Senior major gifts manager jobs in Liverpool

We are almost two years into our ambitious organisational strategy, and this is an exciting moment to join Cycling UK as our Senior Philanthropy Officer. Cycling UK’s public fundraising programme is entering a new phase of growth, with increased ambition for philanthropy as a sustainable income stream.
 
The Senior Philanthropy Officer plays a pivotal role in delivering this ambition, taking ownership of a portfolio of mid to high-value donors and prospects and driving their progression through the Major Gifts and Legacy pipeline. Working closely with the Philanthropy Manager, the postholder will lead the development and delivery of tailored cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for their portfolio, securing significant gifts and building long-term supporter relationships.
 
You don’t need to be a cyclist to work at Cycling UK, but you do need to have a strong commitment to our work. This is a senior delivery role requiring strong judgement, excellent relationship management skills and the confidence to operate with a high degree of autonomy, while contributing insight and expertise to shape the wider Major Gift, Legacy and In-memory programmes.
 
We are an inclusive organisation and would particularly welcome applications from candidates from a broad range of backgrounds. We strongly believe that diversity strengthens our work. If you are already passionate about cycling, that’s great, many of us are too! But if you are simply really excellent at what you do, no matter what your background, that is what matters most to us.
 
Explore the attached job description for full details on this exciting opportunity. Complete the application form expressing why you are the right candidate for this opening. Focus on gearing your supporting statement to exemplify how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role, directly referring to the person specification. This enables the selection panel to assess your relative strengths against the specified criteria.
 
The role is home based in the UK, with regular meetings in London and travel across the UK as required. 
 
 Applications close at 9:00am on the closing date shown.
 
REF-228 979

James’ Place, Community Fundraising and Engagement Executive
Job Title: Community Fundraising and Engagement Executive – North West
Salary: £24,160 per annum (£30,200 FTE)
Hours: 0.8FTE, 30 hours per week (flexible over 5 days – to be discussed with successful candidate). There may be occasions when evening or weekend availability is needed.
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Hybrid – based 2/3 days per week in our Liverpool centre 
Reports to: Fundraising Manager Community

THE CHARITY 
Suicide is the leading cause of death of men under 35 and three quarters of those who die by suicide are men. James’ Place exists to save the lives of men in suicidal crisis through delivering clinical services. We are a charity currently offering free, life-saving therapy to suicidal men at our centres in Liverpool, London and Newcastle.
James’ Place was set up by Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley in 2008 after their twenty-one-year-old son, James, died by suicide ten days after a minor operation. James had no history of mental illness or depression and had sought urgent help for anxiety and suicidal thoughts but didn’t find it.   
James' Place was set up to make the experience of finding help as easy as possible. We offer men who are experiencing a suicidal crisis a brief, intensive, therapeutic intervention in a safe environment. Men who walk through the door at James’ Place will be in a space where they feel valued and respected. We provide a calm and peaceful environment both inside the centres and in our outside spaces, accessible to men who visit us as well as their friends and families. We have so far treated over 5,100 men who might otherwise have been unable to access the support they desperately need.
THE OPPORTUNITY
This is a new role designed to raise and facilitate fundraising for James’ Place Liverpool and to grow community and voluntary sector relationships across the region to raise awareness of James’ Place to drive referrals to our Liverpool centre.
As part of the Fundraising team, you will take a leading role in building strong networks across Liverpool and the North West, helping to establish our centre as a sustainable source of life-saving support for men in suicidal crisis.
The postholder will spend 50% of their time working collaboratively and taking responsibility for establishing fundraising activity across the North West with appropriate support from centre staff and fundraising colleagues, the Head of Fundraising and Communications, Director of Fundraising and External Affairs and the Chief Executive and Trustees. They will spend 40% of their time building community-based relationships with the aim of raising awareness to drive referrals to the centre, working closely with the Head of Centre Liverpool and the Centre Manager in Liverpool to do so. It is recognised that this will vary week to week depending on the current needs of the organisations.
This opportunity is ideal for an ambitious individual eager to grow their skills and career while helping to secure the funding and relationships needed to achieve the charity’s long-term goals. 

