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The Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) wants to change the culture in UK education so that authentic research and innovation is part of every young person’s experience.

We’re looking for a skilled and thoughtful development professional to join our small, collaborative and ambitious team as Development Officer.

This hands-on role offers the opportunity to shape and strengthen IRIS’s fundraising approach by developing persuasive proposals, building funder relationships, developing major-gift opportunities and helping establish sustainable systems for future growth.

Reporting to the Director, you’ll work closely with colleagues, consultants and funders to build a strong fundraising pipeline, produce compelling bids and pitches and support effective donor engagement. Your work will strengthen IRIS’s long-term sustainability and help us extend the impact of our mission.

What you’ll be doing:

• Build and manage the fundraising pipeline, maintaining accurate prospect and opportunity records and reporting progress to Directors.
• Research prospective funders and relationships, producing concise intelligence and briefings to support engagement.
• Develop high-quality funding proposals, coordinating contributions across IRIS and aligning applications with strategic priorities.
• Support donor relationships and strengthen internal fundraising capability, coordinating stewardship, tracking follow-up actions and embedding sustainable systems and organisational knowledge.

This is an exciting time to join IRIS as we invest in a more strategic and sustainable approach to fundraising. You’ll have the opportunity to help shape this developing function, work directly with senior colleagues and support growth in our reach and impact.

We welcome applicants from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, including people living with disabilities and those from underrepresented groups. We are committed to a fair and accessible recruitment process.