Head of Direct Dialogue
Location: Flexible / Home-based (with regular travel to London and nationwide)
Salary: £65,000
Contract: Permanent
Shelter is leading the movement to defend the right to a safe home, and to win this fight, they are expanding their award-winning income generation team. Shelter is now looking for a strategic and ambitious Head of Direct Dialogue to lead its high-impact face-to-face fundraising programme.
As Head of Direct Dialogue, you will set the vision and strategy for one of Shelter’s most vital acquisition channels. This is a senior leadership role within the Individual Giving team, responsible for managing a £4m investment budget to deliver sustainable, long-term growth across cause-led and lottery products.
Leading a hybrid model of in-house teams and external agencies, you will oversee the end-to-end delivery of campaigns that inspire thousands of new supporters. You will be a highly visible leader, spending time in the field to support non-desk-based teams while ensuring the highest standards of compliance, risk management, and supporter experience. This is an opportunity to innovate, using data-driven insights to optimise supporter journeys and embed direct dialogue expertise within the wider mobilisation plans.
Shelter is looking for a commercial and entrepreneurial leader with extensive experience in large-scale direct dialogue campaigns. You will bring:
- Strategic Expertise: A proven track record of leading complex fundraising programmes across in-house and agency channels.
- Contract Management: Experience managing high-value partnerships (£1.5m+) with the ability to negotiate and drive high performance.
- Analytical Thinking: A data-led approach to budget modelling, forecasting and scenario planning in evolving environments.
- Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the Code of Fundraising Practice and Gambling Commission regulations.
- Inclusive Leadership: A commitment to diversity and the ability to foster an equitable, high-performing team culture where people can be their authentic selves.
For further information on the role and how to apply, please download the Candidate Pack.
Closing date: Monday 4th May, 9am
Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all nations, delivering community nursing and hospice care, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end of life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness they’re likely to die from.
Job DescriptionThe purpose of the PR & Media team is to support the vision and values that enable Marie Curie to deliver its organisational strategy and strategic goals:
- To grow our influence, scale and impact to reach more people
- To grow our brand voice and influence thinking around end-of-life experience
- To build integrated place-based end of life services
- To build financial sustainability and grow our income.
Your role
As a Regional PR & Media Lead for London, South East, East of England & Midlands, you will play a crucial role in raising the profile of Marie Curie amongst key target audiences by developing and delivering projects that command media attention and coverage. You will work with the media to shape major fundraising and influencing campaigns and build our brand.
You will ensure excellent PR support for our integrated place-based end-of-life services. Seeking to strengthen our regional and local voice and influence thinking around the end-of-life experience.
This is an ideal opportunity for someone with substantial experience in public relations (in-house or agency) who wants to take the next step in their career in one of the UK’s largest charities.
Key requirements:
- Experience in building strong relationships with key target journalists.
- Excellent knowledge of the media – print, broadcast and online.
- Excellent understanding of digital and social media.
- Influencing and negotiating skills – e.g. working with internal and external key contacts to ensure the right PR opportunities are prioritised and maximised.
- Broad knowledge of the health and social care sector to ensure a competitive and relevant approach to media strategy development.
- Must be willing to occasionally travel across assigned regions.
Please see the full job description .
Additional InformationSalary: £36,900 per annum (+£3,500 London Allowance if applicable)
Contract: Fixed-term (12 months), full-time (35h per week)
Location: London (Hybrid). Home-based with 1-2 days a week in Head Office (One Embassy Gardens) office.
For this role, we can consider candidates based in London, Greater London and the wider South East. Must be within a reasonable commutable distance to the London Head Office. You will be expected to travel across the regions that you manage occasionally.
Application & Interview Process
- As part of your online application, you will be asked for a CV and supplementary details. Please review both the advert and job description and outline your most relevant skills, experience and knowledge for the role.
- Close date for applications: 10 May 2026. We encourage early applications as we may close the application process sooner once we receive a sufficient number of applications.
Benefits you’ll LOVE:
- Flexible working. We’re happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage.
- 25 days annual leave (exclusive of Bank Holidays)
- Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme (we will match your contribution up to 7.5%)
- Loan schemes for bikes; computers and season tickets
- Continuous professional development opportunities.
- Industry-leading training programmes
- Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programmes
- Enhanced bereavement, family friendly and sickness benefits
- Access to Blue Light Card membership
- Subsidised Eye Care
At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for people, how we work together, and how we make decisions every day. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe for everyone — staff and volunteers alike — supportive, inclusive and rewarding. We take stringent steps to ensure that anyone who joins our organisation are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. We actively consider our impact on the planet, embedding sustainability into everyday decisions to create a lasting, positive difference for the individuals we care for and the world we share.
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Marie Curie is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising both the social justice imperative and the strength a diverse workforce brings. We actively encourage applications from people of all cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.
We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you require any support, please contact us at .
Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and in return, we ask that your application authentically reflects you — your experience, perspective and voice.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Prostate Cancer Research exists to honour the men and families who have been through things no family should have to go through, and to work for a future where no one needs to fear a prostate cancer diagnosis.
