Head of Major Gifts & Legacies

Head of Major Gifts & Legacies - The British Museum - Hybrid (at least 2 days per week on-site in Bloomsbury, London) - Up to £65,00 per annum

About the Role

This is a rare opportunity to join the British Museum at one of the most exciting fundraising moments in its history. As Head of Major Gifts & Legacies, you will play a central leadership role in securing philanthropic support for the Museum's Masterplan - a once in a generation redevelopment programme.

With the autumn bringing the high profile Museum Ball and the landmark Bayeux Tapestry visit, this is a pivotal moment to shape the Museum's philanthropic future. You will lead our major gifts and legacy programmes, develop relationships with high value donors in the UK and internationally, and inspire a dedicated team to deliver exceptional results.

The Masterplan

The British Museum is undertaking its biggest transformation since its founding nearly 300 years ago. This physical and intellectual transformation includes large scale building and gallery transformation, new ways of connecting with audiences and different ways of working. As we look towards this exciting future, we remain guided by the words of our founder Hans Sloane - who dreamed of a museum connecting all arts and sciences, which would be accessible to everyone, everywhere.

About You

We are looking for an ambitious, strategic and emotionally intelligent fundraising leader who thrives in high profile, high stakes environments. You will bring proven experience securing six and seven figure gifts and have the confidence to build relationships with influential philanthropists, private foundations and family offices.

You combine exceptional communication skills with an understanding of legacy giving, donor stewardship and complex gift cultivation. You are a collaborative leader who motivates teams, builds trust across the organisation and can operate with pace, discretion and diplomacy, especially during a major campaign cycle.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Lead a portfolio of high value funders, cultivating and securing major gifts to support the Masterplan, exhibitions, curatorial posts and core Museum priorities.
• Provide strategic leadership for the Museum's legacy giving programme, increasing long term philanthropic commitments.
• Motivate and develop the Major Gifts & Legacies team, setting ambitious goals and ensuring high quality delivery.
• Produce compelling proposals, case statements, stewardship plans and donor briefings to support major fundraising moments - including the Museum Ball, Bayeux Tapestry programme and autumn campaign launches.
• Maintain excellent donor data, pipeline planning and relationship tracking to underpin an effective and insight driven fundraising strategy.

Benefits

At the British Museum, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do and have designed a benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary. Our full list of benefits can be found here , but we've outlined some highlights below:

• Free exhibition entry for you and guests, exclusive private views, ICOM and reciprocal museum access.
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days (and +5 days after 10 years).
• Discounts at onsite catering, Museum shops and local Bloomsbury partners. Social and wellbeing perks including Staff parties, social clubs, CSSC sports and leisure, and support from the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship.
• Peer support and allyship with five diversity networks for community.
• Learning and development through courses, mentoring and Athena as well as support for professional qualifications.
• Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7 for counselling, wellbeing support and more. Eyecare vouchers for VDU tests and contributions toward glasses.
• Enhanced parental leave including maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave.
• Support for carers through Employers for Carers. Civil Service Pension Scheme with a secure, inflation linked defined benefit.
• Interest free loans including season ticket, rental deposit and bicycle loans.

Our Values

Our values drive everything we do, from how we handle our objects to how we work in our team to fostering a culture where everyone feels heard and empowered:

• Care Deeply
• Embrace the Unknown
• Spark Curiosity
• Value Many Voices

These are a core part of how we recruit. Throughout the application, interview and selection process, we look for examples of how candidates demonstrate these behaviours in their own work and experiences. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with our values and reflect them in your application.

We may be able to provide visa sponsorship for this role, subject to meeting eligibility requirements. You can find out more about these here .

The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.

For further information and details on how to apply, please visit

For an informal and confidential discussion, please speak with our advisors at Berwick Partners:

William Pringle

Partner, Head of Charity, Arts, Culture & Heritage Practice

Berwick Partners

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Closing date for applications: Friday 26 th June 2026