Assistant Director, Major Gifts

The New York Philharmonic connects with millions of music lovers each season through live concerts in New York and around the world, as well as broadcasts, recordings, and education programs. After returning to a transformed David Geffen Hall in October 2022, the Orchestra has a renewed commitment to building on a 180-year-old legacy of excellence by serving as a platform for today’s creators and connecting with our communities. In February 2023 the New York Philharmonic announced the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel as the Orchestra’s next maestro, to begin as Music and Artistic Director in 2026–27, after serving as Music Director Designate in 2025–26.

The New York Philharmonic seeks an Assistant Director, Major Gifts to be an active and frontline member of the Major Gifts team. The Assistant Director, Major Gifts manages a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects who have the capacity to give gifts of $15,000 and higher. They will develop fundraising strategies to identify and cultivate new prospects and to increase the retention of the most generous donors, and maintain a schedule of cultivation, solicitations, and stewardship. This role will work collaboratively to bolster the Philharmonic’s fundraising across Major and Individual Giving and work in close partnership with the Artistic team to manage donors who support the Orchestra’s contemporary works and commissions, in addition to works in the standard repertoire. This role will report to the Director, Major Gifts.

Responsibilities:

• Manage a personal portfolio of prospects and major donors including members of the Patron Program. Establish and maintain strong relationships and oversee cultivation, solicitation, acknowledgement, and stewardship of these donors.
• Actively participate in creating and executing strategies to increase revenue for the major gifts program.
• Work closely with Research and Development Operations team to identify new prospects from the Philharmonic’s audience and broader community.
• Collaborate with Development Writer to prepare an array of written communications including correspondence, invitations, solicitations, proposals, acknowledgements, reports, and other materials and administrative tasks as required.
• Attend a series of pre-concert cultivation dinners, salons, and other special events, working closely with gift officers and development staff.
• Serve as host of the Patron Lounge at select performances to steward Patrons, major donors, and Board members.
• Serve as frontline fundraiser and personal contact for donors at Philharmonic concerts. Host and participate in special events as needed including talks, lectures, and receptions.
• Serve as key development staff member supporting the Artistic team’s tracking and solicitation of donors and prospects who support the Philharmonic’s contemporary works and commissions.
• Support development leadership in fundraising for future season programs and international tour sponsorship fundraising including the tracking and solicitation of individual donors, and the creation of sponsorship collateral.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting of portfolio and develop unique and personal solicitation strategies.
• Work closely with Individual Giving, Donor Services, and Development Operations teams to fulfill membership benefits and ticket requests and ensure proper acknowledgement, receipting, and crediting of gifts.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working environment.
• Miscellaneous duties as required/assigned.

Requirements:

A minimum of 5 years of development experience and 3 years of frontline fundraising and stewardship experience. This candidate will have a proven track record of maintaining effective relationships with donors; strong writing and organizational skills; and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively and manage multiple projects within a fast-paced work environment. Tessitura experience and previous exposure to high-net-worth membership groups and donors is highly valued. Previous experience at an arts organization is a plus. Regular evenings and weekends required to attend performances and/or cultivation events.

The New York Philharmonic is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, immigration or citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, marital and partnership status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran or active military service member or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws in its employment policies.