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About The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is an independent membership organisation dedicated to the education, training and advancement of surgeons, dental surgeons, doctors, and various individuals throughout healthcare who are involved in the surgical care of patients. The College has a current membership approaching 33,000 and growing, with members spanning over 100 countries around the world. From our founding in 1505, the College has been committed to the advancement of surgery and driving patient safety standards worldwide. In our 520 year history, there has never been a better time to join the College than now.
Working with us
At the College we aim to embrace views from across the organisation, sharing common goals and values for the betterment of healthcare through the advancement of surgical and dental professionals. We aim to develop teams that are reflective of the needs of our members and maximise the potential of every employee. To reflect the varying needs across the organisation, we offer a range of policies and benefits for our workforce including 42 day annual leave, flexible working practices, enhanced employer pensions contribution and various discounts throughout the College including the Ten Hill Place Hotel, 1505 Café and free entry to Surgeons' Hall Museums.
About the Role
Surgeons' Hall Museum holds a complex medical human remains collection, one of the largest and most significant of its kind in the world. Much of the collection was acquired before modern standards of consent and documentation, and the records that survive were shaped around pathology, diagnosis and the interests of those who assembled the collection rather than the individuals represented within it.
This two year project will improve what the Museum knows about this collection, including the people in it. Working through historic catalogues, medical case notes, College and Museum minutes and archival records, you will investigate origins, acquisition contexts and life histories of these people, and integrate your findings into the Museum's Collections Management System. Your research will inform catalogue records, future interpretation and displays, published listings, and the Museum's preparedness for any future return of collections.
In March 2026, the College’s Trustees approved a new Human Remains in Collections Policy, developed with an expert panel drawn from across the UK and Ireland, committing the Museum to provenance research, transparency, community engagement and readiness for return. This post directly supports the work to put this policy into practice.
You will report to the Curator and be supported by the Museum's Provenance Research Working Group, which brings together colleagues from collections, conservation, archives, learning and senior leadership, including a specialist Human Remains Conservator. This work involves sustained engagement with sensitive and sometimes distressing material, and supervision, peer support and training are built into the post.
In the final six months you will work on site with three Scottish university medical collections in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, reviewing and enhancing their documentation, and will offer short consultancy visits to smaller Scottish museums holding human remains. The project concludes with a publication and a national conference at Surgeons' Hall, sharing the methods and findings across the sector.
The role is based in Edinburgh, with travel to partner institutions in the final phase. Reasonable travel and accommodation costs are met by the project.
Experience, Qualifications and Key Skills
You will be educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, such as history, anthropology, archaeology, medicine, pathology or museum studies, or hold equivalent professional experience, and have proven experience conducting research using historical records, archives or museum collections. You will understand the ethical issues surrounding human remains in museum or academic contexts and be comfortable working with confidential or ethically complex material. You will have experience working with collections databases and digital cataloguing systems such as Axiell or equivalent and be familiar with documentation standards and terminology audits.
You will have excellent analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to manage large volumes of complex data, and the ability to produce high quality written outputs including reports, summaries and catalogue entries. You will be self-motivated, able to plan and carry out independent research, and a clear and confident communicator in both verbal and written formats. Experience of provenance research, knowledge of UK museum policies relating to human remains and repatriation, or experience working with medical, anatomical, ethnographical, or archaeological human remains collections would be advantageous.
This role may particularly appeal to those who want to work on collections of real ethical complexity and see their findings shape policy, practice and public understanding.
Our thanks
This project, Recovering Histories: The McNab Human Remains Provenance Research Project, is made possible by Museums Galleries Scotland and by a generous legacy from John Winton McNab. We are grateful to both for backing work that is complex, long-term and genuinely needed.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit:
• A current CV (maximum two A4 pages); and
• A supporting statement (maximum two A4 pages) outlining your interest in the role and demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the person specification.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
To be a strong voice for our family of members, developing their careers, upholding standards, and promoting patient safety globally.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
ABOUT CFAB
CFAB is the UK's only charity with a dedicated international children's social work team and the UK's sole member of the International Social Service (ISS) network. We identify, protect and support children and families separated by international borders as a result of conflict, trafficking, migration, family breakdown and asylum-related issues.
Working with partners in more than 130 countries, we are experts in international social work, cross-border child protection, international care proceedings and overseas family placements, helping children remain connected to their families, identities and cultures wherever possible.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are seeking an ambitious and experienced fundraiser to join CFAB at an exciting stage of our development. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of a small charity with a global reach, securing sustainable income that enables children and families across borders to remain connected, protected and supported.
Fundraising is central to CFAB's long-term sustainability, generating almost 60% of the charity's £1million annual income. As we deliver our new organisational strategy and strengthen our External Affairs function, you will play a key role in growing and diversifying income to support our future ambitions.
Trusts and foundations will be at the heart of your role, building on our strong portfolio of funders while developing opportunities across corporate partnerships, supporter stewardship, challenge events and other emerging income streams. Working closely with the Deputy CEO, you will lead the day-to-day delivery of our fundraising strategy, develop new opportunities and help strengthen CFAB's fundraising capability.
