Listed today
Major Donor Manager
Now is an exciting time to join Mercy Ships UK.
With a growing supporter base, a talented staff
team and ambitious targets to reach over the
next five years, we are looking for a talented
Major Donor Manager to join our team.
Mercy Ships is a faith-based charity, bringing safe
surgery to people in Africa who have limited access
to healthcare and little or no money to pay for it. For
over 40 years, Mercy Ships has visited more than 55
developing nations. We are passionate to serve those
in need and to leave a lasting impact for the future by
working alongside governments, supporting health
systems and delivering training within the countries we
visit. Our volunteer crew represent our organisation
onboard our two ships through excellence and
diligence. Sixteen Mercy Ships offices around the world
collaborate on fundraising, recruitment and public
relations.
Mercy Ships UK
The UK currently raises circa £9 million a year to
support Mercy Ships’ operations, benefiting from a
diverse base of committed funders and partners.
As well as providing financial resources for surgeries,
healthcare, education and local partnerships, the UK
identifies over 400 professional volunteers
with medical, maritime and many other skills to
crew the world’s largest charitable hospital ships
‘Africa Mercy’ and ‘Global Mercy’, – bringing immediate
relief to thousands of individuals and leaving a
sustainable legacy of hope and healing
in every nation we visit.
Values
Mercy Ships was founded by Don and Deyon Stephens
in 1978, committed Christians with a vision to follow the
model of Jesus, who inspires action and guides us to
imitate God’s heart for those marginalised by poverty
and disease. Mercy Ships is a diverse community
made of people from all walks of life, practically
demonstrating love, integrity and excellence to make a
lasting impact. While not all of our staff are practising
Christians, they all align with and respect the Christian
values that underpin Mercy Ships’ work.
Approximately 90% of the population in sub-Saharan
Africa lacks access to safe and affordable surgical care.
On average, there are only 1.8 beds per 1,000 people,
and nearly 40% of healthcare settings lack hygiene
infrastructure. The need for Mercy Ships is clear – we
strive to provide safe and equitable healthcare for those
who need it most.
Shelley Pigott,
Executive Director, Mercy Ships UK
01
Our Mission
Mercy Ships follows the 2,000 year-old model
of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the
world’s forgotten poor.
Our Vision
Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to transform
individuals and partner with nations.
Our Values
Following the model of Jesus, we seek to:
Love God
Love and serve others
Be people of integrity
Strive for excellence in all we say and do
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
Impact
Since 1978, Mercy Ships has brought hope and healing
to more than 2.88 million people through free,
life-changing healthcare and training. Our volunteer
professionals have performed over 122,000 surgical
procedures and provided more than 556,900 dental
procedures to those in desperate need. Alongside
this, we have trained more than 55,500 local
professionals in their area of expertise, equipping
them to go on and impact over 252,000 others within
their own communities.
Our commitment extends beyond the hospital
ship—we have completed over 1,110 community
development projects, including the reconstruction
of schools, clinics, orphanages, water wells, and
agricultural programmes. These initiatives ensure
sustainable transformation by strengthening local
infrastructure and skills for the future.
Today, we have proudly served across more than
55 of the world’s poorest nations, with two
remarkable hospital ships:
The Global Mercy: the world’s largest civilian
hospital ship, featuring 6 state-of-the-art operating
theatres, 199 patient beds, the capacity for 640 crew,
and a gross tonnage of 37,856.
The Africa Mercy: with 5 fully equipped operating
theatres, 85 patient beds, space for 470 crew, and a
gross tonnage of 16,572.
Together, these ships represent a unique and powerful
force for good, bringing hope, healing, and lasting
change to those who need it most.
Our work
Mariama’s story
Mariama is a lively and healthy baby, but a severe facial
cleft strained her joyful smile. This facial cleft affected
7-month-old Mariama’s lip and nose, making it difficult
for her to eat and causing her parents to worry about
their child’s future.
Since paediatric services capable of treating baby
Mariama’s condition were not available near the family,
local doctors directed her father to Senegal’s capital city
in hopes of finding help.
It was there that he heard about a hospital ship capable
of providing healing for his little girl.
Soon after, Mariama received an operation onboard
the Africa Mercy that repaired her cleft lip. After surgery,
Mariama and her family stayed at the HOPE Centre,
where her mother learned how to make nutritional baby
formula and learned about the importance of nutrition
for her child. Now, Mariama is home with her family,
happy and healthy!
