Alumni & Development Intern
Salary: Grade 4.1 (£26,395), rising to 4.4 (£28,541) in the second year, subject to
performance
Contract type: Full time, fixed term - 1 September 2025 to end of June 2027.
Location: Balliol College, Oxford, OX1 3BJ. Occasional remote working may be possible, however office-based work is essential to the role and the post holder will be expected to spend the majority of working hours on-site. Occasional travel within the UK will be required, for which expenses will be paid.
Department: Development Office
College Officer: Development Director
Reports to: Head of Development Operations
Responsible for: n/a
Hours: Full-time entailing a 37.5-hour week, with normal working hours Monday
to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm, with an hour for lunch, at Balliol College, Oxford. The role will involve occasional out-of-hours working, for which time off in lieu will be given.
Holiday: 30 days, plus Bank Holidays, during a complete holiday year, five of which are taken during the Christmas period when the College is closed.
Probation period: 12 months
Notice period: 1 month on either side (during probation)/3 months on either side (after probation)
Balliol College
Situated in an historic site in central Oxford, Balliol has been a hub of learning and community since its foundation in 1263. As one of the larger colleges within the University of Oxford, it is home to roughly 860 students, with undergraduates making up just under half of the student body. The College also employs over 80 Fellows, 50 lecturers, and about 180 support staff, with Dame Helen Ghosh as
its current Master. While academic excellence is at the core of Balliol’s mission, visitors are often struck by the College’s informal and welcoming atmosphere. Beyond its walls, Balliol has an active and engaged global community of over 8,000 alumni and donors.
Further information about the College is available at www.balliol.ox.ac.uk.
Purpose of the Post
The Alumni and Development Intern offers an opportunity for a recent graduate keen to develop a career in alumni relations and fundraising.
Initially, the Alumni and Development Intern will provide administrative and organisational support for Balliol’s fundraising and donor stewardship, events and alumni relations activities, including personally soliciting and stewarding donations from Old Members and friends of the College.
In the latter part of Year 1 of the internship, and at the latest by the second year, the postholder will develop their focus on making personal fundraising approaches to potential donors, cultivating and soliciting donations through a combination of face-to-face meetings, video calls, telephone conversations and written correspondence.
The role reports to the Head of Development Operations and works closely with both the Events and Donor Relations Manager and the Events Coordinator.
As a two-year paid internship, the role is designed to give the holder a broad introduction to the work of an alumni and development office in an educational setting, and deeper experience in managing a portfolio of person-to-person fundraising approaches as preparation for a wide range of major donor and individual philanthropy roles in the educational and wider charitable sector.
Job duties and responsibilities
The main duties are included below. This is not an exhaustive list and may be amended in line with College needs.
Initially
Act as a first point of contact for enquiries to the Development Office, monitor the office’s general email inbox and receive telephone calls, responding to frequent enquiries personally and directing more complex requests to relevant team members.
1. Make fundraising approaches to individual donors via telephone, email and letter, including following up on missed payments and reactivating lapsed regular donations where credit card details have expired.
2. Provide support for the College’s telephone fundraising campaigns; including assisting with precampaign preparation and caller recruitment, helping callers during calling shifts and administering post-call communications.
3. Assist with the production of fundraising and donor relations materials; for example sourcing content such as imagery, copy and quotes from beneficiaries.
4. Assist with acknowledging new donations, working from daily gift reports and by personalising model messages of thanks and appreciation provided by colleagues.
5. Provide support for the events programme, including processing event registrations; responding to enquiries about bookings; assisting with the production of guest lists, programmes and badges; welcoming and registering guests and dealing with queries.
6. Drive current student and new alumni engagement with the work of the Development Office through promoting events and career mentoring services and organising and delivering the annual Leavers campaign.
7. Process corrections and updates to database records, as updates are received or identifying where information is missing, including through acknowledging and processing contributions to the annual News and Notes publication.
Subsequently
After the first six months of the internship, and at the latest by the second year, the holder will progress into a more fundraising-oriented role, duties including:
1. Manage a portfolio of donors capable of giving between £500 and £5,000 per year, making fundraising approaches through personal meetings, video and telephone calls, discussions at events, and through personal written correspondence, maintaining accurate and complete
records of approaches on the College’s database.
2. As required, support the Head of Development Operations on the planning and delivery of fundraising campaigns to support the College’s regular giving activities and support the Events & Donor Relations Manager on the delivery of the College’s events programme.
3. Provide support and guidance to the Year 1 Alumni and Development Intern on their duties.
General
1. In all work, ensure adherence to and compliance with relevant legislation: including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Data Protection Act 2018, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).
2. Other duties as required commensurate with the grade and scope of the role.
Person Specification – skills and experience
Essential
Experience of working in fundraising and alumni relations, for example as a telethon caller during your time at University.
Outstanding organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate confidently at all levels, both internally (Fellows, staff and students) and externally (alumni, donors and volunteers).
High levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
Excellent standard of written and spoken English.
An understanding of the requirements of working with personal and confidential information, and sensitivity to privacy and data protection regulations.
A demonstrable interest in fundraising, alumni relations and higher education.
Able to build effective relationships with donors, through empathy, adaptability and resilience
Team working skills and a collaborative approach
Desirable
Experience of using a CRM database or other tools to store, retrieve and manipulate
information.
The ability to think creatively to attract interest when planning events or campaigns and maintain donor engagement and commitment to the College.
An understanding of human behaviour – what motivates others and the ability to connect.
Employee Benefits
Staff meals: A free two-course lunch is available in the Hall, when the kitchens are open.
Pension: Oxford University Staff Pension Scheme (OSPS). This is a contributory pension scheme, with contributions from both the employee and the College. Further details are available here.
Travel
Interest-free ticket loans enabling the purchase of bus passes and annual
rail season tickets to Oxford. Discounted travel is available on some
services.
- Cycle to work scheme offering discounted rates on bicycles and accessories.
- Electric vehicle leasing scheme (salary sacrifice - eligibility criteria apply).
Healthcare - Free flu jabs and eye tests
- Free use of the College’s onsite gym and the University swimming pool
- Preferential rates for other University sports facilities and the Nuffield Health gym on Woodstock Road.
University Club: Free membership of the University Club, which offers food, drink and accommodation in an exclusive space for staff, postgraduates and alumni.
Learning and personal development: In addition to training organised by the College, resources are available from the University.
Visitor access: Free visitor access to the 45 colleges and halls of the University, the University’s Libraries, Botanic Gardens, Arboretum and Museums.
Employee discounts: Available at local and national retailers and online services using exclusive discount codes for University staff and with a TOTUM (formerly NUS) card.
Balliol nursery: A day-time nursery on Rawlinson Road, subject to availability. Subsidised rates are available for Balliol staff.
Application procedure
Informal enquiries
Candidates wishing to have an initial conversation about the role should in the
first instance contact Andrew Murton, Head of Development Operations
(andrew.murton@balliol.ox.ac.uk)
Written applications
Applications should be made by 12 noon on Wednesday 5 March online at
https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/careers.
Interviews: Candidates selected for interview will be notified by Friday 7 March. First stage interviews will be held on Monday 10 March 2025.
Right to Work: Shortlisted candidates will be expected to supply original documentation proving that they have the right to work in the United Kingdom (UK).
Equal Opportunities: Balliol College is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants are asked to complete a separate confidential Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form to help us fulfil our duties in this regard. Applicants should let us know if they require reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process.
Data Protection: Personal data is processed in accordance with Balliol College’s Privacy Policy which is available at https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/privacy-policy
