At Buttle UK, we believe poverty and crisis should never define a child’s future.
For more than 70 years, Buttle UK has supported children and young people across the UK facing poverty, trauma and complex challenges. Now with an ambitious new 2025–2030 strategy, they are entering an exciting new chapter, growing their impact, amplifying their voice and investing in the partnerships that will help change children’s lives for the long term.
This is a rare opportunity to join the organisation at a pivotal moment as their new Head of Philanthropy & Partnerships.
Working closely with the Director of Fundraising & Communications, you’ll lead high-value fundraising across major donors, trusts and foundations and corporate partnership, shaping the future of income generation at Buttle UK while leading and inspiring a talented team.
If you’re someone who combines strategic thinking with exceptional relationship-building and you’re motivated by creating meaningful change for children and young people, we’d love to hear from you.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll lead the development and delivery of ambitious fundraising strategies designed to drive sustainable income growth and deepen supporter engagement.
You’ll personally manage a portfolio of high-value supporters and partners, cultivating transformational relationships with high-net-worth individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate organisations.
Alongside this, you’ll:
- Lead and develop a team of four fundraisers
- Build innovative stewardship and cultivation journeys
- Identify and secure new strategic partnerships
- Develop fundraising systems, pipelines and KPIs
- Work closely with senior leadership to shape organisational strategy
- Champion collaborative, values-led fundraising
- Help embed co-production and safeguarding within fundraising activity
This is a role for someone who enjoys balancing strategy with hands-on relationship management and who thrives in a collaborative, purpose-driven environment.
What we’re looking for
We know great candidates don’t always tick every box, and we’d still encourage you to apply if this role excites you.
That said, we’re particularly keen to hear from people who bring:
- Significant experience managing high-value fundraising relationships
- A proven track record of securing six and seven-figure gifts
- Experience across major donors, trusts/foundations and/or corporate partnerships
- Strong leadership skills with experience managing high-performing teams
- Excellent communication and influencing abilities
- Strategic thinking alongside strong operational delivery
- A collaborative and compassionate approach
- A genuine commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people experiencing poverty
Why join Buttle UK?
This is an organisation that genuinely lives its values: child-focused, empathetic, responsive, collaborative and accountable.
You’ll be joining a team deeply committed to creating equitable opportunities for children and young people while also creating a supportive, inclusive and flexible working environment for staff.
Benefits include:
- Hybrid working
- 25 days annual leave plus Christmas closure and bank holidays
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and sick pay
- Employer pension contribution
- Employee assistance programme
- Life assurance
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Strong commitment to learning and development
Accessibility & Inclusion
Accessibility matters deeply to both Buttle UK and Valued Recruitment.
We’re committed to creating an inclusive and supportive recruitment process and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.
If you need any adjustments or support at any stage of the application process, please let us know, no request is too big or too small.
Interested?
Buttle UK is partnering exclusively with Valued Recruitment for this search.
To apply, please send your CV along with a covering letter (maximum two pages) outlining:
- why this role interests you
- what you would bring to Buttle UK
Key dates
- Closing date: 9am, Monday 22 June
- First interviews: Monday 29 June and Tuesday 30 June
- Second stage interviews (London): Monday 6 July
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External Communications Manager
Salary: £40,000–£42,000 FTE
Hours: 30 hours per week
Location: Remote, with regular travel to FitzRoy services, team and stakeholder meetings as agreed. The role requires attendance in London once per month and applicants must be able to commute to services in Norfolk, Nottingham and Hampshire.
Reports to: Head of Communications
Directorate: Business Development and Partnerships
FitzRoy is a national charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs to live lives rooted in choice, meaning and happiness.
We are strengthening our external voice and looking for a confident, perceptive and warm communicator to help more people understand FitzRoy’s expertise and impact and increase our influence.
This is a moment of change for social care. We want to play a more active role in shaping its future, ensuring the people at the heart of it are seen, heard and involved in the decisions that matter.
About the role
As External Communications Manager, you will help build FitzRoy’s profile and reputation by identifying the stories, insight and opportunities that show what good support looks like in real life.
You will work closely with the Head of Communications, fundraising, business development and operational colleagues to turn external communications priorities into practical plans, content and opportunities.
This is a delivery role with real influence. You will be expected to bring ideas, advise colleagues, shape practical plans and turn opportunities into action.
What you will do
You will:
- develop proactive external communications activity that raises awareness of FitzRoy’s work, expertise and impact
- spot opportunities for FitzRoy to contribute constructively to sector conversations
- identify realistic opportunities for media, sector press, partner or local coverage
- gather stories, photos, video and quotes that help people understand what good support looks like in real life
- use social media, website content, audience insight and analytics to strengthen FitzRoy’s external profile
About you
You may come from charity communications, PR, journalism, public affairs, stakeholder communications or another external communications background.
You do not need to have worked in social care before, but you will need to be interested in people, willing to learn quickly and able to handle stories about people’s lives with care, respect and good judgement.
We are looking for someone who is:
- an excellent writer and editor
- confident developing clear, accessible content for different audiences
- warm, curious and able to build rapport quickly
- able to spot strong stories, ideas and opportunities
- confident creating social media and website content shaped by audience insight
- comfortable working independently and managing competing priorities
- able to think strategically about audiences and influence, while being practical about what can be delivered in a small team
- confident gathering content including photos, videos and quotes
- willing and able to travel to FitzRoy services and meetings as needed
A full clean driving licence and access to a car for work travel are required, as some services are not easily accessible by public transport.
Working at FitzRoy
You will join a small, friendly communications team with big ambitions. This role will suit someone who enjoys a mix of planning, writing, relationship-building, story-gathering and hands-on delivery.
You will help us show the difference good support makes – and help ensure the voices, experiences and achievements of people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs are seen and heard.
How to apply
To apply, please submit your application and a covering letter.
We do not expect your covering letter to address every point in the person specification. We would like you to tell us:
- what interests you about this role and FitzRoy
- three things you would bring to the role
- a piece of communications work you are proud of and why
- how you approach using social media, website content and audience insight to build external profile
- how you would approach telling stories about people’s lives with care, respect and good judgement
If you are using AI tools to write your application, please use them with caution. We are looking for your own voice and writing style.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
Our vision, mission and values guide us each step of the way, and are as important now as when the charity first began. Our vision A society where p
