Senior Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager

  • Surfers Against Sewage
  • Oct 24, 2025
Full time Other

Job Description

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) is looking for someone to lead our Philanthropy & Partnerships programmes. It s an exciting role, and an exciting time for SAS. We re about to launch our new organisational strategy, and we re in the final stages of implementing a new CRM (Dynamics).

We re lucky to work with some of the most dynamic and innovative funders and partners in the UK and abroad, this role will maintain existing partnerships and develop new ones.

You ll come into a well-established, talented and friendly team. We re passionate about developing our people, and we ll work with you to make you the best leader and fundraiser you can be. We re looking for someone who has a caring and empathetic management style and enjoys coaching & mentoring their teams to help them grow and excel.

Working closely with the Director of Fundraising you ll be responsible for developing strategies to inspire donors, and cultivating these relationships towards securing major gifts. You ll take the lead on managing our larger Trust & Foundation & Corporate relationships, ensuring excellent relationship management to foster long term support for our work.

You ll be a great communicator and influencer able to work effectively across the organisation, bringing together key stakeholders and working collaboratively to bring our work to life for existing and potential donors.

Working with our colleagues in Campaigns & Policy and Communities you ll gain an excellent understanding of our work and impact and have the ability to use this information to craft compelling applications, donor materials and reports.

Underpinning your success will be a positive and proactive attitude, a solutions-oriented approach and a willingness to undertake hands on work.

  • Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors with a primary focus of gifts of £100,000+
  • Build excellent collaborative relationships with internal colleagues to collate information for funding proposals, impact reporting and stewardship opportunities.
  • Build and develop excellent relationships with our donors
  • Work with our communications team to ensure we celebrate the support of our donors appropriately
  • Maximise the use of SAS engagement opportunities (Parliamentary events, volunteer conferences, beach cleans, etc.) to cultivate prospects and steward donors to an exceptional standard
  • Management of income & expenditure budgets and KPI tracking mechanisms
  • Leadership, line management and development of a team of 3 passionate fundraisers
  • Development of strategy into detailed work plans and KPI tracking

Excellent stakeholder management skills and ability to work with, and communicate effectively and professionally with a wide range of individuals from internal colleagues, institutional leaders and external collaborators, stakeholders and donors.

An ability to assimilate complex information and translate this into compelling funding bids and impact reporting through excellent written communication skills.

A working knowledge of major gift, corporate & trust & foundation fundraising, including identification, research, solicitation and stewardship.

Experience of managing, coaching and mentoring a team to develop individuals to be the best they can be.