This is an exciting opportunity for a talented fundraiser with 4-5 years’ experience in direct marketing to support the growth of a dynamic national environmental organisation tackling invasive species.

Position: Senior Fundraising Officer.
Reports to: CEO.
Basis: Part-time 22.8 hours (3 days) per week.
Location: Flexible. Sydney or Blue Mountains preferable, but any other location in Australia considered, especially if near a major capital city.
Duration: Initial one year contract with possibility of extension to a permanent role and/or increased days per week.
Salary range: $80,000-89,000 plus super, depending on skills and experience.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for a driven and passionate environmentalist to join one of Australia’s leading advocacy organisations tackling a critical threat to biodiversity – invasive species.

The Invasive Species Council is about to embark on a ten-year journey of growth as we make the 2020s the decade for biosecurity. To support this growth, ISC is looking for an experienced, talented fundraiser with 4-5 years under their belt who is ready to step up and take on more responsibility.

You will be an all-rounder having had successful experience in achieving growth targets in a range of fundraising programs (a minimum of 3 programs). Of these programs you would have managed at least two program areas, with one being digital appeals and engagement.

You will be guided by a strategic three-year fundraising plan and supported by a fundraising coach.

The Senior Fundraising Officer will deliver the Invasive Species Council fundraising programs including cash donor appeals, regular giving, supporter growth and supporter relations programs that are delivered via direct mail, digital and telemarketing channels. This role also includes writing fundraising materials, writing reports, analysing program success and preparing operational planning documents. 

Key functions

• Delivering the fundraising programs.
• Planning for and analysing and reporting on the performance of the fundraising programs.
• The writing of fundraising and marketing communications.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage supporter growth activities, direct mail appeals and telemarketing programs.

• Coordinate and manage online appeals, fundraising donation pages and the online engagement cycle (a.k.a daisy chain) for new supporters. 

• Set up and generate content for online appeals, donation pages, engagement cycles.

• Coordinate and manage the non-face-to-face regular giving acquisition program via telemarketing and digital channels. 

• Analyse the performance of fundraising programs, conduct reviews and write annual performance reports to support annual plans. 

• Prepare data selection briefs for extraction of data for programs.

• Coordinate and undertake fundraising administration tasks such as monitoring and ordering fundraising supplies; liaising with services providers such as printers and mail-houses; and assisting in organising meetings and events for the major gifts program when needed.

• Coordinate supporter relations activities and materials, such as regular giving welcome packs, thank yous, donor care and tax receipt letters and emails. 

• Delegate to and supervise volunteers associated with the fundraising program where required.

• Under the guidance of the fundraising coach, write fundraising materials including online appeals and donation pages, thank you letters, fundraising related web content and supporter relation correspondence. 

Performance Measures

• Successful delivery of fundraising programs identified in the fundraising plan.
• KPIs met for individual fundraising activities.
• Timely and accurate delivery of programs and tasks.
• CEO’s fundraising efforts well supported.

Selection Criteria

Essential

• A minimum of four to five years fundraising experience with a marketing or equivalent degree.
• Experience coordinating multiple direct mail fundraising appeals and telemarketing recruitment programs and demonstrated ability to improve program performance and associated revenue.
• Demonstrated ability to set up emails in a system like Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, Nation Builder or equivalent and ability to use basic multi-variate testing for tracking and optimization purposes. 
• Excellent communications and writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse and report on fundraising programs to confirm or identify alternative approaches to improve program performance including accurate record keeping and an eye for detail.
• Demonstrated ability to develop operational plans, telemarketing briefs and mailing instructions.
• Self-motivated, energetic, focused, team player willing to learn, solve problems and expand their fundraising knowledge.
• Excellent time management, task management and organisational skills.
• Intermediate skills at Microsoft Word (i.e. mail merge) and Excel programs (i.e. calculations, formulas and basic manipulation of the datasheet).
• Previous work in the non-profit sector and enthusiasm for protecting our environment.

Desirable

• Experience in setting income targets and managing a budget to meet them.
• Experience in grant making, major donor and bequest programs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including experience of supporter and donor engagement.
• An eye for design and experience with using Illustrator and Photoshop.

Location

Flexible. Sydney or Blue Mountains preferable, but any other location in Australia considered, especially if near a major capital city. The Invasive Species Council supports decentralised working arrangements.

Applications

Applicants must provide three pieces of previous work with their application and for each of these pieces an explanation of the results to demonstrate your fundraising knowledge and how to convert that into fundraising success.

1. an integrated tax appeal pack, including multiple digital variations (3 pieces min); 
2. a digital engagement series; and 
3. a successful TM script.

Should you be selected for an interview, you will need to prepare a short task that analyses a fundraising piece. This task will be provided when the interview is offered.

Please send a resume, a cover letter statement explaining how you meet each of the selection criteria and the three pieces of your work with explanations to administration officer Alison Chan by email: alisonchan@invasives.org.au. Applications that do not directly address each criterion or include the requested supporting material will not be accepted.

Applications close: 11:59pm Sunday 9 May 2021. Contact CEO Andrew Cox on 0438 588 040 for any further information.

About the Invasive Species Council

The Invasive Species Council is a non-government donor-funded organisation that seeks better laws and policies to protect the Australian environment from weeds, feral animals, insects, pathogens and other invaders. Formed in 2002, we were the first environment group in the world to focus solely on invasive species.

The organisation’s focus is on prevention and early action, addressing the threat before it becomes entrenched. Our primary objective is to achieve improvements to state and federal laws, institutions and practices to systematically lower the risk of new invasive species establishing in Australia and to improve the national biosecurity system. The Invasive Species Council also undertakes direct prevention and early action activities including risk identification and on-ground eradication.

Our organisation has an impressive track record of achieving change. Over recent years we played a major role in ensuring the establishment the national office of environmental biosecurity, secured $411 million over ten years to eradicate red fire ants from south east Queensland, co-hosted the inaugural 2019 Australian Biosecurity Symposium, jointly conducted ground-breaking research to identify harmful invasive insects that could establish in Australia and led the Reclaim Kosci campaign that seeks to reverse the protection of feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park.

Our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and other background information can be found on our website.

There are currently no paid positions advertised at the Invasive Species Council, but we are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers.

Let us know if you are willing to volunteer to help our work. Our organisation is highly decentralised, so if you have internet access you can help from anywhere in Australia. 

We are looking for self-motivated people that can help with:

• Promotion.
• Social media.

Submit your interest in volunteer roles using our contact page.