Development Manager

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community and a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Durham University

The Role and Department

The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) is responsible for coordinating philanthropy, alumni and supporter engagement, advancement services, and supporter communications on behalf of the University. DARO works with colleges, academic departments, research centres and institutes, wider student experience partners, and professional departments to engage over 200,000 alumni and supporters around the world. DARO is part of Advancement, along with Marketing and Communications, and contributes to the enhancement of Durham University's reputation as globally outstanding, inclusive, and forward-looking. We are an ambitious and committed team with a collaborative and collegiate culture.

The Development Team within DARO is ultimately responsible for: soliciting major and principal donations from alumni, philanthropists, corporations, trusts and foundations and other charitable bodies; stewarding major and principal donors through reports, presentations, events and face-to-face meetings; meeting with gift beneficiaries to collate and produce gift impact reporting materials; hosting and devising engagement opportunities for existing and prospective benefactors on campus; and managing relationships with high-level stakeholders on behalf of the University.

The Development Manager will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donations of £10,000 - £100,000. The post-holder's portfolio will be centred around individual donors, but may also include trusts and foundations, legacy and planned giving prospects, corporate donors/sponsors, and other philanthropic organisations.

The Development Manager will play a critical role in the delivery of Durham's bicentenary campaign, known as Durham 200. Durham 200 is a major philanthropic initiative in recognition of the University's 200th anniversary in 2032, which seeks to create a step-change in philanthropic income and increase significantly the impact of giving to Durham.

The post-holder must be versatile and able to work closely with senior University leaders, prominent and public figures, major benefactors and advocates, and senior volunteers in multiple capacities which facilitate the development of major donations and the advancement of Durham University.

This is a hybrid role based in Durham, with a requirement to be on site at least two days per week and a considerable amount of travel within the UK and potentially further afield. From early 2025 the base location for this role will change from our Durham City Centre site to our exciting new professional services hub based at Boldon House. Boldon House is situated on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Boldon House will bring a number of professional services teams together in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working. To find out more about this project, please visit this webpage: Boldon House - Durham University.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

- 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year.

- The University closes between Christmas and New Year.

- We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).

- No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.

- There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.

- Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.

- On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16.

- Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).

- The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community

- Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.

- A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.

- If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.