Director, UK Philanthropy

• remote type
• Fully Remote

• locations
• London, UK

• time type
• Full time

• posted on
• Posted Yesterday

• time left to apply
• End Date: December 8, 2025 (16 days left to apply)

• job requisition id
• JR00001066

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

IRC UK
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in the UK. 

Job Overview
The External Relations (ER) department is comprised of three main but complementary functional areas: Private fundraising, Communications, and Advocacy. The main objective of the department is to enable the organisation to have the resources needed to continue serving  millions of people worldwide in places affected by war and disaster.

The Director of UK Philanthropy will provide leadership and strategic direction for individual high net worth fundraising activities focused on the UK market, ensuring the delivery of significant, multi-year resources for the IRC's global mission. The Director will also serve as the primary high-value fundraising partner to the UK Executive Director as they facilitate cross-team collaboration, accountability, and success among all private fundraising teams in the UK (Philanthropy, Global Corporate Partnerships, Foundations & Trusts, and Mass Markets). The Director will play a leadership role in IRC UK more widely as a member of the UK Senior Management Team (UKSMT). The UKSMT is collectively responsible for achieving the cross-functional goals of IRC UK’s strategy and actively fostering an inclusive workplace at IRC UK.

This role will be responsible for:
•    Leading a team of fundraising professionals focused on raising unrestricted and restricted contributions from High-Net-Worth Individuals.
•    Managing a personal portfolio of significant donors and partners focused on securing six and seven-figure commitments.
•    Facilitating cross-functional collaboration, ensuring strong coordination and accountability across all UK-based high-value fundraising teams as well as with other team leaders in the UK (e.g. Communications, Advocacy, and Programmes).
•    Serve as the high-value fundraising representative on the UK Senior Management Team, directing and progressing strategic goals in fundraising as well as advising on the wider management of IRC UK. 
•    Serving as the primary fundraising/partnerships contact for the IRC's UK Board, leveraging their networks and influence to advance the team's revenue targets.
•    Directly driving the UK Executive Director's engagement in fundraising and external partnership activities.
•    Interfacing closely with US-based and other international colleagues in External Relations to ensure global strategic alignment.

The Director will craft and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies for the UK market, mentor and guide the team to optimise the size and impact of gifts and ensure donor-centric fundraising practices are consistently deployed. This critical role involves developing and implementing strategies informed by bold revenue targets.

Major Responsibilities

Fundraising and Partnerships
•    Manage a focused, complex portfolio of individual high-value prospects and supporters that results in increasing gifts at the six and seven-figure level.
•    Design and execute customised fundraising and partnership strategies for their personal portfolio, to maximise size and impact of gifts to the IRC.
•    Travel and meet with donors and prospects across the UK and occasionally internationally as required.
•    Achieve personal and team-wide goals and metrics related to visits, solicitations, gifts/pledges closed, and other critical key performance indicators.
•    Serve as the primary staff liaison and resource for the IRC's UK Board on all matters relating to philanthropy and partnerships, ensuring their engagement is maximised for fundraising impact.

Leadership and Management
•    Lead and directly supervise a team of approximately 3 individuals across the UK-based Philanthropy team, inspiring, motivating and challenging them through active mentorship and fostering an environment that supports new ideas and innovative approaches to donor relationship management.
•    Provide comprehensive thought leadership for the team's efforts towards increased financial revenue and other modes of private sector engagement that support the impactful delivery of the IRC's mission.
•    Partner with the Senior Director of International Philanthropy to develop a strategic plan, including setting annual goals and key outcomes for the team. This will include but is not limited to collaborating with the UK Board and Senior IRC leadership in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding donors through strategic engagement opportunities such as meetings and events.
•    Provide strategic oversight and manage collaboration between the UK-based leads of the Foundations and Trusts, Global Corporate Partnerships, and Mass Markets teams, ensuring strong coordination in executing comprehensive donor engagement strategies across the UK market. 
•    Collaborate as a peer with other UK leaders on the UK Senior Management Team, holding collective accountability for achieving the goals of the UK strategy and advising on the wider management of IRC UK to support those goals. 

