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Location: National with regular travel across the UK. (If London-based you will be required to attend the office 2 days per week)
Contract: Full Time, 12-month maternity cover
Salary: £61,926.68 – £71,274.10 per annum depending on experience. (Plus competitive pension)
Please note that this role will be closing on Monday 30 March 2026 at 9am.
A little bit about the role
The Business Development team is a recently established and growing team at Frontline. The team is responsible for delivering and developing high-quality leadership programmes, workforce development training, and commissioned projects that support practitioners and leaders across the children’s social care sector.
Reporting to the CEO, The head of business development will play a critical leadership role in driving Frontline’s growth, diversification, and long-term sustainability. You will lead the Business Development team, setting a clear strategic direction and ensuring it is delivered through our training offers, including programmes and commissioned work that support the workforce working with children at risk of harm.
You will oversee the organisation’s sales pipeline, ensuring we identify and secure opportunities that expand Frontline’s impact and generate sustainable income. This includes building strategic partnerships and ensuring our work is shaped by the evolving needs of the children’s social care sector, positioning Frontline as a trusted partner for workforce development and system improvement.
The role comprises of five core areas of responsibility:
- Setting strategic direction and driving growth
- Developing and managing strategic external relationships
- Overseeing programme and offer development
- Ensuring commercial performance and sustainability
- Leading and developing the business development team
Please review the job pack for full list of responsibilities.
This is a pivotal role for an ambitious leader who combines strategic insight, commercial acumen, and strong external relationships with a deep commitment to improving outcomes for children and strengthening the social work workforce.
A little bit about you
We’re looking for a senior leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and families, and who brings strong experience in strategic leadership, business development and stakeholder engagement.
You may come from a background in social work, education or a related field — or from a commercial or business development background where you’ve worked closely with public services or purpose-driven organisations. What matters most is your ability to navigate complex systems, build trusted relationships, and shape high-quality offers that respond to real need.
You’ll be a credible and confident communicator, with sound financial judgement and the ability to lead high-performing teams. A strong commitment to equity, inclusion and Frontline’s mission is essential.
We’re a fast-moving team, so we’re looking for someone who is organised, detail-focused, and able to use their initiative to make things happen. You’ll be someone who enjoys working collaboratively, building relationships across the organisation and externally, and is open to learning and adapting as the work evolves.
This is a role with real scope — both in terms of impact and how it’s shaped. There are significant opportunities for growth and for the right person to make the role their own.
If you’re excited by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, lasting change for children and families, we’d love to hear from you.
Important information
We have increased the diversity of Frontline’s workforce in the last 12 months, but we need to do more to have greater global majority representation in our senior roles. We know the value global majority voices bring and therefore, we are strongly encouraging applicants from these backgrounds to apply. We are also a disability confident employer and welcome applicants with disabilities.
With so many people now using AI to apply for jobs, it is common for applications to be repetitive and nearly identical. There are tell-tale signs when AI has been used, the writing has the same structure, the same tone and the same language. Using AI to clarify your thoughts and sharpen your answers is one thing, but we strongly discourage you from using a tool to generate the substance of your answers. We want your application to demonstrate your skills, as well as show us your thought process, how you respond to problems, what you have learned from different experiences and how you communicate in your own voice. Please be reassured – we are not expecting perfection.
We reserve the right to close this role ahead of the deadline once we reach a suitable number of applications, so please apply as soon as you can!
Registered Charity
101 - 500
To make life better for children at risk of harm, by improving the services that support them.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Us
IIED is an international policy and research organisation working to build a fairer, more sustainable world, in partnership with others across the globe.
- We stand up: challenging the systems and structures that perpetuate economic, social and environmental injustice – acknowledging our own role in this.
- We speak out: calling out the big blockers that prevent progress for communities and working to amplify voices, redistribute power and strengthen rights.
- We innovate: developing, co-producing and supporting evidence-based ideas to drive progress towards a thriving world for all.
