Trusts and Philanthropy Officer

Are you passionate about making sure people affected by spinal cord injury get the support they need to transform their lives? Are you committed to enabling people to raise their aspirations post spinal cord injury?

If so, Back Up could offer you an inspiring and fulfilling role making a significant difference to the lives of people affected by spinal cord injury.

About the role:  

We pride ourselves in the strength of our relationships and the difference we make together to deliver our ambitious strategy and change lives. As Trusts and Philanthropy Officer, you’ll be responsible for working as part of a supportive team to drive and deliver the Trusts and Major Donor strategies. Line managed by the Partnerships Lead, and closely working with major donor and trusts team members, 60% of your role will maintain and maximise income from your own portfolio of warm and new charitable trusts and foundations from an established and growing pipeline. For 40% of your time, you will be researching and co-ordinating a growing pipeline of individuals capable of giving high value gifts.  

For full details please see our job description.   

About us:  

At Back Up, we have big ambitions. We launch our bold new strategy in April 2025 and together we’ll be working hard to make sure everyone affected by spinal cord injury has access to the support they need. We have a unique portfolio of high-impact services, and we are the only spinal cord injury charity in the UK providing dedicated services to children and young people.   

At Back Up, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all our employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from those from black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds or those with higher level spinal cord injuries.  

In 2024 Back Up won The Times and The Sunday Times Spotlight Award for Best place to work for disabled employees. Previously, Back Up was voted one of the top ten charities to work for (Third Sector Best Charities 2020). The enthusiastic, inclusive and supportive spirit of our very skilled staff ensure excellence in the services we deliver.  

How to apply  

Please apply by emailing recruitment@backuptrust.org.uk by midnight on Sunday 2nd March with:  

• A CV (including two referees, one of whom should be your present or most recent employer. We will contact them after interview.)  

• A (maximum) two side A4 supporting statement, saying why you want the job and explaining how you meet the criteria in the job description. This statement is crucial; CVs alone will not be accepted.   

• A completed equal opportunities form. This form will be kept separate from your application, and not viewed by the recruiting manager. It is used to help us assess the diversity of our applicants to ensure our processes are fair to all. It is optional to fill in but it will help us improve and maintain high standards.   

We will acknowledge receipt of your application, and then let you know if you are to be invited to interview.  First round interviews will be on Thursday 6th and 7th March 2025.  If you cannot make any of those dates, please indicate this when you apply.    

What will the process involve?  

The process will involve at least one interview round which will be either in person or online. There will be a panel interviewing you and you may be asked to complete a task beforehand to present to the panel. If you need any support or adjustment to the recruitment process at any stage, do please ask and we’d be pleased to work with you to put these in place so that you can perform to the best of your abilities throughout the process and demonstrate your suitability for the role. Please email recruitment@backuptrust.org.uk  

Guaranteed Interview Scheme  

As a ‘Disability Confident’ employer we are committed to the inclusion of disabled people as candidates and employees. If you have a disability and meet the minimum criteria of the role, set out as essential criteria in the job description, we will invite you to interview. Please let us know if you are eligible for the scheme: recruitment@backuptrust.org.uk.  

Note: if the vacancy receives a high-volume number of applicants that far exceeds the number of those expected, we will make a decision about the overall number of interviews offered. Of these, a proportionate number of interviews will be offered to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria, in the same way that applications from non-disabled people that meet the general criteria will also be limited.

Don’t meet every single requirement?   

At Back Up we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every criteria in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at Back Up.