Director of partnerships jobs
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) is an international non-governmental organisation which works to amplify the voices of rural women globally. We are looking for an Executive Director for our small Central Office team which works with member organisations and individuals in the UK and around the world to ensure that rural women are represented, recognised for their critical importance in society, and have a platform to influence policy makers. We combine advocacy and small-scale, women-led development projects designed by the local women who will implement them for the benefit of their communities.
This an exciting time to join ACWW in the lead up to our centenary and planning for the 32nd Triennial World Conference in 2029. We are looking to appoint an Executive Director as our current Executive Director will be retiring this summer.
The successful candidate will be reporting to the Board of Trustees and working with colleagues and trustees to foster relationships, partnerships and collaborations with individuals, funders and networks in line with the Association’s objectives, priorities and values. You will have an important contribution to make in all aspects of the Association.
We are an equal opportunity, disability-confident employer and are dedicated to achieving the highest standards of diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions and ways of life including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
This role is offered as full-time. If you have successful charity sector experience, ability to build and maintain positive relationships and are looking to work for a charity focused on championing women’s empowerment and advocating for change, we’d like to hear from you. Please see application pack for further details and to apply.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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 client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We’re hiring a Director of Communities, Health and Partnerships.
Hackney CVS is in an exciting new phase and we’re looking for a senior leader to help shape it.
Following a major restructuring and redesign of our support offer, we’re focusing more sharply on our core mission: strengthening, connecting and championing the voluntary and community sector (VCS) across Hackney and the City of London.
Our Director of Communities, Health and Partnerships will:
- Lead our networks, forums and engagement work.
- Amplify community voice in local decision-making.
- Build powerful cross-sector partnerships.
- Support the voluntary sector to influence systems change.
You’ll join our Senior Leadership Team at a pivotal moment, helping us embed new ways of working and secure a brighter future for the VCS.
If you care deeply about equity, collaboration and the potential of the VCS to transform lives, and if you thrive in complexity, influence and relationship building, we would love to hear from you.
For the full job description and person specification, please see the attached recruitment pack.
#director #community #health #partnership
We support voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations in Hackney and the City of London.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you passionate about tackling the issues faced by young people such as school absence, loneliness and career opportunities, and determined in supporting their development of life and employability skills? Then there is a place for you at WeMindTheGap.
We are seeking a special person to fill a new role, Director of Operations. You will bridge the gap between our Board of Trustees, CEO and Operational Delivery. You will be responsible for turning our 5-year plan into high-quality sustainable action while ensuring that our culture remains the golden thread running through everything we do. To do this you will need to be able to effectively manage our growing team of circa 31 staff, line manage our Senior Leadership Team, maximise our yearly budget of roughly £1.7 million, and monitor and report on our Key Performance Indicators directly to our CEO.
Over the last decade, WeMindTheGap has walked alongside the most amazing young people aged 11–25yrs who have fallen through the gaps to find their place in the world. However, sadly, factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic mean that the need for our programmes is greater than ever.
That is why we have launched an ambitious 5-year plan to deepen our impact and expand our ‘Villages’. Through our place-based approach and continuum of five programmes, we provide our 'Gappies' with work and life skills opportunities, a sense of belonging in their communities, and a chance to build independent, fulfilling lives.
If you are an individual who thrives in social system changes, complex systems work, if you are driven by purpose and want to be part of an organisation that changes the lives of young people today and for our future generations, we want to hear from you.
Location: In-person at our WeConnect Hubs (Wrexham, Flintshire, Cheshire)
Salary: £50,000
Hours: Full-time, 5 days a week (37.5 hours)
Start Date: ASAP, ideally by 01/05/2026 (negotiable)
Contract: Permanent
Deadline: 12:00pm, 11th of March 2026
To find out more and how to apply, please download and read our full ‘Director of Operations - Recruitment Pack’.
