Business Development Lead

  • Full time
  • £40,000
  • On site: Edinburgh
  • Closing 2nd October 2026


  • Advertised from 21st September 2026
  • 35 hours per week Permanent
  • Benefits: 37 days' annual leave and 4% employer pension contribution

Role

Help us turn 110 years of heritage into opportunities for the future.

The Scottish Women's Institutes has been bringing women together to learn, share skills, build friendships and strengthen communities since 1917.

As we enter an exciting new chapter, we're looking for a Business Development Lead to help us grow our income, partnerships, reach and impact. This is a newly created role and a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys spotting opportunities and turning good ideas into sustainable activity.

Working directly with our Chief Executive and alongside our small national team, you'll lead the development of new income through fundraising, grants, sponsorship, corporate partnerships, philanthropic giving and commercial opportunities.

You'll build relationships with funders, businesses and organisations across Scotland; develop compelling funding and partnership proposals; create new sponsorship opportunities; and explore new ways in which SWI's brand, programmes, skills, heritage and national network can generate income and impact.

We're looking for someone who can:

  • identify and develop new income opportunities;
  • build a strong pipeline of funders, sponsors and partners;
  • write compelling funding applications and partnership proposals;
  • develop trusted relationships with businesses, funders and stakeholders;
  • think commercially while understanding the values and purpose of a charity;
  • spot opportunities for new products, partnerships and collaborations; and
  • take an idea from an initial conversation through to a successful, deliverable project.

You don't necessarily need to have done all of these things in one job. You might currently work in fundraising, partnerships, business development, sponsorship, income generation or another role where building relationships and creating opportunities is central to what you do.

What matters is that you are proactive, commercially aware, a strong relationship-builder and excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of one of Scotland's most established membership organisations.

You'll be joining SWI at a particularly exciting time as we implement our new strategy and build on the opportunities created by our 110th anniversary.

Application notes

How to apply:

If you’re excited about this opportunity, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your CV along with a covering letter to: jacqui.mcguire@theswi.org.uk

Closing date: 2nd October 2026

Interviews: W/C 12th October 2026

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. The minimum criteria are available on request from jacqui.mcguire@theswi.org.uk


Downloads