Job Description

Position Details

Barber Institute of Fine Art


Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK


Full time starting salary is normally in the range 36,130 to 45,413 with potential progression once in post to 48,149


Grade: 7


Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2028


Closing date: 11th May 2025


UK and International travel may be required for this role.

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.


The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.


We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.


We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.


Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.


The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.


Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an internationally important art collection, gallery and concert hall housed in a Grade 1 listed Art Deco building, located at the heart of the University of Birmingham's Edgbaston campus.


Established in 1932 'for the study and encouragement of Art and Music', our mission derives from the far-sighted vision of our founder, Lady Barber. The jewel in the cultural crown of the University, the Barber uses its world-class collections to create inspirational opportunities for learning and enjoyment for students, staff and the wider public.


The Barber Institute is one of the UK's foremost university arts centres and enjoys an international reputation for its art collection, exhibitions and its concert programme. Often described as a mini-National Gallery for the Midlands, its collection includes masterpieces by many of the major names in the history of western art, including Botticelli, Degas, Kollwitz, Monet, Rubens, Turner, Vigee-Lebrun, Van Gogh and others. Its collection of Roman, Byzantine and mediaeval coins is one of the most important in the world.


The Barber team organise a popular and successful programme of exhibitions and displays, along with an innovative, critically engaged learning and engagement programme. At the University of Birmingham, the Barber is part of the College of Arts and Law; as such it enjoys close relationships with numerous departments such as History of Art, which is housed and taught within the building, and cross-disciplinary departments within the wider University. The Barber is seeking to consolidate and grow its existing and loyal visitor base, while developing new and underrepresented audiences.


The Barber is embarking on a transformation project in 2025. This is an exciting and critical project, which will encompass both physical and strategic change, transforming the museum. The Barber's building will be closed from the 27 Jan 2025 until 2026, when we expect to re-open. During its closure to the public, the Barber will tour its collections nationally and develop new critical and core initiatives that will support its re-opening and ambitious future plans.


For further information please visit our website at www.barber.org.uk

Role Summary

Do you want to be part of a dynamic and innovative team and reshape its development activities to support an ambitious exhibition and learning programme and to sustain our world leading art collection? Do you enjoy cultivating relationships with prospective donors, leading Trust and Foundation applications and thinking about what our offer should be to over 300 friends of the Barber - the 'Barber Association' and our Patron scheme? This is a new role within the Barber Institute and would suit a candidate who is excited to forge change within the organisation, with the support of the Directorial team. The candidate will be play an important role in development the wider strategy for the Barber as a valued member of the Senior Management team.


The Development Manager will work closely with colleagues in DARO (the fundraising arm of the University of Birmingham). They will be line managed by the Barber's Director and benefit from regular meetings with senior managers within DARO's team, to cultivate a close working relationship between the Barber and the University.


This is a wide-ranging role, which can also be shaped by the post holder. It will be offered in the first instance on a 3-year fixed-term basis and the post holder and Director will agree income generation targets at the beginning of each financial year.

Main Duties

As Development Manager for the Barber, you will have primary responsibility for a wide-ranging portfolio that includes philanthropic giving, charitable fundraising bids, the 'Barber Association' composed of 300 members, our Patrons, and other sources of income generation, including funding within UoB and the commercial sector. This is an exciting time to join the Barber as we rethink and review our fundraising activities. The post holder will have opportunity to develop a new strategy for fundraising activity across these areas in order to support our work across learning and engagement, exhibitions, collections and capital development; with the Director they will shape the weighting of time and focus that should be given to each area and working closely with other senior members of the team. Some administrative support for this role is provided through the 0.4FTE role - PA to the Director and Development assistant.

Core areas of work:

Philanthropic Giving

Personally develop and manage a portfolio of prospective donors, maintaining close relationships with each prospect and integrating them with the Barber and the University whenever possible to bring the prospective donors to the point where you can ask for philanthropic support. Secure donation pledges against agreed targets. Communicate effectively with donors through a variety of channels. Working in partnership with other fundraisers and members of DARO including sharing best practice and ensuring prospect development by playing in senior stakeholders at the right time. Promoting equality and valuing diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture. Demonstrate an understanding that successful fundraising is based on building effective relationships, which match a prospective donor's philanthropic interest. Be responsible for the end-to-end relationship management process of your contacts including: + Identifying new prospective donors from your networks and those of the SMT.
+ Making the approach and managing a cultivation process, tailored to your prospect.
+ Understanding the Barber's priorities and bringing them to life for individual supporters through various communication channels.
+ Asking confidently, passionately and effectively for key priorities.
+ Building long-term relationships that are centred on the donor.
+ Stewarding the donor once a gift is made, ensuring the individual remains connected to the Barber, the project, and the impact which they have made.

