Senior Individual Giving Officer – UK

Location: London or Edinburgh, or flexible for remote UK base

Position Status: Full Time Regular

Starting Salary Range: The starting salary range for this position is 44,320 GBP – based on local benchmarking and commensurate with professional experience.

Closing date: Please submit CV and cover letter by October 14th

Current unrestricted UK work authorization is required at the time of application for this position.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions
into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps Europe (MCE) has grown rapidly in terms of volume of activity and complexity. We are now looking for an experienced Digital Fundraising Officer to join us. The Fundraising team plays a key role in Mercy Corps, generating income and raising our profile. The team is based across our European offices in Edinburgh, Geneva, London and The Hague.

The Role

The Senior Individual Giving Officer will act as a source of fundraising expertise in the Direct Marketing and wider development team, as well as the global Development and Marketing teams. Lead on devising a digital strategy that will maximise supporter engagement and acquisition, and thus grow individual giving income, with the input of the Direct Marketing Manager

Mercy Corps Europe’s fundraising team is in a growth phase and there are many opportunities to innovate. Creative freedom is very much encouraged and the diversity of the organisation’s programmes makes our fundraising work truly varied. There is huge potential in this role to deliver initiatives that will have a significant impact in growing our donor base, including testing new ways of engaging with audiences, integrating marketing across new channels, expanding use of online advertising, SEO and AdWords, harnessing data to create more effective campaigns, engaging thought-leaders and influencers online, and investigating new innovative ways of reaching key audiences.

The ideal candidate will have experience of the latest trends in fundraising and will have both the creative and technical skills to deliver key elements of the direct marketing strategy. They will have demonstrable knowledge of the UK fundraising market, with experience of working across multiple online channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Our stewardship programme is underpinned by our emails and so experience devising communications plans and writing for email is a must. Candidates should possess excellent communication skills, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, changing work environment.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Supporter development

● Lead on integrating online and offline fundraising, offering supporters a cross-platform experience

● Lead on innovating our digital offering – taking ideas from conception through to testing and beyond

● Work with the Individual Giving Officer to innovate our fundraising offerings and find new ways of acquiring supporters

● Ensure that Mercy Corps grows the number of engaged supporters and income across channels to meet targets

● Responsible for day-to-day implementation of digital campaigns and activity (including email, PPC, social, programmatic and display), to deliver against set targets

● With support from the rest of the team, develop and edit digital fundraising content suitable for target audiences, such as prospective online donors or re-engaging lapsed donors, ensuring consistency with Mercy Corps branding and style guidelines

● Review and analyse results of fundraising activities and make changes to future work based on this

● Regularly obtain feedback from the audiences that we are contacting to ensure that we are optimising the way we communicate

● Identify new platforms and channels, and keep abreast of current fundraising trends and comparator organisations to ensure that Mercy Corps in Europe is relevant with supporters

● Work alongside Fundraising Operations to inform campaigns, and with the Media and Communications team to ensure that fundraising integrates appropriately with media and communications strategy and activities.

● Manage Google Adwords account effectively to maximise engagements and income. Optimise balancing grants with paid account

● Become the charity knowledge lead on digital platforms such as Actionkit to upskill colleagues and support cross-team working

● Assist with internal training as required in regards to digital initiatives.

● In conjunction with the Direct Marketing Manager, responsible for ensuring that all fundraising activities are legal and adhere to industry best practice.

Supervisory Responsibility

The position has supervisory responsibility over interns and/or volunteers.

Accountability

Reports Directly To:

Works Directly With: Senior WASH and Water Security Advisors

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Qualifications and Transferable Skills

● At least five years of experience in a fundraising/marketing role, with proven experience in digital fundraising, including planning and delivering campaigns.

● Demonstrable knowledge of a range of digital fundraising channels.

● Experience of writing and editing engaging content for online donor audiences.

● Experience of setting digital KPIs and developing in-house digital fundraising capabilities.

● Proven ability to use analytics/metrics and user testing to inform and improve online campaigns.

● Ability to work to brand and style guidelines.

● Ideally prior experience of working with external digital agencies.

● A working knowledge of UK and European charity law and data protection.

● Some knowledge of Canva would be beneficial.

● Relevant professional certifications or equivalent experience.

Success Factors

● Detail-oriented multi-tasker, with excellent organisation skills.

● Strong process management skills.

● Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal).

● Able to build and maintain effective internal and external relationships.

● Able to cope with changing priorities, often at short notice, and work well under pressure.

● Proactive and solutions-based attitude.

● Cooperates and works well with colleagues to maximise opportunities and solve problems.

● High levels of motivation, professionalism and resilience.

● Skilled in anticipating and solving problems and communicating issues, involving others as needed.

● An exposure to and interest in international development is important, along with a demonstrable understanding of digital fundraising trends for international non-profits based in the UK.

Living Condition

The position is based in London, Edinburgh or remote and may require some national or international travel.

MCE team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a short term assignment or trip to country offices. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all Mercy Corps locations.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.