Development Manager

This strategic and outward-facing role will be instrumental in expanding the School’s network of supporters and maximising philanthropic income as we celebrate our Centenary in 2026. The postholder will take a leading role in identifying, cultivating and securing new major donor relationships, building a strong and sustainable pipeline of prospects capable of making transformational gifts to support the School’s vision and long-term priorities as it seeks to uphold its global standing as a centre of performance excellence in classical dance from its London base. This position offers an exceptional opportunity for an experienced development professional to play a pivotal part in shaping the School’s next chapter.

Working closely with senior leadership, the postholder will design and deliver innovative engagement strategies to attract new supporters, deepen relationships with key prospects, and communicate the School’s impact and ambitions with clarity and passion.

Summary of the Role

The Development Manager will play a key role in expanding the School’s philanthropic network and securing transformational support as we celebrate our Centenary. The postholder will be responsible for identifying, cultivating and engaging new major donor prospects, building lasting relationships that contribute to the School’s long‑term growth and legacy. Working closely with senior leadership and the Development Team (c. 12 people), this role combines strategic planning, relationship management and innovative engagement to attract high‑value supporters and ensure the continued excellence and impact of the School across its diverse programmes.

Main Duties

• Donor Cultivation and Relationship Management: Build and nurture strong, long‑term relationships with new and existing supporters through personalised engagement strategies informed by the Head of Development. Represent the School at meetings, events, presentations and functions to cultivate connections with prospective donors. Collaborate with senior leadership and the Donor Relations Team to ensure high‑level donors are onboarded seamlessly and receive tailored stewardship and recognition. Develop and implement strategies to attract new major donors, aligning with the School’s fundraising priorities for UK in‑year activity, as well as USA and Asia development. Work with senior leadership to set fundraising targets, track progress and report on performance across each giving level prioritising annual donations of £50k+ per annum.
• Proposal Preparation: Collaborate with content, communications and marketing team colleagues to create compelling materials that articulate the School’s mission and strategic priorities. Contribute to the planning and delivery of fundraising campaigns, events and initiatives to engage, cultivate and convert prospective supporters.
• Prospect Research and Identification: Maintain and update the active prospects pipeline, ensuring all opportunities are tracked and appropriately prioritised with touchpoints and assigned relationship leads. Contribute to the invitations tracker to ensure all prospects are engaged with in a systemised and relevant way according to location, interest, propensity to give.
• Monitoring, Reporting and Analysis: Maintain accurate records of donor engagement and interactions in the CRM system, improving and refining systems and processes as part of a growing department. Monitor progress against fundraising targets, providing regular reports and insights to senior leadership on pipeline value from identification to stewardship stages. Analyse donor trends, sector insights and curate feedback to refine engagement strategies.
• Team Collaboration and Leadership: Work closely with colleagues across Development and the Senior Leadership Team as well as Artistic and Academic staff to refine the propositions and align fundraising priorities. Host year‑round events with the Development Team to enable all prospect engagement. Mentor and support junior staff involved in development activities where appropriate.

Person Specification

• Proven experience in donor cultivation and relationship management – demonstrated success in building and sustaining five‑ and six‑figure annual relationships with major donors and key stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and project management skills – capacity to manage multiple donor relationships, events/projects and fundraising initiatives simultaneously, while maintaining attention to detail in a dynamic office environment.
• Strong strategic fundraising expertise – ability to design, implement and evaluate fundraising strategies that align with institutional priorities and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – skilled at engaging and influencing diverse audiences through persuasive written and verbal communication, including at senior levels.
• Proficiency in proposal and campaign development – experience preparing compelling fundraising proposals, campaign materials and event strategies that inspire donor support.
• Analytical and reporting skills – ability to monitor, interpret and report on fundraising performance, donor trends and engagement metrics using CRM and data‑analysis tools.
• Collaborative teamwork – proven ability to work effectively across departments and with senior leadership, collaborating with colleagues to achieve shared goals.
• Ethical commitment and alignment with institutional values – demonstrated integrity, discretion and commitment to advancing the mission and values of the School through responsible fundraising practices.
• A knowledge and appreciation of ballet, the arts, performance, elite sport. Understanding of 501c3 and endowment fund structures. Previous experience of using Salesforce.

Safeguarding Duties & Responsibilities

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and recognises that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Staff must consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child. The following is expected of all staff:

• To uphold the School’s policies relating to safeguarding and child protection, behaviour, health and safety and all other relevant policies.
• To promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young persons for whom you are responsible and come into contact with.
• To report any safeguarding concerns using the relevant channels, such as informing the Designated Safeguarding Lead, in a timely and appropriate manner.
• To ensure full compliance with all statutory regulations, particularly the most recent Keeping Children Safe in Education, and to communicate concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, other relevant staff of The Royal Ballet School or local children’s services as appropriate.

Diversity Statement

We are committed to creating an environment where all our employees feel part of our team and can flourish, regardless of their background. We’re proud to be an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity.