Development and Marketing Officer - Legacies

The University 

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.  

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.  

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University.  Further information about the University can be found here
 
The Role and the Department 

The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) is responsible for coordinating philanthropy, alumni and supporter engagement, and advancement communications on behalf of the University. DARO works with colleges, academic departments, research centres and institutes, wider student experience partners, and professional departments to engage over 180,000 alumni and supporters around the world.  

The Development Team within DARO is responsible for: soliciting donations from alumni, philanthropists, corporations, trusts and foundations, and other charitable bodies; stewarding major and principal donors through reports, presentations, events and face-to-face meetings; meeting with gift beneficiaries to collate and produce gift impact reporting materials; hosting and devising engagement opportunities for existing and prospective donors on campus; and relationship managing high-level stakeholders on behalf of the University.  

The Development and Marketing Officer - Legacies sits within the Legacy and Planned Giving Team and is responsible for supporting and advancing the team’s activities. They will take an active role in promoting legacy-giving, cultivating donors, stewarding donors, facilitating income, administering gifts, and ongoing donor relations.

The Development and Marketing Officer will contribute to both existing and new approaches to marketing that will deliver increased awareness of the potential of legacy-giving among supporters and friends of the University. Through the professional handling of interactions with prospective pledgers by phone, email and at events, they will promote legacy-giving and encourage ongoing dialogue with supporters.

The Development and Marketing Officer will play an important part in relationship-building with prospects and support the conversion of enquiries by responding to standard enquiries, providing information, and recording interactions on the Raiser’s Edge database. They will have input into the planning and delivery of direct mail activities and events. There may be the opportunity to hold prospect meetings in the UK.

During the stewardship phase of the relationship with those supporters who have pledged a gift in their will, the Development and Marketing Officer will promote ongoing engagement opportunities

Working at Durham   

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:  

•    27 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 39 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. 
•    No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. 
•    Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. 
•    On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year. 
•    Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). 
•    There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.  
•    The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community 
•    Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.  
•    We offer generous pension schemes.  

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion  

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. 
 
We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification
  
When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.    
  
Your application should cover the following criteria:  

Essential Criteria 

Desirable Criteria

How to apply 

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). 
 
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.   
 
Submitting your application  

We prefer to receive applications online.  We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.  
  
What you are required to submit: 
•    A CV  
•    A covering letter or statement which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification   

Contact details  
If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Louise McLaren would be happy to speak to you. To arrange a call, email [email protected]. 
 

Typical Role Requirements  

Service Delivery

• Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
• Manage frontline stakeholder services in a variety of different contexts, including in-person, by email and by phone or video call.
• Provide specialist advice and make decisions to resolve problems relating to the services you administer [e.g. donor enquiries].
• Provide the best possible service to colleagues by reviewing and make suggestions to improve the service.

Planning and Organising

• Plan and organise own workload to deliver the role.
• Plan, manage and deliver assigned projects, activities and events [e.g. a trip to visit a donor] in accordance with agreed objectives.
• Seek feedback from alumni or donors as appropriate to ensure that the service is updated to meet supporter expectations.
• Develop, plan and deliver communications and events for alumni and supporters to promote the Durham reputation, and encouraging participation and income generation.
• Collect and record data and information accurately.

Communication/Liaison

• Act as a recognised point of contact between the University and key internal and external stakeholders, including donors.  
• Liaise with other service areas to ensure the most diverse and accessible delivery and promotion of marketing initiatives.
• Create good working relationships, including internal and external networks which allow you to increase your knowledge and skills.
• Take on hosting duties at events promoting the Durham University reputation and encouraging participation and income generation.
• Gather, record and analyse customer feedback from service users. 
• Any other reasonable duties.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University  which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.   
  

MATERNITY COVER 
Appointment to this post is fixed term to cover the substantive post holder’s maternity leave and is not anticipated to be extended.

SECONDMENT
The post is full time, fixed term for a one year period and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager.
If an internal member of staff is appointed to this role on a secondment basis, for pension purposes this may be processed in line with Step-Up arrangements. For further details please click here.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.