Barber Association and Patrons

Review and make proposals to reshape the offer to our Barber Association members and Patrons to ensure that it is generating income for the organisation, benefits our members and aligns with our values. Organise and deliver events for members with the support of the Marketing Manager. Ensure that memberships and renewals are recorded, processed and record via digital systems (or other platforms) and that GDPR policies are followed, supported by the PA to the Director and Development Assistant. Bring Association members along on the journey to reshape our activity using careful communications.

Charitable Trusts and Foundations

Identify prospective Trusts and Foundations to which the Barber Institute can seek support for its programme, exhibition, and collection activities, as well as capital expansion in the future. Create and develop a strategy for Trust applications and giving that is realistic and achievable, in line with the Barber's priorities. Managing the whole donor journey of a charitable funder, from identification to application to acknowledgement and stewardship. Meeting reporting objectives of funders and ensuring an excellent experience for funders.

Other areas of work

Work closely with the PA to the Director and Development Assistant to manage opening events and special patrons' events invitation lists, ensuring that prospects are included in these and manage special pre-opening events for high level donors/trusts. Research and develop commercial support opportunities for the Barber in collaboration with the Deputy Director: Transformations. Research and develop UoB funding for the Barber.

Organisational understanding and working practices

Understanding the context of our work in relation to the wider operations of the University. Promote equality and valuing diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture. Maintain records within CRM database and Blackbaud systems and manage mailouts using 'send in blue'. Understand and apply GDPR legislation to working practices.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Evidence of performance gained within a results-orientated environment, preferably fundraising. Enthusiastic, target-driven and motivated to raise money. Evidence of writing motivational and persuasive written bids, reports or proposals, which express ideas accurately, coherently and persuasively. Passion for and knowledge of Museums and Higher Education Institutions, particularly research and the role of philanthropy. Ability to build strong relationships and engage with individuals and organisations, internally and externally. Personal confidence, independence and determination to succeed as an individual and as part of a team. Strong communication skills including the ability to establish relationships quickly and prepare information and reports for potential donors. Ability to manage own workload and prioritise strategically. Familiarity with funders within the arts sector. Good understanding of the museum sector and a passion for the visual arts. Demonstrable experience of working with high-level trusts/foundations and individual donors. Demonstrable evidence of successfully managing targets, budgets, and reporting to funders. The ability to work independently with initiative, to take decisions and think creatively and laterally. Strong negotiation skills and the ability to persuade and influence with diplomacy and sensitivity. The ability to represent the Barber with confidence, diplomacy, and authority. Attention to detail within written work, and reliable and timely communications with stakeholders. The desire to support colleagues in the achievement of their individual and the collective goals, and to celebrate others' success as positively as your own. Highly proficient IT skills, including the wider MS Office suite of programmes including excel and PowerPoint. Some flexibility to work unsociable hours (evenings and weekends) when occasionally required. Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly. Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation, and to develop a good understanding of how the University and higher education institutions work. Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications). Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.

Role context

Roles at this level will require expertise and a detailed understanding of methods, systems and procedures in an administrative or professional area. You will either use specialist knowledge or have more of a planning/co-ordination/project role or a role which is supervisory in nature where you may manage a range of activity. You will have the opportunity to exercise a high degree of personal responsibility and initiative which you will use to resolve queries; you will use your judgement to deal with unforeseen problems and circumstances, all with limited guidance/supervision.

Core competencies/transferable skills

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully use the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below. As appropriate for the level, our Birmingham Professionals will take ownership for getting things done. You will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.

Planning and organising

prioritise and schedule work and resources to ensure on time and (where applicable) on budget delivery; set priorities and quality standards for a wide range of tasks and duties; contribute to written documents, for example proposals and reports taking account of audience; operate with limited supervision and with considerable scope for initiative, within established work procedures. with the support of the Director and Deputy Director, lead the development and delivery of a new development strategy for the organisation.

Problem solving and decision making

anticipate and identify issues in own area based on experience; make appropriate suggestions for improvements and implement these once agreed in own area; facilitate change, and articulate the implications and benefits of change to others; focus on determining short-term priorities of work area, and how to maximise quality, efficiency and continuity.

Organisational understanding

quickly develop an understanding of their working area and how it contributes to the success of the Barber; display an interest in how the Barber operates beyond own working area; develop and share this knowledge with others.

Relationships and communication

develop and maintain excellent working relationships in own area, and more widely as required for collaborative working opportunities; communicate clearly and openly with others both within and external to the University, and use a range of communication skills and strategies to gain commitment to a course of action; demonstrate collaborative working at all times, including with others outside the immediate work area.

Informal enquiries to Jennifer Powell, email: j.powell.2@bham.ac.uk


View our staff values and behaviours here

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy

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You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone

on our website

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