Head of Development in London

The Royal Society’s fundamental purpose, reflected in its founding Charters of the 1660s, is to recognise, promote and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. The Society has played a part in some of the most fundamental, significant and lifechanging discoveries in history and Royal Society scientists – our Fellows and those people we fund – continue to make outstanding contributions to science and help to shape the world we live in. The Society has three key roles, operating as a registered charity, a fellowship of outstanding scientists and as the UK national academy of science.

The Head of Development role manages the Royal Society’s development team, which is focused on maximising philanthropic income and achieving a collective team target of approx. £5.5 million annually. Working closely with members of the Development team and with senior colleagues, the post holder is responsible for developing a programme of approaches that secure gifts of mainly at the high 6-figure and 7-figure level from a range of income streams including trusts and foundations, legacies, individual supporters, and companies in the UK and overseas.

The postholder will also be responsible for ensuring that stewardship, administration and gift acceptance processes operate smoothly, and are completed efficiently and in accordance with the relevant policies. The team is currently going through a period of change and the post holder has the opportunity to help shape the team and develop the next fundraising strategy in collaboration with the Director of Development and Scientific Programmes, the Executive Director and the trustee body (Council).

Reports to: Director, Development and Scientific Programmes

Line Report: Research and Stewardship Manager and up to 4 other direct reports

Location: Hybrid (office based in Carlton House Terrace, Piccadilly, with some remote working available)

Hours: 35 hours – Full Time

Some evening and weekend working may occasionally be required. Some domestic and international travel may also be required.

Pay Band: F, £61,506 - £76,882 per annum

Duration: 12 Month Fixed-term Contract

This application closing date will be 22 January at 9 am.

Responsibilities

• Be responsible for the Society’s philanthropic income generation as directed by the Director of Development and Scientific Programmes in conjunction with the Society’s Officers, particularly the Treasurer, Council and Executive Director.
• Work with senior leadership and Fellows to identify strategically important activities that would lend themselves to philanthropic funding prospective donors to the Society.
• Cultivate, solicit and steward a portfolio of individual, trust and corporate donor prospects with the ability to make 6 and 7-figure donations.
• Establish co-operative working relationships with appropriate Society colleagues and volunteers.
• Work with the team and senior colleagues to increase the number of legacy pledgers to the Society, through the development of long-term relationships with Fellows and other prospective legators.
• With the Director of Development and Scientific Programmes, develop cases for support for gifts at all levels aligned with the strategic and sectional plans of the Society.
• Oversee the efficient and smooth operational delivery of voluntary income streams.
• Ensure that robust due diligence is carried out where needed and that any risk to the Society is identified and mitigated.
• Oversee the preparations and paperwork for the Gift Acceptance Committee, ensuring the relevant paperwork is completed in good time and communication is clear.
• Ensure regular and timely reporting against targets and KPIs.
• Operational management of the Development section budget.
• Ensure that all donors are stewarded effectively and in line with the schedule agreed in the gift agreement.
• Oversee and resolve any issues arising relating to the fulfilment of a project, escalating as needed to the Director of Development.
• Establish or develop co-operative working relationships with appropriate Society colleagues and leadership volunteers including the American Friends of the Royal Society.
• Help build a wider understanding of fundraising within the Society and increase the profile of the team and its work.
• Be responsible for ad hoc donations, legacies or gifts, and any campaigns that may arise.
• Adhere to guidelines and policies regarding good practice, confidentiality and data protection, and to charitable law.
• Record relationships on the Society’s database effectively and ensure donor records are kept up to date.
• Manage and support the professional development of a high-performing Development team.
• Keep up to date with the work of the Royal Society.
• Any other additional duties as assigned.

Key Knowledge and Skills Required

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills to deal effectively and appropriately with donors, prospects and other stakeholders, in written correspondence, face to face and over the telephone.
• Ability to produce clear, accurate and concise materials for a discerning readership.
• Ability to create a fundraising approach that both matches a prospect’s interests and ambitions, whilst aligning with the Society’s strategy, and leads to an effective outcome.
• Sensitivity and discretion in dealing with confidential information.
• Highly numerate and analytical with an ability to produce reports presenting a range of financial data.
• Well-developed ability to work well with others as part of a team, providing support as required, and build and maintain effective working relationships.
• Proven ability to prioritise and manage competing priorities effectively and efficiently whilst meeting deadlines and maintaining a keen attention to detail.
• An interest in science, scientists and its broader social significance.

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven track record of soliciting and securing 6-figure and 7-figure gifts.
• Proven experience of developing funding proposals and approaches.
• Substantial experience and acuity when working with senior stakeholders (colleagues, volunteers) in a complex organisation.
• Significant experience in coaching, developing and motivating a high-performing team.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation including on UK GDPR, tax including Gift Aid and best practice/ legislation in relation to fundraising practices.

