Senior business development officer jobs in Birmingham

James’ Place, Community Fundraising and Engagement Executive
Job Title: Community Fundraising and Engagement Executive – West Midlands
Salary: £24,160 per annum (£30,200 FTE)
Hours: 0.8FTE, 30 hours per week (flexible over 5 days – to be discussed with successful candidate). There may be occasions when evening or weekend availability is needed.
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Hybrid – based 2/3 days per week in our Birmingham centre 
Reports to: Fundraising Manager Community

THE CHARITY 
Suicide is the leading cause of death of men under 35 and three quarters of those who die by suicide are men. James’ Place exists to save the lives of men in suicidal crisis through delivering clinical services. We are a charity currently offering free, life-saving therapy to suicidal men at our centres in Liverpool, London, Newcastle and Birmingham.
James’ Place was set up by Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley in 2008 after their twenty-one-year-old son, James, died by suicide ten days after a minor operation. James had no history of mental illness or depression and had sought urgent help for anxiety and suicidal thoughts but didn’t find it.   
James' Place was set up to make the experience of finding help as easy as possible. We offer men who are experiencing a suicidal crisis a brief, intensive, therapeutic intervention in a safe environment. Men who walk through the door at James’ Place will be in a space where they feel valued and respected. We provide a calm and peaceful environment both inside the centres and in our outside spaces, accessible to men who visit us as well as their friends and families. We have so far treated over 5,100 men who might otherwise have been unable to access the support they desperately need.

THE OPPORTUNITY
This is a new role designed to raise and facilitate fundraising for James’ Place Birmingham and to grow community and voluntary sector relationships across the region to raise awareness of James’ Place to drive referrals to our Birmingham centre.
As part of the Fundraising team, you will take a leading role in building strong networks across Birmingham and the West Midlands, helping to establish our centre as a sustainable source of life-saving support for men in suicidal crisis.
The postholder will spend 50% of their time working collaboratively and taking responsibility for establishing fundraising activity across the West Midlands with appropriate support from centre staff and fundraising colleagues, the Head of Fundraising and Communications, Director of Fundraising and External Affairs and the Chief Executive and Trustees. They will spend 40% of their time building community-based relationships with the aim of raising awareness to drive referrals to the centre, working closely with the Head of Centre Birmingham and the Centre Manager in Birmingham to do so. It is recognised that this will vary week to week depending on the current needs of the organisations.
This opportunity is ideal for an ambitious individual eager to grow their skills and career while helping to secure the funding and relationships needed to achieve the charity’s long-term goals. 
Direct Fundraising Work 50%

• Develop and grow a network of local donors (including HNWI, corporates, community fundraisers as well as Trusts and Foundations), volunteer supporters and influencers across the West Midlands with a view to increasing the fundraising reach of the organisation.
• Steward existing donors volunteers and prospects to secure long-term multi-year support.
• Support community engagement and attend fundraising events to help achieve the organisation’s fundraising ambitions.
• Identify regional funding opportunities and support with the preparation and submission of grant applications and funding proposals.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams across fundraising, communications, events, and clinical teams to maximise opportunities.

Direct Outreach Work 40%

• Support Heads of Centre to identify and engage with a range of partner organisations across Birmingham and the West Midlands, helping to raise awareness of the charity’s work.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with local statutory, voluntary, and community sector organisations, acting as a professional and approachable representative of the charity.
• Assist with partnership activity, including attending meetings, forums, and events, to share information about services and strengthen local connections.
• Help to coordinate partnership communications and ensure relevant information about the charity’s work is shared clearly and consistently with external partners.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to support joined-up approaches to partnership and engagement activity.
• Identify and feedback opportunities for partnership working that could support fundraising, community engagement, and service awareness.

Administration 10%

• Ensure all fundraising activities are delivered to a high standard ensuring compliance with fundraising regulations and best practice guidelines.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records on the CRM database.
• Work collaboratively with both clinical and non-fundraising colleagues within the Birmingham centre and across the organisation, building their confidence and capability in fundraising activities.
• Ensure all fundraising activities are delivered to a high standard, meeting regulatory and ethical requirements.

