Senior communication manager jobs in Belfast

We are seeking an exceptional, relationship-driven Philanthropy Lead to build and scale a high-

impact fundraising function for a growing organisation at a pivotal stage of its development.

This is a hands-on, frontline role for someone who thrives in a start-up environment and is motivated

by execution over theory. You will lead the delivery of a 5-year philanthropy strategy, with a primary

focus on individual giving and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), alongside foundations,

trusts, and corporate partners.

Working with teams across the UK, Europe, southern Africa and the US, and in close partnership with

a Chewore Conservation Trust (CCT) based in Zimbabwe, you will play a critical role in securing the

organisation’s long-term sustainability and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising & Revenue Generation

 Lead the execution of a 5-year philanthropy strategy, with a strong emphasis on major gifts

and individual giving

 Personally cultivate, solicit, and close six- and seven-figure gifts

 Build and manage a robust pipeline of UHNWIs, high-net-worth individuals, and

philanthropic partners across the UK, EU, and US

 Secure significant funding to support organisational growth and long-term sustainability

 Develop and implement creative, innovative fundraising approaches to engage new and

existing donors, particularly at the high-value level

Relationship Management

 Operate consistently at the frontline, building deep, trusted relationships with donors and

prospects

 Lead all aspects of moves management—from identification and cultivation through to

solicitation and stewardship

 Leverage and expand existing high-value networks, with proven access to UHNW circles

 Design and deliver bespoke donor journeys and engagement opportunities

Foundation & Infrastructure Building

 Establish and scale the organisation’s fundraising infrastructure, systems, and development

operations

 Build processes to support donor acquisition, stewardship, reporting, and long-term

engagement

 Collaborate closely with leadership to align fundraising with programme delivery and impact

Partnerships & International Engagement

 Develop and manage relationships with UK trust and Swiss Foundation trustees

 Expand fundraising reach and partnerships across UK, European and US philanthropic

markets

 Work closely with the Zimbabwe-based CCT to ensure authentic, community-led storytelling

and donor engagement

 Represent the organisation at high-level events, private briefings, and international forums

Communications & Proposals

 Work closely with the Head of Communications and Zimbabwe-based Communications Lead

to coordinate and manage all donor communications and updates

 Co-develop compelling, high-quality fundraising materials, including tailored proposals,

impact reports, and donor updates

 Ensure consistent, authentic storytelling that reflects community impact and resonates with

high-value donors

 Align communications strategy with fundraising priorities to strengthen engagement and

conversion

Events, Innovation & Acquisition

 Lead the development of high-impact, creative donor experiences and events to engage and

acquire new supporters

 Introduce innovative approaches to fundraising, including curated experiences, strategic

partnerships, and non-traditional engagement models

 Drive strategic donor acquisition through networks, partnerships, and targeted outreach

across key global markets

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a highly driven, entrepreneurial fundraiser who combines credibility at the

highest levels with a bias for action.

Essential Experience

 Proven track record of securing six-figure+ gifts, including from UHNWIs

 Demonstrated success in major gifts fundraising and individual giving programmes

 Experience operating in a start-up or high-growth environment, building fundraising

functions from the ground up

 Strong experience with moves management and donor lifecycle development

 Experience fundraising in UK and globally

 Evidence of developing creative or innovative fundraising approaches that drive results

Desirable Experience

 Background in Africa, international development, conservation, or community-led initiatives

 Experience working in or with Zimbabwe or southern Africa strongly preferred

 Familiarity with Beacon CRM or similar CRM and Wordpress

Personal Attributes

 Relentlessly proactive and execution-focused

 Highly credible, confident, and compelling with senior stakeholders and donors

 Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to generate and implement new ideas quickly

 Skilled relationship builder with emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity

 Comfortable operating across geographies and in dynamic, evolving environments

 Deeply motivated by impact, community engagement, and long-term change

Why Join Us

This is a rare opportunity to shape and lead a philanthropy function from the ground up—building

meaningful relationships, unlocking transformational funding, and contributing to a mission with

real, lasting impact at community level.

Please apply by April 26th

 Industry

• Conservation Programs

Do you seek to champion a culture where innovation, learning and cross-organisational collaboration become the norm? Connecting insight with action to reduce inequalities and strengthen community connection?

