Programme and partnerships development director jobs

We are seeking a dynamic individual to coordinate a multi-year racial equity partnership programme called “Leadership Lighthouses”.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of a groundbreaking mission to support the development of social purpose leaders from Global Majority backgrounds.

In this role, you will collaborate closely with partners, participants, and a team of skilled facilitators to coordinate programme planning, logistics and successful delivery, ensuring a high quality experience for all involved.

The key responsibilities of the role are to:

• Lead day-to-day programme coordination, ensuring milestones are met, project plans remain live and up to date, and risks or delays are proactively identified, communicated, and mitigated to support timely delivery.

• Act as the key operational contact for the programme, coordinating task allocation and communications with the programmes team, steering group, and wider stakeholders to ensure timely, high-quality information flow aligned with project milestones.

• Coordinate monitoring and evaluation schedules and data collection.

• Coordinate steering group meetings.

• Coordinate communications and agreements with facilitators, programme contributors, partners and venues.

• Coordinate participant recruitment processes, working closely with the Programmes Administrator to ensure smooth application, selection, and onboarding in line with project milestones.

• Support the Director of Programmes in moderating applications and conducting applicant interviews.

• Assess learner needs and coordinate learning and accessibility adjustments in collaboration with the Director of Programmes; hold meetings or calls with participants and facilitators to understand additional needs and ensure a positive programme experience, and liaise with relevant colleagues on implications for delivery.

• Coordinate logistics for both in-person and online programme sessions.

• Monitor the safeguarding inbox and liaise with the Director of Programmes, Safeguarding Lead, and facilitators to agree and implement appropriate follow-up actions.

• Support logistics and administration for facilitator training and development sessions.

• Monitor and track the programme budget, support financial reporting, and collaborate with the Director of Programmes to ensure efficient use of resources.

• Conduct desktop research in line with the location decision framework when establishing locations for future programmes.

• Coordinate and respond to participant communications, working in collaboration with the Programmes Administrator and Director of Programmes.

• Work with the Marketing team to provide regular updates on programme progress, providing relevant programme information to support marketing and promotional activities.

About You

We seek a highly organised individual with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to communicate clearly and efficiently, who brings an inclusive approach and is driven to ensure that the Leadership Lighthouses programme is impactful, and delivers a positive experience for partners, participants and their communities.

How to Apply

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you! Take a look at the full job description, which includes details on the key responsibilities and application process.

We’re committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where everyone is valued and respected. We run a blind recruitment process to ensure fairness and equity, anonymising applications so that you are assessed solely on your experience and potential.

Key Dates

• Applications close: 11:59pm Sunday 26 April 2026

• Initial interview (online): Wednesday 13 May 2026

• Final interview (in person, in London): Wednesday 20 May 2026 (flexibility can be discussed)

The Partnerships and Philanthropy Manager will play a key role in driving income growth through philanthropy and strategic partnerships across Northern Ireland. Reporting to the Northern Ireland Director, with a dotted line to the UK Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships, this role will contribute to the delivery of an ambitious growth strategy. The post-holder will build and steward relationships with major donors, corporate partners, and philanthropic organisations to ensure alignment with national and regional objectives, and will lead the development of high-quality fundraising, cultivation and stewardship events that deepen engagement, grow income and strengthen long-term supporter relationships. They will also lead and support their direct report, ensuring a collaborative, high-performing fundraising team.

About You: 

ESSENTIAL

• Proven experience securing high-value philanthropic gifts from trusts, foundations, major donors, and corporate partners.
• Strong relationship management, donor stewardship, and negotiation skills.
• Strategic and results-oriented approach, with a track record of meeting and exceeding fundraising targets.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in team management and/or a clear, evidenced track record of driving or contributing to the success of high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical and reporting capabilities.
• Full driving license and access to a car

DESIRABLE

• Knowledge of the philanthropic and corporate funding landscape in Northern Ireland.
• Experience working in the non-profit or charity sector.
• Familiarity with CRM and donor management systems.

