SUMMARY

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Senior Manager of Philanthropy plays a crucial role in the functioning of the Philanthropy department. This position serves as the hub of the department, providing strategic leadership and critical support for all aspects of Philanthropy operations. The Senior Manager of Philanthropy Operations is responsible for the administration of the prospect management function for Boston Lyric Opera’s Philanthropy team, building a critical base of support through a robust calendar of individual giving appeals and stewardship communications, and maintaining best practices within the department’s operations. RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Prospect Management– 30%

• In partnership with departmental leadership, manage the prospect management function of the Philanthropy team, including research, portfolio management, campaign goal setting and assessment, activity tracking, reporting, and analytics • Support the Chief Philanthropy Officer, gift officers/philanthropy advisors, General Director & CEO, and Board leadership in setting goals and developing prospect cultivation strategies • Hold regular meetings with gift officers/philanthropy advisors to ensure cultivation strategies, solicitations, and activity tracking are accurate and current • Collaborate with departmental staff and external support ensuring that requests for reports and analytics are accurate and completed in a timely manner 

Philanthropy Operations – 50%

• Create, manage (in conjunction with departmental leadership), and implement comprehensive revenue and expense targets, strategies, and measures to reach contributed revenue goals and support the organization’s Strategic Plan • Conduct routine program analysis and reporting, assessing ROI on appeals and campaigns • Develop and engage the base of support for BLO through the direction of individual giving strategy and programming, including direct mail, email, print, tele-fundraising, web-based and social initiatives and personal solicitations • Serve as the primary strategic and operational lead for the maintenance, efficiency, and integrity of all fundraising-related functions of the Tessitura database • Oversee critical department functions including gift processing, gift acknowledgements, maintaining donor biographical records, reporting, and analytics • Introduce and advance projects that further the efficiency and efficacy of the department, including the development of policies and standard operating procedures, including documentation of new and changed processes (e.g. multi-year gift agreements, gift acceptance policies, etc.) • Ensure that all Philanthropy staff have an appropriate level of knowledge of essential systems and processes including Tessitura and Office 365, and provide training and support for new staff as needed • Serve as a partner to the Finance team to ensure accurate tracking and reporting of contributed revenue and compliance with IRS regulations, GAAP, and fundraising best practices • Provide support for the event activities of the Philanthropy department, including, but not limited to staff support for digital and onsite BLO events and productions, board meetings, pre-event support, etc. • Other related and relevant duties, as assigned 

Leadership & Management 20%

• Manage and supervise the Philanthropy Coordinator in their activities that support the entire department • Provide team leadership to direct reports and coworkers through the implementation of mission-driven strategies, including reviewing workflows and correcting any departmental inefficiencies • Document, review, and revise departmental procedures often, especially after each campaign to better understand trends, issues or success markers • Manage department design needs and requests in conjunction with Marketing, inclusive of appeals, non-appeal content (thank you cards, stewardship packets, etc.), website needs, and digital content

 Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in arts administration, development, and/or database management • Advanced knowledge of Tessitura CRM and Microsoft Office particularly in contribution processing, lists & extractions, Tessitura Analytics, fundraising setup & administration, and campaigns, appeals & sources. • Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office • Knowledge of opera and/or classical music, music production, or musical theater a plus; • Excellent interpersonal communication skills with a strong creative mind • Possess a team player mindset that can define and support a strategy, providing attention to detail in all matters • Experience writing and editing one or more of the following: newsletters, magazines, blogs, annual reports, donor profiles, acknowledgment letters, campaign brochures, funding proposals, fact sheets, or equivalent • Ability to exhibit a high degree of judgment, tact, and professionalism when interacting with donors, board members and executive/senior management. • Ability to display a high level of flexibility and resourcefulness; highly adaptable to changing needs and demands. • Ability to work with minimal supervision; work independently and collaboratively as part of a team. • Ability to juggle changing priorities

 Job Conditions

 The position is a full-time, exempt position. Regular business hours are Monday to Friday, from 9am-5pm with evening and weekend work during seasonal high-volume periods. Administrative work is currently hybrid (office/remote) with some regular onsite work required for BLO performances, and events in Boston and across the greater Boston area (during the week/on weekends). 

What You’ll Get:

• The salary for this position is based on a candidate’s experience and skills, with a salary range of $80,000-$90,000 with additional consideration given with technical experience • The opportunity to play a key role in the advancement of the longest-lived opera company in New England. • A collaborative team that shares a love of performing arts and are passionate about celebrating the art of the voice through innovative programming and community engagement initiatives that redefine the opera-going experience and have a great time while doing so. 

• Benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401k, and flexible PTO. • Opportunity to build and maintain a small portfolio of donors, as well as a small team. 

About Us

Both locally and beyond, Boston Lyric Opera leads the way in celebrating the art of the voice through innovative programming and community engagement initiatives that redefine the opera going experience. Now in its 44th Season, BLO is the largest and longest-lived opera company in New England. Since its founding in 1976, the company has staged world premieres, U.S. premieres, co-productions and co-commissions of note with organizations such as The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Scottish Opera and San Francisco Opera and continues to be a destination for some of the leading artists, conductors, directors and designers from around the world. BLO values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran’s status or any other protected category. BLO is an equal opportunity employer.