Philanthropy Manager Jobs in Manchester

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre seeks a highly skilled and motivated Development Officer with a strong background in grant writing. The ideal candidate will have exceptional English language communication skills, a keen eye for detail, and a proven track record in supporting teams to secure funding for mission-driven organisations. The successful candidate will play a critical role in helping our organisation grow by crafting compelling donor communication (including reports and applications), identifying new funding opportunities from across the European private funding community, and building relationships internally and externally.

Reports to: Deputy Director/Director of Development   

Salary:  GBP 34,000 – 37,000, commensurate with experience and adjusted according to location (the range is aligned to London cost of living; if based in another location, the range will be adjusted accordingly)   

Closing date: 7 March 2025. Interviews and written exercise will be conducted in March, with the view of having the successful candidate in place in April or May (with flexibility). 

Location: UK or EU (UK or Germany preferred). We are a predominately remote organisation, with offices in London, Berlin, New York City and Colombia. Candidates with outstanding qualifications or experience and based in the US/Canada (ET only) will be considered.

Contract type: Full time (35 hours/week) 

Annual leave: 24 days/year   

Start: April or May, with some flexibility. 

About the organization   

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre works with diverse allies and partners to put human rights at the core of companies’ business models and end abuse; to support communities and workers in securing their rights and accountability for corporate abuse; and to encourage governments to create the right regulation and incentives to uphold human rights in business. We are a global organization rooted in five continental regions, comprised of a Global Team of 80. Global Team members work with a rich network of human rights advocates in ten languages, and place strong emphasis on our alliances with grassroots organisations facing often profound inequalities of power in protecting their rights. The efforts inform our ability to influence responsible business, investors, and governments for transformative change.    

Our work covers the full range of human rights in business, with particular focus on four priority programmes: just energy transition and natural resources; accountable digital technologies; civic freedoms and human rights defenders; and workers’ rights in global supply chains. These are strengthened by cross cutting themes: corporate legal accountability and racial & gender justice.   

About the position   

This position is ideal for an experienced grant writer who is interested in being a member of our growing and dynamic Development Team (4.5 FTE) that raises about £5 million annually to support the Resource Centre’s work with partners and allies across the world. You will work closely with an experienced team of fundraising and MEAL specialists, based on five continents, to ensure the highest quality products for our private and public funder audiences (foundations, multilateral and government agencies, and individuals in all regions.) The successful candidate will also work with Global Team members to support efforts to grow our funding base from private foundations across Europe. 
   

Key Responsibilities   

WRITING

• Build strong working relationships with teams across the organisation to gather information and collaboratively shape donor materials, including but not limited to: Executive Director’s updates, letters of inquiry, case for support, formal applications, funding reports, individual appeals, and Annual Impact Report.
• Develop, edit, and submit high-quality written and digital applications that clearly articulate BHRRC's mission, vision and impact (and/or that of BHRRC’s specific priority programmes) to foundations, and relevant government agencies, building a compelling case for funders to support BHRRC. 
• Demonstrate appetite for learning BHRRC’s core advocacy objectives and approaches, and their evolution, in order to be able to contribute substantively to proposal development.
• Lead the generation of funding reports, in partnership with Development Team members and international and regional programme teams, to ensure funder requirements are met.
• Use our CRM database (Salesforce) to manage calendar for grant submissions, renewals, and reporting to ensure Development Team is on track and deadlines are met.
• Track and report on the success of funding applications, providing regular updates to the Senior Management Team. 

RESEARCH & FUNDRAISING 

• Research, identify, and evaluate new funding opportunities throughout the EU  and analyse funding requirements, eligibility, and fit with BHRRC’s mission and strategic goals. Present recommendations for approaching strong prospects to the Senior Management Team. 
• Maintain a comprehensive database of European funding prospects/opportunities.
• Collaborate with the Deputy Director/Director of Development and the Europe Development Manager to design and implement a strategic fundraising plan for the EU, focused on expanding institutional support for BHRRC.
• Build and maintain relationships with select EU funders, ensuring proper stewardship and communication.
• Monitor trends in European philanthropy that may influence BHRRC’s approach to institutional fundraising, and keep informed of emerging opportunities. 

ORGANISATIONAL

• Work with Development and Communications Teams to ensure all organisational documents used for fundraising are updated. Suggest and create new materials.
• Assist in developing and maintaining a shared system of information management for programmes and organisational data used in funding reports.
• Participate in the development of BHRRC’s fundraising strategies, and organisational policies and guidelines related to fundraising.
• Pursue ongoing professional development through a collaborative goal-setting process, which provides opportunities for both reflection and forward planning. 

Essential skills and experience   

• 3+ years of foundation/government fundraising experience, with an emphasis on grant writing.
• Exceptional writing skills and demonstrated ability to develop original proposals, reports, and other donor correspondence. Strong ability to express ideas clearly both in written and oral communications.
• Able to work efficiently and methodically to support achievement of deliverables; strong prioritization skills; self-motivated and organised; and comfortable working independently within agreed framework while maintaining communication with a global team in different time zones and geographies.
• Experience collaborating with culturally diverse teams with the ability to effectively lead and manage projects as well as harness team creativity.
• Strong research skills, with the ability to identify appropriate grant sources.
• Highly-developed project management skills and ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks as needed based on deadlines and workflow.
• The ability to grasp, analyse, summarise, and present complex information coherently to external audiences is required.
• Experience thinking critically about impact is required. 
• Strong commitment to human rights, and to the mission and values of the Resource Centre. An understanding of business and human rights issues in a global context is a plus.
• Proficiency using Office 365 (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and SharePoint).  Familiarity with fundraising software or CRM tools.
• Bachelor’s Degree

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Stationary works station: The employee must be able to remain in a stationary sitting position for up to 7 hours a day with appropriate breaks.
• Manual dexterity: The role requires the frequent use of hands for typing, writing, and handling office equipment.
• Remote working: Ability to manage remote work independently, demonstrating self-motivation and effective prioritization skills.
• Visual acuity: The employee must have the visual ability to perform extensive computer work for long periods, including reading and analysing data on a computer screen.
• Communication: The role requires the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in both written and verbal forms. 

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a diverse, global team. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in this area of work and seek to directly address that through our hiring practices. We particularly encourage applications from women, BAME applicants, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTQI+ or Indigenous.

Recruitment process: Interviews and written exercise will be conducted in the last week of March, with the view of having the successful candidate in place in April or May (with flexibility). More details: 

The first interview will be conducted virtually via MS teams and includes one hour for the interview and one hour for a short written exercise. If you are selected for a second-round interview you will also be asked to provide a professional writing sample. Depending on your location, the second interview may be conducted in person. We will ask if we may consult your references after the second interview.