Donor development officer jobs

 Financial oversight, planning, and reporting

Review all financial transactions related to the ADB project on a monthly basis and ensure that they are correct including cost recovery, co-financing, bank balances, and coding.

Ensure the ADB project is up to date in the Grant Management Tracker, Co-financing Tracker and Cost Recovery forecast.

Prepare financial information for internal reporting, including contributions to quarterly CEO reports, monthly dashboards, and co-finance updates.

Prepare all ADB project donor financial reports and ensure consistency with internal data.

Prepare and submit other donor financial reports as required.
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Monitor project and portfolio spending, flagging significant under & overspends in a timely manner to the Programme Finance Manager and Programmes & Partnerships team.

 Financial controls, compliance, and audit

Lead financial planning and monitoring for the ADB project, ensuring alignment with ADB compliance requirements and AKF(UK) internal controls.

Support the design and implementation of quality controls, manuals, checklists, and tools to ensure compliance with donor requirements (ADB and others).
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Oversee compliance with donor and AKF(UK) rules on procurement, accounting, and project expenditure, supported by reporting, engagement with the field, and spot checks.

Maintain internal tools (including AIMS) to track active ADB grants as well as other grants, ensuring data on secured funding, cost recovery, and cash balances remains up to date.

Prepare for and support donor and statutory audits, with particular responsibility for the ADB project while also contributing to audits of other grants.

Maintain an up-to-date audit and disallowance tracker for the ADB project, while supporting the Programme Finance Manager in tracking audit issues across all grants.

Troubleshoot donor compliance or procurement queries, with emphasis on ADB but extending to other donor portfolios where needed.

Act as a resource person for ADB donor compliance within AKF(UK), while sharing knowledge and lessons learned more widely across the grants portfolio.

Support wider Programme Finance team capacity-building efforts, drawing on insights from ADB donor requirements and practices.

Grant financial management

In close consultation with the programmes & partnerships team:

Maintain accurate financial records and grant codes for the ADB project, while supporting the set-up and management of other grants as needed.
Ensure timely submission of cash requests and sub-grant agreements, in compliance with both ADB and AKF(UK) standards, and support the same across the wider portfolio.

Review budgets for ADB and other donor concepts/proposals, ensuring inclusion of AKF(UK) costs, compliance with donor requirements, and consistency with narratives.

Support the in-country project management unit (PMU) to ensure that the project is robustly managed and proactively support the resolution of challenges as they arise.

Provide training and reference materials for implementing partners and field staff on ADB-specific donor regulations, procurement, and reporting, while contributing to broader finance training across the organisation.

Provide technical support and guidance to implementing partners and country units, with particular focus on ADB compliance but also assisting with other donor requirements as needed.

Conduct monitoring visits and spot checks on the ADB project and participate in risk monitoring across the wider portfolio.

Collaborate with the assigned Senior Partnerships Manager to align financial management with programme delivery.
Carry out any other duties as assigned by the Programme Finance Manager or the Head of Finance and Operations.
The role will involve travel to countries in which we operate grants, particularly Afghanistan (security situation dependent). Normally this could be 1-2 trips per year.

Qualifications

CCAB qualified accountant (desirable).
5.2 Experience

3 years relevant experience in financial accounting and financial reporting

Experience of designing and managing effective administrative systems and procedures

Experience of managing finances for large-scale, complex donor-funded projects. Experience of working with multilateral development banks (ADB, World Bank, AfDB, etc.) is highly desirable.

Experience of budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow management

Experience working in international organisations or donor agencies, including field-level implementation, is highly desirable.
5.3 Skills

Good interpersonal, customer care and liaison skills with a wide range of stakeholders

First rate oral and written communication skills

Ability to work under pressure and to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines.

Ability to problem solve, working with both internal and external stakeholders to deliver results.
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Ability to work in a multi-institution network within a multi-cultural environment.

