Donor Experience Manager

National Trust; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Substantial pension scheme up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan scheme

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Job summary

The National Trust is seeking a Donor Experience Manager for an 18-month fixed-term contract. You will drive donor engagement from prospecting to stewardship, crafting engaging experiences and communications that connect supporters with the impact of their giving.

Based at our Swindon head office with 40-60% of time onsite at National Trust locations, the role shapes donor journeys across major gifts, mid-value and corporate engagements, and champions donor-centric thinking across fundraising

Qualifications

• Proven experience of developing and leading donor or supporter engagement, stewardship, fundraising, marketing or communications strategies, delivering measurable engagement and fundraising outcomes.
• Strong knowledge of the charity sector including the opportunities and challenges of engaging supporters and inspiring philanthropy.
• Strong communication and storytelling skills, with experience shaping compelling fundraising content and campaigns for diverse audiences.
• Strong experience using insight, data and feedback to inform strategy, identifying opportunities and continually improving supporter engagement and experience.
• Experience shaping and improving supporter experiences at an organisational level, embedding best practice and championing donor-centric thinking across teams.
• Highly developed stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility and productive relationships across functions and at senior levels.
• Ability to influence and bring people together around shared priorities and outcomes.

Responsibilities

• You’ll help shape and embed our approach to donor experience across the fundraising portfolio, ensuring supporters receive inspiring, consistent and meaningful engagement throughout their relationship with us.
• Working closely with the two Donor Experience Leads in the team, you'll provide oversight and coordination across key areas of activity, helping to ensure a joined-up approach that reflects supporter needs and fundraising priorities.
• Using insight, feedback and emerging trends, you'll help champion donor-centred thinking across fundraising, identifying opportunities to strengthen engagement, improve consistency and enhance the experience we provide to supporters.

Skills

Donor engagement strategy

Stakeholder management

Fundraising communications

Storytelling for fundraising

Data-driven decision making

Collaboration with fundraising teams

Leadership in donor experience

Job description

Summary

We’re looking for a Donor Experience Manager to join us on an 18-month fixed term contract.

Summary

We’re looking for a Donor Experience Manager to join us on an 18-month fixed term contract.

Working across the donor journey, from prospecting through to stewardship, you'll play a leading role in creating engaging experiences and inspiring communications that build lasting relationships and connect supporters with the impact of their giving.

The National Trust's commitment

The National Trust's commitment is "For everyone, for ever." Bringing that promise to life starts with the people that work here. It means building teams with a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. It means creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Our roles are open to all

Our roles are open to all. However, we particularly welcome applications from people from ethnically diverse communities because they are underrepresented at the Trust.

What It's Like To Work Here

You’ll join the Donor Engagement team, a friendly, collaborative and ambitious team responsible for creating meaningful experiences and communications that inspire supporters to deepen their connection with the National Trust. From donor communications and impact reporting to special events and supporter journeys, we work together to build lasting relationships that help to engage and inspire donors and deliver our fundraising ambitions. As a newly established team with a clear sense of purpose, we value high-quality work, fresh ideas and a commitment to getting things done.

Your contractual location will be our head office in Swindon and there will be an expectation for you to attend the office. However, there is flexibility on where you are based at other times. You will be required to work at a National Trust location for 40-60% of your working week. This will be discussed in more detail at interview.

What You'll Be Doing

You’ll help shape and embed our approach to donor experience across the fundraising portfolio, ensuring supporters receive inspiring, consistent and meaningful engagement throughout their relationship with us. Working closely with the two Donor Experience Leads in the team, you'll provide oversight and coordination across key areas of activity, helping to ensure a joined-up approach that reflects supporter needs and fundraising priorities.

You’ll work with colleagues across Major Gifts and Grants, Mid-Value and Corporate Engagement, leading on the development of high-quality donor journeys, stewardship approaches and communications, ensuring activity is aligned and opportunities to enhance the supporter experience are identified and shared.

Using insight, feedback and emerging trends, you'll help champion donor-centred thinking across fundraising, identifying opportunities to strengthen engagement, improve consistency and enhance the experience we provide to supporters.

Who We're Looking For

You’ll bring a broad range of the following knowledge, skills and experience, shaped by different roles, sectors or career paths. Please use your application to demonstrate how you meet the criteria below:

• Proven experience of developing and leading donor or supporter engagement, stewardship, fundraising, marketing or communications strategies, delivering measurable engagement and fundraising outcomes.
• Strong knowledge of the charity sector including the opportunities and challenges of engaging supporters and inspiring philanthropy.
• Strong communication and storytelling skills, with experience shaping compelling fundraising content and campaigns for diverse audiences.
• Strong experience using insight, data and feedback to inform strategy, identifying opportunities and continually improving supporter engagement and experience.
• Experience shaping and improving supporter experiences at an organisational level, embedding best practice and championing donor-centric thinking across teams.
• Highly developed stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility and productive relationships across functions and at senior levels
• Ability to influence and bring people together around shared priorities and outcomes.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places

National Trust place

Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon, SN2 2NA

Documents

Donor Experience Manager - Grade 5.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Closing Date: 01 November 2026

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here.

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.