Head of Development

We are seeking a senior leader with experience with 5-6 figure fundraising but that can be within any of trusts & foundations, corporate and/or major donors.

Head of Development
Salary £55,000 - £60,000 + Benefits
Hybrid - London/Home

This role comes at an exciting time with the opportunity to lead the growth of MQ’s Development Team as we expand our capacity across all these areas of income generation. MQ currently has at least one role under each area and there is desire, supported by the board of trustees, for further recruitment to strengthen each as needed.

We are happy to consider people who want to work full-time (35 hours), or four days per week (28 hours).

Here's a summary of your key responsibilities:

• Provide inspirational leadership to the MQ Development Team, managing the current team of five to deliver our £3m 2025 budget
• Develop, oversee and actively lead the implementation of a fundraising strategy which exploits a wide range of fundraising opportunities, maintains diverse and sustainable income streams, and builds the organisation’s unrestricted income capacity to meet its aims and objectives.
• Lead by example, personally building and managing a pool of 6 figure prospects to deliver against targets within your area of speciality (major donor, trusts and/or corporates), with a focus on new business across the team
• Potential to help MQ expand its high value fundraising on an international scale
• Collaborate across MQ’s teams, including Research, Marketing and Finance, to develop MQ’s list of fundraising products and proposals
• Refine and deliver MQ’s high value tracking and reporting on financial and activity KPIs, working closely with the Senior Data and Compliance Manager and using our CRM, Raiser’s Edge NXT
• Build and monitor annual Development Team income and expenditure budgets and work with MQ’s Executive to provide regular updates against progress and reforecasting as needed
• Drive innovation in fundraising activity in order that MQ can stand out – improving current approaches but also developing new behaviours, projects and activities to win new funding through excellent stewardship and cultivation
• Capitalise on the expertise and networks of MQ’s senior volunteers, including working closely with MQ trustees and other Development Team colleagues to maximise existing opportunities for introductions, including the Lord Mayor’s Appeal
• Develop MQ’s ability to carry out targeted and systematic research to establish new high value prospects utilising existing networks, the MQ database, search engines and referrals

About you:

This role is for you, if you have fundraising experience with grants and foundations as well as corporate fundraising and/or new business acquisition experience. This means you will have experience in stewarding and securing new gifts from foundations as well as researching new opportunities to apply for funds.

You will also be skilled in understanding and translating complex information and turning it in to compelling written proposals, for grants, corporate partnerships and major donors.

You will be driven to ensure that projects are delivered to the highest possible standards and be a sophisticated communicator with the confidence to build relationships with and inspire colleagues and donors.

We do require someone who is proactive, hardworking and results-focused.

Experience of Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge/NXT is desirable but not essential.

Essential Skills & Experience

Proven Leadership Experience

• Strong track record of leading and managing teams effectively.
• Ability to inspire and motivate team members to achieve targets.
• Experience in building and growing teams.

High-Value Fundraising Expertise

• Demonstrated success in securing 5-6 figure donations from trusts, foundations, corporates, and/or major donors.
• Ability to build and manage a pipeline of high-value prospects.

Desirable Skills & Experience

Experience in the Mental Health Sector

• Understanding of mental health research and its importance.
• Existing contacts within the mental health or healthcare sector.

International Fundraising Expertise

• Experience in organising and executing high-value stewardship events.
• Ability to leverage events for donor engagement and fundraising.

What we’re offering you:

In return, we offer a great working experience within a friendly team. We operate a hybrid working scheme (in the London office Mondays and Tuesdays, with the remaining days from home). We are located near Barbican Tube.

Plus, we offer lots of generous benefits and training opportunities.

We're a Sunday Times Top Company to work for.

Closing date: 29/09/2024

Please note, we typically start interviewing within two weeks of the job advert going live. We reserve the right to close the job before the deadline based on the volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our careers portal where you can complete your application for this position.

We believe in equality and inclusion and we welcome job applications from everyone, provided you meet the criteria for the job.

Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration and undertake a DBS check.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Benefits

Flexible working: As a mental health charity, staff wellbeing is of paramount importance. We operate a core hours policy (10-4) to encourage flexible working and staff are mainly home based with the requirement to come into the office two days per week. A standard full-time working week is 35 hours, plus an hour for lunch breaks.

Holidays: Annual holiday entitlement of 28 days plus bank holidays.

Wellbeing Allowance: MQ provides an allowance of up to £1200 per annum for each employee to spend on activities that increase their wellbeing. This is paid through payroll and is taxable.

Cycle to work scheme: An interest-free loan is available to enable employees to purchase a bike and accessories, repaid via equal deductions from the employee’s salary over 12 months.

Employee Assistance Programme: All employees and their families have access to a 24-hour confidential advice and support line.

Counselling: Employees have access to a number of free face-to-face sessions, via the EAP scheme.

Pension: MQ makes contributions of 5% and employees make contributions of 3%.

Season Ticket Loan: An interest free season ticket loan is available, repaid via equal deductions from the employee’s salary over 12 months.

Personal Development: We value employee development and review individual training needs through our performance management system. The Head of HR also runs internal development sessions for all staff through our training programme, MQ Academy.

No agencies please.