02
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
History of
Mercy Ships
Founded in 1978 by Don and
Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships
has worked in more than 55
countries, providing services
valued at more than £1.3 billion.
By improving healthcare delivery in
every country visited, Mercy Ships
is working to eradicate the diseases
of poverty. Mercy Ships follows the
model of Jesus by “bringing hope
and healing to the forgotten poor”,
helping people of any faith or none.
Mercy Ships delivers a customised
five-year partnership model with
every country it is invited to support.
Relationships are built with the
national government and ministry
of health, so that the specific needs
of each country are met; we work to
strengthen the country’s healthcare
systems and drive policy change.
The aim is to tackle the root causes
of the problems rather than just the
consequences.
Mercy Ships UK (a key member of
the Mercy Ships global partnership)
was founded in 1996. We run the
two largest charity hospital ships in
the world: the Global Mercy and the
Africa Mercy.
Behaviours
We put beneficiaries first
Our performance impacts lives, so we
strive for the very best results.
We are open to challenge
We challenge current norms, ideate,
create and develop.
We expect the best
We consistently seek the best in
and for others.
Together in everything
We are a relationally-driven team.
Effective interaction
We communicate with clarity
and purpose.
03
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
Role Description
Main Workbase: 12 Meadway Court, Stevenage SG1 2EF
Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week (flexible hybrid - min 2
days in office per week with additional meetings
around the UK.
with current and prospective major donors, providing
excellent stewardship and developing meaningful
opportunities for supporters to engage deeply with the
mission and impact of Mercy Ships.
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Line Manager: Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships
Main Responsibilities
Salary: £42,000 - £45,000 per annum (DOE)
Team: Working alongside the philanthropy team (five
members of staff, including the Director of Philanthropy,
Head of Philanthropy, Senior Corporate Partnerships
Manager and two officers). Collaborative working with
wider teams within Mercy Ships UK and the global
organisation.
International Travel: International travel is a
requirement of this role.
Benefits:
25 days annual leave + bank holidays, increasing + 1 day
with each year of service, up to 30 days annual leave
Up to 7% Employer pension contribution
Access to a personal Learning & Development budget
of £1,000 per year (pro rata), supporting professional
growth and skills development
Free parking onsite
Travel and training loans
EAP Wellbeing scheme
Main Purpose
This is an exciting role within the Philanthropy Team at
a time when the new Executive Director is shaping the
five-year strategy to grow Mercy Ships UK’s impact.
Major donors have been identified as a key income
stream within this strategy, and we are looking for an
experienced, relational fundraiser to develop and grow
our Major Donor programme, focusing on individuals
willing to give five-figure gifts, and building long-term
relationships that lead to transformational
philanthropic support.
Mercy Ships UK is energised to grow its public profile
across the UK so that we can raise more funds and
recruit more volunteers – providing more opportunities
for those living in communities across Africa with limited
access to safe medical care. Our Philanthropy Team has
ambitious growth targets for the year ahead, and this
role will play a key part in securing transformational gifts
that enable the work of Mercy Ships to expand.
The Philanthropy Manager will build strong relationships
04
Work closely with the Director of Philanthropy and
wider team to develop strategies for major
donor growth.
Develop and manage a major donor pipeline of
approximately 100 contacts using wealth screening,
CRM insights and internal intelligence.
Increase the breadth and depth of the current major
gifts pipeline by building and expanding relationships
through the engagement of Trustees, the Executive
Team, and donor networks, building strong
relationships through regular personal engagement
and tailored stewardship.
Represent Mercy Ships UK at meetings, events
and networking opportunities to cultivate new
donor relationships.
Create donor development plans for top prospects –
identifying donors’ motivations and needs and
thinking creatively to respond to these.
Secure five-figure gifts to support Mercy Ships’
programmes and strategic priorities.
Prepare compelling funding proposals, impact
reports and donor communications tailored to
individual supporters.
Develop and implement creative cultivation
opportunities, including events, briefings and
mission-focused engagement that inspire deeper
philanthropic commitment.
Work collaboratively with colleagues in marketing
and communications to deliver meaningful donor
engagement opportunities.
Maintain accurate CRM records, produce regular
reports on progress against targets and be able to
make data-led decisions.
