The Development Manager will help drive the External Engagement Team to achieve its ambitious goals for growth in income, engagement and impact. The post holder will be primarily responsible for increasing income through trusts and foundations, public funders and corporate partners, alongside developing our individual giving community. Application Details: Application deadline: Sunday 20 September 2026, 23:59 BST Deep alignment with our organisational vision, mission and values with a proven ability to translate these principles into everyday operational decisions and team interactions. Fund raising: Collaboration: Communication Trusts, foundations and public funders fundraising (70%) Individual giving, events and supporter journeys (20%) Internal engagement, administration and collaboration (10%) If you are interested in working with us, please apply by completing the application form. Full details of the role are available in the Job Pack. Meet the Team Session We’ll introduce Sound and Music and the External Engagement Team, talk through the Development Manager role and what we’re looking for, and explain the recruitment process. There will also be plenty of time to ask any questions you may have about the role, working at Sound and Music or applying. The session will take place on Zoom on Tuesday 08 September 2026, from 11:00–12:00. Register for the Meet the Team session using the link above.Job Summary
Job Description
You will be a passionate advocate for music and its ability to reflect and shape lives, communities, culture and our social fabric. You will understand the individual and collective value of new music to inspire, challenge and connect us. You will be an exceptional spokesperson, communicator, storyteller and influencer, able to bring the unique role of Sound and Music to life for diverse stakeholders, funders and supporters.
Your core responsibilities will include researching, developing, writing and submitting high-quality funding applications; managing relationships with funders to maximise engagement and retention; maintaining accurate records, forecasts and learning using our CRM and funding dashboards; supporting individual giving activity, appeals, campaigns and challenge events; and helping to design and deliver supporter journeys that deepen engagement and long-term giving.
Interviews and meet the team: Thursday 1 October 2026
Second interviews: w/c Monday 5 October 2026
Start date: To be confirmed
Contract: Permanent contract, full-time 1.0 FTE (5 days per week; flexible working requests will be considered)
Location: London / hybrid. You could work remotely from anywhere in the UK, with a minimum of two days per month at our London workspace.
Salary band: £35,000-£40,000
Reporting to: Head of External EngagementJob Requirements
o Excellent knowledge of the UK charity/arts funding land
scape
o Demonstrable success in securing significant income
o Excellent funder research, prospecting, relationship
management and stewardship skills
o Experience managing fundraising pipelines, donor records and
CRM systems
o Strong organisational skills
o Highly motivated and results-oriented team player
o Excellent written skills
o Demonstrated ability to communicate organisational impact
through storytelling, evaluation and measurement
o Excellent interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to
practice empathyJob Responsibilities
Bid writing
o Build and manage a rolling pipeline to deliver a minimum
£500,000 of funding bids annually
o Research, develop, write and submit high-quality funding
applications to trusts, foundations and public funders
o Lead applications to key arts, music and culture funders
Communications and insight
o Manage relationships with funders
o Prepare interim and final reports
Maintain accurate records, forecasts and learning
Support the development and delivery of individual giving activity, including appeals, campaigns and challenge events
Help design and deliver supporter journeys
Work with colleagues to identify opportunities to convert audiences, alumni and partners into donors
Work closely with others to create compelling funding cases, planning and evaluation
Support shared ownership of fundraisingUseful Links
How to Apply
If you’re considering applying for our Development Manager role, join us for an informal online information session to meet members of the Sound and Music team and find out more about the opportunity.