Donor research manager jobs

In September 2025 Oxford opened its new home for humanities, the state-of-the-art Stephen A.  Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Building on our successes in recent years, we are growing the team with a new senior fundraising role that will work with world-class academics and artists in our faculties and in the Centre’s cultural programming.

In addition to housing a Humanities Library and 7 academic faculties, the Schwarzman Centre includes a world-class, purpose-built concert hall space, theatre, cinema and ‘black box’ performance space, creating a new home for music, film, performing arts and visual arts in Oxford and transforming the experience for students, academics and the local community. The building will create a step change in the visual and performing arts in Oxford, establishing a central base for the Music faculty and History of Art department while offering exciting potential for collaboration with the Ruskin School of Art.

The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. We are looking for a new senior fundraiser to join our energetic team to raise major gifts for a range of posts, scholarships and other priorities across the Humanities Division.  Oxford is the world’s leading university for humanities teaching and research. The University’s scholarship in languages, literature, history, philosophy, religion, and the arts – from the earliest civilisation to the present day – enriches our understanding of humankind. Our research informs how we engage with historic issues and contemporary concerns, and contributes to our understanding of – and solutions to – some of the most complex global challenges, from climate change to the impacts of Artificial Intelligence.

 About the Role

This fundraiser will work closely with senior academics in the Humanities Division. The post will focus primarily on funding for posts and scholarships in the academic faculties as well as securing support for the activities of the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, including the programme of public events that will start taking place in the building from spring 2026. An interest and appreciation for the arts and humanities is essential. 

To Be Successful You’ll Need:

· To be an experienced development professional with a strong track record of securing major gifts and the ability to secure gifts in the range of £100k-£1m+

· Confidence to work with people from a range of backgrounds, both internally and externally

· The ability to think creatively in prospecting, cultivation and stewardship by identifying and maximising opportunities

· To work well as part of a team, with the capacity to work independently on projects and priorities

· A passion for the arts and humanities, and an awareness of the funding landscape in the UK and internationally

What We Offer

As an employer, we value the wellbeing and development of all our employees. We offer a comprehensive range of benefits, including:

· 38 days annual leave (including public holidays)

· Hybrid working arrangements for a healthy work-life balance

· Extensive personal and professional development opportunities

· Membership to CASE to support your professional development as an educational advancement professional

· Supportive childcare services and other family-friendly leave schemes for working parents, guardians and those with caring responsibilities

· Generous family leave for maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave

· Excellent contributory pension scheme for your financial future

· Salary sacrifice scheme for additional savings

· Subsidised sports centre membership to promote well-being

· Cycle loan scheme to encourage sustainable commuting

· Discounted bus and transit travel

In addition, you will have access to a vibrant community with social groups and sports clubs fostering an inclusive atmosphere.

 Application process:

· Click the link to ‘Apply’ and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be taken to our online Applicant portal.

· Applications should consist of a full CV and a letter of application in your own words, in PDF format (maximum of 2 pages; no AI-written applications, please) outlining your motivations to apply for this role, your relevant experience and how you meet the criteria of the person specification.

Only applications received before 12.00 noon on Monday 19 January 2026 can be considered.

Interviews are currently scheduled to take place on Tuesday 27 January 2026, in person in Oxford.

 Development and Alumni Engagement is committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences. We encourage applicants from all sectors of the community and are especially keen to encourage candidates from under-represented groups to apply.

A rare and exciting opportunity to support the fundraising and strategic development of a wide range of Charities in the UK, as part of a friendly and supportive consulting team.

Charity Fundraising Ltd provides a comprehensive range of fundraising, strategic consultancy and evaluation services to Charities and other not-for-profit organisations. Established in 2000, our services range from grant and contract bid writing and review, to developing fundraising strategies, developing M&E frameworks and undertaking project and programme evaluations. We also offer a range of strategic support, mentoring and training. We work with lots of amazing charities, both local and national, small and large, across the UK, covering themes such as: Homelessness; addiction; youth; community; disability; mental health; minoritised groups; medical conditions; heritage; environment and more.

