Director of charitable operations jobs in Leicester

ABOUT THE JOB

This is a Home-based role, with occasional travel to London and within our operating areas of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Slough, Milton Keynes and Luton as required.

To make a full application, please send your CV & one side of A4 covering letter letting us know why you are interested in this position and provide information on any relevant experience that may assist your application. 

For the full job description & recruitment pack, please visit our website.

PURPOSE OF ROLE

Major donors and philanthropists are currently responsible for over a quarter of Caudwell Youth’s annual income – due in part to the generosity of the networks of our founder, John Caudwell.

As Caudwell Youth enters its fourth year, we are seeking a Senior Philanthropy and Corporate Partnerships manager to help us expand beyond our strong founder-led base into a sustainable major donor and corporate supporter portfolio.

Proactive and commercially-minded, you will be confident driving and developing all stages of the major donor and corporate supporter stewardship process. Confidence in engaging in new business research, prospecting, initial meetings and pitches is a must, as you will be responsible for growing our small pipeline of supporters and warm prospects into a long-term income stream.

This is essential to Caudwell Youth’s future sustainability, with corporate partnerships and major donor income currently making up 30% of Caudwell Youth’s annual fundraising income (forecast to be around £450,000 this year).

Our ambition is to increase this revenue stream by around 50% to over £800,000 by 2030, in order to support more at-risk young people from across the UK, as set out in our recently launched strategy, Going National.

This is a role for a self-starter who is excited to drive high value growth and be a key part of Caudwell Youth’s upward trajectory, working within a small but dynamic fundraising team. It offers significant opportunity to shape and lead this area of fundraising as it grows.

You will be an experienced fundraiser with a proven track record of securing major gifts of four, five and six figure gifts, familiarity with managing corporate partnerships and evidence of growing and developing new pipelines and revenue streams.

You will own a significant portion of this income stream, with responsibility for securing new high-value relationships and growing existing supporters.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Operating at a senior level within the fundraising team, this role will take the lead across Caudwell Youth’s philanthropic and corporate giving.

Working closely with the Fundraising Director to drive income growth and strategic development, your key duties will include:

MAJOR DONORS & PHILANTHROPISTS

You will manage a mixed portfolio of existing supporters and warm prospects, while building a pipeline of new high-value opportunities. To do this, you will:

• Take personal responsibility for securing, retaining and growing high-value (four, five and six figure) gifts and philanthropic partnerships, by engaging in detailed prospect research and building contacts with high-net-worth individuals and their intermediaries to create a pipeline of new opportunities.
• Provide a high-quality supporter stewardship experience to Caudwell Youth’s existing major donors and philanthropists and warm prospects, tailoring this to their wishes to create a unique journey for each donor which seeks to deepen their engagement with the charity. This may include:
• Personalised reporting
• Bespoke communications
• Face-to-face meetings and events
• Unique ways to be consulted on and engage with our work
• Opportunities to be recognised.
• Lead on the continued growth, development and stewardship of Caudwell Youth’s Oracles fundraising board in order to maximise its annual revenue.
• Support John Caudwell’s Charity Pioneer with the stewardship of existing and potential Life Changers Circle donors, including through hosting cultivation and network events.

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS AND FUNDRAISING

• Develop our corporate support pipeline, seeking to strengthen connections with existing corporate donors. This will include developing partnerships typically in the £10,000 - £100,000+ range through CSR, fundraising and sponsorship opportunities which align with Caudwell Youth’s values.
• Work with major donors and philanthropists, colleagues across the charity, volunteers and other stakeholders and contacts to proactively identify new corporate fundraising opportunities for Caudwell Youth.
• Work on Charity of the Year applications, pitches and proposals in conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team and representatives from volunteering and operations as required.
• Act as an account manager and first point of contact for corporate supporters of Caudwell Youth, coming up with tailored programmes of supporter engagement to maximise their fundraising, increase connection with our cause and engage them in strategic multi-year support partnerships.
• Supported by our Supporter Engagement Coordinator, encourage our corporate donors, major donors and philanthropists to meaningfully engage with our challenge fundraising programme.
• Review our existing Torchrunners model as a means of engaging corporate supporters as a group.

