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JOB DESCRIPTION
Position:
Reports to:
Location:
Salary:
Hours:
Fundraising Research Manager
Head of Fundraising
London
circa £33,000 – £35,000 per annum
37.5 hours per week
BACKGROUND
Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled
expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild.
Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and lifechanging assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.
The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its
headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries,
providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster.
Through 22 regional offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees
resettle in the US and become self-sufficient.
The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work,
creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a
tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.
IRC-UK
Our European headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the
organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better
advocate with European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. IRC-UK comprises
approximately 50 staff across five departments.
FUNDRAISING DEPARTMENT
IRC-UK’s fundraising capability has grown significantly over the past three years, raising £2
million net in 2014. There are ambitious plans to increase this significantly as part of an exciting
global revenue generation strategy in development. The Fundraising Research Manager will
play a key role in enabling the growth of IRC’s income and profile in the UK and Europe, and
ensure a seamless approach to maximising global private funding opportunities.
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TEAM CHART
Head of
Fundraising
Supporter
Development
Manager
Trusts &
Foundations
Manager
Fundraising
Assistant
Trusts &
Foundations
Executive
Corporate
Partnerships
Manager
Major Donor
Manager
Research
Manager
Major Donor
Executive
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
Reporting to the Head of Fundraising, the Fundraising Research Manager will plan and deliver
prospect identification as well as proactive and reactive research support on Major Donors,
Companies and Trusts/Foundations. They will help to ensure the effective cultivation of
prospects through thorough and accurate research in order to meet the financial targets of the
Fundraising Department.
SCOPE AND AUTHORITY
Authority: Contribute to the delivery of the annual fundraising target.
Responsibility for Resources: N/A
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
a) Research and Project Management (40%)
 Coordinate the provision of event briefings for the Fundraising department, and
selected IRC events.
 Deliver and support prospect research projects to agreed standards in line with the
Fundraising strategy and goals.
 Provide full and accurate research briefings on individuals, companies and
trusts/foundations of interest to the Fundraising Department, in accordance with the
Data Protection Act.
 Plan and deliver varied and responsive research support of a very high standard for
events of all types.
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Take ownership of prospect management systems for relevant campaigns working
with the Head of Fundraising and key stakeholders to improve systems and identify
new opportunities.
Prepare accurate and well presented research briefings for senior and board level
IRC staff.
Provide key prospect research support to the Development Committee and any
relevant Campaign boards, working with key stakeholders to deliver and improve
service with the goal of increasing board productivity.
Undertake effective due diligence research in line with IRC’s policy.
Use media and other external resources to keep the Fundraising team informed with
the latest developments around key donors and prospects.
Contribute to a greater understanding of IRC supporters and senior volunteers by
researching and mapping their networks using research resources and information
available in the public domain.
b) Prospect Identification (30%)
 Use a variety of resources to identify and research prospects with capacity and
propensity to support the work of IRC with major donors, companies, and
trusts/foundations, meeting team KPIs for prospect identification.
 Support the Head of Fundraising with regular wealth screening projects by engaging
in ad hoc research, liaising with fundraisers, and ensuring high quality data.
 Rate prospects in accordance with internal protocol to assist with prioritisation.
c) Database Management (15%)
 Undertake diligent database maintenance and high quality data entry, complying with
internal processes and in line with the Data Protection Act.
 Utilise the database query functions to provide reporting and analysis on the prospect
pipeline for the Fundraising department.
 Champion the use of the database by the department, and help to ensure
compliance, providing advice and guidance as requested.
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d) Leading Change (15%)
 Work with the Head of Fundraising, and contribute to the research strategy and
prospect research planning.
 Meet all personal objectives and performance criteria.
 Work closely with fundraisers to support their efforts and enrich prospect cultivation
and management across the department through strong relationship building, offering
advice and guidance on prospects, and seeking regular feedback.
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Person Specification
Essential,
Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications
 Demonstrable track record of success in professional research, using a variety of
research sources.
 Strong understanding of major gif, corporate and trust/foundation fundraising and the
role that prospect research should play within each of these strands.
 Strong communication skills in both written and verbal form.
 Familiarity with databases. Raiser’s Edge is desirable.
 High level of IT literacy.
 Degree level qualified or equivalent experience.
 Strong research and analytical skills.
 Excellent influencing skills.
 Knowledge of MS Office suite.
Desirable
 Familiarity with the Data Protection Act, and Freedom of Information Act regulations.
 Membership of the Researchers in Fundraising group.
 Interest in the work of the international humanitarian and development sector.
Key Technical Knowledge and Behaviours
 Proactive and highly organized with the ability to manage own workload to ensure
conflicting deadlines and priorities are met.
 Ability to collect and assess information rapidly, identifying key points and drawing
conclusions.
 Strong attention to detail.
 Ability to learn from feedback.
 Adaptable to changing team needs and the organizational environment.
 A positive attitude and willingness to operate as part of a team.
 Ability to apply creative thinking to solve problems.
 Good stakeholder management, with the ability to build strong working relationships.
Other
 Undertake any other duties as reasonably requested by the Head of Fundraising.
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To Apply
Please send a CV (two pages maximum) and cover page (two pages maximum) to:
applications@rescue-uk.org
Please state clearly in your cover letter:
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Your reasons for applying
How you meet the person specification, skills and experience specified in the job
description
Where you saw the job advertised
Current salary
The closing date is: 10am on Monday 25th January 2016.
Interviews will be on 3rd Feb 2016.
In order to minimise administrative costs, IRC-UK will only contact short-listed candidates.
Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.
IRC-UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC-UK is committed to equality of
opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to
ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs,
nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.
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