Associate Director, Principal Giving

The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research. We are ambitious and have a bold vision - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world - which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee. Working within our highly successful Advancement team, we have an exciting opportunity to join us as the Associate Director, Principal Giving. The role of the Advancement team is to work with the Surrey academic community to engage alumni, friends, and trusts and foundations in support of the University. 

The role

The role of Associate Director, Principal Giving reports to the Director of Advancement working in collaboration with the senior leadership team in Advancement & closely with the Vice Chancellor. Tasked with fundraising for Principal Gifts ranging from £500,000 to £10 million, the Associate Director will focus on securing philanthropic donations from a diverse portfolio of high-level UK and international alumni and individuals, as well as Trusts and Foundations. 

This role is pivotal in delivery of the closing phase of University's first-ever international fundraising campaign – The Future Says Surrey. The successful candidate will be instrumental in fostering positive relationships with senior academics who are doing exciting, innovative & world leading research. The ability to work collaboratively as part of the Philanthropy Team will be crucial to be able to deliver Principal Gift level donations. 

The Associate Director will need to align prospect interests with the University's highly regarded research including the two University Institutes for People-Centred AI and Sustainability. This role will be fundamental in contributing to the achievement of the University's fundraising targets.

About you

We want someone with a keen awareness of the fundraising landscape, both domestically and internationally as we know that this is essential to be able identify opportunities and secure philanthropic gifts. You will be able to to balance the interests of prospects within the University's overarching Campaign priorities and have an enthusiastic commitment to achieving ambitious fundraising targets. This is a great opportunity to take on a fantastic role with international travel opportunities.

We’re looking for someone who;

• Is a genuine team player with a combination of relationship-building skills, strategic thinking, as well as a deep understanding of philanthropy. 
• Has extensive experience of working with senior level prospects within an HE or charity environment. 
• Can demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills in cultivating positive relationships with high-level donors as well as with colleagues. 
• Will bring good creative thinking skills and experience in developing and delivering complex partnerships with a wide variety of individual and corporate supporters both in the UK and globally. 
• Is adept at crafting and delivering successful proposals that meet our supporters needs & deliver on the broader strategic objectives of the University. 

How to apply

To arrange a more informal discussion about the role, please contact Jessie Billing on j.billing@surrey.ac.uk

If interested please do apply immediately as we will undertake interviews on a rolling basis and recruit when we find a suitable candidate.

Please provide a full CV & cover letter explaining your suitability for the role in no more than two pages.

Further details:   

For more information and to apply online, please download the further details and click on the 'apply' button above.

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