Director of partnerships jobs

An exciting opportunity to join the Rank Foundation team in London or Penrith as Head of Impact, Partnerships & Place.

The Head of Impact, Partnerships & Place is a senior leadership role responsible for driving collaboration & partnerships and ensuring measurable social impact. This position combines strategic vision with operational excellence to advance the Foundation’s mission. Our mission is rooted in trust, respect, and a belief in the collective power to drive positive change.

The creation of the Head of Impact, Partnerships and Place marks a pivotal moment in our journey. It signals our ambition to deepen how we understand, evidence and learn from our impact, and to use that learning to continually strengthen what we do. The role will ensure our place-based work is shaped by insight, collaboration and long-term thinking, so that communities have the best possible opportunities to thrive. By building strong partnerships with funders and collaborators, this role will help us grow and scale our work in ways that are purposeful and sustainable.

Please download the Recruitment Pack for the full description of the post and further information. 

Key Responsibilities

Impact Measurement

o Design and oversee frameworks for monitoring and evaluating strategic outcomes.

o Prepare and present impact reports to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability.

o Support the wider staff team in gathering data to inform and underpin the Impact Framework.

 Partnerships Development

o Build and maintain partnerships with RankNet members, other funders, government, and community organisations.

o Negotiate and manage collaborative projects to maximise reach and effectiveness.

 Place-based Programmes 

o Lead the place-based programmes (currently Plymouth and Sunderland) and design frameworks for monitoring and evaluating strategic outcomes. 

o Collaborate with other funders and partners to achieve shared goals. 

o Represent the Foundation at local, regional, and national events that focus on place-based work. 

Community Engagement

o Develop and implement strategies to strengthen relationships with RankNet members, partners, and funders.

Strategic Leadership

o Contribute to organisational strategy, identify emerging trends and opportunities for social impact.

o Translate organisational strategy into clear, measurable objectives, ensuring alignment across teams and programmes.

o Manage strategic risk in relation to funders and partnerships, reputation and delivery, ensuring ethical, inclusive and sustainable practice.

 Advocacy and Representation

o Serve as the public face of the Foundation at funder and partnership events.

o Advocate for causes aligned with the Foundation’s mission.

If you would like to apply, please state the role you are applying for and send your CV together with a supporting statement no longer than 2 sides of A4 that clearly demonstrates how you meet the knowledge, skills, and experience requirements of the role to recruitment@rankfoundation. com 

To assist us in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we would be grateful if you could complete our EDI Form.

To enable Operation Smile’s global surgical activities, OSUK’s Partnerships Team works to maximise high-potential income channels such as corporate partnerships, major donors, community fundraisers and trusts and foundations.

We have created an exciting new position in our team for an ambitious and confident relationship fundraiser. Working as part of the Partnership Team and line managing one Partnerships Officer, the Partnerships Manager position will secure critical income from new and existing corporate partners through compelling pitches and excellent stewardship.

The position will build on existing partner relationships with high-profile businesses like Superdrug, the Perfume Shop and Johnson & Johnson, aiming to grow their contributions, as well as making approaches to new prospects in relevant sectors, working closely with the Director of Partnerships.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Corporate Partnerships Development

• Ensure achievement of annual income target for corporate partnerships
• Take primary responsibility for managing the current pool of medium and large corporate partnerships, including global partners (working with Operation Smile Inc), to ensure their growth and longevity – strategic input into the growth of each partner will be essential
• Develop and implement plans for partner activity to maximise all income channels, including corporate philanthropy, employee engagement, cause-related marketing and more
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of new corporate fundraising prospects, creating propositions/proposals and making approaches, working with the Director of Partnerships
• Enhance our employee engagement and community fundraising offer with simple, easy-to-do fundraising activities, linked to key moments in the calendar
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting to partners and internal stakeholders
• Represent Operation Smile UK in global corporate partner discussions, applying any global strategies to develop successful fundraising plans for the UK
• Lead on the development and management of any corporate partner cultivation events

Additional Responsibilities

• Line manage one Partnerships Officer, supporting them to manage inbound community fundraising requests and existing relationships, as well as smaller corporate partners
• Oversight of community fundraising income target delivered by the Officer
• Create and maintain annual corporate partnerships and community fundraising budgets and business plans, including activities from current supporters and forecasting new business income

Additional Information

• 2 years’ experience in a corporate partnerships or business development role
• We promote flexible and hybrid working, with 2 days per week in our London office in Battersea (nearest stations Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Town). There will also be some UK travel for meetings, conferences and events.
• Some overseas travel required to visit projects and partner countries, a highlight of the role!

