Grant manager jobs in cambridge, cambridgeshire

The Philanthropy team at Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) is responsible for securing donations from individual major donors, grant-making trusts and foundations. The role of Philanthropy Officer is key to the success of the Philanthropy team, working closely with other team members and stakeholders across ARUK.

At the heart of the Philanthropy team is our desire to help our supporters change the world, in a way that is meaningful and exciting to them.

We work with a growing portfolio of individual donors and charitable trusts, getting to know them - through meetings, events, lab tours, reporting on the impact of their donations and regular touchpoints - so that we can match their philanthropic goals to our research initiatives. We work hard to provide bespoke stewardship, build relationships, and impart scientific information to promote ARUK and give donors the best possible experience of working with us.

By nurturing these relationships, we gain long-term meaningful support from donors and their networks, and as a result can secure significant donations which range all the way up to eight figures.

We are looking for an articulate, proactive and people-orientated individual to join our highly successful team. The ideal candidate will have strong relationship management skills, a high degree of emotional intelligence, and will be an ambitious self-starter.

We are seeking someone who understands the importance of investing in dementia research and can convey that with passion to our supporters. In return, we can offer an exciting, supportive working environment and the opportunity to join a small major gifts team that punches well above its weight.

Main duties and responsibilities of the role:

Relationship building and income generation

· Build relationships with a portfolio of current and prospective major donors and charitable trusts, gauging their level of interest in our work, providing them with opportunities to engage with ARUK, and encouraging them to invest in our research.

· Develop an engagement plan for each relationship, taking full ownership and moving each donor / trust forward through qualification, solicitation and stewardship.

· Fundraise for different aspects of ARUK’s work, including key research initiatives such as the Drug Discovery Alliance.

· Think ambitiously and creatively in producing compelling and persuasive written communications for donors, including letters, proposals, applications and progress reports.

· Solicit donors for gifts at face-to-face meetings, where appropriate.

· Provide an exceptional level of stewardship to donors, ensuring they are thanked and updated and that their relationship with ARUK grows in depth and value.

· Think innovatively and support the team’s goal to embed the use of digital in our work.

· Work with senior volunteers and senior staff, where appropriate, empowering them to open their networks and ask for support.

· Build and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues in the Science Communications, Media and Engagement, Research and Finance teams.

CRM

· Ensure donor records are kept up-to-date through daily use of Salesforce.

· Use Salesforce to track income and activity, and as a planning tool.

Events

· Support the Donor Relations Manager in planning bespoke events / lab tours for our supporters, by providing guest lists, communicating with invitees and updating Salesforce records.

· Represent ARUK at Philanthropy team events, and at other ARUK events where major donors or the representatives of charitable trusts may be attending.

What we are looking for:

· Experience gained working in a major gift fundraising or client relationship management role

· Demonstrable experience of developing long-term / strategic relationships

· Demonstrable experience of developing / influencing relationships through face-to-face conversations

· Demonstrable experience of working effectively without close supervision

· Ability to communicate with, and enthuse, a wide variety of people in a compelling, professional manner

· Exceptional listening skills

· Strong writing skills with the ability to write persuasively for a range of audiences

· Ability to absorb and process new information quickly

· Ability to grasp complex scientific concepts to a reasonable level (ie. well-informed lay person)

· Ability to plan, prioritise and set goals, and to follow through each piece of work to completion

· Ability to work collaboratively and see the bigger organisational picture

· An understanding of the principles of major gifts fundraising

· Excellent IT skills, including strong working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint

· High levels of emotional intelligence

· Genuine interest in people

· Curious and creative, enjoys investigating and solving problems

· Driven and highly proactive - adept at spotting opportunities and maximizing them

· Feels strongly that dementia research is valuable and vital

· Confident and personable

· Diplomatic and discreet; has integrity

· Belief in the importance of striving for excellence

· Flexible approach, with willingness to undertake occasional evening work

Additional Information:

Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals.  This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD. 

