Associate Director of Charitable Partnerships - Development and Alumni Relations Office - 48379Z25 - Grade 9 en The University of Birmingham

Position Details

Development and Alumni Relations Office

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £58,225 to £67,468 with potential progression once in post to £87,974

Grade: 9

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to February 2027

Closing date: 16th November 2025

UK travel may be required for this role.

Background

Our University has a proud history of philanthropy stretching back to its foundation in 1900. With a clear vision to change the lives of the people of Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain raised the funds required to build the University from citizens and corporations based locally and around the globe. Since then philanthropy has continued to play an important role in shaping the University. There have been a number of fundraising campaigns, including a £1m urgent capital appeal after the Second World War and a £1.4m campaign to fund the Vale ‘student village’ in the 1960s. In 2015 we closed the Circles of Influence Campaign, raising £193 million, making it the largest HE fundraising campaign outside Oxbridge and London.

The University has global reach, including several partnerships with other leading universities around the world, and is grounded in our local community, having opened the first fully comprehensive University secondary school in the country in 2015. We are an ambitious and successful research-intensive University (one of the top 100 research-led universities globally) and have produced 10 Nobel Prize winners, including three who received their awards in 2016. Academics here are exploring the impact of climate change, helping to address global health epidemics, and changing our understanding of Shakespeare. Our students come from nearly 150 countries and our flagship outreach programmes mean that almost 25% of our student population come from underrepresented backgrounds: one of the highest proportions in the UK. 

DARO exists to support this academic and student community by engaging, inspiring, and celebrating alumni, individuals, and charitable funders who give their money, time, and networks to support the University’s strategic priorities. The Office, which is comprised of five teams, is focused on fundraising and volunteering from alumni, organisations and individuals who are passionate about changing lives, through funding various research projects, supporting student bursaries, mentoring students, and providing internships, as well as providing a versatile programme of engagement opportunities for our global alumni community.

Role Summary

Do you want to make a substantial difference by securing significant gifts from trusts, foundations, and companies? Do want to develop strategic charitable relationships that help to create lasting change? Do you want to play a key role in our ambitious fundraising and volunteering campaign?

There is a rare opportunity to join the DARO Senior Leadership team at this exciting time in our campaign.

We are looking for an Associate Director of Charitable Partnerships to maximise our enormous income generation potential; coach, nurture and challenge the well-established Charitable Partnerships team; and deliver a bold and innovative strategy to support this exciting campaign, raising significant gifts yourself from an established and growing portfolio. You will lead a team of expert trust and corporate fundraisers to work across the campus and deliver an institution-wide service to generate income, networks and influence from corporates, charities, trusts and foundations. You will be responsible for creating a motivational and supportive environment for your team with professional development opportunities for all members. You will maintain oversight of all significant charitable relationships, including your own portfolio, and be the first point of contact for the amazing opportunities in this space. As a key member of DARO’s Senior Leadership team you will help shape the strategic direction of the function and work collaboratively with other Associate Directors to take our campaign to the next level. 

Main Duties

Leadership and performance

Effective leadership of DARO, as part of the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring that the Charitable Partnerships Team performs effectively to meet key targets to deliver the Birmingham In Action campaign and beyond: 

• Lead, deliver, and monitor the Charitable Partnerships Team strategy, including delivery of DARO KPIs
• Coach, nurture and challenge the Charitable Partnerships Team to deliver against team targets
• Lead by example to ensure that all colleagues exhibit the University values and behaviours, work with pace and energy and create a culture of positivity
• Provide support for professional development and opportunities for CP team members (individually and as a team)
• Work collaboratively with other members of the Leadership Team on key projects internally and across the University
• Play an active role in the office’s Senior Leadership Team to contribute to setting the strategic direction, provide technical insight and deliver the campaign objectives
• Celebrate exceptional team and individual performance whilst acting on underperformance
• Develop and implement a culture (including policies and procedures) that promotes Equality and values diversity and inclusion
• Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Fundraising and Relationship Development 

• Refine and deliver a bold, innovative, and impactful Charitable Partnerships strategy aligned to the overall DARO strategy and the University’s Strategic Framework:
• Lead an expert team to build research and education partnerships between the University and charities, corporates, foundations and trusts
  • Direct line management of (i) Head of Charitable Funding and (ii) Head of Corporate Philanthropy
• Motivate and support the Charitable Partnerships team to deliver £13m+ annual targets, including pipeline management and regular KPI review
• Champion and advise on the role of charities, trusts, foundations, and corporates in the delivery of the Birmingham In Action campaign
• Oversee and sign-off all seven-figure and/or high-profile philanthropic asks within this donor portfolio
• Raise significant philanthropic income from your own prospect pool (corporates, charities, trusts and foundations) with a focus on securing complex and/or ambitious relationships
• Lead the relationship with senior leadership team of one College ensuring that fundraising asks across DARO align with College priorities
• Lead the Charitable Partnerships team to deliver high-quality fundraising proposals, spanning occasional individual bid review through to developing the entire application process
• Be the point of contact and escalation for any opportunities and challenges within this donor portfolio (application, gift acceptance or project delivery)
• Refine and deliver systems and structures across the Charitable Partnerships team to enable both effective day-to-day management and long-term strategic leadership within DARO
• Represent DARO at working groups across the University to ensure that the office is aligned with the University’s strategic priorities.

Ethical engagement and legislation

• Ensure the University’s fundraising programme is conducted ethically and adheres to relevant regulation:
• Ensure all charitable partnerships within the portfolio are delivered in compliance with the relevant legislation (ICO, Fundraising Regulator) as well as University procedures
• Be a role model for best ethical practice in fundraising. Provide quality assurance that the Charitable Partnerships Team is successfully collaborating with other aspects of compliance led activity within DARO –Due Diligence, PCI-DSS, and GDPR.

