Head of Alumni and Supporter Relations

Location: Blavatnik School of Government, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG

About the Blavatnik School of Government

Our vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. We are a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide, through three routes: teaching current and future leaders; generating research with impact; and engaging with governments and practitioners.

What we offer

The School is a collaborative, friendly, and dynamic department based in an award-winning building in Oxford. We host regular events and talks with well-known guest speakers – all of which are open to staff. On the social side, we have regular coffee/cake mornings for staff, a family-friendly Halloween event, and Christmas and summer parties.

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days’ annual leave
• Family leave schemes and a comprehensive range of childcare services
• Cycle loan scheme and discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Opportunities for remote working.

More information about working at the School can be found on our jobs page.

About the role

The Blavatnik School of Government is looking to recruit a Head of Alumni and Supporter Relations.

Reporting to the Director of Development and Alumni Relations, you will be responsible for shaping and delivering the School’s strategic vision for fostering a globally connected, engaged and supportive alumni community, and for cultivating a culture of philanthropy among alumni. This is a senior leadership role within the Development and Alumni Relations Team (DART), charged with building relationships that support the School’s mission to inspire better government around the world.

You will lead on the creation and implementation of a long-term engagement and annual giving strategy, inspiring our community of graduates to remain actively involved with the School, and supporting their journey to public service. You will also work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership, faculty, donors and volunteers, to represent the Blavatnik School of Government at the highest levels.

About you

You will have significant professional experience in an area relevant to the role, and a proven track record in senior alumni relations, development/annual giving, or an external engagement role within higher education or related sectors, as well as demonstrated experience in designing and leading strategic engagement and giving programmes with measurable impact. You will also have proven success in development innovative ideas and bringing projects from inception through to successful completion, and success in building a culture of philanthropy and delivering fundraising activities.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a good understanding of CRM systems and a demonstrated enthusiasm for technology and a firm grasp of how it can be used to achieve objectives are also essential.

Application Process

Please upload a supporting statement that outlines how you meet the selection criteria in your own words, along with your CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

The closing date for applications is at 12 noon (UK time) on Monday 1^st December 2025.

Interviews will take place during week commencing 15^th December 2025 and will be in-person.

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