Associate Director, Leadership Philanthropy

Associate Director, Leadership Philanthropy

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, research center, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our extensive collections encompass plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from around the world and throughout history. We are a diverse team of leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Whether you're working behind the scenes in research or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

The Associate Director, Leadership Philanthropy, plays a key leadership role on the Academy’s Advancement team. This role oversees a portfolio of high-net-worth donors while supporting strategic initiatives, internal collaboration, and data infrastructure to enhance major giving efforts. In addition to leading complex solicitations and managing key donor relationships, this role will manage the Leadership Philanthropy Coordinator.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California.

• Manage a portfolio of ~75-100 individual donors, focusing on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of leadership and principal gifts.
• Personally secure and steward 6-figure+ commitments to advance institutional priorities, with annual contributed revenue targets.
• Plan and deliver cultivation events and experiences, from concept through execution, to deepen donor engagement—including bespoke, high-touch activations with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Partner with the Director of LP, CAO, and SLT on select strategic initiatives or funding campaigns.

• Directly supervise the Leadership Philanthropy Coordinator, providing coaching, project oversight, and professional development.
• Assign and prioritize tasks related to donor engagement, stewardship fulfillment, and cross-team coordination to support the LP team’s overall effectiveness.
• Ensure clear communication and collaboration between LP, streamlining internal operations to maximize fundraising efficiency.
• Guide the Leadership Coordinator’s involvement in key projects, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and reinforcing a culture of shared accountability and continuous improvement.

• As needed, represent the LP team in recurring meetings with Advancement colleagues and across teams at the Academy.
• Provide thought partnership and mentorship across the LP team; model best practices in donor engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and moves management.
• Partner with Advancement Operations to enhance LP reporting, implement database improvements, and guide strategic use of tools like Tessitura.

• Collaborate closely with teams across the institution to design and deliver custom donor experiences that advance stewardship goals.

• Lead select major donor experiences, including behind-the-scenes tours, site visits, and field experiences that highlight Academy science.
• Oversee stewardship strategy for top donors in portfolio, coordinating with Donor Relations, Events, and…