Philanthropy manager jobs in edinburgh
Job Title: Communications Director
Reporting To: CEOs
Location: Remote, with preference for candidates based in the Global South (occasional travel as required)
Contract Type: Full-time
Duration: 1 year
Compensation: $90,000 - $105,000
WHO WE ARE:
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“Remaking the world with and for girls”
Purposeful is a movement-building hub for adolescent girls. We amplify girls’ voices, resource their resistance, build solidarity between and across girls’ movements, catalyse collaborative philanthropy and support innovation in grassroots programming with and for girls.
Our work is both global and deeply local. In Sierra Leone, we bring our work together into one integrated strategy, sparking a groundswell of girls who can access and imagine new possibilities for themselves and their communities. Across the world we support girls’ organising and activism through a girl-led participatory grant-making process called the With and For Girls Awards. No matter where we are, we work so that girls and their allies can access the resources, networks and platforms they need to remake the world for themselves.
Purposeful is a proudly feminist organisation, with a strong intersectional power analysis. We pursue strategies that prioritise the collective liberation of girls. We are looking for team members who share our feminist ideals.
We believe the best work happens in dialogue, and we value collective decision-making. We believe in celebrating success, amongst staff and partners alike. We are looking for team members with a deep commitment to collaborative working, and who bring a sense of joy and humour to what can be challenging work.
We pride ourselves on our diversity, the multiple languages we speak and places we live. We are all parents or have other caring responsibilities. We prioritise work-life balance, many of us have other projects and passions outside of Purposeful. As a team we prioritise opportunities for learning, sharing, and embedding different worldviews. We are looking for team members who thrive in diverse and cross-cultural contexts, and who bring passion, creativity and a thirst for learning to their work.
We are our partnerships. We are most proud of the shared vision we have built with our partners - rooted in mutuality, trust, and collaboration. After years of informal and formal support to the Sierra Leone Adolescent Girls Network, we are proud to be part of a growing ecosystem of organisations working with and for girls. We are looking for team members who will work tirelessly to rebalance power disparities in funder-partner relationships, acting as responsible stewards of resources of and for our movements.
CONTEXT OF THIS ROLE:
At Purposeful, communications is political. It is how we amplify girls’ voices, sharpen feminist narratives, and push back against regressive agendas. The Communications Director will sit at the heart of this work - shaping and delivering a bold communications strategy aligned with Purposeful’s vision, mission, and growth.
This role leads the stewardship of Purposeful’s voice, visual identity, and storytelling practice, ensuring that everything we produce - whether op-eds, reports, campaigns, or digital content - carries our politics with clarity and conviction. The Communications Director will work closely with the Co-CEOs and across all Purposeful teams, including Advocacy, grant-making, Learning & Insights, Programmes, and Resource Mobilisation, to amplify girls’ organising, showcase our impact, and influence the broader philanthropic and activist ecosystem.
This is both a strategic and hands-on role, requiring a deep commitment to feminist movements, an instinct for storytelling as political practice, and a proven track record of positioning organisations on the global stage.
SCOPE OF WORK
1. Communications Strategy & Leadership
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Lead on delivery and implementation of a new communications strategy, building on 2025 planning foundations.
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Work closely with the Co-CEOs and director team to horizon scan and adapt strategy in response to organisational vision and external landscape.
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Provide leadership to a small team of staff and consultants (designers, digital specialists, artists) and work collaboratively with partner communications leads on joint campaigns and initiatives.
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Meticulously manage and forecast the communications and editorial budget, ensuring value for money and strong planning.
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Track and analyse content performance, using insights to refine reach and engagement.
2. Storytelling & Content Development
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Oversee the creation of compelling storytelling content that highlights Purposeful’s impact, amplifies girls’ and young feminists’ voices, and influences funders.
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Lead editorial planning and content workflows, balancing evergreen storytelling with crisis-response or time-sensitive outputs.
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Oversee production and capture of content from live and digital events (webinars, IG Lives, panels, etc.).
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Coordinate brand refresh projects, including a website refresh, and strengthen Purposeful’s digital visibility with a focus on graphic-led content across social platforms.
3. Writing & Editorial Oversight
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Review and edit all external content to ensure quality, editorial standard, and alignment with Purposeful’s voice and values.
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Write op-eds, blogs, social media posts, campaign messaging, press materials, and executive summaries.
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Collaborate with colleagues in Learning & Insights to integrate data into storytelling and publications.
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Edit and manage the production of publications and reports, commissioning artists and graphic designers as needed.
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Provide editorial oversight for media projects, including radio, film, and animation.
4. Media Engagement & Positioning
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Cultivate strong relationships with international, regional, and local media outlets.
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Proactively position Purposeful in global and regional conversations, ensuring girls’ and feminist movements’ voices are at the centre.
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Lead on preparing and supporting spokespersons, including Co-CEOs and external partners, for media engagement.
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Design and execute media strategies for key campaigns, events, and publications.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential Experience & Skills
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Proven experience developing and delivering communications strategies aligned with organisational goals.
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Demonstrated leadership in managing small teams and consultants.
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Strong hands-on skills in digital communication tools (e.g., Mailchimp, Canva, Adobe, basic video editing).
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Extensive experience in content planning and editorial workflows.
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Strong published track record (op-eds, blogs, media features) and evidence of positioning organisations in the public spotlight.
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Excellent writing and editing skills, with experience commissioning and managing creative contributors.
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Experience building and maintaining media relationships, particularly in activist and philanthropic contexts.
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Proven experience overseeing websites and digital platforms, using analytics to inform strategy.
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Strong project management and budget forecasting skills.
