Director of development and alumni relations jobs
Pembroke College Oxford is seeking a highly organised and analytical Development Operations Manager to play a central role in supporting the College’s Development and fundraising activities.
Founded in 1624, Pembroke is an inclusive and dynamic College based on a central site in Oxford that combines historic quadrangles with award-winning new developments. The College has ambitious plans for the future and an active programme of alumni engagement, stewardship and fundraising to support its academic mission and long-term sustainability.
The Development Operations Manager is a pivotal role within the Development team. Working closely with the Development Director, the post-holder will be responsible for the operational foundations that underpin the College’s fundraising activity, including alumni database management, gift processing, prospect research, reporting, and insight generation. The role is essential to ensuring that the Development team works efficiently, accurately, and strategically, supported by high-quality data and robust processes.
The post-holder will manage the College’s alumni database (DARS), acting as a knowledgeable and trusted first point of contact for database queries, and will lead projects to improve data quality and compliance. They will also play a key role in analysing giving patterns and engagement trends, preparing reports for colleagues and committees, and supporting the identification and tracking of potential donors. In addition, the role includes dotted-line management responsibility for the Development Coordinator, with a particular focus on overseeing operational activity.
This post would suit someone who is confident working with complex data, highly numerate, and able to spot patterns and trends. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, able to work collaboratively within a small, interdependent team, while also exercising discretion and sound judgement when handling confidential information.
Benefits include membership of the University staff pension scheme, free lunches during working hours when the College kitchens are open, and a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, in addition to public holidays. Opportunities for training and professional development are also available.
Key responsibilities
The main duties to be carried out by the post-holder include:
Data and Database Management
- Manage the alumni database (‘DARS’) and ensure that data held on alumni is GDPR compliant, comprehensive, and up to date.
- Oversee projects to maintain and improve the quality of the College’s alumni data and ensure engagement activities are accurately and effectively recorded.
- Produce data exports for third-parties such as consultancies and mailing houses and ensure any data received is processed and imported accurately.
- Produce accurate data content for publications such as lists of stewardship group members and deceased alumni.
- Become a competent ‘super-user’ of the DARS database and act as first point of contact for the Pembroke Development team for any queries about the database, ensuring that the team is both confident in using it and consistently recording data in line with GDPR.
- Actively engage with the central University team delivering the successor to DARS, ‘Halo’, to ensure it meets the College’s requirements, and lead on the migration to Halo at the appropriate time.
Prospect Research and Tracking
- Undertake prospect research to identify potential major donors among the College’s alumni and supporter base.
- Oversee research into alumni in particular regions in advance of College trips.
- Manage Pembroke’s prospect management processes, working with fundraisers and others to identify and assign new prospects within the team.
- Work with the Development Coordinator to prepare donor and prospect profiles ahead of events, trips, and meetings.
Insights, Trends and Segmentation
- Working closely with the Development Officer (Regular Giving and Legacies), proactively and creatively analyse patterns of giving to enable the team to target and segment Regular Giving appeals more effectively.
- Conduct research into wider sector giving trends, and provide recommendations for better engagement.
- Prepare regular reports on donor and engagement activities for the team and wider College, including the Development Committee and Campaign Board.
Gift Processing
- Ensure all changes to Direct Debits including cancellations and amendments are actioned in the agreed timescales. Communicate with donors in respect to these changes.
- Liaise regularly with the PCFNA (Pembroke’s 501(c)(3)) to ensure donations made through it are accurate.
- Record all donations including cheques/PCFNA/one-off bank payments as pledges on DARS.
- Identify missed pledge payments or recurring gifts.
- Support the Finance Business Partner in all Gift Aid administration including Gift Aid compliance, securing outstanding Gift Aid declarations and updating old Gift Aid declarations and review of non-eligible declarations.
- Liaise closely with the finance team to ensure donations are accurately classified and reported
- Ensure that gift agreements and associated commitments (e.g. Gift Aid, pledges, payment schedules) are recorded accurately and actioned.
- Research into historic donor funds, where necessary.
Gift Acceptance
- Manage the gift acceptance process, ensuring that the College accepts gifts appropriately and in line with its Gift Acceptance Policy and Fundraising Policy.
- Undertake all necessary research and due diligence on prospective donors, and liaise with the central University and third-party providers of due diligence services where required.
- Oversee the gift acknowledgement process.
Management
- Supervise (with a dotted line reporting relationship) the Development Coordinator, with particular responsibility for overseeing their work in the Operations functional area.
- Be available for regular 1:1 meetings and as a point of contact for any queries, and support their line manager in making sure they receive all necessary training, induction and information to succeed in their role.
Other
- In common with all posts, ensure compliance with the College’s policies and procedures, statutory obligations, and best practice.
- Be the principal liaison with the Gift Registry and DARS teams, and keep upto-date with changes/improvements to the system and how to utilise them.
- To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required by the Development Director, which may include travel and occasional event attendance outside standard working hours.
For person specification, please see the Job Description attached.
To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and a covering letter, together with details of two referees.
Registered Charity The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
WORKING WITH US
The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.
