Senior Director, Major Gifts

Senior Director, Major Gifts

Smile Train is the world's leading cleft focused organization. Our goal is to transform the lives of every person impacted by a cleft lip or palate. We train and support doctors and medical professionals to provide our patients with free, life-changing, comprehensive cleft treatment. Our sustainable model has allowed us to reach more than 2 million children in 90+ countries in the past 25 years, and we still feel like we've just started. We are truly changing the world one smile at a time!

As Smile Train's Senior Director, Major Gifts, you will serve as a visionary fundraising leader who transforms lives by securing the resources needed to provide 100% free cleft surgery and comprehensive care to children worldwide. By connecting high-net-worth donors' passions with our sustainable, local medical partner model, you will directly fuel life-changing medical interventions, giving children the power of a smile and a fresh start in life.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management: Manage a high-value personal portfolio of major and principal donors, driving the full cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation lifecycle.
• Revenue Accountability: Secure major gifts at the $25K+ level and actively build a pipeline targeting transformative 6- and 7-figure donations.
• Fiscal Planning: Lead the major gifts annual budget preparation and team goal-setting processes to drive sustainable revenue growth from individuals.
• Pipeline Mobility: Partner with mid-level and Planned Giving fundraising teams to seamlessly transition upgraded donors into the major gifts and Planned Giving pipelines.
• Executive Collaboration: Leverage the Vice President of Development, executive leadership, and regional program staff to creatively engage high-net-worth prospects.

• Talent Development: Motivate, coach, and evaluate a team of 2 accountable gift officers, establishing rigorous performance objectives and clear professional growth paths.
• Performance Tracking: Monitor major gifts team metrics, reporting regularly to executive leadership on revenue progress and portfolio health.
• Culture Builder: Foster a positive, collaborative, and performance-oriented growth mindset work environment grounded in accountability and continuous improvement.

• Stewardship Materials: Partner with the Stewardship Manager to build high-caliber, customized collateral that demonstrates the concrete impact of major gifts.
• Marketing Alignment: Work cross-functionally with Marketing and Communications to deliver tailored, sophisticated messaging for high-net-worth networks.
• Grant Compliance: Coordinate with Finance, Programs, and Grants teams to guarantee exact fulfillment of restricted gift deliverables and program outcomes.
• Donor Advocacy: Engage donors to act as organizational ambassadors, leveraging their unique networks of influence to introduce new prospects.

• Database Alignment: Liaise directly with the Database team to ensure Salesforce is fully optimized for major gift account management and pipeline tracking.
• Moves Management: Implement a strict, metrics-driven moves management framework across the entire team to capture all prospective donor touchpoints.
• Data-Driven Insights: Translate data, prospect research, and analytics into actionable insights to continuously test and refine portfolio composition.
• Policy Governance: Establish, communicate, and maintain departmental policies and procedures related to major gift fundraising operations.

Candidate Profile

The Senior Director is essential to safeguarding and growing critical revenue as we approach ambitious, 5-year revenue targets. By combining donor leadership, people management, and operational consistency, this role ensures that stewardship and Major Gift fundraising are not support functions but core drivers of long-term financial sustainability and impact.

The Senior Director, Major Gifts, is a premier, donor-facing leader within the US Development team. This role drives critical philanthropic revenue by combining high-level relationship management, strategic team leadership, and operational excellence. As a vital leader helping to anchor the department's ambitious, multi-year growth goals, you will hold direct accountability for accelerating individual giving, building a robust 6-to-7 figure pipeline, and scaling major gift revenue.

Operating on a high-impact player-coach model, you will directly manage a personal portfolio of high-net-worth individuals while leading, coaching, and scaling a high-performing team of fundraising professionals. You will design and execute advanced moves management strategies, cross-functional marketing campaigns, and data-driven portfolio testing to optimize donor lifetime value. Additionally, you will serve as a primary strategic link between Major Gifts, Finance, Programs, and the Database team to ensure seamless operational alignment and precise impact reporting.

Required Education and Experience

• Experience: Minimum of 6+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience in Development, with a definitive focus on 25K+ major gifts.
• Track Record: Proven success in personally securing 6-to 7-figure donations and managing a multi-million-dollar regional or departmental revenue target.
• Leadership: At least 6-10 years of direct experience managing, coaching, and driving performance from a team of frontline fundraising professionals. Revenue Accountability: $7M+ departmentally; $2M+ personal portfolio of 6-7 figure solicitations
• Technical Skills: High proficiency with Salesforce (or similar institutional CRM), wealth screening tools, and Microsoft Office.
• Data Literacy: Strong ability to translate complex data, donor analytics, and pipeline metrics into actionable strategic plans.
• Communication: Superlative interpersonal, presentation, and strong donor-centric written communication skills, with the gravitas to navigate organizational change and represent the organization externally.
• Education: Bachelor's degree required.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Deep knowledge of advanced moves management methodologies and donor cultivation best practices.

Compensation

$123,000 - $150,000 USD/Year

Accountability Expectations

• Ownership of Outcomes: Take full responsibility for one's own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train's mission and objectives.
• Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and effectively with team members, fostering trust and a shared understanding of expectations and priorities.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team environment.
• Empowerment: Effectively communicate with supervisors to ensure you are equipped with the resources, guidance, and autonomy you need to excel in your role
• Team Cohesion: Contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability, helping the team to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment

Why You'll Love Working Here!

Meaningful Work – Be part of work that creates meaningful, lasting impact — changing the world one smile at a time.

We've Got You 100% Covered – Prioritize the health of you and your family with top tier, comprehensive health, pharmacy, dental, and vision coverage.

Plan for Your Future - Build toward your long-term goals with our 401(k) retirement plan and generous employer match to help invest in your future.

Rest and Recharge - Enjoy a generous PTO package, paid holidays, and sick time so you can rest, recharge, and return feeling your best.

Family Matters - We support employees through life's most important moments with paid parental leave and family care benefits, giving you time and flexibility for the people who matter most.

Mind Your Mental – Free access to professional mental health counseling to keep you grounded.

Learn and Grow - Take advantage of an annual professional development stipend and opportunities to expand your skills and continue learning.

Work Your Way - Balance collaboration and flexibility with our hybrid work model, based out of our conveniently located Midtown Manhattan office.

Travel the World – See our impact firsthand while partnering with global colleagues and programs through opportunities for domestic and international travel.

Accountability Expectations

• Ownership of Outcomes: Take full responsibility for one's own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train's mission and objectives.
• Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and effectively with team members, fostering trust and a shared understanding of expectations and priorities.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team environment.
• Empowerment: Effectively communicate with supervisors to ensure you are equipped with the resources, guidance, and autonomy you need to excel in your role
• Team Cohesion: Contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability, helping the team to thrive in a