Development Manager, Events and Major Donors, UK

Development Manager, Events and Major Donors, UK

Posted 28 March 2025

About the role

Join our dynamic team and drive impactful fundraising and engagement initiatives in the UK! We are seeking a strategic and results-oriented Development Manager, Events and Major Donors to lead our UK engagement efforts. You will be responsible for cultivating and strengthening relationships with key audiences, including Board Directors, Leadership Council members, and major donors, through the design and execution of high-quality events and bespoke stewardship programmes. Reporting to the Director of Development, UK, this role is hybrid and requires to be in our office in central London one day a week.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Event Management & Execution:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive events strategy, including flagship fundraising events like the Annual Gala Dinner and Summer Drinks, to achieve income targets and enhance donor engagement.
• Lead the creation and implementation of a diverse event program, including cultivation events, salon dinners, and informal gatherings, to broaden awareness and generate interest.
• Ensure all events deliver exceptional donor experiences while meeting financial objectives.
• Collaborate with the UK Director of Development and Corporate Partnerships Manager to maximize major donors, trust and foundation, and corporate engagement opportunities.
• Ensure the events playbook is up to date and utilised across the team a to ensure a strong ROI on event delivery and execution.
• Manage relationships with key event suppliers, including venues, caterers, and technical providers.
• Drive continuous improvement through the implementation of efficient processes, automation, and CRM utilization to enhance the donor experience.
• Establish a culture of learning by capturing, analyzing, and applying event feedback to inform future planning.

Major Donor Stewardship:

• Drive the management and expansion of our Leadership Council (major donor offering), working closely with the UK Director of Development
• Own a small portfolio of major donor relationships, which will include working closely with the UK Director of Development and Board members
• Provide outstanding stewardship to a portfolio of major donors and prospects, many of whom are already extremely passionate about EMpower’s work.  
• Synchronize stewardship by President and CEO, of important and influential stakeholders, including arranging meetings when she is in the region.
• Proactively seek new opportunities to raise awareness about EMpower with new audiences and potential donors, and to deepen engagement with existing donors.
• Broaden and diversify EMpower’s donor base, leading approaches with new potential supporters working with the wider UK Development team, and Board Directors and Leadership Council where appropriate.
• Design compelling messaging, assets and proposals to engage potential EMpower donors and prospects.
• Enhance the donor stewardship model by developing bespoke, high-quality donor journeys.
• Optimize CRM and knowledge management systems to strengthen and institutionalize donor stewardship.

Operational Excellence:

• Ensure excellent budgeting and income reporting, working closely with UK Development colleagues
• Provide close guidance for the Development Assistant who will lead interface with the Finance team for accurate and timely reporting
• Ensure continuous improvements in EMpower’s stewardship model, including donor acknowledgement processes, CRM utilization and wider knowledge management.

Other areas

• As a key member of a small but growing team, the postholder will also support other areas of fundraising and be willing to take the lead on new opportunities for EMpower 
• Represent EMpower at external forums, networks and meetings 
• Provide ideas and ensure execution of board and donor communications, fundraising materials, online appeals and others as needed.

Qualifications

Essential:

• 7+ years of experience in fundraising events management, with a proven track record of organizing successful, donor-focused events and achieving revenue growth.
• Strong interpersonal, client-facing and presentation skills with diverse audiences and including high-powered leaders in Finance. 
• "Doer" who will work hands-on in developing and executing a variety of fundraising activities ranging from the internal day-to-day, to the highly creative, external and visible. 
• Basic financial acumen, ability to monitor activities to budget and track and monitor income.
• Energetic, alert, creative, hardworking, able to take immediate action when needed, recognizes and exploits success, and triage failure when necessary. Emotionally mature with a sense of humor and grace under pressure.
• Strong team worker who will thrive working in a small office in the UK and a global team of ~42 people
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; alignment with EMpower values.

 Desirable:

• Demonstrated fundraising experience, or sales in the finance sector, preferably in an international context.
• Strong writing skills, ideally with some experience of writing for institutional audiences/funders 
• Management experience – potential to take on supervision of limited number of staff 
• Experience working with volunteers and Board directors
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and fundraising software/databases, particularly Salesforce.

Compensation and Benefits 

EMpower offers competitive wages, benefits, and growth opportunities consistent with industry standards. Flexible benefits packages include health insurance and other insurance; pension plan with employer contribution/match; time off; and work/life benefits. Depending on the experience of the candidate, the salary range for this position is 50k – 60k GBP per annum.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements 

This individual operates in a professional office environment. The physical demands described in this section are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. 

• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones.  
• This role routinely uses the English language to engage with internal and external stakeholders by phone, email, and in person. Employee is expected to be able to accurately exchange information with these stakeholders. 

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement 

EMpower is a public foundation that makes grants globally to benefit marginalised youth, including adolescent girls. We are committed to attracting, developing, motivating and retaining exceptional talent and to a work environment that recognizes contribution, fosters respect and teamwork, and facilitates strong performance. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, recognizing that diversity enriches all staff and our work globally. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or faith, or physical ability. 

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organisation, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. EMpower makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time. 

How to Apply: Through the Easy Apply option on LinkedIn, please submit one PDF with your CV and a cover letter combined, outlining how your experience aligns with the role. Applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered.

Should you have any questions about this role or how to apply, please email hr@empowerweb.org

Deadline: April 11th, 2025