Chief fundraising officer jobs

About the Refugee Council 

The Refugee Council is the nation’s refugee charity. Together with community groups, partners and volunteers, we help people who have escaped war and persecution to rebuild their lives, integrate into communities, and play their part in Britain. Born in the aftermath of World War II, our frontline services support over 14,000 refugees each year to find safety, get to know their neighbours, and enter education, training or work. We share our evidence and expertise with policymakers to help build integrated communities where everyone can contribute.

We have offices across the UK where our Services teams provide support to refugees at local level. 

Inclusion and accessibility 

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.

Our Values 

Our values underpin everything we do:

• Inclusive: We are inclusive. We work with - not for - refugees and people seeking asylum, so they have an equal voice, co-producing projects and ensuring their expertise and experiences are at the heart of what we do. 
• Collaborative: We are collaborative. Working with others is a priority in order to have the collective impact that is vital to achieve policy and practice reform.
• Courageous: We speak out when we see injustice, cruelty and unfairness. We always stand up for what we believe is the right thing to do to transform the experiences of those seeking protection in our country.
• Respectful: We are respectful of all those we interact with. We treat everyone – our staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, partners and people we disagree with – with the same respect, professionalism and understanding. 

About the role

The Executive Director of Fundraising & Digital is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, accountable for ensuring the Refugee Council’s financial growth, supporter engagement, and digital transformation. The role provides strategic leadership across fundraising, digital platforms, brand guardianship, and supporter experience, ensuring these functions deliver ambitious income targets, expand public reach, and align with the organisation’s mission and values.

As the executive lead for income generation and digital innovation, the postholder drives improvements in fundraising strategy, supporter acquisition, donor stewardship, and digital content delivery. They embed a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring fundraising and digital activity is ethical, compliant, and maximises long-term sustainability. They provide authoritative advice to the Chief Executive, Board, and Committees, ensuring robust income planning, brand positioning, and digital resilience.

The Executive Director builds and leads a high performing Fundraising & Digital directorate, fostering a culture of empowerment, innovation, equity, diversity, and inclusion. They act as joint guardian of the Refugee Council brand, ensuring consistency and impact across all channels, and model the organisation’s values, enabling staff and volunteers to deliver outstanding fundraising performance and dynamic digital engagement that strengthens public support for refugees and people seeking asylum.

Staff benefits

To reward our staff for the value they bring, we offer a variety of enhanced terms and conditions and a wide range of benefits, including:

• Training & Development
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Work Life Balance Policies
• Employer-Sponsored Volunteering
• And more.

Let’s work together to improve the lives of refugees in the UK - apply on our website today.

Closing date: 26 January 2026.

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.

Are you up for a new and exciting challenge, leading one of the most effective and nimble NGOs in the transport and environment sectors in England and Wales?

Transport Action Network (TAN) is seeking a dynamic and knowledgeable CEO to lead its remote team of six.

Since it was set up in 2019, TAN has established itself as a thought leader on planning and transport matters, while providing hands-on support and advice to local communities seeking better transport solutions. It has successfully challenged government decisions and helped local communities fight off damaging road schemes. Some examples include schames that would have harmed Stonehenge World Heritage Site, South Downs National Park and Rimrose Valley Country Park in Liverpool.

TAN is currently supporting the Queensbury Tunnel Society, trying to stop the government blocking up an old railway tunnel so that it can be repurposed for a new greenway. It is also opposing the Lower Thames Crossing 'smart' motorway.

Fancy, getting involved and making a difference?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Deadline for returning completed applications is 23:59 (GMT), Sunday 1st February, 2026

First interviews: 27th February and 4/5th March

Our client has an unparalleled history as a pioneering repertory theatre and the launchpad for some of the most exciting talent in UK theatre both past and present. Established in 1913, producing theatre is the core of the organisation's mission and it creates up to ten productions a year. Now, the team will hire a new Director of Fundraising and Prospectus is leading the search.

The Director of Fundraising is responsible for the delivery and growth of all contributed income, leading the development and management of fundraising targets and budgets, with a primary focus on trusts and foundations, alongside other fundraising routes including major donors, corporate partnerships, individual giving, membership, patrons and events. The postholder will ensure a detailed and sustainable fundraising strategy is implemented and will expand and cultivate prospective supporters across all income steams, managing a brilliant team and working closely with colleagues in Creative Learning and Talent Development departments.  