To view the full job description, please click on the link below to download the document.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: 

Concern Worldwide encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity and origin, disability, political beliefs, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status to apply to become a part of the organisation. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and unequal power relations, and is committed to promoting equality. 

About us: 

We are an international humanitarian organisation that strives for a world free from poverty, fear and oppression. We deliver life-saving and life-changing interventions to the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. From rapid emergency response to innovative development programming, we go to the hardest to reach places to make sure that no-one is left behind. With almost 4,500 staff of more than 50 nationalities, Concern operates in 24 of the world’s poorest countries, helping people to achieve major and long-lasting improvements in their lives. 

Benefits
•    25 days’ annual leave, pro-rated for part-time employees.
•    Office closure between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
•    Flexible hours and hybrid working
•    Annual leave purchase scheme
•    Enhanced parental leave pay
•    Stakeholder pension
•    Season ticket loan
•    Cycle scheme
•    Life assurance
•    Access to Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Details of our benefits could be found on our website.

Job Location: Belfast (Hybrid)

Concern UK operates a flexible hybrid working policy, which can be a mix of home and office working. However, due to the nature of this role, the post‑holder may be required to attend the Belfast office more frequently and travel to meet corporate partners, donors, and attend networking or external events.

Our Belfast office is located in an historic building in a lively area, close to the Ulster University Belfast campus, cafés, restaurants, shops, and excellent transport links. The building is full of character, blending historic charm with modern, flexible workspaces designed for collaboration and creativity.

Candidates must be legally entitled to work in the UK at the time of application.

Belfast: £46,140 to £51,267, based on full time hours (35 hours per week)

New employees will normally start at the minimum of the pay band, with scope for progression over time.

The successful post holder will be required to complete a criminal records self-declaration form and a Basic AccessNI check. 

Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with Concern Worldwide. This will depend on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of your offences. 

Operation Smile is an international medical charity specialising in cleft surgery and care for babies, children and adults. Since 1982, the organisation has transformed lives through safe surgery and comprehensive cleft care, while strengthening local health systems through training, education and partnerships

Operating in more than 30 countries, Operation Smile raises around $100m globally each year. Operation Smile UK (OSUK) plays a vital role within this international network as a fundraising office, working closely with Operation Smile Inc. to fund programmes and support medical volunteers delivering care around the world. The organisation is entering an exciting phase of development through its Operation 100 strategy, which focuses on strengthening surgical systems by supporting district hospitals closer to the communities they serve.

OSUK has an established and growing partnerships portfolio, including well-known brands and global partners, such as Superdrug, The Perfume Shop and Johnson & Johnson. With strong foundations already in place, there is significant opportunity to grow income further through both deepening existing relationships and unlocking new, high-value corporate partnerships.

OSUK is seeking a Partnerships Manager to play a pivotal role in its growth strategy, managing and expanding corporate partnerships while identifying and securing new business opportunities. You will drive strategy and delivery across corporate fundraising, and line manage the Partnerships Officer, who delivers community fundraising.

This is a highly strategic role with the opportunity to focus on high-value, relationship-led partnerships rather than transactional activity, supported by an experienced Director of Partnerships and strong organisational networks.

As Partnerships Manager, you will:

• Manage and grow a portfolio of established corporate partners, focusing on renewals, uplifts and long-term strategic development
• Develop and secure new corporate partnerships, building a strong and sustainable pipeline of prospects
• Deliver a balanced role with a mix of account management and new business development
• Lead on partnership campaigns, activations and engagement opportunities across the year
• Build relationships with UK-based and global partners, including high five-figure and sixfigure partnerships
• Create compelling, tailored partnership propositions aligned to Operation Smile’s programmes and impact
• Line manage a Partnerships Officer, who delivers community fundraising and oversees smaller partnerships

Essential skills and experience:

