Sustainability project officer jobs in edinburgh, scotland
We are seeking a compassionate, visionary, and strategic Chief Executive Officer to lead Mermaids through the next stage of its evolution, dedicated to improving the lives of gender-diverse children and young people, and those who are important to them. As CEO, you will be responsible for driving the charity’s mission, shaping its strategic direction, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, affirming support services. You will act as a visible and credible advocate for trans and
gender-diverse youth, build strong relationships with stakeholders, and influence public policy and sector practice. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, you will oversee a small committed team, ensure robust financial management with the Chief Operating Officer, and lead fundraising efforts to secure a sustainable future. This is a unique opportunity for a values-driven leader who brings both strategic acumen and a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and lived
experience.
Service Delivery:
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across all service delivery areas, including support line services, group work, advocacy, external communications, and policy.
• Ensure services are high quality, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of trans and gender-diverse children, young people and the special people in their lives.
• Lead the continuous improvement and development of service delivery models, ensuring impact, effectiveness, and alignment with the charity’s mission.
• Champion a culture of safeguarding, accountability, and young person-centred practice throughout all service delivery.
• Act as the organisation’s Safeguarding Lead, with oversight of on-call, safeguarding training, and ensuring appropriate escalation mechanisms are in place.
• Oversee the design and implementation of advocacy and policy activities, ensuring the charity’s voice is informed by lived
experience and is impactful at local and national levels.
• Act as a visible and hands-on leader for frontline teams, providing support, supervision, and inspiration to staff and
volunteers.
• Monitor performance, outcomes, and feedback to ensure services are meeting objectives and delivering positive change
for beneficiaries.
Governance:
• In partnership with the board of trustees, set and articulate our vision, mission and strategy, and keep this under continual
review.
• Lead the development and implementation of Mermaid’s strategic plan, ensuring sustainability and growth.
• Liaise with the board of trustees to ensure the charity’s governance, structure, policies and procedures are appropriate
and effective, taking remedial measures and implementing change as necessary. This includes supporting board
development.
• Work closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees to support strong governance and informed decision-making.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting on organisational performance, risks, and impact.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory guidance and legislation, including the Charity Commission and the Fundraising
Finance & Fundraising:
• Working with the Chief Operating Officer and the Board of Trustees, ensure Mermaids has robust, deliverable fundraising
and finance strategies in place, and subsequent action plans are embedded throughout the organisation to support their
delivery.
• In partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, ensure Mermaids has robust finance, HR, IT, data privacy and governance processes and procedures are embedded.
People and Culture:
• Line manage senior staff including the COO and service delivery managers.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, inclusive internal culture that values lived experience and wellbeing.
• Continue work to embed a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion across the organisation, as well as a focus on accessibility.
• Work to define and drive trans-centred leadership across the organisation, including ensuring that the organisation is a trans-positive, supportive employer.
External Engagement and Advocacy:
• Represent Mermaids publicly, including acting as the key spokesperson and strategic policy stakeholder, ensuring
organisational awareness of the external landscape and the changing needs of trans children, young people and their
families, and advocating for these needs to be met.
• Lead communications strategy, and lead press engagement by responding to media inquiries, interviews, press conferences and media events.
• Lead on stakeholder engagement, including with funders, supporters, community partners, and policy influencers.
• Advocate for the rights and needs of trans and gender-diverse children, young people and the significant others in their lives at a national level.
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!
Reports to: Director of Fundraising & Communications
Closing date: 22nd July (We’ll be interviewing for the role on a rolling basis until the position is filled so please apply early to avoid disappointment)
Preferred timezone: GMT -/+ 5 (for meeting purposes, but all applications welcome)
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About Climate Catalyst
Climate Catalyst is a U.S. based non-profit dedicated to galvanizing the collective power of business, investors, and civil society to influence and accelerate policy change in Asia and Europe. Our vision is a just, prosperous world in which global warming is limited to 1.5°C.
Climate Catalyst works to strengthen collaboration and mobilise new actors on pivotal climate challenges to build power and compel political leaders to act at the speed and scale needed to tackle the climate crisis. We do this by:
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Working behind the scenes with stakeholders in Europe and Asia to identify critical climate issues where action to date has been limited and the potential for collaboration is high.
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Bringing together renowned experts and new entrants to share ideas, and design and deliver creative campaigns that secure decisive changes in national and regional policy to deliver sectoral tipping points and secure significant emissions reductions.
