Director of Development

Director of Development
Candidate Pack

Welcome

Led by Artistic Director Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli’s vision is of a vibrant society in
which inspirational choral music is accessible to and enjoyed by all. Our mission is to
change the cultural landscape through excellent performances, and to drive a revival
of singing in schools by delivering impactful participatory youth singing programmes.
Gabrieli is an internationally recognised choir and period instrument orchestra,
renowned for emotionally powerful performances of transformational music. Under
Paul McCreesh’s leadership, our musicians’ research and knowledge provides the
foundation for invigorating, imaginative interpretations that inspire audiences and
set us apart in a crowded market.
Gabrieli Roar is a youth singing programme working in partnership with school, youth
and church choirs nationwide. We increase access to great music and remove the
barriers between professional and participatory music-making, bringing people from
all walks of life together in immersive musical experiences.
Gabrieli’s Director of Development will play a pivotal part in enabling us to achieve
our ambitions, providing young people’s first experiences of choral music; building
sustainable, connected communities of performers, participants and audiences;
making culture welcoming and accessible to all; and challenging, exciting and
empowering audiences with performances that enhance and transform lives.
Thank you for your interest in this vital and exciting role.
Susie York Skinner, CEO

Who we are
Why we’re here

Gabrieli occupies a unique position as an organisation in
which performance and education are equally valued
and important, sitting side-by-side in a mutually
beneficial partnership.

Our international reputation for excellence is derived
from ground-breaking, exciting and emotionally
powerful recordings and performances: they are the
bedrock of our brand.

Gabrieli Roar is characterised by that same excellence
and passion, and an unerring determination to engage
young people in core culture. Our work proves lack of
opportunity to be one of the greatest barriers to young
people’s enjoyment of great choral music; we are
determined to remove that barrier, to share the joy of
participatory music-making widely and generously.

Gabrieli

Gabrieli is a critically-acclaimed choir and
period instrument orchestra. Under the artistic
direction of founder Paul McCreesh, we  have
cultivated an international reputation for
excellence, innovation and ambition.

At the heart of Gabrieli is a collective of
principal musicians who have worked together
for decades, shaping interpretations and
building relationships with audiences at home
and abroad. Our ground-breaking
performances and recordings are rooted
equally in expert scholarship and an unerring
love of the music.

We are known for pushing the boundaries in all
that we do, from the scale of our forces to the
detail of our research. Recent successes
include new editions, recordings and an
ongoing series of performances of Purcell’s The
Fairy Queen and King Arthur; and the first ever
period-instrument recording of Elgar’s The
Dream of Gerontius, which won both
Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine awards.

Gabrieli
Roar

Gabrieli Roar is an ambitious education programme that provides choral singing opportunities to young people
nationwide. Working in partnership with school, youth and church choirs, we nurture a love of choral music in
young people. We bring leading professional musicians, educators and participants together to enable young
people to learn and perform major works of the choral repertoire. In doing so, we share the widely
acknowledged benefits of participatory music-making, expanding  young singers' ability to learn, building
confidence and improving both physical and mental health.

Gabrieli Roar is led by Paul McCreesh, whose ambition and driving passion for sharing great music with young
people is facilitated by the pedagogical expertise of Creative Directors Emily Dickens and Charles Béquignon-
MacDougall. The programme consists of four activity areas:
❖ Roar Explore: First-access workshops for organisations with limited existing provision.
❖ Roar Evolve: Projects focusing on making short baroque works accessible for all abilities.
❖ Roar Empower: Annual residential offering progression opportunities, singing major oratorios.
❖ Roar New Leaders: Training and early professional experience developing early career artists’ educational skills.

Gabrieli Roar 2026-27

❖ Roar Explore: First access workshop days engaging 1500

participants, their schools and teachers

❖ Roar Evolve: Purcell Dido and Aeneas – projects in
Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, engaging 400
participants and their teachers

❖ Roar Evolve: Baroque Masterpieces – a Norfolk project

engaging 300 participants and their teachers

❖ Roar Evolve: Handel’s Christmas Story – a 10-city

national tour for 6000 participants and their teachers

❖ Roar Empower: Handel Saul – a 6-day residential course
providing progression for 200 young singers, culminating
in a professional performance at Ely Cathedral

❖ Roar New Leaders: Programme graduates develop

workshop leading skills as paid apprentices supporting
project delivery

Working in partnership with organisations nationwide, each
project makes a significant contribution to the Continuous
Professional Development available to educators and choir
directors across our sector.

