_________________________________________________________________________
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE (OXFORD CHINA OFFICE IN HONG KONG)
Job description and selection criteria
Job title
Development Programmes Officer, Asia
Division
University Administration and Services
Department
Development Office (Oxford China Office – Hong Kong)
Location
Suite 4018, Cosco Tower, 183 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong
Grade and salary
Grade n/a; HKD 25,000 – 28,000 per month with possible
extension to 32,000 (equivalent to £24,800 - £27,800 per annum
with possible extension to £31,750)
Hours
Full time
Contract type
Permanent
Reporting to
Jeremy Woodall, Director of Development, Asia
Vacancy reference
Introduction
The University
The University of Oxford is a complex and stimulating organisation, which enjoys an
international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence in research and teaching. It
employs over 10,000 staff and has a student population of over 21,000.
Most staff are directly appointed and managed by one of the University’s 130 departments or
other units within a highly devolved operational structure – this includes 5,900 ‘academicrelated’ staff (postgraduate research, computing, senior library, and administrative staff) and
2,820 ‘support’ staff (including clerical, library, technical, and manual staff). There are also
over 1,600 academic staff (professors, readers, lecturers), whose appointments are in the
main overseen by a combination of broader divisional and local faculty board/departmental
structures. Academics are generally all also employed by one of the 38 constituent colleges
of the University as well as by the central University itself.
Our annual income in 2011/12 was £1,016.1m. The University of Oxford is one of Europe's
most innovative and entrepreneurial universities: income from external research contracts
exceeds £409m p.a., and more than 70 spin-off companies have been created.
For more information please visit www.ox.ac.uk
University Administration and Services
University Administration and Services (UAS) is the collective term for the central
administrative departments of the University. UAS comprises structures to:

support the University’s core academic purposes of teaching, learning and
research;

ensure the University can meet the requirements of government, funding bodies
and other external agencies; and

facilitate the attainment of the objectives set out in the University’s Strategic
Plan.
The offices of the UAS sections are spread across the city centre, with the main University
Offices located in Wellington Square.
For more information please visit: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/
The Development Office
The role of the University’s Development Office (UODO) is to help secure philanthropic
support for the University. The Development Office works in partnership with academic and
development colleagues throughout the collegiate University to build enduring relationships
with external constituencies and to increase financial support for agreed academic priorities.
In 2008, the University launched Oxford Thinking, the Campaign for the University of Oxford,
aimed at raising a minimum of £1.25 billion to transform the collegiate University for many
generations to come. Gifts totalling more than £1.5bn have now been received, and a new
minimum goal of £3bn was announced in October 2012.
In addition to fundraising staff, the Development Office has a number of teams that cover
particular support functions. These include the Research Team (which gathers information
2
on potential and existing donors); the Proposals Team (which writes proposals and project
information); the Gift Registry (which records and processes donations received by the
University and on behalf of colleges); the Database Team (which supports the Development
and Alumni Relations System (DARS); and the Donor Relations and Communications team
(which ensures that donors are appropriately targeted, thanked and stewarded through
strategic events and communications). There are also three overseas offices whose remit
includes development: New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
The Director of the Development Office, Liesl Elder, reports to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for
Development and External Relations and works closely with officers in UAS, especially in
Alumni Relations and Finance, as well as with academic and development colleagues
across the collegiate University.
For further information visit: www.campaign.ox.ac.uk
The Oxford China Office in Hong Kong
Established in 2007, the Oxford China Office in Hong Kong (OCO) furthers the University’s
development and alumni relations strategies in Hong Kong, China and other parts of the
Asia-Pacific region. It aims to develop significant philanthropic relationships with potential
donors, engage alumni in activities of strategic importance, improve the visibility of the
University of Oxford in Asia and liaise with other colleagiate and university divisions,
departments and units on Oxford’s wider outreach to Asia.
The OCO has an increasingly regional role, conducting important outreach in North Asia and
South East Asia, but retains a strategic focus on Greater China.
In addition to the Development Programmes Officer, Asia, the OCO team includes the
Director of Development, Asia, a Manager of University Relations, and an Administrative
Officer.
Job description
Overview of the role
Purpose:
The University of Oxford has a vibrant, growing relationship with the
Asia-Pacific Region. There are exciting new developments which will
require funding and therefore advice and support from a dedicated
individual comfortable working within higher education fundraising in
Asia.
The Oxford China Office is seeking a highly effective Development
Programmes Officer, Asia to research and prepare materials for major
funding initiatives, manage a portfolio of fundraising projects and
prospective donors under the supervision of the Director of
Development, Asia, coordinate visits of Oxford delegates to Asia and
otherwise contribute to Oxford’s philanthropic relationships across the
Asia-Pacific region (ex Japan), with a special focus on Hong Kong and
Greater China. This role is based in Hong Kong.
3
Your role is an important link between the University, China and the rest
of Asia, working with the Director of Development, Asia to identify
funding priorities within the collegiate University that appeal to
prospective donors in Asia, and crafting proposals and project briefs
that effectively explain Oxford’s aims and vision to an Asia-Pacific
audience. You will be responsible for assisting in the articulation and
design of fundraising projects as well as the alignment of emerging
Oxford projects with donor-initiated ideas.
The post holder will be an important internal ambassador for OCO, and
will work closely with divisions, departments and units within the
University to identify funding opportunities that fit with Campaign
priorities, and create relevant and timely project information to support
fundraising initiatives.
It is expected that this role will be filled by an individual with excellent
communication skills, in particular a high level of written English and
Chinese, and a proactive, meticulous and analytical approach to their
work. Of essential importance is the ability to translate and articulate
academically-complex projects for donors and prospective donors in
Asia, and to be able to identify and develop relationships to help further
the fundraising goals of the University of Oxford
The post holder is also responsible for drafting outgoing
correspondence to key donors, volunteers and potential donors, and
working closely with other staff in the OUDO such as the Campaign
Executives, Trusts and Foundations Team and other stakeholders.
The duties of the post are set out as they are envisaged at present, but
it will be important for the person appointed to be flexible and adaptable
to the nature of work in a small representative office, and able to
contribute to the development of the fundraising function of the
University.
The Development Programmes Officer, Asia will be hired under Hong
Kong law by the University of Oxford China Office Limited.
Key relationships: Members of the Oxford China Office and Oxford Japan Office, members
of the University of Oxford Development Office (UODO), college
development staff and other academic and administrative staff as
appropriate.
Responsibilities/duties

