Development Officer

The Bush Theatre is looking for a motivated and personable fundraiser to join our busy Development team. We would like to see candidates with experience in any fundraising income stream, from any part of the third sector.

The Development Officer will play a vital role in enabling the Development team to reach our ambitious fundraising target, with scope to work across Individual Giving, Trusts and Foundation, Corporate and Events. This role has a particular focus on the relationship management of our Star Supporters; including leading on their comms and events. This role offers the opportunity to collaborate with the Head of Development on strategy, our Marketing department on campaigns, and our Literary and Community departments to measure and champion impact.

At a glance

Hours: 35 hours per week, exclusive of a one hour break., 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday, although additional hours may be necessary to fulfil the requirements of the post

Salary: £27,500 per annum pro rata

Holidays: 30 days per annum inclusive of Bank Holidays

Rising to 31 days after two years’ service

Rising to 32 days after four years’ service

Probation: Three months

Contract type: Permanent

Key dates

Deadline for applications: 23.59 on 19 April 2026

First Interview date: Friday 1 May 2026

Second Interview date:  Friday 8 May 2026

Purpose of the role

We’re a launchpad for stories, a stage for underrepresented voices, an incubator for talent, a sanctuary for writers, and a creative home for the community. We’re a driving force evolving the British theatre canon, one new play at a time. We raise over half a million pounds each year to fund our work in developing artists, engaging young people, diversifying the arts, building community and championing unheard voices.

The Development Officer plays an integral part in this work, supporting or efforts to raise funds through trusts and foundations, individual giving, and corporate sponsorship.

How to Apply

We want you to have the opportunity to tell us about yourself and explain why you are right for this position, therefore we ask you to send a CV and a supporting statement in whatever format feels right to you – written (max 500 words), video or sound file (max 5 minutes) or presentation (e.g. keynote or powerpoint). All applications should address the following questions:

• Considering the essential and desirable criteria for this role, tell us about your experience, skills and knowledge – including demonstrative examples and achievements
• Tell us why this specific position in this company interests you
• Tell us what you would bring to this role and the Bush Theatre

All applications will be judged on content not on format. We use a transparent scoring system to review every application. We’ve mapped out the Essential Criteria and score each one on a scale of 0–4. This helps us eliminate unconscious bias and focus on what really matters: your technical competencies, core soft skills, and alignment with our company values.

Upload your information and supporting documents to our recruitment portal Breathe HR. 

Please don’t forget to include your CV.

Finally, please complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring form.  This helps us to better understand if our recruitment practices are accessible and equitable to all.

If you need this information in a different format, contact our People and Culture Manager, Dorothy Ekema-Walla by emailing jobs@bushtheatre.co.uk or phone 020 8743 3584.

Equal Opportunities

The value of equal opportunities runs through the heart of the organisation. Our diverse team and their range of experiences are vital to the Bush’s success, but we still have work to do to make sure that Bush staff represent the communities we serve. We actively encourage people with different backgrounds to join us. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of colour and disabled people who are currently underrepresented in our team.

All disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria will be invited to interview. If you would like to apply through our Minimum Criteria Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please let us know. You can state anywhere in your application: ‘I would like to apply through the Minimum Criteria Guaranteed Interview scheme’.

If you have any questions or need any of this information in a different format, please contact our People And Culture Manager, Dorothy Ekema-Walla, by emailing: jobs@bushtheatre.co.uk or phone 0208743 3584.

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