Please note, the deadline for applying is 11th March 2026 and if chosen for stage 2 you must be available for interview in-person on 31st March or 1st of April 2026.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
We believe that every young person should have the chance to succeed, no matter their background or the challenges they are facing.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Neotree: The Digital Learning Health System
Neotree is an award-winning digital learning health system co-designed with frontline clinicians to end preventable newborn deaths in low-resource settings. Our open-source platform integrates real-time, knowledge-based clinical decision support (CDS), structured data capture, and visual dashboards into routine neonatal care. Currently active in 18 healthcare facilities, Neotree has supported care for 60,000 newborns and trained over 3,000 health workers to date. Neotree is the only platform of its kind with a defined pathway to embed AI-enabled decision support into routine neonatal care in sub-Saharan Africa.
Neotree: The Charity
The UK charity was established by core members of the University College London (UCL) Neotree research project to maximise the impact of their research on the quality of newborn care and newborn mortality. After five years of rapid growth and proven clinical impact, Neotree is seeking a visionary Executive Director to lead our next chapter. Having evolved from an innovative research pilot into a multi-country digital health intervention, integrated into routine neonatal care in Malawi and Zimbabwe, Neotree is poised for national-scale rollout and scale up, alongside rigorous ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
The Opportunity: Impact at Scale
By 2030 the ambition is for Neotree to be a fully integrated, sustainable standard of care across Malawi and Zimbabwe, having been handed over to, and owned by, their respective Ministries of Health. The incoming Executive Director will lead this transition, shifting the organisation from a research-led implementation partner to one able to scale up a digital public good (currently a DPGA Nominee with a full submission for DPG designation under review).
While the technological landscape, and specific delivery modules, will evolve, the Executive Director will ensure Neotree remains a safe, cost-effective, equitable, and evidence-based system that is successfully embedded within national digital health infrastructures.
The Executive Director's success will be measured collaboratively, focusing on KPIs related to impact and sustainability, and they will work alongside experienced clinical, technical, and academic leads.
Location: Remote within 2-3 hours of Central Africa Time (CAT), with approximately quarterly travel (including to Malawi, Zimbabwe and the UK).
Reports to: Board of Trustees
Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Key Responsibilities
1. Operations, Clinical Safety & Quality Assurance
1.1. Senior Operational Oversight: Provide high-level oversight of Neotree’s operations across 18 healthcare facilities in Malawi and Zimbabwe, ensuring that the "baby-first" mission is consistently delivered on the ground.
1.2. Clinical Safety & Ethical Governance: Lead the overarching strategy for clinical safety and ethical compliance. Ensure the platform remains a safe and effective clinical tool, and that all operations comply with international data protection and health governance best practices.
1.3. Quality & Effectiveness: Oversee the continuous improvement and optimisation of the Neotree platform based on real-world feedback from frontline clinical staff, ensuring the system remains highly acceptable and trusted by healthcare professionals.
2. Management: People, Grants & Finance
2.1. International Team Leadership: Lead, oversee and inspire a multi-disciplinary, multi-country team (UK, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa), fostering a culture of agility, collaboration, and excellence.
2.2. Develop local leadership and support the growth of country-based teams, ensuring long-term sustainability through in-country capacity building.
2.3. Financial & Grant Management:
2.3.1. Provide robust oversight of the charity’s finances, including budget setting and cash flow.
2.3.2. Lead the management of complex institutional grants (e.g. FCDO, Gates Foundation), ensuring all milestones and reporting requirements are met.
2.3.3. Manage relationships with multiple downstream partners.
3. Governance & Accountability
3.1. Statutory Compliance: Lead Neotree’s reporting and compliance with the Charity Commission, HMRC, Companies House, donors and other relevant legislation. Oversee internal and external audits.
3.2. Board Development & Relations: Act as the primary link to the Board of Trustees, providing transparent reporting on risks, financial performance, and strategic progress. Work proactively with the Chair to strengthen the board, supporting its growth and ensuring its membership is representative of the diverse international contexts and communities Neotree serves.
