• Proven experience in securing five- and six-figure gifts from family trusts and foundations and/or high-net-worth individuals within an arts, culture and heritage organisation.

• Outstanding relationship management skills, with proven experience of managing senior donor relationships, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, and of coaching and supporting senior staff and Trustees in donor engagement.

• Ability to work independently, maintain momentum across a variety of tasks and meet multiple and simultaneous deadlines.

Selection for interview will be based on these 4 criteria so please ensure that your application demonstrates in detail how you meet these requirements. You may find it helpful to use each criteria as a subheading, or to use the STAR method to structure your statement.

If we receive a large number of applications candidates will initially be assessed on one criteria:

• Proven experience in securing five- and six-figure gifts from family trusts and foundations and/or high-net-worth individuals within an arts, culture and heritage organisation.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please visit the Civil Service Careers website where you can find further information on the use of AI in the application guidance section.

Interviews will be held on-site in October 2026.

Applicants invited to interview will be assessed against ALL of the essential criteria (see full job description below).

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Job Description

Role and Responsibilities

• Cultivate and manage a portfolio of major gift donors, generating philanthropic income for The National Archives’ strategic priorities and meeting KPIs as agreed with the Head of Research, Grants and Academic Engagement and Head of Philanthropy.

• Contribute to the development of the Philanthropy team as new business function, working with the Head of Philanthropy and Head of Research, Grants and Academic Engagement to proactively identify, design and deliver initiatives which mature the Philanthropy team’s processes, policies and ways of working.

• Identify, research and qualify prospects, building a pipeline of donors with capacity and affinity to support The National Archives, assessing opportunities and determining engagement strategies to maximise philanthropic income.

• Manage the development of compelling funding proposals, collaborating with colleagues across The National Archives to ideate and shape initiatives that align with organisational strategy and the needs and interests of donors.

• Devise and deliver creative donor engagement opportunities through supporter groups and campaigns, identifying high-potential fundraising opportunities across the breadth of The National Archives’ activity.

• Plan and deliver bespoke cultivation and stewardship events and private tours to engage prospects and donors.

• Be responsible for donor due diligence, continuing to develop a donor acceptance policy for The National Archives, evaluating information and managing risk and opportunity in securing new funding in line with agreed frameworks.

• Manage the development of high-quality progress reports on funded projects in collaboration with project delivery teams, and identify stewardship opportunities to deliver an engaging donor experience.

• Work closely with the Projects and Process team to monitor funded projects, ensure compliance with funding agreements, deliver accurate and timely financial reporting and lead the identification, analysis and resolution of issues that may impact successful delivery.

• Manage the creation of a Development Forum of major philanthropic supporters and patrons, identifying potential members, providing high-quality stewardship and creating meeting agendas and papers.

• Work collaboratively and strategically with the Grant Development team to coordinate approaches, share intelligence and achieve shared goals.

• Liaise with The National Archives Trust and the Friends of The National Archives at operational and board level, contributing to a positive working relationship in pursuit of shared strategic and fundraising goals.

• Ensure accurate and comprehensive donor records are maintained on The National Archives’ CRM database, including information on prospects, donors, proposals, stewardship and gifts.

• The post-holder may be required to undertake any other duties which may be reasonably requested within the nature of the duties and responsibilities of the post as defined.

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment
• Display Screen Equipment user

Person Specification

• Graduate-level education or equivalent experience, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to translate complex information to compelling cases for support.

• Proven experience in securing five- and six-figure gifts from family trusts and foundations and/or high-net-worth individuals within an arts, culture and heritage organisation.

• Resourceful and proactive, with the ability to work creatively to develop stewardship and cultivation plans and refine future activities based on an understanding of what works.

• Outstanding relationship management skills, with proven experience of managing senior donor relationships, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, and of coaching and supporting senior staff and Trustees in donor engagement.

• Ability to work independently, maintain momentum across a variety of tasks and meet multiple and simultaneous deadlines.

• Proficiency in using a CRM database for fundraising and Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

• Passion for arts, culture and heritage, with an ability to advocate for the work of The National Archives including at senior levels.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working on a capital campaign.
• Experience of legacy fundraising.

Other Requirements

• A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site. Our expectation is that 60% of our time is spent in the office or working offsite (e.g. on visits), with 40% being from home.
• Requirement to work flexibly, including attendance at evening events and occasional travel.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Benefits

• Generous benefits package, including pension, sports and social club facilities, onsite gym, discounted rates at our on-site cafe and opportunities for training and development.
• Annual leave entitlement of 22 days per calendar year (rising to 25 after the first year, and incrementally to 30 days after six years) and 10½ days public and privilege holidays per annum.
• Any move to The National Archives from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be