Contracts and business development manager jobs in wylde green, west midlands

Careers4Change is delighted to support Responsible Finance in their search for a Project Support Officer

Role Purpose:

About Responsible Finance:

Responsible Finance is the membership association for the UK’s Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are community lenders, committed to delivering positive social impact, and offer fair and affordable finance to businesses, social enterprises and to people unable to access it elsewhere.

This is a pivotal moment to be joining the CDFI sector. Responsible Finance and CDFIs are poised for exciting growth following two record-breaking funding announcements in late 2024 which has seen the sector backed by Government and leading financial institutions including the British Business Bank and JPMorgan Chase. This follows Lloyds Banking Group becoming the first mainstream lender to invest in the CDFI sector earlier in the year.

This new funding will enable business-lending CDFIs to scale their reach and impact, supporting economic growth and financial inclusion across the UK. Successful candidates will play a vital role in helping to make sure that CDFIs are supported to build their operational capacity and maximise the opportunity this brings.

We are seeking an exceptional candidate to help us to deliver an ambitious Capacity Building programme for our business-lending CDFIs and support our wider and growing member base. You will support Programme Managers to effectively deliver key projects within both the Capacity Building programme and more broadly support our small team to deliver outstanding service to CDFIs across the personal, micro, business and social enterprise lending sectors. The role requires some working with our members and stakeholders and strong levels of versatility and flexibility to deliver outstanding results.

No prior knowledge about CDFIs is required so long as you have a keen interest to learn about the sector and are passionate about increasing access to fair finance for businesses, underserved communities and people.

The Role

The Project Support Officer will assist in the delivery of key projects and support the Programme Director and Programme Managers in ensuring the smooth running of a Programme Management Office (PMO) at Responsible Finance.

The role holder will support the timely and quality delivery of projects and programmes, including playing a key role in producing timely information and reports, and ensuring the smooth running of programme meetings and boards.

Just as importantly the role-holder will also support the wider Responsible Finance team to deliver key projects and ongoing support to our members and provide high quality administrative support where required.

The role-holder will also be responsible for ensuring that Responsible Finance’s onboarding process is followed for all new CDFIs, to ensure that they receive high quality and timely support at the start of their membership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Supporting aspects of Responsible Finance’s communications activity including generating content for and distributing the member newsletter, as well as supporting the effective delivery of events and website updates.
• Ensuring the smooth running of an important and high-profile bank referral pilot project, monitoring email referrals and data entry with a high level of attention to detail, accuracy and timelines.
• Assisting in the delivery of key work streams and projects, including the monitoring and reporting of grants to support capacity building.
• Supporting Programme Managers to monitor project progress, produce and maintain high-quality project documentation (plans, risk and issues registers, etc.) to support effective delivery.
• Supporting the effective and smooth running of project and programme meetings across Responsible Finance, including schedule and arranging, developing documentation, and effective minute taking.
• Supporting aspects of Responsible Finance’s operational and policy function including; record keeping updating of the CRM system, and, assisting with the collection, analysis and presentation of data from multiple sources as required. (For example, to support our annual impact reporting exercise).
• Supporting the Programme Director and Programme Manager with the collation and development of reports for grant funders, and Responsible Finance boards.

This is a varied and dynamic role, working closely with our members and a range of high-profile external stakeholders. This job description is not exhaustive; it outlines the key tasks and responsibilities of the post which are subject to change. Any changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.

Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Strong and proven experience as a project support officer/co-ordinator providing high quality support across multiple projects at once.
• Experience in the generation and updating of online content using tools such as WordPress, Canva, SurveyMonkey etc to develop high quality web and social media content.
• Strong all-round administrative support skills, fluent with standard Office applications such as Word, Excel, Teams with an ability to quickly learn new technologies and applications.
• Able to work with minimum supervision in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills including concise writing skills and ability to synthesise information into an easy to comprehend format/narrative (both written and verbal).
• Strong interpersonal skills and comfortable dealing with members and stakeholders with a proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and get information needed from busy people.

Desirable:

Working as part of a small organisation, you will need to demonstrate flexibility and versatility and have opportunities to support a range of other projects and support services for our members, developing a wide range of skills and competencies.

