Senior Philanthropy Officer

As the Senior Philanthropy Officer within the Philanthropy Team you will be responsible for managing a portfolio of relationships with individual major donors. This will involve implementing and enhancing the major donor pipeline and seeking opportunities for new support. This role has evolved over recent years, and you will be joining at an exciting time of expansion of and investment in SSAFA's major donor activities, during which you will be able to express all your experience to date as well as launch a number of new innovative plans. 

You will also be working tactically with specialist consultants to develop key initiatives throughout the rest of this year, with the most important being a senior Major Donor Development Board.  

About the team   

The Philanthropy Team is a small welcoming and diverse group of individuals who are keen to learn from others, as well as share their insight and experience. Your work will cross-pollinate with other colleagues in the team who work across major donors, trusts and foundations, and statutory funders. You'll also collaborate with other teams who meet the needs of our corporate, events, commercial, individual and legacy supporters. 

About you 

To be successful in this role you will have a clear understanding of major donor fundraising and have experience of communicating a charity message at all levels. You will have a clear interest in the development of relationships and seeking to new opportunities. 

Ideally, you will also have experience of working with a senior Major Donor Development Board. 

You will work directly with the Head of Philanthropy and collaboratively with the Philanthropy Team and wider Fundraising & Marcomms Directorate from time to time. This role is key to the success of the increase in the income within the team and the need to work independently and be a self-motivator is important. 

About SSAFA 

The Armed Forces are a family.  In service we stand together, supporting each other. No matter what, someone always has your back. But there are times when – at no fault of their own – people battle alone. SSAFA exists so no one in our Armed Forces family ever has to battle against life’s darkest problems on their own.

 SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of support for the Armed Forces community in their time of need. In 2023 our trained teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 53,000 people, including veterans, serving personnel (regulars and reserves) and their families.

SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person and their family, any time they need us and in any way they need us.

Diversity and Inclusion at SSAFA 

SSAFA exists to support a diverse range of beneficiaries within the armed forces community, and we believe diversity within our teams is key to ensuring we can deliver our services effectively. We thrive on differences and believe it is critical to our success as a worldwide charity. SSAFA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace that seeks to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We therefore encourage applications from all genders, races, religions, ages and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with disabilities, and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our business. 

SSAFA is committed to using the Disclosure & Barring Service to ensure we, as an employer, safeguard those we serve.  

No agencies please. Any unsolicited submissions from agencies will be accepted as a direct application from the candidate and no fees will be payable. 

Closing date: Midnight on 16 September. SSAFA reserves the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. 

 Interviews: TBC