Mid value officer jobs in Manchester

Are you passionate about bringing art to everyone? Do you believe in the power of digital to engage people with the arts? We’re looking for an enthusiastic Philanthropy Manager to join our friendly and dedicated team.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries, particularly individuals who experience physical, mental or social barriers to accessing the arts.

About Art UK

Art UK is an art education charity and the online home for every public collection of art in the United Kingdom. It is making the UK’s national collection of art accessible to everyone online – for enjoyment, learning and research. Art UK brings together art from almost 3,500 British institutions in one of the UK's largest ever arts partnerships and showcases this art to a global audience of 5.5m users per annum. Approaching 60% of this audience is overseas.

Art UK provides significant support to museums and galleries in the UK, by providing them with a shared digital platform to showcase their art collections, reach new audiences, and generate income. Most of these collections would not be able to show their art online without Art UK. The Art UK platform is rich in story content, learning resources for teachers and students, and public engagement opportunities. A shared e-commerce infrastructure helps collections generate much needed commercial income. 

About You

As the Philanthropy Manager, you will be a confident and persuasive communicator, comfortable engaging with supporters and stakeholders at all levels. You will have a solid knowledge of philanthropic giving and a deep appreciation of the value of high-quality donor stewardship. Highly organised and detail-focused, you will enjoy working with data and be skilled at producing compelling content both on and offline. You will bring initiative, creativity and the ability to work independently, while also being a collaborative team player.

The Philanthropy Manager is a new donor-facing role, which will focus on expanding and strengthening a major donor portfolio to increase five and six figure income from individual donors and family trusts for Art UK. You will lead on managing and growing Art UK’s philanthropic giving programme, which includes the Patrons and supporter events programme and our major donor activity. Working within an ambitious team, you will have the support of a freelance Prospect Researcher to identify new prospects, and the Development Manager and CRM Officer to develop donor journeys and relationship management systems. You will report to the Head of Development, work closely with the CEO and Chair of the Philanthropy Board, and collaborate with colleagues across the organisation.

You will actively promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in all aspects of your work, reflecting your commitment to our organisational values and contributing to a positive workplace culture.

Key Responsibilities

- Build and maintain a robust prospect pipeline through identification, research, cultivation and relationship-building to secure five-figure gifts and long-term support

- Manage a portfolio of mid-level individual donors, converting one-off supporters into deeper donor relationships

- Manage and grow Art UK’s mid-level regular giving programme, strengthening donor relationships through face-to face meetings, events and personalised communication

- Develop donor development strategies, using CRM to analysis and identify higher gift prospects from existing donor pool and maximise giving potential

- Lead on major gifts for annual Big Give campaigns, identifying and securing keystone pledge donors, and leveraging networks to reach giving targets

- Create and implement, effectively and in a timely manner, development plans for each donor to retain and upgrade donors and document all activities in CRM Beacon

- Prepare and personalise correspondence and fundraising materials, including donor stewardship and reports, funding proposals and acknowledgement letters as appropriate

- Work closely with the Marketing team and other colleagues to showcase Art UK’s work and enhance donor engagement

- Organise and deliver events for major donors and prospects (with support from the Development team), including attending events where appropriate

- Support management of the American Friends of Art UK (launching 2026), including donor stewarding and events programming

- Support senior leadership and board members in the preparation and delivery of high-quality donor pitches to secure new philanthropic gifts

- Monitor progress against targets and maintain accurate reporting, including updates to Art UK’s Board of Trustees and the Philanthropy Board

- Ensure pledges and donations are processed efficiently and that donors are thanked promptly and personally

- Work closely with all members of the Development team to ensure prospecting and cultivation activity is aligned and complementary

- Ensure all philanthropic fundraising activity is conducted in line with legal, regulatory and ethical best practice e.g. GDPR and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Code of Practice

Necessary Skills

- Essential: Experience managing a pipeline of philanthropic supporter prospects, including researching and devising bespoke cultivation plans

- Essential: Proven experience as a major donor fundraiser with a track record of securing five-figure gifts.

