Partnership development executive jobs in City of london, england

The School for Social Entrepreneurs backs people with purpose — entrepreneurs building organisations that change their communities. We're looking for a National Partnerships Lead to work directly with our CEO, driving high-priority national funding partnerships, diversifying our income, and building the relationships that fund our impact. 

You'll identify major funding opportunities, negotiate with trusts, corporates and government partners, and lead complex proposals from first conversation through to a signed agreement — including the budgets, risk assessments and value propositions behind them. You'll also act as a sounding board for the CEO, pressure-testing ideas and sharpening how we tell our story to funders. 

We're looking for sustained experience supporting a CEO or senior leader, a track record of leading multi-million pound funding initiatives end-to-end, and the versatile writing skills to move between board papers and detailed funder tenders without losing accuracy under pressure. Sharp budgeting and numeracy matter for this role, alongside real comfort building trust with senior external stakeholders. 

This position is for someone who thrives on ambiguity, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants their work to directly fund entrepreneurs changing their communities. 

Natural Capital Assessment Partnership

The Natural Capital Assessment Partnership (NCAP) has operated for over 30 years. Formerly the Habitat Biodiversity Audit, a key remit of NCAP has been to survey and gather habitat data across Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, combining ecological field surveys with pioneering satellite imagery and remote sensing analysis. A second key aspect of NCAP’s work is managing the Local Wildlife Sites programme for the region.

Data acquired and produced by the team supports Local Wildlife Site designations, Local Nature Recovery Strategy development and monitoring, and creates baseline habitat reports and statistics.  This localised yet UK-leading dataset provides robust evidence for decision-making and monitoring, plus a unique record of land-use change over the past two decades. Combined with Biological Records Centre species data, it offers an unrivalled picture of the local state of nature.

NCAP is funded by local authorities, managed by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and hosted by Warwickshire County Council.

About Us

For over 21 years, The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre has offered free, holistic support to anyone in our community affected by cancer through complementary therapies, talking therapies, art, and our supportive community.

In 2025 alone, we had 1,911 individual visits and 1,021 therapy sessions - entirely through the dedication of our volunteer team. We are currently renovating our new centre, and we want to use it to reach further into our community than ever before. This is the first paid role in our history.

About the Role

As our first Executive Director, you will be the single point of accountability between our Board of Trustees and the day-to-day operation of the Centre - working alongside our (voluntary) Centre Manager and (voluntary) Volunteer Manager to support their roles, not duplicate them. You'll lead our strategy delivery, guide the charity's move into its new home, and oversee a service redesign informed by a fresh programme of visitor, volunteer and community research.

About You

You already know how to do this job - you've held a senior, accountable position in a charity or comparable organisation and can bring that experience from day one. You're confident reporting to a board of trustees, comfortable getting things done, and able to win the trust of a highly experienced, long-standing volunteer team through competence and credibility, not authority alone.

Key Activity Areas

• Financial management – budgeting, financial controls, and reporting to the Board and Treasurer

• Governance & best practice – supporting trustees to discharge their statutory duties; maintaining the policy suite and risk register

• HR & people leadership – supporting our entire volunteer and therapist team; communication is key to our volunteers

• Fundraising – write and lead on a fundraising strategy, implement new funding streams and be the ‘face of Pickering’ – local networking will be essential

• Change management – leading the transition to our new centre and evolving service model with care and consultation

• Compliance – safeguarding, health and safety, GDPR, and other regulatory requirements

Qualifications - Desirable

All the below are not necessary qualifications but would assist with this role:

• CIPD qualification, or equivalent hands-on HR experience

• A recognised governance qualification (e.g. Chartered Governance Institute) or completion of a charity leadership programme or similar

• Financial management experience – a qualification would be useful but not essential

• Safeguarding lead training

Experience and Competencies — Essential

• Senior leadership experience with genuine authority and accountability in a charity or comparable mission-led organisation

• A track record of reporting to and working with a board of trustees or non-executive directors

• A track record of leading organisational change, with evidence it was genuinely adopted

• Sound financial literacy - budgets, management accounts, financial controls, dealing with auditors

• Working knowledge of safeguarding, risk management and regulatory compliance

• Excellent written and verbal communication, including board-level reporting as well as the ability to speak in public

• Experience making a leadership role pay for itself, through income generation, cost savings, or both

• A genuine, demonstrable commitment to Pickering's mission

Experience and Competencies — Desirable

• Fundraising experience across grants, trusts, community fundraising and corporate partnerships

• Experience within the cancer support, wider healthcare, or hospice sector

• Lived experience of cancer, personally or through supporting someone close to you

• Experience leading a refresh of a brand or a rebrand, service redesign, or physical relocation of services

• Familiarity with Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding local community

Safeguarding

This role involves working with adults who may be vulnerable by virtue of serious illness. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory reference checks before appointment, and will act as, or oversee, the charity's designated safeguarding lead.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Pickering is committed to equal opportunity for all and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. A copy of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy is available on request.