Therefore, in addition to the essential criteria above, we are also interested in candidates with the following skills and experience:

• Experience of using project management tools (e.g. Microsoft Project, Clickup) and techniques, and of developing and maintaining project and programme documentation.
• Experience supporting and co-ordinating the delivery of online and face to face events.
• Experience of creating and delivering presentations.
• Experience in developing graphics/infographics using apps such as Canva.
• Experience supporting research, monitoring and evaluation.
• An understanding of CDFIs and/or lending helpful.

​Reporting To: Programme Director

Contract:FTC to Dec 2026

Salary: £26,000-£30,000

Date Closes: 15th September

How to Apply

Equity and fairness are at the core of our organisation and we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can be their best.

Please send your CV and responses to the following questions to Careers4Change using the upload boxes below.

• What appeals to you about this job/Responsible Finance and why do you think you’ll do a great job?
• You need to organise a programme board meeting, develop the agenda, and take minutes. However, several key stakeholders have conflicting schedules. How would you ensure the meeting is effectively scheduled and all necessary information is captured and communicated?
• You are tasked with gathering regular programme reporting information from a group of Responsible Finance’s CDFI members. You will need to turn this into a report for the funder. Please describe how you would go about collecting the information, synthesising it, and writing up a report.
• You are assisting in the delivery of a key project that involves awarding and monitoring grants for capacity building. Midway through the project, you notice that one of the grant recipients is not meeting their milestones. How would you address this issue to ensure the project stays on track and the grant recipient meets their obligations?

This is a new role at Befriending Networks, as we seek someone who is up for the challenge of fundraising to support the continuation of our work in supporting the network of befriending organisations and ensuring that meaningful social connection is available to all.

The role will work closely with the CEO to deliver a fundraising strategy, which will focus on trusts, grant-givers, and corporate collaborations across the UK.  

You will be a skilled communicator, and you will be influential in how you present our work. You will be a self-starter and someone who takes pride in producing high-quality work. You will be courageous and curious as you work to position Befriending Networks as an investable charity. 

The key focus of this role

1. Generate income from small grants from trusts and foundations for specific projects and activities over the short to medium term.  

2. Assist the CEO in the preparation of strategic grant applications for work across the UK, with an initial focus on England, Scotland and Wales to deliver key priorities of our Strategic Plan over the longer term.

3. Development of potential corporate partnerships and collaborations. 

Do you have significant experience facilitating activities with young people, the ability to deliver exceptionally engaging team-challenge sessions to classes from KS2 to Sixth Form, and a commitment to professionalism and a big sense of fun? If so, read on...

Hours: Freelance - hired on a day-by-day basis
Location: London / South East
Pay: £150-200 p/day depending on level of responsibility, plus travel expenses
Closing date: Friday 5th September
Commencement: We run these days all year round, yet would be looking to get you along to watch one of our September days for both you and us to work out if it’s a good fit, and if possible, induct you!

What do we do, and what’s our impact?

We’re a small, creative, and fast-growing team who run team-challenges days in schools, usually for a whole year group. We work in both the maintained and independent sector across London and the South East.

Our days each bring numerous positive benefits to young people, such as developments in:

• Speaking confidence

• Collaborative skills

• Independent thinking

• Leadership

• Taking responsibility

• Sense of adventure

• Personal organisation

How do we do it? We deliver activities and experiences, both indoors and outdoors, such as:

• Team-building

• Improv workshops

• Public speaking

• Orienteering

• Catapult creation

• Puzzle games

• Interview training

• Archery

• Axe-throwing

…that will develop their skills, confidence and self-esteem - both inside and beyond the classroom. 

Head to our website to learn more.

Note: We also run a small number of other businesses that work with schools and young people. Each operates in distinct yet overlapping areas of education - so there may be opportunity for successful candidates to be offered work for these too. 

Outspark provides the Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition element at Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The Philosophy Man delivers workshops and training to help schools embed philosophy, oracy and metacognition into their curriculum
P4HE provides online and in-person workshops in philosophy, debating, acting, writing and more, for home and mainstream educated children from 6 to 18. It also runs regular residential weekends in Kettering.

Our ambitions

Hidden Leaders currently works with 20 schools across London and the South East (and dozens more in our other organisations above). Word is spreading about us and we are growing in size, and we anticipate delivering even more sessions in schools in the coming years. And so we are looking to expand our small, trusted expert group of freelance facilitators to help us deliver this impact.

