Development Manager Job Description
Job Title:
Development Manager
Reports to:
The Artistic Director/CEO
Line Manager for:
Fundraising volunteers and freelance fundraising staff,
including a freelance Events Manager. Will manage any
additional fundraising staff if engaged.
Principal purpose of post:
Helping to drive and achieve the vision of The Big
House through the implementation of a fundraising
strategy for growth, and to eventually take a lead role
of developing the overall strategy for the organisation.
Hours of work:
TBH normal office hours are 9.30am – 5.30pm, Monday
to Friday but some evening and weekend work will be
required, particularly during performance weeks and
for fundraising events.
Salary:
£28,000 - £30,000 per annum, with the potential to rise
to £32,000 - 34,000 if fundraising targets are met.
Location:
The post will be based in The Big House office at
Hackney Downs Studios, Amhurst Terrace, E8 2BT
Holiday:
21 days per annum
Probationary period:
6 months, with mid-point evaluation at 3 months
References:
All offers of employment are subject to the receipt of
satisfactory references
The Big House
The Big House has a simple mission: to enable care leavers to fulfil their potential.
Founder Maggie Norris established The Big House in March 2013 after spending six
years working to rehabilitate offenders and ex-offenders, providing intensive
pastoral care and staging productions both in and out of prisons. Working with a
high number of care leavers, she was shocked to discover that 40% of all prisoners
under 21 have been in care.
Care Leavers are one of the most vulnerable and overlooked groups in society, yet
very few people know who they are, let alone the problems they face. 90,000
children are involved in the care system each year, over 62% because of abuse or
neglect. Due to sustained trauma, abuse, isolation, and bullying, care leavers are
twice more likely to commit suicide. The statistics they face are frightening:
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70% of sex workers have been in care.
40% of all prisoners under 21 have been in care.
20% of care leavers experience homelessness within two years.
Nearly 25% of young women leave care already pregnant or mothers.
The Big House was set up to break these cycles that care leavers find themselves
trapped in. Through drama and individualised long-term support we help care
leavers overcome traumas experienced in childhood so they can make the complex
transition from looked-after child to independent adult.
The Big House’s unique method is underpinned by theatre participation, been
developed out of CEO Maggie Norris’ expertise of using drama to help at-risk young
people move forward with their lives. Maggie says: “Theatre is the best way to get a
disparate and challenging group of young people excited and engaged. It teaches
them discipline and how to collaborate, cooperate, build confidence and aspiration,
vent frustration, channel emotion and to hold up a mirror to reflect on who they are,
what they want and where they are going.”
No young person should be held back in life simply because they have been in care.
One day we want there to be a Big House in every town and city in the UK, so that all
young care leavers can access the support and loving community they need to live
the fulfilling lives they deserve.
The Big House received a 2014 Charity of the Year Award, in recognition of our
impact on the lives of young care leavers.
For more information on The Big House’s vital work visit www.thebighouse.uk.com.
Role Overview
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Development Manager to oversee all
fundraising activity, by developing and implementing a sustainable fundraising
strategy for growth. There is the potential for the right candidate to develop this role
into a senior strategic position.
This role would suit an experienced and dynamic fundraiser and a strategic thinker,
looking to become an indispensible member of a small core team within a growing
organisation. The successful candidate will be inspired by the work of The Big House
and confident they will be able to take the organisation to the next stage in its
development, with the potential for national roll-out by the end of 2017.
Development Manager role description
The Big House is seeking a Development Manager to deliver a comprehensive and
successful fundraising strategy for of this award-winning charity, building on the
fundraising activity currently in place. The Big House has a good track record of
fundraising and it will be your job to transform this success into a sustainable, ongoing strategy moving forwards. This will initially focus on Trusts and Foundations
fundraising and Individual Giving, particularly Major Gifts. The successful candidate
will be experienced and able to identify new opportunities and grow new areas of
potential funding for The Big House e.g. corporate sponsorship, alongside
maximising opportunities from the current supporter base.
You will feel comfortable initiating and nurturing relationships with funders, have
experience of successfully securing substantial funding from a range of sources, and
provide excellent stewardship to all donors. Ideally, you will also have experience of
tendering for contracts from local/national government departments, and applying
for funding as part of a consortium. You will be a comfortable setting and working to
clear financial targets for growth.
You will also be a confident leader, and have experience of managing volunteers and
freelance fundraising staff. You will be able to identify where there is need for
fundraising support, and put this support in place.
Through this activity you will oversee the growth of the fundraising department to
secure £1,000,000 by the end of 2017, with £100,000 secured in the first six months.
