Regional Grants Manager

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Substantial pension scheme up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days + buy‑

Job summary

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty seeks a Grants Consultant to generate income from a range of funders, including statutory and lottery bodies, with a focus on urban grant opportunities and access to nature, history and beauty. The role supports regional projects and will operate within a hybrid, part-time pattern across the South West.

You’ll develop funding pipelines, manage multi-stakeholder relationships and lead high-quality applications to maximise

Qualifications

• Experience submitting large (six or seven figure) funding applications to grant bodies.
• Expertise in developing urban grant opportunities and funding that improves access to nature, history and beauty.
• Proven ability to secure grants through local authorities and strategic partners.

Responsibilities

• Develop pipelines of projects for key funders and ensure applications meet funder criteria.
• Identify, develop and secure urban grant opportunities aligned with NT aims.
• Build relationships with funders, authorities and partners to maximise funding opportunities.
• Lead the development of high-quality, compelling funding bids and related documents.

Skills

Fundraising

Grant bidding

Stakeholder management

Strategic partnerships

Proposal writing

Urban grants

Job description

We're looking for an outstanding grants fundraising professional with a proven record of successful bids towards large and complex projects to join our South West team. You'll be responsible for providing advice and generating income across a variety of funders (including statutory and lottery) for a range of projects. Whilst we are seeking someone who can work across a broad range of grant opportunities, we are particularly looking for an expert in unlocking grant opportunities in urban contexts and grants that help deliver the National Trust's ambition to 'end unequal access to nature, history and beauty'. Internally this role is known as Grants Consultant.

Hours: 30 hours per week with a degree of flexibility around working pattern, to be discussed further at interview.

What it's like to work here

We work in a matrix structure where you will be part of both a mixed discipline team directly supporting our places with advice and support and part of the wider regional and central fundraising community. You'll focus on regional priority projects and help identify and maximise opportunities through collaboration with local authorities, strategic partners and other stakeholders. You’ll be part of the Trust’s internal specialist delivery team: a flexible resource of specialist skills and expertise. As one of a multidisciplinary team of experts, including curators, fundraisers, building surveyors and project managers, you’ll be working with others to help make things happen.

As this role covers the South West region, you could be based from any of our South West regional offices. Our hybrid working policy means you can balance office and home working with site visits and meetings at other National Trust places. We’ll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40-60% of your working week.

What you'll be doing

You'll be involved in developing pipelines of projects to submit to key funders and then working with our inspiring teams to ensure that projects meet funder criteria. You'll focus on key projects and funding opportunities across a number of places. A particular area of responsibility will be identifying, developing and securing grant opportunities across urban areas and funding that supports the ambition to end unequal access to nature, history and beauty. You'll develop relationships with external collaborators, including local authorities, funders and partners, to optimise funding opportunities and build strong strategic partnerships. Above all else, this role is about generating income and leading the development of compelling, high quality applications.

Who we're looking for

• A fundraising professional with sound experience of submitting successful large (six and seven figure) funding applications to grant giving bodies and substantial knowledge of the grants and fundraising environment (or equivalent knowledge).
• Specific experience of developing large applications for the National Lottery Heritage Fund (or equivalent experience).
• Demonstrable experience of identifying, developing and securing urban grant opportunities and/or funding that supports greater access to nature, history and beauty for underrepresented communities.
• Experience of working alongside local authorities, combined authorities and other strategic partners to maximise funding opportunities and deliver shared outcomes.
• Someone passionate about fundraising and able to inspire and enthuse others.
• Experience of developing complex funding bids as part of a wider project team and bringing general project management/development skills.
• Someone able to work to tight deadlines and prioritise effectively.
• Strong consultancy skills including listening, collaborative working, relationship building and influencing across a range of stakeholders.
• Someone who can write high quality applications while also bringing strategic thinking to support future planning.

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)
• 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.

National Trust place

Killerton - RO, Killerton, Exeter, EX5 3LE

Documents

Grants Consultant - Grade 5.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 04 October 2026

Interview Date: 12 October 2026 (Killerton, Exeter)

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.