Head of individual giving jobs

Are you an experienced fundraising professional with a passion for creating meaningful impact?

At NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service), we are dedicated to making a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and adults at risk. We believe every child and young person deserves to have their voice heard, especially when decisions are being made about their future. Our work supports and empowers those navigating care systems, family courts and other challenging circumstances across England and Wales.

Location: Home-based with flexible/ agile working options, with access to NYAS office locations in Birkenhead, Birmingham, and Cardiff. This role also requires occasional travel to NYAS offices and other locations when required.

About The Role

We are seeking an ambitious and motivated Fundraising Manager, working 35 hours per week, to join our Growth and Partnerships team. Working closely with the Head of Growth & Partnerships, you will play a key role in delivering and developing NYAS’s fundraising strategy, helping to grow and diversify income across trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, community fundraising and individual giving.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced fundraiser who enjoys both strategic and hands-on work. You will lead and support a team of fundraising professionals, overseeing high-quality funding applications, donor stewardship and income generation activity while ensuring fundraising activity aligns with NYAS’s mission, values and organisational priorities.

You will manage a varied fundraising portfolio, helping to build strong relationships with funders and supporters while identifying opportunities to increase sustainable income. Working collaboratively across the organisation, you will help develop compelling cases for support, funding proposals and impact reports that demonstrate the difference NYAS makes to vulnerable children, young people and adults.

The role also involves maintaining oversight of fundraising systems, pipelines and reporting, ensuring activity is compliant, well-managed and aligned to fundraising best practice.

About You

We are looking for a skilled fundraising professional with experience securing income from a range of fundraising streams, including trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, community fundraising and/or individual giving.

You will have excellent written communication skills and experience producing persuasive funding applications, reports and donor communications. You will also have strong organisational skills, the ability to manage multiple priorities and experience supporting or supervising others within a fundraising environment.

You will be confident building relationships with internal and external stakeholders and able to use data and insight to inform fundraising activity and demonstrate impact. Experience using CRM systems and fundraising platforms is essential, alongside a good understanding of fundraising regulations and best practice.

You will demonstrate NYAS’s values of Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment in your approach to work and share our commitment to supporting children, young people and adults at risk.

Benefits

NYAS offers a range of benefits to employees, including:

• Agile working arrangements
• 26 days annual leave increasing to 30 days plus bank holidays
• Blue light discount card
• Pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Learning and development opportunities
• Supportive and values-led culture
• The opportunity to directly contribute to improving the lives of children, young people and adults at risk

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please submit your application via the NYAS website.

Your application should evidence, using specific examples, how your skills and experience meet the criteria set out in the person specification within the job description in the recruitment pack, which is available via our website vacancy page.

Important Information

• Interviews are expected to take place between 1st–3rd July
• We reserve the right to close this vacancy early once a high volume of applications is received
• Proof of eligibility to work in the UK will be required as part of the recruitment process
• References will be taken in line with safeguarding requirements
• NYAS operates robust safeguarding procedures to protect the children, young people and adults at risk we work with.

About NYAS

As an established leading rights-based charity, NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is well positioned to ensure that children, young people and adults across England and Wales are fully respected, represented and supported in expressing their views and having their rights upheld.

We work with care-experienced children, young people and adults who are often reliant on statutory services, suffering the negative impact of cuts in public expenditure. Our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure they receive the services they need and that their voices are heard.

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment. NYAS welcomes applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.

NYAS is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies.

Work with us to help change lives.

Demand for our specialist tutoring programmes for Children Looked After, those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) continues to increase and we are seeking a dedicated and effective Partnerships Account Manager to join our team and support the increased demand for our provision and the continued scaling of our organisation.

The Organisation

Equal Education is a social enterprise working to improve outcomes and narrow the attainment gap for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, including Children Looked After, those with SEND, and unaccompanied asylum seeking children. We have over 13 years’ experience delivering 1:1 tuition, working with hundreds of Schools and Local Authority partners across the country, reaching hundreds of pupils annually. 

As a member of the Fair Education Alliance, we believe in providing meaningful educational provision to students whose needs may not be best met within a traditional classroom environment, those who aren’t currently accessing education, or who benefit from additional 1:1 support. We work with over 200 qualified teachers to provide academic, subject specialised and individual tutoring and mentoring for children of all ages. Tutors provide pastoral care and work with pupils to increase engagement and attainment. Our programmes will help the students to overcome barriers to learning, help them build trusted relationships, increase their aspirations, and fulfil their potential. We are passionate about our cause and are looking for people who are motivated by a strong desire to address educational inequality and improve outcomes. 

What is the Role?
In this role, you will drive business growth by securing new partnerships and managing key client accounts across designated regions. With a focus on building and sustaining long-term local council and school relationships, you will work closely with clients to understand their needs, expand our service offerings, and ensure the highest levels of satisfaction. As the majority of our key client relationships are with local councils, we are looking for someone with knowledge of how they operate.

The post holder will have the opportunity to line manage junior member(s) of the team, who provide essential bid-writing and administrative support to facilitate efficient and effective client management.

This role would suit someone with proven ability to operate effectively in scaling organisations where processes are still being defined. This role suits someone who is adaptable, resilient, and confident working at pace amid change.

