JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE POST OF: Supporter Engagement Manager
                               
AREA/UNIT: PFRU

RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of Fundraising

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Supporter Engagement team

GRADE OF POST: A

SPECIFIC JOB PURPOSE

Practical Action's mission is to challenge poverty using technology and over the next 5 years we hope to change the live of 6 million poor people. The Public Fundraising team will contribute to that by raising over £60 million. The Supporter Engagement Team Manager will play a key role in a achieving this through supporting the strategic development, and delivery of integrated, multi-channel marketing programmes. You will lead the team responsible for delivering engaging and inspirational appeals for support that recruit over fifty thousand new supporters who are each capable of giving over £100 a year to Practical Action. You will be responsible for managing a team of five staff who will deliver a variety of first class direct response, direct dialogue, tele-marketing, and digital appeals, and our class leading University Fundraising programme. Working closely with the Supporter Experience Manager to ensure a seamless experience for new donors, ensuring that welcome journeys are appropriate for new supporters You will ensure that all touch points with supporters represent Practical Action’s passion, vision and values.

SCOPE OF ROLE

The Supporter Engagement Manager will achieve this by:

• Providing inspirational team leadership for the Supporter Engagement team. Able to deliver success and deal with difficult situations and non-performance, you will through regular one-to-one meetings, appraisals, objectives setting and personal development provide support ensuring the team are able to deliver successful campaigns that deliver against recruitment targets.
• Innovating, and improving our acquisition programme, testing and developing new acquisition channels working with media and creative agencies as well as internal service providers
• Negotiating with, manage and motivate agencies retained to deliver highly effective and innovative donor recruitment campaigns
• Ensuring acquisition performance is in line with agreed metrics
• Working closely with the Supporter Experience Manager to ensure a seamless experience for new donors, ensuring that welcome journeys are appropriate for new supporters.
• Working closely with Supporter Experience Manager on the external acquisition component of existing Appeals and Legacy/ Bequest Direct Marketing programmes .
• Working with Supporter Experience Manager to ensure the donor acquisition is aligned with the donor journey.

SPECIFIC JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning, management and evaluation of the supporter acquisition and development strategies

• To lead, prepare and develop strategic fundraising plans for the recruitment of individual donors to complement the overall Public Fundraising strategy;
• To lead and manage the Supporter Engagement team to develop the strategic plan for individual supporter recruitment activities ensuring fundraising strategic income and donor targets are met. Leading the execution of the annual plan by the Supporter Engagement team and external agencies against agreed objectives and targets;
• Identify, engage and manage day to day relationships with agencies, consultants and suppliers and to  negotiate and confirm simple and occasional complex contracts and agreements, ensuring targets and agreed outputs are met, on brief and of the quality expected;
• To lead on the development of, and manage a complex annual income and expenditure budget, tracking, monitoring and analysing the performance of individual fundraising campaigns, reviewing expenditure, income and donor trends and reporting actively to the Head of Public Fundraising and Marketing Director at regular intervals, including monthly income meetings;
• To manage the review, re-forecast and re-phase of income at key strategic periods.

Lead creative management of all donor acquisition campaigns

• To lead and manage all Individuals donor recruitment campaigns, ensuring they are of the highest creative quality, combining an excellent understanding of the most effective creative executions and the work of Practical Action;
• To have responsibility for approving fundraising materials produced internally and externally;
• Ensure the Supporter Engagement team have in place systems and procedures developed for the collection and preparation of quality information required for the creative execution of fundraising campaigns;
• To lead and manage activities to research, investigate and develop new forms of fundraising and creative approaches to fundraising to inform future strategy and planning.

Leadership and Management responsibility for Supporter Engagement team

• To lead, motivate, develop, coach and ensure training is in place for Supporter Engagement team members to ensure their effective co-ordination of fundraising initiatives, Ensuring regular 1/1 meetings and annual appraisals are held with each  team member and the day to day work of each team member is clearly delegated, their work priorities are managed and clear targets are set;
• Ensure clear systems are in place to manage and plan the work within the Supporter Engagement team.