We are seeking an exceptional fundraiser who can offer a strong track record of driving organisational growth in the voluntary sector. Multi-year experience in two or more of the following core service areas is essential:

• Achieving major grant funding from trusts, foundations, lottery distributors, public sector agencies or similar.
• Planning and developing successful contract tender submissions.
• Planning and developing successful fundraising strategies and action plans.
• Major Donor, Legacy or Corporate fundraising strategy and delivery

The role is varied and interesting - managing a portfolio of clients and supporting them directly or strategically with their fundraising, impact evaluation and organisational development. Our consultants are all employees and we work closely together as a supportive team, sharing and developing skills and knowledge. We anticipate the appointee may not hold experience across all core areas of our services. We will enable the appointee to focus on projects that play to their strengths and experience and provide further support and training as necessary.

Based from home (must be UK resident), with ad hoc client and team meetings/socials (all travel paid), mostly within England. All IT equipment provided. Full-time or part-time (minimum 0.8 FTE - 28 hrs).

Benefits include: 24 days paid annual leave (pro rata), 5% employers pension contribution, potential cash / annual leave bonus, CPD budget and paid CPD time + lots of opportunity to learn from our experienced consultant team.

Please note that applications will only be considered where the screening questions are fully completed.

Here's what some of our team say about working for Charity Fundraising Ltd:

"I don’t think I have ever worked with such a nice bunch of people, everyone has been very welcoming, supportive and just all round lovely" 

"I really enjoy working for CF because I get to work independently with a diverse range of interesting clients, and am also part of a great, supportive team - best of all worlds!"

“Supportive and fun team; and great to learn new ideas from others fundraising skills, knowledge and expertise”

"I love being part of such a passionate, professional team and who prides itself on building close working relationships with each other and with our clients."

Located in the historic town of St Andrews, St Leonards is one of Scotland’s leading independent schools, recently named Scottish Independent Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence 2026 by The Sunday Times. It is a vibrant, co-educational boarding and day community with a true international outlook.

Approaching its 150th Anniversary in 2027, the School is preparing to launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history. This is a career-defining opportunity for an exceptional professional to drive this initiative, instilling a culture of philanthropy that will secure the future of St Leonards for generations to come.

Reporting directly to the Head, this post will be targeted with generating £500k+ of revenue and will demand both exceptional relationship building skills and technical fundraising expertise. The successful candidate will have freedom to innovate and make a tangible difference and be able to engage prospective donors and the wider highly supportive Seniors (Alumni) community. You will protect the School’s reputation by conducting thorough due diligence on donors and ensuring full compliance with OSCR regulations.

You will be responsible for the School’s capital and strategic fundraising initiatives supported by the Alumni and Development Officer and will work with the supportive, mission-driven Executive Team and Board of Governors to develop and implement these.

To be successful you will be educated to degree level and have knowledge and experience in previous roles where you have developed a demonstrable track record of devising and implementing multi-year fundraising strategies which have allowed you to personally secure 5 and 6 figure gifts from individuals, trusts or foundations. You will possess the financial and legal expertise to structure complex gifts and bring them to completion.

More information on the responsibilities of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required of candidates can be found in the Candidate Pack.

St Leonards is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to a satisfactory PVG check.

Interviews are expected to commence in St Andrews week beginning 26th January 2026

The charity is rapidly scaling up, recently doubling its annual support to £6 million. Degrees has partnered with leading climate change funders and research partners including the Quadrature Climate Foundation, Open Philanthropy, Crankstart, Navigation Fund, Outlier Projects, LAD Climate Fund and UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). Transparency of funding is essential to our work. We do not accept support from anonymous donors or funding from the fossil fuel industry. Fundraising for the organisation has been led by the Founder and CEO, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief of Staff, and the Chair of the Trustees with the support of an experienced Senior Philanthropy Advisor.

