About the Role
We are looking for a highly motivated, organised and experienced sports and challenge fundraiser, to deliver a review of our sports and challenge events programme, identifying new opportunities to grow our income.
Working closely with the Head of Individual Giving and Fundraising Campaigns, you will develop strategies and bring new ideas to grow and develop this programme, potentially including community events – to deliver significant growth in income over the next 5 years.
In this feasibility review, you will analyse our past performance including in well-established, externally organised activities such as marathons and third-party challenge events, and our partner events such as the Terry Fox Runs. You will also assess the feasibility of developing and launching our own-branded events.
During the review, you will line-manage the Sports and Challenge Events Officer to maintain and deliver our current successful events programme and work together on the feasibility review to identify new opportunities for innovation and ways to increase participation.
You will build key relationships across the department and work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation, to identify and work through new ways to grow participation and increase fundraising income.
At the end of the review, you will present your findings, making recommendations on the key components for a future sports and challenge programme that reflect our ambitions for growth, with plans to deliver it.
This is initially a fixed term project contract. There is potential for the role to become permanent dependent on the direction and outcomes of the review.
Key Responsibilities
In this role you will lead a review of our sports and challenge events programme, including third-party activities such as marathons and challenge events, using data to analyse past performance (income and ROI) and assess the feasibility for developing our own-brand sports, challenge or community events – whilst maintaining the success our current programme of activities.
You will:
- Review, develop and prepare plans to deliver a profitable, engaging and effective annual programmes of sports, challenge and community event opportunities.
- Be responsible for managing the annual available sports marketing budget and contributing to annual budget planning.
- Create innovative new sports and challenge events, designed to attract and retain supporters and develop plans to launch these on time, and to budget.
- Work with Communications and Digital teams to develop comprehensive marketing plans to promote our events, secure participants and increase levels of engagement.
- Work with your team to set targets and monitor progress of fundraisers – and manage their participation in cost-effective ways, to maximise return on investment.
- Support your team to provide excellent stewardship and supporter experience, with pre and post event contact, to encourage repeat participation.
- Collaborate with Development teams to cross sell and identify leads for fundraisers from other areas of fundraising, such as major gifts, corporate, appeals and legacies.
- Be responsible for managing and the personal development of your team, to deliver their campaigns and activities, to agreed objectives and KPIs.
About You
You’ll be a confident, motivated, self-starter who is passionate about using your fundraising experience and skills to make a difference to the lives of people with cancer. You’ll be a strong communicator with good interpersonal skills and creative flair, who enjoys working with a wide range of people, to bring new ideas and initiatives to life.
To be successful, you’ll need:
- Proven experience and success in a similar role in events or sports and challenges and / or community fundraising
- A proven track record of being results-driven and working to and achieving fundraising targets
- Significant experience of developing and delivering fundraising / and or event plans
- Ability to create and implement marketing plans (online and offline) for events-related activity
- Good interpersonal skills and experience of building and developing relationships with a wide range individuals, colleagues, event committees, and suppliers
- Highly organised and analytical, with ability to cope with competing priorities
- Experience of setting and managing budgets, developing strategies, and producing comprehensive reports
What We Offer
- A supportive and collaborative working environment.
- Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
- Competitive salary and pension
Directorate Information
The Development Office Directorate is responsible for fundraising and philanthropic income across the ICR, maximising support from major donors, individuals, trusts, corporates, charity partners and events. We have a proud track record of performing at a consistently high-level, raising millions every year.
This role is part of the Fundraising Campaigns and Individual Giving team, who are focused on raising funds through individual giving, gifts in Wills and sports and challenge events. Join our team in this exciting new role to help make the discoveries that are so urgently needed to improve cancer patients’ lives.
CRM Product Manager
Contract type: Permanent – 35 hours per week
Location: London, United Kingdom.
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel).
60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.
Salary: £57,415 - £60,436 per year with excellent benefits
Change starts with water. Change starts with you.
Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.
About WaterAid
We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.
About the team
The CRM Product Team at WaterAid UK drives data-led fundraising and campaigning by collaborating across departments to ensure our Dynamics365 CRM system meets business needs.
About the role
As our CRM Product Manager, you will define and deliver a visionary CRM strategy that empowers WaterAid’s fundraising success, working closely with technical teams, fundraising stakeholders, and global partners to drive sustainable change.
In this role, you will:
- Set and lead the CRM vision for WaterAid UK and work with international colleagues on a global CRM strategy.
- Define and own the CRM roadmap, aligning it with strategic priorities and ensuring a well-managed product backlog and measurable outcomes.
- Lead and develop the CRM Product team, fostering a high-performing culture and delivering a best-in-class platform for fundraising operations.
- Act as a trusted advisor, championing CRM benefits and ensuring the platform supports income growth across key fundraising channels.
- Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.
Requirements
To be successful, you will need:
- Proven experience with Microsoft Dynamics or other enterprise CRM platforms, and a clear understanding of how CRM drives fundraising strategy.
- Strong business and systems analysis skills, including the ability to write effective user stories and translate requirements into actionable solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate teams through technology transformation, with experience in stakeholder management and navigating change.
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to work across diverse cultures and manage supplier relationships and budgets effectively.
Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:
- Knowledge of fundraising-specific CRM services such as GiftAid, Direct Debits, BACs, event and supporter management.
- Experience with extract, transform and load (ETL) processes, particularly handling large batch data operations.
- Hands-on experience developing solutions within Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Closing date: Applications close 12:00pm UK time on the 25th of July. Interviews are expected to take place 04 of August 2025.
How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV and cover letter.
Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application? At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.
Preemployment screening : To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All preemployment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Our benefits:
- 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
- Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
- Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
- Flexible and hybridworking arrangements
- Season ticket loan
- Free annual eye tests
- Give As You Earn charitable giving scheme
- Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
- Sabbaticals
- One paid volunteer day each year
Our global commitment:
Our People Promise – We work with passion and focus so everyone, everywhere can access clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose, wellbeing and shared responsibility where all voices are valued.
Equal opportunities – We are an equalopportunity, disabilityconfident employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs and ways of life.
Safeguarding – We have a zerotolerance approach to any form of abuse or exploitation and carry out background checks on all prospective employees.
Together, we’ll change the world through water.
Join us and be part of the change !
Our vision is a world where everyone, everywhere has sustainable and safe water, sanitation and hygiene.




