156 Head of business partnerships jobs

Prospectus is excited to be partnering with the UK's leading social mobililty charity in the search for a permanent Head of Corporate Partnerships.

Head of Corporate Partnerships

The Sutton Trust

£60,000-£75,000

Permanent

Millbank, London - hybrid with two days in the London office

Closing: Monday 21 st September 2026

The organisation believes every young person should have a fair chance in life regardless of their family's income, the school they go to our where they grow up. Their programmes empower young people to access life-changing opportunities, and their research influences national change to deliver a fairer future.

As the Head of Corporate Partnerships, you will be an experienced manager and fundraiser, confident in securing new business at a six-figure level through active prospecting and networking, with ingrained knowledge of how to secure and steward strategic partnerships with major corporates and corporate foundations. This role leads the corporate partnerships income strand and will line manager two Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager with specialities in account management and new business. The Head of Corporate Partnerships will join a high-performing income generation team and will report to the Director of Development.

The selected candidate will be experienced in successfully securing, managing, and developing corporate partnerships at six-figures and above, from initial prospect research to contracting and ongoing stewardship. The person will also have experience networking to build and manage relationships that lead to major gifts, particularly in the corporate world with senior non-profit volunteers. You will have first-class interpersonal skills and will be a natural ambassador in this externally-facing role for the organisation.

This role is a full-time permanent position that will have hybrid working in the London offices for at least two days per week. The salary for this role is £60,000 to £75,000.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity. If you have any disability and require reasonable adjustment/s to any part of the process then please contact Ryan Burdock at Prospectus.

If you feel you meet some of the criteria but not all, we really hope you'll enquire and learn more. Prospectus can advise and support on each part of the role and hopefully your application, so we look forward to hearing from you. We are committed to a fair, transparent and inclusive recruitment process. AI may be used to assist our teams, but no recruitment or hiring decisions are made solely by automated systems.

In order to apply please submit your CV in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will arrange for a meeting to brief you on the role. You'll then have all the information you need to formally apply. We are looking forward to connecting with you soon.

We are looking for a Corporate Partnerships Executive on a fixed-term basis to join our ambitious and supportive Philanthropy & Partnerships Team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in growing income from corporate partnerships, helping to fund the vital care and support Southern Hospice Group provides to local people and their families.

Working with both existing and prospective corporate supporters, you will develop and manage a diverse portfolio of corporate partnerships, securing support through strategic partnerships, sponsorship, employee fundraising and gifts in kind. You'll combine excellent relationship management skills with a proactive approach to identifying new opportunities, building long-term partnerships that deliver meaningful impact for both the hospice and our supporters.

If you're a confident communicator who enjoys developing relationships and delivering outstanding supporter experiences, we'd love to hear from you. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews will be held on a rolling basis, so we encourage interested candidates to apply early.

Who we are

Nature is in crisis. People are destroying and consuming the natural world at a devastating rate, threatening the ecosystems on which all life depends. Birds are our early warning system, revealing the health of our planet and helping us understand the urgent action needed to protect it.

BirdLife International is the world’s largest partnership for nature conservation, bringing together 125 national organisations across six continents to protect birds, biodiversity and the natural systems that sustain life. Through our unique local-to-global approach, we work at the intersection of science, policy and community action to tackle the global nature and climate crises.

Using world-leading bird science, we collect and analyse data from across continents, landscapes and seascapes to identify the most effective and innovative conservation solutions. Our work conserves species, safeguards critical habitats and empowers communities to create lasting change for nature and people.

At the heart of BirdLife is a powerful global movement. More than two million birders, scientists and local volunteers help track, study and protect birdlife around the world, generating the knowledge and action needed to drive conservation impact at scale. Together, we are giving nature a voice and building a future in which birds, wildlife and people can thrive.

BirdLife International’s Development Team is in an exciting new phase of recruitment and growth and will be hiring for a number of roles to support growth and sustainability across the organisation – including this newly created role.

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer and working with colleagues worldwide, the Head of Major Gifts will lead the organisation’s major gifts programme, taking responsibility for both strategic development and frontline fundraising. The Head of Major Gifts will build pipeline, create new opportunities, strengthen fundraising discipline and embed a proactive new-business culture across the major gifts function. Seeking to grow and develop this area, the Head of Major Gifts will play both an operational and strategic role – personally winning and managing relationships at the £250k+ level, as well as developing the team and the strategy. It will also have the opportunity to partner with the Chief Development Officer on principal gifts at the £1m+ level.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a major and principal gifts strategy to grow high-value individual giving across the UK, US and other global markets, in partnership with the CDO.
• Lead, coach and develop the Major Gifts team of 3, providing direct, hands-on role-modelling in cultivation and solicitation.
• Represent Major Gifts on the Development Management Team to steward the Development programme at BirdLife and collectively lead transformational change, especially the shared delivery of the Development strategy.
• Represent Major Gifts on the Principal Gifts Working Group.
• Identify opportunities to grow BirdLife’s donor base in key regions, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.
• Personally develop and manage a portfolio of £250k–£1m+ donors and prospects and provide direct, hands-on support to the CDO on principal-level (£1m+) relationships and proposals.
• Ensure each team member undertakes new business activity to build a robust pipeline within designated markets and giving levels, feeding future portfolio growth for the team.
• Set and monitor major gifts income targets and performance goals; track progress and pipeline health and provide regular reports to leadership on revenue generation and donor engagement and take corrective actions as needed.
• Manage the Major Gifts team budget, recruitment and resource allocation.

