Predominantly home-based with regular travel to locations across the UK
up to £45,000 per annum
Permanent, Full Time (35 hours per week)
Office facilities are available at our Newark office at The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, NG24 1WT, for those within easy travelling distance. There is a requirement to attend in-person the monthly team meetings at the Newark office
Closing date for applications: 10th May 2026
First interview: 27th May 2026 (Online)
Second interview: 3rd June 2026 (Online)
About Us
The Wildlife Trusts are a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that we need nature and nature needs us. We have more than 945,000 members, over 33,000 volunteers, 4,100 staff and 600 trustees. There are 46 individual Wildlife Trusts, each of which is a place-based independent charity with its own legal identity, formed by groups of people getting together and working with others to make a positive difference to wildlife and future generations, starting where they live and work.
Every Wildlife Trust is part of The Wildlife Trusts federation and a corporate member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912 and one of the founding members of IUCN – the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Taken together this federation of 47 charities is known as The Wildlife Trusts.
The next few years will be critical in determining what kind of world we all live in. We need to urgently reverse the loss of wildlife and put nature into recovery at scale if we are to prevent climate and ecological disaster. We recognise that this will require big, bold changes in the way The Wildlife Trusts work, not least in how we mobilise others and support them to organise within their own communities.
About You
This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in securing transformational support for nature in the UK and beyond. Working with senior leaders to build and steward high-value donor relationships, we are seeking an experienced and ambitious Major Gifts Fundraiser with exceptional relationship-building, communication and storytelling skills, and a commitment to inspiring philanthropic support for nature’s recovery.
This role offers the opportunity to contribute not only to income growth but also to strengthen major donor fundraising across The Wildlife Trusts.
We are looking for an exceptional Major Gifts Fundraiser to join one of the UK’s most cherished nature charities at a pivotal moment for nature’s recovery.
In this influential role, you will be instrumental in expanding our network of high-net-worth supporters. Working closely with our Head of Major Donor Fundraising, Chief Executive, Senior Leadership Team and our Wildlife Trust colleagues, you will focus on identifying and cultivating meaningful, long-term relationships, that delivers transformational support for nature’s recovery in the UK.
You will be a confident, compelling communicator, and engaging Major Gifts Fundraiser, with the ability to express The Wildlife Trusts’ case for support in tackling the nature and climate emergencies, both through our work on nature’s restoration on the ground to driving change through policy, influencing and campaigning. You will be highly experienced in inspiring donors by connecting their values with our mission to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.
We are looking for an experienced Major Gifts Fundraiser with a track record of securing significant restricted and unrestricted income. You will be skilled at initiating and developing mutually beneficial relationships, motivated by ambitious targets and driven by the opportunity to make a genuine difference for nature.
The Wildlife Trusts value passion, respect, trust, integrity, pragmatic activism and strength in diversity. Whilst we are passionate in promoting our aims, we are not judgmental and are inclusive. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities.
RSWT take our Safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. Please click here to read our commitment statement. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For applicable roles, applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks at the eligible level.
RSWT are committed to increasing the diversity of its staff through its Levelling the Field recruitment pledge and, as a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming recruitment experience for all applicants. Applicants with disabilities and from ethnic minority backgrounds, will be considered for the next stage of the selection process should they meet all the minimum criteria for the role outlined in the person specification detailed as essential criteria in the recruitment pack. As part of our Disability Confident Scheme, RSWT offers an interview to a fair and proportionate number of applicants with disabilities and therefore not all applicants with disabilities would be entitled to an interview as they must still satisfy the minimum requirements for the job. This commitment is designed to help reduce barriers and promote equal opportunity. We actively work to remove barriers throughout the recruitment journey and are dedicated to creating an accessible and supportive recruitment experience by offering reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process, as well as within the workplace. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you during your application or interview process, please let us know and we will be pleased to put the appropriate support in place.
