Are you passionate about building meaningful relationships and creating lasting impact through philanthropy? The University of Strathclyde is seeking a dynamic and experienced Donor Experience and Legacies Officer to lead stewardship and engagement for our major donors, scholarship supporters, and legacy pledgers.
This is a unique opportunity to shape donor journeys across multiple giving areas - from transformative scholarships and legacy gifts to major donations supporting research and teaching. You’ll work closely with inspiring students, academics, and colleagues across the University to deliver compelling donor communications, events, and impact reports that celebrate generosity and deepen engagement.
Brief Outline of Job:
To lead and deliver donor stewardship and engagement strategies for major gifts (donor gifts of £100k+), scholarships (UG and PG), and legacy giving. This includes creating compelling donor communications, managing cultivation events, and developing stewardship plans that support repeat giving and long-term relationships.
Major Gifts: Support the cultivation and stewardship of donors giving £100k–£1M+, including designing and delivering bespoke impact reports for major donors, organizing donor meetings, campus visits and events in collaboration with the Major Gifts team.
Scholarships: Support the development of and delivery of our scholarship fundraising strategy, including producing promotional materials and annual donor reports. Liaise with colleagues across the University to ensure effective scholarship delivery and reporting.
Legacy Giving: Lead the development of a new legacy stewardship strategy, including the introduction of a new giving circle for legacy pledgers, conducting face-to-face meetings with potential legacy donors and creating promotional content and opportunities.
Alumni Fund: Contributing to Giving Day and Alumni Fund Board activities. Support mass donor communications and stewardship initiatives.
Team Leadership: Line management of the Development Assistant and deputising for the Individual Giving Manager when required.
If you’re a creative communicator, strategic thinker, and relationship builder with a flair for storytelling and donor cultivation, we’d love to hear from you.
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About MSF UK
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides life-saving medical care to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF UK exists to maximise the support we provide to this work — by raising funds, advocating for patients, and ensuring our organisation is strong, accountable and sustainable.
MSF UK has grown significantly over the past 5 years, almost doubling our income to just under £100m. As MSF UK enters a new strategic period to 2031, with ambitious plans to grow income further and increase our impact for patients, the strength, resilience and integrity of our financial foundations have never been more important.
The Role
The Financial Controller plays a critical role in safeguarding MSF UK’s resources so they can be used where they are needed most.
You will lead the financial accounting function, ensuring MSF UK’s finances are accurate, compliant and well-controlled, while also driving continuous improvement in systems and processes. Building on strong existing foundations, you will help modernise and streamline financial operations so they remain fit for a growing and increasingly complex organisation.
Working closely with the Director of Finance & Services, the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis and colleagues across MSF UK and the wider MSF movement, you will ensure that financial stewardship actively supports humanitarian impact.
What You’ll Do
You will lead MSF UK’s financial accounting function, balancing rigour, efficiency and service. This includes:
- Ensuring strong financial stewardship: leading statutory accounts, audit, tax compliance and regulatory reporting, including to MSF International.
- Maintaining robust controls: safeguarding MSF UK’s assets through effective internal controls, risk management and reserves oversight.
- Overseeing core financial operations: ensuring accurate, timely processing of transactions, payments and financial records.
- Managing funds and grants: overseeing restricted and unrestricted funds and MSF grant flows, ensuring donor and organisational requirements are met.
- Leading systems and process improvement: driving automation, system enhancements and improvement projects to improve efficiency and user experience.
- Leading and developing the team: managing and supporting a high-performing financial accounting team and fostering a collaborative, improvement-focused culture.
- Trusted technical advisor: providing clear assurance and expert accounting and tax advice to senior leaders, trustees and colleagues.
About You
You are a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or equivalent) with significant experience leading a financial accounting function in a complex organisation. You bring strong technical expertise, sound judgement and a commitment to integrity and transparency.
You are:
- Confident leading statutory reporting, audit and tax compliance.
- Experienced in improving systems and processes, including through technology and automation.
- A collaborative leader who values developing people and building strong relationships.
- Motivated by purpose, with a desire to use your skills to support a mission that matters.
Experience in the charity sector, managing complex VAT environments or working within international organisations is desirable.
Why Join MSF UK?
You’ll join a values-driven organisation where strong financial control is seen as fundamental to humanitarian impact. You’ll be trusted to lead, improve and innovate — ensuring MSF UK remains accountable, resilient and able to respond to the needs of patients around the world.
If you are motivated by MSF’s mission and want your financial leadership to make a meaningful difference, we would love to hear from you.
Recruitment timetable
Application deadline: Sunday 25th January
Shortlisting:week of 26th January
First stage interviews: week of 2nd February
Second stage interviews: week of 9th February
How to apply:
Please send your CV and letter of motivation via the link by Sunday 25th January. For an informal conversation about the role, please contact our exclusive partner, Bryony Thomas via the Allen Lane agency website.
MSF UK is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from all sections of our diverse community.