- Essential: Proven experience creating, implementing and evaluating philanthropic fundraising strategies

- Essential: Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to identify and shape innovative partnership opportunities

- Essential: Outstanding relationship-building and networking skills, including digital engagement

- Essential: In-depth understanding of the philanthropic fundraising environment

- Essential: First-class written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage with a wide range of stakeholders

- Essential: Experience analysing and using supporter data to inform campaigns

- Essential: Strong copywriting, proofing and editing skills

- Essential: Experience using CRM databases with a high level of accuracy

- Essential: Thorough knowledge of fundraising best practice and legislation

- Essential: Self-motivated, reliable and exceptionally organized

- Desirable: Experience planning and managing fundraising events

- Desirable: Experience in donor acquisition through online giving platforms, direct marketing by email and social media campaigns

- Desirable: Active interest in the visual arts and awareness of UK art collections

- Desirable: Experience working with a diverse range of audiences

- Desirable: Experience working on projects with a broad range of partners

- Desirable: Experience of US fundraising and philanthropic giving

Contract terms

- Full-time

- Permanent contract

- Salary £38,000 per annum

- Three-month probationary period

- One-month termination clause

- Work from home, within 2-hour travel time to central London (once monthly travel to London for evening events and meetings required)

Benefits

- 25 days annual leave plus regional Bank Holidays

- Paid Christmas closure period (Christmas Day to New Year’s Day)

- Flexible working hours

- Workplace pension scheme

- Training and development opportunities

- Mental health and wellbeing support

- Above statutory paid sick leave

- Enhanced paid parental leave

- Employee Assistance Programme

- Monthly wellbeing hour

- Trained Mental Health First Aider’s

- Regular staff socials, both virtual and in-person

- Eye tests paid for up to £35, glasses subsidised up to £30

About Parenting for Lifelong Health:

Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) aims to empower parents to improve child development, reduce family violence, and promote mental health. We give parents the support they need, the skills that work, and trusted advice they can count on to protect and support their children’s health, safety and development. Our parenting courses are developed with families, powered by low-cost and accessible technology, backed by rigorous evidence, and delivered within systems. Originally founded as an initiative in 2012 in collaboration with UNICEF and the WHO, Parenting for Lifelong Health was established as a UK charity in 2022 and since then has reached over 8 million families in more than 35 countries. 

PLH Values

• Courage

We have the courage to design for the big picture and complex problems with a commitment to creating sustainable solutions that last.

• Evidence

We believe our work transforms the lives of children, families, and communities. Evidence of impact guides every decision, and we are relentless in pursuing the greatest impact with the least investment of time and resources required for parents and providers.

• Playfulness

Parenting and child wellbeing thrives on play — and so do we. We experiment, learn from each other, as well as from parents and children, and create playful and engaging products and programmes that inspire joy, curiosity, and connection.

• Respect

Everyone brings something essential. We show kindness in our team, honesty with our partners, and deep respect and empathy for parents and children, and those who are on the frontline of providing services for them.

PLH has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in how we work, who we work with, and what we do. Candidates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

PLH also has a strong commitment to the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). All candidates considered for the role will be subject to background and reference checks in their country of residence. 

Benefits: Flexible remote-working, home office set-up, unlimited annual leave, professional development opportunities, enhanced pension contributions, enhanced statutory leave provisions including maternity and paternity leave.

About the role:

The Senior Director of Finance is the most senior finance professional at Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH). The role provides strategic financial leadership and ensures the organisation meets its fiduciary, regulatory, and governance obligations as a UK charity, while enabling responsible growth and global scale.

Acting as the organisation’s senior finance lead, the postholder will support the CEO and Board of Trustees to meet their statutory duties under UK charity law, including duties of care, prudence, and accountability, while building robust financial systems aligned to PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model.

The role ensures that PLH’s resources are used exclusively to further its charitable purposes, safeguarded appropriately, and managed transparently in the public interest.

Responsibilities:

Charity Governance, Fiduciary Oversight, and Trustee Support

• Act as the primary source of financial advice to the CEO and Board of Trustees, supporting trustees to fulfil their legal and fiduciary duties under UK charity law.

• Support the effective functioning of the Board Finance Committee, including preparation of high-quality financial papers, scenario options, and risk analyses.

• Ensure trustees have clear oversight of:

  • Financial performance against approved budgets

  • Liquidity, reserves, and solvency

  • Financial risks and mitigations

  • Long-term sustainability and going-concern considerations

• Ensure financial decision-making aligns with PLH’s charitable objects, governing documents, and public benefit obligations.

• Support compliance with Charity Commission guidance, including SORP (Standard Operating Procedures), CC3 (The Essential Trustee), CC12 (Managing a Charity’s Finances), and CC19 (Charity Reserves).