At RSWT, we are committed to creating a safe environment where discrimination, bullying, and harassment are not tolerated. We expect everyone to uphold, respect, and support our zero-tolerance policy. Please be aware we may not accept applications if we have reason to believe they have been wholly produced using generative AI tools.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Reports toDirector of External Relations
Hours37.5 hours per week
Salary£56,959.05 - £63,886.54
ContractFixed Term Contract - 12 Months
LocationRemote (with occasional travel across UK)
BenefitsA generous package including 25 days holiday per year plus public holidays, employee pension scheme with 4% employer contribution, Cycle2Work scheme, 365 days a year Employee Assistance Programme
About SafeLives
We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone, for good.
We work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. We want what you would want for your best friend. We listen to survivors, putting their voices at the heart of our thinking. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family to get the right help at the right time to make families everywhere safe and well. And we challenge perpetrators to change, asking ‘why doesn’t he stop?’ rather than ‘why doesn’t she leave?’ This applies whatever the gender of the victim or perpetrator and whatever the nature of their relationship.
Last year alone, we delivered more than 700 sessions to over 15,000 learners across the UK in policing, health, housing, justice, education and the specialist sector. And we have reached 90,000 adult and 100,000 child survivors through programmes designed and delivered with partners.
In the last 9 years, close to 7,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change through flagship interventions developed by our Drive Partnership and the programme continues to expand year on year.
Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone.
Description
You will provide strong and steady leadership for SafeLives’ communications, marketing and public affairs work over the next year, communicating our Whole Picture Strategy, finding what works and helping it happen to end domestic abuse for everyone for good.
You will shape and deliver strategic communications and influencing work to reach decision-makers, strengthen public trust, and support our mission to drive real change in the UK’s domestic abuse response.
You will be able bring to together robust data, the voice of survivors, and the view of practice experts to position SafeLives at the centre of the conversation with professionals, key policy and decision makers and influencers as a credible and trusted voice.
You’ll lead a cross-functional team of comms, marketing and public affairs colleagues to:
- Strengthen core messaging and consistency around our Whole Picture strategy and the WP Framework, to support delivery and impact
- maintain our communications and marketing and our brand
- provide oversight of our influencing through policy and public affairs, working with senior colleagues where escalation is required
- support income generation through targeted marketing, and support for fundraising
- ensure we are sharing evidence, data and research in support of our strategy
You will connect reactive work with long-term strategic priorities, ensuring our external engagement supports our strategic priorities, policy goals, and income generation ambitions. And you will lead high-quality responses to breaking news and emerging issues, providing clear strategic advice to the Senior Leadership Team and acting as a trusted lead on reputational risk.
You will ensure SafeLives is visible, authoritative and survivor-centred in public and policy conversations, with timely responses, briefings and support, ensuring our communications and influencing are clear, consistent and drive impact.
You will work with our training, practice, and fundraising teams to drive our business development and income generation, as well as helping us to understand all our audiences and better meet their needs.
And as part of the Operational Management Team (OMT), you’ll work closely with colleagues to ensure an inclusive and supportive organisational culture, role modelling our values.
Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required.
Responsibilities
1. Leadership
·Provide calm, structured and values-led leadership across the Comms, Marketing and Public Affairs team.
·Ensure reliable systems, processes and workflows for communications, marketing and public affairs.
·Set expectations, priorities and working rhythms that bring stability and clarity to the team.
·Promote a supportive, inclusive and collaborative culture with clear communication channels.
2. Core Narrative, Messaging and Evidence Sharing
·Lead the development of SafeLives’ core messages, ensuring they are used consistently across all teams, and the development of our influencing asks.
·Translate SafeLives’ research, data and evidence into accessible, impactful content for external audiences, including practitioners, policy and decision makers.
·Ensure all outputs are survivor‑centred, values‑aligned and evidence‑led
·Develop our brand to reflect our approach to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion and in line with our values - human, rigorous, brave and inclusive.
·Oversee production of communications, marketing and policy materials that help to amplify our Whole Picture strategy and our related priorities.
3. Communications and Media Leadership
·Lead SafeLives’ overall communications strategy and activity.
·Oversee media relations, with strong focus on clear messaging and reputational resilience.
·Implement rapid-response and crisis‑comms protocols with clear escalation to Directors.
·Lead the development and management of our website, digital channels and content strategy.
·Ensure SafeLives is timely, authoritative and survivor‑centred in its external interventions.