The selected candidate will have a proven track record of accomplishment in fundraising and will be able to demonstrate strategic thinking ideally within an arts fundraising setting. Capital fundraising experience and knowledge will be key too, with the postholder able to demonstrate a track record of telling compelling stories to captivate donors for revenue and capital fundraising asks.  You will have a proven track record of significant fundraising across a variety of sources and will ideally have experience of creating and implementing ambitious and credible fundraising strategies and delivery plans.

This role is offered on a hybrid basis with three days a week in the office.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity. If you have any disability and require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the process then please contact Ryan Burdock at Prospectus.

If you feel you meet some of the criteria but not all, we really hope you'll enquire and learn more. Prospectus can advise and support on each part of the role and hopefully your application, so we look forward to hearing from you.      
 
 In order to apply please submit your CV in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will arrange for a meeting to brief you on the role. You'll then have all the information you need to formally apply. We are looking forward to connecting with you soon.

The opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and values-led Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead East London Waterworks Park in this next phase of our development. This is a rare opportunity to shape the first paid executive leadership role in a pioneering environmental charity.

The CEO role is wide-ranging and dynamic, and will evolve as East London Waterworks Park grows. The CEO will provide strategic leadership to help realise our ambition to purchase the Thames Water depot site in East London, while strengthening our capacity to deliver community-led rewilding and nature-recovery projects across London in partnership with landowners, local authorities and other stakeholders.

An important aspect of the role will involve introducing a sustainable staffing model that complements and develops East London Waterworks Park’s existing volunteer ecosystem, and strengthens our culture, vision and values. The CEO will be supported in this work by long-standing volunteers at both trustee board and operational level, who believe in the benefits this organisational change will bring.

About East London Waterworks Park

East London Waterworks Park is a community-led charity working to reconnect people and nature. Starting from nature-first principles, and with inclusivity at the heart of everything we do, we work with communities to co-design spaces to unlock a chain of positive changes that culminate in the long-term transformation of people and place.

Our work includes:

• co-designing East London Waterworks Park with the East London community, working towards purchasing a 14-acre Thames Water depot in Waltham Forest and transforming it into a biodiverse urban park with free, accessible wild swimming and welcoming community spaces

• co-designing other nature-first spaces on disused or brownfield land in London, returning land to nature in collaboration with local communities to encourage long–term community stewardship

• hosting engagement, education, and empowerment activities that build skills, confidence and deeper connections to nature.

East London Waterworks Park is a sociocratic organisation, with a decentralised organisational structure and a transparent and collaborative approach to decision making. We have grown organically since 2019, responding flexibly to the challenges we have encountered but always committed to our core vision: creating a new kind of urban green and blue space: one that is ecologically rich, inclusive, and shaped by the people and wildlife who use it.

East London Waterworks Park is currently entirely run by volunteers but we recognise the need to transition to a more sustainable structure. We want to introduce paid employees to ensure we can deliver the exciting projects planned in 2026 and beyond, while retaining our strong community-led ethos.

More information

If this sounds exciting, please review the attached recruitment package.

• £46,000 + Benefits
• Central London
• Fully on-site - flexible hours - Term Time 09:00 -16:30 School holidays 09:00 -16:00
• Interviews to be held on the 3rd or the 5th of February
• Closing date for applications - Thursday the 5th of February 2026.
• Interview date: Monday 9th February 2026
• Job reff 4763524

You will be part of a warm, supportive and forward-thinking community dedicated to nurturing young people academically, emotionally and spiritually. Seeking an ambitious, relationship-driven Development Manager to lead and grow our fundraising, community engagement, and alumni relations activity across our family of schools. This is an exciting opportunity to join a values-led educational trust and play a strategic role in supporting life-changing bursaries, major development projects, and the flourishing of our parent and alumni communities. Working closely with the COO, Heads, Governors, and our dedicated volunteer networks, you will champion a culture of philanthropy, belonging, and long-term support for our schools.