Salary: Circa £32,000 per annum, plus benefits

Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 21st September 2025, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.  Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. While we strive to anonymise your CV where possible, there are certain sections, such as the application question, that cannot be fully anonymised. We kindly ask that you remove any personal information, including your name, when answering the application question. The hiring panel will not have access to your personal details, such as your name and address, until you are invited for an interview. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us via our website. 

How to apply: Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK: Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure.  Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope. 

There has never been a more important and exciting time in dementia research. With promising new drugs in clinical trials that slow the progression of the diseases that cause it, and revolutionary new ways to diagnose them on the horizon, we are now at a tipping point. Working with the smartest minds globally and across the UK, with industry and academia, Alzheimer’s Research UK is uniquely placed to invest in the very best research identifying barriers to a cure and knocking them down so that there are more and better treatments for everyone with dementia. For the first time in history, we can see a future where people with dementia can get a swift and accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments that could slow or even stop their disease. We stand for everyone affected by dementia. We stand for a cure. 

In 2024, we were incredibly proud to be awarded a 3-star accreditation by Best Companies which recognises ‘World Class’ levels of workplace engagement. This is the second consecutive time; we have been awarded a Best Companies 3-star accreditation.

We were also listed in the prestigious Best Companies lists:

· 18th in the 100 Best Large Companies to Work For in the UK.

· 10th in the 50 Best Companies to Work For in the East of England.

· 2nd in the 30 Best Companies to Work For in the Charity Sector.

ARUK really does look after its people, where you will be able to add value and make a difference. 

To view further details about working for us and the benefits we offer, please visit Alzheimer’s Research UK

Job Title: Online Engagement and Inclusion Lead (Young People’s Services)

Organisation: Kids

Location: Remote work with occasional travel to London for in-person meeting

Hours: 36 hours per week

Contract: Fixed term for 2 years

Salary- £31,000 - £33,000

Purpose

This role leads the coordination of Kids’ online engagement and digital inclusion work for young people with SEND, including information provision, participation, and wellbeing support. You will deliver a two-year Online Wellbeing and Resilience Support Programme, including identifying and engaging digitally excluded young people to help them access vital digital tools and services. The role also drives collaboration across the Digital Services Consortium (a collaboration of 12 children’s charities), embedding shared learning, outcome measurement, and inclusive digital practices across Kids, and will create new capacity to work with young people to scope and deploy online campaigning activity.  

Responsibilities

• To lead and coordinate Kids’ online engagement and inclusion work for young people with SEND. This includes Kids’ online information provision; voice/ participation and wellbeing work.
• To develop and deliver Kids’ two-year digital inclusion programme, Online Wellbeing and Resilience Support Programme* to ensure reach and impact is maximised.
• To work with the Digital Services Consortium Driving Digital Inclusion members on shared digital project outcome measures and community of practice, ensuring learnings and online engagement and digital inclusion principles are captured, shared and built into the organisation.
• To identify and recruit (working closely with colleagues from services across Kids) digitally excluded young people to the digital inclusion programme so they can become digitally included and access much needed support and guidance.
• To establish a holistic and joined up approach to Young People’s online engagement and digital inclusion with Kids.
• To create new capacity to work across all services and teams, and with a range of young people, to scope and deploy online campaigning capabilities in line with Kids’ Speak Up and wider national and local influencing work.

Key to your success in the role will be:

• Ensuring an audience-led approach, leading and championing an important collaborative way of working across Kids existing young people's services.
• Confidently working within the Kids digital infrastructure and context – understanding where we are at on our digital journey, building excellent problem-solving relationships with marketing, IT, change team and young people’s services colleagues.
• Helping to embed digital inclusion practices across the organisation.
• Applying strong digital, data and analytical skills to enable you to baseline, track and measure progress.
• Demonstrating excellent attention to detail whilst being flexible to adapt to the needs of a new programme.
• Influencing the broader Kids service teams to identify and engage digitally excluded young people.
• Centering the voices and needs of young people with SEND.

