Director of Development

Purpose: As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Director of Development will lead the Soane’s Development department and its activities, creating and implementing new and imaginative fundraising strategies, and creating cases for support for raising revenue from individuals, corporate partners, legacy givers and trusts and foundations.

Key Criteria for Success
• Working with the Director to articulate a clear strategy for revenue and project fundraising that derives from, and supports the Soane’s strategic plan
• With the team, achieved and sustain income targets for the Development department across all fundraising revenue streams
• Develop, lead and inspire a continuously high performing and well-motivated team
• Establishes rapport with colleagues, and ensured internal buy-in to the fundraising strategy through sound internal communications and well-established relationships
• Become an excellent internal and external advocate for the Museum

Key Responsibilities

Strategic development and delivery
• Develop a coherent fundraising strategy to meet the Museum’s revenue and endowment needs, addressing all relevant donor audiences and forging beneficial relationships to support and promote the Museum’s cause
• Maintain and develop close and productive relationships with key supporters, especially via high quality events for the two tiers of our Patrons.
• Identify and cultivate suitable new prospects, whether individuals, grant-making trusts or corporate partners
• Play an active role as a member of the Senior Management Team
• Engage Trustees in the work of the department through timely and clear reports and action plans

Fundraising
• Lead the implementation of agreed fundraising strategies effectively, achieving or exceeding budgeted levels of income and ensuring that all income is handled as tax effectively as possible, including maximising Gift Aid income
• Develop a network of senior volunteers, including the Trustees, to assist with fundraising by utilising their contacts and engaging them in active solicitations where appropriate
• Initiate and develop long-term individual donor, trust, public funding and corporate partnership relationships to secure major gifts from all sources to meet agreed targets
• Provide appropriate stewardship and reporting tailored to suit each particular donor or corporate partnership as necessary
• Lead individual donor cultivation and solicitation plans, ensuring that the contacts and expertise of others are used to maximum benefit
• Devise effective fundraising documentation and presentations for specific projects, benefits packages, revenue generation schemes etc.
• Make effective ‘asks’ in person, where appropriate, and support others in doing so
• Ensure that all systems, including the development database, and processes required for successful fundraising are in place (including appropriate record keeping, donor research and statistical reporting) and are coordinated effectively with related administrative processes in other areas of the Museum
• Ensure that the Museum has effective fiscal compliance, data protection protocols and due diligence processes for Development in place at all times

Team and budget management
• Direct and develop the team and any Development volunteers, monitoring and managing the performance of the team as a whole and as individuals
• Participate in the recruitment, selection and induction of new staff as appropriate
• Promote and take responsibility for excellent communication within the department and ensure its full integration with the Museum as a whole
• Review working practices regularly and introduce change where appropriate for efficiency and cost-effectiveness
• Carry out all other responsibilities required of a line manager, including health and safety monitoring
• Make proposals for the annual income and expenditure budgets for all Development department activity, monitoring and managing the agreed budgets effectively throughout the year

Other duties
• Participate fully in the delivery of Development department activity and events, acting as an effective ambassador for the Museum at all times
• Maintain and extend personal professional skills
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Director of the Museum

Person Specification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
• Significant fundraising experience at a senior level, in both corporate and individual giving
• Proven success in personally securing five- and six-figure gifts from corporates, individuals or philanthropic trusts
• Detailed understanding of what motivates people to give, and current thinking in the area of philanthropic giving, as well as a thorough understanding of development and communicating
• Experience of devising sophisticated cultivation and solicitation plans, and successfully managing a portfolio of senior level prospects
• Experience devising appropriate events for both donors and prospects
• Experience and understanding of academic or cultural organisations
• Understanding of, or enthusiasm for, the work and aims of Sir John Soane and the Museum
• Experience of working strategically to plan for the medium and long term, as well as on a day-to-day basis, and the ability to be an effective member of a senior management team
• A sound knowledge of UK/EU tax laws, investments and legacy giving
• Sound financial acumen and budget management

Museum Website: https://www.soane.org/about/work-with-us