• Experience in corporate partnerships fundraising or business development
•  Track record of securing and growing partnerships in the £50k–£100k+ range
• Experience managing and developing high-value relationships (five-figure to six-figure)
• Strong new business skills, including pipeline development, prospecting and closing deals
• Experience balancing account management with new business activity
• Ability to develop compelling proposals and partnership plans
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills with corporate stakeholders

Desirable:

• Experience managing income streams of £300k+
• Line management experience or readiness to step into management
• Experience working across multiple sectors (e.g. healthcare, retail, brands)
• Experience working within an international or global organisation

Employee benefits include:

• 25 days per year (excluding bank holidays), plus discretionary office closure between Christmas and New Year, with 1-day additional holiday each year to a maximum of 30 days annual leave
• 6.1% employer pension contribution
• Enhanced maternity package (min. 24 months service)
• Employee Assistance Programme

The Fundraising Development Administrator will play a vital role in supporting the Director of Fundraising across corporate partnerships, philanthropy and special events. 

The successful candidate will provide high-quality administrative and project support whilst also developing skills in copy writing, marketing, events, stewardship, prospect development and fundraising strategy. The role offers valuable exposure to senior stakeholders, donors, and wider organisational projects. 
 
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is hard-working, enthusiastic, keen to learn and passionate about pursuing a career in fundraising, working work with a driven team in a small, but impactful and growing charity to improve the lives of young carers and patients.

Our Operations Director will lead the development of the operational infrastructure required to scale Fruitful Work nationally and internationally. Working in close partnership with the Founder & CEO, this role takes ownership of the systems, processes, team and organisational rhythms that enable the charity to grow rapidly and sustainably. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys building from the ground up, turning vision into reliable execution, and creating the foundations that allow a small team to deliver outsized impact.

You will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the organisation and lead the recruitment and management of a growing operations team as Fruitful Work expands.

Please see our attached candidate pack for the full role description

A fantastic opportunity to join the Cure Parkinson’s Research team – a medical research charity supporting research to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. Working with the Director of Research, this role will have management of Cure Parkinson’s clinical portfolio. The charity supports a large treatment selection process that feeds new clinical trials seeking disease modification. This is an exciting time in Parkinson’s research and there is the opportunity to have a really meaningful impact by joining the Cure Parkinson’s team as we expand our funding schemes and initiate new ventures.

As our Clinical Research Manager, you will have a PhD in life sciences (an MD or MBSS would be advantageous) and significant experience in clinical trial development. A healthcare professional engaged in medical research you will be looking to move to the charity sector to influence the strategic direction of the Parkinson’s research field and drive forward the search for a cure. You must have a strong understanding of Parkinson’s, the biology associated with the condition, and the agents currently in development. You will require excellent organisational and communication skills as you will be representing the charity via stakeholder engagement. Working as an effective member of our Research Team you will be able to handle multiple tasks with precision simultaneously and be comfortable building relationships and providing support for researchers.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a strategic, faith‑driven leader to shape and scale programmes that are transforming children’s lives across the UK.

Children and young people across the UK are facing a growing mental health crisis. At Transforming Lives for Good (TLG), we believe the local church has a vital role to play in responding - offering early, relational and therapeutic support that can fundamentally change life trajectories for children and families. Our vision is fullness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face.

As Director of Programmes & Impact, you will be a key member of TLG’s Core Leadership Team, with responsibility for the growth, quality and impact of our UK‑wide programmes, currently supporting around 5,000 children in partnership with more than 220 churches. You will lead a talented senior team, pioneer new and existing models of support, and ensure everything we do delivers deep, measurable and meaningful change in children’s lives.

We are seeking a senior leader who can lead programmes at scale, use insight and evidence to drive impact, and navigate change and complexity with confidence. You will model prayerful, emotionally healthy leadership, with a deep commitment to therapeutic, trauma‑informed practice firmly rooted in the life and mission of the local church.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: 30 - 37.5 per week (0.8 – 1.0 FTE)

Closing Date: Sunday 26th April

Initial Interviews: Friday 1st May – Online

Final Interviews: Tuesday 12th May – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

This exciting new role offers the right candidate the opportunity to lead LBWP's programmes and services for Black and minoritised, i.e. Global Majority, women and children who are survivors of domestic violence and abuse. Our programmes team is expanding as we are providing new refuge and dispersed accommodation services as well as legal advice, counselling and ex-service user training and development support. 

