Director, Major Gifts (Relocation Assistance Available!)

Whitehead Institute•Cambridge, MA

1d•$120,000 - $150,000

About The Position

Execute Whitehead Institute’s individual giving program, including major gifts and annual/mid-level giving, with responsibility for managing direct reports, overseeing performance management, and developing a high-performing fundraising team. Focuses on revenue strategy, managing gift officer performance, maintaining disciplined portfolios, and driving measurable growth in individual philanthropy. Maintain a personal portfolio of major gift prospects and ensure consistent cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship practices across the team. Partner closely with Advancement leadership to ensure coordinated, data-informed fundraising aligned with institutional priorities. In partnership with the Vice President, External Relations, and Advancement leadership, contribute to the development of integrated, institution-wide individual giving strategies. Strategy development is collaborative across the Advancement team; help shape and lead implementation of individual giving priorities aligned with institutional goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
10+ years of progressive fundraising experience.
Demonstrated success in securing significant (six-figure+) gifts.
Strong organizational and execution skills.
Clear communicator with strong interpersonal skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively across communications, operations, and leadership teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience in annual and mid-level giving programs
Experience managing fundraising staff.
Experience in higher education, biomedical research, or similarly complex nonprofit environments.
Experience working within CRM-driven portfolio management systems.

Responsibilities

Manage a personal portfolio of major gift prospects.
Oversee full lifecycle (qualification through stewardship) strategies across portfolio.
Manage execution of portfolio size, contact frequency, and pipeline movement.
Conduct/participate in regular portfolio reviews and support moves management discipline.
Support gift officers in donor strategy development, preparation, and execution aligned with institutional priorities.
Oversee implementation of annual and mid-level giving revenue strategy, including, retention and upgrade efforts, reactivation campaigns, and segmentation priorities.
Set annual revenue targets and track performance against goals.
Partner with Advancement leadership on appeal strategy, messaging, segmentation, deployment, and reporting, ensuring alignment with institutional goals.
Track monthly and quarterly revenue performance.
Maintain accurate forecasting.
Develop annual revenue projections for individual giving.
Work with Operations to monitor and report on pipeline health, closed gifts, and retention and upgrade rates.
Ensure data accuracy and forecasting discipline in partnership with Operations & Analytics.
Provide strategic leadership to staff supporting major gift, annual, and mid-level giving programs, including oversight of direct reports.
Drive a high-performance culture through clear goal-setting, metrics, and accountability standards.
Lead, coach, and develop staff in donor strategy, portfolio management, and long-term professional growth.
Oversee performance management, including conducting evaluations, delivering actionable feedback, and supporting career development.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and results-oriented team environment aligned with organizational priorities.
Partner with Institutional Narrative and Foundation Relations to ensure aligned messaging and funding priorities.
Coordinate with Constituent Engagement and Advancement Operations to support cultivation and stewardship efforts, and ensure accurate portfolios and reporting.
Contribute to advancement-wide planning and reinforce a coordinated, non-siloed approach across teams.
Other duties, as assigned.