Work With Us

Are you passionate about making a lasting difference in the lives of veterans and their families? If so, join our team and help drive our mission to support veterans with health conditions and other challenges as they transition into meaningful employment and transform their lives.

Whether you would like to join The Poppy Factory as a paid member of staff or as a volunteer in your free time, you will become part of a friendly team of people who are passionate about veterans’ well-being.

Benefits of working at The Poppy Factory

Generous pension scheme
Double-matched contributions up to 10% employer contribution, rising to 14% after 5 years' service.

Annual leave
Enhanced holiday allowance of 27 days per year (including 3 days' Christmas close), plus an additional day in lieu of Remembrance Day, plus bank holidays, plus additional days awarded after 3, 4, 5, and 9 years' service.

Enhanced sick pay
Company sick pay is enhanced up to nine weeks' full pay and nineteen weeks' half pay after two years' service.

Staff social events
2-3 informal staff events throughout the year including team building activities, staff barbecues and Christmas party.

Discount portal
Save on everyday expenses including supermarket shopping, with access to a wide range of discount vouchers and promotions.

Eye care
Up to £25 towards the cost of an eye test and up to £75 towards the cost of spectacles required for screen work.

Travel expenses
If you have to travel for work we will pay mileage/travel costs, subsistence allowance, and other out of pocket expenses.

Training and development
Regular programme of learning and development.

Life Assurance
All staff are automatically enrolled into our group life assurance policy with cover of 3x annual salary.

Reservists' Leave
Members of the Reserve services are entitled to ten days' paid leave to support their Reservist activities.

Employee Assistance Programme
24 hour/365 days confidential service offering a wide range of advice and support including counselling and legal advice.

Our Values

Adaptability: We continue to evolve and build on our achievements in our personal and professional journeys, to innovate and set new standards in our sector.
Collaboration: We accomplish more when we collaborate with our colleagues, external partners and the veteran community, to continue delivering the organisation’s founding vision.
Empowerment: We believe everyone’s individual talents should be recognised and fostered, and that everyone should have the chance to share their ideas and realise their potential.
Sense of Purpose: We champion and contribute to the realisation of the organisation’s mission by taking pride in our work, by being ambassadors for the Poppy Factory and for veterans, and by adding to the bigger picture through research and advocacy.

Current Opportunities

Employment Consultant (Northeast VALOUR)

Home-Based near Durham

Location: Home- and community-based with regular local travel (must be located within 1 hour's commute of Durham)

Salary: £33,174

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week (part time or flexible working options considered)

Contract: 2 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 have been successful in becoming a delivery partner within the national VALOUR initiative, supporting the employment strand of the programme. This enables us to widen our impact for veterans and their families by ensuring individuals are supported into meaningful and sustainable employment, using an approach that is tailored to their specific needs.

We are seeking a passionate and person-centred Employment Consultant to join our team to deliver VALOUR in the Northeast. 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.

You’ll provide tailored information, advice and guidance to help veterans secure meaningful and sustainable work, managing a diverse caseload with care and professionalism. 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, while also building strong relationships with local employers to create real opportunities for your clients, and sharing 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, read our colleague Farrah’s account of a ‘day in the life’ of an Employment Consultant.

For further information, including the full job description for the role, please refer to the candidate pack.

Why The Poppy Factory?

A chance to give back to our armed forces and make a positive and lasting impact to the lives of veterans and their families.
Competitive salary and benefits package including generous holiday and pension contributions.
A welcoming and empowering culture, with regular opportunities for team connecting and shared learning throughout the year.
Variety in the role, a mix of delivering a community-based service in your region, 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.
Be part of an iconic charity with a 100+ year history

How to apply

To apply for this position please prepare your CV and a covering letter clearly outlining how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification as set out above and submit via the online application process. Please address your covering letter to Keiron Coombs, Services Manager.

For an informal conversation to find out more about this role, please call Keiron Coombs on 07876 838983.

