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Role overview
This newly created senior role strengthens The Young Foundation’s strategic business development function and supports income growth across the full range of our programmes and partnerships. The post will provide expertise in fundraising and procurement processes including approaches to philanthropic funders and investor circles as well as formal tendering, dealing with a range of funding modalities from research grants to commercial consultancy and trusts and foundations.
Key responsibilities
Business development and income growth
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Lead high‑value income generation processes, including building consortia, securing philanthropic funding, and delivering high quality formal tenders, coordinating inputs from across our delivery teams.
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Oversee the preparation of costed proposals and pitches for a diverse range of funders, including research councils, local authorities, commercial consultancy, and philanthropic trusts.
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Support the continued growth and impact of The Young Foundation’s external-facing activity, aligning business development with communications and policy work.
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Manage a robust pipeline, tracking opportunities and ensuring strategic alignment with organisational priorities.
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Develop budgets, pricing models, and partnership structures for commissioned work.
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Identify new funding and commissioning opportunities through horizon scanning, network engagement, and proactive outreach.
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Collaborate with senior colleagues to refine and grow thematic and programme areas.
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Support and advise colleagues across the organisation on approaches to business development including opportunity identification, competitive analysis, structuring meetings, building consortia and financial models.
Partnerships, networks and relationship management
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In collaboration with programme delivery leads, build and steward relationships with funders, commissioners, consortium partners and strategic collaborators.
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Lead account management for key partners to support long‑term growth and mutual value creation.
BD leadership, systems and strategy
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Create, improve and maintain appropriate BD systems, processes and tools, including pipelines, trackers and lessons‑learned approaches.
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Contribute to organisational strategy and planning and, in particular, to fundraising strategy and external affairs.
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Create and monitor BD metrics, reporting on feedback and recommending appropriate courses of action.
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Manage a repository of BD data and information, including track record, capacity statements, boilerplate bid sections, etc.
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Champion The Young Foundation’s values, ensuring inclusive, ethical and community‑centred practice.
Person specification
Prior experience – essential
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Substantial experience of leading/managing business development and income generation for a think tank or similar research/innovation led organisation.
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Track record of securing income across a range of relevant funders through both competitive tenders and proactive approaches.
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Strong commercial acumen.
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Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills.
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Understanding of UK government and non-government sectoral funding landscapes.
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Strong network in the UK community and/or social innovation sector.
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Commitment to equity and social justice.
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Demonstrated collaborative approach to team-working – able to work effectively with colleagues with a range of specialisms and to operate effectively in a remote-first organisation.
Prior experience - desirable
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Experience with the introduction of CRM software.
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Familiarity with creating and reporting on BD metrics at Senior Leadership Team and/or Board level.
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Experience of/interest in exploring the impact of AI in business development and fundraising.
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Familiarity and/or previous experience with The Young Foundation’s thematic areas (eg, community engagement, just transition, social innovation, young people, etc.).
How to apply
Please apply directly via CharityJob, ensuring you complete the application form.
As part of your application, please include a cover letter addressing the following questions:
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Where do you see the greatest business development opportunities for The Young Foundation over the next 24 months?
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In an increasingly competitive market, how would you seek to position The Young Foundation for opportunities, in light of the charity’s mission, purpose, vision and expertise?
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What is your approach to building and strengthening positive relationships to drive income growth?
The closing date for applications is 12pm on 20 April 2026
The selection process will involve an interview and a presentation task.
Interviews are expected to take place w/c 4 May 2026
As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we ask all applicants to complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.
This information is collected anonymously and will not form part of the selection process.
Registered Charity 
21 - 50
Thank you!
Are you a fundraising expert intrigued by the idea of transforming healthcare through the power of volunteering? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you!
Helpforce is on a mission to revolutionise health volunteering, and we’re looking for a dynamic, strategic, and results-driven Head of Business Development & Fundraising to lead this work. This is your chance to shape the future of a award-winning national charity at the intersection of innovation, impact, and social good.
You will develop and deliver an integrated strategy across philanthropic fundraising (grants, trusts, high-net-worth donors) and revenue-generating business development. Reporting to the CEO/SMT and working closely with Communications, Finance, and Programme teams, you’ll ensure strong prioritisation, clear pipeline management, and robust forecasting to support decision-making.
You’ll also play a visible external role, representing Helpforce at events, building strategic relationships, and identifying new opportunities through proactive networking.
