Description

Ref Number
C16-00264
Professional Expertise
Fundraising and Philanthropy
Department
Vice-President (Advancement) (C16)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£43,981-£52,586
Contract Type
Fixed-term
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
Yes
Closing Date
07-Apr-2026
 

About us
 

We are UCL: a diverse community with the freedom to challenge and think differently. The world urgently needs solutions to diverse problems. UCL was founded 200 years ago on the generosity of a collective of people who believed in an institution that could drive forward those solutions. The world needed collective support then, and it needs it again now.

In response, UCL has launched Here, it will happen, our biggest philanthropic and engagement campaign yet. Here, it will happen sets out our ambitions to solve global health, societal, climate and education challenges in UCL’s next century. Here, we have the determination to double down on our discoveries, translate our innovations into impact and inspire the citizens of the future.

There has never been a more exciting time to join UCL Advancement. We are a team of exceptionally ambitious, creative and passionate individuals who work together to achieve remarkable things with a global impact, and we would love for you to be part of this exciting journey and our success. Here, it will happen.

About the role
 

We are recruiting for a Donor Relations Manager to join our Advancement Donor Relations team on a 6-month FTC role.

In this role, you will play a key part in ensuring that UCL delivers an innovative, gold-standard experience for the individuals, trusts, foundations and companies who support the university’s work. Working as part of the Donor Relations team within UCL Advancement, you will collaborate with colleagues across fundraising, communications, events and academic departments to develop and deliver meaningful stewardship that demonstrates the impact of philanthropy at UCL.

You will take ownership of stewardship activity for a range of significant donors, developing tailored stewardship plans, coordinating reporting and engagement opportunities, and ensuring supporters remain connected to the projects they fund. The role also contributes to the wider Donor Relations strategy, helping to develop systems, processes and tools that strengthen the donor experience and support long-term donor retention.

Working closely with colleagues across Advancement, you will help curate impactful donor communications, visits and engagement opportunities, while also supporting the effective use of systems and data to track stewardship activity and measure its impact.

This role is eligible for hybrid working with a minimum of 20% on site.

To find out more about the role, please contact Laura Hughes-Onslow (l.hughes-onslow@ucl.ac.uk) by email.

Please use the attach cover letter upload option to tell us how you meet the essential and desirable criteria in the person specification.

For more information about UCL Advancement, please visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/giving

About you
 

You will have a strong understanding of stewardship and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining meaningful relationships with donors or supporters. You will bring experience of delivering complex stewardship activity or high-quality customer or donor experiences, working collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure supporters feel connected to the impact of their contribution.

You will be highly organised and motivated, with strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines. You will also bring excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write engaging and persuasive content for a variety of audiences.

The role requires strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to build and maintain effective relationships across diverse groups, including senior colleagues and influential external stakeholders. You will approach challenges with creativity and pragmatism, demonstrate discretion when handling confidential information, and bring a collaborative and flexible approach to your work.

We are pleased to accept applications from individuals who possess transferable skills and experience drawn from sectors outside of Higher Education.

What we offer
 

We know that our people are our greatest asset and in return we provide an empowering environment where personal and professional growth is invested in. We offer agile working and flexibility around working hours. Working with some of the greatest intellects in the world, UCL also offers a generous pension scheme and holiday allowance, plus closure days and bank holidays. Visit www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
Immigration loan
Relocation scheme for certain posts
On-Site nursery
On-site gym
Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
Discounted medical insurance

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
 

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

download: Donor Relations Manager JD.docx