Trusts and Foundations Manager

Location: Hybrid – your time will be split between our office/venue on Bristol Harbourside, and your home or wherever you like to work, however we would like the successful candidate to be able to commit to at least two days a week in our Bristol office.

We’re happy to support a flexible working pattern across three, four or five days a week. You just need to be able to attend key meetings, have some crossover with the rest of the Development team and deliver the responsibilities of the role.

Department: Development 

Report to: Gifts and Partnerships Manager 

Responsible for: N/A 

Salary: £40,000 per annum pro rata (£24,000 - £28,000 per annum dependent on whether contract is 0.6 or 0.7 FTE, see working hours below).   

Contract: 18-month fixed-term contract 

Working hours: Part-time, 22.5 hours a week (0.6 FTE) OR 26.25 hours a week (0.7 FTE), flexible over 3, 4 or 5 days. This may include attending events outside of normal working hours.

About the role 

We The Curious is about to enter an exciting new phase in its mission to connect and empower everyone through shared creative science learning experiences. It is nearly a year since we reopened and as we enter our 25th Anniversary Year there is lots to celebrate and talk about with our new multi-year strategy, Plan 2030 which encompasses numerous major projects for which we must develop and cultivate support. 

The Development Team is responsible for fundraising across the whole organisation and the stewardship and development of our donors and supporters. The other members of the team are the Development Manager, the Gifts and Partnerships Manager and Development Account Manager. We are looking for a Trusts and Foundations Manager who is collaborative, organised and an excellent communicator to join the team to help us maximise and unlock some very exciting fundraising opportunities. 

As Trusts and Foundations Manager you will use your skills in research and persuasion to identify grants funding opportunities, establish new relationships and write and submit proposals to trusts, foundations, Lottery funders, the local authority, universities and research councils. Working closely with the rest of the team and project managers from other departments you will raise between six and seven figure sums for our programme of creative science learning and inclusion projects.

What will you do in this role? 

Role specific responsibilities 

_Identify new grants funding sources, including trusts and foundations, research councils and statutory/government funders.

_Prepare and submit high quality funding proposals, expressions of interest and budgets in accordance with strict deadlines and application criteria, to a diverse range of funders, for up to seven-figure sums.

_Work closely with internal departmental teams to develop We The Curious projects so that they are ready for fundraising and write detailed and compelling cases for support that include timelines, budgets and evaluation and reporting plans.

_Support the funding applications of other partner organisations by collaboratively drafting budgets, attending project development meetings and writing letters of support.

_Support the Development Account Manager to cultivate potential funders, including attending on-site visits and events, phone calls and delivering presentations to secure support.

_Support the Development Account Manager to manage a portfolio of funders including overseas relationships, fulfilling reporting and public recognition requirements, thank you letters, regular communications and other correspondence.

_Liaise with the finance team to record new income and report on expenditure in accordance with funder deadlines.   

_Support the Gifts and Partnerships Manager and Development Manager in identifying new strategic opportunities and exploring new types of income stream. This may include presenting to the leadership team. Contribute to the delivery of the fundraising strategy, including proposing financial targets for grants, lottery and research income.

_Work closely with the Open City Research (OCR) Manager to identify and pursue new funding opportunities for our ambitious OCR programme and work with the finance team to establish a new funding model for this activity. Support the Gifts and Partnerships Manager and Sustainability and Science Director in cultivating high-value stakeholders in STEM and research sectors.

_Assist in the implementation of the Development Team’s migration onto a new CRM database working closely with the Development Account Manager to customise the database for the Development team’s needs. 

_Work with the finance team to understand our financial position and as requested by the Finance Director, contributing to key organisational financial documentation, such as the annual business plan. 

_Manage Fundraising Volunteers supporting the administrative workload of the team and attend Volunteer Key Contacts meetings.

_Attend and occasionally present at We The Curious staff meetings, exhibition launches, project meetings, project development presentations and meetings as required.

General ​responsibilities 

_Develop and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of We The Curious’ planned activities for communities and schools to present our work persuasively to funders and partners.

_Embody and demonstrate our values; Collaborative, Creative, Inquisitive, Playful, Progressive.

_Responsible for carefully following safeguarding policies and procedures and raising any concerns to manager/Designated Safeguarding Officer.

_General responsibility for departmental compliance with GDPR.

_Occasional out of hours work and travel to events. 

What we’re looking for from you 

_You’ll have at least three years of fundraising experience, with success at delivering against financial targets and strict deadlines. You’ll have the ability to network, build and manage funding relationships with a wide range of funders and other stakeholders.

