Development and Alumni Relations

Grade 8: - £41,526 - £65,000 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 3 years
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 10-Mar-2021, 7:59:00 AM 

Job Family: Community, Participation and Engagement Services

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are welcoming, collegiate and inclusive. 

OUR VALUES: We are motivated, inquisitive, challenging, rigorous and innovative.

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. 

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It is expected that all staff within the University:

• Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
• Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family provide an excellent stakeholder experience for our diverse and supportive community.   

Overall family purpose

• Provide excellent student support services, development and extra-curricular activities.
• Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Respond to stakeholders at the point of service delivery, either in situ or remotely.
• Facilitate the development of excellent colleague and academic engagement.
• Provide a stakeholder focussed service designed to increase widening participation and diversity.
• Promote the Durham reputation by establishing and broadening national and international community links to enhance the cultural and economic viability of the City and region.
• Enhance the Durham wider student experience by developing extra-curricular activities.
• Contribute to and enhance active, inclusive and supportive communities of stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
• Engage with suppliers, consultants and specialist professionals to deliver programmes and activities to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Engage and encourage outreach and participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.
• Engage and network with both internal and external stakeholders to facilitate knowledge exchange and impact through local, national and international communities.  

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically and environmentally sustainable approach to delivering stakeholder focussed services across the University;
• A world-class student, alumni and donor experience;
• Focussed on the needs of all users working together to deliver front-line services as part of the Wider Student Experience;
• Learn from and match best practice in the Wider Student Experience around the world;
• Opening up our world-class sporting facilities to local clubs and athletes;
• Support and facilitate activities as part of the Widening Student Experience at Durham;
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged. 

The Department and role purpose  

The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) is responsible for coordinating philanthropy, alumni and supporter engagement, advancement services, and supporter communications on behalf of the University. DARO works with colleges, academic departments, research centres and institutes, wider student experience partners, and professional departments to engage over 180,000 alumni and supporters around the world.

The Development Team within DARO is ultimately responsible for: soliciting major and principal donations from alumni, philanthropists, corporations, trusts and foundations, and other charitable bodies; stewarding major and principal donors through reports, presentations, events and face-to-face meetings; meeting with gift beneficiaries to collate and produce gift impact reporting materials; hosting and devising engagement opportunities for existing and prospective benefactors on campus; and relationship managing high-level stakeholders on behalf of the University.

Senior Development Managers are primarily responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding principal/major donations of £100K - £1M+. In this role, you will be responsible for establishing and developing a portfolio of some of the University’s most senior benefactors and advocates. This portfolio will include individual donors, trusts and foundations, legacy and planned giving prospects, corporate donors/sponsors, and other philanthropic organisations. Portfolios may vary based on the skills of the individual SDM and/or emerging business needs.

The post-holder will play a critical role within the delivery of the Durham Inspired campaign – a major philanthropic initiative which seeks to support the next generation of inspiration and leadership at Durham.

The post-holder must be versatile and able to work closely and with senior University leaders, prominent and public figures, major benefactors and advocates, and senior volunteers in multiple capacities which facilitate the development of principal/major donations and the advancement of Durham University. 

Core responsibilities

• Provide expert professional subject expertise and problem-solving skills.
• Act as recognised practitioner within own specialist area or discipline, shaping activities, processes and systems.
• Responsible for operational activity across different areas.
• Oversight of short term or temporary project teams/strands, taking responsibility for decision making as appropriate.
• Engage with key stakeholders and internal and external contractors to influence opinion, delivery and reputation of services.
• Act as specialist point of contact dealing with complexity of data and information sources, interpretation and analysis.
• Significant input into the scoping and resource planning across a range of activities at operational and possibly strategic level.
• Carry out project scoping, initiation, planning and implementation for large scale/University wide initiatives.
• Responsible for shaping the development and learning of others outside of team, through the design and delivery of training sessions.
• Lead on the design, implementation and monitoring of policy and quality standards, procedures and systems, ensuring effective working and continuous improvement.
• Promote and develop a deep understanding of organisational policy and external developments.
• Promote the improvement and efficiency of departmental services by implementing and managing review and improvement procedures.
• Ensure all activities, processes and transactions are accounted for accurately and promptly to meet regulatory and professional service and policy standards.
• Implement processes to manage the integrity and security of all commercially and professionally sensitive and personal data.
• Lead internal business meetings, working groups and sub-committees at operational service level to influence governance, organisational policy and standards for the service.
• Responsible for allocating and monitoring financial budgets and resources.

