Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Summary:
The Head of Engagement & Fundraising will play a pivotal role in driving the charity's mission forward by developing and implementing innovative fundraising strategies. This position is essential for enhancing community engagement and building lasting relationships with donors, ensuring the sustainability and growth of our initiatives in North Leeds, Yorkshire. The successful candidate will lead a dedicated team, fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence in fundraising efforts.
Why This Role Matters
As Head of Engagement & Fundraising, you’ll be the strategic force behind the charity’s mission — developing and delivering an ambitious engagement and income‑generation strategy that strengthens long‑term sustainability.
You’ll lead a passionate team, champion the charity’s voice across all channels, and build meaningful relationships with funders, partners, community groups and local networks.
This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior role where your ideas, leadership and creativity will directly shape impact across the region.
What You Will Do:
- Strategic fundraising growth — Create and deliver a forward‑thinking fundraising strategy that increases and diversifies annual income.
- Marketing & engagement leadership — Oversee all marketing activity across digital, social, PR, campaigns and events.
- Team development — Coach, inspire and develop a high‑performing team across marketing and fundraising.
- Funding applications — Lead and project‑manage compelling bids to trusts, foundations and grant‑making bodies.
- Stakeholder relationships — Build trusted partnerships with funders, community groups, local networks and internal teams..
Who we’re looking for
We’re looking for an experienced, values‑driven professional who combines strategic thinking with the ability to deliver in practice.
You’ll be:
- An experienced fundraising and engagement manager from the UK charity, social care or community sector
- A confident, inclusive leader with a coaching mindset and proven experience of managing and developing teams
- A strong grant writer with a successful track record of securing funding from trusts, foundations and grant‑making bodies
- A digitally savvy marketer with hands‑on experience across social media, email, CRM systems and online fundraising platforms
- A natural communicator and relationship‑builder who thrives in community‑focused environments
- A creative storyteller able to craft compelling campaigns and messages that inspire action
- Someone with a proactive, can‑do attitude, excellent time‑management skills and the ability to get things done in a fast‑paced setting
- A values‑driven professional who wants their work to make a genuine and lasting difference
Why join us?
- Salary up to £55,000, depending on experience
- Early finish every Friday at 2pm
- Supportive, values‑driven and collaborative culture
- Senior leadership role with real influence and autonomy
- The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives
How to apply
To apply, please submit your CV along with a supporting statement outlining how your experience, skills, and values align with this role.
We actively welcome applications from people with lived experience and from under‑represented communities.
Closing date: 26 May 2026 at midday
We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Please note: no recruitment agencies or third‑party applications, thank you.
Our values
- Collaboration- Working closely with our residents, customers, locality and service users to understand and respond to their needs
- Caring- Caring for others and the environment
- Respectful- Treating people with respect
- Efficiency -Using resources effectively and efficiently
This is a rare opportunity to join a charity at the very start of its journey.
Head of Fundraising & Communications
- Salary: £60,000-£65,000
- Location: Initially from home until opening with travel for prospect meetings primarily in Wakefield and the surround. Once open, hybrid, with 3 days per week on site.
- Contract: Permanent, 37.5 hours (open to flexible working requests)
- Benefits: 33 days holiday, pension, professional development
Wakefield Youth Zone will be the newest member of OnSide's growing network of state-of-the-art youth centres, giving young people somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to when school is out. With capital funding secured and construction about to begin, the next critical phase is revenue fundraising.
This is more than a fundraising leadership role. It's an opportunity to build the fundraising and communications function from day one. Initially, you'll be the driving force behind building a community of around 34 Founder Patrons, each giving £25,000 per year for four years, creating the financial foundation for the Youth Zone's first years of operation. As opening approaches, you'll recruit and lead your own team, shaping strategy, culture, and long-term sustainability.
We're looking for someone entrepreneurial, relationship-led and comfortable working independently. You'll be supported by the national OnSide network, an exceptionally successful proven model, and a growing Yorkshire partnership with Barnsley Youth Zone.
What you'll be doing:
- Lead the Founder Patron campaign, securing multi-year major/corporate gifts
- Build and lead the fundraising and communications function
- Develop and deliver a sustainable fundraising strategy
- Personally manage key donor and corporate relationships
- Work collaboratively across the OnSide network and region
- Sit on the future Senior Leadership Team
- Oversee the Youth Zone's communications function, supported initially by a regional comms manager, and later by a dedicated local comms hire.
What we're looking for:
You will be an ambitious and relationship-driven senior fundraiser with:
- A strong track record of securing major relationships
- Experience working with corporates and/or high-net-worth individuals
- Strategic thinking alongside hands-on delivery
- Confidence in building partnerships and making the ask
- Entrepreneurial mindset and collaborative approach
This is a career-defining opportunity to build something from the ground up and create lasting impact for young people in Wakefield.
How to Apply
If you're as excited about this role as we are, please send your CV or profile to Ellen Drummond at Charity People to start the conversation. If your experience aligns with the brief, we'll be in touch with next steps on how to make your formal application.
Closing: 9am, on Friday, 15th of May
First stage virtual interviews: 21st & 22nd of May
Second stage in-person interviews: W/C the 1st of June
Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.
We’re looking for an experienced, proactive fundraiser who can think strategically and deliver hands-on. Someone confident writing bids, building partnerships and spotting opportunities for growth.
This is a key role at a pivotal moment for AudioActive, offering the chance to build on strong foundations and shape a diverse, sustainable income model and power a team that is dedicated to empowering young people through music.
What you’ll do
- Lead and deliver AudioActive’s fundraising and development strategy
- Grow income across trusts & foundations, tenders, contracts and partnerships
- Write high-quality bids, proposals and pitches
- Develop new business partnerships aligned with our mission
- Build strong relationships with funders, partners and supporters
- Work closely with the CEO and team to align income with programmes
- Track performance, manage targets and identify new opportunities
AudioActive is a non-profit organisation creating social change through music for young people, supporting the development of emerging talent.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.