Overview
As Development Manager, you’ll play a vital part in supporting the Development team to increase restricted and unrestricted income. Your key duties will include growing our individual giving income streams, which will include further developing and managing our individual giving membership scheme, creating and managing corresponding membership and cultivation events, and growing and stewarding a major donor income stream.
In addition, you’ll lead on small to mid-level trust and foundation prospecting and bid-writing, as well as overseeing and supporting corporate business development in the local community and further afield. You will work across the organisation to help identify opportunities for funding, build relationships with funders, and achieve related targets. You’ll also be responsible for reporting back to trusts and foundations and building lasting relationships with all the people and organisations we work with. If you’re highly organised and excited by the buzz of live performance, learning and engagement activities in the local community, and heritage, this is your chance to be part of something truly special.
Individual Giving
- Lead on the management and development of our membership and supporter schemes, with support from the Head of Development, including:
Creating prospect pipelines
Leading on campaigns and identifying opportunities to grow membership
Creating and leading cultivation events throughout the year
Leading on higher-level membership communications
Creating communications for lower-level membership, in collaboration with the Marketing & Communications team
Creating, implementing and managing admin processes for recruiting and managing the membership scheme
- Create and lead targeted campaigns to increase individual donations and giving across social media and through our digital channels. Identify relevant opportunities across the year to boost our profile and ask people to give
- Initiate and monitor onsite giving opportunities
- Working with the Head of Development, assist with the prospecting and cultivation of major donors, particularly in light of a possible impending capital campaign, requiring significant gifts to be raised from Individuals and other ways
- Work with the Head of Development, Head of Marketing and Communications and Box Office to ensure BOH’s database and CRM are utilised to their full potential
- Assist the Head of Development to continue to build the Development CRM (launched Sep 2025)
- Use industry and BOH data to gain insight and inform decision-making
- Create and implement a consistent stewardship plan based on a relationship management approach to ensure good stewardship of all our relationships
Trusts and Foundations
- Lead on maintaining the Trusts and Foundations pipeline in liaison with the department
- Research and identify new Trusts and Foundations opportunities, with assistance from the wider Development department
- Lead on the writing of small and medium Trust and Foundation applications, working across the organisation to help to identify opportunities for funding, create compelling cases for support, build relationships and write and submit persuasive funding bids
- Lead on grant reporting and monitoring including managing all grants received, working with other departments to ensure timely and accurate reporting against grant requirements on funded projects and excellent stewardship of current and prospect funders
Key Responsibilities
Corporate
- Ensure all Corporates are effectively stewarded, supported by the Development Officer (leading on all lower-level opportunities) and the Head of Development
- Support the Development Officer to manage and update the Corporate pipeline and prospect research
Leadership
- Deputise for the Head of Development when appropriate
- Contribute to ongoing review and implementation of the Development strategy
- Keep informed of current best practice and legislation in fundraising
- Support the Head of Development to embed a culture of giving across the organisation
General
- Be an ambassador and advocate for Buxton Opera House and promote the company values and behaviours both internally and externally
- Act in a manner that enhances the work of the organisation and its overall public image
- Provide formal and informal training at the request of your line manager, on your areas of expertise, to other members of staff, work experience students, trustees etc.
- Ensure BOH’s CRM system is kept up to date at all times with all Development activities, particularly regarding Opportunities and Communications with funders
- Maintain confidentiality at all times and ensure proper observance of and adherence to BOH policies and procedures
- Contribute to the overall aims of Buxton Opera House, taking initiative to establish constructive relationships with other organisations in liaison with your line manager
- Collaborate with other departments across BOH
- Uphold the principles of, and adhere to, company policy and procedures relating to General Data Protection Regulations and ensure that all data is dealt with in accordance with current legislation
- Champion our brand internally and externally; support with ensuring organisational outputs adhere to branding and style guide
- Comply with and uphold the principles of relevant legislation and company policies and procedures
- Undertake any additional duties as may be required at the discretion of the Head of Department
Essential:
Experience
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a fundraising role, ideally in the charity sector. This could include growing membership schemes, individual giving schemes, demonstrable experience of applying to Trusts and Foundations or growing business to customer income
- Proven experience of building meaningful relationships with stakeholders and funders
- Experience of meeting fundraising and relevant business-related targets
- Experience of working with a CRM system
Skills and Knowledge
- Ability to build and maintain relationships
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
- An entrepreneurial attitude with the ability to generate revenue schemes that maximise income and impact
- Ability to create and communicate a compelling case for support and a compelling ask
- Ability to use and work with own initiative and be a ‘self-starter’
- Strong planning and organisational skills
- Computer literacy (specifically MS office and CRMs)
- Ability to analyse trends and interpret data
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Education, Training and Qualifications
- Educated to A Level standard (or equivalent experience)
Personal Attributes
- Proven ability to work to a high standard with attention to detail and under own initiative
- Creative, energetic, problem solver
- A collaborative approach and the ability to develop good working relationships
- Ability to work on multiple projects with conflicting deadlines
- Enthusiasm for theatre and the arts
- Flexible approach to working, including working some unsociable hours including evenings and weekends
- Good team player
Desirable:
Experience
- Experience of working in the arts, heritage or cultural/creative industries
Skills and Knowledge
- Knowledge and understanding of donation management, administration and Gift Aid, including working knowledge of the Data Protection Act 2018 requirements around Fundraising
The postholder will work across the organisation, including but not limited to Buxton Opera House, Pavilion Arts Centre, the Trust’s offices at No. 5 The Square, and off site venues. All staff are expected to work flexibly in line with their role and the charity’s objectives. The Development Manager may be required to work weekends and evenings from time to time for which pre-agreed time off can be taken in lieu. Please note this job description may be updated to reflect future business needs.
Contract: Full time, permanent (37.5 hrs per week)
Salary: Up to £35,000 per annum
Probation period: 6 months
Pension: Auto enrolment
Holidays : 25 days plus 8 days bank holiday per annum
Preferred start date: Monday 5 October 2026
To view the Recruitment Pack please follow the link to our website:
https://buxtonoperahouse.org.uk/jobs/development-manager/
We’d love to hear from you! To apply, please send your CV, along with a covering letter detailing:
- Why you’re interested in this role
- The key skills and experience you would bring to the position
Email your application to [email protected]
Deadline for Applications: Sun 16 Aug, 11.59pm
If you would like to find out more about the role before applying, please contact Tara Worrall-Hill, Head of Development, on [email protected] for an informal conversation.
We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. You may not meet every criterion listed, and that’s okay. If you have some relevant experience and a motivation to learn and grow, we encourage you to apply.
Thank you for your interest. We look forward to receiving your application!
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: Up to £35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Employee discount
Work Location: In person
