Assistant Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships in Leicester

Reporting To: Deputy CEO/Director of Fundraising and Communications

Manages: Head of Trusts and Foundations, Head of Corporate Partnerships

Location: Remote, with regular travel to meetings with donors, for events and to our central office in Leicester for collaborative meetings and team activities.

Contract: Permanent

Salary: £58,000 - £66,000 per annum (To ensure fairness and consistency across Home-Start UK, new colleagues usually join at the first point of the pay band for their role. This helps us maintain a clear and equitable approach to pay for everyone joining our team.)

Hours: Full time (36 hours per week, flexible).

Key Responsibilities of the role:

• Strategic Leadership
  • Lead the development, and delivery of a multi‑year philanthropy and partnerships strategy aligned to Home‑Start UK’s organisational priorities.
  • Provide senior oversight of major donor fundraising, trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, and all high value‑value giving programmes, ensuring coherence, ambition, and growth.
  • Act as a senior ambassador for Home‑Start UK, representing the organisation with credibility, warmth, and authority to funders, partners, and sector leaders.
  • Identify emerging opportunities across the philanthropic and partnership landscape and advise the CEO and senior leadership on strategic positioning.
• Income Generation & Relationship Management
  • Grow and steward a diverse portfolio of high value‑value supporters, including major donors, family foundations, corporate partners, and philanthropic networks.
  • Personally lead on cultivating and stewarding transformational relationships with corporates, trusts, foundations, high net‑net worth donors, and selected statutory funders, ensuring continuity and building long‑term commitment.
  • Empower and support your team to build a strong pipeline, secure multi‑year income, and deliver against ambitious targets.
  • Lead the development of long‑term, values‑aligned partnerships that strengthen both income and strategic influence.
  • Oversee the creation of compelling cases for support, high‑quality proposals, and clear, meaningful impact reporting that reflects Home‑Start’s relational, community‑rooted ethos.
  • Line‑manage, coach, and mentor senior fundraising and partnerships staff, fostering a collaborative, relational, high‑performance culture.
  • Champion equity, diversity, and inclusion across fundraising practice, team culture, and external engagement.
  • Build fundraising and partnership capacity across the organisation, including trustees, senior leaders, and local Home‑Starts, ensuring confidence, alignment, and shared ownership of income generation.
  • Model Home‑Start’s values in all leadership behaviours, supporting a culture of trust, learning, and collective impact.
• Cross‑Organisational Collaboration
  • Work closely with Network Impact, Marketing & Communications, and Policy colleagues to ensure fundraising, storytelling, and strategic influence are fully aligned and mutually reinforcing.
  • Collaborate with Network colleagues to identify and shape programmes and partnerships that maximise strategic alignment, strengthen impact, and respond to emerging need.
  • Work with Network and Finance colleagues to align income generation with strategic priorities and financial planning, ensuring HSUK remains opportunity‑led, financially grounded, and clear on risks and mitigations.
  • Contribute to the development of national campaigns, public engagement opportunities, and sector partnerships that elevate Home‑Start’s voice and impact.
  • Ensure fundraising activity is grounded in Home‑Start’s relational, community‑rooted ethos and reflects the lived experience of families and volunteers across the network.
  • Strengthen internal collaboration so that fundraising, communications, and impact functions work seamlessly together.
• Governance, Planning & Reporting
  • Contribute to organisational planning, budgeting, forecasting, and risk management as part of the senior leadership group.
  • Provide high‑quality reporting and insight to the Board and senior leadership, ensuring transparency, accuracy, and strategic clarity.
  • Ensure compliance with fundraising regulation, ethical standards, and best practice, embedding a culture of accountability and integrity.
  • Monitor performance against targets, identifying risks and opportunities early and taking decisive action where needed.

This job description is not contractual and is liable to change over time.