Philanthropy Manager (Maternity cover)

• Chelsea, Greater London (Hybrid)
• £40,000 - £43,000 per year
• Full-time
• Contract (12 months)

About us

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money to save the lives of people with cancer, everywhere. We ensure our nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments, which are used across the UK and around the world. 

From funding state-of-the-art equipment and ground-breaking research, to creating the very best patient environments, we will never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. 

We are a very ambitious organisation which has gone through transformational growth over the past five years. Alongside funding an existing programme of world-leading research, treatment and care, the Charity completed its largest capital appeal to date, successfully raising £70 million to build the Oak Cancer Centre at the hospital’s Sutton site, which opened in summer 2023. 

With one in two of us expected to develop some form of cancer, it is essential that we go even further in our fundraising efforts to support the essential work of The Royal Marsden. Therefore, we are delivering our most ambitious strategy yet, that will see us raising at least £215m over the 5-year period.  

The Charity is committed its biggest fundraising appeal to date, for a new major development project in Chelsea. There is also an extensive portfolio of engaging projects outside of the capital appeals that help to support all aspects of the hospital’s work to improve the lives of cancer patients. 

Our values

We know that to succeed it is critical to work collaboratively, with a set of shared behaviours that guide and govern how we work every day. In consultation with our staff, we have defined five Values which we believe are central to who we are and how we work and we are committed to living them daily.

We are:

Respectful

We believe in a safe, supportive workplace, seek the expertise and contribution of others and are mindful of the needs of our supporters and stakeholders.

Kind

We are caring, responsive, considerate, and generous with our time.

Ambitious

We have high aspirations and are enterprising in our approach.

Purposeful

We make informed decisions which support our agreed priorities, showing desire and determination to achieve our goals to make a tangible difference.

Versatile

We explore alternative solutions and respond positively to new opportunities to maximise our impact.

The Philanthropy and Partnerships Directorate

Working for us offers you a challenging and rewarding career, as well as the chance to really improve the lives of those living with cancer.

The Philanthropy and Partnerships Directorate, a high performing function that is responsible for all areas of high value fundraising including major donors, trusts and foundations, corporate partners and special events/high value committee supporters.

We work with the Charity’s most generous supporters, who make a significant difference to the work of The Royal Marsden. Philanthropy plays a vital role in the success of funding the hospital’s most urgent priorities and projects.

Job purpose

We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join the Philanthropy and Partnerships Directorate on a one-year fixed-term contract to provide maternity cover for our Philanthropy Manager. As Philanthropy Manager you will manage a portfolio of existing major donors and lead on building relationships with new potential supporters to secure 5 and 6 figure donations. You will support the Head of Philanthropy and Special Events, other members of the RMCC leadership team, to explore their networks, facilitate introductions and secure gifts.

You will be a proactive individual with a proven ability and passion for relationship management and donor acquisition driving the delivery of our donor-centric strategy for philanthropy. 

This is an opportune time to join The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity as we embark on our most ambitious Appeal to date. We are a high performing team, and this role presents an exciting opportunity to play a vital part in helping us to realise our ambition whilst developing your career within an ambitious organisation.

Working relationships

You will work closely with our Senior Philanthropy Managers, and regularly liaise with the Head of Philanthropy and Special Events, and Associate Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships and their Deputy. You will also work directly with teams at the hospital, as well as colleagues across P&P and Public Fundraising.

Key areas of responsibility

1.1.               Develop strategic and personalised solicitation and stewardship plans for a portfolio of donors and prospects in the UK and abroad.

1.2.               Take initiative to identify and build new relationships with individuals with a focus on securing five and six figure donations in line with agreed targets.

1.3.               Proactively manage a personal prospect pipeline to align with team strategy, driving progress in a confident and autonomous manner, and working in partnership with the Senior Philanthropy Manager, as well as the Head of Philanthropy and Special Events and other members of P&P leadership team, to secure multi-year commitments from supporters.

1.4.               Identify and craft bespoke compelling propositions which support the hospital’s grant programme of activity, and appeal to prospects and supporters’ individual interests.

1.5.               Work with senior volunteers to identify potential donors and ensure the most effective and strategic approaches are made to secure funds and facilitate further introductions.

1.6.               Develop strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders involved with the hospital, influencing effectively to secure favourable outcomes for The Royal Marsden.

1.7.               Support the Philanthropy & Partnerships Team by contributing to the annual planning and reporting process reporting against agreed income and expenditure budgets.

1.8.               Ensure that donor records and pipeline tracking on our supporter database (Raisers Edge) are accurate and kept up to date and that all information relating to donors is produced and stored in line with General Data Protection Regulation and best practice.

1.9.               Work with the wider Philanthropy and Partnerships team, and other fundraising teams, to support the strategy in the context of achieving the team’s and charity’s overall objectives and targets.

This job description is intended as an outline of the general areas of activity within the job role. It will be amended from time to time in the light of the changing needs of the organisation.

Diversity and inclusion

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity believes in treating people fairly with respect and dignity, and in valuing diversity. We believe that a diverse workforce allows us to deliver on our mission to ensure our nurses, doctors, researchers and supporting staff can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments for cancer patients.

We believe everyone has the right to live their life without fear and prejudice and contribute to society in a way which is authentic to them.

It is this core belief that underscores our commitment to providing equal opportunities for all staff and volunteers at the Charity. Our aim is to foster a supportive culture which values the contribution of each member of the team regardless of their age, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, nationality, race, religion or belief.

Ultimately, our aim is to create a workforce which is representative of the people we exist to support, whilst contributing to the creation of a more equitable, diverse and inclusive charitable sector.
 

Deadline for applications: Thursday 9 April 2026

Please apply on the CharityJob page.