Education campaigns manager jobs

Imagine working alongside young people who've challenged Meta's hate speech policies, won national awards, and brought a sofa on wheels to a protest. Coventry Youth Activists (CYA) is the UK's only youth-led campaign group run by and for disabled young people—70% of members have learning disabilities—and they need a Community Organiser to help them take on one of their biggest fights yet: defending SEND rights.

This isn't traditional charity work. CYA doesn't lobby for disabled young people—they campaign as them. From Mad Hatter's Tea Parties outside Facebook HQ to high-level negotiations with decision-makers, their approach is bold, creative, and effective. As one member puts it: "Leadership doesn't have to look a certain way... That's what we do at CYA."

What you'll be doing

You'll support CYA members to challenge urgent threats to their rights—particularly government reforms affecting SEND (Special Educational Need and Disability) rights. This means:

• Developing campaign strategies and power mapping decision-makers with young activists
• Facilitating actions, media engagement, and high-level negotiations
• Coaching young leaders and building their confidence to take the lead
• Creating alliances and expanding CYA's reach and influence
• Ensuring everything is accessible, inclusive, and driven by lived experience

You won't be doing this alone. You'll be part of Grapevine, an award-winning charity with years of community organising expertise, working within a supportive team that believes in joyful organising.

Who we're looking for

We want someone with proven campaigning experience and strong facilitation skills—but just as importantly, someone with creativity, a passion for justice, and the ability to work inclusively with young people with learning disabilities.

Essential skills and experience:

• At least one year's community organising or campaigning experience with clear evidence of wins
• Ability to work collaboratively and inclusively, especially with people who have learning disabilities
• Strong facilitation and communication skills
• Experience building alliances and developing others
• Creative problem-solving and a genuine passion for justice

Benefits include:

• Flexible working arrangements
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• 8% non-contributory pension (Grapevine pays the full amount)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• A culture of learning, reflection, and genuine support

Grapevine is a place where you'll have freedom with support, real opportunities to grow, and work that creates lasting impact. Our team describe it as a "powerhouse" that feels like a second home.

About Grapevine

We're an award-winning charity helping communities across Coventry and Warwickshire take collective action. We're nationally recognised for our community organising approach and we're accredited trainers for the National Community Organisers programme. We believe those who face challenges are best positioned to lead solutions—and we provide the support to make that happen.

"Grapevine is a fantastic organisation—bold, innovative and caring. It manages to balance positive outcomes for individuals and communities with system change—a very rare thing." — Tim, Community Leader

Equality and Inclusion

Fairness and inclusion are part of who we are—going back to our origins as a disability charity. We actively seek people from all backgrounds and AIM TO remove barriers to equal opportunity. We welcome applications from everyone.

Family Education Trust is recruiting a Development Manager to turn evidence-led research into real-world impact for families across the UK. This is a rare opportunity to build a fundraising function from the ground up inside a respected policy organisation - with the autonomy to do it your way.

About the role

You will build and lead FET's income growth function, securing near-term unrestricted income while developing durable fundraising capacity. Your core focus is establishing a new major donor and mid-value programme and delivering a high-performing trusts and foundations pipeline.

We have streamlined administrative responsibilities so you can concentrate on what matters: income growth and donor relationships. You will work closely with our Communications Manager, who produces copy and assets for your fundraising brief.

What we are looking for

We need someone with recent, hands-on fundraising experience in a mission-led organisation who has built income, not just maintained it. Experience building a major donor pipeline is essential, along with trusts and foundations competence. You must have genuine personal alignment with FET's mission and established public positions on family policy.

The details

Salary: Up to £40,000, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate Location: Home-based, with UK travel as required Contract: Full-time, permanent Hours: 37.5 per week Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays Pension: 5% employer contribution via salary sacrifice Closing date: 9am Monday 16 March 2026 

How to apply

Please read the full job description and person specification (attached) and send a CV and covering letter by 9am Monday 16 March 2026. Your covering letter should explain how you meet the essential criteria set out in the person specification.

Senior Fundraiser – Individual Giving & Supporter Relations

Maternity Leave Cover
 

Location: Hemel Hempstead (flexible hybrid working)
Contract: Fixed term
Hours: Part-time, 22.5 hrs/week
Salary: FTE c.£35,000

 About the Role

We’re looking for an experienced Fundraiser to provide maternity cover and ensure the smooth delivery of our Individual Giving programme. In this key role, you’ll help maintain stable income and deliver essential activity across our Individual Giving strategy.

