Jobs for the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector

Blenheim Palace professionalised its fundraising in 2024, and has already been successful in fundraising from HNWIs, Trusts & Foundations, corporate partners and our wider visitors.

 It is one of the best possible locations for fundraising in the UK and is full of potential. 

As this area continues to grow, we are now looking for a talented Trusts & Foundations Officer to play a key role in that success. This is an exciting opportunity to join a small but high-performing team and help secure vital support for one of the UK’s most iconic heritage sites, building strong funder relationships and developing compelling cases for support that deliver real impact.

We are looking for someone who can bring the right skills and mindset to the role. You might not meet all the criteria, and that’s okay, transferable skills and experience are highly valued.

• Highly motivated and proactive, with the ability to work independently whilst remaining a collaborative team-player
• A passion for, and interest in, the heritage sector and Blenheim’s mission
• Knowledge of current trends and fundraising best practice in the heritage and cultural sectors
• Ability to work in a target-driven environment and deliver results
• Professional, diplomatic and thoughtful in all funder and stakeholder communications

About Us:

At Blenheim and Pye, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to helping every individual thrive. Our Promise is simple: to support you to Grow, Give, and Belong.

We help you Grow by nurturing your talents, championing your wellbeing, and creating opportunities for you to develop.

We encourage you to Give by contributing to meaningful work, supporting the wider community, and collaborating with others to achieve our shared goals.

And we want you to truly Belong by being part of something special, knowing that you matter, your voice is heard, and you are an important part of our journey.

Together, this is what makes Blenheim and Pye a place where people can flourish and make a real difference.

Lightbox Gallery & Museum is entering an ambitious new phase as we prepare for our 20th anniversary in 2027. This role offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced and initiative-taking fundraiser to help shape the organisation’s future by developing new income streams and leading our anniversary campaign, Lightbox20.

You will take ownership of the campaign activity across the organisation - developing strategy, building relationships with donors and partners, and delivering income to agreed targets. At the same time, you will manage the practical detail that underpins successful fundraising, including stewardship and our CRM system.

Key priorities are developing and delivering the Big Give campaign this year, capital fundraising for the garden and our 20th anniversary Lightbox 20.  

This role will suit someone who thrives in a small organisation, understands the unique challenges and opportunity this brings and who is self-motivated to build an ambitious campaign from the ground up. The successful appointee will combine strategic thinking with direct delivery, collaborating closely with the Director and Trustees to secure the next chapter of Lightbox Gallery’s success.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising Leadership

• Lead the delivery of the Lightbox20 anniversary campaign, creating compelling cases for support, preparing fundraising collateral, and engaging supporters and stakeholders.
• Deliver an ambitious fundraising campaign with clear targets that is aligned with organisational goals.
• Identify and develop new fundraising opportunities, partnerships, and income streams, including the Big Give campaign for Giving Tuesday December 2026.

Relationship and pipeline management

• Collaborate closely with the Trustees and Director to identify, build, and manage relationships with individual donors, supporters and prospects.
• Develop cultivation and stewardship plans, including face-to-face meetings, events, and personalised engagement.
• Confidently represent the organisation when meeting donors and supporters.

• Identify local business sponsorship opportunities and approach relevant businesses to celebrate Lightbox20.
• Maintain strong relationships with funding partners through effective reporting and stewardship.

Event support

• Support and attend fundraising events and campaigns, including Director’s Circle events, and donor cultivation and stewardship activities.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation to maximise fundraising opportunities within exhibitions and public programmes.

Fundraising Operations & Administration

• Manage campaign donor communications, acknowledgements, and stewardship processes.
• Conduct prospect research and maintain accurate records.
• Monitor income, prepare reports, and track fundraising performance on the database, Raiser’s Edge.
• Ensure fundraising activities comply with relevant regulations and best practice.

For the person specification, please see the Job Description attached.

The Deputy Director (Operations & Finance) is a new position in the organisation that will lead the day-to-day running of the organisation, bringing together operations, HR, governance, finance oversight and property management under clear, reliable leadership. Working closely with the Director and deputising in their absence, you will line-manage teams across finance, buildings, studios and administration, and act as Company Secretary to the Board of Trustees.

Beyond keeping the organisation running well, you will play a central role in what comes next including delivery of our 3–5-year strategic business plan, securing a permanent home for the charity, developing Not Another Art School as a scaled income stream, and supporting our pathway toward Arts Council England NPO status.

This is a hands-on, generalist leadership role. You will need to be equally comfortable reviewing a lease, running a Board meeting, troubleshooting an IT system and supporting a member of staff sometimes all in the same week.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead governance and compliance acting as Company Secretary, coordinating Board activity, managing statutory filings, and overseeing health & safety, GDPR, and HR frameworks
• Oversee day-to-day operations across studios, galleries, offices, and project spacesLead on all HR processes recruitment, contracts, appraisals, and staff support for a team of ten
• Manage financial oversight alongside the Finance Manager: budgets, cash flow, management accounts, year-end, and funder reporting
• Develop and manage property relationships lease negotiations, landlord liaison, new site acquisition in line with agreed strategy
• Support fundraising applications and funder compliance, and contribute to building diversified income across earned revenue, trusts & foundations, and public funding
• Drive delivery of the strategic business plan, including NAAS development and ACE Illuminate audience data preparation

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

You don't need to come from the arts sector, but you do need to be operationally excellent, values-driven, and genuinely excited by what TBFAF is becoming. We are looking for someone with strong experience running operations in a small organisation, solid understanding of governance and finance, confidence managing teams, and the breadth to hold a wide remit without dropping the ball.Experience in property or facilities management, HR management, and familiarity with fundraising applications are all desirable, alongside arts, charity, or cultural sector experience and experience working with Boards of Trustees.