Head of Compliance and Supporter Care (Maternity Cover)

Job Summary

Salary: circa £55,000 per annum (full-time equivalent)

We are a multi-award-winning, creative and innovative organisation with a busy and varied fundraising portfolio. We are seeking an experienced leader with significant expertise in fundraising compliance, risk management and supporter experience to help shape and enable our fundraising ambitions while ensuring the highest standards of governance, ethics and regulatory compliance. This is a maternity cover role until December 2027.

As Head of Compliance & Supporter Care, you will lead our Fundraising Compliance, Supporter Care and Office Management functions, providing strategic oversight across these critical areas. Acting as War Child UK's senior lead for fundraising compliance and due diligence, you will work closely with the CEO, Leadership Group and Board of Trustees to manage organisational risk, strengthen compliance frameworks and support innovative fundraising activity within an ethical and regulatory framework.

You will also lead our Supporter Care function, ensuring an excellent supporter experience, high service standards and continuous improvement, while providing strategic oversight of office management, facilities, health and safety to ensure colleagues have the environment and support they need to deliver our mission.

Reporting to the Supporter Engagement Director, this is a highly visible leadership role requiring strong judgement, relationship-building skills and the ability to balance organisational ambition with effective governance and risk management.

Hybrid working: This role is based on a hybrid working arrangement, with an expectation of two days per week in our London office. There is flexibility regarding which days these are, depending on business and team needs. Given the nature of the role, regular in-person attendance is important for office oversight, relationship-building and key meetings.

If you share our values and believe that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war, we want to hear from you.

Your Role

The Head of Compliance & Supporter Care is accountable for the leadership and performance of the Fundraising Compliance, Supporter Care and office management functions within the Supporter Engagement Directorate. They are responsible for setting strategic direction, establishing priorities, allocating resources and ensuring delivery of agreed outcomes and service standards. The role exercises significant independent judgement in relation to compliance, due diligence and supporter care matters and leads cross-organisational initiatives that support the delivery of War Child UK's strategic objectives.

In the area of Fundraising Compliance, the postholder provides strategic leadership for War Child UK's approach to fundraising compliance, due diligence and ethical fundraising. Working across all fundraising disciplines, including Philanthropy, Individual Giving, Music, Gaming, Challenge & Community and Partnerships, they ensure compliance considerations are embedded within organisational decision-making and fundraising strategy. The role balances innovation and risk, exercising professional judgement to enable ambitious fundraising activity whilst safeguarding the organisation's legal, regulatory and reputational interests.

The postholder is accountable for the development, implementation and continuous improvement of War Child UK's compliance, due diligence and support acceptance frameworks. Working closely with the CEO, Directors and senior stakeholders, they shape organisational approaches to risk management and ensure policies, processes and governance arrangements remain fit for purpose, aligned to organisational objectives and reflect emerging legislation, regulatory requirements and sector best practice. They represent War Child UK in relevant external forums and collaborate with War Child Alliance colleagues to promote consistency, influence best practice and support organisational learning.

The postholder leads the Supporter Care function and has overall accountability for its performance, service standards, strategic development and continuous improvement. They are responsible for ensuring resources are effectively deployed to deliver an excellent supporter experience whilst identifying opportunities to improve processes, efficiency and organisational effectiveness. The role also provides strategic oversight of office management and facilities and, from time to time, leads significant cross-organisational projects and change initiatives that support the delivery of War Child UK's strategic priorities.