Fluent in oral and written English

Proficient in all Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel

Excellent numeracy, financial analysis, and financial presentation skills

Ability to synthesise complex operational and financial details for reporting and presentation.

 Knowledge

Knowledge of ADB donor requirements and compliance frameworks.

Broad understanding and experience of development issues and organisations

Understanding of and appreciation for ADKN’s goals, values and ethics

Knowledge of charity accounting

Attributes

Committed to international development, improving the quality of life, and promoting pluralism through civil society.

Demonstrates equity, transparency, and integrity with high personal and organisational ethical standards; is fair, honest, and trustworthy with respect for confidentiality; inspires and builds trust and respect.

Respectful of diversity; sensitive toward others, open and understanding toward other people’s cultures, values, autonomy, and faiths; demonstrates compassion and empathy; is courteous to others with respect for their background, religion, gender, and age particularly when on international visits to the countries in which we operate.

Committed to acting ethically and upholding safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries of the organisation.

Behaviours

Communicates clearly and concisely, individually and across a broad scope of stakeholders and communities; expresses complex ideas and concepts in simple terms; listens to the views of others; changes communication styles to meet individual and audience needs; encourages dialogue and effective communication by others.

Builds, maintains, and deepens constructive and effective relationships with stakeholders, changes approach to achieve desired results if required.

Has a customer focused approach, is flexible and always puts the good of others at the centre of decision making; optimises the culture of volunteerism and respect for others and is dedicated to AKF’s purpose and fulfilling the mission.

Is a supportive team player, collaborates creating a culture of knowledge sharing and team learning. Is proactive in teamwork.

Inspires self and others to greater performance, professional standards and results; likes to get things done; accepts new challenges and opportunities to enable self-reliance and achievement of full potential; gives and receives timely balanced feedback.

Acknowledges creativity; adapts established methods for new uses; is focused on improving systems and processes; open to change; analyses, synthesises and challenges conventional thinking.

Enterprising attitude that is quick to search out alternative solutions to needs or problems; creates and participates in communities of practice to establish networks of problem solving and organisational learning.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal Relationships

AKF(UK) colleagues

External Relationships

Partner finance teams

Donor finance teams

FURTHER DETAILS

The role will be contracted on a fixed-term basis, for three years.

As well as a rewarding role with a global international development organisation, you’ll get access to a wide range of enhanced benefits including but not limited to flexible hybrid working, enhanced leave entitlement and access to several health and wellbeing programmes and benefits.

Auditors

Financial administration

Administration of the donations inbox, liaising with current donors and prospective donors for simple queries. Ensuring good organisation of the inbox with a clear labelling system.

Draft donation acknowledgement letters for donors to acknowledge donations received.

Management of donations management system (Raisers Edge), including:

review of potential duplicate donor records

ensuring accurate documentation and declarations for Gift Aid donors

making edits and updates to donor records as and when required.Maintenance of the tracker for Raisers Edge issues to ensure these are managed and dealt with appropriately.

Follow up with donors who have expressed an interest in Gift Aid.

Liaising with the Comms team to ensure maintenance of supporters contact list.

Digital archiving of paper-based records held within the Finance Department.

Support Finance Managers with the organisation of the shared drive and the Sharepoint site.

Management of Finance policy and procedure documents library on the shared drive, ensuring these are up-to-date and accessible to staff.

Scan letters received for finance and deal with these appropriately (sharing with the relevant individual and/or filing on the shared drive).

Download bank statements on a daily basis and save on the shared drive.

Financial controls

Reconciliation of simple balance sheet accounts (e.g. petty cash, debit notes, deposit accounts) on a monthly basis.

Rconciliation of properties bank accounts and deposit accounts on a monthly basis.

Support the Finance Officer (Income) with donations collections and trips to the bank to deposit cash and cheque donations, ensuring all cheques and cash received are banked promptly and securely.

Provide assistance with the annual audit and the preparation of the statutory accounts, particularly with regard the provision of supporting documentation.

