Senior Philanthropic Advisor

Boston College Introduction

Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,654 full-time undergraduates and 5,072 graduate and professional students. Ranked 37 among national universities, Boston College has 923 full-time and 1,336 FTE faculty, 2,822 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.9 billion.

Job Description

Boston College, the first institution of higher education to operate in the city of Boston, is today among the nation's foremost R1 universities, a leader in the liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and student formation. While being true to its roots, Boston College is committed to being the world's leading Jesuit, Catholic university. Those ambitious goals distinguish Boston College from its peers in higher education worldwide and reflect its desire to contribute to the transformation of the world.

As we enter the third year of the public phase of Soaring Higher: The Campaign for Boston College, we invite you to join our community. Driven by our mission in ways that advance the university for years to come, priority areas for this $3B comprehensive campaign include Financial Aid, Academics, and Student Life.

About the Office of University Advancement:
Based on a fundamental Jesuit tenet of developing the whole person, University Advancement is large enough to benefit from many campus resources, yet small enough to be agile and creative in supporting all associates. With an average tenure of nearly 10 years at Boston College, our 250-person centralized organizational structure offers a variety of roles across fundraising, alumni relations, operations, and communications and engagement. We invest in the professional growth of every staff member through individual and team-based programs.

Likewise, we aim to attract the very best, seeking team members who are as ambitious and as committed to our team as we are. We value a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging while actively promoting team members who contribute to the success of University Advancement.

See below the current opportunity to begin (or return to!) your Boston College experience!

Job Description

Boston College seeks a Senior Philanthropic Advisor to play a central role in its principal giving strategy, partnering closely with senior leadership to secure transformative seven- and eight-figure commitments and above.

The Senior Philanthropic Advisor serves as a trusted institutional representative and strategic partner, translating Boston College's Jesuit Catholic mission and academic priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities for a select group of the University's most influential constituents. Success in this role requires exceptional judgment, executive presence, and the ability to navigate complex relationships with discretion and sophistication.

Job Responsibilities:

Principal Gift Portfolio Management

• Manage a highly curated portfolio of approximately 60-70 alumni, families, and select partners with the capacity to make seven- and eight-figure commitments as well as significant principal discovery/qualification work for prospects on a trajectory of having future principal potential.
• Design and lead individualized strategies that deepen engagement, align donor interests with institutional priorities, and move prospects toward principal-level investments.
• Personally qualify, cultivate, solicit, and develop a comprehensive strategy to close 7 and 8-figure gifts.

Strategic Leadership and Advising

• Serve as a senior advisor on principal gift strategy, partnering with advancement leadership, academic leaders, and gift officers to design and execute highly customized engagement plans for top-tier prospects.
• Provide counsel on complex donor strategy, including positioning, timing, and institutional alignment.
• Represent Boston College's vision and priorities to high-net-worth individuals and key stakeholders in the U.S. and internationally.

Institutional Collaboration and Campaign Strategy

• Partner closely with the strategic engagement team, regional leadership, Trustees, and senior University leaders to coordinate strategy for top prospects and donors across geographies.
• Contribute to developing a robust principal-gift pipeline to ensure the long-term sustainability of campaign priorities.
• Collaborate across University Advancement to align efforts, share intelligence, and maximize institutional impact.
• Plan, staff, and brief University leaders for substantive strategic prospect/donor visits and events.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The salary range for this position is listed below, with the final salary based on various factors, including the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience, and internal equity considerations.

Full-Time Equivalent Hiring Range: $163,300 to $204,150; salary commensurate with relevant experience.

Requirements

• The position requires a bachelor's degree and at least 10 years of fundraising experience, preferably in a higher-education campaign environment or another complex nonprofit setting. Alternatively, leadership-level experience in a role directly correlated with success as the Senior Philanthropic Advisor will be considered.
• Demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing multiple seven- and eight-figure gifts within a complex university or nonprofit environment, with deep expertise in sophisticated gift strategy development and a comprehensive command of fundraising principles and practices.
• Exceptional strategic acumen, with the ability to manage nuanced relationships and navigate institutional dynamics at the highest levels.
• Experience developing sophisticated gift strategies, including complex and blended giving vehicles.
• Deep appreciation for, and ability to effectively communicate, the values and impact of Jesuit Catholic education.
• Strong executive presence, sound judgment, and a high degree of discretion.
• The role requires a willingness and ability to travel to regions including New England, Florida, the West Coast, and the United Kingdom.

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of strategic insight, relationship sophistication, and mission alignment, along with a demonstrated ability to influence without authority and operate effectively in highly collaborative, high-stakes environments. This individual will be equally comfortable engaging with senior university leaders and donors and will be motivated by the opportunity to shape philanthropic investments that advance Boston College's mission.

Success will be measured by the incumbent's ability to move donors through the qualification and cultivation processes toward solicitation and gifts at capacity, build a pipeline for future support, and collaborate strategically and effectively with University Advancement colleagues across departments and with university leadership.

Must be a team player who is highly motivated and dedicated to the goals of advancing higher education and have an appreciation for Jesuit Catholic education and the goals and values of Boston College.

The office of University Advancement supports the mission of Boston College by promoting a culture of inclusion that values each individual. Our recruiting practices support that commitment to build teams reflecting our community; students, alumni, parents and friends of Boston College.

Closing Statement

Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:

• Tuition remission for Employees
• Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements
• Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Low-Cost Life Insurance
• Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans
• Paid Holidays Annually
• Generous Sick and Vacation Pay
• Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook

Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.

Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category, including disability and protected veteran status. Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination.

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