Director of Development (Health)

What we offer

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

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

About us

UCL Advancement is a dynamic and collaborative team, responsible for engaging our alumni and supporter community, and developing philanthropic partnerships to support UCL's objectives. UCL has launched Here, it will happen, our biggest philanthropic and engagement campaign yet, in our bicentennial year, that 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. The campaign will unite some of the world's best researchers, with a committed donor and alumni community, to fuel the next 200 years of societal impact at UCL.

The Director of Development (Health) will play a pivotal leadership role in delivering this ambition, leading fundraising across UCL's four world-class health faculties, working with academic leaders to secure transformational philanthropic investment that advances research, education and innovation in health.

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.

About the role

The Director of Development (Health) provides strategic leadership for fundraising across four of UCL's faculties that have a focus on Health; Faculty of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Population Health Sciences.

You will lead a team of experienced fundraising professionals with responsibility for securing philanthropic gifts between £100,000 and £5 million. This is a unique, career-defining opportunity to drive forward a philanthropic programme of activity, working with world leading faculties, and world-class academics.

Working in close partnership with Executive Deans, academic leaders and Advancement colleagues, the Director will develop ambitious fundraising strategies, identify and cultivate major philanthropic partnerships and ensure that faculty priorities are effectively positioned within UCL's wider fundraising campaign.

Alongside leading the team, the postholder will personally manage a portfolio of high-value prospects and donors, providing exemplary fundraising leadership while fostering a collaborative, ambitious and donor-centred culture.

Key accountabilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement ambitious fundraising strategies across UCL's four health focused faculties.
• Build trusted strategic partnerships with Deans, Heads of Divisions/Departments and other senior academic leaders.
• Translate faculty priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
• Ensure faculty fundraising strategies align with UCL's institutional priorities and campaign objectives.
• Identify opportunities for interdisciplinary fundraising across health-related research and education.

Fundraising and Relationship Management

• Manage a personal portfolio of major gift prospects capable of making gifts between £100,000 and £5 million.
• Develop and implement sophisticated cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies.
• Secure significant philanthropic support from individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate partners.
• Partner closely with the Director of Principal Giving and International, where prospects have capacity for transformational gifts above £5 million.
• Work collaboratively with Prospect Development and Insight, Campaign Proposition, Alumni Engagement, and Donor Experience colleagues.
• Represent UCL in meetings with donors, volunteers and senior academic leaders.
• Maintain accurate records and pipeline management using Advancement CRM systems.

Leadership and Management

• Lead, motivate and develop a high-performing team.
• Set clear objectives and performance expectations.
• Monitor fundraising performance and pipeline health.
• Create an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Coach and support staff development and career progression.
• Encourage innovation and continuous improvement across fundraising practice.
• Contribute to the overall leadership of the Development and Advancement teams.
• Work with senior colleagues to identify emerging philanthropic opportunities.
• Support campaign planning and campaign delivery across the health faculties.
• Develop strong collaborative relationships across Professional Services and the wider University.
• Champion exceptional donor stewardship.

About you

• Experience of leading fundraising teams across the health / medical research space
• Significant experience securing major philanthropic gifts between £100,000 and £5 million.
• Demonstrable success securing major gifts from individuals, trusts and foundations
• Proven success leading high-performing fundraising teams.
• Experience developing and delivering fundraising strategies.
• Strong understanding of donor strategy and pipeline management.
• Experience managing complex fundraising portfolios.

• Strategic thinker with excellent judgement.
• Outstanding communication and influencing skills.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and commitment to achieving ambitious targets.
• Ability to develop compelling philanthropic propositions.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience within higher education.
• Experience fundraising for health, medicine or biomedical research.
• Knowledge of health philanthropy and research funding.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We particularly encourage applications from candidates underrepresented in UCL's workforce, including those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people, and - for Grade 9 and 10 roles - women.