We now seek a full-time team member to build on this base. Reporting to the COO, and working closely with senior staff and the Chair, the Development Manager will support high‑performing fundraising that secures multi‑year, diversified funding. He / she will also introduce robust processes for pipeline management and donor stewardship and manage the complete donor lifecycle (from identification to cultivation to solicitation and stewardship) of a portfolio of top prospects. The post holder will receive initial onboarding support from the Senior Philanthropy Advisor. As fundraising grows, the team may expand in the future.

Initial priorities include expansion beyond the current donor pool, with a strong push to identify and engage new funders, and putting in place the systems (CRM, reporting cadence, key performance indicators) to support growth at scale.

As this is a new role, responsibilities are expected to evolve but some key items will include: 

Strategy & planning 

• Work with the CEO, Chief of Staff, COO, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, programme staff and the Chair of the Trustees to help develop and implement a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organisational objectives;

Pipeline development & new opportunities 

• Manage the fundraising pipeline, guiding the ongoing fundraising activities of senior staff and the Chair;
• Research and identify new funding opportunities from trusts and foundations, government funders, and multilateral donors in the development and climate sectors on an ongoing basis;
• Reach out to networks of donor advisors and established relationships for referrals;
• Initiate and manage contact with funding opportunities; 

Grant writing 

• Draft and coordinate the preparation and submission of grant proposals;

Donor stewardship & reporting

• Maintain excellent relations with existing funders by keeping them informed on charity and sector updates, inviting them to events, and ensuring the delivery of annual reports and notices;
• Ensure and manage ongoing formal grant reporting on behalf of the organisation;

Events & engagement 

• Often working with partners, plan and deliver fundraising events for existing and potential funders, particularly in the UK and US;
• Manage invitation lists, track attendance and ensure bespoke follow–up to attendees;
• Assist in the design of events that will inspire and engage funders while involving Southern experts in the Degrees research community;
• Coordinate all fundraising outreach and related programming for the Degrees Global Forum (a conference to be held in 2027); 

Processes, systems & administration

• Create and implement structured processes across the entire fundraising and donor lifecycle;
• Develop and track KPIs, providing regular reports to senior staff and the Trustees;
• Be responsible for fundraising data, contacts and administrative records.

Derbyshire Cricket Foundation (DCF) is the Governing Body for recreational cricket in Derbyshire, delivering services in support of the cricket community across the county.  It is one of 39 County Cricket Boards/Foundations in England & Wales and works in partnership with a number of key stakeholders to develop the recreational game locally in line with the strategy developed by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). We have an ambition to inspire a generation to say, “Cricket is a game for me”.  The DCF is also a registered charity that aims to improve well-being and provide opportunities for diverse communities across the County through cricket. The Business Development Manager will develop and leverage local partnerships with sponsors, stakeholders, and funding bodies to support these aims.

The primary work location for the Business Development Manager will be at the County Ground, Nottingham Road, Derby, but the role will require travel on a regular basis as the role will be proactive in engaging stakeholders across Derbyshire in support of the DCF strategy and business plan. The position provides an opportunity, for Business Development Manager to work flexibly, and this is likely to include the occasional requirement to participate in some evening and weekend commitments.

Purpose and Focus of the Role

We are seeking an experienced Business Development Manager with excellent relationship management skills to help develop and sustainably grow the impact of our business by identifying and securing new investment to support the delivery of DCF programmes and activity. This will include working with existing corporate and charity partners, and establishing new relationships with Corporate sponsors, individual donors, and Trusts & Foundations.

You will develop and use stewardship tools to guide donors and partnerships through their giving journey, including cultivation plans, proposals, and reports. You will be involved in sourcing and presenting tailored information, making appropriate financial and non-financial requests. The responsibilities of the Business Development Manager will include:

• Fundraising Strategy & Implementation
• High Value Relationship Management
• Corporate Partnerships
• Trusts & Foundations
• Profile & Impact
• Leadership & Management
• Governance & Compliance

This new post will build on our Charity fundraising work which seeks to generate income from a portfolio of philanthropic sources, including trusts, foundations, individuals, corporate sponsors, and statutory bodies. The primary focus of this role will be to support the Reinventing Borde Hill project, helping to transform Borde Hill’s South Park and establish a community growing garden at Sugworth Farm.