As Development Manager, you will:

• Lead the Fundraising Strategy - Design and deliver a long-term fundraising strategy, with a particular focus on bursaries and capital projects
• Build and nurture relationships with donors and prospects
• Develop a strong, sustainable donor pipeline
• Monitor fundraising performance and share regular progress updates with senior leaders.
• Line manage the Development Assistant
• Grow Our Alumni & Parent Communities
• Create a vibrant alumni programme shaped around events, storytelling, and engagement opportunities
• Oversee alumni data management and ensure GDPR compliance
• Coordinate high-quality alumni communications, reunions, and digital content
• Support & Empower Volunteers
• Act as the main liaison for parent-led groups, providing guidance and partnership
• Support community events such as fairs, auctions, uniform sales and fundraising initiatives
• Deliver Inspiring Communications & Events
• Work with Marketing to champion development of stories across digital and print channels
• Produce engaging content that demonstrates the impact of giving
• Plan and deliver stewardship and cultivation events, including receptions, legacy gatherings and giving campaigns.
• Oversee development administration, correspondence, databases, and budgets

About You

• Proven success in fundraising, development, alumni relations or stakeholder engagement
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Strong written and verbal communication, including ability to create persuasive content
• Experience managing multiple projects strategically and efficiently
• Confident using CRM systems and working with donor/alumni data
• Experience leading or mentoring staff
• A proactive, collaborative approach with the ability to work independently
• Experience working with senior leadership or major donors
• Knowledge of GDPR and charity sector compliance
• Understanding of donor stewardship, major gifts or planned giving

If this role is of interest, please apply ASAP with an up-to-date word version of your CV highlighting all your relevant experience. Please do feel free to get in contact to discuss this role in detail or if you have any queries.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Make your fundraising and partnership development skills count for more.

Artizan International’s mission is to transform the lives of people with disabilities, enabling
fulfilling, independent futures through social enterprise, hospitality, and community inclusion.
Rooted in compassion and integrity, we co-produce sustainable programmes that build skills,
opportunity, and visibility in the UK and South America. Positively changing attitudes,
championing every individual and fostering a more equitable, joyful future. Our work is life-
changing, and we’re growing.
As we enter a time of exciting strategic change, we are looking for a passionate and
proactive Fundraising & Partnerships Lead to help us grow and diversify our community and
commercial partnerships, income and support income base from which we deliver our life-
changing work.

Role Purpose
This role is central to ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of Artizan
International. The Fundraising & Partnerships Lead will develop and manage relationships
with community, commercial organisations, trusts, foundations, and individual donors,
building on a compelling case for support and championing our mission with energy and
integrity.

Key Responsibilities
● Identify and pursue new support and funding opportunities aligned with our values
and strategic priorities, researching and writing compelling applications.
● Develop individual support and fundraising marketing campaigns in collaboration with
the Artizan team.
● Build and maintain partnerships with community and commercial organisations,
trusts, foundations, plus faith-based and social-inclusion institutions
● Manage relationships with existing funders, ensuring timely reporting and strong
stewardship.

● Maintain accurate records of fundraising activities, targets and donor
communications.
● Contribute to the development of fundraising strategy.

Reports to
You will report to the Chief Executive.

Person Specification
Essential:
1. Passion for ethical, purpose-driven social inclusion
2. Proven successful experience in securing support and funding from corporate and
individual donors, trusts, foundations and individuals
3. Strong partnership-building and relationship-development skills
● Grant-funders
● Commercial organisations
● Faith-based and social-inclusion organisations
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling
narratives.
● Grant applications
● Support
5. Self-motivation and organisation
● Work independently
● Self-management and delivery to deadlines
6. Confident using standard digital tools (e.g. Google suite, CRM systems or fundraising
databases).
Desirable:
7. Experience working in a small charity or social enterprise environment.
8. Understanding of impact measurement and reporting to funders.
9. Experience with donor stewardship and donor journeys.
10. Familiarity with fundraising compliance and best practice.

Note: Artizan is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children &
vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants
must be willing to undergo child protection screening including checks with past employers,
prohibition orders and DBS checks.

Why Join Us?
● Be part of a mission-driven team making a meaningful global impact.
● Flexible working hours and a supportive working environment.
● Opportunity to shape how we grow and develop our support base.

Lead with compassion. Inspire through purpose. Shape the future of Hospiscare.