ACROSS THE FUNDRAISING TEAM

• Promote other ways to support Caudwell Youth, including gifts in wills, payroll giving, help in kind, challenge fundraising, charity-wide appeals and campaigns, events and digital content to your network of major donors, philanthropists and corporate supporters as appropriate.
• Work in partnership with the Grants and Impact Lead to develop applications and reporting for family philanthropic trusts where required.
• Work effectively as part of the fundraising team, together seeking ways to enhance and strengthen each others’ activities and diversify our revenue streams as required, including in relation to systems, policies, supporter engagement communications and fundraising events.
• Attend team meetings, personal work reviews and relevant meetings proactively and as a contributor.
• Deputise for your line manager as required in their absence, with support from the rest of the SLT.

ACROSS CAUDWELL YOUTH AND EXTERNALLY

• Work with Caudwell Youth’s operations and volunteering teams to create bespoke and sustainable opportunities for major donors, philanthropists and corporate supporters to engage in our work, while ensuring the needs of the at-risk young people that we support are always put first.
• Collaborate with our communications team to develop compelling copy and content which promotes our corporate fundraising offering and major donor support as required.
• Develop strong collaborative working with the wider teams to maximise income generation, and promote good communication and shared focus

ADMINISTRATION

• Use our CRM database, Beacon, to ensure all activity is properly captured, manage your pipelines, forecast income, track trends and data.
• Provide timely reports internally on performance, informing budget setting and subsequent reforecasts as required

GENERAL

• Behave and communicate in a way that is courteous and professional at all times, including representing the charity professionally to anyone you come into contact with and role modelling appropriate behaviour to colleagues.
• Express and promote equal opportunities and encourage inclusion and involvement.
• Ensure your work is aligned with the vision, mission and values of the charity.
• Ensure your work involves and reflects our young people’s views and voices where appropriate.
• Undertake and identify training as required and take a positive approach to personal development.
• Fulfil the duties and responsibilities of an employee as regards to Health and Safety at Work, including own safety and self-management.
• Undertake any other reasonable tasks deemed necessary as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ON APPOINTMENT, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE:

• Significant professional knowledge and experience in your specialist area
• The ability to take on substantial responsibility quickly
• Critical and detailed understanding of the specialty.

IN YOUR ROLE YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO:

• Solve complex problems creatively
• Make judgements requiring analysis and interpretation
• Carry out duties with significant strategic influence
• Lead and line-manage others
• Deputise for your line manager, including handling serious issues, where required.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• In-depth understanding of major donor and philanthropy fundraising, including a demonstrable track record of managing a portfolio of high value supporters and securing and managing four, five and six-figure gifts.
• Knowledge of corporate fundraising and partnership development, including experience developing and managing corporate partnerships worth £10,000 and upwards.
• Ability to identify, qualify and cultivate high value prospects, with evidence of strong commercial awareness to spot opportunities, grow fundraising income and build new pipelines.
• Understanding of impact-led fundraising and how to communicate charitable outcomes effectively to supporters.
• Exceptional networking and relationship-building skills, with experience developing long-term fundraising plans and tailored donor engagement journeys.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for presentations, proposals, pitches, reports and stewardship materials.

ESSENTIAL PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Self-motivated, proactive and comfortable with a high degree of autonomy.
• Entrepreneurial and commercially minded, with good business sense.
• Results-driven, with the ability to translate strategic ideas into tangible action.
• Confident and persuasive when working with senior stakeholders and major donors.
• Resilient and persistent when pursuing new opportunities.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Possess a passion for making a positive impact on young people's lives.

Help us grow our corporate income, building transformational partnerships and accelerating Habitat GB's mission to tackle housing poverty around the world.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join Habitat for Humanity Great Britain at a pivotal moment in our growth. We have ambitious plans to significantly increase our impact, expand our profile and unlock substantial new investment from the private sector. To do this, we are seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial and relationship-driven Head of Corporate Partnerships to lead the next phase of our corporate fundraising journey.