We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.
As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.
Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.
To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.
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ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking an organised, proactive and professional Personal Assistant to provide high-level support to the Director of Secondary Education at the Harris Federation. This 1-year fixed-term maternity cover role is central to ensuring the smooth running of the Director’s day-to-day operations, including diary management, stakeholder communication, meeting coordination and the preparation of key documents.
As part of our Head Office team, you will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues across our secondary academies, playing an important role in supporting the Federation’s mission to deliver an outstanding education for thousands of young people. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, and enjoys building strong, professional relationships.
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MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Your responsibilities will include:
- To present the professional and welcoming face of the Harris Federation and all secondary academies, to all visitors, staff and students, in person and on the telephone.
- To ensure that the Director’s diary is managed efficiently and effectively. This will involve liaising with a variety of external and internal stakeholders.
- To provide a daily/weekly diary and documentation and maintain an overview of approaching deadlines.
- To maintain the Director’s contacts.
- To maintain an exemplary professional environment for the Director at all times.
- To ensure that all visitors are welcomed and catered for in a professional manner, organising refreshments as appropriate.
- To exercise complete discretion when dealing with issues of confidentiality and sensitivity.
- To take all telephone calls, in the first instance, dealing with queries, passing on calls if necessary.
- To keep the Director’s meetings file and retrieve necessary paperwork as and when meetings arise.
- To be responsible for organising meetings and passing on messages between all stakeholders, parents/carers, external agencies and students and the Director.
- To liaise with clerks to Governors to ensure that all relevant paperwork and correspondence is efficiently managed for all the secondary academies.
- To support the Director with the preparation of paperwork and presentations for a range of meetings including interviews, disciplinary hearings, grievances, performance management, presentations, training sessions etc.
- To liaise with Federation admin teams, Data, HR, IT and Finance Business Managers, as well as PAs and Principals across the Federation as appropriate.
For a full list of responsibilities, please download the Job Pack.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We would like to hear from you if you have:
- Appropriate degree or equivalent experience in previous roles
- Trained in the use of a variety of ICT packages
- Knowledge of personal assistant roles and responsibilities
- Training in typing and formatting of a variety of documents including spreadsheets
- Experience of managing staff in relation to the PA role
- Some experience of human resources e.g. recruitment and/or monitoring attendance
- Experience of working to targets and deadlines
- Experience of managing meetings including preparation and circulation of papers, minutes and ensuring information is circulated as required
- Ability to communicate well both orally and in writing
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to be flexible
- Ability to communicate exceptionally well with parents and carers as well as other stakeholders in the academy
For a full job specification, please download the Job Pack.
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APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION
If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.
Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.
When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application.
A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.
OUR VISION & VALUES
Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.
We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Safeguarding Notice
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Equal Opportunities
The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.
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WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.
You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:
- Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
- Annual performance and loyalty bonus
- Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
- 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
- Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
- Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
- Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
- Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
- 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
- Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans
For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.
More than 1000
Thank you!
Shape the Future of a World-Renowned Institution.
Director of Development
Employer: King’s College, Cambridge
Salary: Starting salary in the region of £90,000 – £100,000 with scope to go beyond for a leading professional with outstanding experience and track record.
Location: Cambridge, UK
King’s College, Cambridge is embarking on the next chapter of its long and influential history and is seeking a Director of Development who can imagine, articulate and drive a bold philanthropic vision for the College.
For more than five centuries, King’s has been a place where ideas, discovery and creativity flourish. Its Chapel stands as one of Europe’s great architectural achievements; its Choir is recognised globally; its students and scholars have shaped culture, science and society. The College is now looking for a development leader who can help secure the resources that will enable it to thrive for generations to come.
Joining King’s at a moment of real momentum, you will build on the achievements of the recent £100 million campaign and design the next strategic phase of fundraising. This will include championing initiatives that broaden access, strengthen support for students, enhance academic excellence, and protect the unique historic fabric of the College.
You will have substantial experience in securing major gifts, a confident and motivating leadership style, and experience of cultivating deep, lasting relationships. A key member of the leadership team, you will work closely with a vibrant global community of alumni and build new partnerships with individuals and organisations who share King’s commitment to excellence, inclusivity, innovation and positive societal impact.
King’s is a place that encourages independent thought, creativity and meaningful contribution to society. Among our alumni are Nobel laureates, world-changing scholars, and trailblazers. Central to our mission is ensuring that exceptional students, whatever their background, can flourish.
As Director of Development, you will be elected to a Fellowship of the College, joining a vibrant, diverse and dynamic community. This position offers more than professional advancement - it represents a rare opportunity to make a lasting contribution to an institution whose commitment to education and innovation has shaped the world for over five centuries.
Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 1 February.
First round interviews are expected to be held the week of 23 February with second round interviews the week of 2 March 2026.
Interested?
Please familiarise yourself with the attached Candidate Pack.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter.
King’s College, Cambridge is partnering with Constellate Global Talent on this search. No agencies please.
Download the candidate pack and send your tailored CV and cover letter no later than Midnight on Sunday, 1 February.