3.3. Risk Management: Serve as the ultimate lead for organisational risk, identifying and mitigating risks to protect the charity’s reputation, clinical safety, and financial health.
3.4. Organisational & Innovation Governance: Responsible for the continuous review and implementation of all policies (HR, due diligence, safeguarding, clinical and data governance etc.). Ensure policies are legally compliant across international operations.
4. Strategy & Impact Scaling
4.1. Overall Strategy: Lead the development and execution of Neotree’s business model and strategy to scale impact globally, ensuring the sustainable growth and wider adoption of Neotree as a digital public good.
4.2. Evidence base: Work closely with Neotree’s academic team at University College London to identify and address evidence gaps, to support on Neotree research grants (e.g. NIHR, Gates Foundation), and to ensure academic insights are translated directly into clinical impact and national policy.
4.3. Tech Strategy & Interoperability: Lead the development and execution of Neotree's digital strategy. A key focus will be driving the roadmap for system interoperability to ensure Neotree is a future-proofed platform. This includes FHIR compatibility and integration with national systems, such as DHIS2 and national EHRs, to support seamless data exchange.
4.4. Fundraising Strategy: Design and deliver a diverse fundraising strategy that further moves the organisation toward financial resilience and reduced dependence on major academic grants.
4.5. Partnerships & External Relations: Serve as one of the primary ambassadors for Neotree, alongside our Principal Investigators and co-founder Professor Michelle Heys. Define priority stakeholders, and build and maintain relationships with those high-level strategic partners to drive adoption and raise Neotree’s profile.
Key Priorities for the First 12-18 Months
The new Executive Director will focus on the following key priorities during their initial 12-18 months:
1. Successful Project Delivery & Ministry of Health Partnerships. Ensure successful delivery of the projects currently in flight, in both Malawi and Zimbabwe. This includes partnerships with the Ministries of Health in both countries to build and hand over neonatal modules in their EHR systems based on Neotree, and support their successful rollout.
2. Strategic Plan Development. Develop a 3-5 year plan with the Board, academic partners, and wider project team to build on our existing foundation to expand Neotree – including addressing research gaps, using AI to improve clinical decision support, and finding ways to expand the adoption of the technology in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and beyond. Sustainability is a core part of that strategy.
3. Strategic Plan Execution. Execute on that plan, including securing funding, building partnerships, and further developing the Neotree team.
Person Specification
Personal attributes and skillset
- Overall: Values-driven, mission alignment, humility, and commitment to equitable partnership.
- Visionary Leadership: An inspiring leader who can balance day-to-day operations with a long-term strategic focus. You can articulate a clear future for Neotree that motivates an international team and aligns global partners toward making Neotree a national standard of care, ensuring every innovation remains underpinned by our "baby-first" mission.
- Adaptability & Flexibility: You must thrive in a landscape that is constantly shifting. You can pivot strategies as national digital health priorities evolve or as new technological partners emerge. You are comfortable with ambiguity and can steer the organisation through the "unknowns" of the next five+ years.
- Communication & Collaborative Mindset: You are a bridge-builder. You have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across international borders and multidisciplinary partners, linking academic research, technical development, and frontline clinical delivery.
Experience
1. Education: Master’s degree (MSc, MPH, MBA) in a relevant field (e.g. Global Health, International Development, Digital Health).
2. Proven track record of overseeing delivery of health services and/or health interventions (ideally in low-resource settings).
3. Experience of working in partnership with Ministries of Health strengthening health systems.
4. Proven experience in scaling an organisation or a digital product / health intervention from a pilot phase to a national or regional standard.
5. Experience of leading multidisciplinary, multi-cultural teams, both in person and remotely.
6. Experience of monitoring and evaluating health programmes.
7. Experience managing complex grants, and diverse revenue streams (grants, philanthropy, or social enterprise models).
Desirable
- AI & Innovation: Understanding of the ethical and practical implications of integrating AI/Machine Learning into healthcare.
- Governance: Familiarity with UK charity governance, including reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House.