Hospiscare has been at the heart of our community for over 40 years, providing outstanding specialist end-of-life care and support to people and their families across Exeter, Mid and East Devon. As we look to the future, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer to lead our charity with vision, empathy and strategic strength.

The opportunity

This is a pivotal leadership role — guiding a much-loved local charity through a period of challenge but also opportunity. You’ll work closely with a dedicated Board of Trustees and an experienced Leadership Teams to shape and deliver our strategic goals, ensuring Hospiscare remains resilient, sustainable, and true to our founding values of care, compassion, and dignity.

You’ll be the public face and voice of Hospiscare — inspiring confidence among our staff, volunteers, supporters, healthcare partners, and the wider community. Your leadership will ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards of specialist palliative care while innovating to meet the changing needs of our patients and our community.

About you

You are an accomplished and compassionate leader, able to inspire and unite people around a shared purpose. With substantial senior leadership experience — ideally gained in the charity or health and social care sectors — you bring a track record of shaping strategy, managing complex budgets, and achieving sustainable results.

You’ll understand the challenges facing healthcare and charitable organisations and bring creative, collaborative solutions. You are confident working with a Board, comfortable in the public eye, and driven by a genuine commitment to making a difference to people’s lives at the most profound of times.

Key strengths you’ll bring

• Strategic vision and proven experience leading organisational change and growth
• Strong understanding of governance, finance, and regulatory environments
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills — connecting easily and authentically with people from all walks of life
• A leadership style that combines compassion, clarity, and courage
• A deep alignment with Hospiscare’s mission and values

Why join Hospiscare?

At Hospiscare, you’ll find a community of extraordinary people — staff and volunteers dedicated to providing the very best care and support when it matters most. This is more than a leadership role; it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact on a vital local charity and the lives of countless people in Devon.

We are working with Charity Recruitment Consultant, Jackie Dawkins of Shine Charity Recruitment,who is supporting our search.  For further details about Hospiscare, please read the Recruitment Pack 

Key Dates:

• Closing Date – 26th January 2026 at 5pm
• First Interview with Jackie Dawkins (via Zoom) – 2nd/3rd February 2026
• Shortlisted candidates informal meeting with Chair – 23rd February 2026
• Interview and Assessment Day at Hospiscare – 24th February 2026

Seeking an enthusiastic, dynamic, dedicated yet compassionate leader to drive the charity forward with a fresh strategy, new ideas and a bold vision. As CEO you will provide visionary, strategic, and operational leadership to the Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Association, ensuring we fulfil our mission and grow sustainably. You will act as a key ambassador, building partnerships and maintaining our reputation for excellence ensuring we move forward with impact sharing the strength and passion that we have continued to experience for almost 70 years.

Key Responsibilities (see breakdown within attached job specification)

• Strategic leadership
• Operational Management
• External Engagement
• Governance and Board Relations
• Team Leadership
   

What we do
IA offers peer-to-peer support to those with, or about to have, either an ileostomy or an internal pouch. We also help fund research into bowel disease and other conditions leading to the removal of the colon, as well as providing relevant information to interested parties using a range of channels.

Our strapline, “Because we know, we care”, sums up our whole ethos. Individuals can join either their local IA member organisation, or the IA national charity, and in either case, gain access to a range of services and support, including our flagship quarterly Journal, local and national meetings and information events, and other services such as our One2One peer support and Support Through Therapy services.

What you offer

Essential
• Proven senior leadership experience, ideally as a CEO or Director in the charity or social enterprise sector
• Demonstrable experience of strategic planning and implementation
• Excellent communication skills with ability to engage effectively with stakeholders, professionals and volunteers both internally and publicly
• Work empathetically with vulnerable adults employing working knowledge of safeguarding
• Financial management and budget oversight
• Demonstrable experience of implementing and monitoring services based on financial benefit and social benefit
• Track record of income generation and fundraising
• Demonstrable experience of operating within a governance and regulatory framework
• Experience of developing, managing and supporting high performing teams with a strong growth mindset
• Builds effective relationships with a strong network instilling confidence and trust
• Experience of leading a team delivering effectively against objectives

Skills and Qualities
• Visionary and values-led leadership
• Ethical decision-maker
• Strong, confident and decisive performing well under pressure
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Resilience, adaptability, empathy and emotional intelligence
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

What we offer
Contract: Part time 60% FTE – flexible over 3-5 days, permanent role.
Location: Remote (with regular travel to National Office (Rochford, Essex) and other UK locations, as required)
Salary: £80,000 - £85,000 equivalent FT (pro-rata 60%), commensurate with experience plus benefits

Please see further information about us, what you will offer and who we are looking for within the attached role profile.

