Vacancy at Make-A-Wish UK
About the Role
Location & Contract: This is a full-time, 12 month FTC role. The role is hybrid working, with travel required to our Reading hub at least twice per week.
As well as travel to wish events across the UK, at the organisation’s expense, is required frequently throughout the year, with overnight stays included, where necessary.
Closing Date: Tuesday 22nd July 2025, 12:00 pm
We may close this role sooner than the closing date advertised if we receive a significant number of applications.
A Wishgranter is responsible (collectively and individually) for facilitating and delivering wishes, ensuring that each wish experience is unique to the child/young person, creating magical experiences for them to cherish. A Wishgranter is responsible for facilitating and managing a large network of relationships such as the wish child and their family, volunteers, medical professionals, partners, and suppliers. As each wish is unique, accurate record keeping, data privacy, safeguarding and budget management are essential for every wish.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and oversee a caseload of 120+ wishes, per annum, ensuring wishes are moved through the journey in line with Wishgranting service level agreements.
- Liaise directly with volunteers, suppliers, and wish families to gather requirements and develop detailed event plans to facilitate bespoke wish experiences.
- Lead in-depth telephone conversations with wish families regarding their health, well-being, and complex medical needs to ensure we deliver a wish event that caters for all.
- Ensure detailed risk assessments are completed and recorded for every wish.
- Coordinate all logistical aspects of the wish events, including transportation, accommodations, and medical equipment.
- Identify and liaise with vendors, suppliers and contractors for catering, décor, and other event services.
- Empower and involve our volunteers to facilitate and grant wishes within their own communities, whilst maintaining the standards and service level agreements set out in our wish processes/manuals.
- Create volunteer requests for assistance on wishes and provide support to our community of volunteers to build anticipation for the child throughout the design stage of the wish journey.
- Manage and oversee an annual budget of £240,000+ ensuring funds are allocated effectively to support the delivery of 120+ wishes.
- Follow the wish manuals for budget guidance. Take responsibility for ensuring budgets are created and wish budget records are accurate to identify potential overspends and react accordingly.
Essential Criteria:
- A minimum of 1-2 years’ experience in roles with customer service or events management specialisms.
- Experience in creating, managing, and monitoring budgets with an overall value of £250k+
- Developed knowledge and experience working with children or families with complex medical needs.
- Experience carrying out detailed administrative duties in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
- High level of IT skills particularly in MS Office Suite
- Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to prioritise an ever-changing workload.
- The ability to communicate effectively (written and verbal)
- Experience working with suppliers and negotiating the best price for services
Desirable Criteria
- Maintain a professional, caring, friendly and helpful manner whilst dealing with wish children, their families, volunteers, suppliers as well as other stakeholders
- Have a high level of emotional intelligence including the ability to show empathy to various stakeholders.
- Strong empathy with wish families understanding that each child is an individual and has unique needs
- The ability to be able to build strong relationships
- Be creative and use initiative
- Maintain high levels of attention to detail
- Punctual and reliable
- Friendly, courteous, and professional
- Be motivated to always support the charity and its objectives
At Make-A-Wish, we believe that agile working gives everyone an opportunity to have their own work pattern that suits their role and individual needs. We believe this is the most effective way to give our best to wish children and supporters, and as a result deliver our charitable mission in the most effective way; whilst ensuring we create a happy workplace.
To apply for this role:
To apply for this role you must submit both your CV and Cover Letter, ensuring all questions below are answered in full.
General Questions
1) Can you confirm if you are eligible to work in the UK?
2) Will you require any reasonable adjustment during the selection stages?
3) When are you available to start this role?
4) Can you commute to the Reading office twice a week?
Assessed Questions
1) Thinking about the context of the job description, how would you demonstrate our values of magic, inclusion and inspiration in a meaningful way in this role?
2) What interests you about the role of a Wishgranter?
If you have any queries, please contact jobs@makeawish.org.uk.
- Competitive salaries
- 26 days annual leave with the option to buy/sell annual leave
- An additional day's leave on your birthday
- Birthday and work anniversary recognition gifts
- Flexible working arrangements
- Access to a pension scheme with 4% employer contributions
- Two days of additional paid leave a year to volunteer
- Access to wellbeing support, training and events, including a wellbeing and retail discount platform, Mental Health First Aiders and occupational health
- Enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees
- Cycle to work initiative
Right now over 134,000 children in the UK are eligible for a wish because they are dealing with the gruelling daily reality of life with a critical illness. When it comes to their dreams, they deserve to wish for more than a life defined by their illness. We are granting a record number of wishes yet we face an urgent challenge. The demand for wishes is far outpacing our best efforts to keep up, so it’s taking longer than ever to grant once-in-a-lifetime wishes. But the heart-breaking reality is that many families simply can’t wait this long.
In recent years, Make-A-Wish UK have led the way in establishing an evidence base for the power of wishes. We now know what we have always believed. A child’s wish can have a profoundly positive impact on their lives and the lives of people around them. It can change the child’s perception of what is possible, provide hope for the future and a lifetime of happy memories.
These are not just jobs. Being part of Make-A-Wish UK doesn’t just change the life of the child. It changes everyone who has the good fortune to be part of this wonderful organisation. It can be very emotional. It can sometimes be quite upsetting. However, above all else it is an incredibly uplifting and joyful place to be.
| Title | File |
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| Wishgranter JD | Wishgranter_-_2025_JD.pdf |