Involve believes that everyone, regardless of the challenges they face, should have the opportunity to thrive. Using both strategic influence and service leadership, as the Head of Adult Services you will lead the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of high-quality, evidence-driven adult adult services rooted in lived experience, community voice and meaningful partnership.

See the vacancies page on our website for full job and person specification. 

Lloyds Bank Foundation 

Head of Community-Led Change (Wales) 

Starting Salary:£69,215. Plus 3.6% increase following successful completion of probation period. 

Contract: Full-time, permanent contract (we are open to conversations about flexibility - so please ask) 

Location: Remote role with expectation of regular travel through Wales, across regions and to London 

About Lloyds Bank Foundation 

Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales is an independent charitable foundation, backed by Lloyds Banking Group and the people within it. We want everyone to be in a good place - personally, in a home that’s a good place to live, and in a community that’s a good place to belong. 

We play our role by connecting and catalysing community-led change, providing the money, time, tools and connections that build organisations’ capacity and capability, to make people’s lives better and their communities stronger. 

We back people and communities across England and Wales, to make that happen, because when you back brilliant people, brilliant things happen. Our communities are full of ambitious, energetic and determined people stepping up to make their neighbours’ lives better and their communities grow stronger. Day in, day out. 

About the Role 

This is a pivotal leadership opportunity to shape and lead the Foundation’s work across Wales, ensuring that community-led change reflects Welsh priorities, policy, and lived experience. 

As Head of Community-Led Change (Wales), you will provide strategic leadership for programmes and partnerships, driving a place-based approach that delivers meaningful and lasting impact. You will work collaboratively across the organisation to align funding, development support, and influencing activity, ensuring a coordinated and effective approach. 

You will build strong relationships with Welsh Government, public bodies, funders, and community organisations, acting as a credible and visible ambassador. You will also contribute to organisational leadership, supporting strategic direction while leading a high-performing team in Wales. 

About You 

We’re looking for an experienced and credible leader with a strong understanding of Wales, its communities, and policy landscape. You will bring a track record of leading programmes, building partnerships, and delivering impact. 

You will combine strategic thinking with practical delivery, alongside strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to navigate complexity. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is essential. 

How to Apply 

Please click ‘Apply’ to be redirected to our website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and find details of how to apply. 

For an informal conversation about the role and application process, please contact our recruitment partner, Atkinson HR via the information in the candidate pack. 

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

We hold Disability Confident Employer status (Level 2) and are working towards full status by 2027. This means that if you're a disabled applicant and your CV and application answers clearly demonstrate that you meet the essential criteria for the role, we will invite you to interview. 

More broadly, we are committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities and people we work with. We believe that diversity of background, experience and perspective makes us stronger and helps us make better decisions. We actively welcome applications from people who are under-represented in the charity sector, including people from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities, disabled people, and those with experience of the issues our funded charities work to address. 

Key Dates 

Closing Date: Midday, Thursday 7th May 2026 

Optional Q&A Session: Wednesday 6th May 2026 at 09:00-10:00 

First Interview: Thursday 14th May 2026 

Second Interview: Tuesday 26th May 2026 

Predominantly home-based with regular travel to locations across the UK
up to £45,000 per annum
Permanent, Full Time (35 hours per week)

Office facilities are available at our Newark office at The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, NG24 1WT, for those within easy travelling distance. There is a requirement to attend in-person the monthly team meetings at the Newark office

Closing date for applications: 10th May 2026

First interview:  27th May 2026 (Online)

Second interview: 3rd June 2026 (Online)

About Us

The Wildlife Trusts are a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that we need nature and nature needs us. We have more than 945,000 members, over 33,000 volunteers, 4,100 staff and 600 trustees. There are 46 individual Wildlife Trusts, each of which is a place-based independent charity with its own legal identity, formed by groups of people getting together and working with others to make a positive difference to wildlife and future generations, starting where they live and work.

Every Wildlife Trust is part of The Wildlife Trusts federation and a corporate member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912 and one of the founding members of IUCN – the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Taken together this federation of 47 charities is known as The Wildlife Trusts.

The next few years will be critical in determining what kind of world we all live in. We need to urgently reverse the loss of wildlife and put nature into recovery at scale if we are to prevent climate and ecological disaster. We recognise that this will require big, bold changes in the way The Wildlife Trusts work, not least in how we mobilise others and support them to organise within their own communities.

