226 Director of partnerships jobs

Duchenne UK works tirelessly to challenge barriers, deliver practical solutions, and speed up progress for families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The charity collaborates with leading researchers, clinicians, industry and charity partners to deliver hope and measurable progress for people living with DMD in the UK.

Founded in 2012 by two mothers whose sons were diagnosed with DMD, the charity has raised more than £34 million and supported 81 clinical trials. Today, all ambulant young people with Duchenne can access a drug through the NHS.

Following a comprehensive review of its fundraising, Duchenne UK is taking a new, audience-led approach, backed by its board. It starts with the motivations and needs of supporters, donors, families and partners, and moves the charity to a multi-year relationship model built on stewardship, segmentation and supporter journeys, without losing the authenticity and close community connections that have made it so successful.

The Director of Income Generation will lead what comes next and make it their own. Reporting to CEO and co-founder Emily Reuben OBE and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, you will lead all income generation, with voluntary income of around £4m alongside sponsorship and industry income, set the priorities and build a growing team.

A key focus will be sustainable, diversified growth: reaching new audiences beyond the Duchenne community, and making the most of a large, under-leveraged supporter community and the networks of the founders and board.

With its 15th anniversary in 2027, a growth appeal planned for 2028 and a ten-year strategy in development, you will play a pivotal role in shaping Duchenne UK’s future and building a sustainable fundraising programme for the years ahead.

As Director of Income Generation, you will:

• Shape and lead the income generation strategy, taking the audience-led approach forward and deciding the priorities for its next stage
• Deliver sustainable, diversified income growth across major donors and philanthropy, trusts and foundations, community fundraising, the Duchenne Dash and challenge events, charity partners, and corporate and industry partnerships
• Lead fundraising planning for major initiatives and appeals, including the 2028 growth appeal
• Develop new areas of growth: individual giving, gifts in wills and in-memory giving, and digital supporter acquisition
• Support the co-founders in their fundraising, and build networks and new routes to major funders and philanthropists
• Build, lead and develop the income generation team, hiring to vacancies, with a culture of high performance and accountability
• Hold executive responsibility for the Development Board
• Work closely with the Director of Policy and Communications on fundraising materials, leading by doing, as Duchenne UK has no separate marketing team
• Lead the strategic use of Salesforce and data for reporting, forecasting and pipeline management
• Contribute to organisational strategy as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the CEO, SLT and trustees

Essential skills and experience:

• Senior fundraising leadership across multiple income streams, with responsibility for budgets, teams and income targets, and knowledge of fundraising regulation
• A track record of sustained income growth, including securing and managing high-value relationships and partnerships
• Experience of embedding new ways of working and taking fundraising strategies through to implementation
• Confident use of CRM systems, ideally Salesforce, and spreadsheets for pipeline management, forecasting and performance monitoring
• Experience of audience-led and relationship fundraising, including segmentation, supporter journeys and stewardship
• Building, leading and developing multidisciplinary teams with a culture of accountability and collaboration
• Credibility with senior leaders and trustees, and experience of contributing to organisational strategy and governance
• The ability to bring people with you, with generous, practical support for colleagues across the organisation
• The confidence to offer constructive challenge, thoughtfully and collaboratively
• Exceptional emotional intelligence, and ambition for income that never loses sight of the families behind it

Desirable:

• Experience of trusts and foundations, or community and challenge events
• Experience within a health, medical research or disability-related charity

Employee benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays (both pro rata), and 3 days Christmas closure
• Summer Fridays – half days on Fridays in July and August (pro rata)
• Flexible and hybrid working
• 4% employer pension contribution after 3 months
• Team wellness day, team away day and access to wellness support
• Training and development opportunities
• Death in service benefit and long-term illness cover