Head of Project Development

Job Description

The post holder will play an essential role in the development of Fundraising & Supporter Development's (F&SD) portfolio of fundraising priorities and projects. An expert writer and a highly skilled project manager, they will work in close partnership with Heads of fundraising to ensure we develop proposals that meet the strategic needs of our partners and resonate with our high-level prospects; they will support the Project Development team to do the same.

 

 They will do this in the context of F&SD’s unique partner-based model, where we fundraise and engage supporters for King’s College London (KCL), King’s Health Partners (KHP), Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, Evelina London Charity and Guy’s Cancer Charity. They will welcome the opportunity to work on a range of projects which seek to make a real impact in areas as diverse as, but not limited to, student success, children and young people’s mental health, fair and equal access to leadership roles for women, cancer, neuroscience, food sustainability and the role that engineering has to play in solving some of the biggest global challenges.   

 

The Project Development team supports our partners to shape philanthropic projects, ensuring they are realistic, accountable and can drive real change. Our main focus is on priority projects – those strategically selected by each partner in collaboration with F&SD – but our processes, expertise and storytelling abilities are also used to support donor-informed propositions and so the team aim to be agile and responsive in terms of supporting these potentially transformative opportunities.  

 

Our core output is the creation of written collateral, gift opportunities and priority project key messaging designed to inspire donors and equip fundraisers for success and be easily tailored by them for their external audiences, supporting them to have great fundraising conversations at each stage of the cultivation cycle. We also produce a range of other content (proposals, film, case studies) to further support F&SD colleagues, as well as running interactive sessions designed to engage and inspire them. We work in close partnership with fundraisers, donor relations, events, prospect research and other teams across the department. 

 

Reporting into the Associate Director of Project Development & Supporter Engagement, the Head of Project Development will engage with leadership, academics and clinicians across KCL and hospital partners, supporting the Associate Director, senior leadership and fundraisers across F&SD to define priorities. They will have the confidence, accountability and leadership skills to own and drive projects forward ensuring they are aligned with the strategic vision and can deliver most value to partners; they will recognise the importance of consistent follow up to achieve this. 

 

A significant part of the role will be in guiding, supporting, developing and managing the Project Development team, delegating appropriately and managing workloads. The post holder will support individuals within the Project Development team to scope and assess the ‘fundraisability’ of new ideas, helping to mould them into compelling propositions.  

 

The post holder will ensure that colleagues in F&SD are familiar with current fundraising priorities and narratives to ensure co-ordinated and aligned communications with all members of the King’s community from existing donors, prospects and alumni to KCL’s corporate communications team and senior leadership.  

 

The successful candidate will have the confidence, awareness, emotional intelligence and resilience required to manage a complex and sometimes demanding workload.  

 

This is a full-time post. Indefinite contract.

 

Key responsibilities

Delivery

• Use strong influencing and project management skills to work with stakeholders across F&SD, KCL, KHP and GSTT to develop a portfolio of financially robust fundraising priorities and projects that will deliver the greatest impact for partners, donors and beneficiaries. 
• Ensure the standard of content delivered is consistently high and meets the needs of our partners, fundraisers and prospective donors. 
• Support and manage the Project Development team to plan, create and deliver impactful written project narratives, cases for support and key content for major and principal gift donors.  

 

Relationship building and stakeholder management

• Build strong relationships in wider Fundraising & Supporter Development, and other stakeholders across KCL, KHP and GST.  
• Engage our partners, especially academics and clinicians, as active participants in developing robust fundraising propositions  
• Understand the needs of the major and principal gift fundraising team and develop appropriate solutions with the team.  
• Identify operational improvements to ensure the team’s continued growth and enhancement. 

 

Team working, learning and support

• Provide advice and support, assist with problem solving, and improve knowledge and skills across the Project Development team. 
• Ensure that the Project Development and fundraising teams are working closely and collaboratively to ensure the best outcomes for our partners and donors. 

 

Sensory/physical demands & work environment

The post holder should expect to: 

• Work in a hot desk environment, with at least 40% of the working month on campus.  
• Be responsible for the input and maintenance of databases and files relevant to the post requirements. 
• May occasionally be required to attend events in the evening. 

 

Pastoral care:

• Uphold and promote the department’s core values.  

            Respect, Ambition, Collaboration, Accountability

 

Skills, knowledge, and experience

 

Qualifications/training

•       Degree or equivalent related experience  

 

Skills/experience

•       Experience of managing multiple projects simultaneously 

•       Building relationships across organisational boundaries, demonstrating tact and negotiating sensitively 

•       Experience of managing, leading and developing a high performing team 

•       Creative writing skills – skilled storyteller, ability to make a story compelling, contagious and inspire action             

•       Strong editorial, copy writing and proof-reading skills     

•       Analytical: ability to interpret sometimes complex content into engaging content and effective calls to action                         

•       Knowledge and application of brand voice and narrative in a complex environment 

•       Understanding of one or more of: Higher Education/NHS and broad healthcare sector/ UK Charity sector.        