4. Marketing and Audience Engagement
·Lead marketing strategy to support:
·Statutory and voluntary income generation
·Training uptake
·Consultancy and practice development
·Fundraising and supporter engagement
·Strengthen audience insight, segmentation and targeting.
·Oversee campaigns that bring SafeLives’ strategy and evidence to life and drive measurable action.
·Ensure that communication and marketing resources are used effectively to support business development.
5. Public Affairs and Policy
·Provide strategic alignment between SafeLives’ core messaging and evidence sharing and our influencing work
·Ensure public affairs activities and outputs (briefings, consultations, correspondence) are clear, accurate and consistent with SafeLives’ communications approach.
·Maintain awareness of political and policy developments relevant to SafeLives’ mission, advising Directors on risks and opportunities for influencing, working with colleagues across the organisation to develop policy.
·Senior level engagement will be led by Directors, as needed, with this role and the public affairs team leading stakeholder engagement and supporting preparation, messaging and follow‑up.
6. Planning, Governance and Performance
·Lead forward planning for all communications, marketing and public affairs activity.
·Set realistic, measurable KPIs that support the delivery of our comms and influencing strategy and our income generation.
·Embed continuous improvement processes and ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection.
·Oversee budgets for communications, marketing and public affairs, ensuring value for money and resource prioritisation.
7. Authentic Voice
·Ensure that the voices, experiences and priorities of survivors remain at the heart of all external communications.
·Support colleagues and Pioneers who use lived experience in SafeLives’ work in a trauma‑informed and respectful way.
Person Specification
Experience
·Strategic communications, including influencing, brand/profile raising, media relations and reputation management in complex, high profile environments (E)
·Media relations, including securing high quality coverage and rapid-response experience (E)
·Developing and delivering effective communications and marketing cmapaigns, including support for fundraising and income generation (E)
·Digital communications across owned, earned and paid media (E)
·Experience using data, research and evidence to inform communications, influencing and storytelling (E)
·Understanding of public affairs or policy environments within the social sector (D/E)
·Leadership and people development, ideally across multi-disciplinary teams (E)
·Influencing professional and policy audiences through clear, impactful communications, information and guidance (E)
·Working with people affected by domestic abuse to support storytelling and influence change (D)
Skills
·Confident in providing strategic communications advice aligned with organisational strategy and policy priorities (E)
·Exceptional written, oral and influencing skills, including excellent writing and editing ability (E)
·Strong political and media awareness
·Excellent judgement under pressure, making sound, values‑led decisions at pace (E)
·Ability to turn complex and fast‑moving information into clear messaging for different audiences, particularly professional and policy maker audiences (E)
·Strong issue and risk management in sensitive public contexts (E)
·Excellent digital and social media skills (E)
·Strong analytical skills to design and deliver campaigns (E)
·Numerate, with experience preparing and managing budgets (E)
·Strong planning, prioritisation and ability to meet multiple deadlines (E)
·Able to identify problems early and propose solutions (E)
·Commitment to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion (E)
·Commitment to ending domestic abuse (E)
Competencies
Leadership, organisational and strategic awareness
·Inspires trust and confidence in others
·Commitment to SafeLives’ values – Human, Rigorous, Inclusive and Brave - underpins all actions and decisions
·Remains calm, decisive and collaborative in fast-moving situations, while maintaining message clarity, survivor focus and organisational credibility
·Demonstrates an understanding of how your own role contributes to achieving SafeLives’ goals
·Is responsive to change which helps achieve goals
·Pursues tasks/goals with energy, drive and need for completion
Teamwork & collaboration
·Fosters an inclusive working environment so that others can contribute effectively
·Supports colleagues in demanding situations, recognises the importance of well-being in self and others, accepts help and support from other team members
·Listens to the views of others and shows flexibility in working with collective decisions
People management and decision making
·Ability to lead and manage effective teams and create an inventive, responsible and generous team culture
·Strong focus on quality, performance and impact
·Coaches staff to reach their full potential
·Makes effective decisions on a timely basis
·Judgement and problem solving is based on identifying outcomes and victim focus
Communications and relationship management
·Communicate with energy and direction
·Ability to build strong and effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
·Promote and contribute to cross team working
·Speaks and writes clearly and effectively and in a timely manner, tailoring communication to suit the audience
·Maintains confidentiality
Delivering quality
·Self-starter with the ability to use initiative and judgement to identify problems and propose solutions
·Excellent organisational skills including the ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines
·Takes responsibility for own workload, acts on own initiative, seeks feedback from others, evaluates own performance and then acts upon it
·Tries out new ideas and ways of working and identifies and shares learning
Influence
·Inspires confidence and trust– demonstrating high standards of integrity, honesty and fairness
·Actively engages the knowledge, ideas and contributions of others
·Uses appropriate techniques to influence others
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Research Grants Manager
We’re looking for a Research Grants Manager to join the team.
