Director of Advancement

Come join a team of dedicated staff at an exceptional time in the Smithsonian’s history during the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future. This ambitious fundraising campaign’s public phase will run from 2024 to 2026, culminating with the nation’s 250th anniversary. It will expand the Smithsonian’s reach and impact, empowering the institution to find solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. The Smithsonian has built a model fundraising organization, driven by talented staff across our many museums, research centers and cultural centers. This position offers exciting opportunities for the successful candidate to make a significant impact on the future of the Smithsonian. There is no better time to join this amazing Institution.

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time. We seek to share the transformative power of modern and contemporary art with audiences at all levels of awareness and understanding by creating meaningful, personal experiences in which art, artists, audiences and ideas converge. We enhance public understanding and appreciation of contemporary art through acquisition, exhibitions, education and public programs, conservation, and research.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden seeks a charismatic and accomplished Director of Advancement with proven fundraising experience to help grow a high-performing advancement department to serve the philanthropy needs of the museum today and for the future. The incumbent will develop and manage the museum’s fundraising program and raise major gifts from individual donors, corporations, and foundations for exhibitions, public programs, museum collections, and other initiatives. In addition, the Director of Advancement will be responsible for planning, implementing, and managing a multiyear capital campaign to support our Sculpture Garden revitalization efforts.

The Director of Advancement oversees the advancement program for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, with responsibility for planning, generating, and executing fund-raising initiatives with an emphasis on major gifts. S/he manages a portfolio of prospects including qualification of new prospects, and the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors through in person visits and communications. The Director supervises the advancement staff of six full-time staff members. This position oversees the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Board activities. S/he develops written annual work plans, visit and solicitation goals in conjunction with the Museum Director, and prepares reports on activities. The Director collaborates with museum staff and other Smithsonian units on programs and solicitations.

The Director of Advancement must be passionate about the Hirshhorn Museum, its history, and its important position in the international contemporary and modern art landscape, to deliver a persuasive message about investment in the programs and collections of the museum.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have at least five to seven years of successful experience in major gift fundraising, preferably in a major arts-related institution, non-profit organization, or educational institution. Application materials should show experience in building long-term donor relationships and closing 5-7 figure gifts. Hands-on board management experience with a proven history of fundraising success, including cultivation through solicitation and stewardship as well as experience working with planned giving, grant writing, and annual fund strategies should be demonstrated in application. Candidates must have superior oral and written communication skills, as well as excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills. Application materials should show experience building an advancement program for a cultural organization. A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.

Applicants, who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States, must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Benefits and Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit their resumes and a cover letter to this link by September 10, 2026. Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week. Relocation expenses are not paid.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.