Executive & fundraising assistant

Closing date for applications: 6pm Monday 5 May 2025

Salary: £25,500

Interviews: First round 8 May 2025 online; second round 13 May 2025 in person in London.

Fuel is looking for a brilliant Executive & Fundraising Assistant to help drive the creative engine behind some of the UK’s most exciting live performance; join a company that fuels bold ideas, playful performance, and radical collaboration.

Fuel leads the field in independent producing in the UK’s live performance sector, working with brilliant artists to explore the big questions of our times, shining a light on how we relate to each other and the world around us, and telling untold stories by under-represented voices. From theatres to car parks, from schools to public spaces, Fuel produces high quality new theatre that reaches diverse audiences across the UK and internationally. Fuel collaborates with outstanding theatre makers with fresh perspectives and approaches who produce shows, performances or experiences which have direct and playful relationships with their audiences.

Fuel is celebrated for its pioneering producing model that develops innovative ideas through attentive collaboration, a spirit of curiosity, and an emphasis on trust. Fuel has developed a reputation for spirited and surprising new theatre, deep relationships with a wide range of artists, and passionate commitment to inclusion and care for young and diverse audiences.

Fuel was founded in 2004 and is led by Kate McGrath. Since its story began, Fuel has produced shows, festivals, films, installations, podcasts, apps and books. In doing so, Fuel has supported the artistic development of over 120 lead artists or companies and reached more than 1.5 million people, live and digitally, hosted over a hundred internships and been recognised with awards for its work. Fuel is currently working with artists and companies including Khalid Abdalla, Will Adamsdale, Jay Bernard, Common Wealth, Inua Ellams, Charlie Josephine, Lucian Msamati, Racheal Ofori, Toby Olié, Joelle Taylor, Uninvited Guests and Melanie Wilson.

Our Values

Creativity

Producing is creating something new in collaboration with others. In producing we seek to embolden, support and celebrate the creativity of everyone we work with and for.

Curiosity

The discovery of the new relies on curiosity. It is at the heart of how we work as a team, keeping us open to surprises, risks and learning, and we celebrate it in the artists and colleagues we collaborate with.

Trust

Trust is the foundation on which people take risks and collaborate productively. We work hard to build trust by delivering on our promises, and we invite our audiences to trust us as we invite them to be part of a magical moment of live collaboration.

Representation

Performance is representation and we believe the people who make it and experience it should be representative of the diversity of the world we live in. We seek to break down barriers and enable everyone to participate freely in cultural life.

Learning

Only through taking risks, and learning from our successes and our mistakes, can we create genuinely insightful and affecting work. We believe listening and learning can enable everyone we work with to achieve their potential.

Sustainability

We are working towards a zero waste, zero carbon future and are committed to massive reduction in the carbon cost of our work. We believe it is possible and essential to create art without further harming the earth for future generations.

Our Current Programme

Our programme this year encompasses brand new commissions and collaborations with artists, partners and communities across the UK and beyond, as well as touring recent successes including Nowhere by Khalid Abdalla and There’s a Bear on My Chair by Toby Olié.

Digital work includes Dreaming Species, an online listening experience by Melanie Wilson and Fuelling Change, a podcast series by Fuel’s Artistic Director & CEO Kate McGrath.

Fuel is proud to work in collaboration with a brilliant cohort of artists and a range of partner organisations to create this programme across the UK and beyond.

Job Description

Fuel is looking for an enthusiastic and attentive Executive & Fundraising Assistant to join the team. The Executive & Fundraising Assistant will provide essential administrative support to the Artistic Director & CEO and Executive Director, including secretarial support for the Artistic Director & CEO. They will administrate the stewardship of Fuel’s donors and funders and support excellent communication between donors and the Artistic Director & CEO.

The Executive & Fundraising Assistant will work within the company’s core values of curiosity, creativity, trust, representation, sustainability and learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from all suitably qualified persons, regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, religion/belief or age. We actively welcome applications from those currently under-represented in the arts sector. Candidates can be based anywhere in the UK.

Your line manager will be: Assistant Producer (currently Executive Assistant & Assistant Producer)

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Personal Assistant Duties

• Managing the Artistic Director & CEO’s diary, ensuring the smooth running of her schedule and most efficient use of her time.
• Providing administrative and secretarial support for the Artistic Director & CEO, including preparing and sharing meeting minutes, drafting correspondence and invitations and proof reading.
• Providing administrative support for the Executive Director relating to fundraising and core company operations.
• Arranging meetings, booking meeting rooms as required.
• Preparing papers and briefings for the Artistic Director & CEO in advance of meetings.
• Arranging and booking travel and accommodation for the Artistic Director & CEO, compiling travel itineraries where required.
• Managing email inbox and maintaining the Artistic Director & CEO’s filing system.
• Maintaining regular archiving of the Artistic Director & CEO’s inbox.
• Compiling invitations to shows, sharings, pitches of new work, requests for collaboration, and newsletters from Artistic Director & CEO’s two inboxes into one readable Appendix with drafted replies and suggestions, and upon the Artistic Director & CEO’s response, turning around replies promptly.
• Developing and maintaining up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the Artistic Director & CEO’s activities, networks and responsibilities, and providing assistance where required.
• Processing expenses and per diems where relevant for the Artistic Director & CEO.
• Booking theatre tickets for the Artistic Director & CEO as required.