Who we are looking for

This role would suit a seasoned major gifts leader, ideally with experience in the conservation and/or international NGO space. We are looking for someone who enjoys being both hands-on and strategic, with experience securing and managing transformative (£250k+) gifts – and coaching others to maximise their own portfolios. A new-business mindset is crucial, as this role will continue BirdLife International’s major-giving growth trajectory.

• Experience personally raising six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals.
• Experience of successfully developing and delivering a major gifts/principal gifts strategy.
• Experience coaching or line-managing fundraisers to develop their own donor relationships.
• Experience working in an international, complex, not-for-profit environment.
• Experience managing a small major gifts team, including budgetary responsibility.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and with external stakeholders using a partnerships approach.

Location: Remote, UK, with travel to the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge
Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 5th October

Are you an experienced fundraiser who enjoys building relationships and wants the opportunity to shape a role around your skills and experience?

We’re looking for a Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser to join Enham Trust and help grow our corporate fundraising. You will manage and develop our existing partnerships while also building new relationships and identifying opportunities to bring new supporters on board.

This is a role where you will have the opportunity to take ownership, bring your own ideas and help shape how our corporate fundraising develops.

What you will be doing

You’ll build and maintain relationships with our corporate partners, while also identifying new organisations and opportunities to grow our income. You’ll work closely with businesses to develop fundraising, sponsorship, volunteering and other ways they can support Enham Trust.

You’ll also:

• Manage and develop existing corporate partnerships, while building relationships with new supporters.
• Identify and secure new fundraising and partnership opportunities.
• Develop corporate fundraising programmes and activities that encourage businesses to support Enham Trust.
• Develop effective processes and workflows to support corporate fundraising and supporter engagement.
• Meet with corporate partners, volunteers and other stakeholders
• Coordinate corporate volunteering opportunities and support positive experiences for our partners.
• Work closely with the wider fundraising team and contribute to wider fundraising activity where needed.

There is plenty of scope for the role to develop, so we’re looking for someone who is confident working independently, takes ownership and happy to bring new ideas to the table.

About you

You’ll already have fundraising experience and understand how to build strong relationships with supporters and develop those relationships into fundraising opportunities. Corporate or partnership fundraising experience is important, as you’ll be managing existing relationships while also looking for new opportunities.

You will be responsible for growing income to support Enham Trust’s fundraising targets.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Confident, organised and able to manage their own workload.
• Comfortable building relationships with businesses and other stakeholders.
• A strong communicator, both face to face and in writing.
• Confident presenting, networking and representing a charity externally.
• Able to spot opportunities and take them forward independently.
• Passionate about fundraising and motivated by making a difference.

Experience of working within the disability sector would be useful but isn’t essential. Fundraising training and support will be available, so we’re looking for someone who has the right fundraising experience and wants to develop their career with us.

You will need to be based within or near Hampshire, as we’re looking for someone who can work from our Enham Trust office around 2 to 3 days a week. You’ll also need to be comfortable travelling to meet corporate partners and attend external meetings, so you’ll need a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.

About Enham Trust

We are Enham! Together we have been making a difference to the lives of disabled people for over 100 years and we are looking forward to continuing this for the next 100 years! Together we explore opportunities with people so they can live the lives they choose by overcoming limitations and expanding possibilities. Through first class care, personal development, housing options, and employment, we support people to exercise individual choice and control in their lives.

We live by our values, TOGETHER we do amazing, we WOW people every day and we dare to be DIFFERENT!

Brief role description:

The Head of International Growth is a new strategic leadership role that will enable parkrun to unlock dynamic, sustainable growth across some of key geographies — currently Europe, Africa, and America, though these may evolve over time. Reporting to the CEO and working closely with the Global Heads of Commercial, Legal and Governance and Event Delivery and Volunteering, the successful candidate will lead the development and execution of parkrun’s international growth strategy. They will support country managers and regional teams to build scalable, values-led operations that drive participation, social impact, and revenue, while ensuring alignment with parkrun’s global purpose and compliance standards. The role will also oversee market analysis, prioritisation, and partnership development, with accountability for growth KPIs, budget oversight, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver measurable impact across existing and new countries.

This role will:

• Work with country and regional managers to build parkrun’s international strategy, identifying opportunities to grow parkrun both within our existing footprint and also into new countries.

• Develop parkrun’s strategic connectivity and brand awareness in key countries, building advocacy for our vision and purpose.

• Enable sustainable commercial growth by building and delivering revenue strategies tailored to the regional opportunities and overseeing budgets

• Provide inspirational leadership to Country and Regional Managers and advocate for their needs to the Global leadership team. 

• Be an expert at strong relationship building including via virtual channels and be prepared to work flexibly to manage a broad geographic remit.  This will include some travel but much of the work will need to be conducted virtually.

About parkrun

parkrun is a health and wellbeing charity and our vision is to create a healthier and happier planet.

Since our conception in 2004, parkrun has evolved into a global social movement with a vibrant and inclusive community at its core. Our mission is to transform lives by empowering people to be active, together, outdoors in their local community. Each and every weekend, we deliver free, weekly timed events that people of all ages and backgrounds can join in. By tackling barriers to participation, we encourage communities to come together and embrace regular physical activity.

In 2026 we celebrated our 1 millionth event and regularly have 500,000 people participating in parkrun each weekend.  parkrun spans over 3000 locations in 23 countries with more than 12 million people registered, and counting. 

And we have really only just begun.

Main responsibilities:

• Strategic Influence & Stature: Drive the overall presence, reputation, and stature of parkrun across North America, Europe and Africa. Champion Parkrun's mission to break down barriers to physical activity, establishing the brand as a recognised and respected leader in community health and wellbeing.

