Head of development jobs in Milton keynes

Head of Development and Communications

Job Description

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

£46,200 - £50,200 per annum FTE

The Head of Development and Communications plays a pivotal role in driving In2scienceUK’s mission to change lives by opening doors to STEM degrees and careers for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. 

As a senior leader, you will shape and deliver a bold, integrated development and communications strategy that brings our mission to life, tells powerful stories of change, and inspires confidence and commitment from donors, partners, and key stakeholders that unlocks new opportunities for innovation and expansion.

In this role, you will manage a small, high-performing team and oversee the creation of compelling narratives and effective engagement strategies that inspire donors, partners, alumni, and key stakeholders, supporting a resilient and diversified income portfolio.

Working closely with programme teams, you will ensure that development and communications activity amplifies the impact of existing programmes, while identifying and developing new opportunities that deliver meaningful outcomes for young people across the UK.

You will drive the development of strategic partnerships and funding relationships to expand the reach and influence of In2science’s work. Combining strategic vision with operational expertise, you will take a proactive, entrepreneurial approach to growth, shaping how the organisation connects with its audiences, builds its reputation, and communicates the impact of its work in support of long-term strategic goals.

In2scienceUK operates on a remote basis, with necessary UK-wide travel for partner and funder meetings, events, and staff co-working days. 

Direct Reports

Development Team: Development Manager, Development Officer, External Fundraising Consultancy.

Comms Team : Senior Communications Officer.

Responsibilities 

Development

• To collaborate with the senior leadership team and trustees in setting organisational strategy and building strategic partnerships to support In2science’s vision for 2026 and beyond.

• Lead on planning, implementation and delivery of segmented fundraising and stewardship campaigns across programmes and audiences with a 2026 income target of £1.5m. 

• Lead and manage a diverse fundraising portfolio, including corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, research grants (e.g., UKRI), government funding, and individual giving.

• To lead a small but effective development team, including an external fundraising contractor to build upon our success to date to achieve funding targets and foster strategic relationships with funding and delivery partners.

• Budget and resource all aspects of development and communications, including engaging with external contractors to maximise our output and upskill our teams.

• Work closely with the Head of Operations to oversee our CRM, ensuring accurate pipeline reporting and forecasting, as well as utilising the system for tailored stewardship opportunities.

• Work closely with our programmes team to ensure that deliverables are met and in line with our mission and objectives.

• Explore opportunities for partnership to launch new programmes and initiatives, working with the Data and Impact manager to use national data to ensure we deliver the greatest possible impact to those most in need.

Communications

• Oversee the organisation’s external communications, ensuring all messaging is on-brand, reflects our values, meets high standards, and effectively tells the story of our impact on young people.

• Oversee resourcing of the communications function, balancing 70% development and brand engagement with 30% programme-focused activity.

• Identify opportunities to maximise brand presence through strategic partnerships, policy engagement, and media activity.

• Work closely with the SMT and Trustees to respond to media, speaking, and event requests, ensuring consistent and impactful messaging.

• Ensure digital and web platforms effectively showcase our impact and support compelling storytelling.

• Manage the Senior Communications Officer to deliver campaigns that drive organisational growth and engagement with donors, partners, volunteers, and beneficiaries.

Governance

• To work with the SMT, CEO, and Trustees to ensure strong charity governance, including leading the Growth Subcommittee and preparing reports for quarterly board meetings.

• Identify organisation-wide opportunities to streamline and improve performance across the organisation.

• Working with SMT and trustees to ensure charity compliance. Including the charity commission, funding regulator, ICO.

• Identify and manage organisational/operational risk and ensure that all measures are in place to mitigate this.

As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder. The postholder will carry out any other duties that are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager. All staff must undertake all mandatory training, checks and compliance as instructed by the organisation.

Person Specification

Essential:

• A passionate advocate for social mobility in STEM.

• An inspiring leader who can inspire and collaborate across the organisation to achieve our collective goals.

• Three years experience of leading a development team to generate a seven-figure annual income from a diverse range of donors, ideally in a charitable organisation.

• Knowledge of all streams of fundraising, with direct experience in at least two of the following: corporate fundraising, trust and foundations, research grants e.g. UKRI, government grants or individual giving (incl. high-net worth donors).

• A target driven individual with a proven track record of personal six-figure income generation and achieving or exceeding personal targets.

• Excellent relationship management skills to steward existing and potential partners and donors.

• Experience of line management including developing personal development plans and setting KPIs.

• Proven experience of managing a brand, ensuring consistent and impactful communications that maximise reach amongst our target audiences.

• Superb written and verbal communication skills with the ability to persuade and influence at all levels.

• Proven experience of overseeing communication campaigns to engage new prospects across a variety of audiences.

