Fundraising & Partnerships Manager

Who we are

We're FIRST UK, a EdTech charity using robots, role models and competitions to make STEM more approachable and inclusive – empowering young people with the technical knowledge and soft skills to engineer better futures.

What we're looking for

A fundraiser, partnerships guru, and consummate relationship builder. Someone who can support the CEO to identify, go after, and convert opportunities which sustain and scale the charity’s impact. Broadly this means more money and greater participation. Through your ability to seek out and support the relationships which matter most you will ensure the charity secures:

• Income generating relationships with trusts, foundations, and philanthropists
• Corporate partnerships fuelling our programmes with funding and volunteers
• Collaborations with organisations supporting outreach and growth
• An ecosystem of proactive trustees, advisors, ambassadors and advocates

What you'll get

Responsibility, autonomy, sense of purpose. You’ll be working in a small organisation which is lean, agile and fast-paced. Unimpeded by hierarchy and bureaucracy you’ll have the freedom to experiment, fail fast and crack on. You’ll be presenting a compelling case for support against a validated impact model. Long before pandemics we were working flexibly and remotely – it’s embedded to our culture.

What you'll be doing

Working closely with the CEO you’ll get the charity in front of the right people, having the right conversations which grow investment and participation.

Income generation

You’ll work across the full fundraising mix – trusts & foundations, corporate partnerships, philanthropy and, as we scale, individual giving and statutory. You’ll be as comfortable crafting a compelling multi-year grant proposal, as you are supporting the CEO with pitching to the board of a FinTech company or a UHNWI. You’ll flex your approach to the audience and know how to secure significant (six figure) partnerships, grants and gifts by:

• Building and driving a well-researched, constantly evolving fundraising pipeline
• Developing and honing our case for support and associated assets
• Pursuing grant applications and funding bids
• Prospecting corporate partnerships and helping secure sponsorship
• Delivering impactful employee engagement opportunities
• Leveraging existing networks, volunteers, and partners

Growth partnerships

We work with thousands of young people in schools and youth groups - who are designing, building and then competing with robots in a series of epic competitions. Getting into schools is challenging, retaining them a stretch, and achieving teacher referrals harder still. Your interpersonal skills will enable us to identify, pursue and catch relationships to grow participation. You will help drive charity’s growth strategy by:

• Supporting the CEO to pursue and convert national relationships with Multi-Academy Trusts, youth providers, charities and networks to increase our programme footprint
• Working alongside Programme Managers to maximise regional/local relationships – with universities, science centres, other charities, societies and youth organisations
• Leveraging corporate partnerships in support of growth (maximising volunteerism, advocacy, referral)

Advocacy and influence

We’re a young charity (just 18 months old when COVID struck). In six years, we have established impressive contacts and relationships with industry, NGOs, sector players, influencers. With the CEO you will now unlock their potential via:

• Helping to on-board, steward and leverage Trustees and Advisors
• Supporting creation and management of relevant Advisory and Fundraising Boards
• Supporting relationships with external bodies and individuals who can help increase our share of voice, influence, investment, impact

Job descriptions can become exhaustive lists, lacking in focus and clarity. As Fundraising & Partnerships Manager in its purest sense you’ll attack two inextricably linked things:

1. Growth through increased participation
2. The sustainable income to support that growth
   

You’ll do this by identifying, converting and stewarding the relationships which achieve one and two. That’s the mission if you’re up for it.

Requirements

Who might this role suit?

A people person. You love seeking out and building relationships, then maximising their impact.  You might have worked in a charity fundraising position before. You understand what good looks like in terms of brokering strong partnerships – and relish the mix of research, prospecting, proposal development, pitching, and importantly onward stewardship of the relationships we win to ensure we amplify, leverage and retain them.

Whatever your background – the common, transferable skill set is being excellent at relationships. Understanding that it’s not just about the chat, it’s about the follow through. You do what you say you will – and do it well.

Knowledge and experience

You possess:

• Evidence of winning relationships which have generated income (e.g corporate partnerships, sponsorship, grants etc)
• Evidence of bold strategies for growth (this might be in sales, membership, users, income etc)
• Experience propsecting, brokering and stewarding relationships at a senior level

You might also have:

•  Passion for STEM, inclusion, tech for good

Skills and abilities

You have:

• Energy – you’re a radiator, not a drain
• Tenacity – you spot opportunities others miss
• Persistence – you keep pushing against doors until one opens
• Attention to detail – you love a perfectly polished powerpoint
• Empathy - you listen, understand needs, consider perspectives, then act
• Credibility – you’re a confident pitcher, you believe in yourself and the mission

Values and behaviours

You are:

• A strong writer – you know what resonates on paper and can craft masterful pitches
• A brilliant orator – you say what needs to be said in the most impactful way
• Commercially minded – you always identify the WIFFT/U and negotiate well
• Organised – you revel in a good to do list, Trello board or excel
• Resilient – the knock-backs just make you more determined and better
• A true problem solver – solution focused

I'm loving the sound of this is there more I need to know?

If there is we'll chat about it in the interview.

Benefits

Conditions

We don’t talk about benefits; we talk about culture. It’s not how many hours you work or where you work them – it’s what you deliver.

• Salary – the role is benchmarked at c£32,000 - £39,000
• We work remotely from home most of the time (the role is technically hybrid)
• 25 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays and an Xmas gift
• Generous enhanced maternity (100% two months, 80% 2 months, 50% 2 months)
• Sector leading wellbeing programme – access to advice, perks, discounts, support
• Smart Pension - auto-enrolment of all staff after 3 months service
• Comprehensive insurances – including 4 x salary, covered from start date

Location

Our team is UK home-based, coming together regularly to cowork, and deliver events. You should expect to use coworking spaces close to where you live weekly, attend a team collaboration day monthly, usually in London. This may require an overnight stay. If you can conduct your role effectively and are willing to travel to maximise growth opportunities, you can be based anywhere in the UK.

Building great relationships doesn’t happen over video calls it’s best in person.

Process

• All applications via our HR platform Workable (no agencies, no pre-approaches)
• Submit CV and optional cover letter (no more than 1 page)
• Answer three simple screening questions
• Role closes 2359 on Sunday 18 Jan
• Interviews invited by Friday 23 Jan

To apply you must live in, and have the right to work in the UK. In accordance with our Safer Recruitment Policy, all employees of the charity will be asked for two references which will be conducted by phone and are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks upon appointment. You can read our Safeguarding Policy here.