How to Apply

Please apply by Sunday 6 September 2026. Interviews are expected to take place w/c 14 September 2026.

Social entrepreneurs scaling their ventures face a specific set of challenges including income generation, hiring, governance, hard calls about growth and risk, all alongside scaling their social impact. We’re recruiting learning and enterprise development managers who’ve lived that journey themselves, to bring first-hand credibility and challenge directly to the entrepreneurs on our scale-up and scale-up-plus programmes.

You’ll hold ownership of SSE’s scale-up approach, shaping our learning content on strategy, profitability and the systems that hold a growing venture together – grounded in what actually works, not just what’s written down. Facilitation sits at the heart of this role. You’ll design and deliver learning programmes and group sessions for cohorts of entrepreneurs as well as leading 1-2-1 coaching and diagnostics, and delivering Action Learning Sets, SSE’s long-standing peer-coaching method (training provided).

We’re looking for people who’ve founded or led a VCSE with an annual turnover of £100,000 or more and held financial accountability such as statutory reporting to the Charity Commission and, where relevant, Companies House, reporting to a board or funders, and making hard calls about growth, income and risk.

You’ll succeed in this role if you believe in what social entrepreneurship can achieve and want to turn your experience into supporting social ventures to scale and create more impact in their communities and beyond

Are you someone who thrives on developing new opportunities, building strategic partnerships and turning ideas into meaningful services and support for local communities?

HolidayEntitlement:25 days per year rising to 27 days after 2 years (pro-rata)

West Sussex Mind Values: Excellence, Equitable, Open, Together, Curious, Unstoppable

National Mind Excellence Awards 2025: Winner for Equality & Diversity; Highly Commended for Effective Services

Overview:

West Sussex Mind and Mind in Brighton & Hove are embarking on an exciting programme of growth and expansion into Surrey.

Hosted by West Sussex Mind on behalf of the Mind in Surrey Partnership, the Head of Development and Partnerships, Surrey will lead the establishment, development and growth of the partnership's work across Surrey, identifying and creating opportunities to improve mental health support, tackle stigma and increase access to services for local communities.

The role will involve:

• Developing relationships with Surrey and Sussex ICB, local authorities, VCSE organisations and other key stakeholders.

• Identifying and securing opportunities through grants, commissioning, tenders and partnership development.

• Involving people with lived experience in the development and design of proposals to ensure they meet the needs of local people with mental health challenges.

• Growing our mental health training offer across Surrey, including both paid-for training and community-based awareness initiatives.

• Establishing and supporting a Surrey Steering Group and maintaining excellent partnership working with Mind in Brighton & Hove.

• Leading the development and launch of the programme's profile, relationships and future opportunities.

• Reports on progress and impact to the Steering Group.

We are looking for someone who is motivated, self-sufficient and able to work independently while building strong and lasting relationships across a wide range of organisations and communities.

The successful candidate will have:

• Experience of developing partnerships across health, social care, public sector or voluntary organisations.

• Experience of securing funding, contracts, grants, commissioning opportunities or other sources of income.

• Excellent networking, relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Experience of developing and delivering projects, services or programmes.

• Strong written communication skills, including report writing, funding applications or business cases.

• The ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and take initiative.

• A commitment to improving mental health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

Experience of working within Surrey's health and social care landscape and existing local networks would be particularly advantageous.

As this role involves regular travel between multiple locations, you will be required to hold appropriate business-use vehicle insurance to ensure you are fully insured while undertaking work-related travel. Travel expenses covered: We have designated Guildford as your base point. Any travel required beyond the cost of your normal journey from home to this location will be reimbursed in accordance with expenses policy.

Ambition Aspire Achieve is seeking an exceptional, values-led Chief Executive to lead our much-loved children and young people’s charity into its next chapter.

This is a rare opportunity to lead a practical, relationship-based and strongly rooted Newham charity that makes a real difference to children, young people and families facing disadvantage, vulnerability, SEND, disability or risk.

Founded in 2016 by Kevin Jenkins OBE, Ambition Aspire Achieve has grown from a small number of projects at the Terence Brown Arc in the Park into a well-established charity working across Newham. Today, AAA supports nearly 1,000 children and young people each year through its hubs, with many more reached through outreach, schools-based work and community programmes.

Our work is grounded in the belief that every child and young person should be able to enjoy their childhood, overcome barriers, build confidence and develop the skills and self-belief to achieve positive futures. We deliver a broad programme of support including after-school clubs, holiday programmes, youth clubs, SEND activities, mentoring, outdoor learning, sports, family days, residentials, detached youth work, schools-based youth safety work, community events and targeted family support.