You’ll manage a broad portfolio including Individual Donations, Regular Giving, Mid‑Level Gifts and Appeals, ensuring strong stewardship and supporter engagement to maximise retention and long‑term value.

A major part of the role involves leading on appeals and campaigns - using supporter data and insight to shape activity, track performance, and apply learning to enhance supporter experience and improve ROI. This is a hands-on role suited to someone confident in campaign management, data analysis, and building meaningful donor relationships.

 About You

You’re an experienced relationship fundraiser with a strong record of meeting income targets and delivering successful Individual Giving activity. You know how to use data and insight to shape campaigns, deepen engagement, and maximise results. You excel at creating compelling appeals and supporter journeys that strengthen relationships and build long-term value.

A persuasive and collaborative communicator, you quickly build trust with colleagues, supporters, and partners. Proactive, organised, and adaptable, you thrive in a fast-paced environment and take pride in delivering excellent supporter experience and meaningful impact.

Why Join Us?

You’ll join a supportive, collaborative Fundraising Team that lives our “One Team, One Goal” ethos. Every contribution is valued, and you’ll be encouraged to grow and thrive.

At DENS, we support local people facing homelessness, poverty and social exclusion. In this role, you’ll help generate the income that makes this work possible and see the impact of your efforts in our community.

How to Apply

Please read the full Job Description & Person Specification. If you meet the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.

Fill in the DENS Application Form including your Supporting Statement. 

This role remains open until a suitable candidate has been appointed. 

No agencies please.

About SPANA

For over a century, SPANA has been dedicated to transforming the lives of working animals and supporting the people who depend on them. We work with partners worldwide to increase access to essential veterinary treatment and campaign for better welfare standards. We also support owners as they develop the knowledge and skills to look after their animals with confidence and care.

About this role

Our Global Programmes Department (GPD) works on an innovative partnership model to deliver our mission to transform the welfare of working animals in a world where animals, people and the environment are respected and thrive. 

This exciting role will join our team on a 12-month fixed-term contract to support an ambitious work plan by scoping, defining and advancing key new project areas and strategic initiatives. The Special Projects Manager will work closely with our international partners and the wider organisation and will report to our Head of Programmes.

The successful candidate for this role will work on a diverse and exciting range of projects. The projects will seek to expand our impact through developing innovative approaches to achieving sustainable improvements in working animal welfare. These might include: 

• exploring options for social business models, and assessing how they can be best applied to animal welfare in low-income settings 

• scoping and developing synergistic partnerships with development sector actors 

• country-specific analysis on specific challenges to working animal welfare in complex situations. 

The Special Projects Manager will scope and analyse different project areas, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders and commissioning and overseeing subject matter experts, as needed, to progress different areas.

This role would suit an experienced, innovative and creative project manager who enjoys strategic analysis of complex scenarios with different stakeholders, interests and actors. Experience of research, policy and working across sectors would be an asset, alongside a commitment to social equity and our mission and values. 

Contract, location and salary

This is a fixed-term, 12 month, full-time (34.5 hours per week) role. This is a UK-based position. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK currently and for the duration of the contract.  The salary for this role is £50,000 per annum.

Further information and how to apply

Please review the job description for full details including a person specification. The deadline for applications is 23:59 GMT on Sunday 22 March 2026. 

Making The Leap seeks to appoint a dynamic Educational Partnerships Manager to play a pivotal role in securing, growing, and nurturing partnerships with schools across the UK. Reporting to the Head of Educational Partnerships, the successful candidate will drive engagement with schools, teachers, and senior leaders to expand the reach and impact of Making The Leap’s programmes. This role focuses on building strong, strategic relationships with education providers while maintaining links with community organisations, colleges, universities, and corporate partners to promote MTL’s services and mission.

Making The Leap is an innovative societal change charity that aims to make a big difference. From direct delivery, to advocacy and leadership, we believe passionately that those we exist to serve have the right to be anything they want to be. To say that this is an exciting time for the organisation would be an understatement, as our incredible funders, donors, partners and supporters have given us the chance to move to the next level, and have further influence and delivery nationally.