Desirable

• Experience of working within an academic / university environment.
• Experience of developing and delivering corporate sponsorship packages.
• Experience of legacy and / or regular-giving fundraising.

Competencies

• Self-management

• Identifies difficult situations.
• Recognises stress in others and takes steps to reduce it.
• Controls pressurised situations.
• Effectively enthuses those in the team.
• Proactively sets goals and targets for own work.
• Embraces new opportunities, responds to new risks and takes on new responsibilities.
• Encourages others to seize opportunities.
• Recognises when it is appropriate to resist the objections of others and remain committed to a sound course of action.

• Actively seeks ideas and criticisms from within the team.
• Resolves conflicts within and between teams.
• Embeds feedback processes within the team.
• Seeks out new networks that will create opportunity for the Society.
• Able to present complex issues simply.
• Uses discretion, tact and empathy when negotiating with and/or seeking to influence others.
• Understands the need to manage expectations and to only promise what is deliverable.
• Demonstrates compassion in delivering hard messages.
• Leads and facilitates group discussions, surfaces and clarifies issues and keeps conversations focused, productive and constructive.
• Enlists champions to keep key messages alive and make them real.
• Acts as a role model, continuously demonstrating communication excellence and regard for the value of building shared vision and direction.
• Remains calm in front of challenging audiences, never diminishing others.
• Looks for opportunities to assemble a diverse group to discuss respective views.
• Keeps people at the table by articulating an outcome or goal that engages and encourages active participation.
• Shares resources across organisational boundaries to meet Society needs.
• Uses negotiation skills and adaptability to encourage recognition of joint concerns, collaboration, and to influence the success of outcomes.

• Determines strategy and deployment of resources, balancing cost and benefit, risk and potential for maximum impact across significant business areas.
• Manages complex cross-cutting projects to time, budget and specification.
• Ensures others accept responsibility towards results or quality.
• Sets the quality standards for own business areas in accordance with strategy and contributes to the formulation of quality standards across the Society.
• Sets and monitors priorities.
• Identifies and manages risk effectively.
• Analyses potential for surplus or loss, risks and/or return-on-investment of various courses of action.
• Demonstrates a solid understanding of the culture and recognises limitations in order to ensure that plans, actions and timelines will be effective.
• Directs the creation of forums and discussion opportunities to generate innovative and breakthrough ideas, exposing others to experts and ideas to stimulate new thinking.
• Translates vision/knowledge to others to enable shared understanding and rapid execution.
• Facilitates the team to assess the viability of ideas based on a number of likely scenarios.
• Has patience and allows time for appropriate planning and engagement to take place in projects and day-to-day deliverables.

• Uses questioning, analytical and probing skills to ‘dig deeper’.
• Knows when enough information has been obtained and adapts presentation of information to the needs of the audience.
• Evaluates the benefits, practicalities and value for money of ideas and obtains feedback.
• Makes sound decisions in a complex or ambiguous environment and is able to gain support and manage challenges confidently.
• Directs the creation of forums and discussion opportunities to generate innovative and breakthrough ideas, stimulates new thinking.
• Sees issues and mitigates as necessary the implications of a proposal.
• Justifies key results and procedures, explains assumptions and reasons.
• Correctly evaluates the credibility of sources and correctly judges the strength of an argument.
• Fair-mindedly follows where evidence and reasons lead.

• Actively seeks the input and opinions of others, often outside his/her section and accommodates and incorporates this thinking into any output.
• Actively seeks new challenges and projects; leads discussions surrounding new ideas, approaches and projects.
• Anticipates need for innovation and seeks new ideas, approaches and solutions.
• Demonstrates courage by deciding and acting in the face of uncertainty.
• Works in a balanced fashion, managing tough calls by being adaptable and flexible to ensure needs of competing stakeholders are fairly and equitably met.
• Acts with foresight to anticipate and analyse many different scenarios.
• Acknowledges ambiguity and works with team to identify understand and manage polarities and other complex situations.

• Sets expectations of others and ensures they deliver.
• Demonstrates a positive attitude towards work, celebrating success and instilling confidence, which encourages the same from others.
• Encourages others to share ideas and participate in the discussion and decisions of the team.
• Assesses needs of clients/stakeholders/staff and makes plans to meet these needs.
• Avoids micromanagement by delegating fully and giving latitude to others to do tasks in own way, including opportunity to make and learn from mistakes.
• Acts as a talent builder by challenging people with questions and assignments that will grow their capabilities.
• Coaches and mentors’ others, providing career guidance and perspective.
• Demonstrates compassion in delivering hard messages.
• Establishes personal relationships with customers, building an understanding of broader needs, issues, and aspirations beyond those solely applicable to the Society products or services.
• Uses knowledge to develop appropriate longer-term relationship management strategies.
• Assesses the long-term value of various types of external customers and manages each type appropriately.
• Ensures ‘one-customer’ mindset and offers customer exposure to the full breadth of products and services, as appropriate.