Opportunities we can offer you:

• Real impact: You’ll be on the frontline of our in-school days delivering a programme that makes a real difference to children’s confidence and skills

• Growth and development: We’re looking for people with existing significant experience in any of the activities listed above, but you’ll also receive full training and induction on all activities - and opportunities to attend further CPD events we put on to become even better at what you do

• A friendly and driven team: We are a collaborative, supportive, and flexible team that values innovation and achieving meaningful outcomes

• Choice: We have several set dates in schools each year, usually in Summer term and in late August into September - which you may be offered and can choose whether to take or not. We’re also looking to expand our work in the months in between. 

The Role

We’re looking for experienced, energetic and confident freelance facilitators to help us deliver our tried-and-tested activities — from team-building and orienteering to improv games, problem-solving challenges, debates, archery, and axe throwing. We don’t expect anyone to be experienced in all of these - every member of our team of freelancers has their own areas of expertise and choose to be deployed on particular activities that most suit their skills and experience.

You’ll be working with a diverse range of schools, from primary and prep schools, right through secondary to sixth forms, facilitating sessions to inspire teamwork, communication, resilience, and leadership.

You’ll always be working on a day under the guidance of one of our Founder Directors, Tom and Alex. 

Important to know

We are looking for freelancers who may be available for work and who fit our ethos, values and activities to whom we can offer as and when it comes in. 

We couldn’t do what we do without our core team of trusted freelancers. We look after those we work with by offering regular training and observation opportunities so they can expand their repertoire. 

However, joining our pool of freelancers will not involve a fixed contract of employment or a guarantee of regular work. Our existing freelancers work with us anywhere between 3 - 15 days per/year. Such work offers very useful supplementary income alongside other roles at other organisations (or their own) rather than a core income. Our busiest times of year are:

September — where we deliver team building/bonding days for new year groups

May, June and July — where we deliver similar days but usually as part of school activity weeks

We anticipate further growth at these times, and also are looking to expand our offer to more indoor/lower cost days in the Autumn/Spring term. And to deliver these we will need more staff!

Responsibilities

• Facilitate pre-designed Hidden Leaders sessions and activities in schools

• Engage and motivate participants, creating an inclusive and supportive environment

• Brief, instruct, and ensure safety during practical activities

• Encourage reflection and discussion to link activities to personal and team development

• Adapt delivery style to suit different audiences, group sizes, and abilities

• Take care of activity equipment and ensure activity areas are safe and ready to use

• Represent Hidden Leaders professionally in schools

• Adhere to our high delivery standards and health safety and our strict safeguarding obligations at all time
   

We need you to have…

• Significant experience facilitating group activities with young people (e.g. classroom teaching, team-building, outdoor education, public-speaking training, drama/improv, youth work)

• Confident communicator and able to deliver exceptionally engaging sessions to groups of up to 30 to all ages from KS2 to Sixth Form

• Reliable, punctual, and comfortable arriving at a school to help us set up at 8am, and be packing down with us afterwards

• A big sense of fun and joy in what you do - we don’t do dry

• The ability to relate to young people in a way that isn’t “teacherly” but at the same time firm and in-command

• Strong situational awareness and ability to manage group safety effectively

• Flexible, adaptable, and able to think on your feet to differentiate activities in the moment

• Willingness and ability to travel to different locations across the South East

A bonus if you have…

• (For outdoor education experts): Outdoor activity instruction qualifications (e.g., Archery GB Leader / Outdoor First Aid / Lowland Leader)

• Have any experience leading or co-leading events or expeditions and so be able to step into the shoes of Day Director if we need you to (and obviously be remunerated accordingly)

• Any experience running activities not listed above, but that you’d think schools would love as part of our Team Challenge days

• Are confident speaking in front of larger groups such as school assemblies or full year-group briefings

• Clean UK driving licence and access to a vehicle

We will not accept any application which:

• does not contain significant experience (4+ years) working with young people in an official role (e.g. teacher, youth-leader, outdoor educator)

• was created through AI

• isn’t from inside, or within, easy travelling distance of the South East

If you’ve read this far down, do show it in your application by telling us your favourite TV show from your childhood, and why.

Application process

To apply: Submit your CV and a brief cover letter outlining how you meet the requirements of the role via CharityJob Apply. If you have any questions, please contact us via our website.

Shortlisting will happen as applications come in, and interviews will be held online at times convenient to both yourself and us. 

All application letters will be filtered through an A.I detector. Sorry if we sound old fashioned, but we're humans, looking to recruit a human, who will be working with other humans!