Click here to apply for the role of Employment Consultant (Northeast VALOUR)

The closing date for this vacancy will be 2 May 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 8 May 2026, with second stage interviews scheduled for 13 May 2026. Please ensure you are available on these dates, as it's not always possible to reschedule.

No agencies please.

Visitor Centre Volunteers & Cafe Volunteers

Richmond, Surrey

Do you enjoy communicating with people from all walks of life?

Are you looking to gain valuable customer service experience within a national charity?

Join our friendly and passionate volunteer team as we celebrate 100 years of supporting veterans and their families.

Our visitor centre tells the story of The Poppy Factory through 100 years. Visitors learn about the origins of the poppy and Remembrance, hear about the people who have lived and worked at The Poppy Factory, and have go at making their own poppies and wreaths. We often welcome groups such as the Women’s Institute, U3A (University of the Third age), coach tours and military regiments as well as school visits and other youth groups.

Funds raised through our visitor centre go towards the delivery of our Veteran & Family Services, helping veterans with health conditions and family members move towards all kinds of employment, across England and Wales.

We have an opportunity for you to make a significant contribution to the life of our charity by becoming one of our Visitor Centre Volunteers.

Our volunteers support our exhibition Hosts to manage groups of up to 50. As well as providing a warm welcome, volunteers help Hosts bring to life the fascinating story of The Poppy Factory and ensure a positive and informative experience for all our visitors.

Key duties include:

Assisting the Host in welcoming and managing larger visitor groups in a friendly and professional manner
Providing further information about the exhibition and our charity, alongside the Host
Demonstrating wreath and poppy-making and encouraging visitors to have a go
Helping in the gift shop and ensuring the shop is re-stocked after each group leaves
Working alongside veterans with physical and/or mental health challenges

What we offer:

Support from experienced volunteers and the visitor centre team
An induction to The Poppy Factory and your volunteer role
Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
Access to relevant in-house training and development opportunities
Opportunity to be a part of a national charity and help make a real difference to wounded veterans across the UK.

For more information about this volunteer position, please refer to the role profiles:

How to apply

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Dan Hodges on 07496 645 869.

Click here to apply for Visitor Centre Volunteer roles

Applying for a role at The Poppy Factory

We usually post jobs with a fixed closing date, although in exceptional circumstances we may review applications on a rolling basis - this will be clearly stated in the job advert.

All applications will be reviewed together following the closing date, and we will shortlist candidates for interview.

We will often conduct first stage interviews via Microsoft Teams, and this may be followed by a second stage interview in person at a suitable location (either in our Richmond offices, or at meeting rooms locally, for regional roles). Where possible, we'll include anticipated interview dates in the job advert.

We will keep you updated on the status of your application, so even if you are not successful, we'll never leave you hanging. We know you'll be anxious for updates, but please be patient - sometimes we receive large volumes of applications and it can take time to thoroughly review and shortlist, or to make a selection following interview. We will get in touch with the outcome of your application or interview as soon as we have an update for you.

We've compiled some advice to candidates which may be helpful as you prepare your application.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to equality, valuing diversity and promoting inclusion within our workforce, including the volunteers who give their time to us. We work to maintain an environment where the needs and aspirations of all employees are met, irrespective of characteristics protected under the legislative framework of the Equality Act 2010. We expect everyone to understand and accept their personal responsibility to recognise and value differences and the unique contributions that people make to the way we deliver our work. 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.

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.

Please note, to be eligible for consideration under the guaranteed interview scheme your application must demonstrate that you meet the essential role criteria as set out in the person specification.

Applicant Privacy Notice

The exterior of The Poppy Factory visitor centre in Richmond

Who we are

The Poppy Factory supports veterans with health conditions and their families on their journey into employment, helping them overcome any barriers. Each year we help hundreds of members of the Armed Forces community in England and Wales to change their lives.

Latest news

See the latest news about our veteran and family services. read stories of veterans we've supported into employment, and stay up to date on the latest events at our visitor centre and historic home in Richmond upon Thames.