DEI & Impact Lead

Organisation: parkrun Global Limited
Salary: £50,000 - £65,000
Location: Leeds or Richmond (South West London)
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 18 May 2025
Job Description: About parkrun
parkrun is a health and wellbeing charity and our vision is to create a healthier and happier planet.

Since our conception in 2004, parkrun has evolved into a global social movement with a vibrant and inclusive community at its core. As of 2024, we have recorded over 100-million instances of walking, jogging, running, and volunteering.

Our mission is to transform lives by empowering people to be active, together, outdoors in their local community; and to protect parkrun for the generations to come. Each and every weekend, we deliver free, weekly timed events that people of all ages and backgrounds can join in. By tackling barriers to participation, we encourage communities to come together and embrace regular physical activity.

Now in its 21st year, parkrun spans over 2,600 locations in 21 countries with more than 10 million people registered, and counting.

And we have really only just begun.

Brief role description:
This role exists to drive the growth and impact of parkrun by developing and delivering strategies that increase participation, particularly among those who are currently underrepresented in opportunities to be active, social, and outdoors. The role holder will lead our global DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) strategy and shape our UK health and wellbeing focus areas, ensuring our approach is inclusive, evidence-based, and aligned with our charitable objectives.

Main responsibilities:
Shape and deliver strategic initiatives that diversify participation and maximise the health and wellbeing impact of parkrun in the UK, with a focus on underrepresented communities.
Lead the development and implementation of parkrun’s global DEI strategy and Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), ensuring alignment with organisational goals and values.
Define and oversee parkrun’s UK Health & Wellbeing priorities, including identifying strategic focus areas and developing targeted partnerships and programmes to increase impact.
Embed inclusive practices across parkrun’s workforce and volunteer network, ensuring a diverse, equitable, and welcoming culture for staff, Board members, ambassadors, delivery teams, and event participants.
Provide expert advice and guidance to teams across the organisation (e.g. Communications, Operations, Commercial) to support the effective integration of DEI principles into all aspects of our work.
Design and deliver DEI learning and development opportunities for staff and volunteers, including training, resources, and tailored support.
Launch and support initiatives that enable parkrun events to attract, welcome, and retain participants from diverse and underrepresented groups as identified in our strategy .
Maintain and strengthen parkrun’s strategic relationship with Sport England, including responsibility for reporting on progress against agreed commitments and outcomes.

Expectations of line managers at parkrun:
Will have regular 1:1s with direct reports.
Will set objectives for direct reports / team.
Will provide regular feedback and developmental guidance.
Will plan teams’ workload and availability.
Will play a role in recruitment and selection and work with the People & Culture team to understand the roles required.
Will cascade messages to the team as appropriate.
Will be able to assign responsibilities and authority to the right employees, taking their interests, ambitions, development and competency into account.
Will deliver any disciplinary sanctions in line with our policies and processes.
Will provide support for team members and promote health and wellbeing at work.

Essential experience requirements:
Proven track record of developing and implementing successful DEI and/or outreach strategies.
Strong stakeholder and partnership management skills, with experience of building and sustaining relationships across sectors — particularly in education, sport, physical activity, and health — to deliver shared impact.
Deep understanding of DEI best practice and how to embed inclusive approaches into strategy, operations, and organisational culture.
Experience in designing and delivering targeted outreach programmes that engage underrepresented groups and address barriers to participation & measuring impact of such success through clear qualitative and quantitative indicators?
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to gather, interpret and monitor data, generate insights, and develop evidence-based recommendations for action.
Experience leading consultations, workshops, or focus groups to ensure diverse perspectives are meaningfully heard and acted upon.
Proven ability to manage complex, multi-year projects, including planning, delivery, monitoring, and reporting.
Strong project management capabilities, including experience in coordinating cross-functional teams and tracking progress against strategic objectives.
Confident communicator with experience delivering presentations at meetings, events, and conferences, and acting as a spokesperson on areas of expertise.
Skilled in convening and chairing meetings, and fostering collaborative working across diverse teams and stakeholders.
Ability to influence and engage people throughout the organisation with whom you don't have a direct reporting relationship in order to embed initiatives & gain support across the organisation.

Desirable experience requirements:
Broad and well-established network, alongside demonstrable expertise in the fields of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and/or Health & Wellbeing.
Knowledge of UK legislation, regulation, and best practice related to DEI internationally.
Experience in developing and delivering effective training programmes, ideally in areas relating to DEI or health and wellbeing.
Experience working in an organisation with a large-scale volunteer base, and understanding of the opportunities and challenges this presents.
Experience managing both staff and volunteers, with a flexible and inclusive leadership approach.
Knowledge and understanding of the wider determinants of health and wellbeing, and the positive role of community-based interventions like parkrun.
Familiarity with UK public health policy, priorities and structures, and experience working with relevant partners or stakeholders.
Experience managing relationships with funders, including monitoring, reporting, and alignment with grant or partnership objectives.
Demonstrated cultural intelligence and experience working in multicultural or international environments, with the ability to challenge dominant norms and bring inclusive, globally-informed perspectives that go beyond UK-centric or majority-culture assumptions.

Professional certification requirements:
N/A

Most relevant skills:
Accountability: Will be accountable and pass on accountability for one’s own actions and those of colleagues and the organisation.
Communication: Able to talk and work with people at all levels in a professional and mature manner across the whole parkrun network.
Initiative: Able to be proactive, take initiative and take steps to improve ways of working seeking support where necessary.
Organisation: Able to determine goals and priorities and to accurately assess the actions, time and resources needed to achieve those goals.
Presentation: Able to deliver engaging and informative presentations with excellent public speaking skills.
Priority Management: Able to manage competing priorities with resilience and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
Problem Solving: Able to detect problems, recognise important information and link various data; to trace potential causes and look for relevant details.
Teamwork: Accountable for team and individual responsibilities and deliverables.
Resilience: Demonstrates the ability to remain focused, composed, and effective in the face of challenges, setbacks, or ambiguity and public scrutiny.
Project Management and associated supporting tools.
Able to use a variety of IT systems and tools, such as google workspace.
Demonstrates high levels of discretion and confidentiality.
Demonstrates a growth mindset, with a desire to improve and learn new skills.
How to apply: https://blog.parkrun.com/uk/2025/05/07/join-us-as-dei-impact-lead/