White Rose Forest Development Manager

Location: Working from home with meetings in West and North Yorkshire.

Contract type: Fixed term contract until 30 September 2026 (with likelihood of extension), c/o Community Forest Trust (a registered Charitable Trust)

Hours: Full time, 36 hours per week (Part time option available)

The White Rose Forest (WRF) is the Community Forest for North and West Yorkshire and was voted Community Forest of the Year in 2024, in recognition of our leading role within the England’s Community Forests network. At our heart we are a partnership, working closely with local, regional and national Government, as well as our National Parks, local businesses, landowners and community organisations in Yorkshire to plant trees where they are needed the most. All our projects are designed to benefit nature recovery and our communities.

2025 is an important year for the WRF as we set out our ambitious plans and targets for woodland establishment and management in North and West Yorkshire over the next 25 years and publish our new 5-year Action Plan.  To help us deliver these plans, we are recruiting for a talented Development Manager to join our WRF core team. The White Rose Forest Development Manager is a new role that will be responsible for the development and delivery of a new fundraising function and strategy for the White Rose Forest, with support from the White Rose Forest Programme Director, the wider White Rose Forest team, partners and other stakeholders.

We are looking for a confident and experienced fundraiser who can draw on their previous record of success in a similar role to build relationships with a range of potential funders and secure the best opportunities to grow our non-Government project and unrestricted income. From setting up a charitable function for the White Rose Forest to developing our fundraising strategy, you will have the exciting opportunity to shape this new role. You will also be able to call on the expertise and experience within the Community Forest Trust and our England’s Community Forests network to support your work.

The Development Manager will be employed through the Community Forest Trust on behalf of the White Rose Forest and will work as part of the WRF core team. The post holder will have access to all systems available to the wider team, and training opportunities as required.

The Development Manager, as with all members of the central WRF team, will work from home without an office base. However, there is the requirement to attend monthly meetings in locations spread across North and West Yorkshire and at other times as required by the needs of the organisation. You well therefore require the ability to travel independently to such locations.

Please read the full job specification before applying. To apply please submit a covering letter detailing how your experience meets the role requirements, why you are interested in this position and enclose a CV. The closing date for applications is Sunday 27th April 2025 with interviews taking place during the w/c 6th May.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

For more information about the White Rose Forest please visit or website.