Development Manager (Fundraising & Partnerships)

FIRST UK; London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading EdTech charity, FIRST UK, seeks a dynamic Development Manager to drive fundraising strategies and build impactful partnerships. The role involves generating income from various sources and increasing participation in STEM programs, emphasizing relationship management. Join a flexible, remote-first team committed to growth and impact.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Comprehensive insurance coverage

Pension Scheme (Smart Pension)

Access to coworking spaces

Qualifications

• Evidence of generating significant income through partnerships and grants.
• Experience of delivering bold growth strategies.
• Skills in prospecting and stewarding senior relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead income generation through trusts, foundations, and partnerships.
• Develop outreach partnerships to grow participation.
• Steward relationships to maximize funding opportunities.

Skills

Relationship Management

Negotiation

Fundraising

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Experience in Third Sector

Job description

WHO WE ARE

We'reFIRST UK, a EdTech charity using robots, role models and competitions to make STEM more approachable and inclusive – empowering young people with the technical knowledge and soft skills to thrive.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

A dynamic, driven development manager. A fundraiser, partnerships guru, and consummate relationship builder. Someone who can identify, go after, and convert opportunities to scale the charity’s reach and impact. Broadly this means more money and greater participation. Through your ability to seek out the relationships which matter you will ensure the charity develops:

• Income generating relationships with trusts, foundations, and philanthropists
• Corporate partnerships fuelling our programmes with volunteers and funding
• Collaborations with organisations supporting outreach and growth
• An ecosystem of proactive trustees, advisors, ambassadors and advocates

Your tenacity will build and steward a network to achieve our mission better and sooner.

What you'll get

Leadership, autonomy and sense of purpose. You’ll be working in a small organisation which is lean, agile and fast-paced. Unimpeded by hierarchy and bureaucracy you’ll have the freedom to experiment, fail fast and crack on. You’ll be presenting a compelling case for support against a validated impact model. Long before pandemics we were working flexibly and remotely – it’s embedded to our culture.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

Working closely with the CEO you’ll get the charity in front of the right people, having the right conversations which grow investment and participation.

Income generation

You’ll work across the full fundraising mix – trusts & foundations, corporate partnerships, philanthropy and, as we scale, individual giving and statutory. You’ll be as comfortable crafting a compelling multi-year grant proposal, as you are pitching to the board of a FinTech company or a UHNWI. You’ll flex your approach to the audience and know how to secure significant (six figure) partnerships, grants and gifts by:

• Building and driving a well-researched, constantly evolving fundraising pipeline
• Developing and honing our case for support and associated assets
• Pursuing grant applications and funding bids
• Prospecting corporate partnerships and securing sponsorship
• DStewarding partners and delivering impactful employee engagement opportunities
• Leveraging existing networks, volunteers, and partners

Growth partnerships

We work with thousands of young people in schools and youth groups - who are designing, building and then competing with robots in a series of epic competitions. Getting into schools is challenging, retaining them a stretch, and achieving teacher referrals harder still. Your interpersonal skills will enable us to identify, pursue and catch relationships to grow participation. Reporting to the CEO, working with the Head of Impact and Engagement alongside the Head of Delivery you will:

• Develop, implement and lead on the charity’s growth strategy
• Build and own significant outreach partnerships – with universities, science centres, other charities and youth orgs
• Leverage corporate partnerships in support of growth (maximising volunteerism, advocacy, referral)

Advocacy and influence

We’re a young charity (just 18 months old when COVID struck). In six years we have established some impressive contacts and relationships with industry, NGOs, sector players, influencers. With the CEO you will now unlock their potential via:

• Helping to on-board, steward and leverage Trustees and Advisors
• Supporting creation and management of relevant Advisory and Fundraising Boards
• Building and owning relationships with external bodies and individuals who can help increase our share of voice, influence, investment, impact

Job descriptions can become exhaustive lists, lacking in focus and clarity. As Development Lead in its purest sense you’ll attack two inextricably linked things:

1. Growth through increased participation
2. The sustainable income to support that growth

You’ll do this by identifying, converting and stewarding the relationships which achieve one and two. That’s the mission if you’re up for it.

WHO MIGHT THIS ROLE SUIT?

A people person - passionate, intellectually curious, credible. You flex style to audience. You are as comfortable in the boardroom as on the shopfloor. Not afraid to challenge or be challenged. Considered and balanced. You might already be working in the Third Sector – in a fundraising role and ready for your first headship. You’ll have experience of conceiving, producing and delivering pitches. Maybe you are from a commercial background in sales or relationship management – looking to use your talent for good.

Whatever your background – the common, transferable skill set is being excellent at relationships. Understanding that it’s not just about the chat, it’s about the follow through. You do what you say you will – and do it well.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

You will have:

• Evidence of winning relationships which have generated significant income (e.g corporate partnerships, sponsorship, tenders, grants etc)
• Evidence of delivering bold strategies for growth (this might be in sales, membership, users, income etc)
• Experience propsecting, brokering and stewarding relationships at a senior level

You might have:

• Passion for STEM, tech for good, young people, inclusion, diversity

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

You are:

• Commercially minded – spotting opportunities and identifying the WIFFT/U
• A confident negotiator and sophisticated communicator
• Resilient, robust and empathetic to others
• A true problem solver – solution focused

VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS

You demonstrate:

• Energy and passion – a radiator, not a drain
• Gravitas and integrity which commands trust and respect
• Fantatsic work ethic with attention to detail

I'm loving the sound of this is there more I need to know?

If there is we'll chat about it in the interview.

CONDITIONS

We don’t talk about benefits; we talk about culture. It’s not how many hours you work or where you work them – it’s what you deliver.

• Salary – we've bench-marked the role at £42,000 - £49,000 pa, let's understand the value you can bring
• We advocate a work-life balance maximising happiness and productivity.
• We work remotely from home most of the time (but the role is technically hybrid)
• We come together regularly to collaborate - at least once or twice per month in London, more during event season
• You have access to coworking spaces where you live
• 25 days annual leave
• Our insurances are comprehensive – including 4 x salary, covered from start date.
• Pension Scheme (Smart Pension) auto-enrollment of all staff after 3 months service.

LOCATION

Our team is home-based, coming together regularly to cowork, and deliver events. You should expect to attend a team collaboration day at least monthly, usually in London. This may require an overnight stay dependent on your location. If you can conduct your role effectively and are willing to travel to maximise growth opportunities, you can be based anywhere in the UK. Building great relationships doesn’t happen over video calls it’s best in person.

THE PROCESS

• All applications via our Workable HR platform (no agencies, no pre-approaches)
• Answer 3 simple screener questions
• Optional cover letter
• Closes 2359 on Sun 27th Jul

To apply you must live in, and have the right to work in the UK. In accordance with our Safer Recruitment Policy, all employees of the charity will be asked for two references which will be conducted by phone and are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks upon appointment. You can read our Safeguarding Policy here.