Trust and Grants Manager in Epsom, Surrey

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.

Samaritans is seeking an experienced and ambitious Trust and Grants Manager to lead and grow a vital income stream supporting our life‑saving work. Reporting to the Head of Trusts and Statutory Income, you’ll play a central role in delivering an ambitious Trusts programme raising over £2 million annually, while inspiring and leading a talented team.

Contract: £40,000-£45,000 per annum plus benefits
Full Time (35hrs per week)
Permanent
Hybrid working - Meeting in person and working collaboratively are things we value. This role is linked to our Ewell (Surrey) office with a blend of home working and option to work out of our London office as required. In-person working - expectation of a minimum of 1 office day each week on Tuesdays in Ewell. We are passionate about flexible working, talk to us about your preferences.

About the role

As Trust and Grants Manager, you’ll be responsible for developing and delivering our Trust Fundraising Strategy, ensuring strong performance, excellent funder stewardship and long‑term growth. You’ll manage high‑value relationships, lead strategy and planning, and provide inspiring line management to Trust fundraising colleagues. Working closely with colleagues across Income Generation, Business Development and operational teams, you’ll ensure Samaritans’ work is communicated compellingly to Trust and Statutory funders, grounded in evidence, insight and lived experience.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the development and delivery of the Trust Funding Strategy, with clear KPIs, work plans and performance analysis.
• Oversee a Trusts programme raising over £2m per year, with responsibility for future growth.
• Personally manage a portfolio of high‑value Trust relationships, delivering £600k–£700k annual income.
• Shape and deliver donor cultivation and stewardship approaches that create inspiring funder experiences.
• Line manage and develop Trust fundraising staff, supporting performance, wellbeing and professional growth.
• Produce compelling, high‑quality funding applications, cases for support and reports on Samaritans programmes and projects.
• Lead prospect research and pipeline development, identifying new large Trust opportunities.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Samaritans to ensure strong alignment with organisational priorities.
• Contribute to senior leadership discussions, team planning, away days and cross‑departmental initiatives.
• Embed learning, insight and sector best practice into team ways of working.

About you

You’re an experienced Trust fundraiser with a strong track record of securing six‑figure grants and building effective relationships with major Trusts and Foundations. You combine strategic thinking with attention to detail, and you’re motivated by making a meaningful social impact.

You enjoy leading and developing others, thrive in collaborative environments, and are confident working with data, budgets and complex funding requirements. Above all, you’re committed to Samaritans’ vision of fewer people dying by suicide, and to working inclusively, ethically and with compassion.

What you will bring:

• Proven success in securing six‑figure Trust, Foundation, Lottery or public sector funding.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including persuasive storytelling.
• Strong grant management, stewardship and donor care expertise.
• Experience developing and managing fundraising strategies, plans and pipelines.
• Confidence working with financial information, budgets and full cost recovery models.
• Analytical skills and the ability to translate evidence into compelling funding cases.
• Experience line managing or supporting the development of staff (desirable).
• A collaborative, curious and values‑driven approach to work.
• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding and lived‑experience principles.

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.

For further information about Samaritans, including our charity structure, values, employee benefits, and application process, please read our recruitment brochure available below. You can also visit our careers website to access this.

We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from disabled, racialised minority and LGBTQ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans.

To Apply

Please complete the application questions including those outlined below, and submit your CV. Please note the following questions have a 300-word limit for each answer.

• Q1 What interests you about Samaritans and our work? What do you think might make Samaritans compelling to Trust Funders?
• Q2 Tell us about your demonstrable experience securing six‑figure Trust or Statutory grants. What approaches did you use to build your pipeline, cultivate funders and secure large or multiyear grants?
• Q3 This role requires strong project leadership, cross‑organisational collaboration and stakeholder management. Can you share an example of how you have led a large programme application, and what your approach to collaboration and stakeholder management was in delivering a successful outcome?

We kindly ask that you don’t rely on AI tools for your application answers, or to generate interview answers. We want to see your own unique ideas and writing skills. We want your application to stand out from the rest and showcase your own strengths.

Applications close at midnight on Monday 25 May.

Interviews

All applicants will receive notification of the outcome of their application, at the appropriate time. 1st stage interviews will be online: w/c 1 June. 2nd stage interviews will be held in person in our Surrey office (KT17 2AF). Date TBC.