The ethos of the organisation is to be passionate about helping young people from less-advantaged backgrounds; build up other charities and community groups and want to partner with them or support them; want to work with businesses and organisations to get things done; and care deeply about addressing inequality.

The organisation has a number of strands: core Making The Leap; the UK Social Mobility Awards; the Social Mobility Podcast and The Social Mobility List.

About the role:

Do you have excellent strategic insight and wish to diversify your skill set and develop a career as a Campaign and Supporter Events Manager? We are looking for a talented, enthusiastic and highly organised individual with exceptional attention to detail and strong experience of managing supporter events, engaging stakeholders and strategic planning.

What you would be doing:

The Campaign and Supporter Events Manager is responsible for designing and delivering an events strategy in support of Imperial’s campaign and overarching fundraising goals and priorities. The postholder will manage and work closely with the Campaign and Supporter Events Officer to deliver a comprehensive and varied portfolio of events which engage and inspire Imperial’s existing and prospective donors, supporters, and key stakeholders.

What we are looking for:

· Proven experience of organising complex and high-quality events with substantial budgets in the Higher Education or not for profit sector

· Experience of leading major projects from planning through delivery to assessment

· Experience of developing a strategic events programme that supports fundraising and campaign strategy

· Demonstratable experience of applying effective problem-solving techniques and innovation in special event planning and delivery

· Excellent and thorough knowledge of all elements involved in high quality event organisation, including hybrid events

· Ability and willingness to work outside normal office hours, including attendance at evening events. 

What we can offer you:

· The opportunity to participate in the next phase of supporter engagement and philanthropy at Imperial, as we embark on our ambitious fundraising campaign  

· Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes). 

· Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing. 

Further Information

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week).

This is a fixed term maternity cover contract for 12 months – date to be agreed with the successful candidate.       

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial.

Our culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination and creating an inclusive working environment. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity and innovation.

Closing date: 19 March 2026

Overview

The Campaign Projects Manager is a fixed-term role that supports the University’s fundraising priorities by turning strategy into action.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Campaign Management, you will identify, plan, and manage key fundraising projects and giving opportunities. You will work closely with the Campaigns and Alumni Relations (CAR) team, academic Schools, and Professional Services, acting as a link between them. Your role will ensure that fundraising projects are clearly defined, financially sound, and ready for donor support.

You will manage important strategic projects related to philanthropy, including the Endowment Income Project, support planning for the conclusion of the Forged in Sheffield fundraising and engagement campaign, and lead the development of a pipeline of post-campaign philanthropic opportunities. You will provide project management for campaign planning and meetings with senior stakeholders, drafting Board papers and reports that explain relatively complex information clearly.

As Campaign Projects Manager, you will oversee key initiatives within the department and work closely with colleagues across the University to deliver campaign objectives. The role involves managing complex and varied responsibilities, requiring sound judgement and a high level of discretion and confidentiality. Your work will ensure critically important projects remain on track through the campaign’s public phase and that momentum is sustained.

Main duties and responsibilities 

• Design and implement a process for maintaining a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic fundraising opportunities that align with University priorities and donor interests. Lead work to scope and evaluate the suitability of proposed projects.
• Be proactive in partnering with senior academics and Faculty Leads to identify and "translate" research and capital priorities into fundable projects. Convene groups to source required financial information and narrative content.
• Draft compelling "Cases for Support" and project briefs that align with the University’s strategic themes and are consistent with the overarching Campaign brand. Translate relatively complex information into a form that is understandable by non-experts and appealing to donors.

• Lead the project management of a time-limited plan to ‘unlock’ income and/or capital from dormant or restricted endowment funds. Set milestones, monitor progress and ensure the project keeps on track. Work with colleagues across CAR and across the University to plan, prepare and coordinate submissions to the Charity Commission, providing content for Council papers and proposals where needed.
• Design, set up and test a sustainable system for reporting-on endowment spend and the impact of endowed gifts.
• Use insight and analysis to contribute to the preparation of papers, documents and reports on the project’s progress and outcome. Make recommendations and produce content that is appropriate for different internal and external stakeholder groups.