Our Time Charity is seeking an experienced Corporate Fundraiser to help grow vital income through meaningful, long-term partnerships with businesses and corporate supporters.

This role plays a key part in delivering our fundraising strategy by connecting purpose-driven organisations with our mission to support children and families affected by parental mental illness. You will build and steward corporate relationships, develop partnership and sponsorship proposals, and represent Our Time Charity to external audiences.

Working closely with the CEO and wider team, you’ll help secure funding that directly supports our KidsTime Workshops and wider programmes – enabling children to feel supported, understood and less alone.

This role is ideal for someone with experience in corporate fundraising, relationship management or partnerships, who enjoys building connections, telling compelling stories, and turning shared values into lasting impact.

To learn more about the role, responsibilities and how to apply, please download the full recruitment pack.

Goods For Good is seeking an inspiring Chief Executive Officer to lead the charity through its next chapter of growth, impact and sustainable change.

This is a rare opportunity to take the helm of a well-established, values-driven organisation at a pivotal moment in its journey, building on strong foundations to support people in need while reducing waste at scale.

After more than a decade of transformational leadership from our Founder and CEO, Goods For Good is entering a planned period of transition. We are now looking for a CEO who can provide confident strategic and operational leadership, strengthen partnerships, and guide the organisation through its next phase of development.

Founded in 2014, Goods For Good redistributes surplus, overstock and quality-seconds goods from businesses to vulnerable communities in the UK and overseas. Our unique model sits at the intersection of humanitarian aid and environmental responsibility, ensuring usable goods reach people who need them most rather than going to landfill.

Working with hundreds of corporate partners and a growing network of charity partners, we have delivered essential items to millions of people and prevented over 50,000 tonnes of goods from going to waste. Our work is practical, collaborative and impact-driven, rooted in dignity, sustainability and compassion.

As CEO, you will work closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees to shape strategy, grow income and partnerships, and ensure operational excellence across our UK and international work. You will act as Goods For Good’s lead ambassador, inspiring confidence among funders, partners and stakeholders, while empowering a committed team and volunteer network to deliver our mission.

This role will suit an experienced, values-led leader with a strong track record in partnership building, income generation and organisational growth, who is motivated by the opportunity to lead a charity that delivers tangible impact for people and planet.

About Us

We are a fast-growing, mission-led charity providing tailored support across mental health, physical rehabilitation, nutrition and wellbeing. Our work is informed by lived experience and driven by our mission that every young adult with cancer and their families/carers have the tools and support they need to live well and feel empowered.

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced Trusts & Foundations Fundraiser to cover maternity leave. This is a hands-on and strategic role, offering the chance to lead our fundraising from trusts, foundations, and charitable funders during a key period of growth.

You will be responsible for researching, writing, and submitting high-quality funding applications, building and maintaining relationships with existing and developing new funders, and ensuring that our supporter communications reflect our mission and impact. As a core member of our small, passionate team, you will also support wider fundraising and communications activities to help grow the organisation’s reach and income

Key Responsibilities

Trusts & Foundations Fundraising

· Lead all trust and foundation fundraising activity, delivering income in line with agreed targets.

· Identify, research, and cultivate new funding opportunities.

· Write compelling, high-quality applications and cases for support.

· Maintain accurate fundraising records, tracking pipeline, progress, and outcomes.

· Manage relationships with funders, ensuring excellent donor care and timely reporting.

Impact & Storytelling

· Work with our Programme Manager to collect, curate, and present impact data and stories from programmes to support funding applications.

· Work closely with the CEO and Programme Manager to demonstrate the impact of our work.

· Ensure all communications with funders reflect the organisation’s mission, values, and impact.

Collaboration & Wider Fundraising Support

· Work collaboratively with the wider fundraising and communications team to align strategies and maximise opportunities.

