Department: Fundraising Engagement
Appointment Type: FTC
Full Time/Part Time: Full time
Hours per week: 37.5
Flexible working options: Compressed hours, Flexi-time, Flexi-place
Interview Dates: 1st Round will be held on 4th and 5th November, 2nd Round will be held on 11th November
Closing Date: 23/10/2026
Job Summary
The salary for this 6 month fixed term contract is circa £50,000 per annum
It’s an exciting time to join War Child. We are sector-leading in our heritage, connections and relationships across music, gaming and events, with an incredible network of supporters ready to champion our work. Backed by a talented and ambitious team, we deliver bold, creative fundraising that inspires people to take action for children affected by conflict and helps ensure they can access protection, education and specialist support.
As Live Music Lead, you will play a central role in delivering some of War Child's most high-profile live music events, working with artists, managers, promoters, venues and industry partners to create outstanding fundraising experiences that support children affected by conflict.
Reporting to the Head of Live Music, you will take ownership of the planning, production and delivery of a diverse portfolio of live music activity that may include BRITs Week, exclusive gigs, artist-led campaigns, touring activations and new fundraising opportunities. You'll combine strong project management with commercial awareness, industry credibility and a passion for delivering exceptional live experiences.
This role offers the chance to work at the intersection of music, fundraising and social impact, helping to generate vital income while building on War Child's unique position and reputation within the music industry.
As a six-month fixed-term appointment, we're looking for someone who can quickly build relationships, take ownership of projects and confidently lead delivery in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
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 Live Music Lead is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of agreed live music projects and activations, turning strategic priorities and opportunities into high-quality, financially successful live events and fundraising activity. Working closely with and reporting to the Head of Live Music, the role will take ownership of the operational and delivery requirements across a diverse portfolio of live activity, ensuring projects are well planned, effectively resourced and delivered to a high standard.
Your Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end delivery of War Child’s live music programme, including BRITs Week, live gigs, concert series, touring artist activations and other live fundraising opportunities.
- Translate agreed strategic priorities into clear project plans, timelines, budgets and delivery requirements, managing multiple complex projects and competing priorities.
- Lead the operational and production delivery of live music projects, working closely with promoters, venues, production teams, suppliers, artists, agents and internal stakeholders.
- Ensure appropriate production, logistical, contractual, financial and risk-management processes are in place, identifying and resolving challenges proactively.
- Maintain oversight of project budgets, timelines, deliverables and milestones, ensuring activity is delivered on time, within budget and to the required quality and fundraising standards.
- Lead post-event evaluation, capturing learning and implementing improvements across future activity.
- Develop and deliver financially viable live music opportunities that generate income for War Child, identifying opportunities to increase income, reduce costs and improve commercial performance.
- Support negotiations with artists, agents, promoters, venues and partners to secure strong commercial and fundraising outcomes.
- Build and maintain strong day-to-day relationships with artists, managers, agents, promoters, venues and production partners, acting as a key contact across agreed live projects and ensuring effective communication and delivery.
- Develop opportunities and relationships within the live music industry in support of agreed projects, representing War Child professionally and confidently and bringing relevant opportunities to the Head of Live Music.
- Provide day-to-day leadership and support to colleagues working across live music projects, delegating effectively and ensuring clear ownership and accountability.
- Work closely with the Head of Live Music to deliver the wider live music strategy, taking ownership of agreed projects and decisions and providing clear updates, recommendations and escalation points.
- Work with a high degree of autonomy, proactively resolving issues within agreed parameters and escalating strategic, financial or reputational decisions where senior input is required.
- Provide insight and recommendations to support the development of War Child’s live music strategy, drawing on delivery experience, industry knowledge and learning to identify opportunities for improvement and growth.
- Support the wider Music team and organisation in delivering the annual plan and contribute to a culture committed to safeguarding, inclusion, equity and belonging.
- Use all tools available to ensure compliance with our ethical fundraising policy and relevant regulations, including partnership agreements, vetting and due diligence processes, GDPR and accurate CRM records.
- Contribute to 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 workplace. 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.
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 role.
You Are
- Experienced in delivering live music events, programmes or activations from initial planning through to completion, with a strong knowledge of the live music industry.
- Experienced in managing multiple complex projects simultaneously, with excellent organisational, operational and project management skills and strong attention to detail.
- Experienced in managing budgets, financial tracking and commercial negotiations, with the ability to deliver against income and fundraising targets.
- Experienced in working with artists, managers, agents, promoters, venues, production teams and other music industry partners, with the confidence to build and maintain senior relationships.
- Able to work independently, take ownership and make sound decisions, proactively identifying and resolving challenges while knowing when to escalate.
- Able to lead and support others through delivery, delegate effectively and work collaboratively across teams and departments.
- Commercially aware and entrepreneurial, with the ability to identify and develop opportunities within agreed priorities while remaining focused on War Child’s mission and fundraising objectives.
- Creative and solutions-focused, with the ability to contribute new ideas, formats, artists and approaches to the live music programme.
- Calm and resilient under pressure, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced live music environment.
- Knowledgeable about current trends and developments across the live music and wider music industry, with a strong network of relevant industry contacts.
- Experience working within music, charity, fundraising, entertainment or events would be advantageous, as would experience delivering large-scale or multi-event live music programmes.
All candidates for roles based in London are required to have the right to work in the UK.
About Us
At War Child we are driven by a single goal – ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war.
Using our 30 years of experience and proven methodologies, we aim to reach children as quickly as possible when conflict breaks out and stay long after the cameras have gone to support them through their recovery. We work with local communities and governments to help protect and educate children, and support them to heal and learn, for a safer, brighter future.
We understand children’s needs, respect and stand up for their rights, and put them at the centre of everything we do – because one child caught up in conflict is one child too many.
Every day, our local teams are in communities and in refugee camps creating safe spaces for children to play, learn and access psychological support, and we specialise in responding rapidly to emergency crisis situations to deliver immediate and critical care impartially to help to those who need us most, when they need us most.
Because no child should be part of war. Ever.
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