- We collaborate: building connections at local, national and international levels, to support diverse partners to tackle the climate, nature and inequality crises so that people and the planet can thrive. Come and be part of this exciting journey with us.
We are now looking for a Head of Fundraising & Business Development to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 35 hours per week.
The Benefits
- Salary of £64,814 - £80,654 per annum
- 25 days' annual leave per year, plus bank holidays and additional leave over Christmas
- 7.5% employer pension contributions
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Employee protection scheme (life, critical illness, income protection)
This is a pivotal opportunity for a proven fundraising leader with significant experience in international NGOs or charities and a strong track record of securing income across multiple streams to join our global organisation.
You will have the chance to utilise your fundraising expertise and leadership skills to close funding gaps and unlock new opportunities, making a lasting difference to our organisational sustainability and our international impact.
What’s more, this role offers both strategic influence and meaningful flexibility, allowing you to lead, develop others and grow long-term funding success, helping us to build a fairer, more sustainable world.
So, if you’re ready to lead ambitious fundraising that powers global change, read on and apply today.
The Role
As our Head of Fundraising & Business Development, you will lead efforts to secure and diversify funding, building a sustainable resource base to support our global mission.
Leading the Fundraising and Business Development Team, you will drive the implementation of our resource mobilisation strategy, focusing on increasing non-ODA income and expanding flexible and programmatic funding.
Working closely with colleagues across fundraising, finance, research and impact teams, you will help close funding gaps by developing strong donor relationships, negotiating funding agreements and shaping compelling funding propositions.
Alongside collaborating with the Director of Fundraising and Communications and supporting engagement with the Board of Trustees, you will manage systems, data and internal processes that strengthen fundraising performance and ensure effective delivery.
Additionally, you will:
- Gather and share intelligence on trends within the funding landscape
- Generate new fundraising ideas and opportunities with existing and new funders
- Support teams to develop fundraising plans, donor scoping and funding bids
- Analyse data to inform fundraising strategies and income generation
- Design and manage internal fundraising support processes and systems
- Oversee the team budget and support staff development and wellbeing
About You
To be considered as our Head of Fundraising & Business Development, you will need:
- Significant experience leading fundraising functions in an international NGO or charity
- A proven, impressive track record in fundraising
- Experience in partnership and consortium development
- Management experience with the ability to co-ordinate, support, motivate, energise and develop diverse teams
- The ability to design and deliver income-generation strategies across multiple streams
- A strong understanding of the evolving landscape of finance and resource mobilisation for sustainable development
- A strong understanding of policy and research related to sustainable development at an international level, particularly related to Africa, Asia and/or Latin America
- Strong influencing, negotiating, stakeholder engagement and diplomacy skills
- A degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent work experience
- The willingness and ability to travel internationally
This role requires a Basic DBS check.
IIED is a hybrid working organisation, and you are likely to be working from home most of the time. As such, you will need a suitable place to work and a reliable, fast internet connection.
The closing date for this role is 5th April 2026.
Other organisations may call this role Head of Fundraising, Head of Income Generation, Head of Partnerships and Fundraising, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Business Development Director, Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships, or Head of Grants and Partnerships.
IIED is a Global organisation that serves the Global Majority. We are committed to equity of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in IIED’s workforce, including members of minority groups and those with lived experience of the work we do. Even if you don't satisfy all the criteria, we still encourage you to apply, as we will offer training and development to upskill the right candidate for the role.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £55,000 – £60,000 per annum
Scope and purpose
To implement MEI’s business development strategy, helping us secure sustained income to deliver our priorities and fulfil our mission to improve lives through maths education. This includes managing bid processes for major funding, working with senior leadership and business leads to write costed proposals, identifying tender and other funding opportunities, reviewing and finalising funding agreements, and working with the Director for Strategic Communications and Partnerships to nurture relationships and bring new opportunities to fruition.
Main duties and responsibilities
Support all aspects of MEI’s business development and fundraising activity.