• Provide project management support for the creation and delivery of a clear plan to close the Forged in Sheffield campaign and maintain momentum post-campaign. Ensure the plan covers key milestones and shows the overall impact of donor support and engagement throughout the life of the campaign. Work with colleagues across CAR to keep the plan current, monitoring progress, identifying risks and responding to change as needed.
• Lead work to evaluate and report on the outcomes of the University’s first major philanthropic campaign. Make recommendations on content, convene expert groups and contribute to creation of materials, as required. Ensure that planned reports are consistent and timely and reflect the full range of stakeholders.
• Support the Associate Director of Campaign Management in planning and preparing for meetings with key internal and external stakeholders. Tasks may include preparing agendas, drafting discussion papers, designing and producing slide decks, being proactive in sourcing content, and following-up on actions. Attendance at meetings may also be required.
• Be proactive about engaging with peers across the sector to gather insight on best practice.

• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

About Us 

​Established in 2002, Greenhouse Sports is a youth charity specifically using sport to support social change. Sport is our hook to engage young people and one of the vehicles through which we support youth development. But our purpose is not to create elite athletes or address physical inactivity. Rather, we create opportunities for young people to recognise their strengths and develop the skills they need to thrive both now and in the future.

​We work across London, Portsmouth, and Leicester, specifically in areas of high deprivation. We embed evidence-based positive youth development programmes into primary and secondary schools. These programmes are delivered by our trusted, high-quality coach-mentors who deliver year-round to ensure that young people have ongoing access to sport, mentoring, enrichment, and employability activities. The result of this work is that every year, Greenhouse Sports support over 9,000 young people to attend school more often, improve their wellbeing, and raise their aspirations, transforming life chances in the communities that need us the most.

The Opportunity ​

This opportunity is like finding a needle in haystack. Seriously. 

Our team is compact. There’s one spot opening for someone who can help take us to the next level. Someone who won’t tire of seeing and feeling the impact we have on children’s lives every day. Someone who is bubbling with ideas and wants the freedom (and plenty of support and connections) to make them a reality. Someone who’ll be energised by the variety of the role week in, week out. One minute you’ll find yourself sharpening the storytelling around our latest research, the next you’ll be on the sports court with young people and a national broadcaster.​

The Role

The Marketing & Communications Manager ​at Greenhouse Sports is a senior role – we need to amplify our voice, reach new audiences and generate new channels of support. You’ll bring a critical approach to our every move, whilst getting on and making things happen to take Greenhouse forward. 

It’s ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of strategic communications, brand stewardship, storytelling, influence-building and campaign leadership.

​​All Greenhouse Sports employees are provided with comprehensive Continuous Professional Development support and are expected to commit fully to Greenhouse's Safeguarding & Child Protection policy.

​Application Deadline: Friday 13 March at 23:59hrs ​

Please ensure you have provided both your CV and Cover Letter to support your application.​

Interviews will take place in person on the 18th or 20th of March, with second stage interviews taking place in person w/c 23rd March ​​

Greenhouse Sports is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children therefore applicants must be willing to undergo child protection training and screening including an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check and obtaining satisfactory references from past employers.   ​​​​​

Are you passionate about education? Do you want to make a positive difference to young people’s lives? 

We’re seeking someone with a strong commitment to social impact, who thrives in a small, high-performing team and brings a proven ability to deliver, build trusted relationships, and grow engaged communities of education leaders.

In this role, you will lead on building strong relationships with senior leaders in schools and Multi-Academy Trusts, supporting them to deliver HPF education resources, including Game Plan, helping them to embed our content in their curriculum and across their schools. You will work closely with the Head of Programmes to build and implement growth and engagement strategies, as well as being the first point of contact for educators and schools. 

If you have worked in education, or have experience building relationships to scale programmes across the UK and beyond then we want to hear from you.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Build trusted relationships with teachers, school leaders, and education partners.

• Act as the main point of contact for schools and Multi-Academy Trusts participating in HPF education programmes.

• Support schools with onboarding, induction, and ongoing engagement in programmes.

• Help develop our ongoing strategy for building a community of educators across the UK.

• Manage community metrics

• Support the wider Education team to gather, analyse, manage and report data

• Support our educators with course delivery, access to materials and resources, ensuring they are making the most of the course materials and feel confident to deliver our programmes.

• Monitor participation and engagement levels, following up where needed.

• Gather insights from educators to help improve programme design and delivery.

