Overview of Charity Sector Jobs in Leeds

Insights into Recruitment Trends and Job Types

Recent data collected over six months by WorkInCharities offers an overview of recruitment patterns within the Leeds charity sector. The information, focusing on larger and recurring employers, highlights the range of roles and organisations actively hiring in the city.

Scope of Data and Key Employers

After refining the dataset, 1,043 job listings were identified across 154 organisations in Leeds. It is important to note that the data primarily represents charities of a certain size, and smaller local charities may not be fully captured.

The largest recruiters included Leeds University Union, Aquarius Action Projects, Nuffield Health, St Anne’s Community Services, and The Bridge Project. These top ten organisations accounted for 424 jobs, representing 40.7% of all listings. The top twenty organisations offered 606 jobs, or 58.1% of the total. This concentration suggests that a relatively small number of organisations are responsible for a significant share of visible vacancies.

Diversity of Roles and Organisation Sizes

While large organisations dominate the number of vacancies, there is also a long tail of smaller employers. Within the dataset, 56 organisations advertised only one job, and 99 had fewer than five vacancies. This indicates opportunities exist beyond the major recruiters, particularly for those seeking specialised or local roles.

Cause Areas and Job Types

The data reveals that education and training are prominent cause areas, with approximately 67% of hiring organisations classified under these categories. Other significant areas include:

• Health (36%)
• Disability (31%)
• Poverty relief (28%)
• Economic or community development (25%)

Leeds also shows a higher share of jobs in equality and diversity, animal charities, sport and recreation, religious activities, and community development compared to national averages.

Job titles commonly feature frontline and service-related roles such as support workers, recovery practitioners, nurses, coordinators, service managers, and retail positions. Around one-third of roles include terms related to support, care, clinical work, recovery, or advocacy. Management and administrative roles are also prevalent, reflecting a mix of frontline delivery and back-office functions.

Salary Information

The median advertised maximum salary across organisations is approximately £30,900, with many salaries clustering between the high £20,000s and mid £30,000s. However, given the variety of roles included—from support and retail to specialist and management positions—this figure should be interpreted cautiously. Salary analysis is more meaningful when considered by specific job types rather than an overall average.

Considerations for Jobseekers

The findings suggest two key patterns within the Leeds charity job market:

• A concentrated group of large organisations with recurring recruitment
• A broader base of smaller organisations advertising fewer roles

For those seeking employment in the sector, it is advisable to monitor major employers while also exploring opportunities with smaller or specialised charities, where less visible vacancies may arise.

Notes on Data Limitations

• Cause area classifications are not mutually exclusive; charities may be listed under multiple categories.
• The dataset includes organisations above a minimum size threshold, so very small local charities may be underrepresented.

Overall, the data presents Leeds as a sizeable and varied charity employment market with diverse opportunities across multiple sectors.

Source: Doing Good Leeds