Host finance inductions for all new staff members.

Financial processing

Manage the corporate credit card process and user register, including onboarding of new users.

Issue monthly credit card statements to staff members for their expenses submissions.

Conduct first finance review of monthly credit card submissions and collate the supporting documentation submitted, ready for posting.

Collate Out of Pocket expenditure claims and conduct a first review of these before processing by the Finance Officer (Expenditure).

Support the Finance Officer (Income) with quarterly donor pledge statements process.

Post property and Victoria Hall interest, bank sweeps, and charges into Business Central.

Supporting others

Perform any other financial duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Financial Controller, Properties Finance Manager, Head of Finance and Operations.

Supporting Finance Officers (Income and Expenditure) and covering key tasks in their absence.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, BEHAVIOURS, ATTRIBUTES
Qualifications

Educated to A-Levels (desirable).
 

Experience

Experience using Excel and MS Office suite.
Flexible approach to working, able to pick up a variety of tasks/projects with minimal supervision; ability to anticipate issues or scenarios, and to address them proactively
Experience of charity accounting and knowledge of such requirements (desirable).
 

Skills

Highly organised with good administrative skills.

Good interpersonal, customer care and liaison skills with a wide range of stakeholders.

Fluent in oral and written English.

A commitment to high professional and personal standards and continuous improvement.

Strong numerate skills with acute attention to detail.

Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and delivering to tight deadlines.

Knowledge

Understanding of and appreciation for ADKN’s goals, values and ethics.

Awareness of charity accounting, charity fundraising regulation and company legislation.

 Attributes

Demonstrates equity, transparency and integrity with high personal and organisational ethical standards; is fair, honest and trustworthy with respect for confidentiality; inspires and builds trust.

Respectful of diversity; sensitive towards others; open and understanding toward other people’s cultures, values, autonomy, and faiths; demonstrates compassion and empathy; is courteous to others with respect for their background, religion, gender and age.

Behaviours
Communicates clearly and concisely; expresses complex ideas in simple terms; listens to the views of others; changes communication styles to meet individual and audience needs.

Is a supportive team player, collaborates creating a culture of knowledge sharing and team learning. Is proactive in teamwork.

Enterprising attitude that is quick to search out alternative solutions to needs or problems.
Builds, maintains and deepens constructive and effective relationships with stakeholders, changes approach to achieve desired results if required.

Has a customer focused approach, is flexible and always puts the good of others at the centre of decision making; is dedicated to AKF’s purpose and fulfilling the mission.

Inspires self and others to greater performance, professional standards and results; likes to get things done; accepts new challenges and opportunities; gives and receives timely balanced feedback.

Internal Relationships

AKF (UK) finance team

Wider AKF (UK) colleagues

External Relationships

Individual Donors

Raiser’s Edge supplier (Blackbaud)

Application Details:
Must have right to work in the UK.
 Must include CV and a supporting statement that outlines why they want the role, why they want to work for AKF(UK) and how their experiences and skills to date will make them the most suitable applicant for the role.

Money and Mental Health has a trusted reputation and a strong track record of impact. We’re ready to take our fundraising to the next level, and we’re looking for an ambitious and talented Senior Fundraising Officer to help us grow our income, develop our fundraising culture and strengthen our relationships with funders.

The primary aim of this role is to help Money and Mental Health secure the income it needs to deliver its mission and further strengthen the charity’s financial footing for the future. This is a crucial role in our new Fundraising team, and the successful candidate will work across all elements of our income generation activities - from grant-writing to donor stewardship and pipeline development.

The role will have a particular focus on securing funding from Trusts and Foundations, but there will also be ample opportunities to engage corporate partners and other prospective funders. 

The successful candidates will have the chance to bring their ideas in terms of identifying new routes to funding for the organisation and shaping our income generation activities.