• Strategic Partnerships & Coalitions: Cultivate and secure strategic relationships across commercial, governmental and participation based stakeholders, creating a network of advocates for parkrun’s vision and ambition aligned to strategic aims.

• Revenue Generation & Sustainability: Working with the Global Commercial team, design and execute commercial revenue strategies tailored to North America, Europe and Africa. Identify, negotiate, and secure sustainable funding streams, corporate sponsorships, and grants and foundations which ensure regional financial self-sustainability and fund future international expansion. 

• Participation Growth: Support local teams to hit country participation growth targets and explore approaches to accelerate growth, using data‑driven decision‑making and insight generation to evaluate performance and continuously refine growth approaches across all regions, working closely with the Head of Event Delivery.

• SLT Advocacy & Cross-Functional Alignment: Act as the strategic voice for international growth to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Make compelling cases for support for central resource allocation (e.g., technology, communications, operational support) to enable regional success. 

• People Leadership & Staff Performance: Line manage, mentor, and hold  Country Managers and Regional Managers accountable across target countries. Foster a culture of high performance, professional growth, and strategic and values alignment across remote international teams.

• Budget Ownership & Governance: Oversee regional financial health, budget creation, and resource allocation in collaboration with global finance. Maintain strict governance and multi-jurisdictional legal and regulatory compliance across all operating countries within the portfolio.

Desirable experience requirements:    

• Executive Presence: Skilled at developing a clear strategy and advocating for its successful implementation to country boards, Global colleagues and key external stakeholders.

• Senior Strategic & Commercial Leadership: Proven track record of expanding  organisational footprints, stature, and/or brand influence across complex international regions (ideally within Europe, North America and/or Africa).

• High-Level Relationship Management: Extensive experience building strategic, peer-level partnerships with corporate executives, government bodies, media or national sporting organisations.

• Securing Commercial Revenue: Demonstrated success in personally identifying, structuring, and closing revenue-generating partnerships.

• Senior Line Management: Substantial experience in direct line management, creating a cohesive team in spite of being geographically dispersed.

• Financial & Budgetary Oversight: Proven expertise in managing multi-currency operational budgets, resource allocation, and long-term financial sustainability models.

Most relevant skills:

• Strategic Influence & Diplomacy: Outstanding capability to negotiate, persuade, and build high-level alliances across commercial, government, and sport / mass participation sectors.

• Commercial Strategy & Deal Making: Sharp business acumen to turn brand presence into long-term commercial, sponsorship, and grant funding revenue streams.

• Executive Advocacy & Communication: Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills, able to articulate regional priorities persuasively to SLT / Board and to external partners.

• People & Performance Leadership: Strong coaching and management skills to motivate regional leads, set clear targets, and elevate staff performance.

• Financial Management & Accountability: Rigorous budget oversight, forecasting capability, and financial discipline.

• Cultural Intelligence & Flexibility: Deep cultural awareness and adaptability to navigate political environments and diverse operating landscapes across different geographies.

Please contact Elizabeth Duggan, Global CEO, if you would like to find out more about the role.

This role leads two of the most consequential shifts in our 2026–2028 strategy. First, our move from a narrative-based to an evidence-based organisation: designing our impact measurement framework, leading the rollout and adoption of the Impact Hub (our custom CRM and data platform), and embedding data-driven decision-making across every team. Second, the community around our programmes: the trusted community and education referral partnerships that bring young people to us, and the structured alumni community that keeps them connected, supported and contributing after they complete our programmes.

WHAT YOU OWN

• Impact framework : the organisation's impact measurement framework, metrics and indicators.

• The Impact Hub (CRM) : the platform, its roadmap, adoption and supplier relationship.

• Data governance : data quality standards, validation protocols and UK GDPR compliance.

• Evaluation methodology : how programmes and services are evaluated, including external evaluation partnerships.

• Referral partnerships : the community and education referral partnership model and its members.

• Alumni strategy : the alumni engagement model, tiered support structure and Advisory Council.

• Organisational reporting : impact reporting to the board, funders and the public.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Impact Measurement & Evidence ~ Develop and own the organisation's impact measurement framework, defining metrics and indicators that reflect outcomes and effectiveness rather than interest or activity alone.

2. Organisational Insight & Foresight ~ Act as the organisation's insight lead: translate quantitative and qualitative data into organisational insight that shapes strategy, programme design and resource allocation.

3. The Impact Hub ~ Lead the delivery, rollout and adoption of the Impact Hub, including migration from Upshot, in line with the phased plan in the Data & Digital strategy : and own its roadmap as the organisation's insight platform thereafter.

4. Stakeholder Engagement Framework (Governance) ~ Act as guardian of the unified stakeholder engagement framework, defining the standards, data capture requirements and reporting consistency that all teams apply across our five stakeholder groups.

5. Community & Education Partnerships (Referral Pipeline) ~ Design and deliver the structured referral partnership model set out in the Talent & Engagement strategy, piloting quarterly cohorts of university, faith-group and community-organisation partners with clear MOUs, shared objectives and referral tracking through the Impact Hub.

6. Alumni Community & Engagement ~ Design and deliver a structured 12-month alumni engagement calendar with audience-segmented communications, supported by Impact Hub data.

7. Reporting & Funder Evidence ~ Produce evidence-based impact reporting for the board, funders, partners and public communications, supporting grant bids, corporate stewardship and the annual report.

8. Team Leadership ~ Line-manage the Data Administrator, Progression coaches and any future team members, providing guidance, training and performance oversight.

9. Organisational Leadership ~ Contribute to organisational strategy, annual planning and budgeting as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Read the full Job Description attached to see the full Key repsonsibilites, Person specification and 12 month success metrics.