• Evidence of efficient and accurate management of budgets and resources.

• Willingness to work flexibly and attend occasional events or meetings on evenings/weekends when required.

• Working collaboratively and supporting fostering a collegiate workplace environment.

• Upholds the values of our code of conduct and is respectful to all.

Desirable:

• Direct knowledge and/or experience of the barriers young people face in accessing STEM degrees or careers.

• Direct knowledge and/or experience of working with education organisations or STEM sector employers, incl. knowledge of current trends.

• Experience of working in collaboration with across teams to deliver new initiatives that maximise outcomes for young people and attract relevant funding.

• Evidence of delivering highly impactful events.

• Prior experience of public speaking, thought leadership and engaging with the press.

• Experience of governance in a small charitable organisation and utilising Trustees to support the organisation's goals and objectives.

Benefits: 

At In2scienceUK we practise what we preach by giving all staff opportunities to progress in their careers. You will have the opportunity to develop your career with your line manager to get you to the next level from day one. 

Although we take our career development seriously we also value work-life balance. You will have the opportunity to work flexibly from home, balancing your caring responsibilities, volunteer commitments, hobbies and anything else that makes you happy. 

You will have 28 days of annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays. 

Commitment to Safeguarding: 

In2scienceUK is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children. We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment. 

The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken as applicable:

• References 

• DBS check and/or Overseas criminal records check where applicable

• Self-Disclosure 

• Identity check 

• Right to work in the UK 

• Evidence of qualifications applicable to the role 

• Confirmation of registration with applicable registered body where applicable 

Many of our roles involve working with children and we will therefore take up references prior to your appointment. You should provide details of referees including your current and previous employers, covering the last 5 years. Your current or previous employer will be asked about disciplinary offences relating to children, if the role involved working with children, including any in which the penalty is time expired. We will also ask if you have been the subject of any child protection concerns and if so, the outcome of any enquiry or disciplinary procedure. 

Diversity and Inclusion:

In2scienceUK is committed to being an inclusive and diverse organisation where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who are underrepresented in STEM and the charity sector, including but not limited to people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We recognise that talent and potential come in many forms, and we welcome applicants with different experiences, perspectives, and ways of thinking. We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and working environment, and we will make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. If you require any adjustments, please let us know.

About Social Investment Business:

By providing finance and support, at SIB we enable charities and social enterprises to exist, grow and thrive. We have disbursed nearly £0.5bn to thousands of organisations since 2002. Our team believes in the power of the social economy, champions the charities and social enterprises we support - and we are all working together to build a more equal society. 

It is a hugely exciting time to join the organisation. We are growing, investing in our expert team, and building on the successes of the last few years. 

Our values are: People First, Curious, Bold, Collaborative, Accountable

For further information on what it is like to work with us and our generous benefits please visit our website.

About this role: Reporting to the Deputy CEO, the Head of Business and Market Development will build on SIB’s existing research and findings on market scope and scale, organisational financial resilience, the cost of capital and fund financial modelling to support the delivery of SIB’s ambitious new strategy, and hit our business development targets as part of an ambitious growth plan. This new post will develop SIB’s work and the rigour and robustness of our market and financial analytics in order to grow the organisation, the amount of investment under management and the annual disbursement of grant funds.

Key responsibilities

1. Working closely with the CEO and Deputy CEO support the delivery of ambitious growth targets under the new strategy.

2. Oversee the regulatory transition to FCA regulation for a defined number of SIB subsidiaries, drawing together the relevant internal documentation, working with the FCA – and any specialist retained consultants – to ensure that SIB is quickly and effectively accredited.

3. Work with the CEO and Deputy CEO to advance SIB’s applications for capital from Public Finance Institutions including the National Wealth Fund.

4. Working with the wider BD team, draw on market and financial modelling that incorporates existing data on SIB’s customers across its funds (using e.g. IMD, turnover, assets, age, business model) to develop excellent bids and tenders for new grant funds and to structure successful investment raises.

5. Oversee the reporting of all funds managed through the SIB group subsidiaries to their investors. This should include quality control of regular analytics, KPIs and case studies, regular catch up calls with investors and occasional presentations remote and in person.  

6. Oversee the regularity and quality of analytics of SIB’s enterprise level impact to provide a consistent snapshot across all funds, including for SIB’s internal subsidiary board meetings.

7. Work with the Market and Financial Analyst to develop a strategic approach to financial modelling of funds. This should include an approach to cost base calculations (taking into account variability in disbursement rates, portfolios under management, loan vs. grant, capital vs. revenue, pace and automation), consistent treatment of interest payments, management and administrative fees and internal investment. The base model should be able to inform forward planning and business development, as well as serve to stack up the financial viability of BD opportunities as they arise.