_You’ll be confident explaining and pitching ideas to internal and external stakeholders.

_You’ll have experience of working very closely with project delivery teams to develop projects, ensure they know what they need to deliver for funders and monitor their expenditure.

_You’ll have excellent budget management skills, the ability to work independently and effectively and will be confident reporting on six or seven figure budgets.

_You will have good understanding of the financial and regulatory environment charities operate within.

_You’ll have some technical knowledge and experience at using and developing fundraising databases.

_You’ll have experience and confidence in managing multiple projects simultaneously.

_You’ll have the ability to understand We The Curious’ broad-ranging project content and tailor it to appropriate style and content for target funders.

_You’ll have excellent verbal and written communication skills.

_You’ll ideally have an understanding or experience of working in education, culture and/or science charities. 

Application process 

Deadline for applications: Friday 25th April at midnight. 

Interview date and location: Wednesday 14th May 2025 at We The Curious. 

Start date: Approximately 9th June 2024. 

Application process:

If you would like to apply, please complete the application form. It contains questions designed to assess your interest in and suitability for the role.

Please don't send in CVs or cover letters as we don't review them.

We appreciate interviews can be stressful, so we try to make them more of a conversation and a chance for you to tell us about how your skills and interests make you the right person for the role.

If you are invited for an interview, we'll send you the questions that you'll be asked beforehand so that you have time to prepare.

If you have any particular needs or requirements, please do let us know so that we can make the required adjustments.

Support during the process 

We The Curious is a Disability Confident Employer and we welcome applications from candidates who self-assess themselves as having a disability. We will guarantee an interview to applicants who advise that they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy. To help you, under the Equality Act 2010 a person is defined as having a disability if a) they have a physical or mental impairment, and b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. 

We want to work with you to ensure the recruitment process is accessible for you. 

If you are disabled, neurodivergent, or if you have a long-term health condition, we’ll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to our processes for you. 

You’ll have the opportunity to let us know about any adjustments you may need throughout the application and selection process. We’ll continue this conversation if you join us as a staff member, and we’ll work with you to make sure you have the adjustments you need to succeed in your role. 

Examples of adjustments could include: 
_providing alternative formats at every stage 
_options to apply  
_extra time for tasks 
_providing some extra information about what to expect 
_office orientation before an in-person interview. 

Including everyone  

We value the positive impact greater representation will have on our organisation, programmes and culture. It’s our goal to become an inclusive place to work and for our teams to better reflect our city and the people who visit us.  

We welcome applications from people of all lived experiences and particularly those that are not well represented* in the science centre sector.  

*By not well represented we mean people with lived experience including but not limited to:​ 
_African and African-Caribbean heritage​ 
_South Asian and East Asian heritage ​ 
_Global Majority
_Disabled​ 
_Neurodivergent ​ 
_Visually Impaired ​ 
_Deaf community 
_LGBTQIA+ and/or non-binary   ​ 
_Working class background​ 
_Didn’t go to university or first in your immediate family to attend University 

Working with us 

We value the people that work with us. Our staff have access to the following: 

Wellbeing & support 

_Flexible working 

_Hybrid working (if suitable and stated for role) 

_Cycle to work scheme 

_Free yearly flu jabs and eye tests 

_Paid sick leave for physical and mental health 

_Mental Health First Aiders 

_Confidential advice & counselling through the Employee Support Programme 

Leave 

_25 days holiday in addition to bank holidays (all pro-rata). 

_A day of extra holiday for every 5 years’ service. 

_An amount of paid leave for emergency dependent care, domestic emergency leave and compassionate leave. 

New Parent Policy 

We are proud to be a family friendly organisation, which is why we work to develop our people practices in line with that value. We have recently introduced a non-gendered approach to Maternity and Paternity, re-branded as our “New Parent Policy”. There are eligibility criteria and terms and conditions, but the key take away is that anyone who is due to become a new parent, regardless of their gender, can take one year off work, and we’ll pay your full salary for the first five months. 

Facilities & discounts 

_Free tickets to the venue for you and up to four guests, plus 12 additional entry tickets per calendar year to give away. 

_15% off in the We ​The Curious café 

_20% off in our shop 

_Range of discounts with local businesses and free entry to other local attractions. 

_Social events 

_Secure cycle storage 

Pension 

_We offer a pension scheme with 5% company contributions. 

​Death in service benefit 

_Four times your annual salary.