Senior Development Manager

Job title: Senior Development Manager 

Location: London/hybrid

Reporting To: Head of Development 

Contract: 9months FTC (mat leave cover)

Salary: £45,000

Date Closes: Monday 23rd June

Careers4Change is delighted to be supporting The Social Change Nest in their search for a Senior Development Manager (mat leave cover).

Role Purpose:

The Social Change Nest is going through a very exciting growth period and since our Head of Development is going on maternity leave for 4 months from September we are looking for somebody who can join our growing team as soon as possible. The Senior Development Manager will contribute to our FY25/26 income targets and cover part of the functions of the Head of Development while she’s on leave. The Head of Development manages the Development team, which covers the business development, marketing and communications functions, and works with the CEO to ensure that the organisation grows in a strategic and balanced way.

The Social Change Nest is onboarding and supporting hundreds of new groups every year and we are working closely with funders across the UK and worldwide, helping them move large amounts of funding to unincorporated movements at the frontlines of social change. We are spending more time than ever raising awareness on how capital flows impact the ability of communities to create change, and how we can hack the system to enable more money to flow in an equitable way to unincorporated movements.

We are looking for somebody who is excited about all this and ready to hit the ground running. We are in the middle of a large capital raise, so we would like the ideal candidate to join the team as soon as possible to work closely with the Head of Development and the CEO, as well as the rest of the Development team, for 3 months, before the Head of Development goes on maternity leave. The Senior Development Manager will then take over part of the team support responsibilities of the Head of Development and share responsibility for the income targets with the CEO for the months that the Head of Development is on leave.

About the Social Change Nest

At the Social Change Nest (SCN), we’re radically transforming the funding landscape and strengthening civil society. We remove the financial and administrative barriers – like bank accounts and legal structures – that often prevent communities, grassroots groups and informal movements from accessing funding and focusing on their core mission. We also work closely with funders, providing Grant Distribution and Fund Management services, enabling them to support social action with confidence and transparency.

We currently support over 600 groups across the UK and abroad addressing issues such as social injustice, climate, housing, wellbeing and animal rights. We are at the forefront of Fiscal Hosting in the UK and, since our inception in 2021, we have supported groups in securing over £23m in funding, helping them take advantage of opportunities that may have otherwise been unavailable.

The Social Change Nest is part of The Social Change Group. We are a Disability Confident Employer, and an accredited Living Wage Employer. In addition, we were listed as one of the top social enterprises in the UK in the SE100 for the last three years.

How We Work

You’ll be joining a close-knit team, supported and developed to be the best you can be. We believe that every member of our team brings a unique perspective from their experiences and abilities and we encourage everyone to be curious about how we can improve everything we do, from how we interact as a team to how we deliver for our clients and communities.

Underpinned by our values of collaboration, curiosity, courage, and creativity, we work closely and with care with our partners because we believe relationships are the glue that hold us all together.

The ideal candidate will enjoy working within a fast-paced and evolving organisation, and have a natural curiosity about how their role fits into the bigger picture. You’ll thrive on problem-solving and will feel comfortable handling multiple priorities at once, always seeking collaborative solutions. You’ll be adaptable and able to shift focus quickly when things change, ensuring strong communication across the team and with clients to keep everything aligned.

Key Responsibilities:

 June/July to Aug 

• Work closely with the Head of Development to deliver our Development strategy for the financial year FY25/26:
  • Identify and secure new funding opportunities with clients, creating tailored proposals to appeal to funder appetite and needs.
  • Deliver high-quality bid proposals and pitch documents to support business growth.
  • Develop and implement client management and engagement strategies, including our philanthropic networks, enhancing relationships and delivering value.
• Quickly build strong rapport with funders and community groups to ensure effective implementation of our strategy.
• Get familiar with our processes and identify opportunities to support and collaborate with other members of the Delivery team and other teams across the organisation:
  • Analyse and present HubSpot data to inform strategic decisions and refine our offering.
  • Manage budgeting processes and prepare essential documentation for pitches and contracts.
  • Support on the delivery of our strategic communications and marketing plans.
  • Support the integration of Development with other departments.

September to December

• Continue carrying out the responsibilities outlined above, more independently without the Head of Development:
  • Oversee the business development pipeline, ensuring its effectiveness and alignment with our strategic goals.
  • Identify new development opportunities in line with the targets for the financial year, ensuring our pipeline stays healthy.
  • Be an ambassador for the Social Change Nest, representing the business at industry conferences, events and workshops and grow strategic partnerships.
• Step in to support the team strategically where required:
  • Oversee and contribute to external communications and marketing campaigns.
  • Support and line manage members of the Development team, as required, in the Head of Development’s absence. The team of 4 works across business development, communications and marketing.

January and February

Ensure a smooth transition and handover of relationships as the Head of Development comes back into post after maternity leave.

Skills and Experience:

• Proven business development expertise in the philanthropic sector with a track record of winning new business and able to apply these skills to enhance our business development strategies.
• A good understanding of the philanthropic and grant-making sectors in the UK, Europe and the USA, ability to use this to enrich our strategies and client interactions.
• Able to use your knowledge and skills to identify and seize opportunities for growth through partnerships, projects and clients.
• Numerate and adept at analysing data to derive insights that guide business planning and strategy.
• Outstanding customer service skills, both proactive and reactive. Your reliability, trustworthiness, and ability to respond to our clients’ needs set you apart.
• Excellent pitch and bid-writing skills with an ability to craft compelling proposals that resonate with our target audience, including design and pricing.
• Capable of anticipating and evaluating the potential risks and returns of projects and able to assess risk as part of the process.
• Experience in managing complex work strands and coordinating across different teams, demonstrating your leadership skills and strategic awareness.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a confident communicator. You excel in bringing people together to achieve shared objectives.
• Experience mentoring and supporting team members.
• An advocate of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
• A demonstrable commitment to serving underrepresented groups in the UK or abroad.

 Please send your CV and Responses to Questions to Careers4Change - as described on the Careers4Change website.