Director

Charity People; Bakewell CP; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave (pro rata)

Birthday day off

Wellbeing days

Volunteer leave

Flexible working

Training support

Work near Peak District

Job summary

Peak District National Park Foundation is seeking a Director to lead fundraising, grant-making and strategic initiatives. You will shape income generation, manage a small team and work closely with Trustees to set strategy for the Foundation.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on fundraising, requiring a passion for the Peak District and the ability to engage with diverse funders, partners and communities. Hybrid working is offered with time in Bakewell or regional sites.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in fundraising, income generation or development
• Experience of building and managing relationships with funders, donors or external stakeholders
• Experience of leading a small team and reporting to a Board of Trustees
• Knowledge of data protection and fundraising best practice

Responsibilities

• Lead the Foundation's fundraising strategy across individual giving, major donors, trusts, foundations, corporate partnerships and legacy giving
• Oversee the delivery of grant-making programmes and ensure accountability to funders and recipients
• Drive major strategic projects and partnerships with public bodies and voluntary sectors
• Act as spokesperson and raise the Foundation's profile across the Peak District and beyond
• Work with the Trustee Board to develop strategic vision, budgets and plans and oversee governance and risk management

Job description

Job Description

Director

Responsible for: Fundraising and Grants Manager

Responsible to: Trustees

Working hours: 3.5 – 4 days per week (26.5 - 30 hours)

Salary: £52,000 full-time equivalent (£36,400 - £41,600 actual salary, depending on hours worked)

Location: Hybrid, with an expectation of spending at least half the time working in the Peak District (our HQ in Bakewell or elsewhere on location)

About the Role

This is an opportunity to lead an ambitious, values-driven charity at a genuinely exciting moment in its development. The Peak District National Park Foundation has grown substantially over recent years — raising over £1 million in 2025/26 — and our new Director will build on this momentum to shape the next chapter of the organisation.

The role is broad and substantive. You will lead our fundraising strategy and income generation, while taking responsibility for high-profile grant-making programmes, major strategic projects, and the long-term resilience and direction of the charity. You will work closely with our Trustee Board on governance and organisational strategy, and lead a small, dedicated team who are passionate about the Peak District and the difference we make.

This is not simply a fundraising role. We are at a stage where strong strategic leadership matters as much as income generation — someone who can hold both, and who is energised by the opportunity to help shape what the Foundation becomes.

About Us

The Peak District is the UK's oldest National Park — a landscape of moorlands, dales, farmland and villages that holds a special place in the hearts of millions. But like protected landscapes across the country, it faces real and growing pressures: from climate change, habitat loss, and threats to the Park’s heritage, to barriers that prevent many communities from connecting with it.

At the Peak District National Park Foundation, we fund and deliver projects to:

• Protect our peatlands: some of the most degraded upland peatland in Europe
• Restore habitats and restore nature: creating bigger, better and more joined up habitats, and supporting biodiversity
• Connect people and communities to nature: ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience and care for our National Park
• Improve access: repairing degraded paths, improving access for people with disabilities and helping more people enjoy their right to roam.
• Protect the Park's heritage: protecting irreplaceable heritage sites shaped by over 10,000 years of human activity

We are a small, supportive team who value collaboration, curiosity, kindness and getting stuck in. We love the Peak District and we work with partners, communities and experts to deliver meaningful, lasting impact.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising and Income Generation

• Lead and develop the Foundation's fundraising strategy across individual giving, major donors, trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships and legacy giving
• Build and steward relationships with existing and prospective donors and funders, including personally managing key major donor and corporate relationships
• Oversee fundraising income and expenditure, maintaining strong return on investment
• Stay current with fundraising best practice, sector trends and the Code of Fundraising Practice
• Oversee supporter research and data management to inform strategy and future planning

Grant-Making

• Oversee the delivery of the Foundation's grant-making programmes, including the Community Nature Fund and Connect Fund
• Ensure grants are managed effectively with strong accountability to funders and grant recipients
• Develop the Foundation's grant-making approach as a growing strand of our impact and identity

Strategic Projects and Partnerships

• Lead on major strategic initiatives such as People of the Peak, our National Lottery Heritage Fund funded project, and other landscape-scale or community-focused programmes
• Build and maintain partnerships with the Peak District National Park Authority, Moors for the Future, and other key organisations in the voluntary, community and private sectors
• Represent the Foundation on external boards and strategic groups

Communications and External Affairs

• Act as spokesperson for the Foundation, engaging proactively and reactively with media
• Identify and follow up opportunities to raise the Foundation's profile across the Peak District and beyond
• Support and guide the Communications and Marketing Officer in delivering the Foundation's communications strategy, ensuring it builds our profile, audience and supporter community

Organisational Strategy and Leadership

• Work with the Trustee Board to develop and deliver the Foundation's strategic vision, including preparing the strategic plan and annual budget for Board approval
• Lead thinking on the Foundation's future operating model and long-term sustainability
• Ensure the Foundation meets its legal, statutory and regulatory obligations, including charity governance, risk management and financial oversight
• Line manage the Fundraising and Grants Manager, providing clear leadership and a supportive, positive working environment
• Implement, monitor and report on organisational work programmes and outcomes against annual plans

About You

This role is particularly well suited to someone currently working in a senior fundraising, development or programme leadership role who is ready to take on full organisational leadership. You might be a Head of Fundraising looking for your first Director role, or an experienced Director from a smaller charity who wants to apply their skills in a landscape and cause you care deeply about.

We particularly welcome applications from people who are currently underrepresented in the environmental, outdoor and protected landscapes sector, including people from ethnically diverse communities, people with disabilities, and people from low-income or urban communities.

Experience and Track Record

Essential

• Proven track record in fundraising, income generation or development, ideally in a charity or mission-driven context
• Experience of building and managing relationships with funders, donors or senior external stakeholders
• Experience of managing or leading a small team, with demonstrable ability to support and develop others
• Experience of working with or reporting to a Board of Trustees

Desirable

• Experience of grant-making or managing a grants programme
• Familiarity with the environmental, heritage or protected landscapes sector
• Experience of media or spokesperson work

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor style and tone to different audiences
• Ability to think and work strategically, while maintaining attention to operational detail
• Understanding of charity governance, compliance and risk management
• Knowledge of fundraising best practice including the Code of Fundraising Practice and data protection
• Strong financial literacy — able to set, manage and report on budgets

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Genuine commitment to the Foundation's mission and the Peak District
• Collaborative, inclusive and curious working style

Desirable

• A personal connection to nature, landscape or heritage

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays
• An additional day off for your birthday
• Two wellbeing days (pro rata) – additional paid leave to support your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• Two days volunteer leave per year
• Flexible working – hybrid and adaptable hours to suit your lifestyle
• Support for your development, including access to training
• The opportunity to work in and around the incredible landscapes of the Peak District National Park

It may be necessary for the post holder to undertake occasional duties outside of the normal working week (e.g. evenings and weekends) for which time off in lieu is given. The postholder must have the ability to travel to meetings and events as required by the duties of the post.