Your Responsibilities

Lead Fundraising Compliance and Due Diligence

• Lead War Child UK's approach to fundraising compliance, ethical fundraising and regulatory requirements, providing expert advice and strategic guidance to fundraisers, the leadership team and Board of Trustees.
• Lead the development and evolution of War Child UK's fundraising compliance and due diligence framework, compliance policies, processes and guidance, ensuring they remain fit for purpose, align with legal and regulatory requirements, and reflect sector best practice.
• Own the Support Acceptance & Due Diligence framework, providing advice, oversight, risk-based recommendations and ownership of the relationship with our vetting software supplier.
• Lead War Child UK's response to developments in fundraising regulation, data protection and relevant legislation, assessing organisational impact, recommending strategic action, and ensuring appropriate changes are implemented across the organisation. This includes the Charities Acts, Charity Commission guidance, Fundraising Code of Practice, Information Commissioner’s Office guidance, Advertising Standard Authority Codes, PCI Compliance assessment and Ofcom requirements for premium rate services.
• Represent War Child UK as the senior lead for fundraising compliance, due diligence and supporter care matters with regulators, sector bodies, partners and external stakeholders. Exercise delegated authority in relation to compliance, due diligence and supporter care matters, escalating only where issues fall outside agreed an agreed risk tolerance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across War Child UK and the War Child Alliance, to shape organisational approaches to fundraising compliance, risk management and due diligence, enabling innovative and sustainable fundraising activity.
• Act as UK Focal Point for Integrity & Safeguarding, working closely with the War Child Alliance Integrity & Safeguarding team and counterparts across the War Child Alliance to receive concerns, develop and deliver training, update processes and share best practice.
• Responsible for creating a culture committed to the safeguarding of children and adults and compliant to War Child’s Safeguarding and PSEAH (Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse & Harassment) Policies.
• We are committed to building an inclusive and equitable workforce. All staff are expected to actively contribute to this by embedding principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging into their day-to-day work, decision-making, and interactions with colleagues, partners and supporters.

Lead the Supporter Care Function

• Lead the Supporter Care function, developing and implementing its strategy to ensure high-quality, supporter-focused service delivery aligned to War Child UK's fundraising, supporter engagement and organisational objectives.
• Hold accountability for the function's performance, including service standards, supporter experience, operational metrics, resource planning and continuous improvement.
• Exercise delegated authority for Supporter Care budgets and resource decisions, working collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation.
• Lead the management of complex, sensitive or high-risk complaints, providing expert judgement, managing organisational risk and ensuring learning informs policy, processes and service delivery.
• Develop effective processes, service standards, reporting and ways of working that promote collaboration and excellent stakeholder experience, drawing on best practice from both the charity and commercial sectors.

Lead on Office Management and Health & Safety

• Provide strategic oversight of UK office facilities, health & safety and supplier relationships, ensuring compliance with organisational and legislative requirements. This includes training, promoting awareness, managing registers and directing the office management responsibilities of the Supporter Care Assistant.
• Act as War Child UK's designated representation for office health and safety, providing leadership and oversight of health and safety arrangements, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements, managing organisational risk and promoting a positive safety culture.
• Hold delegated authority for budget management within agreed limits, making decisions on expenditure, procurement and resource allocation to ensure effective delivery of Supporter Care, Compliance and Office Management objectives.

Contribute to Cross-Organisational Projects and Change

• Contribute to the planning and delivery of cross-organisational projects and change initiatives, collaborating with stakeholders across directorates as required.
• Lead discrete workstreams or support wider initiatives relating to compliance, supporter experience, organisational effectiveness or operational improvement.
• Influence and engage stakeholders to support the implementation of change and delivery of intended outcomes.

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post.

You Are

• An experienced fundraising compliance expert, with excellent knowledge of:
• Data Protection
• Premium Rate Services regulation
• Charities Acts (especially working with third parties and different legal definitions and tax implications, e.g. commercial participators and sponsors).
• Code of Fundraising Practice (and related guidance)
• ASA codes
• Gift Aid
• Gift/support acceptance rules and developing landscapes
• Experienced in working closely with or leading a Supporter Care function, with demonstrable knowledge of:
  • Supporting and motivating a team
  • Working with donors in potentially vulnerable circumstances
  • Complex complaints handling
• Someone who is experienced in creating and implementing policy frameworks and processes in the areas of compliance and due diligence, in a way which is appropriate to the organisation and rolled out in an engaging and audience appropriate way.
• Detailed, process driven and excellent at retaining and translating important information for fundraisers with little knowledge of compliance practices.
• Able to identify and effectively communicate potential risks or areas of concern for the organisation in relation to our policies and external regulation.
• Someone who enjoys working collaboratively to find creative solutions and mitigations to ensure War Child can continue to fundraise innovatively.
• A confident presenter and communicator who is passionate about building and maintaining inter-personal relationships at work with a variety of stakeholders, from junior member of staff through to CEO.
• Someone with a good understanding of the principles of fundraising regulation and data protection requirements, and their implications for fundraising policy and practice.
• An excellent multitasker who can prioritise a demanding and varied workload efficiently.
• Highly self-organised, process driven, proactive and have an excellent eye for detail.
• IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) understanding and qualifications are desirable.
• Willing to work outside of normal working hours in exceptional circumstances ( i.e. during launch of an emergency fundraising appeal).

