Senior philanthropy officer jobs

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.

Harris Hill is delighted to be supporting Muslim Aid in their search for a Head of Income Generation & Marketing, a pivotal leadership role at the heart of a respected international charity.

Muslim Aid is a faith-based humanitarian organisation working to support communities affected by poverty, conflict and natural disasters. With a strong heritage and global reach, they are now looking for an ambitious and strategic leader to drive forward their income and marketing strategy and help shape the next phase of growth.

About the role

London (Hybrid – 3 days office)
£55,620 – £59,000

This is a senior leadership position, reporting directly to the CEO and sitting as part of the Leadership Team.

The role will lead and deliver an ambitious income generation and marketing strategy, with a strong focus on growing unrestricted income and diversifying revenue streams across digital, philanthropy, corporate partnerships and community fundraising.

You will oversee a broad and talented team spanning digital, supporter engagement, partnerships and campaigns, providing both strategic direction and hands-on leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and deliver a cross-organisational income generation and marketing strategy
• Grow and diversify income across digital, corporate, and high-value audiences
• Drive innovation in digital fundraising and supporter engagement
• Strengthen brand, profile and communications across all channels
• Use data and insight to optimise performance and maximise ROI
• Lead, inspire and develop a high-performing team
• Play a key role in organisational strategy and leadership

You will bring:

• Significant senior-level experience within a charity/INGO environment
• A strong track record of growing income across multiple streams
• Experience developing and delivering fundraising and marketing strategies
• Proven leadership and team development experience
• Confidence working with data, digital channels and performance insights
• The ability to build strong relationships internally and externally

A background across areas such as individual giving, major donors, corporate partnerships or digital fundraising would be highly valuable.

Genuine Occupational Requirement

Due to the nature of this role and the organisation’s faith-based context, there is a Genuine Occupational Requirement for the postholder to be a practising Muslim, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Application process

• Closing date: 22nd April (9am)
• Shortlisting: 23rd April
• First interviews: Week commencing 27th April
• Final interviews: Week commencing 4th May

To apply, please send your CV and a supporting statement (max 2 pages) outlining your suitability for the role.

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp™, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.

The Wave Project is an innovative, expanding and award-winning charity that uses surf therapy and the healing powers of the ocean to help children overcome trauma and mental health challenges. The Wave Project transforms young lives - in 2025 we supported more than 2,600 surfers through our Surf Therapy, Surf Club and Adaptive surfing programmes.

The charity, with headquarters in Newquay (Cornwall), was founded in 2010 and has expanded to become the UK’s leading ‘surf therapy’ charity. We now employ nearly 35 staff at 16 sites around the UK, and have nearly 1,400 amazing volunteers.

Contributing to our impact doesn’t just happen on the beach and in the sea. This role is a great opportunity to use your skills, experience and passion to help transform young lives. We are a small but highly driven and creative team who are making a genuine difference in the lives of children and young people. We are strongly values-led:

Care, Safe, Brave, Integrity, Inclusive, Impactful, Thrive

We take our Safeguarding responsibilities seriously. All our volunteers and staff team work hard to ensure that everybody who comes into contact with The Wave Project is safe. Before applying for any of our roles, please have a look through our Safeguarding policy, especially our code of conduct, to ensure you are the right fit for our organisation.

Please read the recruitment pack on our website for more information. 

This is an exciting opportunity to direct our grant awarding as Programmes Director, 37.5 hours per week, based in Cornwall and able to work from CCF’s office in Bodmin at least two days a week.

Salary: £42,000-£45,000 per annum depending on experience

The Programmes Director is a key role within Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) and is responsible for leading the development and management of CCF’s grant making programmes and measuring our impact.

At the Cornwall Community Foundation, we believe in a positive life in Cornwall for all, free from poverty and social isolation. Our aim is to change people’s lives for the better by helping local communities.

If you have previous knowledge of the voluntary sector, particularly in Cornwall, and are looking for a wide variety of responsibilities working to tight deadlines, we want to hear from you. We offer a friendly environment to work in and you'll be joining a team who really are making a difference in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Please download the application pack from the Cornwall Communitty Foundation website.

To apply for this post please send your CV and covering letter. (Incomplete applications will not be considered). CCF are committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion across our funding portfolio and staff team. We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as LGBTQ+, those with disabilities, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and/or those from racialised communities.

Closing date 11 May 2026.

Location: North Weald or Earls Colne 
 Contract type: Permanent  
 Salary: £60,000 - £65,000 
 Hours: Full Time - 37.5 hours per week  

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, unlike NHS emergency services, is a charity. The free life-saving service is provided 24/7 by helicopters and by rapid response vehicles.  

Each critical care team consists of a pilot and co-pilot, a pre-hospital care doctor and a critical care paramedic.  

They can be rushed to the scene with life-saving support equipment to deliver advanced clinical care, usually only available in the hospital emergency department.  

Once stabilised, the patient will be conveyed to the most appropriate hospital by air or land.  

