Philanthropy Manager

The Vacancy

PDSA is a lifeline for people facing financial hardship, supporting pets and their owners for more than a century. Today, we care for more pets than all other UK vet charities, managing 300 emergencies a day, and delivering two million treatments a year. But there is so much more to do.

We have ambitious plans to reach even more people and pets in need over the next 5 years. To help us achieve this, we are looking for an experienced Philanthropy Manager to lead and grow our major donor programme, inspiring philanthropists to make more impact.

About the role

As a Philanthropy Manager, you will play a key role in developing, managing, and growing PDSA’s relationships with major donors. You will lead on research, cultivation, engagement, and stewardship activities, making sure that every supporter feels connected and proud of their impact. This is an exciting opportunity for a fundraiser who can think strategically, build meaningful relationships, and deliver results.

Key responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major donor relationships and provide excellent stewardship.
• Lead on researching, cultivating, and developing new relationships with major donors.
• Create and implement fundraising strategies to sustain and grow major donor income, including testing new approaches.
• Build strong working relationships with senior leaders and PDSA colleagues to deliver shared goals.
• Plan and deliver events, communications and engagement activities that strengthen major donor relationships.
• Maintain accurate records and systems to drive improvements.

About you

You will be a results-driven professional with a proven track record in major donor fundraising. You will bring excellent communication skills, strategic thinking, and a genuine passion for PDSA’s purpose.

We are looking for someone with:

• Demonstrable experience in securing and managing major gifts.
• Confidence engaging senior stakeholders and high-net-worth individuals.
• Strong relationship management skills
• Ability to assess performance and refine strategies and approaches.
• Confidence with CRM systems and data-driven decision-making

What We Offer

We are really passionate about being a great place to work, where people feel connected with what we do and where they feel they can make a genuine difference. This commitment has resulted in us being rated as one of the top 25 big organisations to work for in the UK according to Best Companies survey. 

In addition to being a great place to work, we offer a wide range of benefits, including: 

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising with service), with option to buy/sell days.
• Special days off, including:
  • A paid Volunteering Day
  • A Celebration Day for something meaningful to you
  • A dedicated Wellbeing Day to focus on yourself
• Generous pension scheme – up to 10% employer contributions
• Free Life Assurance (4 x annual salary)
• Enhanced family leave (maternity, adoption & paternity)
• Retail, travel & leisure discounts through Fetch platform
• 15% discount on PDSA Pet Insurance plus access to staff vet services for pets

About PDSA

As the UK’s leading veterinary charity, with 49 Pet Hospitals, we strive to improve pets’ lives – through prevention, education and treatment. Every year our dedicated vet teams carry out 2.7 million treatments on 470,000 pets.  Our national network of around 120 high street shops help us to provide these treatments through selling both donated and new goods.

We believe that we work better together, so everyone from our vets, volunteers, shop teams and to our office support colleagues – we are driven in our dedication and passionate about pets. Join us and help improve the lives of every pet.

PDSA is committed to embedding a culture of diversity and inclusion within our teams that reflect the communities we serve. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals are able to make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies and opportunity for flexible working arrangements to support team members from different backgrounds.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, adults at risk and all our colleagues and expect everyone who works for us to also share this commitment and to treat people with courtesy and respect. 

The closing date for this vacancy may be brought forward should we receive sufficient candidates.

Apply now

If you are ready to use your expertise to help keep more pets and their owners together, we would love to hear from you.