Senior Fundraising Manager (*full-time, part-time and freelance considered)

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

40 days holiday

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

Enhanced sick pay

Health & wellbeing

Job summary

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow is seeking a Senior Fundraising Manager to establish a new fundraising function within an historic, internationally connected College. You will shape propositions, develop the pipeline, nurture donor relationships and implement systems and governance to sustain long-term income.

The role offers flexible options (full-time 35 hours, part-time or freelance), with a permanent contract; travel may be occasional; 40 days holiday pro rata, hybrid

Qualifications

• Evidence of working in a senior fundraising or development role.
• Proven fundraising leadership within a charity.
• Track record securing major gifts from HNWIs, trusts and foundations and/or corporate partners.
• Experience recruiting and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience managing income and expenditure budgets and budgeting.
• Sound knowledge of fundraising regulations and GDPR.
• Ability to build excellent relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience introducing or improving fundraising systems, reporting, stewardship or ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a three-year fundraising strategy.
• Establish donor propositions, governance and policies; CRM recommendations.
• Build a fundraising function with strong donor relationships and a scalable pipeline.
• Collaborate with Trustees and senior colleagues to shape opportunities.

Skills

Senior fundraising

Donor relations

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Fundraising strategy

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Flexible Options: Full-time (35 hours), part-time or Freelance will be considered

Permanent

£41,181 - £47,401 (pro rata, depending on hours agreed)

Since being granted our Royal Charter in 1599, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow has been improving health and healthcare for people around the world.

Today, we are a professional membership body providing education, assessment and development to more than 15,000 Fellows and Members at all stages of their careers. We are a UK organisation with a global membership.

Our estate in the heart of Glasgow city centre includes modern conferencing and events facilities, a rich and extensive heritage collection with museum status, a library and our multi-award winning events offering, 1599 at the Royal College.

Our purpose

is built around delivering:

• Excellent education and outstanding member experience
• New standards through assessment and gold standard qualifications
• Transformative impact on the health and wellbeing of the wider world

Our vision:

To build an influential global community that enables our Members to develop the skills, knowledge and influence to improve healthcare standards worldwide.

Our mission:

We want to enable our Members to achieve their full potential as healthcare professionals and give them an influential voice in the world.

Our values:

The College is not a building or a tradition, but a global community. In all that we do, we’re committed to putting our people first: Fellows and Members, those undertaking our education and assessment, colleagues and partners.

For us, how we work is as important as what we do, and we aim to live by our values. They embody the essence of the College motto, conjurat amice, meaning ‘together in friendship’. It’s an approach that is as relevant today as it was 425 years ago.

‘Thank you for your interest in joining the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow as our Senior Fundraising Manager.

This is a particularly exciting time to join us. Our organisational strategy (2025 to 2028) sets out clear ambitions for education, assessment, global engagement, membership and operational excellence. We also know that fundraising will help us go further: widening access through scholarships and bursaries, supporting global health initiatives, investing in leadership and wellbeing, and opening up our remarkable heritage and collections to wider audiences. We are now ready to approach fundraising with greater purpose. Our Trustees have approved a three-year Fundraising Strategy to move the College from largely opportunistic activity to a structured and professionally managed programme. The direction is agreed and there is real support for making it work. What we need now is the right person to turn that ambition into action. In this role, you will have the opportunity to build a new fundraising function. You will shape the propositions, develop the pipeline, establish strong donor relationships and put in place the systems and standards that will support fundraising for years to come. You will work closely with me, our Trustees, senior colleagues, Fellows and Members, while bringing the professional judgement to inform where our best opportunities lie. We are ambitious, but we are also realistic. We know that successful fundraising takes time. That early progress will be seen not only in income generation, but in the strength of our relationships, the quality of our propositions and the confidence with which the College engages potential supporters. You will have the scope and support to make your mark, alongside colleagues who understand that building a successful fundraising programme must be a shared endeavour. For the right person, this is a rare opportunity: to establish a new function within an historic and internationally connected College, and to help translate our purpose into opportunities for people to support work that matters. I look forward to hearing from you!'