Stakeholder Management 

• As a member of the DARO Leadership Team, represent the office to key internal and external stakeholders using a wide range of communication skills:
• Represent DARO to all internal stakeholders, as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Work closely with members of the University Executive Board, and other senior colleagues/ academics as necessary.
• Work internally with Heads of College, academics, and professional services colleagues (Business Engagement & Research Impact, Research Support. Services Division, Finance etc.) to ensure the Charitable Partnerships strategy maximises income, and impacts. This will include the relationship management of a number of key academics across the University.
• Manage relationships with a number of key trusts, foundations and stakeholders within the UK and overseas.

Collaborative Working and Resource Management

• Represent DARO on key committees such as the University Engagement and Impact Committee and the Global Foundations Working Group, including facilitating cross-office understanding of key agendas and relevant University research performance
• Responsible for ensuring that the Charitable Partnerships team is effectively directed, has clear ownership, and works collaboratively within DARO and across the University 
• Manage the Charitable Partnerships budget and work collaboratively with the Associate Director of Development Services to ensure resource is budgeted for effectively, and actively monitored.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Leadership & strategic thinking 

• Proven record of leading and motivating a team. 
• The ability to think and plan strategically, to refine and deliver the Charitable Partnerships strategy.
• As a key member of DARO’s Senior Leadership team you will help shape the strategic direction of the overall DARO strategy and its alignment to the University Strategic Framework.
• Proven record of developing innovative solutions and practical implementations to deliver a strategy. 
• The ability to work with initiative, to take decisions and think creatively and laterally.
• Experience of financial and budget management.
• Strong sense of professional integrity.
• The ability to work effectively both in a team and independently.

Knowledge & experience

• A strong track record of leading an income generating team
• A strong track record of 6 figure and above gifts for charitable causes
• Experience of building long-term relationships with leading charities, trusts and foundations in the UK and overseas
• Passion for, commitment to, and knowledge of higher education and the role of philanthropy
• Extensive experience of working to and delivering against specific targets
• Experience of working in a large, complex organization
• Awareness and understanding of University activities and objectives
• Understanding of and empathy with the vision and mission of the University of Birmingham, specifically the Birmingham In Action campaign
• Actively promotes equality and diversity to internal and external stakeholders
• Able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues
• Experience of developing interventions to address equality and diversity issues.

Communication & relationship building 

• Outstanding communication skills
• The ability to write compelling proposals for a range of charities, trusts, foundations and corporate partners
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with a wide range of audiences including senior colleagues, academics, charitable partners, and other external organisations
• Experience of working with senior management
• An empathy with and understanding of the worlds of business and academia
• Negotiation skills and the ability to persuade and influence
• The ability to represent the University internally and externally with confidence, diplomacy and authority.

General

• Proven problem solving capability
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise own workload under pressure
• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent level qualifications), or extensive experience of working in a complex organisation plus substantial relevant managerial experience.

Role context 

Roles at this level will be senior professionals with high-level expertise, exercising within their particular functional area/section a substantial degree of independent professional responsibility and discretion, including the development and implementation of policies and processes. You will either lead a functional area or be a senior individual expert professional. You may have a deputising role for the most senior manager of the area. You are expected to resolve problems where there is a lack of precedent, requiring innovation and creativity to develop appropriate options. You will be responsible for setting quality and professional standards and managing service delivery against this or for providing professional expertise. Your work is likely to have a medium to long term horizon and you will typically work with a variety of people from several teams. You will also be able to make a major contribution to the longer-term strategic planning for your area, in line with the wider University strategy.

Core competencies/transferable skills

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully demonstrate the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below. You will be expected to take ownership for getting things done, including calling on others to join you in collaborative working groups as necessary. You will need to be flexible in supporting your department and wider University. 

Planning and organising 

• lead and manage a functional area, taking responsibility for staff and resources, tackling planning and operations over the medium to long term;
• shape strategic direction for own area, and make significant contributions to departmental strategic planning; 
• set quality and professional standards for others; 
• take accountability for the quality and delivery of a service or for the provision of expert professional advice; 
• take the initiative and manage large-scale changes; 
• make decisions and judgements on conflicting data/information;
• as appropriate, research and develop drafts of papers, taking account of the final audience, socialising ideas and seeking input and producing final drafts;
• lead and manage projects which are complex and significant in terms of time and financial resources.

Problem solving and decision making 

• evaluate service provision and implement innovative solutions to improve quality, efficiency and continuity;
• ensure effective resolution of all issues in own area, often requiring complex problem solving through others; 
• identify trends which could have an impact on the area, and identify and implement approaches to these trends;
• deal effectively and sensitively with significant and substantial people management issues, such as major change programmes and lead staff through change whilst maintaining motivation.

Organisational understanding 

• quickly develop an in-depth understanding of their own area and an excellent understanding of the contribution other areas make to success of the University; 
• quickly develop an excellent understanding of how the University and academia operate in the UK (and beyond as appropriate);
• demonstrate empathy with the academic endeavour and encourages others to do so. 

Relationships and communication

• interact effectively at senior levels within the University;
• network with fellow professionals in the wider community to stay up to date;
• promote own/department’s work at internal and external opportunities;
• inspire and motivate others (often large teams) through multiple intermediary managers; 
• provide expert input for internal/external meetings, influencing and facilitating different opinions to reach consensus;
• consult with service users/others to establish service requirements, standards and priorities for change. 

Informal enquiries to Gemma Armstrong, email: [email protected] 

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.