Senior Community Fundraiser - Scotland in Edinburgh

At Samaritans, our vision is that fewer people die by suicide. Every day, our volunteers and staff provide life-saving emotional support to people in distress, and behind that work is a culture built on compassion, inclusion, learning and human connection.

We are looking for a Senior Community Fundraiser – Scotland to help grow income, strengthen supporter relationships and unlock the power of community fundraising across Scotland. This is an exciting senior role within our Community and Events team, working closely with colleagues and volunteers across our Scottish network. You will develop fundraising opportunities that reflect Scotland’s distinctive communities and supporter landscape; while helping volunteers, branches and supporters play their part in our life-saving work.

Contract: £42,000 (FTE) per annum plus benefits
Full Time (35hrs per week)
Fixed Term (18 months)
Hybrid working - Meeting in person and working collaboratively are things we value. This role is linked to our Edinburgh office with a blend of home and office working and occasional travel to our central office based in Surrey.
In-person working: Minimum of 1 office day each week in the Edinburgh office, normally Wednesdays.
We are passionate about flexible working, talk to us about your preferences.

About the role

The role will be line managed within the Community and Events team, while working closely with the Scotland office to shape and deliver fundraising growth across the nation. This role will also require occasional travel to our central office in Surrey Ewell or our London Hub office on Leadenhall Street.

What you’ll do:

• Grow community fundraising income in Scotland.
• Lead the day-to-day delivery of community fundraising activity across Scotland.
• Identify, develop and manage a strong pipeline of supporters and fundraising opportunities.
• Manage income budgets of around £200k or more and contribute to forecasting, reporting and performance analysis.

Build strong supporter and volunteer relationships:

• Build and steward relationships with volunteers, branches, individuals, community groups and corporate partners.
• Champion excellent supporter journeys that attract new supporters and deepen existing relationships.
• Support volunteers and branches to reach their fundraising potential.

Work across Samaritans:

• Support the development and delivery of the Community and Events fundraising strategy and operational plans.
• Develop networks across Scotland to raise Samaritans’ profile and unlock new opportunities.
• Work across the organisation to embed a “One Samaritans” approach to fundraising and engagement.
• Ensure activity complies with charity law, fundraising regulation and data protection requirements.

About you:

You’re an experienced community fundraiser who thrives on building relationships and making things happen. You enjoy working collaboratively, influencing stakeholders and supporting volunteers to succeed. You’ll be confident working at both strategic and operational levels, balancing planning and delivery while keeping supporters and volunteers at the heart of everything you do.

What you will bring:

• Significant experience in community fundraising with a strong understanding of fundraising operations.
• Proven ability to manage an income portfolio of £200k+ and work to financial targets.
• Excellent relationship‑building, stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience of working with and supporting volunteers.
• Strong understanding of charity legislation and fundraising best practice.
• Experience of working cross‑departmentally and collaboratively.
• A genuine commitment to Samaritans’ mission, values and equity, diversity and inclusion principles.
• Experience of project management, coaching or mentoring, and managing change would be an advantage, as would knowledge of the Scottish fundraising environment.

Criminal record check (PVG): We take safeguarding seriously at Samaritans and follow safe recruitment practices. As this role has direct contact with children and adults at risk, this role will require a PVG (Adults and Children) check. At offer stage, as part of the conditional job offer, we will require the candidate to disclose in full, spent and unspent convictions by completing a declaration form. The declaration form will only be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.

Why Samaritans?

At Samaritans, people matter deeply. We know that meaningful impact starts with how we support each other. We are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive and flexible workplace where everyone can thrive. We value diversity of thought, background and lived experience, and we actively encourage applications from people from all communities.

Every person at Samaritans plays a role in helping fewer people die by suicide. If you are motivated by purpose, compassion and the opportunity to make a lasting difference, we would love to hear from you.

To Apply: Please submit your CV and include a cover letter (max 2 pages) evidencing expertise and experience you have to do this role. Please consider areas such as:

• Community fundraising leadership.
• Stakeholder and volunteer engagement.
• Strategic delivery and ways of working.

At Samaritans, human connection is at the heart of everything we do. We do not use AI at any stage during the selection process. Your application will always be carefully reviewed by the recruiting manager or a member of the Talent Attraction Team. We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to generate your application or interview answers. We want to hear your own ideas, insights, and writing style so your unique strengths can shine through. We recognise that some candidates may use assistive technology or tools to help with accessibility, structure or grammar.

Applications close at 9am Monday 1st June. Interviews: All applicants will receive notification of the outcome of their application, at the appropriate time. 1st stage interviews (online) will be held on 9th & 11th June. 2nd interviews (face to face in Edinburgh office) will be held on 18th June.