Skills & Experience

Essential

· Proven experience in trusts and foundations fundraising or similar fundraising role, ideally in the charity sector.

· Proven ability to secure grants in excess of £30,000 and multi-year funding.

· Excellent writing, storytelling, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate impact into compelling applications.

· Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently.

· Strong interpersonal skills, confident in building relationships with funders and stakeholders.

· Analytical mindset, with experience maintaining accurate databases and using insight to inform activity.

Desirable

· Experience supporting wider fundraising, communications, or digital campaigns.

· Understanding of the health, wellbeing, or cancer charity sector.

Personal Attributes

· Passionate about supporting young adults with cancer and their families.

· Creative, proactive, and solutions-oriented.

· Collaborative, supportive, and aligned with the values of the Ella Dawson Foundation.

· Comfortable working in a small, evolving team environment.

· Able to travel to Huddersfield for in-person team days (approx. 2 per month).

Why Join Us?
This is a unique opportunity to shape and deliver trust and foundation fundraising for a rapidly growing charity making a tangible difference in the lives of young adults with cancer. You will be part of a passionate, driven team, with the autonomy to make a real impact while supporting the organisation’s growth and sustainability.

How to Apply
Please submit your CV and application questions by Monday 2nd February 2026

We are unable to support applications for our vacancies if you do not have the right to work in the UK and only applications meeting the application process criteria will be considered.

£68,000 per annum
Full time (35 hours per week)
Permanent
Hybrid working – a minimum of 2 (preferably 3) days per week in our office in Cheam, Surrey.
 
The Charity for Civil Servants sits at the heart of the UK Civil Service. While we can’t always prevent the tricky, stressful, sad stuff from happening, when it does happen, we help current, former and retired civil servants get the best support.
 
We’re 140 years old in 2026 and we’ve got big ambitions to ensure we are there for those who need us for generations to come.
 
We are looking for a strategic and creative Head of Fundraising to join our Senior Management Team as we embark on the next phase of our strategy to accelerate income growth. The ideal candidate will have experience at Head of Department level or above and extensive experience in leading and delivering successful fundraising campaigns, as well as strategy development and business planning more broadly.
 
This is a unique and exciting leadership role. If you’re a proactive and entrepreneurial fundraiser and experienced marketeer who thrives on turning opportunities into outcomes and who would like to work in partnership with some of the most talented people across the UK Civil Service, then we would like to hear from you!
 
In return, we can offer you a supportive, inspiring and friendly team culture and excellent benefits including Boundless, a health cash plan, Headspace, life assurance, excellent pension, generous annual leave, birthday leave and a cycle to work scheme.
 
To apply, please submit your CV and a covering letter that states why you would be suitable for this role. The closing date for applications is 15 February 2026.
 
Interviews will take place on 25 and 26 February 2026. Please let us know in your covering letter if any dates that week would be difficult for you or if you need any adjustments to enable you to perform to your best at interview.
 
The Charity for Civil Servants are committed to building and developing a workforce which reflects the diversity of the civil service community that we support. We seek to ensure all job applications are treated fairly, with respect and without bias and we encourage applications from suitably experienced candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, or any other factor.
 
REF-226 147

The Vacancy

Job Title: Head of Fundraising, YMCA Essex

Location: Chelmsford

Salary: £55,000 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1154754

Make a lasting impact with YMCA Essex.
We’re embarking on an exciting journey to redevelop our iconic Victoria Road site — creating a vibrant community space that transforms lives. To make this vision a reality, we’re seeking a dynamic Head of Fundraising to lead the generation of income across multiple streams and help shape the future of our organisation.

About the Role
As Head of Fundraising, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering YMCA Essex’s income generation strategy, ensuring sustainable and diverse funding for our redevelopment project and wider community initiatives. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, you’ll bring creativity, strategic thinking, and drive to build meaningful partnerships and deliver strong results.

You’ll lead on securing income from a variety of sources including trusts and foundations, corporate partners, major donors, legacies, community fundraising, and social enterprise. With ambitious targets and a clear vision, you’ll identify new opportunities, manage risks, and ensure a healthy return on investment.

This role will also see you collaborate across teams - engaging staff, residents, volunteers and community supporters in our mission. You’ll be a visible and inspiring leader, fostering a culture of energy, growth, and shared purpose.

