Development Manager

Royal Irish Academy of Music; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 60,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious music academy in Dublin seeks a motivated Development Manager to lead fundraising initiatives and cultivate corporate partnerships. The successful candidate will develop and implement strategic plans to significantly grow funding streams in alignment with the academy's 2026-2030 Strategy. This role offers the opportunity to make a substantial impact on the future of classical music in Ireland, working closely with senior management and external stakeholders.

Benefits

29 days annual leave

Employer pension scheme

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of experience in fundraising or business development.
• Experience in building partnerships with corporate sponsors.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with potential corporate partners.
• Plan and coordinate corporate supporter engagement events.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Fundraising

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Organizational skills

Communication

Education

Third level qualification in a relevant discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

CRM systems

Job description

Reporting to: Head of Development

Role type: Full Time based on 35 hours net per week

Annual leave: 29 Days annual leave per annum (including RIAM closure days)

Salary Scale: Appointment will be made at the Administrative Officer Grade VII Pay Scale, (€60,011 – €78,015pa)

Pension: Employer pension scheme with minimum employee pension contribution set at 5% of gross salary and employer contribution at 10% of gross salary.

Contract: 3-year fixed term (subject to a 6-month probationary period)

Location: RIAM, 36 – 38 Westland Row, Dublin 2.

Start Date: February/March 2026

The nature of this role will involve on‑site/office work and the flexibility for remote work in line with the RIAM Policy

Role Description

Reporting directly to the Head of Development, the Development Manager will have a specific emphasis on Corporate Partnerships and be responsible for a range of fundraising activities relating to scholarships, musical and artistic projects, outreach programmes and supporting RIAM’s strategic priorities requiring corporate partners.

They will have a primary responsibility for developing a portfolio of Corporate and Business Partners, Supporters and Prospects, substantially growing this income stream in line with RIAM’s 2026-2030 Strategy and corresponding Development and Fundraising Plan.

The role will also involve supporting the Head of Development in raising transformative levels of funding from a range of sources, including major donors and foundations, to support the next stage of RIAM’s development and delivering on our strategic ambition to become a National Conservatoire of Global Consequence.

The Opportunity

At RIAM, we are at the midpoint of an exciting and ambitious journey. In 2023 we opened a new €27m, 6,500 sq m campus and recital hall, putting us on par with the best conservatoires in the world. This has created the platform for the next 10‑year stage of our transformation. Our upcoming 2026-2030 Strategy will outline ambitious and far‑reaching plans for the Academy. At the heart of this strategy is a cultural shift: a collective embrace of music as both an art and a science, and a recognition of its profound societal impact.

Development and Fundraising will be central to delivering on this ambition.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated, hard‑working and strategically minded individual to play a significant role in delivering RIAM’s bold vision and contribute to a vibrant, ambitious future for classical music in Ireland and beyond.

The Development Manager will have autonomy to drive their own income generation working closely with the Head of Development as well as RIAM’s Director.

Over the past 10 years, RIAM has created a core group of supporters who have given significant levels to the Capital Campaign. In addition, annual development income from corporate and individual supporters has grown substantially in recent years. The Development Manager will work to build on this recent success, working as a senior member of a growing Development team tasked with raising transformative levels of private funding to underpin RIAM’s strategic development over the next 5-10 years.

RIAM has a 501(c)(3) foundation, which serves our US donors, and has also been a recipient of donations through the Ireland Funds. RIAM is a registered charity (CHY 1794).

