National Galleries of Scotland
Development Lead - Capital Campaigns
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Permanent and Full-Time
Salary £49,792 - £56,426 per annum
Plus generous benefits package
Hybrid / flexible working
About the role
This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the UK's most significant cultural fundraising campaigns. We're looking for an experienced major gifts or capital fundraising professional who thrives on building exceptional relationships and securing transformational support. You'll join us at a pivotal moment, leading campaigns that will shape the future of Scotland's national collection and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
At National Galleries of Scotland, you'll help secure the future of one of the world's great art collections, cared for on behalf of the nation. You'll raise transformational philanthropic support for projects that preserve Scotland's national collection, expand public access, and create lasting cultural impact.
We're looking for a strategic and relationship-focused fundraiser with experience leading complex, high-value fundraising campaigns. You'll be equally confident working with major donors, senior colleagues, Trustees, and volunteer leaders. You'll combine excellent judgement with strong planning skills, bringing together people, resources, and fundraising strategy to deliver ambitious campaign goals.
While initially focused on The Art Works, you will have a longer-term remit to help shape future capital fundraising priorities that emerge from our strategic ambitions. You’ll personally progress high-value donor relationships while ensuring fundraising campaigns are strategically structured, insight-led, appropriately resourced, and effectively delivered.
You'll help broaden our philanthropic reach by expanding a strong and diverse prospect base across local, national, and international audiences. This includes developing approaches to high-value and discreet funders and making the best use of senior volunteers and networks.
The scale of the role is exceptional. You'll work on nationally significant projects with a compelling case for support. You'll enjoy flexible and hybrid working, generous benefits, and the chance to make a lasting impact throughout your career.
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What is The Art Works and why is it important?
The Art Works is essential to widening access to art and improving wellbeing, while safeguarding Scotland’s national collection for the future. Scotland’s £6.6bn, 130,000-object collection is currently at risk: 97% is held in overcrowded stores, half of which fail environmental standards. Commercial storage costs are rising, space is limited, and facilities for research, conservation, and access are inadequate. The Art Works provides a permanent, expandable, and efficient solution. The new 13,000 sqm building in North Edinburgh’s regeneration area will greatly enhance public access and cultural engagement, delivering significant economic, community, and national benefits.
Designed to the Passivhaus building standard, it will be one of the largest cultural buildings of its kind in the world, delivering a very low energy solution for best-in-class collection storage, providing long-term resilience for our duty of care to the nation's collection of fine art, space for future collection growth, and providing spaces for partner collections. The design reduces future running costs and drives efficiency of working. The design and project ethos supports local needs by creating income, jobs, and skills opportunities for the local community.
The Art Works will also unlock the full potential of the collection worldwide, removing logistical barriers to loans and touring across Scotland, the UK, and internationally.
Looking beyond The Art Works
As a permanent role within the Development team, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering future capital fundraising programmes across the organisation. This includes supporting the fundraising strategy for the planned Mound Level Galleries redevelopment at the National, alongside other strategic capital projects that will help increase access to Scotland's national collection, enhance visitor experience, and secure the long-term resilience of our historic buildings and collections.
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Who we are looking for
To succeed in this role, you’ll need the following range of knowledge, skills, and experience:
- Significant leadership experience in capital or multi-year fundraising campaigns with multi-million targets.
- Experience of developing and sustaining a portfolio of high net worth prospects at 5, 6, and 7-figure levels including discreet and invite-only funders.
- Experience modelling and managing fundraising cash flow, campaign pacing, and income phasing across multiple fundraising priorities, ensuring alignment with organisational and project delivery requirements.
- Ability to expand donor networks at local, national, and international levels.
- Strong presentation and writing skills, with the ability to influence, articulate complex ideas, and inspire support.
- Experience planning and delivering high-quality cultivation events and donor engagements.
- Strong understanding of fundraising sector trends, major donor behaviour, and the philanthropic landscape.
- Experience working closely with senior stakeholders, including Directors, Trustees, volunteer fundraising campaign board members, and other high-level advocates.
- Strong knowledge of UK charitable giving and tax considerations relevant to fundraising.
- Highly motivated, with the ability to act on initiative while exercising good judgement about when to involve others.
- Strong analytical and reporting skills, with confidence interpreting financial, pipeline, and performance data.
- Experience using CRM/database systems such as Spektrix or similar.
Please click apply to view our careers portal for more details.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday, 25 August 2026.
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