Associate Director of Donor Experience (10 month FTC/Secondment)

Associate Director of Donor Experience (10 month FTC/Secondment)

Since our founding, we have always done things differently. Our diverse and global community of world-class academics, staff, students and alumni have the freedom and courage to challenge, question and think differently. We continuously break boundaries and develop solutions to real world problems.

In 2020, we closed one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the UK's higher education sector, which raised £624M and galvanised our community. We have undertaken a strategic review of our programmes and have started to design a roadmap for what's next.

Equity, diversity and inclusion is important to us. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to give their best in a place where their unique experiences, perspectives and skills are seen as valuable assets.

About the role

Please note this position is a secondment opportunity/fixed-term contract for ten months to cover maternity leave.

As the Associate Director of Donor Experience, you will be responsible for ensuring a gold-standard donor experience to ensure retention and uplift of support, including for donors who have given at transformational levels. You and your team's work will not only be integral to the growth of a culture of philanthropy at UCL, but will also be responsible for the design and delivery of a robust campaign launch plan including a series of engaging events, both locally and internationally, that befits UCL's biggest ever fundraising and engagement campaign launch in 2026 and bicentennial celebration.

This role is eligible for hybrid working with a minimum of 20% on site. Please note Tuesdays are our in-office day for Advancement members.

As a creative, confident and approachable leader, you will bring together and inspire a team of practitioners to deliver a best-in-class donor experience programme. Key to your success in this role will be your track record of designing and delivering strategies, as well as special experiences and events, that have deepened engagement. You will need to be both strategic and tactical, highly self-driven and able to navigate large and complex environments, where you will work with and galvanise a variety of stakeholders to support and deliver your initiatives. Sophisticated influencing skills and cultural competency will therefore be among your superpowers.

We are pleased to accept applications from individuals who possess transferable skills and experience drawn from sectors outside of Higher Education.

What we offer

We know that our people are our greatest asset and in return we provide an empowering environment where personal and professional growth is invested in. We offer agile working and flexibility around working hours. Working with some of the greatest intellects in the world, UCL also offers a generous pension scheme and holiday allowance, plus closure days and bank holidays. Visit to find out more.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits:

1. 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday, and 6 closure days)
2. Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
3. Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
4. Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
5. Immigration loan
6. Relocation scheme for certain posts
7. On-Site nursery
8. On-site gym
9. Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
10. Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
11. Discounted medical insurance

Our commitment to EDI

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.