As our senior operational fundraising lead, you'll have significant autonomy and the opportunity to influence organisational strategy while working as part of a collaborative team spanning fundraising, policy, communications and digital engagement. This role offers the chance to make a meaningful contribution to a growing organisation with an international impact.
You will also have the opportunity to recruit and line manage a Fundraising Coordinator from January 2027, helping to shape the next phase of CFAB's fundraising function.
If this sounds like the opportunity for you, and you have the
skills, experience and passion to succeed in this role,
we'd love to hear from you.
JOB SPECIFICATION
Key responsibilities:
1. Strategy Delivery and Management
Working closely with the Deputy CEO, you will lead the delivery of CFAB's fundraising strategy, translating strategic priorities into operational plans that support sustainable income growth.
You will contribute to fundraising strategy, budgeting and income forecasting, monitor performance against agreed targets and ensure fundraising activity is effectively managed through Salesforce. You will identify opportunities to improve fundraising processes, strengthen fundraising performance and support the development and implementation of new income streams and fundraising initiatives.
2. Trusts, Foundations and Corporate Partnerships
You will lead CFAB's trust and foundation fundraising programme, developing and managing a portfolio of funders, partners and supporters to maximise long-term income. You will prepare and oversee high-quality funding applications, reports and pitches, ensuring all funder requirements and deadlines are met.
You will also develop and manage corporate fundraising opportunities, identifying prospective partners, preparing partnership proposals and supporting the growth of corporate income as a strategic priority. Working alongside the Deputy CEO, you will help shape the organisation’s corporate offer and operate a shared account management model for strategic funders and high-value funding opportunities.
3. Relationship Management and Income Growth
Working with the Deputy CEO, you will lead the development and delivery of CFAB's stewardship strategy, strengthening relationships with existing supporters and creating meaningful supporter journeys for new donors. You will oversee donor communications, the supporter newsletter, and recognition processes, ensuring supporters understand the impact of their giving and remain engaged with CFAB.
You will also grow CFAB's challenge events programme, increasing participation, enhancing the supporter experience and developing challenge events as a sustainable source of unrestricted income.
Working collaboratively with the Deputy CEO, Digital Engagement and Outreach Lead, and Policy and Communications Officer, you will develop and deliver digital fundraising campaigns, including Big Give match funding campaigns, and a programme of fundraising events to grow and engage CFAB's supporter base.
4. Team Leadership and Fundraising Operations
You will line manage the Fundraising Coordinator, providing day-to-day leadership, coaching and support to ensure the effective delivery of fundraising operations.
You will oversee prospect research, fundraising administration, supporter stewardship, challenge events, Salesforce management and fundraising reporting, ensuring high standards of performance, accurate data management and effective collaboration across the fundraising function.
5. Governance and Representation
You will help prepare fundraising reports, pipeline updates, income forecasts and performance information for the Senior Management Team and Board of Trustees.
You will ensure fundraising activity complies with relevant legislation, the Code of Fundraising Practice, GDPR, Gift Aid requirements and organisational policies, maintaining the highest standards of fundraising governance and supporter care.
You will represent CFAB externally with funders, corporate partners, supporters and sector networks, acting as an ambassador for the organisation and helping to strengthen its profile, reputation and long-term strategic relationships.
6. Additional Responsibilities
As a member of the wider management team, you will contribute to organisational planning, continuous improvement and cross-organisational projects. You will identify opportunities to strengthen fundraising systems, develop new ways of working and support the long-term sustainability of the organisation. You will also be expected to attend occasional evening and weekend events, meetings and networking opportunities, and to carry out your responsibilities in line with CFAB's policies and relevant legislation.
Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience
These criteria describe the core skills, knowledge and experience required to succeed in the role. Please ensure your cover letter demonstrates how you meet each of the essential criteria, providing examples where possible.
1. A successful track record of securing income through trusts and foundations within the charity sector, with experience of developing high-quality funding applications, reports and funding proposals.
2. A genuine passion for building long-term relationships with supporters, funders and partners, together with experience of identifying and developing new fundraising opportunities.
3. Experience of developing fundraising pipelines, supporter journeys and stewardship plans that strengthen relationships and maximise long-term income.
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce compelling fundraising materials and build effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
5. Experience of using CRM systems (preferably Salesforce) and fundraising data to manage relationships, monitor performance and inform fundraising decision-making.
6. Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, work independently and contribute strategically to the continued growth and diversification of fundraising income.
Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience
The criteria below are not essential but will help us identify candidates with additional relevant experience. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every desirable criterion.
1. Experience of fundraising within a children's, family support, social care or international charity.
2. Experience of corporate fundraising, challenge events, supporter stewardship or digital fundraising campaigns.
3. Experience of line management or supporting the skills and development of colleagues, volunteers or interns.
Registered Charity
11 - 20
CFAB exists to ensure that every child in the UK has the right to care, protection and family life, no matter where they come from.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.