Working in the Wider Charity

• Represent James’ Place with professionalism, respect, and confidence at all times.
• Participate in review and evaluation processes to support the ongoing development, effectiveness, and sustainability of James’ Place as a respected charity.
• Undertake any additional duties as required to support the successful delivery of the organisation’s business plan.

Values

• Demonstrate commitment to the James’ Place values of Focus, Bravery, Respect, Compassion, Professionalism, Collaboration and Hope through all aspects of work

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential

• Proven experience of fundraising in the charity sector, with a track record of achieving results in at least two of the following income streams: Community fundraising, Corporate partnerships, events, major gift fundraising from High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and Trusts and Foundations.
• Strong understanding of donor motivations and what drives charitable giving across different audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft persuasive messages and build rapport.
• Confidence and professionalism in engaging and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and partners.
• Excellent time management skills
• Practical, resilient, and flexible, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Innovative thinker, open to exploring new ideas and approaches to fundraising.
• Collaborative and solution-focused, able to work constructively with others to overcome challenges.
• A team player, willing to support colleagues and take on additional responsibilities when required.
• Capable of working on difficult and sensitive issues, demonstrating kindness, integrity, and emotional resilience, and seeking or offering help when needed.

Desirable

• Experience using CRM databases (e.g. Salesforce)
• Understanding of, and interest in, mental health and suicide prevention.

WE OFFER

• A 7% employer contributory pension scheme.
• Family friendly policies.
• Death in service insurance scheme.
• 25 days plus bank holidays leave entitlement (FTE), including enhanced holiday allowance with incremental rises after qualifying period. 

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please use the online application system to submit your CV detailing your experience, roles and responsibilities, and answer the screening questions.
If you have any queries or experience challenges with the application process, please email [email protected]

Closing date: 9am on Monday 22nd June 2026
Interviews are expected to be held online on 7th July 2026

Here at James' Place, we want you to feel comfortable in sharing your authentic selves and personal experiences, so we ask that you do not submit an application that has been formulated by AI. You may wish to use AI to support with structural aspects such as grammar and formatting, however your application must reflect your own genuine experiences, critical thinking and creativity.
James’ Place is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. Our aim is that no job applicant, temporary worker or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender and transgender status, race and ethnicity, religion and belief (including no belief), marriage or civil partnership status or sexual orientation.
If you have a disability or health conditions which means you'd benefit from any adjustments to the interview process to help you perform at your best, please do let us know in advance.
Any job offers made are subject to the receipt of two relevant satisfactory employment references. We expect this to include one from your most recent or current employer. Any job offers made are also subject to a satisfactory DBS check and a Right to Work in the UK check.

REF-229 053

• 37 hours per week
• £40,000 – £42,000 per annum plus 6% pension contribution
• Remote

Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) is the national campaigns and membership body for a network of independent, community-based Rape Crisis Centres working to end child sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence.

The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is a national service led by Rape Crisis England & Wales and funded by the Ministry of Justice.

We are looking for a values-led professional with strong digital project skills and a deep commitment to survivor-centred, high-quality services.

Job Summary

As the Digital Project & Product Lead for the 247 Support Line, you will lead the transformation and continuous improvement of the organisation’s digital support line infrastructure, ensuring the technology and processes that underpin survivor support are effective, resilient, and user centred.

This role sits at the intersection of project delivery, product management, and a genuine commitment to the survivors RCEW serves. The right candidate will understand that technology is only as good as the humans who use it and will bring both rigour and empathy to everything they do.

You will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery which, includes defining the product requirements, technology evaluation, procurement, implementation, onboarding, and ongoing optimisation. Working closely with operational teams, suppliers, and stakeholders, you will ensure that our support line products enable support workers to deliver high-quality, accessible services.

