Head of Direct Dialogue

Salary: £60,332.00 per annum

Location: Flexible option to work remote or hybrid – please note regular travel to London and nationwide is required

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week

Closing date: Monday the 16th of February at 11:30pm

Please note that first stage interviews will be taking place week commencing the 23rd of February.

Do you have a strong track record of leading large scale face-to-face fundraising programmes and inspiring high-performing teams through change? Along with being commercially minded, data-led and passionate about delivering the best supporter experience?

If this sounds like you, Shelter is recruiting for a Head of Direct Dialogue to lead one of our most important supporter acquisition programmes and play a crucial role in growing long-term and sustainable income to fuel our fight for home.

About the role

As Head of Direct Dialogue, you will be responsible for setting the strategy and leading the delivery of Shelter’s cause-led and lottery face to face supporter acquisition programme, working with both in-house and agency-led channels. As a senior leader in the Individual Giving team, you will help shape the vision for supporter acquisition, champion direct dialogue expertise and bring the channel to wider supporter engagement and mobilisation plans.

You will work cross-collaboratively across Individual Giving and the wider organisation, helping develop integrated strategies that optimise end-to-end supporter journeys, driving long-term value and sustainable income growth. You will create long-term acquisition strategies across cash, regular giving and lottery products, using data and insight to optimise performance, foster innovation and deliver high-quality and engaging supporter experiences.

You will provide visible, inclusive leadership to predominantly field-based teams, manage up to three direct reports and lead on complex projects. You will build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, working with face-to-face teams to support delivery, quality and strategic alignment.

About you

We’re looking for a confident, experienced and values-driven leader with proven expertise in direct dialogue fundraising. You will bring extensive experience of leading large scale face-to-face acquisition programmes, either through in-house teams, external agencies or a combination of both. You will have strong operational leadership skills and be comfortable managing complex budgets, overseeing high-value agency contracts and using data and insight to drive performance, innovation and continuous improvement.

You will have a strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements including the Code of Fundraising Practice, Gambling Commission regulations, GDPR and safeguarding. Importantly, you will also champion ethical, inclusive and anti-racist practice across all activity in the role. Furthermore, be a collaborative and emotionally intelligent leader who will excel at influencing and working across teams, building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and leading teams through change with confidence.

Above all, you will be motivated by Shelter’s mission and committed to delivering fundraising that puts supporters, values and impact at the forefront.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About the team

This role sits within the Individual Giving team which sits within Shelter’s Income Generation directorate. Individual Giving delivers a diverse and ambitious programme of work aligned to our organisational and directorate strategy, the team raises £26m of unrestricted income annually and is structured across these three core programmes:

• Supporter Retention and Development
• Supporter acquisition
• Direct Dialogue

Direct Dialogue is a vital driver of future income and supporter growth utilising a hybrid approach of in-house and agency led face to face recruitment. Ambitious targets, a new strategic plan and vision have recently been developed, setting a clear direction for future growth and impact.

How to apply

Please click ‘Apply for Job’ below. You are required to submit a CV and responses to the About You points in the ‘Person specification’ section of the job description of no more than 350 words each. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the three behaviours below throughout your responses:

• We create change and align behind our strategy
• We are open to risk and learning from our experiences
• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Any applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet every day millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency. We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything. We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

Safeguarding statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.