Programme funding manager jobs in edinburgh, scotland

Do you understand the drivers behind supporter or customer loyalty, with experience using data, insight, and experimentation to test and refine supporter or customer experiences? Would you like to transform how the UK’s leading dementia charity delivers for supporters, enhancing and optimising both internal effectiveness and external impact?

About the role
We are recruiting for a Head of Supporter Experience and Optimisation to join on a permanent contract. This is newly created role and will be home-based, working full-time, 35 hours per week, with occasional travel required for team and stakeholder meetings and events.

The last few years have seen unprecedented growth in the public profile of dementia, driven in part by the growing size, impact and ambition of Alzheimer’s Society - the UK’s leading dementia charity. We now need to ensure that everyone who needs dementia support today can access it, while improving our ability to attract, engage and retain the donors, volunteers and campaigners who so generously give money, time and voice to deliver enduring change.

As Head of Supporter Experience and Optimisation you will lead the strategic alignment and continuous improvement of how we deliver for our supporters (donors, campaigners, volunteers), transforming how we work across the Income and Engagement directorate. You will bring together our critical enabling functions focused on performance, planning and reporting; supporter experience delivery and improvement; administration and people development. We are looking for you to drive a joined-up approach to transformation that enhances both internal effectiveness and external impact.

You’ll champion a seamless, meaningful supporter journey, ensuring every interaction reflects our values and strengthens engagement, with a clear focus on improving the end-to-end supporter experience. You’ll embed a culture of insight-led decision making, collaboration, accountability, operational excellence and learning, ensuring our people are empowered to thrive and deliver their best to help end the devastation of dementia.

At all times, you’ll act as a passionate, articulate champion of the importance of our supporter’s experience. You will be a key stakeholder and build strong relationships across the Society, ensuring processes, systems and tools are developed with the ultimate goal of always improving the experience of all our supporters.

We have provisionally scheduled the first stage of interviews for this role to take place on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th December.

There will be a Q&A webinar for this role taking place on 18th November 4pm - 5pm where you will be able to anonymously ask questions about the role and team. To request an invitation to the webinar, please email [email protected]

About you
We are looking for a dynamic leader with exceptional people skills and a proven ability to inspire, motivate, and develop high performing teams.

Joining us, you’ll have experience in developing and implementing strategies spanning a variety of functions with variable short and long-term goals. You’ll have a deep understanding of the drivers behind supporter / customer loyalty to an organisation or cause with experience using data, insight, and experimentation to test and refine supporter / customer experiences.

Crucially, you’ll be able to adopt a holistic and collaborative approach, and you’ll have the project management and planning experience required to drive change, optimise processes and assess their impact across our directorate. You’ll embody our value of being ‘determined to make a difference’ with a proactive, adaptable and pragmatic, solutions-focused approach to making improvements. You’ll be able to build positive relationships, influence key stakeholders and use your communication and leadership skills to manage and motivate cross-functional teams.

You don’t need to have a background in the charity sector, and you may or may not have a connection to dementia. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they have relevant, transferrable skills that will enable you to succeed in this role. We hope the Society’s purpose and ambition resonates with you, and you’ll be motivated to help develop and optimise our processes and systems to ensure a brilliant experience for all our supporters.

What you’ll focus on:

- Developing and delivering a transformation roadmap for the Income and Engagement directorate that aligns with directorate and Society priorities, with a clear focus on improving all touch points of a supporter experience.
- Championing a supporter-first mindset across all teams, ensuring that every process and interaction is designed to enhance supporter satisfaction and loyalty.
- Using insight and feedback to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation, driving a culture of marginal gains and agility across Income and Engagement.
- Overseeing the ongoing development, improvement and implementation of robust performance frameworks, enabling clear planning, tracking, and reporting of impact of activity across Income and Engagement.
- Building and fostering strong relationships across the Society to ensure alignment and buy-in for transformation initiatives that improve the supporters experience and our operational excellence.
- Fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture that supports innovation and growth.

About Alzheimer's Society - who are we and what’s our mission?
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding ground-breaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.  

Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives. Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for. 

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as part of a minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.     

Our hiring process
We want you to bring your whole self to the process. Applications are anonymised until interview stage, and we’re happy to support any adjustments. Share your feedback via our candidate survey when applying to help us improve. We may close early if we receive high interest (with 48 hours’ notice). Some roles may require a DBS check as part of our safer recruitment commitment. Thinking about using AI during the recruitment process? we know this can be helpful in many ways but remember to include your personal and authentic self too. Your voice and experience are what really set you apart. 

Giving back to you
At Alzheimer’s Society, we value our people and take a total reward approach to pay and benefits. You’ll enjoy a generous double-matched pension scheme, 27 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays and wellbeing days), and access to a free Health Shield Cash Plan, 24/7 EAP, Thrive mental wellbeing support, and virtual GP services. Our Society Plus platform offers exclusive discounts, wellbeing resources, and recognition schemes, while our flexible working, family-friendly policies, and life assurance provide peace of mind and work/life balance. We also offer a free Will-writing service and long service awards to recognise your ongoing commitment.