First-round interviews are set for the week of 2nd March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.

Disability Confident Committed Employer

We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.

At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.

If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation. 

We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. 

To enable Operation Smile’s global surgical activities, OSUK’s Partnerships Team works to maximise high-potential income channels such as corporate partnerships, major donors, community fundraisers and trusts and foundations.

We have created an exciting new position in our team for an ambitious and confident relationship fundraiser. Working as part of the Partnership Team, the Philanthropy Manager position will secure critical income from new and existing major donors through compelling, donor-centred approaches and excellent stewardship.

The position will build on existing relationships with individuals who make significant personal donations, aiming to grow their contributions, as well as making approaches to new prospects, working closely with the Director of Partnerships.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Philanthropy Development

• Ensure achievement of annual income target for philanthropy
• Develop and implement plans for a structured philanthropy programme, for both new and existing donors, aligning their giving with our strategic priorities
• Take primary responsibility for managing the current small pool of major donors, to grow and sustain their giving – strategic development of each relationship will be essential
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of new major donor prospects, creating propositions/proposals and making approaches, working with the Director of Partnerships
• Seek peer-to-peer introductions to new prospects, from existing donors, board members and other contacts
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting to donors and internal stakeholders
• Work with the Communications team to generate media presence and content to attract philanthropic interest from new prospects
• Represent Operation Smile UK in global philanthropy discussions, applying any global strategies to develop successful fundraising plans for the UK
• Lead on development and management of any philanthropy cultivation events

Additional Responsibilities

• Create and maintain annual philanthropy budget and business plan, including activities from current supporters and forecasting new business income

Additional Information

• 2 years’ experience in a philanthropy or business development role
• We promote flexible and hybrid working, with 2 days per week in our London office in Battersea (nearest stations Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Town). There will also be some UK travel for meetings, conferences and events.
• Some overseas travel required to visit projects and partner countries, a highlight of the role!

First-round interviews are set for the week of 2nd March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.

Disability Confident Committed Employer

We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.

At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.

If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation. 

We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. 

The BRIT School is seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Communications to lead an evolving communications strategy that ensures the School remains the first choice for young, diverse artists.

This senior role has strategic responsibility for marketing, digital and social media, PR, alumni engagement, and brand management. You will be working directly with Principal Stuart Worden and be his voice in press releases, communications with industry, fundraising and lobbying environments. Working closely with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Development Team, Trustees, and industry partners, the postholder will play a pivotal role in driving student recruitment, strengthening industry relationships, supporting fundraising ambitions, and enhancing the School’s national and international profile.

You are an experienced strategic marketing and communications leader with a passion for arts and education at senior level, you know how to build powerful brands, lead talented teams, and deliver campaigns that inspire, engage and drive real impact. Collaborative, adaptable and values-led, you bring strong digital, PR and storytelling skills, commercial awareness, and a genuine commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion—thriving in a creative, fast-moving environment.

Do you share our vision to end youth unemployment?

The King’s Trust is seeking an exceptional individual to become Director of Delivery for Wales.You should share our passion for supporting young people to realise their potential and increasing our reach and impact. 

You will lead a team of colleagues, delivery partners and volunteers to turn our strategy into action, ensuring that our programmes reach those who need our help the most, by building partnerships, upholding our commitment to inclusion and safeguarding and growing our income. You will also develop and implement plans to achieve our four strategy goals of Tackling Inequality, Building the Nation’s Workforce, Being a Bold Voice for Change and Making Every Pound Count.To do this, you’ll need to able to engage and motivate a dispersed team and collaborate effectively across the whole organisation. You’ll also need to have an understanding of the challenges facing young people.

