Environment and wildlife conservation jobs in preston, lancashire
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Job overview
The role will focus on growing the value of funding from large trusts and foundations globally, as well as from corporate foundations and institutional funders via consortium partnerships with larger conservation actors.
The role will oversee grant and contract management with existing organisational and institutional partnerships, as well as grow this portfolio through developing a robust pipeline of new opportunities, finding creative ways to secure visibility and first meetings, developing relationships, compelling funding applications and ensuring strong contract management oversight.
The role will lead a team of two, work collaboratively with fundraising colleagues based in the US and UK to secure visibility with and develop strong long-term partnerships with new Trusts and Foundations; and work closely with colleagues in Kenya to ensure strong project delivery and grant management. Responsibilities include:
- Lead the implementation of the Trusts & Foundations (T&Fs) programme with a particular focus on growing the portfolio of large T&Fs in the USA, UK and European markets;
- Work with fundraising colleagues across priority markets and with communications colleagues, using innovative and proactive approaches to business development and relationship building to unlock visibility opportunities and develop relationships with new prospects; in order to develop and maintain a strong pipeline of high-value funding opportunities.
- Continue to oversee the current ‘programme funding’ portfolio which includes existing institutional funding partnerships and corporate foundation relationships in Kenya, ensuring that ongoing and new opportunities where they exist are capitalised on.
- Collaborate closely with and provide technical expertise to Ol Pejeta’s Project Implementation function in Kenya to develop and embed ‘programme funding’ systems, policies, processes, to ensure that the organisation works to the highest standards in grant management;
- Oversee collaboration and co-working with Ol Pejeta’s Programme teams and other colleagues to ensure high quality project design content is translated into technical proposals and budgets for donors;
- Work closely with Kenya’s implementation function to support strong project delivery and contract management.
- As a Head of, actively contribute to team and department objectives through decision making and action on planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting.
Key Activities
- Support the Chief Fundraising Officer with overall strategy development, implementation and adaptation;
- Work closely with the Chief Fundraising Officer to ensure operational and budget planning, management and reporting of resources;
- Oversee the T&F team’s operational planning processes, annual reporting and core performance monitoring;
- Strategic coordination of multiple stakeholders in proposal development processes (programme experts, internal stakeholders, partners and donors);
- Build strong relationships across all departments of the organisation and with existing and new partners;
- Support the recruitment process/selection/appointment of fundraising staff across the department.
Strategic leadership delivery and management of Trusts and Foundations priority in the global fundraising strategy.
- Develop and implement tactics for T&Fs that support Ol Pejeta to meet its overall strategic objectives;
- Ensure that the relevant parts of the Fundraising strategy, planning and practice is adaptive to both internal and external changes and that the team adopts innovative approaches to its work;
- Effectively integrate T&F team objectives and outcomes into wider Ol Pejeta income targets and programme priorities.
Business development and management
- Proactively cultivate relationships with key prospects, donors and partners (with particular focus on US, UK and European markets);
- Network both internally and externally to ensure relevant stakeholder participation and intelligence gathering in various fora;
- Lead and coordinate proposal development, including budgeting, with programme teams and finance;
- Collaborate with Ol Pejeta’s communications and marketing department to ensure communication activities appeal to donor interests, promote our partnerships and help to position Ol Pejeta as a partner of choice;
- Research and share trends and intelligence on T&Fs, and develop relationships that strategically position the organisation to mobilise resources from new and existing donors.
Support effective grant & risk management and compliance
- Support the development and implementation of improved business policies to facilitate improved management of and accountability for T&F funding and other larger institutional partnerships;
- Provide quality assurance and technical backstopping on reporting and general compliance, in line with organisational and donor requirements;
- Guide the negotiation of strategic grants/contracts to ensure the organisation signs up to appropriate contractual requirements;
- Advise on the interpretation and application of donor rules, regulations, processes and procedures;
- Provide guidance and capacity building on grant cycle management to colleagues across the organisation.
People Management, Financial Management and Departmental contributions
- Provide inductions to staff across the organisation on T&Fs and institutional funding opportunity;
- Build, motivate and effectively collaborate with teams remotely;
- Conduct probationary reviews and annual performance management reviews for direct line management staff;
- Support the Chief Fundraising Officer to have oversight of the team budget lines;
- Work collaboratively with colleagues in the global fundraising team based in different geographical locations
- Contribute to overall departmental processes and initiatives;
- Act within the parameters set by the organisation on financial policies and procedures.
Capacity Building and Knowledge Management
- Ensure effective cross-functional collaboration to strengthen fundraising and grant management skills across the organisation;
- Oversee the development and maintenance of information systems and tools for sharing donor policies and guidelines, funding opportunities and best practice across the organisation;
- Keep pace with international developments and engage with other INGOs to keep abreast of opportunities and global trends in T&F fundraising.
Education, Language & Qualifications
- Bachelors or equivalent in a relevant field preferably Fundraising / International Development;
- Excellent verbal and written communication with fluency in English;
- Language skills in Swahili and German advantageous.
Essential Knowledge, skills and Experience
- Relevant experience working in an international NGO or philanthropy environment with diverse workforce;
- Experience in Trusts & Foundation fundraising across international markets;
- Demonstrated experience cultivating and managing relationships with trusts and foundation donors (or others) to secure six figure grants;
- Substantial experience cultivating and managing donor and stakeholder relationships;
- Exceptional interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills with demonstrable proactivity in business development;
- Strong technical proposal writing and budget skills;
- Strong ability to manage staff and influence team members remotely;
- Ability to manage and facilitate complex projects and processes;
- Experience working on the African continent with a deep knowledge of conservation and community development;
- Willingness to travel internationally as required;
- Willingness to be on call for donor enquiries out of hours.
