3 Digital and publications officer jobs in Bristol

This is a unique opportunity to lead fundraising for a charity at the cusp of substantial growth, with an exceptional track record of recent fundraising success, an engaged base of supporters and significant untapped potential across multiple channels.

Overview
As Director of Fundraising and Development for Plum Village UK, you will provide strategic leadership of the charity’s fundraising at this critical juncture. Building on the successful campaigns that brought our new Being Peace Practice Centre into being, you will lead the development of a sustainable, diversified fundraising operation across donor stewardship, trusts and foundations, regular giving, legacies, and partnerships, to deepen relationships of trust and gratitude with our supporters.

This role is ideal for a fundraising leader, whether from a career fundraising background or another field, who brings strategic capability alongside deep alignment with the Plum Village tradition, where fundraising itself becomes a form of engaged practice in service of mindfulness and community transformation.

Fundraising in the Plum Village tradition is fundamentally relational. It is not a matter of extracting income from a base of supporters, but of deepening the relationships of trust, gratitude and shared purpose with those who make our work possible, in ways that embody the values of the tradition. Done well, fundraising is itself a form of engaged practice. The Director will be expected to lead the function in this spirit.

The role comes with a high level of strategic ownership. An initial fundraising strategy has been developed and shared with trustees, providing a framework of priority channels, governance arrangements and resourcing for the next phase. The new Director will inherit this as a starting frame, and will then be empowered and expected to develop, refine and bring forward a fundraising strategy on their own authority, working closely with the Lead Trustee for Fundraising and presenting proposals to the board as appropriate. The role also carries operational ownership of the fundraising mechanics, including the choice and management of supporting systems, databases and tools.
 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic leadership of fundraising

• Lead PVUK's fundraising strategy, developing and refining the strategic direction, and presenting proposals to the Board for approval and resourcing.

• Set, monitor, and report on fundraising targets across all income channels, in agreement with the Lead Trustee for Fundraising and the Board.

• Provide regular substantive updates on fundraising at quarterly board meetings, working with the Lead Trustee on the preparation of board-level reporting.

• Bring forward analysis and proposals to support the Board in setting wider strategic priorities, including realistic income potential by channel and the investment required to secure it.

• Identify and manage risk in the fundraising portfolio, including channel concentration, donor over-reliance, and the sustainability of resourcing.

Donor stewardship and relationship development

• Lead the stewardship of PVUK’s existing donors, lenders, and supporters with the depth of care that this base deserves, recognising it as the most precious resource of the fundraising function.

• Cultivate and deepen relationships with major donors, including through personal contact, site visits, and tailored communication of impact.

• Work with the Chair of Trustees, the Centre Director, and other senior figures on key relationships that require their involvement.

• Steward the friendly lender base throughout the lifetime of their loans, maintaining trust and keeping them informed of the charity’s progress.

• Build and maintain a culture of gratitude and recognition that appropriately honours the contributions of all supporters.

Income channel development

• Lead delivery and growth across PVUK’s priority fundraising channels: donor stewardship, trust and foundation fundraising, regular giving, legacies and Gifts in Wills, and partnerships with values-aligned organisations and networks.

• Develop trust and foundation fundraising as a substantial new income stream, including scoping aligned funders, building peer-to-peer introductions, constructing tailored funding propositions, and overseeing high-quality application writing and reporting.

• Design and grow a regular giving programme that converts members, retreatants and supporters into ongoing monthly donors.

• Develop a structured legacy and Gifts in Wills programme that normalises legacy giving across PVUK’s communications and supports those who wish to leave a Gift in their Will.

• Develop partnerships with values-aligned organisations and networks where these support both income generation and the wider reach of PVUK’s work, in close consultation with monastics and trustees.

Operations, systems and budget ownership

• Own the operational mechanics of fundraising for PVUK, including the choice, configuration and ongoing management of databases, donor management systems, online giving platforms, and integration with communications tools.

• Manage the fundraising budget, including a discretionary supplementary budget for consultancy, training, materials creation, contracted support and light administrative resource, deployed at the Director’s judgement to develop the function effectively.

• Maintain accurate, GDPR-compliant supporter records and ensure sound data practices throughout the fundraising operation.

• Provide accurate financial reporting on fundraising performance, working with PVUK’s finance function and external accountants as required.

• Make the case for additional resourcing where evidence of need supports it, including the possible recruitment of a Fundraising Officer in due course.

Communications and storytelling

• Lead the development of compelling fundraising narratives that authentically convey the work of PVUK and the Being Peace Centre to multiple audiences, including major donors, institutional funders, individual supporters and the wider public.

• Work closely with the PVUK Communications team on the integration of fundraising communications with the wider communications strategy.

• Commission and oversee the production of fundraising materials, including written content, graphic design, video and digital assets, drawing on contracted specialists where appropriate.

• Ensure that all fundraising messaging about the Being Peace Practice Centre is agreed with the Centre Director before publication.

Working partnerships across PVUK

• Work in close partnership with the Centre Director on all matters relating to Being Peace, with agreed ways of working on messaging, external representation, and any programming commitments made to funders.

• Work with the Lead Trustee for Fundraising as primary day-to-day point of contact at board level, supporting the Lead Trustee to hold strategic oversight of fundraising on behalf of the Board.

• Work with colleagues across PVUK’s communications, dharma programming, sangha-building and partnership functions, with these working relationships developing naturally in the first months of the role.

• Draw on external advisors and specialists as needed for support and assurance, both in technical fundraising disciplines and in sector-specific knowledge.

• Engage volunteer capacity from within the community where this can valuably supplement the fundraising operation.

Change how the UK understands and supports bereaved children and families.

This is an exciting time to join Child Bereavement UK.

