Development Manager (Donor Relations)

UWC Southe Ease Asia; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

UWCSEA seeks a creative and relationship-focused Development Manager (Donor Relations) to lead donor stewardship during the quiet phase of the capital campaign. You will develop recognition frameworks, design events for top stakeholders, and ensure accurate donor records while innovating with automation and AI.

The role reports to the Head of Development and requires 3 to 5 years in development or fundraising, with strong communications and project management skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from a recognised university.
• 3 to 5 years in development/advancement, philanthropy or fundraising.
• Experience in donor relations, frontline fundraising and events.
• Ability to leverage AI to enhance donor experience and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead donor relations and stewardship strategy for the capital campaign.
• Design and manage recognition inventories and donor walls.
• Develop bespoke stewardship plans for principal and leadership donors.
• Coordinate high-impact donor events and experiences.
• Collaborate with CRM, finance and gift administration to ensure accurate records.

Skills

Donor relations

Fundraising

Stakeholder engagement

Communications

Project management

Team leadership

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM system

Job description

Join a global movement in education and help shape a better future.

UWCSEA seeks a creative and relationship-focused Development Manager (Donor Relations), ideally to start towards the end of 2026, with flexibility for the right candidate.

Reporting to the Head of Development, this role leads UWCSEA’s donor relations and stewardship strategy during the quiet phase of the College’s capital campaign. The role drives personalised donor stewardship; refines existing recognition practices; develops recognition frameworks for the new Dover at Tengah Campus project; and designs high‑impact events and experiences for top stakeholders. The position suits a relationship-driven collaborator and leader who maintains a strong focus on individualised donor motivations and impact. Simultaneously, the ideal candidate brings an entrepreneurial spirit to innovate stewardship using automation and AI to enhance donor experience, impact reporting, and retention.

Main Responsibilities

Main Scope:

• Develop well-designed, compelling and bespokereports that convey the impact of giving to individual donors as well as our giving community at large. Engage with key College educators and scholars to monitor progress and success of donor-funded programmes, and to obtain and share meaningful impact stories with our community.

Develop and execute annual fundraising event plans, including annual events such as UWCSEA’s signature Dinner with Scholars and Donor Celebration Events, as well as a series of smaller bespoke events to cultivate campaign donors and support the fundraising goals of the College.

Others:

Continue to develop the College’s existing stewardship programme into a best-in-class donor relations programme, including supporting the donor experience through a stewardship, recognition and retention programme that is focused on demonstrating the impact of philanthropy at UWCSEA and is appropriately differentiated across donor segments and through varied delivery mechanisms.

Design and manage a comprehensive recognition inventory system for UWCSEA’s Shaping the Future Campaign, including the reservation, and physical installation of named spaces, plaques, and donor walls.

Work closely with front line fundraising team members to develop and support the implementation of creative, bespoke stewardship plans for principle and leadership donors to the campaign, including high net worth individuals, corporations and foundations.

Work with parent volunteers to support fundraising and community engagement efforts in support of the College and the activities of the UWCSEA Foundation.

In partnership with the Gift Administrator, Database Administrator and College Finance team, ensure that programmes are administered and documented accurately; maintain accurate records of contacts with donors using the CRM system and support the continued development of CRM best practices

Support the wider fundraising and engagement activities at UWCSEA as required.

Person Specifications

• Degree from a recognised university.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in development/advancement, philanthropy or fundraising, ideally with exposure to donor relations, frontline fundraising and impactful relationship-building. Candidates with relevant transferable experience in stakeholder engagement, bespoke communications and events will also be considered.
• Demonstrated success in designing and delivering effective donor relations programmes in a nonprofit of education related organisation is preferred; results-oriented with a passion for increasing support for the College
• A strong interest in securing repeat gifts through effective donor relations and stewardship
• Outstanding communications skills, including the ability to write compellingly and persuasively in support of philanthropic goals and successes
• Innovative, self-motivated, able to think strategically in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects well, working both independently and as a collaborative team member
• Excellent interpersonal skills in a group and individual setting; positive, enthusiastic, collaborative and a team player
• Flexible, creative, resourceful and self motivated, with a willingness to go the extra mile to meet the needs of the mission
• Excellent organisational and analytical skills; the ability to manage multiple projects effectively and maintain a high degree of professionalism in a team-oriented, complex environment
• Familiarity with a customer relationship management (CRM) system, preferably in a fundraising environment
• High degree of comfort in using AI to automate and more efficiently deliver on requisite tasks
• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times respecting the confidential nature of donor information and the College’s business practices

The UWC Mission is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. We are committed to creating a community in which all members feel safe and secure, and know that their authentic selves and individual differences are accepted with respect and care. At UWCSEA, we acknowledge that diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) is an ongoing and evolving process and strive to create and sustain a sense of belonging for all members of our community, past, present and future. All qualified applicants, including those who identify as a part of marginalized group(s) and individuals with (dis)abilities are all encouraged to apply. Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all the students in our care and expects all applicants to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices and all appointments are subject to interview, satisfactory references, identity and criminal record checks.