Corporate manager jobs in Birmingham

Team: Philanthropy & Partnerships 

Location: Homebased with some travel for meetings & events 

Work pattern: 35 hours per week, Monday - Friday 

Salary: Up to £49,149.84 per annum 

Contract: Fixed term for 12 months 

We are the UK’s largest cat welfare charity. All over the country, our enthusiastic employees, volunteers, and supporters are using their kindness and expertise to make life better for millions of cats and the people who care for them. 

Will you join us and make life better for cats? 

Responsibilities of our Corporate Partnerships Development Manager: 

• The Corporate Partnerships Development Manager will play a key role at Cats Protection by raising new and transformational funds in support of the organisation’s 10 year strategic objectives.

• The role will lead the Corporate Partnerships new business team, to build profitable, multiyear relationships with companies, ensuring propositions are maximised and new partners onboarded to the highest standards 

About the Corporate Partnerships team: 

• We sit within the Marketing & Income Generation directorate. 

• The corporate partnerships team is split between new business and account management, made up of driven, passionate and dynamic corporate fundraisers 

• We currently have a team of one full time and one part time Senior Corporate Partnerships Development Officers in new business. On account management side our team consist of a Corporate Partnerships Development Manager, Corporate Partnerships Account Manager and Corporate Partnerships Officer. This is in addition to a Lead Corporate Partnerships Manager who oversees the entire corporate partnerships team. 

What we are looking for in our Corporate Partnerships Development Manager: 

• Significant experience of developing relationships and raising money from new businesses and other corporate organisations. 

• A demonstrable track record of delivering significant financial results against agreed targets and timescales. 

• Experience of leading fundraising teams to deliver and drive income and growth 

• Significant experience of managing a diverse range of stakeholders and relationships at a variety of levels 

• Excellent organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple conflicting priorities. 

What we can offer you: 

• range of health benefits 

• 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service. 

• Salary Finance, which empowers you to take control of your financial wellbeing. 

• and much more, which you can learn about

Interested? Here’s how to apply: 

Application closing date: 3rd June 2026 

Virtual interview date: Week commencing 8th June 2026 

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. Please note, applications received after the closing date may not be responded to. 

If successful, your recruitment journey will include: 

1. Anonymised application form 

2. Virtual interview via Microsoft Teams 

3. Final stage presentation (dependent on first stage interviews) 

Please note, the process may change slightly dependent on application numbers. We will inform you of any relevant changes. 

Background

The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work. 

Department Overview

Our University has a proud history of philanthropy stretching back to its foundation in 1900. With a clear vision to change the lives of the people of Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain raised the funds required to build the University from citizens and corporations based locally and around the globe. Since then philanthropy has continued to play an important role in shaping the University. There have been a number of fundraising campaigns, including a £1m urgent capital appeal after the Second World War and a £1.4m campaign to fund the Vale ‘student village’ in the 1960s. In 2015 we closed the Circles of Influence Campaign, raising £193 million, making it the largest HE fundraising campaign outside Oxbridge and London.

The University has global reach, including several partnerships with other leading universities around the world, and is grounded in its local community, having opened the first fully comprehensive University secondary school in the country in 2015. We are an ambitious and successful research-intensive University (one of the top 100 research-led universities globally) and have produced 10 Nobel Prize winners, including three who received their awards in 2016. Academics here are exploring the impact of climate change, helping to address global health epidemics, and changing our understanding of Shakespeare. Our students come from nearly 150 countries and our flagship outreach programmes mean that almost 25% of our student population come from disadvantaged backgrounds: one of the highest proportions in the UK. 

DARO exists to support this academic and student community by engaging, inspiring, and celebrating alumni, individuals, and charitable funders who give their money, time, and networks to support the University’s strategic priorities. The Office, which is comprised of five teams, is focused on fundraising and volunteering from alumni, organisations and individuals who are passionate about changing lives, through funding various research trials, supporting student bursaries, mentoring students, and providing internships.

Role summary

Are you looking for a corporate partnerships role that contributes to a better society? Are you passionate about supporting the future pipeline of talent to fulfil their potential, regardless of their circumstances? Would you like to work with inspiring academics who tackle some of the world’s most pressing global challenges such as the impact of climate change on our woodlands and forests, issues caused by migration and displacement, the rise in youth mental health issues, and the prevention of needless maternal deaths in the developing world.

