Job Description

Background and role purpose

Consortium hosts the largest network of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans + groups, projects and organisations in the UK (600 members) and offers a range of support so that they can deliver vital support and services to over 5 million LGBT+ people, their friends and families. We are also a specialist grant funder, having provided over £1.75m in grants since 2019, across 275 awards, with this being an exciting area of growth falling within the remit of this role.

We are recruiting for a Head of Partnerships and Development who will support our charity, and the LGBT+ sector, to continue growth in an appropriate and sustainable way. We are seeking an excellent relationship builder who can help us maximise our ability to generate positive social impact through relationship-building and fundraising skills.

As Head of Partnerships & Development you will be responsible for managing key business partnerships, identifying new potential income streams (for Consortium & the LGBT+ sector), and exploring opportunities to increase the impact of our work.

You will devise creative and innovative strategies including campaigns with partners, liaising with corporate contacts and building and developing relationships with new key stakeholders.

You will provide line management and support to the existing Partnerships and Development team of 5 team members (LGBT+ Fund Development Manager; Grants Officer; Communications Officer; 2 National LGBT Heath Partnership Officers). We adopt a collaborative approach across the team, so there are opportunities to actively engage with others across the entire team so we can maximise the impact we have as a charity.

You can read about our approach and our core focus in our Strategic Plan. You can also read more about our grant giving activity in the evaluation of our latest Fund.

As with all of our roles, we are looking for someone who is generous with their knowledge and skills so that our Members and Grantees can also benefit and develop their own organisations in a similar way through training, resource development and other engagement work.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Chief Executive, and our Head of Membership and Engagement, but also be expected to operate with a good level of autonomy, using their own initiative and curiosity to identify partners and win them over with solid cases for support.

Main duties

• Manage and maintain existing partnerships with key external stakeholders (e.g. funding sector, public sector, academics).
• Develop new relationships and exciting opportunities with our partners.
• Working alongside the CEO and Head of Membership & Engagement, identify and lead on new income opportunities for Consortium and its Membership.
• Develop relationships with potential donors and funders.
• Lead the charity in developing new corporate relationships.
• Identify opportunities to develop and increase comms around LGBT+ voices across a range of policy areas, in collaboration with members.
• Line manage and support the Partnerships and Development team.
• Prepare presentations, proposals, plans and reports, as necessary.

Person specification
Essential

• 2 or more years’ experience in a Development or Partnerships Management role.
• Excellent project management, planning and prioritising skills to manage a varied workload while staying focused on Consortium’s Strategy.
• Understanding of building and maintaining corporate relationships with the voluntary sector.
• Understanding of business development/fundraising cycle – generating leads, pipeline development and conversion.
• Experience working with marketing and communications functions to deliver collaborative campaigns and increase reach.
• Understanding of sustainable funding models and a curiosity to explore beyond traditional philanthropy.
• Understanding of the challenges and issues facing LGBT+ organisations, people and communities.
• Ability to act as an ambassador for Consortium and its Membership, with a strong commitment to equity and inclusion.
• Ability to produce high-quality written reports.
• Experience of setting outcomes, monitoring, and evaluating work.
• Experience of setting, holding, and managing project budgets.
• Experience of managing a staff team.

Desirable

•  Experience of working in second tier infrastructure.
• Experiencing of working for a Membership Organisation.
• Experience of working within the LGBT+ sector.
• Knowledge and experience of Participatory Grant-Making processes.
• Knowledge of small charity governance.