You will be a member of the Trust’s Senior Leadership Team, working with colleagues across the UK and will lead on a number of cross organisational projects.You’ll need to be visible across Wales and the wider organisation, working in our centre in Cardiff at least three days a week, as well as travelling to other centres and partner meetings in Wales and the UK as required. 

To enable Operation Smile’s global surgical activities, OSUK’s Partnerships Team works to maximise high-potential income channels such as corporate partnerships, major donors, community fundraisers and trusts and foundations.

We have an exciting position in our team for an experienced and ambitious trusts fundraiser. Working as part of the Partnership Team and line managing one Grants & Programmes Manager, the Senior Grants & Programmes Manager will secure critical income from new and existing trust and foundation donors through compelling pitches and excellent stewardship.

The position will build on existing multiyear relationships with donors giving at the six-figure level per year, aiming to grow their contributions, as well as making approaches to new prospects, working closely with the Director of Partnerships. The role is also the key liaison between OSUK and teams at Operation Smile Inc and in programme countries around the world, leading on donor reporting and sourcing programmatic information for new funding opportunities.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Trust and Foundation Funding Development

• Ensure achievement of annual income target for trusts and foundations
• Take primary responsibility for managing the current pool of trust/foundation donors, to ensure their growth and longevity – strategic input into the growth of each relationship will be essential
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of new funding prospects, creating propositions/proposals and making approaches, working with the Director of Partnerships, with a focus on the highest value prospects (those worth six-figures per year plus)
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting to donors and internal stakeholders
• Represent Operation Smile UK in global funding discussions, applying any global strategies to develop successful fundraising plans for the UK
• Lead on development and management of any trust/foundation cultivation events

Programmes Liaison

• Lead on interaction with global teams at Operation Smile Inc (US) and programme country teams around the world, regarding OSUK’s funding of programmes
• Identify funding opportunities for new prospects and existing donors, sourcing relevant programmatic and financial information
• Support the allocation of OSUK’s funds to a portfolio of programmes that best meet our donors’ interests, and work with colleagues internationally to reallocate funds when needed
• Monitor projects’ progress against KPIs and ensure donor reporting (programmatic and financial) is complete and timely, and meets donors’ needs and expectations

Additional Responsibilities

• Line-manage one Grants & Programmes Manager, supporting them to manage their own portfolio of new prospects and existing relationships, including small trusts mailings
• Create and maintain annual trusts and foundations income and expenditure budgets and business plans, including current donors and forecasting new business income

Additional Information

• 4 years’ experience in a trusts/foundations/institutional funding role
• We promote flexible and hybrid working, with 2 days per week in our London office in Battersea (nearest stations Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Town). There will also be some UK travel for meetings, conferences and events.
• Some overseas travel required to visit projects and partner countries, a highlight of the role!

First-round interviews are set for the week of 2nd March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.

Disability Confident Committed Employer

We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.

At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.

If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation. 

We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. 

We are looking for a Senior Fundraising Lead to drive our growth by securing high-value partnerships. This new role is for a results-oriented fundraiser who can manage a sales pipeline and move prospects from “cold” to “secured” with speed and precision. As a Senior Lead, you will take the initiative to propose new approaches that align with our strategic goals and build long-term global partnerships with some of the most renowned companies, trusts and philanthropists. You will sit within a small fundraising team alongside a Director of Fundraising and Head of Fundraising and Partnerships.

Reports to: Director of Fundraising & Partnerships
Hours: Full time with flexible hours. Core hours are 10am to 4pm
Location: Hybrid. London (Embankment) two days per week and remote working
Salary: £43,444 p.a.

We value integrity in our application process. While AI can be a helpful resource, we are looking for evidence of your unique experience and enthusiasm. Applications that are overly generic or clearly AI-generated will not be shortlisted, as we prioritise authentic personal insight. 