Fundraising and Communications Duties

• Acting as a key point of contact on behalf of the Artistic Director & CEO and Executive Director with a wide range of contacts including artists, partners, funders and individual donors.
• Working closely with the Artistic Director & CEO and Executive Director on the implementation of our Individual Giving campaigns, including the Big Give.
• Planning and delivering cultivation events and press nights, with the support of the Artistic Director & CEO and Executive Director.
• Working closely with the Artistic Director & CEO and Executive Director on the management of VIP relationships including researching donor prospects, updating databases and CRM, and drafting correspondence to potential and current donors and funders.
• Maximising cultivation opportunities by briefing the team on prospective supporters attending events.
• Drafting letters to individual donors and funders on behalf of the Artistic Director & CEO and Executive Director.
• Supporting the Artistic Director & CEO and Executive Director with applications to trusts and foundations and statutory sources including research, proof reading, data and information collection and collating PDFs of supporting documents as needed.
• Ensuring information flows quickly and accurately, supporting excellent communication between the Artistic Director & CEO, Executive Director and the rest of the team.

Other Responsibilities

• Arranging leaving parties, leaving gifts, festive meals, and other hospitality as required.
• Coordinating meeting requirements for Board meetings.
• Merging and assembling documents into a single PDF ahead of Board meetings.
• Booking theatre tickets for donors, funders and VIPs, Fuel press nights and cultivation events and other Fuel events.
• Attending regular meetings with members of the team as required by the Artistic Director & CEO or line manager.
• Attending relevant Fuel work in progress, previews and press nights.
• Attending relevant events, press nights etc. as an ambassador for Fuel.
• Adhering to Fuel’s policies and procedures and contributing to making sure they are up to date and implemented.
• Identifying questions as they arise in the Artistic Director & CEO’s absence, seeking advice, and handing over to the Executive Director, Head of Finance or Senior Producers as appropriate.
• Contributing to the work and overall running of Fuel as a member of the team.
• Undertaking any other duties as reasonably requested by the Artistic Director & CEO, Executive Director or their line manager.

This list is indicative rather than comprehensive, and flexibility to the job role and tasks is required.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to work to deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
• The ability to work sensitively with a wide range of people from varied backgrounds.
• The ability to work discreetly with confidential information.
• The ability to forward plan, predict and use initiative in managing busy schedules.
• An understanding of the importance of attention to detail and a rigorous work ethic.
• Excellent IT skills (including Microsoft Office).
• The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Desired

• Experience of managing a donor database.
• Fundraising experience in an independent live performance company or arts organisation with national reach.
• Familiarity with Fuel's projects and the artists we work with.
• An understanding of and a passion for contemporary theatre.
• An understanding of the wider arts sector in the UK.

Terms and Application

Closing date: 6pm Monday 5 May 2025

Interviews: First round 8 May 2025 online; second round 13 May 2025 in person in London.

Salary and Benefits

• Permanent contract.
• Full Time. We are open to discussing flexible working.
• Starting salary £25,500 per year, FT.
• Fuel offers a designated stakeholder pension scheme.
• Fuel is interested in and keen to support ongoing professional development and will work closely with the post-holder to ensure that their needs in this area are met.
• Fuel offers a training budget and can offer mentoring support.

Hours

• 40 hours per week.
• Core hours are 10am-3pm, with some flexibility around starting and finishing times for a total of 8 hours per day (for example, 10am-6pm, 9am-5pm, or 8am-4pm). Due to the nature of this role, the start and finishing times need to be agreed with their line manager or Artistic Director & CEO.
• Some evening and weekend work will be required. Fuel operates a Time Off in Lieu system.

Base

• Hybrid working, part from home, part from office, part from where activity happens. This role requires frequent presence in the office, and on location where work is produced, or events take place.
• At present we have office space in London at Somerset House. For this role, we welcome applications equally from candidates based outside of London.

Holiday

• 25 days per year plus bank holidays. After two years' service this may be increased by one extra day per year, up to a maximum of 30 days.

Probationary Period

• 12 weeks

Notice Period

• 10 weeks

General Notes

This Job Pack is indicative rather than comprehensive, and flexibility to the job role and tasks is required. We are particularly keen to hear from applicants from under-represented backgrounds.

How to Apply

You can find the application pack with information, a form and full details on how to apply by clicking the Apply button.

Please submit your application by e-mail to arrive by 6pm Monday 5 May 2025 (email address found via Apply button).

Please include in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.

We want you to complete your application in a way that is comfortable for you. We will accept video and audio files that answer the questions listed in the application form. Please ensure your video or audio file is no longer than 5 minutes.

Shortlisted candidates that are based outside London can request travel costs reimbursement if attending an in-person interview.

We will circulate interview questions in advance of interviews.

Information Session

We are holding drop-in online question & answer session on Thursday 24 April from 3-4pm. If you would like to attend, please email admin@fueltheatre.com and we will send you the Zoom invitation link. Please let us know if you have any access requirements for this session.

If you have any questions about the job pack, forms or process, please contact admin@fueltheatre.com.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Angela Bryan-Brown, Executive Assistant & Assistant Producer angela@fueltheatre.com.