Fundraising & Operations Director

Join to apply for the Fundraising & Operations Director role at Refugee Legal Support

At Refugee Legal Support (RLS), we’re seeking a dynamic leader to become our new Fundraising Director. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to shape the future of a values-driven legal organisation that stands in solidarity with people on the move. Following significant growth in recent years, you’ll build on strong foundations to support the organisation’s sustainability, bring strategic vision, excellent stakeholder management skills and a collaborative approach to support the delivery of RLS’s new strategic plan.

Beyond fundraising, you’ll be a key member of our Management Team, working closely with the Executive Director, Legal Director and board of trustees to shape the future of the organisation. This is a perfect opportunity for anyone looking to develop senior management skills and to sustain and grow RLS’s impact while shaping its future.

About Refugee Legal Support

What we do

Refugee Legal Support is an international legal support organisation, with operations in Greece, the UK and Northern France. We’re committed to ensuring access to justice through expert legal information and advice to people seeking safety and family reunification. Our casework is a tool to tackle individual and systemic injustice in immigration systems.

We’re specialised and use our expertise for strategic impact. We strive to be thorough and aim for precision and accuracy in all of our work. In a fast‑changing environment we use our experience and expertise to move quickly to meet needs, but also think beyond the immediate context and push for positive systemic change.

We continuously think and challenge ourselves in how we develop our anti‑racist practice and empower refugee leadership. We recognise that climate justice and migrant struggles are interconnected and view our work through this lens.

To get a fuller picture of our financial health and impact, have a look at our most recent accounts on the charity commission website. (Refugee Legal Support, Charity number: 1191680)

Working at RLS

Some of our benefits include:

• Generous annual leave: 28 days (pro rata for part‑time employees) plus bank holidays and additional days at Christmas;
• Flexible working schemes, compressed hours and remote working are available;
• 8% pension scheme with ethical pension provider. RLS contributes 5% with minimum 3% staff contribution;
• Wellbeing offering: access to specialist individual counselling, group clinical supervision or alternative means of wellbeing support (body and mind classes of choice);
• Enhanced maternity and partner leave;
• Enhanced sick leave and pay;
• Wellbeing leave;
• Learning & Development: each member of staff has access to training resources and courses and shadowing opportunities;
• We work in a purpose built office environment near Old Street Station, shared with two like-minded organisations.

Role Overview: Fundraising & Operations Director

Core Responsibilities

Fundraising strategy and development

• Lead the development and delivery of RLS’s fundraising strategy to meet our funding targets and deliver our strategy.
• Meaningfully involve and guide the Management Team, trustees and Fundraising Officer in strategy development and delivery.
• Develop new funding sources as appropriate.
• Ensure that funding sources fit with RLS’s values and our moral and ethical fundraising policy.

Organisational leadership

• Work with the Management Team and trustees to lead on the delivery of RLS’s strategic objectives.
• Work with the Management Team to lead RLS, including finding creative solutions to issues as they arise and ensuring the smooth running of the organisation.
• Foster a supportive work environment that’s true to RLS’s values.

Lead on funder relationships

• Develop and cultivate relationships with potential funders.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of funding opportunities to meet our targets and fulfil our strategy.
• Lead relationships with existing funders, ensuring that they’re regularly engaged and that all reporting deadlines are met.
• Support the Fundraising Officer to lead on certain funder relationships.

Proposal and application development

• Lead the development of compelling applications and proposals for funders.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to ensure that all funding applications meet the needs of RLS and align with our strategy.
• Support the Fundraising Officer to deliver high quality proposals and applications.

Individual giving and major donors

• Work closely with the Fundraising Officer to develop and deliver a high quality individual giving programme to meet our fundraising targets.
• Manage relationships with major donors and further develop this income stream.

Communications and events

• Work closely with the Fundraising Officer to develop and deliver RLS’s communications strategy.
• Work with the Fundraising Officer and CEO to oversee and continue to develop RLS’s website.
• Organise and deliver events from time‑to‑time to support the delivery of RLS’s fundraising strategy.

Risk management, reporting and record keeping

• Ensure that the Management Team and board have an accurate picture of RLS’s financial position, including a clear picture of risk.
• Oversee accurate records of funder and donor relationships and income through our CRM.

Representing RLS and occasional travel

• Represent RLS at events from time to time.
• Occasional travel, potentially including international travel.

Line management

• Provide high quality line management to the Fundraising Officer.
• In future, there may be other line management responsibilities as RLS’s staff changes to meet our new strategy.

Person Specification

• Senior leadership experience in income generation
• Proven success in securing significant, multi‑source funding, including trusts and foundations.
• Expertise in developing long‑term financial strategy and sustainability
• Experience in shaping and overseeing individual giving campaigns
• Excellent relationship‑building and communication skills
• Ability to find creative, innovative solutions and problem‑solve.
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to foster a team‑wide understanding of and involvement in fundraising.
• Have a strong commitment to advancing migrant justice.
• Be an active listener and a progressive leader.
• The successful candidate will be required to obtain an enhanced DBS certificate (we cover the cost). A criminal record is not necessarily a barrier to recruitment but should be disclosed on application.
• Have the right to work in the UK.
• Fluent in English.
• Have lived experience related to migration and/or experience of and relationships in the migrant justice sector (desirable).

Application Process

To apply, please submit the following documents to Anastasia.Marsh@refugeelegalsupport.org stating “Fundraising Director - YOUR NAME” in the subject line of your email:

• Current CV
• Cover Letter detailing your motivation for applying and how your skills align with the role requirements. This should be no longer than 2 sides of A4.

If you wish to work a different number of hours/days to those advertised, please state this in your application email.

Application Deadline: Tuesday 21st October 2025

The first round of interviews will be held the week commencing the 27th October 2025.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact our current Fundraising & Operations Director at nick.pilkington@refugeelegalsupport.org.

Reasonable adjustments

Our recruitment process is designed to allow candidates to showcase their experience and potential. We welcome requests for adjustments to enable you to showcase your skills and expertise. If you would like us to make any adjustments to make our recruitment process more accessible, please do reach out to us to request them.

If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, this will mean that on this occasion your application has now been unsuccessful. Please do feel free to apply again for any future positions which may be of interest. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in‑person interview in Central London.

Privacy note

Any data requested will be used for recruitment purposes only; to screen candidates and judge their suitability to progress to interview. RLS will not share the data with other organisations for marketing or any other purposes. Your personal data will be retained by RLS as long as it is necessary to evaluate your application. All personal data will be treated in confidence and will be deleted 12 months after the conclusion of the recruitment process unless you wish to withdraw your candidacy at an earlier stage and would like us to erase your personal data at the same time. Data collected in the UK is held in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the UK Data Protection Act 2018. You have the right to request a copy of data we hold on you, to rectify your data and to restrict processing of your data. For any further information on our privacy policy, email privacy@refugeelegalsupport.org

Equality and diversity statement

We value equality and diversity in our organisation, and strive to build a team reflective of the communities we work in. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, faith, or disability. People with migrant backgrounds are experts by experience and are particularly encouraged to apply.