Funding opportunities and competitor environment
- Scope external funding opportunities, reviewing these against MEI’s mission, objectives and key criteria.
- Report to MEI’s Senior Leadership Team and Board on the pipeline of new and potential opportunities and produce business cases for new ventures for MEI’s SLT/Board.
- Undertake research into donors, sponsors and other funders, reviewing suitability and conducting due diligence.
- Work with the Director for Strategic Communications and Partnerships to develop relationships and opportunities towards formal agreement.
- Provide advice and guidance to colleagues involved in developing new business, including how to model costs and pricing, and shaping and writing effective proposals.
- Build intelligence about the competitive landscape, identifying competitors, assessing potential threats and maintaining an up-to-date register for SLT and the Board.
Tenders, bids and proposals
- Manage a diverse set of funding opportunities and proposals on the go at any single time, ranging from conference sponsorships to grant applications, project bids, corporate partnerships and government programme bids.
- Participate in pre-market engagement for large tenders, clarifying funder expectations and requirements, guiding senior leadership decisions about priorities and bidding criteria.
- For competitive tenders, manage the process from tender launch to bid submission with input from business and operational leads, including: tender clarification; costs and budget; proposal writing, review and sign off; compliance requirements; and supporting documentation.
- Co-ordinate post-award processes through to contract signature, in line with Grant Manager responsibilities and in liaison with SLT and trustees, legal partners, finance and other partners/teams.
- Participate in post-tender feedback reviews and share learning across the team, using lessons learned to undertake revision and improvements.
Sponsor and donor management
- Support the account management and stewardship of donors and sponsors, liaising with appropriate teams, ensuring that objectives of donors and sponsors are fully met.
- Directly manage relationships with lead representatives of annual conference sponsor and exhibiting organisations, ensuring their objectives are met, arrangements are handled smoothly, and risks and issues are managed effectively.
Systems, records and reporting
- Shape the configuration and use of MEI’s CRM system and other internal systems for effective business development and fundraising.
- Ensure contact records are up to date, accurate and compliant.
- Produce regular reports for SLT and Board on progress in business development and fundraising, including conversion rates, KPIs, and risks.
- Contribute to MEI’s culture of evidence-driven decision-making, providing high quality evidence and intelligence which supports business strategy.
General leadership and management
- Work with trustees, SLT and business teams to ensure that business development and fundraising activity is coherent and aligned with broader strategy and delivery.
- Support the development of commercial skills, competencies and approaches across MEI.
- Undertake other duties assigned by the Director for Strategic Communications and Partnerships and keep them up to date through accurate and regular updates.
Key Relationships
- Director for Strategic Communications and Partnerships
- Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Learning Officer
- Financial Controller
- Business and Central Services Manager
Person Specification
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of fundraising across multiple income streams
- Strong track record of writing bids and securing grant and other funding
- Knowledge and experience of public sector procurement
- Excellent writing skills for bids and fundraising communication
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work autonomously
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships across MEI and with external funders
Desirable
- Experience in the education or charitable sector
- Track record of securing large government contracts
- Experience collaborating with product development or programme design teams
- Familiarity with MEI’s mission and the education landscape
Personal Attributes, Values and Behaviours
- This is a list of personal attributes which are important for the role but also should encapsulate behaviours required to meet the MEI values of equity, credibility, commitment and service.
- Communicates with clarity and respect
- Commitment and ability to work with all stakeholders to deliver exceptional service
- Actively seeks to work collaboratively when required to achieve the highest service standards
- Self-motivated with a strong work ethic, proactive attitude, and commitment to continuous learning and skill development
- Supportive and collaborative, able to guide and motivate others to deliver high-quality work
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and foster positive, collaborative relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple tasks and adapt to changing priorities
- Dynamic, enthusiastic, and positive, bringing energy and a can-do attitude to the role
Additional Information
This role will involve some travel and occasional overnight stays away from home.
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