Senior Director of Major Gifts and Individual Philanthropy

Company Description

About the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD)

The Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) educates leaders in design, research, and scholarship to make a resilient, just, and beautiful world. The GSD offers an unparalleled setting for interaction through the combination of disciplines—architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and design, design engineering, real estate and housing—with an emerging research program and a robust public program of lectures and exhibition.

The GSD is Harvard’s epicenter for scholarship and innovation related to the built environment. Our faculty and students address defining questions across architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and design, real estate, and design engineering—advancing fields which have profound influence on the human experience. At the GSD, research and teaching drive creative solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges, reimagining infrastructure, communities, and cities on a global scale.

Why join the Harvard Graduate School of Design?

This is an opportunity to lead a major gifts program at the world’s premier design school—championing relationship-building, strategy, and results and building a high-performing team. If you thrive on structure-building, data-driven fundraising, collaborative culture, and meaningful societal impact, we invite your application.

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Director of Major Gifts and Individual Philanthropy is a core leader at the GSD, responsible for building the School’s major gifts program with a focus on gifts between $25,000 and $1,000,000. This is a pivotal opportunity that calls for a builder: someone energized by change management who can lead a team, create a robust infrastructure, and ensure sustainable success and accountability. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, the Senior Director manages a team of 5, including gift officers, development operations, and support staff.

This role focuses on establishing, cultivating, and growing the major gifts tier of the GSD fundraising pyramid, which is an area of untapped potential historically. You will partner across the department and the School to eliminate silos and ensure donor relationships are systematically managed and advanced. Principal gift activity ($1M+) is overseen by the Associate Dean for Development and the GSD Dean.

The GSD’s donor and prospect audience is unusually complex and dynamic. While GSD alumni are a treasured part of our giving community, many of our major donors have affiliations across Harvard or outside the university altogether. This unique landscape calls for an imaginative problem-solver who thrives on developing innovative engagement strategies, creative pipeline cultivation, and persuasive, high-level communications.

With a $75M annual operating budget funded primarily by tuition and endowment revenue, the GSD faces mounting resource pressures. Philanthropy must grow, sustainably and strategically, to fuel our mission and unlock excellence in design research and education. Joining at this pivotal time for the field and higher education, you will help shape the future of design globally and champion initiatives that matter for people, our planet, and thriving societies everywhere.

TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Major Gifts Program Leadership

• Develop, execute, and continuously improve a comprehensive major gifts program targeting gifts between $25,000–$1,000,000. Design and implement clear systems, processes, and prospect management practices that drive sustained, long-term outcomes.
• Personally cultivate and steward a portfolio of 75-90 major gift prospects, focusing on the $25,000–$1,000,000 tier, while ensuring principal gift prospects are transitioned to the Associate Dean/Dean.
• Oversee and manage major gift officers and, as the team evolves, may supervise related leadership, annual giving, or specialized donor-facing roles. Champion professional development, inclusion, and shared goals across the fundraising team. Over the next five to seven years, the school aims to confirm more than $50M in new gifts and pledges.
• Serve as a thought partner in overall school fundraising strategy; provide regular, forward-looking pipeline, proposal, and progress reports. Apply data and progress metrics to actively guide decisions, not merely track past activity.
• Embrace and help lead a period of transition, focused on building structure, accountability, and continuous improvement. Attract, mentor, and inspire staff eager for professional growth and organizational impact.

Infrastructure and Systems Building

• Responsible for managing the fundraising operations program, including the overall strategic approach to prospect activities related to fundraising activities. This includes fundraiser goal setting, solicitation pipeline management, prospect assignment, and annual engagement plans for major gift pipeline.
• Manages the Director of Operations & Administration and the overall development operations function. This includes leading the advancement of proactive, data-driven operations, including rigorous use of CRM tools, metrics, and reporting. Ensure that prospect management, pipeline development, and moves management are integrated and effective.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and data-driven culture by partnering directly with annual giving, donor relations, prospect research, operations, communications, and alumni engagement colleagues to develop integrated donor strategies and stewardship approaches.

Campus Engagement and Travel

• Maintain active visibility and engagement with the GSD community; presence on campus is expected at least 3 days per week.
• Represent the GSD to donors and prospects, with travel as required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manages a team of 5 including: gift officers, development operations, and support staff.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• The position involves frequent use of a computer, keyboard and mouse.
• This position requires extensive domestic travel and occasional international travel.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This position will be based in Cambridge, MA.
• Campus presence is required for a minimum of 3 days per week. *Candidates who do not live within commuting distance of our Cambridge, Massachusetts campus should indicate on their resumes whether they are “willing to relocate,” as this position requires a regular on-campus presence.

SALARY INFORMATION:

Salary ranges within each pay grade are based on qualifications, skills, experience, equity in comparison to similar positions, and external market values. Salary ranges allow for differences among positions within the same grade as well as increasing levels of responsibility and performance within the same job. For more information regarding salary ranges at Harvard, please see: https://hr.harvard.edu/salary-ranges

Please note: to be considered for this position, a cover letter and resume are required with the submission of your application.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• BA/BS required.
• Minimum 10 years of non-profit or higher education fundraising experience, including a demonstrable record of successful major gifts ($25,000–$1,000,000) cultivation and solicitation.
• Experience in developing and managing fundraising teams.
• Demonstrated ability using best practices and analytical tools to plan, measure, and evaluate individual giving programs.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Pipeline Development: Evidence of building and managing robust major gift pipelines, particularly at the mid-level, including development and implementation of moves management strategies.
• Systems & Process Leadership: Experience designing/implementing prospect management, data, and reporting systems that drive insight and outcomes; outcome-oriented over simple activity measurement.
• Collaboration & Relationship Building: Proven ability to work cross-functionally and lead in a highly collaborative, matrixed environment.
• Team Mentorship: Supervisory and mentoring experience preferred; ability to foster development among staff and colleagues.
• Adaptability & Change Management: Strong process orientation and comfort building new structures/processes; excited by change and professional challenge.
• Communication: Superior written and oral communication skills.

Additional Information

• Candidates must have employment authorization to work in the US, and we regret that we cannot sponsor a VISA.
• The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up to date on CDC-recommended vaccines.
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity

Please note: to be considered for this position, a cover letter and resume are required with the submission of your application.

Work Format Details

This is a position that is based at a Harvard campus location with some remote work options available. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 060. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information.

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.