Work with us: Development Director

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To meet the funding needs of our ambitious future plans we’re now seeking an exceptional Development Director to lead on the delivery of our income generation strategy and supporter engagement. This will include our planned campaign marking our 30th anniversary in 2028 through which we’re aiming to help secure the future growth and impact of the charity’s work.

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Reports to:	Chief Executive
Contract:	Initially 24 months, to be extended by mutual agreement. There will be a three month probationary period.
Hours:	Part time or full time (0.6 to 1.0 FTE, based on a 35 hour working week), with the final working pattern to be agreed within core organisational hours of 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday.  Candidates are asked to indicate a preference in their application. Implications for role expectations will be discussed with shortlisted candidates.
Annual Leave:	26 days per year, plus bank holidays, for full time; pro rata for part time.
Salary:	£70,000 to £75,000 FTE, pro rata according to agreed hours, plus statutory pension contributions as applicable.
Location:	Home working with frequent travel for meetings and events. Any travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed.
Direct Reports:	Head of Development

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About Young Sounds UK

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Young Sounds exists because musical talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t: family finances and other obstacles too often get in the way. We’re here to change this in two key ways: 

• We support young musicians from low-income families with funding and other help; 
• We support music education through training, advocacy and research. 

We became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in April 2023 and also joined an expanded cohort of National Youth Music Organisations (NYMOs). We currently support over 1,400 individual young people across the UK every year and demand for our support is increasing. It’s an exciting time to join a pioneering organisation at the forefront of British music education. 

Our small and fully remote team work across the UK, comprising a mix of full time and part time employees supported by specialist part time and term time freelancers. 

Young Sounds UK is the working name for registered charity Awards for Young Musicians. 

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Role Overview

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The Development Director will play a pivotal strategic role in driving philanthropic income growth for the organisation. You’ll lead on identifying, cultivating, and securing high-value donors and funders capable of making transformational gifts in support of our work, with a particular focus initially on our 30th anniversary in 2028. 

This is an opportunity for an ambitious and relationship-driven fundraiser to shape and lead a major development function within a respected national charity at a significant moment in its growth. 

Young Sounds UK already has substantial support from a diversity of generous individual donors, many giving regularly as Angels and Champions with others making substantial one-off gifts. The successful candidate will build on and manage what’s already a strong pipeline of prospective major donors and funders, develop compelling cultivation and stewardship strategies, and personally lead high-value fundraising conversations and asks. 

Alongside managing their own portfolio of prospects and donors, the Development Director will lead and support a small fundraising team, including a Head of Development, Development Coordinator (Trusts and Foundations), and with plans to recruit an additional new role focusing on individual giving early next year. 

The role requires a strategic thinker with excellent interpersonal skills, strong fundraising judgement, and a proven ability to inspire confidence among senior stakeholders, Trustees, philanthropists, and colleagues across the charity and its partners. 

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Working relationships and expectations

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You’ll be joining a dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation with a strong and collegiate culture in which the whole team of staff, Trustees and freelance colleagues, understand and contribute to Young Sounds’ income generation strategy, from introducing contacts to participating in events. 

You’ll report to the Chief Executive and the Head of Development will report to you, but you’ll also work closely with colleagues throughout the organisation including programme and area leads, the Chair and other Trustees, in particular those on our Major Gifts Committee. 

You’ll also work closely with external stakeholders including existing and potential donors, funders, partners and others. 

This is a homeworking position with flexibility required to travel for meetings and events. Office equipment will be supplied as required. All travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed 

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Key responsibilities

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Strategic Fundraising Leadership

• Lead the development and delivery of Young Sounds’ major gifts and philanthropic fundraising strategy to support the organisation’s ambitious future plans.
• Lead on the development of Young Sounds’ 30th anniversary campaign in 2028.
• Work closely with the Chief Executive, their Direct Reports, the Development and Marketing and Communications teams and Trustees to identify and maximise fundraising opportunities.
• Develop compelling cases for support and donor engagement strategies aligned with organisational priorities.
• Contribute to the long-term financial sustainability and growth of the organisation through strategic income generation, working with the Chief Executive and senior colleagues to develop opportunities across the wider funding landscape, including philanthropic, trust and foundation, partnership, corporate and public funding.

