Head of Philanthropy

Head of Philanthropy

Hours

Full time

Contract

Permanent

Salary

Competitive plus benefits

Required from

September 2026

The role

At South Hampstead High School, philanthropy is about more than fundraising. It is about widening access to a transformational education, strengthening lifelong connections with our community and creating opportunities for young women to flourish. As one of London’s leading girls’ schools approaches its 150th anniversary, this is a rare opportunity to build on an established programme and shape the next chapter of giving and engagement at South Hampstead.

As Head of Philanthropy, you will develop and deliver a bold, multi-year fundraising and engagement strategy that supports the school’s long-term vision, expands access through bursaries and further embeds a culture of giving across the South Hampstead community. Working closely with the Head, senior leaders and GDST colleagues, you will lead major gift fundraising, campaigns, annual giving, trusts and foundations, legacy giving, donor stewardship and alumnae engagement. This is a role with both strategic influence and visible human impact: strengthening lifelong connections with alumnae, parents, staff and friends while generating philanthropic investment that directly supports opportunity, belonging and transformational education.

About you

We are looking for a strategic, relationship-led development professional with significant experience in philanthropy, fundraising or advancement. You will bring a proven track record of securing major gifts, managing donor pipelines and delivering successful campaigns, alongside the credibility to work with senior stakeholders and inspire support from a wide community. Entrepreneurial, thoughtful and highly communicative, you will believe in the power of education to transform lives and be excited by the chance to build a sustainable culture of philanthropy aligned with South Hampstead’s values and the wider GDST mission.

About the School

Working at South Hampstead is stimulating, challenging and fun. Located in leafy Hampstead, with the buzz of central London’s cultural life close at hand, the school is very well served by public transport and there are excellent local amenities nearby.

The school is part of the GDST, the UK's leading network of independent girls' schools. We offer a variety of benefits, such as:

Competitive salaries and pay progression

Access to extensive professional development opportunities

Training grants for qualifications

Generous pension schemes

Free life assurance benefit

Interest free loans for training, computer purchase loans and travel season ticket loans

A Cycle to Work scheme

Competitive terms and conditions of employment

A discount of up to 50% on fees for children at GDST schools

To find out more and to apply, please click the apply button.

The closing date for applications is Monday 1st June 2026 at 9am.

Interviews will take place on Friday 12th June 2026.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and suitable candidates may be invited to interview before the published interview date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the position or if an offer is made and accepted.

The school may also conduct online searches (including publicly available social media searches) as part of our recruitment processes.

The GDST is committed to diversity, inclusion and real change: a family where every individual is valued, respected and included.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and child protection screening will apply to this post.