Philanthropy Officer

Heriot--watt-University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days annual leave

9 buildings closed days

Job summary

Heriot-Watt University is seeking a Philanthropy Officer to secure major gifts and develop a sustainable fundraising pipeline. Reporting to the Head of Major Gifts, you will manage a portfolio of prospective donors, building strong relationships with academics, senior leaders and supporters to fund strategic priorities.

You will lead cultivation, coordinate donor engagement, and deliver tailored fundraising materials while maintaining accurate CRM records and progress against income targets.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or with equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Experience in proactively developing and managing relationships with prospective donors, clients or partners, including identifying opportunities, building engagement and securing financial commitments or other measurable outcomes.
• Experience managing multiple relationships or opportunities, prioritising activity and progressing relationships toward objectives.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for engaging diverse audiences.
• Excellent written communication skills for persuasive proposals and materials.
• Proven ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to meet aims.
• Proactive, resourceful and able to take ownership of objectives and challenges.
• Strong organisational skills to manage competing demands in a complex environment.
• Interest in universities' role in education, research and society, and motivation to secure philanthropic support.

Responsibilities

• Major gifts fundraising: lead cultivation and solicitation of donors £25,000+ and meet fundraising targets.
• Prospect and portfolio management: nurture an agreed donor portfolio and progress opportunities.
• Develop relationships with academics and senior leaders to identify opportunities for support.
• Fundraising proposals and communications: produce persuasive proposals and materials.
• Donor engagement and stewardship: plan meetings, campus visits and events; ensure recognition and impact reporting.
• Planning, monitoring and reporting: keep CRM records, monitor income and activity, support pipeline reviews.
• Professional practice and collaboration: adhere to fundraising standards and university policies.
• Other duties: perform additional tasks to support the Advancement team.

Skills

Donor relations

Fundraising

Stakeholder engagement

Proposal writing

Relationship management

Planning & prioritisation

Education

Degree-level education

Professional fundraising experience

Tools

CRM Raiser's Edge

Job description

Role Title: Philanthropy Officer

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £38,448 - £48,337 per annum

FTE and working pattern: Full‑time (35hrs per week) Open‑ended

Reward and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot‑Watt University.

About our Team

Heriot‑Watt University combines a proud Scottish heritage with a truly international outlook, bringing together education, research and industry to address some of the world"s most pressing challenges.

The Advancement team works with alumni, friends, philanthropists and partners to build lasting relationships, strengthen the University"s global community and secure support for its strategic ambitions.

Through the Shaping Futures campaign, we are creating new opportunities for students, advancing impactful research and helping to shape the University"s future.

This is an exciting time to join the team. With the University"s Strategy 2035 setting a new direction, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop relationships with philanthropists, work alongside leading academics and help secure support for projects with meaningful impact.

We are looking for someone who enjoys building relationships, is motivated by achieving results and wants to develop their career in major gifts fundraising.

Purpose of Role

Reporting to the Head of Major Gifts, the Philanthropy Officer will play a key role in securing philanthropic support for Heriot‑Watt University"s strategic priorities, including research, education, scholarships and capital projects. The postholder will manage a portfolio of prospective major donors, building strong relationships, identifying opportunities for philanthropic investment and securing gifts of £25,000 and above. Working closely with academic colleagues, senior leaders and the wider Advancement team, they will contribute to the University"s fundraising ambitions and the development of a strong, sustainable pipeline of philanthropic income.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. Major gifts fundraising - Personally lead the cultivation and solicitation of prospective individual donors, developing compelling opportunities for philanthropic support and securing gifts of £25,000 and above. Work towards agreed individual fundraising targets and contribute to the delivery of the University"s wider philanthropic ambitions.

2. Prospect and portfolio management - Manage an agreed portfolio of prospective major donors, developing and implementing tailored engagement and solicitation plans. Proactively identify and qualify new prospects, build relationships and progress opportunities through the fundraising pipeline, ensuring a consistent focus on securing philanthropic commitments.

3. Developing relationships and fundraising opportunities - Build effective relationships with academic colleagues, senior University leaders and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for philanthropic support. Coordinate their involvement in donor cultivation and solicitation, ensuring that fundraising approaches are informed by University priorities and the interests and motivations of prospective donors.

4. Fundraising proposals and communications - Work with academic and Advancement colleagues to develop persuasive proposals, presentations and other fundraising materials that communicate the significance and potential impact of the University"s work. Translate complex academic and scientific information into clear, engaging propositions tailored to the interests of prospective donors.

5. Donor engagement and stewardship - Plan and deliver meaningful engagement opportunities for prospective and existing donors, including individual meetings, campus visits and relevant events. Work with stewardship colleagues to ensure donors receive appropriate recognition, communications and impact reporting, supporting strong, long‑term relationships and opportunities for further giving.

6. Fundraising planning, monitoring and reporting - Maintain accurate and timely records of donor relationships, interactions and fundraising opportunities on the University's CRM system. Monitor progress against agreed income and activity objectives, contribute to pipeline reviews and income forecasting, and ensure that prospect information and solicitation plans are kept up to date.

7. Professional practice and collaborative working - Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Advancement team and the wider University to support shared fundraising priorities. Maintain an understanding of relevant fundraising legislation, data protection requirements and professional standards, ensuring that all fundraising activity is conducted appropriately and in accordance with University policies.

8. Other duties - Undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the grade, as agreed with the Head of Major Gifts, to support the effective operation of the Advancement team.

Person Specification

These are the criteria on which the short‑listing and recruitment selection will be made.

Essential

1. Educated to degree level or with equivalent relevant professional experience.
2. Experience of proactively developing and managing relationships with prospective donors, clients or partners, including identifying opportunities, building engagement and securing financial commitments or other measurable outcomes.
3. Experience of managing multiple relationships or opportunities, with the ability to prioritise activity, plan next steps and progress relationships towards agreed objectives.
4. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence and ability to engage, influence and build productive relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of seniority.
5. Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to prepare clear, persuasive proposals, presentations or other materials tailored to different audiences.
6. A proven ability to build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, navigate competing priorities and work collaboratively to achieve shared objectives.
7. A proactive and resourceful approach, with evidence of taking personal responsibility for achieving objectives, identifying opportunities and overcoming challenges.
8. Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing demands, exercise sound judgement and work effectively within a complex organisation.
9. An interest in the role of universities in education, research and wider society, and the motivation to secure philanthropic support for Heriot‑Watt University"s strategic priorities.

Desirable

1. Experience of securing philanthropic gifts from individuals, ideally at the £25,000 level or above.
2. Knowledge or experience of the principles of major gifts fundraising, including prospect identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
3. Experience of fundraising within higher education, research, the charitable sector or another mission‑led organisation.
4. Experience of contributing to a fundraising campaign or other coordinated income‑generation initiative.
5. Experience of using a customer or donor relationship management system, ideally Raiser's Edge, to maintain records, manage relationships and monitor opportunities.
6. Knowledge of relevant fundraising legislation, the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice and data protection requirements.

Special Factors

1. The role may require occasional travel within the UK and internationally, as well as some evening or weekend work to support donor meetings and events.

About Heriot‑Watt University

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well‑being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot‑Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot‑Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from under‑represented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award‑winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .