Head of Gift Processing and Administration

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced gift processing or financial administration professional to take ownership of a high-performing function. You'll lead the Gift Processing & Administration team, ensuring philanthropic gifts are recorded, processed and reported accurately, and that donor intent, regulatory requirements and UCL policy are met every step of the way. Working closely with colleagues in fundraising, finance and research and innovation services, you'll be the operational backbone of UCL's philanthropic income - driving continuous improvement, maintaining strong financial controls, and shaping an outstanding experience for donors and colleagues alike. You'll also lead, coach and develop a team of specialists, building a culture of accountability, collaboration and pride in a job well done. What you'll be doing

• Leading gift processing and financial administration - overseeing accurate recording, reconciliation, disbursement and reporting of philanthropic income, and ensuring gift acknowledgements, receipting and pledge management run like clockwork.
• Owning governance, compliance and financial controls - developing robust procedures and standards, ensuring compliance with charity law and Gift Aid regulations, and leading UCL's readiness for audit and assurance activity.
• Championing training and stakeholder engagement - equipping colleagues across UCL with the knowledge and tools to navigate gift administration confidently, and building strong relationships across Advancement, Finance and beyond.
• Driving systems, reporting and continuous improvement - enhancing efficiency, data quality and management information, and bringing a mindset of process improvement and best practice to everything you do.
• Leading and developing your team - setting priorities, coaching and mentoring your people, and promoting a customer-focused, high-performing culture.
  
  We're looking for someone who combines deep technical knowledge of gift or financial administration with the confidence and warmth to lead a team and influence stakeholders at every level. You'll likely bring:
• Significant experience in gift processing, donation administration, financial administration or advancement services operations.
• A strong grasp of financial controls, reconciliations, income processing, audit requirements and governance frameworks.
• A track record of developing, implementing and monitoring operational policies, procedures and controls.
• Experience managing stakeholder relationships and working collaboratively across Finance, fundraising and other professional services teams.
• Experience overseeing data quality, reporting and business processes supported by CRM and financial systems.
• Experience supporting audit, assurance, compliance monitoring or regulatory review activity.
• Confidence managing year-end processes, reconciliations and financial reporting.
• A history of leading operational improvement initiatives that embed efficient, scalable processes.
• Proven people leadership - setting priorities, managing performance and supporting staff development within a compliance, fundraising operations or governance environment.
Alongside this, you'll bring sharp analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent communication and influencing ability, meticulous attention to detail, and a genuine commitment to delivering an outstanding donor and stakeholder experience. It would also be great if you have
• Experience working within higher education, fundraising, philanthropy or a charitable organisation.
• Knowledge of charity law, Gift Aid, restricted funds, endowments, legacy administration and philanthropic income management.
• Experience leading systems development, process improvement, automation or business change initiatives.
• Familiarity with fundraising CRM and financial systems - experience with Blackbaud CRM is a particular plus.
  
  UCL Advancement is a dynamic and collaborative team, responsible for engaging our alumni and supporter community, and developing philanthropic partnerships to support UCL's objectives. UCL has launched , our biggest philanthropic and engagement campaign yet, in our bicentennial year, that sets out our ambitions to solve global health, societal, climate and education challenges in UCL's next century.
Here, we have the determination to double down on our discoveries, translate our innovations into impact and inspire the citizens of the future. The campaign will unite some of the world's best researchers, with a committed donor and alumni community, to fuel the next 200 years of societal impact at UCL. The Gift Policy & Administration team enables and safeguards philanthropic fundraising at UCL by providing the governance, compliance, gift due diligence, gift acceptance and gift administration framework that underpins the entire philanthropic gift lifecycle. The function protects UCL's reputation and charitable purpose, ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, safeguards donor intent, and delivers the operational excellence required to convert philanthropic opportunities into income that supports UCL's strategic priorities.

Joining UCL means joining one of the world's great universities at a genuinely exciting moment - 200 years in, and just getting started on the next chapter. In return for your expertise, we offer:
• Hybrid working, with the flexibility to work remotely for up to 80% of the week.
• A generous annual leave allowance, plus UCL closure days, on top of bank holidays.
• Membership of a competitive defined-benefits pension scheme.
• A strong commitment to your professional development, including access to training, coaching and career development opportunities.
• A season ticket loan scheme and other financial wellbeing benefits.
• Access to UCL's on-site facilities, including libraries, gyms and staff discounts across a range of services.
• The chance to be part of a values-led, inclusive community at the very heart of London, working on a role that directly enables UCL's philanthropic mission.
To apply, please prepare a 'Statement in support of your application' that responds directly to the essential and desirable criteria for this role, using specific examples to demonstrate how you meet each one. Your statement will be scored against these criteria, so please be as clear and specific as you can. This job description may be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder. We look forward to hearing from you - and to seeing how you could help shape the next chapter of philanthropy at UCL. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion As London's Global University, we know that diversity fuels creativity and innovation - and we want our community to reflect the full diversity of the world's talent. We're committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where everyone truly belongs. We particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce, and we're happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments or flexible working arrangements you may need throughout the recruitment process and beyond. Available documents