The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Chief Operating Officer to join our Executive Leadership Team.

Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £85,000 per annum
Remote: This role is homebased (within the UK) with occasional to meetings, events and conferences.

What we do

As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.

We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work

About the Role

Responsibilities will include:

• The COO leads the day-to-day functioning of the organisation to ensure smooth, efficient, and effective delivery of services. This is vital for maintaining operational stability and achieving strategic outcomes.
• They design and execute strategies that align with the organisation’s mission and long-term goals ensuring resources are used effectively and priorities are clear.
• They promote a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement through supporting employee engagement, productivity, and organisational success.
• The COO collaborates closely with the CEO/CFO and other senior leaders to drive strategic initiatives and business growth, ensuring unified leadership and coherent decision-making.
• They partner with the CFO to manage budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation. Financial oversight ensures sustainability and supports informed investment in strategic priorities.
• Strengthen governance and risk management frameworks, aligned to regulatory expectations and best practice while proactively managing reputational and operational risks.
• The COO cultivates strong relationships with partners, clients, and stakeholders to enhance service delivery and reputation. These relationships are key to influence, collaboration, and impact.
• They lead efforts to improve processes and adopt best practices across the charity to enhance efficiency and keeps the organisation competitive and responsive.
• They ensure that daily activities support the charities long-term objectives.
• The COO mentors other directors and departmental heads and fosters leadership capabilities across teams.
• They establish and track KPIs to identify inefficiencies and guide improvements through data-driven decision-making to enhance accountability and results.
• They evaluate and refine workflows to boost productivity developing efficient processes to reduce waste and improve service quality.
• They act as a bridge between departments and the CEO to ensure cohesive execution of strategic plans preventing silos and promoting organisational synergy.
• The COO serves as a senior figure in national and cross-sector forums, conferences, and strategic partnerships to strengthens the organisation’s voice and influence.
• They demonstrate commitment to Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in both internal culture and external programmes to foster a fair and inclusive organisation.
• They work with the CEO, CFO and Director of Growth to identify and pursue new revenue streams and strategic partnerships. This expands the organisation’s reach and sustainability.
• They engage in public speaking, media interactions, and external representation demonstrating clear communication, credibility, and stakeholder engagement.
• They develop and embed evaluation frameworks to assess progress against strategic goals. The measuring of our impact ensures accountability and informs future planning.
• They promote the organisation’s brand at events and through networking.

The COO takes on other responsibilities as needed to support the organisation’s mission.

About You

Essential competencies of the Chief Operating Officer:

• Extensive experience in senior leadership with a proven track record in operations, financial and risk management, and delivering high-performing teams, ideally in the charity sector.
• Strong understanding of business functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think strategically and execute effectively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Commercially astute, process-driven, and highly pragmatic in approach.
• Experience in driving performance and fostering a collaborative culture.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field; MBA preferred

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 29th September 2025:

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.

Please note: The covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 80% AI generated content will be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-223747

Education Officer

Are you passionate about environmental issues, in particular nature restoration, climate resilience and biodiversity?

Do you have experience working with young audiences, preferably within a wildlife or conservation setting?

We are looking for an Education Officer based in Scotland or North of England, with the ability to inspire people to connect with nature!

Position: Education Officer

Location: Remote/Scotland or North of England (this role requires frequent travel and overnight stays)

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week)

Contract: 1.5 year fixed term post, with the possibility of extension

Salary: £32,827 per annum

Benefits Include:  25 days holiday, plus Christmas day through to New Year’s Day paid, plus 6 days of floating holidays, pro-rata. Flexible approach to hours of work. Pension contribution of 3%, one-off contributions toward the cost of an ergonomic office chair and toward purchases of essential devices, monthly home working allowance, plus an annual contribution toward the maintenance and/or replacement of the essential devices.

Closing Date: 9am on Monday 8th September.  We reserve the right to interview candidates and close the ad ahead of the closing date, should a strong candidate be identified.

About the Role

We are looking to hire a skilled and engaging Education Officer to join a busy team, supporting the implementation and expansion of an established educational outreach programme, which reaches children in Scotland and Northern England.

At present, this post has funding for three years from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, 1.5 years of which is now complete and we are looking for someone to deliver the second 1.5 years of the project.