Direct Fundraising Work 50%

• Develop and grow a network of local donors - (including HNWI, corporates, community fundraisers as well as Trusts and Foundations) volunteer supporters and influencers across the North West with a view to increasing the fundraising reach of the organisation.
• Steward existing donors volunteers and prospects to secure long-term multi-year support.
• Support community engagement and attend fundraising events to help achieve the organisation’s fundraising ambitions.
• Identify regional funding opportunities and support with the preparation and submission of grant applications and funding proposals.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams across fundraising, communications, events, and clinical teams to maximise opportunities.

Direct Outreach Work 40%

• Support Heads of Centre to identify and engage with a range of partner organisations across Liverpool and the North West, helping to raise awareness of the charity’s work.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with local statutory, voluntary, and community sector organisations, acting as a professional and approachable representative of the charity.
• Assist with partnership activity, including attending meetings, forums, and events, to share information about services and strengthen local connections.
• Help to coordinate partnership communications and ensure relevant information about the charity’s work is shared clearly and consistently with external partners.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to support joined-up approaches to partnership and engagement activity.
• Identify and feedback opportunities for partnership working that could support fundraising, community engagement, and service awareness.

Administration 10%

• Ensure all fundraising activities are delivered to a high standard ensuring compliance with fundraising regulations and best practice guidelines.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records on the CRM database.
• Work collaboratively with both clinical and non-fundraising colleagues within the Liverpool centre and across the organisation, building their confidence and capability in fundraising activities.
• Ensure all fundraising activities are delivered to a high standard, meeting regulatory and ethical requirements.

Working in the Wider Charity

• Represent James’ Place with professionalism, respect, and confidence at all times.
• Participate in review and evaluation processes to support the ongoing development, effectiveness, and sustainability of James’ Place as a respected charity.
• Undertake any additional duties as required to support the successful delivery of the organisation’s business plan.

Values

• Demonstrate commitment to the James’ Place values of Focus, Bravery, Respect, Compassion, Professionalism, Collaboration and Hope through all aspects of work

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Proven experience of fundraising in the charity sector, with a track record of achieving results in at least two of the following income streams: Community fundraising, Corporate partnerships, events, major gift fundraising from High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and Trusts and Foundations.
• Strong understanding of donor motivations and what drives charitable giving across different audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft persuasive messages and build rapport.
• Confidence and professionalism in engaging and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and partners.
• Excellent time management skills
• Practical, resilient, and flexible, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Innovative thinker, open to exploring new ideas and approaches to fundraising.
• Collaborative and solution-focused, able to work constructively with others to overcome challenges.
• A team player, willing to support colleagues and take on additional responsibilities when required.
• Capable of working on difficult and sensitive issues, demonstrating kindness, integrity, and emotional resilience, and seeking or offering help when needed.

Desirable

• Experience using CRM databases (e.g. Salesforce)
• Understanding of, and interest in, mental health and suicide prevention.

WE OFFER

• A 7% employer contributory pension scheme.
• Family friendly policies.
• Death in service insurance scheme.
• 25 days plus bank holidays leave entitlement (FTE), including enhanced holiday allowance with incremental rises after qualifying period. 

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please use the online application system to submit your CV detailing your experience, roles and responsibilities, and answer the screening questions.
If you have any queries or experience challenges with the application process, please email [email protected].

Closing date: 9am on Monday 22nd June 2026
Interviews are expected to be held online on 6th July 2026

Here at James' Place, we want you to feel comfortable in sharing your authentic selves and personal experiences, so we ask that you do not submit an application that has been formulated by AI. You may wish to use AI to support with structural aspects such as grammar and formatting, however your application must reflect your own genuine experiences, critical thinking and creativity.
James’ Place is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. Our aim is that no job applicant, temporary worker or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender and transgender status, race and ethnicity, religion and belief (including no belief), marriage or civil partnership status or sexual orientation.
If you have a disability or health conditions which means you'd benefit from any adjustments to the interview process to help you perform at your best, please do let us know in advance.
Any job offers made are subject to the receipt of two relevant satisfactory employment references. We expect this to include one from your most recent or current employer. Any job offers made are also subject to a satisfactory DBS check and a Right to Work in the UK check.

REF-229 054