Associate Director Fundraising (Military Charity)

Employee Finder Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading national military charity seeks a commercially driven Associate Director of Fundraising to secure high-value partnerships. This role combines strategic oversight and hands-on deal-making, focusing on securing six- and seven-figure agreements across sectors. Ideal candidates will have senior sales experience and a track record of success in corporate partnerships, providing an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on funding growth.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of securing major partnerships or closing high-value deals (£500k+).
• Experience operating just under C-Suite / Divisional Head level.
• Strong ability to engage senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-value partnership acquisition, securing new corporate agreements.
• Deliver a multi-year commercial income strategy focused on business development.
• Build relationships with senior leaders across various industries.
• Oversee a small corporate team and manage budgets.

Skills

Senior sales experience

Business development skills

Corporate fundraising experience

Leadership skills

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation skills

Job description

Lead Major Partnerships. Transform Income. Support the Armed Forces Community.

Scope

You will need to have a proven track record of personally securing large and smaller partnerships, alongside successfully managing a team and overseeing a sizeable expenditure portfolio.

Sector Experience: Charity, Defence, Aerospace, Technology, Infrastructure or Corporate Sales / Strategic Partnerships

Role Overview

We're recruiting an exceptional Associate Director of Fundraising on behalf of a leading national military charity — a role designed for a commercially driven senior partnerships leader who thrives on securing high-value, multi-year strategic deals.

This is not a traditional charity fundraising role.

It is effectively a Head of Sales / New Business position, focused on personally securing six- and seven-figure partnerships across the defence, aviation, corporate and wider private sectors.

Responsibilities

• Personally lead high-value partnership acquisition, securing 5-7 new corporate agreements per year, each worth six-to-seven figures.
• Shape and deliver a multi-year commercial income strategy, focused on business development, social value contracts and cause-related partnerships.
• Build senior relationships across defence, aviation, infrastructure and major corporates — positioning the charity as a strategic social impact partner.
• Oversee a small corporate team and line manage the Head of Events, ensuring aligned delivery across income streams.
• Deliver strategic showcase events to engage high-level industry decision-makers and unlock new partnership opportunities.
• Monitor KPIs, pipeline performance and income growth, ensuring revenue targets are hit and exceeded.
• Deputise for the Director of Fundraising where required, representing the charity at board and executive levels.

Strategic vs Operational Split

You'll initially operate at roughly 60% strategic / 40% operational, setting the plan and building momentum.

Over time, this will evolve toward a 50/50 balance — leading delivery while continuing to close major deals yourself.

What Success Looks Like

Significant uplift in corporate and defence income within 12-18 months

A growing portfolio of six and seven-figure partnerships

A clear pipeline and engagement metrics demonstrating strategic momentum

A respected presence across industry as the charity's senior commercial lead

We're Looking For

Essential

• Senior sales, business development or corporate fundraising experience — ideally operating just under C-Suite / Divisional Head level.
• A proven track record of securing major partnerships or closing high-value deals (£500k+).
• Confident at engaging senior stakeholders (C-Suite / Defence / Procurement / CSR / ESG leads).
• Target-driven, strategic and highly persuasive — thrives on KPIs, negotiation and relationship building.
• Strong leadership skills, capable of managing a small corporate/events team and budgets (£250k).

Desirable

• Existing network or experience in defence, aerospace or infrastructure sectors, or previous exposure to MOD/RAF suppliers and social value contracts.
• Understanding of corporate giving, cause-related marketing or social impact initiatives.

Why This Role Is Different: No endless meetings. No vague stakeholder fluff. This is a results-focused, commercially accountable role.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates.