Head of Proposition Development (Maternity Cover)

Job Description

Are you an experienced and talented fundraising writer with strong people management and relationship building skills?

The Proposition Development team are currently looking for a leader to support them for a period of 12-14 months from April 2024 while our current Head is on maternity leave. The team works closely with our fundraising colleagues to ensure they have what they need at every stage of a fundraising conversation. Most of our time is spent engaging with academic and clinical experts and writing compelling cases for support and proposals that meet the strategic needs of the university – writing that informs and inspires potential high-level donors to support life-changing causes, equips fundraisers for success and can be easily tailored by them for their external audiences. We develop gift opportunities and key messaging for our priority projects and produce a range of other content (proposals, film, case studies) to further support Fundraising & Supporter Development (F&SD)colleagues, as well as running interactive sessions designed to engage and inspire them.

The post holder will play an essential role in the development of F&SD’s portfolio of fundraising priorities and projects, making sure they are realistic, accountable and can drive real change. They will welcome the opportunity to work on a range of projects which seek to make a real impact in the world in areas as diverse as, but not limited to, student support and success, children and young people’s mental health, climate and sustainability, peace and justice, cancer and advanced therapies. 

An expert writer and a highly skilled project and people manager, they will work in close partnership with fundraising colleagues to ensure we develop compelling cases for support and proposals and resonate with our high-level prospects. A significant part of the role will be in guiding, supporting, developing and managing the Proposition Development team, delegating appropriately and managing workloads. The post holder will support individuals within the Proposition Development team to scope and assess the ‘fundraisability’ of new ideas, working closely with fundraising colleagues, helping to mould them into compelling propositions.

Reporting into the Associate Director of Proposition Development & Supporter Engagement, the Head of Proposition Development will engage with leadership, academics and clinicians across KCL and hospital partners, supporting the Associate Director, senior leadership and fundraisers across F&SD to define priorities. They will have the confidence, accountability, relationship-building and leadership skills to own and drive a number of projects forward simultaneously ensuring they are aligned with the strategic vision and can deliver most value to partners; they will recognise the importance of consistent follow up to achieve this.

The successful candidate will have the confidence, awareness, emotional intelligence and resilience required to manage a complex and sometimes demanding workload.

In F&SD we want to build a diverse team, which represents the communities served by the organisations we support. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQI+ people.   

F&SD has a hybrid working approach, with a minimum of 40% of time in the office. 

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements, including part-time, compressed hours and/or job shares, as appropriate. For more information on our work life balance approach, please visit: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/welcome-to-kings/staff-benefits/work-life-balance

This is a full-time post. Fixed Term Contract – Maternity Cover.

Key responsibilities

Delivery

• Stakeholders across F&SD, KCL, and our hospital partners to develop a portfolio of financially robust fundraising priorities and projects that will deliver the greatest impact for partners, donors and beneficiaries.
• Ensure the standard of content delivered is consistently high and meets the needs of our partners, fundraisers and prospective donors, working collaboratively with fundraising teams to agreed briefs and timeframes.
• Support and manage the Proposition Development team to plan, create and deliver impactful written project narratives, cases for support and key content for major and principal gift donors including film content – all with a keen eye on creating content and supporting projects that reflect the importance we place on diverse, equitable and inclusive narratives and impact.

Relationship building and stakeholder management

• Build strong relationships in wider Fundraising & Supporter Development, and other stakeholders across KCL and our hospital partners.
• Engage our partners, especially academics and clinicians, as active participants in developing robust fundraising propositions
• Understand the needs of the major and principal gift fundraising team and develop appropriate solutions with the team.
• Identify operational improvements to ensure the team’s continued growth and enhancement.

Team working, learning and support

• Provide advice and support, assist with problem solving, and improve knowledge and skills across the Proposition Development team.
• Ensure that the Proposition Development and fundraising teams are working closely and collaboratively to ensure the best outcomes for our partners and donors.

Sensory/physical demands & work environment

The post holder should expect to:

• Work in a hot desk environment, with at least 40% of the working month on campus.
• Be responsible for the input and maintenance of databases and files relevant to the post requirements.
• May occasionally be required to attend events in the evening.

Pastoral care:

• Uphold and promote the department’s core values.
• Respect, Ambition, Collaboration, Accountability

Qualifications/training

• Degree or equivalent related experience     

Skills/experience

• Experience of managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Building relationships across organisational boundaries, demonstrating tact and negotiating sensitively
• Experience of managing, leading and developing a high performing team
• Creative writing skills – skilled storyteller, ability to make a story compelling, contagious and inspire action
• Strong editorial, copy writing and proof-reading skills        
• Analytical: ability to interpret sometimes complex content into engaging content and effective calls to action                 
• Knowledge and application of brand voice and narrative in a complex environment
• Understanding of one or more of: Higher Education/NHS and broad healthcare sector/ UK Charity sector.

Personal characteristics/other requirements

• Ability to meet deadlines, work well under pressure and support team members to do the same 

• Organised and efficient planner 

• Ability to multi-task 

• Professional, diplomatic and tactful manner

Essential criteria

A good first degree or equivalent professional experience with proven track record

Understanding of one or more of: UK Charity sector/ Higher Education/NHS and broad healthcare sector

Ability to write a compelling case for support and to manage, develop and lead a team delivering this function

First class interpersonal skills and a proven ability to effectively work within a complex, multi-skilled, service-based organisation

Understanding of fundraising – in particular, major gifts fundraising

Understanding of donor motivations and interest

Strong project management know-how

Experience of implementing projects involving multiple stakeholders

Ability to build or evaluate straightforward financial cases and interdependencies.

Desirable criteria

Experience of translating complex grant funding applications into compelling, donor facing communications

All F&SD appointments involve a standard skills-based interview, followed (for up to two appointable candidates) by a Core Values interview.

About Fundraising & Supporter Development

Fundraising and Supporter Development (F&SD) is an integrated department that provides a single fundraising and supporter engagement function for King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust and for King’s Health Partners, working closely with the Maudsley Charity. Based at KCL, we work with colleagues across our partners to help them serve society through world-leading education, research and healthcare.

We operate a unique and powerful model, which brings together fundraising for all our partners across major and principal gifts; trusts & foundations; legacies; corporate engagement and mass fundraising. We also promote KCL’s engagement with its worldwide alumni community, as well as engaging more broadly with supporters of all our partners. Our work is underpinned and enhanced by a range of professionals in areas such as donor relations, communications and marketing, prospect research, finance, data, supporter services and general administration. By pooling our passion and expertise to support the university and our health partners, our potential and impact is maximised.

We have an impressive, well-established track record of success in securing support that allows our partners to deliver on their missions. This includes our global, award-winning World Questions: King’s Answers campaign for KCL, which set the standard in the sector and enabled us to raise substantial funds to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. Ambitious and innovative, the team has won awards across the higher education and charity sectors, including the CASE Platinum Award for Fundraising.

We continue to set ourselves high standards and expectations in terms of supporting our partners, mapping out ambitious fundraising campaigns and appeals where we want to achieve ground-breaking milestones in areas such as children and young people’s mental health; sickle cell disease; cardiology; cancer; global women’s leadership; engineering; international relations and support for students who will go out and make a difference in the world. We are a strongly values-driven team, maximising the benefits of working across organisations and united in our ambition to support out partners in making a real and positive difference to the world we live in.

Our Partners

King’s Health Partners

King’s Health Partners (KHP) is an Academic Health Sciences Centre and a partnership between King’s College London and three NHS Foundation Trusts – Guys and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley. We bring together 40,000 NHS Staff with 30,000 students and researchers to join up world class research, education and pioneering clinical practice. Our partnership sees 4.8 million patient contacts each year. Academic Health Sciences Centres are engine rooms of high impact and innovation discovering new insights into disease, transforming diagnostics and unlocking new therapies. We speed up the time it takes to translate research and high impact innovations in physical and mental health into outstanding patient care. We do this by working in dedicated clinical academic groups and institutes and by involving more and more people in clinical trials and research. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org 

King’s College London

King’s College London is an internationally renowned university delivering exceptional education and world-leading research. The university is dedicated to driving positive and sustainable change in society and realising our vision of making the world a better place.  Through its commitment to exceptional education, impactful research and genuine service to society, KCL is creating positive change in its communities, both in London and on the world stage. The Strategic Vision 2029 looks forward to KCL’s 200th anniversary in 2029 and sets out ambitious plans in five key areas: 

•         Educating the next generation of change-makers;

•         Challenging ideas and driving change through research;

•         Giving back to society through meaningful service;

•         Working with our local communities in London;

•         Fostering global citizens with an international perspective.

Guy’s and St Thomas’

We work closely with and on behalf of Guy’s and St Thomas’s Foundation to secure income and engage stakeholders in support of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust is among the UK’s busiest and most successful foundation trusts, with a long history of clinical excellence and high-quality care.  The Trust is made up of two of London’s best known teaching hospitals – St Thomas’ Hospital and Guy’s Hospital. It also includes Evelina London Children’s Hospital and both adult and children’s community services in Lambeth and Southwark.   

Dedication to the communities it serves is at the heart of everything the Trust undertakes, providing high quality and personal care. The Trust is guided by its values: putting patients first, taking pride in what we do, respecting others, striving to be the best and acting with integrity. Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals became part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ in February 2021, bringing together world-leading expertise and research in heart and lung disease.