Finance and commercial director jobs

About Starlight

No one enjoys medical procedures, least of all children. From facing everyday vaccinations to the most serious of surgeries and chronic conditions, all children experience varying degrees of apprehension and fear. Feeling scared, powerless, or anxious in healthcare settings doesn’t just trigger a child’s emotions; it can create traumas that impact treatment success and that can have a life-long impact. Starlight’s aim is to transform children’s health through better experiences, by putting play at the heart of every child’s healthcare.

Evidence shows that play in healthcare can reduce anxiety, fear and even pain; it helps children engage and prepare for their treatment and cope better with procedures; it minimises trauma and contributes to a better experience; and supports children to have some sense of agency and control in an environment where these opportunities are limited. Play can also reduce the number of attempts to deliver treatment, the need for sedation and the need for repeat appointments. Prioritising children’s right to play in healthcare results in healthier, happier children who are involved in their own healing and recovery as well as more efficient treatment and care.

We work in over 900 healthcare settings across the UK with an ultimate vision to ensure that no child endures trauma in healthcare.

Role Overview

Starlight has a long and successful track record of delivering high-profile, high-value special events, including the prestigious Blenheim Ball, Newbury Race Day, and until recently, the Highclere Clay Pigeon Shoot. These events are supported by influential committees and have played a critical role in raising income, stewarding donors and connecting supporters with our purpose.

With a gap in our Philanthropy team and maternity cover needed until around May next year, this 9-month fixed-term role exists to lead, develop and deliver Starlight’s flagship events at a senior level. Immediate responsibilities are for the Starlight Health Play Awards a key stewardship event in October; and the development of a Royal Palace Event to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Starlight likely to be in November. There is also the opportunity to shape the Starlight Event Strategy, with the development of a new event building on the success of our Newbury Race Days and the development of our biennial activity with the Blenheim Ball Committee.

This is a senior, delivery-focused role designed for an experienced events professional who can hit the ground running. Working closely with the Starlight Team and Committees, you will bring leadership, strategic judgement and outstanding project management to ensure Starlight events continue to excel in reputation, income and supporter experience. 

About the roles

Last year we launched our most ambitious strategy yet - Change Happens Now. To deliver on its promise, we have identified a phased and prioritised pipeline of cross-cutting strategic programmes that will move us closer to a future where, by 2050, everyone diagnosed with breast cancer lives - and is supported to live well.

We’re now looking for 2 Strategic Programme Leads to help deliver our strategy. You’ll work in our Strategy, Planning & Innovation (SPI) team, which is responsible for strategic change programmes, planning, innovation and involvement.

Both posts share the same job description and grade and will work flexibly across SPI’s full portfolio. However, each role has a distinct focus area and differs in contract type:

• Role 1 - Health Systems and Improvement – Permanent: This role focus is in health systems and improvement, which will include leading place-based programmes, stewarding UK-wide health-improvement standards, and building the external relationships needed to deliver system-level change.
• Role 2 - Engagement at Scale – 2 year fixed term. This role focus is in ‘engagement at scale’ programmes, in its first year, it will include programme leadership of our universal offer, an organisation-wide programme aimed at delivering an accessible support offer for everyone affected by breast cancer. It will also include providing strategic partnership for other large-scale programmes, such as healthcare professional engagement initiatives and behaviour change.

While each role has a primary focus area, we expect both post-holders to be flexible and adaptable. Priorities change, and you'll need to be equally comfortable working across specialisms, seeing the focus areas as a starting point which will evolve with organisational priorities.

About you

Whilst both roles are the same, given the specialisms, for role 1, we're particularly interested in candidates with experience of external connectivity across the UK health system landscape and a working knowledge of NHS structures, integrated care systems, clinical pathways and health inequalities. For role 2, we're particularly interested in candidates with experience of scaled engagement work, such as leading public engagement, support or community programmes.

For both roles, you’ll be able to get into the detail when it matters, including the design and sequencing of the programme itself. On some programmes you'll be the strategic lead, owning the work from start to finish and being the trusted strategic advisor to expert leaders. On others you'll partner an expert team, bringing the wider organisation in behind their delivery and working through the barriers that hold progress back.

