Director Major Gifts

About the Role

The Director, Major Gifts is responsible for expanding philanthropic support for The Jackson Laboratory through the development of major gift relationships. Based out of The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine campus in Farmington, Connecticut, this person will build and manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects while proactively cultivating new relationships and sources of philanthropic support.

The Director will combine relationship management with active prospect development to build a strong pipeline of major gift opportunities and deliver measurable fundraising results. This is an individual-contributor role with significant personal fundraising and pipeline-development goals.

Southern CT Region Salary Range: $121,924 – $176,790, based on years of related experience and internal equity considerations

Hybrid Remote with 10-20% travel

What You'll Do

Fundraising Leadership

• Work with Advancement leadership to set and achieve or exceed annual fundraising and pipeline-development goals.

• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, including significant major gift opportunities.

• Partner with Advancement leadership, scientists, and senior leaders to engage and solicit priority prospects.

• Partner with colleagues across teams to develop compelling philanthropic opportunities (and materials) that connect donor interests with JAX's scientific strengths and priorities.

Prospect Development

• Partner with Director, Prospect Development to proactively identify, source, qualify, and develop new major gift prospects beyond JAX's existing donor base.

• Build relationships with philanthropists, business leaders, investors, healthcare and life sciences leaders, and other high-capacity prospects.

• Leverage networks, referrals, events, market intelligence, and strategic relationships to expand JAX's major gift pipeline.

• Bring a proactive, results-oriented approach to prospect development, relationship management, and solicitation.

Strategic Relationships

• Build trusted relationships with donors, prospects, advisors, and other influential stakeholders.

• Represent JAX effectively within philanthropic, business, scientific, and community networks.

• Work closely with scientific leaders to translate complex research into compelling conversations and philanthropic opportunities.

Performance & Accountability

• Maintain a robust portfolio and pipeline with clear strategies, next actions, and expected outcomes.

• Consistently achieve fundraising, pipeline, solicitation, and activity goals.

• Operate with collegiality, initiative, urgency, independence, judgment, and accountability.

• Other duties as assigned.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in major gifts, philanthropy, business development, life sciences, healthcare, or another sophisticated relationship-driven environment.

• Demonstrated success developing relationships and securing significant philanthropic investments or comparable high-value commitments.

• Established relationships within philanthropic, business, healthcare, life sciences, or investment communities preferred.

• Knowledge of biomedical research, biotechnology, life sciences, or healthcare preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to engage credibly with high-net-worth individuals, senior executives, and scientific leaders.

About JAX:

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States (Maine, Connecticut, California), Japan and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.

Founded in 1929, JAX applies over nine decades of expertise in genetics to increase understanding of human disease, advancing treatments and cures for cancer, neurological and immune disorders, diabetes, aging and heart disease. It models and interprets genomic complexity, integrates basic research with clinical application, educates current and future scientists, and provides critical data, tools and services to the global biomedical community. For more information, please visit www.jax.org​​​​​​​.

EEO Statement:

The Jackson Laboratory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, national origin, veteran status, and other classifications protected by applicable state and local non-discrimination laws.