The primary function of this role is fundraising, and you will initially take a lead role
on all fundraising activity; however, once a fundraising strategy is successfully
established and functioning you will then lead on developing and implementing a 5year strategy for growth. The successful candidate will focus on identifying new
areas for expansion, and to oversee this expansion sustainably.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising
 To lead the development and regular review of a fundraising strategy to
encompass all current and potential fundraising income streams for The Big
House, including fundraising events, individual giving, major donors, corporate
sponsors
 To develop annual operational plans for the implementation of the strategy,
including clear objectives, targets and timescales and to report on these
quarterly to the board
 To regularly monitor the income, expenditure and relative profitability of each
income stream, and adjust plans accordingly to ensure we are generating the
maximum revenue from fundraising
 To proactively lead on all fundraising activity, identifying who should undertake
which activity if it falls to volunteers or freelance staff
 To manage a clear and realistic weighted fundraising pipeline with multiple
funding campaigns, including undertaking initial research
 Set and work to ambitious fundraising targets
 To write funding bids £10,000 upwards, including large core bids to funding
bodies including National Lottery
 Oversee a team of volunteers making applications up to £15,000
 Write all fundraising material including: core case for support, annual report,
impact reports for donors, case studies, online content
 Provide excellent stewardship to all donors at all times
 Report to funders, and ensure that existing funders are communicated with in a
timely fashion
 To oversee a diary of cultivation and fundraising events, particularly centred
around productions
 To plan and deliver fundraising during productions
 To ensure all donors and supporters are invited to The Big House productions,
and cultivation events/ press nights where appropriate
 To work closely with a freelance events manager to ensure the successful
delivery of events including a full-scale gala
 To identify opportunities for The Big House to work on behalf of government
departments, and tendering for Government Contracts
 To apply for funding as part of a consortium/ working with consortium partners
to identify new funding opportunities
 To be involved in developing proposals for funders for new projects in
partnership with potential collaborators
 To grow the fundraising department, in-line with the growth of the charity,
identifying when additional volunteers or staff are needed
 To develop relationships with individuals who are able to introduce fundraising
opportunities or strategic partners to The Big House
 To put in place the systems needed for effective and efficient fundraising e.g. a
CRM database
Strategy
 Work alongside the CEO to undertake a full audit of The Big House’s financial
position to develop a comprehensive and sustainable strategy, identifying new
areas for development and growth
 To work alongside the CEO to develop a 5 year strategy for growth, reviewing
TBH’s business plan and putting the steps in place needed to drive the
organisation forward
 To research, identify, and capitalise on potential sustainable revenue streams
 Build partnerships with industry and business experts for pro bono support in all
areas of business development
 Take increasing responsibility for making sure the vision for the charity is
delivered in a sustainable way, updating the current business plan where
appropriate
Statutory Contracts
 Substantially increase the charity’s work on behalf of statutory agencies, securing
contracts and commissions from the full range of available buyers, including:
Local authorities; Leaving Care Teams; National Probation Service; and
Government departments including: the Cabinet Office; the Department of Work
and Pensions; the Department for Education; the Ministry of Justice.
 Present The Big House’s various projects and services to commissioners
 Establish partnerships and subcontracting relationships with other organisations
 Build and maintain positive relationships with contract managers, supporting
colleagues including the Chief Executive to do the same
Research
 To keep abreast of developments in policy and practice for care leavers
 To read published reports on care leavers
 To ensure up to date statistical information is used in funding applications
 Seek opportunities to be involved in research projects, either as one of many
organisations, or independent research focussing on the impact of The Big House
Management
 To make executive decisions on behalf of The Big House when the Artistic
Director is delivering projects
 When necessary work effectively with CEO to provide a consistent and clear
leadership of The Big House. Work with CEO to deliver the strategic goals of The
Big House within the constraints of organisational capacity and financial
resources
 Leading on strategic relationships to further the development of The Big House
when the CEO is in rehearsals
Financial
 To work alongside the Project and Office Administrator to develop cash-flow
projections and feed these into organisation-wide budgets, to identify areas in
need of funding
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To help develop realistic and achievable budgets across the whole organisation
To keep the administrator informed of successful grant decisions and the
purpose of these grants
Alongside the Office and Project Administrator, develop and maintain budgets
for the whole organisation
Devise and implement both generic and bespoke account management plans
To brief the CEO on what funding is secured for activities across TBH
Ensure budgets are up to date in line with targets and projected income and
expenditure
Monitoring and Evaluation
 To work with project staff to ensure useful and relevant material is gathered
across all projects and programmes, for detailed and timely reporting to funders
and the creation of compelling fundraising material
 Helping to identify what impact data needs to be captured to best show the
impact of The Big House, and tying this in to overall strategy
 Identifying new opportunities to be involved in external reports and research
Human resources
 To recruit, contract, and train freelance fundraising staff and fundraising
volunteers
 At times of expansion, to recruit and train additional fundraising staff as needed
Board
 Complete monthly, quarterly and annual reports as required
 With the CEO, to brief the board on the strategic direction of TBH
Other
 Other activities as the Board and Artistic Directors deem appropriate
 Adhere to and implement relevant policies, including equal opportunities and
health and safety
 Raise the profile and awareness of The Big House in the UK and internationally
Skills and experience:
The Big House is a small but growing organisation and to thrive in this environment,
you will be an exceptional candidate who demonstrates intellect, ambition, personal
confidence and vision. You will be hungry to create and implement new ideas, with
the drive and resilience to achieve great results. The successful candidate will be
able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:
Essential
 At least five years’ experience in a fundraising, strategy, or development position
 Experience in a fundraising role at management level
 Experience of balancing multiple fundraising tasks, prioritising and managing
own work load
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Overseeing the development and implementation of a multi-stranded
fundraising strategy
Setting and working to ambitious income targets
Good track record of securing grants from Trusts and Foundations, including core
funding grants or multi-year grants of £50,000 +
Good track record or securing larger gifts from individuals of £20,000 +
Passion for the work of The Big House
Desired
 Managing fundraising volunteers and freelance staff
 Experience of developing and overseeing a new Individual Giving scheme for
mid-high level donors
 Experience in a strategic role and developing business plans
 Experience of growing a start-up organisation
 Experience of developing new charity budgets, particularly cost recovery project
budgets
 Experience of fundraising for young people, care leavers, or arts organisations
Further information
Provisional targets: £100,000 raised within the first six months. Oversee the
successful fundraising of £1,000,000 by the end of 2017.
Applications closing date: Sunday 12 April
Round 1 interviews (potentially phone inteveiws): Thursday 16 April
Round 2 interviews: Monday 20 April
For
more
information
about
the
role
contact
Bryony
Hope
(bryony@thebighouse.uk.com, 020 3095 9754). If you are successful in reaching
the second interview stage, there will be a set task to prepare for your second
interview.
To apply, please send a copy of your CV and a covering letter of no more than 3
sides to the email address provided.