Applications close at 23:59 on March 1st. First round interviews will take place on March 10th, 11th and 12th. Second round interviews will be on March 18th. Both will be in-person at The Economist Group’s offices in London.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is now seeking an exceptional and visionary Director of Development to lead its fundraising at a pivotal moment in its evolution. This newly created senior role reflects a step change in ambition as the organisation embarks on an exciting new chapter of growth, partnership and global profile. Reporting to the Chief Executive and sitting on the Executive Team, the Director of Development will inspire and lead a talented development team while playing a central role in shaping the organisation’s future direction. You will spearhead major fundraising initiatives, including a landmark capital campaign to realise plans for a new recording, rehearsal and creative centre — envisaged as an “Abbey Road of the North” — designed to support future talent, innovation and the wider creative economy of the Liverpool City Region. Alongside this, you will help secure the long-term success of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s award-winning artistic, learning and community programmes.

The successful candidate will be a dynamic, relationship-driven leader with a strong track record of securing transformational income within complex, mission-led organisations. You will bring strategic vision, deep knowledge of the philanthropic landscape, and the confidence to unlock new sources of support from individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate partners. Crucially, you will play a leading role in articulating a clear, compelling and cohesive external narrative for Royal Liverpool Philharmonic — one that brings together its heritage, ambition, social impact and future aspirations — and ensure this story resonates powerfully with funders, partners, civic leaders and audiences. Passionate about music and culture, you will be an inspiring leader, a trusted advisor to the Board and Executive, and a persuasive ambassador for an organisation that exists to enhance and transform lives through music.

The Organisation

ImpactEd Group supports education and purpose-driven organisations to maximise and realise their potential.

We do this by helping our partners to be consistently impactful and operationally sustainable. Drawing on our domain expertise and technical skills in these areas, ImpactEd Group aims to be the first port of call for leaders across the education ecosystem.

This role exists as a senior leader in our Group, and leads the commercial growth of our Evaluation Practice. ImpactEd Evaluation (IEE) works with schools and organisations, analysing the impact of programmes and interventions to help them do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. The practice works with over 1,400 schools and 80 education and youth organisations, serving more than a quarter of million pupils. This includes helping our partners to design high-quality research projects, delivering them, and providing systems and tools for data collection, reporting and impact benchmarking.

The Opportunity

We are excited to be recruiting for a Principal Director to lead commercial growth within our Evaluation practice. This is a new role within the practice.  Reporting to our Group Directors and / or a Managing Director of IEE (subject to future appointment), the Director will work as part of a practice leadership team that will oversee all aspects of the evaluation team’s work, with a focus on leading business development. Our partnerships encompass education organisations such as charities, edtech organisations and government, and schools and multi-academy Trusts. Across all our partnerships, we aim to design and deliver high-quality research and evaluation projects that help our partners make better decisions for children using good evidence.

You will provide strategic leadership, represent the organisation both internally and externally, and be responsible for driving the commercial performance of the practice. This role will sit alongside a Principal Director focused on the delivery of our partnerships, and our Director of Research.

The role will focus on partnerships and business development, ensuring that ImpactEd Evaluation is positioned well as first port of call for schools and social purpose organisations. You will lead a number of sales and marketing campaigns, develop key propositions for our partners, scan and respond to relevant tenders and work closely with a team of evaluation experts to ensure we are able to continue to bring accessible expertise to our work and partners.

The role would be ideal for a candidate with deep understanding of the education sector, a track record in business development, and the ambition to shape the direction of a growing social enterprise.

About you

As a team focused on research and evaluation, we would also expect roles at this level to demonstrate:

• Values and people: Alignment with our values and ability to demonstrate them in your work. You will facilitate conversations about professional development for your direct reports and act as a coach and role model for other members of the team. 

• Partnership management: Modelling of excellence in partnership management, particularly on proactive driving of partnerships forward, scope management and stakeholder engagement.

• Scoping, sales and evaluation design: Leadership of business development for consultancy engagements and facilitation of evaluation design processes, including designing Theories of Change and evaluation plans, particularly for high-value and high-complexity partnerships, in collaboration with our in-house evaluation experts.

• Proposition development: Understanding of our sector and ability to combine that with our offers as a practice to create propositions that can drive partnership and business development opportunities.

• Reporting and improvement: Ability to listen to and synthesise partner needs to tailor evaluation reporting, quality assure others’ outputs, and help partners take action from research findings.

Why Us?

As well as a commitment to the organisations we work with, we have a commitment to our people and developing the next generation of leaders within the social enterprise, education and evaluation sectors.

