Salary: £35,000 - 36,000 per annum, depending on experience

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week with occasional evening and weekend work

Hybrid working with 1-2 days a week in the head office (Putney, London, SW15)

Permanent contract

This role is a new opportunity to join our small but growing team and contribute to creating brighter futures for children and young people in care.

We’re looking for a dynamic and results-driven fundraiser who thrives on building strong, strategic relationships. This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of a brand-new role focused on maintaining and expanding our portfolio of funders. You’ll play a key part in increasing both the value and longevity of existing relationships, while proactively identifying and securing new opportunities.

If you’re passionate about driving change and want to be at the heart of our organisation’s growth, this role is for you. As our Major Gifts Lead, you’ll be instrumental in achieving vital income targets that support St Christopher’s wider mission and strategic goals.

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future.

St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people, and we are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes, and a range of innovative services for young people leaving care across the UK and the Isle of Man.  We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do.  We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and are committed to developing an inclusive workforce where everyone feels they belong.  We hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including individuals from diverse cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faiths, genders, sexual orientations, childcare responsibilities, and those with gender-diverse identities.

About the Role

Make a lasting impact on young lives. Join St Christopher’s as our new Major Gifts Lead.

St Christopher’s is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and young people in care. We’re excited to offer a unique opportunity for a passionate and experienced fundraising professional to shape and grow a brand-new role within our dynamic team.

If you’re a strong relationship-builder with a background in partnerships, sales or fundraising and ready to make an impact, apply now.

As Major Gifts Lead, you will:

• Work closely with the Head of Fundraising to manage and cultivate a warm pipeline of trusts and foundations, and corporate partners, progressing relationships and identifying opportunities for support.
• Identify, research, and cultivate new funding opportunities to secure significant gifts and long-term support.
• With the Head of Fundraising, manage and grow a portfolio of high-value donors and prospects, ensuring excellent stewardship and engagement.
• Lead on the preparation of compelling funding proposals, applications, and impact reports tailored to donor interests and priorities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with corporate partners, identifying opportunities for sponsorship, employee engagement, and strategic partnerships.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to gather stories, data, and insights that demonstrate impact and strengthen donor communications.
• Ensure that young people’s stories are respectfully shared and in line with our strengths-based approach.

This role is ideal for a strategic and relationship-driven fundraiser who thrives on building meaningful partnerships and wants to make a tangible difference. You’ll be joining a supportive, organisation where your expertise will be valued and your ideas welcomed.

Ready to take the lead and help us grow our impact?
Apply now and be part of something truly meaningful.

Applicants should have

• Proven track record of securing significant income from major donors, trusts, foundations, and/or corporate partners.
• Strong relationship management skills with the ability to engage, inspire, and steward high-value supporters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience in writing compelling proposals and donor reports.

What you should expect from us

• Salary £36,000.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.

• Contributory pension scheme, Enhanced Maternity and Company Sick Scheme.
• BUPA Employee Assistance Programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Interest-free season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme.
• Discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary Funded Training Programs.
• Employee Awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements. Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting.

Your online application must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification.

For the full Job Description and Person Specification click here

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact recruitment@stchris.org.uk

We advise to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

St Christopher’s Fellowship has a minimum age requirement of 21 for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and semi-independent Homes.

Please note that it is against the law to apply for work with Children/Young People if you are barred from working in Regulated Activity and if your name is added to a Children Barred List.

All shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form which will need to be returned prior to an interview being booked.