Top job! Head of Fundraising
- Full time
- £51,257 – £57,613
- Hybrid: Edinburgh
- Closing 27th January 2026
- Advertised from 13th January 2026
- 35 hours per week.
Role
Do you want to use your fundraising skills to help transform children’s lives across Scotland?
Children First is Scotland’s national children’s charity. We stand up for every child because all children should have a safe childhood. We protect children from harm and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national and local services. We help children, their families and the people who care for them by offering emotional, practical and financial support. We give children hope and a safer, brighter future.
We are now seeking adynamic and inspiring head of fundraising to grow the vital income that enables this life‑changing work. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of fundraising at Children First - driving strategy, championing innovation and ensuring our decisions are guided by insight, purpose and compassion.
In this role, you will lead with vision and heart. You will support and empower a talented fundraising team, nurturing a culture where creativity thrives, supporter journeys deepen and donors feel genuinely valued. You will build meaningful, values‑led relationships with individuals, funders and corporate partners, inspiring them to stand with us so that more children can be protected, nurtured and given the futures they deserve.
You will bring strategic clarity and strong financial stewardship - overseeing budgets, forecasting and compliance - while ensuring everything we do reflects fundraising best practice and our commitment to ethical, trauma‑informed work. Your leadership will help unlock new opportunities, strengthen performance and drive growth across all income streams.
We are looking for an experienced, passionate fundraising leader with a proven track record of success, a collaborative spirit and the confidence to be bold. You will be an exceptional communicator, a thoughtful relationship‑builder and someone motivated by impact. Most importantly, you will bring absolute dedication to keeping children safe and transforming their lives for the better.
At Children First, our values guide everything we do. With love, we put children first. With purpose, we transform children’s lives together. With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children. If you share these values and want to make a meaningful impact, we would love to hear from you!
Application notes
For further information and to apply, please visit our website.
Closing date: Tuesday 27 January 2026
Interview date: Wednesday 4 February 2026
Company Overview
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) is a national social enterprise with a mission to empower children, families, and communities to work, rest or learn by creating access to flexible, affordable and responsive childcare, education, children’s services and wraparound support.
Our flexible early learning and childcare model allows parents to book childcare by the hour, change their bookings each week and only pay for the time they book. This model is actively helping parents to reduce their childcare costs while helping them increase their income and further distancing their whole families from poverty.
Summary
We are seeking a Finance Manager to join our team, in this role, you will play a vital part in managing our financial operations, ensuring the sustainability of our unique childcare model while supporting our vision to create a world where every child and family has access to the services they need to thrive.
This is a hybrid working post shared between home working and our Dundee head office.
This is a part time role, 28 hours per week, with FTE salary of £40,000 = pro rata £32,000.
Other benefits include:
- 32 days annual leave
- Generous employer contribution pension
- Employee life assurance scheme
- Flexible Working
- Employee Benefit Platform giving discounts on many retail brands
- Subsidised childcare costs
Dr Bell’s Family Centre has been supporting families in Leith since 2006 to thrive and feel safe, supported, and healthy. We offer a welcoming, safe place where families with young children can get support, advice, and encouragement.
Dr Bell’s Family Centre is seeking an experienced, values-led Chief Executive to lead our organisation into its next phase of development.
Based in Leith, Dr Bell’s has supported families with young children since 2006, offering a unique, holistic model that brings early years childcare, therapeutic services, family learning, food and nutrition, and community support together under one roof.
Working closely with our Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive will:
- Set and deliver a clear strategic vision
- Lead and support a skilled, multidisciplinary staff team
- Drive fundraising and develop sustainable income streams
- Act as an ambassador for Dr Bell’s across the community, partnerships and funders
- Ensure strong governance, financial oversight and safeguarding
This role will suit a collaborative leader who combines strategic thinking with hands-on operational experience, and who is passionate about reducing barriers for families facing socio-economic challenges.
Benefits
Dr Bell’s is a people-led organisation where staff are valued, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer:
- a Living Wage salary
- generous annual leave (including Christmas closure, a birthday day off and personal day)
- flexible working options
- enhanced family-friendly policies, a strong pension
- and 24/7 wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
First Step is a community-based organisation working directly with families and young children in the early years. We support parents to build confidence, strengthen relationships and create a nurturing environment for their children. Our services include early learning and childcare, family learning and wellbeing activities, dedicated family support and outreach, and a range of opportunities for volunteering and community involvement.
We are seeking a motivated, self-starting Fundraising Officer, who will be central to the growth and sustainability of First Step’s work. You will lead on securing funding and developing new projects that respond to the needs of families with young children.
With excellent communication skills, you will work closely with the Project Manager and the Strategic Board to shape and deliver innovative, community led initiatives that make a real difference to the lives of children and their families. This includes identifying funding opportunities, writing compelling bids and building strong relationships with funders and partners.
Using your creativity, you will also be responsible for raising awareness of First Step’s services through events, presentations, marketing materials, and managing social media and website content. We’re looking for a versatile individual who communicates effectively at all levels, writes clearly, collaborates well with others, and can work independently when needed.
In addition to a highly satisfying role, we offer a range of staff benefits including:
- Enhanced annual leave
- Contributory pension scheme
- Enhanced sick pay
- Learning and development opportunities
Location:We operate a hybrid way of working and are interested in attracting directors from across Scotland. We can also accommodate directors from across the UK. However, there will be an expectation that directors will attend at least one meeting a year in Edinburgh which is the office base of Children in Scotland.
Hours: Four board meetings a year including preparation time plus a half day strategy session. In addition, you may be invited to be involved in other discrete areas of work, depending on your skills and interests.
Salary:Voluntary position, but reasonable expenses will be covered.
About the role
It is an exciting time to lead a children’s charity. The policy context in Scotland offers a lot of potential. As Scotland’s largest national membership body for individuals and organisations working with and for babies, children and young people, Children in Scotland plays a significant role in bringing organisations together to make the most of this potential. As a board member, you would be playing a role in an organisation that is seeking to create a Scotland where all children can access their rights and all children can flourish.
We are currently looking to appoint new members to our board. We have created a supportive, dynamic and welcoming board, and we would give you the support you need to be able to get the best out of this experience. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in all our work. We are keen to attract people to the board with a diverse set of skills, experience, background and identity. We would be particularly delighted to hear from you if you are from a less-represented group to reflect our broader equality, diversity and inclusion commitments.
We are seeking young trustees – aged 18 up to and including 25. In addition, we are seeking skills and experience in IT and Digital leadership, communications and marketing and we would also like to hear from those with a legal background.
If you don’t have these specific skills and experience but still feel passionate about the role, please look at the recruitment pack and find out how to apply. If you are enthusiastic, committed and have an interesting set of skills to bring to the board, you might be exactly the person we need.
About Children in Scotland
Children in Scotland is a membership organisation. We bring together individuals, organisations and services working with and for babies, children and young people across Scotland. The aim of all our work is to make Scotland a better place for our children. Children’s rights sit at our core, and therefore children’s views are integral to all we do.
We work hard to build a strong membership and ensure that it is it is linked into a wider network. We believe that this collaboration is crucial in developing and delivering the good policy and practice that our babies, children and young people deserve.
We run also run services that provide practical support, information and advice about additional support for learning.
Diversity
Children in Scotland values the contribution of all our directors, whatever their background. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open processes, with appointment on merit. We welcome applications from everyone.
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