Our employee experience is organised around four themes:

• Trust: we support hybrid working, provide flexible hours, and provide responsive management.

• Shared ownership: we are an employee owned organisation and look to increasingly share ownership with our employees, including in terms of governance and culture, and realise this in a number of ways such as ownership awards, and transparent governance including an Employee Voice board.

• Connection: we pay for your travel, provide termly company offsites, support informal clubs and societies, and provide opportunities for in-person and digital connection between colleagues.  

• Health and fulfilment: we have an extensive professional development programme, provide an annual books and development budget allowance and offer 3 days of CPD leave per year in addition to annual leave. We offer all employees access to a MediCash plan and wellbeing advice, including free therapist support.

LGBT Foundation is an impactful, vibrant charity with a wide portfolio of well-established services and rapidly developing new initiatives aimed at meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people.  The Fundraising & Marketing Team at LGBT Foundation is a small yet collaborative group of professionals. They are dedicated to advancing the visibility and impact of the UK’s leading health and wellbeing charity. The team is responsible for implementing wide-ranging fundraising, communication, and marketing strategies. By leveraging various channels such as email marketing, the organisation’s website, video, social media, OOH advertising and traditional media, the team strives to support the national visibility, brand awareness, impact storytelling and income generation of the charity by attracting, engaging and stewarding a growing supporter base.   LGBT Foundation’s Partnerships & Philanthropy Advisor will work with fundraising & marketing colleagues to deliver against strategic objectives and achieve in-year financial targets, significantly increasing income and support, specifically from corporates, individual giving (donations), legacies and fundraising events. In this role as a Partnerships & Philanthropy Advisor, corporate partnerships (attraction, engagement, and retention) will be a priority, ensuring members see the value in our offer.   

You will also work with the Director of Fundraising & Marketing to shape four individual giving campaigns a year and two legacy awareness campaigns a year. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with the Marketing Manager to keep fundraising information on webpages and social channels active, ensuring regular promotion of charity challenges and shaping digital mobilisation efforts which will build the charity’s supporter base, attracting more new donors.   

You will support regular reporting on performance towards financial targets, working closely with colleagues to reconcile income, ensure Salesforce records and reports are up-to-date and that integrations support automated data flows.

We are taking positive action to encourage applications from people of colour (PoC) and other racially minoritised communities, trans*, non-binary, and/or older people (aged 50+), to improve the representation of colleagues from these communities in our staff team.

*Trans is an umbrella & inclusive term used to describe people whose gender identity differs from that which they were assigned at birth; including non-binary people, and those who partially or incompletely identify with their sex assigned at birth.

Keychange is a Christian charity with a proud history of supporting people invulnerable situations for over a century. We believe that everyone has dignity and worth, and that people thrive best in communities where they are known, valued and supported. Across our care homes and housing communities, we seek to provide support that goes beyond compliance and is rooted in compassion, excellence and Christian values.

We are now seeking a Director of Operations to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our services and ensuring that our vision is lived out every day across the organisation.

The role

As Director of Operations, you will be a key member of the senior leadership team, working closely with the CEO and Board to translate strategy into high-quality, sustainable delivery with exciting future developments ahead.

You will provide strategic and operational leadership across 7 care homes and 3 housing communities in the south of England, leading and supporting a talented operations team to deliver safe, effective and person-centred services.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing visible leadership that embeds Keychange’s Christian vision, values and culture across all services
• Leading and overseeing multi-site operations, ensuring consistently high standards of care, safeguarding and support
• Holding accountability for regulatory compliance, quality assurance and service improvement
• Driving operational excellence, innovation and efficiency through effective systems and processes
• Ensuring services are financially sustainable, working closely with finance colleagues on budgets and resources
• Developing, coaching and inspiring senior managers and leaders to perform at their best

This is a senior role with real influence – both on the strategic direction of Keychange and on the lives of hundreds of people we support.

