Job Description
Role Title: Development Manager
Responsible to: Head of Development
Salary: c£30k FTE, dependent on experience
Working pattern: 3 days/22.5 hours (negotiable), flexible over a standard working week
Contract type: Permanent
Location: St George’s Bristol / hybrid working
About St George’s Bristol
Our shared Values: We love artists; We live for sound; We believe everyone is creative; We cherish difference; We value our resources.
St George’s Bristol is one of the UK’s leading concert venues, in a typical year welcoming around 120,000 visitors to the building. Our aim is to create a diverse and sustainable programme of the world’s finest musicians and thinkers, and to provide a vital platform for local amateur creators, as well as supporting the work of practitioners in grassroots, voluntary and learning contexts. We are a registered charity and engage with many communities through innovative creative projects, school visits and partnerships. St George’s also operates as a commercial venue, with our own café/bar and hiring out our spaces for meetings, conferences, wedding receptions, recordings and filming.
Help shape the Future of St George’s
St George’s has big growth plans with a vibrant programme and wide-ranging and loyal group of supporters, including a recently refreshed membership scheme – our membership tiers currently range from SGB Member (£40 p.a.) to Star Circle (£2,500). We are proud of our reputation for excellent stewardship and donor care and have launched an endowment to ensure our long-term future. We are a National Portfolio Organisation, funded by Arts Council England, and enjoy the support of many individuals, trust and foundations and corporate supporters. We are now looking for an ambitious, creative, and energetic fundraiser to help take St George’s into its next chapter.
You might be an experienced Development professional and looking to take that next step, or perhaps a lateral move from another related sector. We are open to discussing flexible working patterns, and you will be able to shape the role around your particular skills and experience. You will have the full support of the Head of Development, CEO, senior team and Board of Trustees, and we will work with you to ensure you continue to develop in your professional practice. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that your work is making a real difference in supporting St George’s as a vibrant and inclusive creative hub for artists and audiences locally and beyond.
Role Outline
The Development Manager role is a great opportunity for an energetic and driven individual with a track record of securing income though high-quality customer service, client engagement, business development or within a charitable fundraising context.
We are looking for an organised, enthusiastic and outward-facing person to steward and develop our community of supporters. The successful candidate will seek and secure new support for St George’s by identifying opportunities to grow and diversify our donor network, primarily through annual giving programmes and bespoke campaigns, and through tailored approaches to small to medium-scale charitable trusts and corporate partners. You will play an important role in raising essential funds for our artistic and community programmes in addition to the charity’s core costs.
Working directly with existing and potential supporters, external stakeholders, and the wider St George’s team, you will maintain and cultivate key relationships ensuring they are encouraged to participate to their full ability. You will work within a small, focused Development team of three to achieve an overall annual revenue funding target of £350 - 400k.
The role will require some evening and weekend work for which time off in lieu is granted.
Main Responsibilities
Manage the delivery of the St George's membership and benefits programmes (tiered levels of regular giving), including events, face-to-face meetings and other communications
Work closely with colleagues across the organisation to support delivery of a robust membership fundraising plan; play your part in ensuring membership financial targets are met
Actively engage with and participate in events at St George’s and in the wider city – networking with potential supporters, business contacts, stakeholders and other institutions to develop working relationships beneficial to St George's
Grow St George’s community of supporters by managing portfolio of existing individual, trust and corporate relationships; by researching, cultivating, recruiting and stewarding potential new individual, trust and corporate supporters; and by ensuring a good pipeline of prospects
Administer related processes including payments, correspondence and record keeping
Use key systems such as Spektrix (Box Office) to ensure good management of relevant data
Work with Development colleagues to collectively review team targets and performance throughout the year, contributing to planning, tracking, reporting and mitigation
Contribute to the work of the overall Development team by assisting with major projects such as campaigns, high-level corporate partnerships and other activities
Some line management of volunteers and placement students
Demonstrate commitment to St George's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion policies/practices
Working in a small and highly collaborative team, other duties not included above may arise from time-to-time, as determined by the Head of Development and/or the Chief Executive.
Person Specification
We are looking for an exceptional individual who has the following qualities:
Essential Skills
Track record of charitable fundraising, particularly developing and delivering individual giving schemes and fundraising campaigns, or securing income in a comparable sector/organisation
Experience of building and nurturing successful relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and supporters to ensure successful long-term relationships
Ability to manage and prioritise multiple projects, relationships and deadlines
Energetic, motivated and enthusiastic team player with ability to collaborate
Excellent communication and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse and be confident and knowledgeable in promoting the work of St George’s to a diverse range of stakeholders
Experience of event planning and delivery
Good IT skills, and experience of using a fundraising, sales or Box Office CRM
An affinity for St George's work and vision
Desirable Skills
An informed interest in music and/or contemporary creative practice
Knowledge of the UK arts funding environment
Experience of working in an arts/cultural organisation
Experience of working with volunteers and/or trustees
Personal Attributes
Self-motivated and enthusiastic with persuasive manner
Ability to demonstrate empathy, a good listener
Personal integrity and commitment, belief in the impact of the arts
Good diplomacy and influencing skills
Entrepreneurial flair and creative problem-solver
Our Inclusion Policy
We are keen to ensure that our team is diverse and benefits from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives and styles of thinking and working. We welcome applications from people who are currently underrepresented in the arts sector. We commit to interview every candidate who has the required essential skills and attributes and who identifies as disabled and/or being from a Global Majority heritage. If you identify in this way and would like to attend an interview, we would be grateful if you could make this clear in your covering letter/video.
Terms & Conditions of Service
Salary: c£30k (FTE) dependent on experience
Working pattern: 3 days per week (or flexible for the right candidate)
Holidays: 33 days per year (pro-rata) including all statutory Bank Holidays
Pension: Employees are opted into a Group Personal Pension Plan after 3 months (employee contribution 4%; employer contribution 3%; tax relief 1%)
Other (non-contractual) benefits include Employee Assistance Programme; staff ticket scheme for complimentary and discounted tickets for events; staff catering discount in St George’s café/bar.
How to Apply
Please email a single-page letter (or alternatively a short video) stating why you think you are suited to this role, along with your CV, to recruitment@stgeorgesbristol.co.uk.
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact Samir Savant (CEO) directly: samir.savant@stgeorgesbristol.co.uk.
If you have any specific access requirements at interview stage, or would like help with the interview process, please let us know in your covering letter/video.
Please also complete our anonymous Equal Opportunities monitoring form online at https://forms.office.com/r/peUJeQczAq
The deadline for applications is midday on Thursday 21 May 2026
Interviews will be held on 4 and 5 June
To find out more about the work of St George’s, please visit – https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/about-us/
To find out more about the team at St George’s, please visit – https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/about-us/our-team/