Head of Strategy and Operations

www.nationalmuseums.org.uk - Jobboard; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Head of Strategy and Operations to lead the development of a world-class fundraising strategy. This pivotal role involves managing a major capital campaign and embedding best practices in fundraising operations. The successful candidate will oversee a dynamic team, ensuring compliance with regulations while driving revenue growth through innovative data management and stakeholder engagement strategies. Join a transformative project at one of the world's leading museums, where your contributions will significantly impact cultural heritage and community engagement.

Benefits

Generous annual leave allowance

Defined benefit pension scheme

Free entry to museums

Professional development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounts on food and gift shop purchases

Interest-free travel loans

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience leading fundraising operations teams in cultural or non-profit sectors.
• Strong understanding of tax efficient giving and charity compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the Museum’s fundraising strategy.
• Inspire and manage the team to implement cutting-edge tools and practices.

Skills

Fundraising Strategy Development

Team Leadership

Data Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Change Management

Regulatory Compliance

Education

Degree or equivalent experience

Tools

CRM Systems

Data Analysis Tools

Job description

About the role:

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated, strategic development operations professional with experience of leading fundraising operations teams.

In this role, the Head of Strategy and Operations will create and lead a world-class development operations function, play a pivotal role in developing and planning the Museum’s major capital campaign, and embed best practice in fundraising and information management across the Development directorate.

The postholder will manage the Development directorate’s strategy development and delivery planning, and is responsible for campaign management, research, stakeholder data and insight, fundraising proposition development, reporting, gift management, business processes, and compliance. The role drives, facilitates, and underpins activity across the Development department and makes a significant contribution to the Museum’s fundraising and stakeholder engagement activity.

This is an exciting time for the British Museum. We are embarking on our Western Range project – one of the biggest museum redevelopment projects anywhere in the world. This physical transformation is in the service of an intellectual transformation. We are rethinking how we display our collection – the most holistic and ambitious redisplay in the Museum’s history. We have appointed world-renowned architect Lina Ghotmeh to rejuvenate and redevelop our Western Range – accounting for over a third of our galleries. The Development directorate will enable this transformation by delivering a major capital campaign, in which the Head of Strategy and Operations will play a central role.


Key areas of responsibility:

1. Lead the development and delivery of the Museum’s fundraising strategy, including the capital campaign, working closely with senior leadership to set targets, milestones, and deliverables.
2. Inspire and manage the team to implement cutting-edge tools, data systems, and practices to analyze donor behaviour, ensure operational efficiency, and drive revenue growth.
3. Develop and implement a prospect research strategy, aligning stakeholder data with CRM operations to optimize fundraising opportunities and engagement.
4. Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations and standards, manage risks related to stakeholder data, and make recommendations for system and structural improvements.
5. Oversee the Museum’s CRM database, ensuring efficient data management and analysis of gift information to support donor stewardship.

About you:

1. Degree or equivalent experience and fundraising industry network memberships.
2. Experience of a senior role in a major fundraising campaign.
3. Experience of leading fundraising operations teams in the cultural sector, higher education, a charity, or not for profit organisation.
4. Experience of leading change.
5. Knowledge of tax efficient giving, charity compliance, and data protection.
6. Ability to speak with authority on regulatory and technical issues adjusting to the audience.
7. Track record of delivering projects on time and within budget.
8. Excellent people management skills, with experience of leading teams, developing staff, and motivating colleagues to achieve ambitious targets.
9. Strong prioritisation and resource allocation skills.
10. Diplomatic ability to achieve consensus with diverse stakeholders.

About the British Museum:

Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists such as Dürer, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt.

The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:

1. Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and bank holidays.
2. Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme.
3. Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions.
4. Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections.
5. Interest-free travel, bicycle, and rental deposit loans.
6. Professional and personal development opportunities.
7. Employee Assistance Programme.
8. Discounts on food and gift shop purchases.

Additional details:

For more information about this role, please see the job description.

The interviews are expected to take place on 16 May.

If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details to [e-mail].

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.

We offer a flexible way of working scheme that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organisation. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you.