Without access to National Lottery funding and with only limited support from Government, we rely upon the generosity and goodwill of the people and businesses of Essex and Hertfordshire to remain operational and keep saving lives…we can’t fly without you!  

Job purpose:  
The Head of Marketing and Communications plays a pivotal strategic role in shaping, and delivering compelling brand, marketing and communications strategies that deepen audience engagement and support Essex & Herts Air Ambulance's income growth ambitions.

The postholder will head up a high-performing and multi-disciplined team across marketing, PR, digital, brand, content and internal communications within a dynamic, fast-paced charity. They will provide visionary direction, making the most of planned and reactive opportunities to enhance public trust, support ambitions across fundraising and retail, foster meaningful community engagement, and amplify the charity's lifesaving impact. 

Summary of duties and responsibilities:  
Strategic Leadership

• Develop and lead an integrated, organisation-wide marketing and communications strategy aligned with long-term organisational goals, driving brand strength, engagement and supporting income growth ambitions of the fundraising, philanthropy and retail teams.
• Provide inspiring leadership, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, continuous improvement, accountability and high performance.
• Deliver effective line management to the team, strengthening career pathways through structured development and robust succession planning.
• Play an active and influential role as a member of the Fundraising & Marketing leadership team, contributing to income and supporter growth strategies, leading projects and strategic initiatives.
• Ensure high-quality delivery through external partners, including suppliers, contractors and freelancers.
• Use insight, data and audience segmentation to inform strategic decisions and shape impact campaigns.
• Act as an advisor to the Executive Team and the Senior Leadership Team on brand strategy, reputation management, marketing performance, risk and crisis communications.

Brand & Reputation Management

• Evolve, and protect the organisation’s brand identity, deepening public trust, visibility and emotional connection with key audiences.
• Ensure consistent and high-quality brand application across all channels, materials, and stakeholder touchpoints.
• Oversee media relations, crisis communications and reputation management, providing confident leadership in high-risk or high-profile situations. 
• Steward the charity’s visual identity, tone of voice and brand architecture across both the charity and retail operations.
• Champion authentic storytelling rooted in lived experience and demonstrable impact, respecting dignity and safeguarding principles. 

Marketing, Digital and Communications Strategy

• Design and deliver a multi-year Marketing, Communications and Digital Strategy aligned with organisational priorities and future growth ambitions. 
• Lead the organisation’s digital strategy, covering website performance, SEO, paid advertising, AI, analytics and digital innovation. 
• Shape county-level marketing and engagement plans that enable regional fundraising, community engagement and partnership development. 
• Ensure high-quality content production across all channels, including social media, film, print and editorial. 
• Lead proactive media relations and news generation that build credibility and articulate the charity’s life-saving impact with accuracy and integrity. 
• Lead values-led external affairs activity, engaging MPs, stakeholders and regional media while stewarding crisis response with calm, transparent, and timely messaging. 
• Drive data-led digital marketing through segmented supporter journeys and integrated campaigns that deliver income and engagement targets, embedding performance reporting to drive continual improvement

Internal Communications

• Develop and deliver an internal communications strategy that strengthens transparency, fosters employee engagement and reinforces the charity’s culture and values. 
• Partner with HR and senior leaders to communicate key initiatives and strategic priorities with clarity and impact. 
• Collaborate across departments to ensure internal messaging aligns with and amplifies organisational priorities.

Budget & Performance Management 

• Lead departmental budget setting, reforecasting, and resource planning, maximising return on investment across all activity. 
• Oversee robust performance tracking, evaluation and benchmarking frameworks to drive continual improvement and inform strategic decision-making. 
• Ensure full compliance with relevant regulations, including GDPR, advertising codes, fundraising and brand licensing requirements.

Other Duties

• Work occasional evenings and weekends as needed, including being on the out-of-hours on-call rota.
• Carry out other duties that may arise in line with the broad remit of the post.
• Maintain professional competencies through continuous professional development.

The Package 
Salary: £60,000 - £65,000 per annum 

As a valued member of the charity team, you will have access to a wider range of benefits including:

• 27 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, increasing to 28 days with length of service
• Contributory pension scheme, with minimum 6% employer contribution, plus an annual pension review
• Occupational sick pay from day one employment
• Free access to an Employee Assistance Programme (plus immediate family)
• Access to Cycle to Work through salary sacrifice
• Discounts at a variety of retailers via Blue Light Card

More information and how to apply 
The closing date for applications is 26th April 2026 
First interviews will take place during w/c 4th May in person at North Weald.

Please note that your application form will be used for shortlisting, so please ensure everything you wish to include is covered in the form.  

This position is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The successful candidate will be required to undergo a Basic DBS check as a condition of employment. 

If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact us directly and we will organise a time to speak to one of the team. 

Disclaimer: Essex & Herts Air Ambulance reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date if a high number of applications are received. Once a vacancy has closed, we are unfortunately unable to consider further applications, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.