• Create and schedule regular communications for the education community (emails, newsletters, updates).

• Work with marketing or fundraising colleagues to amplify educator voices and stories

Essential experience: 

• Proven experience of senior stakeholder management (preferably within education)

• Passion for social impact and the High Performance Foundation’s mission

• Understanding of the wider education sector

• Confidence networking and engaging with stakeholders and education partners at all levels 

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills, with the ability to work across the team

• Willingness to undertake school visits across the UK. 

• Effective time management

Desirable experience:

• Experience delivering and scaling education programmes for young people within education settings

• Stakeholder management within education, building trusted relationships with schools and Multi-Academy Trusts

• Monitoring, evaluation and learning, including collecting impact data and tracking metrics

• Experience of working collaboratively within a small charity, start-up or similarly agile organisation

What’s on Offer:

• Hybrid working - mix of home and central Norwich office days

• The opportunity to work within the High Performance Foundation and alongside the award winning,High Performance Podcast.

• Competitive rate and 25 days holiday (FTE) for the successful candidate.

• An immediate start in a fantastic organisation that is impacting the lives of thousands of young people across the UK.

• A hybrid working pattern.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. 

The role is full-time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

The Media Campaigns Manager will lead the creation and execution of high-impact, insight-driven media campaigns and sponsorship opportunities that support income generation while strengthening student engagement. The postholder will oversee the Union’s media sales function, managing and expanding the business development strategy, operational processes, and portfolio of marketable assets.

Do you have experience in income generation through media sales, sponsorships, partnerships, or commercial marketing activity? Do you also have experience coordinating the operational delivery of campaigns or events? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you. Our ideal candidate will have a good working knowledge of media sales, sponsorship, brand activations, and advertising marketplace dynamics, along with a comprehensive knowledge of sales techniques and practice

The Policy and Campaigns Manager leads ADUK in championing reforms that pave the way for better access for all disabled people partnered with a highly trained assistance dog. Through dynamic campaigns and impactful initiatives, this role is pivotal to how ADUK amplifies the voices of those whose lives are transformed by these life changing dogs, ensuring that their rights are protected for years to come.

Key Responsibilities

• In partnership with the Executive Director (ED), continue to develop a compelling case for taking a standards-based approach to the training and welfare of assistance dogs.
• Gather, analyse and apply robust evidence to strengthen ADUK’s credibility, influence and voice on key policy and campaigning issues.
• Work with the ED to identify and progress opportunities for ADUK and its members to engage with policymakers, regulators and other decision-makers, and to support positive policy change.
• Develop and deliver written and in-person reports and briefings for different audiences, including politicians, policy officials, and other decision-makers.
• Collaborate with the ED and Head of Education and Allyship to develop relationships with key stakeholders.
• Lead, manage and convene the ADUK Advisory Panel, ensuring it operates effectively and informs ADUK’s policy and campaigning work.
•  Monitor legislation and policy developments relevant to assistance dogs and dog welfare and communicate these as appropriate to members.
• Support the ED with the delivery of ADUK’s policy function, including the preparation of policy statements, briefing papers, media responses, and submissions to consultations and inquiries.
• Provide informed policy advice to the ED on priority issues affecting ADUK and its members.
• Represent ADUK externally, articulating its policy positions at meetings, events and forums, where appropriate.
• Take responsibility for projects, with the support of the Executive Director where appropriate, including joint work with partner organisations.
• Organise meetings, policy roundtables, expert workshops, policy training and other events.
• Provide information and support to service providers on assistance dog policies to promote access rights for disabled people with assistance dogs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:

Essential – applicants will:

• Have experience working in a policy, public affairs/campaigning role, with a solid understanding of how the policy development process works and how to influence national policy.
• Experience in convening and facilitating advisory groups, panels or stakeholder forums to support organisational decision-making.
• Experience in planning and delivering events, workshops or meetings that support policy, stakeholder engagement or organisational aims
• Have the ability to analyse and interpret information from a range of sources.
• Have strong interpersonal skills including being able to develop positive and effective working relationships with a diverse range of people and organisations.
• Have the ability to act on your own initiative and develop new work.
• Be comfortable maintaining existing policy positions and relationships.
• Have experience in communicating complex ideas or processes to a range of diverse audiences.
• Have excellent writing and verbal communication skills and experience in producing briefings, consultation responses and other communications on behalf of an organisation and for a wide range of audiences.
• Represent ADUK with credibility and authority in all external communications

Applicants should be aligned with ADUK’s values of championing a standards-based approach to the training and welfare of assistance dogs.