Key Responsibilities

 Programme Delivery

· Own and drive the support centre improvement programme from procurement through to live operation, ensuring delivery on time and within budget

· Manage supplier relationships, coordinate and input into the evaluation of bids, and identify, track, and mitigate risks throughout the programme

· Maintain clear, accessible project documentation and provide regular progress updates to senior stakeholders

· Coordinate across internal teams (services, technology, legal, finance) and external partners to keep work aligned and moving

Product & Solution Ownership

· Act as product owner for the support centre platform: defining requirements which meet the needs of support workers and service users

·  As part of a team you’ll evaluate technology options against a set of agreed criteria, with a focus on fitness for purpose, data security and value for money

·  Oversee the bespoke configuration of the chosen platform, working closely with the supplier

· Collaborate with the Head of Service to and I.T Lead to onboard and train the team, ensuring support line workers feel confident and prepared from day one

· Following go-live, take responsibility for the continued health and development of the support centre platform and identify improvement opportunities

·  Champion best practice in digital service design and products across the organisation, building internal capability over time

Information Governance & Data Protection

· Work closely with RCEW's Data Protection Officer and Senior leadership to ensure all aspects of the programme comply with relevant data legislation

Person Specification*

· A proven track record of successfully delivering digital or technology projects on time and within budget

· Able to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities

·  Ability to assess complex situations, identify blockers, and develop pragmatic solutions

· Ability to gather and translate user needs into product requirements; comfortable working with service design principles and working iteratively to develop or improve digital products

·  Experience and understanding of contact centre software, CRM, and/or case management platforms

·  Proven ability to work across diverse teams and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences

·  Thorough knowledge of UK GDPR and able to handle highly sensitive personal data and engage with difficult subject matter with care and professionalism

· A team player who builds trust quickly and works effectively across organisational boundaries

· Self-starter who can work autonomously, flag problems early, and drive work forward without constant direction

· A genuine commitment to RCEW's mission to end sexual violence and support survivors

Personal Attributes

We are looking for a skilled and versatile digital professional who combines strong delivery skills with product thinking. You do not need to be a technical expert, but you do need to be confident working with technology suppliers, communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and making sound decisions under pressure.

Above all, we are looking for someone who understands the importance of the work RCEW does and has a strong track record of delivering digital projects effectively.

Success in the role of Digital Project & Product Lead for the Support Line is determined by the ability to lead and coordinate the successful delivery of digital projects that enhance the effectiveness, resilience, and user experience of the national 24/7 Support Line. Working collaboratively with suppliers, internal teams, operational colleagues, and key stakeholders, the role will ensure that digital solutions are implemented safely, on time, and in line with service requirements.

Key measures of success include:

• Strong supplier engagement and stakeholder collaboration result in agreed solution designs that meet the operational needs of the Support Line.
• A robust project plan is developed and managed in partnership with suppliers, with key milestones achieved within agreed timescales.
• Virtual Contact Centre (VCC) upgrades are configured and delivered in accordance with agreed specifications, supporting improved service delivery and performance.
• Integration testing with existing systems is completed successfully, with issues identified, resolved, and signed off before implementation.
• Operating procedures, user guidance, and supporting documentation are developed or updated to reflect new processes and system functionality.
• Comprehensive training materials are produced, enabling Support Line staff and delivery partners to effectively use new systems and features.
• Training is delivered to relevant colleagues and stakeholders, ensuring operational readiness and confidence ahead of implementation.
• A structured Go Live readiness review confirms that technical, operational, governance, and business readiness criteria have been met before deployment.
• The VCC upgrades are launched successfully with minimal disruption to Support Line operations, supported by effective implementation planning, monitoring, and post-launch issue resolution to maximise adoption and service benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit a CV and a covering letter (no more than two pages) explaining why you are interested in this role and how your experience meets the person specification.

RCEW is committed to equal opportunities and actively encourages applications from people with lived experience of sexual violence, and from people from communities which are under-represented in our workforce, including Black and minoritised communities, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ people.

All roles at RCEW are subject to an enhanced DBS check. The post-holder will have access to sensitive data relating to survivors of sexual violence and must demonstrate the highest standards of discretion and data security.

Eligibility

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Evidence of this will be required prior to appointment.

Additional Information

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Due to the volume of applications received, only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.