United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Development Director – UK/Europe

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre,a high-impact, global organization serving advocates around the world in the innovative field of business & human rights, is seeking a dynamic professional who can drive our fundraising in the UK and Europe to a new level. We are looking for a strategic thinker who can work collaboratively with our global team which includes researchers in every region working in nine languages.

Based in:London headquarters

Reports to:Senior Development Director (line management) and Executive Director (project management)

Salary:£45,000-50,000 per annum (commensurate with experience), plus 5% pension contribution

Closing date for applications: 3 December 2015, 5:00pm (London time)

Interview date:16 December 2015

Applicants must have:

• the right to work in the United Kingdom (must have this before applying)


• at least 4 to 5 years of fundraising experience, preferably in a charity or similar organization


• excellent English-language skills

THE ORGANIZATION

Never before has the private sector’s influence over people’s lives been so great.

We are a web-based, global organization, providing information and action in eight languages. Our purpose is to:

• Build transparency: We track over 6,000 companies’ human rights performance – their advances and abuses.

• Strengthen Accountability: We seek responses from companies for allegations of abuse and put their responses on our site as the first line of accountability. We also take a small number further and seek redress and remedies.

• Empower Advocatesaround the world: Provide guidance on integrating human rights in business, and providing space for all actors in our broad movement to participate in key debates.

We have 25 team members, based in every region of the world. The UK/Europe Development Director will be an integral part of the Global Team.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centreis the only organization using the internet to track and publicise the human rights and environmental impacts (positive and negative) of more than 6,000 companies worldwide. Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland, chairs its International Advisory Network of 70 experts. Twenty-three leading academic institutions comprise the Centre’s Academic Partners.

The Resource Centre has helped define the growing field of business & human rights. It has put companies in all regions on notice that their human rights conduct is being watched. It has drawn attention to corporate abuses in all countries, and provided increased recognition to those companies taking positive steps to promote human rights. The Centre is widely respected for being fair, constructive, and truly global in its perspective; a Financial Times article about its work is headlined, “A Fair Approach to Human Rights.”

THE POSITION

The UK/Europe Development Director position was created by the Centre in 2013 to help increase its annual budget (currently at about $1.7 million/£1.10 million per year) by expanding its base of foundation and government donors in the UK and Europe and helping the organization develop an individual giving program, focused on major donors. The UK/Europe Development Director will report to New York-based Senior Development Director for line management with significant project management by the London-based Executive Director. He/she will lead the Resource Centre’s fundraising work in the UK and Europe, working closely with the Executive Director in doing so. He/she will be based in the London headquarters and undertake occasional travel to Europe. The UK/Europe Development Director will be an integral member of the Resource Centre’s leadership, involved in the organization’s overall strategizing and stewardship, and participating in board meetings.

The Resource Centre has a strong track record in foundation fundraising – current donors include these foundations that have supported us for over four years each: Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, Open Society Foundations and Adessium Foundation. It has received project funding from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and some other European governments. To date most of the organization’s income has been from foundations and governments. The Resource Centre also has a pool of individual donors, but has yet to develop a major gifts program.

The Resource Centre seeks a fundraising generalist, with experience in trusts/foundation and government grant-writing and reporting, since this will be the main focus of work. A willingness to undertake major gifts fundraising is required, though this work will be focused primarily in the US by our Senior Development Director; experience in major gifts fundraising is desirable but not required. The UK/Europe Development Director will help develop the organization’s international fundraising strategy in consultation with the Executive Director, the Senior Development Director, and board members; secure increased funding from existing and new foundation and government funders; help to secure funding from high-dollar individual donors; work collaboratively to improve fundraising systems (e.g. tracking prospects, grants, contacts and donor-reporting); and establish a clear strategy for sustainable growth.

Note: To avoid any perception of conflict of interest, and to maintain its independence and impartiality, the Centre does not accept donations from companies, corporate foundations, or senior executives at major corporations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising strategy and implementation:

• Build the Centre’s donor base and pipeline of prospects by crafting (with Executive Director and Senior Development Director) and implementing annually a comprehensive development strategy to raise funds from foundations, other institutional donors, and individuals. Report regularly to the Senior Development Director and the Management Team on fundraising progress against stated goals, and twice a year to the Board.


