Audience Development Lead - Corporate Partnerships

We are currently recruiting for an Audience Development Lead - Corporate Partnerships to join our team on an 18 month FTC.

We are looking for an experienced corporate fundraiser to work with the Head of Corporate Partnerships in developing a ten-year growth plan to generate income and impact from partnerships to support the National Trust; to help identify and design the capabilities needed to enable the growth of this income stream, and to provide support for piloting new capabilities as they are developed.

You’ll play a critical role in the Fundraising Growth Programme, which will create sustainable, professional and scalable fundraising capabilities across the National Trust. Diversifying our income streams through supporter-centric approaches, new relationships, new products and engaging, tailored experiences. Building a culture where our people are inspired and empowered to play a role in fundraising so we can continue to look after more nature, beauty & history for everyone, forever.

The Fundraising team is dynamic, ambitious and focused on making things happen; playing a vital role in enabling the National Trust to deliver its purpose. Our team sits within the Support and Revenue Directorate, which brings together our supporter-facing income streams from Membership to Fundraising through to our Commercial teams. 

Your contractual location will be one of our national hubs. You will be required to work at a National Trust location for 40-60% of your working week, with flexibility on where you are based at other times. Most face-to-face meetings will take place at either our HQ in Swindon or our London office near the Strand. This will be discussed in more detail at interview.

Please aware that this role will involve some travel to work with National Trust colleagues and visit our projects & properties across the UK.

Working within a Programme Team and alongside the Head of Corporate Partnerships for the duration of the Programme’s Design & Plan and Implementation phases, you will be responsible for:

Building a corporate partnerships growth plan that will set out the potential for partnerships to create income and impact for the National Trust, and what capabilities would be needed to capitalise on these opportunities.

Within the growth plan, suggesting hypotheses for growth that can be tested / piloted during Implementation. Bringing insights from your experience and networks, as well as analyse and draw insights from existing market research to inform the growth plan. Drawing on your extensive experience of private sector partnerships to provide quality control / build and challenge for the growth plan and capabilities design to ensure we are thinking big enough and bold enough.

Identifying and designing the capabilities needed to enable the growth of this income stream, working with relevant colleagues to design and deliver pilot activities for new capabilities as appropriate; capturing learnings and measuring impact. Giving insights and advice that will help us to define the capabilities we will need across the Trust’s ‘fundraising ecosystem’ to make the most of the fundraising potential for corporate partnerships.

Supporting with the design and development of the corporate new business strategy, working with the Head of Corporate Partnerships and the New Business Team to identify key areas of opportunity, supporting on identifying and building audience personas and defining the supporter journey(s). Identifying areas of opportunity for propositions and products and working with the Programme team and Corporate team to develop and test these in the market.

Working alongside the Head of Corporate Partnerships to represent the corporate audience segments in broader FGP workshops, sharing emerging requirements with FGP partners to inform their work (for example our business change partner).

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• Experience of leading corporate partnerships teams in complex national organisations, ideally with central and regional fundraising functions;
• A proven record of developing fundraising strategies for high-value corporate partnerships, including growth strategies to inform the Corporate Partnerships team’s business development approach;
• Demonstrable expertise in building compelling, strategic proposals and propositions to secure 6-, 7- and 8- figure partnerships;
• Experience of driving and delivering innovation within corporate fundraising;
• Experience of corporate fundraising and strategic partnerships in a diverse range of organisations;
• A dedication for keeping up to date with external trends in fundraising – specifically strategic corporate partnerships and sustainability / ESG - and are adept at spotting opportunities for innovation and new relationships.
• Extensive networks in the sector and within corporates that you are able to draw on to support the gathering of external insights
• A passion for corporate fundraising and a strong desire to advance the charitable mission of the National Trust.

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme 

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.