Associate Director of Development, Principal & Major Gifts

About the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development

The Office of Alumni Affairs and Development (AAD) at Harvard Medical School advances the School’s mission by inspiring philanthropy, fostering lifelong engagement, and building enduring partnerships with alumni, donors, volunteers, and friends around the world. Together, AAD professionals help secure the resources that fuel transformative biomedical research, educate future physician-scientists and health care leaders, and accelerate discoveries that improve human health. Through a shared commitment to collaboration, innovation, integrity, and exceptional service, AAD creates meaningful opportunities for individuals to invest in Harvard Medical School’s vision and contribute to solutions for the world’s most pressing health challenges. Every member of the AAD team plays an important role in strengthening the School’s philanthropic and engagement efforts, ensuring that the generosity of its community translates into lasting impact for science, medicine, and society.

Job Description

The Associate Director is a frontline fundraiser focused on qualifying, engaging, and cultivating prospects with capacity in the $100K–$500K range who are not well served by existing reunion, regional, or principal gift portfolios. The Associate Director will move prospects from qualification to cultivation and, when appropriate, transition them to principal, major, or planned gift officers. The role also manages a portfolio of prospects and donors in the $100K–$500K range whose philanthropic interests are in biomedical science and disease solutions. This position sits on the Principal & Major Gifts & Grants (PMGG) team and works closely with colleagues across Alumni Affairs and Development to design and implement targeted outreach and cultivation strategies. The role is not regionally based and includes moderate domestic travel.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee Pipeline Building & Internal Collaboration: Build and manage the leadership pipeline by identifying and qualifying leads including: HMS MD alumni not engaged through reunion efforts and alumni of other Harvard Schools or non-Harvard prospects with biomedical or related interests. Partner with Prospect Intelligence to interpret research and wealth indicators to prioritize leads, determine next steps, and streamline assignment or transfer recommendations. Work with Alumni Engagement and Gift Planning colleagues to identify alumni and legacy society members ready to move into the leadership pipeline. Collaborate with PMGG and Gift Planning officers on the transition of prospects who demonstrate confirmed capacity above the leadership band or are ready for more complex gift discussions, including dean-level engagement. Participate in portfolio and pipeline reviews to ensure healthy movement of prospects.
• Portfolio Management & Fundraising: Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors with capacity in the $100K–$500K range, implementing personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that align prospect interests with institutional priorities. Partner with faculty and senior development colleagues to shape and advance six-figure gift solicitations. Serve as primary relationship manager until prospects are ready to transition to a PMGG gift officer or are determined to be better served by another team.
• Lead Event Strategy & Follow Up: Responsible for working with development colleagues to align prospects with key engagement opportunities, such as advisory councils. Represent at, and support select regional events focused on engagement and cultivation.
• Faculty & Content Engagement: Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of HMS priorities, helping to translate complex scientific topics for diverse audiences. Partner with faculty and program leads to design donor-facing opportunities that advance prospect strategy. Prepare faculty for donor interaction, including creating briefings and follow-up. Add select prospects to event invitation lists and analyze attendees for lead generation.
• Communications & Group Engagement: In partnership with Development Communications, develop segment-specific communications for high-potential prospects, including creating messaging and strategy, fielding responses, and identifying one-on-one follow-up opportunities.
• Data, Systems & Reporting: Record substantive contacts, proposals, and outcomes in the institutional CRM in a timely manner. Use available reports and analytics to pull prospect data and track progress toward activity and revenue goals. Contribute to improvements in prospect routing and handoff processes.
• Collaboration, Learning & Culture: Participate in training and professional development related to philanthropic strategy and HMS priorities. Contribute to a culture of collaboration, shared information, and continuous improvement.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in fundraising, development, or related transferable experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated success in a frontline fundraising role
• Highly collaborative demeanor with strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication with the ability to navigate non-routine and sensitive situations with discretion.
• Proven capacity to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining well-reasoned decision-making.
• Consistently exercises significant judgment and maintains confidentiality in working with prospects.
• Familiarity with giving practices across Annual Giving, Gift Planning, and Major Gifts.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, and general database management software.
• Willing and able to work evenings and weekends, and to travel domestically.

Additional Information

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week. Hybrid work environment with at least one day in the office per week and as business requires.
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education
• Work Format Details: This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.