• Prepare budgets and forecasts related to all fundraising activities (with Executive Director, Senior Development Director and Finance Officer/Accountant). Should be comfortable with setting annual fundraising goals and have systems in place to benchmark and track activities and progress.


• Strengthen development infrastructure and systems.

Foundation and other institutional grants:

• Conduct, oversee and analyse research to identify new sources of institutional giving.


• Draft proposals and reports in close collaboration with Senior Development Director and the Executive Director.


• Working directly with Executive Director, maintain regular communication with all UK/Europe-based institutional donors and prospects and develop responses to their inquiries.


• Ensure timely submission of reports and proposals to all UK/Europe funders and assist as needed with reporting to North America-based funders.


• Work closely with senior management to nurture and develop new relationships with programme officers and other foundation personnel.

Individual donors:

• Working closely with the Executive Director and Senior Development Director, assist in developing the strategies and relationship-building activities required to attract individual donors, including major donors. Support and coordinate with the senior management to cultivate and solicit major donors in the UK/Europe. With the Executive Director and Senior Development Director, educate the staff and board and develop their capacity to support major gifts fundraising.


• Help to develop a major donor programme that includes cultivation events showcasing the Centre’s work.


• Create appropriate written communications geared to engaging the interest of individual donors. Elicit compelling cases, issues, success stories and quotes from board and staff, and particularly from regional researchers in Africa, Asia and other regions.


• Ensure ongoing communication with individual donors, and timely thank-you notes.


• Work closely with Executive Director and Senior Development Director to plan and implement the annual appeal and the other elements of an ongoing annual fund effort, including exploring the possibility of introducing the use of social media for fundraising.


• With the Executive Director and Senior Development Director, lead the entire organization to excel in both donor cultivation and stewardship.

Online fundraising:

• Work with the Executive Director, Senior Development Director and senior leadership to refine our online fundraising strategy for the Resource Centre.

Broader role:

• Play an active role in organizational strategic planning and priority setting.


• Work closely with colleagues across programme areas in order to maximise organizational and fundraising effectiveness.


• Keep Board members updated and informed on fundraising progress, including reporting back to semi-annual board meetings.

CREDENTIALS

Qualifications:

Required:

• The right to work in the United Kingdom (must have this before applying)


• At least 4 to 5 years of fundraising experience, preferably in a charity or similar organization


• Proven experience in crafting fundraising strategy that delivers for the organizational priorities


• Track record of developing and sustaining high quality relations with key funding contacts at trusts, foundations, and governments


• Proven ability to communicate clearly and succinctly in English, especially in writing compelling and persuasive grant proposals and reports to donors


• Demonstrable diligence and reliability in project management and donor stewardship


• Demonstrable financial management especially with respect to fundraising and project budgets


• Excellent skills in interpersonal and collaborative work


• Appreciation of the values and mission of the organization and a proven ability to represent the organization to donors and prospects


• Demonstrable entrepreneurial spirit and ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities


• Excellent interpersonal and team-building skills, including the ability to maintain effective working relationships with people from diverse national and cultural backgrounds, and for whom English is a second language


• University degree, or equivalent


• Ease relating to influential, well-known individuals and high-dollar donors


• Ability to maintain high standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism, and to handle sensitive and proprietary financial information


• Excellent analytical skills, organizational and time management skills, including attention to detail


• Computer proficiency in Windows Operating systems, MS Office, knowledge of and demonstrated efficiency with donor management databases


• Willingness to travel on occasion

The following would be useful, but not necessary:

• Familiarity and experience with international affairs and human rights


• Knowledge of languages other than English


• Experience with organizing small donor cultivation events and/or larger organizational events

TERMS AND COMPENSATION

• This is a full-time position


• Starting salary: £45,000-50,000 per year (commensurate with experience), plus 5% pension


• 24 vacation days per year


• Opportunity to play a central role in an enthusiastic and international team