About Spear

Spear is a national youth employment charity. The award-winning Spear Programme was launched over 20 years ago, and is now running in 18 Spear Centres across the country, equipping unemployed 16–24-year-olds facing barriers to employment with the skills and mindset they need to secure work and thrive in work and life. 

Please see the 'Work with us’ pack for more information. 

About the role

We're looking for an ambitious, proactive and relationship-driven individual who excels at securing strategic, long-term corporate partnerships that drive the growth and impact of Spear. Joining our dynamic and growing Corporate Partnerships team, you will play a key role in developing and stewarding high-value partnerships that generate significant income and enable Spear to reach more young people facing barriers to employment.

This role is ideal for someone with strong business development and relationship management skills, who enjoys working both strategically and hands-on to generate income, develop compelling partnership opportunities and build lasting relationships with corporate supporters.

Key Information

• Salary: from £38,000, with considerable flex depending on experience
• Full-Time permanent role (4 days per week considered)
• Annual leave: 28 days annual leave (including Christmas gift days) plus bank holidays, increasing with long service. Please see our 'Work with us' pack for details of our other great benefits.
• Closing Date: 9aqm on Monday 14th September, though we interview on a rolling basis and may close the role early if we find the right candidate

For more information please read through our Job Specification.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Person Specification

• A practising Christian, passionate about Spear's values and mission, with a desire to engage and inspire corporate partners to support young people facing barriers to employment into sustainable work.
• Significant senior-level experience in corporate fundraising, corporate social responsibility, business development or strategic partnerships.
• Proven ability to raise funds, develop business partnerships or drive sales. Excellent client management using CRM tools such as Salesforce are desirable.
• An excellent communicator with strong relational skills and the confidence and ability to develop a rapport with and positively influence a variety of people from diverse backgrounds in the corporate space.
• Excellent writing skills, attention to detail and accuracy, including the ability to produce compelling proposals for a professional, corporate audience.
• Demonstration of leadership capabilities; proactive, responsive and a self-starter. Ability to manage multiple priorities to meet targets and deadlines.
• Strong numerical, reporting and organizational skills, including the ability to establish appropriate and effective processes and structures.
• Line Management experience desirable but not essential.

Faith Expressions

Spear is a Christian charity, working in a range of settings, in partnership with people from all faiths and none. Although the Spear programme itself has no faith element, Our Christian faith underpins everything we do; it motivates and sustains us and is core to our mission. Prayer and worship are embedded into our daily working practises, and all staff are required to lead a team prayer meeting from time to time. As such, there is a Genuine Occupational Requirement for our team to be practising Christians – our team share a belief in a triune God and we welcome applications from people of all denominations and expressions of Christianity.

Salary:                £42,180 - £43,290 per annum
Location             London, United Kingdom (hybrid – min. one day per week in the office)
Team:                 Strategic and Commercial Partnerships Team
Line Manager:    Strategic and Commercial Partnerships Senior Manager     
Line Reports:      None
Hours:                35 hours per week
Contract:            Fixed term 24 months
Grade:                3A
Safeguarding:    Basic

Closing date: 16 Sep 2026 (Please visit Start Network website)

The Vacancy

The Strategic and Commercial Partnerships Senior Adviser will support one of Start Network’s most exciting new areas of work. This role will be part of a new team, created in 2025, to scope, engage and manage relationships with strategic partners across the humanitarian ecosystem and beyond that will bring non-monetary added value in pursuit of our mission and vision for a locally led and proactive humanitarian system. Our ambition is to leverage partnerships to maximise the impact of our work, enhance our ability to influence system change, improve operational effectiveness and engage in the exchange of knowledge around our innovation ambition. The team will focus on strategic partnerships in areas such as – but not limited to- system change, innovation, disaster risk finance, humanitarian insurance, digital transformation, AI, and capacity strengthening. The team will also explore the value offer and commercialisation potential behind specific initiatives and services.

Based in the Business Development directorate, the Adviser will work closely with the Strategic and Commercial Partnerships Senior Manager to further strengthen the new function. The role will support on the external facing partnership development and management, whilst also playing a central role in ensuring the value-add catalyses inward impact at Start Network. As such, the role will engage with colleagues across the organisation and gain full insight into the full breadth of Start Network’s portfolio of programmes and initiatives. The role will also contribute to researching and analysing commercialisation potential and options for Senior Leadership consideration.

The successful candidate will have a strategic mindset and leverage their ability to creatively identify opportunities to maximise impact. They will be motivated by the opportunity to be proactive and take initiative. It will be key for the candidate to build strong relationships internally and externally, with excellent communication skills and an ability to convey complex ideas simply. They will also have strong organisational skills and be comfortable balancing multiple priorities.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Manage and Maximise Partnership Impact

• Build and manage a portfolio of strategic partners, including external engagement and  internal coordination with relevant teams
• Develop plans to maximise the impact of current partnerships, in line with our strategic priorities and mission, in collaboration with relevant teams
• Develop partnership governance agreements(e.g. contracts, Statement of Collaboration, and Memorandums of Understanding)
• Develop joint proposals to advance partnership potential, and manage subsequent budget and reporting obligations
• Manage delivery and project management of strategic partnership initiatives
• Act as key focal point to lead on communications related to partnerships, liaising with the Communications Team as necessary (e.g. develop case studies, briefs and external-facing material)
• Monitor partnership performance and strategic value-add

