Senior Fundraising Manager

We are seeking an exceptional fundraising and relationship-management professional to lead and develop an ambitious programme of philanthropy and engagement across the school community.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and strategic development professional to build meaningful relationships, lead major fundraising initiatives, and help grow a culture of philanthropy that supports access, opportunity and long-term educational excellence.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

As Senior Fundraising Manager you will need to be creative and driven. You will be part of the External Relations directorate, an inter-dependent team which leads the continuing advancement of The Academy through admissions, marketing, alumni relations, fundraising and by promoting the school’s achievements and aspirations as a centre of educational excellence.

REPORTS TO Director of External Relations

RELATIONSHIPS

• INTERNAL: Chair; Governors; Rector; Deputy Rector, Chief Financial Officer; Head of Senior School; Heads of Department.

• EXTERNAL: Existing and potential donors; sponsors and grant-giving bodies; consultants and agencies; fundraising peers and relevant professional bodies; OSCR and other statutory bodies as required.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSABILITIES

STRATEGIC FUNDRAISING & PHILANTHROPY

• Lead the development and delivery of an ambitious fundraising strategy aligned to The Glasgow Academy’s 2030 Strategic Plan.

• Drive philanthropic income across bursaries, capital projects, transformational initiatives, and unrestricted giving.

• Lead major gift fundraising campaigns from planning through to execution and stewardship.

• Build and manage a portfolio of major donor prospects and supporters.

• Develop structured giving programmes, including leadership giving and legacy giving initiatives.

• Establish and monitor clear income targets, KPIs, and performance metrics.

• Ensure exceptional stewardship and donor engagement across all giving levels.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT

• Build strong, trusted relationships with alumni, parents, former parents, Governors, and the wider Academy community.

• Work closely with the Rector to support strategic donor engagement and cultivation.

• Promote a strong culture of philanthropy and advocacy across the school community.

• Represent The Glasgow Academy at events, meetings, and external engagements.

OPERATIONS

• Foster a collaborative, high-performing, and supportive working culture.

• Oversee CRM systems, prospect management, reporting, and data integrity.

• Manage gift processing and fundraising reporting.

• Ensure compliance with fundraising regulation and best practice.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We are seeking a creative, entrepreneurial person who wants to make a difference through the power of philanthropy and with the following attributes:

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Proven track record of securing major gifts and delivering fundraising growth.

• Outstanding relationship-building and communication skills.

• Strong emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and judgement.

• Experience of developing fundraising strategies across multiple channels.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong organisational and project-management capability.

• Experience of managing stakeholders effectively.

• High levels of integrity, professionalism, and discretion.

• Knowledge of CRM systems and fundraising best practice.

DESIRABLE

• Experience within education, independent schools, higher education, or the charity sector.

• Understanding of alumni relations and community engagement.

• Experience leading capital or bursary fundraising campaigns.

SKILLS & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Outstanding interpersonal skills, with the necessary listening, influencing, facilitation, negotiation and diplomatic skills to represent The Academy.

• Able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the independent school sector and the fundraising challenges that this poses.

• Reliability: attention to detail, to meet deadlines and get the job done.

• Resilience: having the tenacity and patience required to overcome disappointments and achieve successful fundraising outcomes.

• Willingness to go the extra mile with a ‘can do’ attitude, and the desire to explore new ways of doing things.

• Independence: while you must be passionate about people, working with a wide variety of roles and personalities, this role requires someone with initiative, who is confident to work alone with strong self-motivation.

• A team player who is committed to achieving shared goals.

• The ability to work under pressure and prioritise work dealing with multiple diverse projects and tasks.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree level or equivalent with a relevant professional qualification, or equivalent demonstrable experience.

• Fundraising management qualification and/or membership of professional body (desirable).

THE VALUES

Our shared values and code are very important to our school community. The Academy values and code can be found Vacancies | The Glasgow Academy

THE APPOINTMENT

SALARY

£45,000 - £52,000 per annum.

PENSION SCHEME

The School will make a contribution equivalent to 5% salary with an employee contribution of 5%.

HOURS

Monday to Friday, 08:30-16:30, Year round

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

25 days plus 10 public holidays recognised in Glasgow.

TUSKER Salary Sacrifice car benefit scheme

Death in Service Benefit which is 3 x salary

Lifestyle reward savings scheme

Free lunches available during term time

HOW TO APPLY

A letter of application stating clearly what you can offer The Academy, full CV and names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of two referees should be sent to applications@tga.org.uk.

The closing date for applications is Friday 24th July 2026 at noon.

Interviews will take place shortly thereafter.

The Glasgow Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and all appointments are subject to membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and receipt of two satisfactory references.

The Glasgow Academy is committed to providing equality of opportunity and ensuring that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender and transgender status, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, marriage or civil partnership status or sexual orientation.

It is a legal requirement that all employees must demonstrate that they are entitled to live and work in the UK. You will be required to produce documentary proof e.g. passport and work permit, where applicable, to demonstrate your eligibility to work if selected for interview.

We have been awarded the Gold Level of the Armed Forces Employee Recognition Scheme and warmly welcome applications from current and former Service personnel.

www.theglasgowacademy.org.uk

The Glasgow Academicals' War Memorial Trust is an educational charity registered in Scotland, Charity No SCO15638