Closing date: 31st October 2025
"Remaking the world with and for girls"
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
We are building a compassionate and high performing organisation at Kentown Support. We are
looking for an ambitious, energetic and collaborative colleague who has both a passion for their work
and the difference it can make to children and their families. This is a pivotal leadership role and
opportunity to join an incredible charity at the beginning of its journey offering a real opportunity to
shape our future success
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Summary
The Charity Spark is looking to appoint a Strategic Fundraising Consultant to expand our fundraising support for clients across the UK. This pivotal role will be a strategic fundraising lead, working with a diverse portfolio of clients to develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies. You will advise on a range of income generation methods, including trust and foundation grants, legacy giving, major donor philanthropy, and corporate partnerships.
A key part of your role will be to provide strategic development, helping clients diversify their income streams and build sustainable fundraising programmes. This position is critical as we expand our team to meet growing demand. We are a tiny, collaborative team committed to ensuring brilliant outcomes for our clients and stability for our team.
The Charity Spark are a consultancy for the non-profit and charity sector. We work with clients from across the charity sector and help them do more good daily through excellent fundraising and transformative impact measurement. That is, we help them prove they do what they say they do and then use that proof to raise more money, so they can continue the work that they do.
We are committed to tackling inequalities and to making The Charity Spark an inclusive and diverse workspace. The Charity Spark’s purpose is core to every part of our business.
We’re keen to find the right people for the future of The Charity Spark, so we’d love to talk to you if you’re interested in us or this role, but want to know a bit more before applying.
Important Details. What you’ll get:
Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 FTE (3 days per week is £24,000-27,000 per year)
Hours: Up to 3 days per week. We keep core office hours of 8:30am-6pm however this role does not require the holder to work solely within these hours. We will work with you to find a working pattern which suits your needs and lifestyle as well as the needs of our business and clients.
Benefits: We will provide you with a laptop if required and equipment for you to work comfortably at home, as well as a monthly contribution towards your home broadband contract. We offer a company pension scheme and an employee assistance programme. We believe in the power of chocolate and tea!
Commission structure: Recognising the important role all our team play in client relationships, and in securing new contracts, TCS operates a commission structure which rewards staff who work on a successful client proposal.
Holiday: 22 days plus bank holidays (FTE contracts – pro rata for PT) and your birthday off.
Volunteering: We encourage our employees to volunteer so we will provide you an additional 2 days (FTE) a year volunteering leave.
Training and development: We want to invest in our staff team so we will provide you with an annual budget for training courses and books to enhance your skills.
Employment status: Fixed term contract of one year with permanent contract to be discussed.
Location: The Charity Spark is based in Winchester. This role is predominantly home-working with an expectation of regular co-working (around 2 days per quarter and typically in Winchester although location may vary).
Responsible to: Director
What you’ll be doing:
1. Fundraising
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- Develop and Lead Fundraising Strategies: Create bespoke, multi-stream fundraising strategies for a range of clients. This includes capital appeals and other large-scale projects, helping clients raise significant funds for transformative goals.
- Income Diversification: Advise clients on how to diversify their fundraising portfolio, reducing reliance on any single income source and building resilience.
- Trust and Foundation Fundraising: While the role is broader, you will still oversee and deliver trust fundraising work, including researching funders, writing bids and proposals, and supporting clients to steward donors effectively. You will also mentor and upskill clients and their teams on best practices.
- Support the Director with developing strategic resources for fundraising including digital courses, blogs and downloadable resources for charities.
- Client Management and Support: Serve as a senior point of contact for clients, providing expert advice, hands-on support, and strategic guidance throughout their fundraising journey.
2. Business Development
· Deal with client enquiries in an efficient and timely manner.
· Support the Director with onboarding new clients.
· Liaise with clients to gain testimonials and write client case studies.
· Research opportunities for new business products and/or clients.
· Support with B Corp certification process and improve The Charity Spark’s impact as a company.
· Assist on the organisation of team events and away days, alongside the Director.
About you:
- Experienced Fundraising Leader: You have a proven track record of success with five or more years of experience in fundraising. You demonstrate the ability to develop and execute effective, multi-stream strategies. You can tell us about fundraising successes you have been an important part of.
- Strategic Thinker: You are adept at seeing the bigger picture, identifying growth opportunities, and creating long-term plans for organisations. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative growth mindset.
- Diverse Fundraising Knowledge: You have demonstrable hands-on experience in at least one of the following areas: major gifts, legacy, and/or trust fundraising. Experience with capital appeals or with Christian charities/churches is highly desirable.
- Practical skillset: Target-driven, with experience of budget-setting, financial processes, monitoring and reporting outcomes across income streams. You have a practical understanding of fundraising and charity regulation and best practice regarding prospecting, stewardship, and reporting, together with IT and database skills including knowledge of CRMs.
- Excellent Communicator: You have a talent for using words powerfully, with excellent written communication and presentation skills. You can build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, clearly communicating complex ideas and inspiring confidence.
- Proactive and Results-Oriented: You are target-driven and have a proven track record of meeting fundraising goals. You are able to balance competing priorities and work under pressure, with the ability to anticipate and formulate solutions to problems.
- Comfortable in a small team with an entrepreneurial spirit: we are a small growing business led by our founder. You will have a passion for working with a business with a strong social mission and looking for a positive purpose in the company you work for.
We want to encourage those with a disability or neurodiversity who may experience difficulties with some forms of communication to apply and tell us how we could help you be the best version of you in the workplace. Contact us to discuss how we can make the application process accessible for you.
You can contact us via our website for an informal chat about the role.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.