About Us

Our Values

• Bold: We use our passion and creativity to deliver high quality evidence-based work designed to maximise our beneficial impact for children in conflict.
• Accountable to children: Children can rely on us to respond to their voices and to treat them with respect and dignity.
• Anti-racism: Anti-racism is not merely a belief. It includes actions that we mainstream throughout our work to change and challenge policies and behaviours that perpetuate racism.
• Transparent: We expect to be held to account by our supporters and participants and we respond with openness and honesty.
• Supportive of each other: We support each other to achieve ambitious goals and be the best we can be. We are honest and open, sharing our successes & confronting our challenges.

Our Benefits

• Flexible working - we recognise the considerable benefits that flexible working can bring and are happy to discuss any possible flexible working options with our employees from hiring. For most roles, the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, occasional working from home and compressed hours.
• Annual leave – 28 days per year (full-time) rising to 33 days with service, plus bank holidays
• Pension - all eligible employees automatically enrolled into a Group Personal Pension Plan with a 5% employer contribution, with minimum employee contribution on a salary sacrifice basis. This increases to 6% after one year's service. 
• Family leave – we offer enhanced Maternity, Partner/Co-Parent/Paternity Leave, Adoption & Shared Parental Leave
• Health & wellbeing - employees may take advantage of a healthcare cash plan and a range of wellbeing initiatives and training. In addition, all employees have access to free, confidential one-to-one wellbeing consultations with trained counsellors.
• Learning & development - dedicated to the investment in learning and continuing professional development for all our employees
• Workplace Nursery Benefit – employees make tax and NI savings on nursery costs for children up to the age of 5
• Flexible public holidays - up to two standard UK public holidays can be exchanged for those that have cultural or religious significance. 
  
• Cancer Cover: Voluntary contributions can be made through payroll allowing employees to claim back on a range of cancer treatments.
• GP 24/7 Helpline: A GP helpline is be available to all UK employees providing access to a qualified GP, 24/7 via a telephone or webcam consultation, and offers diagnosis, advice and reassurance on a range of medical matters, as well as authorisation of private electronic prescriptions.
• Welcome Bag for new starters: A War Child Tote bag, War Child T-shirt and some other practical things to welcome new colleagues to War Child.
• Discounts on War Child Merchandise: 25% discount on full price War Child merchandise, available to all employees, sold through Everpress. 
• Range of flexible benefits such a Cycle to Work scheme and season ticket loans.

Flexible Working

We positively support flexible working arrangements. These currently include: office working, homeworking, part-time hours, compressed hours, flexi-time, flexi-place (hybrid working) and job shares. We would be happy to discuss individual flexible working requests during the interview process.

How to Apply

• To apply, simply submit an application through our Current Vacancies page and attach a copy of your CV.
• On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible.
• If you have any questions about reasonable adjustments before or during your application, we welcome the opportunity to talk about what we can do to fairly adapt our process for you. Please share what you’re comfortable with to help us put the right support in place, by emailing careers@warchild.org.uk. Anything you tell us will be kept completely confidential by our HR team.
• We are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. In order to apply, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the country where this role is based.

Safeguarding

Our work with children and at-risk adults to ensure their safety is our top priority. We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in all aspects of our work. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior or practices that put children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse or harm.

Successful applicants will be required to comply with and sign our Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and PSEAH Policy. You can find the Safeguarding and Integrity policies here:
https://warchild.sharepoint.com/sites/Integrity

Diversity and Inclusion

We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to ensuring that all our people and job applicants are treated fairly, irrespective of where, what or whom they were born, or of other characteristics. We want to offer a safe and inclusive workplace where all our people, especially those who are currently marginalised or underrepresented, can be themselves at work. You can read our Diversity and Inclusion policy on our website, and if you have any questions about our commitment to diversity and inclusion do get in touch: https://www.warchild.org.uk/our-work/policies-and-reports/diversity-and-inclusion

Pre-employment Checks

Employment with War Child will be subject to the following checks prior to your start date:

• a satisfactory police record check to include a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and/or an International/National Criminal Record Check
• a clear vetting and Due Diligence check
• receipt of two professional satisfactory references