The project has an am fundraising target of £1million, to be raised over the next two years. Additionally, this post will also seek and pursue opportunities to support the work of Borde Hill Garden Charity more widely. Working with the Reinventing Borde Hill project team, the role will effectively manage funders, driving the financial sustainability of the project and wider charity operations.

Your passion for heritage, the natural landscape, and community involvement will feed into compelling funder proposals and ongoing relationship-building with supporters. You will report to the Managing Director, and prepare monthly/quarterly updates for the Project Board and NLHF.

Join us in the ambitious ‘Birmingham In Action’ campaign, which commits to raising over £600 million of charitable funding and 1 million volunteer hours, positioning the University of Birmingham as one of the leaders in philanthropy in the UK. To fulfil our exciting campaign ambitions, we are recruiting a Head of Philanthropy – Global, to maximise philanthropic funding and to take our campaign to the next level.

A key member of the Development and Alumni Relations Office’s (DARO) Philanthropy team, you will be responsible for growing major gifts opportunities and building a sustainable pipeline of future donations from global philanthropic markets. You will have experience of delivering against financial targets, along with the ability to translate complex information into a compelling ask in both verbal and written form. As the Head of Philanthropy - Global, you will be responsible for growing our international major gifts programme. In collaboration with the Associate Director of Philanthropy you will develop and implement fundraising strategies to increase major giving in Asia and North America as well as emerging areas of focus. You will manage a personal portfolio of six figure + (GBP) potential supporters and personally raise gifts in excess of £1m p/a. You will manage the international philanthropy team of two individuals and support them to deliver their annual fundraising and supporting targets.

As a senior fundraiser in DARO, you will be innovative, self-motivated, and take ownership of fundraising opportunities. As part of a dynamic team and led by some of the most respected names in higher education fundraising, you will work across the University to generate significant gifts for amazing philanthropic projects and encourage new donors to make long-term, sustainable gifts. You will have an enthusiasm for building relationships, the skill to interact with high-level donors and supporters, and the ability to showcase the game changing work of our academics and clinicians.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are and how we work.

In this new role the Impact and Evaluation Manager will be critical to helping Bite Back demonstrate and strengthen the difference we make for young people, funders, partners, and wider society. You will lead the organisation’s approach to measuring, evaluating and learning from our work – ensuring that youth voice is at the heart of how we design, assess and communicate our impact.

You will manage Bite Back’s relationships with external evaluators, develop and track organisational KPIs, and work closely with programme and fundraising colleagues, trustees and funders to ensure we can evidence our outcomes clearly and compellingly. This role will also develop creative ways to tell the story of our impact – from robust evaluation reports through to case studies that bring young people’s voices to life.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Impact and Evaluation Manager is accountable for:

Strategy and Theory of Change

• Working closely with the CEO to lead Bite Back’s organisational impact strategy, including refining and maintaining our theory of change.

• Translating our theory of change into clear outcomes, indicators and learning questions that guide programme design, campaigns and organisational priorities.

• Designing and overseeing Bite Back’s impact measurement framework.

Data Systems and Standards

• Leading on the collection, analysis and reporting of both quantitative and qualitative data, ensuring that youth voice and lived experience shape Bite Back’s evaluation approaches.

• Supporting the development and monitoring of KPIs across the organisation, providing clear insights and recommendations to the Leadership Team.

Donor monitoring and evaluation

• Working with fundraising and programme teams to design robust monitoring, evaluation and learning plans for funding bids, including developing outcomes frameworks, indicators, and evaluation budgets that align with Bite Back’s broader organisational impact framework.

• Working closely with the Senior Grants and Fundraising Manager to ensure Bite Back meets its impact and reporting commitments to funders.

• Leading on the development of Bite Back’s annual impact report and supporting the production of  other compelling case studies, impact reports and evaluation outputs to communicate Bite Back’s effectiveness to funders, trustees, partners, the media and wider audiences

Building a Learning Culture

• Managing relationships with external evaluators, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget and to a high standard.

