Why now is the right time to join Durham University as Head of Principal Giving

When we’re supporting a senior appointment, we always try to provide prospective candidates with more than just a recruitment pack.

A job description explains the responsibilities. It tells you where the role sits, who you’ll work with and what you’ll be expected to deliver. What it can’t easily capture is the thinking behind the appointment, the team’s culture, or the ambition behind creating the role in the first place.

That’s why I recently sat down with Dr Katie Harland-Edminson, Chief Development Officer at Durham University, to talk about the University’s Keep Making History Scholarships campaign, the future of philanthropy at Durham and the opportunity to become its new Head of Principal Giving.

If you’re considering applying, I would encourage you to watch the full conversation, found at the end of this article.

During our conversation, Katie offers a thoughtful and honest insight into both the role and the wider environment someone will be joining.

One thing came through from the very beginning of our discussion. For Katie, Durham’s greatest strength isn’t only its reputation for academic excellence. It’s the connection people feel to the University.

“We combine academic excellence and global impact with a really strong sense of community and belonging that feels genuinely distinctive.”

That sense of belonging runs through everything she described.

People remember their lecturers, of course, but they also remember college life, friendships, societies, traditions, mentors and opportunities that shaped who they became. Durham has always been more than a place to study. For many people, it remains part of their identity long after graduation.

Katie explained that this enduring relationship is one of the University’s greatest strengths when building philanthropic partnerships.

“People don’t feel that they just study or work here; they become part of our community.”

That idea of community sits naturally alongside Durham’s ambition as it approaches its bicentenary in 2032.

Through the Keep Making History campaign, the University aims to raise £200 million to widen access to education, strengthen the student experience, support world-leading research and invest in projects that will shape Durham’s next century. It’s a significant campaign, but Katie was clear that the ambition goes far beyond the fundraising target itself.

“It’s about defining the University’s next chapter… ensuring that Durham remains globally competitive and socially impactful for generations to come.”

What struck me during our conversation was the way Katie spoke about philanthropy as a partnership.

Large gifts begin with curiosity, shared interests and trust. They develop over time through thoughtful conversations and a genuine understanding of what motivates a donor to give. Success comes from connecting someone’s values with opportunities that matter deeply to both them and the University.

That makes the Head of Principal Giving such an important appointment.

The role has been deliberately designed to focus on principal gifts rather than people management. Katie explained that many senior fundraising roles become increasingly operational over time. This opportunity allows an experienced fundraiser to spend the majority of their time doing the work that creates transformational philanthropy: building relationships, developing opportunities and working alongside senior colleagues to secure gifts that can change what the University is able to achieve.

It is a role that sits at the centre of Durham’s campaign while working across the whole institution. The successful candidate will build relationships with academic leaders, college heads, senior volunteers, Campaign Board members and donors across the UK and internationally. They will manage a carefully selected portfolio of the University’s most significant supporters while helping to shape the future direction of principal giving at Durham.

Katie also spoke openly about what success would look like during the first year. Rather than expecting someone to arrive with all the answers, she described a period of listening, understanding and building relationships.

“The first priority with this role is around building relationships… and identifying where there’s the most potential to accelerate principal gifts activity.”

That means getting to know colleagues across the University, understanding academic priorities, developing confidence with existing donors and identifying where new opportunities for transformational giving may emerge.

Looking further ahead, I asked Katie what she hoped the successful candidate would have achieved after two or three years.

Her answer reflected the long-term nature of principal giving.

“Ultimately, success in this area is about building sustainable momentum that will benefit Durham long after the campaign concludes.”

Of course, significant gifts matter. So does growing the pipeline of future opportunities. Yet Katie also spoke about strengthening the University’s relationships with its most engaged supporters, helping create a principal giving programme that continues to flourish beyond the bicentenary campaign.

We also discussed the culture within Durham’s Development and Alumni Relations Office.

Katie described a collaborative team that combines high expectations with genuine support. People are trusted to bring their expertise, encouraged to share ideas and given the freedom to develop new approaches.

“I really believe in giving talented people the space to lead and to innovate… I want them to feel supported and valued.”

That philosophy also shapes how she leads.

Throughout our conversation, she returned to themes of collaboration, curiosity and shared ownership. Principal gifts are rarely secured by one person alone. They depend on colleagues across academic departments, professional services, volunteers and senior leaders working together around a shared opportunity.

Towards the end of our conversation, I asked Katie who she thought would enjoy this role the most.

Her answer neatly captured both the opportunity and the type of fundraiser Durham is looking for.

“Someone who enjoys building meaningful relationships, who’s motivated by that long-term impact… helping to shape institutional ambition in partnership with others.”

For experienced principal gifts fundraisers, opportunities like this do not come along often.

The chance to help shape one of the UK’s leading university campaigns, work with influential philanthropists across the world and play a defining role in Durham’s next chapter makes this a genuinely exciting appointment.

If you’re curious to learn more, I’d encourage you to spend half an hour listening to Katie. I think you’ll come away with a much clearer understanding of the role, the team and the ambition behind it than any recruitment pack could provide on its own.

Watch the full conversation here.

Please follow the link below to learn more about the opportunity:

• Head of Principal Giving