Job Listing: Senior Development Officer (Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art)

Full-Time | Exempt 
Title: Senior Development Officer

Department: Development 
Reports to: Director of Development 

Summary: 

Virginia MOCA seeks a collaborative and driven fundraising professional to join our team as the Senior Development Officer. This pivotal role is essential to sustaining and growing the Museum’s philanthropic support, with a focus on major gifts, corporate partnerships, and membership. 

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Senior Development Officer will manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, develop donor pipelines, and lead strategic fundraising initiatives that align with the Museum’s mission and vision. The ideal candidate brings a strong track record of securing individual and corporate gifts, building sustainable programs, and fostering meaningful relationships with supporters. 

This is an exciting opportunity for a development professional looking to make a lasting impact at a dynamic, community-rooted contemporary art museum through collaborative fundraising, goal-driven strategy, and donor-centered stewardship. 

Key Responsibilities:

Major Gifts 

• Manage a personal portfolio of donors and prospects with a focus on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts at $1000+.

• Develop and execute individualized strategies to engage current and prospective donors. 

• Set and track annual and monthly performance goals for portfolio activity and gift outcomes, using donor data and trends to inform strategy. 

• Collaborate with programming and curatorial staff to align giving opportunities with exhibitions, education initiatives, and special projects. 

Corporate Support 

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate sponsors and partners aligned with museum programs and institutional priorities. 

• Develop and present customized sponsorship proposals aligned with each partner’s goals, clearly communicating tailored benefit packages and recognition plans.  
•  Manage sponsorship fulfillment, track outcomes, and report on progress toward corporate fundraising goals. 
• Collaborate closely with Marketing and Education to identify sponsorship opportunities aligned with programs, exhibitions, and events. 

Membership 

• Lead the growth of Virginia MOCA’s general membership program, including individual, dual, household, and higher-tier categories. 

• Oversee member communications and benefit fulfillment to ensure consistent and compelling experience. 

• Collaborate with Marketing and Visitor Services teams to integrate membership messaging across platforms and enhance the visitor-to-member conversion process. 

• Evaluate and refine membership offering based on trends, data and member feedback. 

Internal Collaboration 

• Work collaboratively across departments to ensure alignment between fundraising goals and institutional priorities. 

• Participate in cross-functional planning meetings and help translate programmatic needs into donor opportunities. 

• Support the development of proposals, cases for support, and impact reporting that reflect the Museum’s vision and values. 

Qualifications 

• Minimum 3–5+ years of fundraising experience, including direct solicitation of individual and corporate donors. 

• Proven success in at least two of the following areas: major gifts, corporate sponsorships, membership programs, or annual giving.

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with a passion for connecting donors to mission. 

• Highly organized, goal-oriented, and data-driven, with the ability to manage multiple priorities. 

• Experience with a donor CRM system (Neon CRM or similar) a plus. 

• Bachelor’s degree required; CFRE or related credential a plus. 
   

 Additional Requirements 

• Availability for occasional evenings and weekends for donor events and museum programs. 

• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds during event setup and breakdown. 

• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation. 

Virginia MOCA strives for an inclusive work environment and actively embraces a diversity of people, ideas, talents, and experiences. We highly encourage individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, and other historically underrepresented groups to apply.