This is an exciting and important moment in AAA’s journey. Following a period of growth, the charity is now focused on consolidation, quality and long-term sustainability. We are financially stable, well regarded and deeply rooted locally, with strong relationships across funders, schools, corporate partners, local agencies and community organisations.

The next Chief Executive will provide clear, steady and values-led leadership, working closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees. They will lead and support the staff team, strengthen organisational sustainability, maintain and develop partnerships, champion safeguarding and inclusion, and ensure children and young people remain at the heart of every decision.

As AAA does not currently have a dedicated senior fundraising post, the Chief Executive will also play a central role in securing and maintaining the income needed to sustain and develop the charity’s work. This will include trusts and foundations, statutory funding, corporate partnerships, individual donors, appeals and wider supporter engagement.

We are looking for someone who can combine strategic leadership with practical operational understanding. You may already be a Chief Executive, or you may be an experienced senior leader ready to step into your first Chief Executive role. What matters most is your ability to lead with clarity, care and resilience; build trusted relationships; secure income; uphold strong governance; and keep AAA’s values at the centre of how the charity works.

AAA’s values are Committed, Caring, Collaborative and Creative. We are looking for a leader who can live these values, promote a positive and inclusive culture, and help ensure AAA remains strong, responsive and ambitious for the children, young people and families who need us most.

This is not a turnaround role, but it is a significant leadership opportunity. The successful candidate will inherit a respected and impactful charity with strong foundations, while also leading it through a more challenging external funding environment and into its next phase of development.

About Us
The National Landscapes Association represents and supports the UK’s National Landscapes (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) - places where we want nature and people to flourish together. These living, protected landscapes are vital to the UK’s nature recovery, climate resilience, sustainable farming and wellbeing.

We work collaboratively and inclusively to ensure these treasured places are protected, restored, and accessible to all. We are looking for a proficient and motivated individual to help drive it forward.

About the Role

The Development Officer will support the delivery of the Association’s income generation and partnership strategy, helping to diversify and grow funding streams across corporate partnerships, philanthropy, grants and strategic collaborations. The role exists to support the identification, development and stewardship of partnerships, with a particular focus on outreach to secure private finance and build long-term relationships with partners, investors and philanthropic funders alike. You will play a key role in supporting the full partnership lifecycle, from prospecting and engagement through to proposal development, account management and delivery.

This role is for an enthusiastic and proactive development professional, who is looking to grow their experience in partnerships, fundraising and income diversification within a purpose-led organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Outreach and pipeline development: Support proactive outreach to corporate partners, funders and investors through research and identification to build a strong pipeline of opportunities that are successfully managed through a tailored engagement approach.
• New business and proposal development: Support the development of high-quality partnership proposals, drafting compelling narratives and supporting materials aligned to potential funder interests and organisational requirements.
• Partnership and stakeholder management: Support the management of existing partnerships, ensuring strong relationships are developed and maintained and that outputs are delivered as agreed, assisting in monitoring, comms and impact reporting.
• Events representation, networking and engagement: Attend and represent the Association at events, conferences and networking opportunities, helping to raise the profile of National Landscapes as an investment opportunity within the nature and environmental sector.
• Income diversification trend and insight monitoring: Support the exploration of new income streams and partnership models, including private finance and blended finance approaches, monitoring market trends, funding opportunities (both corporate and philanthropic) and competitor activity to inform strategy.
• Team support and collaboration:Work closely with the Head of Partnerships and Fundraising, the Development Team and wider Association Team to deliver programme priorities and contribute to a collaborative, supportive and high-performing team culture.

See the role description for more information, including the person specification.

Why Join Us?
At the National Landscapes Association, you’ll be part of a passionate and forward-thinking team making a meaningful impact. You’ll gain experience working dynamically alongside experts across the UK, and help shape the future of our most valued landscapes.

The Head of Partnerships will play a key role in managing Inter Mediate's relationships with institutional donors, foundations, governments and philanthropic partners. The postholder will coordinate donor engagement across the organisation, oversee grant management and reporting, identify new funding opportunities and support the development of high-quality funding proposals. S/he also leads on our internal quality assurance, research and reporting processes, line managing the Research and Reporting Officer.

Working closely with the senior leadership, programme teams and finance colleagues, you will help ensure that Inter Mediate maintains strong partnerships with its existing funders while expanding its network of supporters. This is a collaborative, externally-facing role suited to someone with strong relationship management skills, excellent organisational ability and experience of securing and managing funding within the international development, peacebuilding or humanitarian sectors.