Prospecting & Partnership Development

• Research and identify prospective partners and engagement opportunities - particularly in the global south - that will add non-financial value to our mission and will help us accelerate our impact and system change ambitions
• Liaise with teams to identify gaps and opportunities for leveraging strategic partners in priority areas  
• Secure opportunities for engagement with prospective partners by developing and pitching ideas for collaboration. Prepare supporting material as needed and coordinate with relevant internal teams (presentations, pitches, briefings, engagement plans, etc)
• Build relationships and collaboration with academia, think tanks and other organisations that can strengthen our work and influence
• Manage the partnership assessment process for prospective partners by assessing strategic alignment, coordinating appropriate risk assessments/assurance reviews, and facilitate discussions with colleagues from relevant teams to guide decision-making
• Identify key events, forums and engagement opportunities for the team, and coordinate participation with managers, heads and directors based on strategic priorities and partnership needs
• Support the Senior Manager to manage, develop and formalise new partnerships

Research & Analysis of Commercialisation Potential

• Support data collection and analysis of key areas in which there may be potential for commercialisation, liaising with internal and external stakeholders
• Support the Senior Manager to undertake a competitor and stakeholder analysis, and feasibility assessment in shortlisted areas
• Contribute to the articulation of value offers and a menu of options for Senior Leadership consideration
• Support the Senior Manager in developing the commercial partnerships strategy and implementation plan
• Scope prospective partnerships in line with commercialisation ambitions

Elevate Function Service Offer 

• Act as primary focal point for socialising and advising on partnership processes across the organisation (engage team focal points, organise trainings/inductions, etc.)
• Support the continuous strengthening of the strategic partnership service offer and partnership development processes to guide internal ways of working, aligned with the Start Network mission and culture
• Maintain knowledge management systems to enhance visibility, coordination andinstitutionalisation of partnerships (e.g. ASANA Partnership Tracker and dedicated strategic partnership pages)
• Develop tools, templates and frameworks to support teams engaging with strategic partnerships
• Support the preparation of value offers for capacity strengthening internally, including but not limited to how strategic partnerships can be mobilised to support the Hubs
• Identify opportunities to collaborate across teams to amplify the effectiveness and visibility of our partnerships. For example:
  • Liaise with the assurance team to standardise partnership agreements and templates
  • Work with the communications team to develop innovative communication strategies and outputs to attract prospective partners, expanding outreach
  • Liaise with the MEAL team to do co-develop case studies to evidence impact
  • Coordinate with advocacy colleagues around sector-wide events and publications, identifying opportunities for strategic partnership engagement and outreach
• Promote a positive culture around strategic partnerships
   

START NETWORK CULTURE

· To carry out the responsibilities of the role in line with the Start Network Code of Conduct and with a commitment to safeguarding adults and children

· A commitment to the Start Network vision, principles, values, and approach

· The Start Network team is an agile group of individuals who use their experience and skills across the network, so flexibility to work in and with different teams and functions is a part of our culture.

PERSON PROFILE

Essential Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in a related field
• Experience in the humanitarian or development sector
• Experience managing or coordinating partnerships, contracts, or stakeholder relationships, particularly in a nonprofit, social enterprise, or business development setting
• Team player with the ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, and with a flexible and adaptable approach to working across teams and functions;
• Ability to adapt to evolving priorities and timelines, responding effectively to opportunities and stakeholder needs’
• Proactive self-starter and entrepreneurial mindset, with a willingness to organise own work and take initiative to identify opportunities
• Strategic thinker with the ability to interpret and synthesise information for decision-making
• Confident speaker with the ability to present complex information adapted for different audiences and represent Start Network externally to build partnerships
• Experience writing communication pieces or reports for external audiences
• Experience developing and maintaining knowledge management systems and templates/tools to strengthen processes
• Passion for Start Network’s mission and for developing partnerships in the Global South

Desirable

• Project management skills, or experience in coordinating programmes and projects.
• Experience working with commercialisation or social enterprise models and approaches
• Subject matter expert and/or experience working within priority strategic areas, such as system change, innovation, disaster risk finance, humanitarian insurance, digital transformation, and AI
• Experience in negotiating Memorandums of Understandings/contracts/partnership agreements
• Experience working in a multi-cultural or international setting
• Masters or equivalent in relevant subject

The Company

Start Network is made up of more than 90 non-governmental organisations across five continents, ranging from large international organisations to local and national NGOs. Our programmes allow members to deliver humanitarian action around the world.

Our mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action that will save even more lives. We aren’t driven by media headlines or political will, we’re here for the communities affected by and at risk of crises.

We are an organisation committed to doing things differently. For some roles, we need more technical humanitarian expertise, but for other roles, we are looking for relevant transferable skills, the right attitude, and a passion to bring change.

What we are looking for:

We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of co-production and, ideally, knowledge of Parent Carer Forums and how they operate. You will be an experienced line manager, able to motivate and support large teams, with senior-level experience in a user-led environment. Ideally, you will also have led service delivery improvement programmes, improved satisfaction scores or similar KPIs, and built strong partnerships through effective relationship management and communication.

Role Purpose

The Fundraising Manager will drive fundraising growth for YMCA Lincolnshire, a well-established charity working to improve the lives of children and young people, families, local communities and those at risk of homelessness.

Reporting to the Head of Income Generation, you will lead the delivery of YMCA Lincolnshire's Fundraising Strategy and be responsible for achieving agreed income targets across a diverse range of income streams. You will grow income through individual giving, corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, community fundraising, events and campaigns, while strengthening donor stewardship, supporter journeys and the effective use of our Beacon CRM.

Working collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation, you will translate service delivery outcomes into compelling cases for support and build meaningful relationships with supporters, funders, businesses and community groups. You will ensure all fundraising activity is compliant, insight-led and aligned with YMCA Lincolnshire's mission, values and strategic objectives.

