STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Contract: Employed or Freelance (Self Employed)

Location: London / hybrid, with attendance at Pegasus events and meetings as required and Wednesday in office as collaborative working day.

Annual Salary and hours: £40,000–£42,000 FTE, depending on experience £24,000–£25,200 per annum for 3 days / 21 hours per week We are open to appointing the right candidate on either an employed or freelance/self-employed basis

For candidates wishing to work on a freelance/self-employed basis, we anticipate a fee in the region of £275–£300 per day, depending on experience and the agreed scope and working arrangement.

About the role

Pegasus Opera Company is seeking an entrepreneurial and commercially minded Strategic Partnership and Development Manager to grow earned and partnership income by unlocking the potential of Pegasus’s existing assets, networks and creating new income streams. This is not a traditional fundraising role. The focus is on identifying where Pegasus already has something of value, our artists, productions, events, international relationships, audiences, networks and 30-year track record and turning those assets into sustainable income-generating opportunities. The Strategic Partnerships and Development Manager will develop relationships across the corporate, cultural and philanthropic sectors and will be expected to deliver against agreed financial targets for new and earned income. We are looking for someone who understands the opera and wider arts landscape, but who can also think beyond it: identifying where Pegasus can build mutually beneficial relationships with businesses, individuals and organisations that value creativity, exceptional artistic talent, diversity and social impact

Key Responsibilities

Earned Income & Business Development

Alongside Executive Director, develop and implement a focused earned-income and partnerships plan with clear priorities, financial targets and timescales. Identify opportunities to generate greater commercial value from Pegasus’s existing programmes, artists, relationships and intellectual assets. Build a strong pipeline of prospective partners and income opportunities, taking relationships from initial approach through negotiation to delivery. Working alongside the Executive Director to develop appropriate pricing, propositions and partnership packages, ensuring opportunities are both financially worthwhile and aligned with Pegasus’s values. Monitor performance against agreed income targets and provide regular pipeline and financial reporting to the Executive Director.

Strategic Partnerships & Relationships

Build high-value relationships with corporate, cultural and individual partners. Develop compelling partnership, sponsorship and collaboration opportunities that generate income and strategic value. Cultivate high-net-worth individuals and other potential long-term supporters. Use Pegasus performances and events to engage, cultivate and convert prospective partners into long term donors. Develop targeted fundraising and cultivation events with the Executive Director. Represent Pegasus confidently at industry, networking and cultural events.

Developing Pegasus’s Existing Assets

Take particular responsibility for developing the commercial potential of:

• Opera Lounge – building partnerships, sponsorship and other income opportunities around Pegasus’s distinctive fusion of opera, contemporary music and live DJ culture.
• Pegasus Talent – developing opportunities for Pegasus’s roster of professional singers beyond traditional opera engagements, particularly within corporate events, private events and other commercial settings.
• Pegasus Friends of America – Working with the Artistic Director to develop the network and relationships required to grow Pegasus’s profile, partnerships and income from supporters in the United States.
• Pegasus’s wider artistic programme and reputation – identifying opportunities arising from our productions, artists, events, audiences, community reach and relationships across the cultural sector.

Person Specification

We are looking for someone who combines commercial instinct with genuine knowledge and enthusiasm for opera and the arts. Strong understanding of the UK opera, classical music and/or wider arts and cultural landscape. Demonstrable experience of business development, strategic partnerships, earned-income development, sponsorship or a closely related field. A track record of identifying opportunities and converting relationships into income. Commercially confident and comfortable working towards clear financial targets. Entrepreneurial and creative, with the ability to recognise commercial potential in existing organisational assets. Excellent relationship-building skills and confidence engaging with senior decision-makers, corporate partners, artists, cultural leaders and high-net-worth individuals. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create compelling partnership propositions and make persuasive pitches. Confident negotiating financial and partnership arrangements. Highly self-motivated and able to develop opportunities proactively rather than waiting for established leads. Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage several relationships and opportunities simultaneously. An understanding of and commitment to Pegasus Opera Company’s mission, including our commitment to artistic excellence, representation and creating opportunities for Global Majority artists.

What Success Looks Like

The Strategic Partnerships and Development Manager will have created a strong and measurable pipeline of new income, converted opportunities into partnerships and earned revenue, and demonstrated how Pegasus can make significantly greater use of the assets it already possesses. Over time, the role should help Pegasus diversify its income, reduce reliance on grant funding and establish sustainable commercial relationships that support both the organisation’s artistic ambitions and its long-term financial resilience