With at least 7 years' experience in partnerships, fundraising, business development or grant management in the international development, humanitarian or peacebuilding sectors, you will have demonstrable experience managing relationships with institutional donors, foundations and/or HNWIs, and a track record of successful funding proposals and overseeing donor reporting.

You have excellent written communication skills, strong project management skills, and superb interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with proven ability to work collaboratively across teams.

You will ideally have experience working in conflict-affected or politically sensitive contexts, be well-versed in monitoring, evaluation and learning approaches and have working knowledge of grant management systems or CRM platforms.

You are commited to the values of dialogue, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Help grow partnerships that bring joy to seriously ill children.

Rays of Sunshine is looking for a confident, ambitious and relationship-led Corporate Partnerships Manager to help manage and grow a portfolio of valued corporate supporters.

This is an exciting opportunity to join us at a time of growth and transformation, as we deliver our new five-year strategy and continue to build long-term partnerships that make a real difference to seriously ill children and their families.

As our Corporate Partnerships Manager, you will be responsible for delivering exceptional stewardship across a portfolio of established and strategic corporate partnerships. You will develop tailored partnership plans, deepen engagement, increase income and secure sustainable, multi-year support.

The role will be approximately 70% focused on managing and growing existing partnerships and 30% focused on developing new business opportunities through warm introductions, established pipelines and collaboration with colleagues. You will work closely with the Head of Fundraising, wider Fundraising Team, Communications, Services and Events colleagues to ensure partners receive an excellent experience and feel connected to the impact of their support.

You will lead on partnership stewardship, employee fundraising, volunteering, sponsorship opportunities, impact reporting, renewal conversations and partnership growth. You will also help identify opportunities for corporate partners to engage with challenge events, special events, public fundraising campaigns and Wish Community experiences.

We are looking for someone with strong relationship management skills, experience achieving fundraising or commercial income targets, and the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels. You will be organised, proactive and confident managing multiple priorities, with excellent communication skills and a passion for creating meaningful partnerships.

Rays of Sunshine has recently been recognised as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026, reflecting our positive, values-led culture and commitment to supporting our people.

This is a pivotal senior leadership role with full strategic and operational accountability.  Leadership and exceptional communication skills will be critical as The DBR Foundation establishes and grows.  Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer will have a proven track record and experience as a CEO or in a similar executive leadership position.  An extensive knowledge of the implementation of charity governance will be essential in this role. 

The Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for the drafting and implementation of policies and procedures, ensuring financial sustainability, overseeing activities, memberships, fundraising and advocacy.

The Chief Executive Officer will have responsibility for recruitment and establishing a new team, resources and managing key relationships in line with the overall strategic policies, direction, goals and budget, for the purposes of advancing The DBR Foundation’s objectives, purpose and identity worldwide.

The DBR Foundation’s objectives are:

• The improvement of health by furthering the advancement of the theory and practice of Deep Brain Reorienting ("DBR")
• The relief of emotional and psychological distress wherever it may arise by the provision of appropriate DBR training and therapy
• The relief of poverty and distress wherever it may arise by the provision of humanitarian aid, by supporting other like-minded charities

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Strategy & Organisational Direction:

• Lead strategic initiatives and sustainable organisational long-term development
• Drive sustainable growth and measurable impact
• Lead organisational strategy and service development
  

Operations & Service Quality:

• Oversee all operational delivery
• Ensure members are equipped with relevant, up-to-date, and impactful resources

Financial Management, Corporate Governance & Regulatory Compliance:

• Provide strong financial oversight and sustainability planning
• Ensure regulatory, and governance compliance
• Performance and risk overview to the Board of Trustees

Business Development & Commissioning:

•  Income strategy and fundraising
• Grant applications and partnership funding
• Building relationships and funder partnerships

 People & Values:

• Build a high performing operational team
• Establish a culture that reflects the core values and culture of the Foundation

External Engagement & Stewardship:

• Act as senior ambassador and spokesperson
• Represent the Foundation across statutory, voluntary, education and health sectors
• Strengthen partnerships and influence

Essential Skills:

• Senior leadership experience in the charity, public or social sector
• Strong organisational and operational management experience
• Experience working with a Board of Trustees
• Proven financial oversight and budget responsibility
• Experience delivering organisational strategy
• Fundraising or income generation leadership experience
• Strong partnership and stakeholder management skills
• Commissioning and contract delivery experience

Partnerships Executive

£31,394pa + excellent benefits

Woking, Surrey GU21 4LL / Hybrid Working (minimum 40% in person collaboration per month)

Join us at WWF-UK – Partnerships ExecutiveSenior Digital Channels Analytics Manager

About the role

We’re excited to be recruiting a Partnerships Executive to support the delivery and growth of WWF-UK’s sector-leading corporate partnerships, helping to drive impact for nature through some of the UK’s most ambitious and influential collaborations.

