Senior Director of Individual Giving
Department: Development
Reports to: Chief Development Officer
Supervises: A team of nine, including the Director of Principal Gifts and Endowment, the Director of Annual Giving and Membership, and the Major Gifts team
Status: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Houston, TX
Salary Range: [$140,000 - $160,000]
Please include a resume and cover letter when applying.
About the Houston Symphony
Founded in 1913, the Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas and a cornerstone of Houston’s cultural life. Under the leadership of Music Director Juraj Valcuha, the orchestra operates with an annual budget of over $42 million and presents more than 130 concerts each year, spanning classical, pops, and family programming. Beyond the concert hall, its education and community engagement initiatives reach thousands and thousands more throughout Greater Houston annually. Individual philanthropy plays a vital role in sustaining the Symphony’s artistic excellence, expanding access to music, and ensuring its continued impact on the community.
Position Summary
The Senior Director of Development, Individual Giving provides strategic and operational leadership for individual fundraising at the Houston Symphony, overseeing programs from Membership through Principal Gifts. This role personally cultivates and solicits major donors and manages a nine-person team, including staff supervision, goal setting, budgeting, and performance tracking. Working closely with the Chief Development Officer and colleagues across the organization, the Senior Director advances fundraising priorities and serves as an ambassador for the Houston Symphony.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership for the individual giving team, overseeing fundraising from Membership through Principal Gifts. Recruit, train, mentor, and evaluate staff to build a high-performing, entrepreneurial team.
- Develop and implement a long-term major gifts strategy and donor pipeline that grows philanthropic support across all giving levels.
- Personally manage a portfolio of top donors and prospects, soliciting and closing six- and seven-figure gifts.
- Work alongside Houston Symphony Board President, CEO/Executive Director, the Chief Development Officer and Director of Principal Gifts and Endowment to plan and execute a major endowment campaign, developing strategies to identify, cultivate, and solicit prospective donors and secure transformational gifts in support of the Houston Symphony’s long-term priorities.
- Coach team members on building and strengthening donor portfolios, including prospect identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and moves management.
- Develop stewardship strategies that deepen donor engagement and encourage long-term, multi-year, and legacy giving, using relationships with donors, board members, and Symphony leadership.
- Works closely with the Board Development Committee Chair to set and execute the priorities of the Development Committee.
- Work with Development Operations and IT to build data tools and reports that track portfolio performance and progress toward fundraising goals.
- Monitor and report on team performance and progress toward fundraising goals, holding the team accountable to Development Office benchmarks.
- Manage the individual giving budget, monitoring revenue and expenses.
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in individual giving
- Track record of personally soliciting and securing six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals, foundations, and other philanthropic sources
- Experience leading, mentoring, and developing fundraising staff
- Strategic thinker who can turn organizational priorities into actionable plans and measurable results
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to build relationships with donors, board members, senior leadership, and colleagues and to represent the Symphony with diverse audiences
- Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize competing demands in a very fast-paced environment
- Experience using data and donor database reporting to guide strategy and evaluate performance, ideally in Tessitura
- Sound judgment, integrity, and discretion in handling confidential donor information
- Bachelor's degree
- Flexibility to work evenings and weekends and travel as needed for donor events, performances, and meetings
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in a nonprofit, cultural, or performing arts organization
- Experience with planned giving and endowment campaigns
- Knowledge of or interest in symphonic music
Skills Required
- 7+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience with demonstrated success in individual giving
- Experience personally soliciting and securing six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals, foundations, and other philanthropic sources
- Experience leading, mentoring, and developing fundraising staff
- Strategic planning skills with the ability to turn organizational priorities into actionable plans and measurable results
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
- Ability to build relationships with donors, board members, senior leadership, and colleagues
- Strong project management and organizational skills
- Experience using data and donor database reporting to guide strategy and evaluate performance, ideally in Tessitura
- Sound judgment, integrity, and discretion when handling confidential donor information
- Bachelor's degree
- Flexibility to work evenings and weekends and travel as needed for donor events, performances, and meetings
- Experience in a nonprofit, cultural, or performing arts organization
- Experience with planned giving and endowment campaigns
- Knowledge of or interest in symphonic music
What We Do
The Houston Symphony is a world-class orchestra and cultural leader in Houston, committed to creating extraordinary musical experiences for all. Its mission is to inspire and engage a large and diverse audience through exceptional orchestral performances, educational programs, and community activities.
