Communications and engagement officer jobs in Edinburgh, scotland

Make a Real Difference in a Child's Life

At Barnardo's, we believe in children – no matter who they are or what they've been through. We work to build stronger families, safer childhoods, and positive futures.

As the Challenge Events Manager, you'll play a vital role in implementing and delivering Barnardo's established Challenge Events programme, with a focus on growing our income and deepening our relationships with our supporters to build lifetime connections.

 Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the delivery of Barnardo's Challenge Events programme to deliver and grow agreed income targets.

• Managing 2 Events Fundraising Officers and with the support of the Senior Event Manager, manage a budget of approximately £500k, with an income target of £1 million.
• Collaborating across the Fundraising and Marketing team and across departments to integrate Challenge Events into our communications and supporter journeys. 
• Working closely with colleagues within our Relationship Fundraising team to deliver bespoke opportunities to add value to corporate partnerships.

• Managing relationships with internal teams, external agencies and event partners to deliver high-quality events, acquisition campaigns and supporter experiences. 

• Monitoring trends in the Challenge Events landscape and using data and insights to inform growth plans and innovation. 

• Champion Challenge Events across the charity, building awareness and engagement internally. 

We're looking for someone with:

• Proven events experience working across a portfolio of third party and bespoke Challenge Events. 

• Strong planning skills, with a track record of delivering and exceeding targets, and utilising KPIs to measure and improve effectiveness.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build strong internal and external relationships to achieve mutual goals.

• Experience reviewing budgets and working with external agencies and suppliers.

• A collaborative and proactive approach to leadership and team development. 

• Passion for Barnardo's mission and a commitment to delivering exceptional supporter experiences. 

Join us in growing our exciting events programme at Barnardo's and help us change childhoods and change lives.

What You'll Get in Return

• 25 days annual leave (rising with service) plus bank holidays
• Access to the Barnardo's pension scheme
• Flexible working and hybrid/remote options
• Wellbeing initiatives and Employee Assistance Programme
• Regular supervision and career development opportunities
• The chance to make a lasting difference in children's lives

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date.  We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our basis and values

At Samaritans, our vision is that fewer people die by suicide. Every day, our volunteers and staff provide life-saving emotional support to people in distress, and behind that work is a culture built on compassion, inclusion, learning and human connection.

We are looking for a Senior Community Fundraiser – Scotland to help grow income, strengthen supporter relationships and unlock the power of community fundraising across Scotland.

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This is an exciting senior role within our Community and Events team, working closely with colleagues and volunteers across our Scottish network. You will develop fundraising opportunities that reflect Scotland’s distinctive communities and supporter landscape; while helping volunteers, branches and supporters play their part in our life-saving work.​

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​Contract

• £42,000 (FTE) per annum plus benefits
• Full Time (35hrs per week)
• Fixed Term (18 months)
• Hybrid working - Meeting in person and working collaboratively are things we value. This role is linked to our Edinburgh office with a blend of home and office working and occasional travel to our central office based in Surrey.
• In-person working: Minimum of 1 office day each week in the Edinburgh office, normally Wednesdays.
• We are passionate about flexible working, talk to us about your preferences.

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About the role

​The role will be line managed within the Community and Events team, while working closely with the Scotland office to shape and deliver fundraising growth across the nation.

This role will also require occasional travel to our central office in Surrey Ewell or our London Hub office on Leadenhall Street

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What you’ll do

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Grow community fundraising income in Scotland

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of community fundraising activity across Scotland.
• Identify, develop and manage a strong pipeline of supporters and fundraising opportunities.
• Manage income budgets of around £200k or more and contribute to forecasting, reporting and performance analysis.

Build strong supporter and volunteer relationships

• Build and steward relationships with volunteers, branches, individuals, community groups and corporate partners.
• Champion excellent supporter journeys that attract new supporters and deepen existing relationships.
• Support volunteers and branches to reach their fundraising potential.

Work across Samaritans

• Support the development and delivery of the Community and Events fundraising strategy and operational plans.
• Develop networks across Scotland to raise Samaritans’ profile and unlock new opportunities.
• Work across the organisation to embed a “One Samaritans” approach to fundraising and engagement.
• Ensure activity complies with charity law, fundraising regulation and data protection requirements

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About you

​You’re an experienced community fundraiser who thrives on building relationships and making things happen. You enjoy working collaboratively, influencing stakeholders and supporting volunteers to succeed.

