• Reports to: Head of Development
• Salary: Commensurate with experience > $100,000 pro rata (0.5 FTE)
• Terms: Part-time (3 days per week), 12-month contract with the possibility of extension
• Preferred working days Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

SWF encourages applications from all backgrounds, communities, and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities.

About Sydney Writers’ Festival

Sydney Writers’ Festival is one of the world’s leading and most beloved literary institutions. It is a place for readers, writers and thinkers to share ideas, tell stories and celebrate literature.

Since our first Festival in 1997, we have brought thousands of diverse writers and thinkers from Australia and around the globe together in Sydney. In the company of the world’s best authors, we’ve discussed some of the most pressing issues of our times. We’ve celebrated prize-winning authors, long-awaited novels from writers at the height of their careers and introduced debut authors to eager and enthusiastic new audiences.

Readers and writers have exchanged thoughts and opinions, perspectives and philosophies, creating a powerful community based on radical dialogue and respectful debate.

About this role

In 2025 the Sydney Writers’ Festival will launch a major Capital Campaign to raise funds for its Russ the Story Bus Program. This campaign will require significant funding from all sources including philanthropic funding from individuals, corporate sponsors as well as Trusts & Foundations.

The Capital Campaign Specialist will be a senior member of the core year-round Festival staff, working closely with the Head of Development and the Philanthropy & Partnerships Coordinator.

This is a part-time- 3 days per week position.

Responsibilities

Working within the Head of Development the key responsibilities for this role include:

• Lead the strategic development, planning and execution of the Russ the Story Bus Capital campaign, working collaboratively with key stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Identify major gift prospects from current supporters and new sources
• Develop and implement strategies to secure donations and financial support for the Russ the Story Bus Campaign.
• Overall campaign management and organisation including pipelines, prospect tracking, moves management, task assignment and maintenance of timelines.
• Proactively schedule meetings and handle all related preparations, including creating talking points, compiling presentations, and ensuring thorough meeting readiness for Board members, campaign stakeholders, and staff.
• Oversee and ensure the successful management of the campaign budget and reporting, supervise the acknowledgment of all campaign gifts and pledges, and collaborate with relevant staff to prepare pledge payment reminders and agreements.
• Collaborate with relevant internal stakeholders within the Sydney Writers’ Festival team to ensure clear and effective communication, while securing support in the development of all campaign correspondence and collateral.
• Manage and deliver the master campaign calendar to ensure effective planning, communication, and cultivation events, keeping relevant campaign staff on track, while maintaining accurate reporting in our CRM system, Tessitura.
• Organise and monitor all adjacent and related activity and follow-up and assist in all aspects of related events and appeals.

Essential Requirements:

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience with proven success in leading capital campaigns or major giving campaigns - raising significant funds across a range of sources
• Comprehensive experience in managing donor and supporter relationships with strong existing networks.
• Excellent experience in fundraising roles with a deep understanding of philanthropy, appeals and the engagement space.
• Excellent understanding and ability to adapt style and skills across a range of fundraising streams
• Demonstrated ability to achieve financial targets and a proven track record of securing gifts from individuals, trusts and foundations and corporates.
• A natural connector of people who genuinely enjoys nurturing relationships and is comfortable liaising at all levels.
• Demonstrated ability to be data-driven and analytical in identifying growth and fundraising opportunities.
• Strong database management and administrative skills, with preference for experience using Tessitura.
• A skilled communicator across written, verbal, and digital platforms.
• Proactive and positive attitude with exceptional organisational skills.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with a proven ability to inspire others and build influential relationships.
• Strong understanding of or passion for customer service

Candidate Characteristics:

• Demonstrated ability to nurture strong, professional relationships both internally and externally
• Collaborates with others to achieve better outcomes on both fundraising specific projects or wider organisational priorities
• Can pro-actively spot opportunities and act upon them where they benefit the team and the organisation
• Ability to develop strong relationships, internal and external, and to work as part of a small team.

A position description is attached.