Irish National Opera is seeking a motivated and dynamic individual to spearhead the company’s fundraising strategy and initiatives. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Development Manager will grow philanthropic, corporate and membership income to support INO’s ambitions and objectives and develop and manage the fundraising process and key relationships for the company.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
Working closely with the Executive Director, Artistic Director and Development and Marketing Assistant, as well as with the Development Committee and with the Board of Directors, the Development Manager is responsible for implementing and continually evaluating the company’s fundraising strategy. The successful candidate will:

• Meet and exceed targets for income and engagement
• Confidently ask for support and effectively tell the INO story
• Secure and steward individual and corporate donors and sponsors
• Identify and cultivate prospective individual and corporate donors and sponsors
• Grow the donor family by managing and developing the friends and patrons scheme
• Identify opportunities for major donors to impact the future of Irish opera and secure their support, in collaboration with relevant staff
• Serve as the principal liaison to and manage relationships with key individual donors and corporate sponsors
• Lead the development and implementation of strategies to secure corporate support from a variety of sources, in collaboration with relevant staff
• Propose, devise and manage, with the necessary support staff, fundraising events, special events and memorable experiences for donors and sponsors.
• Secure funding from other sources as appropriate including the broadcast sector, trusts, foundations and other sources
• Manage the fundraising process through a CRM database, ensure effective use of resources and manage yearly development budget.
• Manage development personnel (currently: Development & Marketing Assistant)
• Represent the company at public events
• Other duties as required

Person Specification
The ideal candidate will be a great communicator, with listening, interpersonal and networking skills. They will have the ability to clearly articulate the company’s purpose and priorities and effectively engage stakeholders. They will show talent and capacity for building and maintaining relationships with individual donors, corporate supporters, foundations and other funding bodies.

The candidate will have a track record in achieving targets, developing a case for support and fundraising proposals, preparing applications and presenting, pitching and asking for support. They will have a passion for the arts and a desire to contribute to the growth, development and success of Irish National Opera. A knowledge of opera or the willingness to learn about the opera sector is essential.

Experience and Skills:
• Proven track record with minimum 3 years fundraising experience
• Minimum 5 years experience working in the arts, the not-for-profit or related sector
• Impeccable written communications skills including correspondence, reports and proposals
• Proficiency in public speaking and successful presenter of projects / proposals
• Good storyteller
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills
• Ability to manage teams and projects
• Demonstrable experience of developing and maintaining long lasting relationships with external stakeholders including at C level
• Ability to research and prepare funding applications
• Creative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit
• Personal accountability, high level of integrity, ability to work under pressure
• Focused self-starter with ability to work collaboratively with teams
• Strategic mindset
• Experience of developing and implementing strategy

See link below for further details.