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Senior Director, Major Gifts and Individual Giving
Sales & Business Development
Washington, DC, USA · Washington, DC, USA
USD 175k-185k / year
Posted on Oct 23, 2026
Senior Director, Major Gifts and Individual Giving
Do you want to make a global impact on ocean conservation and build the donor relationships that make it possible? Oceana is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director, Major Gifts and Individual Giving to build and lead the organization’s major gifts program, including Planned Giving.
This is a newly created role and a rare opportunity to shape Oceana’s major gifts program from the ground up. The Senior Director will personally manage a curated portfolio of approximately 50 to 75 of Oceana’s most significant donors and prospects, with a focus on continuity of principal-level ($100,000+) relationships. They will also direct strategy, goal setting, and moves management across the full program. The position will start without direct reports, with plans to grow the team by adding Major Gifts Officers over time.
As a senior member of Oceana’s Global Development team, the Senior Director will report to the Vice President, Global Development. Together they will design and carry out a multi-year major gifts growth strategy that supports Oceana’s organization-wide revenue goals. The Senior Director will own forecasting, pipeline reporting, and revenue accountability for the program, and will lead the move of donor relationships currently held outside the function into the major gifts team. Working closely with Communications, Program, and Legal colleagues, they will develop compelling proposals and stewardship materials. They will also represent Oceana at donor meetings, cultivation events, galas, and speaking engagements, including those involving Oceana’s Board and executive leadership. The role requires strategic vision, discretion, and the ability to inspire donors to invest deeply in protecting the world’s oceans.
The ideal candidate is an accomplished fundraiser and people leader who thrives on building programs and deepening relationships with high-net-worth donors. They will hold a bachelor’s degree (an advanced degree or equivalent professional training is a plus) and bring at least 12 years of progressive major gifts experience, including three to five years managing or supervising fundraising staff. They should have a track record of personally securing six- and seven-figure gifts and leading a team toward multi-million-dollar annual goals. They should also have experience keeping principal-level donors engaged through staff transitions. The role also requires a working knowledge of planned giving, proficiency in Salesforce, and a willingness to travel and work outside normal business hours for donor and organizational events.
The salary range for this position is $175,000 – $185,000 annually.
Click “Apply Now” to learn more about the position.
Founded in 2001, Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. We achieve measurable change by conducting specific, science-based campaigns with fixed deadlines and articulated goals. Our campaigns extend to countries that, combined, control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch, including Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the 27 countries in the European Union, with plans to open a new campaign team in Ghana in 2026.
Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.
Oceana’s U.S. offices operate on a hybrid schedule, and staff are required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home Monday and Friday.