Head of engagement jobs

Associate Head of Mass Participation Fundraising (Maternity Cover)

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with a leading national children's charity to recruit an experienced Associate Head of Mass Participation Fundraising for a 12-month maternity cover contract.

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a well-established mass participation fundraising programme that engages thousands of supporters across the UK through challenge events, schools fundraising and DIY activity. As part of the senior leadership team within supporter-led fundraising, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping strategy, driving income growth and ensuring supporters enjoy an outstanding experience at every stage of their journey.

About the Organisation

Our partner is one of the UK's most recognised children's charities, providing life-changing services and support to children, young people and families. Their work reaches communities across the country, tackling some of the biggest challenges facing children today.

Supporter fundraising is critical to their success, helping to generate vital income and build long-term relationships with people who are passionate about creating brighter futures for children and young people

• Salary: £48,748 - £54,164 plus allowances where applicable (London Weighting or Home-Based Allowance)
• Contract: 12-month maternity cover from September 2026
• Location: Hybrid, with flexible home working and travel to London and fundraising events when required

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Supporter-Led Fundraising, you'll provide leadership across a diverse portfolio including third-party events, DIY fundraising and schools fundraising. You'll lead a talented team of fundraisers, oversee significant income streams and play a key role in delivering ambitious fundraising growth plans.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing fundraising team across multiple mass participation products.
• Driving strategies to acquire, steward and retain supporters, creating lasting relationships that maximise lifetime value
• Managing budgets, forecasting and income performance across multiple fundraising streams.
• Working closely with colleagues across fundraising, communications, data and service delivery functions to deliver compelling supporter journeys.
• Managing key supplier and agency relationships to ensure excellent delivery and supporter satisfaction.
• Identifying opportunities to innovate, optimise products and grow participation income.

About You

We're looking for a strategic and inspiring fundraising leader who can bring both vision and practical leadership to an established programme.

You'll bring:

• Experience leading mass participation, challenge events, community, schools or supporter-led fundraising programmes.
• A track record of driving income growth in either the charity or commercial sector.
• Strong strategic planning and budget management experience
• Experience motivating, coaching and developing successful teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing agencies, suppliers or strategic partnerships.
• The credibility, confidence and collaborative approach to influence colleagues and senior stakeholders across a complex organisation

To Apply

To register your interest in this exciting opportunity and request a full job pack, please send your updated CV to Kevin Croasdale.

If your profile closely matches the role requirements, we'll be in touch with further details and to arrange an initial conversation.

Key Dates

Closing Date: Friday 17th July 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 27th July 2026

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. Please let Kevin know if you require any adjustments to ensure the recruitment process works for you.

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.

Maternity Cover
Salary: £48,748 - £54,164
Plus London Weighting Allowance of £3,366 for Inner London-based staff, where applicable

If you are an experienced mass participation fundraising leader who wants your work to make a lasting difference, this is an opportunity to lead high-profile fundraising activity that helps protect children and improve childhoods across the UK.

This senior role sits within a supporter-led fundraising function and is responsible for leading a mass participation portfolio spanning third party events, DIY fundraising and schools fundraising. You will provide leadership to the team, shape fundraising strategy, strengthen supporter journeys and drive sustainable income growth.

This maternity cover role needs someone who can provide calm and credible leadership, and support a team through an important period that includes a London Marathon over two days, The Great North Run and the Cardiff Half Marathon, and the continued development of fundraising products.

Why this role matters
You will join at a pivotal time, leading a function that plays an important part in fundraising strategy by bringing in new supporters, deepening relationships and increasing long-term value. You will help ensure that participants receive an excellent experience while maximising the income they generate.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading a mass participation fundraising portfolio across third party events, DIY fundraising and schools fundraising, with accountability for performance and growth
• Owning budget performance across core income streams, including monitoring, managing and reforecasting financial performance and putting contingency plans in place where needed
• Developing and delivering strategy for participant acquisition, stewardship and retention, ensuring supporters are onboarded well and encouraged to build a longer-term relationship
• Leading and developing a team through coaching, mentoring, performance management and regular engagement
• Working collaboratively across departments to build strong supporter journeys, compelling propositions and coordinated plans
• Managing key agency and supplier relationships that support income growth and supporter satisfaction
• Helping the team navigate a busy year, including a new two-day London Marathon, growth in schools fundraising products and improvements to the DIY fundraising offer
• Supporting team wellbeing, removing blockers for experienced managers and giving more hands-on guidance where needed