About you

We are looking for a values-led, strategic and credible leader who brings:

• Senior leadership experience within social care, housing, homelessness or a closely related sector
• A proven track record of leading multi-site services and managing senior operational leaders
• Strong experience of working within regulated environments and delivering high-quality, compliant services
• Sound financial and commercial awareness, with experience of managing budgets and resources  of a similar scale to Keychange (250 staff across 10 sites)
• A passion for developing people, culture and values-driven practice
• A personal commitment to the Christian faith and active agreement with the Keychange mission, vision and faith basis. (This is a genuine occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010)

You will be someone who combines strategic thinking with practical delivery, and who leads with integrity, humility and purpose.

What we offer

This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior leadership role where your professional expertise and Christian faith can make a lasting and meaningful difference.

The role involves regular travel across our sites in the south of England with flexibility around base location.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with excellent strategic, analytical and leadership skills to join Impetus as an Investment Director and support us in our mission to transform the lives of young people.

The Investment Director (ID) is a key member of the Investment Team, playing a leading role in identifying, assessing, and supporting portfolio partner charities and other non-profit organisations to deepen their impact and scale their outcomes. This role works closely with other Investment Directors and Investment Managers to deliver external facing support to portfolio partners as well as internal projects to support the development of the investment model and portfolio strategy.

Investment Directors use strategic thinking, analytical rigour, and senior relationship skills to support a portfolio of amazing organisations that, together, will help shift the life chances and outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK.

About the Investment Team

The Investment Team is responsible for selecting portfolio partners, managing our charity investments and supporting our portfolio partners to improve and scale their impact.

The Investment Team also leads the Impetus Leadership Academy, a leadership development programme to support talent from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK youth sector to progress into senior leadership roles.

The team is made up of 18 people, including former teachers, charity chief executives, charity impact leads, management consultants, social investment portfolio managers and impact consultants.  

The team is led by a Portfolio Director who sits on the Senior Management Team. The Portfolio Director has 5 direct reports: a Deputy Portfolio Director, three Sector Leads (who lead our work in School engagement, School attainment and Employment Sectors) and an Impact Lead. Sector Leads line manage 6 Investment Directors. Investment Directors line manage Investment Managers (currently 5). Investment Directors and Investment Managers tend to primarily focus on a sector but might have mixed portfolios, depending on need, experience and interest.

The Investment Team has a good track record of role progression. All four Leads and a number of our Investment Directors were promoted from within the team.

The team is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We come from a range of backgrounds and bring a broad mix of perspectives.  We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.

About this role

We believe that all young people deserve to succeed in school and in work, whatever their background. As we enter a challenging time with rising inflation and a likely recession, our work feels more vital than ever before. We are pleased to be able to expand our team to support our growing portfolio of charity and non-profit partners, in order to reach and impact more lives. The role of Investment Director presents an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the charities we serve, the team itself and the whole of Impetus.  

Key responsibilities

Finding high potential charities and non-profit partners for our portfolio

• Identifying potential charitable organisations for investment 
• Leading in-depth due diligence process within the scope of a grant round, to assess and build partnership foundations with potential partners – covering leadership and governance, and their impact, scale, and partnership potential; 
• Modelling from first contact of origination, our approach to engaged and trust-based investment management support;
• Developing and presenting high quality investment propositions to our Investment Committee.

Managing partnerships with portfolio partners

• Managing relationships with partner Chairs and CEOs 
• Agreeing Service Funding Agreements, including appropriate annual investment milestones to allow for a clear assessment of re-investment potential at end of phase 
• Regularly monitoring and assessing partner progress / risks against milestones and making evidence-based recommendations on progression or exit to Leads, Portfolio Director and the Investment Committee
• Escalating key risks on performance, leadership and safeguarding 
• Conducting annual partnership review with Sector Leads and partner CEOs
• Working with Impetus Finance colleagues to ensure timely distribution of grant payments, in line with Service Funding Agreements. 