Desirable Knowledge, skills and Experience
- Tendering and project management experience;
- Knowledge of conservation finance including the biodiversity credit market;
- Personal network of contacts and relationships in T&Fs;
- Experience in developing complex institutional funding bids;
- Understanding of developments in alternative finance for conservation;
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Project Manager, Peatland Funding
Reference: SEP20252033
Location: Flexible across Scotland + visits to RSPB peatland reserves across Scotland
Contract: Fixed-Term until 31st March 2028
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £33,027.00 - £35,261.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Holidays, Pension and Life Assurance
RSPB Scotland is seeking someone to lead the way in our ambition to raise and manage funding for the vital restoration of Scotland’s peatlands, to benefit biodiversity, the climate and communities.
This role will focus on ensuring that a pipeline of peatland restoration funding routes, including funding applications, bids, and expressions of interest, are identified, developed, submitted, and managed, to secure financial support from various sources (public and private). You will be responsible for making sure that project owners are aware of and adhere to all contractual requirements, prepare regular funding reports and work with partners to solve potential problems.
You will be expected to check and submit budgets, make financial claims and update income and project spreadsheets. You will work with RSPB teams and external stakeholders to identify and manage novel funding routes and opportunities to support the Scotland Peatland Programme, acting as a liaison between them and peatland project teams. In addition, you will play a central role of support to peatland teams developing projects for the IUCN Peatland Code, providing funding guidance and expertise and being responsible for ensuring documents are developed and submitted to ensure successful project validation.
This role will sit within the RSPB Scotland Fundraising team and will work closely with the Scotland Peatland Programme, and as such it requires someone who is independently motivated and able to manage potentially conflicting priorities. We will facilitate visits to RSPB peatland reserves across Scotland to help you understand the specifics of restoration on each site.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- Evidence of ability to build strong relationships with a range of teams to deliver key results
- Highly proficient in managing multiple workstreams and deadlines, communicating priorities clearly and updating decision makers.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to persuade and influence a wide range of people, both internally and externally.
- High level of IT skills for project and data management.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.
Closing date: 23:59, Monday 27th October 2025
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from Wednesday 12th November.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.
No agencies please.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
The RSPB brings people together – people like you – to protect the things that matter to us all.
Thank you!
The RSPB Philanthropy Team is looking for a dynamic Senior Philanthropy Manager to lead with the engagement and recruitment of new donors.
Senior Philanthropy Manager
Reference: JUL20256874
Location: Flexible in England, with travel for meetings
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £44,315.00 - £47,312.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Holidays, Pension and Life Assurance
Introduction
This new role will work with our Senior Leaders as well as supporting the team to pursue opportunities generated through excellent relationship building across the organisation. With the ultimate goal of increasing philanthropic income for the RSPB, the role requires an experienced and successful major gifts fundraiser who will lead the development of new relationships to help steer the team towards achieving its ambitious goals.
An energetic and confident self-starter, they will lead on developing opportunities to engage with and raise funding from the contacts of our most senior colleagues and volunteers at the RSPB. They will also manage donor relationships and solicitation strategies to achieve the best outcome for the RSPB.
What's the role about?
You will lead an exciting new area of philanthropic fundraising at the RSPB, seeking significant gifts for our work from new supporters, with a key focus on our developing Land Fund product.
You will look after your own portfolio of donors and be responsible for fundraising information to advance plans and ensure prospect and donor records are accurate, incorporating any changes, new activities, updated plans, and new information in keeping with data protection and team procedures.
You will work closely with your team and wider organisation colleagues to implement solicitation strategies, to secure financial support either by direct solicitation, preparing a written proposal, or working with senior management to make a solicitation.
You will contribute to the planning of and participate actively in events (face to face and online) to build relationships with donors and prospects for future income and to demonstrate the impact of gifts already received.
You will arrange and attend meetings with individual donors at a variety of venues, including our reserves, working closely with area and reserve colleagues to deliver an excellent experience for our supporters.
You will build effective relationships both within the RSPB and external to it that will enhance its reputation and ultimately secure funding. This includes understanding donors’ wishes and aspirations and identifying links with approved priority projects with the aim of securing substantial gifts.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- Intermediate levels of fundraising as demonstrated by work successes and recognised fundraising courses.
- Experience in how to research and cultivate a prospect. And understanding of how to write a cultivation strategy.
- Ability to write funding proposals, reports and updates, and prepare briefing documents in advance of meetings and events.
- Competent in the use of a CRM system (Salesforce), the Microsoft suite, other databases, research tools and methods.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
- Ability to work collaboratively with team members, and people and teams outside of our department.
- Good judgement when working with donors and ability to recognise potentially sensitive areas between prospects and the RSPB to ensure reputational values are maintained.
- Successful management and development of donor relationships leading to substantial support (6- and 7-figure gifts).
- Experience of planning and running high level/special events.
- Experience of line management and mentoring.
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
- High level presentation skills and experience.
- Previous experience in the conservation sector.
- Passion for nature and wildlife.
Additional Information:
- There is a need for the successful applicant to have frequent meetings in London - therefore you will need to be easily able to access London
Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 12th October 2025
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from w/c 20th October.
Please note: We reserve the right to close the advert early if we get sufficient response, so please don't delay in applying.
Interested?
If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website.
We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.
As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.
No agencies please.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
The RSPB brings people together – people like you – to protect the things that matter to us all.