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Advising on strategy, offering grants and bringing creative communications, advocacy and business expertise to build power across the climate community and catalyse action.
To date, we’ve used this model successfully to mobilise the business community in support of the EU Nature Restoration Law, the first legislation for peatlands protection across Europe, and spark collective action in India that led to commitment from the Ministry of Steel to develop a green steel policy. Our vision is of a just, prosperous world in which global temperature rise is limited to 1.5°C.
About The Role
The overall remit of this role is to:
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Lead prospect research and funding trends analysis, identifying strategic opportunities and informing fundraising strategy
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Strategically map, expand, and cultivate high-value supporter networks, taking ownership of key relationships
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Design, implement, and optimise comprehensive stakeholder engagement journeys, ensuring a high-quality donor experience
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Support good governance in Climate Catalyst by planning and organising the work of the board, with direction from the CEO
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Lead and manage high-level stakeholder engagement strategies, including direct engagement with members of the Strategic Council to foster sustained partnerships.
What you will do
Strategic stakeholder relationship management, engagement and mapping (70%)
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Strategically identify, research, and qualify high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporate prospects, developing robust pipelines for major gifts.
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Identify, cultivate, and steward significant donor relationships, focusing on securing major gifts and sustained funding.
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Design, implement, and lead comprehensive donor cultivation and stewardship strategies, ensuring effective pipeline management and successful solicitation of significant contributions.
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Develop and execute sophisticated communication plans tailored to specific donor segments, ensuring compelling messaging and impact reporting.
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Prepare and deliver high quality briefings, proposals, and presentations for senior leadership to use in high-stakes donor meetings and engagements.
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Support the development and updating of core project materials including key messages, Q&A, response lines, briefings and presentations, tailoring messages to specific audiences, to be used across multiple channels
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Proactively analyse philanthropic trends, competitor activities, and funding opportunities to support the Director of Fundraising & Communications in adapting Climate Catalyst’s fundraising strategy
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With support from the Digital Communications Manager, lead the strategic utilisation and optimisation of CRM and fundraising management tools to ensure data integrity, generate actionable insights, and support reporting on fundraising performance.
Board and Strategic Council support (30%)
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Support good governance in Climate Catalyst - by developing the board workplan, organising meetings, securing inputs to these meetings, minute-taking, and ensure follow up on agreed actions (all with direction from the CEO)
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Drive and support pro-active engagement between Climate Catalyst senior staff and individual members of the Strategic Council, with direction from the CEO
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Drive and support pro-active and effective relationship management by the CEO with high-level partners and allies of Climate Catalyst, by planning, preparing and tracking engagement
What You Would Bring
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Experience in managing and supporting the governance functions of boards or similar high-level advisory bodies, demonstrating autonomy and initiative.
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Demonstrated success in managing complex stakeholder relationships, including foundations, high-net-worth individuals, institutional funders, and senior advisors
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Exceptional project management, organisational, and administrative skills with a proven ability to independently manage multiple priorities and complex workflows.
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Demonstrated track record of independently identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors or high-value foundations, resulting in significant grants or partnerships.
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Strong understanding of philanthropic trends, fundraising best practices, and donor lifecycle management.
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Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Hubspot, Salesforce, Raiser's Edge) for donor management, pipeline tracking, and reporting, with an ability to leverage data for strategic decision-making.
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Experience, comfort with, and preference for working across various regions and cultures.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling proposals, presentations, and reports for diverse audiences.
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Ability to schedule work and deliver to tight deadlines
How You Work
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Results-driven with a strong focus on achieving fundraising targets and strategic objectives, while maintaining meticulous attention to detail.
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Collaborative leader who actively supports and champions colleagues, fostering a positive and productive team environment.
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Strategic thinker who can actively listen, synthesise complex information, and contribute to elevating the overall thinking and strategy of the team.
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Humble, with low ego and ready to roll up your sleeves
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Committed to our values of courage, collaboration, diversity and learning
Additional Information
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Currently, our main working language is English. Fluency in another language is highly valued.
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This position requires travel
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If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment tasks or otherwise participating in the interview process, please inform us of that in the relevant application section.
Compensation + Benefits
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Pay is competitive in all hiring regions.