About You

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in securing transformational support for nature in the UK and beyond. Working with senior leaders to build and steward high-value donor relationships, we are seeking an experienced and ambitious Major Gifts Fundraiser with exceptional relationship-building, communication and storytelling skills, and a commitment to inspiring philanthropic support for nature’s recovery.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute not only to income growth but also to strengthen major donor fundraising across The Wildlife Trusts.

We are looking for an exceptional Major Gifts Fundraiser to join one of the UK’s most cherished nature charities at a pivotal moment for nature’s recovery.

In this influential role, you will be instrumental in expanding our network of high-net-worth supporters. Working closely with our Head of Major Donor Fundraising, Chief Executive, Senior Leadership Team and our Wildlife Trust colleagues, you will focus on identifying and cultivating meaningful, long-term relationships, that delivers transformational support for nature’s recovery in the UK.

You will be a confident, compelling communicator, and engaging Major Gifts Fundraiser, with the ability to express The Wildlife Trusts’ case for support in tackling the nature and climate emergencies, both through our work on nature’s restoration on the ground to driving change through policy, influencing and campaigning. You will be highly experienced in inspiring donors by connecting their values with our mission to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

We are looking for an experienced Major Gifts Fundraiser with a track record of securing significant restricted and unrestricted income. You will be skilled at initiating and developing mutually beneficial relationships, motivated by ambitious targets and driven by the opportunity to make a genuine difference for nature.

The Wildlife Trusts value passion, respect, trust, integrity, pragmatic activism and strength in diversity. Whilst we are passionate in promoting our aims, we are not judgmental and are inclusive. We particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities.

RSWT take our Safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. Please click here to read our commitment statement. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For applicable roles, applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks at the eligible level.

RSWT are committed to increasing the diversity of its staff through its Levelling the Field recruitment pledge and, as a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming recruitment experience for all applicants. Applicants with disabilities and from ethnic minority backgrounds, will be considered for the next stage of the selection process should they meet all the minimum criteria for the role outlined in the person specification detailed as essential criteria in the recruitment pack. As part of our Disability Confident Scheme, RSWT offers an interview to a fair and proportionate number of applicants with disabilities and therefore not all applicants with disabilities would be entitled to an interview as they must still satisfy the minimum requirements for the job. This commitment is designed to help reduce barriers and promote equal opportunity. We actively work to remove barriers throughout the recruitment journey and are dedicated to creating an accessible and supportive recruitment experience by offering reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process, as well as within the workplace. If you would benefit from any adjustments to support you during your application or interview process, please let us know and we will be pleased to put the appropriate support in place.

At RSWT, we are committed to creating a safe environment where discrimination, bullying, and harassment are not tolerated. We expect everyone to uphold, respect, and support our zero-tolerance policy. Please be aware we may not accept applications if we have reason to believe they have been wholly produced using generative AI tools.

Fundraising Officer 

Salary:  £29,409 - £31,656 

plus £312 p.a working from home allowance (see below for more details on remuneration)

Contract : Full time, permanent, remote first, home-based. 

About Voice 21 

Voice 21 is the national oracy education charity. We exist to empower every child to use their voice for success in school and life. Our work transforms learning and life chances through talk by increasing access to a high-quality oracy education for those that need it most. Follow the links to find out more about why oracy is so vital and the impact Voice 21 has. 

Why work for Voice 21?

Tackle a vital challenge, with great people. Voice 21 exists to transform children' s learning and life chances through talk and we are aiming to be working with 1,800 schools a year by 2030. To reach this goal we recruit great people and give them real responsibility, training and support. 

Output focused culture, with flexible working opportunities. We have an agile and flexible approach, our team can work when and wherever works best to deliver the requirements of their role. As our staff predominantly work from home, we support them to create a workspace and provide technology that enables them to work effectively. 

Real development opportunities. We believe in supporting people to develop the skills they need to be excellent whether this means funding external training, finding a mentor to support them or giving them the time to learn from others in the organisations through our regular CPD sessions. 

Great benefits. 36 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays and a 3 day Christmas closure period). Holiday entitlement increases linked to length of service, 5% employer contribution to pension, interest-free season ticket, cycle and technology loans, employee assistance scheme. 