We are always working to provide resources to help, support and empower patients. Giving them the information they need to make better choices about their treatment, while working to identify and target specific unmet needs in the prostate cancer ecosystem, such as racial inequality and bone metastasis.
Our dedicated staff team is the key to our success, expanding the amount of research that we fund five times over in four years. PCR won the Change Project of the year award in 2023 and has been shortlisted for the following awards for our Real Talk campaign in 2025:
- Charity Times Award- PR Team of the Year
- Third Sector Award- Best Large Charity Film
- Third Sector Award- Communications Campaign of The Year
- Third Sector Awards- Large Corporate Partnership of the Year
Job Description
It’s been a successful few years for the Events team with good results across the board, increasing income by over £1 million a year since 2023. And we’ve just been shortlisted for Fundraising Charity of the Year at the National Fundraising Awards 2026!
Now’s an exciting time as we’ve recently expanded the team again, bringing in new resource to give our different activity areas space to grow and ensure the whole team can do their best work – contributing to PCR’s lifesaving mission, developing in their careers and enjoying their work within our ambitious and supportive team.
We are now recruiting for a new Events & Community Executive to join the frontline of our fundraising stewardship, so strong relationship skills and a love of creating great supporter experiences are essential. A big part of the role will be project managing fundraising activities which will require a proactive approach and an eagerness to learn, as well as some experience of leading a project yourself in the past.
Examples of projects include the London Marathon, Tough Mudder and our open challenges, but you will work on a variety of activities with the team – sharing learnings and supporting each other to hit our shared goals. You will receive the training and support you need to succeed.
Key Responsibilities
Event management and delivery
- Lead the delivery of the fundraising activities you are working on – monitoring objectives, budgets and the bigger picture to ensure that opportunities are seized and risks are minimised.
- Create and follow action plans for your projects, taking responsibility for processes and the delivery of tasks on time.
- Maintain strong working relationships with suppliers and third-party organisations.
- Ensure all fundraising activities promote PCR’s brand and have a strong connection to people with prostate cancer.
- Analyse project results based on KPIs & feedback, proactively suggesting changes & improvements.
Stewardship
- Lead on the delivery of supporter journeys for your projects, providing a high level of stewardship which motivates our fundraisers to raise more and remain loyal supporters of PCR.
- Lead on relationship management as required for the fundraising activities you are working on.
- Carry out stewardship tasks using tools like Mailchimp, GivePanel, JustGiving & Funraisin, for which training will be provided.
- Use feedback & data to spot opportunities for the constant improvement of fundraisers’ experience with PCR.
Marketing and recruitment
- Work with the team to create effective marketing plans and lead on their implementation to meet acquisition targets.
- Create recruitment assets which are tailored by a good understanding of our audiences.
- With the support of the team, track and analyse marketing performance to proactively suggest improvements.
Administration and database
- Oversee stock management via our fulfilment house and ensure we have high quality fundraising merchandise.
- Carry out participant data processing, income processing and budget management tasks as required – including coding, database administration, supplier payments, and income & expenditure tracking.
- Ensure your fundraising activities are delivered in line with fundraising law & regulations, and with PCR’s policies.
Strategy and development
- Always have an eye on new opportunities and ideas to inject into your projects, taking a test & learn approach.
- Contribute to team strategy and budgeting, working with the team to create exciting plans.
- Lead on relevant projects to improve how we do things – from stewardship & content, to processes & compliance.
- Be proactive in your personal development and look for opportunities to learn – with lots of support from your manager!
Teamwork
- Actively contribute to meetings, sharing new ideas and learnings that might be useful for the wider team.
- Work with the team to embed our agile ways of working, where we all take collective responsibility for the team’s goals.
- Be flexible in busy times, working together to meet team goals, and sometimes getting involved with other projects and tasks across the Public Fundraising team.
- Attendance will be required at some weekend and evening events, for which TOIL will be given.
Skills and Competencies
Our ideal candidate would be a keen learner and a great team player, with:
- Great project delivery skills and an eagerness to develop into a more autonomous project manager.
- A proactive attitude and willingness to get stuck in.
- An understanding of the importance of good supporter/customer care, and how to provide this in a fundraising context.
- A strong interest in events & community/ peer-to-peer fundraising activities.
- A results-driven attitude and strong sense of personality accountability.
- Excellent communication and relationship building skills, including written and on the phone/ in-person.
- Excellent organisation skills and an ability to identify the best use of time to complete your work.
- Very good attention to detail, IT skills and the ability to use a CRM database.
- A belief in PCR’s work, goals and our values: innovation, collaboration, accountability & championing the patient voice.
How to apply
Please send your CV & supporting statement (maximum 600 words) outlining why you want role & why you think you’d be a good fit, with examples of previous experience, by 9am BST on Friday 15th May. Successful applicants will be invited to an online interview taking place w/c 25th May, and a second round may take place at our offices in London on Wednesday 3rd June.
For more information about the role, please contact us for an informal chat. Contact details are available in the full job description.
For more information about our organisation and what we do, visit the Prostate Cancer Research website, The Prostate Progress webpage, and the PCR online patient resource, The Infopool
PCR is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.
Transforming Research. Transforming lives.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