See recruitment pack for full job and person spec. 

Digital Change Manager 

• Reporting to: Digital Transformation Lead 

• Employment Status: permanent 28 hrs/week (flexible) 

• Location: Home based 

• Level: Managerial (Band 6) 

• Salary: £32,859 fte per annum plus excellent pension & benefits 

Role purpose 

Adoption UK is undertaking a major digital transformation, initially focused on CRM and Website developments. Our Digital Transformation Team will drive this change programme, working with colleagues and external digital partners; and subsequently deliver our on-going digital strategy implementation and development. 

You will support the Digital Transformation Lead to refine and implement Adoption UK’s digital strategy, to deliver our digital transformation project. Working with internal and external stakeholders the team will ensure that the project’s vision and scope meet the business and operational needs of the charity. An important part of your role will be to work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation and particularly with our Marketing and Communications team to integrate digital into all current and upcoming projects. 

We’re looking for someone who has experience of project working in a digital environment, particularly within website and CRM implementation. 

Background – our digital transformation 

Like many charities, we’ve historically developed our digital framework and footprint organically, with insufficient web and CRM integration and functionality, duplication and data silos; resulting in data management and website functionality that don’t meet all our users’ needs. We’re changing all that by: 

1. Investing in our customer-facing website and data management systems; connecting all our divisions and services, delivering integrated systems that provide a positive customer and stakeholder journey.
2. Developing the next generation of digitally accessible services 
3. Extending our in-house digital capability to support continuous delivery. 

Key accountabilities: 

• Support the Digital Transformation Lead to implement the charity’s digital strategy.

• Coordinate data and content activities, including migration between platforms, to deliver our website and CRM digital transformation programme.

• Utilise and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the organisation and with current and future digital partners. Use these networks to: 

• embed digital first principles and best practice. 

• Train, coach and mentor colleagues to be effective users of our CRM and website. 

• Progress opportunities to increase our digital capability and integrate digital into our current and upcoming work. 

• Utilise the digital performance assessment framework to monitor compliance with digital and data best practice standards. 

• Assist in maintaining our data security standards compliance, participating in quality assurance activities. 

• Work collaboratively with our external digital and IT partners. 

Essential Criteria 

• Significant experience of website and CRM implementation and data/content management. 

• Good general knowledge and experience of organisational IT systems, including cloud and M365 applications. 

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Able to convey complex or technical information simply and clearly. 

• Experience of IT/Digital supplier engagement. Able to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

• Experience of working in a digital project/change environment. 

• Ability to work under pressure and to respond quickly to changing circumstances and to tight timetables 

Desirable criteria 

• Experience of working in an organisation which uses agile development methodologies. 

• A strong understanding of the National Cyber Security Centre principles and approach and General Data Protection regulations principles, audit and compliance. 

Be the spark that turns creativity into impact.

​Help Age Exchange grow arts & heritage programmes that change lives in social care.

Age Exchange—embedded in social care and powered by the arts—is hiring a Business Development Manager to ignite partnerships and funding that deliver innovative programmes across the UK. If you come from museums, galleries, archives or cultural organisations and can spot opportunities, craft compelling bids and open doors fast, this is your stage. Lead the growth of projects that boost health, wellbeing, learning and social connection—so creativity reaches the people who need it most.

The role will require someone who can work from our head office in Blackheath and the role will include some national travel as and when required so the ideal candidate will be based within an hours commute of the Community Hub in Blackheath, London. 

What is The Deal for you?

• Flexibility! You will be working 35 hours per week over 5 days with some weekend work.
• Location: You need to be based within a commutable distance to our Community Hub in Blackheath, London.
• Benefits: retail discounts, holiday discounts, cycle to work scheme and travel discounts through our benefits app
• Best Lives Possible: You'll be working for an award winning charity who is passionate about ensuring our colleagues and the people we support lead the best lives possible 
• Development: We'll work with you to develop your career or to learn and experience new things. We're passionate about developing our people!
• Support: From our Employee Assistance Programme (available 24/7), financial support options, and wellbeing fund you'll have the support available to lead an easier (financial) life

This role will design and secure a portfolio of national and local strategically aligned, market-relevant and impactful programmes which use arts, culture and creativity to achieve a positive impact on our target audiences. These programmes will empower the health, wellbeing, learning, social mobility and social connection of people supported by Age Exchange and Community Integrated Care. The role holder will play an essential role in leading the growth, reach and sustainability of Age Exchange by generating funding and commercial revenue and new partnerships.