Executive and Global Collaboration
•    Proactively drive the UK Executive Director's fundraising activities, including identifying and vetting high-level engagement opportunities, preparing briefing materials, and ensuring excellent donor/partner stewardship.
•    Interface and collaborate superbly with US-based colleagues in External Relations to ensure consistent messaging, coordinated prospect management, and alignment with global fundraising priorities.
•    Facilitate the deployment of IRC leaders (including the UK ED and global Executive Board and programme leadership) throughout the donor life cycle to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward five, six, and seven-figure commitments.

Candidate Requirements

•    Significant demonstrable years progressive experience or proven background of non-profit fundraising experience and expertise in high-net-worth individual fundraising, and/or foundation/trust/corporate partnership development.
•    Demonstrated history of being an empowering and supportive manager to front-line fundraisers.
•    Outstanding communication skills, including writing, listening, verbal presentation, and speaking.

Preferred Experience & Skills
•    Consistent track record of securing 6 and 7+ figure gifts/partnerships from a complex portfolio of diverse donors and prospects, including qualifying prospects and upgrading donors.
•    Proven organisational leadership experience, for example on senior management teams. 
•    Experience in international organisational collaboration, including interfacing effectively with leadership and colleagues based in other countries.
•    Proven experience leading and directly supervising front-line fundraisers.
•    Experience in leveraging and managing a Board or high-level volunteer leadership for fundraising success.
•    Ability to develop creative and multifaceted donor strategy often carried out in partnership with programme staff or senior leadership.
•    Ability to navigate CRM systems.
•    Dedication to fundraising for international development, humanitarian, human rights, gender and racial equality, social justice, and migrant communities

Working Environment
•    IRC UK has a hybrid working policy. 
•    Occasional travel across the UK and internationally as required.

Standard Responsibilities
Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC UK office.

Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies
Standard Job RequirementsRelated standard content: 
IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.   

UK: 
Narrowing the Gender Gap: The IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including flexible hours (when possible), enhanced maternity/adoption leave and pay and gender-sensitive security protocols.

The salary for this role is GBP 71,000 – GBP 85,000 

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

The application deadline is 8TH December at 11:59pm GMT.

IRC UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

IRC UK welcomes applications from all candidates, including underrepresented groups and refugees who have the right to work in the UK.

IRC UK will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application and/or interview process, and for essential job functions if appointed to a role. Please contact us if you may need such adjustments.

Recruitment Process
The process for this role will be as follows
•    Screening call online
•    First round panel interview online 
•    Second round panel interview online
•    Third round panel interview online
•    Possibility to have a written assignment during the process

 

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

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Why Choose the IRC?

Work that has meaning: Every day at the IRC is a chance to make a difference through a purpose-driven career. Whether you're working directly with communities or providing support behind the scenes, you will be part of a dynamic team that is always innovating, scaling, and testing new and better solutions to ensure the best possible outcomes for the people we serve.

Global scale, dynamic workplace: At the IRC, we believe that the dynamic, global make-up of our team is our strength. When you join us, you're not just starting a job—you will be part of a global organization positively impacting millions of lives in over 40 get to work with colleagues from all around the world—working across time zones and regularly exchanging different ideas, perspectives and insights. You’ll join a team that is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.  

Challenging work, innovative solutions: We’re committed to excellence and innovation, and pride ourselves in setting industry-leading standards while practicing evidence and data-lead strategies. Come challenge norms, shatter conventions, and pioneer change while working on real, nuanced and complex issues we face in the world today.  

Community centered: We’re an empathetic community that truly cares for one another. Our comprehensive safety and security initiatives ensure a safe work environment, while our continuous learning and development programs provide ongoing opportunities for personal and career advancement.

Our Typical Recruitment Process

The interview process typically includes three rounds, though the number may vary depending on the role and level of seniority. It usually begins with a conversation with our recruiting team to learn more about you and your goals. This is followed by an interview with a hiring manager or business stakeholder to explore your background and provide more insight into the role. The final round focuses on assessing your role-specific expertise and may be conducted as a panel interview to evaluate your cross-functional strengths. Before extending an offer, we generally conduct reference checks, and after an offer is made, a standard background check is completed. While we strive for consistency, the process may differ based on the role, business unit, location, job type, legal requirements, and other factors.