About You

You are seeking an opportunity where there’s space and scope to build something amazing from the ground up. This means you’ll almost certainly be an experienced fundraiser or income generation professional who thrives on building relationships and achieving results. You’ll combine strategic insight with hands-on delivery and bring a proven track record of meeting ambitious income targets for capital projects.

Key qualities include:

Experience in one or more of the following: trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, major gifts, or community fundraising.

Strong, pragmatic communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage senior leaders, donors, and partners.

The ability to innovate, plan strategically, and manage competing priorities effectively.

A commitment to YMCA Essex’s core values of Kindness, Fairness, Professionalism, Perseverance, and Joy.

Why Join Us?
At YMCA Essex, we believe in creating opportunities for everyone to thrive. You’ll be joining a passionate, supportive team driven by a shared purpose - to strengthen our community and change lives for the better.

If you’re ready to bring energy, expertise, and vision to this transformative project, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and be part of something extraordinary.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.

Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Remote working with some UK and international travel

We are looking for an ambitious, experienced and passionate Chief Financial & Operations Officer (CFOO) to join The Lifescape Project, leading the evolution, management and delivery of our financial and operational capacities as the organisation grows.

Our impact as a charity depends on excellent financial management and the efficient provision of supporting operational structures, policies and ways of working. As the organisation grows and diversifies, we need a dedicated Chief Financial and Operations Officer to lead the management and development of these critical functions in close liaison with the CEO. The CFOO will be second in command to the CEO and a key member of the Management Team.

About us and the role

We are a small and quickly growing UK-registered charity whose mission is to protect and restore wild, natural landscapes. We use the skills and expertise of our multi-disciplinary team (spanning science, law, economics, technology and culture) to develop projects that pursue this mission.

We use the approach of combining disciplines to design and deliver our work because the biodiversity crisis is driven and impacted by social, economic, legal and other complex factors. It is increasingly recognised that the urgent transformative change needed for a sustainable future on our planet is most effectively achieved through this approach. The Lifescape Project has a unique ability to apply these diverse areas of expertise to our mission whilst maintaining the agility of a smaller organisation in delivering our work.

Working in pursuit of our 2020-2026 strategy, the Lifescape Project has seen rapid growth in its impact, team and revenue since commencing work in 2020. Our annual revenue has increased from £265,000 in FY 2020/2021 to £1.2m in FY 2024/2025, with further growth expected in the current FY. Our team has grown from just one to a team which will number 20 at the time of the successful CFOO candidate joining. This growth to date and planned future growth requires constant evolution of our financial and operational infrastructure and an experienced hand to guide this process, which is the core purpose of the CFOO role we are seeking to appoint.

We are excited to be hiring for this role, which will be transformational for the organisation, allowing us to develop our approach to financial and operational matters and support the continued growth of our team and impact. The role will act as second in command and will deputise for the CEO when absent. We are therefore looking for a highly capable and experienced finance and operations leader with the vision to ensure that we continue to grow in a sustainable, effective and efficient way.

We currently have a full-time manager and officer in our Finance and Operations team (F&O Team), which the CFOO will be joining to oversee, develop and guide all relevant functions. With the small size of the team at this time, the CFOO will be expected to jump into the detail in some areas. In the short term this will include delivering some of the more complex areas of the F&O team’s work, such as the audit process, multi-year financial planning and legal compliance, with support from other team members and external advisers as appropriate. If we continue to succeed in delivering our growth strategy, the role will progress over the medium term with increasing team size/supervisory duties and reducing involvement in immediate implementation. Remuneration would also increase in line with growth and assuming strong performance in the role.

For further information, please download the job pack below. Candidates must review the entire job pack before applying.

To apply, please email a cover letter and CV (each a maximum of 2 pages).

Closing date: 9.00pm on 29th January 2026, however we will be reviewing applications as they come in and reserve our discretion to extend the deadline if necessary.

First interview: First round interviews are expected to take place virtually on Microsoft Teams between 3rd-6th February.

Second interview: Second round interviews are expected to take place between 23rd-27th February.

Assessed task: There will be an assessed task which candidates will be asked to complete, either before the first round or second round interview.

Start date: The role will commence as soon as possible from 1st April 2026, subject to the successful candidate’s availability.