This senior leadership role also involves developing and maintaining external parternships with key stakeholders, funders, strategic women's sector organisations and local community partners as well as overseeing programme budgets, facilities managment and service user engagement.

Essential skilss and experience include:

• Senior management experience within the voluntary, community, or public sector
• Proven experience of simultaneously managing complex, multi- programme delivery 
• Good understanding of specialist domestic violence and abuse services that support the specific needs of Global Majority women and their children
• Experience of working as part of a senior management team and working collaboratively to develop organisational strategy and operational plans
• Experience of managing and supporting line managers and multidisciplinary teams
• Experience of managing project budgets, reviewing management accounts and identifying issues with internal systems to improve them

London Black Women's Project is a specialist ‘by and for’ organisation providing refuge, supported accommodation, and wraparound support programmes for Black and minoritised (Global Majority) women and their children who are survivors of domestic violence and abuse. We work across London in partnership with London boroughs, the specialist women's DV sector, funders and community services to provide holistic wraparound support and advice. 

We are seeking an experienced and driven Director of Programmes & Impact with essential third sector experience to lead and shape our global programme function.
This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring that all funds raised are translated into effective delivery on the ground, supported by strong oversight, clear data, and credible impact.
You will own the full lifecycle of programme delivery — from partner management and implementation through to compliance oversight, data capture, and donor reporting. You will also play a key role in building the systems, processes, and structures that enable impact to be delivered and evidenced consistently as the organisation grows.
This role offers a high level of ownership and influence, with the opportunity to shape how The Zahra Trust delivers, measures, and communicates impact globally.

Salary:                                 £62,651 per annum

Contract Type:                     Fixed Term Contract – Paternity Cover (up to 10 months)

Closing date:                       7 April 2026 at 11pm

Interview date:                  4 – 15 May 2026

About CARE

CARE International is a global humanitarian organisation leading the fight to end poverty in the world’s most challenging situations. Women and girls are at the centre of our work, because we cannot overcome poverty and inequality until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We know that when a crisis erupts, women are often the first to pick up the pieces, so we work alongside women, so they have the power to make change where it’s needed most. Founded in 1945, CARE currently works in over 100 countries and last year alone reached 53.4 million people through nearly 1,500 projects.

Why work for CARE International UK?

CARE International UK is currently developing its new 4-year Strategy working within the CARE International Vision 2030, which will launch in July 2026. The strategy will build on our focus on women’s leadership in crisis, and expand on our strengths in anticipatory action and women’s access to economic opportunities. This includes investing in CIUK’s Early Action Fund, which sits within the Programme Management Team and works with country offices to support communities to prepare for and respond to climate and conflict-related emergencies. The Programme Management Team is at the centre of driving the impact we want to achieve through our new strategy, and continuing to work towards our goal of giving more power, resources and space to local organisations and communities, in particular to women-led organisations and women activists, so they can lead the decisions, debates and programmes that affect their lives.

The Head of Programme Management is a key organisational leadership role and will be part of the CIUK Extended Leadership Team working with other heads of team and the senior leadership team to help run the organisation effectively and deliver the 4-year strategy. CIUK’s restricted income from donors is significant and is CIUK’s largest income stream; as such the Head of PMT has a high level of responsibility for stewardship and effective management of the ongoing programme portfolio. Our largest programmes are complex multi-partner consortia in fragile contexts with budgets of up to £60m. The role-holder also has a crucial role to play in identifying learning from our programmes and sharing these across CARE and the sector.

