Sophia Nelson

What were you doing before you joined the Development Office?

I was living in Los Angeles and working for Universal Pictures as an international marketing director.

Why did you move to Oxford?

I’d relocated back to the UK from Los Angeles last year and was looking for somewhere to live outside of London and Oxford seemed like a great place to live and work.

What does a typical day look like, in brief?

A typical day could be anything from campaign planning with departments to working on an appeal marketing strategy for an entity like Wytham Woods, or the Ashmolean Museum.

What’s the best thing about working here?

You get to meet lots of interesting people and no two days are the same as there is such a breadth of topics, subjects and different departments.

What has surprised you the most?

How big the organisation is, how many people there are in the Development Office – and the fact that there is a fantastic holiday scheme.

What is the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is figuring out how to work differently in an institution that has historically done things in quite traditional ways. How do you work differently or look to innovate in that setting?

What has been the most special project you have worked on and why?

Working with Wytham Woods has been great so far and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s very special and unique – they have got a fantastic set up and a lovely team.

Describe working in Development Office in three words or short phrases

What would your super power be?

I’d be super quick – speedy, fast!