Communications and Fundraising Director

Communications and Fundraising Director

• £40,500 per year
• Closing date – 25 June 2025
• Bristol

Tobacco Factory Theatres is a place of Welcome and Wonder. A safe and inspiring place to share stories and be creative. Based in the iconic Tobacco Factory in South Bristol, our work connects people through the power of live theatre and the arts.

The Communications and Fundraising Director is the driving force of the Sales team overseeing income generation from audiences, individuals, businesses and trusts and foundations.

You will take responsibility for telling our story to a range of stakeholders, raising our profile, supporting all areas of our work and rooting all you do within the mission and values of our Charity. You will set, review and evolve the Sales strategies which sits within our wider Business Plan.

You will work closely with the Artistic Director to craft the ways in which we tell the story of who we are, the difference we hope to make, and all we’re doing to achieve it; driving forward our mission to be ‘a place of welcome and wonder.’

You will be responsible for developing and managing the organisation’s identity, connecting our brand, image and PR relationships. You will also oversee the marketing and press campaigns for touring companies and lead the major campaigns for our in-house productions; working with integrity to meaningfully develop and grow our relationships with audiences and beneficiaries. You will connect, nurture and build relationships with members, donors and trusts and foundations, confident in exploiting opportunities for growth and organisational messaging.

You will lead (and line manage) the Sales team, setting clear expectations and key performance indicators; ensuring targets are achieved, our story is communicated, and that stakeholder feedback and data drives our key decision-making processes, shaping our future growth.

KEY AREAS OF WORK

Marketing & Communications 

Lead, develop and implement the Marcomms element of the Sales strategy. Creating conditions by which the targets are achievable and drawing on all elements of our marketing mix with the aim to cultivate growth, impact, income and audiences annually. This will include:

• Developing and implementing audience development to diversify and increase the reach of our audiences across our eclectic programme. Planning, developing and implementing the organisation’s audience development initiatives for both new and returning audiences.
• Exploit digital innovation and evolution to include the research and planning for an upgrade to our website and digital marketing assets.
• Optimising the use of Spektrix, Google Analytics, Illuminate (ACE) and other platforms to enable ongoing detailed analysis of audience data.
• Leading the upgrade or replacement of the website, ensuring it fits our vision

Responsibility in setting, assessing and developing Tobacco Factory Theatres brand, press and PR to communicate our vision, values and identity. Overseeing the branding of the organisation, including;

• Developing and implementing the organisation’s communication with Press & PR. This will include specific outputs around profile pieces as well as previews/reviews both locally and nationally.
• Proactively communicate the impact of the charities work through varying channels; from our environmental agenda to participatory programmes, hire relationships and artistic excellence.
• Liaising with other departments about how the brand applies to them and their communications including print creation.
• Responding to audience feedback/ complaints; actively listening and passing on learning across the organisation.

Be fully accountable for the meeting of box office targets set across all shows, to include:

• Supporting innovative campaign plans across our programmes held by the Marketing & Sales Manager.
• Lead on in-house production campaigns.
• Review and develop the organisation’s pricing strategy, and offers, across all shows.

Fundraising 

Lead, develop and implement the Fundraising element of the Sales strategy. Ensuring that opportunities for leveraging charitable income are maximised and annual targets are met. This will include being accountable for:

• Meeting measurable, annual targets.
• Overseeing the creation of appropriate cases for support for unrestricted, project, core and capital funding.
• Reviewing data and rolling research to build pipelines appropriate for Tobacco Factory Theatres’ programme of work.
• Building relationships with key sector partners and funders.
• Delivering a high standard of cultivation events throughout the year.
• Being confident in making the ask, and supporting others to make the ask.
• Overseeing a robust relationship management system and ensuring excellent stewardship of donors to include the thanking, crediting, reporting and developing of all donors and donor relationships.
• Working closely with the appropriate departments, develop the case for support and oversee.
• A timely and strategic approach to a Trusts pipeline.
• The researching and writing of bids, editing as necessary.
• Crediting funders.
• The evidence gathering, reporting and thanking process.
• Develop and increase support from the individual and corporate community; ensuring the Fundraising Manager is fully resourced to:
• Grow the theatre’s Membership and Business Club network.
• Actively seek and negotiate sponsorship from potential commercial sponsors for our in-house and co-produced shows, and for other aspects of our programmes of work including our expansive Get Involved and Access programme.
• Creation of regular giving and campaign programmes, with different levels of giving and movement up the ladders.