About you

You will have demonstrated experience working with a range of donors, including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), with deep knowledge of how the FCDO operates, how they are structured and contract programmes, as well as their current priorities. You will also have experience delivering programmes with corporate partners, and trusts and foundations. You will have the ability to build strong relationships and have demonstrated ability to negotiate complex contracts with donors and influence donor positions. You will have a strong programme management and risk management background that allows you to understand and work across multiple projects and contexts, and manage risk at the portfolio level, dealing effectively with new risks and issues as they emerge.

As a leader of a large team, you will have strong people leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to translate strategy into action, motivate colleagues and demonstrate to team members how their role links to organisational strategy and objectives. Your leadership style will be aligned with CIUK’s feminist leadership principles and values. You will need to have experience of working in donor-funded organisations, understand cost recovery models, and have experience working to deliver large-scale programming in development and/or humanitarian contexts.  A good understanding of the current debates in the sector on local leadership and a commitment to the principles set out in the pledge for change are essential.

About the role

The Head of Programme Management leads a large team to oversee all of CIUK’s active humanitarian and development projects funded by UK donors. The team leads CIUK’s relationships with Country Offices and Regions and develops close partnerships to help us achieve long-term and effective programming across the humanitarian and development arena. The team also builds strong relationships with institutional donors and works with the Partnerships and Philanthropy team to deliver corporate-funded programmes. The Head of Programme Management is responsible for ensuring strong grant management and donor compliance including programme financial management. The team ensures that CARE provides and is recognised by donors for offering excellent value for money and real impact for its programme participants. The team also leads CIUK’s approach to delivering smart development and humanitarian programmes with an increasing focus on equitable partnership approaches. 

The role covers four main areas of responsibility:

Representation and relationship management

Holding relationships with a set of senior stakeholders including FCDO Senior Responsible Owners, other donor counterparts, CARE Country Directors, Programme Directors and Regional Directors. Negotiating contract terms with donors and troubleshooting delivery issues with country offices. Positioning CARE’s work to external stakeholders, including personally representing CIUK in external forums and with donors.

Organisational and team leadership, strategy and planning:

Set and drive the programme management team’s annual plans and contribution to the organisation’s strategic priorities. Be accountable to delivering on team KPIs and organisational KPIs that link to PMT’s work. Play a key role in the leadership of the Programme and Policy department. Provide strong line management to direct reports and demonstrate a strong personal commitment to CIUK’s equity, diversity and inclusion goals and feminist leadership principles.

Financial and compliance management

Provide close and effective management of multi-million pound budgets. Reforecast accurately throughout the year, identifying and working with country offices to rectify implementation issues. Manage risks and issues at portfolio level, raising high and critical risks for attention by senior leadership and board as necessary. Ensure donor compliance is followed.

Programme quality, monitoring evaluation and learning

Ensure that CIUK closely monitors project implementation, relevance of programme outputs and outcomes and ensures programmes meet relevant technical standards and up to date best practice. Programmes fulfil requirements on programme quality and adhere to do no harm standards, the Core Humanitarian Standard, and ensure that CARE’s safeguarding standards are met throughout the life of the programme. Proactively share knowledge from CIUK’s programmes across the confederation and externally.

Right to Work in the UK

All applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom at the time of appointment. Proof of right to work will be required as part of the recruitment process. For more information, please visit the UK Government's guidance on right to work. Where you do not have current right to work in the UK, then this will be discussed with you as part of the recruitment process. Please note that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship and further information (should you require sponsorship to work in the UK) on eligibility can be found here.

Safeguarding 

CARE International UK has a zero-tolerance approach to any abuse to, sexual harassment of or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives or partners. CARE International UK expects all staff to share this commitment through our Safeguarding Policy (link here) and our Code of Conduct (link here). They are responsible for ensuring they understand and work within the remit of these policies throughout their time at CARE International UK.

Safeguarding our beneficiaries is our top priority in everything we do, including recruitment. All offers of employment at CARE International UK are subject to: 

· Satisfactory references. CARE International UK participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (link here).  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from successful applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. 

