Development Lead - Capital Campaigns - #2119500

The Guardian

Date: 3 days ago

City: Edinburgh

Contract type: Full time

Work schedule: Full day

Development Lead

About the role

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the UK's most significant cultural fundraising campaigns. We're looking for an experienced major gifts or capital fundraising professional who thrives on building exceptional relationships and securing transformational support. You'll join us at a pivotal moment, leading campaigns that will shape the future of Scotland's national collection and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.

At National Galleries of Scotland, you'll help secure the future of one of the world's great art collections, cared for on behalf of the nation. You'll raise transformational philanthropic support for projects that preserve Scotland's national collection, expand public access and create lasting cultural impact.

We're looking for a strategic and relationship-focused fundraiser with experience leading complex, high-value fundraising campaigns. You'll be equally confident working with major donors, senior colleagues, Trustees and volunteer leaders. You'll combine excellent judgement with strong planning skills, bringing together people, resources and fundraising strategy to deliver ambitious campaign goals.

While initially focused on The Art Works, you will have a longer-term remit to help shape future capital fundraising priorities that emerge from our strategic ambitions. You’ll personally progress high-value donor relationships while ensuring fundraising campaigns are strategically structured, insight-led, appropriately resourced and effectively delivered.

You'll help broaden our philanthropic reach by expanding a strong and diverse prospect base across local, national and international audiences. This includes developing approaches to high-value and discreet funders and making the best use of senior volunteers and networks.

The scale of the role is exceptional. You'll work on nationally significant projects with a compelling case for support. You'll enjoy flexible and hybrid working, generous benefits and the chance to make a lasting impact throughout your career.

What is The Art Works and why is it important?

The Art Works is essential to widening access to art and improving wellbeing, while safeguarding Scotland’s national collection for the future. Scotland’s £6.6bn, 130,000-object collection is currently at risk: 97% is held in overcrowded stores, half of which fail environmental standards. Commercial storage costs are rising, space is limited, and facilities for research, conservation and access are inadequate. The Art Works provides a permanent, expandable and efficient solution. The new 13,000 sqm building in North Edinburgh’s regeneration area will greatly enhance public access and cultural engagement, delivering significant economic, community and national benefits.

Designed to the Passivhaus building standard it will be one of the largest cultural buildings of its kind in the world, delivering a very low energy solution for best-in-class collection storage providing long term resilience for our duty of care to the nations collection of fine art, space for future collection growth and providing spaces for partner collections. The design reduces future running costs and drives efficiency of working. The design and project ethos supports local needs creating income, jobs and skills opportunities for the local community.

The Art Works will also unlock the full potential of the collection worldwide, removing logistical barriers to loans and touring across Scotland, the UK and internationally.

Looking beyond The Art Works

As a permanent role within the Development team, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering future capital fundraising programmes across the organisation. This includes supporting the fundraising strategy for the planned Mound Level Galleries redevelopment at the National, alongside other strategic capital projects that will help increase access to Scotland's national collection, enhance visitor experience and secure the long-term resilience of our historic buildings and collections.

The difference you’ll make

Reporting to the Head of Development, you will:

Provide excellent strategic management of capital fundraising campaigns across the organisation, with an immediate focus on The Art Works as well as responsibility for supporting the planning and delivery of future campaigns, including the Mound Level Galleries redevelopment and other major capital priorities.

Contribute to the development of long-term capital fundraising strategies, campaign plans and prospect pipelines to support future organisational priorities beyond The Art Works, ensuring continuity of donor engagement and campaign readiness.

Translate campaign strategy, timelines and gift table requirements into clear delivery plans and actions across teams.

Monitor progress toward income and activity targets, identify variances early and recommend tactical adjustments based on internal insight and external conditions.

Lead the development and maintenance of campaign reporting, including dashboards, risk logs, income phasing and governance papers.

Engage directly with major donors, trusts and foundations to cultivate, solicit and steward high-value gifts, working with senior colleagues, Trustees and Campaign Board members as appropriate to maximise outcomes.

Oversee and direct cultivation and stewardship activity across the capital campaigns team, ensuring delivery of agreed fundraising strategies and a structured and strategic approach to progressing prospects and delivering income targets, while working closely with the wider Development team to ensure a coordinated and consistent approach to donor engagement.

Expand the philanthropic prospect base by identifying new opportunities and supporting approaches to high-value or discreet funders.

Oversee the preparation of high-quality briefings, materials and follow-up for senior-level donor meetings and solicitations.

Coordinate all donor hospitality activity for the campaign, liaising with colleagues across the Development team and other teams as required, including events, briefings, site visits and other cultivation opportunities.

Lead the implementation of donor recognition and stewardship frameworks, ensuring consistent, high-quality supporter experiences.

Ensure operational readiness for the public phase of the campaign, coordinating colleagues across Development, Communications and Visitor Experience to create effective giving pathways and engagement opportunities.Provide day-to-day direction to the Development Manager – Capital Campaigns; the Campaigns Coordinator and other team members (to be brought in on a temporary basis as required at key campaign stages) to support high standards of documentation

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