Managing Director of Gift Planning

Harvard Medical School Gift Planning Managing Director

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Harvard Medical School's mission is to nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership.

You'll be at the heart of biomedical discovery, education, and innovation, working alongside world-renowned faculty and a community dedicated to improving human health. This is more than a job - it's an opportunity to shape the future of medicine.

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.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations within Alumni Affairs and Development (AAD), the Managing Director of Gift Planning provides strategic leadership for a comprehensive gift planning program at Harvard Medical School (HMS). The Managing Director is the School's lead expert on planned giving, manages fundraising and administrative staff, and works collaboratively across HMS and the University to secure deferred, complex, and blended gifts in support of HMS's mission to alleviate suffering and improve health and well-being for all.

• Lead the overall management and strategic direction of the HMS Gift Planning program, ensuring alignment with School and University fundraising priorities.
• Develop and implement annual and multi-year plans with clear qualitative and quantitative goals for the program.
• Monitor progress, analyze results, and adjust strategies based on data and evolving opportunities.
• Serve as a key member of AAD's Office Management Group (OMG). Work with fellow OMG members to integrate office-wide operating plans to create departmental fundraising and engagement goals, identify and help to address emerging issues affecting AAD.
• Forecast and maintain Gift Planning team annual budgets.

• Supervise and mentor two direct reports, including goal-setting, performance management, and professional development.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture within the Gift Planning team and across AAD.
• Partner closely with Principal and Major Gifts, Annual and Leadership Giving, and other units to integrate gift planning into broader fundraising and engagement strategies.

• Oversee management and growth of the HMS planned giving prospect pool of alumni, friends, and other key constituents.
• Assign prospects to gift planning team members and other AAD colleagues as appropriate; conduct regular portfolio and pipeline reviews.
• Personally manage a portfolio of approximately 80+ prospects.
• Design and implement cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for planned, blended, and outright gifts; prepare proposals and related materials in coordination with School and University partners. Marketing, Donor Engagement & Internal Education.
• In collaboration with the Development Communications team, direct a comprehensive marketing program to educate, cultivate, and steward current and prospective planned giving donors.
• Incorporate best practices and emerging trends in planned giving marketing to enhance HMS's visibility and results.
• Lead strategy and programming for the Ezekiel Hersey Council,…