• Building evaluation capacity across the team, providing tools, training and support to colleagues to embed a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

• Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion principles in Bite Back’s impact and evaluation work, ensuring methods are inclusive, accessible and reflective of the communities we work with.

• Acting as a champion for a learning culture, communicating clearly and accessibly about impact, data and evidence, and supporting colleagues through changes to systems and ways of working.

• Staying up to date with best practice in youth-led evaluation, impact measurement and social change movements, and bringing innovative approaches into Bite Back’s work.

Hours: 0.4 or 0.6FTE (14/21 hours per week respectively)

Location: Hybrid. Staff work remotely and from the Medact office in East London. London-based staff work in-person as a team one day per week, and staff based outside London come in at least once a month, with support for travel costs. Applications from outside London are encouraged.

Salary: £15,818.48 at 0.4FTE or £23,727.71 at 0.6FTE (£39,546.19 full time equivalent). Note: We do not negotiate salaries, so please only apply if this is in line with your expectations.

About the role

Medact is hiring for the new role of Fundraising Manager: Trusts & Grants to secure grant funds for the organisation over a critical one-year period. The new Fundraising Manager will be responsible for completing applications already in the pipeline, and then setting out a plan to apply for as many successful grants as possible in the period and delivering it.

The successful candidate will work closely with the senior leadership team and our programme staff, to identify, develop and write grant proposals to relevant funders, for both restricted and unrestricted income streams. 

About you

This is a skilled role but you don’t need to have had a job in an NGO before or be a professional campaigner to be right for it. You might have successfully fundraised for a local community organisation or a grassroots campaign on a social justice or health issue that you care about. 

You’ll have strong skills in developing and writing applications, with a strong understanding of the funding landscape and potential relevant grantmakers. You need to be a great communicator, able to translate the work of an organisation into language tailored for different funding bodies. You’ll also be a strong team player, able to work with relevant staff members to develop winning applications that fit properly within our existing strategy and areas of work.

About Medact

Medact organises with the health community to win a world in which everyone can truly achieve and exercise their human right to health. We cover some of the most pressing national and global threats to health and wellbeing including institutional racism; climate change; human rights abuses; violent conflict; and rising inequality. We’re a member-led organisation, and our members are made up of a range of people who work in health including nurses, doctors, midwives, and clinical researchers.

We take an organising-centred approach to our work. We build community power by working in solidarity with health workers and the communities experiencing harm from the unjust systems we challenge. We run national campaigns, use research to expose injustice, and we support local organising groups across the country who lead most of our work.

Benefits

• 35 hour full time work week
• 25 days paid holidays (pro-rata) plus bank holidays and additional days at Christmas when the office is closed
• Employer pension contribution
• Flexible working
• Learning and development budget
• Cycle to work scheme
• A caring and supportive culture and lots of opportunities for team connection

We want a world where no one dies from hunger. Life-threatening hunger is predictable, preventable and treatable. Join Action Against Hunger and together we will stop it in its tracks.

Action Against Hunger is an optimistic, inspiring place to work. We want passionate and dedicated people to help build a better world. We’re a creative team made up of people with a wide range of talents, styles and expertise. But we are united in our relentless dedication to end world hunger. No challenge is too big. With you we can do it. Join us.

In this role you’ll help the Action Against Hunger International Network to access, secure and manage institutional funding from UK donors. You won’t be alone; you’ll support the Head of Programme Funding and manage members of the programme funding team.

You’ll play a key role in helping Action Against Hunger to achieve our vision of a world free from hunger by maintaining the funding from key UK institutional donors and making sure we deliver high quality programmes. You’ll be in the exciting and important position of working with country, regional and global funds, and collaborating with colleagues both inside the international network and beyond. You’ll help raise Action Against Hunger’s profile and engagement with the UK Government and UK sector to inform, influence and collaborate on all areas of our work.   

You’ll work closely with our Network HQs and country teams to develop opportunities, increase the number and value of new grants and contracts, and ensure effective delivery. But you’ll also be a key person in engaging with institutional funders too. So how will you do this? You will work at an operational, tactical, and strategic level – making the most of the links between funders strategies and the Action Against Hunger’s network own strategy and trends we observe. You’ll be proactive, bring a fresh perspective and innovative ideas, and bring a positive, ‘can do’ attitude.

