The Royal College of Art is seeking an ambitious and motivated Advancement Officer to join our high-performing Advancement & Alumni team.
Reporting to the Deputy Director of Advancement & Alumni, the postholder will play an important role in supporting the development and delivery of the RCA’s philanthropic income strategy. The role will focus primarily on securing funding for scholarships through trusts and foundations, high net worth individuals and livery companies, while also supporting capital and legacy fundraising initiatives.
The Advancement & Alumni team is responsible for building and nurturing relationships with donors, partners and a global alumni community of more than 30,000 graduates. Philanthropy plays a vital role in supporting the RCA’s students, research and future ambitions, helping to fund scholarships, capital projects and pioneering academic work.
Working collaboratively across the College, the successful candidate will help identify and research new prospects, develop compelling fundraising proposals, support donor cultivation activity and ensure excellent stewardship and communication with supporters. The role will also involve maintaining accurate records on Raiser’s Edge, coordinating reporting requirements and supporting senior colleagues in preparing for donor meetings, presentations and events.
We are looking for a proactive and organised individual with some experience of fundraising within the arts, education or charitable sectors. You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong attention to detail and the confidence to build positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. A high level of initiative, self-motivation and enthusiasm for achieving meaningful results is essential.
Experience using Raiser’s Edge or a similar fundraising CRM database is desirable, alongside strong IT skills across Microsoft Office, Google Workspace and Adobe Creative Cloud.
The RCA’s Advancement & Alumni team works within the College’s values of curiosity, inclusion, collaboration and integrity. We are collaborative, ambitious and committed to supporting the RCA’s vision to be the world’s most influential art and design community.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to develop their fundraising career while making a direct impact on the future of art and design education.
Some travel and occasional evening or weekend work may be required, with TOIL provided in line with RCA policies.
Please see Information Pack for further details.
Closing for applications at 11.59pm on 9th August 2026
Interviews are expected to take place w/c 7th September 2026