Supporting portfolio partners 

• Providing direct support to CEOs and senior colleagues on key strategic topics, using a mix of at least monthly one-to-one meetings and group facilitation to:
  • clarify theory of change,
  • define long term ambition,
  • develop growth strategy
  • achieve a step change in the delivery and performance management of outcomes,
  • strengthen leadership (individual and collective) and governance capabilities,
  • develop path to scale,
  • build financial resilience;
• Scoping and project managing pro bono capacity-building projects (in addition to providing direct management support). Ensure projects are delivered to a high standard and contribute to charity progression;
• Identifying engagement opportunities for our donors and supporters with portfolio partners that are aligned with the partner’s activities and do not distract or undermine their core work;
• Collaborating with the Impetus Philanthropy team to support the development of additional funding opportunities for portfolio partners, enhancing their ability to deliver impact at scale;
• Effectively leveraging the support of investment managers to advance the objectives developed for each portfolio partner that is managed by an Investment Director.

Support to Impetus

• Developing expertise about “what works” in the sector through cultivation and use of expert input and engagement as well as investigation into key research and evaluative literature;
• Contributing insights and learning from portfolio work to inform Impetus’ strategy, model and delivery;
• Contributing to internal priorities and working groups (e.g. team strategy discussions, digital improvement initiatives, or equity, diversity, and inclusion)
• Contribute towards Impetus’ public affairs and philanthropy objectives through input into case studies, research and policy campaigns, donor reports and fundraising events
• Sharing the learning from our work across the team, across the organisation and externally working within Impetus strategy and agreed forums
• Engaging in Impetus pro bono, communications, and advocacy events, and engage portfolio partners appropriately in these events.
• Where appropriate, line-managing and supporting Investment Managers on the team to grow and develop, and achieve their project, role and team objectives.

Person specification

Essential

• A commitment to Impetus’ mission.
• Senior level responsibility and a strong track record of building trust-based relationships with senior stakeholders, advising them on key strategic decisions, and challenging them in a respectful and collaborative manner.
• A talent for strategic thinking around complex issues.
• Strong financial acumen and analytical skills.
• Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation fundamentals.
• Tenacity and initiative.
• Ability to flex personal style to needs of charity and leadership.
• Growth mind-set to seek out and act on feedback.
• Proven ability to work independently, and to exercise good judgment.
• Strong planning and time management skills.
• Interest in partnering closely with charities that are doing what it takes to get better.
• A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

If you don't tick all these boxes, but still feel that you fit the profile, please apply anyway.

Desirable

• Experience in the non-profit (charity or social enterprise) sector, through work, as a pro-bono volunteer or Trustee capacity.
• Experience in consulting, investment management, senior charity management, or other in-depth grant making and advisory work.
• Knowledge and expertise in UK education or youth employability sectors.
• Board experience in private, public or third sector.
• Understanding of or experience with commissioning impact evaluations.

Homeless Link are looking for an inspirational, experienced and ambitious senior leader who will lead on the design and delivery of a step-change in our impact on homelessness services in England. This will be achieved through a transformational approach to supporting Homeless Link’s member organisations and the wider homelessness workforce. With new funding and a greater sense of purpose you will shift the dial in sector leadership and frontline service delivery across England. In partnership with colleagues across the organisation, you will take us a step closer to our stated aim of an end to homelessness. 

Homeless Link is the national membership charity for frontline homelessness agencies and the wider housing with health, care and support sector in England. With more than 750 members, we work to improve services and campaign for policy change that will help end homelessness and ensure that everyone has a place to call home and the support they need to keep it.

The successful candidate will have an in-depth understanding of current & developing frontline homelessness practice, knowledge of how the homelessness and supported housing sectors operate, a strong track record of maintaining strategic partnerships, and senior leadership experience within the not-for-profit or related sector.If you can provide the strategic leadership to support and enable frontline member organisations and their staff to be more effective, impactful and resilient, we would love to hear from you. 

We are actively seeking to increase diversity within our organisation and would greatly welcome applications from people with lived experience of homelessness, from a black or minority ethnic background and/or with a disability. 

For full details and how to apply please click the Redirect to Recruiter button

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Senior Leadership team, the Director of Finance and Operations post is a key role within WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation.  Responsible for providing strategic leadership across finance and operational functions, the post holder will ensure WDC has the resources to deliver our mission, ensure WDC meets reporting and governance standards and ensure timely and efficient reporting to all levels of WDC employees, trustees and relevant external bodies and will ensure resources are deployed to maximise operational benefit.  Alongside this, this new position will lead core operational functions of Supporter Services (including leadership of the CRM), facilities and IT.