CareerPlanSign in

Development Officer

Cambridge, MA, us💼 Full-time🗓 2026-06-03 → 2026-09-25

Core

Develop and execute funding strategies to secure major gifts for the Giant Magellan Telescope and Harvard College Observatory activities.

Role type

Senior development officer (astronomy/science fundraising)

Builds

Production fundraising campaigns and donor relationships for space science initiatives

Domain

Higher education fundraising + Astronomy/Space Science

Deliverable

client delivery

Required skills

Major gift fundraising, donor prospecting and qualification, cultivation and stewardship strategies, event management, complex scientific concept translation, research and donor discovery, portfolio management (6-8 figure prospects)

Preferred skills

Science-based fundraising experience, higher education fundraising background, building new programs and relationships, staffing high-level academic leaders

Technologies

Alumni database systems, prospect management software

Responsibilities

Secure funding for research and public engagement; identify and qualify unaffiliated prospects; develop solicitation strategies; manage donor portfolio; advise on astronomy subject matter; coordinate fundraising events; travel nationally and internationally for donor engagement

Seniority

Senior, hands-on IC

Sourced via smartrecruiters · Listed on CareerPlan, which tracks 70,000+ jobs from 20+ sources.