The University of Birmingham is recruiting a Corporate Philanthropy Manager, an exciting role that will join us in our ambitious ‘Birmingham in Action’ campaign and help us to grow our philanthropic income. You will manage a portfolio of corporate partners and prospects and will work with colleagues across the University to develop a pipeline of significant philanthropic gifts across priority themes and projects, with the opportunity to shape these based on your fundraising experience. This role is a great opportunity to further develop your skills and will play a vital role in delivering projects to change lives locally, nationally and internationally.

A key member of the Development and Alumni Relations Office’s (DARO) Charitable Partnerships team, you will identify, create and manage corporate philanthropic partnerships with local, national and global businesses. You will have an enthusiasm for building relationships, the skill to interact with high-level corporate professionals and academics, along with the ability to translate complex information into a compelling case for support.

The Corporate Philanthropy Manager will be responsible for:

• Developing and strengthening relationships with key current corporate funders to the University to grow philanthropic income.
• Identifying and building relationships with new corporate funders with the opportunity to raise five and six figure gifts.
• Managing a pipeline of short, medium and long-term funding applications and relationships to enable year-on-year corporate philanthropy income growth.
• Oversight of key campaign programmes.
• Building close working relationships with academics, alongside other University colleagues, to find information needed to write clear and compelling proposals on existing and new areas of research, that aligns with the strategic priorities of corporate funders.
• Build effective, co-ordinated, working relationships with a range of external stakeholders.
• Managing the whole donor journey of a corporate funder, from identification to acknowledgement and stewardship.
• Meeting reporting objectives of funders and ensuring an excellent experience for funders.
• Efficiently use the Customer Relationship Management system to record and report on activity.
• Be responsible for adhering to relevant fundraising regulation and current data legislation in the UK and in target markets whilst ensuring fundraising is ethical and that due diligence is undertaken as necessary.
• Understanding the breadth of the University and appreciating the differences of each College.
• Understanding the context of our work in relation to the wider operations of the University.
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff. 
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

 Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications). Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
• Evidence of writing motivational and persuasive reports or proposals – this could be demonstrated through performance in full time, part time or voluntary roles.
• The ability to understand and communicate complex expressions of academic vision to non-academic philanthropic supporters.
• Outstanding 
• Understanding of and ability to represent the vision and mission of the University of Birmingham.
• Experience of working to a minimum of five figure gifts and exceeding targets.
• Ability to prioritise own workload under pressure and balance a range of competing deadlines.
• Passion for and knowledge of Higher Education, particularly research and the role of philanthropy.
• Ability to build strong relationships and engage with individuals and organisations, internally and externally.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a wide audience internally including academics and Professional Services staff.
• Personal confidence, independence and determination to succeed as an individual and as part of a team.
• The desire to support colleagues in the achievement of their individual and the collective goals and to celebrate others’ success as positively as your own.
• The ability to represent the University internally and externally through excellent interpersonal skills: diplomacy, discretion, tact, persuasiveness, the confidence to deal with a wide range of audiences, along with the ability to deploy negotiation skills when required.
• Good all-round IT skills including competence with all aspects of MS Office.
• The flexibility and willingness to work unsociable hours (evenings and weekends) occasionally, when required.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
• communication and to present confidently to audiences of all sizes.

We are seeking a fantastic corporate partnerships manager to join our Income Generation team. This is a key role for the organisation, proactively leading on new business; delivering mid and high-value partnerships and maintaining a healthy and active pipeline of new prospects to support the long-term sustainability of our work. The successful candidate will develop compelling proposals and pitches to build new relationships and provide excellent stewardship for existing corporate partners. They will manage and deliver the Income Generation strategy, annual operational plan, and income forecasting and develop accurate annual budgets and forecasts, monitoring performance against plan and meeting KPIs and targets.
We are looking for an individual able to demonstrate a good track record of success in achieving and exceeding set income targets in corporate fundraising as well as devising, driving and delivering corporate fundraising plans. Excellent written and creative skills, with experience in developing relationships is crucial as is the ability to organise, prioritise, and deliver high-quality work to tight deadlines. Strong networking skills with the ability to manage high-profile relationships professionally and tactfully are essential.

