Salary: c.£46,000 per annum based on skills and experience
Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week
Based in: Covent Garden, London
The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.
This role sits within the highly committed and successful Development and Advocacy Department, which generates over £41m revenue annually, plus additional capital funds, and secures the annual Arts Council England grant (currently £22.9m). The Department’s revenue generation and advocacy to Government of the value of our creative sector ensures the RBO can retain the best artists and crafts people, deliver our thriving National Schools’ Programme, maintain our beautiful grade I listed building, deliver on our charitable mission, and continue to produce world class performances.
The focus of the Senior Fundraising Manager role will be to deliver and run the successful fundraising appeals and draws function, delivering against targets of c. £1.25m for 2025/26. Managing a small appeals team within the wider membership function, you will grow our income and innovation in this space, ensuring fundraising best practice principles are adhered to.
Our ideal candidate will be results driven, with an open, curious, intelligent approach to analysis and reporting. You will be able to work successfully in partnership with other teams and departments as well as influence key stakeholders across the organisation. You will be able to lead and develop a small team, exercise diplomacy and discretion and contribute to the wider fundraising conversation and pipeline.
You will be able to demonstrate:
- Substantial professional experience of the project management of appeals and campaigns fundraising gained within a charity or other fundraising organisation including their planning, development, running and evaluation
- Experience of running fundraising appeals or campaigns across a range of channels and running lotteries or draws for fundraising
- Outstanding written communication skills, including the ability to tailor communications for different audiences and media whilst maintaining consistent tone and messaging
- A track record in setting and meeting income targets
- Excellent project management skills, with evidence of having successfully delivered concurrent projects
An understanding and knowledge of the art forms is not essential but the ability to learn and communicate effectively and persuasively about opera, ballet, music and dance to supporters is critical for this role.
The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UK’s leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.
We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under-represented within our organisation.
We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.
The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.
Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, Sunday 22nd February 2026.
Interviews will be held over two stages. The 1st stage will be online via Microsoft Teams w/c 2nd March 2026. The 2nd stage will be in person at ROH Covent Garden w/c 9th March 2026.
Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.
To ensure a fair process, late applications will not be considered under any circumstances.
Registered Charity
501 - 1000
Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Location: Reading, Hybrid (at least twice a month to Reading Office)
Hours: Full time
Salary: £40,000 per annum
Contract Type: 12 month FTC
Campaign Closes: 18th February 2026
First Stage Interviews: 25th & 26th February 2026
Second Stage Interviews: 3rd or 5th March 2026
On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible.
At Make A Wish UK, we create life changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Our Special Events programme plays a vital role in making those wishes possible by raising essential income, inspiring supporters and bringing our community together. We are looking for a talented and driven Special Events Manager to lead, shape and grow our portfolio of high profile events. From elegant gala dinners and supporter receptions to new and innovative fundraising opportunities, you will be at the heart of creating experiences that make a meaningful difference.
Core Purpose
To lead the delivery and growth of Make A Wish’s programme of Special Events, maximising net income, strengthening donor and supporter stewardship, and identifying new opportunities across the organisation and beyond to enhance and expand our events portfolio. This role also supports wider departmental events, including those connected to Art of Wishes, while inspiring and managing supporters, committee members, suppliers and volunteers. In addition, the role oversees the stewardship events programme delivered by the Events Officer, ensuring exceptional experiences for all involved.
To be successful in this role you will need:
Essential Criteria
- Ability to prepare materials to support a range of audiences and requirements, from presentations through to toolkits, meeting notes etc.
- Excellent communication skills, including
- Ability to work effectively at different levels in the organisation
- Ability to articulate core concepts in different formats and approaches
- Ability to negotiate and influence across different organisational levels
- Work as part of a cross functional team
- Understanding of regulatory frameworks, best practice and ethical issues related to
- Marketing and engagement with children and young people
- Content capture and use
- Knowledge of regulatory frameworks around fundraising
- Understanding of advertising and influencer regulatory frameworks
- Managing and working with user permissions and compliance around:
- User permissions
- Safeguarding
- Data protection
- Experience of working with others:
- Being part of a team delivering different objectives
- Inspiring and encouraging self-development in team members/colleagues
- Setting objective and KPIs and managing performance towards these
- Integrating volunteers and networks into teams
- Volunteer management
- Evidence and Experience of:
- Using and updating CRM tools – Salesforce
- Managing data accuracy
- Producing reports and analytics
- Reading and interpreting data
- Experience of managing finance and budget:
- Developing budgets
- Recording financial information
- Reading and understanding financial information
- Calculating basic information, particularly to show return on investment
- Managing expenses and invoicing processes
- Experience of managing and planning work:
- Working on cross team plans
- Using technology to support planning and prioritisation
- Able to use MS Office tools, in particular Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel to support delivery of work
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in a related field or areas (formal or self-directed)
- Significant experience in planning large scale special events, dinners, balls, receptions or similar:
- Evidence of managing £200,000+ event budgets
- Experience planning and executing events for 200+ attendees
- Experience working with event agencies
Key Responsibilities:
Event support
- Own and develop relationships with key Make-A-Wish event supporters including committee members, suppliers, speakers and donors.
- Project manage and/or provide event support to key Make-A-Wish flagship and high-value supporter events.
- Generate income and gift in kind for Make-A-Wish owned and high value third-party events.
- Oversee the stewardship of high value third-party events by the Events Officer.
- Be the day-to-day contact for Special Events agencies and third-party suppliers, attending and leading meetings to ensure each event is executed as smoothly and successfully as possible.
- Manage internal and external event stakeholders including Make-A-Wish BCE and volunteering teams, committee members and event suppliers in relation to their role at the event.
- Attend all the Special Events and represent Make-A-Wish in a professional manner.
- Support on the development of the special events strategy with Art of Wishes & Special Events Lead and Philanthropy Director.
- Create and manage event budgets with a focus on reducing costs and maximising net income/budget relieving GIK.
- Complete event performance evaluations including wrap-up analysis, measure against KPIs and review if goals were achieved.
- Oversee the post-event financial administration and processes with Supporter Care Team and Philanthropy Team to ensure a positive guest experience.
- Support internal teams in event planning to maximise opportunities and ensure consistent delivery.
- Identify additional opportunities for the programme both internally and externally.
- Work to identify and secure sponsorship partners for events.
Line management
- Provide engaging and motivating leadership, coaching, management and development of one direct report (Special Events Officer) which includes quarterly coaching conversations, career development conversations and more.
Supporter Management
- Support and manage organising Committees to ensure each event is executed as smoothly and successfully as possible.
- Lead committee meetings.
- Develop relationships with event supporters to increase support and GIK donations.
- Oversee the supporter journey of prize donors, prize winners and wish sponsors, including but not limited to thanking and providing feedback post-event, prize fulfilment, building long-term and sustainable relationships through correspondence.
- Work with the Volunteering team and Special Events Officer to manage volunteers including recruitment, pre-event briefings, communications, on the day and post-event thanking.
Communications and Internal Collaboration
- Take responsibility for maintaining and updating the supporter database with any event and guest details ensuring it is GDPR compliant.
- Leading and supporting on events and projects across the organisation as required.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
Together, we create joy, happiness and magical memories through life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.