At WWF-UK, we know we cannot tackle the challenges facing our planet alone. Our partnerships bring together businesses, innovators and changemakers to help drive action for climate, nature and sustainability at scale.

This role sits within the Partnerships Management Unit, the team responsible for delivering and growing WWF-UK’s portfolio of long-term strategic partnerships with organisations including Sky, HSBC, GSK, KPMG and Reckitt.

As Partnerships Executive, you’ll play a key role in helping partnerships deliver against WWF-UK’s strategic goals across income, influence, advocacy and engagement. You’ll support the day-to-day delivery of partnership activity, help build strong relationships with partners and colleagues across the WWF Network, and contribute to projects and experiences that create meaningful impact for nature.

This is a varied and collaborative role combining relationship management, project coordination, communications and operational support to the wider partnerships team. You may also have the opportunity to manage smaller partnerships directly or support a larger strategic partnership as part of a wider matrix team.

We’re looking for someone who is highly organised, proactive and relationship-focused, with the ability to manage multiple priorities while bringing energy, attention to detail and a strong commitment to WWF’s mission.

Skills and experience

You’ll bring the skills and experience needed to succeed in this role, including:

Essential

· Experience supporting relationship management within a commercial, charity or partnership environment

· Excellent organisational and administrative skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver to deadlines

· Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships internally and externally

· Experience coordinating projects, events or partnership activity across multiple stakeholders

· Strong attention to detail, including experience managing information, budgets, reports or tracking systems accurately

· Experience supporting the delivery of engagement activity such as events, communications, fundraising or volunteering initiatives

· Collaborative approach, with the ability to work effectively across teams and with a wide range of colleagues and partners

· Proactive and solutions-focused mindset, with the confidence to take ownership and drive work forward

· Strong planning and coordination skills, including the ability to work flexibly in a fast-paced environment

· Ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload while maintaining a high standard of delivery

· Commitment to WWF’s mission and values, with enthusiasm for helping drive the success of WWF-UK’s partnerships work

Desirable

· Understanding of how companies work with charities, NGOs or purpose-driven organisations

· Fundraising and/or employee engagement experience

· Experience supporting partnership reporting, financial processes or impact tracking

· Knowledge or interest in sustainability, climate or conservation issues

· Experience working within partnership, account management or stakeholder engagement environments

· Experience coordinating internal or external events and engagement activities

· Experience working across matrix teams or within large, complex organisations

What we offer

We believe in rewarding our team with more than just a salary. Here’s what you can expect:

• Annual leave starting at 26 days a year pro-rated, rising one day each year to 31 days plus bank holidays

• Flexible working options, to support your work life balance

• 5% employer contribution to pension, rising to 10% with employee contribution

• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow

• Regular wellbeing initiatives to support your health and happiness.

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

This role is hybrid with a minimum 40% of your contracted hours spent at our beautiful UK head office, the Living Planet Centre in Woking, Surrey, where you’ll hot desk among trees and gardens.

About WWF-UK

We're a global conservation charity with millions of supporters and hundreds of projects around the world.

At WWF-UK, we’re bringing our world back to life. Protecting what’s left isn’t enough. We’re racing to restore nature and prevent catastrophic climate change. And it’s a race we can win with everyone’s help.

We’re courageous, passionate, and driven by science. For more than 60 years we’ve been at the forefront of global efforts to protect wildlife and the natural world. We work with integrity, collaboration and deep respect for those we partner with.

How to apply

Click the link to apply via our website. You’ll be asked to complete an application form and upload your CV and a supporting statement that tells us why you’ll be a great addition to WWF-UK.

Application closing date - 19/08/2026

Our Diversity Promise to You

At the heart of our mission is a simple truth: the planet needs everyone. That means you - in all your uniqueness, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or how you choose to express yourself.

We don’t do stereotypes. We work together with purpose, driven by passion and enhanced by respect, courage, and integrity. We pull together from all walks of life to fight for a better future, and we want you to feel supported every step of the way.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and identities.

So, if there’s anything we can do to make your application or interview experience more comfortable or accessible, just give our Talent Acquisition Team a shout via our website.

Safeguarding Commitment

Just as we celebrate diversity in all its forms, we are equally dedicated to creating a safe environment for every person we work with or encounter.

Our commitment extends to children, adults at risk, and individuals experiencing any form of vulnerability, whether temporary or permanent.

We proudly stand behind CAPSEAH (Common Approach to Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment) and put this commitment into action through clear policies, thorough training, and recruitment checks tailored to each role, which may include external vetting.

If you ever have a concern, however big or small, know that there are confidential channels ready to support you at WWF-UK. We promise to respond promptly and with care, because protecting every individual is at the heart of everything we do.