Role Responsibilities

• Strategic planning in conjunction with the Head of Development to develop and implement priority projects for RIAM requiring philanthropic and corporate sponsorship support
• Play a leading role in identifying, cultivating, and securing donations from a range of sources with a particular emphasis on growing corporate support and partnerships
• Agree and meet annual targets around income, stewardship and engaging prospects
• Develop and prepare corporate prospect lists, marketing and communication materials, proposals and other relevant materials
• Plan and host campus visits and engagement events for corporate supporters and potential corporate partners
• Maintain excellent business relationships and lead on all engagement and stewardship of existing corporate partners including proposals and contracts, partnership benefits, concerts and events, reports and impact management
• Help and support the delivery of RIAM’s new highly ambitious Development and Fundraising Plan supporting the next organisational strategy, contributing ideas and recommendations, and working on their implementation
• Work closely with the Head of Development in identifying prospects and developing cultivation events for the Development and Fundraising Plan – in Ireland, the US and the UK
• Maintain accurate data on supporters, prospects, donors and partners to ensure accurate prospecting, cultivating and stewarding across all income streams. Work to integrate a new CRM system across all development activities
• Build strong working relationships across the Academy including Senior Management Team, Heads of Faculty and Board of Trustees to support delivery of all relevant activities
• Oversee financial records management, budgetary planning, and monitoring and coordination of income raised from corporate partnerships and other development income streams
• Represent RIAM at internal events and concerts on a regular basis and at external industry events, availing of corporate networking opportunities
• Contribute to the evolution of the growing Development Team including long‑term planning and strategic implementation
• Other duties as deemed appropriate by the Head of Development / Director

Experience, Qualifications and Knowledge

• Hold a third level qualification in a relevant discipline and/or professional qualification with a minimum of five years experience (Essential)
• Experience of working in music, music education, the arts or higher education is advantageous
• Experience in the Private and/or Public Sector with proven stakeholder engagement (Essential)
• Experience in the broader charitable sector and/or business development is welcome
• Demonstrate a minimum of five years’ experience and success in fundraising and/or business development (Essential)
• Proven experience of developing meaningful partnerships and sponsorship contracts with corporate partners (Essential)
• Experience of growing fundraising income across a range of sources including Friends Membership Schemes and Corporate Partnerships to major donors and legacies (Essential)
• Evidence of strong customer service and of interacting with diverse stakeholders, e.g. senior management, academic staff, individual and corporate donors, alumni, students, etc. (Essential)
• Experience in maintaining accounts and financial records (Desirable)
• Experience of working with US donors and engagement with the Ireland Funds (Desirable)
• Proven experience in representing an organisation at a senior and wider community level (Essential)
• Experience of working as a member of a team, providing leadership, support and assistance where needed (Desirable)
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint with excellent presentation skills (Essential)
• General understanding of the structure of RIAM, Music Education, Higher Education or the Arts in general (Desirable)
• Experience in the use of databases and/or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems (Desirable)

Person Specification

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills with an ability to engage at senior management and board level and with senior level stakeholders
• High levels of attention to detail and accuracy, including data entry, and ability to meet deadlines
• Proven ability to create realistic plans and achieve objectives, effectively managing workload and priorities
• Strong organisational, planning and multi‑tasking skills with an ability to meet targets and deadlines
• Available to work occasional unsocial hours as required
• An aptitude for problem solving and multi‑tasking, and a genuine commitment to providing high standards in customer service
• An entrepreneurial and innovative attitude to work
• A positive ‘can do’ attitude and collaborative working style

Personal Qualities

• Personable and confident with a proven ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships
• Politically sensitive, with a diplomatic approach and cross‑cultural sensitivity
• A strategic thinker with a proven capability in successful fundraising
• Strong analytical, planning and budgeting skills with a focus on return on investment
• Flexibility: demonstrable experience of structuring workload and comfortably managing the multiple dimensions of the role

Application

Please email a cover letter (500 words max) and CV outlining your experience and suitability for the role to Ruth Meehan [e-mail]. PDF, single file only.

Closing date for receipt of your application is 5pm on Tuesday 20th January 2026. (Late applications will not be accepted).

It is anticipated that interviews for this post will be in person and in RIAM on Westland Row and take place in the week beginning 26th January 2026 with second round interviews held in the week beginning 2nd February 2026.

Contact information

For further information please contact Ruth Meehan [e-mail]