click "Apply for this job" to submit your CV and a covering letter outlining how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification. You may address your covering letter to Keiron Coombs, Services Manager.
For an informal conversation to find out more about this role, please contact Keiron Coombs on keironc@poppyfactory.org.
The closing date for this vacancy will be 12 July 2026. Please note, we cannot accept late or incomplete applications. Only applications submitted through the online process will be considered.
First stage interviews are expected to take place on 17 July, with second stage interviews scheduled for 23-24 July.
No agencies please.
The successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to equality, valuing diversity and promoting inclusion within our workforce. As an equal opportunities employer our commitment is to take positive measures to recruit people from underrepresented groups, and we actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and LGBT+ candidates as these groups are currently under-represented in our organisation.
As a Disability Confident employer, we offer a guaranteed interview for any job applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria for the role. Please indicate in your covering letter if you wish to be considered under this scheme. We are also happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process to accommodate disabled candidates.
We are a family friendly employer and happy to discuss flexible working.
About The Poppy Factory
The Poppy Factory aims to be an exemplar employer. We recognise the impact that working with a challenging cohort can have on our staff, which is why we prioritise work/life balance and support mechanisms including training, supervision and EAP provision.
The Poppy Factory provides competitive terms and conditions of employment, including:
- Opportunity for home-based/hybrid and flexible working
- 28 days’ basic annual leave per year (including a day in lieu of Armistice Day, and 3 days’ Christmas closure), rising to 32 days with long service, plus bank holidays
- Double-matched pension contributions up to 10% employer contribution, rising to 14% after 5 years.
- Variety in the role, a mix of travelling in your area, home working and occasional visits to the historic Poppy Factory in Richmond, London.
- The opportunity to develop your region and build relationships with employers and other support services that best meet the needs of the people you’re supporting.