HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT - JOB INFORMATION PACK
WELCOME
In 2025 Somerset House has reached an important milestone, 25 years after we first opened to the public. Our 25th birthday is a time for celebration, but as importantly to look ahead and ensure the foundations are in place for continued growth and achievement. For nearly half of our 25 years civil servants were still in occupation, and we only fully reclaimed the entire site in late 2019. Although we look like a venerable old institution, we’re still very young with big ambitions!
We’ve built an original new model of a cultural centre, creatively distinct as the home of cultural innovators, with an acclaimed cultural programme and a powerhouse for creative talent development. We are succeeding in attracting younger and more diverse audiences. We are proud to do this in such an important historic site and to have evolved a sustainable self-funding business model without regular public funding.
This is an exciting time to join Somerset House as we use the success of our birthday year to build momentum for the next phase. We are looking for a Head of Development who can work closely with the Director, Deputy Director, Executive team and Trustees. We want someone who is passionate about what we do and can see the philanthropy opportunities for an organization that is rewriting the rulebook of what an arts institution can look like in the 21st century.
Gail Rebuck DBE, Chair
Role: Head of Development
Department: Development
Reports to: Diana Spiegelberg, Deputy Director
Team size Responsible for the Development team, which is currently made a team of 7: Senior Brand Partnerships Manager, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager, 3 x Development Managers (Brand Partnerships, Individuals and Trusts & Foundations), Corporate Partnerships Executive. A permanent Coordinator being recruited. (With potential to introduce new Prospect Research capability.)
Contract Type: Permanent, Full time
Salary: £75,000, plus 8% pension employer contributions
Working hours: Monday – Friday (37.5 hours per week). Responsibilities of the role may occasionally require work outside of normal working hours, including evenings and weekends Hybrid working possible; minimum 3 days on site
SomersetHouse is the home of cultural innovators, connectingcreativity and the arts with widersociety from ouriconic Grade 1listed building. Remarkably in only the last 25 years it has become amajornew international arts destination, and today SomersetHouse welcomes over3million visitors each year, makingit the UK’s 8th largest visitor attraction.
Many are familiar with Somerset House’s acclaimed and varied contemporary cultural programme, having visited some of its original exhibitions as well as its much-loved courtyard events, concerts during the SummerSeries and SKATE, London’s best loved winter tradition. But this is just scratching the surface as we have also built the UK’s largest creative community working across art, technology, creative industries and social enterprise, continually drawing in fresh ideas to become a talent development powerhouse.
It is this mix that informs and powers our programme and our organisational culture, making us a singular, compelling and inclusive place to visit and work. Somerset House pursues a spirit of ‘Step Inside, Think Outside’ for everyone, regardless of age, stage or background.
“SomersetHouse isn’t just a historic landmark, it’s a cultural powerhouseof a brand, celebrating twenty-five years of artistic innovation, creative business building, and community engagement.”
Grada Kilomba, O Barco/The Boat, 2022
Somerset House is a relatively young organisation, and has prioritised addressing structural change in a perpetually shifting creative landscape where arts organisations can no longer exist as islands, and younger audiences seek new cultural experiences. Artists can no longer be boxed into single disciplines, the boundaries between artisticpractice and creative entrepreneurialism are becoming blurred, and technology has infiltrated and reshaped pretty well everything. These trends require different ways of thinking, new structures and business models, and this has been our starting point for shaping Somerset House as a new kind of arts organization that speaks to the creative landscape as it is now.
In 2025 Somerset House celebrates its 25th birthday and transformation from civil service car park and government offices to independent charity and coming of age as the home of cultural innovators.
Our new Head of Development would be joining on the back of a host of positive publicity and greater awareness of Somerset House’s mission as we look ahead to the next 25 years.
About the Role
We are looking for a new Head of Development to bring an innovative and dynamic approach to the role that is in line with Somerset House’s “Step Inside, Think Outside” ethos. Over the last ten years Somerset House has built its fundraising base from a modest start and with the building blocks our birthday year, we have a great opportunity to take this to the next level in terms of ambition, scale and approach.
We are looking for a stand-outcandidate who can shape and drive a new fundraising strategy on the back of Somerset House’s 25th birthday, someone who’s ambitious and driven and who can represent Somerset House’s mission and potential in the best possible way. We’re looking for someone who can rise to the challenge and run with is, inspiring their team and key internal and external stakeholders.
Key goals for how we have approached Somerset House’s landmark 25th birthday year in 2025 have been to set us up for future fundraising success, including:
- Firmly establishingSomersetHouse’s position as the home of cultural innovators with our audiences, press and prospective partners through increased investment in communications (brand identity, website, international press campaign).
- Increasing the size of our fundraising pipeline.
We have recently started to putthe building blocks in place for a new fundraising strategy which is based on developing smarter ways of working to yield greater return. We currently raised c.£2.6M annually from sponsorship, trusts and foundations and individual philanthropy. We believe there is great potential to
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, May 2025
increase fundraising and, like the rest of Somerset House, an opportunity to do things differently, engaging individuals who have not previously supported the arts as a result of Somerset House’s unique interdisciplinary creative community, our youngerdiverse audiences and the juxtaposition of the heritage of our site.
Over the next year we will work on a new site masterplan to ensure we’re using our space most effectively for the impact we wish to have. The Head of Development will play a key role in contributing to and responding to this work in terms of exploring the agreeing potential of fundraised income and shaping any capital campaign to match.
Somerset House has a strong track record in brand partnerships and a lot of our fundraised income to date has focused on securingsupportfor our TalentPathways programmes, includingUpgrade Yourself (for 16-30 year-olds), support for artists as part of Somerset House Studios and the Black Business Residency.
