Policy project officer jobs in Edinburgh
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Degrees
The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of the Global South to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM) geoengineering, a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that the Global South should be empowered to conduct its own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. The initiative has been working in different forms for fifteen years, and our work receives worldwide coverage and widespread acclaim.
We seek a Fundraising / Development Manager to manage relationships with our existing funders and to help bring in new donors and partners to diversify our funding base. This position offers a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to increase the capacity of a field-leading charity, help empower the Global South, and contribute to one of the world’s most important climate-change debates. If you are an ambitious, relationship-driven fundraising leader with an interest in climate policy, science or global development, this is an opportunity to step into a role with purpose, international influence, and real impact.
The charity is rapidly scaling up, recently doubling its annual budget to £6 million. Degrees has partnered with leading climate change funders and research partners including the Quadrature Climate Foundation, Open Philanthropy, Crankstart, Navigation Fund, Outlier Projects, LAD Climate Fund and UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). Transparency of funding is essential to our work. We do not accept support from anonymous donors or funding from the fossil fuel industry.
Role
We now seek a full-time team member to build on this base. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and working closely with the Founder & CEO and the Chair of the Trustees, the Fundraising / Development Manager will support and coordinate fundraising efforts aimed at securing multi‑year, diversified funding. He / she will also introduce robust processes for pipeline management and donor stewardship, and will support and coordinate the complete donor lifecycle (from identification to cultivation to solicitation and stewardship) of a portfolio of top prospects. The post holder will receive initial onboarding support from the Senior Philanthropy Advisor. As fundraising grows, the team may expand in the future.
Initial priorities include expansion beyond the current donor pool, with a strong push to engage new funders, and putting in place the systems (CRM, reporting cadence, key performance indicators) to support growth at scale.
As this is a new role, responsibilities are expected to evolve but some key items will include:
Strategy & planning
- Work with the CEO, COO, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, the Chair of the Trustees, and other senior staff to support the development and implementation of a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organisational objectives;
Pipeline development & new opportunities
- Maintain and coordinate the fundraising pipeline, supporting the fundraising activities of senior staff and the Chair;
- Support the identification and development of new funding opportunities from trusts and foundations, government funders, and multilateral donors in the development and climate sectors on an ongoing basis;
- Reach out to networks of climate philanthropy advisors for referrals;
- Manage contact with funding opportunities;
Grant writing
- Draft and coordinate the preparation and submission of grant proposals;
Donor stewardship & reporting
- Maintain excellent relations with existing funders by keeping them informed on charity and sector updates, inviting them to events, and ensuring the delivery of annual reports and notices;
- Ensure and manage ongoing reporting;
Events & engagement
- Working with the Events Manager, help design and deliver fundraising events for existing and potential funders, particularly in the UK and US;
- Manage invitation lists, track attendance and ensure bespoke follow-up to attendees;
- Assist in the design of events that will inspire and engage funders while involving Southern experts in the Degrees research community;
- Coordinate all fundraising outreach and related programming for the Degrees Global Forum (a conference to be held in 2027);
Processes, systems & administration
- Support the development and implementation of structured processes across the entire fundraising and donor lifecycle;
- Develop and track KPIs, providing regular reports to senior staff and the Trustees;
- Be responsible for fundraising data, contacts and administrative records.
Qualifications
Essential
- At least ten years’ experience in fundraising or transferrable relevant experience;
- Track record of helping secure six- and seven-figure grants income from foundations, major individual donors, and/or public agencies;
- Strong organisational and project management skills;
- Experience and comfort with Microsoft 365, fundraising CRMs and other common software tools;
- Experience organising events;
- Ability to write clearly and communicate effectively in English with a keen attention to detail;
- Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills, including an ability to work with people of all levels and backgrounds;
- Experience creating and maintaining fundraising processes;
- Ability to adapt and remain comfortable in a dynamic, remote start-up environment in a small organisation;
- Ability to travel internationally;
- Legal right to work in the UK.