Equal opportunities
Neotree values diversity and is committed to equal opportunities. All applicants for employment will receive equal treatment without discrimination on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation, or any other grounds. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds, and the low-resource settings in which we work, to ensure we have a well-balanced and widely representative staff base.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
About Figurative
Figurative is a new organisation, and this is a brand new role. Our mission is to bring new funding capital to the cultural and creative sectors, and to deploy it in ways that optimise for social impact and for sector sustainability.
We bring together deep expertise through Arts & Culture Finance (formerly part of Nesta) and New Philanthropy for Arts & Culture to unlock new and innovative ways of funding and supporting the UK’s arts ecosystem.
Figurative manages three investment portfolios that have supported over 60 organisations and raised more than £30 million in investment capital over the last decade.
About this role
Culture and creativity are essential to human flourishing, yet the financial models supporting them are in need of a serious reimagining. Public subsidy is declining in real terms, traditional philanthropy can't fill the gap, and commercial investment often doesn't align with how cultural and creative sector organisations work best.
Figurative exists to create a third way: impact investment that brings new capital to culture and creativity, while respecting what makes the sector special. But scaling a genuinely new funding model requires more than good intentions - it needs robust infrastructure, diversified capital sources, and deep credibility with the organisations we exist to serve.
This is a unique opportunity to join Figurative in its infancy, and to take responsibility for growing Figurative from £30m to £100m+ over the next 3-5 years. Your work will directly enable cultural organisations to access capital they couldn't reach through traditional routes - capital that allows them to take creative risks, sustain their missions, and amplify their social impact without compromising their values.
You will be joining a dynamic, inclusive, collaborative team that is committed to learning on the job, and in the open. This involves testing out new ideas, and finding partners who are keen to explore innovative ways in which their money can be used to bring about their desired outcomes through the power of culture and creativity.
Key Responsibilities
The Development Director will:
- lead our efforts to raise money into our own parent charity, from primarily new sources;
- support the CEO and investment team to raise investment capital (which may take the form of repayable grants) into our investment funds;
- lead our efforts to support organisations in the sector to raise philanthropic giving as a source of income for themselves, particularly focused around place (including the development of our existing Arts Council funded place-based philanthropy networks) and social impact (including our Big Give Arts for Impact match funding campaign);
- develop and implement our place-based strategy, which will aim to demonstrate the power of blended finance.
The Development Director will be a member of the senior leadership team and report directly to the CEO, working closely on strategy and communicating strategic priorities and progress to existing and potential grant funders (into Figurative) and investors (into our funds); whilst providing philanthropic expertise to cultural organisations and partners to optimise social impact and sector sustainability.
In this role, the successful candidate will have to be/demonstrate:
- Strategic infrastructure builder: Proven track record designing and implementing fundraising/investor relations systems and processes in growth-stage organisations - not just using existing ones.
- Financial literacy: Comfortable with impact investment concepts, fund structures, and articulating risk/return/impact trade-offs to sophisticated investors. You can speak credibly to family offices and institutional investors, not just traditional arts funders.
- Cross-sector translator: Ability to articulate culture's value to investors whose primary focus is climate, social impact, or economic development. Fluency in making the case for why culture matters to non-arts audiences. Ability to build and manage partnerships across philanthropy, commercial creative industries, and the public sector, navigating complex stakeholder environments with diplomacy and credibility.
- Cultural sector credibility: Deep understanding of how arts organisations operate, their funding challenges, and why they might be sceptical of intermediaries. Genuine commitment to supporting sector sustainability, not extracting from it.
- Proposition development: Ability to craft compelling narratives for complex funding models. You can explain why impact investment in culture is different from traditional philanthropy and why it complements (rather than competes with) existing funding.
- Scale-up mentality: Comfortable moving from £30m to £100m+ - you understand what infrastructure and processes are needed at different stages of growth.
Core Skills
Essential:
- Strategic Philanthropic Fundraising: Demonstrated ability to design and execute philanthropic fundraising strategies aligned to mission-driven objectives, including multi-year funding pipelines and donor portfolios
- Major Donor and High Net Worth Engagement: Proven experience cultivating and stewarding relationships with, and securing gifts from high net worth individuals, family offices, and trusts and foundations, and confidence engaging sophisticated donors around arts and the creative industries.
- Foundations and Institutional Giving: Strong capability in identifying, soliciting, and managing relationships with foundations, philanthropic trusts, and institutional funders in the UK and internationally.
- Cultural and Creative Philanthropy Expertise: Demonstrated knowledge of arts and cultural fundraising ecosystems, including experience working with artists, cultural organisations, and creative industry stakeholders, to aid in the development and delivery of place-based philanthropic initiatives.
- Relationship Management and Stewardship: Advanced relationship management skills, including donor stewardship, reporting, and long-term engagement, ensuring trust, transparency, and repeat support
- Proposal Writing and Funding Submissions: Strong written communication skills, with a track record of producing high-quality funding proposals, pitches, grant applications, and tailored donor materials
- Stakeholder Engagement and Representation: Confidence representing the organisation externally at events, briefings, and convenings, including presenting to boards, donors, and advisory groups.
- Data-informed Fundraising and CRM Use: Competence in using CRM systems and fundraising data to track prospects, manage pipelines, and inform strategy, with attention to compliance and good governance
- Project Management and Delivery Strong organisational and project management skills, enabling delivery of fundraising campaigns, events, and reporting requirements on time and to a high standard.
- Judgement, Discretion and Ethical Practice: High level of professional judgement, discretion, and integrity when handling sensitive donor information, complex funding arrangements, and reputational considerations
- Leadership and Team Management: Proven ability to lead and develop teams, work effectively with Boards and senior stakeholders, and collaborate within the wider organisational structures. Experienced in managing direct reports, aligning team delivery with organisational priorities and maintaining strong internal relationships.
Desirable:
- Experience in impact investing, social finance, or blended finance - ideally in a growth/scale-up phas
- Existing relationships with family offices, climate investors, or foundations exploring innovative funding models
- Understanding of place-based funding partnerships and multi-stakeholder models
- Track record of investor diversification - successfully broadening an organisation's funding base
What We Offer
- Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 FTE, depending on experience
- Location: Hybrid working arrangement based at Somerset House in central London, with flexibility and some travel within the UK.
- Reports to: CEO
- Hours: 3 days/ week (0.6 FTE)
- Location: Hybrid working arrangement based at Somerset House in central London, with flexibility and some travel within the UK.
- Benefits:
- 25 days annual leave + bank holidays + ability to buy additional holiday
- Pension (Employer Contribution 8% + a further 4% where the employee contributes 4%
- Life Assurance
- Post probation - Private health and dental insurance
Making an Application
To apply for this role, please submit your application below before midnight Sunday 22nd February 2026. Please include a one-page cover letter covering the following questions
- What are the main challenges you think Figurative will have to navigate within this phase of development
- What are the most important messages to convey to existing and potential stakeholders about Figurative’s mission and motivations?
First interviews will be held virtually on Wednesday 4th March 2026.
Second interviews will be held in person in our London offices on Thursday 12th March 2026.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those who are underrepresented in the investment sector to apply.
Please note that we actively screen for AI-generated applications. We are looking for authentic, personal responses that reflect your own experiences and motivations.
I look forward to hearing from you
Francesa Sanderson
CEO
We want to see a thriving, inspiring cultural and creative sector generating far-reaching social and economic impact.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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 client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
To focus on developing and encouraging community for vulnerable adults by seeking to address the risks in society of increased loneliness.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
We celebrate and empower our diverse communities to realise their full potential, every day.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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
To develop, inspire, support and sustain a movement of organisations working together to achieve positive futures for people who are homeless.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
Impetus transforms the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by ensuring they get support to succeed in school, in work and in life.