The Role

The College has secured philanthropic support for programmes including educational projects, global health initiatives, and heritage-related work. However, activity has not yet been supported by a dedicated fundraising function, a consistently managed prospect pipeline or standard College-wide stewardship practice. Income has consequently been concentrated and difficult to predict. The College’s Fundraising Strategy (2026 to 2029) establishes a three-year pilot period. The aim is to build the professional capability required to manage charitable relationships well, test the scale of the opportunity, and create a sound basis for future decisions. It is an investment phase that will give the College the evidence it needs to decide how the fundraising function should develop beyond the three-year pilot. Initially, fundraising will be selective. Major gifts, and Trusts and Foundations will be the principal income engines; Gifts in Wills will be developed as a longer-term programme; and corporate sponsorship will continue to provide a stabilising income stream. Mass or high-volume public fundraising is outside the scope of the current strategy, but with a view to developing this income stream later.

Our philanthropic priorities

• Scholarships and bursaries
• Capital projects
• Heritage and collections
• Global health initiatives

A strong starting point

Although this is a new senior fundraising role, you will not be joining us with a blank sheet of paper. We have already taken the time to understand the College’s fundraising potential and agree our first three-year Fundraising Strategy. We are now working with an experienced fundraising consultant to put the essentials in place, including donor ready propositions, governance and policies, CRM recommendations and the beginnings of a prospect pipeline. You will join us with a clear direction and a strong starting point, but with plenty of room to bring your own ideas, experience and judgement. We are still learning what it takes to build a successful fundraising programme, and we know this cannot sit with one person or one small team alone. You will have the support of colleagues, senior leaders and Trustees, and we will work alongside you as the programme grows.

About You

• Evidence of working in a senior fundraising or development role.
• Proven experience in a fundraising and/or philanthropy leadership and management role within a charity or non-profit organisation.
• A proven track record of securing major gifts from HNWIs, trusts and foundations and/or corporate partners, with significant experience of developing and managing major donor fundraising programmes.
• Experience recruiting, managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience managing income and expenditure budgets and managing performance.
• Sound working knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework within which charities operate, including fundraising regulations and GDPR.
• Experience building excellent relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to understand and communicate with the College’s purpose and priorities.
• Experience introducing or improving fundraising systems, policies, reporting, stewardship or ways of working in a team.
• Experience in championing diversity, inclusion, and staff wellbeing.
• Evidence of being in tune with the latest fundraising trends and technologies.
• An ability to select and oversee the delivery of a fundraising CRM.
• Ability to persuade, influence and negotiate effectively with senior clinicians and HNWIs.
• Excellent written and presentation skills, with experience developing compelling charitable propositions and donor communications.
• To be the fundraising voice of the College, delivering public speeches and media interviews where required.
• Highly organised and disciplined in prioritisation, record-keeping and follow through
• Strong analytical and strategic skills, with the ability to assess opportunity, risk and return, make evidence-based decisions and provide independent advice.

Job Context and Special Features

Occasional UK and international travel, evening events and overnight stays may be required.

Benefits include:

• 40 days holiday (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Hybrid working – at least 50% working in College, dependent on the needs of the business. The post holder will be required to work in College 100% of their contracted hours during the induction period.
• Pension Scheme – The College offers a contributory pension scheme with employee contributions ranging from 6% to 10%, based on the employee’s chosen contribution level
• Enhanced Sick Pay, Maternity, Paternity and Adoption pay
• Health and Wellbeing Benefit

Please note that the College is unable to provide visa sponsorship. Therefore, candidates must already have the right to work in the UK.

Closing Date:

13 November 2026

Interview Schedule

First-round interviews are expected to be held on 20 November 2026. Candidates who are successful at this stage will be invited to attend a second round interview, expected to take shortly after on 27 November 2026.

Informal Enquiries

Candidates who would like an informal discussion are welcome to email [e-mail]

For further inquiries

If you have any queries, please contact [e-mail]

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow is a Scottish Charity, SC000847, regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).