Head of National Events (Challenges/Mass Participation)

Sense has a simple vision - that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out or unable to fulfil their potential. Alongside practical, tailored support they provide information to families/carers and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities.  

This is a key new role for the public fundraising team at Sense, focused specifically on the challenges/mass participation events portfolio. Sense emphasises a fundraising culture that focuses on relationships, rather than transactions - ensuring that their supporters can engage with the organisation in a holistic manner and inspiring them to do more for the charity and those it supports. 

This role leads the national events portfolio, which includes a £1m+ London Marathon Event. As Head of National Events you'll bring a creative approach to challenge events fundraising at Sense, driving growth of income while reviewing and diversifying the broader portfolio of opportunities available to the charity. 

Given the current weighting to third party events you'll consider how to maximise the potential of these opportunities, assessing the drivers of supporters to fundraise on behalf of Sense and engage with the charity. Alongside this, you'll look at the scope of opportunities to develop new charity-owned events, also considering the possibilities for virtual events within this context. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of 4 (2 direct reports) to drive income growth, innovation and integrated supporter engagement activities. 
• Lead the development of the National Events strategy, creating a balanced portfolio of offerings and ensuring consistent delivery of high quality supporter engagement materials.
• Oversee the delivery of all third party and charity-owned events activity.
• Identify opportunities for new events, partnerships and products - further diversifying the organisation's events portfolio by leading on product development. 

Person Specification:

• Expertise in managing challenge event fundraising teams, with a track record of generating growth in participation and income.
• Experience in bringing new events to market - from inception to launch and review.
• Strong team leadership skills - establishing a culture focused on innovation and creativity, whilst supporting staff performance and development.
• Experience in managing stakeholders at all levels, including external suppliers/contacts.
• Passionate about using data to inform decisions, identifying actionable insights and adapting strategies accordingly.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 1st August, with 1st interviews to commence w/c 5th August. 

To be considered for this position please apply with your CV as soon as possible, regrettably please note we may not be able to reply to each and every application.

We are committed to diverse and inclusive recruitment practises that ensure equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and will happily make reasonable adjustments to always ensure a fair process.