Development Manager

The Role and Department

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 200,000 alumni and supporters around the world. DARO is part of Advancement, along with Marketing and Communications, and contributes to the enhancement of Durham University’s reputation as globally outstanding, inclusive, and forward-looking. We are an ambitious and committed team with a collaborative and collegiate culture.

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 managing relationships with high-level stakeholders on behalf of the University.

The Development Manager will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donations of £10,000 - £100,000. The post-holder’s portfolio will be centred around individual donors, but may also include trusts and foundations, legacy and planned giving prospects, corporate donors/sponsors, and other philanthropic organisations.

The Development Manager will play a critical role in the delivery of Durham’s bicentenary campaign, known as Durham 200. Durham 200 is a major philanthropic initiative in recognition of the University’s 200th anniversary in 2032, which seeks to create a step-change in philanthropic income and increase significantly the impact of giving to Durham.

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

This is a hybrid role based in Durham, with a requirement to be on site at least two days per week and a considerable amount of travel within the UK and potentially further afield. From early 2025 the base location for this role will change from our Durham City Centre site to our exciting new professional services hub based at Boldon House. Boldon House is situated on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Boldon House will bring a number of professional services teams together in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working. To find out more about this project, please visit this webpage: Boldon House – D urham University.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities can be found within the job description.

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