Major Donor Fundraising

• Build, manage, and grow a pipeline of high-net-worth individuals and major philanthropic prospects across the UK.
• Research, identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors capable of significant gifts i.e. upwards of five-figure donations.
• Lead donor meetings, presentations, and high-value funding conversations.
• Develop tailored cultivation plans and stewardship journeys for key supporters.
• Maintain accurate prospect and donor records, reporting, and forecasting.

Campaign Leadership

• Play a leading role in the planning and delivery of the organisation’s 30th anniversary campaign and other key campaigns.
• Support campaign messaging, donor communications, events, and engagement opportunities.
• Work with senior colleagues and Trustees to leverage networks and campaign ambassadors.
• Monitor campaign progress against agreed fundraising targets and KPIs and report back accordingly e.g. to the Major Gifts committee and the Board of Trustees.

Team Leadership and Management

• Line manage and support the Head of Development.
• Continue to foster a collaborative, ambitious, and high-performing fundraising culture across the organisation and relevant stakeholders.
• Support Development team members in setting objectives, developing skills, and achieving targets.
• Ensure effective coordination across individual giving, Trusts and Foundations, and major donor fundraising activity.

Relationship Management

• Build strong relationships with colleagues across the staff team, Trustees, Patrons, other ambassadors and external stakeholders.
• Represent the organisation confidently at events, meetings, and networking opportunities.
• Act as a compelling advocate for the organisation’s mission and impact.

General requirements for all of the Young Sounds team

• Contribute to the organisation’s strategic priorities, including to equity, diversity and inclusion, ensuring that this informs all activities.
• Ensure adherence to the organisation’s policies and procedures, including in matters relating to safeguarding and GDPR. 
• Contribute to the organisation’s ongoing development, by engaging in discussions as appropriate and undertaking training as requested or in pursuit of personal development.
• Be responsible for meeting minutes from time to time: this is shared across the whole team. 
• Work in a flexible manner in line with the organisation’s objectives and be willing to deputise for other colleagues on occasion and as appropriate.

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Person Specification

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Essential

• Significant experience in senior fundraising or development roles, with a strong personal track record of cultivating and securing significant major gifts and philanthropic support.
• Demonstrable success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting and converting high-value prospects into donors.
• Experience managing major donor pipelines and developing and successfully delivering strategic fundraising plans.
• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders and high-net-worth individuals.
• Experience line managing and developing fundraising staff.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking. 
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Commitment to the mission and values of a music education or arts-based charity.

Desirable

• Experience leading a capital, anniversary, or major fundraising campaign.
• Knowledge of the UK philanthropic landscape and arts/music education funding sector.
• Experience of fundraising from corporate sources.
• Experience working with Trustees, ambassadors, or campaign boards.
• Familiarity with CRM and donor management systems (we use Salesforce).

Other requirements

• Right to work in the UK.
• This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

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How to apply

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Please submit your application using this form: Young Sounds Application Form

You will be asked to attach a supporting statement of no more than two sides of A4, addressing how you are a strong candidate for the position. Applicants are expected to demonstrate in detail that they have the knowledge, skills and experience required for the role. The essential criteria must be addressed, evidenced and with relevant examples provided. 

As part of our commitment to a fair and open recruitment process, Young Sounds UK anonymises all applications before shortlisting candidates for interview. Therefore identifying information should not be included in the supporting statement. 

Young Sounds UK is an equal opportunities and Real Living Wage employer. We operate an anonymised recruitment process to try and eliminate unconscious bias. We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates as it’s important that our Trustees, staff and volunteers reflect the communities we serve at every level within the organisation. 

Applicants are asked to complete an Equal Opportunities Form, which is submitted separately from their application. The form is only seen for administration and monitoring purposes. It is not considered for any selection decisions and is not shared. 

Due to the volume of applications we receive we are unable to provide feedback to applicants who have not been invited to interview. 

Any queries about the role or application process should be sent to: [email protected]

Data protection

Young Sounds UK will use the information you provide to assess and process your application for employment. We will store all your data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (UK GDPR). Our privacy notice can be found here.

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Key dates

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• The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Monday 2 November 2026. 
• Interviews will be held in-person in London, provisionally 19/20 November 2026 (to be confirmed).