Development Research Officer

Development Research Officer | The British Academy

Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Location:  St James Park, London, SW1 | Hybrid, worked flexibly under our hybrid-working policy

Salary: £30,210 per annum

The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking a Development Research Officer to join our Development Team, providing key support within a small fundraising team of 9. It’s a particularly exciting time to join, as we are embarking on an ambitious 125th Anniversary Campaign in 2027.

This role is crucial in enabling the Academy to achieve its ambitious fundraising targets for our next campaign. The Development Research Officer will identify potential new funders who have the capacity and affinity to support the British Academy, as well as managing qualified prospects as they move through the prospect pipeline. You will also provide key intelligence on prospects and donors for meeting briefings and events, as well as due diligence research on potential donors to the Academy.

This is an exciting opportunity to provide strategic insights on prospects and donors for the variety of audiences that we work with. You will enjoy gathering and analysing information from a variety of sources, make connections between people and organisations, and be creative in how to present information and data. Alongside the research role, you will also provide administrative support for the internal and external activities of the Development Team.

You will ideally have some experience of research in a fundraising environment, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills. You will be able to work independently and look proactively for opportunities as well as working responsively to requests and deadlines. You will be confident using the Microsoft Office 365 suite and have experience using Salesforce or another CRM to manage your workflows.

Whether you’re looking to grow your career as a prospect researcher, or are making a move into the fundraising sector, we’d love to hear from you.

About the Academy

The British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, established by Royal Charter in 1902. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. Today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, culture, and societies. With a Fellowship of around 1700 leading national and international academics, the Academy invests in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas; engages the public with fresh thinking and debates; and brings together scholars, government, business, and civil society to influence policy.

The Academy currently has five directorates: Communications & Marketing; Development; Policy; Research; and Resources, plus a small Governance & Fellowship Team.

Working at the Academy

Our senior management team have worked with staff to foster a culture of collaboration, respect, and empathy, in which all contributions are recognised as we work towards our common goals. Our people strategy and working practices focus on building strengths and sharing insights, with learning & development, wellbeing, and equality, diversity & inclusion at the centre of how we operate as an organisation. Investing in our staff and encouraging a healthy work/life balance is central to our success, as we move forward and continue to grow. Find out more about the British Academy, including our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement.

Terms and conditions

The British Academy is based at 10-11, Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1 – a Grade 1 listed building. We offer a competitive benefits package including a 35-hour working week; 34 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays; a subsidised canteen and an excellent occupational pension.

How to apply

We use Applied for our recruitment. Applied aims to overcome unconscious bias in recruiting. Instead of using CVs, candidates are asked to answer questions that test skills needed for the role. The responses are then anonymised and reviewed in a random order by members of the hiring panel.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, in line with our commitment to create a diverse and inclusive working environment, promote equal opportunity, and address under-representation. We will make reasonable adjustments to support disabled job applicants and offer an interview to those meeting the minimum selection criteria.

To find out more about this opportunity and to apply, please visit our recruitment page via the apply button.

Applications must be received no later than Midday on Monday, 16 March 2026.