Vacancies

Job Number: 2545

Job Title: Tusts and Foundations Manager
Charity: Bone Cancer Research Trust
Salary Range: £38,000 – £42,000 pa
Location:Office, hybrid or remote based (Head office in Leeds; team meets in person at least twice a year)

Deadline for applications: 31st October

About us

In 2004, a group of families who had lost children and young people to primary bone cancer came together with a shared determination: to change the future for others. At the time, there was virtually no accessible information about primary bone cancer — and almost no funding for research into the disease.

Refusing to accept the status quo, the families pooled the funds they had already raised and, with the guidance of Professor Ian Lewis (Consultant Paediatrician and Adolescent Oncologist at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds), the Bone Cancer Research Trust was officially registered as a charity in 2006.

Today, bone cancer still brings heartbreak and devastation to hundreds of people each year. Too often, patients reach the end of current treatment options with no further hope.

While many major cancer charities overlook bone cancer, the Bone Cancer Research Trust is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to funding research into this brutal disease – made possible only through the generosity of our wonderful supporters.

With continued investment, we will discover new treatments and, one day, a cure for all. Until then, we remain here for everyone affected, offering vital support, trusted information, and hope.

By joining us, you’ll be part of a passionate, driven team working every day to save lives and change the future of bone cancer. Your skills, energy, and ideas could help bring us closer to the breakthroughs patients urgently need – and give hope to families when they need it most.

About the role

The Trusts & Foundations Fundraising Manager will play a pivotal role in a high-performing and ambitious fundraising team, leading the trusts and foundations portfolio to secure c.£500,000 per year in funding for BCRT’s vital research and charity services for patients and wider members of the primary bone cancer community. This is a critical role in ensuring we can deliver on our mission and build the foundations for long-term impact.

You will shape and deliver a balanced, strategic and proactive programme of trusts and foundations fundraising — one that achieves immediate income targets while cultivating larger, multi-year partnerships for the future. Working closely with colleagues across research, services, and finance, you will ensure our case for support is compelling, aligned with funder interests, and demonstrates the tangible difference their investment makes.

We are looking for a proactive and strategic fundraiser who can combine excellent relationship- building skills with strong analytical ability. The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable stewarding existing funders, developing innovative proposals, and mapping out long-term opportunities. You will have the confidence to represent BCRT externally — building visibility, networking across the health and research funding landscape, and fostering collaborative opportunities with other organisations.

As a leader, you will inspire and support your team to deliver their best work, creating an environment that values learning, ownership, and ambition. You will bring fresh ideas, excellent storytelling skills, and a passion for connecting funders with impact, helping us to secure the sustainable funding we need to be there for every patient and family affected by primary bone cancer.

Role Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and deliver BCRT’s Trusts and Foundations strategy and budget, achieving in‑year income targets of c.£500,000 while building a pipeline of future, multi‑year funding opportunities to ensure year on year growth.
• Develop and manage the Corporate Sponsorship sub-strategy to achieve agreed annual targets.
• Proactively identify and research new funding opportunities, assessing alignment with BCRT’s strategic priorities and long‑term ambitions.
• Represent BCRT externally at funder meetings, networking events, and sector forums, increasing our visibility within the research and health funding ecosystem.
• Keep abreast of major developments in funding trends and new funding bodies.

Relationship Management

• Build and steward strong relationships with a portfolio of existing and prospective funders, ensuring tailored engagement, timely reporting, and opportunities to deepen support into long‑term partnerships.
• Increase corporate engagement through the sponsorship of agreed events, overseeing the creation of new opportunities and proposals as they develop.

Team Leadership

• Line manage and support the Trusts & Foundations team, creating an empowering and ambitious environment that encourages growth, learning, and high performance.
• Ensure team members have clear, aspirational objectives, aligned to the team’s priorities.
• Foster a collaborative culture of learning, impact measurement, and continuous improvement.
• Lead by example in terms of a growth mindset, seeking out opportunities for yourself and the team to deepen expertise and gain fresh insights.

Grant Management

• Develop and maintain a compelling case for support, ensuring proposals and applications clearly demonstrate the impact of BCRT’s research and services.
• Collaborate with colleagues across research, services, finance, and communications to create well‑crafted, funder‑focused applications and reporting.
• Oversee grant compliance, reporting schedules, and donor communication in line with funder requirements.

Data Insight & Reporting

• Monitor and analyse performance against agreed KPIs, preparing accurate reports and forecasts for the Director of Fundraising and SLT.
• Use data to inform decision-making, forecasting, and pipeline development.
• Maintain accurate records and reporting using the charity’s CRM.

Other

• To ensure compliance with Data Protection, Electronic Communications, Institute of
• Fundraising and the Fundraising Regulator guidelines.
• To undertake training, development and appraisal activities as required by the charity’s leadership team.
• To evaluate own performance critically, and strive for continual improvement
• To select and make use of a variety of resources, including IT to manage workload effectively.
• To support the charity’s ethos and policies and demonstrate a commitment to attitude and behaviour that reflects our core values – Pioneering, Dynamic, Supportive, Knowledgeable and Trustworthy.
• To act as an ambassador for BCRT and attend and support fundraising and other events as and when required which will include some evenings and weekends.
• To carry out any other duties as may be reasonably requested that are commensurate with the level of this role.

Person Specification

Essential Experience & Knowledge

• Demonstrable track record in leading on successful medium and major grant applications, including multi-year grants.

• Experience of managing the full grant lifecycle, from prospecting and application to stewardship and reporting.
• Proven experience of meeting challenging financial targets through relationship development.
• Experience in strategic planning and budgeting.
• Experience of effective line management and team development.

Desirable Experience & Knowledgeable

• Knowledge of the medical research funding landscape.
• Experience of using a charity CRM system

Essential Skills / Abilities

• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to research and write compelling applications and reports.
• Excellent interpersonal and consultative skills to manage long-term internal and external stakeholder relationships, including the ability to communicate, present, negotiate, influence and build credibility.
• Ability to be flexible and work in a rapidly changing team / organisation.
• Ability and motivation to deliver high-quality work with minimal supervision.
• Sound financial literacy and understanding of budgeting, impact measurement, and outcomes reporting.

Essential Personal Qualities

• Collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Strategic thinker who can spot opportunities and shape fundable ideas.
• Self-starter with a proactive approach to acquisition and retention of funder relationships.
• Willing and able to travel within the UK and work evenings and weekends as required.

Desirable Personal Qualities

• A shared passion for the work of the Bone Cancer Research Trust
• Own car and current UK driving licence

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