Senior Director, Major Gifts

Organizational Overview 

Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft focused organization. Our goal is to transform the lives of every person impacted by a cleft lip or palate. We train and support doctors and medical professionals to provide our patients with free, life-changing, comprehensive cleft treatment. Our sustainable model has allowed us to reach more than 2 million children in 90+ countries in the past 25 years, and we still feel like we’ve just started. We are truly changing the world one smile at a time!

Make a Difference!

As Smile Train’s Senior Director, Major Gifts, you will serve as a visionary fundraising leader who transforms lives by securing the resources needed to provide 100% free cleft surgery and comprehensive care to children worldwide. By connecting high-net-worth donors’ passions with our sustainable, local medical partner model, you will directly fuel life-changing medical interventions, giving children the power of a smile and a fresh start in life.

**This is a remote position, but candidates must reside in California.**

Reports To

Vice President, Development

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Revenue & Pipeline Leadership

• Portfolio Management: Manage a high-value personal portfolio of major and principal donors, driving the full cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation lifecycle.
• Revenue Accountability: Secure major gifts at the $25K+ level and actively build a pipeline targeting transformative 6- and 7-figure donations.
• Fiscal Planning: Lead the major gifts annual budget preparation and team goal-setting processes to drive sustainable revenue growth from individuals.
• Pipeline Mobility: Partner with mid-level and Planned Giving fundraising teams to seamlessly transition upgraded donors into the major gifts and Planned Giving pipelines.
• Executive Collaboration: Leverage the Vice President of Development, executive leadership, and regional program staff to creatively engage high-net-worth prospects.

Team Leadership & People Management (Player-Coach)

• Talent Development: Motivate, coach, and evaluate a team of 2 accountable gift officers, establishing rigorous performance objectives and clear professional growth paths.
• Performance Tracking: Monitor major gifts team metrics, reporting regularly to executive leadership on revenue progress and portfolio health.
• Culture Builder: Foster a positive, collaborative, and performance-oriented growth mindset work environment grounded in accountability and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Campaign & Stewardship Operations

• Stewardship Materials: Partner with the Stewardship Manager to build high-caliber, customized collateral that demonstrates the concrete impact of major gifts.
• Marketing Alignment: Work cross-functionally with Marketing and Communications to deliver tailored, sophisticated messaging for high-net-worth networks.
• Grant Compliance: Coordinate with Finance, Programs, and Grants teams to guarantee exact fulfillment of restricted gift deliverables and program outcomes.
• Donor Advocacy: Engage donors to act as organizational ambassadors, leveraging their unique networks of influence to introduce new prospects.

Data Strategy & CRM Optimization

• Database Alignment: Liaise directly with the Database team to ensure Salesforce is fully optimized for major gift account management and pipeline tracking.
• Moves Management: Implement a strict, metrics-driven moves management framework across the entire team to capture all prospective donor touchpoints.
• Data-Driven Insights: Translate data, prospect research, and analytics into actionable insights to continuously test and refine portfolio composition.
• Policy Governance: Establish, communicate, and maintain departmental policies and procedures related to major gift fundraising operations.

Candidate Profile

The Senior Director is essential to safeguarding and growing critical revenue as we approach ambitious, 5-year revenue targets. By combining donor leadership, people management, and operational consistency, this role ensures that stewardship and Major Gift fundraising are not support functions but core drivers of long‑term financial sustainability and impact.

The Senior Director, Major Gifts, is a premier, donor-facing leader within the US Development team. This role drives critical philanthropic revenue by combining high-level relationship management, strategic team leadership, and operational excellence. As a vital leader helping to anchor the department's ambitious, multi-year growth goals, you will hold direct accountability for accelerating individual giving, building a robust 6-to-7 figure pipeline, and scaling major gift revenue.

Operating on a high-impact player-coach model, you will directly manage a personal portfolio of high-net-worth individuals while leading, coaching, and scaling a high-performing team of fundraising professionals. You will design and execute advanced moves management strategies, cross-functional marketing campaigns, and data-driven portfolio testing to optimize donor lifetime value. Additionally, you will serve as a primary strategic link between Major Gifts, Finance, Programs, and the Database team to ensure seamless operational alignment and precise impact reporting.

Required Education and Experience 

• Experience: Minimum of 6+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience in Development, with a definitive focus on 25K+ major gifts.
• Track Record: Proven success in personally securing 6-to 7-figure donations and managing a multi-million-dollar regional or departmental revenue target.
• Leadership: At least 6-10 years of direct experience managing, coaching, and driving performance from a team of frontline fundraising professionals. Revenue Accountability: $7M+ departmentally; $2M+ personal portfolio of 6-7 figure solicitations
• Technical Skills: High proficiency with Salesforce (or similar institutional CRM), wealth screening tools, and Microsoft Office.
• Data Literacy: Strong ability to translate complex data, donor analytics, and pipeline metrics into actionable strategic plans.
• Communication: Superlative interpersonal, presentation, and strong donor-centric written communication skills, with the gravitas to navigate organizational change and represent the organization externally.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Deep knowledge of advanced moves management methodologies and donor cultivation best practices.

Compensation

$123,000 - $150,000 USD/Year

Accountability Expectations

• Ownership of Outcomes: Take full responsibility for one’s own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train’s mission and objectives.
• Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and effectively with team members, fostering trust and a shared understanding of expectations and priorities.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team environment.
  
• Empowerment: Effectively communicate with supervisors to ensure you are equipped with the resources, guidance, and autonomy you need to excel in your role
• Team Cohesion: Contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability, helping the team to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment

Why You’ll Love Working Here!

Meaningful Work – Be part of work that creates meaningful, lasting impact — changing the world one smile at a time.

We’ve Got You 100% Covered – Prioritize the health of you and your family with top tier, comprehensive health, pharmacy, dental, and vision coverage.

Plan for Your Future - Build toward your long-term goals with our 401(k) retirement plan and generous employer match to help invest in your future.

Rest and Recharge - Enjoy a generous PTO package, paid holidays, and sick time so you can rest, recharge, and return feeling your best.

Family Matters - We support employees through life’s most important moments with paid parental leave and family care benefits, giving you time and flexibility for the people who matter most.

Mind Your Mental – Free access to professional mental health counseling to keep you grounded.

Learn and Grow - Take advantage of an annual professional development stipend and opportunities to expand your skills and continue learning.

Work Your Way - Balance collaboration and flexibility with our hybrid work model, based out of our conveniently located Midtown Manhattan office.

Travel the World – See our impact firsthand while partnering with global colleagues and programs through opportunities for domestic and international travel.

Accountability Expectations

• Ownership of Outcomes: Take full responsibility for one’s own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train’s mission and objectives.
• Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and effectively with team members, fostering trust and a shared understanding of expectations and priorities.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team environment.
  
• Empowerment: Effectively communicate with supervisors to ensure you are equipped with the resources, guidance, and autonomy you need to excel in your role
• Team Cohesion: Contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability, helping the team to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment

Application Process

Smile Train is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates from all groups and communities to apply.

To apply, please complete the application online. Include your CV and a cover letter explaining why you would be a good fit for Smile Train and this role. Only those who provide a cover letter as directed will be considered. We encourage interested applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.