Head Of Individual Giving Jobs
1. About Us
Sound and Music is the national charity for new music.
We support anyone who wants to make music and sound to shape the modern world. We enable individuals to challenge expectations and discover their potential, and act as a friendly guide for those who want to listen deeper. Our work sustains more careers, progresses creativity and achieves greater equity across music in the UK.
We are guided by our Fair Access Principles, a code of best practice which ensures our work is open and inclusive for all.
Sound and Music is supported by Arts Council England and proud to be a National Youth Music Organisation.
The creative programme for Sound and Music makes a unique and distinctive contribution to the arts in the UK. We are a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England. NPO funding is confirmed until March 2026.
Sound and Music is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to making recruitment and employment at Sound and Music inclusive and accessible. We particularly welcome applications from backgrounds that experience racism, and/or who are disabled or neurodiverse, to whom we will offer an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role (see section 4).
2. Job Description
The Head of External Engagement is a key leadership post within the organisation. The role encompasses responsibility for the development and delivery of the organisation’s external activity, including profile, brand identity and stakeholder engagement (including the public), fundraising, and driving income generation in new areas, notably commercial partnerships. It also forms part of Sound and Music’s senior management team, who under the leadership of the Chief Executive are responsible for overseeing the organisation’s programme of activity, strategic development, external profile and a positive and productive organisational culture.
An experienced fundraiser and communicator, you will lead the external engagement team and support the delivery of its strategic and operational plans. The broad remit of the role means the successful candidate will be a strong and confident communicator who builds networks easily and prioritises exceptional stakeholder management and relationship development.
Sound and Music operates a hybrid working model with a mix of in person and remote working, so we welcome applications from anywhere in the UK. Our office is in London and the minimum requirement will be to attend one day per week.
The post holder will support Sound and Music’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, contributing to a culture of respect and collaboration in the organisation’s internal and external activities.
3. Key Responsibilities
Leadership and management
External leadership:
· Represent Sound and Music publicly, including through stakeholder and supporter events
· Work with the Head of Programmes to ensure Sound and Music’s advisory groups are meaningfully engaged
· Be the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for Sound and Music
Internal leadership:
· Shared strategic responsibility and accountability for Sound and Music’s three core aims and their associated objectives, outcomes and outputs
· Shared accountability (with other senior management colleagues) for the successful delivery and implementation of the organisation’s Business Plan
· Lead the organisation’s External Engagements team. This team includes a Communications and Insights Manager and Fundraising Coordinator (both line managed by the Head of External Engagement) plus support from other Sound and Music team members
Development and fundraising
· Develop and support the Chief Executive on the overall business and development strategy for the organisation to ensure we meet fundraising targets (£200k in 2024-25) for annual programmes and major projects
· Develop an ambitious fundraising programme which builds our supporter base and individual funding streams, including individuals, major gifts and public funders
· Drive income growth by identifying and negotiating commercial partnerships and contribute to the development of an enhanced commercial mindset across the organisation
· Develop and cultivate the existing trusts and foundations pipeline
· Prepare documents and reports for key funders including Arts Council England
· Build and maintain positive and productive relationships with key funders, commercial organisations and stakeholders and cultivate existing relationships within the organisation
· Establish new income streams, for example, by maximising the intellectual property created within the organisation
· Engage the Board of Trustees and senior management team in fundraising activities and the ongoing strategy to optimise donor management and stewardship to develop a culture of fundraising across the organisation
· Maximise the opportunities provided by the new CRM system and contribute to the development of a data-led mindset across the organisation
Communications and campaigns
· Develop and lead the overall communications and reputation management strategy for varied stakeholders to ensure we increase our visibility and influence in the sector
· Support the Chief Executive to build the profile of our brand, drive the media messaging and oversee and power our content media campaigns
· Support the Chief Executive to build and maintain positive and productive relationships with government and culture and media opinion formers
Strategy and planning
· Work with the Chief Executive and other senior management team members to monitor, evaluate and review KPIs, strategies and activity so as to maximise Sound and Music’s impact. This includes reporting and presenting to the Board and externally to help build engagement and relationships in the sector and with funders
· Assess the reputational, financial, delivery and other risks associated with current and new projects and partnerships
· Empower, model, support and encourage cross-team working to realise the full income generating possibilities of projects
Finance and governance
· Contribute to creating and monitoring the overall organisation budget
· Work closely with the Chief Executive, Head of Programmes and Finance Manager to formulate financial strategy against specified budget areas, and to ensure that the programme activity is sufficiently resourced, planned and delivered to budget
· Ensure close monitoring of income and expenditure for relevant budget lines and contribute to senior management team financial planning and review
· Attend Board and Financial Subcommittee meetings to present and report impact on a quarterly basis
Special conditions of the post
· Travel within the UK, as required by the role
· A willingness to represent the organisation internationally on an occasional basis
· Evening and weekend working to attend and network at events will be required (time off in lieu is taken afterwards)
· Satisfactory completion of an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (if offered the role, and paid for by Sound and Music)
4. Candidate profile
Essential:
· A demonstrable commitment to Sound and Music’s vision, mission and values
· A track record of generating income across different channels, meeting targets, with the ability and experience to manage and develop long-term and sustained fundraising relationships (for example, with major donors and trusts and foundations)
· Leadership (a strong combination of these are essential):
· A track record of leadership, including leading or working at a senior level in an organisation during a period of growth and change
· Excellent team leadership skills, with high emotional intelligence and generosity, a genuine enthusiasm for encouraging the input and ideas of others
· Strong budgeting and financial planning skills, and the ability to work collaboratively on this
· An entrepreneurial mindset: success in leveraging income, developing new income streams and value through commercial acumen and effective strategic partnership building
· A track record in championing and addressing under-representation in culture and a deep-rooted commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
Desirable:
· Experience of increasing brand profile, developing brand awareness, and expanding audiences for a specialist product or service
· Understanding of the current political, economic, social and technological climate, including the context for culture and public funding and an active engagement with technological developments in creativity
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills: able to engage confidently with different audiences and areas of the sector both publicly and on a 1:1 basis
· Excellent understanding of digital communications and infrastructure and how it can build reach and engagement, including using data to drive decision making
5. How to apply
If you are interested in working with us, please apply by completing the application form.
