Job Listing

Boston Lyric Opera

Senior Director of Philanthropy

Company: Boston Lyric Opera

Company Location: Boston, MA

Job Location: Hybrid/Other

Job Type: Full Time

Date Posted: June 8, 2026

Network(s): Development

DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Senior Director of Philanthropy

Reports To: Managing Director

Leadership Role: Member of Senior Leadership Team

Supervises: Director of Annual Giving & Philanthropy, Major Gifts Officer, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, and Philanthropy Coordinator

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Philanthropy is a senior leadership role responsible for designing, executing, and advancing a comprehensive individual giving strategy. Reporting to the Managing Director, this position has accountability for and leads all aspects of individual philanthropy, including the comprehensive campaign, major gifts, annual fund, planned giving, and donor-facing events. The role carries a portfolio of BLO Directors and Advisors, while being accountable for contributed revenue growth, donor engagement, portfolio strategy management, and alignment with institutional priorities.

The Senior Director of Philanthropy reports to the Managing Director and is an integral member of the individual philanthropy team. The Senior Director ensures strategic alignment, coordination of prospect strategy, and seamless collaboration across the gift pipeline from the annual fund to principal gifts and all campaigns, including the comprehensive 50th anniversary campaign.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, align institutional priorities with individual philanthropy team goals, ensuring fundraising strategy advances organizational objectives.

Develop and implement a multi-year individual philanthropy strategy aligned with organizational goals across all campaigns, including the 50th anniversary comprehensive campaign.
Partner with the Managing Director and senior leadership to set revenue targets and fundraising priorities.
Serve as a key advisor on philanthropic strategy, donor engagement, and board development.
Coordinate closely with the Gift Officers to align strategies across annual, comprehensive campaign, major, and principal giving, including prospect movement, cultivation approaches, and solicitation timing.

Board Relations and Management

Serve as staff liaison to key board committees, including Nominating, Governance, Gala, and Philanthropy, among others.
Ensure all staff liaisons to board committees operate in a coordinated, strategic, and consistent manner.
Design and implement a comprehensive board engagement and stewardship strategy across all areas of board-facing work.
Partner with the Managing Director on board engagement, particularly in philanthropy.
Support board members in their fundraising roles, including prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation.
Develop tools and strategies to increase board participation and effectiveness in fundraising.
Play a lead role in the design and execution of board meetings, in partnership with senior leadership.
Direct day-of logistics for board meetings, ensuring seamless coordination, clear roles, and high-quality execution.

Major Gifts Program

Lead and manage the individual gift officer program across all efforts, including the comprehensive campaign.
Maintain a personal portfolio of approximately 50 major donors and prospects (excluding principal gifts).
Establish clear performance metrics, portfolio strategies, and accountability systems for the team.
Drive cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to increase donor retention and move donors through the pipeline.
Work with individual giving team to identify and transition prospects between portfolios as appropriate.

Comprehensive Campaign Giving & Annual Fund

Provide leadership, planning, coordination, and accountability for financial outcomes of BLO’s comprehensive campaign and all individual giving priorities; Provide senior leadership, mentorship, and strategic oversight of all individual giving programs, including the comprehensive campaign team across all fundraising efforts and the annual fund team across marketing and philanthropy, including strategy, messaging, segmentation, and execution.
Collaborate with marketing/communications as appropriate to align campaigns and donor messaging.
Ensure consistent growth in participation and revenue across all annual giving channels.

Planned Giving

Provide strategic oversight of the planned giving program.
Integrate planned giving into major gift and annual fund strategies.
Build long-term pipeline through targeted outreach and donor education.

Events and Gala Leadership

Provide senior leadership oversight of all donor-facing events.
Ensure special events align with donor strategy, deliver strong financial outcomes, and enhance institutional visibility.
Lead and direct the annual gala as a primary fundraising and engagement initiative.
Chair a cross-departmental staff working group to plan and execute the gala.
Support and partner with the Gala Committee to maximize engagement and fundraising outcomes.
Serve as the primary director of vendors, ensuring alignment, quality, and cost-effectiveness.

Financial and Operational Oversight

Oversee the individual philanthropy department budget, including revenue forecasting and expense management.
Monitor performance against goals and provide regular reporting to senior leadership.
Ensure systems, processes, and data management support effective fundraising operations.

Team Leadership and HR Management

Lead, mentor, and manage the individual philanthropy team, including gift officers and support staff.
Oversee hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional development.
Foster a high-performance, collaborative, and accountable team culture.
Create clear lines of communication and coordination between the gift officers individual philanthropy team to ensure a unified donor experience.

Qualifications

8–10+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, with a strong focus on individual giving.
Demonstrated success in managing major gift portfolios and achieving revenue targets.
Experience collaborating with principal gift functions and senior executive leadership.
Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.
Strong strategic thinking, planning, and execution capabilities.
Proven ability to work effectively with senior leadership and boards.
Excellent communication, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills.

Key Competencies