Partnerships Support Officer

Cork and Southeast Simon Community’s goal is to prevent and end homelessness across the southern region of Ireland. We work to support people to address the challenges that may have contributed to them becoming homeless and help people access affordable housing. Cork Simon’s Fundraising Team works strategically to raise the necessary funds so Cork Simon can provide its lifesaving services. The team is now seeking to recruit a Partnerships Support Officer.

What we offer:

✓ A flexible working environment

✓ Hybrid working option

✓ Five weeks’ annual leave

✓ 28-hour working week

✓ Time off in lieu (TOIL) system in place

✓ Pension Scheme membership

✓ Excellent peer support

✓ A positive and welcoming environment

✓ Excellent training opportunities

✓ Realistic milestones with a clear process for achieving them

✓ Autonomy to manage own workload

About the Partnerships Support Officer Role

A member of the Partnerships Team within the Fundraising Department, the Partnerships Support Officer plays a pivotal support role in providing an excellent donor experience to Cork Simon and Southeast Simon’s community and corporate donors, fundraisers, volunteers, and partners.

The Partnerships Support Officer will fulfil the administration requirements and coordination of logistics for the programme of partnerships fundraising and donor engagement activities, events, and campaigns. They will provide excellent donor care by maintaining accurate donor records, acknowledging donations in a timely manner, and following through on donor requests.

The Partnerships Support Officer will be the first point of contact for new and prospective community or corporate donors, responding to any queries by phone, email, or in person in the fundraising office. They will contribute to the achievement of the objectives and targets of the Partnerships Team.

Joining a small team, the Partnerships Support Officer will work closely with the Senior Corporate Partnerships Officer and the Senior Community Partnerships Officer, and will report to the Head of Partnerships.

About the Candidate

This role would suit a strong administrator with great relationship-building and customer service skills; someone who can work in a busy environment without compromising on attention to detail and numerical accuracy.

The candidate should be a good communicator and enjoy speaking to donors — a good phone manner is essential. They should enjoy working as part of a team. The role also requires someone who is comfortable working to milestones.

A candidate with a minimum of two years’ experience in one or more of the following areas would be suitable for this role: fundraising, customer service, administration, project coordination, sales, marketing.

The successful candidate will have excellent customer service, organisational, attention to detail, and IT skills. They will have initiative and a sense of ownership over their work. They will be able to prioritise, be flexible, and manage a varied and changing workload without compromising on quality or accuracy.

The successful candidate will be supported through their induction to increase their knowledge and ability to deliver on the responsibilities outlined here. Further training and ongoing support will be available.

Objective

As a key member of the Partnerships Team within the Cork and Southeast Simon Fundraising Department, the Partnerships Support Officer will deliver excellent donor care and carry out related administrative activities associated with the Corporate and Community Fundraising income streams, activities, and supporters in the region.

Key Tasks

1. Donor Care (45%)

1.1 Respond to queries from Partnerships supporters in a timely and appropriate manner

1.2 Record all donor information accurately and in a timely manner including donor preferences, information about giving or activities, and in line with GDPR regulations

1.3 Implement donor journeys for different donor segments

1.4 Set up donor records promptly and acknowledge donors appropriately and in accordance with their preferences and in a timely manner

1.5 Devise and implement systems for monitoring and maintaining database integrity to ensure donor details and donor journeys are recorded correctly, and take appropriate action as required

1.6 Maintain long-term relationships with a range of donors and volunteers

1.7 Liaise with Donor Services Officer to ensure 1.2 is carried out effectively and efficiently, and that donations are recorded accurately

2. Administration (30%)

2.1 Liaise with Senior Partnerships Officers and ensure all activities, outputs, and records are delivered and maintained to a high standard and comply with organisational policies and legal requirements (e.g. GDPR, The Charities Act, Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public)

2.2 Fulfil administrative requirements of Partnerships activities

2.3 Communicate and report on activities to the Head of Partnerships in an appropriate and timely manner

2.4 Provide accurate and relevant reports on Partnerships activity as required

3. Coordination and Logistics (25%)

3.1 Coordinate the preparation and delivery/collection of fundraising material for all Partnerships donors, activities, and events in a timely manner

3.2 Fulfil coordination of support material and logistics requirements of Partnerships activities

3.3 Ensure adequate stock of fundraising materials to process all work

3.4 Undertake annual stock take and maintain in good order; research and order additional materials as required

3.5 Supervise Partnerships Team temporary staff and office volunteers

4. Other

4.1 Work to Cork Simon Community values and ethos

4.2 Participate in the supervision process

4.3 Adhere to Fundraising Department policies and procedures

4.4 Adhere to Cork Simon Community policies and procedures

4.5 Participate in training as required

4.6 Carry out any other duties as required by the Partnerships Administration and Donor Support Officer as consistent with the responsibilities of the job

5. Teamwork

5.1 Work as part of the Partnerships Team

5.2 Work as part of the Fundraising Department Team

5.3 Participate in, and contribute to, team meetings

5.4 As required, liaise with Simon Communities of Ireland and other local communities

5.5 As required, liaise with colleagues in other departments and teams within Cork Simon to carry out the responsibilities of the post effectively and appropriately

5.6 Identify opportunities for, and ensure the effective and appropriate use of, Cork Simon Community volunteers in Partnership fundraising activities

6. Key Performance Indicators

6.1 Excellent donor care effectively and appropriately provided

6.2 Up-to-date and accurate donor records

6.3 Activities completed to a high standard within timelines and to deadlines

6.4 Effective and appropriate teamwork

6.5 Active engagement with the Cork Simon model of supervision and implementation of individual learning plan as agreed with the Head of Partnerships

7. Skills Required

7.1 Ability to build and maintain long-term relationships with a range of donors

7.2 Excellent IT skills, particularly Salesforce skills

7.3 Excellent organisational and administrative skills

7.4 Problem-solving skills

7.5 Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

7.6 Attention to detail

7.7 Excellent analytical, numeric, and report-writing skills

7.8 Ability to manage own time and workload

7.9 Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team

7.10 Ability to cope with changing priorities and a varying workload

7.11 Flexibility

7.12 Confidentiality and discretion

7.13 Presentation and public speaking skills

All members of the Partnerships Team are required to represent Cork Simon at events and functions and to travel to off-site locations to carry out the functions of the post during and outside normal office hours as required.

Salary

Starting salary is assessed according to experience.

Salary Scale: €32,745, €33,695, €34,674, €35,681, €36,452, €37,550, €38,957

Salary scale is based on a 35-hour week and will be pro rata for this 28-hour week role.