The role will be suited to those who have worked within an education setting and held the title: SENCO, Head of Department, Advisory Teacher, Inclusion Coordinator or Designated Teacher. The role will also be suited to those who have worked within a Local Authority setting and held the title: Commissioning Officer, Senior Case Officer, Case Officer. Whilst the role is also suited for an experienced (key) account/client manager, we are looking for an individual who has experience and/or knowledge of the UK education system.

This role is ideal for an ambitious, client-focused individual, passionate about creating positive outcomes for vulnerable students. If you’re ready to contribute to a growing organisation that’s making a difference, we’d love to hear from you! We expect that the successful candidate will be able to swiftly absorb our ways of working and contribute to the ongoing growth and success of the organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Client Acquisition and Relationship Management

   • Proactively seek new business opportunities within assigned regions to grow the client base.

   • Develop and maintain strong, positive relationships with key clients, ensuring their evolving needs are met and service offerings are aligned.

   • Lead regular client review meetings to discuss progress, gather feedback, and identify additional service opportunities.

   • Manage internal relationships to ensure what matters to clients is communicated internally using the proper channels, to allow for effective delivery by our Service Delivery team

   • Maintain good internal stakeholder relationships with our Service Delivery team to ensure client demands are balanced with our processes and team capacity. 

2. Strategic Planning and Development

   • Collaborate with Senior Leaders to develop strategies for client retention and growth.

   • Work closely within the Partnerships team to align on strategic objectives and ensure seamless service delivery across functions.

   • Participate in client and industry events to represent the organisation, expand networks, and identify new business opportunities.

3. Performance Monitoring and Reporting

   • Monitor client engagement, satisfaction levels, and service outcomes; produce regular progress reports for management.

   • Oversee tracking and analysis of client-related statistics to ensure targets are met and clients receive impactful, value-driven service.

   • Manage and track client data and prospect pipelines using CRM systems, ensuring accuracy and up-to-date information.

   • Report to the the Partnerships Director on accounts, Tenders, Bids, client meetings on a regular basis.

   • Be curious to explore our Salesforce system data, understanding and interpreting delivery and impact data. 

4. Line Management and Support Coordination

   • Lead, mentor, and manage junior member(s) of the team focused on bid/application writing, tender management, and client-related administration.

   • Support junior member(s) in producing and reviewing high-quality application documents and responses that align with client requirements and enhance our partnership outcomes.

   • Provide oversight to ensure that administrative tasks are completed efficiently, supporting smooth client interactions and consistent follow-through.

   • Work with other area leaders, to ensure strong delivery of services.

   • Contribute to, and foster strong internal working relationships to successfully delivery against strategy and objectives.. 

5. Bid Management and Process Improvement

   • Oversee the preparation and submission of tenders and bid applications, working closely with junior member(s) to ensure high-quality and timely submissions.

   • Continuously review and improve internal processes to optimise bid management, client onboarding, and service delivery.

   • Report on bid submission performance, review bidfeedback to continuously improve. 

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Detailed knowledge of the UK education sector. 

• Experience working in the education sector or with local authorities, particularly in roles involving SEND or children’s services.

• Proven track record in client relationship management, with experience in sales or partnership development roles.

• Strong communication skills, particularly in face-to-face and telephone interactions, with the ability to build rapport quickly and maintain long-lasting relationships.

• Experience managing a small team, providing leadership, direction, and support to ensure high-performance standards.

• High level of empathy and commitment to supporting vulnerable and underserved communities.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet both short- and long-term deadlines effectively.

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) for tracking client data, leads, and progress.

• Proactive, problem-solving mindset, able to address issues independently and provide client-focused solutions.

• Able to work in a high pressure environment, whilst taking initiative, we would want the postholder to ask for support when needed.

Desirable:

• Exceptional written communication skills, with proven confidence in drafting, editing, and refining persuasive content across a variety of formats.

• Experience in bid and tender writing or grant applications is advantageous, though a background in producing compelling written materials for diverse purposes is equally valued.

General
The job is subject to having the right to work in the UK, two professional references and a basic DBS check.

Why Equal Education?

• Competitive salary

• Investment in you - we believe in developing from within and offer our team training opportunities and personalised development plans, as well as the chance to get involved with lots of projects across the organisation.

• Flexible, hybrid work environment with regular opportunities for in-person client engagement.

• Working alongside a passionate team working to make a positive impact in the lives of under-resourced children and young people across the UK.

• Staff wellbeing benefits such as ClassPass membership, access to discounts via Perks at Work, eyecare vouchers, regular wellbeing sessions and team social events.

At Equal Education, you are the expert. We give you the space, the support and the technology to be your best. The rest is up to you.

Being you at Equal Education 

Every young person we support is unique and our team isn’t any different. Our differences are our strength when it comes to providing a tailored, human approach to education. We are proud of our people and provide an environment where everyone can bring their most authentic self to work. 

Our recruitment practices are carried out in line with equal opportunities and all candidates will be reviewed fairly regardless of age, gender reassignment, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. 

Next steps

If you feel inspired and you think you have the right motivation and experience for the role, we would love to receive your application.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and interviews will be arranged accordingly. We reserve the right to close this application early, for example if we receive an unprecedented number of applications, so please apply promptly to ensure you are considered for this role.