We would love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining us. For more detailed information on the role – and to see whether you have the necessary experience - please download the attached pdf Job description.

Closing Date: 29-Dec-2025 23:30

Planned date to begin interviews: 14th January 2026.

Please read the following carefully before making your application: then all you need to do is send your CV and write a supporting statement explaining why you want the job and how your skills and experience make you the right person for the role and where you saw this vacancy.

• As a UK based position, candidates must have the right to work in the UK
• We welcome applications from all sections of the community and we encourage as broad a range of candidates as possible. If you need any additional support to help you through this process, please let us know (contact details in the job pack)
• Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we will only contact shortlisted candidates, within two weeks of the closing date Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual feedback
• If you experience any technical difficulties in submitting your application, please contact the charityjob helpdesk

Senior Development Manager (Philanthropy & Partnerships

Contract Type This is a full time (37.5 hours per week) permanent role, however we welcome applications for flexible working

Salary: £40,814

About Us

Norwich Theatre is one of the leading arts organisations in the UK and the largest in the East of England, encompassing the historic Theatre Royal, the creative hub Stage Two, and the intimate mid-scale Playhouse. We present, produce and co-create a vibrant programme of live performance and creative engagement activities to entertain, enrich and inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and we work with national and international partners to ensure we bring the very best theatre to our region.

We are an independent not-for-profit charity with no regular public funding, and rely on a share of ticket sales, one-off grants, fundraising/membership schemes and other commercial activities to deliver the work we do both on stage and in communities.

About the role

The Senior Manager (Philanthropy & Partnerships) will provide strategic management for Norwich Theatre’s high-value income generation, spearheading the development, expansion and stewardship of corporate partnerships, corporate membership, major donor relationships, legacy giving and other transformational fundraising programmes.

This pivotal role will shape and deliver organisational strategies that secure substantial philanthropic and partnership income, cultivate senior-level relationships, and ensure long-term financial sustainability in alignment with Norwich Theatre’s vision and strategic priorities.

About you

You will have proven experience in managing stakeholder and supporter relationships, together with a track record of cultivating and stewarding high-value supporters, clients or partners.

An excellent negotiator, with strong planning and prioritisation skills, you will be highly collaborative, people focussed and proactive.

We offer

A good salary, 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, plus your birthday off, together with an inclusive culture focussed on wellbeing and happiness. We have a commitment to personal and professional development, discounts on a range of on food, drink and theatre tickets and access to My Discounts, employee discount scheme, offering savings on retail, gyms, travel, utilities and more.

Aurora offers services across three sites in Worksop, Doncaster and Mexborough . Our Worksop Centre is home to the Heritage Hub, Valerie’s Tearoom, gym, support services and we are launching a newly transformed charity shop.

An inviting, modern space designed to raise vital funds and bring people together. Thoughtfully designed and sustainability-focused, it will offer good quality preloved fashion in a welcoming community setting. The shop offers a unique setting for someone looking for a role that goes well beyond standard retail.

As Retail Manager, you’ll help shape the shop from day one: setting it up, building a supportive volunteer team, and creating a welcoming space that reflects Aurora’s mission. We’re looking for someone with charity retail experience, an eye for trends and a passion for people.

If you want to use your retail skills to make a real difference, and help create a space the community can be proud of, we'd love to hear from you. 

About Aurora

Offering services across three sites in Worksop, Doncaster and Mexborough Aurora Wellbeing offers a unique service bringing together health and heritage to provide support for local people affected by cancer, and long-term health conditions. We encourage people to be active participants in their wellbeing, working together to improve physical and emotional health.

Charity Core Purposes: ‘The promotion of good health and wellbeing by assisting in the relief of symptoms and the improvement of the quality of life by providing supportive services to those who have been diagnosed with or affected by cancer and long-term conditions and providing support, information and education on the benefits of receiving complementary and holistic therapies as well as to build awareness of the links between heritage and good health and wellbeing, education and research of wellbeing to the general public as a whole.

