Director of Commercial Services
Salary: £60,727
Location: University of Reading Students’ Union
Contract: Full Time – 37.5 hours per week (worked flexibly)
Are you ready to shape exceptional student experiences through vibrant and innovative commercial services?
Reading Students’ Union is seeking a progressive and values-driven Director of Commercial Services to provide strategic and hands-on leadership across all commercial services, helping to deliver outstanding spaces, services and experiences for the student community.
About Reading SU
Reading Students’ Union is an independent education charity led by, and for, students.
The Students’ Union is central to the University experience and works to support all aspects of student life for the 19,000 plus students studying at the University of Reading. Located in one of Britain’s top green spaces, the Students’ Union is an ambitious and diverse organisation, committed to supporting every student at Reading University in achieving personal success.
Reading SU sits at the heart of a thriving student community, with activities and initiatives inspired by students themselves. The Students’ Union is committed to promoting the interests and welfare of its members, representing their needs, and offering opportunities for personal development through a wide range of social, cultural, sporting and recreational activities.
This commitment to student experience also underpins the Union’s commercial activity. Reading Students’ Union’s venues, services and events are designed to be inclusive, welcoming and vibrant spaces where students can connect, feel a sense of belonging and create lasting memories. Guided by student insight, the commercial services play an important role in supporting the Union’s mission while enhancing student life across campus.
About the Role
Reading SU are thrilled to be searching for a Director of Commercial Services, a dynamic leader experienced in licensed trade, catering, events, and marketing. This role is not just about maintaining the status quo but about reimagining and diversifying the commercial services in line with student community needs.
The ideal candidate will be both strategic and hands-on, with an ability to develop Reading SU’s commercial services while also being involved in delivery of the operations.
The successful candidate will not necessarily come from the Higher Education sector but will be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of the trends, challenges and opportunities that shape student life and the Students’ Union sector. They will bring a sound understanding of charity governance and financial management, alongside the strategic and operational capability required to lead complex commercial services within a democratic, student-led organisation.
Reading Students’ Union offers an inclusive and engaging working environment and is passionate about developing its people. The organisation is committed to ensuring its workforce reflects the diversity of the community it serves, respecting individual identity and celebrating differences. Applications are encouraged from all candidates regardless of background, and Reading Students’ Union particularly welcomes applications from candidates from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and from candidates with disabilities.
The SU offers a range of sector-leading benefits including enhanced leave, onsite nursery, occupational sick pay, access to campus facilities and winter shutdown over the Christmas period- a rare opportunity within the hospitality and commercial sector.
It’s a genuinely exciting time for Reading Students’ Union and we look forward to receiving your application.
Key Dates
Closing Date: Thursday 9th April, 12pm
First Stage Interviews (Remote): 20th April
Final Interviews (In-person): 27th April
Optional Q/A session with the CEO and Interim Commercial Director: 26th March (time tbc) Email to register (see below)
How to Apply
Please click 'Apply' to be redirected to our website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and apply.
For an informal conversation about the role and the application process, or to register to the optional Q/A session, please contact our recruitment partners at Atkinson HR Consulting. Their details can be found in the candidate pack.
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Corporate Partnerships Lead
When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.
Corporate Partnerships Lead
Full Time/Permanent
Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of 1 day per week in our London office (Farringdon)
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary:£51k - £55k (dependent upon experience)
Our offer to you
We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. You will receive:
- Competitive salary and pension scheme
- 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years
- Hybrid, Flexible working
- Cycle to work scheme Electric Vehicle Scheme
- Health and Wellbeing portal – access to financial, health and wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme
- Discounts – you will have access to Blue Light and NHS Discounts as well as discounts on mobile phones, gym membership, cinema tickets, restaurants, holidays and shopping
About Us
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,400 employees and over 28,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.
St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services (e.g. Ambulance response) and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them (e.g. our Volunteers and Community Advocates, and Young Responders programmes).
Job Summary
St John Ambulance is entering an exciting new chapter. As we launch our ambitious three-year strategy, our goal is clear: to grow the power of first aid by 2028 by teaching more people life-saving skills and delivering expert care when it matters most.
This is a pivotal opportunity to lead and shape our Corporate Partnerships function at a time of significant growth potential. You will drive new business activity, develop compelling funding propositions, and secure income-led, multi-year partnerships that deliver meaningful impact for both St John and our corporate partners.
Leading a team of three, you will set clear strategic direction, build a strong prospect pipeline, and drive sustainable income growth. You’ll also strengthen and expand existing partnerships, maximise cross-selling opportunities, and collaborate across the organisation to develop values-aligned partnerships that generate both income and brand value.
We’re looking for a confident, strategic partnership professional with a proven track record of identifying, securing and managing corporate partnerships of varying scale. You’ll bring excellent communication and presentation skills, commercial insight, and a proactive, collaborative approach. Passionate about impact, you’ll play a key role within our fundraising, brand and communications team helping to build a high-performing culture and deliver against ambitious financial targets while advancing our mission to put first aid at the heart of every community.
About You
You’re a strategic and commercially minded partnership professional with a proven track record of securing and growing high-value corporate partnerships. You know how to turn insight into compelling propositions and win new business that drives sustainable income growth.
