Head of Engagement & Development in Southampton

Role Terms

• Salary: Band G - Up to £48,646 (pro-rata for part-time hours)
• Hours: 30-37 hours per week, over 4 to 5 days
• Place of work: Hybrid, Southampton Head Office, with regular remote working available
• Essential Driver?: Yes
• Closing Date: 9am on Friday, 20th November 2026
• Interview Date: W/C 7th December 2026

Our Charity

No Limits is the leading youth services charity in Southampton, supporting children and young people in the city and across Hampshire.

At No Limits, it is important our staff and volunteers reflect, represent, and have experience of the challenges faced by the children and young people we support. We are proud of and appreciate our many staff and volunteers who use their own lived experience to support the children and young people they work with.

With this in mind, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of our work and organisational culture – and when recruiting, it’s important to us that we continue diversifying our staff and volunteer teams, with children and young people at the centre of everything we do. You can learn more about our DEI approach here.

When we talk about talent, we value the transferrable skills and experiences you can bring to No Limits, whether through work (in the same or a different sector), volunteering, or personal experiences. To make sure we get the best talent on our team, we are open to and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and sections of the community, including diverse ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodiverse individuals.

Your Role

The Head of Development and Engagement will provide strategic leadership across fundraising, communications, engagement, marketing and organisational growth, ensuring No Limits secures the income, profile, partnerships and opportunities required to deliver its mission and long-term sustainability.

Reporting to the Director of Finance and Development, the Head of Development and Engagement will lead the development and delivery of integrated fundraising, engagement, communications and growth strategies, that increase income, strengthen organisational influence and support sustainable growth.

The postholder will provide leadership to the Fundraising and Development Manager and Marketing and Communications Lead whilst working collaboratively with operational services, finance and impact colleagues to identify growth opportunities, demonstrate organisational impact and translate evidence into compelling cases for support, bids, tenders, campaigns and stakeholder engagement.

This is a strategic and hands-on role, combining leadership with direct involvement in pipeline development, partnership building, bid writing, tender development and income generation activity.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Strategic leadership
• Fundraising, business development and growth
• Communications, engagement and influence
• Insight, impact and evidence
• Leadership and Team Development
• General

We are committed to making a difference in the lives of the children and young people we work with, and as such, you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the No Limits ethos. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is paramount.

We particularly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and those who have had experiences similar to the young people we aim to support. We are committed to creating a diverse environment where people can be their authentic selves, where their experiences and opinions are valued, and we are all open to learning from each other.

As part of our team, you’ll receive a comprehensive induction and access to learning and development opportunities relevant to your role, supporting your ongoing growth.

You’ll have the essentials of:

• Significant experience leading a fundraising, development, engagement, business development, marketing or communications function, with a strong track record of growing income, partnerships and organisational profile
• Experience developing and delivering organisational, fundraising or growth strategies, with responsibility for identifying and converting opportunities into sustainable income and growth
• A strong track record of securing funding and leading successful bids, tenders, grant applications and business cases from a range of income sources
• Experience using impact, evaluation and performance data to demonstrate outcomes, inform decision-making and strengthen funding, communications and engagement activity
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management and commercial awareness, with experience building effective relationships across teams, senior leaders, trustees, funders and external partners

You may also have:

• Experience generating income through public fundraising, major donor giving, corporate partnerships and/or legacy fundraising
• Experience of public sector commissioning, commissioned service growth and tender opportunities
• Well-established professional networks with a track record of developing partnerships and securing funding opportunities
• Experience raising organisational profile and influence through campaigns, partnerships and stakeholder engagement

Please let us know if we can support you with any reasonable adjustments at any point prior to, during or after the selection process, such as access arrangements, flexible working, or a suitable place to pray.

Our Benefits

We are committed to being a great place to work, where people achieve and feel valued. In our People Survey, 98% of staff and 100% of volunteers said they were proud to tell people they work or volunteer for No Limits. We’re proud to offer some great benefits, on top of being able to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of local children and young people:

• 36 days annual leave (including public holidays)
• Two additional wellbeing days per year - Supporting you to take additional time off for your wellbeing or development.
• Pension scheme - Supporting your future by matching your additional pension contributions up to 2%.
• Life assurance scheme - Giving you peace of mind with 2x annual salary cover for pension members.
• Hybrid and flexible working - Giving the flexibility to work in the best way for your role.
• Comprehensive induction and training offer - Including our online learning management system with hundreds of opportunities to support your development.
• Employee Assistance Programme - Providing you with counselling, financial, personal support and health and wellbeing services.

Find out more about our benefits here.

We are committed to removing barriers in recruitment and employment. If you need any support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact our friendly People Team on people@nolimitshelp.org.uk or 02380 224224.

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