You will work to forge and sustain long-term, constructive partnerships with new and existing partners that help us grow funds and achieve our charitable goals. You will: 

· quickly learn and be able to articulate well our campaigns and victim service and their evidence base, our funding need, and the actions that corporates can and should take to prioritise safe and green use of roads, through funding us and supporting our campaigns

· find and unlock access to senior leads within companies not already working with us (e.g., public affairs, communications and corporate social relationship teams) as well as taking up the reins of stewarding relationships with some of the companies already working with us

· listen and understand corporates’ priorities, understanding their budgets, potential to fundraise within their teams and networks, and their safety, sustainability, policy and pr priorities; and articulate what Brake does and our need for help

· forge, together, actionable joint plans that generate funds for Brake from a company, directly or through their supply chain / customers. You will achieve six figure funding targets, by generating five figure funds from new and existing partners

· Work alongside team members in public affairs, PR, and public engagement to understand our programmes of work in campaigns and seek the engagement of new and existing corporate supporters in those programmes, for example through participation and sponsorship

· Be responsible for developing your own pipeline of leads and accurately forecasting income you will fundraise from this pipeline and listing partnership activities that will be delivered

· Operate within Brake’s Ethical Partnership Policy and other policies, which enables us to sustain our charity values and work alongside corporations safely.

· Be a team player and able to step up to the plate and speak up for the charity, for example giving speeches or undertaking interviews on the charity’s behalf.

Have a look at our comprehensive job description

• Lead growth of corporate fundraising and corporate partnerships, guided by Butterfly Conservation’s Corporate Fundraising Plan.
• Identify, cultivate, secure and deliver corporate partnerships applying a coordinated and proactive approach.
• Ensure effective delivery within the corporate fundraising stream and appropriate corporate stewardship, with the support of the Corporate Fundraising Officer.
• Deliver actions that lead to the meeting of Butterfly Conservation’s Fundraising Target and which secures good return on investment.

1. Planning, and continually reviewing, the Corporate Fundraising Team work programme and working with the Corporate Fundraising Officer in executing it so as to deliver impact.
2. Identifying, building and maintaining a strong, diverse pipeline of corporate prospects.
3. Implementing a proactive acquisition approach to securing new corporate support that delivers financial and/or social value gains for our charity, including the negotiation and drawing up of partnership agreements.
4. Personally managing and stewarding a portfolio of corporate relationships, providing an outstanding supporter experience which seeks to sustain and grow corporates’ support.
5. Providing corporate fundraising advice, materials and updates to colleagues/Branches and working with the Head of Grant, Trust & Corporate Fundraising to deliver training to staff, the Senior Leadership Team, Council of Trustees and   BC Trading Company Board, as required. 
6. Working with teams across the organisation to develop and prepare tailored cases for support/proposals and bespoke updates/reports to corporate donors.
7. Collaborating with the Finance Team to ensure appropriate invoicing, accurate income coding/recording and contract compliance.
8. Monitoring corporate relationship and income performance so as to provide data that can feed into reports and analysis, which can inform our Senior Leadership Team, Council of Trustees and  BC Trading Company Board.
9. Following relevant policies and procedures, such as those relating to data management and our Ethical Fundraising & Donation Acceptance Policy.
10. Ensuring the effective promotion and/or dissemination of Butterfly Conservation’s ‘Corporate Supporters Pack’ and ‘Work for Good’ platform (managed for lower level donations), providing clarification to corporates and/or identifying potential for uplift, to then pursue, as necessary.
11. Line managing and supporting the Corporate Fundraising Officer, driving performance and innovation through a solution focused approach and ensuring appropriate prioritisation of workload.
12. Maintaining and updating records to keep track of corporate prospects and corporate approaches, communications and agreements, in files, spreadsheets and on the CRM so that the are a reliable and trusted source of information. 

• Promote BC’s values (Excellence, Passionate, Inspiring, Collaborative) ensuring they are adopted in all aspects of the role.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required and commensurate with the grade of post.
• Undertake all duties and responsibilities in compliance with the rules and regulations encompassing equal opportunities to help foster a diverse workforce.
• Work in accordance with BC’s policies, procedures, and codes of conduct.
• Actively participate in on-going professional development activities.