Royal foundation jobs

Join our team and help deliver real-world change

We stand at a defining moment. Climate change, inequity, and health challenges demand action. This isn't the first time Manchester has risen to the moment, and now we are ready to do it again.

At the end of 2025 we launched our first ever fundraising and volunteering campaign, “ Challenge Accepted”. We're uniting alumni, donors, staff, students and civic, industry and community partners to tackle the world's toughest challenges and transform lives locally and globally.

We are building an exceptional team of people to champion bold thinking that is rooted in impact.

Will you accept the challenge?

Manchester individuals are recognised for embracing shared values such as integrity, courage, ambition, and collaboration. Our community is strengthened by a pioneering outlook and a collective determination to drive positive change. We welcome people of all backgrounds who demonstrate resilience, optimism, and a genuine commitment to fostering a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable world. If you share these qualities, we warmly encourage you to get in touch with us.

This is a fixed term position for 3 years.

Details of the Role

Reporting to the Head of Principal Gifts, the Philanthropy Manager (Principal Gifts) will operate at the higher end of donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship to secure significant support (six and seven figure gifts) in support of the University’s key priorities.

As an exceptional fundraiser, you will be responsible for managing a portfolio of relationships with alumni and significant philanthropists, to secure gifts for bold, impactful projects and programmes across the University. You will proactively build the pipeline, demonstrating a creative approach to reach potential new donors in the UK and globally.

We seek individuals with success in securing significant philanthropic gifts in the Higher Education, Voluntary or Cultural Sector or proven transferable skills. You will have experience of working within a team whilst working towards personal targets. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are results orientated, persuasive and have exceptional negotiation skills.

Fundraising at The University of Manchester

As a member of the University's fundraising team, you’ll have access to a robust support structure that enables you to do your very best work. This includes regular training and development opportunities; access to detailed reports, data, and management information to guide and inform your fundraising; an expert team of Operations and Prospect Research colleagues supporting your work; and the full engagement of senior University leadership. As part of an experienced and supportive network of fundraisers, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to collaborate and share best practice. You’ll also have access to a whole host of learning and development opportunities to help you develop core skills like personal effectiveness, leadership, and management.

Manchester Mindset

Our approach to fundraising is driven by our values of being collaborative, bold and ambitious – and approaching our work with integrity. These values underpin the Manchester Mindset: our framework for fundraising success, authored by and for our fundraising team.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons and all appointments will be made on merit. As we are committed to the principles of the Race Equality Charter Mark, we would particularly welcome applications from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community who are currently under-represented at this level in this area. 

What you will get in return:

• Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
• Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
• Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
• Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here

Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.

Please be aware that due to the number of applications we are unfortunately not able to provide individual feedback on your application.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Any CV’s submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

Location: MSSC, National Support Centre (NSC), 200B Lambeth Road, London, SE1 7JY (Hybrid Working)

Contract: Full time, permanent

Salary: £40,000 to £42,000 gross er annum, depending on experience

Closing Date: Monday 6 April 2026

Assessment Day: Monday 13 April 2026 at NSC

Are you looking for a new opportunity supporting volunteers to give their best?

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is a vibrant and growing charity delivering life changing nautical adventure for young people through the Sea Cadets to give them the best possible head start in life. We also provide personal and professional development opportunities for seafarers with the Marine Society. Working with our staff, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a vision and five-year strategy to take us forward and further improve the astounding contribution already made through our work to the lives of thousands of young people and seafarers, while fully supporting our volunteers who are vital to our success.

We are seeking a Volunteer Support & Systems Manager to lead the development and maintenance of automated workflows used within the Volunteer Support Team.

The role is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the Volunteer Support function including overseeing the day-to-day administration of key volunteer processes. The postholder will also line manage the Volunteer Support Officers who act as the first point of contact to volunteers in assisting with these processes and wider administration.

About the role

The purpose of the Volunteer Support & Systems Manager is to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the Volunteer Support function by ensuring that automated workflows are well maintained and continuously improved. This includes the onboarding process for new volunteers, management of mandatory training requirements of existing volunteers and volunteer record management through processing promotions transfers and leavers. The role also provides effective line management to a team of Volunteer Support Officers, supporting them to deliver a high quality of administrative support to volunteers to assist them with these processes.