​What You'll do (list not exhaustive):

• Win funding & partnerships that fuel our programmes and core costs—trusts & foundations, corporates/sponsorships, individual giving, and earned income.
• Build and manage a high-quality pipeline—prospect, cultivate, write compelling bids/proposals, negotiate, and steward partners.
• Collaborate across the delivery team—aligning with colleagues so proposed projects and tenders are fundable, impactful, and on-brand.
• Report outcomes & learn—own quarterly KPI reporting and iterate approaches to hit clear income and partnership targets.

Our ideal Candidate:​

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
• Proven success in bid writing and securing projects/tenders of £250k+.
• Strong experience in fundraising, commercial development, and project management within a funded environment.
• Creative thinker with the ability to design innovative programmes aligned to strategic objectives.
• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with experience engaging stakeholders at senior levels.
• Skilled communicator and presenter, able to craft compelling proposals and pitches.
• Proficiency in MS Office and project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet).
• Bring proven success in the arts or heritage sector (e.g., museums, galleries, performing arts, creative health, community arts) with a track record of securing grants and/or sponsorships.
• Are a confident storyteller and bid writer who can turn creative ideas into fundable, strategically aligned propositions.

Why join us ?

• Be part of a nationally recognised charity making a real difference in people’s lives.
• Lead ground-breaking projects that combine creativity and social impact.
• Work in a collaborative, values-driven environment with opportunities for professional growth.

Success in this role means:​

• Meeting funding and growth targets.
• Delivering a diverse portfolio of innovative programmes.
• Enhancing the charity’s profile through impactful projects and partnerships.

Ready to make a difference ?
Apply now and help us shape a future where arts and creativity empower communities across the UK.

​Please note, if you are interested in this role, we welcome your application as soon as possible! Depending on the volume of applications received, the vacancy may be closed before the expected advertising end date.

​We’re really proud to be a Hive HR Employee Voice Certified organisation, a recognition that confirms our commitment to creating a culture where our colleagues are not only encouraged to share their thoughts, but where this feedback is actively sought and acted upon to drive positive change at every level.

In our 2025 Colleague Engagement Survey, 59% (nearly 3,800) of our people shared their feedback and insights, giving us an incredible Employee Net Promoter Score of +34.

The Employee Net Promoter Score is a measure of how willing our colleagues are to recommend us as a good place to work to their loved ones – and a score of +34 is considered a Very Good score when compared to global benchmarks set by hundreds of other organisations.

Job Purpose

This role sits at the heart of Operation Smile UK’s five-year strategy to deliver transformational growth across all income streams. As Retention Fundraising Lead, you will be instrumental in delivering on three of the four core strategic priorities:

1. Build Regular Giving – retain and maximise value from the regular giving base

2. Drive All Donors to Legacy – ensure donors experience best-in-class stewardship, increasing their loyalty to the charity with an objective of feeding into legacy and long-term giving goals.

3. Maximise Growth Through Digital Fundraising Integration – leading the expansion and optimisation of digital growth for all existing supporters.

The Retention Lead is responsible for delivering Operation Smile UK’s strategic individual giving retention and legacy marketing programme. This role is key to driving income growth from our existing donors from the point of recruitment, maximising value and minimising attrition from the regular giving pool and generating and retaining legacy actions and prospects.

You will lead on the strategy, planning, delivery and evaluation of retention campaigns, with full accountability for managing significant budgets, agency partnerships and performance metrics.

You will support the development of the Legacy strategy, be instrumental in planning legacy activity and delivering legacy marketing for the existing supporter base across all income streams and methods of support, from Partnerships, Volunteers and public fundraisers.

