Fundraising Director

Internal Title: Fundraising & Operations Director
Location: Central London, hybrid working (office-based at least 2 days a week)
Contract: 4-5 Days a week, permanent
Salary: £55,000 pro rata
Hours: Flexible working pattern permitted, subject to organisational needs

About Refugee Legal Support
Refugee Legal Support is a dynamic organisation working in solidarity with people who migrate: we provide and promote legal support, training, and advocacy so that asylum seekers, refugees and migrants can access rights and justice. We are now recruiting a senior leader to join the three-person Director team (Executive Director; Legal Director; this role) and help drive our next phase of growth and impact.

Why this role matters
This is a career-defining role at a pivotal time for RLS. You will help shape the future of our organisation, ensuring we have the resources and organisational infrastructure to maximise our impact. If you are a senior fundraiser who cares deeply about justice for migrants, wants to lead at a strategic level and doesn’t shy away from operational leadership when it counts, then this role is for you.

The role in brief
As our Fundraising Director you will lead the income generation strategy for RLS and oversee operational elements when needed—making this more than a conventional fundraising role. You will work across the organisation, supporting strategy, sustainable growth, and systems development, while ensuring we meet urgent funding needs as well as build long-term resilience. The role suits someone who thrives in a dynamic, justice-driven environment, is comfortable with ambiguity and change, and has the gravitas and hands-on mindset required in a senior role.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and lead the fundraising strategy: securing income from trusts, foundations, major donors, corporates, and other sources.
• Build, deepen and manage relationships with funders, partners and stakeholders to secure existing and new funding.
• Monitor fundraising performance, budgets, forecasts and contribute to organisational financial sustainability.
• Work operationally as required across the organisation: supporting RLS’s systems, processes and leadership team to ensure effective delivery and growth.
• Be a key member of the senior management team, working closely with the Executive Director, Legal Director and Board of Trustees to shape RLS’s strategic direction.
• Ensure high standards of reporting, monitoring and impact-communication to funders and stakeholders.
• Help embed organisational systems and infrastructure to support scale-up and sustainability.

Person specification
We’re seeking someone who:

• Has great experience in senior fundraising roles (ideally including trust/foundation, donor relationships and multi-stream income generation).
• Is comfortable operating at a strategic level and also stepping into operational matters when needed.
• Has excellent communication and influencing skills, able to engage with senior stakeholders, funders and leadership teams.
• Thrives in a fast-moving, values-driven environment, comfortable with change, ambiguity and organisational growth.
• Shares a strong commitment to migrant justice, equity and the mission of RLS.
• Is organised, resilient, and able to manage competing priorities across fundraising and operations.

Working arrangements
This role is based in London with hybrid working: you will be required to be in the office at least two days a week, with the remainder of time flexible. The post will require occasional flexibility for meetings, events or travel as part of senior leadership commitments.

RLS is committed to equality of opportunity, particularly welcoming applications from candidates with lived experience of migration, forced displacement, or marginalised communities.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.