Director of Fundraising Development
We have an exciting and rewarding opportunity for a Director of Development to join the Senior Leadership Team.
The Director of Development is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and provides strategic and operational leadership across all fundraising and income generation activities.
Join a youth social action charity which challenges 18 to 25-year-olds to tackle educational inequality through a year of full-time social action. As mentors, tutors and role models in schools, they support pupils growing up in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the UK.
Position: Director of Development
Location: London/Hybrid (two days worked from the office or at external events per week and two days from home)
Hours: Part-Time, 4 days per week, 28 hours per week
Salary: £60,000 pro rata (£48,000 for 28 hours)
Duration: Fixed-term (12 months with possibility to extend)
Start date: March-April 2026
Closing Date: 7 January 2025
Interviews: Starting from the week commencing 12 January 2026
The Role
The Director of Development is responsible for leading a dedicated Development team to secure sustainable income from corporates, trusts and foundations, high-net-worth individuals, events, and statutory bodies.
You will collaborate with the SLT colleagues and the Board’s Development Committee to drive income growth, strengthen relationships with key supporters, and ensure the organisation’s fundraising strategies align with the organisations mission, values, and long-term objectives.
The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on leadership of a high-performing team, ensuring fundraising systems, processes, and reporting are effective, accurate, and aligned with best practices.
Main duties and responsibilities include:
· Strategic Leadership of Development
· Team Leadership and Management
· Major Donor, Corporate and Trusts Management
· Systems, Processes and Reporting
· External Engagement and Profile Raising
About You
We are looking for someone with strong interpersonal, relationship-building, and presentation skills and the ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences.
You will have:
· Demonstrated commitment to the charity’s mission, vision, and values.
· Extensive experience in a senior fundraising or development role with a proven record of securing significant corporate, trust, foundation, or major donor partnerships.
· Experience leading and managing a fundraising or development team, including performance management and professional development.
· Proven track record in managing fundraising income budgets, forecasting, and planning.
· Experience of working with senior stakeholders and trustees to secure funding and support.
· Experience managing fundraising systems and reporting processes, including Salesforce.
· Demonstrable success in achieving challenging fundraising targets.
· Experience working in the charity or education sectors, including integrating programme impact into fundraising.
Please apply by uploading your CV and cover letter (two pages preferred) demonstrating your suitable experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. Due to the high volume of CVs received, the charity can only respond back to the successful candidates.
Employee Benefits
As an organisation, particular emphasis is placed on fairness, well-being, and inclusion and offer a range of benefits for staff, including:
· Great holiday entitlement
· Training including degree-level qualifications
· Pension scheme enrolment starts at 4% as standard, and employee contributions are matched up to 5%
· Free eye tests and £20 off glasses
· Interest-free travel season ticket loans
· Interest-free bike loans under the “Cycle to Work Scheme”
· Interest-free Loans to assist employees with welfare or financial hardship
· 2 days per year to pursue volunteering opportunities and 2 days per year to support wellbeing
· Regular all staff wellbeing sessions with external wellbeing experts
· Reservist friendly employer - Bronze award
· Laptop and mobile phone
Other areas of experience may include Director of Development, Development Director, Director, Fundraising Director, Director of Fundraising, Trusts, Foundations, Major Donor, Corporate, Fundraiser, Fundraising, Head of Fundraising, Income, Director of Fundraising and Development.
Please note this role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of our client.
Chief Executive Officer – The Abbey Centre
Location: The Abbey Centre, Westminster, London (site-based role, flexible working available)
Salary: £90,000 – £95,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent (Full-time, 37.5 hours/week; regular evening attendance for events as required)
Could you lead a much-loved community hub through its next chapter of stability, growth and civic impact?
About The Abbey Centre
Our charity has served the community of south Westminster since 1948 and has occupied The Abbey Centre building, a converted Victorian public bath house a stone’s throw from Westminster Abbey, since 1991. We are a site-based community hub and social enterprise, combining community services, training and outreach with venue hire, an on-site café and catering to generate income that supports our charitable work.
We work across employability, health and wellbeing, volunteering and practical support for vulnerable residents; the Centre welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds, and sees over 1,000 visits each week. Our strong partnerships with Westminster City Council, statutory bodies and corporate donors underpin commissioned activity and solidify our position as a trusted local delivery partner.
This is an opportunity for a visionary but hands-on leader to preserve the Centre’s warm, inclusive culture and outstanding reputation while further professionalising systems, developing our income, and shaping a multi-year strategy that secures the building and grows impact.
As our next Chief Executive Officer, you will:
• Strategy & Impact: lead a collaborative listening phase and then develop and deliver a 3–5 year strategy and rolling business plan that defines the Centre’s core offer and impact targets.
• Governance & Finance: own the annual budget and medium-term financial modelling, deliver full-cost recovery across activity lines and present timely, accurate management information to trustees.
• Operational Leadership: ensure continuity of community services, venue trading and café operations and strengthen operational systems including safeguarding, H&S and business continuity.
• Income Generation: drive commercial performance of venue hire, events and catering, professionalise fundraising (major donors, legacies, corporate partnerships) and lead bids for multi-year statutory contracts.
• Community & Partnerships: sustain and deepen strategic relationships with Westminster City Council, commissioners, local partners and corporate supporters to secure commissioned work and philanthropic income.
• Estate Stewardship: manage day-to-day stewardship of the Centre’s significant ageing building, overseeing maintenance, lease/compliance obligations and contractor relationships.
• People & Culture: build a cohesive senior team, embed clear role accountabilities, performance management and development, and protect the Centre’s welcoming culture while managing change.
• Brand & Profile: act as a visible ambassador locally and with funders to raise the Centre’s profile and champion its social value.
Who you are:
• A seasoned senior leader with proven experience in a small/medium charity, community organisation or social enterprise that combines front-line delivery with significant premises/estate responsibility.
• Demonstrable track record of leading strategic development and delivering organisational growth while balancing hands-on operational leadership.
• Strong commercial and earned-income expertise, with experience of running successful commercial – ideally site-based - operations.
• Confident in winning and managing statutory contracts and multi-year grant programmes; credible with local authorities, commissioners and corporate partners.
• Financially literate with direct budget and cash-flow accountability and experience of full-cost recovery modelling.
• A collaborative, visible and warm ambassador who builds trust quickly, communicates clearly and can present concise management information to trustees.
Why The Abbey Centre?
• A powerful mission: deliver practical services, companionship and opportunity for south Westminster residents in a civic, high-impact setting.
• A prominent, historic central Westminster location and a cherished community building offering scope for strategic estate planning and growth.
• A warm, loyal staff team and an engaged board navigating a positive leadership transition.
• A social enterprise model where successful trading directly funds frontline services and creates a platform for entrepreneurial leadership.
• The opportunity to shape a multi-year strategy that secures the long-term future of the charity and grows its impact in the community.
For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via the apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence.
Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 12th January 2026
As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.