Desired
- Experience successfully fundraising from climate donors;
- Experience with a strong network of international funders;
- Experience building and scaling a fundraising effort;
- Experience supervising staff (as we expect the team to grow in future);
- Tech savvy and eager to work with new software solutions;
- Knowledge of climate science, policy and SRM.
Benefits of working at Degrees
- You will join a growing and dynamic charity operating at the intersection of climate change and global development.
- You will have the opportunity to contribute to a potentially high-impact issue by helping shape global conversations on climate science, empowering researchers in the Global South, and collaborating with some of the world’s leading SRM experts.
- The role is fully remote, allowing you to live anywhere within the United Kingdom. The charity has no central office and offers each employee up to £250 per month (including VAT) to cover co-working space costs. The team meets face-to-face at quarterly ‘awaydays’ in the UK, which are organised and paid for by the charity.
- Degrees provides an 8% employer pension contribution with no required employee contribution, which is generous by the standards of the UK third sector.
- The role includes opportunities for international travel.
- You will receive 36 days of annual leave per year, including UK public holidays.
- Personal development budget of £1,000 per year.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
A dynamic charity working on climate change and global development
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Description:
We are seeking a Health and Science Information Manager to lead the development of highquality health information and research communications for people affected by polycystic kidney disease (PKD). This is an exciting opportunity to shape how individuals access, understand and engage with trusted information throughout their journey, from diagnosis and day-to-day management, to the latest scientific and clinical research developments. In this role, you will oversee our extensive portfolio of patient information resources, ensuring all content is accurate, accessible, evidence-based and aligned with the PIF TICK quality standard. You will identify opportunities to create new and engaging resources that meet the evolving needs of the PKD community, using innovative approaches to improve how information is delivered across multiple channels. A key part of the role will be translating complex scientific and medical research into clear, compelling and patient-friendly content. You will help increase awareness of clinical research opportunities, communicate emerging developments in PKD science, and support greater understanding of how research can shape future treatments and care. We are looking for someone with strong strategic thinking, excellent editorial judgement, and the ability to communicate complex health and scientific information with clarity and empathy. This role would suit someone passionate about improving lives through trusted health information while helping connect people to the future of PKD research.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Health information management and quality:
• Support the development and management of the PKD Charity’s health information portfolio across digital and print platforms
• Ensure all content meets PIF TICK standards, including robust processes for development, review, updating and governance
• Maintain oversight of the full information catalogue, ensuring content is accurate, consistent and aligned with current clinical guidance
• Work with clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience to co-produce and review content Content development and user need
Content development and user need:
• Identify gaps in current provision and lead the development of new information resources
• Ensure content is clear, accessible, inclusive, and tailored to the needs of different audiences
• Use patient insight, feedback and data to continuously improve the quality and usability of information Innovation in information deliver.
Research and science communication:
• Explore new ways of delivering information beyond written formats (e.g. video, audio, webinars, digital tools)
• Improve how information is presented and accessed across the website and other platforms
• Stay up to date with best practice in health information and digital engagement Research and science communication
• Monitor developments in PKD research, treatments, and clinical trials
• Translate complex scientific and medical information into clear, engaging, and accurate content for non-specialist audiences
• Work with the Communications Manager and wider colleagues to plan integrated campaigns, awareness activity and audience engagement.
• Develop compelling stories, updates and features that bring research to life and show its relevance to people affected by PKD.
• Work with colleagues to increase awareness, understanding and interest in PKD research.
Building engagement with research:
• Help create a culture of interest and engagement in research across the PKD community
• Develop content that builds understanding of how research works and why it matters
• Support communication around studies and clinical trials to ensure patients feel informed.
Collaboration and stakeholder engagement
• Work collaboratively across the organisation to ensure consistency and alignment in messaging
• Build relationships with healthcare professionals, researchers, and external partners
• Involve patients and volunteers meaningfully in content development and review
Quality, monitoring and impact:
• Monitor the reach and effectiveness of health information and research communications
• Maintain accurate records of content review cycles and updates in line with PIF requirements
• Use insight and evaluation to continuously improve content and delivery
ABOUT YOU:
• Strong Content and Editorial Skills: You have experience producing high-quality written content, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to present complex topics clearly and accurately.
