Director of Fundraising and Development
£50,000 - £60,000 per annum, including London weighting if based in London
Bristol, London, Manchester, Nottingham or Newcastle with flexible working
About upReach
Do you think that your socio-economic background should determine your career prospects? upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential. We help young people from less-advantaged backgrounds achieve their career potential by providing an intensive programme of support that addresses socio-economic barriers to graduate employment.
Our work is important because right now a student from a disadvantaged background who gains a first class degree from a top university is less likely to secure an elite job than a more privileged student with a 2.2.
We are an award-winning charity employer working to address this issue in partnership with employers and universities. Building on the success of the past five years, upReach’s current partners include Allen & Overy, Bank of America, the Civil Service Fast Stream, Deloitte and Slaughter and May. We also partner with universities including Exeter, King’s College London, Liverpool, Warwick and Manchester.
This academic year, over 2,000 undergraduates (we call them upReach Associates) are being supported through our unique programme of application support, soft skills workshops, video forums (small group, online seminar-style sessions), mentoring and professional experience.
To find out more about upReach and how we support our students, visit our website and read our Annual Report
About the role
The individual will be responsible for developing strategies, business plans, and proposals to increase funding streams and secure new partnerships. This role would suit individuals with experience in business development and fundraising. As a member of the Senior Leadership team you will be responsible for the development and implementation of an effective business development and income generation strategy, across a range of different sources.
Reporting to the CEO, this critical role will ensure the charity has a clear fundraising and business development strategy in place. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate leadership skills, build relationships at all levels, and demonstrate a strong track record of developing high quality, successful proposals and leading on the generation of new six-figure income streams.
Key Responsibilities include:
- Providing strategic oversight and leading the development and implementation of an income and fundraising strategy that underpins strategic goals to grow the charity in a sustainable manner across a diverse range of streams.
- Developing and strengthening relationships with major donors, high profile supporters, trusts, foundations, companies, and universities.
- Developing and implementing an effective business development and income generation strategy for specific upReach products and solutions.
- Developing high quality business plans and proposals to engage a range of
organisations, showcasing the ways in which they can support and work with
upReach (including overseeing the commercialisation of our unique contextualisation platform, used by a growing list of employers). - Providing strategic oversight, management and guidance to the Fundraising and Partnerships Teams.
- Providing support, direction, leadership and management for other staff as required.
Person specification
This position would be suited to individuals who are committed to upReach’s mission. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about social-mobility and believe that background should not be a barrier to graduate employment.
To be successful it is anticipated that you would have demonstrable experience of working in senior business development and/or fundraising positions, and be able to demonstrate leadership skills and a strong track record of developing high quality, successful proposals.
Essential Skills/Experience:
- Significant experience of establishing and developing effective relationships with external stakeholders, with proven expertise of securing high value relationships of five- and six- figures.
- Excellent influencing, facilitation and communication skills (both oral and written) and be comfortable preparing and presenting reports and proposals to senior management and external stakeholders.
- Proven experience in business development, producing successful business plans and proposals for projects and products.
- Significant knowledge and experience of fundraising, particularly through trusts and foundations, and major donors, including through innovative and creative means.
- Demonstrable experience in securing large partnerships and/or fundraising
relationships/grants. - Experience of strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting.
- Demonstrate financial acumen.
- Understanding of the UK university experience.
Desirable Skills/Experience:
- Knowledge of the graduate labour market in the UK.
- Experience of leading a fundraising/partnerships team.
- Knowledge of the higher education sector
Values & Competencies:
upReach upholds the following values:
- Perseverance
- Integrity
- Advocacy
- Aspiration
- Proactivity
We are looking for candidates to display the following competencies during the application stages:
- Collaboration
- Communication skills
- Problem solving and decision making
- Planning and organising
- Passion and motivation
Apply now
In the first instance, please fill in the form below, attaching a CV that includes your relevant fundraising experience, or email it to:
QuarterFive and our clients know fundraising could better reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the people the charity sector supports. We encourage individuals with relevant skills and experience to apply for roles regardless of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief. If you think you meet some of the criteria for a role and would like to discuss how your other experience might transfer, please ask us for a chat. We’re here to support you. Appointments will be made on merit alone and we will gladly make reasonable adjustments to always ensure a fair process.
