Package Description:
Located in the historic town of St Andrews, St Leonards is one of Scotland’s leading independent schools, recently named Scottish Independent Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence 2026 by The Sunday Times. It is a vibrant, co-educational boarding and day community with a true international outlook.
Approaching its 150th Anniversary in 2027, the School is preparing to launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history. This is a career-defining opportunity for an exceptional professional to drive this initiative, instilling a culture of philanthropy that will secure the future of St Leonards for generations to come.
Reporting directly to the Head, this post will be targeted with generating £500k+ of revenue and will demand both exceptional relationship building skills and technical fundraising expertise. The successful candidate will have freedom to innovate and make a tangible difference and be able to engage prospective donors and the wider highly supportive Seniors (Alumni) community. You will protect the School’s reputation by conducting thorough due diligence on donors and ensuring full compliance with OSCR regulations.
You will be responsible for the School’s capital and strategic fundraising initiatives supported by the Alumni and Development Officer and will work with the supportive, mission-driven Executive Team and Board of Governors to develop and implement these.
To be successful you will be educated to degree level and have knowledge and experience in previous roles where you have developed a demonstrable track record of devising and implementing multi-year fundraising strategies which have allowed you to personally secure 5 and 6 figure gifts from individuals, trusts or foundations. You will possess the financial and legal expertise to structure complex gifts and bring them to completion.
More information on the responsibilities of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required of candidates can be found in the Candidate Pack.
St Leonards is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to a satisfactory PVG check.
Closing time and date for applications is 12.00 noon on Friday 16th January 2026. Early applications are encouraged as St Leonards reserves the right to interview and appoint at any time.
Interviews are expected to commence in St Andrews week beginning 26th January 2026
Any questions may be directed to Simon Brian, Head at head@stleonards-fife.org.
About St Leonards
St Leonards is a friendly and forward-looking independent, coeducational, boarding and day school situated on an historic campus at the heart of the university town of St Andrews. The school enjoys an unrivalled location - there are sandy beaches, world-class Links golf courses, and historic sites on its doorstep.
St Leonards delivers the inspiring, globally-recognised International Baccalaureate curriculum (which has been praised by university admissions officers for its focus on deepening learning learning, offering wider subject options, and enriching minds) for pupils aged five to 18, and was the first school to be accredited as an all-through IB school in Scotland. It is one of just two schools in the UK to actively offer all four IB programmes, ensuring a seamless learner journey. The youngest pupils follow the Primary Years Programme, which goes hand-in-hand with the vibrant Outdoor Learning programme at St Leonards. This is followed by the Middle Years Programme and (I)GCSEs. In the Sixth Form, pupils choose between the Career-related Programme and the Diploma Programme.
St Leonards enjoys a rich sporting heritage, and continues to boast a strong record of achievement with pupils representing the school nationally in golf, rugby, lacrosse, hockey, horse riding, and small-bore rifle shooting. The leading five-tier Golf Programme continues to go from strength to strength, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is the fastest growing of all Scottish independent schools, and an exciting calendar of trips and activities ensures pupils leave St Leonards equipped with the skills required to succeed in today’s ever-changing world. Truly an education ‘Ad Vitam’ (for life).