· Appropriate criminal record checks (including a Bridger check, link here).

By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures. 

Equality and Diversity

We are committed to Equality and value Diversity. We are a Disability Confident Employer and particularly welcome applications from disabled people. We guarantee interviews to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role (see person specification). If you require the candidate brief or need to submit your application in an alternative format, because of a disability, please do get in touch by sending an email to HR.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from people of underrepresented backgrounds, including those from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities, and individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

Stella Maris UK is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of International Programmes to drive delivery of our international strategy and strengthen our global network.

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for building strong relationships with international partners, identifying programme opportunities, and securing sustainable funding from corporates, trusts and foundations. The role will oversee the development and delivery of high-impact projects, ensure effective grant management and reporting, and support capacity building across the global Stella Maris network.

The role requires regular international travel to build partnerships, support programme delivery, and represent Stella Maris at meetings, conferences and network events.

We are looking for a confident leader with a strong track record in international development, grant fundraising, and stakeholder management, alongside the ability to translate strategy into delivery.

At Ambitious about Autism, we are looking for a Programme Director – Service Development to join our team. You'll develop Ambitious about Autism's and the Trust's education and care services for autistic children and young people.

You'll lead on key strategic projects to extend existing or develop new education and care services for autistic children and young people, providing strong project leadership, strategic integration and managing project-related governance. You'll identify and pursue new business opportunities to drive growth and expansion of our educational settings, including school bids.

You'll be involved in new service development, conducting thorough assessment to identify gaps and opportunities for new provisions or products, whilst developing innovative concepts for new services and seeking approval through business cases. You'll also provide leadership to the Service Development team, with line management of 3 direct reports, whilst upholding Ambitious about Autism's core values.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Extensive business development and project planning knowledge
• Working knowledge of the education, health or social care of children/young people with SEND
• Working knowledge of: The social, policy, regulatory issues affecting children and young people with special educational needs or Commissioning and service delivery for children, young people and their families
• Proven experience of leading the development and delivery of new services for children, young people and/or adults with special educational needs or disabilities either from a third sector, educational, health or local authority background
• Experience of developing strategic and business plans

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

For over 30 years, we’ve pioneered the use of beekeeping as a sustainable development tool, helping communities across Africa escape poverty while protecting biodiversity. Now we’re ready to scale our impact significantly — growing from £900K to £1.4M income within three years and expanding to new locations using our proven model.

The Opportunity:
This is a rare chance to lead a mission-driven organisation with huge potential. You’ll work with influential patrons including The Queen, Monty Don, Martha Kearney, Kate Humble, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, all ready to actively support our ambitious goals. You’ll manage a talented team of seven and work alongside seven committed trustees.

What we’re looking for:
We need a leader who

• Is genuinely passionate about environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation
• Can develop and execute ambitious fundraising strategies, including corporate partnerships and major donor relationships
• Brings financial acumen and strategic planning experience
• Enjoys managing and developing people—our small team is excellent and is keen to welcome great leadership
• Thrives on networking and relationship-building, actively seeking opportunities
• Is comfortable being the external face of the organisation with donors, corporates, and partners
• Has senior leadership experience (ideally in the third sector, though we welcome strong leaders from any sector)

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead strategic planning and organisational growth in partnership with the Board
• Act as chief fundraiser and spokesperson, personally engaging with high-level donors
• Develop corporate partnerships and ESG opportunities
• Manage and inspire our team of seven, fostering a culture of excellence
• Oversee a ~£1M+ budget and ensure strong financial management
• Deepen relationships with international partners in Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda and beyond
• Build BfD’s profile and brand visibility

What we offer:

• Salary of £65,000-£70,000 (negotiable based on experience)
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension (flexible package)
• Hybrid working possible with minimum 3 days in our Monmouth office (important for team collaboration and partner engagement)
• The chance to lead a respected organisation through an exciting growth phase
• Opportunity to make a real difference to communities and biodiversity worldwide

Timeline:
Application deadline: 13th April 2026

Bees for Development is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace.

