Grants and Trusts Manager

Suffolk Wildlife Trust; Ashbocking; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Leave entitlement up to 38 days

9% employer pension

Salary sacrifice benefits

Employee Assistance Programme

Flu vaccinations

Life assurance

GP and wellness services

Discounts at high street retailers

Visitor centre discounts

Logo clothing

Job summary

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is seeking a Grants and Trusts Manager to lead the organisation's fundraising programme with a focus on securing income from charitable trusts and foundations. You will work with the Head of Philanthropy & Fundraising to develop funding proposals, manage a grants pipeline, and ensure high-quality applications and reporting.

The role includes line management of a Grants Officer, building cross-team collaborations, and delivering strategic fundraising to support conservation

Qualifications

• Experience in grants and trusts fundraising and securing income from foundations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for high quality applications and reporting.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with funders and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Suffolk Wildlife Trust's grants and trusts fundraising programme.
• Secure income from charitable trusts, foundations and grant-making organisations.
• Develop funding proposals, manage grant reporting and monitoring, and steward funders.

Job description

Salary: The starting salary will be c.£35,000 per annum depending on skills, knowledge and experience.

Grants and Trusts Manager

Closing date: Monday 2 November 2026 Salary: The starting salary will be c.£35,000 per annum depending on skills, knowledge and experience. Contract type: Permanent / Working hours: Full time Location: Brooke House, The Green, Ashbocking, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP6 9JY

This is an exciting opportunity for a suitably-qualified and experienced grants and trusts practitioner to join Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Fundraising & Philanthropy Team at a pivotal time for nature recovery across Suffolk.

Our ambition is for 30% of Suffolk to be connected and well-managed for nature by 2030, helping wildlife recover and thrive while inspiring more people to take action for nature.

Working closely with the Head of Philanthropy & Fundraising, you will lead and develop Suffolk Wildlife Trust's grants and trusts fundraising programme, securing vital income from charitable trusts, foundations and other grant‑making organisations to support our strategic priorities and core costs. You will lead on building and maintaining strong relationships with funders, developing a diverse funding pipeline and ensuring the delivery of high‑quality applications, stewardship and reporting.

The role will involve identifying and researching funding opportunities, working collaboratively with colleagues across the Trust to develop funding proposals, manage grant reporting and monitoring and ensuring excellent stewardship of existing funders. You will be responsible for the management of grant pipeline & help shape a strategic and sustainable approach to grant fundraising.

You will also line manage a Grants Officer and build strong working relationships across the organisation, helping colleagues identify and develop funding opportunities that support conservation delivery, community engagement and support services development.

To succeed in this role, you will have a strong track record of securing income from trusts and foundations, together with experience of developing successful funding strategies and managing a fundraising pipeline. You will possess excellent communication and relationship‑building skills, enabling you to inspire confidence and develop positive partnerships with funders, colleagues and other stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be self‑motivated, highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities effectively. They will be strategic, proactive and results‑focused, with the ability to identify opportunities, develop compelling cases for support and demonstrate the impact of Suffolk Wildlife Trust's work. Most importantly, you will be passionate about nature recovery and committed to helping deliver our vision of creating a more connected, resilient and wildlife‑rich landscape across the county.

This is a permanent, full‑time position working 37.5 hours per week Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. We operate flexible homeworking arrangements where colleagues spend more time working together than homeworking. The base of work will be Brooke House in Ashbocking and the starting salary will be up to £35,000 per annum depending on skills, knowledge and experience.

The interviews are planned for Tuesday 10 November 2026.

Employee Perks & Benefits

• leave entitlement increasing with service up to 38 days annually plus an extra day off for your birthday
• a 9% employer pension contribution with no employee contribution required
• salary sacrifice benefits
• an Employee Assistance Programme
• flu vaccinations
• life assurance
• access to a GP and wellness services
• discounts at high street retailers
• discounts in our visitor centre
• if you’re in a public-facing role, you’ll get logo clothing

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone is welcome. As a conservation charity, we recognise the importance of diversity in both nature and our workforce of staff and volunteers. We strive to ensure that everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute to our vision of "A Wilder Suffolk where nature is thriving and abundant because everyone is doing more to help".