Chetham's
Job Description
Senior Development Manager
Location: Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester Responsible to: Director of Development
About Chetham’s
Founded in 1653, Chetham’s Foundation is a unique cultural institution and charity in the heart of Manchester combining music, education, and heritage. We are home to three extraordinary places – Chetham’s School of Music, Chetham's Library, and The Stoll er Hall. We believe in the power of music and creativity to unite people, and we are committed to educating and inspiring new generations of musicians and thinkers .
The School is an independent boarding school for over 300 children aged between 8 and 18, all of whom excel in music. The Library is the oldest public library in the English -speaking world. The Hospital charity owns the buildings in which the School and Libr ary operate. The School also incorporates a world -class concert hall, The Stoller Hall, opened in 2017. Supporting Chetham’s in achieving its excellent outcomes are around 350 employees, with a wide variety of roles including academic staff, music tu tors, support staff, concert hall staff, boarding staff with an equally wide variety of types of contract including term time, fixed term, permanent, ad hoc. The School and Library also have a number of volunteers and others who have clearance to work on site.
The Opportunity
Working as part of a recently expanded Development function, this is an exciting time to join Chetham’s. You will be part of a collaborative and energetic fundraising team, raising funds to meet ambitious targets across our work, including:
Bursary Support: Entry to Chetham’s is about a young person’s ability to play, not pay, Around 90% of students receive bursary assist ance.
• Musical Activity: Funding for core programmes, masterclasses and artistic development .
Creative Engagement: Expanding access to arts and culture for communities across the region.
• Library: Supporting access, conservation and development of the historic library .
Capital Projects: Maintenance of listed buildings, new library entrance, boarding accommodation .
• The Stoller Hall: Securing funding to sustain and grow the artistic programme .
You will play a key role in embedding a culture of philanthropy across the organisation, growing our community of donors and helping to deliver ambitious fundraising objectives in line with our fundraising strategy.
The Role
The Senior Development Manager is responsible for managing and growing fundraised income from a mixed portfolio of donors, including trusts and foundations, individual donors, legacies and corporate partners, supporting the full breadth of Chetham’s activi ties.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy, leadership and collaboration
Work closely with th e Director of Development and Joint Principals to help drive the Development strategy .
Build effective partnerships with colleagues across Chetham’s, acting as a visible ambassador and key contact point for the Development team and Development strategy.
Collaborate with teams across Chetham’s to tell the story of our work and shape powerful and persuasive cases for support .
Fundraising and donor engagement
Engage prospective donors across a range of income streams, using strong stakeholder development skills to build meaningful relationships and secure donations aligned with Chetham’s priorities .
Manage all aspects of legacy giving : nurturing relationships with our legacy donors , promoting legacy giving, and managing new legacy gifts.
Develop engaging and persuasive written proposals and reports for current and prospective donors, carefully tailored to individual donors’ interests and priorities.
Build strong knowledge of, and relationships with, Chetham’s donor community, acting as a confident and professional organisational ambassador.
Support substantial growth in Chetham’s donor community, through pro -active networking, research, tailored events and exemplary relationships .
Fundraising programmes and stewardship
Devise and manage new fundraising programmes, working closely with the Development Manager and Development Officer to deliver exceptional donor stewardship and communications .
Use Spectrix CRM effectively to support, manage and analyse fundraising data and performance
Communications
Lead on Development communications, ensuring clear, compelling and consistent fundraising messaging across Chetham’s marketing channels — including social media, print, PR and digital — to support and advance the fundraising strategy.
Management
Line -manage the Development Manager, supporting their professional development and working with them to achieve agreed targets.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will have a demonstrable track record of raising donations across diverse income streams and will relish opportunities to identify, cultivate and nurture new donor relationships . You will be an experienced, collaborative fundraiser who enjoys working with senior stakeholders, contributing strategically while remaining hands -on in delivery. You will be motivated by building long -term relationships and by seeing the tangible impact o f philanthropy across education, music and heritage.
CHILD PROTECTION AND SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN
As a post holder I recognise my responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people for whom I am responsible, or with whom I come into contact. I will adhere to and ensure compliance with Chetham’s Child Protection and Safegua rding Policy and related documents (available at www.chethams.com) at all times. If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, I become s aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of students at Chetham’s, I have a duty to follow the reporting routes and to report any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the Head.
Our Policy and Procedure is in line with national directives and must be adhered to by all staff . Chetham ’s is committed to the development of good practice and sound procedures. We will always endeavour to fulfil our duty to challenge or intervene in order to protect all students at Chetham's. Concerns and referrals will be handled in a sensitive and professional manner which will support the needs of students and staff . Chetham ’s recognises the contribution it can make to protect and support students.
OUR MISSION AND VALUES
Our mission is to bring people together through the power of music and education.
We are driven by our values to make music and education for accessible, to enrich the lives of people in Manchester and beyond and improve wellbeing through music and learning.
I agree that I have read and understood the attached job description.
Employee’s name.........
Employee’s signature............
Date……
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential
• Proven track record in fundraising, ideally within arts, education or heritage
Experience securing five -figure gifts across multiple income streams
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong relationship -building skills with a wide range of stakeholders
Team -orient ated, with a willingness to be hands -on
Excellent time -management and ability to manage multiple priorities
Strong IT skills, including databases /CRM, mail merges and MS Office
Confidence with budget forecasting and income reporting
Professional, confident organisational ambassador
Management experience
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends when required
Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
Suitability to work with children
Desirable
Knowledge of Spektrix or similar CRM/database systems
Understanding or appreciation of classical music and heritage buildings