Development Manager

Salary : £55 ,000 -60 ,000 p.a. (based on profile and experience)

Duration : Full-time, p ermanent contract

Location : Remote within the United Kingdom

Reports to : Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Preferred start date : As soon as possible

The Degrees Initiative seeks a dynamic and experienced Development Manager in a new role to expand and diversify funding and drive the growth of an organisation focu s ed on climate change and scientific capacity building in the Global South.

About Degrees

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of the Global South to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM) geoengineering, a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that the Global South should be empowered to conduct their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. The initiative has been working in different forms for over a decade, and our work receives worldwide coverage and widespread acclaim.

We seek a Development Manager to deepen and manage relationships with our existing funders and to help bring in new donors and partners to diversify our funding base. This position offers a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to increase the capacity of a field-leading charity, help empower researchers in the Global South, and contribute to one of the world’s most important climate debates. If you are an ambitious, relationship-driven fundraising leader with a passion about climate change, this is an opportunity to step into a role with purpose, international influence, and real impact.

Role

The charity is rapidly scaling up, recently doubling its annual support to £6 million. Degrees has partnered with leading climate change funders and research partners including the Quadrature Climate Foundation, Open Philanthropy, Crankstart, Navigation Fund, Outlier Projects, LAD Climate Fund and UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). Transparency of funding is essential to our work. We do not accept support from anonymous donors or funding from the fossil fuel industry. Fundraising for the organisation has been led by the Founder and CEO, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief of Staff, and the Chair of the Trustees with the support of an experienced Senior Philanthropy Advisor.

We now seek a full-time team member to build on this base. Reporting to the COO, and working closely with senior staff and the Chair, the Development Manager will support high ‑ performing fundraising that secures multi ‑ year, diversified funding. He / she will also introduce robust processes for pipeline management and donor stewardship and manage the complete donor lifecycle (from identification to cultivation to solicitation and stewardship) of a portfolio of top prospects. The post holder will receive initial onboarding support from the Senior Philanthropy Advisor. As fundraising grows, the team may expand in the future.

Initial priorities include expansion beyond the current donor pool, with a strong push to identify and engage new funders, and putting in place the systems (CRM, reporting cadence, key performance indicators) to support growth at scale.

As this is a new role, responsibilities are expected to evolve but some key items will include :

• Work with the CEO, Chief of Staff, COO , Senior Philanthropy Advisor, programme staff and the Chair of the Trustees to help d evelop and implement a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organisational objectives ;
• Manage the fundraising pipeline, guiding the ongoing fundraising activities of senior staff and the Chair;
• R esearch and identify new funding opportunities from trust s and foundations, government funders , and multilateral donors in the development and climate s ectors on an ongoing basis ;
• Reach out to networks of donor advisors and established relationships for referrals;
• Initiat e and manag e contact with funding opportunities ;

Grant w riting

Donor stewardship & reporting

Processes, s ystems & administration

Qualifications

Benefits of working at Degrees

To apply

Please answer the questions below and attach a copy of your CV titling it " First name_surname_ D M_CV " .

You will receive a reply confirming receipt of the application.

The deadline for applications is 05 January 2026 (23 : 59 GMT) . Successful applicants will be invited to an initial interview. Those progressing further will be invited to a second interview, which will include a presentation exercise.

The Degrees Initiative collects and processes personal data as part of the recruitment process. This information is used solely to assess your suitability for the role and to take necessary steps prior to entering into an employment contract.

We rely on the lawful basis of Article 6(1)(b) of the UK GDPR (processing necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps prior to entering into a contract). If your application is successful, your data will also be used to administer your employment.

Your personal data will be handled confidentially and stored securely. We may retain recruitment data for record-keeping, future recruitment opportunities, or legal compliance purposes.

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to access, correct, or erase your data, and to object to or restrict processing, where applicable.

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