Head of Development Services and Deputy Director

Help power the future of philanthropy at one of the UK's leading universities.

As Head of Development Services and Deputy Director, you will play a pivotal leadership role in delivering the operational excellence, innovation and strategic infrastructure that underpin fundraising success at the University of St Andrews. Leading talented teams, systems and services, you will enable exceptional fundraising, alumni and supporter engagement, helping to advance the University's ambitious philanthropic goals.

Responsible for Collective Giving, Gift Operations, Database and Analytics, and Prospect Research, you will ensure the foundations of the University's fundraising and engagement programmes are effective, resilient and ready to support the continued success of Making Waves: The Campaign for St Andrews, the University's £300 million fundraising campaign, and its long-term philanthropic ambitions.

Reporting to the Director of Development and serving on the Development Senior Management Team, you will play a key role in shaping the future direction of the Development Office. Alongside leading Development Services, you will act as the Director's operational deputy, contributing to strategic planning, organisational development and leadership across the wider Development programme.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team through a period of significant change and growth. From CRM development, data governance and AI-enabled ways of working to the continued evolution of fundraising and alumni engagement services, you will help build the capabilities that support long-term fundraising success and strengthen the University's ability to engage its global community of alumni, donors and supporters.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Development Services function, ensuring the people, systems, services and governance supporting fundraising and engagement are effective, scalable and aligned with University priorities.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams spanning Collective Giving, Gift Operations, Database and Analytics, and Prospect Research.
• Develop and deliver the Development Services strategy to support the success of Making Waves: The Campaign for St Andrews and future philanthropic growth.
• Serve as a member of the Development Senior Management Team and act as the operational deputy to the Director of Development, contributing to departmental leadership, planning and organisational development.
• Lead workforce planning, talent development and organisational effectiveness across Development Services.
• Oversee budgeting, financial planning, resource management, risk management, business continuity and operational resilience across the Development Unit.
• Build strong partnerships across the University and with external stakeholders to support shared objectives and successful delivery.
• Provide strategic leadership for Collective Giving, driving participation, engagement and future philanthropic pipeline growth.
• Lead prospect research, prospect management and fundraising pipeline processes to maximise fundraising performance and campaign outcomes.
• Oversee gift administration, gift acceptance and due diligence processes, ensuring philanthropic income is managed efficiently, ethically and in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Lead fundraising compliance, governance, audit and assurance activities, maintaining robust controls and risk management frameworks, including oversight of affiliated fundraising foundations and international giving vehicles.
• Provide strategic leadership for Development systems, data governance, information management and business intelligence.
• Lead CRM, digital transformation and AI-enabled initiatives, ensuring technology supports operational effectiveness, fundraising performance and user experience.
• Drive innovation, continuous improvement and the adoption of modern working practices across Development Services.
• Prepare Development Services for the planned transfer of philanthropic reporting, KPI governance and fundraising performance assurance, working closely with the Head of Philanthropic Reporting and Assurance during a transition period.