Senior Manager, Institutional Advancement in Aberdeen

The Senior Manager (Institutional Advancement) is a key member of the Institutional Advancement (IA) team, supporting the Director (IA) in driving fundraising, alumni and stakeholder engagement, and brand building initiatives for the College.

The role focuses on leading donor and partner development, overseeing major campaigns and flagship events, and providing day to day leadership and guidance to the IA team to achieve ambitious fundraising and engagement targets.

• Strategic planning and execution: Support the Director (IA) in formulating and implementing medium to long term IA strategies, annual plans and income targets aligned with the College’s mission and priorities. Develop and refine strategies for donor acquisition, renewal and upgrading across individual, corporate, foundation and alumni segments. Translate strategy into concrete work plans, KPIs and timelines for the IA team, and monitor progress and performance.
• Fundraising and donor development: Lead cultivation and stewardship of major donors (individuals, corporates, foundations and high net worth individuals) to secure new gifts and renewal gifts at scale. Take primary responsibility for building and managing a healthy prospect pipeline, including setting priorities for prospect research and qualification carried out by the IA team. Develop tailored cultivation and solicitation plans, make persuasive appeals and close major and leadership gift solicitations. Build and leverage personal networks and external contacts (corporate partnerships, foundations, HNWIs, associations and platforms) to facilitate introductions, secure meetings and expand the College’s support base. Achieve the annual fundraising targets assigned in alignment with the College’s overall development goals.
• Project, flagship event and alumni leadership: Provide oversight of IA projects, campaigns and events from planning through evaluation, ensuring objectives, budgets and timelines are met. Act as project lead for major fundraising and engagement initiatives, including the annual flagship fundraising event (Dinosaur Run), Donor Appreciation Events, Prospect Events and “Meet the President” gatherings in Hong Kong and YCYW schools across China, with implementation support from the Assistant Manager (IA) and other colleagues. Work with the Student Development Office and other units to shape alumni engagement and alumni giving strategies, including communication approaches and opportunities for alumni participation and contribution.
• Data, systems and reporting: Ensure accurate and timely management of donor and prospect data in CRM systems (e.g. Zoho), setting expectations and standards for data quality and usage across the IA team. Use data insights and dashboards to drive strategy, forecasting and decision making for fundraising, stewardship and events. Prepare impact reports, management reports, proposals and presentations for senior management, committees, donors and other stakeholders.
• Stewardship and project oversight: Establish or refine donor stewardship plans and frameworks, including recognition approaches, reporting standards and communication touchpoints for key donor segments. Provide oversight of donor funded projects and initiatives, ensuring that commitments, deliverables and reporting requirements are met and communicated in a timely and professional manner. Work closely with relevant internal departments to ensure that project impact, stories and outcomes are captured for donor reports and future cultivation.
• Team leadership and development: Provide day to day supervision, coaching and mentoring to IA team members (e.g. Assistant Manager), setting clear expectations and priorities, and reviewing quality of outputs. Promote a collaborative, high performance culture within the team and across functions, encouraging continuous improvement in processes, stewardship and supporter experience. Contribute to workforce planning and capability development within IA (e.g. identifying skills gaps, recommending training and development needs).
• Governance and other duties: Uphold high standards of ethics, confidentiality and compliance in all fundraising and engagement activities, in line with College policies and relevant codes of practice. Ensure appropriate internal controls and documentation are in place for fundraising, donor records and events. Perform any other duties as assigned by the College as appropriate.

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Marketing, Communications, Business, Public Relations or related discipline; a Master’s degree is an advantage.
• Around 10–12 years of relevant experience in institutional advancement, fundraising, business development or marketing in the B2C or non profit sector; experience in higher education or NGOs is an advantage.
• Proven track record in securing major gifts, managing donor portfolios and delivering successful fundraising campaigns and flagship events.
• Strong relationship building abilities with senior executives, high net worth individuals, corporates, foundations, alumni and community partners.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising or mentoring staff, and in managing cross functional projects and event teams.
• Good IT skills and hands on experience with CRM/donor databases (preferably Zoho), data management and Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
• Strategic yet hands on, able to balance planning with execution and to work under pressure and tight deadlines.
• High degree of integrity, professionalism, emotional intelligence and adaptability; strong problem solving, negotiation and influencing skills.

Initial appointment will normally be made on a renewable 24+ months contract. Remuneration is competitive and will be based on qualifications and relevant experience. The College offers group medical insurance and dental, staff development support and leave provisions (annual leave, birthday leave, college leave, etc) to eligible appointee. Appointee will undergo a Medical Examination and the Sexual Conviction Record Check. Personal data collected will be used for recruitment-related purposes only.