We have an independent Talent Pathway evaluation study underway (funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation) and a new theory of change bringing the goal behind many of these programmes together around how we leverage ourspace, resources, residentcommunity and conveningpowerto supportcreative talent at all stages to realise their potential, especially those from under-represented groups. The Head of Development will be joining an organisation full of promise when it comes to making a fundraising stepchange.
The new Head of Developmentwillbe supported by the Deputy Director, Director and work closely with our engaged board of trustees. This is a role that will involve close collaboration with trustees, especially chair Gail Rebuck and recently appointed trustee Helen Protheroe.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Strategy
• Lead on developing and implementing new fundraising strategy to meet Somerset House’s ambitions and potential.
• Work closely with the Deputy Director, Director and Board to realise fundraising ambitions in line with organisational strategy
• Provide hands on leadership to ensure that Development colleagues are able to thrive and maximise income from all areas
• Promote excellence and the highest standards when it comes to stewardship of donors and account management for sponsors and corporate partners.
• Be a positive advocate for the organisation, ensuring that all staff, trustees and volunteers are confident expressing Somerset House's funding priorities.
• Regularly feed into the Executive and present at Trustees’ meetings regarding fundraising progress in relation to organisational strategy.
Fundraising
• Seek out and identify funding opportunities that will have maximum impact in enabling Somerset House to realise its ambitions.
• Work with colleagues across the organisation to shape how we present our programmes for potential donors and corporate supporters and to identify
projects against which budget-relieving restricted funds can be raised.
• Be proactive in both supporting and leading on major funding applications.
• Implement more robust methods for tracking prospects, solicitation plans and growing pipelines for all areas of Development.
Stakeholder Management & Engagement
• Develop strong relationships with existing funders, sponsors, supporters and other stakeholders and ensure that we have effective and robust stewardship processes in place.
• Lead relevant senior volunteer/ trustee working groups, to involve them and to maximise the potential of their networks.
• Work with colleagues across the organisation to ensure that end of project reports and evaluations are compiled and shared to the highest standard in a timely fashion.
• Produce regular reports and updates for the board of trustees.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of events to engage existing and potential supporters, making the most of Somerset House's distinctive cultural programme.
Systems, Compliance & Governance
• Ensure that the Development team makes effective use of our CRM system (Tessitura) and that the highest standards of data capture are maintained.
• Ensure that all work is compliant with GDPR, other privacy laws and in line with the Fundraising Regulator’s best practice.
• Work with the Deputy Director and trustees to review and update our Gift Acceptance Policy.
• Ensure effective implementation of financial processes and reporting across the department.
• Keep up to date with the latest fundraising trends and issues , bringing these insights to our work at Somerset House.
The Person
Skills and experience
We are looking for an exceptional candidate who has:
• A proven track record of raising six figure plus donations, through face-to-face fundraising and sophisticated and compelling proposal writing and submission
• Successfully shaped and implemented fundraising strategies to drive results.
• Experience of personally leading the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of multiple major donors, whether individuals, trusts or corporates.
• Proven track record of leading negotiations and closing deals.
• A strategic mindset with the ability to develop and implement policies and procedures to support successful fundraising results.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders at all levels
• Brilliant relationship builder both internally with team members and externally with funders
• Ability to articulate and present complex ideas in compelling and engaging ways.
• Effective team leader with the ability to motivate and inspire a high functioning team.
• Experience of working on a successful capital fundraising campaign (desirable)
• Competent user of fundraising CRM systems (ideally Tessitura), with an ability to share knowledge and upskill others.
• Strong commitment to Somerset House’s mission, especially in relation to the role of arts in society and to addressing under-representation within the creative sector.
• Curiosity to engage with contemporary issues and to introduce new approaches.
• Emotional intelligence, a good level of awareness and nuance is a must
• The successfulapplicant will have great instincts and know where to look forfundingand have highly tuned emotional intelligence and a strong sense of self-awareness and nuance.
• Confidence, self-assurance, determination and creative thinking are all a must.
Benefits
Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Access to our external Employee Assistance Programme (CiC) for free 24/7 confidential advice and support, including up to 6 free counselling sessions per year where needed
• Contribution towards eye tests and glasses
• Life insurance scheme
Holiday
• Enhanced annual leave – 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• Birthday leave - additional day leave
• Celebration day - to celebrate anything of your choice
Other Leave
• Sick leave – 20 days full pay, followed by 20 days half pay (pro rata & following 3 months service)
• Emergency dependent care – option to use 25% of paid sick leave for emergency care of a dependent (pro rata & following 3 months service)
• Enhanced maternity pay
Benefits
• 8% employer pension contributions, no employee contribution required
• Option for salary sacrifice
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discounts, offers and free stuff - the list includes tickets to SomersetHouse events and free entrance to many other London galleries and museums.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Somerset House is actively anti-racist, you can read about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion here. We are working hard to ensure ourpeople, our onsite community and our sector reflect, represent and include all of society. Somerset House Trust is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to championingequality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace, so if you’re a suitably qualified applicant we encourage yourapplication whateveryourage, disability, gender, genderidentity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.
How to Apply
Please submit your CV and a cover letter via our recruitment partners Prospectus at https://www.prospectus.co.uk/job/191158-head-of-development
Closing date for applications: 23:59 on Monday 16th June 2025.
Your cover letter should include:
• What motivates you to apply for this role?
• Why do yourblend of skills and experience makeyou uniquely wellplaced to realise SomersetHouse’s potential in terms of fundraising? (Please refer to person specification)
If you require any adjustments or would like to discuss submitting your application in a different format, please contact Ryan Burdock at ryan.burdock@prospect-us.co.uk. For a confidential discussion before applying, please contact Ryan at your earliest convenience.
Recent Press Coverage Highlights From Somerset House’s 25th Birthday Campaign