The purpose of the role is to extend passion and knowledge of beavers into communities around Britain, to engage and enthuse young people and to reconnect (or reinforce) their love of nature. Using and tailoring current materials and resources, you will do so by delivering high-quality learning sessions within schools, community groups or virtual training sessions, sometimes delivered in conjunction with beaver site partners and their education teams.

You will also be responsible for supporting wider aspects of the programme together with the Education Team, according to the requirements for each country and in partnership with relevant organisations

Key responsibilities include:

· Deliver a range of exciting, curriculum-linked workshops, non-curriculum home education talks, school and group sessions associated with beaver release sites.

· Run regional events and outreach activities to expand engagement in beaver education.

· Network and build contacts and relationships with key personnel in schools, youth groups and community groups in order to create engagement with the education programme and expand its reach.

· Support the development of further resources, activities and events specific to the country and region, and deliver existing activities for group learning.

· Monitor, collate and report on work carried out, toward learning goals and impact reporting, coordinated by the Senior Education Officer to support the programme evaluation.

· Support volunteers and build capacity working with partner site staff in the delivery of beaver education programmes.

We welcome applicants who may need flexible ways of working or support in managing workload.

About You

We are looking for someone with experience of working with young audiences, preferably within a wildlife or conservation setting. You will have a good grasp of ecology and be willing to travel around the country to support learning education opportunities as well as being confident running sessions or delivering train-the-trainer sessions online.

Essential skills and experience include:

· A foundation degree level or equivalent in a zoology, biology or conservation-related field, OR; A teaching/education qualification or equivalent experience in teaching, using different delivery methods including virtual delivery. Both formal qualifications OR equivalent lived, voluntary or professional experience are welcome.

· The ability to communicate complex concepts in an innovative and engaging way to a young audience.

· The skill set to inspire people to connect with nature, to support teachers, deliver talks, presentations and education sessions.

· A strong interest in nature, conservation and restoration.

· Working knowledge of safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures.

· Competent use of IT skills, preferably Google Suite, and high standards for visual content.

· Experience in confidently using IT packages for teaching delivery, including the use of tablets, presentation software and audiovisual.

· A full valid UK driving licence (you will be required to access remote rural locations carrying more equipment than can be handled on public transport)

· Resident in mainland Britain and proof of right to work in Britain.

· A place to store learning materials. We can offer storage support if there isn’t space at home.

This role might suit you if you have…

· A sound understanding of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and the English National Curriculum (primary) in terms of expectations and limitations.

· Proven experience of developing and delivering workshops and activities for school audiences.

You don’t need to meet every requirement, if you’re enthusiastic about the role, we encourage you to apply

To apply please upload a 2pp CV and 1pp covering letter explaining their interest and suitability for the role. Please note, we can only accept candidates with the right to work in the UK.

About the Organisation

Join a nature restoration charity, restoring beavers to regenerate our landscapes. Beavers were once a common and influential part of the British countryside, and as such, the team wants to reconnect people to this part of our heritage.  

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, especially those underrepresented in the environmental sector including people of colour, disabled people, those from low-income backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ communities and all other protected characteristics.

You may have experience in roles including Education and Learning Officer, Education Project Coordinator, Youth Engagement Officer, Schools Programme Officer, Prevention Officer, Workshop Facilitator, Learning and Engagement Officer, Conservation Officer, Environmental, Environment and Conservation. #INDNFP

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

Head of Fundraising 

Location: Remote (occasional UK in-person meetups)

Contract type: Permanent, full-time or part-time (minimum 4 days/week); UK adjacent hours

Salary: £55,000–£75,000 per annum (commensurate with experience)

Benefits: 35 days holiday + national holidays; 14 days medical leave; 3% employer pension contribution; open to flexible working

Reporting to/supported by: CEO

How to apply: Submit your cover letter and CV via CharityJob. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we may close the advert early if we find the right candidate.

About Iswe

Iswe is a global non-profit advancing participatory democracy and systems-level political change. Our mission is to help citizens, especially those in underrepresented regions, shape solutions to global challenges — from climate justice to health equity. Our initiatives include the Global Citizens’ Assembly (GCA) and Assemblis, a digital platform for community-led democratic processes.

We’re entering an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a strategic and entrepreneurial fundraiser to take our income generation to the next level.

About the role

We are seeking a Head of Fundraising to develop and drive Iswe’s income generation strategy and grow a high-performing fundraising team.