Key responsibilities:

Funding bids and proposals

• Draft and develop effective and impactful fundraising bids and proposals to secure both grant income and corporate sponsorship

• Project manage the process of developing funding proposals - including completing funding checklists, coordinating the team on relevant deadlines and booking in time for sign off from relevant colleagues.

Relationship management

• Play a key role in donor stewardship alongside Head of Fundraising and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), including grant makers, corporates and individual donors

• Support SLT in identifying - and building relationships with - relevant individuals within prospective funder organisations - including coordinating meetings.

• Ensure we stay on top of our grant requirements, including drafting grant reports and coordinating other team members to fulfil those requirements

• Work with External Affairs team to create excellent supporter journeys for online donors.

Pipeline development

• Work with Head of Fundraising to undertake research into new fundraising prospects and to develop a strong funder pipeline

• Stay on top of new developments in the charity sector and wider funding landscape

• Make recommendations to Head of Fundraising on new funders we should engage with or seek to build relationships with

• Maintain accurate pipeline data and prospect records, ensuring regular updates

Planning, strategy and vision

• Contribute to the delivery of our income generation strategy - including meeting relevant targets set out in the strategy. 

• Support the team with advance planning on funding bids, project managing complex cross-team processes, matrix-managing small project teams and ensuring all key milestones are met 

• Proactively suggest ideas for ways of improving our processes and ways of working to better support our income generation targets or better deliver our work.

About you:

We’re seeking someone who is ambitious, driven and emotionally intelligent. We need a relationship-builder and a clear and concise communicator, ready to step into an exciting new role and help build a fundraising function which leaves a lasting legacy.

Essential qualities 

• A proven track record of securing five-figure grants or income from trusts, foundations and/or corporate partners.

• A demonstrable track record of writing impactful and effective funding proposals, and leading the end-to-end process of applying for grants and reporting on those received 

• Strong copywriting skills, and the ability to articulate the impact from donations

• Excellent project management skills 

• Solid relationship management skills, with the ability to lead donor stewardship and develop excellent working relationships with key teams internally

• A genuine commitment to the organisation’s mission, as well as to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, managing a busy to-do list

• Ability and desire to be hands-on and get stuck in

• Excellent attention to detail, record-keeping and commitment to high standards.

• Basic understanding of fundraising regulations, including Fundraising Code of Practice, and how they apply to your work

• Experience of working towards personal income targets and managing individual KPIs.

Desirable qualities 

• Experience using relevant trusts and foundation and CRM databases

• Experience of developing and managing a pipeline of funding opportunities, and advising colleagues on where to prioritise our resources

• Experience of fundraising for a small charity, think tank or a research charity

• Experience of working with project budgets.

Head of Individual Giving

We’re looking for an experienced and creative Head of Individual Giving to lead and grow our individual giving programme.

About the Role

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you’ll shape and deliver our individual giving strategy, overseeing the recruitment, retention and development of individual supporters. You’ll lead on our major appeals, including an annual national campaign to Catholic parishes across the UK.

You’ll also play a key role in developing new fundraising products, optimising donor journeys, and ensuring our CRM and data systems support excellent stewardship and insight-driven decision making. This is a senior position with significant scope to shape the programme and make your mark.

About You

We’re looking for a confident and strategic fundraiser with a strong grasp of individual giving and a collaborative approach. You’ll bring:

• Proven experience delivering successful individual giving or direct marketing campaigns in the charity sector
• Strong skills in supporter stewardship and donor retention
• Experience of managing budgets, teams and external suppliers
• A creative, data-driven approach to growing income
• Excellent communication skills

We’re looking for an ambitious and creative Business Development Manager to help Honeypot transform the lives of young carers. This is a unique opportunity to grow sustainable income while making a real, visible impact. You’ll build inspiring partnerships with corporate businesses, spotting new opportunities and turning bold ideas into meaningful support for our charity. Working closely with a passionate fundraising team, you’ll research pipelines, open new doors, and champion our mission wherever you go.

