College alumni relations manager jobs

Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement (P&A) raises philanthropic funds in support of King’s College London and engages with the university’s worldwide alumni community. We are proud to enable the work of colleagues across the university and its health partners, helping them serve society through world-leading education, research and healthcare. Our activity includes a partnership with the Maudsley Charity in support of children’s mental health and initiatives between the university’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and the South London & Maudsley NHS Trust.  

​​We are entering an exciting period as a team. Our work is identified as a key enabler of the new King’s Strategy 2030, with associated ambitions that include preparing for our next major philanthropic and engagement campaign. This will accelerate and energise our work in support of the University’s mission to be ‘in service to society through academic excellence’ – be that through exceptional, impact-led research; ensuring our students are supported to thrive during their time at King’s and beyond; or by helping the university to invest over the long-term into its people, ideas and infrastructure. We plan to deepen and scale engagement with our global alumni community, donors and other supporters, mobilising them behind these shared priorities. We are strongly values-driven with a focus on sustaining a strong and supportive culture, which we see as key to creating a successful team that can realise these ambitions.

​More on King’s College London    

​​For almost 200 years, King’s has been a place where ideas turn into action. From revealing the structure of DNA to reimagining nursing, from advances in medicine, law and the study of war and peace to shaping culture and public debate, our work has always been guided by a belief that knowledge should serve society. Over our history, King’s has been home to 14 Nobel Prize winners, and to scholars whose ideas and leadership have shaped thinking, policy and practice around the world. King’s has always been a place where knowledge is put to work for the benefit of others. King’s College London is a world-renowned university that delivers exceptional education and world-leading research. We're committed to creating positive and sustainable change in our local and global communities through outstanding education, impactful research, and genuine service to society.

King’s Strategy 2030 sets out how we take that purpose forward, with four key priorities including student success in and beyond university, investment in research and education excellence that responds to the changing world, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and delivering sustainable finances for a secure future.

About the role

We are looking for an exceptional individual fundraiser to join the Philanthropy team at King’s College London, leading on fundraising for The Dickson Poon School of Law.

This role will be responsible for managing a portfolio of major gift prospects, securing and stewarding significant philanthropic gifts at the £50k to £5 million gift level, supporting senior stakeholders with their fundraising efforts, and championing the work and priorities of King’s and the Dickson Poon School of Law.

The team will play a crucial role in the delivery of the University’s ambition to significantly scale philanthropic income for faculties, as we prepare to launch our next major fundraising campaign in 2027 and mark the university’s bicentenary in 2029.

We will build on our already successful fundraising to achieve ambitious new goals for philanthropy – creating strong partnerships across campus and with donors, to realise shared priorities and deliver strategic impact.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively with academic and professional service colleagues across King’s to secure significant philanthropic income to support student outcomes and drive world-leading teaching and research.

We are strongly values-driven with a focus on sustaining an excellent and supportive culture, which we see as key to creating a successful team that can support the university and its partners in making a real and positive difference to the world we live in.

The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London is one of the oldest law schools in England. The School’s research and teaching address some of the most pressing questions of our time relating to equality and human rights, the legal implications of climate change, globalisation, international relations, trade, competition and global finance, to name but a few. Members of The Dickson Poon School of Law advise governments, serve on commissions and public bodies and are seconded to national and international organisations, helping to shape policy and practice nationally and internationally.

This is a full time (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract. P&A has a hybrid working approach, with a minimum of 40% of time in the office. Typically, this equates to two days per week, but we’re very happy for colleagues to be in more frequently if they so wish.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. A proven track-record of cultivating, securing, and stewarding five- and ideally six-figure gifts

2. Experience of qualifying and cultivating new philanthropic relationships.

3. Ability to develop and maintain key relationships with senior internal stakeholders.

4. Proven interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).

5. Ability to plan strategically and implement those plans.

6. The ability to negotiate throughout a large, complex environment with multi-dimensional points of view.

7. Ability to manage multiple projects, identifying conflicting demands and establishing clear priorities in order to meet agreed objectives and income.

8. An understanding of the philanthropic landscape and what would motivate a prospect to give to King’s.

Desirable criteria

1. Major gifts fundraising experience in law

Find out more and apply.

