Description
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
As a key member of the Supporter Engagement team, you will collaborate with colleagues across Advancement to develop and deliver an ambitious regular giving campaign. You will:
* Lead regular giving activity alongside team leads to deliver a year‑round programme that encourages alumni giving
* Define segmentation for targeted appeals in consultation with the Advancement Services team
* Build an annual delivery schedule for the regular giving programme aligned with broader fundraising and alumni engagement strategy
* Manage and promote crowdfunding opportunities for small projects
* Deliver against agreed annual income and donor engagement targets
* Collaborate with colleagues in the sector identify new approaches and ideas
Telephone Campaign Management
You will own the day‑to‑day delivery of telephone fundraising campaigns, playing a central role in generating philanthropic income for the Shaping Futures Campaign. Responsibilities include:
* Supervising the fixed‑term student calling team and supporting caller enquiries
* Managing calling (currently 4 weeks per year) alongside third party suppliers
* Reporting weekly campaign progress to the wider Advancement team
* Liaising with the third‑party calling software provider to ensure smooth operations
* Overseeing the calling rota, payroll approval, and budget reconciliation
* Working with the Advancement Services team to ensure timely CRM data imports
* Ensuring all gift income and caller feedback is accurately recorded
* Managing student caller recruitment via Unitemps, Academic Schools, and other departments, including developing promotional materials and overseeing the process
* Designing and delivering caller training sessions
* Managing follow‑up activity including information requests, pledge chasing, and stewardship
* Tracking the telephone campaign budget weekly
Direct Appeal Campaign Management
You will deliver creative, compelling campaign communications that drive donor engagement. You will:
* Create written and visual content that clearly articulates the case for support
* Manage production of multi-channel fundraising packs, including liaison with external suppliers
* Work with the Senior Development Executive to project campaign performance and review results
* Report regularly on success against agreed targets
* Ensure materials, content, and resources are prepared for future campaigns
* Work with the Alumni Engagement team to secure campaign visibility across the website, social media, and other platforms
* Ensure donors are thanked and enquiries are answered promptly
Middle Gifts Programme
You will contribute to building a strong donor pipeline by:
* Managing the transition of donors from regular giving into the middle gifts programme
* Implementing donor engagement strategies that support pipeline development towards the £1,000–£10,000 level
Wider Activity
You will play an active, forward‑thinking role in departmental activity by:
* Managing the stewardship programme that recognises and retains regular donors
* Collaborating with Supporter Engagement colleagues to raise awareness of philanthropy among current students and graduating classes, including developing giving opportunities and other areas of involvement
* Contributing to departmental projects and cross‑team initiatives to support joined‑up Advancement activity
* Providing input to help shape the broader alumni engagement and development strategy
Please note: This job description is not exhaustive. The role holder may be required to take on additional duties appropriate to the grade as priorities evolve or as the role develops.
Essential & Desirable Criteria
Essential
1. A first degree or equivalent qualification
2. Supervising and motivating others, ideally within a telephone fundraising or similar target driven environment
3. Experience of fundraising and stewardship
4. Experience of delivering telephone and direct mail campaigns
5. Experience of implementation of a multi-channel regular giving programme
6. Experience of developing campaign content including written appeals, social media content and web content
7. Experience of using Raiser's Edge NXT or similar CRM system
8. Demonstrate tact and diplomacy
9. Ability to motivate and enthuse others about the cause
10. Excellent IT skills
11. Excellent communication, both written and verbal
12. Ability to build effective relationships
13. Creative and a problem solver
14. Positive and enthusiastic
15. Keen to develop skills and experience
16. Self-motivated and results orientated
Desirable
1. Marketing or related qualification
2. Experience of working within advancement within the higher education sector
3. Experience of direct fundraising asks
4. Budget tracking, monitoring and reporting
5. Experience of working to agreed income targets and reporting against these
6. Understanding of the tax advantages of charitable gifts
7. Understanding of the special requirements of the development and alumni engagement function within higher education
8. Understanding of the data protection regulations and of working within its framework
9. 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.