Associate Director of Leadership & Annual Giving

Ref Number: C16-00280

Professional Expertise: Fundraising and Philanthropy

Department: Vice-President (Advancement) (C16)

Location: London

Working Pattern: Full time

Salary: £68,284-£76,244

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Type: Hybrid

Available for Secondment: No

Closing Date: 27-Jul-2026

Two hundred years ago, UCL redefined the very idea of a university. We opened up university education to the many, not the few. Our bold founders committed us to innovation, inclusivity and excellence, and we haven’t stood still since. Today, UCL has over 51,000 students, 14,000 staff and over 470,000 alumni, and is one of the world’s top 10 universities.

February 2026 saw the start of our bicentennial year and launch of our largest ever fundraising and engagement campaign that sets out our ambitions to solve global health, societal, climate and education challenges in UCL’s next century. In the last 2 years, we’ve raised significant support towards the campaign, and the university leadership has supported the investment into the team through building further capacity and expertise across the Advancement division.

This newly created role of Associate Director, Leadership Annual Giving is part of this commitment and will meet our ambition to create a bridge between our Regular Giving programme and Major Gift teams. There has never been a more exciting time to join the Advancement office.

As the Associate Director, Leadership Annual Giving, you will design and lead UCL’s LAG programme, driving philanthropic income between £10,000 and £100,000. You will manage a portfolio of leadership-level prospects and donors, secure new gifts, steward ongoing relationships, and ensure a strong progression of supporters toward the major gifts and legacies pipeline. You will also act as the key point of contact for academic referral prospects at this level, working closely with key faculty members to support their engagement in philanthropy.

Success here will require you to be both a strategist and a hands-on fundraiser, leading by example in cultivating relationships, devising solicitation strategies, and securing gifts. You will be an excellent team player and be very experienced in working closely with colleagues to maximise giving at all levels, without losing sight of the strategy you are responsible for.

You will be ambitious and at ease with creating something new, and bring gravitas and the ability to assess and analyse data in order to evolve and continually improve programmes. Your enterprising and solutions-focussed nature will help you to quickly gain the confidence of those round you.

In return, you will join a team of passionate individuals who work together to achieve remarkable things with a global impact. Our people really are our greatest asset, and we invest in them so that they can fulfil their potential. Equity, diversity and inclusion is important to us and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to give their best in a place where their unique experiences, perspectives and skills are seen as valuable assets.

We also prioritise work-life balance and offer hybrid and agile working as well as flexibility around working hours. We are happy to receive part-time applications for all of our job opportunities, and can consider a 0.8FTE working pattern for this role. We particularly welcome applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.