You'll be confident leading, designing and running pilots and prototypes, with clear measures of success and an evidence-led approach to learning and improvement, ensuring you keep lived experience of breast cancer at the heart of your work. You'll be comfortable with ambiguity, making progress at pace without losing rigour, and you'll bring an innovation mindset, creating the conditions, methods and permission for teams to test, scale and embed new ways of working.

Most importantly, you'll be able to be flexible in your workload, and motivated by the chance to lead change in an organisation that wants to be brave, determined and ambitious - one that backs innovation, challenges the status quo when it needs to, and is willing to commit to the big, multi-year work that real impact requires.

Job description and benefits

The job descriptions and our attractive benefits are available for you to download.

Primary location of role and hybrid working

These roles can be based in our London, Sheffield or Cardiff offices. Our hybrid working model allows you to work up to 3 days per week at home.   

The salary range is:

£49,000 to £53,000 per annum if Cardiff or Sheffield based

£53,000 to £57,000 per annum if London based

How to apply

We hope you choose to apply for this role. To support your application, you’ll be asked to submit your anonymised CV and a supporting statement online.

As there are 2 roles, you can either submit your application for 1 or both roles. To do this, please confirm in your application the role you’re applying for: Role 1, Role 2 or Both.

To help with your application, please refer to the essential criteria on the person specification of the job description/s and clearly provide as much information as you can with examples, to demonstrate how and where you meet the criteria.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

We’re committed to promoting equity, valuing diversity and creating an inclusive environment – for everyone who works for us, works with us, supports us and who
we support.

Closing date Thursday 30 July 2026 at 11:59pm

We reserve the right to close this advert early. Therefore, to avoid disappointment please submit your application as soon as possible, if you’re interested in this opportunity.

Interview date: Friday 14 August and Monday 17 August 2026

Saïd Business School is entering an exciting new chapter. As we prepare to celebrate our 30th anniversary and deliver an ambitious new five-year strategy, we are expanding our Development and Alumni team and seeking two exceptional Senior Philanthropy Officers to help drive a transformational step change in philanthropic support. Working closely with senior academics, School leadership, alumni and supporters, you will build meaningful relationships with philanthropists whose generosity can help tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges through business, entrepreneurship, innovation and social impact.

You will manage a portfolio of high-potential prospects, developing tailored engagement strategies that connect donors' passions with Oxford Saïd's strategic priorities. From identifying opportunities and cultivating relationships through to securing significant gifts and delivering outstanding stewardship, you will play a leading role in growing philanthropic income and impact across the School.

Key responsibilities:

• Managing and developing a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals and selected philanthropic organisations.
• Securing gifts typically ranging from £50,000 to £1 million+.
• Building trusted relationships with senior academics, School leadership, alumni volunteers and University colleagues.
• Translating world-class academic research and thought leadership into inspiring donor propositions.
• Supporting cultivation events, donor visits and stewardship activities that deepen engagement and demonstrate impact.

You will be an experienced and strategic fundraising professional with a proven track record of securing major gifts and building successful donor relationships within complex organisations. You will have experience engaging high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic organisations, consistently achieving ambitious income targets and managing prospects through the full fundraising cycle. Additionally, you will possess the ability to translate complex ideas into compelling philanthropic opportunities. A strong understanding of fundraising best practice, ethics and data governance is essential, alongside experience using fundraising CRM systems.

Further information on this role can be found in the job description.

At Saïd Business School we believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to bring their unique perspectives and experiences to our team. Join us to build a brighter, more equitable future, where we celebrate diversity, advance equity, and nurture inclusion across everything we do.

We offer very generous benefits, some of which are:

• Generous holiday allowance of 38 days including bank holidays
• Hybrid working
• Membership of the Oxford staff pension scheme
• Discounted bus travel
• Subsidised onsite catering
• Cycle loan scheme
• Plus, many other University benefits

All applications must include a CV, Supporting Statement/Cover Letter and Current Salary.

The closing date for applications is Friday 7 August 2026 at 12.00 noon. Please note, this vacancy may close earlier than advertised if we receive a high number of suitable applications.