You will support the Director of Development, Asia to manage a portfolio of projects
that require funding at the University of Oxford. These may relate to a variety of
areas, including capital funds, posts, exhibition and studentship projects, as well as
Asia-based sponsorship projects. You will liaise with academics, administrators and
fundraisers across the University in relation to these funding priorities.

Working with the Director of Development, Asia, you will manage a list of prospective
donors in the Asia-Pacific region, creating solicitation strategies and proactively
managing a meeting schedule for Oxford fundraisers in Asia. There will be a
particular focus on charitable trusts and foundations and individual donors.
4

You will create drafts in English and Chinese for major gift proposals in partnership
with the Development Office’s Proposals team, the Trusts and Foundations team,
and other relevant teams to facilitate production of formal applications and proposals
on behalf of the University.

Working with other members of the OCO team you will help to establish and manage
a comprehensive stewardship strategy for donors and high level volunteers in the
Asia-Pacific region, including drafting progress reports for major donors.

You will create and manage a list of Asia-based trusts and foundations, identifying
organizations that may support current funding priorities and assisting the Director of
Development, Asia in establishing constructive relationships with these
organizations.

You will provide support to development delegations from the University, including
but not limited to the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Heads of Divisions, Deans, and
when appropriate, College heads and development colleagues.

You will help to coordinate the visits of senior delegates from Oxford to the AsiaPacific region, and to prepare all meeting briefings, itineraries, and materials as
necessary.

You will draft regular correspondence with prospects and donors.

You will provide practical and cultural advice about promoting Oxford in Asia to
colleagues in UODO and the wider collegiate University, and will provide language
support to the UODO Research team.

You will be able to understand academically complex projects and develop cases,
proposals and briefings that can be used by fundraisers to explain and promote these
projects to potential donors without a specialist background. This will involve working
out how to articulate and publicise priority projects through written, electronic and oral
communications. This will be undertaken in close collaboration with the Director of
Development, Asia, academic colleagues, and senior fundraising personnel in the
collegiate University.

You will ensure that a current and accurate record of all development strategy and
activity for which you are responsible is maintained on the Development Office’s
database (DARS) and ensure that the Director of Development, Asia is fully briefed
on portfolio activity and developments.

In conjunction with other colleagues, you will plan and implement events that
facilitate the identification, cultivation, recognition and stewardship of prospects and
donors, including private functions for Oxford visitors and sponsoring organizations.
This will include managing mailings, guest list development, and drafting of materials,
such as invitations and briefings.

You will also be expected to carry out such other functions as from time to time the
Director of Development, Asia might require, commensurate with the level of this
position.
5
Selection criteria
Experience and knowledge
 A good general level of education, including a university degree or equivalent

Three or more years of work experience in fundraising and/or a higher education
environment, or related experience in business development, relationship
management, sales or marketing. Past experience in fundraising is an asset.

A passion for Higher Education in the UK and Asia, an understanding of the
University of Oxford and its goals in teaching and research and its outreach to Asia,
and an interest in philanthropy and the business world in Greater China and the rest
of Asia.

A high level of IT proficiency, including Microsoft Office

Superlative communication skills in English and Chinese, both oral and written, with
fluency in Mandarin an asset.

Previous data management experience and an ability to research, collate, report and
present information to a high standard to a variety of stakeholders and prospects.
Skills and abilities
 Confidence and the ability to work with professional and academic colleagues in the
cultivation of prospects and in the solicitation of gifts

An ability to think both strategically and tactically about the relations between
potential donors and fund-raising goals

An ability to act independently and decisively when the situation demands it, and also
to work closely with members of different teams

The ability to plan strategically, and a ‘can-do’ attitude to implement such plans

The ability to manage and develop relationships with academic colleagues,
volunteers, donors and prospects; good listening skills are essential
Attitudes
 Keen to pursue a career in educational fundraising/development

A combination of the personal sensitivity, creativity and tact that is needed when
working with senior academics and prospective donors to the University

The candidate must have a flexible attitude and be prepared to work out of regular
hours and to travel
How to apply
If you consider that you meet the selection criteria, please write to info@oxforduchina.org
with your CV, supporting statement and the names of 2 referees (with a note to indicate if we
can contact them at this stage). The supporting statement should demonstrate how you
meet the selection criteria outlined above.
6
All applications must be received by 5pm on Monday, 3 June 2013.
For further information, please contact the Oxford China Office at info@oxforduchina.org or
at tel. 2151-3877.
7