Senior Gift Planning Officer

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges. Caltech's extraordinary faculty and students are expanding understanding of the universe and inventing the technologies of the future, with research interests from quantum science and engineering to bioinformatics and the nature of life itself, from human behavior and economics to energy and sustainability.

Caltech is small but prizes excellence and ambition. The contributions of Caltech's faculty and alumni have earned national and international recognition, including 40 Nobel Prizes. The institute manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA, sending probes to explore the planets of the solar system and quantify changes on Earth; owns and operates large-scale research facilities such as the Seismological Laboratory and a global network of astronomical observatories, including the Palomar and W. M. Keck Observatories; and cofounded and comanages LIGO, which, in 2016, observed gravitational waves for the first time.

Job Summary

The purpose of Advancement and Alumni Relations (AAR) is to foster a thriving and engaged community of support for Caltech. Through philanthropy, we ensure the Institute receives the necessary resources to achieve Caltech’s aspirations and sustain its excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship in perpetuity.

The Office of Gift Planning (OGP) represents one of the largest planned giving programs in the country with over $120M in assets under management. Caltech frequently works with complex gift assets, vehicles, and strategies, and we manage approximately 140 life income gifts (charitable trusts and charitable gift annuities) resulting in approximately 160 donor/beneficiary relationships.

Reporting to the Executive Director of OGP, the Senior Gift Planning Officer (SGPO) will work with AAR colleagues to advance the near and long-term goals of the department, while serving as a critical partner in executing OGP’s annual fundraising objectives. The SGPO will focus on managing a portfolio of donors and prospects, consisting of alumni and friends of Caltech, qualifying, cultivating, and soliciting gifts of $100,000 . The SGPO will have direct responsibility for a portion of the Institute’s dollar goal as measured by activity for assigned portfolio of prospects and donors, as well as responding to periodic requests from colleagues and senior leadership.

Essential Job Duties

• Develop strategies for a comprehensive portfolio of individuals who are interested in planned and outright gifts.
• Secure 8 – 10 donor visits per month and build a consistent pipeline averaging 20 – 30 proposals per year.
• Close $5-10M in new gifts and commitments annually, encompassing life income gifts, bequest intentions, and outright gifts. Often, “team” assists and “primary” assignments will be equally balanced.
• Collaborate with other development officers to maximize donor and prospect interactions that further cultivate and/or enhance the connection between the donor and the Institute. Proposals frequently include advanced planned giving concepts; namely, charitable remainder unitrusts (CRT), charitable gift annuities (CGA), real property, and occasionally gifts of LLC and closely held stock.
• Interface with the Office of General Counsel (OGC), campus stakeholders, and other academic partners to draft detailed and complex gift agreement and proposals.
• Consistently use specialized gift planning knowledge to evaluate donor expectations, goals, and financial situations to recommend optimal gifting options and solutions.
• Serve as a key resource on gift planning topics, while keeping abreast of all estate and income tax issues.
• Enhance Caltech’s network of estate planning attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors, by proactively building relationships with professional advisors and following up on various referrals from Caltech constituents.
• Participate in the development of marketing materials and publications highlighting activities and achievements within the department.
• Participate in campus events as a representative of OGP.
• Demonstrate the ability to practice and adhere to AAR’s Guiding Principles.
  
  

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and five or more years of progressive experience as a planned giving officer/director.
• Proven record of successful planned and outright gift solicitations at the six and seven figure level.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication (written/verbal) skills.
• Knowledge of various planned giving vehicles and expertise with financial planning techniques and related tax laws.
• Proven collaborator and self-starter.
• Demonstrated success in metric-driven environments while consistently meeting goals and deadlines.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously, exercise sound judgment working with sensitive prospect information.
• Experience in motivating individuals to conceptualize, design and implement a complex gift planning program within a major research university or institute.
• Ability to collaborate successfully with older and/or prominent individuals, members of the academic community, and those in legal and financial services professions.
• Willingness to travel throughout the United States on a frequent basis.
• Proficient in PG Calc’s PGM software (or related gift planning software tools), as well as Microsoft Office suite of applications.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• An advanced degree or certification, such as a CFP, J.D., M.B.A., CAP, or CSPG is highly desirable.
• A genuine curiosity about science and technology and a strong appreciation for the extraordinary intellectual accomplishments of Caltech’s faculty and students.
• Experience working in a complex research environment.
  
  

Required Documents

• Resume.
• Cover Letter.
  
  

Hiring Range

$128,800 - $180,800 per year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations

Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.

If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at

Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at