Fundraising and Communications Lead

About the role

As the charity works to double the number of women it helps, we are recruiting for a Fundraising & Communications Lead to join our Newcastle team. Reporting to the Centre Manager, they will engage new and existing supporters and raise vital funds across events, grants and community fundraising to support of our mission.

In practice, this involves identifying new locations to deliver our annual events calendar, expanding our portfolio of grant funders and delivering our annual community fundraising campaign to target income.

They will also work with our Communications Assistant to deliver engaging digital content about our events and community fundraising initiatives across various social media platforms.

The role will be based at our Smart Works centre in Newcastle with occasional travel to set-up and host corporate and community events. Occasional weekend and evening work is also required to lead and support on our events calendar.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to develop their career in events and community fundraising for a worthy cause. If you can multi-task and are a strong networker, we would love to hear from you.

Duties and responsibilities
- Leading on Smart Works Newcastle’s signature fundraising events, including high-end supporter events, fashion sales, and pop-up shops, managing the project from planning to execution and ensuring income targets of circa £55K are met.
- Effectively steward and manage multiple fashion retail and events partners to increase annual gift-in-kind support, clothing donations and engagement.
- Seek networking opportunities to grow our supporter base, through community fundraising and corporate partnerships, owning KPI income targets for community, grants and events.
- Secure one-year and multi-year grants from a range of Trusts and Foundations to achieve our circa £55k income target, in liaison with the Head of Grants and Strategic Development in London.
- Working with the National Community Fundraising Manager, to deliver our annual community fundraising campaigns such as Cycle for Smart Works, leading on corporate engagement and ensuring that a minimum of £20k is raised.
- Working with our Communications Assistant, continuing to elevate our annual strategy in partnership with the Centre Manager and Trustee Board.

Personal specification

Essential criteria
- Demonstrable experience in event management and delivery, ideally in a fundraising capacity.
- Strong relationship building skills and confidence managing various stakeholders.
- Target driven with excellent organisation and time management capabilities, demonstrating an ability to prioritise and work to deadlines.
- Effective project-management skills, comfortable with managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Desirable Criteria
- Confident user of Microsoft Office (including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel), social media platforms and digital content creation software such as Canva and Adobe InDesign, for professional settings.
- Proven track record in securing five-figure philanthropic income.
- Experience in a fundraising or sales-based role.
- A detailed understanding of the fundraising landscape across Newcastle.
- Experience working with VIPs or influencers.

Benefits, terms and conditions
- Full-time role, based in our Newcastle centre.
- Monday - Friday with typical working hours 9 am
- 5pm in line with centre opening hours. We may be able to consider suitable flexible working patterns to be discussed at interview.
- Salary of £26,000 - £28,000 FTE depending on experience.
- 25 days annual leave, excluding bank holidays.
- Company pension.
- Positive, supportive working environment with opportunities for practical training and progression.
- VIP access at Smart Works sales, events and pop-up shops.
- All successful applicants must provide two satisfactory references and complete a Basic DBS check.

How to apply
- Why do you want to work for Smart Works Newcastle? (Max 250 words)
- What event or initiative have you seen recently across the sector that Smart Works Scotland could add to their annual portfolio, and why? (Max 250 words)

Virtual first round interviews will be held on Friday 15th March, and in person second round interviews will be held in our Newcastle centre on Friday 22nd March.