If you’re an experienced fundraisier  (3 years or more in a charitable organisation), have business development experience, and be a natural relationship-builder who’s motivated by cause and purpose as much as performance, we’d love to hear from you.

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In this pivotal role as Prospect Research Manager at Diabetes UK, you will lead on managing prospect research, pipeline development, and adhere to best practice across income streams with a clear strategy that focuses on sourcing prospective high value donors to fund key strategic ambitions. One in 15 of us is now living with diabetes. Together, we have the opportunity to change this for the next generation. We are looking for someone who is a strategic thinker, analytical, organised in their approach and who can demonstrate accuracy and attention to detail in their work.   Join us and be part of something truly transformational as we change the narrative around diabetes and create a more inclusive world.

This is a full-time Chief Exec role offering an exciting time to join an organisation making

a huge impact with minimal resources. As the Organisation enters its tenth year,

regrettably the need for this work has never been greater and in addition to enhancing

existing projects, we plan to grow our Dignity Centre locations as well as expand our

outreach and impact in the coming two to five years. As a small charity, the role is

incredibly varied as well as hands-on. While there is no physical back office, meaning

the role is mostly from home/remote, the CEO spends sustained periods of time in our

projects in Nicosia, Cyprus and Bournemouth, UK as well as any new or potential

project sites in the UK and abroad. A typical day could include troubleshooting and

managing maintenance problems at distance for our projects in Nicosia and

Bournemouth, preparing and delivering interviews and presentations to the media or for

donors, calling volunteers to prepare them for collaborating with us and collating

indicator data for impact reports.

WMUK is looking for a proactive and self-driven fundraiser to lead on the creation and implementation of the charity’s fundraising strategy, ensuring that the charity has a sustainable base to improve the lives of people affected by Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia (WM) and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL), rare forms of blood cancer.

Leading on the delivery of fundraising activities, you’ll be a self-starter who can hit the ground running. You’ll be able to implement a strategy, whilst also quickly identifying and capitalising on opportunities as they come up, demonstrating flexibility and an ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

The role will also give you the opportunity to work alongside the CEO in the creation of a major donor programme, helping to support the growth of this important stream for the charity by managing relationships and shaping the nature of support these individuals receive.

As an adept relationship manager, you’ll be able to speak and write persuasively to engage stakeholders long-term. You’ll be experienced in working directly with beneficiaries and have an empathetic demeanour.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to create something from the ground up, seeing tangible impact quickly.

First Give

First Give is a national charity that partners with secondary schools to inspire and equip young people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to drive change. Through our structured programmes, students explore social issues, connect with charities, and take tangible steps to improve their community.

Empowering and equipping young people to meaningfully contribute to their community is a first step to addressing many of the challenges we face at this time of social disconnection and division. Our vision is of a more generous society where everyone is willing and able to give their time, money and skills to the causes they care about.

The Route to a Million Campaign

This is an exciting time for First Give, as we seek to expand and diversify our fundraising streams into Corporate and HNWI. To support this, we are launching the Route to A Million campaign in March, aiming to raise an additional £1.5 million over the next 3 years on top of our forecast income. The campaign is supported by a newly recruited campaign board, and the new Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships will spearhead the work required to achieve this target.

Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships

We are seeking a dynamic, strategic and entrepreneurial Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships to supercharge First Give’s next phase of income growth. This is a pivotal role at the heart of our mission, offering the opportunity to shape and deliver a multi‑year fundraising strategy that fuels real, measurable impact for young people and society as a whole. First Give is a small charity, with a growing fundraising team and big ambitions. You will therefore be someone who thrives in a start-up environment, brings new ideas to the table and is comfortable leading a brand-new team.

As the senior leader for all income streams, you will own and drive our major donor programme; unlock new philanthropic partnerships; and build a talented team across other income streams to achieve ambitious goals. Working closely with the Director and our emerging Campaign Board, you will play critical role in growing our £1m+ annual income, deepening donor engagement and building the culture, systems and relationships that will propel First Give into its next phase of expansion.