The closing date is Friday 25th September 2026 at 5pm.

Applications will be shortlisted as they are submitted, so this position may close early should the right candidate be found.

Location: Midlands. Regular business travel throughout our region and wider.
Salary: Circa £55,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent, full-time. Hybrid working with a minimum of 2 days in the office to attend weekly Senior Leadership Team meetings. 

FareShare Midlands is looking for an experienced and ambitious Head of Fundraising to lead its fundraising strategy and build the sustainable income needed to support its work tackling hunger, food waste and poverty across the Midlands.

This is a senior role with responsibility for growing income across trusts and grants, corporate partnerships, individual giving and events, while developing new opportunities through major donor fundraising. You will lead the fundraising team, set direction and priorities, and build the partnerships and relationships needed to deliver long-term growth.

Working closely with the CEO, Deputy CEO, Finance and Communications teams, you will identify new funding opportunities, develop compelling proposals and pitches, strengthen existing relationships and ensure supporters are well stewarded. You will also play an important role in developing FareShare Midlands’ fundraising infrastructure, including making better use of its database to strengthen relationships and identify opportunities.

The ideal candidate will bring significant experience of securing income and building relationships with senior decision-makers, alongside a strong track record of delivering against fundraising targets. You will be confident developing strategy and turning insight into action, with the communication skills to represent the charity with donors, businesses and other external stakeholders.

You will be a collaborative and hands-on leader, comfortable working in a small, dynamic team and willing to contribute across the wider organisation when needed. With strong commercial awareness, creativity and tenacity, you will bring the energy and ambition needed to grow fundraising while staying closely connected to the charity’s purpose.

This is an opportunity to lead fundraising at an important stage in FareShare Midlands’ development, helping to generate the income and partnerships needed to maximise the social value of surplus food and create greater impact across the region.

Please download the Candidate Pack [PDF] for further information.

Closing Date: Monday, 21st September

CAHN is seeking an ambitious, creative and experienced Head of Fundraising & Events to lead our fundraising and events portfolio and help drive the organisation’s next phase of growth.

You will lead fundraising development, identify new income opportunities, build strong relationships with funders, corporate partners and supporters, and deliver high-profile events that generate income, engagement and impact.

Working closely with senior colleagues and external stakeholders, you will combine strategic thinking with hands-on delivery to grow sustainable income, strengthen partnerships and maximise opportunities for CAHN.

We are looking for a confident and results-driven professional with a proven fundraising and events track record, excellent relationship-building skills and a passion for tackling health inequalities affecting Black Caribbean and African communities.

This is your opportunity to use your expertise, creativity and leadership to help create lasting change.

Every grant you win becomes someone's first conversation in English, their first step into a job interview, their first time speaking up at a housing tribunal.

English for Action (EFA) is looking for a Partnerships Manager to grow the funding that powers our free, participatory ESOL classes for around 400 migrants across London. Our classes don't just teach English, they build the confidence and collective power people need to organise around housing and employment rights.

About the role

Working closely with our Fundraising Lead, you'll take real ownership of relationships with trusts, foundations and corporate funders, while helping shape how we diversify our income going forward. This is a role with genuine scope to bring your own ideas and see them through, not just execute someone else's plan.

You will:
- Write compelling grant applications, funding proposals and reports that win and retain funding
- Research and build a realistic pipeline of trusts, liveries and corporate foundations
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing donors and prospects
- Contribute to EFA's fundraising strategy, including newer income streams such as statutory, corporate, individual giving, membership and events
- Liaise with our Executive Team, Hub Leads and Project Managers so funding proposals stay grounded in what's actually happening in our classrooms and communities
- Maintain accurate donor and grant records on Donorfy, and support monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes

About you

You don't need a degree, and you're not expected to tick every box, nobody does. We're looking for someone with a track record of successful grant writing, strong research and relationship-building skills, and the organisation to manage multiple funding deadlines at once. Knowledge of the UK charity sector and UK trusts and foundations is essential; experience with public sector or EU education funding is a bonus.

If you have lived experience of migration and/or learning English as an additional language, we'd love to hear from you and how you'd like to draw on it in this role.

About EFA

English for Action provides free, participatory, empowering ESOL classes for migrants in London, spaces where students build community and organise collectively around issues like employment and housing rights. We're a national centre of good practice for a radical, participatory approach to ESOL, and we share this approach through training, research and partnerships. We're a team of 11 staff, a wider team of volunteers, and 7 trustees, run through shared leadership rather than a CEO, decisions are made collaboratively, and we aim for our structure to reflect that.

What we offer

- 22.5 hours (3 days) a week, mostly remote, with just monthly in-person meetings in London
- 28 days' annual leave (pro rata) after probation, plus bank holidays, plus a full week's paid closure over Christmas
- 6% matched pension contribution
- Enhanced sick pay, and enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave
- Wellbeing allowance and full entitlement to leave for sickness, including mental ill-health
- A genuinely flat, non-hierarchical culture with collaborative decision-making on strategy and practice
- Tech and cycle scheme, and actively encouraged continuous personal development

Equal opportunities

EFA particularly encourages applications from people of colour, who are currently underrepresented at EFA and across the charity sector, and from people who have experienced moving to the UK or have English as an additional language. Where two or more candidates are of equal merit, priority may be given to a candidate from a less well-represented group. Please let us know about any access or other requirements we can accommodate.

