Director of Philanthropy

The British Hearth Foundation (BHF) is strong, highly effective, and well respected nationally and internationally. Every day we turn to research for hope, which is funded solely by the generosity of our supporters. At BHF, we know the only way to get closer to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases is to invest in pioneering research that has the greatest potential to improve and save lives.

The Director of Philanthropy is a key leadership role within the Marketing, Fundraising and Engagement directorate at the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Accountable for the leadership of the philanthropy team, the role will develop and implement strategies to exponentially grow our income and support from high-net-worth individuals and trusts. Our ambition is to more than double philanthropic income over the next five years.

This is a crucial leadership position and will work at the highest levels to take our philanthropic impact to the next level. We want an exceptional colleague who exemplifies and champions our values; brave, informed, compassionate and driven. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of our team. We are more ambitious and determined than ever – because the potential cures and treatments we need are in sight. You could be part of getting us there sooner, so thank you for your interest.

This is a chance to drive a step change in the growth of philanthropy for one of the UK’s largest charities and the nation’s leading independent funder of heart and circulatory disease research. If you feel you have the skills and experience, and you share our determination to help fund lifesaving research, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

Working arrangements

This is a blended role, where your work will be dual located between your home and our London office.

At the BHF we believe in the power of being together, so our colleagues on blended contracts can expect to spend some time in their office, at least two days each week, on average.  The use of our office spaces is driven in part by your role and the activities you need to do. This may vary from time to time, so you will need to work in a flexible way to unlock your best work for our cause.

Need more help balancing your work and home life? Talk to us about what flexibility is available at the application or interview stage. 

About you

We are looking for a creative and motivational leader to nurture, challenge and inspire our philanthropy team to reach ambitious fundraising goals. You will need demonstrable experience of building long-term relationships with high-net-worth constituents as well as a strong track record of securing complex, multi-stakeholder gifts at the 6- and 7-figure level. Experience of working with trustees and/or volunteer committees to drive philanthropic income will also be important. 

The ideal candidate will also possess confident communications skills, a high degree of emotional intelligence, a strong sense of integrity, intellectual curiosity and the presence and gravitas to operate at the highest levels both internally and externally.
 
About us

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. By funding research across six decades, we’ve helped keep millions of hearts beating and millions of families together. We’re investing in ground-breaking research that will get us closer than ever to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases.

We value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, celebrate diversity, and make inclusion part of what we do every day.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, Igniting Change, along with our internal EDI group, Kaleidoscope, and a growing number of employee network groups (our Affinity Groups), help us create an environment where all our colleagues and volunteers can succeed.

Benefits

To find out more about the benefits available at the BHF please download our benefits document at the bottom of our advert page.

Interview process

First stage interviews will be held virtually on Wednesday 8 May via Microsoft Teams. For those successful, there will be a second round in-person interview on Wednesday 15 May in our London Office.

How to apply

The process involves submitting your CV and Covering Letter to outline your interest and explain how you meet the requirements of the role. 

All applications are managed by our search partner, Execucare.