Sound and Music is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to making recruitment and employment at Sound and Music inclusive and accessible. We particularly welcome applications from backgrounds that experience racism, and/or who are disabled or neurodiverse, to whom we will offer an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.
If you feel you have just some of the required skills and experience but meet the person specification, we would still encourage you to apply; we are very open to continuing the training and development of individuals who are self-motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to the role.
Bringing together leading minds and practitioners in the sector, Wessex Archaeology is a trusted archaeology and heritage service provider and educational charity. From our network of international offices, we work in partnership with our clients to deliver sustainable solutions to manage the historic environment - above ground, below ground and underwater. We are committed to our social impact. This means using the knowledge and connections we make through our commercial activities as a catalyst to engage the communities in which we work.
Join us and you’ll be part of a collaborative team committed to shaping a better future for our staff, the sector, and the world. As well as having knowledgeable and dedicated colleagues, you’ll have an opportunity to access a variety of fascinating and high-profile projects and develop your skills and knowledge along the way.
The role – what’s involved?
We’re looking for a resourceful and strategic Internal Communication Specialist to take a leading role in championing and developing internal communications. You’ll be adept at building and nurturing strong collaborative relationships and act as a trusted advisor to people across all levels, teams and geographical regions. You’ll be pivotal in helping departments and individuals embed communications in their strategies and working practices, providing them with day-to-day advice and support.
You’ll be responsible for maintaining and growing activities that engage, connect and inspire our people. This includes working with other teams to improve and manage internal communications tools and channels so colleagues can stay up to date with the organisation’s projects, updates, process changes, strategy and goals. Working closely with the Head of Communications, you will be an internal ambassador for our brand and equip colleagues to advocate for the organisation and sell and promote our offer and purpose.
Working closely with our HR Director, you will develop comms that promote consistent engagement with employees, from potential candidates and new recruits to current staff working across the UK and internationally.
Main responsibilities will include:
If you are a proactive person who has the drive and emotional intelligence to forge connections across the organisation and take our internal comms strategy to the next level, this could be the career move for you. You will:
- Deliver, evaluate and evolve our internal communications plan.
- Manage and develop the company’s internal communications channels and activities, including staff meetings, organisation-wide newsletter and our intranet.
- Act as a business partner to a range of departments, including but not limited to, HR, Health & Safety, Quality, Sustainability, Finance, IT and Support Services.
- Work with the Head of Comms and Executive Team to align messaging and develop campaigns that communicate the company’s strategy, purpose and values.
- Advise and work closely with senior leaders and managers on internal and corporate communications.
- Develop and implement internal and external-facing campaigns that relate to corporate activities, including areas such as recruitment, learning and development, wellbeing, quality, health and safety, and sustainability.
- Develop and nurture relationships across teams to source information and effectively implement communication initiatives.
- Embed consistency and develop understanding and alignment with our brand identity and messaging across internal teams.
- Develop and manage feedback and insights-led approaches to understanding and improving employee communications and report on activity.
- Support a culture of cross-organisational working and contribute to the overall objectives of the communications team.
- Champion inclusivity and accessibility across our channels and content.
For details on the expected skills, experience and personal attributes, please refer to the full Job Description for this role.
What can you look forward to?
Our focus is on creating a collaborative culture where people can thrive and develop and where safety and wellbeing come first. From anonymising candidate data in our recruitment process to continuous improvements in our benefits, we’re committed to creating a safe, fair, and inclusive working environment.
We offer:
- 22 days of annual leave per year plus bank holidays rising to 27 after 5 years of continuous service.
- Option to buy up to 5 days holiday per year.
- Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme, Wessex Archaeology employer pension contribution 5%.
- Life assurance scheme of three times your basic salary.
Wellbeing and family-friendly benefits
- Our maternity, adoption and shared parental pay is 100% for 12 weeks, 90% for 21 weeks and 6 weeks statutory, day 1 eligibility.
- Enhanced paternity leave, up to 4 weeks from day 1.
- 5 days of carers leave.
- Paid sick leave from the start of a contract, with the number of days dependent on length of service.
- Hybrid and flexible working arrangements where applicable.
- Company Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - free and confidential service in the form of counselling and assistance in areas such as health and stress.
- AIG SmartHealth – round-the-clock support for you and your family.
Sustainability and other benefits
- Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
- Bike2Work scheme.
- 100% Professional membership costs reimbursed eg IOIC membership
- High-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) provided.
- Free transport from regional offices to sites.
- Time in lieu or paid time for drivers.
- Subsistence allowance.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.