Other responsibilities

• In the absence of the Head of Fundraising, this post may also be required to deputise and take responsibility for any key decisions that are made in their absence.

• To undertake any other reasonable tasks and responsibilities as delegated by the Head of Fundraising and/or Marketing and Communications Director.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internally the post holder will work closely with the wider Public Fundraising Team (PFRU) with the main activity linked to the Supporter Experience team and SSU to ensure the timely and accurate processing of new donor data. Externally the post will be building relationships that assist our strategy to engage with multiple audiences including individual givers, challenge eventers, universities, membership groups and corporate organisations.

LINE MANAGEMENT OR SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

This post is currently responsible for the line management of 6 staff, comprising three Executives, one Officer and two Assistants.  The role also manages relations with our external advertising agencies and marketing suppliers for donor acquisition.  The jobholder is required to ensure clear work plans are developed and that specific work projects are delegated to the fundraising officers. The post holder is responsible for achieving, or exceeding, successful quality donor recruitment in line with agreed strategic objectives.

KEY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Level of educational achievement required

• Degree level essential, preferably marketing related;
• CIM or IDM post graduate diploma;

Level of experience required
• Minimum of seven years Direct Marketing Fundraising experience within the charity/voluntary sectors, with specific direct response campaign management and a track record of success in delivering regional and national integrated donor acquisition campaigns;
• At least five years line management experience;

Specific skills required

• Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing including ability to write and present for example strategies or project plans or reports,
• Ability to develop relationships with key stakeholders both internal and external
• Ability to host, chair and contribute to meetings with senior staff and external contacts
• Persuasion, negotiation and presentation skills
• Prioritising and decision making skills:
• Working to tight deadlines
• IT literate, including the ability to use Microsoft office, or equivalent, and CRM databases preferably the Raiser’s Edge
• Ability to work proactively and as part of an integrated fundraising team
• Ability to take on the line management and supervision of staff
• Ability to work with a wide range of individuals at senior level
• Ability to manage high-level, integrated and organisation wide communication programmes
• A comprehensive understanding of Direct Marketing fundraising principles
• A good understanding of legislation related to direct marketing/data protection issues
• A commitment to Practical Action’s stated values and working principles
• Commitment to Practical Action’s values and a working style that reflects these

Specific experience required

• Managing effective, motivated teams
• Developing and managing business plans and budgets
• Project planning and implementation
• Developing and implementing integrated marketing plans
• Writing creative communications and copy
• Working with and managing external agencies and suppliers
• Working in an Individual Giving environment
• Managing external agencies as a retainer client
• Running direct response and direct dialogue marketing campaigns from briefing to delivery
• Managing expenditure budgets
• Understanding of third world development issues is desirable;

This post may be required to work unsocial hours, away from the office, or overnight when necessary.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Candidates will need to demonstrate excellence in the following

• Self motivation; Takes responsibility to ensure commitments are met. Achieves objectives despite problems and frustrations. Is aware of strengths and limitations
• Drive for results; Seeks better ways of doing things, improves on status quo, creates energy and enthusiasm.  Willing to take ownership to exceed expectations.
• Planning and organising; Is able to prioritise effectively. Is able to build alternative actions into plans. Reviews priorities. Is able to gather and deploy resources effectively
• Initiative; is able to respond effectively to the unexpected. Is biased towards taking action, having identified current or future problems or opportunities.
• Teamwork; Works co-operatively with others as opposed to working separately. Is aware of issues that may affect the work of others. Shares ideas and information to find the best way.
 

Supporter Engagement Manager

For further details and an application pack, please complete the form on the "Download" tab of this page to download files, or contact the HR Unit, Practical Action; Tel: 01926 634503 or by email: recruitment@practicalaction.org.uk

Closing date for return of completed applications is Monday 18th March 2013 

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

ALL CANDIDATES MUST HAVE THE PRE-EXISTING RIGHT TO LIVE AND WORK IN THE UK

We positively welcome applicants from all sections of the community.