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The salary band for this role in USD is $70,000 - $86,000
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Benefits include: wellness stipend, professional development, co-working space coverage, generous pension contribution and more.
For more information about working with us at Climate Catalyst, including compensation and benefits, visit our website.
Diversity at Climate Catalyst
Climate Catalyst aims to design inclusive strategies to meet our objectives. We recognise that the only way to deliver on this is to build a diverse team composed of individuals with varying backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We encourage applicants from historically marginalised and currently underrepresented groups in the climate movement to apply.
Equal Employment Opportunities
Climate Catalyst is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable employment opportunity laws prohibiting discrimination. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
How to Apply
To apply, please upload a cover letter of no more than one page outlining interest in the role and your CV to this application page.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Director of Development (Part time)
£70K FTE, 2 year fixed-term contract, 1 day per week
We are looking for a senior philanthropy professional with a strong interest in music and a proven track record in growing and building high level funding relationships, to work part time to build and engage a committed network of major individual donors to fund the long-term sustainability of La Nuova Musica (LNM) and fulfilment of its creative vision.
Welcome from the CEO
La Nuova Musica is a leading ensemble in its chosen field of music from the 17th and 18th centuries with a focus on the voice. This is a unique opportunity to shape future opportunities for LNM. You will be joining us at a pivotal time as the orchestra builds on its current success with a board that is fully engaged and eager to establish a professional, strategic approach to philanthropy. LNM deeply values the role of philanthropy, particularly as public funding is highly constrained.
You will have the full backing of the CEO, the Board and the Artistic Director who are ready to work closely with you to build and steward transformative philanthropic relationships that align with our artistic and strategic ambitions.
You will also have access to an influential network and be introduced to and collaborate with our most senior philanthropic supporters. While the number of supporters is currently small, they are among the most respected and well-connected individuals in the arts.
We believe that this is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact and, while our philanthropic foundations are still developing, they are promising. The Board understands that meaningful, long-term philanthropic growth requires time, trust, and strategic investment—and they are committed to supporting you on that journey.
About La Nuova Musica
La Nuova Musica is an early music ensemble led by its founder and Artistic Director, David Bates, and known for spirited performances that receive widespread acclaim from audiences and five-star reviews from the press.
“If anyone can be relied on to make Baroque music sound newly hatched, it’s the aptly named La Nuova Musica. They dust out the tiniest corners of phrasing and embellish the music so that it sounds more dizzy with life than you’ve ever heard before”. The Times
LNM appears regularly at the Wigmore Hall, St Martin in the Fields, the London Handel Festival as well as festivals around the UK. They made their BBC Proms debut in 2022 with a performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas described as “a superbly evocative night” in The Times and “a musical tour de force” in Opera Today. In 2024 they appeared for the first time at the Grange Festival in a series of performances of Monteverdi’s opera, The Coronation of Poppea, hailed by Opera Today as “truly a five-star production, and easily one of the best interpretations of Monteverdi or a Baroque opera I have seen.'
LNM has also appeared in concert halls and festivals across Europe including the Handel Festival Halle, La Seine Musicale Paris, the Göttingen International Handel Festival, the Salzburg Festival, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, and the Steffani Festival in Hanover.
Their reputation is enhanced by a series of award-winning recordings for Pentatone and Harmonia Mundi. Their latest recording of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas was selected as one of two opera recordings for the prestigious Abbiata award in Italy, alongside a recording of Katya Kabanova conducted by Simon Rattle with the LSO. It was one of Gramophone’s recordings of the year and BBC R3’s CD Review chose it as their Recording of the Week. “the way it zings off the page bristling with dramatic life and energy from the first bars, and with a range of voices and imaginative instrumental accompaniment, fills it with incident and colour”.BBC Radio 3.
An earlier release, Handel’s Unsung Heroes, was selected by BBC Music Magazine as their Recording of the Month and awarded 5 stars as “a stunning collection of Handel opera numbers. For originality, risk-taking and erudition, it towers above its predecessors. The project is a heroic achievement for all involved.”
La Nuova Musica’s strategic goals
We are bursting with ideas and feel we have so much more that we want to achieve. We perform regularly at the Wigmore Hall in London and are in the process of establishing a presence in Salisbury (David Bates’ hometown) and in Oxford, where we are working with an excellent chamber choir of young amateur singers, Schola Cantorum. By giving the same concert in all these cities, we make best use of our artistic and financial resources at the same time as broadening our reach.
