Fundraising Lead

Lion Landscapes; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

LION LANDSCAPES is seeking an experienced Fundraising Lead to grow and diversify income across grants, major donors, trusts and foundations. You will oversee strategy, ensure financial sustainability, and drive donor engagement in a remote role with UK residency preferred.

The role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and requires strategic oversight, fundraising program development, and collaboration across departments to maximise impact and program funding.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of fundraising experience.
• Proven track record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Ability to develop and implement strategic fundraising plans.
• Experience working to ambitious income targets.
• Excellent writing, communication and relationship-building skills.
• High financial and data literacy with strong analytics.
• Familiarity with donor segmentation, pipeline management and CRM.
• Knowledge of fundraising legislation and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight of fundraising and income diversification.
• Lead multi-year fundraising strategy and donor communications.
• Manage grant portfolio from identification to renewals.
• Oversee donor stewardship and engagement strategies.
• Lead individual giving campaigns and storytelling alignment.
• Line-manage the Fundraising Officer and support team growth.
• Prepare data-driven reports and quarterly board updates.
• Ensure compliance with UK GDPR and fundraising regulations.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor relations

Grant writing

Data analytics

Salesforce CRM

Pipeline management

Budgeting & reporting

Cross‑functional collaboration

Regulatory compliance

Donor segmentation

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Lion Landscapes is a dynamic large carnivore conservation and research organisation that works with local communities and other conservation stakeholders to develop programmes that support large carnivores, their prey, their habitat, and local people. Lion Landscapes is affiliated with Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) but operates independent programmes in Kenya and Tanzania.

Role Purpose

We are seeking a strategic and experienced Fundraising Lead to grow and diversify its income across institutional grants, major individual donors, trusts and foundations. This role is responsible for overseeing all fundraising strategy and delivery and ensuring financial sustainability aligned with organisational goals.

Permanent, full-time position

Salary indication: £50,000

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Location: Remote

Country of residence: UK preferred

Main responsibilities

Provide strategic oversight of fundraising efforts, designing and implementing a multi-year strategy to achieve income targets and enable the sustainable growth of our programmes. A key focus will be driving the growth of unrestricted income. This role will also involve close coordination of donor communications across departments, ensuring alignment and consistency in our engagement.

Innovation & Diversification of Income Streams

Work with the CEOs to explore and develop new business opportunities across fundraising income streams that increase Lion Landscapes’s financial resilience. Coordinate with the Corporate Partnerships Lead on collaborative strategies to identify and secure corporate partnerships.

Funding Growth

Develop and maintain a strong, prioritised pipeline of funding opportunities across the agreed income streams. Work with the COO and the Finance Manager to identify funding needs (both long and short term). Deliver new funding via prioritised opportunities in line with growth plans and funding needs for the organisation.

Lead the management of our grant portfolio across its entire lifecycle - from identifying and scoping new opportunities to developing and submitting proposals, overseeing reporting, and

supporting renewals. This involves close collaboration with the Communications Manager to craft compelling narratives and with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate and aligned budgeting.

Donor Stewardship & Engagement

Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with major donors and philanthropic partners, ensuring they feel valued and informed about the impact of their support. Working with the Fundraising Officer, oversee the delivery of timely donor acknowledgements, engaging communications, and campaign execution. Use Salesforce to manage donor pipelines, track prospects, and implement tailored engagement strategies to deepen donor relationships and drive long-term support.

Campaign Strategy & Individual Giving

Lead the strategy for development of individual giving campaigns, ensuring the design of thoughtful and engaging supporter journeys that strengthen both donor retention and acquisition. Work closely with the Fundraising Officer, to oversee effective campaign development and delivery. In collaboration with the Communications Manager, ensure that content and storytelling are strategically aligned with fundraising goals to maximise reach and impact.

Line Management & Team Support

Line‑manage the Fundraising Officer, providing clear direction, setting objectives, reviewing outputs, and supporting their professional growth through regular feedback and development opportunities.

Reporting & Insights

Track fundraising performance and analyse income trends to inform strategic decision-making. Monitor external philanthropy trends and adjusting strategies to maximise income growth opportunities. This includes preparing clear, data‑driven reports and delivering regular insights through quarterly reviews and Board updates, ensuring transparency and alignment on progress toward fundraising goals.

Other Key responsibilities

Play a key role in identifying opportunities for innovation and growth, maintaining ethical and transparent fundraising practices, and representing Lion Landscapes to external partners and networks. As part of the senior leadership team, contribute to organisational planning and ensure that fundraising efforts are integrated with our broader mission and strategic direction.

Due Diligence, Compliance and Risk

Apply due diligence and ethical screening to prospective corporate and major donor relationships, in consultation with the COO, before pursuing or accepting funding. Ensure fundraising activity complies with relevant regulatory requirements, including the UK Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice, Charity Commission Guidelines, data protection requirements (UK GDPR), and sanctions and anti‑money laundering screening for corporate and high net worth donors, reflecting Lion Landscapes' operations across the UK, Kenya and Tanzania. Escalate to the COO and Joint CEOs any prospective funding source or partnership that raises reputational, ethical, financial or compliance concerns, before proceeding.

Working Relationships

Reports to : Chief Operating Officer

Works closely with:

Corporate Partnerships Lead for review of corporate fundraising opportunities in addition to development and engagement on specific agreed opportunities.

Communications team, for consistent branding and styling of messaging.

Country Coordinators and Local Field Managers, for country-level context on funding relationships.

COO and Finance Manager, for alignment on strategy, resourcing and financial projections for corporate fundraising opportunities, and for due diligence and compliance sign-off on corporate funding relationships.

Experience and Skills

Minimum of 7 years of experience in fundraising, with a strong track record of identifying and securing new business and driving diverse income growth .

Proven track record of securing six- and seven-figure philanthropy gifts and generating new business income.

Proven ability to develop and implement strategic fundraising plans that drive income growth and support organisational sustainability.

Experience working to ambitious income targets.

Excellent writing, communication, and relationship-building skills, with experience crafting compelling proposals and donor communications.

High level of financial and data literacy, with excellent analytical skills.

Proficiency in donor segmentation, pipeline management, and the use of CRM systems (Salesforce preferred).

Experience working cross‑departmentally to align fundraising with programme, finance, and communications priorities.

A firm understanding of the legislation affecting charity fundraising.

Knowledge of conservation or international development contexts is an advantage.