Head of Prospect Development

About the role : The Advancement Division is seeking a Head of Prospect Development for a fixed term contract maternity cover with technical expertise, sound judgment, political acuity, and collaborative interpersonal skills to join their ambitious team, and to lead the prospect development strategy and implementation for Imperial College London.

What you would be doing : The Head of Prospect Development is integral to the University’s ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign, which is in its quiet phase. They will lead the prospect development strategy and its implementation for the Division. They will develop and maintain a comprehensive and innovative programme of prospect identification (including key influencers and connectors), research and analysis, and tracking, playing a key role in building a strong base of support to enable the success of a growing fundraising programme. They will also oversee the ethical screening and gift acceptance process within the Division. Equally as important will be the managing and developing the Prospect Development team and ensuring overall responsibility for the team’s financial planning and performance, resource purchase and allocation, and personal development.

This career opportunity promises to be varied and will utilise to the maximum your experience gained in roles such as a Head of Prospect Research/Development, Prospect Development/Research Manager, Fundraising Researcher, or similar. This career opportunity will suit an individual with drive, ambition and a keen interest in philanthropy within higher education.

What we are looking for :

Demonstrable experience of successful prospect research and management within academia or not-for-profit sector.

Experience and understanding of the importance of technical expertise, data analysis and statistical know-how to facilitate a sustained philanthropic income stream.

Highly experienced using a relational database i.e. Blackbaud CRM or other similar platform for both inputting and analysis of data.

Experience of managing and developing staff, including experience of transferring skills to others, including the ability to act as coach and mentor for junior team members.

What we can offer you :

The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.

Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).

Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.

Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.

Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Closing date: 9 th September 2026

To find out more and apply, please use the button provided.

Further Information

This is a full-time post (not less than 35 hours per week). This role is for a fixed-term maternity cover contract for approx. 12 months.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Catherine Zahra – c.zahra@imperial.ac.uk

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

If you experience any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk . We're here to help.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial.

Our culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination and creating an inclusive working environment. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages .

Our values are at the heart of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity and innovation.