You’ll be confident working at both strategic and operational levels, balancing planning and delivery while keeping supporters and volunteers at the heart of everything you do.

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What you will bring:

• Significant experience in community fundraising with a strong understanding of fundraising operations
• Proven ability to manage an income portfolio of £200k+ and work to financial targets
• Excellent relationship‑building, stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Experience of working with and supporting volunteers
• Strong understanding of charity legislation and fundraising best practice
• Experience of working cross‑departmentally and collaboratively
• A genuine commitment to Samaritans’ mission, values and equity, diversity and inclusion principles
• Experience of project management, coaching or mentoring, and managing change would be an advantage, as would knowledge of the Scottish fundraising environment.​

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​Full outline in the Job description file below. 

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Criminal record check (PVG)

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We take safeguarding seriously at Samaritans and follow safe recruitment practices. As this role has direct contact with children and adults at risk, this role will require a PVG (Adults and Children) check. 

At offer stage, as part of the conditional job offer, we will require the candidate to disclose in full, spent and unspent convictions by completing a declaration form. The declaration form will only be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process. 

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Why Samaritans?

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At Samaritans, people matter deeply. We know that meaningful impact starts with how we support each other.

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We are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive and flexible workplace where everyone can thrive. We value diversity of thought, background and lived experience, and we actively encourage applications from people from all communities.

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Every person at Samaritans plays a role in helping fewer people die by suicide. If you are motivated by purpose, compassion and the opportunity to make a lasting difference, we would love to hear from you.

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For further information about Samaritans, including our charity structure, values, employee benefits, and application process, please read our recruitment brochure available below. You can also visit our careers website to access this.

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We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from disabled, racialised minority and LGBTQ+ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans. 

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To Apply

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Please submit your CV and include a cover letter (max 2 pages) evidencing expertise and experience you have to do this role. Please consider areas such as:

• Community fundraising leadership
• Stakeholder and volunteer engagement
• Strategic delivery and ways of working

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At Samaritans, human connection is at the heart of everything we do. 

We do not use AI at any stage during the selection process. Your application will always be carefully reviewed by the recruiting manager or a member of the Talent Attraction Team. 

We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to generate your application or interview answers. We want to hear your own ideas, insights, and writing style so your unique strengths can shine through. We recognise that some candidates may use assistive technology or tools to help with accessibility, structure or grammar. 

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Applications close at 9am Monday 1st June

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Interviews​

All applicants will receive notification of the outcome of their application, at the appropriate time.

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1st stage interviews (online) will be held on 9th & 11th June

2nd interviews (face to face in Edinburgh office) will be held on 18th June.

Corporate Partnerships Lead - 0.6 FTE

Contract : 

• 12 months fixed term; 

• 0.6 / 22.2 hours per week; 

• Remote, home-based but with requirement to travel to in-person meetings when required.

Salary: 

• £49,844 (FTE) pro-rata £29,906 

• Plus £312 working from home allowance 

Reports to: Head of Fundraising

Purpose of the Role: 

Voice 21 is a rapidly growing national education charity, with a bold new strategy to 2030, and ambitious plans to double fundraised income over this strategic period. We believe there is significant potential for the corporate sector to engage with our work and support our mission to transform education. We are seeking an experienced corporate fundraiser to build our burgeoning programme, unlock exciting new opportunities for support and lead on developing new voluntary income from corporate partnerships. You will champion creative, insight-driven new business development and account management, ensuring partnerships are meaningful, mutually beneficial and aligned with our mission. This role will encompass research and qualification, engagement of potential corporate partners, developing propositions and proposals, pitching and securing new partners and relationship building and stewardship. This role will suit someone proactive and self-motivated, with proven experience in building income from corporate partnerships, who is comfortable working independently, skilled in building relationships at all levels, and driven by Voice 21’s mission.

Key Responsibility of the Role: 

• Work collaboratively across the organisation to build trusted relationships internally, maximise opportunities, and ensure corporate partnerships support our strategic objectives.

• Identify and deliver opportunities to develop new partnerships, securing and onboarding new corporate partners through targeted engagement.

• Build sustainable relationships with corporate contacts, ensuring excellent engagement and stewardship.

