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Development Director, Figurative

  •  London
  •  Â£50k+
  •  Part time
  •  Closes February 22, 2026
  •  Lauren Gildersleve
  •  hello@figurative.org.uk
  • #Combined arts
New

Description

Job Summary

Figurative is a new organisation, and this is a brand new role. Our mission is to bring new funding capital to the cultural and creative sectors. We're looking for a Development Director to join our senior leadership team, reporting directly to our CEO.

Job Description

Figurative is a new organisation, and this is a brand new role. Our mission is to bring new funding capital to the cultural and creative sectors, and to deploy it in ways that optimise for social impact and for sector sustainability.

We bring together deep expertise through Arts & Culture Finance (formerly part of Nesta) and New Philanthropy for Arts & Culture to unlock new and innovative ways of funding and supporting the UK's arts ecosystem.

About this role

Culture and creativity are essential to human flourishing, yet the financial models supporting them are in need of a serious reimagining. Public subsidy is declining in real terms, traditional philanthropy can't fill the gap, and commercial investment often doesn't align with how cultural and creative sector organisations work best.

Figurative exists to create a third way: impact investment that brings new capital to culture and creativity, while respecting what makes the sector special.

This is a unique opportunity to join Figurative in its infancy, and to take responsibility for growing Figurative from £30m to £100m+ over the next 3-5 years. Your work will directly enable cultural organisations to access capital they couldn't reach through traditional routes - capital that allows them to take creative risks, sustain their missions, and amplify their social impact without compromising their values.

You will be joining a dynamic, inclusive, collaborative team that is committed to learning on the job, and in the open. This involves testing out new ideas, and finding partners who are keen to explore innovative ways in which their money can be used to bring about their desired outcomes through the power of culture and creativity.

  • Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 FTE, depending on experience
  • Location: Hybrid working arrangement based at Somerset House in central London, with flexibility and some travel within the UK.
  • Reports to: CEO
  • Hours: 3 days/ week (0.6 FTE)

Job Requirements

In this role, the successful candidate will have to be/demonstrate skills including:

  • Strategic infrastructure builder: Proven track record designing and implementing fundraising/investor relations systems and processes in growth-stage organisations - not just using existing ones.
  • Financial literacy: Comfortable with impact investment concepts, fund structures, and articulating risk/return/impact trade-offs to sophisticated investors. You can speak credibly to family offices and institutional investors, not just traditional arts funders.
  • Cross-sector translator: Ability to articulate culture's value to investors whose primary focus is climate, social impact, or economic development. Fluency in making the case for why culture matters to non-arts audiences. Ability to build and manage partnerships across philanthropy, commercial creative industries, and the public sector, navigating complex stakeholder environments with diplomacy and credibility.

Job Responsibilities

Skills and responsibilities will include:

  • Strategic Philanthropic Fundraising: Demonstrated ability to design and execute philanthropic fundraising strategies aligned to mission-driven objectives, including multi-year funding pipelines and donor portfolios
  • Major Donor and High Net Worth Engagement: Proven experience cultivating and stewarding relationships with, and securing gifts from high net worth individuals, family offices, and trusts and foundations, and confidence engaging sophisticated donors around arts and the creative industries.
  • Foundations and Institutional Giving: Strong capability in identifying, soliciting, and managing relationships with foundations, philanthropic trusts, and institutional funders in the UK and internationally.
  • Cultural and Creative Philanthropy Expertise: Demonstrated knowledge of arts and cultural fundraising ecosystems, including experience working with artists, cultural organisations, and creative industry stakeholders.

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please submit your application below before midnight Sunday 22nd February 2026. Please include a one-page cover letter covering the following questions

What are the main challenges you think Figurative will have to navigate within this phase of development
What are the most important messages to convey to existing and potential stakeholders about Figurative’s mission and motivations?
First interviews will be held virtually on Wednesday 4th March 2026.

Second interviews will be held in person in our London offices on Thursday 12th March 2026.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those who are underrepresented in the investment sector to apply.

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