Closing date: 11.59pm, Wednesday 30th September 2026
Skills test: w/c 5th October 2026 (writing and budgeting)
Interviews: Friday 9th / 16th October 2026

Questions before applying? Email Gina Rodriguez (HR Lead)

About the team

The Philanthropy Team raises income for Impetus and for Impetus partner charities. The team consists of 15 staff. Impetus has an annual income of c.£11 million which we are looking to grow significantly within the next few years. The team is led by two Directors of Philanthropy and Partnerships. 

The Philanthropy Team works with major donors, corporates and grant making trusts, as well as collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to ensure we make a compelling case to generate new financial commitments and wider support for our work. The team also deliver a high-quality engagement programme of volunteering and pro bono for Impetus’s corporate supporters.   

Impetus is driven by a shared belief in tackling the barriers that hold back young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in education and employment. Alongside investing extensive financial and non-financial support in our charity partners through our Investment Team we also seek to influence decision makers to design and implement evidence led policy and direct new resources to get young people the support they need through our Public Affairs team. We are resolutely focused on outcomes, driven by quality evidence.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, ambitious, determined and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our charity partners and the young people we serve. 

About this role

The Development Director (New Business) provides strategic leadership for Impetus’ new business development, prospect pipeline and high-value funding opportunities. The postholder will have responsibility for identifying, cultivating and converting new corporate, trust and foundation, and high-net-worth donor relationships, as well as continued relationship management for key, established relationships.

In 25/26, the Philanthropy and Partnerships team generated £11m in philanthropic income, alongside £2.8m in probono contributions. The Development Director will play a key role in delivering Impetus' growth ambitions, helping to increase philanthropic income to £14m by 2029. 

Working closely with the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships, the role will translate the fundraising strategy into clear new business priorities, pipeline plans and prospect engagement approaches, ensuring a strong flow of qualified opportunities and sustainable growth in high-value income.

Working closely with colleagues across Philanthropy and Partnerships, the postholder will personally lead and support significant six and seven-figure prospects and strategic funding opportunities, while overseeing the stewardship and retention of current partners. 

Working collaboratively across the Philanthropy and Partnerships team and with colleagues across the organisation, the Development Director will ensure a joined-up approach to donor acquisition, pipeline development, prospect conversion and stewardship, maximising income, partnership value and long-term impact within the agreed fundraising strategy.

Key responsibilities

New Business, Pipeline & Conversion

• Personally lead on six and seven-figure level priority prospects and strategic funding opportunities, managing the full fundraising cycle from qualification to close.
• Work with trustees, senior volunteers, and networks to unlock introductions and new opportunities, providing clear support and follow-up to maximise success.
• Evolve Impetus’ new business strategy, driving the identification, cultivation, and conversion of new high-value donor and partner relationships.
• Translate Impetus’ impact, evidence base, and venture philanthropy model into compelling propositions for new audiences and sectors.

Strategic Relationship Management & Growth 

• Own and oversee select donor relationships at six and seven-figure levels within the philanthropy portfolio, ensuring high levels of retention, satisfaction, trust, income growth and long-term value.
• Ensure your donors receive timely, consistent, high-quality and relevant engagement and communications throughout their relationship with Impetus.
• Work closely with the wider team to ensure a smooth transition between new business, and long-term stewardship.
• Ensure account plans for priority donors and partners include clear renewal and growth pathways; engagement and risk-management plans.
• Act as senior relationship owner where required, modelling strong stewardship and coaching the Head of Development and other colleagues to navigate complex or sensitive relationships.

Research, Insight & Pipeline Development

• Provide strategic leadership for the Research & Insights function, ensuring prospect research, donor intelligence and market insight inform fundraising strategy, pipeline development and organisational planning.
• Lead the strategic development of fundraising pipelines, ensuring focus on opportunities with the greatest potential for long-term income growth, impact and strategic fit.
• Ensure donor intelligence and prospect research are used effectively to identify, qualify and prioritise new funding opportunities.
• Maintain oversight of gift acceptance, due diligence and fundraising compliance in relation to fundraising opportunities, ensuring adherence to relevant regulatory requirements and organisational policies.
• Identify and escalate strategic, reputational or compliance risks associated with donors and partners.

Leadership and Team Performance

• Line manage and develop the Head of Development, providing strategic direction, coaching and performance oversight.
• Establish the Head of Development as the operational lead on new business, ensuring capability, succession and high performance across the wider team.
• Set clear objectives and success measures for new business growth, aligned to Impetus’ wider income strategy.
• Build and sustain an inclusive, evidence-led and high-performing team culture that balances pace and ambition with quality, learning and collaboration.
• Build fundraising capability across your team through leadership, coaching and consistent, fair, and high-quality performance management, including objective-setting, feedback and development planning.

Pro Bono, Events, Volunteering & Partnership Value

• Ensure engagement opportunities, including volunteering, pro bono and events, strengthen strategic partnerships and support long-term income growth through strong collaboration with colleagues.

Operational Excellence, Governance & Risk

• Ensure new business activity complies with due diligence, gift acceptance and risk management requirements.
• Oversee accurate pipeline reporting, forecasting, and performance tracking, using Salesforce and other systems to ensure insights inform decision making.
• Work with Finance and Operations to ensure income is contracted, invoiced, and reported accurately and on time in line with financial controls.
• Identify and escalate strategic or reputational risks associated with prospective partnerships.

Cross-Organisational Leadership & Representation

• Act as a senior ambassador for Impetus, representing the organisation credibly with new donors, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to organisational strategy, income planning, and senior leadership discussions.
• Lead philanthropic work on Impetus funds including identifying funding opportunities and risks; shaping prospect pipelines; contributing to cases for support and donor presentations; and develop fund stewardship.
• Champion collaboration across the Philanthropy team, ensuring opportunities are shared, relationships are leveraged and expertise is used to maximise income and impact.
• Back Impetus’ values, evidence-led approach, and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Philanthropy team.