This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional fundraiser who thrives in a values‑driven, high‑ambition environment and wants to make a lasting contribution to a fast‑growing education charity.

Contract: Full time (35 hours per week), Permanent

Salary: £60K (+£2K London weighting if applicable)

Location: This is a hybrid contract. The successful candidate will be expected to work from our London office or attend in-person meetings and host donors at school Final events as required. The remainder of the week can typically be worked remotely, with flexibility as required.

The students we work with come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and so do we.  We want to foster a diverse and inclusive culture, to empower our teams to achieve our vision drawing on the broadest possible range of experiences. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates from minoritised groups currently underrepresented on our executive team, particularly black and minority ethnic and disabled candidates.

Please download the candidate pack for more details, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like a chat about the role or any reasonable adjustments we can make before applying: contact details provided in the candidate pack.

Join a charity which helps families wherever and whenever they need us

Lia’s Wings is the only charity delivering life-saving aeromedical transfers by plane both within the UK and overseas. We make sure babies and children receive the vital treatment they need, no matter where they are. Alongside these urgent medical transfers, we provide tailored, wrap-around support for families to help them through a crisis, creating long-term improved health and well-being outcomes.

We are seeking a new Director of Fundraising to help us increase our income to support more families. 

The successful candidate will set the strategic direction for fundraising, lead the team to build strong and sustainable income streams and ensure the charity has the resources it needs to deliver and expand our vital services.This is a wonderful opportunity to help shape the future of our small but mighty charity. The successful candidate will bring proven fundraising leadership experience, strong relationship-building skills, and a genuine passion for providing life-changing support to babies and children.   

Key Responsibilities: 

• Develop and deliver a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned to organisational goals.
• Lead income development and diversification across corporate, major donor, trusts and foundations, community fundraising and events.
• Lead the development of compelling cases for support, proposals, and donor communications.
• Build a strong corporate partnerships programme, including aviation sector engagement and charity of the year partnerships.
• Identify and cultivate major donor prospects, working closely with the CEO where appropriate.
• Grow individual giving, including regular giving, appeals, and legacy development.
• Oversee the trusts and foundations pipeline, ensuring high quality applications and stewardship.
• Provide strategic insight to the CEO and Board on fundraising performance, opportunities, and risks.
• As a member of our Senior Management Team, contribute to organisational planning, budgeting, and impact.  reporting.

We are looking for someone with: 

• Proven track record of delivering significant income growth across multiple fundraising streams.
• Experience developing and implementing fundraising strategies.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience managing and developing teams.
• Demonstrable success in building relationships with high-value donors, corporates, or trusts.
• Experience working in a small or growing charity environment.

For further details, please see the attached job description. 

How to apply: 

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter. Your cover letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) should demonstrate how you meet the person specification set out in the job description. 

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 27th February. 

Please note first round interviews will take place online Thursday 5th and Monday 9th March. A second (and final) round interview will take place in London on the morning of Wednesday 18th March. 

About our Organisation 

The Soil Association, formed in 1946, is the only UK charity which works across the spectrum of human health, the environment and animal welfare. That’s because we cannot tackle these issues in isolation.

We campaign for change, we support farming innovation, we serve healthy food in communities, we support and grow the organic market, and we protect forests. We couldn't do any of this without our supporters, partners, donors and dedicated staff. We make a difference in the world where it’s needed the most.

About the Opportunity 

Join our ambitious fundraising team and play a vital role in retaining and developing supporters to raise income for the Charity. You’ll have a passion for donor centric communications and enjoy working across multi-channel campaigns. You’ll bring fundraising experience in excellent supporter stewardship and writing for different supporter audiences across both print and digital formats.