Ensure all fundraising activities comply with legal and
ethical standards and reflect best practice.
Income and accountability
Contribute to the Philanthropy team’s annual
income target.
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
Other
There is significant potential within this role to
grow support through high-net-worth individuals
and philanthropic networks across the UK, including
within Christian communities and professional
networks.
Work collaboratively and communicate effectively
across the Mercy Ships team, including with other
global offices.
Regular travel for donor meetings will be required, as
well as occasional evening and weekend work.
Other duties within the scope, spirit and purpose of
the job as requested by the Director of Philanthropy.
Occupational Requirement:
Due to the faith-based nature of Mercy Ships and the
need to represent the organisation authentically with
many supporters and partner networks, there is an
occupational requirement for the post holder to be a
practising Christian, in accordance with the
Equality Act 2010.
As duties and responsibilities change,
the job description will be reviewed and
amended in consultation with the post holder.
05
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
Person Specification
Attribute
Essential
Desirable
Education/
qualification
Educated to degree level or equivalent
professional experience.
Evidence of continuing professional
development in fundraising, philanthropy
or relationship management.
Professional fundraising
qualification (e.g. from
the Chartered Institute of
Fundraising or similar).
Understanding of the charity
sector and fundraising
regulations in the UK.
Proven
experience
Demonstrable experience securing
Experience working within
a charity or non-profit
fundraising environment.
Experience working with
Christian donors or faith-
based networks.
Experience working within
an international organisation
or supporting global
programmes.
Experience collaborating
across internal teams such as
marketing, communications
and events.
and managing major gifts or high-value
relationships.
Experience securing four or five-figure gifts
from individual donors.
Proven track record of achieving
income targets through individual
donor fundraising or relationship-based
fundraising.
Experience identifying, researching and
cultivating high-net-worth individuals.
Experience building and managing long-
term relationships with senior stakeholders
or philanthropists.
Experience of communicating complex
information to a lay audience and
influencing multiple parties through
written and verbal proposals, reports, and
presentations.
Experience using CRM systems to manage
donor relationships and track activity.
Skills and
abilities
Excellent relationship-building and
stakeholder management skills.
Strong written communication skills, with
the ability to develop compelling proposals,
donor reports and impact communications.
Confident verbal communicator with
experience engaging senior audiences.
Strong networking and influencing skills.
Ability to communicate complex
programmes and impact in a
compelling and accessible way.
Financial awareness and ability
to discuss funding opportunities
confidently with donors.
Strong analytical skills to evaluate
fundraising performance and
opportunities.
06
Person Specification
Attribute
Essential
Desirable
Skills and
abilities
Personal
qualities
Ability to develop personalised
cultivation and stewardship strategies
for donors.
Highly organised with the ability to
manage multiple relationships and
priorities.
Strong attention to detail and ability to
maintain accurate CRM records.
Ability to work collaboratively across
teams and departments.
A committed Christian who is supportive
of the mission, vision and values of
Mercy Ships.
Passion for the mission and impact of
Mercy Ships.
Self-motivated and proactive, with a
strong results-driven approach.
Professional, credible and confident in
representing the organisation externally.
High level of integrity and discretion
when handling confidential information.
Flexible and adaptable, with a willingness
to attend occasional evening or weekend
events.
Collaborative and positive team player.
Interest in global health,
humanitarian work or
international development.
Ability to engage effectively with
faith-based communities and
philanthropic networks.
Entrepreneurial mindset with
the ability to identify and
develop new opportunities.
07
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
M E R C Y S H I P S A P P O I N T M E N T B R I E F
How to apply
to join us in transforming lives:
Please send a CV and cover letter detailing your
relevant experience and why you want to work for
Mercy Ships to:
careers@mercyships.org.uk
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and
the vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.
Salary : £42,000-£45,000 (D.O.E)
Don’t delay applying as we screen applications on
receipt and reserve the right to close early.
Equal opportunities
Mercy Ships UK is an equal opportunities employer.
We welcome applications from all individuals and
value diversity in our workforce.
DBS check
Candidates will be asked to declare any ‘unspent
convictions.’ Further information can be found here.
Eligible roles may require a Disclosure Barring Service
(DBS) check.
Hope.
Healing.
Transforming Lives.
Registered Charity No: 1053055. Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC039743.
Company No: 3147724 (England and Wales)