Philanthropy Manager

The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

As a charity we could not plan for our next programme of artistic work, or our community and outreach projects, without the support of our philanthropists and members. As an organisation we are committed to ensuring that all philanthropists and members enjoy a rewarding relationship with our organisation.

Following an internal promotion, the Development and Advocacy Department are looking to appoint an experienced Philanthropy Manager to join our Philanthropy team. In this exciting and dynamic role you will manage a number of philanthropic relationships and make a significant contribution to the team through developing new initiatives and growing the portfolio.

The ideal candidate profile for this post will be a team player, with the following credentials:

• An established track record in philanthropy or fundraising for major organisations
• Demonstrated success in managing a portfolio of high value relationships with experience of personally securing significant gifts
• Ability to think strategically to devise relevant engagement and cultivation plans and identify opportunities for approaches to prospects
• A balance of experience and innovation to be able to develop new ideas and launch new initiatives successfully
• Credibility as an ambassador in the area of philanthropy, able to work effectively at senior levels and liaise with high-net-worth individuals
• Strong project management skills, with demonstrable experience of solving complex problems, drawing on given resources and collaborative working

A working knowledge of our repertoire is not a pre-requisite for this role but the ability to upskill quickly in our art forms in order to confidently speak to prospective donors is essential.

The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UK s leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.

We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under-represented within our organisation.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.

The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.

Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, Sunday 8th March 2026.

Interviews will follow a two stage process with 1st stage online via MS Teams and 2nd stage in person at ROH Covent Garden.

To ensure a fair process, late applications will not be considered under any circumstances.

Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.