Departmental Management

Demonstrate outstanding line management, supporting the professional development and practices of all department staff. To include:

• On boarding of new departmental members
  Providing regular catch up’s, departmental meetings, strategic work plans and measurable targets for the department.
• Running appraisals, ensuring capability and capacity are fit for departmental aims, leading away days whenever needed.
• Planning, managing and where necessary administrating, the overall budget for the department, including allocating budgets to the team and working with those colleagues to ensure budgets are appropriately spent and income on target.
• Managing external contracted freelancers and building capacity and expertise in the team when required.
• Promote working cross departmentally across the three pillars of the organisation (Arts, Operations and Sales)

Directorial Responsibilities 

• Uphold a living departmental Sales strategy, rooted in our organisational values (of listening, connecting, creating, curiosity and integrity), by which we tell our story to a wide range of stakeholders both locally and nationally.
• Lead and oversee organisational Data Protection and GDPR policies and procedures to always ensure compliance.
• As part of the Head of Department team, inform, set and oversee the strategic planning, programme of activity and income generation for the organisation.
• Play an integral role in developing, writing and reporting on statutory funding bids to Arts Council England and Bristol City Council through varying formats.
• Provide regular reports and presentations to the Board of Trustees as requested by AD/CEO as well as to external partners.
• Play an active role in setting and overseeing capital fundraising strategies for capital projects when required.

Other 

• Engaging with the full staff team at Tobacco Factory Theatres to drive active cross-departmental involvement with sales, communications and fundraising activities.
• To be an informed and involved member of the Heads of Department.
• Deputise for the Artistic Director | CEO and Executive Director when necessary.
• To represent Tobacco Factory Theatres and grow our profile on a local, regional and national level, both within and beyond the theatre industry.
• To attend TFT Theatre events (fundraising events, press nights, season launch etc).
• The post holder may be required to undertake other reasonably determined duties within the organisation appropriate with the level of the role without changing the general character of the role.
• To attend productions and keep abreast of all activities in the Theatre.
• To abide by Tobacco Factory Theatres Policies and Procedures.

Person Specification 
We would like to hear from you if you have these core attributes required for the role:

• Experience in the arts, cultural or charity sector.
  Proven experience in leading and managing multidisciplinary teams, with demonstrated ability to line manage, mentor and develop staff effectively.
• Experience in setting and tracking KPIs.
• Ability to develop, implement and evaluate strategic plans aligned to organisational goals.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
  A track record of achieving income and engagement targets.
• Experience of budget setting, planning and administration within a departmental context.
• Experience in strategic communications and marketing, including campaign planning and brand development.
• Proven track record in income generation across multiple funding streams: individual giving, trusts/foundations, and corporate sponsorship.
• Excellent written and verbal communication – understanding the nuance required from a wide range of stakeholders.

You might also have these desirable skills as well. These will strengthen an application but are not mandatory. 

• Knowledge of or direct experience with Arts Council England and local authority funding mechanisms.
• Proficient in using CRM systems, Google Analytics, Spektrix, and marketing automation tools.
  Skilled in writing persuasive funding applications and reports.
• Experience in donor relationship management, including stewardship and cultivation strategies.
• Familiarity with capital campaign planning.
• Strong experience with digital platforms
• Knowledge of GDPR and data protection legislation.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders (donors, press, funders, audiences, etc.).
• Prior experience representing an organisation at a local, regional or national level.

ANNUAL SALARY/FEE: £40,500 per annum paid monthly in arrears.

CONTRACT: Full Time (1.0 FTE)

HOURS: 40 hours per week. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required

HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT: 30 days per annum inclusive of Bank Holidays

PROBATIONARY PERIOD: 6 months

NOTICE THEREAFTER: 3 months

NORMAL PLACE OF WORK: Tobacco Factory Theatres, Raleigh Rd, Bristol, BS3 1TF

Application Process

To apply please visit Communications and Fundraising Director. Please complete an application form and an Equalities Monitoring Form. Please email your application to: recruitment@tobaccofactorytheatres.com stating the job title in the subject box, or post it to Recruitment, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Raleigh Road, Southville, BS3 1TF.

An application pack can be found on the Jobs and Experience page on our website. We do not accept CVs.

All applications will be considered. Whilst we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, we encourage applications from people whose identities or backgrounds are under-represented in our organisation, including those who face barriers to opportunities, people from working class backgrounds, people from the LGBTQIA+ community, and people from Black, Asian, traveller, mixed heritage or other global majority backgrounds. If this applies to you, please refer to this in your application and we will guarantee an interview if you meet the criteria listed in ‘We would like to hear from you’.

If you need the Job Description or Application Pack in an alternative format or have questions, email recruitment@tobaccofactorytheatres.com.

Application Deadline: 10:00 AM, Wed 25 June 2025

Interview dates: Friday, 4th July