Vice President, Development

The New York Academy of Sciences•New York, NY

2d•$210,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Development leads the Academy’s philanthropic strategy and fundraising efforts to secure major gifts, corporate partnerships, and foundation grants that support scientific research, education initiatives, and global collaboration. Serving as both senior fundraiser and strategic leader, this role balances direct donor engagement with oversight of development operations, performance, and long-term revenue growth.

Requirements

15+ years of progressively senior advancement or fundraising leadership experience.
Demonstrated success securing major and principal gifts and forging corporate partnerships, including six- and seven-figure commitments.
Experience leading comprehensive advancement programs at complex nonprofit, higher education, research, or science-based organizations.
Proven ability to build and manage high-performing development teams.
Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver detailed fundraising performance reports, including tracking progress against annual and multi-year development goals, and communicating results clearly to senior leadership and board stakeholders.
Strategic thinker with the ability to align fundraising with mission-driven programmatic priorities.
Exceptional relationship builder with credibility among philanthropists, scientific leaders, and institutional partners.
Strong understanding of philanthropic trends in science, education, and innovation sectors.
Highly collaborative leadership style and ability to influence across diverse stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with scientific, research, or academic institutions.
Familiarity with global philanthropy and international partnerships.
Understanding of the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem in New York City and globally.

Responsibilities

Lead and execute the Academy’s comprehensive philanthropic strategy to advance strategic priorities and achieve annual and multi-year revenue goals.
Serve as a senior fundraiser by personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-capacity donors and strategic partners, while maintaining a robust pipeline of major, principal, and planned gifts.
Partner with the President & CEO, Chief Business and Finance Officer, Board of Governors, and senior leadership to drive donor engagement, fundraising initiatives, and external partnerships.
Expand and strengthen corporate, foundation, and institutional partnerships, securing multi-year funding and sponsorship opportunities aligned with mission priorities.
Oversee and lead the Development function, including team performance, operations, and fundraising infrastructure, ensuring accountability, efficiency, and results.
Establish and monitor performance metrics, benchmarks, and reporting systems to track progress against fundraising goals and support strategic decision-making.
Identify and pursue new philanthropic opportunities that support program growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
Represent the Academy externally and position it as a leading partner for philanthropic investment in scientific research, education, and innovation.
Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward high-capacity donors capable of making transformative philanthropic investments.
Build and actively manage a pipeline of major, principal and planned gifts.
Partner with the President & CEO, Chief Business and Finance Officer, and Board leadership on strategic donor engagement and solicitations.
Strengthen relationships with philanthropists interested in science, education, and innovation.
Lead select high-level corporate partnerships, sponsorships and strategic fundraising opportunities.
Serve as a key external ambassador for the Academy with donors and corporate partners.
Implement and operationalize the Academy’s development strategy in alignment with strategic priorities and financial goals.
Maintain robust fundraising performance reporting and analytics for Senior Management and the Board to support strategic decision-making and revenue forecasting.
Ensure strong fundraising infrastructure, including donor databases, prospect research, stewardship and compliance with all fundraising regulations, ethical standards, and reporting requirements.
Foster a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.
Perform other related duties as assigned in support of the Academy’s mission.
The VP sets clear goals and expectations, supports professional development, and fosters a collaborative, high-performing team culture aligned with the Academy’s advancement priorities for the Development department.
The department consists of a Development Coordinator and a Senior Director, Institutional Giving.
The VP provides leadership, coaching, and performance management as appropriate to align efforts; ensure accurate tracking, reporting and analytics across all revenue streams; and ensure strong execution.