About You 
You've gained experience within a fundraising team and have knowledge about the needs of charitable donors. Understanding of a CRM or database is essential in order to deliver supporter journeys and manage donor data. You'll have worked in a similar role previously where you've written for a variety of supporter audiences across multiple channels. Experience of end of end project management for delivering a printed magazine is essential, as this is a large part of this role. As well as working knowledge of email marketing tools and analytics.

Our Benefits

• We offer a range of financial and lifestyle benefits to all our employees, including:

• 27 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days with length of service plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time) 

• Pension scheme with ethical investment options and employer contribution increasing with length of service 

• Free membership of the Soil Association and discounts on organic produce 

• Volunteer days to give back to the local community or support green initiatives 

• Family friendly policies and flexible working

• Cycle to work scheme 

• Sociable and engaging workplace of professionals that share a passion for healthy, sustainable lifestyle and produce. 

To Apply 

Click ‘apply now’ to submit your application form. Please note we look at applications on arrival and reserve the right to close this vacancy early. 

Please check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive a confirmation email upon submitting your application. All candidates will subsequently receive an email to confirm whether they have made it through to interview stage. 

For any queries, please contact us.

Please note we do not accept CVs or Cover Letters. 

We know the value of diversity in nature and want it in our organisation. We recognise that diverse backgrounds and experiences will bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you're not sure about applying, please get in touch with us for a chat. 

Thank you for your interest in supporting our work at the Soil Association. 

The CEO will play a pivotal leadership role in ensuring the continued success and sustainability of Clwyd Special Riding Centre. This is a wide-ranging role combining strategic leadership with hands-on people management.

The postholder will oversee the daily running of the Centre while also working closely with Trustees to deliver long-term development plans. The role demands strong financial and organisational management, excellent people skills, and the ability to balance compassion with pragmatism.

The CEO will act as a key ambassador for the Centre, building relationships with supporters, stakeholders, and the wider community to secure funding and grow the charity’s impact.  The CEO will create the strategic plans for the next 5 years and work with the Trustees, Stakeholders and Staff to implement the plan.

This is an exciting opportunity to transition the organisation into a sustainable, self-funded and agile organisation able to meet the needs of their traditional participant and those members of the community who could benefit from equine activities.

Lismore is an island rich in history and Gaelic heritage and is home to a vibrant Heritage Centre which is now recruiting a Freelance Project Officer. The Project Officer will lead the development phase of a planned extension. The post-holder will be responsible for securing funding for the project and managing the project through the planning stage, working closely with appointed architects, funders, stakeholders, and the local community.

This role is central to ensuring the project is well-defined, fully costed, and ready for delivery, while aligning with the Centre’s heritage and community objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Fundraising and Funding Development
• Project Development and Planning
• Stakeholder and Community Engagement
• Reporting, and Administration

Person Specification

• Demonstrable experience in fundraising or funding development, preferably within the heritage, cultural, or community sector.
• Experience of working on development projects.
• Proven ability to write clear, persuasive funding applications and reports.

Chief Executive Officer (Part-time, 3 days/week)

Veterans With Dogs (VWD) is seeking a dynamic and compassionate Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead our charity into its next chapter. This rare and exciting opportunity offers the chance to guide a small, high-impact team at a pivotal stage in the charity’s growth.

Location: Exeter (hybrid with regular office presence required)
Salary: £45,000–£55,000 pro-rata (equivalent to £27,000 - £33,000 for 3 days/week) + 3% pension contribution
Contract: Initial 1 year role with opportunity to extend

Hours: 21 hours / 3 days per week

Holiday: 28 days per annum (FTE), plus bank holidays
Reports to: Chair of Trustees
Direct reports: 4

About Veterans With Dogs

Veterans With Dogs is a UK charity that transforms the lives of Armed Forces veterans living with mental health challenges. Through the provision of highly trained assistance dogs and trauma-informed support, we help restore purpose, independence, and dignity to those who have served.