• Build a robust pipeline of prospective partners, ensuring a strategic and targeted approach to new business.

• Collaborate across teams to shape and deliver high-value, mutually beneficial partnership proposals that align with organisational priorities. 

• Provide strategic support to the Head of Fundraising and Senior Leadership Team, ensuring where appropriate that senior colleagues are fully briefed and prepared.

• Contribute your sector knowledge, expertise and specialist insights to inform strategy and innovation and assist decision-making.

• Keep accurate records of all interactions with supporters and prospects. 

What you will bring: 

• Proven experience in setting up a corporate fundraising programme, with a track record of securing five-figure+ relationships and raising income to target.

• Knowledge and/or experience of a range of corporate income streams, from strategic partnerships and sponsorships, to cause-related marketing, employee engagement, gifts in kind, etc.

• Strong commercial awareness, with ability to identify and prioritise high-value opportunities. Proactive and assertive, with the ability to recognise and act on new opportunities and the tenacity to secure meetings. 

• Experience of building a portfolio of corporate sector prospects and managing a pipeline of opportunities. Ideally with experience of using Salesforce (or another CRM system) to manage pipelines, track performance and report on outcomes.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships at all levels, negotiating and influencing to achieve successful outcomes. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confident and engaging presentation abilities.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

• Knowledge of fundraising legislation, ethics, compliance, and data protection requirements.

• Self-motivated, comfortable working autonomously, and able to take ownership of own performance. Comfortable in a fast-paced, iterative culture.

What you will achieve: 

• Build a qualified pipeline of corporate prospects.

• Secure new five-figure partnerships.

• Develop tailored partnership propositions aligned to organisational priorities.

• Strengthen stewardship and engagement processes.

Who you’ll work with: Your line manager will be the Head of Fundraising and you will work alongside a fundraising officer. The fundraising team sits in the Operations Directorate.

Where you’ll work: All Voice 21 staff work remotely and this is a home-based role, with some travel expected to our London office (by Victoria station) and elsewhere for meetings. Occasional overnight stays may be required depending on where you are based. Voice 21 pays all travel and accommodation expenses. 

About Voice 21 

Voice 21 is the national oracy education charity. We exist to empower every child to use their voice for success in school and life. Our work transforms learning and life chances through talk by increasing access to a high-quality oracy education for those that need it most. Follow the links to find out more about why oracy is so vital and the impact Voice 21 has. 

Why work for Voice 21?

Tackle a vital challenge, with great people. Voice 21 exists to transform children' s learning and life chances through talk and we are aiming to be working with 1,800 schools a year by 2030. To reach this goal we recruit great people and give them real responsibility, training and support. 

Output focused culture, with flexible working opportunities. We have an agile and flexible approach, our team can work when and wherever works best to deliver the requirements of their role. As our staff predominantly work from home, we support them to create a workspace and provide technology that enables them to work effectively. 

Real development opportunities. We believe in supporting people to develop the skills they need to be excellent whether this means funding external training, finding a mentor to support them or giving them the time to learn from others in the organisations through our regular CPD sessions. 

Great benefits. 36 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays and a 3 day Christmas closure period). Holiday entitlement increases linked to length of service, 5% employer contribution to pension, interest-free season ticket, cycle and technology loans, employee assistance scheme. 

Application details:

Please submit your C.V. and your responses to the following questions:

1/. Tell us about the highest value corporate partnership that you have personally secured and which you developed from start to finish (max 500 words):

• How did you go about identifying the prospect and opportunity?

• How did you go about developing the relationship before you secured the partnership?

• What were the features of the partnership and what was the value for the charity and the corporate?

• What was your role in developing the pitch and how did you go about landing the deal?

• What was the outcome and/or impact of securing this partnership?

2/. Reflecting on the example you have shared, what did you learn from this experience? And how does that learning show up in your approach to corporate partnerships fundraising? (max 250 words) 

3/. What interests you about Voice 21 and this contract specifically? What do you expect will be the challenges and opportunities in this role? (max 250 words)

Closing date: 1st June 2026 however we reserve the right to close applications before the stated closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications is received

Interview dates: TBC 

Valuing every voice

Voice 21 believes that every voice should be heard and valued. We are committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. 

Voice 21 is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us. By offering a salary range, we demonstrate our commitment to considering a wide range of applicants who may bring different perspectives and levels of experience.