This role is ideal for someone experienced and confident enough to lead the function with minimal oversight, but still eager to be hands-on. You will bring a good understanding of the climate, democracy, and systems change funding landscape, ideally along with existing funder relationships. You’ll be creative and entrepreneurial, with the ability to craft compelling cases for support, develop new income streams, and build the operational systems required to raise and manage funds effectively.

Your goal will be to secure £10 million over the next 3–5 years, and position Iswe for long-term financial sustainability.

You will report to the CEO and will manage a Senior Fundraising Officer, with the opportunity to expand the team over time (e.g. an individual giving lead and a high-net-worth donor lead).

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and deliver an ambitious fundraising strategy aligned with Iswe’s organisational goals, including project-specific income generation and unrestricted funding. 

• Identify and pursue diverse fundraising opportunities, with a focus on: 

  • Grant fundraising

  • Institutional partnerships

  • Innovative pooled funding mechanisms

  • Individual giving and public campaigns

  • High-net-worth individuals

  • Revenue-generating partnerships and services

• Provide regular reporting and strategic insights, including risks, opportunities, and performance against targets.

• Work with the CEO to transition key donor relationships smoothly and represent Iswe externally at high-level events and convenings (e.g. COP, Bonn, Davos, New York Climate Week).

Fundraising Execution

• Lead the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of funders, donors, and strategic partners.

• Write and oversee the development of high-quality grant proposals, donor reports, and communications.

• Coordinate funding strategies for individual projects, and support project teams to embed fundraising into their planning and delivery.

• Develop digital strategies and campaigns to support public fundraising and individual giving.

• Build systems to attract and steward high net worth individuals, including prospecting, relationship management, and donor communications.

• Explore and advance business revenue streams such as consultancy offers, corporate sponsorships, or platform-based services.

Team Leadership

• Line-manage a Senior Fundraising Officer, supporting their professional development and accountability.

• Recruit, onboard and manage future team members as needed (e.g. an Individual Giving Manager and High Net Worth Fundraising Lead).

• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and bottom-up leadership within the fundraising team and across the organisation.

Operational Excellence

• Design and implement systems for tracking fundraising performance and measuring ROI.
• Develop internal processes for grant management and donor engagement.
• Ensure compliance with fundraising ethics, legal standards, and data protection regulations.
• Build the fundraising literacy and capability of project and leadership teams across the organisation.

Person Specification

Essential

• Substantial fundraising experience (minimum 5+ years), with a proven track record of raising six to seven-figure income across grantmaking, institutional funders, or major donors.

• Strong strategic thinking, planning, and execution skills — with the ability to own a multi-year fundraising roadmap and deliver results with minimal supervision.

• Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering fundraising strategies across multiple income streams (e.g. grants, high net worth individuals, public fundraising, or partnerships).

• Excellent writing and communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling funding proposals and reports.

• Working knowledge of individual giving strategies, including use of digital tools for donor acquisition and retention.

• Working knowledge of GDPR.

• Understanding of how to build systems and culture to support high net worth individual engagement and income generation.

• Experience speaking and writing knowledgeably about deliberative democracy and multilateralism.

• Strong understanding of the global fundraising landscape in climate, democracy, and systems change — and ideally some well-established funder relationships.

• Ability to build strong internal and external relationships and to work across multiple teams and time zones.

• A collaborative, self-reflective leadership style — grounded in awareness of your own leadership strengths and blind spots, and committed to building the agency of others.

• Experience working effectively in a remote environment and enthusiasm for this mode of working.
   

Desirable

• Experience developing pooled funding models or engaging with multilateral funding initiatives.

• Experience monetising services or designing other forms of business income.

• Experience working in or with small, fast-moving nonprofits or startups.

What We Offer

• A rare opportunity to shape and lead the fundraising function of a globally relevant organisation at a pivotal moment in its growth.

• A flexible, learning-focused work environment rooted in collaboration, experimentation, and shared ownership.

• A mission-driven team working on some of the most urgent challenges of our time, in partnership with communities around the world.

A note on representation

We know that building a team representative of wider society fosters creativity and innovation. We welcome people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences and are committed to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly welcome applications from candidates who are disabled, Black, Asian or from other minority ethnic backgrounds, who identify within the LGBTQIA+ community, or identify as from a lower or disadvantaged socioeconomic background as these groups are currently under-represented on our staff team.