Purpose of job

The Development Coordinator is a crucial role in Opera Holland Park’s fundraising team. As the primary relationship manager with our Silver/Gold Members and Envoys, they will help to build lasting relationships and offer general administration support for the department.

They will be responsible for drafting renewal and thank you letters and other communications to Members and Supporters, ensuring company messaging is represented at all times.

They will assist in the delivery of hospitality and events, greeting donors during the summer festival of opera at the private Members Bar, as well as administrative tasks such as financial reporting, direct debit coordination, helping to submit Gift Aid claims, and inputting donor data on the ticketing system (Spektrix).

This is a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic and organised individual, looking to expand their fundraising experience in a small and friendly team. This position provides the opportunity to build on administrative skills as well as donor/stakeholder relationships across all aspects of the Development portfolio.

 

Day in the life

Every day looks a little bit different, but you might find yourself sending out renewal and thank you letters to Members and Supporters, liaising with donors about their membership, organising small donation campaigns, managing event RSVPs including for our fundraising gala and other member events, processing complimentary ticket requests, processing direct debits, liaising with the finance team on donations, or helping to process a Gift Aid claim.

During the season, you will spend some evenings at the Opera Holland Park Theatre, stewarding our high level donors in our Private Members Bar.

 

Practicalities, role expectations and accessibility

The Development Coordinator role can be busy. We’re a small team, with a lot to do, especially in the lead up to the summer season of opera. However, the work is very rewarding too.

The theatre site, where performances, rehearsals, and most events will be held, is fully wheelchair accessible, with step free access to the majority of areas. For more information, have a look at our access page here.

Most of the team work some days at home and some at the office in Kensington. There will be some travel across London for meetings or events.

 

Role outline

Income and relationships

  • Lead all aspects of the Gold, Silver and Envoy membership schemes, including strategy, recruitment, fulfilment and renewals
  • Develop strong relationships with Members and Envoys to ensure an engaged and committed supporter group

Membership growth

  • Develop strategies with the Director of Audiences and Engagement to grow Silver, Gold and Envoy membership schemes, and cultivate existing supporters to increase their giving
  • Communications and database management
  • Draft and send out thank you/renewal letters for Silver, Gold and Envoy Members, including by post and automated correspondence
  • Schedule Member communications through Dotmailer, working with the marketing team on key messaging
  • Maintain donor records on our ticketing system (Spektrix) and maintain donor development timelines
  • Compile supporter acknowledgments for use in the programmes and on the website
  • Be one of the first points of contact for the department and provide five-star customer service for all supporters and prospects

Finance

  • Process direct debit renewals each month
  • Process and reconcile donations in liaison with the finance team
  • Assist with the financial reporting of memberships and other income

Events

  • Attend and assist in the delivery of Member and Supporter events, including the annual fundraising Gala dinner
  • Assist with staffing the Ensemble, our private Supporters Bar, during the summer season and in particular stewarding high level donors and prospects

Development administration

  • Generate ideas for donor acquisition campaigns
  • Execute small donation campaigns

Undertake other tasks as may be reasonably requested

 

Person Specification

Essential criteria

  • Experience in fundraising, membership or customer service
  • Excellent sense of initiative, proactive
  • Experience of working across teams with a collaborative approach
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong IT skills
  • Numerate
  • Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload

Desirable criteria

  • Experience using a CRM system (Spektrix preferred)
  • Enthusiasm for and knowledge of the performing arts and Opera Holland Park

 

How to apply

To apply for this role, please:

  1. Download the Application Pack attached at the top of the page (also available in large print).
  2. Complete the anonymous Equal Opportunities Monitoring Survey here.
  3. Complete the Application Form (also attached), and email it as an attachment (either in Word or PDF format) to info@operahollandpark.com. Please make sure you demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the person specification provided, particularly in the ‘Personal Statement’ section.
  4. We also accept applications in video or audio format. If you would prefer to apply in this way, please email a link to your video or audio file to the email address provided.
  5. We also accept applications in a video or audio format. If you would prefer to apply in this way, please email a link to your video or audio file to the address above. As a guideline, you should aim for a recording of around 3–5 minutes to answer all questions on the Application Form.

We will be accepting applications until 20 May at 10am. Any application received after this may not be included in the recruitment process

We aim to reply to all applicants with the outcome of their application within two weeks of the deadline. We will provide feedback to all applicants, regardless of the outcome of your application.

 

Equal Opportunities

Opera is for everyone. We commit to creating opera for all people, and working with all people to create opera. We believe it is essential to nurture new and diverse talent, onstage and off. The more diverse our workforce, the stronger our community and the better able we are to achieve these aims.

We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of a variety of ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities and people who identify as members of the LGBT+ community, as these groups are currently under-represented at Opera Holland Park.  We are taking positive action by guaranteeing a first round interview to any candidate who self-identifies as having one or more of these backgrounds and have experience in Front of House settings. If you regard yourself as someone who meets these criteria, please state so clearly on the email you send your application on.