Head of fundraising jobs in Edinburgh

Head of Face to Face Fundraising
Reference: MAR20265489
Location: Home-based, Flexible in UK + Regular UK Travel
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £70,490.00 - £75,275.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave

The Head of Face-to-Face Fundraising provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of the RSPB’s face-to-face fundraising programme across the UK.

This role is responsible for delivering significant annual supporter acquisition volumes, ensuring an exceptional supporter experience, maintaining sector-leading compliance and safeguarding standards, and building high-performing in-house fundraising teams.

As a senior leader within Fundraising, you will shape the future of the RSPB’s acquisition strategy, drive innovation within the face-to-face channel, and ensure sustainable long-term growth in regular giving and lead generation to support our mission of creating a world richer in nature.

Key Duties:

• Develop and implement an ambitious multi-year Face-to-Face strategy that drives sustainable acquisition growth and contributes to long-term supporter value.
• Lead budgeting, investment planning and forecasting for all F2F channels, ensuring accountability for ROI, cost-effectiveness, and delivery against income and acquisition targets.
• Lead the evolution of F2F propositions, messaging and materials to ensure they are insight-led, compliant, and aligned with the RSPB’s brand and fundraising strategies.
• Champion innovation across the programme, introducing new approaches to optimise ROI and reach new audiences.
• Monitor market trends, regulatory changes and competitor activity to ensure the programme remains compliant, competitive and forward-thinking.
• Act as the organisational lead for face-to-face fundraising compliance, ensuring all activity adheres to the Fundraising Regulator Code, Charity Commission guidelines and data protection legislation.
• Lead, develop and inspire a multi-disciplinary F2F team by fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, continuous improvement and supporter-centred behaviour.
• Work closely with insight teams to analyse performance data, supporter quality, attrition levels and long-term value across channels.
• Develop KPIs and reporting frameworks to provide senior leadership with clear visibility of performance, risks and opportunities.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders including fundraising, digital, data and technology, communications, brand, marketing and marketing operations, finance and UK country teams to deliver integrated acquisition strategies.
• Champion the role of Face-to-Face fundraising within the RSPB, working with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to increase its prominence and ensure strategic alignment.
• Work closely with the Head of Membership Marketing & Retention to ensure seamless integration between acquisition, onboarding and stewardship journeys.
• Oversee procurement, contract management and ongoing performance of external delivery partners to ensure alignment with organisational goals.
• Lead relationships with external partners, suppliers and agencies, ensuring high-quality delivery, strong return on investment and value for money.

Essential Criteria:

• Able to design and deliver a UK-wide face-to-face or high-volume acquisition programme that achieves agreed supporter and income targets.
• Able to lead and develop regionally dispersed, field-based teams, including setting objectives, monitoring performance and holding managers accountable for results.
• Able to analyse performance data (e.g. conversion, attrition, ROI and quality metrics) and use insight to optimise programme performance.
• Able to manage and monitor programme budgets, including forecasting expenditure and assessing return on investment.
• Able to communicate strategic plans, performance outcomes and risk clearly in written reports and verbal presentations to senior stakeholders.
• Able to work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to align acquisition activity with organisational strategy.
• Able to travel regularly across the UK to support field operations (by public transport or other means)
• Knowledge of Fundraising Regulator guidance, safeguarding requirements and quality assurance processes relevant to face-to-face fundraising.
• Experience of leading large-scale, multi-site face-to-face fundraising or high-volume acquisition activity in a charity or commercial environment.
• Experience of managing external agencies or suppliers and implementing operational processes that improve performance, compliance and supporter experience.

Additional Information

• This is a home-based role with regular travel across the UK to support teams, partners and operational activity.
• This is a Permanent role for 37.5 hours per week.
• A full, valid UK driving licence is required as the role involves frequent travel to remote locations across all four countries.

Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 29th March 2026
We reserve the right to close this advert once sufficient applications have been received.
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 6th April.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our recruitment partner's website to complete your application for this position.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

No agencies please.