Philanthropy Lead

Philanthropy Lead – Major Giving and Transformational Giving

Location: Hybrid between home and our London office (EC2Y 9AL)

Hours: 35 per week

Salary Range: £59,030 - £63,195 (plus Inner London Weighting, £3,344, if applicable) per annum

Permanent Contract

Are you a visionary fundraiser ready to drive transformational change? We're seeking a dynamic Philanthropy Lead to help spearhead our major giving strategy and unlock the power of generosity at scale.

What will a day in the life of our Philanthropy Lead entail?

As Philanthropy Lead, you'll guide a team of skilled fundraisers. Together, you'll build a strong pipeline of donors, including individuals, families, trusts, and foundations. These donors will be capable of giving £50k to £1m or more. You'll create compelling strategies and deliver outstanding stewardship. Your work will inspire multi-year gifts of six figures and above.

Governance & Compliance will guide you. You'll maintain high ethical standards. You'll ensure full compliance with both internal protocols and external fundraising regulations.

You'll use your knowledge and expertise to develop and implement strategies to meet and exceed annual fundraising targets. All the while building a robust pipeline for future growth.

You'll actively contribute to the success of the Partnerships and Philanthropy department and engage meaningfully across the wider directorate. You'll share specialist expertise in relevant forums and foster collaboration across teams and departments. By providing a high-quality, tailored experience for partners and developing added value opportunities, you'll play a critical part in retaining and expanding our partnerships. You'll ensure account plans are comprehensive, actionable, and regularly updated across the team.

You'll leverage urgent campaigns to not only boost appeal income but also cultivate a robust pipeline of long-term supporters. Responding to humanitarian needs with bold, wide-ranging fundraising activities.

This is more than fundraising—it's about shaping the future of philanthropy the British Red Cross. You'll be part of a collaborative team working to drive meaningful change. If you're passionate about building significant partnerships to help people in crisis, we want to hear from you

To be a successful Philanthropy Lead, you'll need:

• Hands on experience and understanding of philanthropy fundraising (including Principal gifts). Vast experience of navigating related opportunities and challenges.
• Strong line-management skills, mentoring and coaching a team of fundraisers. Ability to set KPIs and performance manage when needed. Always motivating and directing by example.
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills to confidently present information and produce persuasive proposals and reports. Negotiation, influencing and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of stakeholder coordination and partnership working across multiple teams. Proven ability to build positive, productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A strategic viewpoint. Advanced ability to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data and interpret information to communicate to and persuade decision makers / different audiences, both written and verbal.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of philanthropy fundraising, the UK fundraising landscape, and the charity sector. A firm understanding and appreciation of the legislation affecting charity fundraising.

Interested? Closing date for completed applications is 23:59 on Thursday 13th December 2025. Interviews to follow soon after.

In return for your commitment and expertise, you'll get:

• Flexible working: Remote and hybrid working, flexitime, compressed hours, and job sharing.
• Holidays: 36 days annual leave (including bank holidays) + option to buy 5 extra days.
• Pension scheme: Up to 6% contributory pension.
• Learning & Development: A range of career & learning opportunities.
• Discounts: Blue Light Discount Card, Tickets For Good & employee benefits platform.
• Wellbeing Support: Peer Supporters, CiC (EAP) & Headspace App.
• Cycle2Work: Lease a bicycle through the scheme.

We are proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme for UK-based roles. During your application, you'll have the option to apply under the scheme. At the British Red Cross, we value diversity and maintain an inclusive environment for all staff and volunteers. We champion our teams in bringing their true selves to work, free from discrimination. This is achieved through reporting and assistance from our internal networks: Race and Ethnic Equality (REEN), LGBT+, Disability and Wellness (DAWN), Gender, Carers, and Young Staff Network.

Together, we are the world's emergency responders