Principal Gift Lead

Principal Gift Lead

Job reference: REQ000831

£56,297pa

Woking, Surrey GU21 4LL / Hybrid Working

This is a UK based contract and as such, you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Evidence of your Right to Work will be checked prior to interview.

At WWF-UK we re committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. As a Disability Confident Employer, we acknowledge that some candidates may require additional support to overcome barriers experienced during the application process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team via our website.

About the role

We re looking to recruit a Principal Gift Lead to join our Supporter Income & Engagement team. In this role, you will be a highly skilled major gift specialist and lead the development and co-ordination of £5m+ giving opportunities within our portfolio. The role will also drive transformational giving for an ambitious fundraising, communications and policy campaign to halt deforestation in the three most important tropical forests in the world: the Amazon, the Congo and the SE Asia forest basin.

As Principal Gift Lead you will work with a range of experts to scope and build winning propositions for new £5m+ opportunities, identifying appropriate funders and leveraging major support from corporate partnerships, private-sector partners and a philanthropic audience. This will involve building long-term, effective relationships with trusts, foundations and high net worth individuals as well as collaborating with colleagues and senior leaders to identify global opportunities. Critical will be the ability to ensure supporters receive the highest level of stewardship and engagement. You will also promote best practice and provide coaching and mentoring to colleagues within the Philanthropy & Events team.

We re looking for someone with:

Extensive experience in fundraising and a track record of success in securing transformational major gifts from foundations and philanthropists (£250k+).

Experience of leading and motivating an inter-disciplinary, cross organisational team.

Experience of developing complex, multi-national and multi-stakeholder proposals and cases for support.

Experience of working with and engaging internal and external senior leadership.

Understanding of contemporary fundraising techniques and a genuine desire to innovate.

Excellent communication, relationship building & interpersonal skills.

Desire to embrace and encourage collaborative working.

Benefits, rewards & location

The salary for this role is £56,297pa. We also offer a full benefits and rewards package including:

Annual leave starting at 26 days a year, rising one day each year to a maximum of 30 days plus bank holidays

Flexible working options

5% employer contribution to pension, increased to 10% with employee contribution.

Training and development opportunities

Regular wellbeing initiatives.

This role is hybrid and you ll be required to be in the office 20% of your contracted hours. The job is based at our UK head office, the Living Planet Centre in Woking, Surrey. The Living Planet Centre is one of the greenest buildings in the UK, and you ll hot desk among trees and gardens.

About WWF-UK

We re a global conservation charity with hundreds of projects around the world and millions of supporters.

At WWF-UK, we re bringing our world back to life. Protecting what s left is not enough we re now in a race to restore the natural world and prevent catastrophic climate change before it s too late. And it s a race we can still win.

We re courageous and passionate about fighting for the future we want to see a world where people and nature can thrive.

We were born out of passion and science, and for more than 60 years we ve been at the forefront of global efforts to protect wildlife and the natural world. We operate with integrity, collaboratively and with respect for those we work alongside.

How to apply and the recruitment process

Please click on the link and apply via our website by completing the application form and submitting a copy of your up-to-date CV and a supporting statement to highlight what makes you a good fit for us.

Application closing date: 19/01/2025

Our policies and benefits reflect the importance of people being able to have a good work-life balance and being able to bring their full self to work.