Head of Development Services & Deputy Director

University of St Andrews; St Andrews; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of St Andrews invites applications for Head of Development Services and Deputy Director. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team, aligning people, systems and governance to support fundraising and alumni engagement for Making Waves: The Campaign for St Andrews.

Reporting to the Director of Development, you will drive CRM development, data governance and analytics, oversee Gift Operations and Prospect Research, and strengthen the University’s capacity to engage supporters worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for Development Services, ensuring the people, systems, services and governance supporting fundraising and engagement are effective, scalable and aligned with University priorities.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams spanning Collective Giving, Gift Operations, Database and Analytics, and Prospect Research.
• Develop and deliver the Development Services strategy to support the success of Making Waves: The Campaign for St Andrews and future philanthropic growth.
• Serve as a member of the Development Senior Management Team and act as the operational deputy to the Director of Development, contributing to departmental leadership, planning and organisational development.
• Lead workforce planning, talent development and organisational effectiveness across Development Services.
• Oversee budgeting, financial planning, resource management, risk management, business continuity and operational resilience across the Development Unit.
• Build strong partnerships across the University and with external stakeholders to support shared objectives and successful delivery.
• Provide strategic leadership for Collective Giving, driving participation, engagement and future philanthropic pipeline growth.
• Lead prospect research, prospect management and fundraising pipeline processes to maximise fundraising performance and campaign outcomes.
• Oversee gift administration, gift acceptance and due diligence processes, ensuring philanthropic income is managed efficiently, ethically and in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Lead fundraising compliance, governance, audit and assurance activities, maintaining robust controls and risk management frameworks, including oversight of affiliated fundraising foundations and international giving vehicles.
• Provide strategic leadership for Development systems, data governance, information management and business intelligence.
• Lead CRM, digital transformation and AI-enabled initiatives, ensuring technology supports operational effectiveness, fundraising performance and user experience.
• Drive innovation, continuous improvement and the adoption of modern working practices across Development Services.
• Prepare Development Services for the planned transfer of philanthropic reporting, KPI governance and fundraising performance assurance, working closely with the Head of Philanthropic Reporting and Assurance during a transition period.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Data governance

CRM & analytics

Fundraising strategy

Change management

Tools

CRM software

Data analytics tools

AI-enabled practices

Job description

The University of St Andrews invites applications for Head of Development Services and Deputy Director. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team, aligning people, systems and governance to support fundraising and alumni engagement for Making Waves: The Campaign for St Andrews.

Reporting to the Director of Development, you will drive CRM development, data governance and analytics, oversee Gift Operations and Prospect Research, and strengthen the University’s capacity to engage supporters worldwide.