International partnerships and projects manager

Salary: £35,000 per annum

Location: This role is based at our London Southwark head office

Manage the relationships and projects behind the Philharmonia’s international residencies in Mauritius and the US.

The Philharmonia Orchestra creates thrilling performances for a global audience.

The International Partnerships and Projects Manager is a new role, created to manage the day-to-day relationships and lead on the Philharmonia's project and stewardship delivery for key international residency partners and funders. Reporting to the Director of Development, with dotted lines into the Executive Office and into Concerts and Operations, the postholder works on the orchestra’s existing international residencies and partnerships in Mauritius and the US, as well as supporting the development of new international residency projects in line with the orchestra’s international growth strategy.

This role will suit someone bright, extremely well organised, and genuinely energised by solving problems in unfamiliar territory across time zones, currencies and cultures. You will be trusted with senior relationships early and given real ownership. Offered initially as a one-year fixed term contract, the role carries the option to extend subject to performance, and is intended as the foundation of a permanent international function within the Philharmonia.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

• Work with the Director of Development to deliver the funding strategy for the Philharmonia Festival in Mauritius across the 2027 Festival and beyond
• Support the development of long-term philanthropic and sponsorship infrastructure for the Festival
• Conduct desk-based research and market analysis on territories under active exploration for future residencies, assessing the funding ecosystem, cultural infrastructure and route to market
• Build and maintain a working knowledge of the philanthropic, corporate and state funding landscape in target territories, and translate it into briefing papers and presentations for senior colleagues to form viable pipelines
• Work with the Director of Development, Head of Development and the Executive Office on the sequencing of international cultivation, ensuring senior time is deployed where it produces the greatest return
• Work with the Director of Development to plan the annual cycle of fundraising, cultivation and stewardship delivered through the Philharmonia Foundation (New York based 501c3), aligned to the Orchestra's US touring and project calendar
• Support the identification and development of funding opportunities in the United States, including touring support, project funding and individual giving through the Foundation

Relationship Management and Income Generation

• Hold and own day-to-day relationships with international corporate partners, philanthropists and institutional stakeholders, acting as the reliable point of contact between visits
• Deliver all partner stewardship for the Philharmonia Mauritius Festival, including reporting, recognition, benefit fulfilment, hospitality planning and renewal preparation
• Hold and own the day-to-day relationship with the administrator of the Philharmonia Foundation US, working in conjunction with the Director of Development
• Deliver the annual cadence of cultivation and stewardship for the Foundation Board and US patrons, including reporting, recognition, event support and renewal preparation
• Prepare briefing notes, prospect research and meeting papers for the Director of Development, Chief Executive and Chair ahead of international travel and engagements
• Draft correspondence, proposals and reports to a standard for issue under the signature of the Chief Executive or Chair
• Work with Development department colleagues to ensure all international activity is recorded accurately and promptly in Tessitura

Project and Operational Delivery

• Project manage the operational delivery of the Philharmonia Festival in Mauritius on the partnership delivery, community & education segments, working in close partnership with Concerts and Operations colleagues who lead on orchestral logistics
• Coordinate Development activity around US tours and projects, including donor events, patron hospitality and travel
• Support the preparation of applications and proposals for US touring and project funding
• Plan and deliver comprehensive itineraries and schedules for senior colleagues travelling internationally, covering flights, ground transport, accommodation, visas, meeting scheduling, hospitality and contingency
• Work with Learning and Engagement colleagues on the planning and funder-facing framing of the education and community programme
• Manage Festival-related budgets and reforecasts on the Development side
• Accompany and support the Director of Development, Chief Executive and Chair on international business development visits, capturing outcomes and driving the follow-up
• Travel to Mauritius, the US and other international destinations as required, including at short notice, to represent the Philharmonia and to deliver on the ground

Key tasks

• Maintain a live calendar of international partner touchpoints, renewal dates and reporting deadlines, including Philharmonia Foundation Board meetings and US development activity delivery
• Coordinate the flow of information between the Executive Office, Development, Concerts and Operations, and Learning and Engagement on all international activity
• Produce post-visit notes, contact reports and follow-up actions within agreed timescales
• Liaise with external advisers, local agents and in-country partners as required
• Contribute to funding applications and proposals where international activity forms part of the case

Other

• Work as part of the Development team on the delivery of departmental income targets and the wider business plan
• Attend concerts, rehearsals and events in London, out of London and overseas as required, including evenings and weekends
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the level of the role as reasonably required

Skills and Qualifications

• Demonstrable track record of holding and owning external relationships of a funding, partnership or client nature, with evidence of retention and growth (min 3-5 years)
• Strong project management experience, with a proven ability to deliver complex, multi-stranded projects to deadline across several departments or organisations
• Experience of planning and delivering international travel, logistics and schedules, ideally for senior executives, trustees or equivalent
• Excellent written English, with the ability to draft correspondence, briefings and reports to senior and external standard
• First class organisational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and the confidence to hold and chase the detail on behalf of others
• Flexible and positive attitude, with the ability to think laterally and creatively to overcome obstacles, and a genuine can-do approach to unfamiliar problems
• Ability and willingness to travel short-haul and long-haul, sometimes at relatively short notice, and to work irregular hours while travelling
• A collaborative team player able to build excellent working relationships quickly across an organisation and across cultures
• High level of professionalism, discretion and self-motivation, with sound judgement about when to act and when to escalate
• Diplomatic and culturally fluent, and capable of being an excellent ambassador for the Philharmonia Orchestra
• Understanding of international fundraising structures, or a demonstrable ability to get quickly to grips with the practical differences between UK and US philanthropic practice
• Adaptability and ability to quickly assimilate new organisational, art-form, and operational working environments
• Confident user of CRM systems (Tessitura or equivalent) and standard office software

Desirable

• Experience of working internationally, particularly in Southeast Asia, the Gulf or Africa
• Knowledge of the orchestral and wider arts & cultural sectors
• Familiarity with US philanthropy, including 501(c)(3) structures, American Friends organisations or equivalent cross-border giving vehicles
• Experience of supporting international touring

Benefits

• Pension contribution in line with company scheme, following successful probation period

Working hours and other requirements

• Working hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm, with some evening and weekend work as required
• Eligibility to work: applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.