Our Fundraising

Throughout its history, Gabrieli has operated on project-to-project
funding. In 2024 we were delighted to secure our first significant
core funding, with a grant of £1,000,000 over five years from The
Vinehill Trust. This investment has enabled us to invest in activity, as
well as expanding our organisational and artistic leadership to
include a Chief Executive and two Creative Directors for Gabrieli
Roar. Our challenge now is to meet increased fundraising targets to
support the continued expansion of our activity and reach: in 2026-
27 we will work with over 8,000 young people nationwide.

Our fundraising targets are ambitious but strategic. Our 2025-26
fundraising target is £600,000. In 2026-27 we have a significant,
planned step change in targets, increasing to £730,000, of which we
anticipate securing £550,000 from Trusts and Foundations
(including Vinehill and Arts Council England).

We are not a National Portfolio Organisation but receive frequent
Project Grant support. During the past year, investments in
evaluation and philanthropy consultancies have strengthened our
fundraising and advocacy, preparing for planned growth.

Our staff and trustees understand fundraising to be an organisation-
wide activity that must be built on strategically focused programmes
which are responsive to need and have clarity of purpose. We are
passionate about our work and our role in the sector and are ready
to work with a committed fundraiser to ensure success.

Organisational Structure

Susie York Skinner
CEO

Director of
Development

Sophie Richardson
Director of   Concerts
& Touring

Anna Winstone
Director of     Gabrieli
Roar

Holly Fitzpatrick
Development &
Comms Coordinator

Katy Bircher
Trusts & Foundations
Manager

Emily Dickens &
Charles Béquignon-
MacDougall
Creative Directors

Freya Parry
Gabrieli Roar Manager

Gabrieli is led by a small senior staff team of a
CEO, Director of Concerts & Tours and Director
of Gabrieli Roar, and the Director of
Development.

The Director of Development is supported by a
Trusts and Foundations Manager (freelance, 10
days per month), and a Development &
Communications Coordinator (full time). The CEO
is an experienced fundraiser and the Artistic
Director is actively involved in philanthropy. Our
Trustees, led by Chair Patrick Harrison are
supportive, experienced and actively engaged in
fundraising.

The core staff team is augmented by specialist
freelancers, including two Creative Directors,
leading the educational content and workshop
delivery for Gabrieli Roar, and an Artistic Planning
Consultant, engaging performers and educators
for each project.

Role Description &
Person Specification

Person Specification

Gabrieli’s main fundraised income streams are grants from
Trusts and Foundations, and philanthropic donations. Our
strategic aims for the next 3-5 years are to increase the
number and level of multi-year grants that we secure, and to
build on our warm, long-established donor relationships to
create an impactful Major Donor programme.

We are therefore looking for an experienced relationship
fundraiser who can target resources strategically and deliver
effective stewardship. We are looking for an excellent team
member, who understands how to deploy staff, trustees’ and
musicians’ knowledge and enthusiasm to our best advantage,
so that we stand out in a crowded and competitive market.

The CEO is actively involved in the strategic development of
Gabrieli’s fundraising and will work with the Director of
Development to identify areas of opportunity and challenge,
setting ambitious but achievable targets that enable us to
realise our exciting delivery programme.

We are a small team who believe wholeheartedly in Gabrieli’s
mission and work; we hope to recruit a warm, empathetic
individual who is keen to be part of a supportive, committed
team delivering excellent work.

