Head of Business Development and Fundraising

Are you a fundraising expert intrigued by the idea of transforming healthcare through the power of volunteering? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you! Helpforce is on a mission to revolutionise health volunteering, and we’re looking for a dynamic, strategic, and results-driven Head of Business Development & Fundraising to lead this work. This is your chance to shape the future of an award-winning national charity at the intersection of innovation, impact, and social good.

You will develop and deliver an integrated strategy across philanthropic fundraising (grants, trusts, high-net-worth donors) and revenue-generating business development. Reporting to the CEO/SMT and working closely with Communications, Finance, and Programme teams, you’ll ensure strong prioritisation, clear pipeline management, and robust forecasting to support decision-making. You’ll also play a visible external role, representing Helpforce at events, building strategic relationships, and identifying new opportunities through proactive networking.

Since our launch in 2017, we’ve championed a vision where volunteering is integral to healthcare at its best. We work with NHS Trusts and healthcare organisations to co-create volunteering models that address key challenges, while building evidence of their impact. Our insights help health leaders invest in solutions that improve patient experience, ease pressure on staff, and deliver meaningful benefits for the volunteers who give their time and talents. This is not just any job, this is a chance to make a tangible difference to the lives of millions who receive and deliver healthcare.

• Strategy & Leadership
  • Lead the development and delivery of an integrated income-generation strategy.
  • Identify and assess new fundraising and business development opportunities.
  • Work with the CEO and SMT to set annual revenue targets, KPIs and income projections, ensuring accurate and timely forecasting.
  • Utilise your senior level networks to identify new areas Helpforce can operate in.
  • Ensure all income-generating activities align with Helpforce’s financial strategy and comply with internal governance and approval processes.
• Fundraising
  • Develop and manage a healthy pipeline of funding prospects including trusts, foundations, institutional funders, and HNWIs.
  • Shape and oversee compelling value propositions, funding proposals, donor reports, and stewardship plans – incorporating storytelling into high-calibre content.
  • Manage relationships with existing funders, ensuring high-quality communication and reporting.
  • Ensure full compliance with restricted fund terms and grant agreements, working with Finance to monitor allocation and utilisation of funding.
  • Uphold ethical fundraising standards and ensure alignment with the Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice.
  • Delivery year on year growth in fundraising income against agreed targets.
• Business Development
  • Identify and develop new markets, partnership models and product offerings.
  • Leverage the excellent track record and reputation of Helpforce, using our sector-leading evidence of impact to generate new opportunities.
  • Lead the preparation of bids, tenders, proposals, and commercial negotiations, ensuring all opportunities are assessed for fit, feasibility, pricing, and margin.
  • Collaborate with programme managers to package services for sale or partnership.
  • Conduct due diligence on prospective partners and commercial clients to ensure values alignment and manage reputational risk.
• Relationship Management
  • Build and maintain relationships with donors, funders, corporate partners, and public sector stakeholders.
  • Represent the organisation at external events, conferences, and networking opportunities to raise visibility and strengthen the organisation’s profile.
  • Support senior-level relationship-building with strategic funders and institutional partners, working alongside the CEO and Trustees where appropriate.
  • Maintain a focused approach to cultivating a number of high potential relationships positioned for long term or multi-year support.
• Finance & Reporting
  • Set, monitor, and report on income targets, pipeline health, ROI and overall income performance against agreed KPIs.
  • Develop budgets and financial forecasts for all income streams ensuring accuracy, transparency, and timely updates for senior decision-making.
  • Liaise with the Finance team to ensure accurate tracking, reporting and audit-readiness.
  • Collaborate with Finance to ensure accurate funder-specific financial reporting, including restricted/unrestricted income reporting and grant reconciliations.
  • Monitor income and expenditure related to income generation activities, support financial planning, and advise on funding risks and sustainability.
  • Provide clear insights into income confidence levels, timelines, risks, and mitigation actions.

• Essential
  • 5 years of senior-level experience in fundraising, business development, or strategic partnerships.
  • Proven track record of raising significant funding (6–7 figure).
  • Demonstrated experience developing and delivering successful income-generation strategies.
  • Above excellent written communication and document design skills (grant writing, proposals, reporting).
  • Strong negotiation, commercial awareness and contract management skills.
  • Highly confident in face-to-face relationship building, networking and able to represent Helpforce effectively at external meetings, events, and conferences.
  • Proven ability to identify and build new strategic relationships across diverse sectors, including government agencies, NHS, philanthropy, and corporate partners.
  • Ability to work with resilience, maintain momentum under pressure, and adapt quickly to evolving opportunities.
• Desirable
  • Experience in a non-profit, NGO, social enterprise, or impact-driven business.
  • Knowledge of CRM systems and fundraising databases.
  • Sector knowledge: healthcare.

Equality and Diversity
Helpforce encourages applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We actively encourage BAME and disabled applicants and value the positive impact that difference has on our organisation. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce and all opportunities provided by Helpforce.

Location
Remote, but travel to the London office will be required, as will UK wide client meetings.

Closing date for applications is 9th April 2026. Please use the application link to send us your CV and a covering letter to support your application. Applications submitted without a covering letter may not be considered.