Reporting to the Director of Fundraising & Partnerships, you will lead the development and delivery of a high-value corporate partnerships strategy, personally securing and growing six-figure and multi-year partnerships with some of the UK's most influential companies. You'll build on strong foundations while creating new opportunities for businesses to engage with one of the world's leading housing and community development organisations.

This is an exciting opportunity to combine strategic leadership with hands-on income generation. You will lead a growing team, shape future investment in the function, and drive delivery of ambitious targets, including £1.3 million in corporate income and more than £500,000 in new business in year one, helping to achieve our ambition to double corporate income over the next three years.

As part of the global Habitat for Humanity network, you'll be able to offer corporate partners compelling opportunities spanning housing, climate resilience, community development, employee engagement and international volunteering. Few charities can match the scale, reach and tangible impact of the partnerships you will create.

We are looking for an outstanding fundraiser and leader with a track record of securing significant corporate partnerships, building high-performing pipelines and inspiring teams to deliver ambitious targets. In return, you'll join a passionate, values-led organisation where your work will directly help more families access the safety, security and opportunity of a decent home.

If you're excited by growth, motivated by impact and ready to build something extraordinary, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note: this role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK.

Start your Habitat journey here…

We want the recruitment process to give you the opportunity to shine, to share your skills and experience as clearly as possible, and for you to find out more about Habitat GB in return. You are welcome to get in touch and arrange an informal chat before submitting an application.

To apply for the role, please send us your CV and a supporting statement (max two sides of A4).

Job Purpose

 The Head of Corporate Partnerships is accountable for delivering substantial and sustained income growth from the private sector, with clear ownership of income targets, pipeline strength and conversion performance.

The role will lead the development and execution of a high-value, ESG-aligned corporate partnerships strategy, focused on securing and growing six-figure and multi-year partnerships. Combining strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, the postholder will personally lead priority opportunities while building a high-performing, commercially focused function capable of doubling corporate income over a three-year period.

Working closely with the Director of Fundraising & Partnerships, the role will strengthen Habitat GB’s position as a partner of choice for purpose-driven businesses, leveraging the global Habitat network to deliver scalable, high-impact partnerships

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

Corporate Partnerships Strategy & Growth

· Develop, implement and continuously refine a high-value corporate partnerships strategy aligned to organisational growth ambitions

· Deliver significant year-on-year income growth, contributing to the target to double corporate income within three years

· Lead the development of market-leading ESG-aligned partnership propositions, linked to SDGs, climate resilience and inclusive housing

· Identify, prioritise and unlock opportunities with UK-headquartered multinationals and national corporate partners

· Leverage the global Habitat network to secure multi-country and scalable partnership opportunities

Income Generation & New Business Delivery

· Personally lead the end-to-end development of strategic partnerships—from prospect identification through to negotiation and contract

· Secure six-figure and multi-year partnerships aligned to organisational priorities

· Deliver against agreed annual income and new business targets (anticipated to be £1.3m and £500k+ in year one), with a clear trajectory for sustained growth.

· Build and maintain a robust pipeline with a minimum 3–5x coverage ratio, ensuring consistent delivery against targets

· Apply disciplined prospect qualification, prioritisation and conversion methodologies

· Lead complex, high-value negotiations and partnership design

Pipeline Management, Forecasting & Performance

· Own and manage a dynamic, data-driven pipeline, using CRM systems and performance insights to inform decision-making

· Track and report on pipeline health, conversion rates, income forecasting and return on investment

· Work collaboratively with Finance to ensure accurate income forecasting, budgeting and reporting. Embed structured pipeline reviews and performance management processes.

· Ensure accurate forecasting and proactive management of risks and opportunities.