8. Work with the Systems and Data teams to ensure that the base model is embedded within SIB’s operations and informs fund and programme management.

9. Lead a horizon scanning function that effectively drives comparative benchmarking against competitor / peer organisations.

10.  Oversee the team’s work with the Finance and Governance teams to ensure that market analytics include effective customer feedback, collected regularly and embedded in key performance indicators.

11.  Alongside the Deputy CEO and the wider Data, Insights and Advocacy team, oversee the delivery of the annual impact report, bringing colleagues together to identify key findings and deliver each report. Ensure that the impact report reflects market analytics, providing context that identifies SIB’s leadership and place within the wider sector.

12.  Oversee the management – as needed – of any external consultants working on more complex financial models / additional research and learning that contributes to market or business development.

13.  Alongside the Deputy CEO and the wider BD team, design and facilitate general learning sessions and programme specific learning sessions with small and large groups, this may include partners, customers and the SIB Board as well as colleagues. Elicit learning from these sessions, share findings and support your colleagues to integrate action points into our systems. This learning approach should particularly reflect how customer need / satisfaction is met by different fund and programme structures.

14.  Line manage the Market and Financial Analyst, Marketing Manager and BD Manager.

15.  To work in line with the organisation's values, principles and processes to achieve operational excellence.

16.  To adopt our continuous improvement and learning ethos

17.  To support and embed equality, diversity and inclusion into day-to-day behaviours and activities within your role as well as contributing more widely across SIB’s commitment to E, D & I

18.  To support and contribute to the implementation and delivery of SIB’s strategy

19.  In agreement with manager to undertake other tasks and work on cross team projects that support the objectives of SIB as required

Core competencies

• Familiarity with raising investment
• Experience of managing a high functioning business development team achieving strategic objectives
• Knowledge of financial analytics
• Excellent excel skills
• Excellent writing skills
• Excellent project management to tight deadlines
• An understanding of how to share research and data analysis with audiences of mixed experience
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire teams across functions to work in an integrated way
• Strong planning skills and an ability to multi-task, work well under pressure and meet deadlines
• Excellent IT skills and the ability to learn new programmes quickly

Desirable competencies

• Understanding of FCA regulation
• Prior experience of working in a regulatory environment
• Understanding of the UK charity and social enterprise sectors

Education / Professional experience

Team leadership experience

Location: Home-based with regular travel to the London office
Department: Behaviour Change and Development
Job Type: Full time, 37.5 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £48,083 – £53,426
Benefits: 27 days holiday bank holidays (pro rata for part time roles), healthcare cashplan scheme access, life assurance, paid compassionate leave, enhanced sick pay, Cycling UK membership plus many more staff benefits.

There’s never been a better time to join Cycling UK. As we continue to grow our impact and ambition, we are looking for an experienced and driven Head of New Programmes and Business Development to help shape the next phase of our work.

Cycling UK is committed to creating healthier, happier and more sustainable communities through behaviour change. Whether or not you cycle yourself, our work contributes to improved public health, reduced congestion, cleaner air and more inclusive transport systems.

As Head of New Programmes and Business Development, you will lead the development, mobilisation and delivery of new restricted programmes across the Behaviour Change and Development Directorate and, where required, the wider organisation. Working closely with senior leaders and specialist teams, you will design compelling, fundable programme models, write high-quality bids and secure new income from trusts, foundations and statutory funders.

You will be responsible for building and managing strong relationships with prospective and existing funders, while ensuring that newly secured programmes are mobilised and delivered effectively, compliantly and to a consistently high standard.

The role has end-to-end responsibility for programme management across new workstreams, including planning, budgets, reporting, risk and performance. You will ensure that Cycling UK’s behaviour change models and evidence frameworks are applied consistently, and that robust data is captured to demonstrate impact and value, including social, transport and health outcomes.

This is a fast-paced and highly fulfilling role, ideal for someone who thrives on delivery, collaboration and impact. If you are motivated by creating meaningful change through well-designed, evidence-led programmes, we would love to hear from you.

Explore the attached job description for full details on this exciting opportunity. Please complete the application form, clearly setting out why you are the right candidate for this role. Your supporting statement should demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role, directly referencing the person specification. This will help the selection panel assess your suitability against the criteria.

This role is home-based with expected regular travel to London.

Applications close at 9:00am on the closing date shown.

You may also have experience in the following: Programme Development, Business Development, Funding and Partnerships, Bid Writing, Trusts and Foundations, Statutory Funding, Programme Management, Behaviour Change Programmes, Public Health Programmes, Transport and Mobility Programmes, Head of Programmes, Head of Business Development, Funding Manager, Partnerships Manager, Programme Director, Impact and Evaluation Lead.

REF-225 847