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The School has an exciting opportunity for a Fundraising and Alumni Relations Manager.

The prime responsibility of the High School of Dundee's Fundraising and Alumni Relations Manager will be to take strategic and operational responsibility for the Alumni & Fundraising functions of the School, including the setting, agreement and achievement of fundraising and alumni engagement targets.

Engagement of the School's alumni enhances reputation and by managing a range of projects and programmes to engage with the School's world-wide community, builds profile for School activities and strategy, attracting students, staff and additional funding.

Philanthropic support is essential to the School's ongoing success. The High School of Dundee Foundation, established in 2000, has successfully raised funds for the alumni and stakeholder community in support of projects and programmes which enhance the experience of the students and the School's wider community.

As the High School of Dundee's Fundraising and Alumni Relations Manager, you will report to the Rector and work closely with the Chair of the HSD Foundation, Foundation members and members of the School Board.

You will have responsibility for meeting agreed income targets, generated through the cultivation and solicitation of gifts from individuals, Trusts & Foundations and corporate partners. The Fundraising and Alumni Relations Manager will work closely with colleagues across the Board and School, to align strategic objectives, ensure effective and efficient communication and identify key areas for fundraising.

You will, alongside the Foundation and Board, be responsible for planning and management of strategy, and as this is a hands-on role, you will be expected to undertake all activities required to deliver agreed fundraising and engagement targets.

To raise funds for the High School of Dundee from alumni, individuals, institutional funders, corporates and other friends of the School through a variety of methods, realising a Fundraising Strategy aligned to the School's objectives, devised in association with the Rector, Foundation Committee and Board members.

Devise and develop segmentation, cultivation and solicitation strategies for prospect donors, Trusts & Foundation and corporates, to achieve financial, relationship and stewardship goals.

Create and execute a framework for stewardship and ongoing engagement across individual, institutional, Trusts & Foundations, and corporate donors.

Provide leadership to School staff where required, defining, monitoring and evaluating performance required to meet KPIs and deliver agreed key objectives, contributing to achieving the School's ambition to increase annual philanthropic support.

Work with the Rector and Foundation in the ongoing development of the fundraising strategy to ensure that the Fundraising function remains aligned with the School's overall strategy and that fundraising priorities are viable and SMART.

Work with Board members to prepare the foundations and framework of a long-term School Campaign, rolling out cultivation activities and communications to create a pipeline of donors to achieve the School's capital plan and strategic vision.

Foster mutually beneficial relationships with members of the School's alumni network with an emphasis on the UK and Europe, engaging them as ambassadors and volunteers to support a wide range of School priorities.

Work closely with groups associated with the School, and other alumni networks, to leverage maximum benefit from their relationships with the school.

Develop and deliver a volunteering and ambassador programme with a focus on the enhancement of the student experience through for example guest speakers, internships and mentoring.

Manage the Fundraising and Alumni Relations expenditure budget and ensure activities undertaken are approved and within budget.

Support senior School staff and Board members in their approaches to the highest level of donors and work alongside senior colleagues to support the activities of volunteers in prospect identification, cultivation and solicitation.

Lead collaboration with senior staff and volunteer leaders (Board and Foundation) to plan, manage and steward cultivation events (e.g. lunches/dinners/personal visits) both in Dundee and at locations globally as required.

As part of the School team, support the activities of colleagues where resources are limited.

Maintain professional awareness of sectoral trends and developments and suggest and implement improvements to service delivery as appropriate

Maintain, develop and raise the visibility and reputation of the Fundraising and Alumni Relations office internally and externally

Maintain and enhance personal knowledge, skills and networks by playing an active role in the appropriate professional bodies within the Independent School fundraising network and the wider private and public charitable sector.

Participate in appropriate ongoing professional development.

Undertake any other duties and responsibilities directed by the Rector. These variations will not change the general character of the post or the level of responsibility entailed.

Fundraising and Alumni Relations Budget

The post holder will work closely with the Marketing Manager, the PR and Communications Manager and in liaison with the Admissions Team.

It is incumbent on the post holder to build relationships and work closely with colleagues in the School and with Board and Foundation members.

The post holder will build relationships and work closely with external stakeholders, donors, alumni and funding partners.

Plan and manage personal workload to balance fundraising results and engagement responsibilities.

Work with the Head of Finance and COO to achieve financial targets. Planning and overseeing of delivery and implementation of operational plans to that end.

Ability to work in a flexible and responsive manner.

Fundraising experience and an understanding of effective fundraising within the education sector or charitable equivalent

Leadership: proven experience of leading a team to deliver high standards of performance.

Excellent communications and engagement skills

Experience of managing potentially competing stakeholders across a complex organisation

Financial management experience and budgeting ability

Degree in relevant discipline or equivalent experience

An ability to think strategically and an ability to solve complex problems, bringing people together to deliver projects and services for others.

Excellent ability to build teams and influence others; confident and experienced in working in a wide range of situations and with people at all levels up to and including Board and Major donor level.

An ability to work calmly in a fast-paced and changing environment, under pressure and to deadlines, with an eye to detail.

Able to manage ambiguity, exercise initiative and work without close supervision

Alignment to the values of the School and its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

Closing date is 16 January 2026.

Interviews will take place in person at The High School of Dundee week commencing 19 January 2026.

At the High School of Dundee, our unique location in the heart of the city is a major strength, helping our pupils feel connected to the real world, creating fully rounded and grounded young people. The school currently has over 750 pupils, from age 3-18, who divide their time between our main city centre campus and our extensive sports facility, Mayfield.

Our approach is built on a profound belief that if young people are valued, supported known, and engaged in their learning, they can achieve amazing things. We have a long track record of outstanding exam results, which we owe to our rigorous approach, expertise built up over many years and a genuine desire to see our pupils realise their potential.

In our Primary School, the children work daily on the crucial building blocks of literacy and numeracy, but the focus is also on making learning fun, engaging and wide-ranging. And in the Senior Years, choice is paramount. In S3, our pupils can choose eight subjects to focus on, while in S5 they can select from 25 subjects at Higher level. At Advanced Higher, 23 subjects are available.

The timetabling of exciting new interdisciplinary STEM Innovation and Business Enterprise courses, in addition to computer science for all, has embedded Future Skills into our curriculum. In tandem, the development of partnerships with local businesses is allowing us to provide real world learning opportunities which further enriches our pupils' learning.

A focus on the essential importance of Pastoral Care and on encouraging all pupils to make the most of the opportunities presented by our vibrant and extensive co-curriculum, helps create an environment in which the School's Core Values are ever-present and where the desire to learn, support one another and grow is embraced by all.