About us 

The Earthshot Prize is the world’s most impactful and prestigious environmental award. At the heart of our mission is a simple equation: Urgency + Optimism = Action

Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s moonshot challenge, The Earthshot Prize is designed to mobilise a decade of action for the planet. We identify, celebrate, and back ambitious climate leadership from every corner of the globe. From Indigenous communities to city leaders, entrepreneurs to governments, they are all working to solve our planet’s greatest challenges.

We focus on five key Earthshots: Clean Our Air, Fix Our Climate, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Protect and Restore Nature. Each year, we select a group of 15 Finalists and award 5 of them £1M each to help advance or replicate their work and recognise their achievement and potential.

The Earthshot Prize is about more than recognition, it’s the world’s most ambitious network connecting innovators, funders, businesses, and communities to back climate leaders and restore confidence in our ability to save the planet. 

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our ambitious and successful Partnerships Team. This role will focus on securing new Strategic Funding Partners, our Founding Partners, developing proposals, and ensuring the Prize has a strong, and regularly updated prospect pool. Founding Partners are key strategic partners of the Prize, providing essential support that enables the full breadth of our work, including high-level (£m) funding as well as bringing expertise, networks, talent, and passion to support both the Prize and our Finalists. This role will suit someone who is creative and ambitious when building new partnership proposals, an excellent communicator, and confident working with senior stakeholders. You’ll need to be proactive, flexible, and excited about joining The Earthshot Prize at a critical point in the decade.

The role will support delivery of our funding strategy by identifying new strategic funding partners. Working collaboratively, the postholder will partner with colleagues across The Earthshot Prize and, where appropriate, our Trustees. As new Founding Partners are secured, the postholder will also manage and deliver selected key relationships. The focus will be on identifying new prospects and establishing high value, multi-year relationships with new Founding Partners. These partnerships will be genuinely collaborative with Earthshot, delivering shared goals for both the partners and the Prize and bringing expertise, networks, and talent to support both the Prize and our Finalists. The postholder will additionally secure sponsorship or other funding for key annual events or special projects that provide sponsorship opportunities throughout each year.

Person Specification
The Earthshot Prize is a high-profile organisation, and the successful candidate will appreciate the importance of discretion and confidentiality and have a mature and professional approach. This role is ideal for a self-motivated, responsive, and well organised individual who thrives on prospect activation as well as building and managing donor and partner relationships.

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead on the development of Earthshot’s Prospect strategy to ensure TEP has a strong prospect pool to deliver income and partnership goals to 2030.
• Work with the CEO, the Chief Partnerships Officer and Head of Founding Partnerships to activate this strategy to secure exciting new Founding Partners for the Prize.
• Develop strong partnership proposals to secure high value multi-faceted partnerships for The Earthshot Prize, leading approaches to the Prospect pool.
• Manage and deliver a small group of new Founding Partner relationships alongside the Head of Founding Partners to deliver maximum benefit for Earthshot whilst delivering individual Partner goals.
• Work with collaboratively with colleagues across the Prize and Impact Team to deliver Finalist opportunities within the Prospect Pool.
• Work with the Trustee Board to activate their networks and contacts.
• Ensure accurate record keeping is maintained for all prospect engagement.

Relationships (Internal and external)

• The wider Partnerships team, the CEO, the Prize and Impact team, our Regional Directors, and other key members of the Earthshot Prize.
• Key players from our Founding Partner organisations and within prospective future partners.
• Other key Earthshot Prize Stakeholders, including our Board of Trustees, where and when appropriate.

Key skills and Competencies

• Proven track record of building a strategy to secure high value multi-faceted, multi-year strategic funding partnerships.
• Track record of relevant prospect identification.
• Experience of Partnership management and delivery.
• Able to deliver exceptional and accurate work at a fast pace in complex environments, balancing many different stakeholders and priorities at once.
• Attention to detail.
• Exceptional team player.
• Excellent written, verbal, and online communication skills.
• Excellent presentation skills and confidence to take the lead on conversations with high-profile organisations.

Experience and Knowledge

• Demonstrable experience of building a partnership prospect strategy to support the identification
• and activation of a diverse prospect pipeline.
• Demonstrable experience of developing ambitious and successful strategic partnership proposals which engage funding partners to deliver funding whilst supporting the delivery of programme aims and objectives.
• Demonstrable experience of working with high value strategic funding prospects and partners.
• Excellent network and interpersonal skills, able to build and maintain senior relationships.
• Considerable experience managing high-value and high-profile partners and responding positively to challenging circumstances.
• Aptitude to maintain confidentiality and always exercise the utmost discretion.
• Experienced using Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and CRM database systems.
• Experience and knowledge of climate change and the environmental sector is a plus.

