Role: Development Executive (Regular Giving)
Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum
FTE and working pattern: 1FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday
Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)
Purpose of Role
The role will oversee the management of the regular giving programme, ensuring the delivery of professional mass fundraising activities targeting alumni, friends and other stakeholders via telephone solicitations, direct mail, email and online campaigns.
They will focus on the acquisition and retention of regular donors and increase the average gift size and overall donation income within the £999 or less level.
Mass fundraising activity will focus on those within the <£999 giving bracket and the role holder will be responsible for identifying and working across the team to develop new fundraising ideas and work creatively to deliver an engaging regular giving programme.
Alongside the regular giving activity, the role holder will also support a sustainable pipeline to a middle gifts programme focused on prospects in the £1,000 to £10,000 gift bracket, working closely with the Individual Major Gifts team. This is an important programme developing pipeline activity for higher level gifts, and the role holder will work closely with the wider Advancement team on the development and implementation of this strategy.
The role holder will also manage the regular giving stewardship programme to ensure donors are thanked and their contribution recognised. They will work to an agreed annual income and expenditure framework and will be responsible for tracking the annual budget for the regular giving programme. To support the delivery of the annual strategy the role holder will develop compelling written and visual communications that effectively articulate the case for support.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Regular Giving Programme Planning
Role
The role holder will sit within the Supporter Engagement team and work closely with other Advancement colleagues to develop and implement the regular giving campaign. Across all the strands that make up the campaign the role holder will:
Define the segmentation of phone and direct mail campaign pools in consultation with the Advancement Services team
Define ask amounts within agreed parameters
Develop an agreed annual schedule for the overall regular giving programme which correlates with and supports the wider fundraising and alumni engagement strategy
Manage and promote crowdfunding opportunities for small projects
Work to agreed annual income and donor engagement targets.
Telephone Campaign Management
Day-to-day delivery of the department's telephone fundraising campaigns
To lead on related regular giving activities to generate philanthropic income for the Annual Fund, including working with the team leads to plan and deliver year-round fundraising programme aimed at facilitating regular gifts
Supervise the fixed-term contract student calling team including handling caller enquires
Manage calling sessions with support of student team leaders, currently 4 weeks p.a.
Implement a student caller rewards system to encourage the calling team
Report weekly on the success of the telephone campaign against agreed targets to wider Advancement team
Liaise a third party calling software provider to ensure smooth running of campaign
Supervise the calling team, including monitoring the calling rota, payroll approval and reconciliation with the caller pay budget
Work with the Advancement Services team to ensure that all data is imported into the CRM effectively and in a timely fashion
Work with the Advancement Services team to ensure all gift income and calling feedback is stored appropriately
Manage the recruitment of student callers including liaising with Unitemps, Academic Schools and other relevant departments to ensure the broadest circulation of the opportunity, developing recruitment promotional material and overseeing the recruitment process
Lead caller training sessions including developing content
Manage telephone campaign follow up including responding to information requests promptly and follow up/pledge chasing monitoring
Monitor and track the telephone campaign budget on a weekly basis
Direct Mail/Email Campaign Management
Develop compelling written and visual communications that effectively articulate the case for support
Arrange the printing and production of direct mail packs including liaising with external suppliers
Write and designing email solicitations and follow up activity including reporting on the success and outcomes of campaigns
Work with the Senior Development Executive to project outcomes of campaigns and review performance of specific campaigns
Report on success against agreed targets
Ensure there are sufficient resources and material for future campaigns
Work with the Alumni Engagement team to ensure exposure for the campaign on wider platforms including the University website, social media channels and other platforms
Ensure donors are thanked and enquires are replied to in a timely fashion
Middle Gifts Programme
Manage the transition of donors from the regular giving pool into the middle gifts programme
Implement a donor engagement strategy focused on creating a pipeline to middle gifts
Development Activity
Manage the regular giving stewardship programme that ensures donors are thanked and recognised, to support donor retention and increase donor support
Work with colleagues within the Supporter Engagement team to devise and implement activities to raise the profile of philanthropy amongst current students and graduating classes, including providing opportunities for giving and other areas of involvement.
Actively participate in the wider work of the department, taking on special projects or additional duties from time to time, making a positive contribution to departmental issues and ensuring joined-up activity with other areas of Advancement Office's work
Provide input that will inform and shape the wider alumni engagement and development strategy of the team
Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.
Essential
Essential & Desirable Criteria
A first degree or equivalent qualification
Supervising and motivating others, ideally within a telephone fundraising or similar target driven environment
Experience of fundraising and stewardship
Experience of delivering telephone and direct mail campaigns
Experience of implementation of a multi-channel regular giving programme
Experience of developing campaign content including written appeals, social media content and web content
Experience of using Raiser's Edge NXT or similar CRM system
Demonstrate tact and diplomacy
Ability to motivate and enthuse others about the cause
Excellent IT skills
Excellent communication, both written and verbal
Ability to build effective relationships
Creative and a problem solver
Positive and enthusiastic
Keen to develop skills and experience
Self-motivated and results orientated
Desirable
Marketing or related qualification
Experience of working within advancement within the higher education sector
Experience of direct fundraising asks
Budget tracking, monitoring and reporting
Experience of working to agreed income targets and reporting against these
Understanding of the tax advantages of charitable gifts
Understanding of the special requirements of the development and alumni engagement function within higher education
Understanding of the data protection regulations and of working within its framework
Commitment to the values and mission of Heriot-Watt University
How To Apply
Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Sunday 22nd March 2026.
Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers .
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About Heriot-Watt University
At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.