We also aim to deliver new strands of activity. One is relaxed concerts for anyone who needs an informal setting to enjoy our performances. The other offers high quality professional experience to singers and players from the modern instrument world in understanding baroque and early classical music. This is important for several reasons, not least to build and strengthen the UK pool of musicians for the future to preserve this repertoire.
We receive no public funding and are only able to continue thanks to the support of generous individuals who love what we do and want us to do more. As is the case in our sector, ticket sales do not cover the cost of performances. We also need to pay our administrative team for any activity to take place at all. We currently operate thanks to a small but highly experienced and committed team who work remotely, at significantly reduced rates, because of their belief in David Bates and La Nuova Musica. To achieve our vision, we need to secure ongoing funding for core running costs (approximately £120k per year) as well as additional funding for specific artistic projects and other activity (approximately £120k per year, though this will vary from year to year).
Thanks to the fantastic support of generous individuals, LNM can engage with some ambitious projects such as Handel’s Giustino, our first co-production with the Royal Ballet and Opera which takes place in October 2025. We have successfully raised the money required for this and can now put in place some important and ambitious projects for the next three years.
These include:
·Promoting two concerts each year in St Martin in the Fields, which entails risk on a larger scale than the Wigmore Hall where we are engaged (paid) to perform. (£15k p.a.)
·Developing further our work in Salisbury with two annual concerts which feed off our regular series in the Wigmore Hall and St Martin in the Fields. (£12k p.a.)
·Developing our relationships in Oxford along the lines of Salisbury (see above) (12k p.a.)
·Developing a relaxed concert strand where performances are specially prepared and delivered to suit anyone who needs an informal setting to enjoy our performances. (10k per run of events)
·Grow existing strands of work which provide experience for amateur singers, young professional singers and players in informed baroque and early classical performances. (15k per run of events)
·Recording some of our best work to act as a calling card with promoters and the public. (£40- 50k per recording)
·Build on our existing work to make and keep early music relevant, thus protecting its cultural heritage, by commissioning new work for the ensemble which combines the sounds and techniques of early music with that of living composers. (£15-20k per commission)
The Role
Role Dimensions
·To deliver excellence in supporter stewardship, building commitment and increasing funding and support from current LNM major individual supporters
·To research and lead a prospect pipeline for new five and six figure multi-year commitments
·To design and execute special high-level events for prospect/donor cultivation and development
·To develop and write compelling propositions for key trusts and foundations
·To ensure all fundraising is conducted as per the Codes of Fundraising Practice and other regulatory guidelines
Essential Experience and Skills
oProven delivery performance at a significant giving level, both individually and leading others to achieve (including Trustees and senior leadership)
oAbility to build long term HNW relationships, alongside several personal skills including being persuasive, receptive, inquisitive, dynamic, politically savvy and inspirational
oProven experience of building and leading excellent donor stewardship programmes at a senior level, including high level implementation of special events, and proposition development for trust and foundations
oUnderstanding and knowledge of key fundraising regulations with experience of implementing process and systems required to deliver best practice.
Reporting Structures
The Director of Development is a member of the senior management team and will report to the CEO John Summers, whilst working closely with the Artistic Director, David Bates, and Finance Director, Val Hawkin.
The entire team work remotely and meet up on-line and in person when required.
The Director of Development line manages a part time administrator (Job Description available on request)
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Harris Hill is proud to be partnering with a dynamic and fast-growing international NGO at the forefront of the fight against global waste pollution to recruit their new Director of Programmes. Our client works across low- and middle-income countries to deliver impactful environmental and economic empowerment programmes that promote circular economy solutions, support green entrepreneurship, and improve public health.
The role is offered on a permanent, fully remote basis and is open to candidates based in the UK or EU only, with up to 25% national and international travel required.
As Director of Programmes, you will play a vital strategic role in shaping the future direction and reach of the organisation’s mission. This is a senior leadership role, effectively the number two in the organisation, with significant responsibility for supporting strategic growth and organisational evolution. Reporting to the Chief Executive and joining the Senior Management Team, you will oversee a diverse and growing portfolio of programmes, ensuring their design, funding, and delivery meet the highest standards of impact and quality. With oversight of activity in The Gambia, India, South Africa, and Uganda, your leadership will directly support the organisation’s vision of a world where waste causes no harm and people are empowered to recover its value. This is a rare opportunity to bring your creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership to a small but highly ambitious organisation at the nexus of environmental and development work. You’ll empower a passionate international team, represent our client in high-level forums, and drive the growth of their flagship initiatives.