What we’re looking for

• Significant leadership experience in mass participation fundraising, including events, DIY fundraising or schools fundraising
• Strong strategic planning and development skills, with the ability to identify opportunities for growth
• Substantial experience of budget management and financial planning
• Good understanding of acquisition marketing strategies and integrated marketing planning
• Strong people leadership skills, including managing a diverse and geographically dispersed team and adapting your approach to different levels of experience
• The ability to influence senior stakeholders, build strong peer relationships and keep complex projects moving forward
• Experience of managing supplier and agency relationships, including performance and service delivery
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively
• A strong understanding of the financial drivers behind fundraising performance, including metrics such as average gift and remittance rates
• Willingness to work flexibly and travel to support a national events portfolio

Working pattern
The team largely works remotely, with quarterly in-person meetings in London and occasional travel to major events. Hybrid contracts are also available. The role will require attendance at key events and some travel as needed.

What’s on offer

• Salary of £48,748 - £54,164
• London Weighting Allowance of £3,366 for Inner London-based staff, where applicable
• The opportunity to lead an established fundraising area that plays an important role in generating support for children across the UK

Our commitment
A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk is essential for this role.

We are committed to fairness, equality and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.

We are seeking an experienced and strategic fundraising leader to join Engagement & Fundraising team as Associate Head of Mass Participation Fundraising. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high performing team responsible for developing and growing a diverse portfolio of supporter led fundraising products and experiences.

Reporting to the Head of Supporter Led Fundraising, you will play a key leadership role in shaping and delivering ambitious income growth strategies across mass participation fundraising.

You will oversee a portfolio including third party challenge events, community and DIY fundraising, and schools fundraising, ensuring participants receive an exceptional supporter experience while maximising fundraising income.

About the Role

As a member of the fundraising leadership team, you will:

• Lead and develop a diverse fundraising team, creating a culture of high performance, innovation, and collaboration.
• Drive income growth across multiple mass participation fundraising streams.
• Develop and implement acquisition, stewardship, and retention strategies that deepen supporter engagement and lifetime value.
• Oversee significant income and expenditure budgets, ensuring robust forecasting, performance monitoring, and financial accountability.
• Identify new opportunities for portfolio growth through market insight, innovation, and supporter-focused product development.
• Manage key relationships with agencies, suppliers, and external partners to deliver excellent supporter experiences and commercial outcomes.
• Collaborate with colleagues across marketing, communications, technology, data, and service delivery teams to optimise supporter journeys and fundraising performance.
• Champion a supporter centric approach, ensuring participants are effectively engaged and nurtured into long-term supporters.

About You

You will be a strategic and commercially minded fundraising professional with a track record of delivering income growth through participation based fundraising, events, community fundraising, schools engagement, or related sectors.

You will bring:

• Proven leadership experience driving growth in fundraising, events, community engagement, participation programmes, or comparable commercial environments.
• Strong strategic planning skills and the ability to identify and capitalise on new growth opportunities.
• Significant experience managing budgets, financial planning, and performance forecasting.
• Knowledge of supporter or customer acquisition strategies and integrated marketing approaches.
• Experience leading, motivating, and developing diverse and geographically dispersed teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including experience presenting to senior leaders and external audiences.
• Experience managing agency and supplier relationships, including performance management and service delivery.
• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas, proposals, and business cases clearly and persuasively.
• A collaborative and innovative approach, with a passion for developing teams and achieving ambitious goals.

Salary & Benefits

• Salary:  £48,748 - £54,164, plus allowances where applicable (London Weighting £3,366/home-based allowance £500 a year)
• Contract type: 12 months FTC,
• Location: London, flexible: hybrid working with 1 day a week or every 2-3 weeks in London office

Recruitment process: Cv and Supporting Statement to

If this sounds like you, then please do get in touch ASAP!

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.