WaterAid is hiring a Trust Manager to join its Philanthropy and Trusts team in London, offering a salary of £41,325 a year with excellent benefits. The role is permanent and full time, at 35 hours a week, and applications close at 12:00pm UK time on 9 November 2026. Interviews are expected to take place in the week beginning 16 November 2026.

The post is based in London, with hybrid working. WaterAid asks for a minimum of 40 per cent of working time to be spent face to face, in the London office, on external meetings or travel, which the charity describes as roughly three days wherever the postholder works best and two days together in person.

What the Trust Manager will do

The Trust Manager will manage a portfolio of existing trust and foundation partners and build relationships with new donors, working closely with other fundraisers, senior leadership, programme teams and communication colleagues. The aim is to secure new funding partnerships and grow income from trusts so that WaterAid can reach more people with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

Day-to-day responsibilities include building and managing a pipeline of trust prospects, identifying opportunities, cultivating relationships and creating engagement strategies that lead to significant new income. The postholder will also deliver high-quality stewardship, proposals and reporting to retain and increase support from existing partners, help design donor-focused funding propositions, and contribute to the team's strategy by spotting emerging funding opportunities and sector trends.

Skills and experience needed

WaterAid is looking for a demonstrable track record of securing and growing five- and six-figure grants from trusts and foundations, together with exceptional relationship management, influencing and communication skills. Candidates will need strong collaboration and partnership-working abilities, experience of working across multidisciplinary teams, and excellent planning, analytical and organisational skills, including experience of managing multiple priorities, budgets, deadlines and customer relationship management systems.

Experience of working in a large, complex organisation is preferred, as is experience of managing restricted income projects, including budgets and log frames, and knowledge of current trends and debates in international development, including locally led development and equitable partnerships.

About WaterAid and the benefits

WaterAid is a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Its Philanthropy and Trusts team is described as dynamic and successful, at an exciting stage of growth, with ambitious plans to increase income and deepen engagement with foundation partners.

The benefits package includes 36 days of holiday including eight bank holidays, the option to buy an extra five days of annual leave, an employer pension contribution of up to 10 per cent, flexible and hybrid working, a season ticket loan, free annual eye tests, a Give as you Earn charitable giving scheme, enhanced parental leave, sabbaticals and one paid volunteer day each year. All UK-based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service check, and applicants must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK.

To apply, candidates should complete the pre-screening questions and upload a CV and cover letter through WaterAid's online application portal before the midday deadline on 9 November 2026. WaterAid strongly advises against using artificial intelligence technology at any stage of the recruitment process, saying it values hearing about each candidate's own unique experiences.