Job Details

In 2020, UCL closed one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the UK’s higher education sector, which raised £624M and galvanised their community.  Since then, the Advancement team have undertaken a strategic review of their programmes and have started to design a roadmap for what’s next.

As the Associate Director of Donor Experience (maternity cover), you will be responsible for ensuring a gold-standard donor experience to ensure retention and uplift of support, including for donors who have given at transformational levels.  You and your team’s work will not only be integral to the growth of a culture of philanthropy at UCL, but will also be responsible for the design and delivery of a robust campaign launch plan including a series of engaging events, both locally and internationally, that befits UCL’s biggest ever fundraising and engagement campaign launch in 2026 and bicentennial celebration.

As a creative, confident and approachable leader, you will bring together and inspire a team of practitioners to deliver a best-in-class donor experience programme.  Key to your success in this role will be your track record of designing and delivering strategies, as well as special experiences and events, that have deepened engagement.  You will need to be both strategic and tactical, highly self-driven and able to navigate large and complex environments, where you will work with and galvanise a variety of stakeholders to support and deliver your initiatives.  Sophisticated influencing skills and cultural competency will therefore be among your superpowers.

UCL says, “Our people really are their greatest asset and we invest in them so that they can fulfil their potential.  Equity, diversity and inclusion is important to us. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to give their best in a place where their unique experiences, perspectives and skills are seen as valuable assets. We also prioritise work-life balance and offer agile working and flexibility around working hours.  We are happy to receive part-time applications for all of our job opportunities, and can consider a 0.8FTE working pattern for this role.  And we particularly welcome applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.“

Applications must be in the form of a CV and covering letter (up to 2 pages each) that summarises your interest in this post, providing evidence of your ability to match the criteria outlined in the Person Specification.  Please download the Information for Candidates pack for more details on the role and how to apply.

Closing date for applications is midnight on THURSDAY, 1 MAY 2025