Since our launch in 2017, we’ve championed a vision where volunteering is integral to healthcare at its best. We work with NHS Trusts and healthcare organisations to co-create volunteering models that address key challenges, while building evidence of their impact. Our insights help health leaders invest in solutions that improve patient experience, ease pressure on staff, and deliver meaningful benefits for the volunteers who give their time and talents.
This is not just any job, this is a chance to make a tangible difference to the lives of millions who receive and deliver healthcare.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Leadership
- Lead the development and delivery of an integrated income-generation strategy.
- Identify and assess new fundraising and business development opportunities.
- Work with the CEO and SMT to set annual revenue targets, KPIs and income projections, ensuring accurate and timely forecasting.
- Utilise your senior level networks to identify new areas Helpforce can operate in.
- Ensure all income-generating activities align with Helpforce’s financial strategy and comply with internal governance and approval processes.
Fundraising
- Develop and manage a healthy pipeline of funding prospects including trusts, foundations, institutional funders, and HNWIs.
- Shape and oversee compelling value propositions, funding proposals, donor reports, and stewardship plans – incorporating storytelling into high-calibre content.
- Manage relationships with existing funders, ensuring high-quality communication and reporting.
- Ensure full compliance with restricted fund terms and grant agreements, working with Finance to monitor allocation and utilisation of funding.
- Uphold ethical fundraising standards and ensure alignment with the Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice.
- Deliver year on year growth in fundraising income against agreed targets.
Business Development
- Identify and develop new markets, partnership models and products offerings.
- Leverage the excellent track record and reputation of Helpforce, using our sector-leading evidence of impact to generate new opportunities.
- Lead the preparation of bids, tenders, proposals, and commercial negotiations, ensuring all opportunities are assessed for fit, feasibility, pricing, and margin.
- Collaborate with programme managers to package services for sale or partnership.
- Conduct due diligence on prospective partners and commercial clients to ensure values alignment and manage reputational risk.
Relationship Management
- Build and maintain relationships with donors, funders, corporate partners, and public sector stakeholders.
- Represent the organisation at external events, conferences, and networking opportunities to raise visibility and strengthen the organisation’s profile.
- Support senior-level relationship-building with strategic funders and institutional partners, working alongside the CEO and Trustees where appropriate.
- Maintain a focused approach to cultivating a number of high potential relationships positioned for long term or multi-year support.
Finance & Reporting
- Set, monitor, and report on income targets, pipeline health, ROI and overall income performance against agreed KPIs.
- Develop budgets and financial forecasts for all income streams ensuring accuracy, transparency, and timely updates for senior decision-making.
- Liaise with the Finance team to ensure accurate tracking, reporting and audit-readiness.
- Collaborate with Finance to ensure accurate funder-specific financial reporting, including restricted/unrestricted income reporting and grant reconciliations.
- Monitor income and expenditure related to income generation activities, support financial planning, and advise on funding risks and sustainability.
- Provide clear insights into income confidence levels, timelines, risks, and mitigation actions.
Person Specification
Essential
- 5+ years of senior-level experience in fundraising, business development, or strategic partnerships.
- Proventrack recordof raising significant funding (6–7 figure).
- Demonstrated experience developing and delivering successful income-generation strategies.
- Above excellent written communication and document design skills (grant writing, proposals, reporting).
- Strong negotiation, commercial awareness and contract management skills.
- Highly confident in face-to-face relationship building, networking and able to represent Helpforce effectively at external meetings, events, and conferences.
- Proven ability to identify and build new strategic relationships across diverse sectors, including government agencies, NHS, philanthropy, and corporate partners.
- Ability to work with resilience, maintain momentum under pressure, and adapt quickly to evolving opportunities.
Desirable
- Experience in a non-profit, NGO, social enterprise, or impact-driven business.
- Knowledge of CRM systems and fundraising databases.
- Sector knowledge: [e.g. healthcare].
Equality and Diversity
Helpforce encourages applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We're committed to having a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We actively encourage BAME and disabled applicants and value the positive impact that difference has on our organisation. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce and all opportunities provided by Helpforce.
Location
Remote, but travel to the London office will be required, as will UK wide client meetings.
Closing date for applications is 9th April 2026. Please use the application link to send us your CV and a covering letter to support your application. Applications submitted without a covering letter may not be considered.
REF-227 559