You bring experience of leading or supporting teams to perform at their best, creating a culture of ambition, accountability and collaboration. Confident managing budgets and income targets, you use data and insight to inform decisions and maximise performance.
An excellent communicator and relationship builder, you’re comfortable influencing and pitching to senior stakeholders and negotiating win–win partnerships. Highly organised and self-motivated, you manage competing priorities effectively and understand fundraising best practice and regulatory requirements.
You lead with compassion and emotional intelligence, are open to feedback, and role model a values-driven approach aligned with our HEART values.
It would be great if you also have:
- Experience working within the charity sector
- Experience engaging senior leaders such as Directors, Trustees or CEOs
- A degree/L7 qualification (or equivalent experience)
- Up-to-date knowledge of corporate partnership and social impact trends
About the Role
- Provide strong, values-led leadership to build a high-performing Corporate Partnerships team, fostering collaboration, inclusivity, ambition and excellence.
- Set clear objectives, KPIs and development plans; support, motivate and hold the team accountable to deliver annual income targets.
- Develop and deliver an ambitious corporate partnerships strategy focused on securing high-value new business while retaining and growing existing partnerships.
- Build and oversee a well-researched, strategically aligned prospect pipeline to drive sustainable income growth.
- Lead the creation of compelling, creative and commercially driven partnership propositions, proposals and pitches.
- Collaborate across fundraising, brand, communications, operations, finance and regional teams to maximise partnership opportunities and ensure integrated delivery.
- Oversee budgeting, forecasting, income monitoring and performance reporting, using insight to inform strategy and manage risk.
- Ensure strong governance and compliance, including due diligence, accurate CRM data management, regulatory adherence and high-quality impact and financial reporting to funders and senior stakeholders.
Please see the job description for more detail (this can be viewed on our website or once you click apply)
If you are a current St John Ambulance employee, please apply here: Click here
For all other candidates, or St John Ambulance volunteers wishing to apply: please apply below
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive high volume of applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
St John Ambulance are committed to increasing the diversity of our team and making sure we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. At St John, everyone is valued and supported to thrive, we have several networks including Multi Culture, Disability and Accessibility, Pride, Family and Carers and Women’s groups. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and engender a sense of belonging for all, by creating an environment of mutual respect, where we value unique differences and demonstrate authentic allyship. We believe passionately in equality, diversity and inclusion.
St John Ambulance is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice. Therefore, all successful applicants will undergo pre-employment checks, including DBS Clearance, as part of the onboarding process, if applicable to the nature of the role
Please note: St John does not accept speculative CVs and will only review CVs sent in application for an advertised vacancy.
Thank you!
The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is a drug and alcohol education charity, founded by Fiona and Tim Spargo-Mabbs in 2014 in response to the death of their 16-year-old son Dan having taken ecstasy. The charity aims to support young people to make safer choices and reduce harm, through increasing their understanding of the effects and risks of drugs and alcohol, and improving their life skills & resilience. We work with young people, parents, teachers and professionals, in schools, colleges and communities across the UK.
We are looking for an enthusiastic communicator to join our team to coordinate our community and corporate fundraising activities. The Corporate and Community Fundraiser is a fixed term maternity leave cover – it is therefore a great opportunity if you have previous experience and would like to use this to make a big impact.
The Corporate and Community Fundraiser will be responsible for raising money from the community and local/national organisations at our small but always rapidly growing and highly motivated charity. A key aspect of your role will be building relationships and using your story-telling skills with new and existing contacts, inspiring them to donate or help raise funds for the Foundation.
The role will have three key areas of responsibility:
Community fundraising – you will build on our well-established and growing group of regular donors and supporters to maximise donor income and engagement; instigating and managing a portfolio of fundraising activities that resonate with both existing and new supporters.
Corporate fundraising – you will manage and develop our existing relationships with companies and organisations to maximise potential partnerships and income; formulating and implementing a plan to raise the profile of the Foundation to build new relationships, both locally and nationally.
Communication – you will capture and develop stories about our work for use with fundraising, relationship building and reporting, contributing to regular newsletters, website updates and social media posts.
We are a small but committed team – we work hard and often juggle a wide range of concurrent projects as our work continues to develop. We are kind, we laugh often, and we like eating cake.
If you enjoy building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, and share our passion for supporting young people to make safer choices about drugs, alongside being very organised, with strong attention to detail and confident IT skills, we’d love to hear from you.
If you’re excited about this role but your experience is mainly in community fundraising, we’d still love to hear from you. For the right candidate, we’re open to shaping the role around your strengths and could consider reducing the 0.6 FTE to reflect an adapted remit. If you’d like an informal conversation about how this could work in practice, please email Caz Heath using the contact details in the 'How to apply' section.
Benefits:
- Flexible working (predominantly office-based but with some working from home)
- Pension scheme
- Opportunity to contribute to our amazing work
To apply please see the job description and application form below.
Application deadline – 12th April 2026
Interviews – w.b. 20th April 2026
# fundraising # fundraiser # community # corporate # flexible # partnerships
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