Now is a great time to join National Museums Scotland as we are embarking on a new Strategic Plan that will guide our work for the next five years. You will have the chance to shape our fundraising response from the start and play a pivotal role in developing campaigns to support our successful delivery.

We are hugely proud of the impact we have on people’s lives through sharing the stories of the remarkable objects we care for in Scotland’s National Collection. This new Plan marks a step-change in how we use these collections to address the challenges of the 21st century, exploring pressing questions about identity, climate change and biodiversity loss, and the legacies of colonialism.

As a charity, the philanthropic income generated by our Development Team is vital to our activities. It supports high-profile acquisitions, education and national outreach programmes, exhibitions, refreshed galleries and transformative capital campaigns. 

Fundraising at National Museums Scotland is already well-established - over the last 15 years we have successfully raised tens of millions of pounds to support an ambitious programme of capital development across our five sites.

What we now need is an inspirational senior leader to give our team of fantastic fundraisers new direction and a sense of ambition, and to work with the Director of External Relations to build a strong fundraising culture across the organisation.

We have capital projects in development, but the biggest current need is building deeper relationships with our communities of supporters to develop strong unrestricted funding streams and rebooting our approach to funding projects that contribute to our strategic aims.

As our new Head of Development you’ll need to be creative and driven - to be able to spot a great idea, collaborate across the organisation, and use your influence to develop a fundable project out of it.

You will be part of the Leadership Team, the group of senior managers who drive forward our activities, and part of the External Relations Directorate, a close-knit team with a busy and sociable working environment.

You don’t need to have to have worked in museums before, but it’s pretty important to have a curiosity for our collection.

Our public buildings are vibrant places of fun and interactivity as well as contemplative spaces of beauty and escape. They are the tip of the iceberg of our work and we are excited to share with you what goes on behind-the-scenes, our scientific labs and archaeological digs, our expertise in biodiversity, fashion, and cutting-edge technology, and our extraordinary Collection Centre where we store, research, and preserve those objects not on display.

This is a full-time role with FlexiTime and Hybrid Working options, comes with an extensive range of benefits including the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Grade D salary ranging from £51,992 to £58,949 - however salary on appointment will be subject to the individual’s qualifications and experience and open to discussion.