Closing date: 12 July 202

About us

Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement (P&A) raises philanthropic funds in support of King’s College London and engages with the university’s worldwide alumni community. We are proud to enable the work of colleagues across the university and its health partners, helping them serve society through world-leading education, research and healthcare. Our activity includes a partnership with the Maudsley Charity in support of children’s mental health and initiatives between the university’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and the South London & Maudsley NHS Trust. 

We are entering an exciting period as a team. Our work is identified as a key enabler of the new King’s Strategy 2030, with associated ambitions that include preparing for our next major philanthropic and engagement campaign. This will accelerate and energise our work in support of the University’s mission to be ‘in service to society through academic excellence’ – be that through exceptional, impact-led research; ensuring our students are supported to thrive during their time at King’s and beyond; or by helping the university to invest over the long-term into its people, ideas and infrastructure. We plan to deepen and scale engagement with our global alumni community, donors and other supporters, mobilising them behind these shared priorities. We are strongly values-driven with a focus on sustaining a strong and supportive culture, which we see as key to creating a successful team that can realise these ambitions.

More on King’s College London 

For almost 200 years, King’s has been a place where ideas turn into action. From revealing the structure of DNA to reimagining nursing, from advances in medicine, law and the study of war and peace to shaping culture and public debate, our work has always been guided by a belief that knowledge should serve society. Over our history, King’s has been home to 14 Nobel Prize winners, and to scholars whose ideas and leadership have shaped thinking, policy and practice around the world. King’s has always been a place where knowledge is put to work for the benefit of others. King’s College London is a world-renowned university that delivers exceptional education and world-leading research. We're committed to creating positive and sustainable change in our local and global communities through outstanding education, impactful research, and genuine service to society.

King’s Strategy 2030 sets out how we take that purpose forward, with four key priorities including student success in and beyond university, investment in research and education excellence that responds to the changing world, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and delivering sustainable finances for a secure future.

About the role

We are looking for an exceptional & collaborative individual fundraiser to join the Philanthropy team at King’s College London, leading on fundraising for the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN). You will benefit from a strong donor portfolio, opportunities to work on 7- and 8-figure gifts, and a good understanding of philanthropy from senior leadership within the Institute.

This role will be responsible for managing a portfolio of major gift prospects, securing and stewarding significant philanthropic gifts at the £50k to £5 million gift level, supporting senior stakeholders with their fundraising efforts, and championing the work and priorities of King’s and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.

The team will play a crucial role in the delivery of the University’s ambition to significantly scale philanthropic income for faculties, as we prepare to launch our next major fundraising campaign in 2027 and mark the university’s bicentenary in 2029.

We will build on our already successful fundraising to achieve ambitious new goals for philanthropy – creating strong partnerships across campus and with donors, to realise shared priorities and deliver strategic impact.

The successful candidate will work highly collaboratively with academic and professional service colleagues across King’s to secure significant philanthropic income to support student outcomes and drive world-leading teaching and research.

We are strongly values-driven with a focus on sustaining an excellent and supportive culture, which we see as key to creating a successful team that can support the university and its partners in making a real and positive difference to the world we live in.

Study of the mind and human brain is one of the most exciting and important areas of advancing medical science, and the IoPPN is a leading centre for mental health and neuroscience research in Europe and the largest in the UK. Renowned for its high-quality research, it is the most cited research centre outside the US, and the second most cited in the world.

In partnership with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, the largest mental health service provider in the UK, it enables the rapid translation of research into clinical practice that makes a difference to people’s lives and mental health every day. Research from the IoPPN has led to the creation of much needed therapies for some of the most severe mental disorders and changes in how governments around the world think about mental illness.

A strong understanding of philanthropy from leadership within the Institute, combined with world-leading research has made, and continues to make, an impact on how we understand, prevent and treat mental illness, neurological conditions and other conditions that affect the brain. 

This is a full time (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract. P&A has a hybrid working approach, with a minimum of 40% of time in the office & on IoPPN campus sites at Denmark Hill and London Bridge. Typically, this equates to two days per week, but we’re very happy for colleagues to be in more frequently if they so wish.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. A proven track-record of cultivating, securing, and stewarding five- and ideally six-figure gifts

2. Experience of qualifying and cultivating new philanthropic relationships.

3. Ability to develop and maintain key relationships with senior internal stakeholders.

4. Proven interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).

5. Ability to plan strategically and implement those plans.

6. The ability to negotiate throughout a large, complex environment with multi-dimensional points of view.

7. Ability to manage multiple projects, identifying conflicting demands and establishing clear priorities in order to meet agreed objectives and income.