Strategic leadership

• Work in partnership with the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships to contribute to the fundraising strategy.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear operational plans, objectives and delivery, ensuring new business delivers against organisational priorities, income targets and long-term growth ambitions.
• Provide strategic oversight of annual forecasting, budgeting, pipeline performance and resource planning, ensuring risks and opportunities are identified and addressed proactively.
• Maximise the contribution of trustees, committees, senior volunteers and wider networks to support strategic relationship building and new business development.
• Act as a trusted senior adviser to the Directors of Philanthropy and Partnerships, providing insight, challenge and solutions to strengthen organisational fundraising performance and capability.
• Deputise for the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships where appropriate, within agreed delegations and priorities.
• Build a positive, collaborative and high-performing culture across the Philanthropy team, modelling Impetus' values and supporting continuous improvement.

Person specification

Essential:

Fundraising & new business leadership

• Significant experience in major donor and/or corporate fundraising at six and seven-figure gift level, with a strong track record of securing new income and managing complex partnerships.
• Ability to lead and personally deliver the full fundraising cycle, from prospecting and cultivation through to solicitation, negotiation, and close.
• Proven experience of building, managing, and converting a new business pipeline, balancing ambition with delivery.
• Strong ability to leverage internal and external networks, including trustees, senior volunteers, and professional contacts.

Senior stakeholder engagement

• Experience of operating at a senior level and leading high value or complex stakeholder relationships (trustees, board members, senior external partners).
• Ability to influence and build credibility with senior audiences through clear, confident and evidence led communication.
• Excellent negotiation skills, with the ability to secure mutually beneficial outcomes while protecting organisational values and reputation.

Leadership & people management

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including developing senior colleagues and building leadership capability.
• A strong track record as a collaborative senior team member, contributing beyond own area of responsibility and supporting wider organisational success
• Ability to build a high-trust, high-challenge culture that supports excellence, inclusion, and learning.
• Strong performance management capability and ability to handle complex people issues, giving strategic feedback, and addressing underperformance constructively.
• Ability to deputise for the Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships when appropriate.

Strategic & intellectual capability

• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to translate agreed strategy and insight into clear plans and execute them effectively.
• Ability to grasp, interpret apply and communicate complex information and ideas, including Impetus’ venture philanthropy and impact-led funding models.
• Evidence of an innovative and creative approach, with the ability to adapt in changing contexts.

Financial, operational & delivery capability

• Solid financial management, with experience contributing to budget-setting, managing agreed budgets, supporting forecasting and identifying efficiencies.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to delivery, with the ability to manage multiple priorities to a high standard
• Able to use insight and data (including CRM systems such as Salesforce) to inform decisions and strengthen performance.
• Sound judgement in identifying, managing, and escalating risk, particularly in relation to donor relationships and reputation.

Communication, values & ways of working

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate clearly, persuasively, and with impact.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish, maintain, and leverage relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• A strong commitment to Impetus’ mission and to improving outcomes for young people.
• A clear commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, demonstrated through inclusive leadership and professional practice.

Desirable 

• Experience working within venture philanthropy, impact investing, or systems-change funding models.
• Familiarity with private equity, professional services.
• Experience contributing to income growth, donor strategy or portfolio development within an agreed organisational fundraising strategy.
• Knowledge of the UK charity or social impact sector, particularly education, employment, or youth-focused work.
• Experience using CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce) to manage pipelines, performance, and forecasting.

About Impetus

At Impetus, our focus is on helping young people achieve positive education and employment outcomes to increase their chance of leading fulfilling and successful lives, irrespective of their background.

We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:

• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school
• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths
• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment

We use our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits working in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact on the young people they serve.

Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.

We are resolutely focused on outcomes and impact, driven by quality evidence.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our portfolio partners and the young people we serve.

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

Our Values

In 2022 the Impetus staff agreed the following set of Values to act as our guiding principles as an organisation and help us to remain focused on achieving our mission to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are brave and curious

We are bold and brave in our pursuit of better outcomes for young people. We lead with curiosity and stay open to new perspectives. We support one another to take considered risks and learn together.

We bring high trust, high challenge

We build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, kindness, integrity, and respect. We create the space for open, constructive challenge, where colleagues, partners and supporters feel safe to speak up, hold each other to account, and bring their best in pursuit of our mission.

We are evidence led and results driven for young people

We pursue excellence for the young people we work with, are wholly committed to better outcomes, unapologetically results driven, and accountable for our actions.

We thrive through diversity

We seek to embed diversity of thought, background and experience in every aspect of our work. We are open, thoughtful and proactive in better understanding and challenging our assumptions to better deliver the change we seek.

We always seek collaboration

We will not succeed alone. We seek meaningful, productive partnerships with others to achieve our mission and drive systems change for young people.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more open, creative and gets better results.

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Our employee benefits

Impetus appreciates the invaluable contribution made by all employees and wishes to encourage and reward loyalty, motivation and experience. We therefore offer a range of benefits and policies which aim to assist employees during various stages of their lives and careers. For more information on these, please download the job information pack from our website.

How to apply

Please click on the "Apply for this job" button.

You will need to:

• Complete the online form (including the equal opportunities monitoring form).
• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 20th September 2026, 11:59pm.

Interviews:

1st Interviews will take place on w/c 5th October 2026.

2nd Interviews will take place on w/c 12th October 2026.

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.