Job Title: Development Manager
Responsible to: Development Director
Line Management: Development Officer
Works with: Marketing & Sales team, Joint CEOs, Development Board, other internal staff and external stakeholders
Purpose:
The Development Manager plays a pivotal role in helping the Orange Tree achieve its ambitious fundraising goals: raising over £750,000 annually towards our artistic and community programmes, while also supporting our once-in-a-generation £4.5m capital campaign to transform our historic home. This role combines strategic responsibility with hands-on delivery, including leading on the growth of our Patron scheme, cultivating and stewarding individual donors, developing new corporate partnerships, and co-creating an engaging calendar of supporter events.
The successful candidate will bring both rigour and creativity to their work: a proven ability to manage donor relationships, experience of delivering successful fundraising campaigns or events, and the confidence to engage with high-net-worth individuals and senior stakeholders.
At this critical moment in the Orange Tree's journey, with a landmark development underway and audience support stronger than ever, this is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, organised and passionate fundraiser to help shape the future of one of London's most distinctive theatres.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Fundraising: Campaigns
2. Work with the Development Director to develop and implement strategies to grow individual giving across all levels, with particular attention to low-level campaign gifts (e.g., one-off or recurring gifts under £10,000) and our capital project, OT: Open to Everyone.
3. Create and oversee targeted campaigns to increase donations through point-of-sale opportunities, digital platforms, and direct appeals.
4. Manage and report on campaigns designed to engage first-time donors and convert them into long-term supporters.
5. Growth of Patron and Project Support
6. Design and execute initiatives to expand the Patron scheme (£1,500+ p.a.), focusing on research, recruitment, retention, and upgrading of current supporters.
7. Develop and implement cultivation and stewardship plans that connect Patrons and project donors with the theatre's artistic and community initiatives, ensuring alignment with their philanthropic interests.
8. Participate in Patrons' Evenings and Press Nights, and attend Development events where required.
9. Work closely with the Artistic and Community teams to craft compelling narratives for project-specific funding opportunities.
10. Corporate Fundraising
11. Develop and maintain relationships with corporate sponsors, identifying mutually beneficial opportunities that enhance the theatre's fundraising objectives.
12. Identify prospective corporate partners and create tailored proposals to secure their support.
13. Data-Driven Insights and Pipeline Management
14. Monitor and analyse donor trends across all levels to identify opportunities for growth, particularly within mid-level and major giving brackets.
15. Oversee the fundraising pipeline, ensuring a steady flow of prospects through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages.
16. Proactively utilise the Spektrix database to maintain accurate and comprehensive records of donor activity and engagement.
17. Events and Engagement
18. Lead on the creative planning and execution of fundraising events aimed at cultivating and stewarding donors across all levels, including bespoke experiences for Patrons and project supporters.
19. Work collaboratively with the wider team to ensure events align with organisational goals and deliver exceptional donor experiences.
20. Draw up guest lists for Press Nights, cultivation events and organise briefing notes for key theatre staff and Board Members.
21. Budgets and Finance
22. Lead on maintaining budgets and forecasting regular income projections.
23. Board and Development Board
24. Run the administration of regular Development Committee meetings.
25. Liaise with Board Trustees regarding prospect introductions, events and donations.
26. Line Management of the Development Officer
The Development Manager will provide effective line management and professional development support to the Development Officer, ensuring their work contributes to the wider fundraising strategy and income targets.
Responsibilities include:
* Setting clear objectives and priorities for the Development Officer across membership, trusts and foundations, and donor stewardship activity.
* Providing regular supervision, feedback, and annual appraisals to support performance and professional growth.
* Ensuring effective delegation of tasks, monitoring progress against deadlines, and maintaining accountability for agreed outputs.
* Offering guidance and quality assurance on trust and foundation applications, membership campaigns, and donor communications.
* Supporting the Development Officer to analyse data, identify trends, and translate insights into actionable strategies.
* Encouraging cross-team collaboration, particularly with Marketing, Box Office, and Community teams, to maximise income and audience engagement.
* Identifying training and development opportunities to build the Officer's skills and confidence, contributing to succession planning within the team.
Supporting Responsibilities
* Assist in the preparation and submission of applications to trusts and foundations, driving income growth through effective bid writing.
* Contribute to the theatre's legacy giving programme, including engagement with the Clarence Circle of legators.
* Collaborate with the Development Director on the implementation and evaluation of the theatre's overall fundraising strategy.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience:
* Demonstrable experience in fundraising, with a track record of meeting and exceeding targets, experience in managing low-level donor campaigns, a proven ability to grow giving levels through stewardship and upgrades and, some evidence of strategic relationship management.
* Experience of first-line budget and expenditure management.
* Experience working in the arts or cultural sector.
* Experience in planning and delivering events focusing on donor engagement and cultivation.
* Familiarity with data protection regulations and the Code of Fundraising Practice.
* Desirable: Experience of Spektrix.
Skills and Abilities:
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including advanced writing abilities to tailor messaging for different audiences.
* Ability to develop strong relationships with different groups of stakeholders.
* Ability to think, act and find solutions to problems creatively.
* Strong decision-making skills.
* Ability to manage staff ensuring high standards of performance.
* Proven ability to manage campaigns, analyse data, and translate insights into actionable strategies.
* Proficiency in database management and financial tracking tools (e.g. Excel).
* Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
* High levels of numeracy and ability to manage budgets.
* Ability to work as part of a team or independently.
Salary: £31–34,000 per annum dependent on experience
Contract: Permanent, subject to a probationary period of 3 months
Notice: 3 months
Holiday entitlement: 21 days per year, plus 8 statutory bank holidays. This increases by one day each year of service, capped at 25 days after four years (plus bank holidays).
Hours: This is a full-time position. A normal working week is Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm but, due to the nature of the job, evening and weekend work plus working additional hours will be required in order to fulfil the functions of the role.
Reporting to: Development Director