Responsibilities

• To oversee the efficient operation, maintenance and continuous improvement of all Volunteer Support automated workflows
• To develop clear and effective guidance, to help volunteers access and use the various Volunteer Support digital systems
• To line manage and support the Volunteer Support Team based at the MSSC Support Centre, empowering the team to deliver effective and consistent support to volunteers
• To functionally manage and support the Area Volunteer Support Team based across the 6 Area Offices, empowering them to deliver effective and consistent support to volunteers
• To manage the “Safer Recruitment” and adverse disclosure process for volunteers, in line with MSSC policy, ensuring that criminal records checks are dealt with in a timely and appropriate manner
• To work with the Head of Volunteering to review MSSC volunteering policies, monitoring their appropriateness and effectiveness, making recommendations for changes as necessary
• To support the Head of Volunteering with the successful implementation of MSSC’s volunteer strategy and other national tasks
• To work with Volunteer Support Officers to develop systems and processes for managing the Volunteer Support workload and monitoring delivery standards
• To work closely with other stakeholders, maintaining excellent working relationships across departments to ensure consistency and best practice for our volunteers.

Requirements

• Experience of leading the development and maintenance of digital volunteer management/ communication systems
• Experience of creating and maintaining complex automated workflows
• Experience of overseeing the administrative functions of a CRM system
• Experience of implementing, managing reviewing and refining administrative processes
• Experience of delivering a first-class service to clients or customers
• Experience developing processes which are targeted at both internal and external audiences
• Experience of managing or supervising a large team
• Experience of leading projects manging change with various stakeholders

Desirable

• Experience of managing or supervising a team based remotely
• Experience of using Microsoft Forms and Power Automate or similar systems
• Experience of managing an onboarding process, ideally of volunteers, with the understanding of the importance of safer recruitment
• A strong understanding of the voluntary and community sector, ideally within the youth sector
• Experience of working with volunteers and the knowledge of how to ensure they are supported
• Experience of empowering a team to deliver a first-class customer service
• Experience in managing challenging emails, calls and situations with volunteers professionally, using sound judgement and clear communication

For further information, please download the . If you are interested in this role, please apply now!

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave per annum, increasing with length of service
• Hybrid working for many roles
• Volunteering Leave
• Life assurance (4x salary)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
• Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
• Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.

Additional Information

MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.

We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire. 

All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.

Head of Principal Gifts
Employer: University of Manchester
Salary: £59,966 to £71,566, depending on experience with scope to go beyond for an exceptional candidate
Location: Hybrid working, Manchester

We are looking for our new Head of Principal Gifts to work with our highest level of donors, securing principal gifts in support of the University of Manchester's key priorities - gifts that are truly transformational and enable us to tackle some of the world's greatest challenges.

We're taking our big gift fundraising to the next level with the launch of a dedicated Principal Gifts programme, and we're looking for someone to play a key role in shaping that transformation, building deep, lasting relationships with top-level donors in the UK and internationally.

With our inspirational new strategy in place and our first-ever university-wide philanthropic campaign, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, launched in November 2025, this is a pivotal moment for Manchester and for your career.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, Principal Gifts, you'll be joining a brilliant, values-driven team with a fantastic pipeline of prospects, strong existing relationships, and academics who are fully engaged in what we're building together.

Great things happen at The University of Manchester every day - from finding new treatments for cancer and discovering wonder materials like Nobel Prize-winning graphene, to providing life-changing scholarships and influencing government policy to help the world's poorest people. This is the work your fundraising will make possible.

If you're a major gifts or big gift fundraiser ready to make your mark at a world-renowned institution and take that next career-defining step, we'd love to hear from you.

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 20 April 2026

Interested?

Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.

The University of Manchester is partnering with Constellate Global Talent on this search. No agencies please.

Team Leader - Carer Peer Support (Adult Mental Health)

£34,101 FTE, pro rata 28 hours per week, great benefits!

We are looking for someone to join our local, independent Carer-led charity, someone who has their own personal story of caring, able to use that lived experience as well as their professional skills and knowledge to help others. The postholder will collaborate extensively with our funding partner, South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, as well as other charity delivery partners to improve the identification of, and support for, unpaid family and friend Carers of adults with mental health needs. The work may also involve identifying children and young people in caring roles and brokering access to our Young Carers Support team.

As well as leading a small, part-time team of Carer Peer Support Workers, you will work alongside them, providing front-line, individual and group dedicated support (practical, social and clinical interventions). As well as coordinating services to assist Carers with their own wellbeing needs, you will enable Carers to provide well-informed care for their friends and family. You also will be our representative for the MH Trusts’ Triangle of Care Steering Group.