Development director jobs in Central london, greater london

Step into a pivotal leadership role with a London-based youth charity at a critical time in its growth. This 3-month temporary position offers the opportunity to shape and drive a diverse income portfolio while the organisation recruits permanently, directly supporting life-changing services for young people. You’ll join a committed leadership team, bringing strategic focus and momentum to all fundraising and development activity.

About the Role:

As Temporary Director of Income and Development, you will lead the charity’s income generation strategy across all streams, ensuring short-term stability and setting up long-term growth. You will oversee a small but dedicated team, providing direction and structure while optimising current pipelines and developing new opportunities. Your work will safeguard and expand the resources needed to deliver and scale impactful youth programmes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of a coherent income and development strategy across all fundraising and business development channels.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and line management to the income and development team, setting clear priorities and performance expectations.
• Oversee and drive revenue generation from trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, individual giving, and statutory or institutional funding.
• Identify, cultivate, and steward high-value prospects and partners, including corporate supporters, major donors, and key funders.
• Review and strengthen existing fundraising pipelines, processes, and systems to maximise efficiency and income potential.
• Lead the development of compelling funding proposals, cases for support, and pitches tailored to different audiences.
• Work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team to align income strategies with organisational plans, programmes, and impact priorities.
• Monitor and report on income performance, risks, and opportunities, providing clear insight and recommendations to senior stakeholders and the Board.

Key Requirements:

• Proven track record in senior-level income generation or fundraising leadership within the charity or non-profit sector.
• Demonstrable experience of developing and delivering successful multi-stream income strategies.
• Strong background in managing and growing income from trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, and individual giving.
• Experience of leading and motivating fundraising or business development teams in a target-driven environment.
• Ability to build and maintain strategic relationships with funders, partners, and high-value supporters.
• Strong financial acumen, including forecasting, budgeting, and income reporting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft persuasive propositions and present at senior level.
• Comfortable working in a hybrid environment, managing time effectively between remote and in-person commitments in London.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience working with youth-focused organisations or charities supporting children and young people.
• Knowledge of the London funding landscape and networks relevant to youth and community services.
• Experience of developing digital fundraising or individual giving campaigns.
• Familiarity with CRM systems and data-led approaches to fundraising and supporter engagement.
• Experience supporting or contributing to capital campaigns or large-scale funding initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience in a relevant field (e.g. fundraising, business, social sciences, nonprofit management).
• Professional fundraising, income generation, or nonprofit management qualification (e.g. IoF/CIoF) is highly desirable.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development in fundraising, business development, or leadership.

If you are an experienced income leader ready to make an immediate impact during a crucial transition period, this role offers a rare opportunity to shape the future of a vital youth charity—apply now.

Director of Development

National Literacy Trust
Hybrid working with regular attendance in London
£90,000 per annum | Permanent | Full Time (35 hours per week)

Closing Date: Tuesday 1 September 2026

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with the National Literacy Trust to recruit an exceptional Director of Development.
This is an incredible opportunity to join the organisation at such a pivotal moment in its growth. Reporting directly to the CEO and sitting on the Senior Management Team, the Director of Development will lead an established and high-performing fundraising function responsible for generating approximately £17m in annual income, while driving the next phase of growth and strengthening unrestricted income.

We're looking for an ambitious, entrepreneurial fundraising leader who combines strategic vision and practical delivery. The successful candidate will be proactive and highly engaged, leading from the front to secure transformational partnerships, inspire teams and help shape the organisation's future.

About National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust empowers children, young people and adults from disadvantaged communities with the literacy skills they need to thrive.
Working across schools, communities, prisons and workplaces, the organisation is the UK's leading authority on literacy. Its work is underpinned by robust research, powerful partnerships and an unwavering commitment to tackling the link between poverty and low literacy.
Following a period of significant growth, the charity is now seeking a new Director of Development to build on strong foundations, identify new opportunities, and lead an ambitious fundraising strategy that will expand impact and sustainability for years to come.

About the Role
As Director of Development, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for the charity's fundraising and development activity.
You will inherit an impressive portfolio of corporate, trust and statutory supporters, whilst also being tasked with identifying new opportunities for growth, diversification and innovation.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and delivering the National Literacy Trust's fundraising strategy and income growth plans
• Driving the acquisition and stewardship of major corporate partnerships, trusts, foundations and major donors
• Working closely with the CEO and senior colleagues to position the organisation for new funding opportunities
• Strengthening unrestricted income and expanding the charity's supporter base
• Leading, motivating and developing a talented fundraising team
• Building relationships with influential supporters, partners, senior business leaders and trustees
• Ensuring robust pipeline management, forecasting and income planning
• Acting as an inspiring ambassador for the organisation externally and internally

This is a high-profile leadership role offering significant scope to shape strategy, culture and long-term organisational success. 

About You
We're keen to hear from ambitious fundraising leaders who bring a strong track record of delivering sustainable income growth and building high-value relationships.
You will likely bring:

• Significant senior fundraising leadership experience
• A demonstrable track record of securing and growing high-value income
• Experience leading corporate partnerships and strategic fundraising programmes
• Strong commercial awareness and an entrepreneurial approach to identifying opportunities
• The ability to inspire, motivate and develop high-performing teams
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Experience working with senior leaders, trustees and external partners
• A hands-on leadership style, balancing strategic thinking with practical delivery

Most importantly, you'll be someone who relishes building momentum, thrives in ambitious environments and is excited by the opportunity to help transform lives through literacy.

How to Apply
To express your interest, please send your CV to Philippa.
Should your experience align with the requirements of the role, a member of the Charity People team will be in touch to arrange an initial conversation, discuss the opportunity in more detail and explain the full application process.

Key Dates

• Closing Date: Tuesday 1 September 2026
• First Round Interviews (online): Week commencing 7 September 2026
• Second Round Interviews (in person): Week commencing 14 September 2026

Charity People is a forward-thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We are committed to presenting opportunities to candidates irrespective of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation because we believe diverse teams create stronger organisations and greater impact.