Head of fundraising jobs in oxford, oxfordshire

Location: Shaw House, 27 West Way, Oxford, OX2 0QH
Department: Comms
Salary: £38,000 to £40,000 per annum (depending on experience)
Hours: 35
Contract Type: Permanent

RABI is the farmers charity.

RABI supports farming people across England, Wales and NI with expert, one-to-one practical, financial and emotional help, all year round. From confidential advice and mental health support to direct financial assistance, their tailored services respond to the unique challenges of farming life.

At the heart of RABI’s mission is a commitment to strengthening resilience; helping farming people feel valued, supported and better equipped to navigate uncertainty and change. RABI is working to close the farming wellbeing gap and build a future where farming people can thrive.

Over the past 25 years alone, RABI has delivered almost £250 Million in direct financial support to the farming community, whilst the charity’s professional counselling service has provided 11,500 free sessions to farming people since 2022. RABI’s wrap-around support services continue to evolve, reaching more people year on year.

RABI is on a journey to help shape a future farmers deserve.

SUMMARY OF ROLE

This is a pivotal new role within RABI’s Marketing & Communications team, managing the planning and delivery of RABI’s presence at high-profile agricultural, corporate and external affairs events throughout the year, whilst overseeing the management and deployment of volunteers and ambassadors at shows and local engagement activities across England and Wales. The Events & Engagement Manager will ensure that all activities reflect RABI’s values and strategic goals and that our network of volunteers and ambassadors are expertly managed and supported.

You’ll be responsible for managing a high-performing events function, overseeing two Events and Marketing Coordinators and working collaboratively across the charity to ensure RABI is visible, active and engaged across the sector. You will bring experience, professionalism and a hands-on approach to deliver high-quality, mission-driven events that drive brand awareness and build relationships across our community.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership of Events and Ambassador Programme

• Lead the development and implementation of a national events strategy that reflects RABI’s priorities and enhances the charity’s presence across rural and farming communities.
• Build and maintain a comprehensive events and shows calendar, ensuring a coordinated and strategic approach to regional and national opportunities.
• Work closely with RABI’s Fundraising, External Affairs and Volunteering teams to ensure events, conferences and shows are aligned with RABI’s strategic objectives and are on brand.
• Lead and develop RABI’s new Ambassador programme, working in collaboration with the Volunteering department to launch the programme from pilot to national rollout.

Agricultural Shows and Sector Representation

• Take a leading role in managing RABI’s presence at key agricultural shows and rural events (e.g. Royal Welsh Show, Great Yorkshire Show, Oxford Farming Conference, LAMMA).
• Oversee the end-to-end delivery of shows and events attendance including logistics, stand design, staffing, promotional materials, health and safety and evaluation.
• Represent RABI at events with professionalism and warmth, acting as a visible ambassador and engaging with supporters, stakeholders and the public.
• Build strong relationships with show organisers and agricultural networks to secure prominent placements and collaborative opportunities.

Event Management and Delivery

• Project manage a range of events including:
• National and regional agriculture shows and conferences
• Volunteer and ambassador engagement events
• Rural community outreach and partnership events
• Ensure all events are delivered to a high standard, on time and within budget.
• Oversee and manage logistics including venue hire, AV, accommodation, transport, catering, health and safety and accessibility.
• Manage risks and ensure compliance with RABI’s policies, safeguarding protocols and relevant regulations.

Team Leadership and Development

• Line-manage two Events and Marketing Coordinators, providing regular support, mentoring and performance reviews.
• Foster a collaborative and proactive culture within the team, encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.
• Delegate effectively and ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities across the team.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Work closely with your colleagues in the Communications team to plan promotional content for each event (print, digital and social media).
• Contribute to the wider communications planning cycle, identifying storytelling opportunities arising from events.
• Coordinate with Fundraising, External Affairs and Volunteering colleagues to ensure event activity supports supporter engagement and community mobilisation.

Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation

• Monitor event budgets, track expenditure and provide clear financial reports.
• Gather and analyse attendee feedback, media coverage and impact data to evaluate the success of each event.
• Produce regular updates for the Senior Strategic Communications Manager and Head of Marketing and Communications.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• A minimum 5 years’ experience working in a successful Events team at a managerial level.
• Proven experience in managing a broad portfolio of events, ideally within the charity, agricultural or rural affairs sectors.
• Demonstrable experience of line-management and overseeing the management of volunteers/ambassadors
• Proven experience leading high-profile public-facing events such as exhibitions, trade shows and external affairs events
• Excellent organisational and project management skills with a high attention to detail.
• Confident communicator and relationship builder, able to represent the charity with professionalism and warmth.
• Comfortable working flexibly, including occasional evenings, weekends and national travel.
• Understanding of health and safety and safeguarding considerations in event delivery
• Full UK driving licence.

Desirable

• Previous experience in rural or farming events
• Welsh language proficiency (spoken and/or written) is desirable for this role, to support effective comms and engagement with Welsh-speaking stakeholders and communities.
• Experience using CRM systems (preferably Microsoft Dynamics) and event evaluation tools.
• Basic design and marketing skills (Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud or similar)

This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the post holder according to future developments at RABI.

BENEFITS

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (based on full time working).
• Enrolment to Nest on commencement of employment and then opportunity to join RABI’s group pension scheme with Standard Life where RABI make contributions equivalent to 10% of your basic salary, provided you make a personal contribution of 5%.
• Life assurance from day one.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site parking.

RABI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and aims to ensure that all employment practices secure equality of opportunity and that no prospective or current employee receives less than favourable treatment at RABI as a result of their sex, sexual orientation, age, race, religion, belief, ethnic origin, disability, marital, or for any other reason which cannot be shown to be justifiable. Our recruitment process strives to ensure that individuals are selected only based on their relevant skills, experience, qualifications and abilities.

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