Main Purpose

To lead and manage Aurora’s vision for retail whilst creating a warm, professional, and inclusive environment for customers and volunteers. The shop plays a vital role in generating income to support Aurora’s charitable work for people living with cancer.

Reporting to the Business Operations Manager, the Retail Manager will be part of a diverse team encompassing health and wellbeing, hospitality, heritage and support services. This is not a typical charity retail role as the shop is uniquely situated within a wellbeing and heritage centre that also includes a Tearoom, Gym and Community support facilities.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape a truly community-focused retail space, where creativity and innovation can be used to make the most of this historic and distinctive setting.

The Retail Manager will play a key role in the retail transformation, setting up the new shop, recruiting the team, training and establishing best practice and standards; bringing the retail vision to life.

We are recruiting our first Fundraising Manager, to help us grow AEC’s income, with a focus on trusts and foundations, and corporate partners. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a new fundraising function, delivering effective fundraising activity that directly impacts the lives of young people in one of London’s most deprived boroughs.

In return for you bringing us your passion for our mission, we can offer:

• High visibility – you’ll see the impact of your work every week in the lives of the young people we support.
• A blank canvas – shape our fundraising strategy and pipeline from the start.
• Supportive leadership – work closely with a passionate Director and engaged trustees.
• Flexibility – hybrid working, adaptable hours and autonomy in managing your workload.
• Values-led culture – warm, collaborative, child-focused and community rooted.
• Strong story to tell – AEC has a 30+ year history, proven impact and inspiring outcomes.

Our story:

Ascension Eagles Cheerleaders (AEC) is a youth charity east London; we are one of the UK’s top competitive cheerleading programmes, operating out of our "Talent Central" gym in Newham. Founded in 1996, our mission is to empower young people to reach their full potential, regardless of their background, ability or economic circumstances.

We supplement our sport programmes with mentoring, educational activities and leadership training - everything we do is about helping young people to develop life skills, confidence and positive values (consistency; integrity; perseverance; persistence) to help them become the best that they can be.

At Talent Central, over 150 young people take part in our recreational and competitive activities each week. Our inclusive approach extends to our Special Education Needs (SEN) team, ensuring young people with disabilities can also participate and thrive. Alongside this, our schools’ outreach programme reaches more than 250 children weekly. Each year, we also welcome hundreds of athletes who train at our gym, including England’s National Cheerleading Team.

We provide a safe, supportive environment where young people can grow in confidence, resilience and teamwork.

What you will be responsible for as our Fundraising Manager:

• Developing a clear fundraising framework and working with our trustees to shape our fundraising strategy
• Researching and securing funding from trusts, foundations, corporate partners and relevant networks
• Writing strong, persuasive funding applications and engaging impact reports
• Building and stewarding long-term relationships with funders, potential partners, businesses and networks, and exploring opportunities for collaboration
• Exploring new income streams to help deliver our mission, including digital fundraising and community giving
• Tracking engagement using a CRM system
• Helping to ensure our organisational policies are appropriate for funders' compliance
• Reporting on progress to the Director and trustees, ensuring transparency and good governance.

This role combines strategic development (30%) and hands-on delivery (70%) - ideal for a proactive fundraiser who enjoys both planning and doing.

This job is for you if you:

• are a proactive, self-starter and are motivated by delivering results
• are highly organised, with strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills
• thrive in a varied role and have the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• enjoy meeting people - you are confident with networking, public speaking, and relationship-building
• have excellent bid writing and reporting skills, and a proven track record of securing income across multiple streams (grants, partnerships, events)
• are values-driven, with a passion for youth development
• enjoy flexible hours and hybrid working.

Good to know:

• You will report to: The Director of AEC and the Board of Trustees
• Location: Hybrid; ability to work from home,  with occasional meetings at our gym in Newham, London  and attendance at donor meetings/networking events, etc
• Hours: Part-time - 2 or 3 days per week (to be agreed with the successful candidate)
• Salary: £30,000–£35,000 per annum (full time equivalent salary)
• Annual leave: 28 days per annum FTE (will be pro-rated based on agreed work days)
• Pension: Defined contribution scheme, with employer matching available

Criminal record check: Please note that as an organisation working with young people, we have specific safeguarding responsibilities and it is our policy to conduct background checks on all our employees.  You will be asked to complete a criminal record disclosure.

