Vacancies

Job Number: 2543

Job Title: Development Manager
Charity:  Chiltern Society
Salary Range: Up to £40,000
Location: Hybrid -2 days a week from Chiltern Society Offices, Chesham, remote working and travel within the Chilterns

Deadline for applications: 30th October

About us

We care for the Chilterns. We are passionate about protecting the natural beauty, cultural heritage, and environmental sustainability of the Chilterns. Our work is rooted in:

Celebrating the Chilterns – helping people connect with, and therefore protect, the natural environment and cultural heritage of the Chilterns; encouraging more people to join in the diverse range of activities they can enjoy in the area.

Campaigning – being the voice for everyone concerned about the long-term sustainability of the natural and built environment in the Chilterns, using our expertise and partnership to make a digerence on a national level.

Conserving and enhancing – giving everyone, no matter where they live or their background, the opportunity to be involved in activities that sustain and enhance the unique beauty and character of the Chilterns.

About the role

This is an exciting new role at the heart of our growth plans. As Development Manager you’ll help shape, fund and deliver major projects that protect and enhance the Chilterns’ natural beauty, heritage and access for future generations.

This is more than a fundraising role—it’s about bringing ideas to life. Supported by an established team, you’ll work across our four delivery areas – Conservation, Access (Rights of Way), Heritage & Culture and Planning – turning ideas into well-designed, fundable projects. You’ll secure income from grants, partnerships, corporate sponsors and philanthropists, and support delivery with clear budgets, milestones and impact reporting.

We’re looking for a dynamic, self-starter with a strong track record in helping to develop projects with funding in mind, securing diverse income streams, and tracking budgets and milestones to egectively report. You will work with our experts to help shape a project, using your significant experience on securing philanthropic income, to craft successful bids and pitches and support the project lead with your knowledge of funders’ budget, impact tracking and KPI requirements. If you are driven by purpose and process, targets, and results; are confident navigating both the public and private sectors; and passionate about conserving the landscape, this is your chance to make a real and lasting digerence.

Budget responsibilities: We already have three significant projects (£0.5m–£2m) ready to develop, aiming to raise up to £500k in year one and £750k–£1m by year three.

Role Responsibilities

Development

• Working together with work-stream leads and the senior management team to develop fundable, impactful projects supporting the Chiltern Society’s four delivery areas: Conservation, Access (Rights of Way), Heritage & Culture, and Planning.
• Establish simple, consistent project management standards and processes to assist with funding bids, and ensure these are adhered to for project development across the Chiltern Society (eg standardised project timeline and budgets templates, milestones tracking, KPIs monitoring, etc).
• Working with work-stream leads and the senior management team, shape projects to meet funders’ priorities and maximise impact.
• Track, evaluate, and report on project development and fundraising performance to management and trustees.
• Monitor progress through delivery and ensure reporting and end-of-grant requirements are met.
• Where needed, support project leads in early delivery (eg help with recruitment, induction of new project stag).

Funding & income generation

• Work with work-stream leads and the senior management team to identify, cultivate and manage relationships with project partners, donors, corporate sponsors, trusts, and foundations.
• Research, write, and submit high-quality funding applications and grant proposals. Fulfil all funder reporting and end of grant requirements.
• Secure diverse income streams from statutory bodies, trusts, foundations, corporates, and individual philanthropists.
• Align projects with core fundraising campaigns and supporter engagement goals to ensure Projects play a part in development of donor and supporter journeys.
• Where possible ensure projects are designed with fundability and awareness in mind, contributing to core costs/overheads, complementing existing campaigns and broadening the Society’s appeal to new and existing supporters.
• Conduct due diligence on potential funders and funding sources to ensure alignment with the Chiltern Society’s mission, values, and ethical standards.

Partnership & stakeholder engagement

• Prioritise collaborative and productive working relationships with work-stream leads and the senior management team to draw out and develop fundable project ideas. Working together to shape and develop ideas that not only have impact for the Chilterns but also appeal to funders.
• Collaborate with senior management team and volunteers to develop compelling narratives, cases for support and reporting/end of grant impact reports.
• Work closely with the existing fundraising and awareness team to ensure project plans enhance and align with overall fundraising strategies.

Organisational capacity & learning

• Ensure project management standards and processes are adhered to for project development across the Chiltern Society (eg standardised project timeline and budgets templates, milestones tracking, KPIs monitoring, etc).
• Ensure all projects and fundraising activities are in line with the charities purpose and comply with legal and ethical standards.
• Contribute to wider charity operations and strategic initiatives as needed.
• Help build the charity’s internal capacity to deliver projects through knowledge sharing, training, and documentation of best practices.

Person Specification

Professional skills and experience

• Proven success in turning ideas into fully funded projects that deliver real
  impact.
• Strong track record of securing income from a diverse mix of philanthropic
  sources — from major grants and trusts to corporate partnerships and high-value
  donors.
• Exceptional bid-writing skills: able to craft persuasive, high-quality proposals
  and pitches that inspire confidence in funders.
• Skilled at bid development and management — shaping concepts into funder-
  friendly plans backed by process; clear budgets, timelines, milestones, and KPIs.
• Confident in monitoring progress, evaluating impact, and reporting outcomes to
  funders.
• Experienced in cultivating partnerships and collaborations that amplify reach
  and resources.
• Adept at aligning projects with wider organisational campaigns to maximise
  visibility, supporter engagement, and wider income opportunities.
• Financially astute, with the ability to track and manage budgets.
• Knowledgeable about funder priorities and able to anticipate trends across the
  philanthropic, corporate, and statutory landscapes.
• A genuine passion with the conservation, heritage, or environmental sector — or
  an ability to quickly immerse yourself in it.
• Experience of working and leading volunteers.

Attributes & qualities

• A dynamic self-starter, energised by challenge and motivated by results.
• Purpose-driven, with a genuine passion for protecting nature, heritage, and landscapes for future generations.
• A creative storyteller, able to bring projects to life through compelling narratives
  that win hearts, minds, and funding.
• Collaborative and influential — a natural relationship-builder who can bring
  diverse stakeholders on board.
• Strategic and entrepreneurial, always spotting opportunities and shaping ideas
  to match funder ambitions.
• Highly organised, able to introduce structure and process without losing
  momentum or creativity.
• Resilient and adaptable, thriving in a fast-moving environment with ambitious
  targets.
• Ethical and values-led, committed to fundraising that reflects the charity’s
  mission and integrity.
• Inspiring team player, willing to share knowledge and build capacity across the
  organisation.
• Current UK valid driving licence and ideally with their own car (for business use).

For a copy of the full job description, including the full person specifications and details on how to apply please contact us via the form on this page.