Research Officer

Royal Ballet and Opera; Greater London; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Ballet and Opera is seeking a Research Officer to join the Development & Advocacy team in Covent Garden. The role involves providing high-quality fundraising research on individuals, companies, wider industries and the philanthropy sector, including preliminary due diligence checks.

You will identify key points from multiple sources, condense complex information into clear summaries, and plan your work with strong organisational and collaborative skills.

Qualifications

• Identify key points from multiple sources or large amounts of information.
• Condense complex or detailed information into clear, concise written summaries.
• Check and proofread data to ensure high-quality output.
• Use databases, research resources, and other online search tools effectively, with a willingness to learn and apply new tools and research methods.
• Plan own workflow with good organisational and time management skills.
• Demonstrate good interpersonal skills, able to demonstrate a collaborative approach when working.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality fundraising research on individuals, companies, wider industries and the philanthropy sector, including preliminary due diligence checks.
• Conduct initial due diligence checks on potential donors and partners as part of the Development & Advocacy effort.

Skills

Research

Data synthesis

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Tools

Research databases

Online search tools

Job description

Based in: Covent Garden, London

Based in: Covent Garden, London

Permanent; Full time

Salary: £32,640.00 per annum

The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world‑class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

The Royal Opera House describes the place we work, not who we are. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts – we may be a House, but three quarters of our audiences experience what we do outside this building. While our Covent Garden theatre is the nerve centre, the impact and influence of the organisation can be felt in every corner of the country, and around the world.

We could not maintain this range of work or our digital presence without support from philanthropists, funders, members, business partners and sponsors, Our Development and Advocacy department generates over £46m revenue annually, plus additional capital funds, and secures the annual Arts Council England grant (currently £23.8m).

The Department’s revenue generation and advocacy to Government of the value of our creative sector ensures the RBO can retain the best artists and crafts people, deliver our thriving National Schools’ Programme, maintain our beautiful Grade I listed building, deliver on our charitable mission, and continue to produce world class performances.

We are looking to hire a Research Officer to join the Research team in the Development & Advocacy department. The successful candidate will be tasked with providing high‑quality fundraising research, including research on individuals, companies, wider industries and the philanthropy sector, as well as conducting preliminary individual and corporate due diligence checks.

An Ideal Candidate Will Be Able To

• Identify key points from multiple sources or large amounts of information.
• Condense complex or detailed information into clear, concise written summaries.
• Check and proofread data to ensure high‑quality, accurate output.
• Use databases, research resources, and other online search tools effectively, with a willingness to learn and apply new tools and research methods.
• Plan own workflow with good organisational and time management skills.
• Demonstrate good interpersonal skills, able to demonstrate a collaborative approach when working.

The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UK’s leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.

We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under‑represented within our organisation.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long‑term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.

The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.

Job Description

Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, 14th October 2026.

Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK.