Commercial and Income Generation Director

St Wilfrid's Hospice; Eastbourne; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused charity in Eastbourne seeks a Commercial and Income Generation Director to lead its income portfolio exceeding £5 million. This pivotal role will develop innovative fundraising and commercial strategies, working closely with executive leadership to ensure financial sustainability and growth. Candidates should have a strong commercial background, leadership experience, and a passion for impactful work. The position offers a generous benefits package including a pension scheme and holiday entitlement, fostering a values-driven work culture.

Benefits

Generous holiday entitlement

Contributory pension scheme

Influential leadership role

Qualifications

• Senior commercial leader with director-level experience.
• Strong track record in turnaround, growth, and strategic delivery.
• High financial acumen with data analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a commercial and income generation strategy.
• Lead and modernize fundraising, retail, and commercial activities.
• Identify new income streams and partnerships.

Skills

Director-level experience

Financial acumen

Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams

Data forecasting and ROI analysis

Track record of growth and strategic delivery

Job description

Lead growth. Shape sustainability. Make a lasting difference.

St Wilfrid’s Hospice provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people across Eastbourne and the surrounding areas, supporting around 2,000 people and their families each year. We are a much-loved local charity, funded largely by the generosity of our community.

Following the retirement of our current postholder, we are seeking an exceptional Commercial and Income Generation Director to join our Executive Leadership Team at a pivotal point in our journey.

This senior leadership role has been deliberately redesigned to strengthen commercial focus, diversify income and secure the hospice’s long-term financial sustainability. You will lead a diverse income portfolio of over £5m, spanning fundraising, retail, legacies, donor development and commercial trading, and play a key role in shaping the future of the organisation.

The role

As Commercial and Income Generation Director, you will:

• Develop and deliver a clear, data-led commercial and income generation strategy aligned to our recovery and sustainability ambitions
• Lead and modernise fundraising, retail and commercial activity, improving performance, profitability and innovation
• Identify and develop new income streams, partnerships and business models that are financially robust and purpose-aligned
• Work closely with the Chief Executive and Board of Trustees, presenting business cases, performance insights and investment proposals
• Act as an ambassador for the hospice with donors, partners, businesses and the wider community

You will provide visible, values-led leadership to senior teams, staff and volunteers, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and high performance.

About you

You will be a senior commercial leader with:

• Director-level (or equivalent) experience leading complex income-generating or commercial operations
• A strong track record of turnaround, growth and strategic delivery
• High levels of financial acumen, with confidence using data, forecasting and ROI analysis
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and working at board or executive level

You do not need to have worked in the hospice or charity sector before. We welcome applications from candidates with backgrounds in commercial, retail, fundraising, social enterprise or regulated environments who are motivated by impact as well as results.

Why join us?

• A genuinely senior leadership role with real influence over organisational direction
• The opportunity to lead transformation at scale in a values-driven organisation
• A strong commitment to our values of Compassionate, Professional, Respectful and Progressive
• A clear focus on FREDIE (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement), embedded in how we lead and support our people
• The opportunity to leave a lasting legacy by securing the future of hospice care for our community
• Contributory pension scheme with the option to continue any existing NHS pension scheme membership
• We offer a generous holiday entitlement of 32 days per year plus bank holidays

Further information, including the full job description, person specification and details about our values and FREDIE commitments, can be found in the role description pack.

If you have any questions regarding your application please do not hesitate to contact the People and Culture team on 01323 434209 or email [e-mail]

If you would like to discuss the role in further detail please contact Colin Twomey’s Executive Assistant, Julia Curtis-Woods on 01323 434227.

To apply for the role, please complete the application form. You can also upload a CV and covering letter to support your application. Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.