National theatre jobs

We’re recruiting for a Development Manager!

The Mill is a small scale multi-art form venue with big ambitions. Situated in the North Oxfordshire market town of Banbury, it is the focus of cultural life as the only public arts and performance venue in the Cherwell District.

Our 237-seat theatre plays host to high quality professional theatre, dance, comedy and music productions, whilst supporting opportunities for local community arts organisations to work and perform in a professional space. Our studio facilities offer a packed creative learning and participation programme focusing on both the visual and performing arts, covering everything from jewellery making to yoga, watercolour painting to creative writing and much more in between. In addition our café/bar and gallery area offers opportunities for local artists to exhibit and sell their work. Increasingly we are working outside of our building and in partnership with a wide range of artists and organisations both in Banbury and Bicester to ensure that all in our communities can experience the evidential health and wellbeing benefits of seeing and taking part in professionally led creative and cultural activities.

Following a successful application to join Arts Council England’s National Portfolio, The Mill has been a NPO since April 2023. The successful candidate will join the organisation at an exciting time in our development, and will play a key role in enabling us to secure the funding required to fulfil our future vision:

With your support we will be a truly exemplar, vibrant, indispensable Arts Centre of which Banbury is rightly proud;

Relevant to all our communities through a diverse programme which celebrates both taking part in and seeing first class arts and entertainment experiences made possible by the capital development of fit for future facilities that match our ambition.

The Development Manager will lead on delivery of The Mill Arts Centre’s fundraising strategy, with a particular focus on establishing new income streams through relationship-based fundraising including through the prospecting and stewardship of high-net worth individuals, companies and legacies.

You will develop and implement strategies to recruit and cultivate new supporters and oversee the stewardship of current relationships with care, with a focus on building new income streams from mid and major gifts.

Post: Development Manager
Reporting to: Chief Executive
Contract: Permanent, 0.5FTE (20 hours per week – schedule to be discussed)
Salary: £35,548.80 FTE (£17,774.40)
Holidays: 22 days per year FTE (11 days pro rata at 0.5FTE) plus public holidays
Place of work: The Mill Arts Centre plus occasional offsite meetings and events

The School:

Merchant Taylors’ School is a large Independent Boys’ School, situated in 280 acres of parkland in Northwood, Middlesex.  The School was founded in 1561, is owned by the Merchant Taylors’ Educational Trust and moved to its present site in 1933. There are four distinct boys’ day schools on campus. The Nursery, the Pre-Prep & the Prep cater for 370 boys, while the Senior School has over 960 pupils. The Senior School employs over 110 teachers and 160 Support staff across Merchant Taylors’ School.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Fundraising

· Developing and innovating the school’s regular giving programme, the Merchant Taylors’ Fund, to ensure a consistent income stream and increased participation from alumni, parents and friends.

· In conjunction with external consultants, running our (currently) biennial telephone fundraising campaigns and Giving Days.

· Liaising with school departments, clubs and societies to identify exciting projects to motivate supporters.

· Segmenting and targeting recipients for appeals to ensure the greatest impact and returns.

· Devising the strategy for promoting legacy giving as a means of supporting Merchant Taylors’, and to implement this strategy to increase the number of known legacy pledges to the school.

 Stewardship

· Establishing and running a comprehensive benefactor stewardship programme that thanks and stewards donors at all levels, including legacy pledges, through regular communication and events.

Reporting

· Reporting on progress against all objectives to the Development and Alumni Relations Sub-Committee of Governors.

· Where appropriate, working with the Development Executive (Events and Communications), to produce benefactor report publications and contribute to other Development publications.

· Ensuring that all contact with OMTs and parents is recorded on the Development Office’s database, the Raiser’s Edge.

Safeguarding responsibilities:

It is the post holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact and to adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Safeguarding Policy Statement at all times.  If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School s/he must report any concerns to the Head Master.

Merchant Taylors’ School is an equal opportunities employer committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. As this role will bring you into contact with children you are expected to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.  Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Further information on how the School uses personal data is set out in the School’s Staff Transparency Notice, which can be found n the Vacancy page of the School Website.