Head of Fundraising and Membership

Job Title: Head of Fundraising & Membership
Reporting to: Director of Development & External Relations 
Responsible for: Line-management of two staff (Development Manager and Stakeholder Relations Officer)
Based: Our Head Office is based in Kensington, London SW7, but we have an agile working policy enabling people to work at another UK location up to 4 days/week. Requests for permanent remote working will be considered and we welcome applications from people based in other parts of the UK.
Terms: Full-time (35 hours per week), Permanent. Requests for part-time or flexible working will be considered
Salary: £46,811 - £57,416 per annum

About Us

The British Science Association (BSA) was founded in 1831 and is a registered charity.

We are creating a future where science is more relevant, representative, and connected to society.

We have ambitious goals to put people at the heart of science.

About the Role

The Head of Fundraising & Membership will be an experienced professional fundraiser responsible for developing and delivering a comprehensive fundraising and membership strategy to grow and diversify sustainable income for the British Science Association across its portfolio of programmes.

A central part of the role will be leading development and delivery of the membership and fundraising strategy for EDIS (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Science and Health), a national membership coalition hosted by the British Science Association (BSA) delivered in partnership with the Francis Crick Institute and funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Working closely with the Director of Development & External Relations, Chief Executive and other colleagues across the organisation, the postholder will lead fundraising and business development activity, strengthen BSA supporter engagement, and EDIS organisational member engagement, and help shape resilient income models that support the BSA’s mission to ensure that all of society is included in science.

Key responsibilities

Develop and deliver the BSA’s fundraising strategy

• Develop the BSA’s fundraising strategy, working with key stakeholders, and create an accompanying implementation plan, KPIs and milestones.
• Monitor and report on the delivery of the fundraising strategy to the Senior Management Team and Board.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to support the delivery of the fundraising strategy.

Develop and grow membership of EDIS (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Science and Health)

• Develop and deliver the EDIS membership strategy, including an implementation plan with clear KPIs and milestones
• Work closely with the Head of EDIS and wider EDIS team to develop a compelling and sustainable membership offer and pricing structure (from year 3 of the programme) for current and prospective organisational members .
• Develop and deliver a membership growth plan, and work closely with the EDIS team to oversee member communications, engagement campaigns and retention strategies.
• Work with the Head of EDIS and other colleagues to develop additional earned income streams that complement membership (such as sponsorship or paid-for training).

Lead, support and champion the Development team

• Foster a strong, collaborative team culture for the BSA Development team, reflecting the values of the BSA and of EDIS, and inspiring the team to develop and contribute to the fundraising strategy and the BSA’s and EDIS’ mission and vision.
• Work collaboratively with teams across the BSA, encouraging all teams to support the organisation’s fundraising and income generation activities, as appropriate.
• Deputise for the Director of Development & External Relations, when needed.

Lead on our fundraising activities and donor engagement

• Lead and provide oversight on high-quality applications and bids to corporates, trusts and foundations, statutory sources and other funders, working closely with Development team members and other colleagues.
• Lead the development of high-value strategic partnerships, including multi-year and/or multi-programme partnerships, aligning funder priorities with organisational impact.
• Lead on the BSA’s donor stewardship plans, ensuring timely and effective reporting to funders as well as a strong supporter experience.
• Ensure there is a comprehensive pipeline of funding bids with a clear prospecting plan for the BSA.
• Work closely with the Head of Education and wider team to develop and deliver fundraising approaches that complement earned income for the BSA’s flagship CREST Awards programme.
• Work closely with the Director of Development & External Relations, CEO, Trustees and other colleagues to help build strong relationships with prospective donors and high-profile stakeholders, by providing timely briefings for donor meetings to support senior level engagement.

Develop our processes and systems to allow for effective fundraising and membership

• Lead on our fundraising Customer Relationship Management (CRM), ensuring that fundraising and membership relationships are captured, updated and shared in a timely and consistent way across the organisation.
• Develop compelling cases for support and fundraising collateral, working closely with programmes, communications, policy and other teams across the BSA.
• Ensure that our fundraising complies with the highest fundraising standards, as set out by the Fundraising Regulator, Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Charity Commission of England & Wales, and other relevant bodies.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record in fundraising, including securing significant grants and/or contracts, managing a complex fundraising pipeline and stewarding funders during a partnership and experience in developing and implementing successful supporter/member engagement strategies.

The closing date for applications is Monday 13 April at 12 noon.
First round interviews are due to take place in the week commencing Monday 27 April 2026, with second round interviews taking place on Monday 11 May and Tuesday 12 May 2026.

You will be informed as soon as possible after the application deadline whether you have been selected for interview.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

As part of the British Science Association’s commitment to being a Disability Confident employer, all disabled applicants who meet the ‘essential criteria’ for this vacancy will be offered an interview under our guaranteed interview scheme.

No agencies please.