Strategy and Planning

In partnership with the CEO, the Director of Development will:

❖ Adopt and implement a Fundraising Strategy and compelling Case for Support that

are responsive to activity developments and fundraising successes;

❖ Establish areas of strategic focus and financial targets for different income
streams, with systems for monitoring income and reporting against budget;

❖ Identify areas for growth, long-term investment and external expertise required to

create longer-term income or a step change in growth;

❖ Provide leadership to staff and trustees as an exemplary relationship fundraiser;

❖ Contribute to wider strategic discussions about activity programmes,

communications and brand;

❖ Manage department staffing structure, allocating work and nurturing staff so that
they are enabled to work efficiently and understand their contribution to the
organisation’s development;

❖ Regularly attend activity in order to have an in-depth understanding of the

charity’s value and potential;

❖ Support colleagues to build a robust impact and evaluation framework, ensuring
excellent evaluation practices that both inform programme development and
strengthen fundraising bids;

❖ Continually seek out new opportunities.

Trusts and Foundations

In partnership with the Trusts & Foundations Manager, the
Director of Development will:

❖ Establish an annual pipeline of existing and new funders,
with clear deadlines and carefully assessed bid levels;

❖ Devise and, with colleagues’ support, deliver the necessary

schedule of grant applications;

❖ Maintain clarity on the value of the pipeline and likely

success rates to inform budgets and reporting throughout
the year;

❖ Establish excellent relationships with prospective and

existing funders;

❖ Maintain a strong awareness of sector developments and

trends.

Philanthropy

With the support of the Development Coordinator, and in conjunction with
the CEO, the Director of Development will:

❖ Uphold the charity’s ethos of excellent donor care for all,

establishing excellent professional relationships with donors and
prospects;

❖ Devise and deliver a clear stewardship plan for all donors,

supporting senior and junior colleagues to deliver their stewardship
requirements;

❖ Develop excellent donor relationships, working with both

prospective and existing supporters to expand our network and
increase income;

❖ Plan and execute major fundraising campaigns, including crowd-
and match giving-campaigns such as The Big Give Christmas
Challenge and Arts for Impact;

❖ Oversee an annual programme of events, from interval drinks to

bespoke private events, with appropriate planning and
administration.

Skills and Experience

❖ At least three to five years’ experience as a fundraiser, ideally in an arts

charity.

❖ Excellent relationship building skills and a detailed understanding of the

fundraising landscape, across all disciplines and income streams.

❖ Experience of setting and achieving significant fundraised income targets.

❖ A track record of excellent line management, nurturing and inspiring

colleagues to flourish.

❖ Demonstrable experience of engaging non-specialist staff, musicians and
trustees in fundraising, enabling them to advocate persuasively for the
charity.

❖ Evidence of exceptional communication, relationship- building and

management, and negotiation skills.

❖ The ability to devise and implement clear record-keeping and reporting

systems for company-wide use

❖ Knowledge of fundraising and data protection legislation.

As in any small charity, there is both opportunity and need for staff to
contribute outside the confines of their job description. We hope that the
post holder will be keen to engage in project delivery, so that they
experience and understand opur work, enabling them to advocate
effectively for us.

Employment Details

❖ Salary: £52,500 (full time equivalent).
❖ Hours: A permanent role, available on a full time or 0.8 basis.
❖ Annual Leave: 20 days per year, plus bank holidays.
❖ Location: Working from home, office space at King’s Place

Music Foundation is available as required. Staff are expected in
London at least monthly for meetings, with additional travel to
events as necessary. Approved travel expenses are reimbursed.
❖ Pension: Auto-enrolment pension (5% employer; 3% employee).

Gabrieli strives to be an Equal Opportunities employer, ensuring
that no job applicant, employee or participant receives less
favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender
reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or
maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Individuals will be selected, promoted and treated on the basis of
their relevant merits and abilities. We aim to operate an inclusive
recruitment process. If you have any particular requirements,
please let us know at any point during the process.

How to apply

Applicants should apply by submitting a
CV and covering letter to Susie York
Skinner, CEO by 9am, 29th January 2026:
susie@gabrieli.com.

Prospective candidates are welcome to
contact us for a discussion about the
role. Please note that our office is closed
from 23rd December to 2nd January.

Photography:
Andrew Staples, Studio 2359;
Frances Marshall, Marshall Light Studio