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Senior Major Donor Officer

London
Full-time
Listed today
Job Description and Person Specification

Title
Location
Reports to
Hours
Contract Type
Flexible Working
Start Date
Interviews

Senior Major Donor Officer
London
Executive Director, UK
37.5 hours per week
Full-time, permanent
Up to two days working from home per week
1st July 2026 (ideally)
To be held, in-person, the week beginning Monday 18th May 2026. If
appropriate, second interviews will be conducted.

About Us
The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group (SJEHG) is a UK-registered charity delivering expert eye
care  to  the  people  of the  Holy  Land,  regardless of  ethnicity,  religion or ability to  pay.  It  operates
through two registered charities to provide services in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

Why Join Us
This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in growing a major donor programme that directly
supports life-changing eye care services in the Holy Land. You will work closely with the Executive
Director, UK (EDUK) and senior leadership, including the CEO and Trustees, to contribute to the long-
term sustainability of a respected and impactful international charity.
As part of a small, ambitious and collaborative UK team, you will play a major role in shaping and
developing  the  major  donor  programme,  building  meaningful  relationships  with  supporters  and
seeing the tangible impact of your work on patients and communities.

General Statement of Duties
SJEHG has a loyal and committed donor base and is now seeking to significantly grow its major donor
portfolio, focussing on high-net-worth individuals, corporates, and legacies.
Reporting to the EDUK, who retains overall strategic oversight of the major donor programme, you
will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major donors, contributing
to  the  wider  fundraising  strategy  and  delivering  agreed  income  targets.  Working  closely  with  the
EDUK, and other colleagues, the postholder will play a central role in strengthening and expanding
SJEHG’s high-value income streams.
This is a key role within a small, ambitious and high-performing team. The successful candidate will
bring a proactive, strategic and relationship-led approach with a strong track record of securing high-
value gifts.

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Key Responsibilities

•  Lead  the  delivery  of  SJEHG’s  major  donor  programme,  focussing  on  high-net-worth

individuals, corporates and legacies, in line with agreed strategic priorities.

•  Research and develop a robust pipeline of past, current and prospective major donors.
•  Build and manage a portfolio of high-net-worth donors and prospects, including those with

potential for legacy-giving, delivering exceptional relationship management.

•  Be accountable for achieving income targets agreed with the EDUK.
•  Engage  with senior stakeholders, including the CEO, Senior Management Team and Trustees,
to  strengthen  donor  relationships,  supporting  the  solicitation  of  major  gifts  in  partnership
with the EDUK.

•  Develop tailored engagement and stewardship plans based on donor motivations, interests

and giving capacity, including identifying and developing legacy-giving opportunities.

•  Coordinate the delivery and ongoing development of SJEHG’s Friends scheme (regular giving

programme), in consultation with the EDUK.

•  Lead on the identification and development of legacy-giving opportunities within the major

donor portfolio, contributing to the longer-term strategy.

•  Lead  on  the  effective  use  and  ongoing  development  of  Raiser’s  Edge  to  support  donor
management,  segmentation,  reporting  and  strategic  decision-making;  taking  responsibility
for the day-to-day upkeep of major donor records.

•  Ensure all secured income is accurately recorded and reported to the Finance team in line

with organisational procedures.

•  Collaborate  with  colleagues  in  London  and  Jerusalem  to  ensure  alignment  of  donor

communications, campaigns and messaging.

•  Develop  compelling  cases  for  support  and  bespoke  funding  proposals  in  line  with  agreed
organisational  priorities,  in  consultation  with  the  EDUK  and  other  colleagues,  where
appropriate.

•  Contribute  to  financial  planning  by  identifying  funding  opportunities  and  aligning  donor

strategies with organisational needs and priorities.

•  Support  the  EDUK  in  developing  relationships  with  UK  and  European  St  John  Priories  and

Establishments, identifying and cultivating new major donor opportunities.

•  Support  and  deputise  for  the  Senior  Grants  &  Partnerships  Officer  and  Community
Fundraising Officer as required, particularly in relation to high-value donors and partners.
•  Represent  SJEHG  at  events  and  external  engagements,  acting  as  an  ambassador  for  the

organisation.

Person Specification
Essential:
•  Educated to degree level or equivalent career experience.
•  5 years + fundraising experience with a demonstrable track record of securing five and six-figure

gifts from high-value donors (individuals, corporates and/or partners).

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•  Proven experience of building and managing relationships with high-net-worth individuals, senior

stakeholders and/or corporates.

•  Demonstrable  experience  of  developing  and  managing  donor  pipelines,  from  prospecting  to

stewardship.

•  Experience  of  using  CRM  systems  (ideally  Raiser’s  Edge)  to  manage  donor  data,  segment

audiences and support fundraising strategy.

•  Experience of working to and achieving financial targets.
•  Strong understanding of fundraising principles and best practices, including data protection.
•  Highly-organised,  proactive  and  self-motivated,  with  strong  attention  to  detail  and  ability  to

manage multiple priorities.

•  Highly proficient with Microsoft Office systems.
•  Ability to work outside of contracted hours, as required.
•  Ability to travel overseas, as required, and represent SJEHG at events and functions.

Desirable:
•  Experience of fundraising within an international development or humanitarian context.
•  Experience of developing fundraising strategies.
•  Experience  of  engaging and  supporting  board members  or other  senior stakeholders  in donor

cultivation or solicitation.

•  Experience of delivering donor engagement events and high-value fundraising activities.
•  Experience of managing senior volunteers.

General Responsibilities for all staff:
1.  All staff are expected to report for work on time and fulfil their hours of duty, from time to time
some flexibility may be required in order to meet the needs of the job and this may be outside
regular hours of work.

2.  Staff of SJEHG who do not have a uniform are expected to wear appropriate business dress.  Jeans
are not considered appropriate attire.  Visits to the Hospital in Jerusalem and other Hospital sites
require consideration to more modest dress.

3.  Smoking is only permitted in the designated smoking areas and only during official break periods.

4.  All staff will abide by confidentiality rules and will not disclose any information on the workings
of  the  Hospital  Group,  the  staff  or  patients,  except  in  certain  circumstances  where  express
permission is given as per the Confidentiality Policy.

5.  Staff are expected to comply at all times with the requirements of Health and Safety regulations
and  to  take  responsibility  for  the  health  and  safety  and  welfare  of  others  in  the  working
environment,  ensuring  that  agreed  safety  procedures  are  carried  out  to  maintain  a  safe
environment.

6.  SJEHG is committed to equality, and all staff are expected to treat colleagues, and visitors with
dignity and respect, regardless of their ethnic background, religion, race, gender, age or sexual
orientation.

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7.  All  staff  are  expected  to  familiarise  themselves  with  the  requirements  of  the  Hospital  Group

policies and procedures for staff.

8.  All appointments are subject to pre-employment health screening.

9.  The job description gives a general outline of the duties of the position and is not intended to

be an inflexible or finite list of tasks.  It may be varied, from time to time, after consultation with
the member of staff.

10. Any other duties as designated by your manager and which are commensurate with the grade.

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