Remuneration. Our pay is a band and spine point approach where there is up to 7 years progression automatically available (depending on starting point) 

Purpose of the Role: 

Fundraising plays an important role in the sustainability of Voice 21 and our ambitious new strategy aims to double our voluntary income to £2M by 2030. This new post of Fundraising Officer has been created to support the Head of Fundraising and wider leadership team with operations across high value fundraising streams – grant-making trusts and foundations, philanthropy and corporate partnerships. 

You will be responsible for researching potential funders, maintaining accurate records of fundraising contacts and activities, helping to build and maintain relationships with current and prospective funders, producing compelling reports for our funders and engaging communications for fundraising audiences, and creating and project managing inspiring engagement opportunities, including events, for current and prospective supporters.

The successful candidate will ideally have previous experience working in a fundraising team – or else bring compelling transferable skills from a comparable, external-facing role. You will need to demonstrate that you can build and maintain great relationships with people at all levels, both internally with colleagues across the organisation, and with external high value stakeholders. Competent organisational skills are a must, with the ability to anticipate needs and exceed expectations. You will obviously need excellent communication skills too, including being able to write well and edit wisely (without depending on AI!) 

This varied role will offer plenty of opportunities to develop new skills and build your high value fundraising experience. It would suit an ambitious, motivated fundraiser who is driven by Voice 21’s mission and is looking to develop their career in the sector.

Key Responsibility of the Role: 

• Researching grant-making trust and foundations, maintaining a prospect pipeline, and developing and submitting funding applications.

• Managing reporting cycles and producing reports for funders.

• Maintaining the fundraising database (Salesforce), ensuring departmental data is accurate and up to date. 

• Organising engagement opportunities, including events, for prospects and/or funders, with oversight from the Head of Fundraising.

• Building and maintaining strong, sustainable relationships with fundraising contacts, ensuring excellent engagement and stewardship. 

• Supporting the Corporate Partnerships Lead as needed with corporate fundraising activities.

• Providing operational support to the Head of Fundraising and Senior Leadership Team, ensuring where appropriate that senior colleagues are fully briefed and prepared.

• Working collaboratively across the organisation to raise the profile of fundraising and to maximise opportunities.

• Other administrative tasks as required to support the fundraising team.
   

This job will require that you have: 

Essential: 

• Good understanding of the fundamentals of high value fundraising, with some previous experience working in a fundraising team to raise income to a target. 

• Experience of researching potential funders/donors and of successfully identifying great leads/prospects.

• Excellent written communication skills, with ability to translate complex information into simple and compelling narratives appropriate for the intended audience.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain productive relationships at all levels. 

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, iterative culture, working across lots of different projects/activities. 

• Self-motivated, comfortable working autonomously, and able to take ownership of own performance.

Desirable: 

• Experience of using Salesforce (or another CRM system) to manage contacts and pipelines, track performance, and report on outcomes.

• Knowledge of fundraising legislation, ethics, compliance, and data protection requirements.

Who you’ll work with: Your line manager will be the Head of Fundraising and you will work alongside a Corporate Partnership Lead. The fundraising team of 3 sits in the Operations Directorate.

Where you’ll work: All Voice 21 staff work remotely and this is a home-based role, with some travel expected to our London office (by Victoria station) and elsewhere for meetings. Occasional overnight stays may be required depending on where you are based. Voice 21 pays all travel and accommodation expenses. 

Contract: Permanent, subject to successful probation review after six months.

Application details 

To apply:

Please submit your most recent CV and covering letter, considering the suggestion below:

Applicants are advised to carefully consider the job description before applying, tailoring your CV and cover letter to demonstrate clearly how you match the specification for this role and giving concrete examples of the impact you have had in your current role. Applicants who do not demonstrate their capability and competency in the key areas of responsibility are unlikely to progress to interview.

Closing date:  8th May 2026 however we reserve the right to close applications before the stated closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications is received

Interview dates: TBC 

Valuing every voice

Voice 21 believes that every voice should be heard and valued. We are committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. 

Voice 21 is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us. By offering a salary range, we demonstrate our commitment to considering a wide range of applicants who may bring different perspectives and levels of experience.