Practical Elements:

• Available to work beyond standard hours and to travel in/outside the UK as needed
• Able to work from London Offices 3 days per week.

ThinkForward is recruiting an Director of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships to help lead our team delivering our unique programme supporting young people into further education and employment. 

About the Role

Our Director of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships is a pivotal executive leadership role, that will transform income generation into a partnership-led growth engine for ThinkForward.

Purpose: To lead and embed a strategic partnership ecosystem that delivers sustainable, diversified income growth; access to commissioned and place-based funding; scalable delivery routes; and increased influence in policy
and practice. The post holder will personally originate, shape and close major funding and partnership opportunities with senior stakeholders.

Strategic Focus: Act as executive relationship lead for government, local authorities, commissioners and major stakeholders; increase access to public-sector funding, commissioning and multiyear partnership agreements; diversify income across statutory, corporate and trusts and foundations funding streams; turn system-level partnerships into delivery settings, national reach and more young people supported.

Why it Matters: The role enables ThinkForward to move from transactional partnerships to system-level influence and secure a share of £1bn+ public funding flows linked to youth outcomes.

What We're Looking For

Experience: Senior leadership in fundraising, partnerships or public-sector engagement; securing six- and seven-figure multi-year partnerships; Board-level influence across public, private and voluntary sectors.

Executive Capability: Exceptional relationship-building, commercial thinking and the ability to shape complex funding propositions in political, policy and commissioning environments.

Leadership: Able to lead high-performing teams, build pipeline and CRM discipline, and balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

Knowledge and Attributes: Understands public-sector commissioning, place-based funding and the charity funding landscape; outward-facing, entrepreneurial, values-driven, collaborative and systems-oriented.

Application Details

Contract: Full Time, Permanent
Salary: £75,000PA
Location: London/Hybrid

For more information about ThinkForward and the role you could play as our Director of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships, please download the attached job specification. 

To apply, please submit your CV and a covering letter (maximum two pages) either via Charityjob. Your covering letter should tell us why you're interested in the role and how your skills and experience match the person specification outlined in the job description.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Unifrog’s mission
 

We’re on a mission to level the playing field when it comes to young people finding and applying for their next step after school. We're achieving this by bringing all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. We also empower teachers and counsellors to manage the progression process effectively.
 

Our outlook is global - we work with schools and universities all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and from Italy to Hong Kong. We want to make it so that young people can compare every opportunity taught in English, wherever it is in the world, and have all the support they need to make successful applications.
 

We have a clear social purpose, and we’re hugely ambitious. We already work with over half of UK secondary schools, and more than a thousand international schools. We are growing rapidly in terms of the number of our customers, in terms of how much they use our platform, and in terms of the breadth of products we offer.

Our team is at the heart of our business and it is integral to our success. We work hard to foster a culture of openness, happiness and innovation, and we commit to helping every individual learn and grow so that they can reach their full potential. We want to hire talented people, whatever their background. If you are excited by our mission and are ready to work hard, please don’t hesitate to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
 

We believe in the power of diversity. If you are from an ethnic minority background, we would like to strongly encourage you to apply. In advance of applying if you have any questions about working at Unifrog, please contact our Recruitment Lead (contact details on our website). 

Employer Partnerships at Unifrog

We provide employers in the UK with a unique opportunity to connect with 1.9 million students and thousands of careers leaders and teachers at our partner schools and colleges. Whether employers are looking to improve the diversity of their workforce or want to support disadvantaged students through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives, our tailored partnerships support employers to reach their early careers and DEI goals while also bringing engaging employer content to our audience of students in the UK.

What you’ll do

The Head of Employer Partnerships role is to make sure we achieve our partner growth, resubscription and revenue targets. You’ll be responsible for maintaining and improving sales excellence within the team, and ensuring a sky high resubscription rate. You’ll also establish and develop relationships with partner networks who can help us raise our profile in the early careers space, and secure opportunities to share our data insights with emerging talent and CSR audiences. 

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the Employers team to achieve their objectives, including increasing our partner base, the diversity of our employer partners, and hitting revenue and resubscription targets.

• Shadow the Employer Partnerships Managers on demos and check-in calls. Share best practice, give feedback and support the team to perform as best they can.

• Support the Employer Engagement Coordinator and Partnerships Managers with account management processes and look for ways to improve return on investment for partners.

• Work closely with the New Business Lead to build prospecting campaigns and achieve demo targets.

• Conduct performance reviews and support the team with their development goals.

• Be the point person for escalation of issues related to partners at a high risk of being lost/that have expressed a desire to end their partnership with us.

• Establish and develop lasting partnerships with leading networks in the early careers space.

• Be responsible for the sales and partner retention for a small number of employers, with the responsibilities of an Employer Partnerships Manager.