We are looking for a strategic and entrepreneurial International Development professional with significant experience leading complex programmes in low- and middle-income countries, ideally with a focus on environmental sustainability, waste management, or circular economy approaches. You will bring a strong track record of managing geographically dispersed teams, developing impactful and inclusive programming, and securing funding from a range of donors, including institutional and corporate partners. A confident external representative and relationship-builder, you will be comfortable navigating high-level stakeholder environments, from government and funders to grassroots communities. Operational, strategic, and adaptable, you’ll thrive in a dynamic organisation where hands-on leadership and a solutions-focused mindset are essential. Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, along with a genuine passion for climate justice and community-led development, will be key to success in this role.
To apply, please submit your CV by the 10th of August 2025 at 23:59.
Please note, only successful applicants will be contacted with further information.
As a leading charity recruitment specialist and a certified B Corp™, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
About Small Woods Association
Small Woods Association is the UK’s leading charity promoting sustainable woodland management, social, environmental and economic benefits of small woodlands. We support woodland owners, deliver hands-on training in woodland skills, and run wellbeing programmes that connect people with nature through woodlands.
As a national charity we are seeking a committed Philanthropy and Partnership Coordinator with UK-wide knowledge of charitable income generation models, to strengthen relationships with funders, supporters and stakeholders—helping secure the resources and recognition needed to expand our impact.
Purpose of the Role
This role plays a key part in advancing Small Woods’ sustainability by:
- Securing philanthropic support through grants, trusts, and donors.
- Building and nurturing strategic partnerships with supporters, funders, sponsors, and networks.
- Promoting the charity’s work through digital outreach and storytelling to engage members and stakeholders.
You will work closely with the CEO and delivery teams to align income generation with the charity’s mission and priorities.
Key Responsibilities
Philanthropy & Fundraising (Approx. 2 days/week)
- Identify and pursue funding opportunities from UK-based trusts, foundations, public sector schemes and corporate sponsors.
- Write compelling grant applications for projects focused on woodland innovation, social prescribing, education, and conservation.
- Steward funder relationships, ensuring timely reporting, compliance, and meaningful engagement.
- Collaborate with internal teams to shape fundable project proposals with measurable outcomes and clear budgets.
- Support development of earned income streams, such as training, consultancy, and membership, by identifying and promoting opportunities.
Partnerships & Outreach
- Develop and manage partnerships with philanthropic donors, environmental organisations, and community networks.
- Coordinate cross-sector collaborations to support long-term funding and awareness.
- Represent the charity at relevant events, building networks and advocating for Small Woods’ mission.
Marketing (Approx. 1 day/week)
- Plan and deliver digital campaigns to promote income generation related initiatives, membership services, events and impact stories.
- Maintain and update website content to reflect income generation related current activities and opportunities.
- Create high-quality materials, including items for the newsletters, case studies, reports and social media content.
- Support member engagement by helping grow and connect our network of woodland supporters, volunteers and stakeholders.
- Ensure consistency of brand and messaging across all platforms and materials.
Person Specification
Essential
- Proven experience in grant writing and fundraising for charitable organisations.
- Strong understanding of the UK charitable funding environment.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- Confident in digital marketing, including social media, websites, and email campaigns.
- Highly organised, self-motivated, and able to manage multiple priorities remotely.
- Passion for environmental or community-based work.
Desirable
- Experience developing strategic partnerships or sponsorships.
- Skills in visual content creation (design, photography, video).
- Experience with CRM systems or donor databases.
- Interest in sustainable woodland management, nature-based wellbeing, or outdoor learning.
Working Conditions
- Remote work with flexible hours.
- Occasional travel to Telford or other UK sites.
- Equipment and support for home working provided.
- Collaboration via online platforms and video calls.
What We Offer
- Flexible working arrangements and supportive culture.
- 25 days holiday pro rata + bank holidays.
- Pension contribution.
- Opportunity to help shape the future of people and woodland wellbeing across the UK.
How to Apply
Please send your CV and a short cover letter (max 2 pages) outlining your suitability.
Interviews to be held 18 August 2025 (via Teams or in person where possible)
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.