Partnership Management & Strategic Account Growth

· Oversee the strategic management, renewal and year-on-year growth of existing partnerships

· Drive increased partnership value through upsell, cross-portfolio engagement and multi-year agreements

· Ensure strong retention rates and long-term partner engagement

· Act as senior relationship lead for flagship and high-value accounts

· Maximise value through integrated opportunities including employee engagement, brand alignment, volunteering and digital activation

Global Volunteering Programme

• Provide strategic oversight of Habitat GB's Global Volunteering programme, ensuring it supports organisational income, engagement and partnership objectives
• Line manage the Volunteer Coordinator and support the effective delivery, growth and performance of the programme
• Ensure appropriate systems, processes, risk management and safeguarding measures are in place to support the safe and effective operation of the programme
• Embed Global Volunteering opportunities within corporate partnerships and supporter engagement activity to maximise participation, income and impact

Team Leadership & Capability Building

· Lead and develop the Corporate Partnerships team, currently comprising the New Business Manager and Volunteer Coordinator, with planned responsibility for the Corporate Partnerships Manager and New Business Executive roles as these positions are recruited

· Set clear objectives, KPIs and expectations aligned to income delivery and pipeline development

· Build a high-performing, accountable and commercially focused team culture

· Support capability development in pipeline management, negotiation and partnership growth

· Ensure effective use of systems, data and insight across the function

Proposition Development & Cross-Organisational Leadership

· Work collaboratively with Impact and Programmes teams, as well as other Fundraising & Partnerships colleagues to develop compelling, tailored partnership propositions

· Influence and align senior internal stakeholders to prioritise and deliver high-value opportunities

· Ensure all partnership propositions clearly articulate impact, value and alignment with corporate ESG priorities

· Drive innovation in corporate partnership “products”, responding to evolving market demand

External Profile, Influence & Market Positioning

· Position Habitat GB as a leading partner for corporate social impact and ESG-driven collaboration

· Build and maintain strong relationships with senior corporate stakeholders and decision-makers

· Represent Habitat GB at external forums, events and networks to build visibility and generate opportunities

· Contribute to thought leadership and sector engagement

Risk, Compliance & Due Diligence

· Ensure robust corporate due diligence processes and proactive management of reputational risk

· Maintain compliance with fundraising regulation, ethical standards and organisational policies

· Protect and enhance Habitat GB’s brand through careful partner selection and management

Person profile:

· Proven track record of securing six-figure+ corporate partnerships, including complex, strategic and multi-year deals

· Significant experience in corporate fundraising, partnerships or business development in a charitable or other relevant context

· Demonstrable success in building and converting high-value pipelines

· Experience managing and growing strategic partnerships and key accounts

· Experience leading complex negotiations and high-level stakeholder engagement

· Experience of line management or leading high-performing teams, including leading teams through growth, change or transformation

· Strong understanding of corporate fundraising, ESG, CSR and sustainability agendas

· Commercially astute with the ability to align corporate objectives and social impact

· Strong understanding of pipeline management, forecasting and performance metrics

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence at senior level

· Highly delivery-focused, with a strong track record of meeting or exceeding income targets

· Strategic thinker with the ability to translate strategy into measurable results

· Strong relationship builder with credibility at senior/executive level

· Data-driven and disciplined in pipeline and performance management

· Creative and solution-oriented in developing partnership propositions

· Strong influencing skills in complex and matrix environments

· Results-driven, resilient and accountable

· High integrity, professionalism and sound judgement

· Strong alignment with Habitat GB’s mission and values

· Collaborative, inclusive and values-led leadership style

· Commitment to equality, diversity, safeguarding and ethical practice

Habitat for Humanity requires that all employees take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguard our intended beneficiaries, their communities, and all those with whom we work.  Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguards the rights of beneficiaries and community members (especially children), and promotes the implementation of our code of conduct. The employment of this position will be subject to a satisfactory reference check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

At Habitat for Humanity GB, we aim to build, develop and retain a talented workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences. We welcome and actively encourage applications from anyone who feels they’d be a good fit for our organisation, regardless of race, religion, colour, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, neurodiversity or any other protected characteristics.

Unfortunately, because of high volume of applications we will not be able to contact unsuccessful applicants. If you haven’t heard from us within a month of the application deadline, please assume that your application has not been successful.