Corporate Philanthropy Manager – Job Description
Position: Corporate Philanthropy Manager
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Grade: 7; Full Time Fixed Term, up to June 2027; Salary £36,636 – £46,049 (possible progression to £48,822)
Closing date: 26th March 2026; Internal secondment opportunity available.
Travel within UK may be required.
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to be a leading global university and to have been part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years. We want to attract talented people and support them to succeed.
Benefits include 40 days paid holiday, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, a pension scheme and three high‑quality subsidised day nurseries. Flexible working arrangements are also available.
Background
The University’s philanthropy has a proud history, beginning with student fundraising campaigns and growing into a global partnership network. DARO supports the academic and student community by engaging, inspiring and celebrating alumni, individuals and funders who help achieve the University’s strategic priorities.
Role Summary
Join the ambitious ‘Birmingham In Action’ campaign, which aims to raise £600 million in charitable funding and 1.25 million volunteer hours. As Corporate Philanthropy Manager, you will grow philanthropic funding and take the campaign to the next level by developing relationships with leading businesses and securing substantial gifts.
Main Duties
* Developing and strengthening relationships with key current corporate funders to grow philanthropic income.
* Identifying and building relationships with new corporate funders to secure a minimum of six‑figure gifts.
* Managing a pipeline of short, medium and long‑term funding applications and relationships to enable year‑on‑year corporate philanthropy income growth.
* Taking responsibility for expert knowledge of key campaign programmes.
* Building close working relationships with academics and other University colleagues to craft clear, compelling proposals aligned with corporate funders’ strategic priorities.
* Signposting academic colleagues to resources that help secure income from a variety of sources, including research councils and charitable grants.
* Taking calculated risks to create a step‑change in the corporate philanthropy portfolio, recognising the importance of high‑risk, high‑reward in transformative fundraising.
* Build effective, co‑ordinated working relationships with the following external stakeholders:
o Major local, national and global corporates
o Relevant city, regional, national and international business networking and brokerage organisations
o Agencies that promote corporate social responsibility and charitable giving
o SMEs of high growth potential in strategically significant sectors
o Responsibility for championing and advising upon corporate philanthropy with a range of internal and external audiences
o Acting as an ambassador for the University who can use internal and external networks for personal and institutional benefit
* Managing the whole donor journey of a corporate funder, from identification to acknowledgement and stewardship.
* Meeting reporting objectives of funders and ensuring an excellent experience for them.
* Efficiently using the Customer Relationship Management system to record and report activity, feeding into campaign data, team reporting and senior leadership management information.
* Adhering to relevant fundraising regulation and data legislation, ensuring fundraising is ethical and due diligence is undertaken as necessary.
* Understanding the breadth of the University and appreciating the differences of each College.
* Understanding the context of our work in relation to the wider operations of the University.
* Promoting equality and valuing diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
* Supporting the University’s sustainability agenda through resource‑efficient working.
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
* Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications). Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
* Evidence of writing motivational and persuasive reports or proposals – demonstrated through full‑time, part‑time or voluntary roles.
* The ability to understand and communicate complex academic vision to non‑academic philanthropic supporters.
* Outstanding communication and confidence presenting to audiences of all sizes.
* Understanding of and ability to represent the vision and mission of the University of Birmingham.
* Experience of working to a minimum of five‑figure gifts and exceeding targets.
* Ability to prioritise own workload under pressure and balance a range of competing deadlines.
* Passion for and knowledge of Higher Education, particularly research and the role of philanthropy.
* Ability to build strong relationships and engage with individuals and organisations, internally and externally.
* Ability to work collaboratively with a wide audience internally including academics and Professional Services staff.
* Personal confidence, independence and determination to succeed as an individual and as part of a team.
* The desire to support colleagues in the achievement of individual and collective goals and to celebrate others’ success as positively as your own.
* The ability to represent the University internally and externally through excellent interpersonal skills: diplomacy, discretion, tact, persuasiveness, confidence in dealing with a wide range of audiences, along with the ability to deploy negotiation skills when required.
* Good all‑round IT skills including competence with all aspects of MS Office.
* Flexibility and willingness to work unsociable hours (evenings and weekends) occasionally, when required.
* Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day‑to‑day activity that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.
Informal enquiries to Claire Peters, email: c.i.macleodpeters@bham.ac.uk
Use of AI in applications
We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We believe there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.
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