About the New England Aquarium

Located on Boston’s historic waterfront, the New England Aquarium is a globally recognized leader in marine science, conservation, education, and public engagement. Through its Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, the Aquarium advances research and conservation efforts that protect marine species and inform ocean policy worldwide. Each year, the Aquarium welcomes nearly 1.3 million visitors while inspiring future generations of ocean stewards.

As the Aquarium continues to expand its conservation impact and philanthropic capacity, it is investing in new fundraising leadership roles and further strengthening its development infrastructure to support long-term growth and future campaign readiness.

About the Opportunity

The Director of Development, Individual Giving is a highly visible fundraising leadership role responsible for expanding major gift philanthropy in support of the Aquarium’s mission. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Philanthropy and partnering closely with Vice President of Development Piper Hollis, this individual will cultivate and steward meaningful relationships with donors and prospects while helping advance the Aquarium’s next era of philanthropic growth.

This role offers the opportunity to join a collaborative, mission-driven team during a period of significant organizational momentum. The successful candidate will help strengthen the major gifts pipeline, identify new philanthropic opportunities, and connect donors to impactful work spanning marine science, conservation, animal care, and public engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a portfolio of 100+ major gift donors and prospects.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward five-, six-, and seven-figure philanthropic investments.
• Develop strategic donor engagement and pipeline-building initiatives.
• Partner with executive leadership, trustees, scientists, and program leaders to advance donor relationships.
• Lead major gift proposals, stewardship efforts, and donor communications.
• Collaborate across departments to strengthen a donor-centered culture of philanthropy.
• Represent the Aquarium throughout the region with donors, volunteers, and community stakeholders.

Qualifications

Qualified candidates should bring:

• Seven or more years of fundraising experience within mission-driven organizations.
• Demonstrated success securing and stewarding major gifts, including six- and seven-figure commitments.
• Experience building donor pipelines and identifying new philanthropic opportunities.
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and proposal-writing skills.
• Experience with fundraising databases and donor management systems.
• Passion for conservation, education, science, or other mission-driven work preferred.

Compensation & Location

Our compensation philosophy is rooted in fairness and rewarding excellence. Base salary is individually tailored to match the exact depth of your expertise, ensuring you are compensated exactly for the value you bring to the team. The salary range is $107,000 to $140,000.

This role is based locally in Boston, Massachusetts, and operates within an in-office/hybrid work model, with regular on-site presence at the Aquarium and in-person donor meetings. The New England Aquarium offers a collaborative, mission-driven culture and a comprehensive benefits package.

Application Information:

The New England Aquarium has retained ThinkingAhead Executive Search's Nonprofit Team to lead this search.

For more information, please contact:

Kay Linder
Partner, Nonprofit Division
ThinkingAhead Executive Search
klinder@thinkingahead.com

Heather Campbell
Partner, Nonprofit Division
ThinkingAhead Executive Search
hcampbell@thinkingahead.com