Irish jobs

Campaign and Trust Executive

Organisation: Ballintubber Abbey Trust

Reports to: Trust Manager (Suellen McKenna)

Location: Ballintubber Abbey, Co. Mayo. Hybrid working arrangement: Up to three days on-site per week, with the remainder remote by agreement. The specific on-site days will be agreed with the post-holder. The Trust reserves the right to vary on-site requirements as the campaign and capital projects require, and flexibility on the part of the post-holder is essential.

Contract: Two-year fixed-term contract, reviewed for permanency at month eighteen.

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week. Occasional evening work for campaign events. Weekend work is not a regular feature of the role; the Abbey's tour guides and event staff cover weekend operations.

Salary: Depending on experience.

About Ballintubber Abbey

Ballintubber Abbey is Ireland's only church in continuous worship since 1216. The Trust is currently delivering one of the most significant heritage projects in the West of Ireland, including a new Cultural and Heritage Visitor Centre, conservation of the eight-hundred-year-old Abbey church, and renewal of the sacred landscape and pilgrimage route to Croagh Patrick.

The Trust is in the early phase of a major capital campaign to support this programme of works, working with national and international donors, foundations, the diaspora, and the local community.

Purpose of the role

The Campaign and Trust Executive will work directly alongside the Trust Manager, providing the day-to-day administrative and coordination support that keeps both the Abbey office and the campaign moving. The post-holder will take routine operational tasks off the Trust Manager's desk, allowing her to focus on senior donor relationships and strategic priorities, and will provide the practical engine-room support behind every aspect of campaign delivery.

This is not a donor-facing fundraising role. Donor relationships are held by the Trust Manager, the parish priest, the Trust, and the campaign advisor. The Executive's contribution is to make those relationships easier to run by ensuring meetings happen on time, materials are produced to a high standard, records are accurate, and follow-up is never missed.

This role offers significant scope for professional development for someone early in their career who wants direct exposure to planning and delivering a major capital campaign, working alongside experienced practitioners and an external campaign advisor.

Key responsibilities

Campaign support

• Logistical preparation for donor visits to the Abbey, including hospitality, room set-up, tours, and materials.
• Production support for cultivation and stewardship materials, working from drafts provided by the Trust Manager or campaign advisor, including formatting, proofing, and printing.
• Issuing standard donor acknowledgements and thank-you letters from approved templates, under the signature of the Trust Manager, the parish priest, or the Trust as appropriate to the relationship.
• Accurate logging of donor interactions, gifts, and pledges on the Trust's prospect and donor database, based on notes provided after each contact.
• Coordination of campaign mailings, including merge, print, dispatch, and tracking.
• Administrative support for prospect research, including filing, organising, and version control of research notes prepared by the campaign advisor.
• Diary coordination and scheduling for donor calls, visits, and meetings on behalf of the Trust Manager and the campaign advisor.

Event support

• Practical delivery of campaign events, from small donor events at the Abbey to larger community events.
• Liaison with suppliers, venues, and contractors to deliver events on time and on budget.
• Guest list management, invitations, RSVPs, name badges, and on-the-day coordination.
• Post-event follow-up, including thank-you letters, photograph organisation, and event reporting.

Communications support

• Coordination of campaign newsletters, social media content, and website updates, working from copy approved by the Trust Manager.
• Liaison with designers, photographers, and printers for the production of campaign materials.
• Maintenance of the campaign asset library, including photographs, design files, and approved messaging.

Trust office administration

• Day-to-day administration of the Trust office, including correspondence, filing, and record-keeping.
• First-line handling of enquiries from visitors, suppliers, and the public by phone, email, and in person, escalating donor and media enquiries to the Trust Manager.
• Diary management for the Trust Manager, including meeting preparation, agendas, and follow-up actions.
• Financial administration support, including processing of donations, raising of invoices, and liaison with the Trust's bookkeeper and accountants.
• Maintenance of compliance documentation across charity governance, GDPR, and fundraising regulation.
• General office management, including supplies, equipment, and supplier relationships.

Capital project administration

• Coordination of meetings with the project design team (architects, quantity surveyor, mechanical and electrical engineers, civil and structural engineers) for the Abbey's conservation and renewal programme.
• Minute-taking and circulation of action notes from design team meetings.
• Document and version control across project drawings, reports, and contracts.
• Administrative liaison with Mayo County Council, the project delivery team, and other agencies engaged on the East Wing development.
• Maintenance of the capital project records library and ensuring compliance documentation is up to date and accessible.

Person specification

Essential

• A minimum of one to two years' experience in a busy administrative, office coordination, events, or charity support role.
• Excellent written English, with the ability to produce clean, accurate, well-presented correspondence and documents.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work to deadlines, and stay on top of details without prompting.
• Confident telephone manner and a warm, professional approach to handling enquiries.
• Fluent with both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, and comfortable picking up new database, CRM, and project management systems.
• A discreet and trustworthy approach to confidential information. The post-holder will see donor records, financial information, and personal correspondence as a routine part of the role.
• Flexibility and adaptability, including a willingness to flex on-site days, working patterns, and priorities as the campaign and capital projects require.
• A genuine empathy for the Abbey's mission and a willingness to engage warmly with its religious, cultural, and community dimensions.
• Full clean driving licence and access to a car. The role is based in rural Mayo and is not accessible by public transport.

Desirable

• Previous experience in a fundraising, charity, or heritage office environment.
• Familiarity with a fundraising CRM.
• Working knowledge of Canva, Mailchimp, social media platforms, or basic web editing.
• Event delivery experience in a charity, heritage, or hospitality setting.
• Exposure to a construction or capital project environment, including familiarity with design team meeting cycles, contractor liaison, or planning processes.

What we offer

• A meaningful role at the heart of a once-in-a-generation campaign for one of Ireland's most historically significant sites.
• Direct exposure to senior fundraising practice and major capital project delivery, working alongside an experienced Trust Manager and external campaign advisor.
• A varied, hands-on role with genuine scope for development as the campaign matures.
• Hybrid working arrangement once embedded in the role.
• 20 days annual leave, plus the standard Irish public holidays.
• A beautiful working environment at the Abbey Head office in the heart of Mayo.

Application

Applicants are invited to submit a CV and a covering letter of no more than two pages, addressed to the Trust Manager, setting out their motivation for applying and how their experience meets the person specification. Applications should be sent to manager@ballintubberabbey.ie.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview at the Abbey, including a short written exercise.

Ballintubber Abbey Trust is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of background.

Pay: €28,000.00-€32,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• On-site parking

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ballintubber, County Mayo