Head of Development Services and Deputy Director

Job Description

The Head of Development Services and Deputy Director is a senior leadership role within Development, responsible for leading the gift administration, database, prospect research and collective giving functions that underpin the University’s fundraising success. The postholder provides strategic leadership for Development Services, ensuring robust governance, high-quality data, effective systems, operational excellence and business intelligence to support both Making Waves: The Campaign for St Andrews and the University’s longer-term philanthropic ambitions.

Reporting to the Director of Development and serving as a member of the Development Senior Management Team, the postholder plays a key role in departmental leadership, planning, budgeting, governance and organisational development. The role deputises for the Director on operational and management matters and supports the effective running of the Development Office.

The postholder has overall responsibility for Gift Operations, Database and Analytics, Prospect Research and Collective Giving, The role is responsible for maintaining high standards of data integrity, operational assurance, regulatory compliance and technology-enabled service delivery across Development ensuring that the systems, processes and services supporting fundraising are effective, scalable and aligned with institutional priorities.

A significant aspect of the role will be leading operational change, including the ongoing development of RE NXT, CRM enhancement, data governance and the adoption of AI-enabled ways of working. The postholder will help foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and evidence-based decision-making, ensuring Development Services provides the infrastructure, insight and support necessary to drive fundraising performance and long-term philanthropic growth.

Strategic responsibility for philanthropic reporting, KPI governance and fundraising performance assurance will initially remain with the Head of Philanthropic Reporting & Assurance before transferring to the Head of Development Services and Deputy Director during a planned transition period through to October 2028. The postholder will play a key role in supporting this transition and integrating these functions into the longer-term Development Services structure.

Location & Package

This role will be based at the state of the art Walter Bower House, Eden Campus and in addition to the salary on offer for this position, there are a wide range of benefits for staff working at the University of St Andrews. The package includes:

• Financial contribution to relocation (subject to eligibility)
• Membership of the USS Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution of 14.5%
• A hybrid working environment, including partial homeworking where appropriate and a range of family friendly policies, supporting work-life balance
• Staff discount scheme for local and national goods and services
• Free staff parking, employee Carshare and Cycle to Work Schemes and subsidised local bus travel
• Subsidised sports membership, reduced tuition fees on degree programmes for staff, access to training and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, access to library facilities, salary sacrifice scheme
• 34 Days Annual Leave plus 5 Public Holidays.

At St Andrews, equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to who we are and form a core pillar of our University Strategy. We are committed to creating a fair, inclusive and supportive workplace, reflected in our participation in national diversity charters and awards, including Athena Swan, Carer Positive and the Race Equality Charter.

We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian, minority ethnic and minority religions backgrounds and from LGBTQ+ and disabled people.

Closing date: 24 November 2026

Interviews: 15/16 December 2026

Start date: 01 March 2027 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

About the University of St Andrews

Founded in 1413, the University of St Andrews is Scotland’s first university and one of the oldest in the English-speaking world. With more than 600 years of academic excellence, we are proud of our reputation as a world-class centre for learning, teaching, and research.

St Andrews is a close-knit, international community set in a beautiful historic town on Scotland’s east coast. Our students and staff come from over 140 countries, creating a diverse and globally minded environment. We strive to create an inclusive culture in which all can flourish, and the University has attained several diversity awards, including those related to race and gender equality, and support for carers, which demonstrate our commitment to this ambition. The University is consistently ranked among the UK’s top institutions for student satisfaction, research quality, and teaching excellence.

We are a research-intensive university where creativity, collaboration, and critical inquiry are at the heart of everything we do. Whether you are joining us in an academic, professional, or support role, you will be part of a team committed to delivering outstanding education and making a meaningful contribution to society.

For those looking to be part of a university with deep-rooted heritage, a global outlook, and a forward-thinking approach, we invite you to consider joining our community at the University of St Andrews.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced and strategic leader with a strong track record in Development Services, fundraising operations or a comparable professional services environment.

They will bring expertise in governance, compliance, risk management, data governance and performance reporting, together with experience of leading organisational change and service improvement. They will be a confident communicator, capable of building effective relationships across a complex organisation, influencing senior stakeholders and translating complex information into clear strategic recommendations.

The successful candidate will combine strong analytical and organisational skills with a collaborative leadership style, sound judgement and a commitment to service excellence. Experience of higher education advancement, philanthropic reporting, CRM implementation and sector benchmarking would be advantageous.

Essential Requirements

• Degree qualified or equivalent professional experience.
• Significant leadership experience in Development Services, fundraising operations or a comparable professional services environment.
• Experience of leading teams, organisational change, strategic planning and operational delivery.
• Experience of fundraising operations, compliance, governance, audit and risk management.
• Experience of data governance, CRM management, performance reporting and business intelligence.
• Strong understanding of data protection and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Ability to provide strategic leadership and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex information into strategic recommendations.
• Excellent project management, financial planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to drive innovation, continuous improvement and organisational change.
• Strategic thinker with sound judgement and a commitment to governance and service excellence.
• Resilient, adaptable and effective during periods of change.
• Collaborative leadership style with integrity, credibility and discretion.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.
• Willingness to undertake occasional travel and out-of-hours working.