How to apply: Click the CharityJob Apply button below. You’ll be asked to submit a CV, tell us why you'd love to help us deliver our mission and answer a few short screening questions.

Closing date: Please make sure we receive your application by 1700hrs on Friday 23 January 2026.

Interviews: Interviews will be held online on Friday 23 January and Friday 30 January 2026.

We are seeking a proactive, organised digital communicator who enjoys variety and thrives in a dynamic environment. You’ll own our social media, lead and deliver digital and community fundraising campaigns, and help grow and engage audiences with bold, positive and emotive content. You’ll keep projects moving, uphold brand standards, and collaborate confidently across teams. 

About Spinal Research 

Every two hours, someone in the UK becomes paralysed. Globally, more than 15 million people live with paralysis. At Spinal Research, our vision is a world where paralysis can be cured. We fund groundbreaking research to deliver life-changing treatments for people with spinal cord injuries. By backing the brightest minds and fostering innovation, we are driving progress towards what could be the medical breakthrough of the 21st century: curing paralysis. We will not stop until that future is achieved. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead social media strategy and engagement across Meta, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube; manage calendar, publishing, housekeeping and audience engagement. 

• Stay abreast of developments in social media channels, trends and tools, and proactively explore new platforms and features for audience growth and engagement. 

• Produce clear social media performance reports with actionable insights. 

• Build and optimise paid social campaigns for awareness, acquisition and income. 

• Create digital assets: infographics, graphics, and short-form video (Reels/Shorts). 

• Source, shape and publish supporter stories and web news items. 

• Ensure brand consistency and tone of voice across all outputs; support brand sign-off and content request workflows. 

• Identify, test, and fully implement new digital and community fundraising opportunities; lead discovery and delivery for audience targeted products (e.g., motorsport fundraising). 

• Collaborate confidently across teams to align priorities, timelines and standards. 

• Assist with in-house training (social best practice, content creation, platform processes, ad creation). 

• Future scope: The role may expand to include additional communications activities. 

The kind of person we are looking for: 

Essential criteria 

• At least a year’s proven experience in a relevant role within a charity setting. 

• In-depth, up-to-date knowledge of social media platforms and campaigns, including planning, processes and scheduling tools (e.g., content calendars, workflow management, and best practice for engagement). 

• Experience creating and managing paid ad campaigns on social media (e.g., Meta Ads Manager; audience targeting, creative testing, optimisation, reporting). 

• Proficiency in creating digital content, including video and image editing (e.g., Canva, After Effects, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro). 

• Excellent collaboration and teamwork skills. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across messaging, grammar, punctuation,tone and style. 

• Understanding of supporter/donor care. 

• High motivation skills and the ability to manage multiple projects confidently and keep momentum. 

• Able to attend the London office one day per week (can be more if preferred) and to attend key events throughout the year. 

Desirable 

• Experience in community and or digital fundraising. 

• Experience sourcing and presenting supporter stories. 

• Experience using a website CMS (e.g., WordPress or equivalent). 

• Basic web page creation/maintenance. 

• Experience of working within a medical research charity setting. 

Personal Attributes 

• Proactive, resilient, and adaptable, with a growth mindset. 

• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities. 

• Passionate about making a positive impact for people affected by spinal cord injury. 

Working Arrangements 

• Hybrid role split between home and our London Bridge office. 

• Spinal Research is a four-day week employer. 

• Part of a supportive, values-driven team (commitment, integrity, collaboration, innovation). 

• Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support organisational priorities. 

Ready to help us deliver life-changing impact? 
Apply now to join Spinal Research and play a key role in our mission to cure paralysis.Please send your CV and a supporting letter outlining why you would be a good fit for the role. Where possible, please include links to any social media campaigns or content that you have created.