The organisation

Established in 2004, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is an independent think tank that studies the root causes of Britain’s social problems and seeks to address these through innovative policy recommendations to government. The CSJ has changed the landscape of our political conversation by putting social justice at the heart of British politics. This has led to some of the biggest welfare reforms in a generation.

Much of the CSJ’s work is organised around five pathways to poverty, first identified in our ground-breaking 2007 report, Breakthrough Britain. These are: educational failure; family breakdown; economic dependency and worklessness; addiction to drugs and alcohol; severe personal debt. Further social justice projects are developed in response to societal needs, the political landscape or funding opportunities.

Our research is informed by experts and, just as importantly, our CSJ Foundation and poverty-fighter’s Alliance, a unique group of charities, social enterprises and other grass-roots organisations that work with individuals facing some of the most challenging and complex social problems. Their work is fundamental to our understanding of the issues faced by our poorest communities. The CSJ will continue to make the case to government and those developing policy for an ambitious approach to tackling the root causes of poverty.

This is a pivotal moment to join the CSJ. We are expanding our team with key hires, exploring groundbreaking policy areas for the first time in the UK think tank sector, and strengthening our engagement with the new government. Additionally, we have several high-profile events on the horizon, making this an exciting opportunity to be part of our growing impact.

The role

The CSJ is looking for an exceptional and ambitious senior fundraiser, with a proven track record of delivering sustainable growth to work in our busy Westminster office. Leading and developing a small team, you will be at the forefront of engaging a range of new donors, securing income against targets, raising the profile of our work and supporting other team members to maintain, grow and steward our incredible supporters.

You will report directly to the CEO and play a crucial role as part of the Senior Leadership Team. This is a key position within our organisation, requiring an exceptional individual who can consistently achieve ambitious targets without compromising on quality.

This is a fixed term contract to cover the current Development Director while she is taking maternity leave, however there may be the potential to extend the contract.

The person

• Significant experience in high value fundraising (working with Philanthropists, Corporates and Trusts and Foundations), preferably in the political and/or charitable sectors
• A proven track record of soliciting six and seven figure donations
• Experience of engaging and influencing high-profile and high-net-worth individuals and organisations
• Experience of managing and developing staff and leading teams
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to understand and summarise complex public policy ideas
• High level communications skills, pitch-writing ability, and experience with public speaking
• Commitment to the CSJ’s vision, mission and values
• A strong interest in current affairs, politics and the social justice agenda
• Meticulous attention to detail and calm under pressure
• A collaborative team player with initiative and a positive “can do” attitude
• Highly organised, discrete, and with a high degree of personal integrity

Main responsibilities

The successful candidate will lead the Development team to deliver the CSJ’s fundraising strategy and financial year income targets. Tasks include:

• Developing and implementing the CSJ’s fundraising strategy to deliver sustainable growth
• Increasing the number and range of supporters through prospecting, donation solicitation and the securing of new relationships
• Developing and implementing strategies to secure donations from existing and new major donors on a multi-year basis
• Managing and progressing the Development Team to ensure all are supported to achieve the highest possible standards
• Ensuring that exceptional relationship management characterises all fundraising work and impact reporting is always communicated to relevant donors
• Ensuring that fundraising proposals, impact reports and related donor facing correspondence are delivered to a high standard
• Overseeing and delivering exceptional CSJ fundraising events
• Ensuring that meticulous records of all fundraising activities on the CSJ’s CRM database (Salesforce) are maintained
• Working collaboratively with members of the Senior Leadership Team to achieve the CSJ’s overall mission and objectives
• Representing the CSJ externally and being an ambassador for its vision, mission, and values
• Producing and analysis and reports for the CSJ board of directors
• Other duties that arise from time to time