We are establishing a brand-new Research & Policy function and are looking for an ambitious Public Affairs Lead to help ensure the voices of bereaved children, young people and parents shape policy, practice and public understanding across the UK.

Working closely with the Head of Policy & Research, you will develop and deliver Child Bereavement UK's public affairs, advocacy and stakeholder engagement activity, building relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians and sector leaders to drive meaningful change.

You will act as the bridge between research, lived experience and influence, translating evidence into compelling advocacy campaigns, stakeholder engagement opportunities and policy recommendations that make a difference.

This is a rare opportunity to help build a new function, shape our national influence, and ensure the experiences of bereaved children, young people and families are heard where it matters most.

While based remotely, this role has a strong external focus and requires regular travel to London to represent Child Bereavement UK, build key relationships and engage with policymakers, partners and sector networks.

Role Purpose

As Public Affairs Lead you will play a central role in ensuring the voices and experiences of bereaved children, young people, parents and families influence policy, practice and public understanding across the UK.

Working closely with the Head of Policy & Research, you will develop and deliver Child Bereavement UK's public affairs, advocacy and stakeholder engagement activity, building relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, sector partners and influencers to drive meaningful change.

You will act as the bridge between research, policy and communications, helping to translate evidence and lived experience into compelling advocacy campaigns, stakeholder engagement opportunities and influencing activity.

Main Responsibilities

 Public Affairs & Policy Influence

· Develop and deliver public affairs plans that support Child Bereavement UK's strategic priorities and policy objectives.

· Use research, evaluation findings and lived experience evidence to identify policy gaps, develop influencing priorities and shape recommendations for decision-makers.

· Translate organisational evidence into clear policy asks and reform proposals for government, parliamentarians, public bodies and sector leaders.

· Identify opportunities to embed evidence and learning within national, regional and local policy frameworks, guidance and professional practice.

· Support the development of long-term influencing strategies that drive systemic change for bereaved children, young people and families.

· Build and maintain relationships with MPs, Peers, government officials, policymakers and key sector stakeholders.

· Coordinate engagement with relevant All-Party Parliamentary Groups, consultations, inquiries and policy forums.

· Support the development of policy briefings, consultation responses and evidence submissions.

· Organise parliamentary events, stakeholder roundtables and engagement opportunities that raise awareness of bereavement issues.

· Work with the Head of Voice & Participation to ensure the voices of bereaved children, young people and parents bereaved of a baby or child are represented at all stages of policy development.

Advocacy & Campaigns

· Lead the delivery of advocacy and influencing campaigns aligned to organisational priorities.

· Ensure advocacy campaigns are grounded in robust evidence, insight and lived experience, with clear objectives for policy and practice change.

· Work with the Head of Policy & Research to translate research findings into actionable policy recommendations.

· Develop stakeholder engagement plans that support campaign objectives.

· Build relationships with partner organisations, coalitions and networks to strengthen collective influence.

· Develop compelling narratives that connect research findings with real-world outcomes and policy solutions.

· Work with colleagues to identify tangible actions that policymakers, practitioners, employers, schools and communities can take in response to emerging evidence.

Stakeholder Engagement

· Develop and maintain stakeholder mapping and engagement plans.

· Build productive relationships with sector leaders, professional bodies, charities, academics and decision-makers.

· Coordinate engagement with strategic partners and external networks.

· Support senior leaders in stakeholder engagement activity through briefings, meeting preparation and follow-up actions.

Research Translation & Communications

· Develop evidence-informed policy asks, implementation recommendations and calls to action that support measurable change.

· Identify opportunities to move research and insight beyond publication and into policy development, service improvement and public discourse.

· Translate research, evidence and lived experience into compelling stakeholder communications.

· Produce parliamentary briefings, policy summaries, position statements and advocacy materials.

· Work closely with the Marketing & Communications team to ensure policy and research activity is effectively communicated to external audiences.

· Collaborate with the PR & Press Lead to identify opportunities to amplify policy and research messages through media and public engagement activity.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Insight

· Monitor and evaluate public affairs, advocacy and stakeholder engagement activity.

· Track policy developments, stakeholder engagement outcomes and influencing opportunities.

· Produce reports demonstrating impact, engagement and progress against objectives.

· Maintain stakeholder databases and records to support organisational relationship management.

Person Specification

Essential

Experience & Knowledge

· Significant experience in public affairs, policy, advocacy, campaigns or stakeholder engagement.

· Experience building relationships with policymakers, parliamentarians, public sector organisations or influential stakeholders.

· Understanding of UK political systems, parliamentary processes and policy development.

· Experience developing and delivering influencing or advocacy campaigns.

· Experience producing briefings, consultation responses or policy-focused communications.

· Understanding of how evidence and lived experience can be used to influence decision-making.

Skills

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Strong relationship-building and influencing abilities.

· Ability to communicate complex information clearly and persuasively.

· Excellent organisational and project management skills.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

· Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.

Personal Attributes

· Passionate about improving outcomes for bereaved children, young people and parents bereaved of a baby or child.

· Collaborative and relationship-focused.

· Compassionate and emotionally intelligent.

· Proactive, resilient and self-motivated.

· Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and trauma-informed practice.

Desirable

· Passionate about improving outcomes for bereaved children, young people and parents

· Experience within the charity, health, social care or education sectors.

· Knowledge of bereavement, grief, loss or trauma-informed services.

· Experience working with All-Party Parliamentary Groups or parliamentary engagement activity.

· Experience working with research and evidence-based policy development.

· Experience working with lived-experience contributors and ambassadors.

· Understanding of campaigning, coalition building and systems change approach

Recruitment Timetable

Application deadline: 17th September 2026 at midnight

Interview dates: 29th and 30th September on MS Teams

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications for the role before the closing date.