Person Specification

Experience

• Proven experience working in digital engagement initiatives, ideally with young people or vulnerable groups.
• Involvement in programmes that promote digital inclusion and wellbeing.
• Experience in outcome measurement, impact reporting, and using data to inform practice.

Desirable

• Experience in co-producing content or services with young people, including those with SEND.

Skills

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple workstreams and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, tailored to diverse audiences including young people, professionals, and stakeholders.
• Skilled in using digital tools and platforms to deliver services and measure engagement.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and build strong internal and external relationships.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of safeguarding principles and practices in online environments.
• Awareness of current trends in digital engagement and youth participation.
• Knowledge of inclusive digital design and accessibility standards.
• Understanding of digital inclusion principles and the barriers faced by digitally excluded young people.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about inclusion, equity, and empowering young people.
• Committed to co-production and user-led design.
• Growth mindset and proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Committed to continuous learning and sharing best practices.
• Flexible and adaptable, with a collaborative mindset.

*About the funded programme

Kids Online Wellbeing and Resilience Support Programme will help young people with SEND (aged 13 – 25 years) build resilience, positive self-regard and meaningful connections.

Our goal is to reduce isolation and protect mental health through a supportive, inclusive digital environment. We’ll begin by consulting directly with young people to understand what they need most. Together, we’ll co-create new online content and resources that truly reflect their voices and experiences. 

 What the Programme Offers: 

• Online information with resources codesigned with young people with SEND. 

• A series of interactive webinars and guided online activities. 

• Free devices and data to improve access to those who need it most, plus the support to ensure everyone can participate.

We will reach over 1,800 young people over the two year funded period.

Partner Acknowledgements

Thanks to National Lottery players, the Digital Services Consortium (DSC) has received over £1.5 million over two years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The DSC has also received a grant of £400,000 from BBC Children in Need for two years to provide digital support for disabled or seriously ill children and young people and their family members across the UK. Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone have generously donated devices and data through the Good Things Foundation National Databank and Device Bank which will help address affordability barriers.

At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.

We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the

importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.

The LifeSkills Support Worker (Virtual) will provide online support to individuals who are further away from employment, education or training by using a strengths based approach as part of the LifeSkills Intensive Programme. 

This is a new role and it is planned that referrals will be received directly from Tier 3 FamilyLine services (counselling and befriending services). 

The LifeSkills programme supports individuals and families to build their confidence, social networks, financial and employability skills. The LifeSkills Support Worker will work closely with the wider LifeSkills teams (Intensive and Open).

Together for Short Lives is a charity that makes sure seriously ill children and their families get the care they need, especially at the end of life. We work closely with families, care professionals, and services to improve children’s palliative care. We also speak up to government leaders and decision-makers to help make sure families have access to the best support when they need it.

About the Role

As a Kentown Family Service Coordinator, you will be the first point of contact for families referred into the Kentown programme, helping them navigate health, social care, and voluntary sector services. You will:

• Carry out family needs assessments and co-develop personalised support plans with families.
• Build strong local relationships with health, education, and community services to ensure families can access the help they need.
• Promote the work of the Kentown Programme and Together for Short Lives and raise awareness of children’s palliative care in the region.
• Support family engagement events, training opportunities, and ongoing evaluation of the programme’s impact.
• Work collaboratively with the Kentown team, sharing learning and best practice across regions.
• This is a home-based role with travel across Lancashire, Cumbria, and Manchester.

About You

We’re looking for someone with experience in health, social care, or education who is passionate about supporting families. You will bring:

• Experience working directly with children, young people, or families with complex needs.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with families and professionals.
• The ability to assess needs, coordinate support, and signpost families to the right services.
• Confidence in collecting feedback and supporting events or activities for families.
• A proactive, compassionate, and organised approach, with good IT and record-keeping skills.
• A full driving licence and willingness to travel are essential.