Head of Development NEW

Edinburgh, Midlothian
ASVA: Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions

Organisation: National Galleries of Scotland

Location: Edinburgh

Full-time and Permanent
Salary £52,406 – £60,809 per annum (pay award pending)
Plus generous benefits and hybrid / flexible working

About the role

We are looking for an ambitious and strategic Head of Development to lead the National Galleries of Scotland’s fundraising and philanthropic efforts at an exciting time for the organisation. This pivotal role will deliver our long-term strategy to increase our philanthropic income.

You will lead and shape the future of fundraising, supporting key major projects such as The Art Works and the Upper Mound Level Galleries (UMLG). You will play a central role in helping us achieve our target of raising £50 million over the next five years to 2030. This will come from multiple income streams, and a key challenge of the role will be to establish philanthropic income as the core of our regular income sources. Annual targets will be agreed in partnership with the Director General and Director of Audience and Development.

You will be an experienced fundraising professional who is entrepreneurial, innovative, and passionate about philanthropy. You will have a deep understanding of fundraising principles and methodology, with a proven record of turning strategy into action.

As a natural leader, you will motivate and develop a high-performing team, setting direction while coaching colleagues to deliver objectives and priorities. You will be confident in building meaningful relationships with senior supporters and inspiring them to invest in the vision and mission of the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS). Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential, as you will represent NGS to key stakeholders, donors, and external partners.

This is a rare opportunity to join NGS at an exciting time, leading a programme of philanthropic growth that will have a lasting impact on Scotland’s national collections and ensure the galleries remain accessible, inspiring, and world-class for generations to come.

The difference you’ll make

The Development team is part of the Directorate of Audience and Development alongside, Marketing, Communications, Digital Content, Audience Insight, and the Trading Company. The Audience and Development directorate is responsible for overseeing the commercial and philanthropic income and promoting NGS to the widest possible public.

Reporting directly to the Director of Audience and Development, your responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

• Devising and implementing the fundraising strategy to significantly increase the sums raised for both revenue and capital projects.
• Working across the galleries with key stakeholders to create and develop suitable and achievable projects to attract funding, specifically working with the Leadership Team (LT) and Heads of Department.
• Developing the pool of potential supporters, identifying, and accessing individual, corporate and trust prospects and developing personal relationships with senior and influential individuals likely to support the activities of NGS on an ongoing basis.
• Developing and coaching all colleagues in the team into ambitious, enthusiastic team colleagues driven by results.
• Managing a range of fundraising programmes and being proactive in delivering new fundraising programmes, from increasing gifts for visitors, legacies, and introducing new fundraising techniques.
• Developing a comprehensive strategy for membership across the existing programmes of Patrons and American Patrons, with a view to increasing both the number of members and the number of people participating in annual giving.
• Ensuring that excellent fundraising administration supports the fundraising campaigns from database management, processing of donors and gift aid and detailed reporting to LT Income Group.
• Representing NGS as part of the management team at various external bodies about philanthropy, presenting fundraising strategies and annual plans to Trustees, senior management, and senior stakeholders.
• Being ultimately responsible for research into potential donors, monitoring any gifts and corporate support and ensuring that there is no risk involved in acceptance.
• Overseeing the volunteer strategy for the organisation, ensuring ongoing alignment with overall organisational strategy and people strategy ensuring outcomes are delivered.

Who we are looking for

To succeed in this role, you’ll need the following range of knowledge, skills, and experience:

• A significant track record of successful professional fundraising, with demonstrable experience in areas of major gift fundraising, individual and trusts, membership fundraising and giving and corporate sponsorship.
• Excellent people management skills to motivate and inspire the team.
• A demonstrable understanding of the principles and methodology of fundraising.
• Excellent project management skills, with ability to scope and implement projects.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, from written reports, formal presentations and one to one meetings, with the ability to present the work of the institution succinctly and with enthusiasm. In particular, to demonstrate the ability to ask and secure gifts from senior supporters and to develop long term relationships with key donors.
• The ability to create a strategic approach to fundraising, engaging NGS staff, trustees, and volunteers.
• An ability to manage a wide ranging and varied portfolio of projects, meeting tight deadlines and being flexible to meet new opportunities.
• A working knowledge of fundraising infrastructure including fundraising database (Spetrix), donor processing, and gift aid.
• An ability to monitor and evaluate the success of fundraising programmes and initiatives.
• An entrepreneurial approach, demonstrating creativity, innovation, and passion with regard to philanthropy.

It would also be great if you have:

• An interest in fine art and the cultural sector in general.
• Experience in working with press and marketing.
• Knowledge of digital fundraising.
• Good financial and accounting knowledge.

Please apply directly via our careers portal. Applications via email will not be accepted.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday, 02 December 2025.

Application Deadline: Tuesday 02/12/2025