Applications from individuals who are seeking flexible working options, including reduced hours or job shares are welcomed.
Position: CE401 Research Grants Manager
Location: Home-based, UK nationwide however, occasional travel will be required as part of this role (may include team meetings or other work-related meetings)
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Salary: Circa £47,000 per annum (inner London weighting £3,950 per annum or outer London weighting £2,475 per annum may be applied in accordance to where you live)
Contract: Permanent
Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (this will increase with service up to 30 days, full time equivalent) cashback and discount scheme, employee assistance programme, learning and development, pension scheme, Life Assurance, Eye Care vouchers, Long Service Award, Tax-free childcare, Health Cash Plan, Working Pattern Agreement, flexible working opportunities available.
Closing Date: 8 May 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.
Interview Date: 20 May 2026
The Role
The Research Grants Manager leads the design, delivery and governance of the Association’s research funding portfolio. The role ensures that all Association funded research schemes, including fellowships and project grants, are strategically configured, rigorously governed and effectively delivered in line with the Association’s Research Strategy.
The role will ensure that research funding schemes are aligned with external research developments and designed to maximise long-term impact. The role includes formal accountability for embedding high-quality, inclusive and structured lived experience participation within research funding processes.
The Research Grants Manager is the organisational lead for research funding operations, ensuring the Association maintains a sector-leading, transparent and strategically focused funding programme.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Lead the design and operational delivery of Association research funding, including fellowships and project grant schemes.
- Accountable for the governance of funding mechanisms, ensuring fairness, compliance with governance standards and integration within existing research management systems.
- Management of expert review and award decision processes, ensuring robust scientific assessment, transparent decision-making and strategic alignment with organisational priorities.
- Ensure consistent, high-quality and inclusive lived experience involvement within research funding processes.
- Provide authoritative insight about Association funded research to communications, fundraising, policy and service development colleagues to assist with media and fundraising opportunities.
- Contribute to effective financial planning and budget monitoring across all funding schemes, including forecasting, risk management and reporting.
About You
You will:
- Be educated to post graduate level in a science, health, social science or related discipline
- Have experience of research management in a life science setting, including management of research funding award cycles
To fulfil the role, you must be a resident of the UK and have the right to work in the UK
Please state any preferences for flexible options in your covering letter.
Finding strength through support
The organisation is the only charity in the UK providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families. Providing tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year. This support includes one-to-one and group support, funding vital scientific research into stroke prevention, acute treatment, recovery and long-term care, and campaigning to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.
They are here for stroke survivors and their loved ones, from the moment they enter the new and frightening post-stroke world, supporting them every step of the way as they find their strength and their way back to life.
It’s only thanks to the generosity of supporters and donors that they can provide vital support.
The Association is driven by an ambition to improve the lives of everyone affected by stroke. This means they’re determined to create an equitable and inclusive workplace that benefits from the difference, and thrives on the diversity, of our people. Guided by an approach to solving inequity in stroke, the team are prioritising listening to, and learning from, lived experience across the charity.
The charity are working to improve the representation of this lived experience at all levels within the Association and are eager to recruit applicants from a variety of communities and backgrounds. We are keen to receive applications from people affected by stroke, people of colour, members of LGBT+ communities, and disabled people because these identities and experiences are underrepresented and would add enormous value to how the organisation work.
A Disability Confident employer, the organisation is making great progress focusing on flexible working, reasonable adjustments and access to work.
You may also have experience in areas such as Research and Grants Manager, Research Manager, Grants Manager, Scientific Research, Health, Social Science, Social Science Research.
Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, Not For Profit People. #INDNFP