• Lead on in-person and online events, working closely with our Events and Marketing teams to deliver outstanding and impactful experiences for our employer partners, teacher, student and parent audiences.

Working together

You will line manage the Employer Partnerships Managers and Employer Engagement Coordinator. You’ll work closely with the New Business Lead, Data and UK school and colleges teams, and liaise with the Marketing and Events team on the promotion of events and collateral required. 

You will report to the Partnerships Director for UK and Employers.

What we’re looking for

• 2+ years sales experience.

• Strong leadership skills and line management experience, with the ability to motivate and inspire teams and individuals.

• Proven track record of excellent relationship management.

• A background or interest in Early Careers/Talent or Social Value.

• Strong communication skills - both written and verbal.

• Personable and resilient.

• Innovative and able to implement and execute strategies.

• Proficient in forecasting and data analysis.

• Excellent presentation skills to represent Unifrog at events. 

• Active listening and objection handling skills

• Keen attention to detail.

• Strong organisational skills.

• Interest in the education and early careers space. 

Benefits 

On our jobs page you’ll find a full list of the benefits we offer our team. Here’s a snapshot:

• Mission focussed
  
  Join one of Escape the City’s top 1% employers and help transform careers and destinations in schools.

• Be part of a growing company
  
  Become part of a committed, dynamic, and growing company. We want to build our team for the long term: if you do well, we will do our best to make sure you want to stay at the company for a long time.

• Grow individually
  
  Professional development is important at Unifrog. You will define your own 6-month objectives and will be supported by your line manager and the rest of the team to achieve them. You will have an annual training allowance to spend on what you need to grow and progress.

• Have impact
  
  Influence the company’s direction: we love to promote great ideas, wherever they come from.

Key details

• £52,000 per annum (Grade D) pro rata, plus commission from employer partnerships in your portfolio and performance-related incentives. (OTE £57,000 per annum, pro rata).

• Full-time.

• Fixed-term contract for 15 months. 

• Work remotely or in our London or Edinburgh offices.

• 28 days paid holiday per year (plus bank holidays).

• Working hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 4:30pm on Friday.

• Start date: 2nd November 2026, though we will be flexible for the right candidates.

• If you require reasonable adjustments, or want to discuss any details about the role before applying, please contact Mhairi (details on our website).

• We can only consider candidates who have the right to work in the UK.

Application process  

• Deadline: 10:00am (BST) on Monday 24th August 2026. 

• We may need to close applications early if we receive a lot of interest. As long as you’ve already started applying, we’ll give you 48 hours’ notice of the deadline changing - so if you’re thinking of applying, please start an application so we can keep you updated. 

• Stage 1: Application form (~1 hour) 

• Visit our website to upload your CV and complete the questions below.

• Please note that we do not review CVs at this stage of the application process, so please be as specific as possible about your experience.

i. With reference to examples of your recent experience, what would make you an excellent candidate for this role? (250 words)

ii. Tell us about a time you had to lead a team to meet a goal - what was your approach? (250 words)
 

• Stage 2: Phone task (15 minutes)

• Stage 2: Video call interview (1 hour) 

• Standard Q&A from a panel of three, including questions about your experiences and how these relate to the role, and scenario questions based on common situations you might face (plus time for your questions).

• Video call interviews will be held w/c 7th September 2026.

• Your answers are an opportunity to let us know more about your motivations and experience. While we understand that candidates might want to use AI to improve parts of their application, we strongly encourage you to write your answers independently. 

Please note, we compare all answers to an AI generated answer. Where we suspect AI has been used to write the majority of the answer, this will be taken into consideration when scoring

Inclusion and diversity at Unifrog

• How we communicate

Within the company we try to foster a culture of innovation, and a happy working environment, both because this is the right thing to do, and because we think this results in the most effective team. To this end we believe in open communication, celebrating successes, supporting each other, not being afraid to be wrong or to fail, and promoting good ideas wherever they come from.

• Embedded EDI

As a platform that supports teachers and students from a huge variety of backgrounds it’s important that our team and leadership reflects this diversity. This is something we are actively working towards and prioritising. We embed diversity, equity and inclusion across everything we do, continually evaluating policies and practices to make sure they are inclusive and equitable.

To make sure everyone’s voice is heard and people have the opportunities to learn to be better allies in the workplace, we encourage the team to share what they’re celebrating, facilitate training and group discussions, and seek regular feedback about what more the company could do to help people feel included.

• Recruitment processes
  
  To ensure that our recruitment process is consistent and fair, we anonymise your application and therefore do not see your name, personal, educational or professional background. We also randomise the order of responses so that it’s less likely that a candidate is advantaged or disadvantaged by where their answers appear compared to other candidates.