 
 

Personal characteristics/other requirements

•       Ability to meet deadlines, work well under pressure and support team members to do the same 

•       Organised and efficient planner 

•       Ability to multi-task 

•       Professional, diplomatic and tactful manner

 

Role specific requirements

•       Experience of using Raiser’s Edge or similar customer/donor data base and associated processes and systems            

•       Experience in Adobe InDesign software

Essential criteria

1. A good first degree or equivalent professional experience with proven track record    
2. Understanding of one or more of: UK Charity sector/ Higher Education/NHS and broad healthcare sector  
3. Ability to write a compelling case for support and to manage, develop and lead a team delivering this function 
4. First class interpersonal skills and a proven ability to effectively work within a complex, multi-skilled, service-based organisation 
5. Understanding of fundraising – in particular, major gifts fundraising 
6. Understanding of donor motivations and interest 
7. Strong project management know-how 
8. Experience of implementing projects involving multiple stakeholders 
9. Ability to build or evaluate straightforward financial cases and interdependencies. 

  Desirable criteria 

1. Experience of translating complex grant funding applications into compelling, donor facing communications 

 

Further Information

 All F&SD appointments involve a standard skills-based interview, followed (for up to two appointable candidates) by a Core Values interview.  

 

About Fundraising & Supporter Development  

Fundraising and Supporter Development (F&SD) is an integrated department that provides a single fundraising and supporter engagement function for King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust and for King’s Health Partners, working closely with the Maudsley Charity. Based at KCL, we work with colleagues across our partners to help them serve society through world-leading education, research and healthcare.  

 

We operate a unique and powerful model, which brings together fundraising for all our partners across major and principal gifts; trusts & foundations; legacies; corporate engagement and mass fundraising. We also promote KCL’s engagement with its worldwide alumni community, as well as engaging more broadly with supporters of all our partners. Our work is underpinned and enhanced by a range of professionals in areas such as donor relations, communications and marketing, prospect research, finance, data, supporter services and general administration. By pooling our passion and expertise to support the university and our health partners, our potential and impact is maximised.  

 

We have an impressive, well-established track record of success in securing support that allows our partners to deliver on their missions. This includes our global, award-winning World Questions: King’s Answers campaign for KCL, which set the standard in the sector and enabled us to raise substantial funds to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. Ambitious and innovative, the team has won awards across the higher education and charity sectors, including the CASE Platinum Award for Fundraising. 

 

We continue to set ourselves high standards and expectations in terms of supporting our partners, mapping out ambitious fundraising campaigns and appeals where we want to achieve ground-breaking milestones in areas such as children and young people’s mental health; sickle cell disease; cardiology; cancer; global women’s leadership; engineering; international relations and support for students who will go out and make a difference in the world. We are a strongly values-driven team, maximising the benefits of working across organisations and united in our ambition to support out partners in making a real and positive difference to the world we live in.  

 

Our Partners

 

King’s Health Partners

King’s Health Partners (KHP) is an Academic Health Sciences Centre and a partnership between King’s College London and three NHS Foundation Trusts – Guys and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley. We bring together 40,000 NHS Staff with 30,000 students and researchers to join up world class research, education and pioneering clinical practice. Our partnership sees 4.8 million patient contacts each year. Academic Health Sciences Centres are engine rooms of high impact and innovation discovering new insights into disease, transforming diagnostics and unlocking new therapies. We speed up the time it takes to translate research and high impact innovations in physical and mental health into outstanding patient care. We do this by working in dedicated clinical academic groups and institutes and by involving more and more people in clinical trials and research. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org 

 

King’s College London

King’s College London is an internationally renowned university delivering exceptional education and world-leading research. The university is dedicated to driving positive and sustainable change in society and realising our vision of making the world a better place.  Through its commitment to exceptional education, impactful research and genuine service to society, KCL is creating positive change in its communities, both in London and on the world stage. The Strategic Vision 2029 looks forward to KCL’s 200th anniversary in 2029 and sets out ambitious plans in five key areas:  

•       Educating the next generation of change-makers; 

•       Challenging ideas and driving change through research; 

•       Giving back to society through meaningful service; 

•       Working with our local communities in London; 

•       Fostering global citizens with an international perspective. 

 

Guy’s and St Thomas’

We form part of a unique fundraising partnership made up of three partners: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation (which includes our family of charities) and King’s College London.  

 

This model is the first of its kind in the UK and brings together excellence in clinical care with world-leading research to catalyse and maximise our impact for our beneficiaries.  

 

The pandemic has produced a groundswell of support for the NHS and highlighted the importance of the work of NHS charities, providing us with exciting new opportunities to advance research and improve patient care. 

 

The income we raise for our charities helps to support a world-class environment for patients and staff at our hospitals and community sites, providing the extras that the NHS can’t, as well as funding world-leading research, innovative new approaches and ground-breaking care.  

 

Our partnership has a shared ambition to deliver pioneering health research, support national healthcare agendas, and provide exceptional care and support for all patients and staff at the Trust. 2022/23 will see us enter the last year of our current four-year strategy, during which we have increased our income contribution to the Trust by a further 50 per cent.  

 

Over the next year we will be working with the Trust and King’s College London to identify priorities that will deliver local, national and global impact, and develop a five-year fundraising plan that supports significant income growth to turn our impact ambitions into reality.