Major Gifts Officer (East Coast)

About the role

Scion Executive Search has been engaged to conduct an immediate search for a Major Gifts Officer for a nonprofit dedicated to saving lives and advancing a future without breast cancer through research, patient support, community health, advocacy, and education. The role seeks a seasoned fundraising professional who thrives on building meaningful, long-term relationships with high-capacity donors and has the experience and strategic perspective to manage a sophisticated national portfolio. The ideal candidate brings a donor-first approach to cultivation and stewardship, paired with the confidence to navigate complex philanthropic conversations, including tax-efficient giving strategies and multi-year commitments. This role must be comfortable owning a seven-figure fundraising goal, using data and portfolio insights to prioritize time and sharpen strategy, and leveraging CRM tools and performance analytics to turn relationship management into measurable results.

The Major Gifts Officer is a senior frontline fundraising professional responsible for building and expanding relationships with high-capacity donors and prospects across a national portfolio. The role leads individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies designed to deepen philanthropic engagement, strengthen long-term donor relationships, and secure significant individual, multi-year, and leadership-level gifts in support of the organization’s mission and priorities. Working collaboratively with fundraising leadership and colleagues across donor engagement and regional teams, this position helps create a coordinated, high-touch experience for donors while driving growth across the assigned portfolio. The role is a senior individual contributor with no direct supervisory responsibilities, focused on strategic relationship management, prospect development, solicitation, stewardship, and sustained revenue growth within a national fundraising program.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a national portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, with responsibility for seven-figure annual revenue.
• Lead the full major gift cycle, from prospect identification and cultivation through solicitation, stewardship, renewals, and upgrades.
• Secure major, multi-year, planned, recurring, and other sophisticated philanthropic commitments.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships by understanding donor interests, motivations, capacity, and connection to the mission.
• Develop personalized engagement and stewardship strategies that create meaningful donor experiences and deepen philanthropic relationships.
• Maintain consistent, high-touch engagement through meetings, events, calls, written communications, and other appropriate channels.
• Partner across geographic markets and functions to coordinate donor strategies, introductions, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Serve as a strategic fundraising resource to regional and organizational leaders on high-capacity donor engagement.
• Represent the organization at donor meetings, events, briefings, and other philanthropic engagements nationally.
• Identify and qualify high-potential individuals, families, foundations, and other prospective funding partners.
• Leverage prospect research, relationship mapping, and donor intelligence to prioritize opportunities and inform cultivation strategies.
• Collaborate with leadership and colleagues on prospect strategies, proposals, donor briefings, and high-level engagement opportunities.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records, strategies, activity, and next steps within the CRM and related systems.
• Use portfolio analytics, donor behavior, and performance data to prioritize activity and optimize fundraising results.
• Track revenue and engagement goals, assess portfolio performance, and adjust strategies as needed.
• Provide leadership with insights on donor trends, portfolio opportunities, and areas for growth.
• Develop a strong understanding of organizational priorities and translate them into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
• Partner with senior leaders and program teams to communicate donor impact and strengthen engagement.
• Contribute to the continued development of major gift strategies, fundraising practices, and organizational priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or professional fundraising credential preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in frontline fundraising, with significant experience securing major and transformational gifts.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage a substantial portfolio of philanthropic relationships and deliver seven-figure annual revenue.
• Track record of securing significant individual gifts, including six- and seven-figure commitments.
• Experience developing and closing multi-year, recurring, planned, and other sophisticated philanthropic commitments.
• Strong understanding of complex charitable giving vehicles and the ability to incorporate appropriate giving strategies into donor conversations.
• Experience working effectively within a geographically dispersed, multi-site, or highly collaborative fundraising environment.
• Proficiency with CRM and donor management platforms, with the ability to maintain accurate records and consistently document relationship activity.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office and other technology used to support prospect research, portfolio management, communication, and fundraising analysis.
• Experience with prospect intelligence, wealth screening, planned giving, or donor engagement platforms is a plus.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to establish credibility and build authentic relationships with high-capacity individuals.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgment, and work independently in a remote environment.
• Comfortable operating in a dynamic, results-oriented environment with changing priorities and ambitious fundraising objectives.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical, relationship-centered, and mission-driven philanthropy.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan with 6% employer match
• Unlimited Flexible Paid Time Off plus scheduled holidays
• Bi-weekly work from home stipend

Pay

Competitive salary in the range of $125,000 to $136,000, commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Full-time, remote position with 50% travel required. Candidates must reside in New York City or in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or West Palm Beach, FL.