8. An understanding of the philanthropic landscape and what would motivate a prospect to give to King’s.

Desirable criteria

1. Major gifts fundraising experience in health, mental health, and/or neuroscience

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

In P&A we want to build a diverse team, which represents the communities served by the organisations we support. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented.

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements, including part-time, compressed hours and/or job shares, as appropriate and in the context of the business needs associated with the role. 

We offer the opportunity of an “Ask Us Anything” Teams call on Tuesday 30th June 4-5pm. During this call you will be able to ask any questions you might have about the role, the selection process, our department, our core values and work culture, our current hybrid work policy, or simply listen to others’ questions. 

Closing date: 12 July 2026.

This roles with have two interview stages, a standard skills-based interview followed (for up to two appointable candidates) by a Core Values interview.

First stage interviews are due to be held between 30th July - 7th August.

Core Values interviews are due to be held w/c 10th August.

George Watson’s College wishes to appoint a Senior Philanthropy Officer to lead the school’s individual giving and legacy fundraising initiatives, and support major programmes and campaigns. Develop strong relationships with donors and our alumni community to grow philanthropic income and long-term engagement. 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 

Individual Giving 

• Lead the planning, execution and optimisation of individual giving efforts. Manage campaign setup, timelines, assets, and donor experience.  

• Monitor performance and analyse results to drive continuous improvement in participation, engagement, and revenue.  

• Collaborate with Admissions and Marketing, and other internal teams, to source and develop compelling content.  

• Along with the Head of Development, manage a fundraising communications calendar and play a leading role in content creation.  

• Collaborate with the Admissions and Marketing team to ensure website content, landing pages, and donation pages support digital giving goals.  

• Execute fundraising strategies in partnership with the Head of Development. Build, segment, code, and deploy emails to support giving campaigns and organisational priorities.  

• Manage a portfolio of donors linked to specific programmes and campaigns. 

Legacies  

• Plan and deliver multi-channel legacy marketing campaigns (print, digital, events)  

• Build and maintain relationships with legacy pledgers and prospects  

• Deliver high-quality, sensitive stewardship to recognise and retain legacy supporters  

• Organise events and communications to engage legacy supporters  

• Produce compelling and sensitive legacy messaging and materials  

Campaign/Programmes 

• Manage and grow the patrons programme, including recruitment, retention, and upgrades  

• Develop a clear donor journey, including benefits, communications, and recognition  

• Monitor performance against income targets and KPIs  

• Work in collaboration with Heads of the Creative Arts programmes to monitor and administer funds for maximum impact across the arts 

Foundation Places and Enrichment Fund 

• Support impact reporting and administration of discrete aspects of our widening access programmes. 

• Manage application process to the Enrichment Fund, including managing enquiries, disbursements and liaison with Finance. 

• Any other duties related to these programmes as directed by senior staff. 

IDEAL CANDIDATE 

Essential: 

• Relevant degree, professional qualification or equivalent professional experience  

• Demonstrable experience in Individual Giving, Direct Marketing or Legacy fundraising, with an annual income return of 6+ figures  

• Proven track record of delivering successful multi-channel campaigns  

• Strong understanding of supporter journeys, acquisition and retention  

• Skilled in data analysis, performance tracking and forecasting   

• Proficiency with graphic design tools, experience with Canva would be an advantage.  

• Demonstrable experience with Raisers Edge, or similar CRM system 

• Ability to manage complex projects and programs and deliver to set KPI and timelines 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  

• Experience with content writing, brand voice, and digital fundraising best practices.  

• Ability to build and foster relationships across business functions.  

• Understanding of charity law, GDPR and best practices in fundraising  

• Commitment to high level of professional standards  

• Genuine appreciation of George Watson’s College’s mission and the ability to communicate it  

Desirable: 

• Fundraising or marketing qualification such as CIOF accreditation or CIM qualifications. 

• Event management experience  

• Experience of working in the education or charity sectors  

• Understanding of the Independent School sector