• Health or Science Communicator: You have experience working with health, medical or scientific information and can translate technical material into accessible language for public audiences.
• Collaborative Relationship Builder: You work well with others, build positive working relationships quickly, and enjoy partnering with colleagues across different functions to achieve shared goals.
• Confident Team Player: You are comfortable working closely with colleagues such as communications, fundraising, support and leadership teams, contributing ideas and supporting collective priorities.
• Strategic and Proactive: You can see the bigger picture, identify opportunities for improvement and take initiative to drive projects forward.
• Organised and Self-Motivated: You are comfortable managing your own workload, balancing priorities and delivering high-quality work in a remote setting.
• Values-Driven: You are motivated by improving lives, empowering patients with trusted information and supporting progress in PKD research.
HOW TO APPLY:
For information on how to apply, please read the job pack for further details.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance
Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) exists so nobody in Scotland suffers or dies because medical help cannot get there in time. People can get sick or have accidents anywhere and anytime. But in Scotland there are places where urgent medical help cannot reach people. Or help gets there too late. And when lives are at risk every minute matters. As a charity we rely on donations from the Scottish public, companies and communities to ensure that urgent medical help gets to the patient when it is needed, wherever they are and at whatever time of day.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced fundraising professional to join us as Head of Fundraising. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our fundraising strategy across community, events and volunteering, trusts and grants, corporate and philanthropy by crafting ambitious regional plans, nurturing high-performing teams, and driving excellence in supporter engagement and recognition. The Head of Fundraising will work collaboratively with the Individual Giving and Engagement team to drive new business pipelining and amplify fundraising campaigns, develop new fundraising products, and represent SCAA at external events and sector initiatives.
The ideal candidate will be an experienced team leader with significant experience working across a variety of fundraising disciplines and of developing and implementing fundraising strategies.
The successful candidate can be based from home, but this role will require regular travel to our bases at Perth and Aberdeen Airports and throughout Scotland. The usual hours and days of work will be Monday to Friday, 9am—5pm.
About You
Essential
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Strong background in a variety of fundraising disciplines and a track record in growing fundraising income over multiple years within a charity, non-profit or values-led organisation.
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Experience of developing and implementing fundraising strategies aligned to organisational objectives.
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Experienced team leader who can motivate, inspire and guide others to deliver results.
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Strong understanding of data protection (GDPR), confidentiality and safeguarding requirements.
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Strong knowledge of Scottish charity regulations, governance and compliance requirements.
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Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, financial processes, and procurement.
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Experience delivering community fundraising products and scaling ideas that support donor acquisition and retention.
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Ability to use insight and ambition to shape pipeline and stewardship planning.
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Understanding of CRM systems.
Desirable
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Ability to deliver training to staff or volunteers on processes or systems.
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Experience of community, events, volunteering and partnerships and philanthropy fundraising.
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Experience of working with Boards or Trustees in a fundraising context.
Our Benefits
- Pension: 12% employer’s & 5% employee’s contribution (after 3 months’ service)
- Annual Leave: 36 days (incl. public holidays) + an extra day for your birthday (and additional days with long service)
- Death in Service benefit: 3 times annual salary
- Optional Private Medical Insurance plan and Cashplan
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Enhanced Maternity/Adoption/Paternity Pay
- Access to Blue Light Card
- Learning and Development Opportunities
Selection Process
First interviews will take place at our base at Perth Airport in Scone during the week commencing 25th May. Second stage interviews will be held at our Perth base the week commencing 1st June.
How to apply
Please refer to the full job pack on our website.
Application deadline is 5pm on Sunday 10th May 2026.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
To ensure no one in Scotland dies because help cannot get there in time.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.