Role responsibilities

• Develop external relations, identify and develop opportunities for communities of practice, employers, alumni and donors via extra-curricular activities and increased levels of participation.
• Build and sustain an influential network of contacts both internally and externally to influence and promote the Durham reputation.
• Contribute to operational leadership teams and decision making to shape the nature and level of support services.
• Manage specific quality and regulatory audit process stakeholder services over-arching systems and procedures.
• Analyse stakeholder feedback, implementing and reviewing service provision.
• Contribute to the definition, development and implementation of service standards and service level agreements.
• Deliver a specialist service using creativity and innovation for communication and promotion purposes, to engage and influence internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide professional guidance and advice to service users with complaints and referrals.
• Lead and deliver one or more professional development and support initiatives that would apply across the University.
• Represent the service and University at promotional events and contribute to the delivery of presentations at conferences.
• Deliver activities and participate with others to generate external income.
• Any other reasonable duties. 

Specific role requirements

The post-holder will be required to work some evenings and weekends; regular travel – domestic and international – may also be required as per ongoing business needs. This post is predominantly home-based.

It is expected that the post-holder will spend 60-80% of their time in central London and the remainder working from home

Please note: the successful candidate's actual salary will be based on experience and location.

Recruiting to this post 

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the criteria required for the role in the person specification above (including those listed in the section ‘Realising Your Potential Approach’).  

How to apply 

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/  which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit:

1. A CV
2. A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above
3. A document providing examples of how you satisfy both the Person Specification and the Realising Your Potential Approach criteria.  

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage. 

Contact details 

For further information please contact;

Dr Katie Harland-Edminson - Deputy Director, Development (DARO), katie.harland-edminson@durham.ac.uk

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required 

Essential Criteria

1. Excellent oral and written communication skills 
2. Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office, design and presentation systems, web page development, and CRM (preferably Raiser’s Edge).
3. Educated to degree level (or equivalent professional experience).
4. Professional practitioner with knowledge and expertise used to contribute to the delivery of services, events and activities within the organisation.  
5. Continuing professional development required to maintain professional competency (e.g. CASE, Institute of Fundraising).
6. Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines (including GDPR and Data Protection).   
7. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.
8. Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships with high-level external stakeholders.
9. Substantial experience of working in a principal/major gifts fundraising, stewardship or business development environment in a key client-facing role. Please evidence any donations or deals at 6/7/8 figure levels which you have led and any experience of working in a ‘campaign’ setting. 

Desirable Criteria

Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area. 

Realising Your Potential Approach

WORKING TOGETHER - Working co-operatively with others in order to achieve objectives. Applying a wide range of interpersonal skills.

1. Working across boundaries to develop relationships with other teams
2. Reflecting the principles of responsible University and the University values in dealing with people and conducting business

FINDING SOLUTIONS - Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically and with creativity to analyse problems and develop innovative and workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation.

1. Being open to and applying good practice and fresh ideas from inside and outside the  University
2. Exercising judgement in line with University strategy and priorities
3. Actively seeking new ideas and approaches from outside the University
4. Identifying and pursuing opportunities to work in partnership with external organisations to generate and develop ideas

USING RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY - Making effective use of available resources including people, information, networks and budgets. Being aware of the financial and commercial aspects of the University. 

1. Sharing good practice with other parts of the University
2. Being mindful of responsibility to the University and funders in using resources
3. Developing cross-service collaboration and being willing to share resources
4. Identifying ways in which resources can be used flexibly and imaginatively for the benefit of the whole University within agreed limits

ACHIEVING RESULTS - Planning and organising workloads to ensure that deadlines are met within resource constraints. Consistently meeting objectives and success criteria

1. Confidently say ‘no’ to activities that are less important or do not fit with University priorities 
2. Critically evaluate the success of projects to disseminate lessons that can be learned 
3. Being effective in gaining buy-in without direct authority 
4. Being knowledgeable about key stakeholders and how they may influence the work of your department

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.