Founded in 2012, our work addresses a vital gap for veterans living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Through our award-winning PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills) programme, we help veterans re-engage with life, with the support of a trusted companion by their side.

Following a period of governance transition and renewal, we are entering a new and exciting phase. We are strengthening leadership, systems, and strategy to ensure long-term sustainability and greater reach. As we begin this next chapter, we are seeking an experienced, values-driven CEO to lead us confidently into this next phase.

The Role

The CEO will provide strategic direction, operational oversight, and cultural leadership for Veterans With Dogs. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, the CEO will oversee the delivery of the charity’s mission, ensure operational excellence, develop our long-term strategy, and foster a values-led and high-performing team.

This is a hands-on, multi-dimensional leadership role, ideal for a calm, pragmatic, and inspiring individual with experience of organisational stabilisation, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable growth. You will be a visible leader at our base in Exeter, while building strong relationships across the veteran, assistance dog, and wider charity sectors.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

· Lead the development and delivery of an interim plan and longer-term organisational strategy

· Translate strategic goals into clear operational priorities and plans

· Foster a compassionate, inclusive, and mission-aligned organisational culture

· Act as a credible and inspiring ambassador for Veterans With Dogs with stakeholders, funders, partners, and the public

• Guide the charity through stabilisation and values-led, sustainable growth

Governance & Compliance

· Ensure compliance with all relevant charity law, regulation, and best practice

· Work in partnership with the Board of Trustees, supporting effective governance and reporting

· Implement and embed improvements in HR, finance, safeguarding, IT, and operational systems

• Lead on organisational risk management, ensuring policies and procedures are in place and regularly reviewed

Operations & Programme Delivery

· Oversee day-to-day operations to ensure safe, ethical, and effective service delivery

· Ensure safeguarding standards are upheld for both veterans and dogs

· Drive continuous improvement in programme quality, delivery, and impact measurement

• Ensure operational systems and data processes are robust, compliant, and fit for purpose

People & Culture

· Lead, support, and nurture a small, dedicated staff team and wider network of volunteers

· Promote staff wellbeing, clear communication, and professional development

• Work with trustees to assess future staffing needs and build leadership capacity

Finance & Sustainability

· Work with trustees and advisors to ensure sound financial management and reporting

· Contribute to financial planning, budgeting, and development of a sustainable reserves policy

• Help diversify income streams, supporting fundraising efforts, corporate partnerships, and individual giving

Fundraising & External Relations

· Build and maintain relationships with funders, donors, corporate partners, and sector allies

· Collaborate with the fundraising trustee to develop new funding opportunities

· Represent the charity externally with credibility, transparency, and professionalism

• Strengthen partnerships with ADUK, ADI, Cobseo, and other key membership bodies

Person Specification

Essential

· Senior leadership experience within a charity, social enterprise, or values-led organisation

· Strong knowledge of charity governance, regulation, and trustee relationships

· Experience leading teams through organisational change or stabilisation

· Financial literacy with experience of budgeting, reporting, and planning

· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across diverse stakeholders

• A calm, values-based, and ethical leadership approach

Desirable

· Experience in health, mental health, veterans’ services, or trauma-informed work

· Experience working with boards during periods of strategic or leadership transition

· Fundraising and/or income generation experience

· Understanding of safeguarding best practice (for people and/or animals)

• Lived experience of the military or charity sectors (not essential)

Our Commitment

Veterans With Dogs is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds and strive to create a supportive, respectful, and empowering workplace. We recognise the value of lived experience and are committed to continuous learning as an organisation.

How to Apply

Apply with your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your interest and suitability.

If you would like a confidential conversation before applying, we would be happy to speak with you.

Closing date to apply: Friday 13 March 2026

· First interviews (online): week commencing 16 March 2026

· Second interviews (in our Exeter office): week commencing 23 March 2026 TBC

NO RECRUITERS AT THIS STAGE PLEASE