This is a senior, hands-on role suited to an experienced Individual giving fundraiser with strong commercial acumen and a data-driven mindset.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Campaign Leadership

• Develop and implement the retention strategy, aligned with income targets and supporter growth objectives.
• Lead on the planning and delivery of campaigns across cash, donor stewardship, legacy prospecting and stewardship, welcome, conversion, reactivation and upgrade appeals.
• Lead on strategic development of the cultivation journey to ensure Operation Smile maximise growth through digital channels.
• Monitor and report on campaign performance, providing insight-driven recommendations to optimise results.
• Drive testing and innovation to expand existing approaches and introduce new ones within acceptable risk and return parameters.

Budget Ownership & Performance Monitoring

• Take full responsibility for retention and legacy budget management, income forecasting and cost control.
• Set, monitor, and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs), reporting against ROI, value and response, retention and conversion metrics and long-term value across all supporter groups channels.
• Collaborate with the Senior Database Manager and the Director of Data and Technology to develop and maintain performance dashboards (e.g., Power BI) and support strategic data analysis, including both short term and long-term channel performance evaluation.

Line Management

• Provide day-to-day leadership and support to the Retention team, ensuring clarity of objectives, effective workload management, and professional development opportunities.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, annual appraisals, and performance reviews for direct reports, supporting their growth and accountability.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture, encouraging innovation, learning, and high standards of delivery.
• Provide strategic and operational direction to external agencies or freelancers working on retention projects.

Agency & Partner Management

• Manage day-to-day relationships with external fundraising and creative partners.
• Lead on the relationship with the external fulfilment agency working with multiple internal stakeholders to ensure an effective partnership is in place.
• Lead briefings, content sourcing, agent training, stakeholder approvals, and quality assurance processes.
• Negotiate contracts and hold suppliers accountable for delivery and performance.

Cross-Team and Market Integration

• Represent the retention and legacy programme in cross-functional planning meetings and contribute to a unified team culture focused on strategic delivery.
• Work closely with the Acquisition and Digital lead to deliver a seamless supporter journey from point of recruitment to donor communications.
• Work closely with the Philanthropy Manager to develop and manage the pipeline of HV/Major donors.
• Work closely with the Legacy administrator, Philanthropy Manager and Volunteer Manager to develop the legacy pipeline.
• Work closely to ensure all digital communications are aligned and support the retention strategy
• Act as a key liaison with colleagues across Operation Smile global markets, sharing insights and exploring opportunities to align strategy, co-develop creative, or pilot cross-market initiatives.

Compliance, Risk & Best Practice

• Ensure all campaigns meet legal, ethical and data protection requirements (e.g., GDPR, Fundraising Regulator).
• Act as a key contributor to organisational risk assessments relating to income performance and supplier performance.
• Keep up to date with sector trends, innovations and benchmarks to maintain best practice.

Person specification

Essential Experience

• Extensive experience (ideally 5+ years) in Individual Giving, Legacy or fundraising acquisition roles.
• Proven success delivering multi-channel (including digital) retention campaigns for both cash, legacy and regular giving donors with strong ROI.
• Experience managing external agencies and suppliers to high performance standards.
• Strong background in regular giving retention.
• Demonstrable experience managing and reporting on retention budgets.

Skills & Attributes

• Strategic thinker with excellent campaign planning and execution skills.
• Highly numerate and confident using data for decision-making and optimisation.
• Strong project and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proactive, self-starting approach with high levels of ownership and accountability.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to represent the organisation externally.

Desirable

• Understanding of retention and supporter journey optimisation.
• Familiarity with CRM, Dot digital and data system Donorfy.
• Experience with Power BI or other reporting tools.

First-round interviews are set for the week of 9th March 2026. We strongly encourage early applications.

Disability Confident Committed Employer

We're a Disability Confident Committed employer, so we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for the job.

At Operation Smile UK, we value individuals based on their performance and potential. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that supports everyone's needs. We're happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment process, and we particularly welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.

If you need this document in a different format, require any adjustments, or need help with your application, please contact us (further details contained within the job description).

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Operation Smile UK knows fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. If you don’t meet every requirement but believe your transferable skills align with the role, we encourage you to contact us for a conversation. 

We want our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, offering equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We celebrate diversity and encourage you to bring your authentic self to Operation Smile UK. We are committed to supporting all applicants and ensuring a fair hiring process. All appointments will be made solely on merit, and we are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.