Head of Partnerships and Events £30,000 – £34,000 pa + 6 weeks’ holiday and 7% pension contribution
The role of the Head of Partnerships and Events is to coordinate and build the society’s relationships with funders and partners; and successfully lead and deliver an events programme which maximises the Society’s political and policy influence and public profile and contributes to the Society’s income.
The Fabian Society’s income includes sponsorship and grants from companies, non-profit organisations and trade unions. We have three teams, each with their own fundraising budget, and this role is responsible for coordinating the development of funding partnerships across them all, including cultivating new contacts and maintaining strong, professional relationships.
Through our events, we seek to develop new political and public policy ideas and proposals, informing public and policy debate so as to promote progressive change, with leading decision-makers, thinkers and opinion formers addressing key issues from a progressive perspective.
Fabian events range from major public conferences, lectures and pamphlet launches to small-scale expert policy seminars. The Fabian New Year Conference is the highest profile think-tank public conference in the UK, attended by 1,000 people each January, and the Fabian Society has a high-profile presence at the Autumn party conferences. Our events programme also includes seminars which regularly bring together key policymakers, politicians and professionals to discuss detailed policy challenges.
This is a full-time post, managing an events team of one full-time Events Assistant, plus freelancers and volunteers. The Head of Partnerships will have responsibility for the programme and for securing a budget of £170,000 to £200,000 per annum from a wide range of partner organisations, including corporations, trade unions, NGOs, charitable trusts and others.
The job involves playing a key role in planning and delivering the development of partner relations, including managing internal processes and face-to-face relationship building. It also includes all aspects of the commissioning, planning, delivery and dissemination of a successful think-tank events programme: from contributing to the events strategy and developing ideas and themes for events; building relationships with speakers, funders, participants and others; overseeing the effective delivery of events and managing the work of the staff team; and ensuring we communicate effectively about our events through the media and to other key audiences. The post-holder will also have the opportunity to contribute to the Fabian Society’s broader public and organisational strategy.
The ideal candidate would have experience in a policy/political environment or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge; aptitude for building external relationships and securing sponsorship; experience of events delivery and management; strong relevant networks and relationships; experience of managing people and budgets; and a strong understanding of and engagement with the Fabian Society’s objectives and values.