Director of Growth

Director of Growth

Impact Europe is the investing for impact network.

We gather capital providers (impact funds, foundations, corporate social investors, banks, public funders) to increase prosperity and social progress for all, fix inequalities and injustices and preserve the planet. Together, we rally people, capital and knowledge to accelerate, scale and safeguard impact.

Making impact history: In 20 years we went from eight to 300 members strong.
We built a unique data hub for the impact space, trained 1,000+ impact champions, produced standard-setting and bar-raising guidelines on investing for impact and impact measurement and management. We established a strategic presence in the EU policy sphere and play a vital role in global impact collaboration impacteurope.net.

Job Description

As we continue our pivot towards a fit-for-purpose organisation, we are looking for a Director of Growth. This role brings our membership, fundraising, partnership and value proposition work under one leader, so that the people who make up our network and the people who fund it are served by one joined-up growth strategy. The Director of Growth grows and engages our membership, leads fundraising to secure Impact Europe’s long-term financial sustainability, continuously renews the offer that makes Impact Europe worth joining and funding, and manages the team that delivers all three. It combines strategy with hands-on delivery: setting the direction and personally opening and stewarding the most important funder relationships.

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Membership & Community

Grow a network that is representative of the European impact market and keep members engaged:

• Define and deliver a membership strategy that grows a network representative of the European impact market, across segments from foundations and philanthropy to institutional investors
• Own membership growth, engagement, retention and satisfaction targets, and the membership fee income they generate
• Make sure the voice of members (needs, insights, input) shapes Impact Europe’s plans, programmes and events
• Identify untapped segments and markets where Impact Europe can bring in new members and new capital for impact
• Act as an ambassador for Impact Europe and the investing for impact community with members, the wider sector and public stakeholders

1. Fundraising & Partnerships

Secure and diversify the income that underpins Impact Europe’s long-term financial sustainability:

• Develop and lead a fundraising strategy that diversifies income across foundations, corporates, public funders and partners, and secures long-term financial sustainability
• Personally lead major funder relationships, especially with private and corporate foundations, from prospecting to proposal, negotiation and renewal
• Build compelling funding propositions and cases for support with programme colleagues
• Support the CEO and Board in approaching and briefing key funders
• Set up programmes/products so funders and partners are well informed and enthusiastic about our mission and impact
• Work with the Finance & Operations team on funding agreements, pledge tracking, income forecasting and reporting to funders

1. Innovation & Value Proposition

Make sure Impact Europe offers clear, distinctive value to members, funders and partners, and keeps renewing it:

• Own Impact Europe’s value proposition for each member and funder segment, so it is clear why organisations join, stay, fund and partner with us
• Turn member and market insight (needs, feedback, data, retention trends) into a clear view of where our offer is strong and where it has gaps
• Design, pilot and launch new products, services and membership models with programme colleagues, such as segment-specific or tiered memberships, peer-learning formats, data and benchmarking services and digital community tools
• Develop new, mission-aligned income streams beyond membership fees and grants, such as sponsorship, paid programmes, events and earned-income services
• Review the portfolio of offers regularly: scale what works, adapt what could work better and retire what no longer adds value
• Track trends in impact investing, philanthropy and sustainable finance so Impact Europe’s offer stays ahead of what the market needs
• Build a culture of experimentation in the team: test ideas quickly, measure the results and share what we learn

1. Team Leadership

Lead the Growth team to deliver its goals:

• Lead, coach and develop the Growth team, with clear goals, trust, empowerment and accountability
• Improve processes and workflows so the team works efficiently and in step wit