About BIG Alliance

BIG Alliance (Businesses for Islington Giving) delivers business-supported employee volunteer programmes to strengthen links between businesses, community organisations and education institutions across Islington. In doing so, it aims to help address issues of poverty and isolation, which are prevalent across the borough, despite the perception of Islington being an area of high wealth. 43% of children are growing up in poverty, one if the highest rates in the country, and Islington is the 6th most deprived out of 32 London boroughs.

Established in 2012, BIG Alliance aims to make community investment easier, more effective and more rewarding for its business members.  It is a partnership between, East London Business Alliance – a registered charity that has been supporting the social and economic regeneration of east London for 30 years, Macquarie Group – principal funder and founder, and Islington Giving - funder and founder.  To date, BIG Alliance has placed more than 16,000 business professionals into volunteering opportunities within over 700 community organisations, schools, colleges and universities.

ELBA has an excellent employee benefits package including generous leave, flexible balance between working from home and the office, BUPA health cashplan; enhanced maternity and paternity pay; an active wellbeing and equalities programmes led by staff; a varied and busy learning and development schedule; cycle purchase scheme; and an Employee Assistance Helpline. including access to free accredited courses up to degree and post-graduate level. 

Purpose of the job

The main purpose of the job is to facilitate development and delivery of the BIG Alliance’s skills-based volunteering programme, which utilises the skills, experience and sector-specific expertise of employees within our business partners to support Islington’s community organisations and residents.

Our skilled volunteers are placed with a community partner or beneficiary either individually or join one of our annual programmes which include: CoRe (Community Resourcing), Board Builders, Leaders in Partnership and Time to Talk. Over 3,000 employees have been placed as skilled volunteers through BIG Alliance since 2012 providing expertise in law, finance, IT, HR, and marketing and communications to name just a few.

The postholder will be responsible for the successful delivery of various aspects of this programme, delivering exciting, innovative employer supported volunteering projects that meet the expectations of specific corporate supporters, and the needs of the community with key geographical focus in Islington.

Job Description

Main duties

• Collaborate closely with community partners, corporate partners and BIG team to understand community needs and design appropriate employee volunteering activities to address these needs

• Develop relationships and effective partnerships with key stakeholders in the community including the local authority and community infrastructure support organisations to maximise the impact of BIG Alliance’s work.

• Support the delivery of all business skills activity and the wider BIG Alliance programmes.

• Proactively market volunteering programmes to BIG Alliance corporate partners.

• Source, place and manage cohorts of corporate volunteers in line with business plan and project targets.

• Develop effective working relationships with community affairs team with BIG Alliance corporate partners, ensuring that these companies are supported to develop employee volunteering and other initiatives that meet their targets, priorities and strategies.

• Implement effective evaluation and impact measurement tools in line with BIG Alliance corporate partner requirements, ensuring that evaluation informs best practise to ensure continuous improvement.

• Work on any projects with BIG Alliance, as and when required.

General

• Use BIG Alliance’s internal systems to maintain records and report progress, including due diligence and volunteer recording via Salesforce

• Ensure that effective project management systems for monitoring and evaluation are in place and keep detailed records.

• Proactively generate case studies, news articles, photos and social media content to promote the work of BIG Alliance in line with BIG Alliance communication targets and protocols.

• Collaborate with other BIG Alliance colleagues on projects where appropriate and contribute to the development of BIG Alliance/ELBA as an organisation overall.

• Adhere to and implement policies, including equal opportunities and health and safety.

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as requested by your line manager.

ELBA wants to represent the diverse community we support and aims to be an inclusive employer in terms of ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation & background. We are an equal opportunities employer and we welcome all applications.

Please note this role is required to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The successful candidate will be required to comply with ELBA's safeguarding policies and any appointment will be subject to satisfactory references as well as DBS.