• Support trustees in understanding and exercising oversight of charity-wide financial risk, including downside and stress-test scenarios.

Financial Strategy, Planning, and Sustainability

• Lead the costing and financial modelling of PLH’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and country implementation model, ensuring affordability, sustainability, and strategic coherence.

• Design, implement, and institutionalise a three-tier scenario planning framework (base, growth, and downside cases) to support prudent and adaptive decision-making.

• Develop a long-term (3-5 year) financial sustainability model projecting:

  • Revenue by source (restricted and unrestricted)

  • Expenditure and staffing growth

  • Enterprise risk management (ERM) contributions

  • Reserves, liquidity, and risk exposure

• Develop, maintain, and regularly review PLH’s reserves policy, including target levels, rationale, and planned use, in line with Charity Commission expectations.

• Advise senior leadership and trustees on the financial implications of growth, innovation, and funding opportunities.

• Provide forward-looking financial insight to support organisational decision-making under uncertainty and changing funding conditions.

Financial Management, Reporting, and Controls

• Work closely with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate, complete, and timely accounting records in accordance with UK charity accounting standards (SORP FRS 102).

• Provide strategic oversight and assurance over organisation-wide financial reporting, using management accounts and dashboards prepared by the Finance Manager to inform executive and trustee decision-making.

• Ensure proportionate internal controls, segregation of duties, and approval frameworks are current and implemented by the Finance Manager.

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive financial risk management framework covering:

  • Liquidity and cash-flow risk

  • Donor concentration and funding dependency

  • Currency and foreign exchange exposure

  • Contractual and grant compliance risk

  • Contingency and downside planning

• Ensure effective coordination between in-house finance staff and outsourced accounting and payroll providers, maintaining clear accountability and quality assurance.

Audit, External Reporting, and Transparency

• Oversee the annual audit process, supporting the Finance Manager’s role as primary liaison with external auditors and ensuring timely completion of statutory accounts.

• Support trustees in reviewing and approving:

  • Statutory financial statements

  • Trustees’ Annual Report

  • Financial disclosures to regulators

• Ensure high standards of financial transparency and accountability to donors, partners, regulators, and the public.

• Oversee statutory filings and financial reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House.

• Contribute to narrative financial reporting on sustainability, risk, and reserves where appropriate.

Organisational Financial Capability and Culture

• Develop and maintain clear financial policies, procedures, and approval workflows to support consistency, compliance, and accountability.

• Embed a culture of financial stewardship, prudence, and shared accountability across the organisation.

• Promote ethical financial practice and safeguarding of charitable assets in line with PLH’s values and public-interest obligations.

Team Leadership and Management

• Lead and develop PLH’s finance function, including line management of the Finance Manager and oversight of external bookkeeping and accounting partners.

• Ensure the finance function is appropriately resourced, scalable, and fit for a growing, multi-country organisation.

• Set clear objectives, performance standards, and professional development pathways for finance staff.

• Promote ethical practice, professionalism, and continuous improvement within the finance team.

• Provide mentoring and strategic development support to mid-career finance staff as the organisation grows.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Senior-level financial leadership experience.

• Strong understanding of UK charity governance, trustee responsibilities, and Charity Commission expectations.

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic financial planning, scenario modelling, and reserves management.

• Proven experience establishing robust financial controls, reporting systems, and audit processes.

• Experience working directly with Boards and Board Committees in a governance context.

• Demonstrated experience embedding or overseeing organisational-wide financial risk management frameworks.

• Ability to translate complex financial analysis into clear, decision-ready advice for trustees and senior leaders.

• Experience operating in organisations with a mix of restricted, unrestricted, and partially recoverable income streams.

• Comfort working in an evidence-driven, analytically rigorous organisational environment.

• Strong people leadership and management capability.

• High levels of integrity, sound judgement, and commitment to PLH’s charitable aims.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Financial leadership experience within a UK charity, international NGO, or comparable not-for-profit organisation.

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA) or equivalent experience.

• Experience with multi-country, multi-currency operations and restricted funding environments.

• Familiarity with UK charity accounting (SORP FRS 102).

• Experience working closely with trustee Finance or Audit & Risk Committees.

• Familiarity with donor concentration risk analysis and income diversification strategies.

• Exposure to safeguarding or PSEA considerations from a financial governance perspective.

• Experience supporting organisational growth and scale within regulated charity contexts.